Chapter 86 The Young Master Who Had Been Missing for Years

The three days passed swiftly. When Qin Wanru returned from the Old Madam’s courtyard, she saw Qule standing outside her own gate with a middle-aged man. Upon seeing her, Qule hurried forward.

“Miss, this is my father,” she said.

The middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed to Qin Wanru. “Second Miss, I am Qule’s father.”

Qin Wanru’s gaze fell upon him. He was a man in his thirties or forties, dressed as any ordinary villager would be. His head was lowered, hiding his face, but he was tall—taller than most men from the countryside. Though his posture was deferential, he was not flustered.

“Are you from the capital?” Qin Wanru examined him, her eyes cool.

“Yes, I am from the capital,” he replied with a nod.

“Why did you come to Jiangzhou?” Her voice was cold as she looked at him.

“I came here to find someone. I heard that person had appeared in Jiangzhou,” he answered quickly.

“Are both you and your wife from the capital?” she pressed.

“We are both from there,” he did not conceal the truth.

“Did Madam instruct your daughter to watch me and report my affairs to her?” Without any hesitation, Qin Wanru bypassed the pretense and asked directly, her gaze intense upon the man.

“Yes…” The man lowered his head even further.

“Are you aware that, if I chose to deal with your family, it would mean nothing here in Jiangzhou?” Qin Wanru’s cold smile was tinged with childishness, yet her words were icy. “The Ningyuan General’s residence holds authority in Jiangzhou. If I wished to deal with a household—even if it meant their demise—it would hardly be noticed.”

In the capital, Qin Huaiyong’s status was insignificant, his rank unimpressive amidst the multitude of high officials. But here in Jiangzhou, with military power in hand, disposing of a few individuals could happen without a trace.

“Second Miss, I truly haven’t said anything about you, and Madam hasn’t asked much about your affairs either.” The man became anxious, unable to remain standing, and pulled Qule down to kneel beside him, pleading.

He had lived in Jiangzhou for years and knew Qin Wanru’s words were no idle threat.

“If you haven’t spoken of me, what has Madam asked? Why does she regularly have you report on my activities? I can’t recall doing anything that warrants such scrutiny!” Qin Wanru’s voice was cold.

“I… I…” The man hesitated, lowering his head even more.

“Speak!” Qin Wanru cast an indifferent glance at him, unhurriedly increasing the pressure. She had already threatened him; if he was clever, he would know what to do now.

“Madam… Madam asked me about why I came to Jiangzhou,” he finally answered after a brief pause. Though his words were vague, Qin Wanru caught the undertones and her expression grew somber.

“Your affairs? What affairs?”

“It’s… she asked who I came to Jiangzhou to find, whether I found them, and some other trivial matters.” Sweat appeared on his forehead. He had thought she was merely a naïve young lady, but the pressure she exerted and her pointed questions unsettled him, forcing him to divulge something useful.

Yet, there were things he would never reveal, not to Madam Di nor to this Second Miss.

“The person you’re seeking in Jiangzhou—is that related to Madam?” Qin Wanru’s expression remained unchanged, pondering for a moment before pressing further.

“No, it’s not. The person I came to find from the capital has nothing to do with Madam. I don’t know why she’s so concerned about my affairs.” The man was genuinely puzzled; the General’s residence’s Madam had inexplicably taken an interest in his family’s business.

Though she seemed to be interested in Second Miss’s affairs, he was clever enough to have gleaned some hints from Madam Di’s few words. He had always dodged her questions or feigned ignorance.

Nevertheless, his instincts told him this suddenly-appearing Second Miss was not easy to deal with.

“Can you tell me about your affairs?” Qin Wanru went straight to the point, avoiding any preamble.

Feeling sweat gather on his brow, the man realized that although this young lady had grown up in Jiangzhou and was not from a prominent family, her bearing was formidable and her questions cut straight to the heart.

“This matter… Please forgive me, I cannot divulge everything. It concerns important family matters,” he replied carefully. “It’s private, and unrelated to anyone else.”

“Why does Madam wish to know?” His careful but unwavering response made it clear he would not tell the truth, so Qin Wanru shifted the subject.

“I don’t know,” he shook his head. He genuinely did not understand why Madam Di was interested; originally, it had nothing to do with her.

“Could it be… that it actually relates to Madam?” Qin Wanru prompted, her eyes clear and sharp. “Is it possible the person you’re looking for is connected to her?”

“No… impossible!” The man was taken aback and shook his head emphatically.

“Why impossible?” Qin Wanru was curious.

“It’s just not likely—absolutely impossible. I’m actually looking for two people, not just one. Yet Madam is but one person, and as the daughter of the Yongkang Earl’s residence, she could not possibly be involved in my affairs.” He explained hurriedly.

“The daughter of the Yongkang Earl’s residence?” Qin Wanru bit her pink lips with amusement.

The man’s face changed drastically, his hand trembling slightly.

“You know Madam is the daughter of the Yongkang Earl’s residence? Most people here in Jiangzhou only know she’s a noblewoman from the capital, but not which family. Yet as a villager, you have such insight and know her origins so clearly. Did you meet her before?”

“I… I haven’t met Madam!” he replied in a flustered manner.

“But you were in the capital. Surely, you must have seen her at some point?” Qin Wanru’s gaze was cold.

“I was just a minor figure then. How could I have seen the Yongkang Earl’s Madam?” The man shook his hands frantically.

“But Madam recognized you.” Qin Wanru smiled faintly, her tone cool and certain.

“That’s impossible… She wouldn’t. I’m just a servant; how could she recognize me?” The man’s face changed, and he stammered. As soon as he finished, his expression fell—he had said something wrong and was truly panicked.

“So, whose servant are you?” Qin Wanru seized on the slip, her voice cold and then suddenly sharp. “Are you an escaped slave from one of the capital’s noble houses?”

If he were an escaped slave and caught, he would be branded and exiled.

“No, no, I’m not an escaped slave. I truly am looking for someone—for my master. The people of my residence know this!” The man could not hide his panic and, after a moment’s hesitation, had to explain further.

“You’re searching for your master? After so many years, you haven’t found them? Qule told me you’ve been in Jiangzhou for quite some time. All these years, with no word, and you never returned—settling here instead? That’s unheard of.” Qin Wanru questioned relentlessly. She had already asked Qule; their family had been in Jiangzhou for many years.

To search for someone for so long without finding them, yet never returning home and settling here—such a thing had never been heard of.

“Is it that you found your master but harmed them, so you dare not return?” Qin Wanru smiled, a gentle smile that carried a meaning so chilling the man’s face turned pale as snow.

If that accusation were true, he would have no hope of survival.

“Second Miss Qin, how could I possibly harm my master? If I did, may heaven strike me down! But my master has been missing for so many years… When I left to search, the old master told me not to return unless I found him. Now the master is still missing, the old master is gone… I… I don’t know what to do!” The man choked on his words, wiping away tears as he knelt. The sight of such a grown man crying on the ground, combined with his story, was indeed pitiable.

Even Qingyue, standing nearby, felt sympathy for him.

“In the past, our master did meet the daughter of the Yongkang Earl’s residence several times; I was following my master back then. Perhaps Madam recognized me and thus inquired about my master. But after all these years in Jiangzhou, I’ve never found him. Even if she asks, I can say nothing more. Whatever Madam Di asks, these are the only answers I have.” The man continued, this time withholding only his master’s name; everything else was laid bare.

Such matters were the secrets of great families, but since they affected no one else, Qin Wanru—merely a sheltered young lady—would gain nothing from knowing them and might even attract trouble or gossip.

“Madam truly wishes to know?” Qin Wanru asked softly.

“It seems so. I don’t know why she’s so determined. Even if she learns the truth, what then? Now that the old master is gone, no one worries about the young master anymore.” The man wiped his tears bitterly.

“Take Qule and move away,” Qin Wanru said, no longer questioning him. After a pause, her gaze deepened. “I don’t want Madam to hear anything about me from your family again.”