The beautiful woman’s maiden name was Xie; she was the wife of the eldest legitimate son in the Yu Royal Mansion.
Hearing them address her as "Princely Heir," Hua Manman couldn’t help but touch her chest.
It was flat, but if she felt carefully, she could still make out a slight curve.
Mrs. Xie noticed the gesture, and her expression turned a little strange.
Mrs. Xie raised a hand. "All of you may leave."
"Yes, ma’am."
All the maids and servants filed out.
Soon, only Mrs. Xie and Hua Manman remained in the room.
Mrs. Xie’s first words were a bombshell.
"You’ve lost your memory, so you don’t recall. The truth is, you’re a girl. You’re currently disguised as a man."
Hua Manman was stunned.
’To be able to pass for a man without being discovered must mean I look really masculine!’
’The thought of having thick brows, big eyes, and a brawny build made my vision swim. This is hopeless!’
She asked hurriedly, "Do you have a mirror?"
Mrs. Xie didn’t understand why she wanted a mirror, but she brought her a small, exquisite hand mirror anyway.
When Hua Manman saw her reflection in the mirror, she froze.
’How can I look exactly the same as I did in the modern era?’
’There isn’t a single difference!’
Mrs. Xie sighed, her voice filled with self-recrimination and guilt.
"It’s all my fault. I was useless and couldn’t produce a son, only two daughters."
"Without a son, there is no one to inherit the princely title."
"With no other choice, we could only have you disguise yourself as a man and be instated as the Princely Heir, assuming the identity of the Prince Mansion’s eldest legitimate grandson."
’This sounds like absolute nonsense,’ Hua Manman thought.
’I don’t think I look like a man at all.’
’How could I possibly pass for a man without being discovered?’
’Are those people blind?!’
Mrs. Xie explained.
"We announced publicly that your and your father’s birth charts clash."
"To resolve the malevolent ’qi’ between you, you had to be raised as a girl and wear female clothing from a young age."
"Therefore, you’ve always been known as a boy with feminine features. Everyone is used to it."
Hua Manman was genuinely impressed.
’These ancient people really have their stories straight when they lie. So impressive!’
Mrs. Xie took her hand, her voice laced with guilt.
"I know this is terribly unfair to you, but we truly had no other choice. This was the only solution we could come up with for the time being. Please, don’t try to run away from home again."
Seeing Hua Manman’s blank expression, Mrs. Xie remembered she had amnesia and quickly explained.
"You had a fight with the family and ran away from home."
"We sent people after you."
"Unfortunately, it was raining and the roads were slick. You were on horseback and accidentally fell down a slope."
"By the time the Royal Guards found you, you were covered in injuries and unconscious. You scared the entire family half to death."
At this point, Mrs. Xie’s story finally lined up with Hua Manman’s own memories.
’I transmigrated right after the original owner of this body fell down that slope.’
Mrs. Xie squeezed her hand and coaxed gently.
"From now on, if anything is upsetting you, you can tell us."
"We’re family. Is there anything we can’t talk through?"
"Please, don’t run away again, alright?"
Following the principle of "the less said, the fewer mistakes," Hua Manman obediently agreed.
"Okay."
’I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, I just need to get through this.’
After she finished her medicine, Mrs. Xie told her to get some rest.
Hua Manman lay back down, and Mrs. Xie carefully tucked the blanket around her.
Hua Manman suddenly remembered something important and asked quickly.
"What’s my name?"
Mrs. Xie smiled helplessly. "To think you’ve even forgotten your own name. You’re Lu Man, and your pet name is Amang."
Hua Manman muttered to herself.
’What a coincidence. We actually have the same name.’
...
For the next few days, Mrs. Xie visited Hua Manman daily.
Sometimes, Mrs. Xie would bring her younger daughter, Lu Wanqing, with her.
Lu Wanqing was twelve years old. Her hair was styled in childish tufts, adorned with a few delicate pearl flower pins. Her eyes were bright and lively, and her small, round face, still carrying a hint of baby fat, was utterly adorable.
She didn’t seem to be very fond of her "older brother," Lu Man.
Whenever she visited, she would hide behind Mrs. Xie and barely say a word.
Even when Hua Manman tried to speak to her, her replies were dismissive.
Through Mrs. Xie’s explanations, Hua Manman had managed to get a general idea of the Yu Royal Mansion.
The highest-ranking person in the Prince Mansion was, of course, Prince Yu.
Prince Yu was over fifty. He rarely left his quarters, as he was recuperating from a recurring old injury in Rong’an Residence.
Prince Yu had two sons: the eldest, Lu Yuan, and the second, Lu Kai.
Mrs. Xie was Lu Yuan’s wife.
According to Mrs. Xie, Lu Yuan had been a kind and gentle man, but his health was unfortunately poor, and he had passed away from illness last year.
Mrs. Xie was now a widow, living with her two children in the east wing of Qingxin Courtyard.
Lu Kai and his family lived in the west wing of Qingxin Courtyard.
Although Mrs. Xie never said so explicitly, Hua Manman could sense that the relationship between the first and second branches of the family was not amicable.
Mrs. Xie reminded her, "Your uncle and aunt will be coming to see you tomorrow. Make sure you’re prepared."
Hua Manman didn’t understand what she meant by "prepared."
The next morning, when Jiao Gui arrived with the tools to bind her chest, Hua Manman finally understood. "Being prepared" meant getting her disguise on ahead of time so no one would discover her secret.
Jiao Gui was Lu Man’s personal maid. Other than Prince Yu and Mrs. Xie, she was the only person in the mansion who knew Lu Man was a girl.
She used gauze to wrap Hua Manman’s chest, winding it tightly in circles, all while muttering under her breath.
"Your chest seems to have gotten bigger than before."
’I’m already twenty-one,’ Hua Manman thought. ’My body is fully developed where it counts, so of course they aren’t going to be small.’
Sucking in a breath, she said, "Go a little easier. I can barely breathe."
Jiao Gui said worriedly.
"I can’t go any lighter. If it’s too loose, it won’t hold, and people will see."
"Maybe you should eat less from now on. Starving yourself a little might make them shrink."
Hua Manman shot her a resentful look.
’Just listen to her! Is that something a person should say?!’
Once her chest was bound, she put on a loose-fitting robe.
Her feminine figure was now more or less concealed.
Jiao Gui took a flesh-colored object from a small box and carefully applied it to Hua Manman’s neck.
A perfectly lifelike Adam’s apple was now in place!
Feeling her fake Adam’s apple, Hua Manman sighed in admiration.
’The ingenuity of the ancient common folk is truly something to behold!’
’Look at this forgery technique. It’s flawless!’
Lu Kai arrived with his wife, Mrs. Liu.
Mrs. Liu produced a box of ointment and smiled gently.
"I had someone find this scar removal ointment especially for you. Once your wounds have healed, apply this, and the scars will fade away quickly."
Jiao Gui accepted the ointment with both hands.
Hua Manman said, "Thank you, Aunt."
Mrs. Liu studied her face, remarking thoughtfully.
"You seem to have put on a little weight."
Lu Kai replied, "I doubt it. Amang was injured and has been taking medicine for days. If anything, he should have lost weight."
Mrs. Liu chuckled. "I must have been mistaken."