Maternal Grandfather
"Eldest Young Master, Young Master Qing has heard what we said."
Qianru and Lu Chang'gong finished speaking, they also hid. When they saw Qing rushing to Hall of Longevity to tell on them, the two of them stopped.
Lu Chang'gong pondered for a moment, then turned to Qianru and said, "Don't tell anyone about this, or I really will punish you."
He had been the Eldest Young Master of the Wuding Marquis Residence for half a year, and he was no longer the same person he was when he first arrived.
Although Qianru was a few years older than him, she did not dare to be presumptuous in front of her master.
She lowered her head nervously and said, "Eldest Young Master, please rest assured, this servant would absolutely not dare to tell anyone!"
"Um."
Lu Chang'gong walked ahead and said, "Take the silver and go to the Kitchen to oversee the preparations for his Housewarming feast today."
If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way and not give yourself away.
Otherwise, it would ruin Mother's plans.
Qianru said, "Yes, this servant will go right away."
Lu Chang'gong returned to his new house in the inner courtyard and tidied up his study.
He didn't like his servants to do things for him when it came to studying; he personally took care of all his books and writing materials.
He hung a portrait of Sage Confucius in his study, and next to the portrait was a piece of calligraphy, exactly the same as the one in Lin Yunwan's hall.
After hanging up the lettering, he looked up at his own handwriting.
His handwriting was certainly not as good as his mother's, but it was also taught to him by his mother, and he and his mother were of one mind.
"Mother, what exactly do you want to do...?"
He muttered to himself, knowing that someone his age and shrewdness couldn't possibly fathom his true nature.
But he still managed a smirk.
I know you won't abandon me.
He overheard the conversation between the Lin clan and the Lu family about divorce that day, and he realized his mother intended to take him away.
So no matter what his mother wanted to do, he just needed to obey her completely.
"Mother!"
Qing ran wildly through the northwest wind, heading to Hall of Longevity to find Ge Bao'er.
Ge Bao'er is still very weak. It's too cold outside, so she's staying inside by the fire and doesn't dare to go out.
Her complexion has become much rosier.
"Qing'er, you've come!"
She happily held her son and let him sit in her lap.
Qing was very embarrassed. He said, "... I'm too old to sit like this with you anymore." He wanted to sit down next to him.
Ge Bao'er hugged him and said, "There are no outsiders here."
Qing also missed her, so he snuggled up to his mother and talked.
He told Ge Bao'er everything he had heard.
"Mother, my maternal grandfather is the Duke Xingguo! You are the Di Daughter of the Duke's Residence!"
Qing was very excited.
"The legitimate Di Daughter family?"
Ge Bao'er's mind suddenly went blank, and she couldn't even hold Qing anymore; her arms were so stiff that she couldn't move them.
"Yes! I heard it from my Elder Brother himself, it can't be wrong!"
"The Di Daughter the Duke's family..."
Ge Bao'er frowned, overwhelmed with surprise and unable to believe it was real.
"I am the legitimate Di Daughter! So I am the legitimate Di Daughter!"
No wonder...
No wonder!
Ge Bao'er wept with joy, hugging Qing and saying, "Qing'er! I knew it! My birth wasn't so lowly!"
She burst into tears, feeling wronged.
"I knew it... I knew it... Qing'er, I've always been different from the girls in Liyang Village. I'm different from them!"
Even when she was working as a maid in someone else's house, she felt a sense of unease, even though she should have been the mistress!
How could she possibly be a maidservant who serves others!
"Qing'er —it turns out that both your mother and you have the noble blood of the Duke's family flowing in our veins!"
Ge Bao'er was so excited that she recalled her childhood and felt that she was different from others.
Unlike the village girls, she didn't only care about those few acres of land in the village.
She was born with a yearning for wealth and status, and a natural love for power and prestige. She admired men of noble birth like Lu Zhengliu, and even though he was a noble young man she could only dream of, she never felt unworthy of him.
These things originally belonged to her!
If she hadn't gotten lost, how could she have ended up as a country girl in Liyang Village!
She knew it; she knew her background was extraordinary.
"Qing'er, Mother has finally—finally found my parents!"
Ge Bao'er's voice was hoarse from crying, and her hands and feet were trembling.
Qing said reluctantly, "Mother..."
He wiped away his mother's tears and waited for her to calm down before whispering, "Mother, but my Elder Brother said that Mother wants to destroy your Jade Pendant."
"Mother, if it weren't for the Jade Pendant, would maternal grandfather have come to pick you up?"
"My Elder Brother said that without the Jade Pendant, you would always be a Concubine. Is what my Elder Brother said true?"
Qing stared longingly at Ge Bao'er; he desperately wanted a powerful maternal grandfather.
In that case, my great-grandmother would never dare to separate him and my mother again.
Ge Bao'er was stunned.
"There's no Jade Pendant..."
By the way, she has already pawned her Jade Pendant.
But how did it end up in Lin Yunwan's hands?
Thinking about it now is useless. Qing is right. If she didn't have the Jade Pendant, she wouldn't be able to leave the Lu family's gate. Would the Duke's Residence even come to recognize her?
"Qing'er, Mother will get the Jade Pendant."
Ge Bao'er said calmly.
Qing nodded, his face full of anticipation. "Mother, I'll also help you find a way to get the Jade Pendant back. Once we get Jade Pendant, we'll go see maternal grandfather."
Ge Bao'er laughed and said okay.
After her son left, her expression changed completely.
"Lin, Yun, Wan."
Ge Bao'er sat on the cushion, gritted her teeth and recited the name, then calmed down.
Destroying her Jade Pendant and ruining her identity won't be that easy!
We must find a way to get the Jade Pendant back!
She didn't want her son to be Concubine-born Son, she didn't want someone else's son to be above her son, and she didn't want Lin Yunwan to be above her!
What should she do...?
She needs to stay calm and think things through carefully. She can't afford to make a mistake this time; she must plan carefully.
\
Is she going out again?
When Old Madam Lu heard that Lin Yunwan was going to visit Madam Lin, she was very unhappy.
Married women are visiting their parents' home far too often.
No matter how many times she threatens divorce, as long as they don't actually divorce, Lin Yunwan is still a member of the Lu family, and she can only do things with the approval of the Lu family elders.
Nanny Yan said, "I heard that Madam Lin's eyes have improved somewhat. Young Madam probably wants to go back to see Madam Lin because of this."
Old Madam Lu snorted and said nothing more.
She thought for a moment, then suddenly perked up and said, "It's good that she's gone. Now, try to find a way to search the Drooping Silk Hall."
If we find the Jade Pendant, that would be wonderful!
Nanny Yan hesitated and said, "But what reason can I give to go...?"
"What reason do we need! That's Zhengliu's Courtyard; he can go there whenever he wants!"
"Yes."
Nanny Yan went to find Lu Zhengliu.
Lin Yunwan returned to the Lin Residence and rode in a carriage with Madam Lin to Red Elephant Temple. When they were almost at the temple, they encountered another family's carriage traveling in the opposite direction and blocked their way.
"Tao Ye, go down and take a look."
Lin Yunwan could not make an appearance.
Tao Ye went to take a look and saw that the coachman was already discussing with the coachman on the other side how to avoid them, but the carriage was actually...
"Young Madam, it's the Xia family's carriage."
She hurried back and spoke to Lin Yunwan.
Lin Yunwan lifted the carriage curtain, and a young man, about the same age as Prince Huan, stepped down from Old Madam Xia's carriage.