Chapter 80: Liu Ying Part 3

When all gave up persuading, Xun Changqing figured it out herself. She slipped away alone to the ancestral hall.

The moment she stepped in, tears surged from her eyes. She walked slowly inside, lit three incense sticks, and stared blankly at the words “Liu Ying.” The tablet stood side by side with the late Princess Consort’s. She laughed with emotion, “I know you did not like this, but formal status is what all women desire. Changqing fought for it for you.”

Feeling tired, she sank into a corner, resting her head on her knees, her gaze vacant. She murmured softly, “After hearing his words, I wondered—if you had not died, would you have taken me away from the Imperial Capital to live a peaceful, undisturbed life?”

The ancestral hall was deathly silent. Only the figure in white in the corner stood out, a white silk flower pinned in her hair. Her soft voice echoed faintly, muffled and eerie. The dim light and yellowish candle flames barely illuminated the tablets on the altar.

Xun Changqing’s lashes trembled. Her face was haggard, her long black hair stark against the white robes. She drifted like a fallen leaf in the wind. She had gritted her teeth through so much, feeling there was no way back. But now, facing this alone, perhaps if Liu Ying were alive, she would not feel so helpless.

Liu Ying would not be as ruthless as Ana Yanran, trapping her in peril. Laughably, Ana Yanran still occupied more space in her heart. As she thought, tears welled uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands, but the torrent escaped through her fingers, soaking her palms.

The silent weeping tugged at Wei Lingci’s heart as she crossed the threshold. Rumors from the Imperial Capital had reached her ears long ago. She thought such trivial matters needed no guidance from her. She pretended ignorance, not mentioning it in letters.

Upon returning to the capital yesterday, she learned the full story. Xun Changqing’s methods were merciful but effective—a good outcome. She acted methodically, without rashness; no need for worry.

Yet seeing her now, hiding in the shadows and crying, Wei Lingci regretted it. Rumors wounded the depths of the soul. Though she schemed, her emotions were real. She yearned for normal familial bonds—with Xun Yi, with her birth mother.

Wei Lingci sighed softly and stepped forward, gently patting her head. “Changqing, I’m back.”

Before Xun Changqing could react, Wei Lingci pulled the lonely figure leaning against the wall into her embrace. Feeling her sorrow, Wei Lingci rubbed the top of her head tenderly. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t by your side amid the storm.”

All the pent-up grievances found solace. Xun Changqing withdrew her arms from her knees and wrapped them tightly around the neck before her, pressing her body to her chest. The familiar clear fragrance steadied her slowly. She bit her lip, choking out, “Wei Lingci… I… I missed you.”

Wei Lingci smiled, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. She patted the trembling back. “Mm, I missed you too.”

Such simple words encompassed days of longing. This time, Wei Lingci was honest, no false words. It satisfied Xun Changqing. She lifted her head. “Why did it take you so long to return?”

Wei Lingci was prepared for the complaint. She stroked her black hair. The white silk flower caught her eye. She inhaled sharply and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, whispering near her ear, “Yuan Man captured Xu Ke. I had to escort him back to the capital, which delayed me on the road. How could I not want to return sooner? Your letters were so urgent, but I have no wings to fly back.”

Her rare soft tone stirred Xun Changqing’s heart. She wiped her tears, a pang of fear flashing in her eyes—the dread of losing her, as with Ana Yanran and Liu Ying. Her sour heart suddenly leaped. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back, that someone else would steal you away, and I’d have to chase you to the ends of the earth.”

“No need to chase. Wherever you are, I’ll return. Changqing, this won’t happen again.” She crouched down, leaning against the wall herself. The cold wall made her shiver at first. “How long have you been leaning here? Your wound is barely healed; you can’t stand the chill.”

“Mm… just arrived… not long,” Xun Changqing brushed it off, fearing questions. She lifted her head and, like Wei Lingci had, kissed her forehead. But she did not stop, trailing downward deliberately to the corner of her lips, intentionally silencing any impending scolding.

Xun Changqing’s kisses were always clumsy, like an innocent child desperate to entwine them forever, inseparable. The sweet kiss enveloped them like lingering mist, drifting with the wind.

With the wall at her back, Wei Lingci could not retreat and let her be. Xun Changqing loved kissing her to draw sweetness, but always misjudged— like now. Wei Lingci pinched her waist lightly. As she released, Wei Lingci smiled like a breeze. “This is the ancestral hall. Keep fooling around, and you’ll profane the elders. Careful, or the Prince will punish you.”

Long days apart had indeed made her yearn, but the ancestral hall forbade excess. She pulled away from the embrace reluctantly. “Since it’s the ancestral hall, how did you get in? Over the wall?”

“How I entered is none of your concern.” Seeing her pout cutely, Wei Lingci could not resist poking her cheek and laughed. “Your Highness, we should go.”

Xun Changqing glanced back at her mother’s tablet, missing the shift in address. She stood, pulling Wei Lingci up, pressing close and whispering, “Do you want to offer incense?”

Their changed status, with Liu Ying’s tablet foremost, made Xun Changqing ask. Wei Lingci flinched slightly and shook her head. “No, it’s too early. Let’s go out first.”

No incense then. Xun Changqing glared, rubbing her head against her chest, unsatisfied. She nipped her ear. “Why too early? Regretting it?”

Wei Lingci knew she was restless again—too many little moves. She pulled her out of the ancestral hall. But Xun Changqing would not let go, tugging her sleeve. Even encountering Zi Jin on the way, she clung.

Zi Jin startled at Wei Lingci’s sudden return, then said, “Miss Wei, His Majesty has passed away.”