Chapter 93: Sweet Dreams
The moon’s shadow sank in the west.
Wen Mingqian returned to Lingyue Pavilion.
Zhang Ma greeted her, and Gong Changan was still awake.
“Mother, is everything resolved?” Gong Changan ran up and hugged Wen Mingqian; mother and son hadn’t seen each other for several days.
Wen Mingqian gently stroked his head and said, “It’s resolved. The events of that year have been thoroughly brought to light.”
“Miss, please come inside. I’ve stewed soup for you. You haven’t eaten properly these past few days, look how thin you’ve become,” Zhang Ma said with heartache.
“But I do need to drink some soup,” Wen Mingqian laughed. “To make it look convincing, I drank a whole bowl of that red juice, and I still feel nauseous.”
“I didn’t add sugar to make the color more realistic,” Zhang Ma said. “The poison the Old Madam gave to Consort Song was actually an emetic. I doubt she, that Song woman, could have ever imagined it. By the way, what exactly happened back then?”
“It’s a long story, and something we never would have imagined,” Wen Mingqian sat down and recounted Gong Kang’an’s affairs in detail.
“So that’s how it was! Consort Song’s mind is truly meticulous,” Zhang Ma said, taking a while to recover. “She’s truly ruthless, killing her own flesh and blood without batting an eye.”
“She was solely focused on climbing the social ladder and seeking wealth; greed had long since blinded her heart,” Wen Mingqian said. “You didn’t see her when her true face was revealed; she was no different from a monster.”
“Mother, your grievances have finally been cleared,” Gong Changan’s eyes were slightly red. “It must have been so difficult for you to bear the slander all these years.”
“Yes! I am finally innocent,” Wen Mingqian said, looking at Gong Changan with relief. “You played a significant role in this.”
“It is what a son should do,” Gong Changan said. “Without Mother, how could I exist?”
Wen Mingqian entered the room, rinsed her mouth, washed her hands, and then sat down to slowly drink the soup.
Zhang Ma ordered someone to prepare fragrant hot water and found clean clothes for Wen Mingqian to change into.
“Miss has been confined to the Buddhist Hall these past few days. Let’s take a bath to wash away the bad luck!” Zhang Ma said. “Although it’s a bit late, if you don’t wash, I’m afraid you won’t sleep comfortably.”
Zhang Ma had served Wen Mingqian for many years and naturally knew her temperament and habits.
To make the act convincing, Wen Mingqian had not eaten or slept well these past few days.
Now that the major event was over, she naturally relaxed. After a bath, she felt even more languid and went straight to bed to sleep.
“Little Ancestor, you should go to sleep too! You’ve been burning the midnight oil these past few days, and your eyes are red,” Zhang Ma said to Gong Changan with concern.
“Zhang Ma, you should go to sleep soon too,” Gong Changan yawned and rubbed his eyes with his arm. “Tomorrow is a holiday from school, so I don’t have to wake up early.”
There were only two hours left until dawn, and everyone was extremely exhausted. As soon as they lay on their pillows, they fell into a deep sleep.
They slept until noon the next day. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, and Wen Mingqian slowly opened her eyes, stretching comfortably. The bedding was new, changed by Zhang Ma, and it was scented with her favorite fragrance.
Most importantly, the mystery that had troubled her for years was finally solved. For her, this was truly a rare moment of peace and quiet.
Wen Mingqian reached out her hand to touch the light filtering through the gaps in the bed curtains.
Her life had once fallen to the bottom, plunged into darkness. Fortunately, she had never extinguished the last flicker of light in her heart.
Now that the truth was revealed and everything had come to light, the darkness and filth she had carried for seven years had finally receded.
“Madam is awake,” Liu Er said softly as she entered. “The Old Madam just sent someone to tell Madam not to rush to get up. Everything is tidied up, so it’s not too late to go over. She also said the Old Madam has prepared lunch and asked Madam to come over to eat when she’s ready.”
“Comb my hair for me!” Wen Mingqian said. “Has Changan woken up?”
“The Fourth Young Master is awake. Fearing he might disturb Madam, he went to the back courtyard to play Cuju Ball,” Liu Er said with a smile. “Zhang Mama is also awake and is cooking for the Old Madam as usual!”
Wen Mingqian got up and sat at the dressing table, looking at the faint dark circles under her eyes, thinking that once things settled down, she would have to take good care of her complexion.
“Madam’s hair is so beautiful, like dark satin,” Liu Er said enviously while combing Wen Mingqian’s hair. “Any hairstyle looks good on you.”
“If you like it, I’ll copy down my hair-nourishing recipe for you later and you can try it,” Wen Mingqian replied casually. “It’s just a bit tedious and requires a lot of patience.”
“No wonder people say that if you want to be beautiful, you have to put in the effort. I have a restless nature and always start things with a bang but end with a whimper,” Liu Er sighed. “Madam takes over an hour every time she washes her hair. It’s truly meticulous and tedious; I’ll pass.”
Just as Wen Mingqian finished her hair, Yun Ying arrived and said to Liu Er with a smile, “Good sister, I’ll attend to Madam from here on! Go pick a few flowers from the garden, and we’ll adorn Madam with them.”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Concubine Yun,” Liu Er said with a smile. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“Madam has worked hard these past few days,” Yun Ying said while helping Wen Mingqian change. “Fortunately, revenge has been achieved, which is truly satisfying!
On my way here, I overheard some gossip. At first, everyone thought Madam had harmed Consort Song, but after last night’s commotion, everyone knows who the real villain is.”
“Not many people truly know the truth,” Wen Mingqian said. “But it doesn’t matter; as long as the Gong Family knows what happened, that’s enough.”
“Madam will go to the Old Madam’s place shortly. I imagine the Gong Family will want to appease you properly,” Yun Ying said. “You’ve suffered so much and endured so much these past years because of that unjust accusation. Although Consort Song was the one who acted maliciously, the Gong Family’s inability to discern the truth made them accomplices.”
“At the time, I was young and ignorant, wanting to argue right from wrong in everything. But the Gong Family valued reputation and face extremely highly, and with Gong Xu convinced it was me, any objections from others were meaningless,” Wen Mingqian smiled. “Even their appeasement now is limited; they just want to muddle through and continue their lives.”
“Alas! The Second Master has locked himself in the study and refuses to come out. I imagine Consort Song’s affairs have greatly impacted him, and he’s unsure how to face you, Madam,” Yun Ying said. “I don’t think he’ll be coming to the Old Madam’s place for lunch today. However, he must feel remorse, but he just can’t come to terms with it yet.”
“My heart for him died long ago,” Wen Mingqian said indifferently. “I only want the Gong Family to know I am innocent. As for what he thinks or does, it has nothing to do with me.”
“Does Madam truly not wish to mend the broken relationship with him?” Yun Ying asked.
“Perhaps others can, but I cannot,” Wen Mingqian lowered her eyes. “The cracks are evident; how can they be forcibly rejoined? It’s better to preserve what remains and protect the pride in one’s heart.”
