The Liang family resided in the ancestral hall of the Xie household.
Lu Wuxie, accompanied by Xiang Jie, arrived.
The doors of the ancestral hall were ajar, and within, a woman clad in a plain white linen jacket knelt on a prayer mat, her hunched back visible.
"Grandmother, you were looking for Mo Cang?" Lu Wuxie entered the hall and bowed behind Liang shi.
Liang shi set down her prayer beads and slowly rose to face Lu Wuxie.
"Mo Cang, come here, let Grandmother see if you've grown taller."
Lu Wuxie nodded and took a few steps forward.
Liang shi reached out, gently tidying the stray strands of hair on Lu Wuxie's forehead. She studied him for a moment before saying, "They all say you resemble your father, but Grandmother sees your mother in you."
Xie Yunxia was a painful memory for Lu Wuxie. Liang shi's mention of her, even now, rendered his usual composed demeanor useless before her.
"Mo Cang, like your mother, your forced smiles are truly ugly!" Liang shi added.
Lu Wuxie could no longer maintain his facade. A bitter smile touched his lips.
Liang shi took his hand and led him to the ancestral tablets of the Xie family. She casually handed him three incense sticks, saying, "Offer incense to the ancestors first. They miss you."
Lu Wuxie nodded, bowed before the prayer mat, and then placed the incense in the censer.
"I already know about your grandfather's situation," Liang shi stated.
Lu Wuxie glanced at her. She spoke as if discussing someone else, her expression devoid of any sign of grief for her deceased husband.
However, he wasn't surprised. He felt Liang shi lived more freely than his own mother had.
As if sensing Lu Wuxie's thoughts, Liang shi sighed and pulled him to sit in a corner of the ancestral hall.
Looking at his grandmother, whose demeanor was so identical to his mother's, Lu Wuxie suddenly felt compelled to speak, "Grandmother, my mother said you have a strong will and are free-spirited, unlike her. If she had even half of your spirit, she wouldn't have lived so suppressed and miserable in the princely manor."
"But your mother was also fortunate," Liang shi said with a bitter smile, taking Lu Wuxie's hand and beginning to brush away the dust clinging to his sleeve from clearing debris. "Though the Wise Prince was slow to realize, his willingness to admit his love for your mother was fortunate."
Lu Wuxie frowned, sensing something different about Liang shi today.
Unaware of Lu Wuxie's observation, Liang shi continued, "Now that your grandfather is dead, I feel a sudden emptiness.
At the time, I chose to serve the ancestors in this hall out of stubbornness, and now it has truly become my final refuge. He could never give me what I hoped for."
"Hoped for..." Lu Wuxie was about to speak when Liang shi’s wrinkled hand pressed against his lips. "Although I didn't involve myself in the affairs of this household, and even indulged Zhen shi's recklessness, it doesn't mean I knew nothing."
"What do you know, Grandmother?" Lu Wuxie asked.
"Do you think your grandfather was always the one to enjoy all the pleasures?" Liang shi countered instead of answering him.
Lu Wuxie remained silent. In the past, he might have offered a judgment, but now, being quite the prodigal himself, he felt unqualified to comment on others.
"Five years after I gave birth to your mother, your grandfather was a prominent figure in court.
It was then that the Liang family sent Zhen shi. On the surface, it appeared that my maidservant was marrying and her family wished to provide me with a confidante. In reality, the Liang family sought to curry favor with your grandfather. I knew this, but was powerless to stop it.
You know your grandfather's temper. He had little affection for me to begin with, and with the arrival of another, he became even more resistant.
To spite me, he took Zhen shi that very day. If you trace it back, it was only that once," Liang shi sighed. "It was only that once that Xie Yunxi was conceived."
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze.
"Being proud and arrogant, I certainly didn't want my husband to favor a scullery maid. In anger, I retreated to the ancestral hall, and Zhen shi took charge of all household matters," Liang shi said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I'm sorry, Cang'er!"
Liang shi clasped Lu Wuxie's hand, saying, "I was impulsive back then, otherwise Xie Yunxi would never have married into the Wise Prince's manor."
"Grandmother, this isn't your fault..."
"Actually, your grandfather only had two women; one was me, and the other was Zhen shi. Although the third wife, Fang shi, was taken in, he never entered her chambers. It's strange, but after your mother died, your grandfather seemed to change entirely," Liang shi said.
"What do you mean, Grandmother?" Lu Wuxie inquired.
"Although he didn't like me, he didn't like Zhen shi either. Before, he always stayed in the study that was now burnt down. Then, one day, he started spending every night in Zhen shi's room. I could even hear sounds of flirtatious banter from Zhen shi's courtyard," Liang shi said, a layer of sadness, but more so resentment, appearing in her eyes.
"Grandmother, you think Grandfather changed?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Liang shi nodded. "Your grandfather and I weren't exactly soulmates who understood each other deeply, but I knew his nature to some extent. Didn't he resign from his post and return to Jinzhou to avoid trouble? Such a low-profile person, yet..."
"Yet what?" Lu Wuxie frowned, guessing somewhat.
"He started frequenting the Bai Zui Lou, and even brought women of ill repute into the manor. The reputation of the hundred-year-old Xie family is ruined," Liang shi said with a distressed frown. "I tried to stop him before, but I was reprimanded. Now that he's turned to ash, I suppose I'll never have that chance again."
Lu Wuxie hadn't grown up in the Xie family, but he knew a lot about Xie Xu. In his memory, Xie Xu had been a true gentleman in his youth. Now that Xie Xu frequented brothels, Lu Wuxie had assumed it was due to Qi Shuishui's appearance. Hearing Liang shi now...
"Grandfather going to brothels wasn't because of Qi Shuishui?" he asked.
Liang shi, of course, understood Lu Wuxie's implication. She shook her head. "Everyone has their youthful wildness, but that's all in the past. Your grandfather knew what he was doing."
Upon hearing this, Lu Wuxie recalled the letter he had received from Xie Xu when he was in Jincheng. He took it out and handed it to Liang shi. "Grandmother, please look at this."
Liang shi took it, her expression darkening. She abruptly pulled at Lu Wuxie's sleeve and said, "Indeed, there is something suspicious about your grandfather's death. Cang'er, he must have sought you out because of your current identity. You must investigate the true cause of your grandfather's death!"
Lu Wuxie looked at the agitated Liang shi and was about to offer words of comfort when a knock sounded from outside the ancestral hall.
"Young Master, Miss Zhong has returned."
Lu Wuxie heard this and replied, "I know. This Young Master will be there shortly."
Liang shi also heard the voice outside. She watched as a fleeting gentleness appeared in Lu Wuxie's eyes when he heard the name 'Zhong Li'. A smile touched her lips. "Cang'er, you seem very special towards Miss Zhong."
Lu Wuxie's expression faltered. Seeing Liang shi's smiling eyes, he knew she had misunderstood. He began, "Li'er is the magistrate of the Dali Temple. She came to Jinzhou to solve a case and happened upon my grandfather's accident. She was acting out of..."
"Cang'er!" Liang shi interrupted him, gripping his hand firmly. "Though you bear the royal surname, your temperament is exactly like your mother's. How can you hide what you feel from your grandmother?
Grandmother doesn't question why you became the number one prodigal of Nan Yue. What Grandmother cares about is what you truly desire in your heart. Cang'er, it's not easy to find someone you cherish. Don't be like your mother and me, holding back and wasting your time."