After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

"The old lady is so kind. She didn't look down on me because I was sick and couldn't do anything. She even worried about me every day. It is truly my fault for being unfilial."

Princess Lingjun was grateful to the old lady, who had treated her like her own daughter ever since she married into the Xue family, always considering her needs.

However, her own frail body was useless; she was sickly all day and unable to do anything, which was a serious dereliction of duty for the mistress of the General's Mansion.

"Princess, why belittle yourself like this? You have carried on the Xue family line, bearing five sons and one daughter. You are no less a meritorious contributor to the Xue family..."

Qingyan was originally trying to comfort her master when she inadvertently mentioned the young lady who had been missing for more than ten years.

Seeing the princess's face turn pale, he realized he had mentioned a taboo, and his face turned white with fright. He immediately knelt down on the ground.

"Princess, I was wrong. I shouldn't have mentioned Miss's matter. It's my fault for being so foul-mouthed."

Everyone has their own taboos and pains, and the princess's greatest pain is her mistress.

Qingyan hated herself for speaking so carelessly, reopening her master's wounds, and in self-reproach, she reached out and slapped herself hard across the face.

"Get up. It's not your fault. I don't even know how my poor daughter is doing now, or if she's still alive."

Princess Lingjun felt as if her heart was bleeding when she heard Qingyan mention her daughter who had disappeared without a trace.

But she was a kind and gentle person, and she would rather suffer herself than punish the maid.

For so many years, she longed to see her child before she died, even just one glimpse would be enough.

The crazy old man who stole the child left a note saying that his daughter would have a karmic conflict with her parents until she turned sixteen, and that he would definitely return her to them after she turned sixteen.

She didn't care about any issues of zodiac compatibility; all she wanted was to see her daughter.

Even though her daughter wasn't raised in the household all these years, her health has deteriorated day by day. To say that she's bringing misfortune to her parents is utter nonsense.

She knows her own body best now; she's at her last gasp, and it's uncertain how many days she'll live.

The only regret is that I wanted to see the daughter I gave birth to at the risk of my life.

For the past sixteen years, she has endured each day like a year, counting down the days until now, which marks exactly sixteen years.

Hopefully, the crazy old man will keep his word and return her daughter.

Princess Lingjun felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked out the window at the heavy snow falling like goose feathers.

Princess Xie

When Qingyan slapped herself, she didn't fake it at all; she slapped her face hard, and in no time her face was covered in blood.

"Qingyan, how long has this blizzard been going on? I wonder how much suffering the general must be enduring while marching and fighting."

Princess Lingjun suppressed the pain in her heart, her eyes filled with deep worry, as if the blizzard was never-ending.

With many houses collapsing around the capital, how could she not worry about her husband and two sons who were leading troops in battle on the frontier?

It's uncertain how long her frail body can hold on, let alone whether she can survive until the general's triumphant return.

She wanted to see them one last time before she left, because she still had unfinished business: her only daughter had not yet been found.

"Your Highness, it has been snowing for three days and three nights. The snow outside is three feet high. I heard that many houses have collapsed under the weight of the snow, and many people have died."

Qingyan told the princess all the information she had gathered from the other maids.

Confined to bed all day, the princess has lost her former charm.

"The conditions in those desolate frontiers are probably even more bleak than in the capital. I wonder if the general has suffered from hunger and cold while leading Heng'er and Zheng'er on their campaigns."

The beautiful woman stared intently at the blizzard outside, her eyes filled with worry for her husband and two sons.

"Princess, please rest assured. Our great general is such a brave and skilled warrior. This kind of disaster will definitely not be a problem for him."

With the eldest son, so mature and steady, and the second son, so shrewd and calculating, assisting them, there certainly won't be any problems.

Qingyan understood Princess Lingjun's worries best and gently comforted the beautiful woman.

“You’re right. My husband has led troops in battle for so many years, this little disaster will surely not be a problem for him.”

The beautiful woman's worries lessened considerably, and her tone of voice became lighter.

But the sorrow between his brows still couldn't be dispelled.

She was born into nobility and was loved by her father, mother, and brothers from a young age. After growing up, she married the man she loved and had both a son and a daughter. She should have been content.

At her daughter's 100-day celebration, she was forcibly taken away by an uninvited, crazy old man.

Her husband immediately sent people to search for her, and even her father, the emperor, who lived in a neighboring country, sent people.

The mad old man left a note saying he would send his daughter back to the general's mansion when she turned sixteen, and then disappeared without a trace, as if he had vanished into thin air.

With less than half a month remaining until the sixteen-year agreement is fulfilled, she hopes he will keep his promise and return her child.

I've been feeling increasingly unwell lately, and I'm not sure if I can even last another half month. I also don't know if I'll be able to see that child one last time before I die.

If she were fortunate enough to recognize her daughter before she died, she would have no regrets.

Just as the beautiful woman was lost in thought, a riot suddenly broke out in the courtyard outside.

"What's all this noise about?"

"Princess, don't worry, this servant will go and see what's going on."

The princess was unwell and needed to rest. What were the maids and servants doing, making a loud noise in the courtyard and disturbing her rest?

Qingyan frowned, then quickly stood up and walked into the courtyard.

General Zhenguo's Mansion, Ancestral Hall

The old lady of the Xue family knelt on the prayer mat, holding Buddhist prayer beads, and devoutly chanted scriptures. Suddenly, she felt a sense of panic and confusion. Her kneeling posture on the prayer mat staggered, and she almost fell to the ground.

His eyes snapped open, and the prayer beads in his hand suddenly shattered.

Buddhist prayer beads made from Bodhi seeds were scattered on the ground, making a crisp sound as they collided with the bluestone bricks.

The already quiet ancestral hall appeared even clearer.

The old lady's eyelids twitched a few times, her dim yellow eyes flickered, and she involuntarily clenched the two broken beads in her hand.

This is not a good sign.

This string of Buddhist prayer beads has been with her for decades. Back then, the old Duke Zhenguo led his troops to resist foreign enemies and won a great victory, but he was seriously injured and fell into a coma. In order to pray for the old Duke Zhenguo, she ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist prayers at Huguo Temple for a whole month.

The last news came from the frontier: the old Duke of Zhenguo had died from his illness, sacrificing himself for the country.

The abbot of Huguo Temple, grateful for the great contributions the old Duke Zhenguo made to the country, personally gifted him the Buddhist beads he had worn for most of his life.

He also advised that as long as the Buddhist prayer beads did not fall, the Xue family would be safe and sound.

The old lady cherished the Buddhist prayer beads as if they were her own eyes, handling them with utmost care, as if she wanted to enshrine them as a tribute.

For decades, the Buddhist prayer beads accompanied her through the changing years and the ups and downs of the Xue family, never breaking in the process. How could they have broken on this particular day?

Is this some kind of hint from heaven?

The old lady stared blankly at the Bodhi seeds scattered on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.