Chapter 16 Grand Entrance into the Mansion!
Under the cover of night, the Prime Minister’s Estate’s carriage slowly advanced.
Wen Xueling sat by the curtain, gazing at the silent street outside, remaining quiet, engaged in a patience contest with her scumbag father opposite her.
Ultimately, the one who lost the battle was Wen Jingshu.
“Ling’er, Father knows you harbor resentment, but your mother and An’an are innocent.”
Innocent?
None of you are innocent!
Especially you, Wen Jingshu, you are the root cause of our mother and daughter’s miserable half-lives.
Wen Xueling pinched her palm, regaining some composure. Before getting her revenge, she couldn’t let their relationship become too strained.
She nodded, her eyes red, and whispered through sobs, “Father, Ling’er was reckless.”
“But Ling’er... feels sorry for Mother.”
They say daughters resemble their fathers, and Wen Xueling was undoubtedly the most like him among his children.
The words Wen Jingshu was about to say were all transformed into sighs under the gaze of her red, teary eyes.
“Father will compensate your mother.”
“But for tomorrow’s matter, you must listen to Father!”
Back then, he genuinely loved Mu Qingyu, but he also couldn’t forget the kindness Xie Siyu showed him by saving him on the Northern Frontier battlefield.
His wavering heart ultimately leaned towards Xie Siyu.
A fickle lover is always fickle. Who knows what new tricks he’ll pull.
She lowered her gaze to conceal the disgust in her eyes, and spoke obediently, “As long as Mother and Father can live well in the future, Ling’er will certainly not do anything out of line.”
Upon seeing this, Wen Jingshu was relieved that his strategy had worked.
He instructed, “Tomorrow, at Yinshi, Father will send someone to pick you up.”
“Yinshi?” Wouldn’t that be before dawn?
The Empress Dowager’s imperial decree meant Wen Jingshu couldn’t defy it. Fortunately, it didn’t specify the exact time for Mu Qingyu’s entry into the mansion. He found a solution from this.
By bringing Wen Xueling and her mother into the mansion quietly at Yinshi, before the common people woke up, he could avoid much gossip.
He nodded, “Morning welcome and evening departure is an auspicious time for marriage. Father will arrange everything.”
Fooling ghosts, are we?!
She lowered her eyelids, restraining the urge to roll her eyes.
“Ling’er will listen to Father.”
The carriage stopped at the alley entrance of Fangfei Courtyard.
Wen Jingshu was in a hurry to return to the mansion to comfort Xie Siyu, so he didn’t get out of the carriage. Naturally, he didn’t see the hatred in Wen Xueling’s eyes.
He had been so thoroughly negligent towards their mother and daughter.
If he had only asked once, how could he not have known that Fangfei Courtyard was already a pile of ruins?
Wen Xueling already knew something would happen tonight, so she had prematurely added a calming sedative to her mother’s medicine. But when she got out of the carriage, she saw Mu Qingyu waiting at the alley entrance, her face full of worry.
Seeing the white gauze wrapped around her forehead, Mu Qingyu’s eyes were filled with distress, “Ling’er, did it hurt terribly?”
Wen Xueling tightly held her hand and shook her head, “Mother, Ling’er doesn’t hurt.”
She told her all that had happened in the palace, feeling anxious that her mother might blame her for being too insistent.
A gentle hand lightly stroked the wound on her forehead. Being knowledgeable in medicine herself, how could she not detect that the medicine was wrong?
Mu Qingyu forced back her tears, and softly said, “You suffered for Mother.”
When her scumbag father and foolish brother protected their stepmother and stepsister, she didn’t cry.
But at this moment......her nose felt a little sore.
The next day, Yinshi.
Mu Qingyu had applied a light layer of makeup, already a beauty capable of toppling states.
The secret guards reported that Wen Jingshu had led the welcoming procession to Fangfei Courtyard early in the morning, and was enraged upon seeing the ground full of ruins.
After returning to the mansion last night, Wen Jinli had stayed in his stepsister’s courtyard to comfort her, and had forgotten to tell his own father about Fangfei Courtyard, leading to this morning blunder.
Wen Xueling looked at the moonlight above her head, and said coldly, “Whoever makes a sound will get more silver for good fortune.”
The quiet streets of the capital, the silent welcoming procession, moved towards Warm Fragrance Garden. The atmosphere was eerie and gloomy.
This delay meant the sky was about to brighten.
Just as they reached the alley entrance, a large group of beggars suddenly surged from behind.
“The Prime Minister’s Estate is giving out fortune silver again!”
What should have been a quiet affair thus became known to everyone.
Wen Jingshu was furious, but at that moment, he was helpless.
Hearing the noise from the courtyard gate, Wen Xueling helped her mother out of the courtyard. Seeing her scumbag father’s darkened face, she knew exactly what was happening, but pretended to be ignorant and naive on her face.
“Mother, Father still cares about us very much. Listen, there’s festive drumming and gongs all around.”
Wen Jingshu: “......”
Mu Qingyu had already married Wen Jingshu before, so she naturally didn’t wear a wedding dress or a red veil again. Instead, she chose a slightly festive silk dress and wore a red beaded flower in her hair.
Seeing her husband in a black robe, she lowered her eyes, hiding her disappointment, and said to her daughter, “Let’s go.”
Wen Jingshu’s face showed anger. In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to ignore him like this.
Last night, he felt sorry for Xie Siyu crying and promised her that he would not wear red to welcome Mu Qingyu into the mansion.
Seeing her scumbag father’s hand extended towards her mother, Wen Xueling turned to seek her mother’s consent.
The person beside her smiled gently, “No need for my husband’s trouble. On this joyous occasion, Qingyu still has this much strength.”
Wen Xueling was led by her mother towards the sedan chair.
She smiled and looked back, “Father, didn’t you say Yinshi was the auspicious time? If we don’t leave now, we’ll miss it."
In the Heavenly private room of a half-open inn by the roadside.
Liang Jue gave a playful smile: “Old fox, still got tricked by the little fox.”
The man in the brocade robe watched from afar, his expression indifferent, saying, “Find a way to make her produce more of this thing.”
On the table lay the improved crossbow, which was the sample Wen Xueling had given to Liang Jue along with the blueprints earlier. Its ingenious craftsmanship was even more refined than what artisans could produce.
Wen Xueling felt as though there was a gaze watching her from the shadows.
Her almond-shaped eyes were sharp as she scanned the private room on the top floor of the inn opposite, only seeing a half-open window.
With the beggars’ loud shouts, the news that the Prime Minister’s original wife was alive and back spread throughout the city. More and more people came to watch the spectacle.
The bridal sedan chair stopped at the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Estate.
Wen Xueling’s face immediately fell when she saw the gate plaque that didn’t even have red silk wrapped around it.
Her scumbag father’s voice came from behind her.
“Qingyu, you and I were already married more than ten years ago. As an old married couple, let’s omit these superficial formalities.”
Only he understood in his heart that welcoming Mu Qingyu into the house already betrayed Siyu. If he were to decorate festively again, wouldn’t that be trampling on her face?
Wen Jinli had been watching his biological sister the whole time. Seeing her about to step forward again, he quickly grabbed her arm.
He scolded, “Wen Xueling, don't cause trouble again!”
The force on her arm was so great it felt as if it would crush her bones. Wen Xueling violently shook his hand off.
Just then, Wen Jin’an, in a brocade red dress, walked out from behind the door, smiling.
She completely ignored Wen Xueling, came over and hooked her arm through Wen Jinli’s, coquettishly saying, “Fourth Brother, Mother is still waiting for you and Father for breakfast in the courtyard.”
Wen Jinli's voice softened, his brows and eyes gentle, “Good, Brother will be right over.”
He then turned to Wen Xueling and said coldly, “Wen Xueling, today is a joyous occasion for Father and Mother. If you cause trouble, how can Mother bear the shame?”
Yes, no matter what, she couldn’t disregard her mother’s reputation.
Seeing Wen Xueling no longer moving forward, Wen Jinli sighed in relief. The rest of the matters could be handled by their father.
Inside the sedan chair, Mu Qingyu personally saw her youngest son’s amiable expression towards his stepsister, and his coldness towards his biological sister. Her heart ached fiercely, and she felt even more pity for her own daughter.
Wen Jingshu wasn’t afraid of Mu Qingyu throwing a tantrum, he was only afraid of Wen Xueling going crazy: “Qingyu, we’ve arrived. Please alight from the sedan chair.”
He lifted the sedan curtain. The calm and indifferent expression on his face turned to shock as he clearly saw the change inside.
Wen Xueling rushed over upon seeing this, anxiously saying, “Mother!”
Wen Jinli, who followed closely behind, his pupils wide with disbelief, watched the scene before him.
Wen Xueling reacted first, bypassing her scumbag father and coming to the side of the sedan chair, standing opposite them in a posture of protecting her mother.
Her hand quickly swept across the brocade pouch at her waist, gripping something and letting her hand hang by her side.
The long sleeves of the silk dress she specifically changed into today perfectly concealed the object in her hand, preventing others from seeing it.
Her clear, cold eyes fixed on Wen Jingshu and his son’s actions. Her heart was racing, ready to send them to meet the founding ancestor at any moment.
Inside the sedan chair, Mu Qingyu’s red outer jacket, which she had taken off, was neatly folded to one side, displaying her carefully considered decision.
The single red beaded flower was also placed on top of the red jacket.
Her white silk dress had no embroidery. A silver-white silk ribbon cinched her waist tightly. There were no other colors on her entire body, giving her a naturally aloof elegance that stunned the father and son in place.
This was a Mu Qingyu they had never seen before.
Wen Xueling's half-body blocked the sedan door, also obstructing the view of others.
She looked back into the sedan, her eyes showing worry.
“Mother.”
“Don’t be afraid, Mother is here.”
Mu Qingyu’s voice was gentle and firm. She gave her daughter a reassuring look, then turned to look at the man she had shared a bed with for many years.
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