After an unknown amount of time, the Cold King and his consort awoke in a lush bamboo forest. They immediately stood up, their gazes sweeping their surroundings as they searched for Shui Yihe. However, after searching the bamboo forest for a long time, they could not find Shui Yihe, nor did they know where he had gone.
Later, the two walked out of the bamboo forest and arrived at a spacious meadow filled with all sorts of colorful wildflowers and grass.
A crystal-clear small river playfully divided the meadow in half, and not far away stood an ancient tree with a canopy-like shape and gnarled roots.
Its leaves, as thick as a thumb, grew lush and verdant, densely covering the ancient tree and adding much vitality.
Beneath the ancient tree stood a courtyard that was as beautiful as a tapestry and yet very serene.
The courtyard was surrounded by flowers of various species, especially roses, of which there were many, with the flower climbing almost all the courtyard's fences.
Upon seeing the small courtyard, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan immediately walked over.
As they reached the courtyard gate, a gentle breeze blew, filling the air with a faint floral fragrance.
Just as they were about to knock on the door to see if anyone was in the courtyard, they heard the sound of a door opening from within. Thus, they quickly hid themselves in the nearby, densely covered rose bushes.
Following that, a woman dressed in a blue brocade-embroidered double-layered floral robe, with a neat bun, emerged from the courtyard carrying a large basket filled with medicinal herbs. She quickly walked towards the river.
Leng Ruoli was stunned by the woman's appearance.
The next moment, Leng Ruoli immediately stepped out of the rose bushes, hastened her steps towards the woman, and repeatedly shouted three times: "Granny Hua, Granny Hua, Granny Hua!"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Granny Hua immediately stopped walking and slowly turned around to look behind her.
When she saw Leng Ruoli standing behind her, she held her breath, and her hands trembled. The basket of medicinal herbs in her hands was knocked to the ground. However, she wasn't in a hurry to pick up the herbs; instead, she raised her hand to rub her eyes and then looked at Leng Ruoli.
"Are you my eldest young lady?" Granny Hua asked, her expression extremely excited.
"Yes, Granny Hua, I've finally found you."
As Leng Ruoli spoke, she suddenly reached out and clasped Granny Hua's shoulders. Her voice even became choked with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes. This was the deepest emotion left by the original owner in her mind, so she couldn't help but shed tears upon seeing Granny Hua.
"Eldest young lady, don't cry, don't cry. Your eyes will look bad if they swell up from crying."
Granny Hua smiled, helped Leng Ruoli stand upright, and then took a clean handkerchief from her waist to wipe away Leng Ruoli's tears.
"Granny Hua, why did you leave me and Xing'er without a word and leave the General Leng's manor back then?" Leng Ruoli asked, very confused.
"Eldest young lady, Granny Hua didn't want to leave you, but your mother's health was failing. I needed to take care of your mother and treat her, so Granny Hua could only leave you... alas..."
As Granny Hua explained up to this point, her heart was truly filled with sadness.
She had truly been reluctant to leave Leng Ruoli back then, but Xia Wan'er's illness had become increasingly serious, and she needed treatment.
However, upon hearing news of Xia Wan'er from Granny Hua, Leng Ruoli immediately became agitated and grasped Granny Hua's hand.
"Granny Hua, you just mentioned my mother, so where is my mother now?"
"Your mother is inside this house," Granny Hua said, pointing to the courtyard not far in front of her.
"Then how is my mother's condition now?" Leng Ruoli asked anxiously.
"Alas, your mother was poisoned by the Jade-Faced Butterfly Gu. The poison has attacked her heart. To alleviate her pain and prolong her life, I can only use silver needles to seal the Gu worms within her body, causing both the Gu worms and the host to fall into a dormant state. Only when I find the antidote can I break the curse," Granny Hua explained earnestly to Leng Ruoli.
"Oh, oh!"
Leng Ruoli nodded gently after hearing this.
Finally, Leng Ruoli asked again, "Granny Hua, can I go in and see my mother?"
"Eldest young lady, I just finished acupuncture and detoxification for your mother. She is now soaking in the medicinal spring room to expel toxins, and Hua Yue and Hua Yun are watching her. She can only open the door tonight, and then I can take you to see her," Granny Hua said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll listen to Granny Hua."
Although Leng Ruoli desperately wanted to see her mother now, she did not know her mother's current condition and therefore dared not rush in. She could only respect Granny Hua's opinion.
But just as she was lost in thought, Granny Hua suddenly noticed Jun Mohan beside her.
"Eldest young lady, who is this handsome young man who came with you?" Granny Hua asked, glancing at Jun Mohan.
"Granny, this is Cold King Jun Mohan, the current Emperor's second son," Leng Ruoli introduced him simply.
"So it's him. I thought he was your fiancé, Prince Qing," Granny Hua said with a smile.
Leng Ruoli did not get angry upon hearing Granny Hua say this.
It was not surprising that Granny Hua lived in such a serene place for years and was out of touch with outside news.
"Granny Hua, my engagement with Prince Qing was annulled long ago. I have now married into the Cold King's manor and become the Cold King's consort," Leng Ruoli quickly explained to Granny Hua.
"Alas, it's truly a great blessing that you didn't marry Prince Qing. Back then, the Empress insisted on arranging a child marriage between you and Prince Qing for your mother. Your mother had to agree to it for your father's troops stationed at the northern border to receive their military supplies smoothly..."
"Later, your face was ruined by Madam Liu, who had been feeding you slow-acting poison for a long time. The Empress and her son then began to disdain you immensely. However, eldest young lady, who treated the dark spots on your face? Their medical skills are too superb; I tried many times but failed to remove them."
Granny Hua stared at Leng Ruoli's smooth, fair, and flawless face, filled with surprise.
"Granny Hua, we'll discuss this matter in detail later."
Leng Ruoli deftly dodged the topic with Granny Hua, who also respected Leng Ruoli's wishes.
"Alright, eldest young lady. But your life must have been very difficult these past few years, right? Madam Liu and her daughter are as venomous as snakes, with cruel and malicious methods. They must have bullied you terribly, haven't they?"
Leng Ruoli smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, but now they can no longer bully me."
Although Granny Hua didn't quite understand the meaning behind Leng Ruoli's words, she knew that Leng Ruoli would no longer be bullied, and she was genuinely happy for Leng Ruoli.
"That's good! That's good!"
Afterward, Granny Hua invited both Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan into the courtyard.