Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

In the blink of an eye, May arrived.

Meng Qianqian and her group were ready to set off for the Meng Family in You State.

For Meng Qianqian, this counted as her first visit back home after her grand wedding.

But for Lu Yuan, this was the first meeting with his in-laws as the new son-in-law.

"Grand Commander, aren't you nervous?"

Shangguan Ling asked him.

Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "Why should I be nervous?"

Shangguan Ling said, dumbfounded, "You eloped with the Meng family's daughter, even got married without their knowledge. If I were the old man from the Meng family, I'd bash your skull in!"

Lu Yuan gave him a chilly glance, "Had enough of living?"

Shangguan Ling instantly cowered, "I misspoke."

Damn, being away from the Grand Commander's intimidation for too long had made him forget himself.

"Swish swish!"

Tan'er skipped over joyfully, "Did you see Shang Wuyou?"

Shangguan Ling replied grumpily, "No, I haven't."

Tan'er muttered, "How could you not see him? He's obviously here!"

Having just been scolded by Lu Yuan, Shangguan Ling was now being reproached by a little girl, and his face darkened, "He's not a child. Am I supposed to keep an eye on him for you?"

Tan'er pouted, "Hmph! Commander of the Imperial Guard, yet you have no insight! Pathetic!"

Shangguan Ling was taken aback, "Who exactly are you looking down on, little girl?"

Tan'er put her hands on her hips, "Whoever deserves it!"

Shangguan Ling held his head.

He wouldn't argue with the little girl.

"Shang Wuyou! Shang Wuyou—"

Tan'er went off to find Shang Wuyou.

Shangguan Ling asked puzzled, "Why is she looking for Shang Wuyou? Hasn't she been getting too close to that boy lately?"

Lu Yuan: "What's it to you?"

Shangguan Ling: "..."

It really wasn't his business.

Shang Wuyou was no longer at the Crown Prince Mansion; he had gone to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.

After Gongsun Yanming's death, it was only right for him, as the Young Master, to inherit the position of Pavilion Master of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.

In the past, he might have dismissed it.

But after experiencing great storms, he understood the importance of power and influence.

He didn't want to always hide behind others, needing protection; he wanted to be someone who could protect his sister.

And become...

Her strong backing.

The Miao King was also planning to leave.

He had come to the Southwest concerned about his reckless grandson and granddaughter-in-law. With revenge taken, those who needed to be killed were, and the rebellion quelled, he had even gotten an unexpected surprise.

—His unborn great-grandson and the vexing in-laws that he couldn't stand.

"Father-in-law, sir."

Lu Zhaoyan came to pay his respects to the Miao King in the courtyard.

The Miao King glared at him, "I haven't even married my daughter to you yet, why are you calling me father-in-law?"

Lu Zhaoyan: "Yes, father-in-law."

The Miao King: "..."

The marriage will happen. When Bai Qi gives his daughter in marriage, it will be a sensation across the land, providing a good excuse for a trip to Witch Mountain.

To discuss the marriage of Little Fat Bai, Xian'er couldn't just kick him off the mountain.

"Hehehe..."

The Miao King chuckled foolishly.

Before setting off, Meng Qianqian had a private meeting with Si Snake.

"I have some things to say to you."

She said.

The two sat down in a pavilion in the Crown Prince Mansion.

In the small garden below, Treasure Piggy was chasing butterflies.

Her tender little voice mingled with the sounds of nature, creating the most beautiful scenery of early summer.

Si Snake said, "Just as well, I also have something I want to discuss with you."

"Let me go first."

Meng Qianqian said.

Si Snake nodded.

Meng Qianqian spoke frankly, "It's about Tan'er's parentage."

Si Snake said calmly, "I heard from Yu Zichuan, her mother was the West Night Saintess, father unknown."

With Yu Zichuan and Qing Shuang being eager gossip collectors, Meng Qianqian was not surprised by what news they could uncover.

"Who was this West Night Saintess?"

Meng Qianqian paused, "I heard about your royal lineage from West Night."

Si Snake's expression didn't change at all; it seemed either unimportant, or he had nothing to hide from her.

Meng Qianqian opened her mouth, "Or, did you tell me before? Did I forget?"

Most of her past life's memories had returned, but a few minor details still lay dormant in the depths of her consciousness.

"It's not important."

Si Snake said, "There was originally no Saintess in West Night. One year, a natural disaster befell us, and the Grand Priest of West Night was praying for blessings on an island. A woman fell from the sky onto the Grand Priest's altar. The Grand Priest thought she was an assassin and captured her, only to find out she mitigated the island's natural disasters and stopped an impending plague. From then on, the Grand Priest regarded her as the Saintess."

"Fell from the sky?"

Meng Qianqian looked thoughtful.

"That's not the most bizarre part."

Si Snake, usually a man of few words, was surprisingly verbose when discussing the West Night Saintess.

"The Grand Priest built a Saintess Hall for her, seemingly elevating her, but actually imprisoning her on the island, forbidding her to leave it."

Meng Qianqian frowned, "This..."

Si Snake continued, "One day, she suddenly vanished from the Saintess Hall. No one saw how she escaped, and no one ever found her again."

Meng Qianqian asked suspiciously, "Then Tan'er..."

Si Snake shook his head, "I never saw Tan'er on the island, and she doesn't have the blue eyes of the Liuli Island people. That's why I never thought she had any connection to Liuli Island."

Meng Qianqian continued, "The Saintess had blue eyes?"

Si Snake shook his head, "No. The Saintess spent most of her time in the hall. I rarely had the chance to see her, and even then it was from afar, and she wore a veil."

Meng Qianqian had a moment of clarity, "No wonder you didn't think Tan'er resembled her."

Si Snake asked, "What did Tan'er tell you?"

Meng Qianqian said, "She told me she and her mother lived on an island too, but she's not sure if it's Liuli Island. Her mother always told her that one day she might disappear, and she hoped to teach Tan'er all the skills before that happened."

After her conversation with Duan Mingyue, that very night she found Tan'er and had an open discussion with her.

Tan'er didn't hold back any more.

However, the clues Tan'er had were very few.

Meng Qianqian continued, "By the way, the West Night Saintess seemed quite knowledgeable about the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles, Madam Chu, and the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. She prepared a boat for Tan'er in advance, so that after she disappeared, Tan'er could leave the island by boat and head for Great Zhou."

"Did she tell Tan'er to go to Great Zhou to find... you?"

Si Snake could only think of this possibility.

Meng Qianqian shook her head, "The West Night Saintess didn't say that, just that Tan'er should go to Great Zhou."

Si Snake pondered for a moment, speculating, "I guess the West Night Saintess, after escaping from the Saintess Hall, lived on Liuli Island the whole time. As for who Tan'er's father is and where he is now, it's unknown."

What came to his mind was that perhaps the man was long dead; otherwise, why not entrust Tan'er to him?

But some things didn't need to be spoken out loud.