Chapter 361: Family Dynamics

Chapter 361: Family Dynamics

Lu Hanyi's face turned bright red in an instant.

She never expected that Lu Lingyun had quietly supported Lu Kuan so much. Setting aside the vague talk of future prospects, which lacked any evidence or basis, the large three-courtyard mansion before her was also a gift from Lu Lingyun!

Such a gift would make an impression on any family!

She was instantly embarrassed.

Especially when she recalled how she had loudly proclaimed earlier, both being married daughters, why was Lu Lingyun the one to accept the toasts on behalf of Lu Kuan.

It was because Lu Lingyun had given him a splendid future and a lavish estate!

As a sister, she had given Lu Kuan nothing.

She hadn’t even brought a gift, just her son to enjoy the banquet.

But Lu Lingyun had done so much more!

For a moment, Lu Hanyi felt like a fool, as if she had publicly humiliated herself.

Her face burned with shame.

Under the watchful eyes of Lu Kuan and Lu Lingyun, she grabbed her son’s hand and left in shame.

After she left, Lu Lingyun shook her head and called out, "Kuan'er."

Lu Kuan smiled at her, "Elder sister, I promised I’d protect you, no matter what happens. I won’t let anyone bully you."

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun's face broke into a wide smile.

The women in the courtyard watched Lu Lingyun with either envy or jealousy.

Some high-ranking officials’ wives couldn’t help but observe the siblings keenly, their sharp eyes taking in every detail.

This Lu Kuan was a man who knew how to repay kindness, and they decided their husbands should keep an eye on him in the future.

The wife of the Ningyang Marquis’s heir was also a woman of principle, someone worth befriending.

After the wedding banquet, Lu Lingyun connected with many noblewomen of the Imperial City.

Even several wives of high-ranking officials extended invitations to her for flower-viewing and tea parties.

Lu Lingyun accepted them all.

After the wedding banquet, she attended banquets daily.

She delegated the household’s miscellaneous affairs to Qiu Ling and Ling Long.

Their ability to manage household affairs improved steadily, and they could handle minor issues without troubling Lu Lingyun.

Afterwards, Lu Lingyun was satisfied with their handling.

Seeing the progress of Qiu Ling and Ling Long, she felt that these two were quite promising, and with some training, they could completely help her handle some small matters in the future.

A capable mistress should also train assistants when the time is right.

There was no need for her to manage everything all the time.

Today, Lu Lingyun went to a tea tasting party hosted by the wife of the Vice Minister of War.

As soon as she stepped into the host's backyard, the Vice Minister's wife congratulated Lu Lingyun with a smile, "Congratulations, Lady Cheng!"

"What for?" Lu Lingyun was quite surprised by the congratulatory remark.

The Vice Minister's wife warmly took Lu Lingyun's hand and whispered in her ear, "My husband got an urgent dispatch from the frontier last night and rushed to the palace to report. He hasn’t returned yet!"

Lu Lingyun's eyes lit up, "Is it the battle report from beyond the northern frontier?"

Battle reports reach the Imperial City quicker than letters from home. During this period, Lu Lingyun had not received any letters from home.

She only occasionally heard some battle reports.

"That’s why I say congratulations, Lady Cheng!" The Vice Minister's wife smiled at her and continued to whisper, "There’s been a major victory at the frontier. The Ningyang Marquis led the troops to a crushing defeat of the northern barbarians! The northern barbarians have capitulated!"

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun caught her breath, followed by genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.

They had won!

The old Marquis had won the battle!

She knew this war would end in victory, just as it had in her past life, but experiencing it firsthand, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

What’s more, it was the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion that secured the victory, and the emperor would surely reward them.

She remembered what Lu Kuan had discreetly hinted at earlier, that after the Ningyang Marquis returned in triumph, there would be great rewards for the Marquis's Mansion.

Lu Lingyun was absolutely thrilled.

Seeing her so happy, the Vice Minister's wife congratulated her in advance, "I can see, sister, that you have the look of someone who brings good fortune to the family. The prosperous days of your Ningyang Marquis's Mansion are yet to come! Don’t forget about me when the time comes!"

"Sister, you’re quite the tease. The honor of the Marquis's Mansion is all thanks to my father-in-law’s hard work. I’m just enjoying the reflected glory! But once the good news is made public, I’ll be the first to invite you over for a drink!"

"Absolutely, absolutely."

The two chatted and quickly became friends.

Lu Lingyun returned to the Marquis's Mansion, her heart brimming with joy. As she entered the mansion, she intended to share the good news with Lady Qin first.

But the moment she stepped inside, Qiu Ling and Ling Long approached her.

"Young mistress, you’re back at last?"

"Was there something you couldn’t manage?" Lu Lingyun, full of smiles, asked them upon seeing them.

At that moment, Qiu Ling took out a letter.

"It’s a letter from the frontier. We didn’t dare open it, waiting for you to return and read it," Qiu Ling presented the letter from the frontier to Lu Lingyun.

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun's gaze fell on the letter.

She had just learned of the great victory from the Vice Minister's wife, and now she received a letter from home.

Smiling, she opened the letter Cheng Qi had written to her.

Line by line, the words fell into her eyes, gradually.

The smile on Lu Lingyun's face froze.

She sprang to her feet, her normally serene face now looked grave.

"Quick! Get the carriage ready, we're heading to Guangji Temple outside the city!"

Lu Lingyun got up immediately, without a word or further instructions, and hurried out the door with the letter in hand.

Seeing her like this, Qiu Ling and Ling Long both felt a twinge of anxiety.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know."

They watched Lu Lingyun, who had just come back, rush off again.

At that moment.

Guangji Temple.

In front of the golden Buddha statue.

Li Bihan was with Cheng Yunshuo, sharing a vegetarian meal and chanting Buddhist sutras.

"Contemplating the Bodhisattva of Compassion, engaging in deep Prajna Paramita... Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form, form is emptiness, emptiness is form..."

Hearing all this talk of form and emptiness, Li Bihan was utterly frustrated and annoyed.

She had come to Guangji Temple to find Cheng Yunshuo, ready to win back his heart.

But she didn’t expect Cheng Yunshuo, who was stunned to see her, to keep her by his side only to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures.

At night, when she tried to share a bed with Cheng Yunshuo, he just said, "This is a sacred Buddhist place; no indecency allowed," and sent her away.

You can only imagine how Li Bihan clung to her blanket that night as she drifted off.

She had been here for a while now, and she knew staying without results was pointless.

Her son, Cheng Bingzhi, was still under Lu Lingyun's control!