When the spring breeze swept through Lidu, the General’s Tomb had already been completed.

Feng Yue stretched her limbs, left Yin Gezhi in the palace to look after the young prince, and went mountain climbing alone with Ling Shu.

Ling Shu sensed early on that her mistress had something to tell her today, so she packed snacks and brought enough water, waiting obediently for her to speak.

The mountain path was rugged, with few people around. Feng Yue squinted at the lush trees surrounding them and sighed, “There’s something I should have told you long ago.”

Ears perking up, Ling Shu blinked while looking at her.

“Your mother’s name was Yuan Rong,” Feng Yue smiled. “She was a very gentle and kind person.”

“This servant knows,” Ling Shu nodded. “You tell me about her every year. I’m not stupid; I naturally knew she was related to me. I also thought she must be my mother.”

She had grown up in Xinghe Village under Grandfather Zhang’s care. As a child, she had asked where her parents were. Grandfather Zhang told her that her mother had gone away for work. Her father had never returned, and no one knew where he was. Little Ling Shu was very sad then, feeling like a child abandoned by her parents. But as she grew older, she came to understand that her mother must have had her reasons for not coming back to see her.

Though even now, she didn’t know what those reasons were.

“Let me tell you a story,” Feng Yue’s voice was full of sighs as she lowered her gaze. “This time, you must listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

In the grove, the wind rustled through the leaves as Feng Yue looked up at the dappled sky, squinting as she slowly recalled the past.

Yuan Rong was a maid who served Guan Qingyue, often moving about the main courtyard, but she had no ambition to improve her status. While other maids tried every means to attract Guan Qingmu’s attention, she alone maintained propriety, never once overstepping her bounds.

Guan Qingmu had developed the bearing of a military family by age fifteen. He was well-liked by young ladies, and many who wished to marry into the Guan family as the Second Young Mistress constantly tried to curry favor with Guan Qingyue, hoping to become her sister-in-law through association. Thus, Guan Qingyue lived quite comfortably during that period, getting whatever snacks or clothes she wanted.

However, when the disruptions became too many, Guan Qingyue grew annoyed. One day, holding Yuan Rong’s arm, she said, “Why don’t you just become my sister-in-law? That would save me from their annoyance.”

Yuan Rong nervously let go of her hand, her face turning completely red, with even her neck turning pink, as she stammered, “A servant’s status would not be appropriate.”

Having grown up under her care, Guan Qingyue was still young and mischievous at the time. Seeing her expression, she immediately exclaimed, “So you like my Second Brother too!”

Hearing this, Yuan Rong’s face grew even redder. Being naturally shy, she feared Guan Qingyue would tell the Second Young Master about this. So she begged her not to spread it around.

“If you want me to keep quiet, that’s easy,” said the then eleven-year-old Guan Qingyue, patting her chest. “Just listen to me, and I’ll help you win my Second Brother’s favor!”

Yuan Rong was so anxious she stamped her feet, completely unwilling. But how could Guan Qingyue give up? She threatened to tell her Second Brother, then watched with a mischievous smile as Yuan Rong followed her instructions to make soup, prepare snacks, and embroidered handkerchiefs.

Thus, for some time, when Guan Qingmu opened his door in the morning, he would always find many things at his doorstep. Sometimes it was a handkerchief embroidered with bamboo leaves, sometimes it was a stack of steaming snacks.

The household had already issued an order forbidding maids from disturbing him. So who else could be leaving things at his door? Without even thinking about it, Guan Qingmu directly grabbed Guan Qingyue to question her.

Guan Qingyue replied playfully, “Second Brother has been working so hard at practice lately, your sister feels sorry for you, so these are gifts from me.”

From her? Guan Qingmu shook his head. He took out the expertly embroidered bamboo leaf handkerchief and said, “Now embroider another one just like this for me to see. The requirement isn’t high – just make one identical leaf.”

Guan Qingyue: “…”

Yuan Rong was so embarrassed she had nowhere to hide, standing to the side with her head lowered, not daring to say a word. Her eyes were darting around when she saw Second Young Master stand up, his robes swaying slightly as he said lightly, “This morning’s pigeon soup was very good.”

She was briefly stunned, and then joy burst from her heart like blooming flowers! Yuan Rong carefully raised her head to see Guan Qingmu looking at her. He smiled gently.

At that time, Guan Qingyue couldn’t understand why a single expression from Second Brother could make Yuan Rong so happy, but thinking back now, Yuan Rong must have felt her heart was full. She must have been so happy she could fly.

What could make a simple woman who only knew how to make pigeon soup happier than having the person she secretly loved enjoy her soup?

Nothing! So from then on, Yuan Rong didn’t need Guan Qingyue’s encouragement. She started sending things to Guan Qingmu on her own. It could be said that for that year, Yuan Rong almost became Guan Qingmu’s maid.

In noble families, if a young man wasn’t married by sixteen, he would have a teaching maid to instruct him in matters of intimacy. Yuan Rong knelt before Guan Qingyue, sincerely begging her for three days.

“Sister,” young Guan Qingyue might not have understood other things, but she knew the family rules very well. She strongly disapproved of Yuan Rong’s decision. “A teaching maid’s status is too low. Even if you bear children, you won’t be entered into the Guan family genealogy. Why not wait a while longer?”

“There’s no time to wait,” Yuan Rong smiled bitterly. “I never had a chance to begin with. Having such an opportunity now is already extremely good. If the young mistress can help, Yuan Rong will die without regrets.”

Guan Qingyue fell silent. After three days, she finally couldn’t resist Yuan Rong’s persistence and went to ask her father to let Yuan Rong become Second Brother’s teaching maid.

However, that night, Second Brother locked her outside his door.

“I have someone in my heart,” he said. “So I won’t delay your marriage to someone else.”

Yuan Rong knelt outside in thin clothes, her body trembling slightly. Guan Qingyue couldn’t bear it, wrapped her in a cloak, and helped her back.

She saw it all with her own eyes. She saw how happily Yuan Rong had dressed up, preparing to serve Second Brother. And she also saw how disheveled she was when she returned to her room, not coming out for several days.

Second Brother was in a very bad mood during that period, often getting drunk. Guan Qingyue was busy with her training, so she didn’t pay much attention to these two anymore. She just thought they weren’t meant to be. Later, when Yuan Rong said she was going home to get married, the household let her leave. She missed her, so even while pregnant, she still took care of her, and after giving birth, she returned directly to the household to stay with her.

Guan Qingyue always felt that Yuan Rong probably had regrets, after all, she never got to be with the person she loved so much. Second Brother eventually married Sister-in-law Ling’er, and they had a deep affection for each other.

However, after Yuan Rong died in her place when she woke from her unconsciousness, she found a letter in her hand.

“Ling Shu of Xinghe Village is of Guan family bloodline, please treat her well, young mistress.”

This single sentence left Guan Qingyue puzzled for a long time.

How many things had happened back then that she didn’t know about? Yuan Rong bore a child of Guan blood – whose child could it be?