predicament

Lin Xu got off the carriage. Although Zhu Ling still had doubts, she saw a look of surprise in Lin Xu's eyes and dared not say anything more. She could only follow Lin Xu step by step to the carriage.

The little girl was very happy and immediately stopped walking, then said in a clear voice to the people in the carriage:

"Second Madam, this servant has brought that lady here!"

The people inside the car lifted the curtain.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who had just been drinking tea at Luo Shilan's teahouse were now sitting inside. The second mistress, whom the maid had mentioned, was both surprised and guilty when she saw Lin Xu. She quickly took the maid's hand and got off the carriage, bowing to Lin Xu.

"I'm sure Yizhi has already explained everything to you. It was out of necessity to invite you here, Madam..."

The middle-aged woman lowered her voice slightly and whispered in Lin Xu's ear:

“My mother-in-law’s health has been poor ever since she suffered the blow, and her spirits have been declining day by day. She often mistakes people for others. I never expected that going out for a cup of tea near home today would cause such a thing… I am truly grateful for your great kindness, madam.”

Lin Xu saw the gray-haired, hunched figure by the window in the carriage, and his heart stirred slightly.

However, after more than a year, Madam Wen, whom I had met once before, suddenly looked much older.

No wonder she felt a strange familiarity with the old lady's figure in the teahouse. It was also her fault for being preoccupied with persuading Luo Shilan and neglecting this matter.

"To be honest, I am not exactly strangers to the old lady in my family; in fact, we did meet once."

These words shocked the middle-aged woman.

She couldn't help but turn around and look at Old Madam Wen, who was still sitting in the carriage with her eyes closed. She was also quite surprised and murmured:

"I never expected this. I thought the old man was seeing things again today, but I didn't expect him to be right..."

The middle-aged woman's smile deepened:

"I see. It seems that you and the old lady are quite destined to meet. May I ask your name, madam? Perhaps you are an old acquaintance of our family?"

Wen Qinian and her father were both students of Prime Minister Xun. Although they were older than each other, they quickly became close friends because of their shared ambitions. Later, they entered officialdom together. She had heard Lin Fu mention this story in her spare time.

On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, Wen Qinian even brought his wife to congratulate her. At that time, she noticed the surprised look in the eyes of Old Madam Wen when she looked at her.

Even the congratulatory gift Wen Qinian sent that day, the painting of magpies startled on a branch, was intricately connected to his mother...

How could she forget?

Lin Xu then briefly mentioned his family background, explaining that he had come back to check on his ancestral property and happened to be passing through.

Madam Wen was immediately filled with remorse, repeatedly cursing herself for being stupid: "It's all my fault. I was so blind that I didn't even recognize a family friend. I really deserve to be punished!"

Lin Xu knew that Madam Wen was just being polite. According to her introduction, she was the wife of Wen Qinian's second son.

Wen Er served as the Prefect of Qingzhou for many years and stayed in Qingzhou for a long time. Even if he heard that the Lin family and the Wen family were on good terms, they were thousands of miles apart, so how could he have met them?

However, Lin Xu did not expect that Wen Qinian would suddenly pass away less than two years after retiring to his hometown.

When this matter was mentioned, Madam Wen sighed with emotion:

"My father-in-law retired from the court and returned to his hometown. He should have been enjoying a peaceful life, but unexpectedly, he fell seriously ill in less than half a year. At first, he only coughed more at night, but who knew that in just three months, he..."

She paused, as if afraid of disturbing the old lady sitting inside the carriage, and quietly fell silent. After a moment, she suppressed the tears in her eyes and continued softly:

"The old lady suffered a severe blow at that time. Originally, she was still quite clear-headed, but after that, her condition fluctuated. Sometimes she would even call the people in the house by the wrong names. The doctor said that her heart was filled with depression, which eventually led to dementia... As her children, we can only take good care of her and there is nothing else we can do."

It turns out that Madam Wen's poor mental state was caused by this.

Lin Xu's heart tightened upon hearing this. Time flies; the last time they met, he was clearly laughing and chatting, full of energy, but now he's reached this state...

Feeling grateful, and also a little surprised and puzzled by the look of astonishment in Old Madam Wen's eyes when she looked at her before, she couldn't help but look at Old Madam Wen, who had her eyes closed inside the car, and softly said:

"Madam Wen, do you still remember me?"

Madam Wen seemed to be fast asleep and did not react at all. It was only when Madam Wen's second wife softly called "Mother" that Madam Wen opened her eyes.

The old lady's eyes were hazy, as if she had been startled awake. Her gaze wandered for a moment before settling on Madam Wen and Lin Xu.

Madam Wen smiled and said:

“Mother, what a coincidence today! You were just saying you met an old friend. Well, your daughter-in-law has already invited Madam Dou over for you.”

"The last time I saw the old lady was at my coming-of-age ceremony. There were many people there, and I didn't have a chance to thank you in person."

Madam Wen stared blankly at Lin Xu, her face full of confusion, as if she didn't recognize him at all. She murmured, "Who is this..."

"Mother, is this the Madam Dou you met at the teahouse? Madam Dou is the only daughter of the Mu Jing Lin family, and she and our master were old friends."

However, no matter how much Madam Wen the Second reminded Madam Wen, Madam Wen remained in a daze.

The little girl named Yizhi sighed, looking very sad. "The old lady has forgotten everything again."

Her condition was recurrent, with her mental state fluctuating between periods of good and bad. When she was in a bad mood, even the closest people around her seemed less appealing than complete strangers. Ever since the old lady fell ill, the Wen family had sought out renowned doctors from all over the country, but to no avail.

Seeing that she had delayed Lin Xu for so long, and that the old lady's illness had relapsed in the end, Madam Wen felt very embarrassed. She quickly smiled kindly at Lin Xu and said:

"Since we have the opportunity to meet today, why don't you invite Madam Dou to stay at our home for a few days? I must apologize for my rudeness today."

Lin Xu understood that Madam Wen was in this state and it seemed she wouldn't be able to remember for the time being.

Despite her regret, she was still concerned about the safety of Dou Yanxun, who was far away in Laining. She politely declined Madam Wen's kindness and promised to pay her a visit next time she came.

The two parted, holding hands, and Madam Wen then took out a sachet from her bosom and placed it in Lin Xu's hand:

"I left in a hurry today and didn't bring any other valuables. The Wen family has several pharmacies in Qingyang, and their Qi-Nourishing Pills are quite effective; you definitely can't find them anywhere else. It's a pity that although these pills can cure all kinds of diseases and nourish Qi and blood, they can't cure the old lady's health..."

Unable to refuse, Lin Xu accepted the heavy sachet that emitted a faint medicinal fragrance. She glanced at Old Madam Wen again, then turned to leave.

A dark cloud swept by, obscuring the previously bright and sunny sky.

Lin Xu looked up at the gray sky and saw that the world had suddenly become a bit darker.

The sunlight, mixed with a cool breeze, cast a faint shadow on her shallow eye sockets.

It was just that one glance.

Just like many years ago, on that face that was almost identical to hers, were those same clear and bright eyes.

As Madam Wen leaned against the soft cushions and pillows inside the carriage, she couldn't help but tremble.

She opened her mouth, staring blankly as Lin Xu turned around.

The stubbornness and clarity overflowing in those eyes seemed to be filled with the sunlight after the rain.

It was as if she were walking out of her memories, which were almost mottled and had lost all color, little by little, against the light and shadow, from many years ago, from after that flower banquet, from that incomparably luxurious palace where she had never seen it again.

Old Madam Wen slowly raised her hand, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably. She looked into the eyes that met hers outside the curtain, her mind a jumble of shock and realization:

"you……"

She murmured almost in a whisper:

"You are that man's daughter..."

As Lin Xu suddenly raised his head, Madam Wen could no longer hold back. A look of regret slowly appeared on her wrinkled and withered face, and she suddenly lowered her head and began to sob.

“I remember you—it was ten years ago, in the Mu Jing Imperial Palace…at that banquet…I remember…I remember everything…”

Lin Xu stared blankly at the old lady Wen who was crying loudly inside the carriage. The purse in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and several dark pills fell out and rolled to the side of the carriage.

.

Laining.

Before the hour of Shen (3-5 PM), the sky had already darkened, with dark clouds pressing in from the west of the city, like ink splashed on paper, shrouding half the city in darkness.

The Zheng family mansion was built in a very simple and understated style. It was a three-courtyard house with an old locust tree in front of the gate. The tree was over a hundred years old, with a gnarled trunk and lush branches and leaves that covered most of the screen wall.

In the central hall of the inner courtyard, a plaque inscribed with "Purity, Caution, and Self-Forgiveness" hangs high. In the corner, a triangular gilded bronze incense burner is placed, its lid emitting the lingering fragrance of sandalwood from the old mountains. As soon as the wisps of smoke rise, they disappear into the swaying lamplight from the eaves.

The window paper tightened suddenly in the gust of wind, and then a distant rumble of thunder could be heard outside.

The room was extremely quiet.

A game of chess is set up under the flickering candlelight, the black and white pieces on the board intertwined, already locked in a stalemate.

Dou Yanxun wore a dark indigo round-necked long robe, with neat cloud and water patterns embroidered in very light silver thread on the cuffs. His slender fingers held a black chess piece, but he hesitated to put it down.

The candlelight was blown askew by the wind coming in from outside, casting half of his shadow, which swayed slightly in front of the bed.

Beside his black leather boots stood a tall, imposing man—

The man's clothes were disheveled, his hair was a tangled mess, and his usually gentle face was now completely bloodless. He lay on the ground with his eyes tightly closed. The bloodstains on his forehead had dried, revealing a bluish-purple hue beneath.

That was Zheng Jiangran, who had been dead for a long time, his face completely unrecognizable, almost unrecognizable.

"What's wrong, Your Excellency? Why are you so hesitant to make a move? Are you afraid?"

The man opposite Dou Yanxun broke the silence first, laughing out loud with a sarcastic tone.