The mansion of Marquis Xingyuan was decorated with lanterns and red silks, and preparations for the hundred-day banquet of the young adopted grandson were extremely lively.
But in the midst of this grand scene with all the flowers blooming and the fire boiling, Xue Shanqiu, the unmarried daughter of the Marquis's family, fell seriously ill.
Doctor Zhou from the palace arrived upon orders to take Xue Shanqiu's pulse. His fingertips rested on Xue Shanqiu's slender wrist, his brow furrowing ever tighter. Finally, he sighed deeply, shook his head, and said, "Young lady, you're experiencing both qi and blood deficiency, and a weak heart. I'm afraid... medicine is ineffective."
When the news spread, the whole house was in an uproar.
Inside the Ci'an Palace in the imperial city, Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing leaned against the couch, rubbing her brows with her fingertips, looking tired.
Old Madam Hong Yingrong sat at the bottom, her back straight and her face calm.
"I watched Shanqiu grow up, and I don't want her to get involved in the court disputes."
The Queen Mother spoke slowly, her voice low, "Imperial Physician Zhou is my confidant. All my pulse diagnosis and prescriptions are handled flawlessly. No one will notice anything strange."
Hong Yingrong raised her eyes and looked directly at the Queen Mother: "Your Majesty, your grace is great, and I will remember it in my heart."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother suddenly gave a bitter laugh and said, "We never mentioned our past conflicts, but this time... I'll just consider it a favor."
Hong Yingrong was silent for a moment, and finally whispered: "In this life, I owe the queen a lot."
The Queen Mother shook her head, her eyes far away: "No, in this life, you are still stronger than me."
Outside the imperial city, just as Hong Yingrong's carriage drove out of the palace gate, a muffled thunder rolled across the sky, followed by heavy rain pouring down.
The rain was heavy, and the big raindrops hit the roof of the car like beating drums.
Lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating the old lady's face as calm as water.
She lifted the curtain of the car and looked at the sky covered with dark clouds. In this life, the fate of her children was completely different from that in the previous life.
The eldest son Xue Yuanchu inherited the title and was steady and capable; the second son and the youngest son both found good marriages and had bright futures; the eldest daughter Huichun married a man of her dreams; even the little adopted grandson who had died young was now safe and healthy and was about to have his hundred-day banquet.
Only the youngest daughter Shanqiu almost repeated the same mistakes and was caught in the vortex of power struggle.
But this time, she would never allow it!
Hong Yingrong slowly clenched her palms. Even if she had to fight against God, she would protect her children!
The carriage sped through the rain, its wheels rolling over the puddles, splashing water.
This heavy rain lasted for three days before it stopped.
The rain poured down like a river from the sky, washing every inch of land in the capital.
All the farmland outside the city was flooded, the crops fell in the muddy water, the river rose rapidly, and washed away several dilapidated stone bridges.
What is even more shocking is that several Feng Shui sites in the suburbs of Beijing have been destroyed by landslides, and tombs have been washed away by mud and rocks, exposing coffins and falling tombstones.
Among them are many ancestral tombs of powerful families in Beijing.
If the feng shui is damaged, the family fortune may be unstable.
As soon as the rain subsided, each household sent out servants to rush to the outskirts of the capital to clean up the mess.
Some families with adjacent tombs even temporarily put aside their past grudges and joined forces to clear the silt and reorganize the tombs.
When the news came, Hong Yingrong was playing with her grandson in the flower hall.
"Madam!" the steward hurried in and whispered, "The cemetery outside the capital was hit by a flash flood. I'm afraid the old marquis's tomb... was also affected."
Hong Yingrong was shocked.
She stood up suddenly, her fingertips trembling slightly. If the old marquis's tomb were destroyed, it would not only damage the feng shui, but also be a great disrespect to the deceased!
"Send someone to clean it up immediately!" Her voice was tense. "Bring more people and make sure the cemetery is cleaned up today!"
The manager quickly agreed and went to make arrangements immediately.
Hong Yingrong paced back and forth in the flower hall, the handkerchief in her hand wrinkled.
Although the sky outside the window was clear, the eaves were still dripping with rain, and every drop seemed to strike her heart.
"Prepare the car!"
The maid Chuntao hurriedly advised: "Old Madam, the mountain road is muddy and difficult to walk on. With your body..."
"Mother, no!" Jiang Shuxiu hurried forward and held Hong Yingrong's arm. "The mountain road is muddy and difficult to pass. The carriage can't pass at all. If we force our way up the mountain, I'm afraid it will be dangerous."
Hong Yingrong frowned: "But your father's tomb..."
"I know you are anxious, but the most important thing right now is safety."
Jiang Shuxiu advised gently, "My daughter-in-law has already sent someone to inquire. Our cemetery is located on a higher ground, so the damage isn't serious. We'll wait until the mountain road dries up a bit tomorrow, and then send someone to clean it up. It won't cause any problems."
Hong Yingrong closed her eyes, her chest heaving.
Doesn't she know that her daughter-in-law is right?
But in her previous life, the old marquis' tomb collapsed due to a heavy rain, and she failed to repair it in time. Since then, the Xue family has suffered a series of disasters...
"Mother," Jiang Shuxiu said softly, noticing her dazed look, "If you're truly worried, why not have Yuanchu send a team of his personal soldiers on horseback to look after them first? But you absolutely must not take any risks yourself."
Hong Yingrong sighed and finally nodded.
As night fell, the house was brightly lit with candles, but Hong Yingrong tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Outside the window, the night sky after the rain was still gloomy, with the occasional cries of crows, making it seem particularly desolate.
She got up, put on her clothes, opened the window and looked towards the suburbs of Beijing.
There, the husband she cared about all her life rests in peace.
A few days later, the mud on the mountain road outside Beijing gradually dried up, and finally a barely passable road was cleared.
At dawn, Xue Yuanchu took his two younger brothers Xue Zhongfu and Xue Jiyan and personally escorted his mother Hong Yingrong to the tomb of his father Xue Yonghuai.
The carriage moved slowly forward on the rugged mountain road, and the wheels made a dull sound as they rolled over the mud.
Hong Yingrong sat upright in the car, holding a white handkerchief tightly in both hands, her knuckles slightly white.
The three sons rode their horses to guard the carriage, with serious expressions.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
