Chapter 470: Cheng Yunshuo Won’t Return

Chapter 470: Cheng Yunshuo Does Not Return

Du Ruo had been traveling far and wide these years, making many friends.

She often kept in touch with Lu Lingyun, sharing her adventures and tales with her.

For this purpose, she specially trained a pair of homing pigeons, giving one to Lu Lingyun so that she could receive replies and use it if Lu Lingyun needed to contact her.

Today, they finally came in handy.

Lu Lingyun hastily wrote a letter to Du Ruo and sent the pigeon to deliver the message.

She was unsure if Du Ruo knew where Cheng Yunshuo was, and even if he did, he might be too far away to come in time.

But now, there was no other way.

Any news would be good.

She released the pigeon at dusk.

That night, Lady Qin's condition worsened again.

Her maid said that her body was very cold, and even with a charcoal brazier lit in her room during the sweltering summer, it couldn't warm her up.

Cheng Bingan, along with Su Ying's husband Prince Xu, Liu Xianxian, and the concubines Aunt Qiu and Aunt Ling, all gathered in Lady Qin's room.

Lady Qin could no longer speak; her eyes were half-open, struggling to stay awake, with heavy eyelids full of weariness.

Yet, those exhausted eyes refused to close.

Lu Lingyun knew.

She was waiting.

Waiting to see the person who had caused her a lifetime of worry one last time.

At the break of dawn, the carrier pigeon returned.

"Madam! Lady Du has sent a reply!" Shuang Hong excitedly grabbed the reply and ran to Lu Lingyun.

Lu Lingyun's heart leapt with joy at the sight of the carrier pigeon. She quickly untied the reply from the pigeon's leg.

Unfolding the paper, she read:

"I have had someone inquire about his whereabouts. He is currently in Kaifeng, where the Yellow River has burst its banks, and he is chanting sutras for the disaster victims. I have already informed him of the condition of Lady Xue. He said he will return to the capital after the disaster is over to offer incense in memory of Lady Xue."

As Lu Lingyun finished reading the letter, she heard Chunxing's urgent and solemn voice.

"Madam! The old madam has passed away!"

After Chunxing spoke, the room filled with the sound of weeping.

"Grandmother!"

"The old madam!"

Lu Lingyun entered the room to find Cheng Suying crying so hard she had lost her voice, with her husband Xu Zhengqian supporting her shoulders. Liu Xianxian leaned against Cheng Binghao's shoulder, covering her face as she sobbed. Qiu Ling and Ling Long clung to each other, weeping. Cheng Bingan knelt beside Lady Qin's sickbed, reaching out to close her eyes.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't close her eyes for her. He saw Lu Lingyun approaching and silently stepped aside.

Lu Lingyun walked past the grieving crowd, looked at Lady Qin on the bed, who had completely lost her color and warmth, and knelt by her bedside, speaking to her in a soft, almost whisper-like voice.

"Mother, I told him. He knows and is on his way."

"He asked me to convey a message to you."

"Mother, your daughter has returned."

After saying this, she reached out to close Lady Qin's eyes.

Cheng Bingan, who had tried three times to close her eyes, finally managed to do so.

"Grandmother!"

"Wuwu!"

"Wuwu——"

The entire room was filled with weeping.

At dawn, the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion began preparing for the funeral.

The entire mansion was draped in white cloth and adorned with white lanterns.

After Lady Qin's body was washed and dressed, it was moved to the main hall. Lu Lingyun sent messengers to notify relatives and friends, and to invite ninety-nine monks and ninety-nine Taoist priestesses to perform a seven-day Water and Land Ceremony at the Marquis's Mansion. In addition, there was the vigil and the reception of relatives and friends who came to pay their respects. The tasks were numerous and varied.

All these affairs were personally overseen and directed by Lu Lingyun. She was so busy during those days that she had no time to think.

By the time Lady Qin's funeral was fully completed and she was buried alongside the old Marquis, a month had already passed.

The Ningyang Marquis's Mansion remained immersed in grief.

At this time, Lu Lingyun was overwhelmed with a pile of miscellaneous tasks and finally fell ill from exhaustion. She took this opportunity to delegate the mansion's affairs to Cheng Bingan, allowing her to rest for a few days.

Before she could fully rest, Qiu Ling came to her courtyard one day.

"Madam!"

"What brings you here?" Lu Lingyun, seeing Qiu Ling and Ling Long approaching, struggled to sit up from her reclined position.

Qiu Ling, seeing her so exhausted, hesitated to speak.

"What is it? If you have something to say, just say it," Lu Lingyun said with a smile, looking at Qiu Ling. "Are you concerned about Bingan's marriage?"

Both Cheng Binghao and Cheng Bingan were the legitimate sons of the family and were supposed to observe three years of mourning.

Cheng Binghao and Liu Xianxian had hastily become engaged. The Yongyi Marquis's Mansion sent a message that Xianxian, now fourteen, could wait three years without issue, and at seventeen, she would be just the right age to marry Binghao.

Liu Xianxian would stay in the Imperial City for these three years, living at the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion.

He had nothing to worry about.

As for Cheng Suying, Lu Lingyun had already hurriedly married her off earlier.

She didn't want her to be delayed.

Finally, there was Cheng Bingan. Although Lu Lingyun hadn't settled his marriage yet.

But he's only seventeen, after all.

Not yet an adult.

Lu Lingyun was waiting for him to inherit the title before arranging a proper marriage for him.

"Don't worry, I remember Bingan's situation. He is not yet an adult. In three years, when he comes of age, it won't be too late for me to find him a good wife."

Lu Lingyun reassured Qiu Ling.

As she spoke, Qiu Ling shook her head, "Madam, that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Qiu Ling hesitated again, frowning as if she wanted to speak but found it difficult.

"What can't you tell me? What's happened in the mansion?" Lu Lingyun's face darkened.

Hearing this, Qiu Ling hesitated, then looked up and said, "Madam, the Crown Prince is back!"

This Crown Prince wasn't her son.

Lu Lingyun immediately realized Cheng Yunshuo had returned from his travels.

"Where is he now?!"

"He was driven out by An'er!" Qiu Ling frowned.

She had just heard about this from the servants.

Early this morning, Cheng Yunshuo returned in tattered monk's robes, wanting to enter and offer incense to Lady Qin. When Cheng Bingan and Cheng Binghao found out, they immediately had him driven out without a second thought.

They wouldn't see him.

And they definitely wouldn't let him see their grandmother!

Wanting to pay his respects to her?

He didn't deserve to!

Of course, they wouldn't tell Lu Lingyun about this; Qiu Ling only found out by chance.

Qiu Ling came hesitantly to tell Lu Lingyun; the other servants knew but didn't dare speak.

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun, tired as she was, got up from the bed.

"Madam," Qiu Ling said anxiously, seeing her rise, "what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Guangji Temple," Lu Lingyun sighed.

Even though her sons refused to acknowledge Cheng Yunshuo, Lu Lingyun still had to see him.

Hearing this, Qiu Ling said, "Then I'll go with you!"

She helped Lu Lingyun up, and together they took a carriage to Guangji Temple.

——————————

Guangji Temple.

When the carriage from the Ningyang Marquis's mansion, still hung with white lanterns, arrived at the backyard, Cheng Yunshuo—or rather, Master Wuxin—had just been driven back.

Lu Lingyun finally saw Cheng Yunshuo. The temple stood solemnly under the pale light, its incense smoke curling softly into the cool air, creating an atmosphere of quiet reverence.