Chapter 63: Wei Xun Coughs Up Blood

Chapter 63: Wei Xun Spits Blood

It all started when the night watchwoman found the mute girl frozen outside the courtyard gate after spending the night in the cold.

The outer courtyard was locked at night, and the mute girl, unable to find her handkerchief, did not dare to seek out A Yuan. She foolishly stayed in the manor overnight.

When the old woman found her, she was nearly frozen solid.

"Mute girl, where is Lady Xie?" asked the housekeeper who rushed over upon hearing the news, grabbing the mute girl's arm. But the mute girl couldn't speak, and her frantic gestures and cries were incomprehensible to everyone.

"You can't speak, but you must know where she is, right? Come, take us to her!"

A Yuan didn't allow anyone to serve her, and the servants had grown accustomed to it. Who would have thought something could happen to her in the manor?

Before dawn, the servants, carrying torches, followed the mute girl to the riverside.

It had snowed again last night, and the riverside was blanketed in white, hiding everything.

The mute girl stared at the empty riverside, her eyes wide, then frantically ran toward the spot where A Yuan had disappeared.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

She pointed anxiously at the riverside, on the verge of tears.

The old women following her also felt a sinking feeling in their hearts and quickly grabbed her to confirm, "Are you saying Lady Xie was here before?"

"Ah! Ah!"

The mute girl nodded vigorously, and the old woman holding her legs went weak. "It's over, it's over..."

The ground was slippery from the snow. Could Lady Xie have fallen into the water?

"Nanny Liu, what should we do now?"

The other old women looked at her. The one called Nanny Liu forced herself to stand despite her weak legs. "Go to the Marquis's residence and report this!"

Lady Xie was the apple of the young master's eye. If something happened to her, the Marquis's residence had to be informed immediately.

"But... the young master is getting married today..."

Wouldn't reporting this bring bad luck? Moreover, the old women were afraid Wei Xun would punish them for failing to take care of A Yuan properly.

But Nanny Liu's face darkened. "Just go! If we delay, it will be worse!"

She could only hope that A Yuan was buried under the snow and unharmed. But when the servants found A Yuan's lost shoe by the riverside, all hope vanished.

At the Marquis of Anning's residence.

Today was the wedding day of Wei Xun and Shen Qiuyu. The red lanterns had burned all night, and the entire courtyard was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Madam Wei had sent servants to deliver Wei Xun's wedding attire a few days ago, but Wei Xun had been at the manor and hadn't had time to try it on.

"Young Master, the bridal sedan is ready, waiting for you."

Madam Wei had calculated the auspicious time, and Wei Xun was to leave for the Shen family at the third quarter of the hour of Mao.

He changed into his bright red wedding robes, the vibrant color accentuating his noble aura.

"Has Chun Tao been brought back?"

He adjusted his hair crown and asked Chang Yuan in a deep voice.

Chang Yuan nodded and replied, "She has been brought back. That girl is fortunate; her injuries have healed well, and she has been eager to see Mistress Xie as soon as she returned."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of a smile crossed Wei Xun's eyes.

"Tell her to get ready. Once the wedding ceremony is completed today, you will bring A Yuan back."

He couldn't stand being away from A Yuan for even a second.

"Yes."

Chang Yuan acknowledged the order and went out. Chun Tao was waiting in the outer courtyard.

She had been severely punished that day, and although she had mostly recovered, her leg still limped a bit.

Seeing Chang Yuan, Chun Tao hurried over. Chang Yuan reached out to support her and gently tapped her on the forehead.

"Walk slowly! What's the rush? Do you want to lose your leg?"

Chun Tao hummed guiltily, "What did the young master decide? When will he bring the mistress back?"

"We'll go get her after the wedding ceremony. Just wait a little longer."

Chang Yuan also hoped that A Yuan would return soon. Only with her in the mansion did the young master seem truly alive.

"Fine then..." Chun Tao pouted, but thinking that she would soon see A Yuan, she became happy again.

"I wonder how the mistress will react when she sees me. She's bound to be shocked!"

At first, even Chun Tao thought she might not survive, but thinking of how the mistress would be sad, her will to live soared.

She had to survive; the mistress was waiting for her.

"You'll see her in no time."

...

Meanwhile, Wei Xun had finished preparing, and the wedding procession was also ready.

Madam Wei was seated in the main hall alongside Wei Jin and Zhao Wan, her face beaming with unrestrained joy.

Her third son had never been a problem in other matters, but his marriage had been difficult. Along with A Yuan's deep affection, Madam Wei was more anxious than anyone for his successful marriage.

Wei Jin, scolded by Wei Xun that day, had become noticeably quieter.

Mainly because Wei Xun had kept his word and had indeed placed Li Huai on suspension.

Now Li Huai was on leave at home, and his parents blamed her. Initially, they had felt remorseful about her pregnancy and Li Huai's misconduct, but now they had changed their attitude.

Wei Jin lived in constant fear at her in-laws'. Although she was domineering at her parents' home, she was actually only tough at home. Li's mother had bullied her terribly, but she dared not say anything.

Neither mother nor daughter spoke, so Zhao Wan took on the role of enlivening the atmosphere.

"With the third son married, mother's worry is finally resolved."

Madam Wei chuckled, "Indeed, luckily, that scoundrel still heeds advice."

In fact, Madam Wei was genuinely worried that Wei Xun's heart would be entirely devoted to A Yuan, unwilling to marry for her sake.

Fortunately, A Yuan didn't hold that much importance in his heart.

"Once A Yu marries in, Second Sister-in-law will have an easier time too."

Wei Jin had meant to put in a good word for Shen Qiuyu in front of Madam Wei, but she didn't realize that Zhao Wan's greatest concern was losing control of the household.

Zhao Wan's smile froze momentarily but quickly returned to normal.

She stood behind Madam Wei, kneading her shoulders and said with a smile, "Yes, I've been eagerly awaiting the sister-in-law's arrival."

...

Tensions simmered in the backyard while at the front courtyard, Wei Xun had already finished the ancestral worship and was about to set off.

The marquis's wedding procession was grand, showing great respect to the Shen family, with neighbors standing at their doors to watch the spectacle.

This was the young master of the Wei family getting married, and countless young maidens in the capital would be heartbroken.

At this moment, Wei Xun mounted his horse, cutting a dashing figure that captivated the onlookers.

Just as he was about to order the wedding procession to set off, several women looking panicked suddenly rushed out from the crowd.

"Young Master, a disaster has struck!"

Wei Xun recognized these women as the servants who attended to A Yuan at the estate. Seeing them in such a state, his grip on the reins tightened painfully, and his heart was in chaos.

"Take your time, what's happened?"

The sudden halt of the wedding procession left the onlookers confused.

Even if something major had happened, it should have been set aside for later; missing the auspicious hour would be bad luck.

However, Wei Xun's heart was racing with panic, and he had a strong premonition that the women's next words would bring bad news.

The woman took a deep breath, calmed herself, and looked up at Wei Xun with deep sorrow, her voice quivering as she spoke.

"Young Master... Lady Xie fell into the water last night... she's gone!"

She paused three times in her sentence, but the words rang clearly in Wei Xun's ears.

His face turned pale, and all life drained from his eyes.

"Gone? How could she be gone?"

He refused to believe it!

The woman lifted her sleeve to wipe away tears, "Yesterday, Lady Xie wanted to go to the river, but she didn't return all night. This morning, the servants found her shoes by the riverbank..."

There was no need to say more; if she had indeed fallen into the water, she couldn't have survived the night.

"Pfft!"

Wei Xun suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed from his horse.

"A Yuan!"