Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Butler Mu paused slightly, a hint of melancholy creeping into his aged eyes. He looked at the woman before him, still stunningly beautiful but long since estranged from the Prince's mansion, and sighed softly.

"Your Highness may not know this, but only a year after you left the Prince's Mansion, Consort Mu and the old Prince passed away one after another. After this incident, the Dowager Consort was depressed and had no interest in managing the household affairs. The Prince, who disliked hustle and bustle, simply dismissed many of the servants in the mansion."

Ling Xi listened quietly, her hands unconsciously clenching slightly. She looked up at the long, endless corridor, a light mist spreading across her eyes.

The pavilions and flowers remain the same, but the people are gone. The wind blows through the long corridor, and the cool breeze ruffles the hair at her temples. Ling Xi hides the bitterness and melancholy in her eyes and takes another step.

"Let's go."

Butler Mu looked at her calm profile and clearly saw the fleeting pain in her eyes. He sighed inwardly but dared not say anything. He could only silently lead the way and continue towards Zhengyang Courtyard.

The room in Zhengyang Courtyard was filled with the smell of medicine. Consort Rui was sitting on a soft couch with a bowl of medicine in her hand. When she heard Steward Mu announce her arrival, her fingertips paused slightly, her brows furrowed, and she looked at the person who had come with a deep gaze.

"I thought you would never set foot in Prince Rui's mansion again in your life."

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Ling Xi bowed in greeting, a relieved smile spreading across her face. Her gaze fell lightly on her. In just a few short years, she had aged considerably, with strands of white hair appearing at her temples.

"Please sit down."

Consort Rui put down the medicine bowl in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but probe softly:

"You...are you here to see Ce'er?"

"I brought Qin Qi's daughter here, and now that I've arrived at the residence, I thought I'd stop by and visit the Dowager Consort."

Ling Xi's smile remained unchanged as she calmly replied, her eyes gentle and warm.

Consort Rui's expression suddenly dimmed, and a tickle in her throat caused her to cough lightly several times. Ling Xi looked at her frail and haggard appearance and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

"Ling Xi will not disturb the Empress Dowager's medication any longer and will take her leave now."

"Wait... cough cough, wait a minute."

She gently patted her chest to catch her breath and turned her head to look at Granny Sun beside her.

"Granny Sun, take them downstairs first."

Granny Sun looked worried, glanced at Consort Rui, and then quietly led two maids out.

Ling Xi frowned slightly and had no choice but to sit back down.

"Ling Xi, even if you hadn't come today, I was going to come and find you anyway."

"Looking for me?"

Ling Xi's heart tightened, and she quickly racked her brains trying to figure out why Xiao Ce's mother wanted to see her. Could it be about Yue'er?

Consort Rui slowly concealed her previous sickly and weary expression, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Ling Yue... is Ce'er's flesh and blood, isn't he?"

Ling Xi's heart suddenly pounded wildly. Sure enough, it was about this matter. She suppressed her chaotic emotions and took a deep breath.

"Yes."

"I knew the moment I saw the child that he was definitely Ce'er's flesh and blood, but Ce'er didn't believe it at first. He didn't believe that you would give birth to his child."

Ling Xi stared at her blankly, her throat tightening. Xiao Ce didn't believe it, probably because of the harsh words she had said to him back in Ji City.

"Xiao Ce...he already knows?"

"Upon learning the truth that day, he rushed out of the palace in a panic, and when he returned, he was already on the verge of death."

Consort Rui turned to the side, her gaze earnestly falling upon her.

"Ling Xi, Ce'er... has chosen you for life. As his mother, I shamelessly beg you today to stay by his side, is that alright?"

Ling Xi's heart stirred slightly, but she remained silent. She had never imagined that one day, Xiao Ce's mother would say such things to her.

Consort Rui stared at her blank, lost expression, her lips slightly pursed downwards.

"That year, Ce'er returned from the Western Frontier, weary from his journey, full of joy, thinking of going to Jicheng to bring you back to the manor. But what awaited him was the news that the marriage was called off and that you would never return. I still vividly remember how devastated and heartbroken Ce'er was at that time."

Looking at Ling Xi's pale cheeks and slightly red eyes, her eyes, which had seen half a lifetime of joys and sorrows, gradually softened, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes gently furrowed.

"Upon hearing the news, he couldn't sleep all night. The next day, he rushed to Jicheng, hoping there was still room for maneuver. But in the end, he returned alone. The following year, after Wan Ning passed away, he went to Jicheng again. When he returned, he was utterly despondent, his eyes filled with despair, and he remained silent behind closed doors all day. Not long after, his father also passed away. In just one year, Ce'er lost his loved ones and his closest relatives. Each event was a calamity. How could he bear it? From then on, Ce'er was like a different person, living like a mindless walking corpse."

She raised her handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of her eyes. When she looked at Ling Xi again, the worry in her eyes had not yet dissipated.

"Ling Xi, are you really unwilling to forgive Ce'er again? He shouldn't have covered for Wan Ning back then and deliberately concealed it from you, but he did have many concerns at the time. Wan Ning had a hard life since childhood, losing her parents at a young age, and she didn't have much time left. Ce'er may seem cold and hard, but he is actually the softest at heart. His feelings for Wan Ning are actually..."

The words that Consort Rui was about to say suddenly stopped, and deep sorrow welled up in her eyes.

"Ling Xi, could you... could you give Ce'er another chance?"

Consort Rui tightened her grip on the silk handkerchief slightly, her gaze towards Ling Xi filled with earnestness, even a hint of humble pleading. Her magnificent attire made this soft pleas all the more heartbreaking.

Ling Xi, who had remained silent all along, lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes already brimming with tears. The past of Xiao Ce, which she had never glimpsed, was once again clearly laid out before her eyes by Consort Rui.

When she heard Qin Qi recount his story that day, her heart had already begun to waver slightly, and now, that wavering in her heart was becoming even clearer.

"Ling Xi..."

Ling Xi steadied herself and looked up again, meeting Consort Rui's expectant gaze. Those weary, weathered eyes seemed to deliberately suppress their urgency, quietly awaiting her reply. Ling Xi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she suddenly felt a sense of confusion and helplessness.

"I...I don't know."

"Ling Xi... Ce'er really can't live without you, he needs you. This time, he risked his life to rush to Night City to find you, which shows how much he wants to win you back."

"Consort Rui, I really don't know..."

"What if I told you that An'er isn't Ce'er's child? Ce'er has always only ever treated Wan Ning as a younger sister, and his heart has always belonged only to you!"

She suddenly became emotional, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.