Jiang Yanyi was stunned.

So, it turned out that Lu Linyuan had known Madam An long ago?

She hesitated before speaking, “You and the Lu family…”

Madam An chuckled bitterly. “I was born in a theater troupe in Yangzhou, originally a plaything bought for Young Master Lu by Old Madam Lu.”

When Lu Linyuan decided to sever ties with the Lu family for Jiang Yanxi, Old Madam Lu believed her son was merely infatuated.

To sever his attachment, she sent people to search everywhere and found a woman who resembled Jiang Yanxi.

Minister Jiang would not allow his daughter to be a concubine, and the Lu family was unwilling to marry a secondary daughter as the main wife.

Thus, Old Madam Lu came up with this idea.

“Young Master Lu refused to touch me. Later, when he was exiled to Xizhou, Old Madam Lu sent me ahead to arrange everything so I could take care of Young Master Lu. Who would have thought that I would encounter bandits on the way, and I was nearly violated by them? It was the general who saved me…”

As Madam An spoke, her voice began to choke up. “I had intended to take my own life, but the general stopped me. He said he would take responsibility for me and wanted to marry me. I am not worthy of such a person… When the news reached the Lu family in the capital, Young Master Lu wrote to me, telling me to marry the general. When he arrived in Xizhou, I could use the connections from the general’s house to help him a lot, so I concealed everything from the general.”

“The general heard that my family was unimportant and feared I wouldn’t stand firm in Xizhou, so he publicly claimed that I had once saved him. With this connection, it would be much easier for me to marry into the An family.” Madam An covered her face with a handkerchief, crying bitterly.

“The general is a good man; no one has ever treated me so well in this life. I know my mother-in-law doesn’t like me, but I already feel guilty towards the An family. No matter how poorly my mother-in-law treats me, I can only see it as atonement.”

“After having the general’s child, I just wanted to live a good life with him. Fearing that Young Master Lu might come looking for me again, I took the initiative to write to him.

Who would have thought that letter ended up in my mother-in-law’s hands? She insisted that I had committed adultery. After the general read the letter, he realized I had married him only to pave the way for Young Master Lu.

Although he didn’t expose me, he completely lost heart and didn’t want to speak to me anymore. That same day, he packed his things and left for the military camp.”

“I thought about ending my life, but I still had the general’s child in my belly. I wanted to give birth to this child… But my mother-in-law despised me and called the child a bastard.

She even wanted to raise a niece from my family as a concubine for the general, but I refused.”

Madam An lifted her eyes, struggling to hold back the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

She wiped her eyes, her voice filled with self-mockery. “I had an argument with my mother-in-law’s niece. That day, the snow was heavy, and the green bricks in the corridor were covered in frost. She pushed me, and I rolled down the steps, losing the child in my belly.

When the general came back, my mother-in-law said it was intentional, that I was guilty and didn’t dare give birth to the child, claiming that it was likely not even the general’s child…”

Madam An’s eyes were red, and her handkerchief was completely soaked through.

Jiang Yanyi handed her her own handkerchief.

Madam An sobbed as she said, “When the general came to see me, he told me that once I finished my confinement, he would send me to a countryside estate to recuperate.

I don’t know if he is unwilling to forgive me or if he believes my mother-in-law’s words, but there truly is no meaning in my life anymore.

I went to drown myself in the lake but was saved by Young Master Lu. It was then that I realized that the reason Young Master Lu hadn’t sought me out after coming to Xizhou was that he never intended for me to pave the way for him.

That letter he wrote was only out of concern that I might seek death or foolishly wait for him; he wanted me to live well, to marry and live my own life.”

Jiang Yanyi hadn’t expected the truth to be like this, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say to comfort Madam An.

She keenly seized upon one detail: “Did anyone know about your attempt to drown yourself that day?”

Fearing Madam An might misunderstand, she quickly clarified, “I don’t mean anything else, I’m just a bit curious about why Young Master Lu happened to be there.”

Madam An shook her head. “I didn’t tell anyone. Why Young Master Lu would appear at Yan Lake, I cannot say.”

It was precisely because Lu Linyuan happened to be there to save her that An Yongyuan had grown increasingly suspicious of her and Lu Linyuan.

Jiang Yanyi had obtained the information she wanted.

Madam An and Lu Linyuan were old acquaintances, but she hadn’t communicated with him before attempting to drown herself.

The relationship between Madam An and Lu Linyuan hadn’t been mentioned in the original text, leading her to initially believe they had never met.

Now the question was why Madam An and Lu Linyuan had never exchanged letters after arriving in Xizhou, and what reason caused Lu Linyuan to appear at Yan Lake just in time to save Madam An?

Did Lu Linyuan know in advance that Madam An would attempt to drown herself, aware of the time and place, and specifically went to rescue her?

Combining what Feng Shuo had said earlier, Jiang Yanyi had a faint guess in her heart but wasn’t yet certain.

Madam An gradually stopped crying and looked at Jiang Yanyi. “In this life, one only has the courage to seek death once. I know what it’s like to have cold lake water rush into one’s mouth in the dead of winter. After being saved, I didn’t plan to die anymore. What I have now might be something I don’t deserve, but since I have it, I want to hold on to it.”

“Miss Chu, everything you wanted to know, I have told you. In this life, I accept my fate, but I want to fight against this fate concerning An Yongyuan. Even if he currently despises me and doesn’t even want to see me…”

Jiang Yanyi asked, “Have you explained this to General An?”

Madam An’s gaze was filled with sorrow. “I have told him, but that letter contained the truth. When I married him… I indeed had ulterior motives. He won’t forgive me.”

Jiang Yanyi firmly stated, “General An has feelings for you.”

The misunderstandings and misfortunes between them were far too many, and a suitable opportunity was needed to untangle their hearts.

An Yongyuan was merely unwilling to turn back for now.

In the original text, after Madam An’s death, he lived like a walking corpse.

Madam An chuckled bitterly a couple of times. “He has feelings for me? Before this, I never knew he could be so cold-hearted! Miss Chu, do you know what it feels like to be unwilling?”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “Though I have not experienced it, I can understand.”

Madam An simply shook her head. “You don’t understand. With him, it can never be like before again.”

She stood up to leave, but Jiang Yanyi called out to her, “Mrs. An Shao, if you’re willing, you can try my method.”

Mrs. An turned back to look at Jiang Yanyi, her eyes swollen and red, “What method?”

---

When An Yongyuan learned that his mother had been injured, he immediately returned to the An residence from the Western Army camp.

He first paid his respects to Old Madam An, then went to see Madam An.

Madam An’s lips and nose were swollen, and after biting her tongue, she was in so much pain that she couldn’t speak; upon seeing her son, she could only cry.

An Yongyuan was a true warrior, robust and strong, with a scar about an inch long on his face.

He seldom smiled, which made even the servants in the residence and the soldiers in the army wary of him.

“Mother, what happened to you?” An Yongyuan, still in his armor and looking travel-worn, glanced around but didn’t see Mrs. An Shao.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “Where is Yunniang?”

Madam An couldn’t speak, and the old woman beside her spoke sharply, “Oh, General, who dares to mention the young mistress? Let alone the old lady’s birthday banquet that almost turned into a disaster, now look at how badly the mistress is injured. I urged the young mistress several times to return early; she didn’t even say to keep watch or come to take a look. She just sent me back alone!”

An Yongyuan asked, “Where is she now?”

The old woman replied, “At Ruyi Tower! All the guests have left, and I don’t know who the young mistress is there to meet.”

An Yongyuan’s face darkened. “I’m going to bring Yunniang back.”

Ever since Mrs. An Shao had tried to take her own life by jumping into the lake last time, he had ordered that someone always follow her.

He feared she would have an accident and was also afraid she would meet Lu Linyuan there.

Madam An was so angry that she pounded the bed, but her swollen mouth made it difficult for her to articulate.

The old woman beside her understood her meaning and called out to An Yongyuan, “Just send someone with a message; there’s no need for you to go in person.”

An Yongyuan looked at the old woman, “Tan Mama, you are an elder in the residence. Just take good care of my mother. As the head of the An family, it’s not for a servant to meddle in.”

The old woman was startled by An Yongyuan’s gaze and didn’t dare to speak further.

The servants of the An residence quickly harnessed a horse and carriage, and once An Yongyuan got in, he instructed the driver to head to Ruyi Tower.

Upon arriving at Ruyi Tower, the carriage driver explained the purpose of their visit, and the waiter replied, “Mrs. An Shao left early; she’s not here.”

The driver asked, “Do you know what time she left?”

The waiter thought for a moment and replied, “At the third watch. By the way, Mrs. An Shao left a letter to be delivered to the An residence, but the business in the tower is busy, and I haven’t had a chance to send it over. Now that someone from your residence is here, I’ll go get the letter right away.”

The waiter quickly returned with the letter and handed it to the carriage driver, who passed it on to An Yongyuan.

An Yongyuan glanced at it; the envelope was indeed in Mrs. An Shao’s handwriting, marked “To my husband.”

He tore open the wax seal, read the delicate handwriting on the letter, and his eyes turned slightly red. “Go to Yan Lake!”

---

Yan Lake was where Mrs. An Shao had first attempted to jump into the water.

At this moment, in the Yan Gui Pavilion halfway up the hill by the lake, Jiang Yanyi, Mrs. An Shao, and Chu Shubao were huddled around a small stove, shivering.

While warming her hands, Jiang Yanyi said to Mrs. An Shao, “When General An comes, don’t actually jump into the lake; just pretend to want to jump, but say some dramatic farewell lines.”

Turning to Mrs. An Shao’s maid, she instructed, “You stand not far away and cry hysterically, sobbing as hard as you can.”

The maid looked confused, “Do I need to say anything?”

Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment, “Just call out for your young mistress; the important part is to cry. Do you understand?”

The maid nodded vigorously, “Got it.”

Jiang Yanyi stood up and shouted into the distance, “Second Brother, has he come yet?”

Chuo Chengmao, who had been pulled in as a laborer as soon as they arrived at Ruyi Tower, was squatting on a big tree, glancing at the distant official road and replied helplessly, “There’s no one on the road.”

A trace of desolation flashed in Mrs. An Shao’s eyes, “He probably won’t come.”

Jiang Yanyi reached to squeeze a sweet potato roasting by the stove, “Let’s wait a bit longer; he might already be on the way. You think carefully about what you’ll say to him when you see him.”

The sweet potato wasn’t done yet, but the chestnuts and ginkgo nuts roasting near the fire had already cracked open.

Jiang Yanyi picked up a ginkgo nut, peeled it to reveal the yellow-green flesh, some of which was still wrapped in a golden-brown skin.

Roasted ginkgo nuts had a unique fresh aroma, soft and delicious.

Ginkgo nuts are often used in soups and medicinal dishes, and it was the first time Chu Shubao and the others were trying roasted ginkgo nuts, finding it quite novel.

“They’re so sticky and fragrant! Roasted ginkgo nuts make a great snack,” Chu Shubao exclaimed with bright eyes after trying one.

Jiang Yanyi shared the roasted ginkgo nuts with Mrs. An Shao and her maid, but Mrs. An Shao was too preoccupied with her thoughts to accept.

Her maid had been eyeing them for a long time, and seeing that Mrs. An Shao didn’t object, she took them and started eating.

Ginkgo nuts are nutritious but contain a small amount of toxins; eating too many can lead to poisoning.

Jiang Yanyi roasted only a few, so no one was concerned about food poisoning.

She said to Chu Shubao, “Don’t eat too many ginkgo nuts; you can have more chestnuts.”

The roasted chestnuts were yellow and glistening, fragrant and sticky, with a sweetness more natural than sugar-roasted chestnuts, leaving a delightful aftertaste.

After finishing the ginkgo nuts and chestnuts, news finally came from Chu Chengmao that An Yongyuan had arrived.

Mrs. An Shao hurriedly took her maid to the lakeside, while Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao quickly extinguished the fire in the clay stove with the snow, lest An Yongyuan become suspicious of the smoke.

The Yan Gui Pavilion was halfway up the hill and had a view of everything happening at Yan Lake.

When Chu Chengmao returned, Jiang Yanyi handed him a half-roasted sweet potato, “Thanks for your hard work, Second Brother.”

Chu Chengmao looked at the three sisters huddled together eating roasted sweet potatoes, unable to hide his complex expression, “I shouldn’t have meddled in your affairs.”

Chu Shubao hurriedly made a shushing gesture at him, “Second Brother, don’t make a sound.”

Chu Chengmao: “…”

At that moment, cries from Mrs. An Shao’s maid could be heard by the lake.

Jiang Yanyi saw An Yongyuan get off the carriage, but he didn’t speak much to Mrs. An Shao before swiftly stepping forward and carrying her over his shoulder.

The maid, who was pretending to cry in anguish, was momentarily startled into silence by the scene.

The onlookers in the pavilion exchanged glances.

Chu Shubao held the roasted sweet potato and said, “Ayi, it seems the situation is a bit different from what you expected.”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “… I noticed.”