Chapter 140: Time Is Running Out, He Must Leave! (Second Update)

Madam Meng was thoroughly enraged, her hand shaking to the extent that the tea splashed out.

Shu Rong was about to step forward to help, but Wu Qingyu had already stood up. With quick eyes and nimble hands, he snatched the tea bowl from her, and then patted the tea stains on the hem of Madam Meng’s skirt. While doing so, he chuckled to curry favor and smooth things over: "Oh, my dear mother, do be careful. I was just feeling anxious and came over to tell you in advance, didn't I? My wife hasn't even truly conceived yet, and you're already this excited?"

Every word sounded pleasant, but when they actually reached Madam Meng's ears, not a single one was tolerable.

Yet he possessed a tongue of silver blossoms, speaking so smoothly that he effectively blocked Madam Meng from voicing any retort, lest she appear as an overly harsh and unreasonable mother.

In truth, Lin Yangyao had only guessed that Wu Qingyu brought her over to have a showdown with Madam Meng regarding this matter. Her initial thought had been quite similar to Madam Meng's—even if it were to be brought up, it should ideally be approached with both reason and emotion, discussed properly and calmly...

Wu Qingyu's sudden and abrupt move completely caught her off guard, and she could only hurriedly hand over a handkerchief.

Wu Qingyu wiped the water stains off the hem of Madam Meng's skirt.

Madam Meng brushed his hand away, glanced at Lin Yangyao, and then asked pointedly, "What ever made you think of bringing this up out of nowhere?"

Stared at by Madam Meng, Lin Yangyao felt her heart skip a beat and gave Wu Qingyu's sleeve a tug beneath the table.

Wu Qingyu held her hand back in return, his expression remaining completely unruffled. He smiled at Madam Meng with a relaxed and natural air: "Your daughter-in-law is timid. The night before last, she suddenly told me she wanted to wait a couple of years before having children. She seemed to think that being too young makes pregnancy dangerous or something of the sort."

He was speaking in Lin Yangyao's defense, leaving Madam Meng temporarily unable to judge whether Lin Yangyao had gone crying to him behind closed doors or had simply brought it up tactfully, or if this was purely her son's impromptu performance.

However, since the topic was already on the table, she did not mince words and immediately chimed in: "A big man like you doesn't understand the hardships of pregnancy and childbirth. Yaoyao is currently too young, and conceiving now does indeed carry a higher risk of danger. Don't brush this off lightly. Since she is afraid..."

Before she could finish, Wu Qingyu cut in ahead of her: "It's not that I don't care about my wife. On the way back from my father-in-law's house yesterday, I specifically took her to see an experienced obstetrician to check her pulse and consult with him. The doctor said Yaoyao's constitution is quite sound, and even if she were to conceive and give birth now, there wouldn't be any problems."

Hearing this, Madam Meng furrowed her brows slightly.

Wu Qingyu continued, "Anyway, I have no desire to wait on this matter. We are already married, and if we were to drag this out for two or three years without having a child, our own household would understand the reason, but outsiders who know nothing about it would start letting their imaginations run wild. Mother, she is timid, and it's not easy for me to scold her too much. You have walked this path before—if I remember correctly, you were only fifteen when you were pregnant with me? Won't you help me talk some sense into her? Anything else is up for negotiation, but not this matter. If she truly couldn't conceive, that would be one thing, but if by chance she is with child—once I'm away from the capital and unable to look after her, you must take good care of her for me. There must not be the slightest mishap."

Matters of posterity were, after all, matters of paramount importance.

For an ordinary couple to have no children a year or two into marriage might still be acceptable, but exceeding three years would cause everyone to grow anxious, and outsiders would inevitably begin harboring malicious speculations.

With Wu Qingyu taking all the responsibility upon himself and voicing these very concerns—

Madam Meng found herself believing it a few points more, concluding that this must genuinely be his own idea rather than Lin Yangyao whispering in his ear to put her mother-in-law in a difficult position.

If anyone was to be blamed, it could only be Lin Yangyao for lacking discretion with her words, failing to secretly consume a contraceptive decoction on her own, and instead speaking the truth outright to Wu Qingyu.

Now that Wu Qingyu had put things in such terms, if she were to continue forcefully standing in their way—

It would defy reason, and she would never be able to justify it.

Madam Meng felt a surge of frustration pent up in her chest, yet the one causing her this exasperation was her own biological son, leaving her utterly unable to throw a tantrum.

Seeing her face darken as she neither looked at him nor spoke, Wu Qingyu took hold of one of her hands and continued to curry favor: "Mother, Grandmother is advanced in age and many matters are beyond her capacity. I know you already carry enough hardship managing the household affairs; we will try our best not to add to your burdens. But Yaoyao is still young after all, and even for your son's sake—since I don't understand these matters, you must look after her a bit more on my behalf."

Now that everything had been brought out into the open, there was truly no need to continue this particular topic.

The expression on Madam Meng's face still hadn't cleared up. Casting a sidelong glance at him, she said, "Do you have any other matters? If not, hurry back. Weren't you up all night yesterday? And as for Tan'er, she seems rather severely injured. Since Yu'er isn't conveniently placed to visit, Lady Lin, you should go over more often recently. See what she needs and help arrange whatever can be provided."

"Yes! Mother, this daughter-in-law understands!" Lin Yangyao hastily agreed.

Wu Qingyu, however, was still trying to sweet-talk Madam Meng: "Mother, your complexion doesn't look too well either. If you're truly feeling unwell, shall your son go and summon a doctor for you?"

"I simply haven't been sleeping very well lately; a nap shortly will set it right. Stop annoying me here," Madam Meng had matters weighing on her mind, and besides, she had no appetite for Wu Qingyu's chatter, so she directly shooed him away.

"Very well! Then do get some rest, Mother. We'll take our leave now and come pay our respects another day!" Only then did Wu Qingyu relent. He patted his robes, stood up, and led Lin Yangyao away.

In front of Madam Meng, he deliberately strode ahead with a carefree gait.

Lin Yangyao, adopting the demeanor of a modest young wife, followed closely at a quick pace.

As the two of them exited the courtyard one after the other, Madam Meng watched their receding backs, her expression instantly plunging into an even deeper gloom.

Shu Rong also stared in that direction and murmured, "This servant thinks that ever since the Second Young Master returned this trip, he has become much more affectionate and filial toward Madam. That's a good thing, so why does Madam still seem somewhat displeased?"

"Hmph!" Madam Meng let out a cold snort from her nose, withdrew her gaze from the courtyard, and said chillingly, "Is this what you call being affectionate toward me? It's blatantly obvious he has a favor to ask of me and needs to win my consent, which is why he put on such an act."

In the past, Wu Qingyu had been cold and indifferent to everyone. Upon returning this time, he had rushed into marriage at lightning speed, and overnight he seemed to have changed a great deal—becoming more cheerful and appearing somewhat more sensible, no longer casting scowls at anyone who displeased him.

Normally, this would be a favorable sign, but with him directing it toward her like this—

Such a transformation in her son left Madam Meng with a complicated mixture of emotions.

Shu Rong still remained somewhat skeptical: "Really?"

Madam Meng sneered, "He came back and went behind my back to betroth himself to this Lin woman without my consultation. Aside from coming here to sweet-talk me into giving my consent, what else could he do? And this time—it's still all because of this Lin woman!"

With that, she slammed her hand heavily onto the table in a fit of frustration: "It's truly bizarre. I originally thought he only took this Lin woman on a whim and hadn't invested any genuine thought into it. But seeing him today, he acts as though he's firmly made up his mind to spend the rest of his life in peace with this Lin woman. That Lin woman looks quiet and keeps to herself; she's hardly a seductress. What kind of spell has she cast on him?"

Initially, the reason she hadn't opposed the match Wu Qingyu chose for himself was, first, because the raw rice was already cooked and even the Old Lady had agreed, rendering any opposition futile; and second, because she understood her son and didn't believe for a second that Wu Qingyu could develop genuine feelings for Lin Yangyao. His temperament was simply that way—flighty, occasionally fond of meddling and poking his nose into things, perhaps just acting on youthful impulse when he encountered that messy situation involving the Lin family and treating it as a passing amusement...

She had assumed that once the novelty wore off, things would settle down. Yet who could have anticipated that he actually intended to have children and build a life with Lin Yangyao!

At this moment, Madam Meng truly regretted her initial acquiescence, her mind tangled in vexation.

Shu Rong's expression shifted awkwardly as well, and she offered some unconvincing comfort: "Surely not? Perhaps it's just because they're newlywed, and the Second Young Master hasn't grown tired of Lady Lin yet. After all, our Young Master has always been kind-hearted. Besides—they're already married, aren't they?"

By the end, her voice lacked conviction, and it was unclear whether she was trying to comfort Madam Meng or herself.

Madam Meng was too consumed by her own turmoil to notice Shu Rong's absent-mindedness. Racking her brains, she finally spoke with resolute determination: "No! This child constantly meddling blindly in affairs both inside and out is simply no solution. This time, because of Wuthan, he dashed up the mountain in the dead of night and nearly ruined my plans. If he were to run directly into things next time, who knows what complications might arise. I must find a way to send him back to the Southern Frontier as soon as possible. Otherwise, with my hands tied here, I can accomplish nothing."

"Ah?" Shu Rong was quite taken aback. "The Second Young Master has only been back for a few days, and wasn't it said that the Marquis dispatched him back to assist the Heir in managing the Third Young Miss's grand wedding? Madam wants to send him back early? Is that—appropriate?"

A flash of cold, sharp ruthlessness gleamed in the depths of Madam Meng's eyes, followed abruptly by a self-deprecating, cold laugh: "Preposterous. Sending Yu'er back to help prepare for Qiong'er's wedding? Does his own father not know what kind of temperament his son possesses? What help can Yu'er possibly be? It's a miracle if he doesn't add to the chaos. Sending that child back was purely meant to obstruct me. He knows that even if I don't beg him regarding Qiong'er's affair, I will never sit idly by and wait for death. He wanted to dispatch an oblivious Yu'er back to watch over me, so that I would have scruples and not dare to act rashly."

Observing her expression, Shu Rong felt a shiver run down her spine. Failing to fully grasp the implication for a moment, she asked with tentative suspicion, "Madam... are you saying... the Marquis?"

Was Madam saying that the Marquis sent the Second Young Master back precisely to obstruct her? Could it be that the Marquis had known all along what Madam intended to do?

How much did he know? And knowing the Marquis had taken precautions, how could Madam dare to proceed?

Shu Rong was suddenly gripped by a lingering fear, her heart fluttering wildly.

Madam Meng glanced back at her, and with a reckless abandon devoid of the slightest trace of hesitation, she said coldly, "My affairs have nothing to do with you. Just keep your mouth shut and obey orders. You have no need to meddle or worry your head over this."

Terrified that Madam Meng might doubt her loyalty, Shu Rong hastily dropped to her knees to plead guilty: "This servant spoke out of turn. This servant will certainly exercise strict caution in speech hereafter, obey every command, and execute tasks properly. Please rest assured, Madam."

"Get up!" With no mind to bicker over other matters at the moment, Madam Meng bade her rise.

Shu Rong speculated cautiously, "Then Madam, since things didn't succeed at the Old Lady's end this time, what do you plan to do?"

"If this time fails, there will be a next time!" Madam Meng declared without a second thought.

Although the actions and words of Wu Qinglin and his sister today had unsettled her somewhat, the arrow already loosed from the bow could not be called back. Moreover, Wu Qingqiong's situation remained unresolved; even if a mountain of blades and a sea of fire lay ahead, she had to try once more.

Before Wu Wuxun could personally step in and interfere, she had to find an opportunity to eradicate that old hag!

And to avoid any complications arising from prolonged delay, the sooner, the better.

"But now the Fourth Master Xue has also left, do you still have reliable men at your disposal?" Shu Rong harbored little optimism for the prospect of this endeavor. "Besides, after the Second Young Miss suffered such a massive setback this time, she, the Old Lady, and the others will surely tighten their guard henceforth. Didn't the Heir explicitly state over at the Old Lady's place just now that we must be guarded against a second attempt? Do you have any other methods, Madam?"

Madam Meng replied, "If there are no men available outside, we'll simply strike right here within the estate."

Her original choice to strike outside the estate stemmed from the belief that the Old Lady would be surrounded by fewer people out there, making it easier to succeed and less likely to leave traces that could be traced back to her.

Now that the grass had been startled and the snake alerted, there was no alternative left.

For the sake of her daughter, she had to cast all caution to the wind and make one final desperate gamble, even if it meant perishing together with that old hag!

On this matter, Madam Meng's resolve was firmer than ever before. Yet upon second thought, she still rubbed her temples in a throbbing headache: "I must first find a way to dispatch this child Yu'er away... You may withdraw for now and let me think further."

Wu Qingyu possessed a sharp intellect and was not easily fooled. If she directly ordered him to return to the Southern Frontier, he would undoubtedly refuse, and if he began digging deep with probing questions, flaws would easily be exposed.

She needed to think of some other method to get rid of him...

Madam Meng had been driven to distraction lately by the affairs of her children. Wu Qingqiong went without saying—consistently unreliable and utterly incapable of reading the situation. Wu Qingyu had finally learned to read the situation, but unfortunately, he insisted on turning his elbow outward; instead of helping, he merely added to her chaos and vexation.

It was only because they were her own flesh and blood that Madam Meng found herself in such a difficult predicament.

She had no idea how long it would take for Wu Wuxun to discover her recent attempt against the Old Lady. Time was truly of the essence. To send Wu Qingyu away and seek a second opportunity to strike at the Old Lady, her window was agonizingly tight.

*

Meanwhile, Wu Qingyu remained entirely oblivious to the fact that his own mother was plotting against him. Having resolved a major hurdle, he felt quite pleased with himself. The moment they stepped out of the Southern Courtyard, he covertly hooked his finger under Lin Yangyao's sleeve and cast a direct wink her way.

Lin Yangyao shot him an annoyed look: "You nearly scared me to death just now. Why didn't you discuss it with me in advance? I didn't have the slightest preparation. And—speaking the way you did, I could tell Mother's expression didn't look too good. Could she be harboring a grudge?"

The tactic Wu Qingyu had employed was truly ruthless—truly a case of honeyed words hiding a dagger, leaving Madam Meng utterly speechless and unable to refute.

From her own perspective, Lin Yangyao was grateful to him, even harboring a latent sense of pride and elation. Yet after all, Madam Meng was her mother-in-law; although Wu Qingyu had temporarily blocked her tongue, if Madam Meng swallowed this grievance, a rift would likely form between mother and son.

"It's fine! I was simply reasoning with her. This whole ordeal was initiated by her in the first place. Even if I am her son, I cannot blindly follow her lead when I know she's in the wrong." Wu Qingyu remained nonchalant, his expression still light and conversational: "Don't overthink it either. We must fight for the rights that belong to us. If you feel guilty about it, just accommodate and coax her more in other matters that aren't matters of principle."

He fancied that he still understood his mother. No matter how many faults Madam Meng possessed, she genuinely cherished and indulged her sons. Ignoring everything else, just look at that Wu Qingqiong—an absolute lost cause who could never amount to anything, yet their mother had never once thought of giving up on her, shielding her with all her might.

Although Wu Qingyu frequently bickered with Madam Meng in speech, Lin Yangyao had come to realize—

He held genuine affection for his mother deep within his heart.

"Mm! I understand." Though their time spent together was not long, Wu Qingyu had already done so much for her. Lin Yangyao felt she could find no fault with this husband of hers. At that moment, a radiant smile bloomed across her face, carrying a genuine, heartfelt joy. Glancing sideways at the man walking beside her, she stood on tiptoe and swiftly pecked him on the cheek.

The damp, soft sensation came too suddenly, causing Wu Qingyu to freeze slightly.

Only a moment later, with a look of lingering disbelief, did he slowly turn his head to look at her.

With her pretty face flushed crimson, Lin Yangyao averted her gaze, released the fingers that had been hooked together, took a step back, and said, "Um... you go back and rest. I'll go see Tan'er first and head back later."

Without waiting for Wu Qingyu to react, she spun around and bolted away in a flurry.

Initially caught off guard and slightly embarrassed, Wu Qingyu watched her figure darting through the garden, instinctively reached up to touch his cheek, and broke into a foolish grin.

The imperial physicians of the Medical Bureau were exclusively dedicated to treating the emperor and consorts within the palace and rarely ventured out casually. Wu Qinglin had personally gone to invite them, leveraging the prestige of the Marquis of Dingyuan to finally bring forth Imperial Physician Guo, who specialized in orthopedics. Because Wuthan also sustained external injuries, an additional female physician was brought along to the Marquis's estate. She re-bandaged the injuries on Wuthan's legs, inspected her body for other wounds, left behind a medical prescription along with healing ointments, and was then personally escorted out by Wu Qinglin.

With everyone having been thoroughly exhausted over the past couple of days, the household closed its doors to guests and spent two days recuperating in earnest.

With her leg injured, Wuthan was confined indoors to convalesce.

That very afternoon, Mammy Zhou was indeed sent back by the Chen family. Only then did the Old Lady learn that around noon on the first day of the year, Dowager Madam Zhou had come to look for her. As the Old Lady had not been at home at the time, Dowager Madam Zhou had returned first.

Dowager Madam Zhou's visit was undoubtedly concerning the incident involving Zhou Changyin on the day of Wu Qingyu's grand wedding.

Though that affair was by no means trivial, compared to the events of the past two days, it paled into utter insignificance.

Because Wuthan was injured and had narrowly escaped the jaws of death, the Old Lady had been consumed with worry and fallen ill for two days. It was only by the sixth day, when she felt a bit more energetic, that she set out for the Marquis of Ningguo's estate.

Upon her arrival, she naturally sought out Dowager Madam Zhou directly.

Due to their close familiarity, the gatekeeper did not even go in to announce her arrival, simply leading her straight inside.

Unexpectedly, as the gatekeeper guided her outside the courtyard of Anhe Hall, she happened to cross paths with Xiao Yue coming out from within.

"Greetings, Prince Sheng!" The Old Lady hastily offered her salutes.

Just moments before, preoccupied with her own vexing domestic troubles and walking in a daze, she hadn't noticed anyone emerging from the interior, and had nearly collided with him before catching sight of him.

Xiao Yue hadn't expected to encounter her here either. After a momentary pause, his gaze instinctively flickered past her—

She was entirely by herself, with no attendants trailing behind.

Hence, he did not linger. Giving the Old Lady a supportive lift, he said, "Elder Madam Wu must be here to see my maternal grandmother. Please go on in; this Prince has matters to attend to and must take his leave."

He had made a trip to the temporary imperial palace earlier. Although, as expected, Dowager Empress Zhou had refused to see him, he had put up a convincing facade and stayed for the full three days, returning to the capital only by dusk yesterday. Hearing that Dowager Madam Zhou had sent someone to look for him during his absence, he had come straight over early this morning.

During his time in the capital, he had consistently maintained a very demure and restrained impression before the Emperor, almost never attending social banquets. Upon leaving the Marquis of Ningguo's estate, he had returned directly to his own princely residence.

With him away these past few days, several matters had occurred both within the estate and at court. Steward Cen and Yuchi Yuan had hurried over to his study to report the critical developments of the last few days.

Seated behind his desk, Xiao Yue listened with one hand propped against his brow, though his gaze remained fixed outside the window.

He occasionally lapsed into such states, and neither of the two men thought much of it, continuing to speak at length and on their own accord. Only Leiming had sensed from the very beginning that his state seemed off, as though he hadn't been listening from the start.

Down below, Yuchi Yuan wore a solemn expression, right in the middle of a passionate, rolling monologue, when Xiao Yue abruptly pulled his gaze back from the window and mused aloud, "Why was it only the Elder Madam of the Wu family visiting the Marquis of Ningguo's estate today?"

---

Madam Meng: Son causes me endless vexation, daughter leaves me with no peace of mind, my heart is so weary, sigh~

That old saying holds true: a woman's standing in her husband's family depends entirely on the man's attitude. In this regard, Brother Yu'er is truly commendable, aww~