Chapter 263 Pearl, you actually had the heart to come back?

Unexpectedly, Madam Pei nodded in agreement.

"Going at three-quarters past dusk? Does that mean we won't be able to get back to the city tonight?"

"Old Zheng, quickly send someone to the manor outside the city to give instructions that Luo'er should rest there tonight. Make sure everything is arranged properly. If anyone tries to cheat or cause the girl any distress, they will be severely punished!"

Granny Zheng quickly agreed.

Before Madam Pei could finish giving her instructions, she turned to Li Qingluo and said, "Bring a few more people this time. Even if it's His Highness Prince Su, we still need to be careful about his safety during his travels. Your grandmother will assign you more people; feel free to use them as you see fit."

Li Qingluo happily hugged Madam Pei's arm and said coquettishly, "Thank you, Grandmother. I knew you were the best grandmother in the world."

After Li Qingluo left, Zhang Mama came over and asked, "Madam, are you no longer going to stop the young lady from seeing His Highness Prince Su? And she's even going to stay out overnight... isn't that inappropriate?"

Madam Pei: "If we stop her, she won't go?"

"Do I not know her personality? I can't stop her, so I might as well just go."

"Besides, she was willing to talk to me, so why should I stop her?"

"Bringing more people is always safer than sneaking off with just two people."

"Besides, Luo'er is already deeply involved in the Pei family matter, and I'm afraid that even if she tries to hide, she won't be able to escape it."

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't let her make contact with the Pei family in the first place, wanting to have another meal with my brother to fulfill my wish to reunite with my family, she wouldn't have gotten involved with the Pei family..."

Granny Zhang advised her, "Madam, please don't overthink it. You never imagined that the old Duke would turn out like this."

With red eyes, Madam Pei said, "My heart aches and I hate him for the way he has become. I feel pain for the decades he has suffered, and I hate him for the many lives he has taken."

"But I have never met him, and I don't know if he is alive or dead."

Granny Zhang also shed tears.

Madam Pei sighed deeply.

"Furthermore, things have come to this point now, and Prince Su has repeatedly protected Luo'er. I am not the kind of person who is truly ungrateful."

"Perhaps... if she gets on Prince Su's good side, one day Prince Su will save her life again because of the Pei family?"

Granny Zhang nodded, seemingly agreeing that this was a good idea.

"But His Highness Prince Ke Su is currently confined to his quarters to reflect on his mistakes, so... is he still allowed to go to Xishan Pavilion?"

Madam Pei glanced at Zhang Mama: "Do you really think that the Prince Su's mansion can imprison that Prince Su? Ha, this man will never sit idly by and give up on the Pei family's case."

"You'll see."

Granny Zhang seemed to have more to say.

Madam Pei: "What's wrong? You're so hesitant these days! When did you start being so indecisive?"

Granny Zhang: "Madam, our people from the General's Mansion in Dongyin Lane sent a letter saying... that after the master returned home, he cried and made a scene, saying he wanted you..."

Old Madam Pei remained silent, so Zhang Mama mustered her courage and continued, "He said he wouldn't eat, just kept calling for his mother. He even said that his mother didn't want him anymore..."

"Moreover, he also injured all the servants and maids who were close to him and forbade them to come near him."

“Even the madam has been punished several times, and now she has locked him in his room and forbids him from coming out.”

Since Madam Pei didn't say anything, Zhang Mama had no choice but to leave.

Li Qing waited for Granny Zhang in the courtyard.

When Granny Zhang came out and saw that she hadn't left yet, she was very surprised.

"What's wrong, young lady? Is there anything else you need to see this old servant about?"

Li Qingluo: "How is Grandmother? Did you tell her about that person from Dongyin Lane?"

Granny Zhang sighed and nodded.

"Actually, she really wanted to know, but she just couldn't let go of the past."

"The old lady was hurt too badly by the master in the past. Although she has said that she has let go and doesn't care about anything over the years, and now she has you, young lady, the deepest scar in her heart is the one her son gave her."

"Actually, she never really let go. Don't laugh at us, girl; that's how it is for us women when we get old."

"The older they get, the softer they become; they're really useless."

Li Qingluo: "No, Granny, please don't say that. You are all people who value relationships, that's why you say that."

"Please take good care of my grandmother in your daily life."

"Tell her that if she really can't let go, then she shouldn't. Why not give herself a chance?"

Granny Zhang looked at Li Qingluo with surprise.

"Then, young lady..."

Li Qingluo: "I'll only be happy if my grandmother is happy."

She nodded after she finished speaking, and then she really left.

As Zhang Mama watched Li Qingluo's retreating figure, she murmured, "The old lady truly did not spoil the young lady in vain."

General's Mansion.

Liu Qingzhu was shocked to see Li Chaojing locked in the room.

"How could this happen... Mother, how could this happen!"

Liu Qingzhu turned around and buried her face in Qu's arms, crying bitterly.

Madam Qu thought she was genuinely heartbroken for her former adoptive father and comforted her, saying, "Zhu'er, you've seen it too. Your father has gone mad and will probably never be the General of the Cavalry again... Our family is completely finished!"

Liu Qingzhu still couldn't believe it. "Could Father be faking it? Perhaps he'll get better again after a while? Also, what exactly did Old Madam Pei and Li Qingluo do to Father that made him turn into this state?!"

"I hate them so much! Waaaaah..."

Madam Qu wiped away her tears: "Doctor Jiang said that your father is indeed ill, and there is no faking it."

"But don't worry, Zhu'er. Even though the family is in such a state now... we won't fall apart. The General's Mansion still has such a large estate. As long as there's food in the family, you won't go hungry."

"You can stay here for now."

Liu Qingzhu had no way to express her feelings.

Why would she want to stay here?

What she really wanted to return to was Prince Yun's residence!

Who would want to remain an unclaimed and nameless adopted daughter in this increasingly declining general's mansion?

Yesterday, when His Highness Prince Yun heard about the accident involving his father, he was so angry that he smashed everything in her room.

She already had very few valuable items in her room, and His Highness had further embellished it. Now, she probably wouldn't even have a single properly arranged ornament left.

Seeing that things were getting worse, Liu Qingzhu had no choice but to grit her teeth and volunteer to come back and verify the truth about Li Chaojing's illness.

She also came back to retrieve her dowry.

She originally thought she could just find an excuse to come back, but to her surprise, Prince Yun seemed extremely annoyed and actually kicked her out of the palace.

Although he said, "Pearl, if we're going to put on an act, we might as well make it real."

But then he added, "If your General's Mansion in Dongyin Lane is truly finished, remember, never return to this Prince's Mansion again!"

After saying that, Prince Yun pushed her hard to the ground and then had her thrown out without mercy.

Does the prince really not want her anymore?

This filled Liu Qingzhu with intense fear.

Liu Qingzhu went back to the Liu family first, originally intending to take advantage of what the Liu family had done, but who knew that these useless people would just slink back to the countryside like this!

Fortunately, there was someone in the general's mansion who loved her the most, and that was her adoptive mother, Madam Qu.

Her adoptive mother, Madam Qu, was indeed a fool. No matter what she did, as long as she was coaxed and cried a little, Madam Qu would soften her heart and spoil her rotten.

Liu Qingzhu was still very grateful that she had been close to Madam Qu since childhood, and after learning the truth about her background, she went to great lengths to please Madam Qu, which is why they have such a deep mother-daughter relationship today.

“Mother, Father will definitely get better. Let’s get him the best doctor! Oh, right, doesn’t Grandmother have a miracle doctor? Let’s go ask Grandmother. Even if she’s hard-hearted, would she really abandon Father?”

Li Chaojing must not fall like this!

Otherwise, not only would the entire general's mansion be destroyed, but he himself would also lose everything completely.

To everyone's surprise, Madam Qu shook her head: "Zhu'er, because your father and I arranged a marriage between Luo'er and the Qu family, and because we didn't bring back the imperial physician for your grandmother when she was seriously ill last time, they have already moved out of the General's Mansion."

"Don't you know?"

"They hate me and your father so much, how could they possibly save him?"

"But I just don't understand, what good would it do them if the General's Mansion fell?"

Upon hearing the truth, Liu Qingzhu staggered backward, her body swaying precariously as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

Unexpectedly, a terrifying voice echoed behind her.

“Pearl, you actually had the heart to come back.”

"Brother, I thought you would never come back."

Upon hearing this voice, Liu Qingzhu trembled and turned her head nervously to look at Li Kechuan behind her.

Actually, she was terrified when she came back this time.

Because she didn't know what Li Kechuan was thinking about her now.

In the past, no matter what happened, she was confident that as long as she wanted to coax him, even if it was just by beckoning him with her finger and shedding a couple of tears, Li Kechuan would be unable to resist her tenderness and pitifulness and would only give in.

Just like her adoptive mother, Ms. Qu, she always put herself first.

This is also why Liu Qingzhu dared to act recklessly in the General's Mansion.

But the memory of what happened at the dilapidated temple still makes him shudder.

Last time she broke her leg, she could use the excuse that she was being held hostage by Prince Yun to escape.

But this time...

He pushed himself out of the dilapidated temple first, but she couldn't save him...

How is she supposed to face this?

Moreover, she was also afraid that Li Kechuan would really hold a grudge against her this time...

Li Kechuan lay on a soft couch, and several people carried the couch to the main courtyard.

He just wanted to see Liu Qingzhu in person.

At this moment, Li Kechuan had a half-smile on his lips, but Madam Qu was completely unaware.

She added, "Chuan'er, don't be angry. Zhu'er was exhausted and frightened when she came back yesterday, so I told her to rest more and come to see you and your father today."

“We’ve seen your father, and we were originally planning to go see you.”

"But why did you come out by yourself? Didn't Doctor Jiang tell you not to catch a cold? Listen to your mother, go back inside!"

Li Kechuan stared intently at Liu Qingzhu, who dared not look at him: "Zhu'er, don't you have anything to say to your brother?"

Liu Qingzhu: "Brother, Zhu'er, Zhu'er is indeed going to see you right away. Are you feeling any better?"

Li Kechuan's expression suddenly twisted.

"Pearl, what do you think? Don't you know whether your brother is good or not?"