Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Exposed Just After Entering the City?

The soldier lifted the curtain and saw a young couple. Shen Ningning was nestled in Mo Lingwei’s arms, her face pale as if she were unwell.

This was all part of the plan they had discussed beforehand.

After all, Governor Ren must have known that his family servants were planning to assassinate Ren Liuyue and Fang Huan on the road.

Therefore, he would never expect them to return alive.

Shen Ningning’s role was to act as if she had narrowly escaped death and was still terrified from the ordeal.

The soldier eyed them suspiciously. "You’re not carrying some kind of illness, are you?"

Remembering Shen Ningning’s instructions, Mo Lingwei adopted a cold attitude. "We encountered villains on our journey. My wife is just frightened, not ill."

The soldier held out his hand. "Let me see your jade slips."

Mo Lingwei handed over the Identity Jade Scroll, along with the letter from Governor Ren summoning his daughter home.

"My wife is Ren Liuyue, Governor Ren’s eldest daughter. We are returning to Ling Mountain City at Lord Governor’s invitation."

As soon as Mo Lingwei finished speaking, the soldier’s expression changed. He meticulously verified the jade slip, then raised his head to scrutinize them.

Then, he said, "Wait here!"

The soldier ran off after speaking. Shen Ningning, still nestled in Mo Lingwei’s arms, cracked open an eye.

She whispered, "Where’s he going? Do you think he’s figured us out?"

Mo Lingwei lifted the curtain, his sharp, dark eyes gazing outside. "No, he’s gone to ask his superior. It looks like Governor Ren already notified the gate guards about his daughter’s return."

A moment later, the soldier returned with three of his comrades. They ordered the driver, "Pull the carriage over to the side!"

The driver grew anxious. "I’m a driver from the nearby post station, and this carriage belongs to the station as well. It’s a waste of time to wait here."

The soldier said curtly, "Tough luck. You can’t enter the city right now. You’ll have to wait until we’ve confirmed this with the Lord Governor!"

The driver turned and spoke to Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei through the curtain. "My good customers, you heard them. We agreed to reach Ling Mountain City by dusk today. If we’re delayed past that hour, you’ll have to pay extra."

This time, Mo Lingwei answered quickly, before Shen Ningning could even speak.

"Where would we get the extra money to pay you?"

A soldier stood listening by the carriage door, while his superior officer stood a short distance behind him, his cautious gaze sweeping over the couple.

Shen Ningning lifted her pale face and tugged on Mo Lingwei’s sleeve.

"Husband, let it be. Let’s get out and wait. We shouldn’t make things difficult for the driver."

The two of them alighted from the carriage. Mo Lingwei supported Shen Ningning. Despite his scholar’s attire, he carried an aura as sharp as a sword, causing him to stand out like a crane among chickens. The commoners waiting in line all turned to stare, sizing them up.

Mo Lingwei wrapped an arm around Shen Ningning, letting her lean against him. He couldn’t contain his anger, his voice laced with displeasure. "We’ve already shown you the jade slip and the letter. Could they be forgeries? How much longer must we wait? My wife has had a fright and needs proper rest."

He was acting in character as the scholar, Fang Huan. After all, Fang Huan himself had said that he did not bow to authority, possessing the integrity of a true intellectual, and that his wife’s happiness was the one thing he most wanted to protect.

Thus, it was perfectly in character for Mo Lingwei to express his displeasure in public.

Unexpectedly, however, the sheer intensity of his cold expression was so menacing that it stunned the young soldiers nearby.

They exchanged a glance, then stammered, "We’re just following our superior’s orders. Uh, how about this? I’ll go get a chair so your wife can sit and rest for a bit."

With that, he ran toward a nearby encampment tent.

As they waited, Mo Lingwei asked the young soldier, "Exactly how long is this going to take? Give me a straight answer."

The young soldier glanced back toward his superior before whispering, "I’m not sure myself. Lord Governor gave orders that if the young miss of his house returned, someone from the Ren Family had to come pick her up. I just heard my superior send someone to notify the nanny at the Ren Mansion. Miss Ren’s nanny should be here soon, so it shouldn’t be too long."

Shen Ningning’s grip on Mo Lingwei’s sleeve suddenly tightened.

’A nanny? Ren Liuyue never said she had a nanny still at the Ren Mansion.’

’If it’s really her nanny, she’ll definitely recognize the real Ren Liuyue.’

As soon as the young soldier finished speaking, his superior called him away.

Shen Ningning looked up at Mo Lingwei and whispered, "What do we do? If we’re exposed as impostors, are your Hidden Guards still nearby?"

Mo Lingwei nodded. "Don’t worry. If we are discovered, it will save me the trouble of having to play along with him. Besides, this nanny isn’t necessarily a cause for fear. Ren Liuyue herself said she was taken away by her maternal grandparents shortly after her birth. Even if she had a nanny, the woman would have only seen her when she was an infant."

After another short wait, a carriage emerged from a side gate of Ling Mountain City and came to a stop before them.

An old woman with a round face and narrow eyes, dressed in fine silk, stepped down from the carriage.

’Judging by her attire, she must be a person of some status in the mansion. Otherwise, how could a mere old nanny afford to wear such fine silk?’

Her eyes fell upon Shen Ningning, and she froze for a second.

Tears streaming down her face, Shen Ningning seized the initiative. "You’re my nanny? Why don’t I recognize you? Did Father consider me such a burden that he sent a random person to put me off?"

The nanny quickly snapped out of her daze. "Oh, my dear Eldest Miss, you mustn’t say such things! The Master is terribly worried about you. It’s only natural that you don’t recognize this old servant. I only held you when you were a newborn. After more than a decade apart, I see you’ve already blossomed into such a graceful young lady."

Shen Ningning relaxed. ’It’s just as Mo Lingwei predicted. This nanny only ever cared for Ren Liuyue in name.’

The nanny also feigned a few tears. "As long as you’re back, Eldest Miss, that’s all that matters. The Master longs for your return every day. Come, let’s go back now. The master and mistress are waiting for you at the mansion."

"Alright," Shen Ningning agreed, and with Mo Lingwei’s support, she boarded the carriage with him.

Inside the carriage, the nanny’s eyes kept darting furtively toward Mo Lingwei.

"So this is the Young Master? I always heard he was a man of remarkable talent, and seeing you now, you are truly as handsome as they say."

Mo Lingwei shot her a glance and gave a cool, noncommittal "Mm."

Shen Ningning secretly watched the nanny’s expression. When she saw the woman purse her lips, she knew Mo Lingwei’s reaction had been the right one.

Fang Huan had always been resentful on Ren Liuyue’s behalf, believing she had been abandoned by her father.

As a scholar, he naturally wouldn’t be friendly toward members of the Ren Family. Mo Lingwei’s cold demeanor was intimidating enough that the nanny didn’t dare speak to him again, instead making idle small talk with Shen Ningning.

The nanny asked about her life over the past several years, and Shen Ningning answered every question fluently.

Thankfully, Ren Liuyue had told her a great deal in advance. That, combined with Governor Ren’s utter lack of concern for his daughter, meant the Ren Family was ignorant about most details of her life.

They only knew about major events, like her marriage and the deaths of her maternal grandparents.

As the carriage rumbled on, Shen Ningning peeked through the swaying curtain. She saw many elite soldiers on patrol, and few commoners loitering on the streets.

She couldn’t help but ask, "Nanny, why does Ling Mountain City seem so different from what I remember? Why is security so tight?"

The nanny answered vaguely, "Oh, the city has been rounding up spies lately."

"Spies?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.