Chapter 153: The Eldest Mistress

Yu Long was convinced that Chang Huan was indeed Xia Huan and that he was the Crown Prince of Lord Yun Nan who had fallen off the cliff 12 years ago. She was set on informing her parents about it upon heading back to the manor, but once again she changed her mind after calming down on her way back.

Her mother had been ill, and she would be all worked up if she heard about Huan’er’s news. However, seeing that Huan’er was still not able to accept the fact and had refused to acknowledge them, she was afraid that her mother would feel upset if she came over only to face Huan’er’s rejection.

Her previous eye disease and heart issues might even recur if she ended up crying continuously again.

As such, she could not tell them about Huan’er at this moment.

She knew that Huan’er had refused to accept them because it was all too sudden and unbelievable. Additionally, he bore hatred towards them.

After all, they had been apart for 12 years, and he had no memory of the Lord Yun Nan Manor from the year when he was seven till the year when he was 19.

Judging from his situation, he had probably lost all the memories he had before he was seven years old.

Yu Long could not help but feel dejected as she mulled over his sufferings for the past 12 years, and tears rolled down her cheeks once again.

Their family could only reunite if he accepted the truth instead of rejecting it.

What she needed to do at the moment was to get rid of the hatred in his heart, and let him fully embrace the truth about his family background.

Yu Long returned to the manor, having made up her mind. She first headed to her courtyard to wash up and put on makeup, before going to greet her parents while looking like her usual self.

However, she struggled to contain the turmoil in her heart due to the huge secret she was trying to hide, and she was caught by Lord Yun Nan several times for being distracted. Concerned, Lord Yun Nan asked her if something had happened.

Yu Long quickly regained her composure and replied that nothing was wrong.

Lord Yun Nan thought that she was bothered by Prince Zhao, Xiao Jing’s behavior, and he told her that she could stay indoors if she was feeling upset.

Yu Long nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Since then, Yu Long headed to the commercial house consecutively for the next few days. She would always bring along the jade ornaments that Chang Huan’s mother had gifted to him on his birthdays when he was younger, in hopes to recall his memories.

Chang Huan had initially resisted and refused to meet her. Gradually, however, he stopped chasing her out anymore, though he remained unfriendly towards her.

Moreover, some of his distant memories were evoked after looking at the items that Yu Long had brought, and he realized that he was not completely indifferent towards them.

Sometimes, he might even dream about several ladies teaching him how to read and write.

He could not tell if those were truly his memories, or just projected images as a result of hearing Yu Long’s words.

However, Chang Huan felt increasingly anxious the more these occurred.

He had been used to relying on Su Jiu for the past years and had always followed her directions. This time, she had told him to decide by himself.

He decided to continue being Chang Huan, as everything regarding the Lord Yun Nan Manor was not as important as Su Jiu, at least at the moment.

He did not think it would be worth it to lose everything he owned right now, in exchange for the wealth and noble status as the Crown Prince of the Lord Yun Nan Manor!

Yu Long’s frequent visits to the commercial house had instead attracted Prince Zhao, Xiao Jing’s attention, and he specially visited Lord Yun Nan’s estate to tell him about it.

Prince Zhao made some small talk, before taking a sip of his tea and saying casually, “The princess had been visiting Qingyu Commercial House for the past few days. I’ve heard that she wasn’t there to buy anything or shop around for jewelry, but instead, she was there to meet the commercial house’s shopkeeper every day.”

Lord Yun Nan frowned lightly. “Qingyu Commercial House? What kind of place is that?”

Xiao Jing replied, “It’s a huge shop as compared to the others in Shengjing City. Their shopkeeper is a young man who looks quite suave and has many female admirers. However, I’ve also heard that this shopkeeper is illiterate, and was only made a shopkeeper due to his relations with the Ji Manor. The princess is unlikely to be so shallow to fall for a man who only possesses good looks!”

Lord Yun Nan was astounded for a moment, having realized that Yu Long had indeed been heading out every day for the past few days. He had assumed that she was trying to avoid Prince Zhao, but he did not expect she had other reasons.

Yu Long had only been in Shengjing City for ten days. How could she have fallen for someone within such a short time?

Moreover, she had gone to visit that man every day, and this was impossible knowing his daughter’s personality!

Lord Yun Nan smiled and replied flatly, “Your Highness, you must have thought too much. Long’er must have been bored to tears staying in the estate every day, and hence has gone out for a spin! The situation that Your Highness has mentioned would be impossible.”

“That’s good to hear!” Xiao Jing smiled knowingly. “I’m also mentioning this for the princess’s good. That man is, after all, only a commoner, and his status would not match the princess’s identity. It would only be natural for a woman to marry someone of equal social ranking and status to gain endless glory and wealth. Your Royal Highness, do you think I’m right?”

Endless glory and wealth?

Lord Yun Nan understood Prince Zhao’s obvious hint, and he mocked him secretly in his heart. This Prince Zhao was so confident that he would ascend to the throne as the Emperor in the future.

“Yes, Your Highness is correct!” Lord Yun Nan acted as if he was not aware of Xiao Jing’s deeper meaning behind his words and only nodded casually.

Xiao Jing had wanted to wait for Yu Long’s return, but he subsequently grew impatient after waiting for more than four hours to no avail. As such, he could only get up and bid goodbye.

“The princess had only arrived in Shengjing City a while ago, and she has been out for quite some time. She may have gotten lost! I can accompany her the next time, and at the same time protect her from being ogled by the evildoers,” Xiao Jing said as he waved his fan.

“Your Highness, you must be occupied by matters regarding the country! We shall not trouble you!” Lord Yun Nan replied politely.

“It’s only right of me to do so regardless of how busy I am! You’re welcomed, Lord Yun Nan! I shall take my leave now, and please send my regards to the princess once she’s back!”

“Your Highness, please head back safely!”

The servants came to report that the princess was back after Xiao Jing had left for a while.

Lord Yun Nan’s brows knitted together as he ordered, “Let the princess come meet me in the study room!”

“Noted!”

The servants went off, and Yu Long entered after a moment. She smiled lightly and asked, “Father, are you looking for me?”

“Have a seat!” Lord Yun Nan sat on the couch and personally served tea to Yu Long as he asked, “Where did you go for so long?”

Yu Long smiled as she answered, “I went out for a spin.”

“I heard that you have been frequently visiting a place called the Qingyu Commercial House, and have been in close contact with their shopkeeper! Is this true?” Lord Yun Nan looked at Yu Long tentatively.

Yu Long was startled for a moment, before replying, “How did Father know about this?” Something dawned upon her after she finished her sentence, and she subsequently laughed. “Did Prince Zhao come to visit again today? Was he the one who told you, Father?”

Her servants were all reliable people, and they would not gossip to her father without her permission. As such, the person who was showing the most ‘concern’ towards her matters right now would be His Highness Prince Zhao!

“Regardless of who it was, I’m only asking you if this is true!” Xia Cang asked in a low voice.

Yu Long pondered about it and decided not to tell him about Chang Huan’s news. She smiled and said calmly, “Why should Father listen to his nonsense? He’s constantly bothering me, so I’ve been hiding from him! Because of that, he now bears hatred towards me and is attempting to tear us apart by fabricating rumors. We should indeed avoid such an extremely petty man!”

Lord Yun Nan sipped on his tea. “Regardless of Prince Zhao’s motive, how about you? Is there truly nothing going on between you and the commercial house’s shopkeeper?”

Yu Long chuckled. “Father, please be rest assured! How can I handle my marriage so carelessly? You have to trust your daughter!”

A smile finally broke out on Lord Yun Nan’s face. He knew that his daughter had always been logical and mature, and would not behave frivolously like how Xiao Jing had mentioned.

“Oh, yes!” Lord Yun Nan said abruptly, “Have you been going through your mother’s old items these few days? She got even more depressed when she saw them, and she could not even eat her lunch today!”

Even though Xia Huan had been dead for 12 years, Lady Yun Nan had always kept her son’s belongings and had always brought them along wherever she went. Yu Long had been secretly bringing the items out for the past few days as she attempted to get closer to Chang Huan. Never did she expect that her mother would find out about her act.

Yu Long considered her options for a moment before she asked, “Father if Huan’er is still alive, will Mother recover from her illness?”

Lord Yun Nan whipped his head around and peered at her abruptly. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing much! I was just asking what if…” Yu Long hastily explained.

“Don’t speak nonsense! Your mother may be upset as she misses Huan’er every day, but she’s also been used to it for the past ten years. It will only be deadly to her if her hopes were raised, only to be shattered again!” Lord Yun Nan said sternly.

Yu Long understood her father’s words immediately. He was afraid that she would find someone to impersonate Huan’er to cheer her mother up, and it would only kill her mother if she was to uncover the truth in the end.

They could not believe that Huan’er was dead during the first few years when Huan’er had gone missing and had been searching for him everywhere. There were also incidents when several evildoers approached them by impersonating Huan’er.

At this moment, Yu Long was convinced that she had made the right decision to hide Chang Huan’s matter from her parents. It would only be ideal to tell them the truth when she was assured that no loopholes were present.

“Noted. I am aware of it, and I won’t do such a foolish thing!” Yu Long got up and said, “I’ll go take a look at Mother!”

“Go ahead!”

The study room fell silent, as Lord Yun Nan looked out of the window and sighed heavily.

His Huan’er would be 19 years old and in his prime on this day if he was still alive.

He would be just like how he was when he was younger.

It was all his fault for trusting the wrong people and causing his son to die an aggrieved death. There was no point cutting up that person into a thousand pieces because his Huan’er could not come back alive.

He had been dead for 12 years, but his presence could still be felt within the Lord Yun Nan Manor, as no one had forgotten about him.

A person who was dead for such a long time would have been reincarnated by now; it would be good if he could meet Huan’er’s reincarnation!

Yu Long had gone to the Qingyuan Tavern to look for Su Jiu on this day. There was a slight snowfall the night before, and the ground was wet and slippery. Yu Long took a step but lost her footing, causing her to stumble and fall.

She yelped in shock as she watched her maidservant leap towards her in a hurry. All of a sudden, someone held onto her arm tightly.

“Be careful, lady!”

Yu Long turned around in surprise upon hearing a deep and melodic voice and was momentarily stunned.

Xiao Lie was also startled as he did not expect to see Yu Long. He subsequently smiled and said, “So it turns out to be you, Princess!”

Yu Long’s ears reddened slightly as she quickly stood up and said, “Thank you, Your Highness!”

“It was nothing. Don’t mention it!” The man was dressed in a dark-colored robe and a black fur coat. His handsome face exuded elegance and royalty, and his behavior was gentle and courteous.

Yu Long laughed heartily as she turned around and spotted Xiao Lie’s horse carriage. “Your Highness, are you going into the restaurant as well?”

“Yes!” Xiao Lie nodded his head lightly. “After you, Princess!”

“Please come in, Your Highness!”

Both of them entered the restaurant, and Yu Long proceeded to ask one of the waiters, “Is Young Master Su around?”

Xiao Lie turned around to stare at her upon hearing her words.

“Yes, he is! He’s just arrived and is currently upstairs. Young Lady, please follow me!” The waiter replied as he hurriedly walked ahead to lead the way.

Xiao Lie followed behind them and asked, “Princess, do you know Su Jiu as well?”

Yu Long raised her brows and giggled. “I infer from Your Highness’s words that you must also be well-acquainted with Young Master Su?”

“It is not unusual that I know Su Jiu, but how would you come to know Su Jiu when you live in faraway Diannan City, Princess?” Xiao Lie smiled lightly as he asked.

“Well…” Yu Long hesitated.

Both of them had arrived on the second floor at this moment, and they raised their heads to see Su Jiu sitting cross-legged on a chair, munching on nuts.

The waiter stepped forward. “Young Master, you have guests!”

Su Jiu spat out the nutshells and turned around to see Xiao Lie and Yu Long walking over together. She got up and grinned. “Why are the two of you together?”

Xiao Lie frowned subtly and proceeded to quickly take a few steps ahead of Yu Long to keep his distance. He looked at Su Jiu as he smiled tenderly. “I had only met her by coincidence downstairs! The princess should be looking for you to discuss some matters, so I’ll wait for you upstairs!”

Su Jiu nodded. “Sure!”

Yu Long’s gaze darkened slightly as she watched the two of them behaving as if they had known each other very well. She felt strange about how Xiao Lie looked and talked to Su Jiu in such an affectionate manner.

It was a different kind of image from the Xiao Lie she knew.

Xiao Lie was a gentleman in front of her, but his behavior was always distant and aloof even though he was polite and courteous.

However, his gaze was filled with adoration when he looked at Su Jiu, and it was palpable even though he had put in extra effort to hide it.

“Princess, please help yourself!” Xiao Lie looked at Yu Long, before turning around and heading upstairs. His clear voice interrupted her thoughts.

Yu Long turned around and stared at the man’s solitary back view as her eyes flickered.

“Princess, are you looking for me?” Su Jiu asked.

Yu Long turned back around and sat across Su Jiu. A maidservant handed over a cloak to her, which she then passed to Su Jiu and said, “I have especially gone to make a cloak for Huan’er as the weather had become chilly these few days, but I know he won’t accept it if I give it to him personally. Hence, I would have to trouble you to pass it to him, Young Master Su.”

Su Jiu took the cloak and noticed that it was made using high-quality mink. It was light yet highly capable of keeping one warm, and it must be worth a hefty price. She felt a pang of sympathy towards Yu Long’s feelings for her younger brother and sighed. “Chang Huan is a tad too stubborn sometimes, but he will come to his senses one day!”

“Yes, I’m not in a hurry! It is already a huge blessing to us that Huan’er is still alive!” Yu Long smiled warmly. “I just wanted to do something for him as a small form of compensation for his sufferings over the past 12 years!”

“Do your parents already know about Chang Huan?” Su Jiu asked.

Yu Long shook her head. “Not yet, I haven’t told them. Young Master Su, you may not be aware, but my mother had always been ill ever since Huan’er’s disappearance. I’m afraid that should Chang Huan refuse to acknowledge them after I told them about him, my mother would become more upset. As such, I plan to let my mother meet him only after Huan’er gradually accepts his family background.”

“Princess, you are very considerate. There is nothing wrong with that!” Su Jiu broke into a wide smile.

Both of them chatted for a while before Yu Long got up to leave.

She subconsciously glanced upstairs before she walked downstairs slowly.

After sending Yu Long off, Su Jiu let her staff keep the cloak properly before heading upstairs to look for Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie was waiting for her when he heard her footsteps and turned around with a smile. “Has Princess Yu Long left?”

“Yes!” Su Jiu nodded and sat beside Xiao Lie. “What brings you here today?”

“Today happens to be our official holiday, and I was bored to death in the manor, so I wanted to come looking for you!” Xiao Lie grinned as he looked at Su Jiu out of the corner of his eyes. His eyes flickered as he asked, “How did you get to know Princess Yu Long?”

Su Jiu pondered for a moment before saying, “I will tell you the reason, but you cannot let anyone else know about it at this moment!”

“Sure, I won’t tell!” Xiao Lie laughed softly as he looked at her with smiling eyes.

“Chang Huan is the Crown Prince of the Lord Yun Nan Manor!” Su Jiu said.

Xiao Lie’s smile froze on his face as he asked, “…What?”

“I was surprised as well, but Princess Yu Long had reasoned that the Crown Prince and Chang Huan possessed the same body trait, and I had found Chang Huan in the exact location where Lord Yun Nan’s Crown Prince had been lost at that time!” Su Jiu stood up and leaned against the pillar along the corridor as she slightly raised the brows on her delicate face.

Xiao Lie found it incredulous and unbelievable that Chang Huan, who was one of the members in Su Jiu’s Dragon Conqueror Gang and had grown up in Yuhu Mountain, was the Crown Prince of Lord Yun Nan!

He vaguely recalled that the horse carriage of Lord Yun Nan’s Crown Prince had fallen off the cliff when they were about to enter the city via Yuhu Mountain 12 years ago. Many people had been sent to search for him below the cliff, and it was reported to the Emperor that he was dead in the end.

Could it be that he was not dead and had been saved by Su Jiu?

Could there be such a coincidence?

He frowned slightly, and thought that if Chang Huan was Lord Yun Nan’s Crown Prince, it would be a huge affair and not a trifling matter!

After all, he was no commoner and was the son of the lord of a vassal state.

“What is it?” Su Jiu frowned as she asked, noticing Xiao Lie’s unusual behavior.

Xiao Lie shook his head. “Who else knows about this other than you?”

“Nobody else knows about this at the moment,” Su Jiu replied. She did not tell Qiao An and Ah Shu, and she did not even talk about this in front of Ji Yuxian.

Ji Yuxian had asked her later on if she knew who was the one following her, but she did not tell him the truth as Chang Huan had refused to acknowledge Yu Long, and the whole affair was not concluded yet.

“Noted!” Xiao Lie said sternly, “Before Chang Huan’s family background is declared in the Lord Yun Nan Manor, don’t tell anyone else because this would not only endanger him, but it may also put the people in your Dragon Conqueror Gang at risk.”

Su Jiu reflected about it and nodded, “Sure, I will take note!”

Xiao Lie broke into a huge grin as he said, “I can’t believe that you had saved a Crown Prince by chance! You are indeed a hero to the Lord Yun Nan Manor!”

Su Jiu shrugged her shoulders. “But Chang Huan would have to leave if he becomes the Crown Prince of the Lord Yun Nan Manor!”

Xiao Lie noticed her glum expression, and he could not help but circle his arm around her shoulders as he consoled her, “I understand about your feelings towards Chang Huan, but the fate between people is fixed, and those that are fated to leave will still have to do so in the end.”

“Yes, I know. Furthermore, it would be a good thing for Chang Huan if he can be reunited with his family!” Su Jiu raised her brows in glee.

The young woman’s face appeared delicate and radiant under the sunlight. Xiao Lie’s gaze was brimming with adulation as he curled his lips into a smile.

Su Jiu had intended to head back after Xiao Lie left in the evening. All of a sudden, she caught a familiar silhouette sitting by the window out of the corner of her eyes.

The dining hall was filled with patrons at that time, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air as the restaurant was filled with bustle. The young woman sat quietly as she rested her chin on one hand and looked out of the window. The hot pot of beef placed in front of her remained untouched.

Su Jiu was startled, having not seen her for quite some time. She walked over slowly and smiled. “Lady Nangong, when did you arrive? Why did you not come and say hi?”

Nangong Bi turned around upon hearing her voice and stood up abruptly. She looked at her awkwardly before greeting, “Su Jiu!”

This was the first time they met ever since Hu Dapao had left.

Nangong Bi used to call her frequently and had visited the commercial house every two to three days, always hanging around for at least half a day if she was there. She had not been to the commercial house ever since the previous incident.

Hu Dapao’s incident had left a deep impact on everyone’s hearts. It was something they could not ignore, even if it did not drive a wedge between them.

“Have a seat!” Su Jiu called for the waiter to serve another set of cutlery before she sitting across from Nangong Bi.

The young woman wearing a light yellow dress, and her hair was accessorized with a golden jade hairpin embedded with pearls. Her face was fair, and she looked pretty as usual. However, she appeared to be less naive than before, surrounded by a new air of maturity.

“Have some meat, otherwise they’ll turn cold later on!” Su Jiu served several pieces of meat onto Nangong Bi’s plate.

Nangong Bi looked at Su Jiu intently with her almond eyes. “Su Jiu, do you not hate me anymore?”

Su Jiu looked up and chuckled. “I’ve never hated you!”

Nangong Bi lowered her head and clenched onto her chopsticks tightly as she muttered, “I feel guilty towards you and Dapao… so I did not dare to come to look for you!”

Su Jiu poured a cup of wine and considered her words before saying, “You can’t be blamed for that matter, both you and Dapao are not at fault. Everything has passed, and Dapao has also written a letter to me saying he’s doing well over there.”

“He…” Nangong Bi raised her head and stared at her through the steam evaporating from the hot pot. Her eyes seemed to be fogged up as her red lips parted and closed as if she was about to say something. However, she merely heaved a sigh.

Hu Dapao had been gone for a few months. She was unsure if it was because her brother had said that Hu Dapao had gone to Northern Xinjiang because he had feelings for her, but she had felt increasingly guilty and had frequently dreamed of the night that Hu Dapao knelt in the rain. She was unable to forget his upright and heavy-laden back view, and could not fall back asleep every time she woke. Her chest felt suffocated as if her heart was suppressed by a heavy rock.

Su Jiu was right in saying that both of them were not wrong. Hu Dapao was not wrong either, and he should not have sacrificed so much because of her unwillingness to marry him.

“Su Jiu, I will compensate Hu Dapao for what I owed him!” The young woman pursed her lips and said sternly.

“There is no need!” Su Jiu shook her head. “People like us have been through the toughest times, and it’s not a big deal to go to Northern Xinjiang! Hu Dapao won’t blame you for it, so don’t need to compensate for anything!”

Nangong Bi bit her lower lip in silence, lowering her gaze to stare at the boiling stew in her hot pot.

“Eat something! Don’t think about it anymore!” Su Jiu smiled and behaved like how she did in the past without any awkwardness.

Nangong Bi broke into a smile, awash with relief to see Su Jiu in that manner.

….

Su Wenqian had failed to receive any news from Fuyang City, and could not resist sending over a letter to hasten his sons.

Su Di and his brother had woken up within the embrace of the women in a brothel when they received the letter and only remembered at that time that they had to enter the city.

Su Yan abruptly thought of something and asked, “Brother, how much are we left with from the fifty thousand taels of silver gained from selling our family properties?”

They would not be able to explain to their father if they had spent too much.

Su Di’s forehead broke out into a cold sweat as he hastily took out the cheques to do a tally.

Upon tallying, his whole body was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

There originally had fifty thousand taels of silver from selling their shops and land, on top of the few thousand taels of silver that Su Wenqian had left for them before he went to the city. However, there was only a total of ten thousand taels of silver left after the brothers’ continuous ‘hard work’.

Su Yan flipped over and checked the red wooden box thoroughly, repeatedly counting their money inside. He said in surprise, “Why are we left with so little money? This is impossible!”

Su Di sat on the chair in despair.

“Brother, where is the money?” Su Yan asked hurriedly.

“You have been going to the Xunfang Pavilion every day and you’re asking me where the money is? Do you know how much you spent that day when you made a custom set of jewelry for Cai Xia? Five thousand taels! A whopping five thousand taels!” Su Di slammed the table and chided hatefully.

“You have the nerve to complain about me! It was all because of you spending three thousand taels of silver to buy a piece of fur for Jin Xiang, which caused Cai Xia to bother me incessantly! Moreover, you had tipped five thousand taels of silver yo Yanchun Brothel’s top courtesan on that day! Why didn’t you mention that?” Su Yan pouted his lips in displeasure.

“How dare you rebut me? I am your elder brother and am like a father to you! You have to listen to me since Father is not around!” Su Di said furiously.

“What do you think we should do then? How should we explain to Father?”

Su Di contemplated and kept the cheques while saying, “How about this, let’s pack up and head to the city immediately. If Father asks about the money after we arrive in the city, we should just say that we were robbed halfway through the journey and all the cheques were gone!”

“Will Father believe that?” Su Yan asked with hesitation.

“Otherwise, what should we do? We have spent all that money, and Father will beat us to death!”

Su Yan frowned. “I guess that’s our only way. Hopefully, Mother can help to speak up for us at that time! But what should we say to the Eldest Mistress?”

“It doesn’t matter as long as she doesn’t follow us to the city!” Su Di squinted his eyes schemingly. “How about this, you get the housekeeper to pack our luggage, while I go look for the Eldest Mistress!”

“Sure!”

After their discussion, Su Yan headed to inform the housekeeper about preparing to go to the city, while Su Di went to the backyard to meet the Eldest Mistress.

The courtyard was quiet when he entered the Jingshui Pavilion. Several servants who were doing their cleaning came over to offer their greetings upon seeing Su Di.

“Where is the Eldest Mistress?” Su Di asked.

The Eldest Mistress had not stepped out of the courtyard for the past few years. The Second Mistress, Madame Su, had given birth to two sons and a daughter and had taken care of all kinds of matters within the Su Manor. As such, she was naturally the mistress of the family, and Su Di and his brother had never needed to refer to the Eldest Mistress as ‘Mother’.

A young maidservant said, “The Eldest Mistress is currently in the study room. I’ll go inform her now!”

Su Di headed to the reception pavilion and sipped on some tea. He subsequently grew impatient, until he saw the Eldest Mistress walking in slowly.

The Eldest Mistress is older than his mother by a few years, but she seemed to be naturally blessed as old age did not seem to leave any wrinkles on her body. Her dark hair was smooth and silky, and she looked demure and elegant. She only had to stand there in silence for Su Di’s frustrations to fade away as respectfulness took over him.

He hurriedly lowered his head. “Greetings to the Eldest Mistress!”

“What’s the matter?” the Eldest Mistress looked at him emotionlessly.

The woman was quiet and gentle, but instead of making people feel close to her, she had always treated people with aloofness.

“Father had written to us asking us to hurry into the city! Eldest Mistress, I’m here to invite you to go along with us, but we are not able to bring along too much luggage, so I’m afraid you will have to forgo most of the items in your courtyard and let the servants sell them away,” Su Di’s eyes flickered as he said politely.

The Eldest Mistress remained silent for a moment, before saying flatly, “You all can go ahead, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here and look after the estate since it should not be sold.”

“Well…” Su Di appeared to be in an awkward position as he struggled to come up with an excuse. “Father had told us in his letter to take care of the Eldest Mistress along the way to the city! How should we explain to Father if you are not going?”

“I will write to him and will not put you in a difficult position!” The Eldest Mistress said.

Su Di felt secretly elated, and he could not help but express slight cheerfulness. “In that case, the servants in the estate will be left behind to serve you, Eldest Mistress! Eldest Mistress, please take care!”

He bade goodbye to the Eldest Mistress after speaking and exited the Jingshui Pavilion feeling joyous as a burden was lifted off his mind.

The Eldest Mistress walked along the corridor to the East Pavilion after Su Di left. Her heart immediately sank as she entered through the doors.

This was a child’s bedroom. A painting of a child chasing after butterflies was plastered on the folding partition, and a faded lantern was hung on a wooden cabinet beside it. Going further into the room, a set of Chinese calligraphy tools was placed on the desk. The inkstone was dried up, and the words on the paper appeared faded. The young girl who used to sit there to read and write had not been back for the past 12 years.

Specks of dust could not be spotted in the room, and even though the paint on the corner of the desk had chipped off, the furniture did not appear to be old. Instead, it portrayed the vicissitudes of life.

The woman walked over to the bed and gently parted the bed canopy. Several stacks of clothes were folded neatly on top of the mattress as they were lined up in a row, from the smallest size to the biggest. There were 12 stacks in total.

She would imagine her daughter’s looks and height every year, and would personally sew a set of new clothes. It had been a total of 12 years.

She held up the newest set of clothes as she sat by the bed, caressing the fabric as she mulled over her.

Was Jiu’er as tall as her now?

Did she know that her mother was still awaiting her return?

For 12 years, she had been waiting, believing that her Jiu’er would be back. As such, how could she leave this place?

What if her Jiu’er came back and could not find her as she was gone?

Jiu’er, where are you?

Mother had already grown old and had a head of white hair. Can I still meet you while I’m still alive?

I would have no regrets dying if I could just take one look at you and see if you are doing well!

The woman covered her face with the clothes as her frail shoulders quivered. Her usual calmness and strength had disappeared and instead, she now looked feeble and helpless.

“Eldest Mistress, Eldest Mistress? Are you inside?”

Maidservant Qiu’er’s voice traveled into the room from outside the door, her voice containing a sense of urgency.

The woman stood up and placed the clothes back onto the bed neatly before she released the bed canopy. She only walked out of the room slowly after wiping off her tears with her handkerchief.

The Eldest Mistress had forbidden anyone to enter every time she was in Young Lady’s bedroom. As such, although Qiu’er was feeling anxious as she grasped a letter in her hand, she could only ask for her outside the door.

The doors opened with a creak, and the Eldest Mistress appeared looking composed and demure as usual as she asked softly, “What is the urgent matter?”

“Eldest Mistress, the mailman sent this letter saying that he had neglected to send it as it had been hidden under the box for the past few days. He quickly sent it over in case it was an emergency,” Qiu’er explained as she hurriedly handed over the letter with both hands.

The Eldest Mistress frowned slightly as she wondered who would have written to her.

She took a look at the cover and saw that it was a letter from Shengjing City. Could it be Su Wenqian?

The Eldest Mistress opened up the letter and saw only a few words written on it: Eldest Mistress, please come to the city as fast as you can!

She flipped the letter over and saw that there was nothing else written on the back. Furthermore, the name of the sender was not stated.

She felt all the more curious about who had written this letter to her.

Why was she requested to go to Shengjing City?

Moreover, it seemed like an important and urgent matter judging from the tone of the letter.

This did not seem like a letter from Su Wenqian or Madame Su.

The Eldest Mistress’s brows knitted together, and she decided after contemplating for a while. She looked up and ordered, “Go and ask Young Master Su Di when they are planning to set off for the city!”

“Noted!” Qiu’er hastily turned around to leave.

After a short while, she came back running and reported, “Eldest Mistress, I’ve asked Young Master Su Di and he said that they will leave tomorrow early in the morning!”

“Got it!” The Eldest Mistress nodded and instructed, “Go pack up, we will head to the city together. I will pack up Young Lady’s room on my own, so you don’t have to bother about it!”

“Yes!”

Su Di and Su Yan instantly felt dejected upon hearing that the Eldest Mistress had suddenly changed her mind and would be heading to the city together with them.

How would they be able to lie that they had been robbed by mountain bandits halfway through the journey if the Eldest Mistress tagged along?

“Brother, what should we do?” Su Yan was a man without opinion, and could only rely on Su Di.

Su Di thought about it and realized that there was nothing they could do. They could not possibly stop the Eldest Mistress from going along with them.

“We will think of something along the way. It is a long journey to Shengjing City anyway!”

“I guess that’s the only option!”

Everyone from the Su Family set off the next day, traveling by boat from Fuyang City to Chongzhou, before continuing the journey via the main roads. They would arrive in Shengjing City in about ten days should everything go smoothly.

Meanwhile, Su Wenqian had been feeling jittery every day in Shengjing City while the Su Family was on their way.

He had already planned to settle down in Shengjing City when he and Madame Su entered the city earlier on. As a result, they had brought along their most important assets and had sufficient money with them.

They did not have to wait for the money gained by his sons from selling their properties. Conversely, they had already begun to look for shop spaces in Shengjing City to start a new business and sustain their household expenditure in the future.

They had been observing around for some time when they had first arrived in Shengjing City, and they were ready to buy a shop space these few days. However, he realized that whenever he fancied a shop space, either the owner would go back on his words the next day and refuse to sell it, or there would be others who offered a higher price for the shop. In the end, he was not able to buy a shop space successfully.

Su Wenqian slammed a teacup onto the table furiously and lamented coldly, “I can’t believe that my Su Family is not able to stay in Shengjing City without the Ji Manor!”

Madame Su squinted her sharp eyes as she asked, “Old Master, do you think Ji Yuxian is behind all these?”

Su Wenqian was startled for a while. “Are you saying that Ji Yuxian had intended for us to plead with him?”

“In my opinion, he’s trying to force us to agree to cancel the marriage!” Madame Su snorted.

Su Wenqian got up and paced around the study room. He felt that this was not impossible, judging from the powerful influence the Ji Manor had in Shengjing City.

They had wanted to rely on the Ji Manor to return to Shengjing City, and now Ji Yuxian was hell-bent on spoiling their plans!

Viciousness flashed across Su Wenqian’s eyes as he laughed coldly and said, “He can forget about canceling the marriage! Wait until Yuejiu stabilizes her position as Young Mistress Ji and gives birth to the Ji Manor’s eldest child! Our Su Family will gain half of the Ji Manor’s possessions!”

“Old Master, you’re right!” Madame Su pouted and grinned. “We cannot give in right now regardless of what happens.”

“How is Yuejiu doing in the Ji Manor?” Su Wenqian asked.

“How else could she be doing? She can’t even meet Ji Yuxian in person!”

“That cannot go on! You should think of a solution!” Su Wenqian frowned.

“What other solution can I think of? She had to meet him in person for my idea to work, but she was not able to see him, not to mention she could not even enter his courtyard!”

“The Ji Manor is being too much!” Su Wenqian bellowed infuriatingly.

However, they were not able to do anything to the Ji Manor even though they were enraged.

Madame Su visited the Ji Manor a few days later, and could only listen to her daughter’s rants without having any solution for her.

Miss Su was bored staying within the Ji Manor, and as such, she got onto her horse carriage to head to the streets for a spin. She subsequently arrived at Robes Square.

Miss Su was bedazzled by the delicate embroidery works and jewelry in Robes Square.

She could not take anything from the commercial house since the Ji Manor only owned half of its assets, but surely she could take the items she fancied from Robes Square since it completely belonged to the Ji Manor!

Miss Su let the shop assistant bag over ten rolls of satin fabric and a box of gold and silver jewelry, before bringing them back to the Ji Manor.

The proprietress of Robes Square on that day was an experienced embroidery maiden, and she had been working for the Ji Manor for over twenty years. She stepped forward and said politely, “Young Mistress, Robes Square will be taking measurements and making new clothes for the masters and mistresses in the manor every month. You don’t have to bring back so many rolls of fabric yourself!”

Miss Su was slightly abashed, but she raised her chin the next instant as she spat unhappily, “This is what I would like to do. Does my action require comments from a servant like you? Do you need to care if I’m intending to give these rolls of fabric to someone else as a gift?”

The proprietress stepped back immediately and complied, “Noted. I have acted beyond my duties!”

“Send them back to the manor!” Miss Su exclaimed with arrogance as she carried the box of jewelry and walked out.

She was about to check on the other shops under the Ji Manor as she exited Robes Square when she suddenly saw a man dressed in coarse fabric walking along the streets. The man was looking around continuously with a worried expression as if he was looking for someone.

The man was Zhao Sheng, who had entered the city to look for his wife.