After Zhao Luoyue's accident, Zhao Luoming had been keeping it from Second Mrs. Zhao.
Since Zhao Luoming had made arrangements at the farmstead, and Zhao Luoning didn't expose the matter for his sake. So much time had passed, how did Second Mrs. Zhao find out?
"Who told Second Mrs. Zhao?"
Caixue leaned forward and said, "It was Master Zhao."
"My father? How did he get involved with Second Mrs. Zhao again?!"
"Ahem." Caixue sighed and said, "It seems that Second Mrs. Zhao couldn't make ends meet at the farmstead. She wrote a letter saying that she still had some private savings to hand over, tricking Master Zhao to come to the farmstead in an attempt to seduce him and rekindle their old flame."
An attempt to... seduce?!
This Second Mrs. Zhao really never changed her ways until the end.
Zhao Luoning knew what Second Mrs. Zhao had been like recently.
She was sallow - faced, thin, and unkempt. People wouldn't doubt it if she was pulled out and introduced as a refugee.
With this appearance, still trying to seduce someone?
As Zhao Luoning had expected, what Caixue told her next was that no matter how much perfume Second Mrs. Zhao used this time, it was all in vain.
When Master Zhao saw her, it was as if he had seen a ghost.
Annoyed by Second Mrs. Zhao's pestering, he told her that Zhao Luoyue was dead, and she had died a miserable death.
Only then did Second Mrs. Zhao learn of her daughter's death.
She really loved this daughter, even though Zhao Luoyue had once abandoned her.
After hearing this, Second Mrs. Zhao seemed to have all the blood drained from her body.
She just sat there in a daze for a long time.
By the time the people at the farmstead came back after seeing Master Zhao off, they found that Second Mrs. Zhao had slammed her head against a pillar and died.
Hearing this, Zhao Luoning sighed, "Well, it's actually good for Luoming not to be burdened by Luoyue and Second Mrs. Zhao."
She knew Zhao Luoming would surely not like to hear this.
Caixue lowered her head and said, "But he has no family left in this world."
Caixue really felt sorry for Zhao Luoming.
Zhao Luoning ruffled her hair.
This girl, who had grown up under her watch, was innocent and kind - hearted. She was a good girl.
"Don't talk nonsense. Aren't you going to take him to Buda with you? Husband and wife are also family."
Hearing this, Caixue widened her eyes and nodded firmly. Her eyes sparkled, looking extremely beautiful.
"Have you set the time to leave?"
Caixue shook her head. "I plan to tell you this news first, and then go to see His Majesty with Young Master Zhao. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven after all. He can't stay here for long. We're expected to leave in the next couple of days."
That was right.
Yang Ming had told her more than once to persuade Caixue to go back.
Zhao Luoning could tell that there must be a pile of official business waiting for him in Buda.
It was really not a good idea for Caixue to keep delaying.
Zhao Luoning smiled and instructed, "Caixue, go and pack your things quickly. Let me know when you're leaving tonight. I'll prepare some things for you to take to Buda."
Caixue nodded. Even if Zhao Luoning didn't say so, she wanted to take some specialties from Huangcheng back to Buda as a souvenir.
"Okay, Miss. I'll go first. Young Master Zhao said he had something for me. He's waiting for me at the silk shop now."
"Still calling him Young Master Zhao. Silly girl, now you should call him the imperial son - in - law."
Caixue blushed and gave a coquettish grunt before running out. She happened to bump into Ji Shisu, who was carrying Jun Zhaoyan in. She didn't even dare to say hello, for fear that he would see her embarrassment.
Caixue almost fled in a hurry.
Ji Shisu walked in with a bellyful of doubts and asked the only person in the room, "What's wrong with Caixue?"
But what Zhao Luoning showed him next made him unable to smile anymore.
"Isn't this...?"
Zhao Luoning nodded. She put the returned letter on little Zhaomo's body, pinched his cheek, and said, "Yes, this is another difficult hurdle."
Ji Shisu held her hand and said firmly, "Ning'er, don't be afraid. I'll be with you."
Zhao Luoning looked at Ji Shisu and then at the child in his arms.
Yes, there was nothing to be afraid of.
"We have to sort out the Jun family so that Zhaoyan can have a smooth life in the future."
Ji Shisu didn't like this. He put little Zhaoyan beside his younger brother. Finally having a free hand, he put his arm around his wife's waist and said, "Children will have their own fortune. Zhaoyan is already much happier than ordinary children. You're going to divide the silk shop and the pharmacy for him. He's not just born with a silver spoon in his mouth; he's born lying on a mountain of gold."
"If I don't give them to him, who else? Zhaomo has the Bai surname and will surely become an official in the future. I don't want to benefit your Ji family."
"Oh, you're really good at calculating. You're already dividing the Bai and Jun families?"
"Of course."
"Zhaomo is also your son. If you treat them so differently, he'll blame you when he grows up."
"One parent spoils one child. It's fair."
Ji Shisu: "..."
Although Zhao Luoning said so, Ji Shisu knew that she had arrangements for Zhaomo.
She planned to give some of the farmlands under Ji Shisu's name to Zhaomo.
But Zhaomo was indeed different from Zhaoyan. Since Zhaomo had the Bai surname, it was certain that he would become an official.
No matter how reluctant Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning were, the emperor was keeping an eye on them.
So, it was better to give Zhaomo farmlands than shops.
If one had both power and wealth, the imperial family would take notice.
...
The day when Caixue and Zhao Luoming left was approaching.
Zhao Luoming handed over the shop to A Shun as a reward for his years of loyal service.
It took great courage for a man to leave everything behind and follow the woman he loved.
Zhao Luoning carried Zhaoyan to see them off.
She didn't get in the carriage with the child until Caixue's carriage was out of sight. Then she said to Yu Chi, who was driving the carriage, "Go to the Jun family ancestral shrine."
Yu Chi was stunned and asked, "Madam, are you going like this? Don't you need to prepare?"
"Prepare for what to see them? Dress up grandly?!"
"No... I mean, just ask Master to arrange a few bodyguards."
Zhao Luoning looked around. Yu Chi was sitting on the carriage. Jing Xiu and Gui Xiu were following on both sides. And there was also a great general with unparalleled martial arts skills sitting inside the carriage.
Zhao Luoning retorted, "Do you think we still need bodyguards?"
Yu Chi: "..."
Zhao Luoning sat down steadily with the child in her arms and said, "Let's go like this."
At the Jun family ancestral shrine.
The Jun family was in decline. Now the ancestral shrine was managed by the clan leader. There were only two branches in the clan leader's family. The elder branch had moved out, leaving only the younger branch.
Mrs. Zhao also came to the Jun family ancestral shrine with Zhao Luoning.
After all, this was the place where Mrs. Zhao had grown up. Every step brought back deep emotions.
"Ning'er, I used to kick shuttlecocks here when I was a child."
"Here, I once fell down here."
Over the years, the courtyard hadn't changed much.
Of course, it also showed the decline of the Jun family from the side.
After all these years, they hadn't even renovated the ancestral shrine.