Outside the General's mansion.
Madam Yun no longer had her former arrogance, nor the haughty demeanor she displayed on her previous visits.
She appeared haggard, drained of all spirit and energy.
She had lost some weight, her face was sallow and devoid of color.
As the General's mansion gate remained stubbornly shut, Madam Yun's brow furrowed, and she urged Yang Shi, who stood beside her, "After we see Changfeng and Yunshu, you must speak kindly. We absolutely cannot maintain the same attitude as before."
Yang Shi's face was also grim, her lips pressed tightly together. Clearly, she was resentful of Madam Yun's words, but upon considering their current predicament, she could only nod in reluctant agreement.
Behind them stood Yun Dezhi, who also looked utterly worn out. He had completely lost the spirited demeanor of days past, appearing as if he had aged more than a decade in just a few days.
Visually, he seemed to be a generation younger than the Great General.
When the servants of the General's mansion saw Madam Yun and their group, they were all taken aback.
Madam Yun gazed at the grand facade of the General's mansion, her regrets churning like never before. She lamented why she had been so foolish, why she had insisted on leaving the General's mansion!
At the time, it was as if she had been bewitched, believing that Changfeng would indeed be condemned!
She thought that by leaving with her eldest son, her own esteemed status as Madam Yun would be preserved, perhaps even elevated in the future.
Only now did she realize that as long as she was Changfeng's mother, she would remain the honored Madam Yun of the capital.
She turned to Yun Dezhi again and said, "Remember, when you see your brother later, you must apologize first. Do not anger him again!"
Yun Dezhi clenched his teeth, his brows knitting in displeasure. "Mother, regardless of how we left, he shouldn't have barred us from our home! The General's mansion is our home!"
"Master, times have changed. We've also heard what that esteemed master said. If we cannot return to the General's mansion, Yueyin might not be able to marry into the Regent's manor smoothly. And you've seen Yueyin's current state... if it weren't for the fact that she's carrying the Regent's child, her engagement would surely be broken off," Yang Shi trembled uncontrollably whenever she thought of Yun Yueyin's completely disfigured face.
Finally.
The gate of the General's mansion opened.
Yun Shu and Yun Changfeng emerged.
Upon seeing the group before them, the father and daughter's expressions shifted slightly.
They had even donned tattered clothes to come and evoke sympathy?
Yun Shu inwardly chuckled. They would stoop to any level to achieve their goals, even sacrificing their dignity.
"Changfeng! Look at your mother. Your mother is starving and freezing, living in a place where the wind blows through. These past few days, your mother has done a lot of thinking and realized she made many mistakes! Before, your mother couldn't see clearly, but now she does. Changfeng, I have wronged you!" Madam Yun covered her face and wept, her body trembling as if she were about to collapse.
Yang Shi also shed tears, "We were wrong."
"Second Brother, I was wrong." Yun Dezhi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to apologize.
Yun Shu looked at the three before her, then at Yun Changfeng.
Yun Changfeng's expression remained impassive, as it had been moments before. He looked at Madam Yun with a blank face and said, "The Yun residence in the suburbs is not so drafty that it's exposed to the wind on all sides. Madam Yun, you exaggerate. The residences of countless common folk in the capital are not as large as the Yun residence in the suburbs."
Then, he turned his gaze to Yun Dezhi. "Yun Dezhi, if you are unwilling to apologize, why bother doing so? Last time, I made it clear that I have severed all ties with the Yun family. Why have you come here to disturb us again today?"
Was it because they had finally realized his Shu'er was more outstanding than the hypocritical Yun Yueyin?
Unfortunately, they were not trustworthy.
Yun Dezhi, suppressing his anger and exacerbated by Yun Changfeng's lack of deference, flushed scarlet and retorted stubbornly, "Yun Changfeng, I am your elder brother. Don't push your luck! I admit I made mistakes before, and I've apologized to you. Are you happy to see us in such a state of destitution?"
"Stop talking!" Madam Yun felt she was about to die of anger.
Yang Shi also frowned deeply. "Master, we have no other recourse now. You cannot continue like this!"
"It's fine. Regardless of Yun Dezhi's attitude, or yours, it will not change my decision. The General's mansion, apart from myself and Shu'er, will not accommodate anyone else." Yun Changfeng's words were resolute.
Yun Shu, seeing Yun Changfeng's firm stance, could sense that he was also hurting inside.
However, he also understood that their return was not born of genuine repentance.
Judging by Madam Yun's demeanor, there might be a sliver of remorse.
Madam Yun staggered back several steps, her face growing even paler.
She looked at Yun Changfeng in disbelief. "Changfeng, do you truly hate me so much that you cannot forgive me?"
Yun Changfeng stared coldly at Madam Yun. "From the moment Madam Yun deceived me and mistreated Shu'er, Madam Yun should have realized that this General will never forgive you!"
"I am your birth mother! Without me, how could you exist? How dare you disown me? Calling me 'Madam Yun' repeatedly cuts me like a knife! Even if I made countless mistakes, I raised you. You are my son; no one can change that! Even if I treated your daughter harshly, so what? Between a daughter and her mother, who is more important? How can you be so unfilial? I have come to apologize to you; what more do you want?" Madam Yun's body trembled with rage.
Her barrage of questions made even her feel guilty.
Yet, she still felt she was in the right.
Yang Shi wiped her tears and sobbed, "No matter how deep the grudges, Mother has come to apologize. Is that not enough?"
"Second Brother, don't go too far. Don't be too greedy. If this news spreads, it will do you no good! You might as well accept what you can get now. Our return to the General's mansion will benefit you in every way, even earning you a good reputation! Otherwise, how can soldiers respect you if you are so unfilial?" Yun Dezhi gritted out.
Madam Yun and Yang Shi both looked at Yun Dezhi.
Yun Dezhi frowned deeply. "I'm not wrong. Even if they apologize, you see, he definitely won't let us return! If you ask me, we shouldn't have come back at all. We might as well go to the Emperor and complain, let the Emperor judge us!"
"Changfeng, you've heard him. I absolutely cannot escalate this to the Emperor. Coming to apologize now is just to make you feel better. You've always been filial, and I know the past hurt you. I can promise you that such things will never happen again! As for Yun Shu, as long as she is filial to me, I will treat her and Yueyin equally well." Madam Yun looked at Yun Shu with a benevolent expression.
Hoping that Yun Shu would agree to let them return.