Chapter 408 - 407: Inquiries (Monthly Pass 270+)

Chapter 408: Chapter 407: Inquiries (Monthly Pass 270+)

Mu Lingyan.

Mu Lianxiao’s heart skipped heavily; he knew how much hope Madam Wu had invested in the name "Yan."

"Brother Yan, that’s a good name," said Mu Lianxiao.

The conversation turned to Brother Yan, and Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou asked questions one after another about how he looked, his appetite, how Du Yunluo was recovering post-birth, and who the wet nurse was, all of which Mu Lianxiao answered one by one.

Madam Wu was delighted and arranged a family feast in the Flower Hall, asking the servants to invite everyone from the various houses and courtyards.

Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Xu were all smiles. Mu Lianxiao, without feeling annoyed, recounted Brother Yan’s matters once more.

Madam Wu listened with great interest. He was her great-grandson, and she could never tire of hearing about him.

Jiang Yunuan sat next to Lian Family, unable to maintain the same graceful smile as Lian Family, so she just held Sister Niang without speaking.

Mu Lianxiao’s voice was neither loud nor soft, clear to all in the Flower Hall.

Jiang Yunuan heard him speak about Du Yunluo’s childbirth, Brother Yan’s three-day ceremony, and the prank the boy played when he first returned home, which made everyone laugh. Yet her heart gradually sank.

She envied Du Yunluo, envying her for having her husband’s company.

The happier the people around Madam Wu laughed, the more bitter Jiang Yunuan’s heart felt.

Sister Niang, being sensitive, noticed Jiang Yunuan’s mood and kicked her legs, squirming in her arms.

Jiang Yunuan was oblivious.

With a sharp cry, Sister Niang started crying, startling Jiang Yunuan.

Seeing Madam Wu and Lian Family looking over, Jiang Yunuan hurriedly stood up with Sister Niang in her arms, lowering her head and said, "The little one didn’t sleep well this afternoon and is a bit fussy. I’ll take her back first."

Lian Family glanced at her.

Madam Wu sighed and waved her hand, "Children are like that. They’re irritable when they don’t get enough sleep. Lian Cheng’s wife, you may go back first."

Jiang Yunuan clutched Sister Niang tightly and left without looking back.

The warm April breeze brushed past, but Jiang Yunuan felt cold.

Her eyes already blurry, she ignored the maids and servants behind her, quickening her pace, holding Sister Niang more tightly...

"Wah—" Having just stopped crying and sniffling, Sister Niang was pained by her tight grip and began wailing again.

Jiang Yunuan’s knees buckled, and she leaned against the wall to avoid falling while she, too, couldn’t help but sob softly.

In the Flower Hall, Jiang Yunuan’s departure had little impact.

Lian Family wore a smile on her face, but under the table, her hands were wringing the handkerchief almost to shreds.

Her eyes caught Mu Lianhui sitting in the corner, and Lian Family noticed with surprise that Mu Lianhui showed no impatience today, nor an expression of detachment from the surroundings. Her head hung low, appearing somewhat forlorn.

Lian Family’s eyes narrowed, wanting to look more closely, but Mu Lianhui never lifted her head.

It wasn’t until they sat down for a meal that Lian Family finally saw Mu Lianhui’s eyes, which revealed no emotions.

Lian Family gritted her teeth, thinking to herself that whether it was Jiang Yunuan or Mu Lianhui, they both were a handful.

After dinner, Madam Wu kept Mu Lianxiao to talk, letting the others disperse.

Mu Lianxiao and Mrs. Zhou supported Madam Wu back to the western side room.

"Lianxiao, how long are you staying in the Capital?" Madam Wu asked, sitting cross-legged on the Arhat Bed.

Mu Lianxiao covered Madam Wu’s legs with a thin blanket, "I’ll stay for another three or four days. There are some things to inquire about, and I’ll visit the Du Family tomorrow to assure them of our safety."

"As you should." Madam Wu nodded.

The next morning, Mu Lianxiao went to the Du Family.

Old Mrs. Xia and Mrs. Zhen, showing their concern, asked about Du Yunluo and Brother Yan, and upon learning that all was well, their hearts were at ease.

Before leaving, Mrs. Liao hurriedly came to seek him, asking about Ye Yuzhi’s matters.

Inquiring about Yangwei Escort Agency and Jia De, Mu Lianxiao entrusted this task to Yun Qi.

Yun Qi was well-connected in the Capital, and once Mu Lianxiao gave the word, it took just a day to find some information.

Jia De had an excellent reputation in the escort business, skilled in martial arts, reliable, and had some influence in the martial world; his escorts were seldom challenged by the Green Forest inside the pass, largely due to his reputation.

Jia De frequently traveled outside the pass, bringing back interesting items from the barbarians to share with familiar escorts, earning him good rapport.

According to Yun Qi, though many years had passed, asking about Jia De in the Capital yielded no negative remarks; the only complaint was that Jia De had returned home to recuperate after being injured years ago and hadn’t corresponded with his Capital brothers since.

"Where is Jia De’s hometown?" Mu Lianxiao asked.

Yun Qi replied, "It’s a small village at the foot of Shaoling City, Jiangnan. To inquire there, Sir, even by waterway, it would take about a month round trip."

Matters were urgent and required cautious handling.

Mu Lianxiao had already reported to the Holy Emperor, so he sent Shuying to Shaoling, to investigate thoroughly.

Once affairs in the Capital were settled, Mu Lianxiao prepared to return to Lindong.

The day before his departure, the palace examination results were posted.

Yun Qi specifically went to see the gold list and gleefully reported to Mu Lianxiao, "Du Family’s Mr. Si ranked third in the second tier, and Second Brother-in-law ranked ninth in the second tier. Both achieved great success!"

Such good news put Mu Lianxiao in high spirits; he planned to take news of Brother Yan’s name and the success of Du Yundi and Shen Wenyu back to Du Yunluo.

He could imagine how overjoyed Du Yunluo would be upon hearing the news.

Her smile would surely be as radiant as summer flowers.

He felt a sense of urgency.

Mu Lianxiao left the city, while in Fengyu Courtyard, Lian Family raised her eyes to sneak a look at Mu Yuanmou.

Mu Yuanmou finished his breakfast leisurely, rinsed his mouth, and wiped his lips, "What’s my wife up to?"

"Sir, what did the Holy Emperor call Lianxiao back for?"

This question had lingered in Lian Family’s mind since Mu Lianxiao had returned home, but she feared being dismissed by Mu Yuanmou’s curt words, so she held her tongue until today when she finally couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

Mu Yuanmou chuckled, "What could it be? I reckon it’s about prompting action at Shanyu Pass."

Lian Family’s eyebrows twitched, "Do you mean..."

"I’ve told you before, the Holy Emperor deployed Lianxiao and General Huang’s family to Shanyu Pass not to sit idle," Mu Yuanmou said with a wry smile, "You needn’t worry about Lianxiao earning military merit to inherit titles. Brother Yan is still young. Besides, military merit at Shanyu Pass isn’t easy to earn; it’s a matter of life and death."

Lian Family’s heart raced, but seeing Mu Yuanmou’s confident demeanor, she refrained from further inquiry.

Mu Yuanmou was ever methodical in his arrangements; if there were indeed developments at Shanyu Pass, the subsequent events would unfold as anticipated.

With that thought, the suppressed frustration in Lian Family’s chest eased a bit.

More than half of April had passed.

Du Yunluo eagerly awaited Mu Lianxiao’s early return, yet she worried about him hurrying back and tiring himself out.

As the days drew nearer to when Mu Lianxiao promised to return, Du Yunluo felt increasingly restless.

Jin Rui pursed her lips and teased her, "Madam, who will return first, the princely heir or the family letter?"

Du Yunluo hugged Brother Yan and laughed herself.

It wasn’t until the familiar footsteps entered the courtyard that Du Yunluo smiled warmly.

Indeed, Mu Lianxiao was the one to return first.