Chapter 237 Nothing Is More Important Than Your Life

Chapter 237 Nothing Is More Important Than Your Life

As Tang Shuyi was about to leave her study with the letter, Xiao Yuzhu burst in, followed by Li Jingyi.

"Mother," Xiao Yuzhu grasped Tang Shuyi's sleeve, her voice urgent, "Is it true... Father really isn't dead?"

"Yes," Tang Shuyi replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, but Xiao Yuzhu's tears came streaming down. She laughed through her tears, exclaiming, "My father isn't dead, my father isn't dead."

Then she turned to Li Jingyi and announced, "Li Jingyi, my father really isn't dead."

Li Jingyi stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Tang Shuyi, and then said to Xiao Yuzhu with a smile, "Congratulations!"

Xiao Yuzhu wiped away her tears and looked up at Tang Shuyi, "Mother, I'm so happy, Father isn't dead."

Tang Shuyi wiped her tears and confirmed, "Yes, your father is alive and has made great achievements. Would you like to write to him?"

Xiao Yuzhu nodded quickly, and seeing this, Li Jingyi bid farewell to Tang Shuyi and Xiao Yuzhu. Earlier that day, he and the Dowager Consort heard about Xiao Yuming's mishap; the Dowager Consort rushed to the palace while he went to the Yongning Marquis's residence.

Upon arrival and learning that Xiao Yuzhu was at the Duke Tang's residence, he went there and stayed by Xiao Yuzhu's side until the Duke returned.

Li Jingyi was shocked to hear Xiao Huai had not died but was happy for both Tang Shuyi and Xiao Yuzhu. With the Marquis of Yongning alive, their future would be smoother.

Tang Shuyi, with much to attend to, did not keep him. After he left, she took Xiao Yuzhu into the study and quietly informed her of Xiao Yuming's urgent journey to the northwest, adding, "Write a letter to your father, let your second brother take it."

"Could there be danger for my second brother?" Xiao Yuzhu asked, worried.

Tang Shuyi sighed, "The path he has chosen is inherently dangerous."

Xiao Yuzhu pressed her lips together, understanding. To ensure their family's continued prosperity, no matter the future, they must now hold military power in the northwest. Thus, her second brother had to take this path, even if her father were alive.

"Mother, I will also work hard," Xiao Yuzhu said, looking at Tang Shuyi.

Tang Shuyi raised her hand and gently touched her head, saying with a soft but earnest voice, "Every family wishes to grow stronger and endure for hundreds, even thousands of years; I am no exception. However, my condition is that every member of our family, while striving for the prosperity of the clan, should be happy and live in the way that they desire."

Xiao Yuzhu didn't quite understand her, looking puzzled. Tang Shuyi explained to her, "To put it simply, I do not want you three siblings to sacrifice too much for the family's sake. Be it marriage, aspirations, or personal preferences. We need to take care of ourselves first, then we can talk about the family's development and strength."

"Therefore, the marriages of you three siblings, while alliances are acceptable, must be based on the premise that the person you're allied with is both virtuous and to your liking. Of course, if the one you take delight in is not of equal social status to our family, it doesn't matter as long as they are of good character and promising prospects."

When the topic turned to matrimonial matters, Xiao Yuzhu's face reddened, but she nodded seriously, "Mother, I understand."

Tang Shuyi patted her head again, "Write to your father."

"Alright."

Xiao Yuzhu picked up the pen, pondered over the stationery for a moment, and began to write. She wrote about her longing for her father over the years, how her mother had been depressed since his death, the subsequent changes in her mother, the transformation in her and her siblings, and all the big and small events that had happened over the last three years.

By the time she finished writing, nearly half an hour had passed, and the stack of letter paper beside her had piled up so thickly that it almost couldn't fit into the envelope. She handed it to Tang Shuyi with a bit of embarrassment, "I might have written a little too much."

Tang Shuyi weighed the heavy letter and said, "Such a heavy sentiment, your father will surely be delighted to receive it."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuzhu giggled, then the mother and daughter went together to Xiao Yuming's courtyard. His luggage was packed, and Tang Shuyi handed him two letters, after which the three of them had dinner together. After the meal, it was time for Xiao Yuming to depart.

Fearing to draw attention, Tang Shuyi couldn't send him off, so mother and son parted in the Shi'an Garden. As he was leaving, Xiao Yuming knelt before Tang Shuyi and gave three respectful bows, then said, "I will remember your words, Mother, and will surely return safely."

Tang Shuyi's eyes moistened, and she bent down to help him up, saying, "Remember, nothing is as important as your life."

Xiao Yuming nodded gravely, then turned to Xiao Yuzhu and said, "Stop being mischievous, take good care of yourself, and look after mother."

Tears were already streaming down Xiao Yuzhu's face as she retorted, "When have I ever been mischievous?"

Xiao Yuming smiled, patted her head gently, then turned and walked away. Tang Shuyi watched his retreating figure disappear before turning her gaze back, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, and said to Xiao Yuzhu, "Your second brother is clever, no doubt about it. Not to mention anything else, he surely knows how to protect himself."

On the other side, Xiao Yuming disguised himself as a guard, and together with Lu Zhiguo, they left the Yongning Marquis residence. Accompanying them were more than a dozen guards from the Marquis's estate.

When they reached the gate, the young gatekeeper asked them, "What are you planning to do?"

The lead guard sighed and replied, "The second young master met with misfortune today, didn't he? Steward Zhao has taken people to search for clues in the West Hills area. The lady fears that Steward Zhao might not have enough hands, so she sent us to assist."

"But it's so late in the night, can you even find any clues?" the gatekeeper inquired.

"However, the matter is urgent, and we must continue the search even at night," the lead guard stated.

The gatekeeper hurriedly said, "Right, the sooner you find the clues, the sooner the second young master’s name can be cleared. You'd better hurry."

The group of guards mounted their horses and galloped straight toward the West Hills. Xiao Yuming and Lu Zhiguo were among them. The two followed a group to the vicinity of West Hills, met up with Steward Zhao, and then, following his orders, began inquiring in the nearby villages if anyone had seen any suspicious people that day.

After questioning several households, Xiao Yuming and Lu Zhiguo quietly slipped away from the group and headed straight for West Hills.

Inside the imperial palace, the emperor sat in the imperial study, listening to reports. "The lady of the Yongning Marquis and the Duke of Tang returned to the Yongning Marquis residence first. After a while, a soldier from the northwest entered the Marquis's residence, and it wasn't long before the Duke of Tang returned to his own residence. As dusk fell, a group of people emerged from the Marquis's residence, claiming to be heading to West Hills to search for clues regarding the murder of the Second Prince. I followed them all the way to West Hills, and they were indeed searching for clues."

The emperor drooped his eyelids and, after a long pause, said, "Understood, continue to keep an eye on the Yongning Marquis's residence."

"Yes."

After the man left, the emperor leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, thinking to himself that being an emperor was truly not an easy task. He was utterly exhausted. At this moment, Jiao Kangsheng entered and said, "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Liang is here."

The emperor frowned slightly and said, "Let her in."