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墨書 Inktalez
Upon hearing such an encounter, Jinghui and Peach were both astonished.
After reciting "Amitabha" a few times, Jinghui said, "In this peaceful era, it is truly shocking that there are such wicked people. I misunderstood earlier; please forgive me."
Mei Shuang suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right! There was another woman traveling with me. Did Master not see her?"
Jinghui shook her head. "No... I only saw you at that time..."
Mei Shuang felt a sense of relief.
Heaven has eyes; she had finally rid herself of that detestable woman from the Eastern Kingdom.
Jinghui then instructed Peach, "Peach, go bring some vegetarian meals. The guest must be starving..."
Peach complied and left.
The two sat down at the table, and Jinghui poured a cup of tea for Mei Shuang, casually asking, "May I ask if you are from the capital?"
Mei Shuang's heart skipped a beat; this was clearly an opening for the other party to inquire about her identity. She shook her head, "Uh, no... My home is in a small village over thirty miles from the capital..."
"Oh..." Jinghui nodded and said no more.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Mei Shuang took a sip of tea and broke the silence by asking, "Is Master familiar with the capital?"
This question actually caught Jinghui off guard for a moment.
Familiar? It was more than just familiarity. However, now, everything has changed...
Forget it, forget it...
A hint of bitterness crossed her mind as she poured more tea for Mei Shuang, and she smiled faintly. "Not really familiar; I visited a few years ago..."
"Oh, I see... I just came out of the capital and was about to take a boat to my relative's house when..." Mei Shuang took a sip of tea, feeling frustrated.
"Is that so?" Jinghui's previously calm eyes suddenly flickered with a hint of anticipation. "Then, is there any major news from the capital?"
"Major news?" Mei Shuang put down her teacup and pondered for a moment. "Well, not long ago, the Emperor ascended the throne and married the Empress. There was a general amnesty, and that's about it..."
As she spoke, Mei Shuang clearly noticed Jinghui's body tremble slightly.
Lowering her gaze and fiddling with the prayer beads in her hand, Jinghui gently said, "I have always prayed for the fortune of the country; I just wonder whose daughter has such good fortune to become our Great Qin Empire's Empress?"
"I heard she is the legitimate daughter of Chancellor Mei..." Mei Shuang replied calmly.
Jinghui silently observed Mei Shuang for a while before nodding. "You must be hungry, right? I will go check if the vegetarian meal is ready."
After leaving the room, Jinghui looked back with a furrowed brow. As her gaze shifted, she happened to meet Peach, who was bringing over the vegetarian meal.
"Miss, why are you out here?" Peach asked curiously.
"It's nothing," Jinghui had already regained her composure. "Peach, please take the meal in. I'm a bit tired and will rest for a while."
Peach agreed but couldn't help but notice her miss's pale complexion and slightly unsteady steps, pondering thoughtfully...
---
Lying on the hard wooden bed, Jinghui stared blankly at the clusters of plum blossoms blooming in the corner outside the window.
The conversation with Mei Shuang had left her heart in disarray, her thoughts swirling chaotically.
Inside the Ninefold Palace, he had indeed followed the Empress Dowager's decree and married that woman as his Empress.
And the promises once made to last through eternity ultimately could not soar over those high city walls. It was destined that they would be worlds apart from now on, never to meet again.
Thinking of this, a sudden sharp pain struck her heart like a blade, making it difficult to breathe.
Jinghui tightly closed her eyes, trembling inside.
Is it possible that there are such similar people in the world?
She remembered the first time she carried Mei Shuang back from the riverbank. When Peach washed her face, she was extremely shocked!
At that moment, her expression was complex, and even the Silver Needle in her hand felt uncertain whether to continue.
This woman on the brink of death had once hated her to the core, tormenting her to the point where she could not show her face to anyone. But now, here she was; if her Silver Needle stopped, it would only lead to death.
However, if it truly was her, then something significant must have happened in the palace.
Earlier, she mentioned her name—Lin Yuxiang?
If that were the case, then they were indeed not the same person. Her heart felt slightly at ease.
It seemed there were too many look-alikes in the world. After all, while their appearances were similar, their ways of speaking were entirely different. In fact, she had no recollection of her presence at all; if it were an act, it was too convincing.
Memories floated by like clouds before her eyes; yet, that man who once promised to love her for a lifetime ultimately could not withstand the arrangements of the Empress Dowager...
Thinking of this made her heart ache as if cut by a knife; waves of melancholy and indescribable pain caused a prickling sensation in her chest...
---
Since Mei Shuang was kidnapped, Nangong Nuo's mood had drastically changed.
Although she could not alter their itinerary due to Mei Shuang's disappearance, throughout the journey, Nangong Nuo found everything extremely displeasing. She frequently lost her temper, creating an atmosphere of anxiety among everyone; no one dared to approach her.
To be honest, Nangong Nuo did not believe that the other party had capsized at River Center.
It is a fact that there are storms at the River Center, but if the opponent, having planned for a long time and hidden deeply, were to capsize halfway through, that would truly be a waste of effort.
The fact that they chose to leave from that location naturally indicates that the more dangerous a place is, the safer it becomes, as ordinary people would not venture there. Therefore, they must have been well-acquainted with the terrain and should have had countermeasures in place. With this in mind, those shabby boats and tattered clothes must be mere distractions, making it seem as if they were overwhelmed by the storm and drowned in the river.
However, if Mei Shuang had not encountered any mishap, then where did those people actually go?
Just thinking about what those detestable Eastern Kingdom people said—that Mei Shuang could save their family—made him furious. These barbarians from the East were not afraid of their own words getting tangled. A weak woman who couldn't even save herself was expected to save your family?
Moreover, recalling the ambiguous yet seemingly profound words of Kuranami Miyako, he concluded:
A conspiracy! An absolute conspiracy!
With this thought, even if it weren't for Mei Shuang, he needed to investigate the motives and intentions of these Wa Country barbarians thoroughly; they certainly knew too much.
At this point, his gaze turned cold and his expression grew increasingly stern.
What he despised most in life was being toyed with by those who thought too highly of themselves. Clearly, these Japanese still did not understand his character.
Of course, what occupied his mind the most was still Kuranami Miyako from Miaochun Tower; however, at that time her brothel name was Min'er.
Min meant pitiful and evoked sympathy; who could associate the delicate woman with flowing eyes and affectionate glances in the brothel with the cold-blooded killer who was decisive and cunning at night?
It seemed that this woman should never be judged by appearances.
This was the most painful lesson learned this time.
While he was lost in thought and self-reproach, he suddenly heard the crisp sound of hoofbeats approaching.
Upon reaching Nangong Nuo's carriage, a young soldier dismounted and knelt on one knee, clasping his fists respectfully. "Reporting to Zhao Prince, just as you predicted, after changing to a large ship at River Center, the assassins headed south before fleeing northeast. Unbeknownst to them, while attempting to resupply after landing two hundred miles from the capital in Jiangdong, they were discovered by our soldiers along the river. Just a few miles away during an encounter with our troops, several assassins were captured..."
At this point, a voice came from inside the carriage—Nangong Nuo's voice—asking, "How many assassins?"
"Report to Zhao Prince, a total of four..."
"How many women?"
"Woman?" The soldier outside hesitated for a moment. "There are no women among the assassins..."
As expected, they had fallen for the thief's trick to draw them away!
It was clear that the enemy was not on a single boat but had scattered. This boat was merely a distraction to confuse the soldiers on shore. Once the soldiers' suspicions were aroused and their attention focused here, the thief could take the opportunity to escape.
"Fools! Useless!" Nangong Nuo's cold voice came from inside the carriage, causing the soldiers to freeze in place.
Nangong Nuo tossed the portraits of Mei Shuang and Kuranami Miyako out of the carriage. "The assassin is a woman from the Eastern Kingdom, who has taken this woman..."
The soldiers hurriedly picked up the scrolls, examining them closely before hastily mounting their horses and riding away.
Nangong Nuo rubbed her forehead in frustration; this thief was truly cunning.
However, the biggest advantage of this news was that it proved Mei Shuang was still alive.
---
February 10th.
Nightfall.
A half moon hung in the sky, casting a cold light, surrounded by several stars that twinkled as if winking at those gazing up from below.
Dressed in a Night Cloak, Kuranami Miyako sat on a large rock near the riverbank, lost in thought as she stared at the clear osmanthus tree illuminated by the half moon.
The myth of Chang'e ascending to the moon and Wu Gang chopping down the osmanthus tree always made her sigh deeply, leaving her in a state of melancholy. Now, pulling her thoughts back, she looked at the dark River Surface and felt an unsettling restlessness creeping in.
Time is running out, with less than two months remaining. If this attempt fails, not only will all previous efforts be in vain, but the entire family will face destruction sooner or later.
Thinking of this, she stood up, rubbed her somewhat numb legs, and cautiously looked around before using her lightness skill to swiftly move up the mountain.
She had already been waiting here for three days.
As the saying goes, human plans are often better than heavenly ones.
On that day, in a state of panic, she had just reached River Center when a sudden storm capsized their small boat. Fortunately, a large ship arrived just in time.
However, the storm was so fierce that it nearly sank the large ship as well. Luckily, everyone on board was an excellent swimmer and managed to navigate the ship out of River Center through a combination of skill and brute force.
Disaster did not come alone; although they barely got the large ship out, it was severely damaged and could only dock for major repairs and resupply.
Knowing that the Government had set up a tight net along the shore, she took the risk of designing another boat by the river to attract the soldiers' attention, secretly covering her and Mei Shuang's escape.
Unexpectedly, at dawn when the sky was just beginning to lighten, they drew the soldiers' attention again.
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