Chapter 485

Two days later, Mu Yuanzhi and the others set off back to Jingcheng; Qilin reluctantly saw them off, holding the ceramic jar containing Pei Shangling's gu, and opened the jar.

It wasn't because he was so kind and let Pei Shangling come out to say goodbye; rather, the gu worm inside seemed to sense something, and all day the jar shook violently, as if it would smash the jar and escape if he didn't take it along.

Qilin had no choice; he could only take the ceramic jar to see them off.

A pitch-black head poked out of the jar, utterly terrifying.

Mu Yuanzhi had grown accustomed to it, and no longer felt the eerie sensation she had when she first saw it.

"I'm leaving!" Mu Yuanzhi waved at Qilin.

"Take care, senior sister! Come visit me often!" Qilin's eyes were brimming with tears.

The ceramic jar in his arms kept extending its pitch-black head, as if it wanted to follow along.

"If you keep this up, you won't get any food today!" Qilin threatened.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Pei Shangling! Don't cause trouble for Qilin; listen to him properly!"

Her words indeed worked; the head stopped thrashing, only its gleaming eyes remained fixed on Mu Yuanzhi.

"Let's go." Gu Rongjin embraced Mu Yuanzhi and turned.

Even as the boat drifted farther away, Mu Yuanzhi could still feel the gaze behind her.

She gazed at the shimmering lake, suddenly feeling a bit dazed.

I never expected Pei Shangling to end up like this; fate truly is miraculous.

After returning to Jingcheng, one day Mu Yuanzhi went to the Ministry of Works, where Pei Shangjue came toward her, holding a brocade box, and said to Mu Yuanzhi: "Lao Si once begged me, saying that when you return from Juechen Valley, I should give this to you."

Mu Yuanzhi looked at the brocade box and took it.

Pei Shangjue was somewhat surprised; he had thought she wouldn't accept it, and had even prepared several arguments to persuade her to take it, so he wouldn't go back on his word.

"How is Lao Si? What happened to him?" Pei Shangjue asked.

Mu Yuanzhi thought for a moment and said: "He's fine, but he isn't coming back; he said he wants to stay in Juechen Valley."

She felt there was no need to say much more to Pei Shangjue.

Such an astonishing matter is better kept from too many people.

Pei Shangjue didn't ask further, just grunted in acknowledgment.

He stood there, as if he had something to say, but ultimately didn't; Mu Yuanzhi didn't linger, taking the brocade box and leaving.

Mu Yuanzhi opened the brocade box; inside lay a familiar vermilion hairpin.

Her memory drifted back four years.

She vaguely recalled that this was a bell-adorned vermilion hairpin that Pei Shangling had later wanted to give her again, but he never did, and she wouldn't have accepted it anyway.

Mu Yuanzhi picked up the hairpin, examined it, then put it back.

She wouldn't wear it, nor throw it away; instead she placed it in a cabinet and locked it.

There was no letter in the brocade box; she had thought there would be, his final words to her.

It's fine that there isn't; no amount of words between them would change anything.

One month later, Mu Yuanzhi had finished designing a plan and sent it to Qilin.

She soon received a reply.

"How is it?" Gu Rongjin was very curious.

This is a method his wife painstakingly devised over a month!

It's bound to succeed!

Mu Yuanzhi also eagerly opened the letter.

As expected of Qilin, the first line read: "Success!"

Simple and clear, it gave reassurance!

"Success, Qilin said it succeeded!" Mu Yuanzhi laughed until she could hardly close her mouth.

"My wife is just amazing!" Gu Rongjin happily leaned over to look at the letter.

Mu Yuanzhi moved the letter a bit closer: "Let's look together."

Now that they knew the result, they could read the letter at leisure.

The letter filled three pages; the first page explained how they successfully dispelled the miasma, though most of it praised Mu Yuanzhi's design contribution, while the second and third pages were entirely Qilin updating his recent situation and asking how Mu Yuanzhi was faring.

Gu Rongjin finished reading, and he was all: ……

"Truly worthy of Qilin."

Mu Yuanzhi: "What's wrong? You've already explained everything; isn't it clear enough?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Mother of the child." Gu Rongjin didn't dare to say anything meaningful.

"What's wrong, Father of the child?"

"Who's his father? There's no such rotten kid." Gu Rongjin cut off.

After they joked for a while and then fell silent, Mu Yuanzhi sighed: "It's really great that the miasma in Juechen Valley can be resolved."

"Exactly, from now on we won't have to inhale miasma no matter where we go to play!"

At that moment, the steward's voice sounded from outside: "Princess, Prince Consort, Madame Deng has arrived."

Madame Deng's coming here must be because of Pei Shangling's matter.

"Understood, let her wait in the side hall," Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Understood!"

"I'll go see Madame Deng myself." Mu Yuanzhi rose and said to Gu Rongjin.

Gu Rongjin: "All right, go ahead."

Beforehand, presumably no one had leaked to Madame Deng the news of Pei Shangling's critical condition; otherwise, given her temperament, she would surely have insisted on coming no matter what.

Who knows who leaked it to Madame Deng?

Anyway, Mu Yuanzhi and the others all give the same excuse outwardly; Pei Shangling is not suited to move about, she should stay in Juechen Valley to recuperate and not return to Jingcheng.

Lady Deng, waiting in the side hall, was uneasy; she had brought a pile of gifts, not expecting Mu Yuanzhi to turn them down, but today unexpectedly a servant took all the gifts away, and she was somewhat overjoyed.

Zhi'er!

I heard Ling'er is seriously ill; what's going on? You also brought the Junior Minister of War with you—how is he?

"Don't worry, he's fine," Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Really?" Lady Deng heard this and instantly put her mind at ease, "Why didn't he come back with you?"

"Although he's fine, it's not convenient for him to endure the hardships of travel, and he has also decided to stay in Juechen Valley and not return to Jingcheng." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Ah, he's not coming back?" Lady Deng was a bit at a loss, "Then, then should I go there to take care of him?"

"That place has miasma; he doesn't want you to go there. Besides, Juechen Valley isn't somewhere just anyone can enter—there are rules for the valley."

"I understand, but I just want to visit my son..." Lady Deng lowered her eyes.

Mu Yuanzhi also knows she can't keep it hidden forever, but hiding it for now is enough for the moment; she really doesn't know how to explain it well.

Lady Deng sighed, "Actually, before Ling'er left, he told me he wanted to travel the states, so I wouldn't have to worry about him, but as a mother, who doesn't worry about her son?"

"As long as you know he's doing well, that's enough; worrying too much is a burden to him."

"Zhi'er, are you comforting me? Are you thinking of us mother and son?" Lady Deng asked, overjoyed.

Mu Yuanzhi pressed her lips: "I'm just stating the facts, and also I'm afraid you'll bother me."

"'Zhi'er says one thing but means another, Mother knows that!' Lady Deng became happy; the worry of not being able to see her son's face instantly dissipated."

"Don't go making random connections—who is your daughter?!"

"If it weren't for Pei Shangling's great contribution, she would never have let Lady Deng enter the door."