Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 423: True Colors Revealed

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the shadows and exploded mid-air.

Zhan Xuerou winced in pain and held Zhan Rui tightly, but Qin Shuang forcefully snatched Zhan Rui from her arms.

She looked at Zhan Xuerou with hostility. Zhan Xuerou didn’t understand why, despite protecting Zhan Rui, Qin Shuang still regarded her with such an expression. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Not far away, the Protectors arrived in full force, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle.

"Brother, save me!" Zhan Heng kept pounding his fists against the Death Guard carrying him over his shoulder.

In an instant, Zhan Hui thrust his sword toward the Death Guard’s heart and said coldly, "Put him down!"

The Death Guard still wanted to resist to the end, but Zhan Heng opened his mouth and clamped down fiercely on the guard’s ear with his teeth.

"Ah!" the Death Guard cried out in pain and threw Zhan Heng toward another accomplice.

Zhan Beicang kicked the Death Guard against the wall, catching Zhan Heng in his arms.

"Heng’er!" Qin Shuang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Death Guards were surrounded by the Protectors and Zhan Lan’s Hidden Guard. Seeing the situation turning against them, all the Death Guards instantly bit down on the poison pills hidden in their teeth and died on the spot.

Last time, Hei Yu and the Death Guards had abducted Zhan Lan unexpectedly, without having time to prepare poison. Si Jun learned from their mistake of being captured, so this time, if the plan failed, he ensured they were equipped with poison pills.

He was soon to launch a coup and couldn’t leave any loose ends or evidence that could be used against him.

Seeing that the Death Guards had failed to transfer Zhan Heng away, Zhan Xuerou instantly felt that the plan was doomed.

Blood kept flowing down her arm, staining her sleeve red. Zhan Beicang glanced at her and said worriedly, "Rou’er is injured!"

Zhan Rui and Zhan Heng both wanted to go up to check on Zhan Xuerou.

Especially Zhan Rui, who had seen Zhan Xuerou block a dagger for her with her own eyes.

However, Qin Shuang grabbed Zhan Rui’s hand tightly and said, "Don’t go!"

Zhan Hui, holding his sword, approached Zhan Xuerou, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Zhan Lan had told him to be cautious of anyone entering the General Mansion, including Zhan Xuerou.

At the time, Zhan Hui hadn’t understood what that meant, but now it seemed clear.

Weakened, Zhan Xuerou looked at Zhan Beicang and said, "Father, Rou’er is fine. As long as my younger siblings are safe..."

Zhan Beicang turned to the Protectors and said, "Go, bring the doctor."

Suddenly, Qin Shuang shouted sharply, "Don’t call for one!"

Zhan Xuerou turned her head to look at Qin Shuang, her gaze like that of a mother beast protecting her cubs, staring at her fiercely.

Zhan Beicang also noticed something odd in Qin Shuang’s reaction.

He looked at Qin Shuang and asked, "This is Rou’er—what’s wrong with you?"

Qin Shuang chuckled coldly, her eyes tinged with red, and said, "Rou’er... ha, do you know what Zhan Xuerou just did?"

Zhan Beicang frowned. Qin Shuang’s sudden outburst seemed absurd. Could it be...

Zhan Beicang’s gaze fell onto Zhan Xuerou.

Zhan Xuerou’s heartbeat quickened, her cheeks flushed—could it be that Qin Shuang had figured something out?

But since she had just been injured while protecting Zhan Rui, Qin Shuang shouldn’t suspect too much!

Holding a child in each hand, Qin Shuang walked to Zhan Hui’s side and said to Zhan Xuerou, "Earlier, I saw her giving an attack signal to the Death Guards!"

Zhan Beicang was shocked. Upon hearing this, Zhan Hui immediately shielded his mother and younger siblings behind him.

If Zhan Xuerou was truly behind earlier events, and if she had other tricks up her sleeve, they couldn’t be left unguarded.

"Don’t look behind you." Qin Shuang used her body to block Zhan Heng and Zhan Rui’s view.

Zhan Xuerou looked as though she were suffering immense grievance and injustice, tears streaming down uncontrollably. She pleaded to Zhan Beicang and Qin Shuang, "Father, Mother, Rou’er didn’t do it!"

Qin Shuang said coldly, "Others may not recognize this signal, but I come from a family of generals—I know it well. Don’t try to deny it!"

In private, Zhan Lan had told her to stay vigilant with everyone, especially Zhan Xuerou. Earlier, when she walked out to fetch food, Zhan Lan’s warning suddenly came to her mind.

She assigned Nanny Xie to get the food and deliberately observed from the shadows. That’s when she saw Zhan Xuerou, her back to the children, giving the attack signal.

Moments later, when she saw the Death Guards slashing Zhan Xuerou’s arm, the seemingly unnecessary injury further convinced her of Zhan Xuerou’s true nature.

Handing Zhan Heng over to Zhan Hui, Qin Shuang made the same signal with her right hand, her voice hoarse: "Zhan Xuerou just made this gesture behind her back. We were all deceived by her fragile appearance—this is my fault! I, Qin Shuang, have raised a venomous creature!"

Both Zhan Beicang and Zhan Hui were shocked to see the signal Qin Shuang imitated, realizing that Zhan Xuerou had indeed done so.

Zhan Xuerou raised her bleeding arm and said, "It wasn’t me, Rou’er didn’t do this—it must be that Mother was standing too far away and saw it wrongly!"

"Don’t call me Mother!" Qin Shuang’s eyes turned red as she thought back to the cold and ruthless look in Zhan Xuerou’s eyes when she made the attack signal.

If she hadn’t come from a family of generals, if she hadn’t understood these signals, she would have been fooled by Zhan Xuerou!

Yet, she noticed that Zhan Beicang’s eyes still showed traces of doubt.

After all, Zhan Xuerou had protected Zhan Rui.

If Qin Shuang hadn’t seen things clearly herself, she wouldn’t have believed that the seemingly delicate Zhan Xuerou could carry out an assassination or kidnapping.

Zhan Hui looked at Zhan Beicang and said, "Father, this matter is not trivial. Perhaps it’s best to send Zhan Xuerou to the authorities for investigation, to confirm whether she’s truly innocent."

Zhan Xuerou’s tears fell like beads from a broken string. She looked at Zhan Hui in disbelief and cried, "Brother, how can you do this to me? I know—I can’t compare with Zhan Lan now! Yes, I took Zhan Lan’s place, but what wrong have I done? Everything was Li Shi’s doing—I’m a victim too. Why must you all suspect me like this!"

"If none of you trust me, what reason do I have to keep living?" Zhan Xuerou laughed bitterly as tears streamed down her face. She was heartbroken and quickly picked up the dagger dropped by a Death Guard, preparing to stab herself in the chest.

"Rou’er!" Zhan Beicang faltered for a moment, then kicked the dagger out of her hand.

Qin Shuang held Zhan Heng and Zhan Rui tightly within her arms. She looked at Zhan Beicang and said, "What I witnessed today is real. She is the mastermind behind all this. No matter how good her acting is, I won’t believe her!"

Zhan Hui also sided with his mother.

One possibility occurred to Zhan Beicang, and he looked at Qin Shuang and said, "This might be King Wei’s doing—he could have orchestrated this, knowing Rou’er would visit the mansion."

Qin Shuang chuckled coldly; her husband wouldn’t believe Zhan Xuerou’s methods unless he saw them himself.

She couldn’t blame him. Zhan Beicang had doted on Zhan Xuerou for eighteen years—even if she wasn’t his own child, she was still the orphaned daughter of his brother. Qin Shuang thought to herself: hadn’t she also been deceived by Zhan Xuerou’s appearance for eighteen years?

Only now did she see Zhan Xuerou’s true nature!

Some people, it seemed, were born wicked.

Like Li Shi, like Zhan Xuerou!

Both mother and daughter were masters of manipulation!

"Let her leave the General Mansion for good!" Qin Shuang’s eyes burned with hatred and disdain as she looked at Zhan Xuerou.

Zhan Beicang said helplessly, "Rou’er, I’ll have someone escort you back."

Zhan Xuerou knelt on the ground, pleading, "Father, I beg you—I don’t want to go back to Prince Wei Mansion."

She removed her shoes and socks, revealing her feet covered in scars, causing everyone to frown simultaneously.

Even Zhan Rui and Zhan Heng were startled by the dense wounds on Zhan Xuerou’s feet.

"How did this happen?" Zhan Beicang’s voice deepened.

Overwhelmed by grievance and despair, Zhan Xuerou sobbed as she said, "Father, I truly don’t know what happened today. Perhaps they followed me here. But King Wei is truly heartless—he has tormented me endlessly. How could Rou’er possibly work for him!"