Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 126

"You saw it with your own eyes," the little crow grumbled, "How she fawned over a stranger and treated her own people like that?"

Wang Jie shook her head and said, "Little Sparrow didn't do anything wrong. The problem is, you're jealous."

The little crow exclaimed, "Yes, I'm jealous. My master is such a frugal person, yet she's willing to spend her own money to buy this and that for a complete stranger. Has my master lost her mind? It makes me so angry just thinking about it. Who is she? She did nothing, yet she gets so much."

"Why aren't you bringing the water inside? What are you making a racket here for?" Zhang Zhichun, Huang Chong, Zhang Lang, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo walked over.

Upon seeing Zhang Zhichun's stern face, the little crow lowered its head in fright and pushed open the door to enter the room.

Wang Jie grinned and said, "Brother Zhang, only you can handle her."

Zhang Zhichun glared at him, then turned around and smiled, "Young Master Zhou, you're still here?"

Zhou Jie quickly replied, "Ah, I'm waiting for my father."

Huang Chong teased, "I think you're waiting for the beauty inside, aren't you?"

Zhou Jie's face flushed red.

Inside the painting hall of Yixin Garden, Madam Lu sat in the center, her face ashen, like a suffocating sack. The timid Madam Li, too frightened to breathe, sat uncomfortably on the soft stool.

"Qingcheng was confused in her anxiety, that's why she said those things," Madam Cai gently comforted her. "Don't be angry anymore. What's there for a mother and son to argue about?"

“You are not me, how could you possibly understand my feelings?” Madam Lu said angrily, “If you don’t understand, then don’t say these meaningless and cheap words.”

Madam Cai clicked her tongue and said, "Look at her, look at her, she's getting more and more excited as she talks. It seems I shouldn't have come this time."

Madam Lu said coldly, "You shouldn't have come in the first place. Do you really think I don't understand what you're thinking? You came here to make a fool of myself."

"I'm laughing at you? This is... this is really hilarious." Madam Cai's heart was filled with anger in an instant. "I must be bored out of my mind to come here and make trouble for you."

Madam Li cautiously advised, "You...you should say less."

Mrs. Cai shook her head, unable to bear it any longer. "Fine, I'll leave, I'll leave, okay?"

Madam Lu blurted out, "No need to see me off."

"Oh dear, oh dear, really!" Madam Cai got up and, supported by her maid, stormed off.

Madam Li wanted to see her off, but was afraid of offending Madam Lu, so she was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to sit or get up. After the Cai couple left in a huff, Madam Lu seemed to have wilted, collapsing weakly onto the soft pillows. "You should go too," she said. "I want to be alone for a while." As if she had received a royal pardon, Madam Li immediately got up and took her leave.

Madam Lu leaned against the soft pillows, closed her eyes, and seemed to hear her son's words in the study again.

"You sent Xu Lan to assassinate Lin Feng, assassinate Chief Enforcer Cai, and poison Jian Yue. Your purpose is crystal clear. You wanted to kill me, didn't you, Mother?"

"Mother, you want to punish me, don't you? Because I disobeyed you. I killed my uncle, drove Liu Jianhua to his death, sent Sun Yue to prison, and took away the power from you. So, Mother, you want to punish me, don't you?"

Madam Lu's trembling hands suddenly gripped the thin blanket covering her body tightly, twisting it desperately.

"Kiyomizuki, it's all your fault. I will never forgive you, I will never forgive you."

A voice came from outside announcing, "Young Master Xu and Miss Xu have arrived."

Madam Lu trembled, her grip on the thin blanket suddenly loosening. With the sound of footsteps, Xu Lan helped his sister Xu Yun in, and the siblings bowed to Madam Lu. Madam Lu forced herself to sit up straight. "You're back?"

Xu Lan said, "Yes, Madam. I am on your orders to go to Jingyue Nunnery. The wet nurse passed away three days ago due to illness."

Madam Lu was stunned for a moment, a deep sadness welling up inside her. After a long while, she looked at Xu Yun and asked, "Are you alright?"

Xu Yun smiled sadly.

Madam Lu sighed and remained silent.

Xu Lan said, "Madam, the Lord of the Fortress has already ordered the capture of the murderer."

Upon hearing the word "murderer," Madam Lu's spirits lifted, and she asked, "Who is the murderer?"

"It's Li Zhen."

Xu Lan's answer made Madam Lu's mouth drop open, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Madam Cai returned home in a soft-sided carriage, never expecting that her good intentions would leave her so angry. Halfway there, her family intercepted her.

"Madam, we've found the Second Master," a family member reported. "The Second Master collapsed in the snow, but fortunately, a girl named Xiaoqian found him. He has been carried to the warm pavilion, and Physician Li has been summoned to examine his pulse."

"That's good, that's good." Upon hearing this, Madam Cai no longer cared about arguing with Madam Lu and waved her hand urgently, urging, "Hurry, hurry up."

After hearing Xu Lan's report, Madam Lu angrily rebuked him, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had told me earlier, perhaps this wouldn't have happened!"

Xu Lan said dejectedly, "It was my carelessness."

Madam Lu was extremely troubled. "I pity my sister. It's all my fault. If I had intervened sooner, she and her son would have suffered less, and Li Zhen wouldn't have ended up like this... sigh..."

"The most important thing now is to find Li Zhen as soon as possible. When he saw me return, he knew that all was lost and immediately fled," Xu Lan said. "I heard that Lin Feng has woken up and Young Master Jianyue is also alright. If he can turn himself in, the Lord of the Fortress might be lenient with him."

"That's all we can do." Madam Lu glanced at the swaying Xu Yun again, and thinking of herself, she felt an even stronger sense of shared misfortune. At this moment, Madam Li's crying grew louder as it approached. Madam Lu closed her eyes, her voice even weaker, "You should take Yun'er back to her room to rest first."

"yes."

Xu Lan helped his younger sister out of the painting hall. Madam Li, supported by two maids, went inside. As they struggled to reach the back courtyard, Xu Yun's legs suddenly gave way, as if she were about to fall. Xu Lan immediately scooped her up, as if holding a child. Xu Yun pressed her face against her brother's chest, tears streaming down her face.

"Forget about him," Xu Lan sighed softly.

How could I forget? Eight whole years of love. How could I forget?

Xu Yun burst into tears. The howling wind seemed to be weeping for her, and the drifting snowflakes gently covered her clothes and hair, as if comforting her.

Led by a maid, Lu Qingcheng entered the painted hall. After the maid left, he lifted his robes, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed deeply, touching his forehead to the ground. Madam Lu, who was leaning against the couch, slowly opened her eyes and stared at him coldly. Lu Qingcheng sat up, but when he met his mother's gaze, he was so frightened that he bowed down again.