Chapter 480: Chapter 479: Mercy
The chill of early spring is sharp, a gust of north wind rises, making people shiver uncontrollably.
The maid kneels under the veranda, shivering at the sound of Mrs. Zhou’s voice, trying to get up, but her legs are weak, and she fails several times.
Nanny Shan takes a deep breath, regains some composure, grabs the maid, and half-supports, half-drags her into the West Warm Pavilion.
In Madam Wu’s room, someone of this maid’s status wouldn’t be allowed in.
It’s her first time inside, she can’t spare a glance around, and as soon as Nanny Shan releases her hand, she falls to the ground again.
Madam Wu glares at her.
Mrs. Zhou, while consoling Madam Wu, asks, "What did you say outside just now? Repeat it carefully."
"Alas, alas!" The maid nods vigorously, stammeringly recounts her words, "News from the Northern Border says the Dazi invaded, Mr. Si died in battle..."
Madam Wu’s eyes suddenly tighten, nearly losing her breath.
Nanny Shan hurriedly pinches Madam Wu’s philtrum.
Mrs. Zhou asks gravely, "How reliable is the news? In this midwinter, where would the Dazi come from? Is Lian Yu injured or..."
The maid couldn’t answer these specifics.
Mrs. Zhou questions her again, "Have you reported this anywhere other than Baijie Hall?"
The maid shakes her head, "Not reported yet."
Mrs. Zhou understands.
Du Yunluo and Mu Lianxiao enter, sensing the somber atmosphere within, exchanging a glance.
"What happened to grandmother?" Du Yunluo asks.
Madam Wu is leaning on the Arhat Bed, utterly exhausted and grief-stricken, tears brimming her eyes, even her breathing grows faint.
Du Yunluo looks on with fearful trepidation, could Mu Yuanmou’s "good deeds" have been revealed to Madam Wu?
Mu Lianxiao also suspects this but upon looking up at Mrs. Zhou, doesn’t see signs of tears or grief on her face, unlikely related to Mu Yuance.
"Mother, at the main entrance, I heard someone rush into the manor, is something going on?" Mu Lianxiao asks.
Mrs. Zhou instructs Mu Lianxiao to lie down first, sighing, "Just reported, a battle occurred at the Northern Border, Lian Yu died in battle."
No matter how calmly Mrs. Zhou speaks, her tone carries some surprise and disbelief, ending with a soft sigh.
Du Yunluo breathes in sharply.
Mu Lianyu is dead?
In the Northern Border, in winter, after the Dazi had already been uprooted, Mu Lianyu died in battle?
What is going on?
She disliked Mu Lianyu, a co-conspirator of Mu Yuanmou and Mu Liancheng, but suddenly, he is declared gone, how could one not be shocked?
Mu Lianxiao frowns deeply, equally incredulous: "Who brought the report? Have them come answer for it!"
The maid shakily departs.
Just stepping out of Baijie Hall, she bumps headlong into Lian Family, falling onto the ground.
Under normal circumstances, such careless behavior would earn a reprimand, but this time, Lian Family pays her no mind, bypasses her to rush inside, followed by maids who seem oblivious to her presence, only having eyes for Lian Family.
Lian Family staggers into the West Warm Pavilion, saying, "I heard news from the Northern Border related to Lian Yu? It’s said not to be good news; what’s truly going on?"
In a hurry to ask, Lian Family finally notices Madam Wu’s state; tears staining the elder’s eye corners chill her to the bone.
"Old Madam..." Lian Family speaks tremulously, mouth opening, but the words lodge in her throat, unable to come out.
Surprise marks Mu Lianxiao and Du Yunluo’s faces, while Mrs. Zhou’s eyes show more pity.
This pity strikes Lian Family like a stone hammer, forcing her to retreat half a step.
"Sister-in-law..." Lian Family swallows, steps forward to grip Mrs. Zhou’s sleeve, "Is our Lian Yu hurt? Is he seriously hurt? That rascal, causing trouble even at the border, when he’s healed and returns, I’ll spank him like when he was young, so he learns a lesson."
Lian Family speaks while nodding heavily, the voice trembling and words pronounced with extra force.
She’s trying to persuade herself.
Injury, serious injury, she can accept, she can withstand.
But the demeanor of Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou pushes Lian Family’s heart to sink like a stone.
Mrs. Zhou grips Lian Family’s wrist gently, helps her sit down, softly saying, "Second sister-in-law, it’s truly bad news, you must hold firm."
Lian Family’s body stiffens: "Sister-in-law..."
"The report says Lian Yu died in battle." Mrs. Zhou states solemnly.
As her words fall, Mrs. Zhou feels Lian Family’s shoulder under her palm turn rigid like stone.
Lian Family sits motionless, like a statue, only her eyelashes slightly trembling.
After a long time, she slowly raises her head to look at Mrs. Zhou: "What did sister-in-law say? Why can’t I understand?"
Mrs. Zhou doesn’t reply further.
Once more, Lian Family sees pity in Mrs. Zhou’s eyes, looking down on her, suddenly standing up, shaking her head: "Impossible, sister-in-law, such matters shouldn’t be spoken lightly. Madam Wu, Madam Wu..."
Lian Family calls twice, but sees no response from Madam Wu, turning her gaze to find Madam Wu’s clear tears, her legs suddenly weaken.
Supporting herself on the table, tears blur her vision: "It’s impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Mu Yuanmou and Mu Liancheng enter.
Lian Family stumbles toward, tightly clutching Mu Yuanmou’s sleeve, voice trembling: "Husband, husband, they say Lian Yu is dead, they’re deceiving me, aren’t they? How could Lian Yu be dead?"