CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER 326: I AM THE MARQUIS MANSION DOWAGER 15

Even if Xu Biao finds it hard to let go, Anning must leave all the same.

When she left the northwest, only Xu Biao came to see her off.

These past few days, Xu Biao had properly arranged for the Li family, first securing them housing, then getting Li Zhicheng a military clerk position, and even found some work for Li Zhicheng’s son, ensuring the Li family’s life in the northwest was still quite decent.

Xu Biao told Anning about all these matters, and she was quite pleased.

She only departed after giving Xu Biao some instructions.

Afterward, Anning really did take Tang Pei up and down the great expanse of Jiangnan.

It wasn’t just to train Tang Pei; she was also searching for places full of Spiritual Energy suitable for cultivation.

Throughout the journey, Tang Pei changed tremendously.

His horizons were broadened, his mind expanded, and with Anning’s patient guidance—a person seasoned by life’s vicissitudes—the boy truly metamorphosed.

Thus, after traveling for a year, Anning eventually found a Spirit Vein near Heavenly Mountain.

Finally, she and Tang Pei settled down in a cave.

Anning cultivated daily, and in between, she taught Tang Pei literacy and martial arts.

She also refined his physique with medicines to enhance his talent and taught him many wilderness survival skills.

Three years later, with Tang Pei proficient in martial arts, able to live alone on Heavenly Mountain, Anning found loyal servants to take care of Tang Pei, then she entered deep, solitary meditation in the depths of the cave.

Being far away, Anning stopped inquiring about Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion altogether.

She knew well that such inquiries were useless.

She could not interfere too much, nor could she change the fate of a few people—if something were to happen at Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion, she could only fret.

As for the second son’s family, Anning was relatively at ease.

When she saved Tang Pei, she was already able to see more.

She could tell that the second son’s family was actually unrelated to the main plot; as long as they left, they should be unharmed.

Furthermore, Anning had already smoothed things over in the Southern Province, so even if Tang Baoguo’s family went to the most primitive areas, they could survive.

Anning took this as a trial for Tang Baoguo’s family.

Without Anning’s knowledge, the plot gradually unfolded.

First, Mrs. Li gave birth to a son, Tang Tao, followed by Ms. Zhang, who bore a daughter named Tang Ying on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

After Tang Ying’s birth, Ms. Zhang and Mrs. Song started to loudly proclaim the auspiciousness of her birthday, her immense fortunes, nearly making it known to the entire city.

With Anning and Tang Baoguo no longer there, no one was left to restrain Mrs. Song, who really began to indulge in reckless abandon.

Inherently wicked and foolish, she was now even more muddled, focused solely on luxury and splendor, never considering whether she was destined to enjoy it.

Mrs. Li, however, saw something.

It’s just that before leaving, Anning had insisted on a discussion with Tang Bai and Mrs. Li, asking them to relinquish control over household affairs, advising them not to meddle and to just live peacefully, their own small lives. Even if Mrs. Song and Ms. Zhang squander the entire Marquis Mansion, they wouldn’t fear, as long as they saved their own lives.

Mrs. Li took Anning’s words to heart, now solely focusing on raising Tang Tao, as for other matters, she pretended to be oblivious.

Yet at night, lying down, she would still express to Tang Bai, "I find the second sister-in-law’s behavior too ostentatious; this is not a sustainable way."

Tang Bai sighed, "We can’t handle it; let’s just pretend to be blind and deaf."

Mrs. Li was somewhat anxious, sometimes Tang Bai, too, couldn’t sleep thinking about everything happening in their family.

On the other hand, Third Young Master Tang was a clear-minded elder. However, Mrs. Song, priding herself on being a top scholar’s lady, looked down upon the Third Young Master Tang’s family. She wouldn’t listen to anything he said, even openly mocking and ridiculing him, causing Third Young Master Tang to give up as well.

Anning’s closed-door meditation flew by with the passage of time, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty springs and autumns had passed.

One day, a young man clad in a Bai Se scholar robe soared swiftly to the top of Heavenly Mountain.

His speed swift as a shooting star, even the local herdsmen could not catch a clear glimpse of his figure.

Arriving at the peak of Heavenly Mountain, the young man stood with his hands behind his back.

He stood tall and straight, with an extraordinary and handsome appearance, like an Immortal descended amidst the rustling wind.

A cave beside the young man. Several people emerged from the cave and upon seeing the young man, they all came over to pay their respects: "We greet the young master."

The young man smiled and helped them up one by one: "Has Great-Great-Grandmother concluded her cultivation retreat?"

An elderly person among them shook his head: "Not yet."

A look of concern appeared on the young man’s face.

The old folks could not bear to see him worried and quickly smiled, saying: "We have not yet congratulated the young master on becoming the top scorer, a cause for celebration indeed."

Joy also appeared on the young man’s face: "It’s all thanks to the great care of my grandparents."

This young man was Tang Pei, the little guy that Anning had taken with her more than twenty years ago.

Now Tang Pei had grown up.

He studied and practiced martial arts on the mountain until he was about ten years old. Then the loyal servants, following Anning’s previous instructions, took Tang Pei down the mountain to find Mountain Master Feng Maocai of Jiangnan Qingxi Academy, so that Tang Pei might study under his tutelage.

Tang Pei was smart and studious; he diligently read books and often made extraordinary remarks, endearing himself greatly to Mountain Master Feng.

Furthermore, since Anning once saved the life of Mountain Master Feng’s family, and considering Tang Pei was Anning’s great-great-grandson, Mountain Master Feng treated him like his own child and took great care of him.

Afterward, Tang Pei continued his studies in Jiangnan and naturally did not neglect his martial arts practice.

At the age of fifteen, he passed the Scholar examinations, and at eighteen, he was recognized as a scholar after successful examinations. Afterward, he did not participate in the Imperial Examination but instead chose to study in seclusion for several years. This time, as a participating scholar, he won first place.

After becoming the top scorer, he first went to Jiangnan to visit Mountain Master Feng, and then he went up to Heavenly Mountain.

He wanted to see if Anning had finished her retreat. Even if she had not, he still needed to share the joyous news with his grandparents on the mountain to make them happy as well.

But he did not expect that these people already knew the good news.

Tang Pei chatted and laughed with the old folks, then looked toward the cave: "I wonder when Great-Great-Grandmother will conclude her retreat, I am really worried..."

Before he could finish speaking, the clear sky above started to pile up with layers of dark clouds, which approached with a heavy, oppressive presence.

Thunder and lightning followed immediately.

Anning’s clear voice faintly came through: "Pei’er, quickly take your grandparents down the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Tang Pei immediately pulled the old folks and ran down the mountain.

These old folks were not idly keeping vigil on the mountain.

Anning had left them with some Cultivation Techniques, and over the years they had practiced martial arts; they were now robust and vigorous, running swiftly.

However, no matter how fast they ran, by the time they reached the mid-slope, they could see thick purple lightning splitting the sky above the mountain peak, a truly terrifying spectacle.

"Great-Great-Grandmother..."

Tang Pei called out, his anxiety growing even more.

Zhuzi restrained Tang Pei: "Old Madam said that there would be unusual signs when she finishes her retreat. This must be Old Madam concluding her retreat."

Tang Pei, holding back his worries, continued down the mountain with Zhuzi and some other old folks.

Along the way, they saw lightning strike the mountain top, charring it black.

When Tang Pei and the others reached the foot of the mountain, it seemed that the sky above the mountain top had cleared up once again.

Worried about Anning’s wellbeing, Tang Pei was about to go back up the mountain to check on his great-great-grandmother when a delicate and pale hand stopped him.

Tang Pei turned around and saw a beautiful young woman smiling at him.

The woman was in her early twenties, strikingly beautiful, yet her eyes revealed a tender and loving expression when they looked at him. Upon closer inspection of her features, she almost exactly resembled his great-great-grandmother.

However, in Tang Pei’s memory, his great-great-grandmother, though also youthful, appeared to be in her thirties or forties, not as youthful as this woman.

"Who are you?"

The woman patted Tang Pei with a smile: "What’s wrong, you don’t even recognize your own ancestor?"

Tang Pei looked at her more carefully and then immediately knelt down: "Gre, Great-Great-Grandmother."

Turns out, this woman was Anning, having emerged from her cultivation retreat.