Chapter 167 Who exactly is he?
She didn't introduce herself, and the shopkeeper, being perceptive, didn't inquire about the woman's identity, as it wasn't convenient with so many people coming and going in the shop. Although her face was covered by a veil, her attire clearly indicated she was a noblewoman. And who could be a noblewoman being so carefully supported by Granny Pei?
She was most likely the young mistress who rarely went out, the true owner of the winery. The manager was extremely attentive to the two of them.
The master and servant lingered in the wine shop for a while, their minds in turmoil, before finally getting into their carriage and heading home.
Granny Pei tentatively kicked the hidden compartment with her foot, but there was no response. She gritted her teeth and simply reached in to open it, only to find that the person was nowhere to be seen.
The two looked at each other and both breathed a sigh of relief.
Good riddance, good riddance.
Bringing someone back to the General's Mansion without knowing their identity would only bring trouble to the General's Mansion!
Upon returning to the mansion, Yu Qingci first went to Songbai Hall to see Old Madam Ning.
She's been away from home these past few days, and she doesn't know if the old lady's illness has fully recovered; she's quite worried about her.
Upon entering the inner room, Lu Yun Chu, who was sitting by the bed serving tea and water, saw her sister-in-law return. She immediately put down the small bowl in her hand, went forward, and affectionately took her arm.
After exchanging a few words, Yu Qingci turned her gaze to Old Madam Ning.
After several days of recuperation, Madam Ning's illness improved considerably, but the recovery was slow and gradual, leaving her still somewhat weak, pale, and thin. At this moment, as she sat on the bed, her gaze towards Yu Qingci was incredibly gentle.
Madam Ning sighed, "When people get old, they can't even withstand a cold, and yet you fell ill at this crucial time, causing you to go to the temple to pay your respects alone. How did it go? Did Yun Chu and I burn all the scriptures we copied for them?"
Yu Qingci sat down and replied softly, "Everything went smoothly. The scriptures we brought were burned, and an ever-burning lamp was set up. Before leaving, we donated enough money for incense and told them to take good care of the offerings."
Madam Ning nodded: "That's good. You're a reliable child. I have no worries about entrusting these matters to you."
Yu Qingci: "Mother needs to take good care of her health. I have a century-old ginseng and some top-quality bird's nest, which are perfect for nourishing the body. I'll have someone send them to Mother in a bit."
Madam Ning declined, saying, "No need. You should keep such good things for yourself. I'm just having a minor illness, there's no need to waste such good things. With Yun Chu and Granny Wang taking good care of me these past two days, I'm almost fully recovered."
Yu Qingci: "Mother is talking nonsense again. No matter how good the things are, they can't compare to Mother's health. As long as Mother gets better soon, it will be our blessing."
Grandma Ning held Yu Qingci's hand and kept sighing, saying that this daughter-in-law was just so pleasing to the eye.
After chatting for a while, Madam Ning told her to go back and get some rest.
"You must be tired these past few days. Go back and rest early. Wang Mama and Yun Chu will take care of me here tonight. You can come to pay your respects tomorrow."
Yu Qingci took her leave.
At night, Guanlan Pavilion is exceptionally quiet.
The main house was lit with candlelight early in the morning. Yu Qingci dismissed several maids, sat down at the table, took out a small red coral earring from her bosom, and examined it carefully under the candlelight.
It looks like just an earring, nothing special. What was that person trying to do with it?
Thank you? Why is it only one instead of a pair, and I can't wear it?
What intrigued her even more was that the man seemed certain that she and Granny Pei wouldn't betray him, and after handing her the earring, he confidently slipped into the hidden compartment.
What exactly is his relationship with Yu Qingyan?
Under the three-lobed lotus-leaf candlelight, a beautiful woman with delicate eyebrows furrowed her brows, lost in thought. She was completely unaware that, out of sight of the window, Lu Yunqi, dressed in black, stood quietly in the shadows of the trees, his gaze fixed on the beautiful figure reflected in the window for a long time.
He never imagined that the person who broke into Taijue Temple that night was his own wife's room. The situation was complicated at the time, and he couldn't recognize her. He could only take out the pair of red coral earrings that she had given him a few years ago when she was still the second young lady of the Earl's Mansion, and give one to her.
After all, this was something she had her maid give her back then. Seeing the earrings, she should be able to guess her identity, or at the very least, that she was related to the missing young general.
So after he placed the earring in her palm, he didn't hesitate to hide in the secret compartment of the carriage.
He was right; after seeing the earring, she did everything she could to protect him.
Their marriage was arranged when they were young. They planned to formally propose to the Marquis of Nanping after he returned victorious from the war. However, fate played a cruel trick on them. When news of his death reached the capital, his mother demanded that the Marquis of Nanping fulfill the marriage agreement. Qingyan entered the house carrying his memorial tablet.
After climbing over the wall into the general's mansion, Lu Yunqi, relying on his familiarity with the terrain, easily avoided the servants patrolling at night and arrived at Guanlan Pavilion, where he used to live.
Now, seeing a wife in the house he has lived in for so many years, he has a feeling that is hard to describe.
The war a year ago was extremely fierce. He and his father led a large army that paid a heavy price to finally win. When he led a group of soldiers to pursue the remaining enemy forces, they were unfortunately surrounded by the enemy. In the chaos of battle, he and his soldiers fell off a cliff.
He thought he was going to die, but he was unexpectedly rescued. He lay in bed for three whole months before he escaped death and was able to save his life. It was then that he realized he was in a border town of an enemy country. After recovering from his injuries, he decided to stay in the enemy country as a spy.
Two months ago, he finally found a chance to escape back to the border and return to the military camp, only to find that news of his and his father's deaths had already reached the capital. The familiar military camp was now even more complicated, with unfamiliar faces replacing the commander-in-chief and several of his deputy generals.
In order to avoid revealing his identity, he traveled back to the capital under an assumed name, but unexpectedly he was targeted as a spy from an enemy country.
Clearly, someone didn't want him to come back alive.
He couldn't imagine how devastated his mother and sister must have been a year ago when they received the news that he and his father had died together.
So once he successfully infiltrated the city, he couldn't wait to return to the general's mansion to see his mother and sister.
And then there's the young mistress in front of him, Yu Qingyan, who is now his wife.
The sound of a night watchman's clapper rang out in the distance, and the man seemed to wake from a dream. He glanced at the beautiful figure inside the window one last time, and then slipped out of Guanlan Pavilion.
He arrived at the vicinity of Songbaitang with ease. Having not seen his mother and sister for so many days, he naturally wanted to see them.
But right now, the news of his return to the capital absolutely cannot be leaked. His mother's personality is too fragile, and once she finds out that he is still alive, she will definitely not be able to keep it from those around her.
He stared intently at his mother's house for a moment, then turned and leaped over the wall towards the outside of the mansion.
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