Chapter 657

The next day, as soon as Li Qingluo woke up, she faced a courtyard full of people visiting.

It was Luo Fan who, using the excuse that she needed rest, sent everyone away.

He himself brought Pei Lao Furen in to take Li Qingluo's pulse.

Pei Lao Furen didn't dare say anything else, for fear of upsetting Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo, however, begged Pei Lao Furen for one thing: "Grandmother, Luo'er had previously promised to prepare a marriage for Que'er and Sha San, but this trip to the Western Regions has delayed it."

This matter really cannot be delayed any further.

Could you help Luo'er set a date for them first?

Luo'er wants to marry them off as soon as possible, to get Que'er married quickly.

Que'er, standing nearby, stamped her foot upon hearing this: "Miss! Que'er doesn't want to get married yet!"

She covered her face and ran out, while Pei Lao Furen wondered strangely: "When did Que'er get together with Sha San?"

She isn't the one who spends all day playing and fighting with Zhui Yu, is she? They've long been a pair, right?

Li Qingluo: ……

Fortunately, Que'er didn't hear that.

Otherwise, this girl would again not know what to do with herself.

"Madam, she and Zhui Yu are long past; please don't ask about it."

"Que'er's marriage is one of my concerns; it's a debt Luo'er owes Deng Mama—could you help Luo'er, please?"

"Her dowry I have actually already prepared, though it's all in Nan'an City."

"Sending it over isn't difficult, though it might take a few days; better to keep it stored for her. So I plan, if I don't leave for now, to reorder thirty-six sets for her in Mantuo City."

Pei Lao Furen, hearing this, felt greatly relieved: "If Deng Mama knew how much you care for Que'er, she would be delighted and grateful, even in the afterlife."

"Alright, leave this matter to Grandmother to handle; don't worry yourself further, just rest well and protect the unborn great-grandson in your womb."

Li Qingluo then realized: "Right, Luo'er still doesn't know whether Second Brother and A Lan's child is a nephew or a niece."

Pei Lao Furen smiled and said: "It's a niece."

"Is Luo'er happy?"

Li Qingluo countered Pei Lao Furen: "Luo'er is certainly happy, but Grandmother, you... could you be somewhat disappointed?"

Originally, the concubine Liu Mener that Li Qingluo took for Li Chao Jing also gave birth to a daughter.

Thus, aside from the frail Jingchuan, the Li household now consists entirely of daughters, with no male heirs.

This is the Central Plains; people there value offspring lineage most, and care most about sons inheriting the ancestral line.

Therefore, Li Qingluo feared Grandmother would be disappointed.

Who would have thought Pei Lao Furen would instead say: "Could it be that my Luo'er is not good enough?"

"Besides, Grandmother surnames Pei, not Li."

"Although I married into the Li family, Luo'er and I have long since severed ties with the clan; whether the Li family has any heirs to continue the incense, I truly couldn't care less."

"Grandmother herself is a woman; how could I think she is inferior to other men?"

"Grandmother can slay enemies on the battlefield and amass wealth rivaling a nation through trade—how many men in this world could compare?"

"Furthermore, the blood flowing in you girls—does it not contain Grandmother's lineage?"

"Grandmother doesn't care about empty formalities; what she values is who can amount to something, who can live this life without wasting it."

"Grandmother only wishes for my Luo'er to have everything go smoothly in the future."

Li Qingluo, eyes red, embraced Pei Lao Furen: "Grandmother, you truly are the best grandmother in this world!"

"You truly should be a citizen of Lanhai State..."

Pei Lao Furen didn't hear clearly: "What did you say? What nonsense about Lanhai State?"

"By the way, speaking of Que'er's marriage, it seems Zhui Yu has a cousin who was found."

"What's her name again?"

Pei Lao Furen looked toward Luo Fan.

Luo Fan replied: "They say her name is Lan Ting, but there's also another name that sounds like Su Miao'er."

Zhui Yu was hungover last night.

When he woke up today, it was already mid-morning.

Upon seeing the outside weather, he let out a howl, hastily scrambled out of bed, and haphazardly threw on his clothes.

He rushed out the door, and just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he heard someone shout: "Miss Lan Ting, aren't you going to personally deliver this to Master Yu?"

Zhui Yu heard a soft, pleasant voice quietly reply: "No need."

"Please bring this bowl of hangover soup to him."

"I still need to go to the front courtyard to see Granny Qin; if I'm late, it won't be good."

As she spoke, her voice seemed to fade away, and Zhui Yu saw only a light-gray figure disappear into the shrubbery.

The servant boy holding the hangover soup turned around, saw him, and jumped in surprise: "Master Yu, you—you're up?"

Zhui Yu stared at the bowl of soup, puzzled: "Who is Lan Ting?"

"Could she be a new maid beside the princess? Otherwise, why would she bring me hangover soup?"

The servant boy said: "Master Yu, Lan Ting is your cousin."

"Master Feng brought her to our manor a few months ago, personally saying she is your cousin, and told us to treat her kindly."

"Could it be that you haven't seen her in years, to the point of forgetting her name?"

Zhui Yu stood there, stunned.

Lan Ting... could it be Miao'er?

He slapped his forehead hard with his palm.

Last night after returning, Your Highness did not blame himself, to the point that even Zhui Yu was overjoyed and forgot about Miao'er's matter.

Just now he couldn't even see her clearly, and when they parted she was only five, so even if she really stood before him now, he would certainly not recognize her.

Zhui Yu, somewhat excited, lifted the hangover soup and gulped it down in one go, then asked the servant: "Right, she went to the front courtyard to find Granny Qin—what does she do?"

Servant: "She probably wants to learn some fist and foot martial arts."

"Master Yu, it's not that I'm meddling, but your cousin really is asking for trouble herself."

"Master Feng wants her to be a pampered young lady, but she refuses and instead spends all day going to Granny Qin to study martial arts."

"Especially after Pei Lao Furen and those old female generals arrived, Miss Lan Ting's eyes lit up when she looked at them."

"But she really has no talent for martial arts."

"Granny Qin herself said that even if Miss Lan Ting studied for three to five years she'd come to nothing; even if she wore her hands raw gripping a sword, she simply isn't the right material."

Zhui Yu's face darkened completely: "Bullshit!"

"What the hell is this Granny Qin?"

He didn't wait for the servant to reply and bolted toward the front courtyard.

Having found the place the servant pointed out, Zhui Yu could hear shouting from afar.

"How is your horse stance done?!"

"Sink down! Use your lower body, keep your upper body steady—what's with all that wobbling?"

"Miss Lan Ting, it's not that I, the old servant, am criticizing you, but someone like you is truly hopeless; I've never seen in my life a girl with such weak limbs yet insisting on learning martial arts."

"What kind of suffering do you claim you're enduring?"

"If you really can't, go back to embroidery, make braids, do some ladies' chamber work—what are you trying to prove here?"

"Don't think that learning a few fancy fists and kicks will let you show off in front of the men."

"We border folks are all rough men, and the city lord is extremely cold-hearted. Don't think that just because you have a beautiful face you can charm anyone."

The more Zhui Yu listened, the more annoyed he became; just as he was about to stride over, he heard that pleasant voice again, low and soft.

"Granny, I will not give up easily."

"If one day doesn't work, then ten days."

"If ten days fail, then twenty, thirty… one year, three years—I will surely be reborn, becoming someone no one can easily bully."

"Even if I walk alone outside, I will have the ability to protect myself; I need not rely on others."

"I know you want your granddaughter to enter the city lord's harem, so you've been guarding against me and holding a grudge."

"But I, Lan Ting, declare here today that I will not interfere with this; the inner chambers everyone desires are merely a cage for me, and I wish only to live freely for the rest of my life, never again bound by anyone."

Granny Qin snorted and cut her off: "Who can't say sweet, deceitful words?"

"Girls like you, this old servant has seen plenty."

"You speak so solemnly, yet all you do is petty scheming."

"Miss Lan Ting, this old servant has been around; I can tell the difference between a married woman and a true young maiden..."

Granny Qin leaned on Lan Ting, her face showing contempt, mockery, and even disdain.

Just as Lan Ting's face changed and Granny Qin reached out to pinch her waist hard, Zhui Yu appeared in time and shouted loudly: "Stop! What are you doing?!"

His handsome face was already filled with uncontainable anger.

His fury blazing, he strode quickly toward Granny Qin and kicked her over with one foot.

"What are you, daring to point and gesture at my sister, Master Yu?"

"Her asking you for advice is a blessing you cultivated over three lifetimes!"

"But I, the young master, tell you now: from this day forward, that blessing is gone!"

"With a hag like you, do you even dare to covet Po Feng's harem? Do you deserve it?"

"Just wait—later I'll settle the score with you slowly!"

"Come on!"

Zhui Yu grabbed Lan Ting's hand and strode away.

Lan Ting still wanted to say something, but Zhui Yu gave her no chance.

Only when they reached an empty corridor did Lan Ting finally wrench her wrist free.

"All right!"

"I, I can walk myself."

Lan Ting's face bore some regret and sorrow; Zhui Yu, puzzled, asked: "Do you really want to learn martial arts? Do you think I ruined your plans?"

Lan Ting bowed slightly to him: "I've seen you… cousin."

Zhui Yu's eyes welled up involuntarily.

"Miao'er, I've searched for you for many years."

"I didn't know you suffered so much."

"If I could have found you sooner, that would have been nice."

"You, do you hate me?"

Lan Ting shook her head, lifted her head with a faint smile: "I don't hate anyone."

"Lan Ting has already accepted her fate. Still, thank you, cousin, for helping her escape that sea of suffering."

Zhui Yu: "Let's not talk about the past, okay?"

"From now on I will protect… no, from now on we'll live well together."

Lan Ting was somewhat surprised.

Did he hear what I just said to Granny Qin?

Knowing she didn't want to be under anyone's protection, so I didn't utter that line about protecting her?

There should also be… the thing Granny Qin said, that she isn't a little girl's body, right?