Chapter 726 Return to Lu Mansion
Mu Qing didn't directly refute what he said, but sighed and said, "So, my lady, are you going to move in with the princess today?"
"Okay, maybe I can help her review memorials!" Hu Xiner agreed immediately.
She had only taken two steps when someone grabbed her sleeve again. Mu Qing appeared nonchalant, but in fact, he was holding her sleeve tightly, making it clear that he didn't want her to leave.
"What are you doing?" Hu Xiner turned her head with a suspicious look on her face.
Mu Qing didn't say anything, just looked at her.
After staring at each other for three seconds, Hu Xin'er finally gave in: "Okay, okay, okay, as you say!"
Speaking of which, the two of them had important business to attend to when they left the palace.
The carriage stopped in front of the Lu Mansion. The carved beams and painted buildings were the same as yesterday, but it was a little less lively.
Because the owner had gone away, only the old housekeeper was in charge of the place. As soon as Hu Xiner got off the carriage, she heard the door open.
A familiar figure appeared from the door. It was a maid in green clothes with a double-ring bun on her head. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her originally green and tender face now had a maturity and stability that was inconsistent with her age.
She looked up at the carriage and just as she felt strange, her eyes met Hu Xiner's.
In an instant, the vegetable basket in her arms fell to the ground and her eyes were filled with tears.
She came running like a swallow, her voice choked with sobs: "Young Madam!"
"Yun Qiu!" Hu Xin'er originally thought that after experiencing so many things, she would be calm and return to the Lu Mansion with a smile on her face.
But when she called out Yun Qiu's name, when this girl who had accompanied her through many life and death difficulties cried and threw herself into her arms, she couldn't help but tremble in her voice and her eyes became sore.
Yun Qiu threw herself into her arms, tears streaming down her face. "Young Madam, where have you been all this time? Have you been in danger? Why didn't you take me with you when you went out? Are you used to not having me by your side?"
Hu Xin'er wiped away the tears that were about to overflow with her sleeve. Listening to her concerned words and looking at her expression that seemed to be both crying and laughing, she felt a little amused: "You silly girl, the young lady is so capable, what danger could she encounter when she goes out?"
After hearing this, Yun Qiu cried even harder: "Wow, it's all because of Yun Qiu's uselessness——"
Mu Qing coughed lightly.
In this family, his prestige was the most important. Yun Qiu stopped crying as if by reflex. She raised her head from Hu Xin'er's arms, opened her tearful eyes and asked in surprise, "Master, you're back too?!"
If Mu Qing hadn't been holding the child, he would have been furious.
What do you mean he's back too? As the legitimate husband, it would be strange for him not to appear with his wife!
The gatekeepers seemed to be awakened and shouted enthusiastically, "Master, Madam, you are finally back!"
The sound entered the Lu Mansion, echoing layer by layer. Countless footsteps were heard, and the maids and servants put down what they were doing and hurried to the door.
Finally, a figure leaning on a cane came tremblingly forward with the support of others. He had white hair and his old eyes were filled with vicissitudes and satisfaction, but more of it was expectation and confusion: "Where is the old lady?"
After hearing this, the couple fell silent at the same time.
"Let's go inside and talk." Mu Qing said solemnly.
Every blade of grass and every tree in the Lu Mansion brought back memories for the couple.
Hu Xiner was thinking back to the good old days when she first married into the Lu family. At that time, all the truths had not been revealed. She had the eldest princess as her backer, and she could use her talents to clear the way for herself.
Inside, she was doted on by her husband and loved by her mother-in-law, and lived a life that was envied by countless ladies in the capital.
Mu Qing was thinking back to the years when he had been living under Lu Yunjue's identity. Although his real identity was not revealed to the public at that time, he had truly enjoyed the favor of Lu's mother.
…
Things have changed and people have changed, and everything is over. The further they walked, the heavier their mood became.
In the lobby, Yun Qiu hurriedly poured tea himself.
The old butler looked eager.
The couple looked at each other, and Mu Qing pursed his lips and said, "Mom, she's gone."
The old housekeeper's hand trembled slightly, but he looked confused. Instead, he smiled and said, "But did you go anywhere for fun with Miss Jiang Yao?"
Xiao Liu looked sad and took out the urn under Hu Xiner's instructions.
"This... this is..." This time, not only the old butler, but also the other servants changed their expressions.
Mu Qing opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
How could he announce to others that his mother had passed away, and the reason for her death was so terrible.
"This is my mother's body." Hu Xiner said gritting her teeth.
"What?!" The old housekeeper couldn't believe it. "How is this possible? You've only been away from the capital for a few months. Although the old lady was in poor health before she left, she was still in good spirits... No, where is Miss Jiang Yao?"
He tapped his cane and tried to stand up, but he was too eager to straighten himself.
Mu Qing suddenly said, "Jiang Yao is dead too! Her mother was killed by her son!"
This sound stunned the whole audience.
The old housekeeper was stunned for a moment, then smiled sadly as if he understood something: "It's all a sin, a sin!"
When the Jiang family was wiped out and he personally stabbed Prime Minister Lu's concubine to death, allowing Mother Lu to regain her position as the head lady of the Lu family, did he ever imagine that this day would come?
As he laughed, his face was already covered with tears.
Hu Xiner couldn't help crying when she heard the voice, and the servants sobbed softly. They didn't understand how such a good person like Mother Lu could die so early.
A hemp rope tends to break at the thinnest part, and misfortune tends to find the unfortunate. Mother Lu suffered for so many years, but died before her grandson was born.
The old housekeeper has never married in all these years, and he and Mother Lu have a deep master-servant relationship. Without Mother Lu, he would not have been able to spend his later years in peace. Without his help back then, Mother Lu would not have been able to manage the household affairs.
Mu Qing suddenly stood up, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on one knee in front of the old housekeeper: "Over the years, my mother has been able to live in peace and contentment thanks to your care. It is all because of my unfilial behavior and incompetence that I failed to take good care of her! I thank you on her behalf!"
The old butler just kept shaking his head, and even the wrinkles on his face filled with tears were trembling.
"Snap!" He raised his crutch and hit Mu Qing hard on the back, causing Mu Qing to groan in pain.
"You...you guys..." His lips kept moving, and a hoarse question came out of his throat, "Why didn't you tell me before you left the capital?"
The couple was speechless, only the pain in their hearts was as strong as coptis. In fact, they both knew in their hearts that even if they did not leave the capital, their situation might not be much better than it is now.
Because the fundamental mistake in this matter does not lie in the preventive measures they took, but in how bad the prince is and that he manipulated the whole thing!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
