Chapter 331: The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Lu Chao Chao trudged back to her room, her head drooping in dejection.
It turned out she had mountains of gold and silver in her pocket, yet she dared not spend a single coin.
She could only rely on others to get by.
No wonder, among the countless deities in the Three Realms, they needed her, the Ancestor of Sword Dao, to make a sacrifice.
So, in the end, it was because she ‘refused’ to ascend.
Lu Yan Shu chuckled.
The little one always carried herself with such pride, and seeing her so dejected was rather amusing.
That night, the Rong Family, the Xu Family, and the couple Shi Yun and Xu Yu Heng gathered together.
“The delegation from the Southern Kingdom seems to have ill intentions. I am uneasy about Shi Yun going there,” the Stabilizing Duke declared outright.
“The old emperor plays the role of a loving father, supposedly sick with grief over his missing daughter. The Eldest Princess, Nan Feng Yu, plays the villain. They haven’t even met Shi Yun yet, and they’ve already begun their act. Once she arrives, they will consume her whole.”
“Speaking of which, back when he lost his memory, the old emperor gifted the Dragon-Pattern Jade Pendant as a betrothal gift to Madam Ning.”
“Later, the Eldest Princess recalled it to the palace, but she didn’t know the pendant had been given away. In her fury, she set the entire village ablaze.”
“When the old emperor regained his memory, he realized the pendant had vanished along with Madam Ning.”
“All these years, he has proclaimed his undying love, saying he would find Madam Ning.”
“But when he found her, and the pendant was nowhere to be seen, he turned his search toward his daughter.”
“The people of the Southern Kingdom still praise him for his deep and unwavering love, upholding his reputation without the slightest blemish.”
“Madam Ning grew up as an orphan, raised by the entire village like family.”
“Yet, Nan Feng Yu burned it all to the ground. If the old emperor truly loved Madam Ning, he would have punished Nan Feng Yu long ago. But over the years, has Nan Feng Yu suffered even a single consequence?”
The Stabilizing Duke raised an eyebrow. “I suspect Madam Ning refuses to enter the palace not only because of opposition from the Empress and the Eldest Princess but also because of the knot in her own heart.”
Indeed, how could she not harbor hatred?
She hated them fiercely, yet what could she do?
She had no son, no daughter, not even a powerful family to back her. Her hatred was futile.
She had been abandoned as a baby and raised by a village that treated her as one of their own. Even when she married, it was the villagers who contributed what they could to make her wedding a proper one.
And yet, all of it had been destroyed at the hands of the old emperor.
Simply because she had once picked up a man.
Grand Tutor Xu nodded. “The Southern Kingdom will never allow the Imperial Jade Pendant to remain outside their borders. The old emperor is aging and is barely holding on, waiting for the pendant to return. If Shi Yun does not go, they will not let this go easily.”
“Moreover, Madam Ning cannot wait any longer.”
“She is innocent. At the very least, she deserves to see her daughter.” As a parent himself, Grand Tutor Xu understood Madam Ning’s feelings.
“Shi Yun, what do you think?” Old Madam Xu turned to her daughter.
Everyone’s eyes were on Xu Shi Yun.
She had been especially quiet that evening.
Old Madam Xu gently patted her daughter’s hand, her eyes filled with warmth and a perpetual, gentle smile. “Whatever decision you make, your father and I will support you.”
“When I found you in the snow all those years ago, you were just a tiny, helpless bundle, crying so hard that your face turned red. But the moment I held you, you smiled at me.”
“Over the years, I have nearly forgotten that you were a child I found.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes.
A maid stepped forward, presenting a bundle. Old Madam Xu unwrapped it, revealing tiny garments and a swaddle.
“These clothes were stitched with the utmost care, each embroidered with the words ‘Peace and Prosperity.’”
“The swaddle is covered in Buddhist script, a prayer for a lifetime of safety and blessings from the gods.”
“Madam Ning cherished and adored you.”
“As a mother myself, I cannot bring myself to stop you.” If her own daughter had been lost from birth, she would weep daily and never recover from the grief.
Shi Yun’s tears fell in large droplets.
“Mother…” She gripped Old Madam Xu’s hand tightly, her tear-filled eyes looking up at her.
“But remember, North Zhao will always be your home. The Xu Family will always be your family.” Old Madam Xu’s voice trembled.
Her three elder brothers spoke in unison, their expressions unwavering. “Sister, no matter what decision you make, you will always be our sister!”
“If you wish to go, then go.”
Shi Yun had both a son and a daughter, and a devoted husband like Rong Che. Except for the absence of Lu Yuan Ze, her life was nearly perfect.
Yet, the knowledge that her birth mother had suffered, abandoned and mistreated, was a thorn in her heart.
“Father, Mother, I wish to see her,” she declared. But she would not stay long.
The kindness of those who raised her outweighed all else. Her true home would always be in North Zhao.
“I am not at ease with Shi Yun going alone. With Lu Zheng Yue overseeing the court, I will enter the palace tomorrow and request His Majesty’s permission to accompany you,” Rong Che stated firmly, embodying the very essence of ‘The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows.’
Shi Yun’s lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes filled with warmth.
“Where my wife goes, I go,” Rong Che declared resolutely.
They had only been married a month, and he had just begun to enjoy the warmth of a wife and children at home. How could he bear to be apart?
The Xu Family exchanged furtive glances with the Stabilizing Duke and his wife, fearing they might be displeased.
To their surprise…
The Duke and Duchess nodded in satisfaction, their faces creased with delighted smiles.
“The Crown Prince remains in a coma, and Abbot Shi Kong has prophesied that Chao Chao is the Tribulation Breaker. She should accompany us,” Lu Yan Shu stated. He knew her too well—if they didn’t take her, she would sneak along anyway.
Better to bring her where he could keep an eye on her.
“Did Abbot Shi Kong make a mistake? Chao Chao is only three years old—can she truly break the Crown Prince’s tribulation?” Old Madam Xu was astonished.
“True or not, we should bring her. This girl is wild—if we leave her behind, she will just run off on her own,” Lu Yan Shu replied. He was more at ease with his mother traveling to the Southern Kingdom if Chao Chao was there.
That girl was never one to suffer losses.
As night deepened, Shi Yun and her husband bid farewell to the gathered family.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao had long since sprawled out in bed, fast asleep.
Yet, she kept hearing the steady knock of a wooden fish in her dreams, making her scratch her ears in irritation.
“So noisy…” she mumbled, rolling over and sinking back into slumber.
In her dream, Abbot Shi Kong clung to her tiny legs, wailing, “Princess Zhao Yang, please, just state your name! I have been beaten so many times because of you!”
The revered abbot was nearly in tears from frustration.
She had claimed to be famous across the Divine Realm—she hadn’t mentioned that she was universally hated.
Lu Chao Chao stood in a vast expanse of mist, unable to say anything before the abbot vanished, still crying.
“Ugh, my dreams are like a sieve. Anyone can just barge in…”
With practiced ease, she navigated through the mist. Sure enough…
That familiar jade bed appeared before her once more.
“Ah, it’s the underground palace again…” Lu Chao Chao murmured.
Unfortunately, the tomb had already been plundered.