Chapter 1062: Plan Changes

Jian Taiding frowned slightly. "Concubine Liu and Concubine Chu were both sent by Lady Yu back then. Although they've been well-behaved all these years, haven't communicated with her, and maintain good relations with us, I'm truly uneasy about using them for this matter."

Uncle Ming said, "Second Master, surely you haven't forgotten about Concubine Zhang? She's one of us."

"This..." Jian Taiding immediately looked hesitant and conflicted. His elder brother's concubines, though not comparable to Yu Yanluo, were nonetheless beautiful women, one in a hundred.

Moreover, the special aura of them being his sister-in-law's entourage greatly intensified a certain illicit desire within him.

However, he had previously understood priorities. After all, his elder brother had just met with misfortune; to immediately take possession of his widowed sister-in-law would damage his reputation and hinder his acquisition of his brother's inheritance.

Furthermore, because he harbored feelings for Yu Yanluo, he worried that getting involved with those concubines would tarnish his image in her eyes.

Thus, his plan had always been to fully control the Governor-General's Mansion and Yunzhong Commandery, ideally securing Yu Yanluo first, and then slowly enjoying these "spoils of war."

In any case, as former secondary wives of a duke, these concubines could not be released to remarry.

Kept within the deep confines of the ducal mansion, he could do as he pleased with them, and who outside would know?

But now, the arrival of this imposter had completely disrupted all his plans.

To test him, they were asking him to send his sister-in-law's women, whom he himself was reluctant to touch, to keep him company?

The crucial point was that they already knew he was fake.

This made him feel as if he was personally sending his own women to another man's bed – even though they were his elder brother's concubines, in his eyes, they had long been considered his exclusive property.

Seeing his expression, Uncle Ming largely guessed his thoughts. He coughed and advised, "Second Master, the big picture is more important. They're just a few women. Once we overcome this difficulty and you successfully become the Commandery Duke, what kind of women won't you be able to have?"

"On the contrary, if there's a slip-up this time, and others truly believe that imposter is the real Duke, then you'll have nothing."

Jian Taiding, who had still been hesitant, finally made up his mind after hearing this. "Alright, let Concubine Zhang go test him!"

On the other side, Zu An finished receiving Jian Yanluo's former confidants and returned to his room to consult with Yu Yanluo.

After hearing about the conversation with those people and their reactions, Yu Yanluo sighed softly. "They say 'when the person leaves, the tea grows cold,' and it certainly appears to be true now."

Zu An also nodded. "From my observations just now, although many spoke beautifully, they were clearly stalling. Only about a quarter of them were genuinely agitated or potentially useful to us. Jian Yanluo truly wasn't good at judging people."

Yu Yanluo shook her head. "Actually, you can't blame him. Judging by the people you just described, many of them weren't Yanluo's original close confidants, but rather leaned towards the lower and middle ranks. As for the original confidants, some died, some scattered, some were transferred; having about a quarter remaining is already a sign of deep reserves."

"Although those who just came respected Yanluo in the past, it was Jian Taiding who promoted them to their high positions. If they truly had to choose, they would naturally pledge loyalty to Jian Taiding. After all, if the previous group returned, would they be willing to go back to their old posts?"

Zu An sighed with emotion, "Eliminating rivals and promoting loyalists is truly human nature. Things will be difficult for us going forward."

Originally, they intended to use Jian Yanluo's identity to preside over the situation, but now, seeing that most of Jian Yanluo's former confidants had been replaced, there was a sense of a lost cause.

"There's also another problem," Yu Yanluo said, a deep worry flashing across her brows. "From today's situation, it's clear that Uncle Ming and Jian Taiding are colluding. With the two of them working together, even if we stay in the mansion for a while longer, we likely won't uncover anything."

Just as Zu An was about to speak, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Zu An and Yu Yanluo instinctively paused their conversation.

"Master, we heard you returned safely. We've come to see you," several charming voices called from outside.

Zu An looked at Yu Yanluo. The voices of these women were identical to those of Jian Yanluo's concubines he had heard during his training at the Yu residence. He couldn't help but marvel at Yu Yanluo's miraculous painting skills; not only could she paint their likenesses, but she could even seemingly paint their voices. He wondered how she did it.

After receiving permission, the door quickly opened, and several women, like warblers and swallows, eagerly rushed in. Upon entering, they immediately threw themselves into Zu An's arms, clinging to him and tearfully expressing their longing from the past days.

Zu An's expression immediately turned strange. He realized he had praised too soon. While Yu Yanluo's paintings were impressive, they lacked physical form. How could they compare to this thrilling softness and resilience?

And the various scents of rouge and powder reaching his nose made him feel for a moment as if he were visiting a brothel.

Yet, these women beside him were respectable ladies, moreover, concubines of a duke, making their status significantly higher.

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, coughed lightly. Zu An awoke as if from a dream and composed himself, dealing with the women as he had been trained.

After much maneuvering, he finally managed to send the women away, leaving Zu An covered in sweat from exhaustion.

Yu Yanluo nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Your reactions are indeed quick. You nearly gave yourself away several times, but thankfully you were clever enough to recover."

Although the prior training was extensive, plans often don't keep up with changes. Moreover, she wasn't entirely clear on all the details between Jian Yanluo and these concubines, nor could she cover every single aspect. The rest depended on Zu An's improvisation.

Clearly, Zu An had done well.

"It's only a short-term solution," Zu An said, casting a meaningful glance at Yu Yanluo. "Over time, problems are bound to arise. They are, after all, true husband and wife; it won't be easy to fool them for long. If not for your extraordinary abilities in painting, your own disguise as a fake wife might be easier for them to see through than my own."

"It truly is a problem, and they just mentioned coming to serve you tonight," Yu Yanluo said, her delicate brows furrowed as if contemplating something troubling.

"I've already declined them all," Zu An immediately stated his position. "How could a gentleman like me take advantage of someone else's misfortune?" He knew Yu Yanluo had previously warned him against interfering with Jian Yanluo's harem.

"You can decline for a day, but what about the long term?" Yu Yanluo asked, her expression one of a headache. "The news I just received is that before Concubine Zhang came here, she was summoned by Jian Taiding and talked with him for a long time before coming over. Clearly, she's here with the task of testing you, and she won't give up until she achieves her goal."

"I said I was injured. Can't I just hold out for a while?" Zu An didn't understand why she was so troubled. Hadn't they discussed all this from the beginning?

"Because the situation has changed," Yu Yanluo said, rising and going to the window. She specifically checked outside to ensure no one was there before continuing, "Now, Chief Steward Ming and Jian Taiding are working together. It's virtually impossible for you to uncover any useful clues while staying in the mansion. Furthermore, most of Yanluo's former confidants in the Governor-General's Mansion have been purged. If you were to rally people now, it's unlikely anyone would listen to you. So, this identity isn't as useful as we initially planned."

"So what do we do next?" Zu An also felt a headache coming on. He couldn't possibly keep pretending to be Jian Yanluo in this mansion indefinitely. If he couldn't find anything quickly and couldn't regain control of the Governor-General's Mansion, then all this elaborate impersonation would be meaningless.

Yu Yanluo murmured to herself, "Jian Taiding and Uncle Ming definitely know you're fake, so why would they still send Concubine Zhang to test you..."

"To find proof to show others that I'm fake," Zu An said, moving to stand beside her. Standing together, they appeared quite a matching pair.

Yu Yanluo's eyes lit up. "What if we turn their trick against them? Not only will they fail to find proof, but they'll also fall into self-doubt, believing you're the real one."

"How is that possible?" Zu An shook his head, finding the idea as fantastical as a fairy tale.

"We just need to make Concubine Zhang fully believe that you are the real Yanluo," Yu Yanluo said, growing more excited as she spoke. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

With that, she gathered her skirt and hurried away.

Zu An looked utterly bewildered, thinking to himself that given the concubines' familiarity with Jian Yanluo, it would be good enough if he could just keep up appearances without revealing any flaws. How could he possibly make them fully believe his identity?

Not long after, Yu Yanluo returned, accompanied by two figures completely enveloped in cloaks.

Once inside the room, the two figures lowered their hoods, and Zu An recognized them as Concubine Liu, with her ample figure, and Concubine Chu, with her slender waist.

"Jian Taiding and Uncle Ming have many eyes and ears in the mansion, so this was the only discreet way," Yu Yanluo explained.

"Master and Madam brought us here secretly. Is there something important you wish to instruct us on?" The two women exchanged glances, seeing solemnity in each other's eyes.

Before Zu An could speak, he heard Yu Yanluo say, "He is not your master. The real master is already dead."

Zu An was dumbfounded.