Chapter 295 - Rong Qius Identity (1/2)

”The Han Emperor indeed wanted to take your father to the capital, but I did something before that,” Aunt Yue admitted hesitantly.

”What did you do?” Yao Ling asked. Somehow, she felt that from the somber atmosphere that there was more to it.

”Your father... didn't go to the capital... he's still here... right beside me,” Aunt Yue said briefly.

”What do you mean?!” Yao Ling asked in surprise.

Aunt Yue answered, ”Do you remember about how I said Little Qiu kept helping our people back then?”

”Errr... Little Qiu?” Yao Ling didn't seem to remember this person. But a figure fleeted in her mind... was it Uncle Qiu? Xiao Fang's godfather?

Aunt Yue nodded. ”He was sent to retrieve the soil as well...”

Yao Ling gasped in surprise... ”Grandmother, do you mean...?”

Yao Ling remembered that her grandmother had said... everyone was dead after the expedition --- including, the one that was able to come back.

Aunt Yue nodded. ”The real Little Qiu was dead at that time!”

”But then... how... how...?” Yao Ling was flabbergasted. Was Uncle Qiu who was Xiao Fang's godfather... her father or the real Uncle Qiu? This matter was confusing to her. She didn't know how Xiao Fang would react when she heard about this matter.

Aunt Yue explained to Yao Ling. At that time, the real Uncle Qiu knew that his time was limited. He had no wife, but he had a son and he needed someone to take care of his son. He knew that the Han Emperor would take Rong Qiu as a hostage, thus, he offered a deal. He would give his identity to Rong Qiu, but he had to raise his son with love. After all, if he was dead, his unreliable family would certainly devour his wealth and kill his son.

That was why he met up with them before his demise.

Yao Ling asked, ”Did father agree? Didn't he want to leave and find my mother?”

Aunt Yue looked down guiltily. ”This is the tricky part...”

Yao Ling's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. ”Grandmother... Don't tell me... Oh no!” Yao Ling covered up her mouth when she realized what her grandmother had done.

Aunt Yue nodded her head. ”I... I deliberately make him forget everything and ȧssumed the real Little Qiu's identity...”

Yao Ling felt a headache coming. ”This...”

Yao Ling understood how worried her grandmother actually was. She did this selfishly, but she was thinking of her father's wellbeing. But what about her mother and her? Did it mean that she had already abandoned them at that time?

”Grandmother... did you...?” Yao Ling didn't know how to ask the question whether she had abandoned Su Wan and her or not.

Aunt Yue sighed. Without needing Yao Ling to say anything else, she understood what Yao Ling meant. She shook her head sadly, ”I don't have a plan to abandon both of you, after all, I have loved you even before you were born. The real Little Qiu has taken the job to take care of your mother. However, I can't let her be seen together with your father --- or else, people would start targeting you. But... I'm also not sure what went wrong back then. I thought both you have been living safely together...”

Yao Ling noticed her grandmother's predicament, but she knew that she thought of everything not only as a mother but also as the leader of the Bei Yue clan. Could she blame her? No, she couldn't. If it was Yao Ling who only stayed at the village without any experiences, she would certainly blame her grandmother.