The old lady's fainting spell drew everyone's attention. Xia Wan'er and Granny Hua held her up, both extremely worried.
Although Xia Wan'er disliked Hua Changqing, she held the old lady in high regard. Apart from failing to raise Hua Changqing properly, the old lady possessed many admirable qualities that young people could emulate.
Xia Wan'er: "Godmother, godmother, what's wrong?"
Granny Hua: "Old Madam, Old Madam, you're trying to scare this old servant to death!"
Seeing this, Leng Ruo Li quickly stepped forward to examine the old lady's condition. Fortunately, she was not seriously ill, merely overcome with anger.
However, upon seeing his mother faint, Hua Changqing showed no sign of excessive concern. Instead, seizing the moment when the four stewards restraining him were inattentive, he violently broke free. He grabbed his long sword and charged towards An Qingyao, raising the hilt and plunging it into her back.
"Ah..."
An Qingyao screamed and slowly turned her head, looking at the man assassinating her. Her eyes revealed nothing but sorrow as she used her last breath to utter the words she wanted to say to Hua Changqing.
"Hua... Hua, Chang, Qing, you you... you are truly wicked!"
With that, the light in An Qingyao's eyes gradually faded. Finally, her hands fell limp, her eyes closed forever, and her body collapsed onto the grass.
But even with An Qingyao dead, Hua Changqing seemed unwilling to let her go. He swiftly drew the sword from An Qingyao's body and stabbed her corpse several more times, viciously cursing, "An Qingyao, you bitch, you poisoness! I will not let you rest even in death! You have left me with nothing today. I have spent over twenty years planning for this position of Hua family head... and now all my plans are ruined by you... Ahhhh!"
After cursing An Qingyao, Hua Changqing began to shriek madly.
Leng Jin Yu could no longer bear to listen. He raised his hand, gathering his internal energy, and struck Hua Changqing. Leng Jin Yu's blow nearly killed Hua Changqing, who ultimately remained barely alive and unconscious.
With An Qingyao dead, the ancient locust tree that had bound Xing'er and Ling'er gradually lost its vitality, its leaves turning yellow in an instant.
The red marks on Xing'er and Ling'er's wrists also vanished, and the sparkle returned to their eyes.
The people present quickly noticed this and were all greatly shocked.
"Your Highness, Consort, has the secret technique on Xing'er and Ling'er been automatically lifted?" Ye Ying and Yin Chen asked happily.
"It should have been! An Qingyao is dead, and the secret technique she planted has vanished with her. Hurry and untie Xing'er and Ling'er; they are fine now," Leng Ruo Li said, looking up at the ancient locust tree above. After a few moments of contemplation, she said earnestly.
Upon hearing Leng Ruo Li's words, Ye Ying and Yin Chen rushed to Xing'er and Ling'er and untied them.
...
By evening, the old lady slowly opened her eyes. She glanced at the people standing by her bedside: Xia Wan'er, Leng Jin Yu, Leng Ruo Li, Granny Hua, and Third Aunt Hua (Granny Hua). The others waited outside her room.
The old lady then suddenly asked, "Wan'er, where are Hua Changqing and An Qingyao?"
Xia Wan'er looked at the old lady, sighed softly, and replied, "Godmother, An Qingyao is dead. Hua Changqing is barely clinging to life and lies in his courtyard at this moment."
The old lady also sighed heavily upon hearing this. Her expression was filled with grief and sorrow, and a tear then trickled from the corner of her eye.
Afterward, her voice tinged with sadness, she asked, "How did An Qingyao die?"
Xia Wan'er truthfully answered, "She was ambushed from behind and stabbed to death by Hua Changqing. Hua Changqing was knocked unconscious by Jin Yu." Xia Wan'er did not wish to conceal anything from the old lady regarding what happened to Hua Changqing after her fainting spell.
"Jin Yu showed leniency towards him out of consideration for me, didn't he? For a beast like Hua Changqing, you didn't need to show mercy; you should have just beaten him to death," Xia Wan'er said. Xia Wan'er had expected the old lady to blame Leng Jin Yu for injuring Hua Changqing, but the old lady's reaction surprised both Xia Wan'er and Leng Jin Yu.
Two days later, Hua Changqing finally succumbed to Leng Jin Yu's blow and passed away.
The old lady arranged for simple funerals for both of them and notified their son, who was traveling and studying, to return for the mourning. Their marital affairs were thus concluded.
Half a month later, the King of Cold and his Consort, along with a group of people, traveled in a procession of carriages through the city gates. They passed through the capital's most prosperous main street and arrived at the entrance of the Grand Tutor Xia's mansion.
The four stewards guarding the gate, upon seeing the King of Cold's carriage, quickly stepped forward. After confirming it was the King and Consort of Cold, one of the stewards intended to run into the mansion to inform Grand Tutor Xia and the old lady. However, Leng Ruo Li urgently called out to him.
"Young man, there's no need to inform grandfather and grandmother. We'll enter directly; we want to surprise them."
The steward who had intended to report the King and Consort's return to his masters stopped in his tracks, turned around, scratched his head, and chuckled, nodding his head.
"Yes, Consort!"
Following this, the people from the four carriages behind the King and Consort of Cold disembarked.
Today, Xia Wan'er, wanting to surprise her parents, specially wore the cloak prepared by Leng Ruo Li. She followed the King and Consort of Cold and Leng Jin Yu into the Xia mansion.
At this moment, Grand Tutor Xia and Old Madam Xia were unaware that Leng Ruo Li and the others had returned to the capital. They were sitting in the courtyard, gazing at the clear sky in the distance, their hearts filled with worry.
Sitting on a stone bench nearby, Old Madam Xia looked at Grand Tutor Xia and sighed,
"My lord, it's been over half a month since Li'er wrote back. I wonder how they are doing."
"Isn't that so? I've written her three letters, and she hasn't written me back. Later, I wrote a letter to Leng Jin Yu, and to my surprise, he also didn't write back. These father and daughter are truly infuriating," Grand Tutor Xia said, his whiskers bristling with anger over Leng Jin Yu and Leng Ruo Li's lack of correspondence.
Old Madam Xia quickly comforted Grand Tutor Xia,
"My lord, don't be too anxious. Perhaps Li'er is busy these days. They will write back in a day or two."
"Alas, these children... I don't know what to say about them," Grand Tutor Xia shook his head helplessly.
"Hehe, children grow up and have their own ideas..." Old Madam Xia also spoke with a sense of helplessness.