Chapter 483: Chapter 482: Confirmation
Mu Liankang supported Mrs. Xu’s hand, looking at her profile.
Mrs. Xu’s eyes were filled with sadness.
This sadness surged like a dark tide, gradually engulfing Mu Liankang’s heart.
Mrs. Xu lowered her eyelids and sighed deeply.
No matter how harsh or hateful one’s words may be, facing someone’s death is still unsettling.
Life and death, only those who have truly tasted separation by death will understand the vast difference between the two and comprehend the heavy grief between them.
The three of them slowly entered Baijie Hall.
In the West Warm Pavilion, Du Yunluo sat beside Madam Wu, speaking softly.
Mu Yuanmou slumped in the Eight Immortals Chair, spirits flagging.
Mrs. Zhou whispered with Nanny Shan, and when she saw the three of them coming, she nodded to them.
"Old Madam," Mrs. Lu said softly, "Isn’t the situation still unclear?"
Madam Wu moved her eyelids.
Du Yunluo answered for the old madam, "The Princely Heir went to the palace to investigate."
He went and did not return for more than two hours.
When Mu Lianxiao returned to the mansion, the sky was already dark.
Upon hearing of Mu Lianxiao’s return, Lian Family struggled to go to Baijie Hall but was dissuaded by Mu Liancheng.
Mu Liancheng went alone, asking Jiang Yunuan to take good care of the Lian Family.
Lian Family lay there defeated on the couch, eyes vacant. Jiang Yunuan knew she wasn’t listening to anything and just sat with her.
Suddenly, the light dimmed, and Jiang Yunuan adjusted the wick with scissors.
"Lian Cheng’s wife," Lian Family started calling her, "What do you say this is all about? Lian Kang came back, and my son is gone..."
Regarding Mu Liankang, no matter what Jiang Yunuan said, it was wrong. She could only tuck the quilt for Lian Family and said, "Mother, please rest for a while. When you wake up, Father and Second Brother will be here."
Lian Family laughed, a heart-rending laugh: "Even if I wake up, Lian Yu won’t come back."
Jiang Yunuan was speechless, helplessly glanced at Nanny Zhu, who frowned and shook her head.
"The old madam is right; in the battlefield, who dies is not surprising. That’s why they all died on the battlefield without a trace; who would know? Over the years, didn’t nobody know?" Lian Family muttered, "But my son shouldn’t have died! They gained military merit by ambushing Ancient Meili, but the price is my son’s life! Ha! It’s all Mu Tang’s fault, that scoundrel! If only Lian Kang had died, if only Lian Kang had died, there wouldn’t be so much trouble! How could my son have died!"
Jiang Yunuan’s gaze suddenly tightened, her body went stiff.
What had she heard?
Let them all die on the battlefield?
Lian Family blamed Mu Tang for not having Mu Liankang killed?
This...
Jiang Yunuan turned her head stiffly, Nanny Zhu was outside adding water to the teapot, not in the room, which let the heart that had risen in her throat settle down.
Thankfully, no one heard what Lian Family said. Perhaps Lian Family herself wasn’t sure what she had said.
Jiang Yunuan pressed her lips together; what Lian Family had just said hit her like a bolt from the blue. Until she understood it, she couldn’t let anyone else know.
She needed to slowly, gradually, put things in order...
Time and again, Jiang Yunuan comforted herself, her eyes unknowingly blurry. When she came to, her face was already covered in tears.
Nanny Zhu entered from outside, surprised: "What’s wrong, grandma?"
Hastily, Jiang Yunuan wiped her tears randomly, shook her head: "I listened to Mother talk about Fourth Uncle’s affair, it makes me sad..."
"Alas..." Nanny Zhu sighed, "Who wouldn’t be sad."
Jiang Yunuan sighed softly: "Yes, gone is gone, who isn’t sad..."
Inside Baijie Hall, Madam Wu barely had a bowl of gruel.
She was old, experienced many ups and downs, understood the importance of health, and forced herself to eat.
Even Madam Wu was like this, Mu Yuanmou also gathered himself somewhat and filled his stomach.
Mu Lianxiao lay on the bed, recounting the news he had heard from the palace.
When he went to the palace, the military report happened to be on the table in the Imperial Study Room, the Holy Emperor’s expression was not relaxed.
According to Old General Shao’s report, those Dazi who attacked the pass were the last group of soldiers left Northern Border last winter.
They were a few days later than those who initially retreated to the grasslands and returned through the Great Desert to Ancient Meili. Near Ancient Meili, they encountered fleeing scattered Dazi outside Ancient Meili City, learned the city had fallen, Wuna Li captured, with no home to return to, they went back to the grasslands outside Northern Border.
This past winter was harsher than imagined; relying on their familiarity with the terrain, they replenished supplies at several oases in the desert. Dazi decided to burn their ships and fight desperately.
Winter defense at the pass was not as strong as in other seasons; the two armies hadn’t clashed in winter for many years, both accustomed to starting war in spring and withdrawing in autumn.
Thus, Dazi launched a surprise attack on the pass in the deep snowy night, catching them off guard.
This battle ended with Old General Shao leading a brave counterattack, thoroughly scattering the already small number of Dazi, yet war comes with casualties, and Mu Lianyu was among them.
Mu Lianyu’s special identity was noted in Old General Shao’s report.
The Holy Emperor, seeing Mu Lianxiao return, knew Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had received the news.
Mu Lianxiao saw Old General Shao’s report, the familiar handwriting assuring him Mu Lianyu truly died in battle.
"The coffin will be sent back to the Capital." Mu Lianxiao looked down and said.
Madam Wu leaned against the pillow, sighed deeply, and wiped her red eyes.
Mu Yuanmou slumped on the chair, his hair slightly disheveled, lost in thought, staring straight ahead, seemingly pondering something, yet perhaps nothing at all.
Mu Liancheng squatted before him, said, "Father, I’ll go welcome Ay back."
Mu Yuanmou trembled, placed his hand on Mu Liancheng’s head, and shook his head: "Let your brother come slowly. He hasn’t been home for over two years; when he returns, he won’t need to go anywhere else. Just let him take his time.
Stay home, accompany your mother. If something happens to you too, what will we do?"
Mu Liancheng replied solemnly.
Mrs. Xu served tea to Madam Wu, discretely glanced at Mu Yuanmou.
Mu Liancheng going to get Mu Lianyu, what danger could there be on that journey?
Back when Mu Yuanmou bullied the young Mu Liankang, planning to harm him along the way, Mu Liancheng was already grown, how could there be a mistake now?
Or is it that people appear as people, ghosts appear as ghosts, and Mu Yuanmou fears Mu Liancheng might face danger along the way?
With the matter settled, Madam Wu was tired and dismissed everyone.
Mrs. Lu was the last to leave and heard Madam Wu call her, turning back to the Arhat Bed.
"The mansion is to arrange a funeral, your elder sister-in-law hasn’t been well these days, Lian Xiao’s wife has to look after Lian Xiao, you need to help more," Madam Wu said.
Mrs. Lu nodded in response.