I Became the Eye Candy: Four Bigshots Claimed to be My Dad?

Chapter 439: Nothing Amiss in the General’s Manor

"Pfft, you," Peony chuckled, tapping her little nose.

Ye Qianning playfully hugged her leg.

Mr. Li looked them over again, his gaze stopping on Hua Qiao. "And this concubine, where is she from?"

"I’m not quite sure where I’m from," Hua Qiao said, shaking her head.

"Not sure?" Mr. Li asked, confused.

"That’s right. We were all sold and resold from a young age, tossed between one performance troupe and the next. We can’t even remember where our hometowns are."

"Oh? So you were all purchased by General Xiang?"

"No, we were all saved by General Xiang. To repay the General for saving our lives, we pledged ourselves to him. We thought that even as concubines, we could at least have a stable life." As Hua Qiao spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

"We’ve all led difficult lives. A peaceful existence is more important than anything."

"Sigh... being sold so young, we’ve lost count of how many times our names were changed. We only chose our current names after entering the General’s manor. We truly don’t remember where we’re from."

"The General is a kind and benevolent man for taking us in. We’ll be grateful for the rest of our lives."

It was as if a painful memory had been triggered for the concubines. Tears began to fall, and the sound of sobbing soon filled the air.

Mr. Li hadn’t expected his simple question to stir up a hornet’s nest, and he looked slightly awkward.

"Eunuch, be quick about it," a Hidden Guard urged coldly.

"Yes." Mr. Li didn’t dare say more and turned to the concubines with builds similar to Xi Fengying’s. "Ladies, if you would please come with me."

"Mr. Li, what is the meaning of this?" Zhan Yi’s heart clenched.

"Old Master Zhan, the fugitive was wounded. All the women must be checked for injuries."

"But—"

"Quiet," his wife hissed, pulling Zhan Yi aside. "If the eunuch wants to inspect them, let him."

Zhan Chi lowered his gaze slightly. ’I know her appearance has been altered,’ he thought, ’but I don’t know if she’s dealt with that supposed wound.’

Mr. Li led the concubines into the main hall.

The soldiers who had been searching the manor returned to the front courtyard, reporting one by one that they had found nothing. The Shadow Guard who had left moments before also landed silently in the front hall, shaking his head at his commander.

Zhan Yi’s heart was in his throat, and he secretly squeezed his wife’s hand.

His wife was nervous too. After all, the person they were hiding was someone the Emperor would tear the world apart to find. No one could guarantee that there wouldn’t be a slip-up.

Mr. Li mainly checked the women’s arms and the area behind their ears. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary after a full inspection, he turned and walked out of the hall.

"Shadow Guard, we found nothing."

The Shadow Guard’s cold gaze swept over the crowd before he turned and led the soldiers away.

Mr. Li gave a slight bow toward Zhan Yi and Qian Fanji, then also turned to leave.

Only then did Zhan Yi let out the breath he had been holding. Watching the last of them disappear from view, he finally dared to ask, "Where is she?"

His wife gestured toward the hall.

"Old Master Zhan, don’t tell me you can’t even recognize us," Peony said, covering her mouth with a light laugh.

The concubines emerged from the hall and lined up in a row.

Zhan Yi found himself a bit face-blind. Other than the fact that there was now one more person, he couldn’t tell who the newcomer was at all.

Zhan Chi’s gaze fell on Xi Fengying. Her appearance was now so similar to one of the other concubines that one’s first impression would be that they were sisters.

Even he hadn’t recognized her when he’d looked at them earlier.

"They haven’t gone far. We still need to be cautious," Qian Fanji said.

Zhan Yi’s wife agreed. She looked at the concubine now called Moli. "Return to your courtyard for now. You should maintain this appearance for the next few days, just in case they decide to conduct another sudden search."

"Yes," Xi Fengying agreed with a nod.

Seeing her nod, Zhan Yi was still suspicious. ’But I’m sure she’s one of the concubines from our manor,’ he thought.