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“But…” the two children were puzzled and wanted to continue questioning, but Chu Lingxuan shook his head and said, “Let’s ask when we get back to Tangyuan.”
Chu Lingxuan then asked Marquis Chu, “Since we’re here, will you go see my mother?”
Marquis Chu glanced at Yingshuan Monastery, standing solemnly amidst the mountains, surrounded by ancient towering trees, red walls, and black tiles, exuding an aura of seclusion and beauty… Being able to see from the outside already satisfied him.
Shaking his head, he sighed, “Ah, it’s not the right time, I won’t go to upset her. You both stay with your mother, she’s here alone every day, feeling lonely.”
After expressing his thoughts, Marquis Chu left the pavilion with a desolate expression, heading towards Lingyin Temple at the foot of the mountain.
Just a few steps away, Chu Hanyan called out, “Grandfather.”
Joy lit up Marquis Chu’s face as he turned back.
Seeing him look back, Chu Hanyan softly twisted her chubby finger and asked, “I want to know if the umbrella leaked…”
Seeing her unclear explanation, Dabao added loudly, “What my sister means is, did the umbrella that shielded the princess from bird droppings leak? Did the princess get hit by the droppings?”
Marquis Chu was surprised by the challenging question from the children and their hopeful eyes. He twitched his mouth and replied, “Um, it seems there was a small hole.” Then, he quickly turned around and walked away.
Pouting, Chu Hanyan muttered, “He didn’t say if the bad woman got hit by the droppings.”
Chen Feng and Chu Lingxuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Dabao chimed in, “If the umbrella had a hole, surely the droppings leaked through, and the bad woman must have been hit by them for sure.”
Chu Hanyan chuckled upon hearing this. Watching Marquis Chu’s diminishing figure, she inquired, “He’s our grandfather, so why doesn’t he come home with us?”
Glancing at the attendants, Chu Lingxuan whispered to the children, “Because he has another home in the capital and doesn’t live with us.”
On the way, Chu Lingxuan instructed the children, “Don’t mention meeting Grandfather to Grandma.”
The children chorused, “Why not?”
Chu Lingxuan paused and softly explained, “Because he was taken by another woman, which hurt Grandma’s heart. She’ll feel sad hearing about him.”
Dabao suddenly realized, “Oh, I get it. It was the bad woman who took Grandfather away! She’s so mean—hurting Mom, hurting sister, and now taking Grandfather.” Turning to Chu Lingxuan, he questioned, “Dad holds such a high position and is powerful, how couldn’t he protect his own father?” He glanced at his beautiful mother and adorable sister, worry evident in his eyes.
Chu Hanyan quickly suggested, “Dad, go bring Grandfather back. The bad woman is so bad, she might even hurt Grandfather.” She added, “Grandma is so pitiful, someone took her husband and now she’s all alone in the mountains.” With a pout, she looked extremely unhappy.
Embarrassed and amused by their candid words, Chu Lingxuan felt helpless but couldn’t delve further into the topic. He whispered, “Dad is trying to figure things out… Good children, about Grandfather and the bad woman, don’t tell Grandma and don’t discuss it outside, it could cause trouble.”
Observing Dabao’s concerned expression, Chen Feng felt touched and amused, whispering to him, “Don’t worry, your father is very capable, he won’t let anyone take your mother and sister away.”
“But…” Dabao was skeptical but refrained from asking further when he noticed his mother’s reluctance to continue.
Returning to the meditation room, the meal was already set on the table.
Abbess Liao Chen warmly invited them to eat. The children wanted to comfort their poor grandmother but remembered their father’s instructions and restrained themselves.
However, while Dabao acted nonchalant, Chu Hanyan’s expressions were notably uneasy, occasionally casting pitiful glances at Abbess Liao Chen.
Abbess Liao Chen smiled and asked, “Hanyan, is there something you want to tell Grandma?”
Perplexed, Chu Hanyan asked, “How did Grandma know?” Realizing her slip, she glanced at her father and quickly added, “Nothing, I don’t have anything to tell Grandma.”
Abbess Liao Chen shook her head with a smile, used the public chopsticks to pick a couple of mushrooms for Chen Feng, and said, “These are matsutake mushrooms, delicious and nutritious. Eat more, let’s aim for two chubby boys by year-end.” Pausing, she added, “Feng, don’t feel pressured. If this baby is a girl, you can have a boy next time. While you’re young, have more children.”
“Thank you, Mother.” Chen Feng responded, touched.
Seeing the children both looking at her, Abbess Liao Chen smiled and served each of them a couple of helpings.
The golden swallow was nibbling on pine nuts and walnut kernels on the kang, along with a plate of matsutake mushrooms.
After finishing their meal, chatting and laughing for a while, Chen Feng, along with the two children and the golden swallow, headed back to their meditation room early to rest.
Alone in the room, Chu Lingxuan joyfully informed Abbess Liao Chen that Ninth Prince’s leg had fully recovered, which made the Emperor very happy, and even Concubine Shan was moved to tears…
Abbess Liao Chen commented, “Ninth Prince has been through a lot.” She thought of Dabao’s circumstances and hesitated, saying, “I’ve had a question lingering in my mind. If you can share, please do, if not, then it’s fine.”
Chu Lingxuan chuckled, “What’s the question, Mother?”
Abbess Liao Chen continued, “Dabao’s background must be extraordinary. It was he who had Dabao sent to that grove, originally intending for you to raise him in Tangyuan, right?”
After a moment of consideration, Chu Lingxuan thought it best to share this information with her to avoid deepening her misconceptions about his father. Nodding, he replied, “I found out later as well… How did you guess?”
Abbess Liao Chen mused, “No wonder, I had a feeling it couldn’t be that coincidental…”
It was early March six years ago when Abbess Liao Chen took a carriage to Tangyuan. As they approached a grove about two to three miles from Tangyuan, the carriage suddenly broke down. While the coachman repaired it, Abbess Liao Chen and the young nun accompanying her had to wait by the roadside.
They faintly heard the sound of a baby crying in the grove and followed the noise. Not far into the grove, they discovered a red bundle discarded under a tree, with the cries emanating from it.
Despite it being spring, leaving a child on the ground risked illness. Touched by compassion, Abbess Liao Chen hurried over, but in her haste, she stumbled on a small stone, causing her foot to ache. As she massaged her foot in pain, she witnessed two women rushing over, with one of them picking up the infant.
Looking around anxiously, the woman inquired, “Whose child is this? Whose child is this?”
Abbess Liao Chen and her companion were obstructed by the trunk of an old banyan tree, so the women didn’t see them.
The other woman suggested, “Sister Chen, haven’t you always wanted to take in a son to care for in your old age?”
The first woman chuckled, “Oh, that’s right, it’s truly a stroke of luck!”
The two women quickly took the child and left.
Although Abbess Liao Chen felt a twinge of regret that the child was taken away, she found solace in knowing he was being cared for and let go of her worries.