Chapter 127 Extra: Past and Present Lives
Six years later.
Prince Chen's Mansion.
Above the main courtyard hangs a plaque with gilded characters that read "Qing Lü" (青绿).
Laughter filled the room, and Gu Ruxu's clear voice rang out, "The little princess looks half like the princess and half like the prince; she's clearly a blessed person."
The little princess she was referring to was Feng Shutong, the daughter of Shen Qinglu and Mu Hanshi, who had just turned 100 days old. Her nickname was Afei.
Ah Fei was being held by Shen Linlang, with Shen Qinglu, who was slightly plumper than before, sitting next to her.
Shen Qinglu's eyes never left her daughter, whose beauty was even more striking than before. She had shed her youthful naiveté, and her rosy face exuded a serene and noble air.
Feng Chengying sat on the other side of Shen Linlang, teasing the infant who was looking around with wide, dark eyes, his face full of curiosity, showing no trace of the demeanor of a crown prince in the imperial court.
Besides them, there was also Meng Shi and Gu Shizhi, mother and daughter, as well as Old Madam Mu, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and Mu Miaohua.
Mu Miaohua smiled as she watched Feng Chengying play with the child. "The little princess is born extraordinary and is naturally blessed. The prince is almost thirty years old when he finally got such a treasure. I heard that he doesn't need servants to help him get up at night; he does it all himself. It's truly rare."
"Previously, many people in the capital were spreading rumors and making malicious speculations about the Prince and Princess's health. Now they should all be shut up." Old Madam Mu squinted her eyes, appearing even more kind and benevolent. "In my opinion, with the Princess now so happy, she will soon be able to give the little princess another brother or sister."
Shen Qinglu smiled but remained silent.
During the five years she didn't have children, all sorts of rumors circulated in the capital, but no one knew that their delay in having children wasn't due to health issues, but rather because they were waiting for her to turn twenty before starting to try for a baby.
Sometimes she felt that God had truly blessed her, allowing her to have everything in this life.
Just as she was pondering, Xia Chan, who had her hair styled in a woman's bun, came in, followed by two children. The girl looked to be about ten years old, and the boy was about three or four years old. All of them had above-average pretty looks.
The mother and her two children bowed to everyone and offered words of blessing.
Shen Qinglu asked the girl what books she had been reading recently, and the girl answered one by one.
"You are a good child. Remember, reading and writing are very beneficial. They allow you to understand the vastness of the world and the distance between people's hearts. Even if you don't strive for a good future, you can still become a reasonable and righteous person."
"I have taken the Princess's teachings to heart."
Xia Chan married Mei Wu, but Xin Ping was not their child; rather, it was Xia Chan's younger sister's child.
After a mentally challenged woman is abducted, few are lucky, and Xia Chan was no exception. She was sold to a family for a string of cash to be a child bride for the family's mentally unstable son.
As soon as Chu Gui arrived, the family couldn't wait to consummate their marriage. She had never been treated well, and her health was poor. After becoming pregnant, her condition worsened, and she unfortunately died during childbirth, leaving behind a daughter, who is this child.
Now she takes the surname Xia, and is Xia Chan's daughter.
When Xia Chan got married, she was not only freed from her slave status, but Shen Qinglu also gave her a house and shops as part of her dowry. So Xia Chan is now considered the mistress of a moderately wealthy family and is known as Madam Mei.
“Your Highness, I must have accumulated great virtue in my past life to be able to meet such a good mistress as you. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would never have known about the existence of Xinping in this life, and she would have suffered for the rest of her life.”
Born into such a family, Xinping had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of caring for her paralyzed grandmother and her mentally ill father at a young age, and also had to endure their constant beatings and scoldings.
Five years ago, when she was found, she was skin and bones, like a frightened bird, a far cry from her current poised and confident self.
“My Ah Li is blessed with good fortune. Not only is he blessed himself, but he also benefits others. You are all blessed too, otherwise how could you have met such a good master?” Gu Ruxu said this not only to Xia Chan, but also to Ren Chun, Han Xiao, and the others.
Shen Qinglu smiled.
"Sister Ali's smile is so beautiful, even more beautiful than before." Gu Shizhi was already in her prime, and her obsession with appearance had become even more intense. Her eyes were practically glued to Shen Qinglu.
Everyone who saw it was used to it.
Meng felt somewhat embarrassed and said reproachfully, "You've reached the age for marriage, and I doubt there's a single young man in the entire capital who could catch your eye."
Shen Linlang and Gu Ruxu exchanged a glance, but smiled without saying a word.
Feng Chengying jokingly added, "Madam Gu, don't worry. I believe my sister is destined for a good marriage."
"Then I ask Your Highness to grant me your kind words and wish to marry off this troublesome child as soon as possible."
The room was filled with joy. Shen Qinglu looked at her daughter with satisfaction and said casually, "If we're talking about marriage prospects in the capital right now that someone's eyeing yours, Your Highness is definitely the first one."
From the day she was made Crown Princess, Feng Chengying accompanied Emperor Feng in and out of the court. Six years of experience not only solidified her position as Crown Princess, but also established her prestige among the court officials.
Now no one talks about her being a woman anymore; instead, they're starting to worry about her private life, such as her marriage.
For a moment, everyone was looking at her.
She wasn't embarrassed or annoyed, and continued to tease Ah Fei.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Judging from Your Highness's tone, you probably already have someone you like?" Jiang Yingshui's tone became a little urgent, prompting Old Madam Mu to cough lightly as a reminder.
"I suppose so," Feng Chengying replied generously, not denying it.
But he didn't say who his crush was.
Before leaving, she made an appointment with Shen Qinglu to visit her younger cousin again in two days. Then she pulled Shen Qinglu aside and whispered something to her in a mysterious manner.
Mu Miaohua had left the palace with her and returned together. Seeing her talking to Shen Qinglu, she also took the opportunity to have some private conversation with Shen Linlang.
"Your second son is young and promising. These past few years, your doorstep has been worn down by suitors. I wonder which girl you have your eye on?"
When it comes to family matters, Shen Linlang has mixed feelings of joy and worry.
The good news is that his second son, at a young age, has already risen to the rank of Lieutenant General of the Divine Martial Guard. The bad news is that his eldest son is not doing well in his studies and has not yet achieved any official rank.
"Given Erlang's temperament, if I can't find someone who is compatible with him, I'm afraid he won't agree to it. As his mother, I probably can't make the decision about his marriage."
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Do you still remember when we were young, we jokingly said that our children would become in-laws in the future?"
“How could I not remember?” Shen Linlang smiled, then her expression turned somber. “These past years in the palace, I know your thoughts, you and His Majesty…”
Mu Miaohua took her hand and said in a low voice, "Once Aying assumes power, His Majesty and I plan to leave the capital and travel around."
Her eyes reddened. "That's good. You've finally overcome your hardships. If it weren't for the rebellion of the Demon King and His Majesty's ascension to the throne in a time of crisis, you would have been a perfect couple that everyone would envy."
"There are no perfect couples in this world. The vows made in our youth that were once as strong as gold are now scarred and broken. You are like that, and so am I. If we can still walk together, that is already a rare thing. Perhaps it is a good thing to be a little confused."
"Yes, if we could be a little more oblivious, things would just pass by like this."
After the Prince of Xin rebelled, Yu Zhiheng resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown with Lady Xie. Three years after Lady Xie passed away, he returned to the palace and opened a school in Chongde Lane.
They've kept in touch frequently over the years, getting along like friends, and things have been fairly good.
Seeing her expression, Mu Miaohua patted the back of her hand and said, "Linlang, we've both reached this age and are almost at the age of fifty. Why not follow our hearts?"
“I understand,” she said, glancing at Shen Qinglu and Feng Chengying.
"Regarding the matter of your children's in-laws, I think your second son and His Highness are a good match. What do you think?"
"What...what do you mean by this?"
Mu Miaohua leaned close to her ear and whispered something.
She was first stunned, then overjoyed. "This is wonderful! I've been so worried about you... You've kept it a secret all these years, never letting anything slip in front of me."
"I don't want to be a concubine, nor do I want to lose my true self and freedom. It's just that I've wronged my Ah Ying." Mu Miaohua said sadly, her eyes full of guilt.
"Don't overthink it." She patted the other person's hand in return. "Everything's fine now, and I'm truly happy for you. If our children could become in-laws, I would be more than willing, as long as they're happy to do so. But wouldn't the generational difference be a bit too much?"
"The imperial family doesn't concern itself with these matters."
"Too."
When they all looked in that direction at the same time, Shen Qinglu and Feng Chengying also happened to look over. Their eyes met, and suddenly, as if by some tacit understanding, they all smiled at each other.
As soon as Mu Miaohua and Feng Chengying left, Mu Hanshi returned to his residence.
Shen Linlang didn't want to be an annoying mother-in-law, so as soon as she saw her son-in-law enter the courtyard, she immediately got up and left.
Shen Qinglu, holding the child, saw her out and then welcomed Mu Hanshi in.
Mu Hanshi took the child with complete ease. "Why aren't you asleep yet at this hour?"
"She was probably more excited because there were so many people around."
At 100 days old, the baby's skull is no longer soft. When it hears its parents talking, it looks up curiously, its eyes, as smooth and translucent as black jade, looking at this and then at that, making babbling sounds.
When Mu Hanshi put her on the bed and unwrapped her, she moved her hands and feet haphazardly, appearing increasingly happy.
"Where do you think Mom and Dad are? If all dimensions have a way of communicating with spirits, will they receive the letters and drawings we write to them? If they knew we were together and had Ah Fei, they would definitely be very happy."
As Shen Qinglu spoke, she would sometimes pinch her daughter's arm and sometimes play with her daughter's feet, her eyes full of joy and affection.
She failed to see the dark glint in Mu Hanshi's eyes, like the deepest depths of the sea.
"Wherever they are, as long as we are together, I think they will bless us."
Even if they are all dead, aren't they still together?
Mu Hanshi looked at the mother and daughter, his eyes full of tenderness.
For all of this, it was all worth it!
How gratified their parents would be if they knew!
*
A villa district in a certain city.
The building manager came out of a building, his face full of regret and sympathy.
When curious people inquired about him, their words were full of sighs.
“The adopted daughter died the day before yesterday, and the biological son passed away the day before yesterday. How can they bear it?”
"These are all illnesses. Her own son had congenital heart disease, and she couldn't have adopted a healthy child. This one also has a congenital disease. I heard that she has been waiting for a kidney transplant but has not received one. Now, the elderly are sending off their children. It's so pitiful."
How many people can bear the pain of separation by life and death?
In the elegant courtyard, the clump of bamboo, oblivious to the joys and sorrows of the world, remains lush and vibrant regardless of the seasons.
Through the half-open window, one could glimpse the house's antique-style decor. Two four-character couplets hung on the wall: the first line read "Why leave blank space?" and the second line "Only for the sake of green." A refined middle-aged man sat at a large mahogany desk, seemingly frozen in place, his face appearing aged and devoid of any vitality.
A gentle woman came over and stood silently beside him, her expression equally somber, her eyes devoid of any life.
“My son said he went to find Azhu and told us not to be sad, just think of them as having gone far away.”
"These two children... how can they be so heartless, just leaving like that..."
"We were all prepared for this day to come. If there really is a netherworld or another world, how wonderful it would be if they could still be together and rely on each other."
They understood the reasoning and were indeed mentally prepared, but when the situation actually came to them, they still couldn't help feeling sad.
Suddenly, as if a breeze had swept by, they felt a blur before their eyes, and a piece of paper appeared on the table.
"What is this?" the woman asked in shock, staring in disbelief at the thing that had appeared out of nowhere.
The man was also surprised. He picked up the paper, and his expression changed drastically after reading it. "This...this is A'Zhu's handwriting. She said she went to another dimension, is in good health, and is going to get married!"
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought that the letter was a bizarre lie someone had made up to comfort them, so that they wouldn't be too upset.
The two looked at the letter over and over again, facing each other.
"Old Mu, this letter just appeared out of nowhere, didn't it? I saw it with my own eyes, and you saw it too. So, Azhu... she's alive again, and alive and well. Am I dreaming?"
"It's not a dream." The man was so excited that his hand holding the letter was trembling. He knew the children's handwriting best; it was indeed his adopted daughter's handwriting.
"If that's really the case, then Mu Bai... do you think they might actually be together?" The woman became more and more agitated as she spoke, her whole body trembling, tightly gripping the man's hand.
Their haggard and sorrowful faces were now completely covered with joy, radiating a strong glow.
Then another letter appeared on the desk. The two of them huddled together to read it, and after exchanging a glance, they were both smiling, but tears were streaming down their faces.
"Mu Bai said he and A Zhu got together, they got married... and had a child. We have a granddaughter now, her name is A Fei. White and red mixed together make crimson, A Fei, A Fei, what a beautiful name..."
Before the woman's joyful voice had even finished, a painting slowly unfolded before them.
The man and woman in the painting are all dressed in splendid clothes. One is aloof and handsome, while the other is gorgeous and beautiful. They hold a baby who looks like a pink dumpling in their arms. The family of three is lifelike, as if they are quietly watching them.
Author's Note: My darlings, this story is now complete. Thank you for your continued support.
My next novel will be titled "Transmigrated into the Self-Destructive Stepsister of the Male Lead in an Old-Fashioned Novel." I hope you'll continue to support me! Mwah!
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