Chapter 271: War at the Northern Border (2) (1/2)

Great Doctor Miao had been invited to stay longer in the Jing’an Estate, and his daily meals were now the responsibility of the kitchen in Chu Lian’s courtyard.

Great Doctor Miao was an amiable guest as long as he had some delicious food before him, so he settled in rather peacefully.

Three days later, House Ying sent Matriarch He an invite for Xiao Bojian’s thank-you banquet for his mentor.

They specially invited both the matriarch and Honoured Lady Jinyi.

As Matriarch He held the invitation in her hands and wondered how she should reply, Chu Lian’s father, Chu Qizheng, had also sent an invite over. It was delivered straight to Chu Lian.

Chu Lian didn’t know that Matriarch He had been invited as well. Her brows furrowed when she received the invitation from her father.

Xiao Bojian seemed to have anticipated her reluctance to attend the banquet and had purposely gotten her father to send her an invite.

What was he trying to do?!

Chu Lian’s mood remained agitated until late afternoon, when she brought the invite to Qingxi Hall to discuss the matter with Matriarch He.

Just as grandmother and granddaughter had settled down in the parlour of Qingxi Hall, they could hear some noise coming from outside.

Matriarch He hadn’t been in a good mood in the first place. When she heard the disturbance, her expression turned grave. “Muxiang, go outside and find out what’s going on.”

In a short moment, Muxiang returned.

Her face was full of anxiety as she ran back in without minding her usual etiquette. She hurriedly reported, “Matriarch, the person causing the disturbance outside is a guard from Prince Jin’s Estate. He said that there’s something urgent to report to Matriarch. This servant accidentally overheard a part of it- war has broken out at the northern border!”

“What?!” Matriarch He abruptly stood up in shock.

Chu Lian’s almond-shaped eyes had also widened in surprise. However, she had already been mentally prepared for this piece of news, so her reaction was much calmer than Matriarch He’s.

The news was too much for Matriarch He. Her body wavered before she completely lost her strength and almost fell forward. Luckily, Chu Lian spotted this in time and quickly caught hold of Matriarch He. The maidservants nearby also hurriedly stepped forward to support the matriarch.

“Grandmother! Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Matriarch He leaned on Chu Lian’s shoulder as she massaged the bridge of her nose.

After a long moment, she seemed to have finally recovered some of her spirit. She slowly opened her eyes. “I’m alright now. Quick, let the messenger in!”

Muxiang rushed out to call the messenger.

Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to her seat once again. Scared for the matriarch’s health, she told Wenlan to request Great Doctor Miao’s presence.