Chapter 389 - 389: Pitiful People Abandoned by the World
The ancestral tomb of the Liu family lay to the east of the Imperial City, a place said to be the heart of the Great Shu Dynasty’s fortune.
The imperial mausoleum occupied the prime spot, surrounded by the tombs of high-ranking officials and nobility, both large and small.
After getting off the carriage and traversing a stretch of mountain road, Huangfu Lingyao insisted on carrying Liu Shimei on his back. Liu Shimei could not resist his enthusiasm, so she let him.
However, as they arrived in front of the burial site, Liu Shimei froze in astonishment. “What’s going on here?”
In ancient times, the surroundings of tombs were usually covered in earth. If not tended to, they would be overgrown with grass. Families like theirs used green bricks to build the tombs. Such households had people to guard and maintain the graves.
Obviously, Liu Quan’s tomb had been recently tended to. It was immaculate. Fresh flowers and plain offerings were arranged in front of the tombstone, and there were remnants of burnt incense!
“Did someone arrive before us?” Huangfu Lingyao put Liu Shimei down and asked her with a lowered voice. “Wife, isn’t today your brother’s memorial day? Who could have done this?”
Mo’er felt very helpless. She thought, ‘Calling him brother in front of someone else’s tomb before we’re even married?’
But she dared not speak out.
Being scolded by the Silly Second Prince was not scary at all. She feared her own master!
Liu Shimei frowned, unconsciously linking the person who had tidied the tomb and the one who had secretly placed the stolen heirloom book in Liu Quan’s study.
She felt like that heirloom book’s story was a reminder: Your brother’s death was not a simple accident; someone planned it!
Could it be that they were afraid she hadn’t seen the book, so they were reminding her here?
“Wife, what’s wrong?” Huangfu Lingyao did not get an immediate response, so he turned to look at her. He speculated in his heart, then voiced his concern, “Don’t be sad. Your brother surely wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
He had investigated. The bond between Liu Shimei and her brother Liu Quan was extremely strong. After Liu Quan’s death, Liu Shimei began to change. With her mother gone and her father having hurt her heart, the only family she had left, even though so many years had passed, might still feel sorrow.
Her attachment to family was evident in her attitude towards the members of the Liang family.
“I’m fine.” Liu Shimei snapped back to attention, offering a faint smile to the silly guy.
However, the smile was somewhat subdued, not genuinely happy no matter how you looked at it.
“Wife,” Huangfu Lingyao carefully observed her facial expression and added, “You have me.”
The sudden statement was simple but had Liu Shimei momentarily stunned.
She lifted her head, meeting his gaze, and in a daze, she asked, “What did you just say?”
“I said…” Huangfu Lingyao lowered his head to look at her, and with both silliness and sincerity, he said, “It doesn’t matter if others aren’t good to you; you still have me. I’ll definitely treat you well.”
Liu Shimei was taken aback, warmth flooding her heart and quickly spreading throughout.
She silently smiled, reached out to squeeze Huangfu Lingyao’s hand, and said, “Yes, I know.”
In this unpredictable Imperial Capital, the two of them depended on each other!
Both were abandoned by society, seeking warmth together, enduring hardships, and who knew if they might rise again?
Mo’er and Lu Ying had already set up the offerings. They turned to see the two of them gazing at each other affectionately and could not help but curl their lips.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman, even in the backdrop of a cemetery, looked like characters from a celestial painting! Initially, they had thought the Second Prince was a fool who could not match up to their Young Miss, but after observing for a while, they felt that he wasn’t that bad?
He might be a little foolish, but not completely so. He also listened to the Eldest Young Miss and made her happy.
Wasn’t this much better than marrying the mentally sound Crown Prince and potentially getting involved in the harem struggles, never knowing when her life might be in danger?
“Eldest Miss, the incense is ready. Please come and pay your respects.”
Hearing Mo’er’s words, Liu Shimei responded, “Yes.”
Huangfu Lingyao followed behind her, his gaze locked on the back of her head. His eyes moved towards the two characters ‘Liu Quan’ on the tombstone, and he thought, ‘It seems my wife still has a lot on her mind..’