Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 55 Bao Shu Wants a Family of Three

Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Bao Shu Wants a Family of Three

Meng Qianqian and Lu’s mother halted their steps.

Lu’s mother exclaimed in surprise, "I didn’t expect the Grand Commander to come."

Meng Qianqian thought for a moment and said, "At the Governor Mansion’s grab-the-items banquet last time, Lord Liu also attended."

Although she hadn’t attended the banquet herself, she had seen with her own eyes that Lu Xingzhou rode to the event in Lord Liu’s carriage.

Lu’s mother, unfamiliar with political affairs, couldn’t grasp Lu Yuan’s determination to gain military command. From a purely familial perspective, the Liu Family wasn’t one of the noble lineages, nor had they any prior affiliation with the Governor Mansion. She presumed the Grand Commander was merely extending courtesy toward the Marquis Mansion of Yong’en.

She thought of something and glanced outside the door.

Meng Qianqian asked, "Mother, what’s wrong?"

Lu’s mother shook her head. "It’s nothing. Let’s go."

The two entered the accounting room and met Lady Liu. The old Madam from the Liu Family had been a good and kind mother-in-law. With her passing, Lady Liu’s grief ran deep and genuine.

"She passed away in her sleep... rather peacefully."

Lady Liu choked on her words as she spoke.

Lu’s mother consoled her for a while before lending her efforts in arranging the old Madam’s funeral.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Yong’en personally went to the main gates to welcome the Grand Commander. All the officials greeted Lu Yuan with formal reverence.

"There’s no need for such ceremony. I’m here today to pay my respects to the late Lady Liu."

With that, Lu Yuan, accompanied by Commander Shangguan Ling of the Imperial Guards, entered the mourning hall.

In Shangguan Ling’s arms was a soft, chubby little child.

After departing the mourning hall, it became evident that Lu Yuan intended to stay. The Marquis of Yong’en immediately, with utmost courtesy, invited him, saying, "Grand Commander, please this way."

The guests who arrived tonight would mostly stay to vigil for the old Madam together with the host family. However, the Grand Commander, known for his busy schedule and disregard for tradition, was an unexpected participant. How could anyone have anticipated that he would remain for the vigil?

Yet, since the Grand Commander had chosen to condescend to such a gesture, there was no room for the Liu Family to slight him.

The Taoists began performing their ritual rites. Members of the Liu Family sobbed profusely, and visitors arrived in droves. The Marquis of Yong’en had no choice but to find some peace amid the chaos. He arranged a separate mourning shed exclusively for Lu Yuan and instructed the Liu Family’s steward not to admit other guests into it.

The Liu Family’s servants brought in a brazier.

Unable to afford the premium red charcoal, the Liu Family used silver charcoal instead. Even this was specially provided by the Marquis Mansion of Yong’en to properly host their esteemed guest.

Lu Yuan had just taken a seat.

Suddenly, the little dumpling in Shangguan Ling’s arms became restless, pointing outside incessantly and fluttering like a chubby little moth, "Waaah! Waaah!"

Shangguan Ling remained unmoving.

"Waaah!"

Bao Shu exploded with frustration.

Shangguan Ling remarked, "Yelling at me won’t help. I can’t go wandering around; your daddy has to take you."

Bao Shu looked pitifully at her father.

Lu Yuan sipped his tea nonchalantly, entirely indifferent.

Bao Shu clenched her tiny plump fists.

Over in the mourning hall, the summoned Daoists had begun performing rites.

Meng Qianqian moved among the various mourning sheds, hosting and attending to the female guests who had come to keep vigil.

In this dynasty, customs weren’t as restrictive as in the previous one. Male and female guests’ mourning sheds were placed in the same area, separated only by a small flowerbed in the middle.

Due to the cold weather and to shield against the falling snow, every shed’s curtain had been lowered.

As Meng Qianqian exited one of the sheds, she accidentally ran into Lady Wang.

Lady Wang exclaimed, "Oh my, why aren’t you resting at home? Why have you come out here?"

A maid from the Liu Family approached, carrying a platter of snacks. "Madam Lu, where should I take these snacks?"

"To that side."

Meng Qianqian pointed toward the eastern shed.

"Understood."

The maid walked off.

Lady Wang asked, "Still here to help out? Are you managing alright?"

Meng Qianqian replied softly, "It’s no trouble. Please, come and sit inside."

Soon after, Lady Liu—clearly at her wit’s end—hurried into the shed and exclaimed, "Sister Meng, I can’t do this anymore! There’s a child crying terribly over there, and no one can calm them down!"

Meng Qianqian responded, "Let me take a look."

Turning to Lady Wang, she said, "Pardon me, Madam. I must excuse myself."

Lady Liu stayed behind to entertain Lady Wang as Meng Qianqian headed toward the mourning shed Lady Liu had mentioned.

Upon entering, she discovered the wailing child was none other than Bao Shu.

The little one was in the arms of a wet nurse, who had been brought along by another guest to assist with soothing the children. Yet, even this highly experienced wet nurse couldn’t seem to manage Bao Shu.

"Let me hold her," Meng Qianqian stepped forward and said.

The wet nurse, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try, handed the child over.

To everyone’s astonishment, the noisy little one instantly stopped crying upon entering Meng Qianqian’s embrace. Bao Shu even stuck out her tiny feet in leisure, looking utterly content.

The wet nurse was completely dumbfounded!

A maid from the Zhou Family walked over. "Wet nurse, the young master is crying."

It wasn’t just the Zhou Family’s young master crying—thanks to Bao Shu, every child present had started wailing.

What was even more infuriating was that, after setting off the chain reaction, Bao Shu herself quietly retreated like someone who had accomplished her mission.

Lu Yuan let out a short laugh.

Bao Shu raised her chin haughtily.

It was as if she were declaring: I earned these tears fair and square—no shame in that!

The wet nurse went back to soothe her own charge.

Meng Qianqian approached Lu Yuan, offering a formal bow. "Greetings to the Grand Commander."

Tonight, Lu Yuan was dressed in dark robes. The bewitching allure he usually carried was replaced by an air of solemn frigidity.

Lu Yuan acknowledged her with a soft "Mm."

Meng Qianqian then turned to Shangguan Ling and offered another bow. "Greetings to Lord Commander."

Shangguan Ling cupped his hands in return. "Madam Lu, you’re too kind."

Bao Shu pointed first at a chair, then at one of her own little feet.

Meng Qianqian understood and sat down on the chair.

This chair was different from those in the other mourning sheds: it was outfitted with soft cushions and a thick backrest. Her fatigued, weary body instantly felt much more at ease.

She held Bao Shu’s foot. "What’s wrong with your foot?"

Bao Shu’s tears came immediately, her expression turning pitiful and aggrieved.

Meng Qianqian gently removed her little tiger-head shoe. "By the way, wasn’t Zhaozhao going to stay with Lady Yan for three days? Why has she come back after just one?"

As she spoke, the child’s stockings were removed, revealing a swollen, bun-like foot.

Meng Qianqian’s brows furrowed. "Is this... a bee sting?"

Bao Shu nodded tearfully in grievance.

Lu Yuan said coldly, "Hm, and now you think you’re the victim?"

Meng Qianqian looked at Lu Yuan and Shangguan Ling in confusion.

Shangguan Ling explained, "Ah, Lady Yan took Miss Bao Shu to her residence at Wanhua Hall this morning. Within just one hour, Miss Bao Shu managed to shatter Lady Yan’s prized jade dish, soak her rouge with water, and burn her inkstones to charcoal... As if that wasn’t enough, she somehow released the venomous bees Lady Yan had been keeping."

"I see," Meng Qianqian said.

Her sense of smell and taste were temporarily impaired, so she couldn’t detect any medicinal odors from the child’s wound. But visually and through touch, she could tell that treatment had been applied.

"That must have hurt terribly."

Even treated wounds could still hurt.

Bao Shu nodded and burrowed into Meng Qianqian’s arms, seeking comfort.

Shangguan Ling twitched his mouth slightly and said, "Miss Bao Shu was stung by the one harmless bee among them. Lady Yan, however, wasn’t so lucky—her hands swelled like bear paws from being stung while trying to catch her. The other women at Wanhua Hall were also stung, all ending up with swollen, pig-like faces, unable to show themselves."

That hall had operated for years, enduring even Beiliang spies hiding within its walls, and had never closed its doors. Yet this little one’s visit had led to it shuttering temporarily.

Meng Qianqian looked earnestly at the child in her arms.

Bao Shu blinked innocently and raised her injured little foot.

It was as if she were silently saying, "I’m hurt. So pitiful, right?"

Meng Qianqian stayed in the mourning shed to care for Bao Shu.

Sometime during the night, the silver charcoal in the brazier was replaced with smokeless red charcoal, filling the shed with warmth. Exhausted, the pair—one big, one small—soon drifted off to sleep.

Lu Yuan stood up with a frosty expression.

Shangguan Ling straightened nervously. "Grand Commander?"

Lu Yuan said, "I’m going out for a walk."

Shangguan Ling glanced at Meng Qianqian, who was asleep in the chair, holding Bao Shu, and nodded. "Understood!"

The two men left the mourning shed while Qing Shuang emerged from the shadows to guard the door.