Tinglan Courtyard.
The Grand Dowager, who had been longing for a reunion for a month, finally saw the young couple again. She was as excited as a child: "Qianqian! My great-granddaughter-in-law! You’re back!"
"Great-Grandmother."
"Great-Grandmother."
The two of them paid their respects as juniors.
The Grand Dowager pinched ng Qianqian’s cheeks, then Lu Yuan’s: "Oh dear, why have you both gotten thinner? Is the food in the Imperial Palace not tasty?"
ng Qianqian smiled lightly: "It’s because we missed Great-Grandmother too much."
"What about the baby?"
Bao Shu patted herself.
ng Qianqian quickly picked up the little one and kissed her chubby little face: "Of course we missed you, baby."
Bao Shu had many nicknas: Treasure Piggy, Zhaozhao, Baby...
The Grand Dowager was adept at spreading affection equally. Seeing that Bao Shu was hogging her mother, she pulled her great-granddaughter-in-law aside, asking countless questions to ensure he didn’t feel neglected.
"I heard from Ban Xia that you both went to the palace to treat him and Little Fuzi. Are they alright now?"
The "him" ntioned by the Grand Dowager clearly referred to the Supre Emperor.
Lu Yuan replied, "They’re fine now. The Supre Emperor and Eunuch Fu have fully recovered."
The Grand Dowager let out a long sigh of relief and then asked, "What about you two? Did either of you fall ill?"
"No, Great-Grandmother, we’re doing perfectly fine." Lu Yuan showed deep respect for the Grand Dowager, never finding her nagging excessive, nor displaying a hint of arrogance or impatience.
The Grand Dowager held his hand and asked many questions, including what they ate and drank daily, whether they slept well, if their house was warm enough, and so on.
In the Xun Family, Old Madam Xun showed just as much affection for Xun Yu, though he had always been left with only the privilege of watching from the sidelines.
Bao Shu hadn’t seen ng Qianqian for a long ti, so she had plunged into her mother’s arms, her little feet kicking with delight, looking quite smug.
ng Qianqian, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed that the little one occasionally sneaked glances at Lu Yuan.
She couldn’t hold back her laughter: "Miss your father?"
Bao Shu’s little face turned icy: "I don’t."
ng Qianqian burst out laughing, walked over, and stuffed Bao Shu into Lu Yuan’s arms.
Lu Yuan felt a weight settle in his arms—after a month’s absence, the little rascal had gained so weight again.
Father and daughter locked gazes, both acting unusually aloof.
A mont later, both simultaneously turned their heads away, one to each side: "Hmph."
At dinner, Lu Yuan finally rembered his loyal steward Cen, whom he hadn’t seen since arriving back at the mansion.
Ban Xia said, "Originally, Steward Cen was waiting at the entrance with us for Madam and Mister, but then a soldier ca unexpectedly. I don’t know what he said to Steward Cen, but Steward Cen hurried off in a rush."
At the city gates.
Steward Cen alighted from the Governor Mansion’s carriage and rushed towards a Miaojiang carriage.
"May I ask who is inside the carriage?"
Liu Qingyun lifted the bead curtain, revealing a face untouched by the passage of years and stunningly beautiful: "You don’t recognize anymore?"
Steward Cen was stunned: "Madam... Madam?"
Could it really be Madam?
Good heavens, Madam had co all the way from Miaojiang!
"This humble servant pays respects to Madam!"
He suppressed his astonishnt and bowed deeply to Liu Qingyun.
Liu Qingyun’s blood-red lips curved slightly: "It’s been so many years. Steward Cen, you look much more weathered—has dealing with Ayuan’s troubles worn you out?"
Steward Cen chuckled awkwardly: "You flatter , Madam. Everything in the mansion is fine, nothing troubling. Madam, you, however, look exactly the sa. You haven’t changed one bit over the years."
Liu Qingyun laughed and said, "Enough sweet-talking. I heard Ayuan got married and stirred up quite a bit of trouble. He didn’t tell anything, and you didn’t even notify ?"
Steward Cen replied with a sheepish smile: "Well... wasn’t I just about to send word, and here you are already?"
Liu Qingyun asked leisurely, "It’s just you that ca. Where’s Ayuan?"
Steward Cen explained, "The Grand Commander has been busy at the palace dealing with the epidemic. He hasn’t returned in a month."
Liu Qingyun’s smile deepened: "So, I’ve co at a bad ti?"
Steward Cen felt a chill run down his spine and replied hastily, "He should be back tonight."
Liu Qingyun lowered the curtain: "Lead the way."
"As you wish."
Steward Cen wiped sweat from his brow and led the Miaojiang caravan into the city.
The guards began whispering among themselves.
"Is she really Grand Commander Lu’s biological mother?"
"Didn’t you hear Steward Cen call her Madam?"
"But wasn’t Grand Commander Lu said to be an orphan? Where’d this mother suddenly co from?"
"Who knows? Maybe years ago she abandoned him, then heard her son beca a high-ranking official and shalessly showed up to claim kinship. That kind of thing isn’t uncommon."
Steward Cen rode back on horseback.
As he glanced back at the gossiping guards, he turned to Liu Qingyun and said, "Madam, please don’t take their words to heart."
Liu Qingyun responded lightly, "Years ago, I did lose my son, so being scolded is to be expected."
Steward Cen hesitated to say more, finally letting out a sigh instead.
An hour later, the carriage stopped at the Governor Mansion’s main gate.
Steward Cen’s legs were sore from riding for so long.
He personally lifted the curtain: "Madam, we’ve arrived."
Liu Qingyun stepped down gracefully, gazing at the grand entrance and the elegant plaque of the Governor Mansion. She raised her brow: "So, this is where Ayuan lives."
By now, Nanny Li and the others were nowhere to be seen at the entrance, indicating that the young couple had returned.
Steward Cen’s thoughts flickered, and he smiled as he said, "Madam, please step inside. I will summon Grand Commander and... Madam."
Ah, now there were two Madams in the residence.
Logically, one should call ng Qianqian "Young Madam" while addressing Liu Qingyun as "Grand Dowager Madam."
The problem was that addressing Liu Qingyun as "Grand Dowager Madam" would be tantamount to acknowledging her as the mansion’s mistress.
Conversely, if they stuck to calling ng Qianqian "Young Madam," it would also confirm Liu Qingyun’s status as mistress of the residence.
He, a re steward, was in no position to decide such matters of hierarchy.
Elsewhere, ng Qianqian and Lu Yuan had just co out from Tinglan Courtyard when a servant with a hurried expression approached them.
"Grand Commander, Steward Cen asked to report that your biological mother has arrived at the mansion!"
Lu Yuan frowned slightly.
ng Qianqian asked in surprise, "Where is she?"
The servant replied, "She’s gone to the main courtyard, Madam!"
Lu Yuan remained silent, his expression cold.
ng Qianqian gestured for the servant to leave, and then rubbed her face: "I didn’t expect your mother to arrive in the Capital City so quickly. The day has finally co for the awkward daughter-in-law to et her in-laws."
Lu Yuan shot her a sidelong glance.
ng Qianqian said, "I’m not calling myself ugly—it’s just a saying. By the way, what does your mother like? And dislike?"
Lu Yuan replied indifferently, "She likes control and dislikes anything that’s beyond her control."
ng Qianqian: "Uh..."
Lu Yuan furrowed his brows: "I’ll go deal with her. You should return to Great-Grandmother’s courtyard."
ng Qianqian tugged at his sleeve: "Don’t be like that. Since she’s here, I must et her."
Lu Yuan glanced at her slender alabaster fingers gripping his sleeve and said calmly, "She’s not an easy person to get along with."
ng Qianqian: "Will she scold ?"
Lu Yuan: "No."
His mother never lost a physical fight but never won an argunt—she’d rather act than talk.
ng Qianqian: "Will she try to take my dowry silver?"
Lu Yuan thought for a mont: "She can’t even do the math properly. You’d sooner trick her out of her silver than the other way around."
ng Qianqian: "Then, will she forbid from leaving the mansion and spend all day making rules for ?"
Lu Yuan considered this, then shook his head. That shouldn’t happen either.
Because his mother was even more restless than the two of them. Anyone trying to rein her in would likely find themselves in the opposite position.
ng Qianqian bead: "See? I’ve managed to handle Lu Family’s Old Madam and Second Madam for five years already. Your mother, being much more reasonable in comparison, will be a piece of cake for . Just watch, your mother and I will definitely beco the best of mothers- and daughters-in-law!"
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