In her memоriеs, thеrе wаs Yuancong's gеntlе profilе, her seсоnd brоthеr аnd sistеr-in-law Ling'er's unwаvering devotion until death, but nеvеr a sсenе оf Yuаnсong аnd hеr sесоnd brothеr together.
Оr rаther, frоm the moment hеr secоnd brother mаrriеd аnd uttеrеd thе wоrds "no neеd fоr cоnсubinеs," Yuanсong nеvеr apрrоaсhed him again. Еven if they mеt in thе сourtуard, she would bоw withоut lifting hеr heаd аnd thеn rеtrеаt.
Sister-in-lаw Ling'еr was а wondеrful girl, resilient аnd loуаl. Тhough hеr mаrriаgе to Guan Qingmu was аrranged by their pаrents, they wеre harmоnious аnd dеeрly in love, envied by all. After seeing the way her second brother looked at his wife, Guan Qingyue never mentioned him again to Yuancong.
Perhaps it was simply fate that kept them apart.
At the time, she was young and didn’t pay much attention to Yuancong’s feelings, assuming she was just heartbroken. So, not long after her second brother’s wedding, Yuancong hastily married someone else. Guan Qingyue never got a good look at the man she married, nor did she know where her daughter ended up. After Yuancong returned, she became withdrawn, often staring blankly into space. When Guan Qingyue asked what was wrong, she would only smile without answering.
Looking back later, Feng Yue believed that Lingshu could only be her second brother’s child. Aside from the resemblance in their features, Yuancong’s outwardly gentle but inwardly strong nature meant that once she fell in love with her second brother, she would never commit to anyone else. Moreover, there was a period when her second brother was deeply depressed, often drinking himself into a stupor, and Yuancong frequently went to care for him. What exactly happened between them, no one knew.
Since Yuancong left her with that message, Lingshu must be her second brother’s child. Yet, it seemed her second brother never knew of this before his death.
Lingshu was even more innocent, knowing nothing from the moment she was born, even being sold into servitude as a maid. When Feng Yue went to redeem her, the little girl looked up, and Feng Yue’s eyes welled with tears.
“Are you Lingshu?” she asked, gazing at the vaguely familiar features.
The little girl’s eyes were full of wariness, yet her demeanor was obedient as she respectfully kowtowed. “This servant is Lingshu. I beg for your mercy, mistress.”
Thus, on Feng Yue’s journey to the distant Wu Kingdom, she was accompanied by the little maid Lingshu. She often held her in her arms, indulged her, and bought her pastries. Lingshu learned to style hair, standing on a stool behind Feng Yue to arrange her hair, feeling that her mistress worked hard. She would even say earnestly, “You saved me, and you’ve raised me for three years. When you no longer wish to do this work, I will surely take care of you!”
After three years by Feng Yue’s side, the wariness in Lingshu’s eyes faded, replaced by innocence and naivety, like any ordinary child. Feng Yue always looked at her with tenderness, wanting only for this child to have a better life, far from the shadows of vengeance.
The Guan family’s grudges had nothing to do with her—she was innocent and deserved to live well. So when Yin Gezhi asked about Lingshu, Feng Yue only said she was Yuancong’s child, never mentioning that she was the last descendant of the Guan family.
What Yin Gezhi owed her, she had intended for him to repay by protecting Lingshu and ensuring her a lifetime of peace. Unexpectedly, the path that once seemed like a dead end had somehow led to life.
The wind on the mountain grew stronger. Lingshu listened quietly to her story, reaching out to tuck the fluttering cloak back around her.
“So, mistress, are you actually my aunt?” she asked.Reaching out to pat her head, Feng Yue smiled. "Sorry. I originally planned to keep it from you for a lifetime, but since you want to know, I think it's fine to tell you now."
Lowering her eyes slightly, Lingshu smiled sheepishly. "You noticed, Master?"
Ever since the overall situation had stabilized, she had been asking around about the Guan family, even going so far as to buy a painting that had come from the Guan family mansion. From that day on, she hadn't been able to sleep well.
She knew Yuanrong was her mother, but she didn't know who her father was. She wanted to ask her master, but was afraid of stirring up painful memories. So she kept it bottled up inside.
Who would have thought her master had noticed everything.
"You little girl, you always hide things under your bed." Feng Yue sighed. "Whenever you look suspicious, I go check under your bed. In the past, it was gifts for me, or sweets I forbade you from eating. I never expected you'd hide a painting of the Guan family now."
Taking out the scroll hidden beneath her cloak, Feng Yue took Lingshu's hand and continued walking up. Only when they reached the General's Tomb did she find a clean spot and unroll the scroll.
The long painting stretched three feet, depicting three rows of people. The first row knelt, a few in the middle sat on chairs, and behind them stood a long line of people. Old and young, men and women, all dressed in formal attire with serious expressions. Only a few unruly children knelt in front, grinning mischievously.
This was a portrait of the Guan family, painted when Guan Qingyue was five years old. At that time, the eldest son of the Guan family had not yet died in battle, and the youngest son had not yet been born. Among the kneeling children, there were only three, arranged from left to right, oldest to youngest. The one kneeling in the middle was Guan Qingmu.
"Your father didn't look like this when he grew up." Stroking the yellowed paper, Feng Yue chuckled. "He grew up to be quite handsome, with a noble and elegant appearance, a celestial bearing. So many young ladies in Lidu wanted to marry him, no less than the First Prince at the time."
Lingshu was stunned, looking down at the little boy kneeling in a formal robe, her eyes filled with confusion.
"My father and my mother... they weren't married, were they?"
Her smile faltering slightly, Feng Yue's eyes shifted, and she turned back to say, "They were married. The story after that, your master hasn't had time to tell yet. Yuanrong did get married..."
"Master." Looking at her expression as she tried to fabricate a story, Lingshu couldn't help but laugh. "You don't need to cover it up. How could I not understand? If they were married, how could I have ended up wandering outside?"
"...You little girl." Feng Yue sighed. "Why are you so clever? Being a bit foolish brings more blessings, you know?"
"But..."
"No more buts." Reaching out to hug her, Feng Yue narrowed her eyes and gently stroked her head. "What's past is past. From now on, I'll be here for everything."
"Master..."
"Call me Aunt."
Lingshu was taken aback, then smiled, her eyes sparkling as she wrapped her arms around Feng Yue's waist and sweetly called out, "Aunt."
Feeling relieved, Feng Yue looked up at the banners fluttering beside the General's Tomb and whispered, "Let's go, let's go offer incense."The remains of the Guan family that could be recovered have all been properly encoffined and buried around the General's Mausoleum. Lingshu found the individual tombstones of Guan Qingmu and Yuancong, carefully read their life stories, offered incense, and respectfully kowtowed three times.
Though she did not know the exact past entanglements of the previous generation, she had finally found her parents. At the very least, during Qingming Festival and Cold Food Festival, she would ensure they never lacked incense offerings.
This was the only thing she could do.
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