Chapter 583: Two Letters (Part 1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Yu Niaoniao expressed her confusion,”Since the eldest is so outstanding, why did they choose the younger sister in the end?”

Granny Xiu Yan shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Yu Niaoniao thought of the scar on Li Niang’s face and tried to ask, “Could it have something to do with the eldest sister’s disfigurement?”

Even if Li Niang was too beautiful when she was young, once her face was destroyed, she would never have the chance to enter the palace again.

Granny Xiu Yan was very surprised. “Eldest Miss Deng was disfigured? I’ve never heard of this.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered.

“By the way, I did hear some rumors back then.

It was said that the eldest daughter of the Deng family had contracted an evil illness and could not see anyone. She had to be sent back to Luzhou to recuperate.

However, these were just rumors and I could not tell if they were true. I just listened and did not take them to heart.

Later, the two daughters of the Deng family were even invited by Imperial Concubine Meng to the palace to drink tea, which confirmed that the rumors were nonsense.”

Yu Niaoniao asked, “Are you sure the two daughters of the Deng family have entered the palace?”

Granny Xiu Yan was not sure. “I’ve only heard about this and haven’t seen it with my own eyes. It shouldn’t be wrong.”

Seeing Yu Niaoniao’s solemn expression, she could not help but ask.

“Is this very important?”

Yu Niaoniao nodded. “Very important!”

Granny Xiu Yan said, “Please give me some time to think about it.”

Yu Niaoniao said, “Please.”

She had lunch with Lo Pingsha and continued to study the charred corpse.

This time, they prepared to start from the beginning and carefully examine every part of the charred corpse.

In the end, they really discovered something unusual— The charred corpse had six toes on its left foot.

Because the body had been burned by high temperatures and was severely carbonized, the fingers and toes showed a tendency to curl and stick tightly together.

If they hadn’t examined it carefully from beginning to end, they might never have discovered that the charred corpse had one more toe on its left foot than ordinary people.

Yu Niaoniao immediately recorded this discovery in the autopsy report.

From the current clues, the charred corpse had suffered from serious rheumatism and heart and lung disease when he was alive. He had six toes on his left foot.

These were his personal characteristics and could be important clues to verify his identity.

At this moment, Granny Xiu Yan came looking for her.

She looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I’m still not sure if the Deng sisters entered the palace back then.”

Yu Niaoniao comforted him gently. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve already helped me a lot.”

Granny Xiu Yan asked, “Really?”

Yu Niaoniao said, “What you said indirectly confirmed some of my guesses. It’s indeed very helpful to me.”

Granny Xiu Yan smiled. “That’s good. By the way, Old Master Deng sent someone to the Regional King’s Mansion just now. He said that he has something very important to discuss with you and His Highness and wants to invite you to the Deng Mansion as soon as possible.” Hearing this, Yu Niaoniao immediately said. “Prepare the carriage. I’m going to the Deng residence.”

Lo Pingsha followed closely. “I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah.”

Granny Xiu Yan hurriedly said, “Aren’t you going with His Highness?”

Yu Niaoniao could not wait anymore. Deng Yuchuan suddenly called them over in a hurry. He must have found clues about Li Niang. She had to go over immediately.

“When His Highness returns, tell him that we went to the Deng family.”

With that, she hurried out with Lo Pingsha.

The two of them rode to the Deng residence.

The Deng Residence’s door was closed, and it was cold and empty.

Lo Pingsha stepped forward and pounded on the door.

Soon the door was pulled open from the inside.

The door was opened by a guard. When he saw that it was the Princess Consort of Lang County and Lo Pingsha, he immediately said, “My master has been waiting for a long time. Please come in.”

Yu Niaoniao and Lo Pingsha strode across the high threshold and in.

The guard led them across the front yard and straight to the study.

Deng Luyun was like a door god who was quietly guarding the door.

He spoke solemnly, “Grandpa said that we can only let the Princess Consort in.”

Yu Niaoniao turned to Lo Pingsha, who was following behind.

“Wait for me outside.”

“Yes.”

Yu Niaoniao pushed open the door and walked into the study. She saw Deng Yuchuan sitting in a chair. On the desk in front of him was a dirty mahogany box.

Deng Yuchuan looked like he had just cried. His eyes were red.

He looked at the mahogany box in front of him in a daze. His gaze seemed to penetrate it and see people or things from a long time ago. It was filled with nostalgia and reluctance.

Yu Niaoniao did not stand on ceremony with him and asked, “Why did you call me here?”

Deng Yuchuan raised his right hand and pointed at the mahogany box in front of him.

“This is the box I dug out from under the cinnamon tree.”

Yu Niaoniao walked over and saw that the mahogany box had been opened. Two folded pieces of paper lay quietly inside.

She glanced at Deng Yuchuan.

Deng Yuchuan said, “Princess Consort, please help yourself.”

Only then did Yu Niaoniao reach out and pick up the thin rice paper.

She unfolded the paper and saw the first line of words. It said— It has been many years. How is my brother?

Yu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment before she realized that Deng Yuchuan only had two sisters. One of his sisters was Empress Dowager Deng. She would definitely not write to Deng Yuchuan in this way. In that case, the only remaining possibility was that this letter was written by Li Niang! Before she could ask, Deng Yuchuan took the initiative to give an answer. “This is a personal letter from Li Niang.”

Back then, when Deng Yuchuan was about to leave the Deng family for the border, Li Niang cried very sadly. Her biological mother had passed away early, and her brother had become the person she was closest to at home.

She could not bear to let her brother go. She did not want to be separated from him.

In order to comfort his sister, Deng Yuchuan planted a pear tree sapling behind her boudoir.

And promised his sister that he would be back when the pear tree bore fruit.

Li Niang treasured that pear tree very much. Every time she wrote to her brother, she did not forget to mention the growth of the pear tree at the end of the letter.

Deng Yuchuan knew in his heart that his sister was reminding him not to forget his promise.

Unfortunately, he broke his promise in the end.

The pear trees bloomed and bore fruit year after year, but his return was out of reach.

As soon as Deng Yuchuan arrived today, he realized that there was a pear tree in the courtyard.

It reminded him of his sister, whom he had not seen for years.

Back then, Li Niang had complained to her brother in her letter and asked him why he wasn’t home yet.

She even said in a fit of pique that if she died one day, she would bury her will under the pear tree.

She asked her brother not to forget to look for letters under the pear tree when he returned home.

Scenes of the past assaulted him.

For some reason, Deng Yuchuan suddenly had the urge to get his grandson to dig up the soil under the pear tree.

In the end, he really dug out a mahogany box.

There were two letters in the box.

Even after so many years, Deng Yuchuan could still recognize Li Niang’s handwriting on the letter.

A joke from back then had now become true.

Intense grief surged, making the gray-haired old man cry.

He choked.

“I’ve let Li Niang down. If I had returned home earlier, she wouldn’t have suffered so much, let alone died tragically at the hands of others..”