Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 267 Change of appearance
Today, Qingyun and Zhang Huaining are busy preparing Su Qingwan's luggage for her trip to the capital.

Su Qingwan's belongings were simple: just some seasonal clothes and a few frequently used items—simple and unpretentious. However, Qingyun's mood was inexplicably low. She, along with Lüzhu and Qingyi, were all the maids who had accompanied Su Qingwan throughout her childhood. In the past, the four of them were inseparable, their days filled with laughter and joy. But now, only she remained, continuing to guard her mistress's side.

Qingyi is gone, and Lüzhu has disappeared without a trace. The former liveliness is gone, leaving only a heart full of sorrow. They accompanied the girl back to Huainan, thinking that they would settle down in Huainan and live a peaceful life there.

Who could have foreseen the unpredictable nature of life, that he would now be embarking on a journey back to the capital. In Qingyun's eyes, the capital was a place that devoured people. Even the esteemed Grand Princess ultimately perished there.

Although the Regent was in love with the girl, how would the other members of the Lu family view the Princess? Qingyun's heart was filled with worry.

Thinking this, Qingyun raised her hand and handed a delicate sandalwood box to Zhang Huaining, saying softly, "I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to your wedding with General Xiaoning. This is my wedding gift to you both. I wish you a long and happy life together, many children, and a harmonious and blissful life."

Zhang Huaining had been staying at the Prince's residence during this time, managing all the household affairs inside and outside the residence with great efficiency while Su Qingwan and Qingyun were injured. She was naturally skilled in these matters, and over time, she and Qingyun developed a very deep friendship.

Upon hearing Qingyun's words, Zhang Huaining's eyes reddened slightly, and he replied sincerely, "I will definitely miss you and the princess. Once the war has subsided a bit, General Xiaoning and I will go to the capital to visit you."

Upon hearing this, Qingyun's eyes reddened slightly. He nodded vigorously and said, "Alright, it's settled then!"

She paused, then continued, her voice trembling slightly, "I have another request. If Miss Huaining has any free time in the future, could you please visit Qingyi, Luzhu, and Chenfeng for me? Qingyi and Chenfeng have always enjoyed drinking, while Luzhu prefers osmanthus cake. Luzhu is usually so talkative, once she starts talking, she can't stop, while Qingyi prefers quiet. I'm afraid they'll bicker and argue a lot when they live next to each other."

As she spoke, Qingyun's eyes turned completely red, tears welling up in them. Zhang Huaining felt a pang of heartache and quickly reached out to gently embrace Qingyun, saying softly, "Don't worry, I will definitely go to see them and take good care of them for you." Hearing this, Qingyun finally felt a little more at ease.

Everything is ready. Marquis Ningyuan and General Chen will arrive in Huainan City in three days. At that time, they will also arrive with the imperial edict conferring the title of King of Huainan upon Nianqing. And it is time for Su Qingwan to set off for the capital.

The person Su Qingwan was most worried about was Nianqing. Even though she had planned everything for Nianqing very carefully, and had the help of Prefect Yun and General Xiao Ning, her heart was still filled with anxiety and unease.

Although Nianqing was still young and she had never been a mother, she now worried about him just like a concerned mother. She worried that Nianqing might make a mistake while marching and fighting; she worried that his safety on the battlefield was hard to guarantee; she was afraid that he would have to support the palace alone again and fall into that feeling of being abandoned and lonely once more.

Fortunately, Nianqing is so sensible that it breaks your heart.

He turned around and comforted Su Qingwan, saying earnestly, "Aunt, don't worry. I'm not guarding Huainan alone. You've always been by my side. It's just that you're in the capital and I'm in Huainan. I've never felt lonely. Aunt, you can stay in the capital with peace of mind. Nianqing will definitely work hard to make Huainan your strongest support."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan's eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and touched Nianqing's head, saying gently, "Okay, Auntie has never doubted this. Nianqing, you must take good care of yourself."

Afterwards, Su Qingwan solemnly bid farewell to Prefect Yun, General Xiao Ning, and the clan elders of Huainan one by one.

Unfortunately, she couldn't attend General Xiao Ning and Zhang Huaining's wedding, which left her with a slight sense of regret. However, like Qingyun, she carefully prepared a wedding gift to express her sentiments.

Although her few months back in Huainan were short, they left behind too many regrets and lingering feelings. Among them, what she found hardest to let go of was not being able to bring Green Bamboo, Morning Breeze, and the others back to the capital. All those joyful moments had now turned into deep longing in her heart.

Su Qingwan did not allow Nianqing and Prefect Yun to see her off. Before dawn, she and Lu Jing quietly left Huainan.

She knew in her heart that even after seeing someone off for a thousand miles, they would eventually have to part ways. She was afraid that once she turned back and saw familiar people and scenery, the reluctance in her heart would be like a flood breaking through a dam, unstoppable.

Around noon, the caravan reached the riverbank, where everyone rested briefly. By this time, the caravan had already traveled some distance from Huainan. Su Qingwan sat alone by the river, quietly enjoying the cool air, her expression revealing a hint of melancholy, her mood clearly low. Seeing this, Lu Jing walked over. Qingyun, understanding the situation, discreetly slipped away, giving the two some space. Lu Jing reached Su Qingwan's side and softly asked, "After passing Lianyun City, we'll encounter Marquis Ningyuan and General Chen's entourage. Should we greet them?"

Su Qingwan replied calmly, her expression indifferent, "No, I've already said everything I needed to tell Nianqing. If you have any special instructions, don't worry about me, just go ahead."

Su Qingwan understood that as the regent, Lu Jing probably had many important military and national affairs that he needed to hand over to Marquis Ningyuan and General Chen in person.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jing smiled gently and explained, "Military power is now under the jurisdiction of the Grand Duke. I have never interfered in these matters, so there is nothing I would like to specifically instruct you on."

He knew in his heart that even if he had some selfish motives, Marquis Ningyuan and General Chen were extremely loyal to the Southwest and Huainan. Now that they knew Nianqing was the eldest princess's son, they would probably regard him as a political enemy, and even if he spoke up, they might not listen.

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan couldn't help but sigh, "It seems your situation isn't all smooth sailing either!"

Lu Jing's lips curled up slightly as he said half-jokingly, "I hope Xiao Wu will give me more guidance in the future so that I can firmly hold onto the position of Regent."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan was speechless for a moment, inwardly thinking, "That's really shameless!" She simply ignored him. However, ever since leaving Huainan City, Lu Jing seemed to always find ways to cheer her up. Perhaps he understood that Su Qingwan was still immersed in the pain of this man-made disaster and hadn't fully recovered, so he tried his best to make her feel better.

Lu Jing then suggested, "The journey back to the capital is long and must be quite boring. Why don't I ride with you in the carriage? That way, I can keep you company and help pass the time."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan subconsciously asked, "What about Qingyun? Will she ride in the carriage with us too?"

Lu Jing replied without hesitation, "Isn't she a military maid? Wouldn't riding a horse be easier and more comfortable for her?"

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to herself, "How could Qingyun have come up with such a long journey, making him ride a horse the whole way?" She had assumed Qingyun would refuse, given his consistently poor attitude towards Lu Jing. However, to her surprise, Qingyun readily agreed, allowing him to ride the horse while Lu Jing accompanied Su Qingwan in the carriage.

Su Qingwan didn't have many ways to pass the time. When she had nothing to do, besides reading novels, she would play chess. But reading was too dull, and the carriage ride was quite bumpy; even on the official road, the road conditions weren't perfect. So, Lu Jing taught Su Qingwan to play leaf cards. These leaf cards were originally a pastime for noblewomen and young ladies in the capital.

Su Qingwan had played with Lu Yunshu before, but her skills weren't very good. In people's minds, men rarely played leaf cards, but Lu Jing was extremely proficient at it, winning against Su Qingwan several times in a row.

Su Qingwan couldn't help but feel puzzled and asked curiously, "How come you're so good at playing leaf cards? Most men rarely play this."

Lu Jing's expression softened as he slowly explained, "There are many women in my family. When my father was alive, he especially enjoyed playing leaf cards with my mother. I naturally learned some from watching him play. Occasionally, I would play a few rounds with my sisters. My second sister, Lu Yunshu, taught you how to play, but judging from your technique, you probably don't play often, as you seem quite rusty."

Su Qingwan became even more curious upon hearing this and pressed on, "How do you know that my second sister and I have played together? We've played leaf cards several times, always inside the courtyard, and never outside the Plum Blossom Garden."

Lu Jing was slightly taken aback. He wanted to say that Li An was a eavesdropper, and Lü Zhu was always secretly talking badly about him behind his back, which Li An relayed to him word for word. But he swallowed the words back. After all, Lü Zhu was no longer there, and he was afraid that mentioning these things would upset Su Qingwan. After a moment's hesitation, Lu Jing coughed lightly and said, "Li An saw it by chance and told me about it when he came back."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan couldn't help but smile. Lu Jing felt a slight softening in his heart as he looked at her rare smile. He hadn't seen Su Qingwan smile like this in a long time since the battle of Huainan.

He knew that Su Qingwan did not marry him willingly. If she had a choice, she would not have married him. But she had no choice. He couldn't help but feel that he was forcing her into a difficult situation, and he also felt sorry for Su Qingwan. His feelings were complicated.

Su Qingwan said seriously, "Lu Jing, I don't plan to change my appearance when I come to the capital this time. But have you thought about how to explain to everyone why I look exactly like your sister-in-law?"