Chapter 230: Returning It to Him Personally

Chapter 230: Returning It to Him Personally

Lu Lingyun had a precise grasp of Cheng Yunshuo.

After a good night's sleep, his strange mood from the past two days was completely gone, and he woke up early in the morning feeling like his old self again.

Du Ruo had gotten drunk the previous night and slept on the couch. He glanced at her.

"Why did you drink so much?"

In response, Du Ruo mumbled in her sleep, her words filled with heartbreak.

Cheng Yunshuo couldn't understand her, so he carried her to the bed and instructed Xiaoqin to take care of Du Ruo.

"Take good care of Concubine Du. When she wakes up, tell her to drink less in the future."

"Yes, young master."

Cheng Yunshuo got dressed and left for duty.

Today, he was guarding the palace gates again, making inspections at various gates except for the imperial harem.

As soon as he left for another gate, a palace maid wearing a green regular uniform and a mature hair bun arrived at the palace gate.

Li, the Imperial Guards leader, who was on duty at the gate, immediately recognized her. "Are you Lady Bishuo from yesterday?"

"Greetings, Your Excellency." Bishuo curtsied and respectfully saluted.

"Lady Bishuo, no need to be so polite." Li, the Imperial Guards leader, studied her face closely, his eyes lighting up more and more.

She looked so much like the extraordinary woman Cheng Yunshuo had once ransomed from the brothel with ten thousand taels!

No one talked about that extraordinary woman anymore, but Li, the Imperial Guards leader, had seen her back then.

"What is Your Excellency looking at?" Bishuo straightened up, her head slightly bowed as she touched her cheek. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no, no." Realizing his awkwardness, Li, the Imperial Guards leader, quickly shook his head to explain. "I just think you look very much like someone I've seen before."

Hearing this, Bishuo smiled faintly. "You must be teasing me, Your Excellency."

She clearly didn't take Li, the Imperial Guards leader's words to heart.

At this moment, Li, the Imperial Guards leader, looked around. "Yunshuo, where's Yunshuo?"

"Cheng Yunshuo has gone on patrol."

"He's not here again," Li, the Imperial Guards leader, looked disappointed. "You look very much like Yunshuo's secondary wife. He'd be shocked to see you."

Bishuo: ".......Secondary wife."

"Lady Bishuo, I don't mean anything else, I just think you look alike."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency." Bishuo kept her polite smile. "But who is this Guard Cheng you're talking about?"

"He is Ningyang Marquis's heir, who was recently appointed as a fifth-rank Imperial Guard, Cheng Yunshuo."

Upon hearing the introduction from Li, the Imperial Guards leader, Lady Bishuo's eyes suddenly lit up. She rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a pouch. "Is this the guard who helped us carry the supplies yesterday?"

Lady Bishuo had investigated yesterday and found that the pouch didn’t belong to any of the maids or eunuchs. She had learned Cheng Yunshuo’s name based on where he was standing.

"Yes, that’s him! This scented pouch is also his!" Captain Li immediately recognized Cheng Yunshuo's distinctively ugly scented pouch.

The pouch was so distinctive that anyone who had seen Cheng Yunshuo wear it could recognize it.

"How did his scented pouch end up with you?"

"Yesterday, Cheng Yunshuo helped us but left it behind, and I picked it up," Lady Bishuo explained.

"Then give it to me, and I'll return it to him on your behalf."

Upon hearing this, Lady Bishuo paused, holding the scented pouch, then withdrew her hand. "Since it belongs to Cheng Yunshuo, I'll return it to him personally tomorrow. I'd also like to see if there really is someone in this world who looks like me."

Li, the Imperial Guards leader, smiled. "Alright! I'll inform him, and he'll definitely be surprised to see you."

Lady Bishuo smiled gracefully.

"By the way, where are you heading out of the palace?"

"With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, I was sent to procure some supplies outside the palace."

"Then I won't keep you any longer." Li, the Imperial Guards leader, stepped aside, did a quick check, and let Lady Bishuo and the maids accompanying her leave.

Not long after Lady Bishuo left, Cheng Yunshuo returned to the palace gate after a round of patrol. Li, the Imperial Guards leader, spoke to him, "Yunshuo, didn't you lose something?"

"No, I didn't lose anything," Cheng Yunshuo replied.

"What about the scented pouch that was on your waist?"

It suddenly dawned on Cheng Yunshuo. He couldn’t help but recall that someone had thrown a tantrum about the scented pouch yesterday. "Yes! I lost my scented pouch. Did you find it?"

"Lady Bishuo picked it up for you."

"Bishuo?"

"She’s the head attendant we met at the inner palace gate while transporting supplies yesterday. I told you she looks like... never mind, I won't tell you." Li, the Imperial Guards leader, said with a mysterious smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"She'll come again tomorrow to return the scented pouch to you personally. Trust me, it'll be a surprise!" Li, the Imperial Guards leader, patted Cheng Yunshuo on the shoulder.

Cheng Yunshuo: "..."

Meanwhile, at the Marquis's Mansion, Lu Lingyun was sitting in the courtyard when the servants began discussing.

"Young mistress, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching soon."

"What activities will our mansion have this Mid-Autumn?"

"I heard that this year, there's a trend of eating fresh meat mooncakes. A new shop in the capital has been packed with people!"

"Fresh meat mooncakes? Can they be tasty?"

"They're from Jiangnan, and apparently, the taste is exceptional!"

"Young mistress, let's make some purchases! Let's try some new flavors!"

The maids felt increasingly comfortable around Lu Lingyun and even started making requests.

Lu Lingyun looked at the little gluttons in front of her, "You're all such little gluttons!"

"We’re so lucky to have you, young mistress!"

"That’s right, young mistress! Your good luck rubs off on us, and we get to enjoy these new treats too!"

"Please buy them, young mistress! You’re the best!"

The compliments kept pouring in, all free of charge.

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun smiled faintly, "Alright, tomorrow we'll go out of the estate together. You go and ask the various courtyards of the concubines if there's anything they want or need, and report it back. Or they can come along with us tomorrow."

Speaking of which, she was also craving those fresh meat mooncakes.

Back when she lived in Jiangnan, she was one of the first to try them, and they were delicious.

This year, she planned to buy some fresh items.

Besides, it had been ages since she’d had a proper stroll through the streets, so she decided to take them all out tomorrow.

"Yes! Young mistress!"

The maids quickly went to inform the various courtyards.

When the three concubines heard that Lu Lingyun was going out of the estate tomorrow and asking if they wanted anything or if they wanted to come along, there was no question about it.

Of course, they all wanted to go with Lu Lingyun!

As concubines, they hardly ever had the opportunity to go out and about. Du Ruo had her maternal family, was favored, and her family's main wife was generous, allowing her to return to her family home occasionally.

But she couldn’t leave the estate too often.

Du Ruo was feeling frustrated these days, thinking about whether she should return to her aunt's house for a few days, yet feeling unwilling in her heart.

She couldn’t figure out Cheng Yunshuo’s thoughts, not knowing if he truly had feelings for her. She felt like a fish being toyed with, always just out of reach.

It made her feel quite frustrated and upset.

Hearing that Lu Lingyun was taking them out for some fresh air tomorrow, she immediately agreed.

In the evening, Cheng Yunshuo returned.