Chapter 132: Hello Chang’an
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Chapter 132: Older Brother, Donkey, and Dog
Chang Suining made up her mind.
She knew it!
If it weren’t for that, Ah Che and the others wouldn’t have spent the entire night hiding outside.
She had instructed them not to rush back with news once the task was completed, but to make sure they lost any
tail before returning.
Chang Suining confirmed with Ah Che, "Are you sure no one followed you?"
Ah Che nodded. "It was hard to say last night, as we ran in chaos, but we made sure no one was following when we returned this morning."
Surprisingly, Xiao Duan and Xiao Wu were very skilled at hiding. The little alleyways they used were as narrow as rat holes…
Thinking of this, Ah Che explained the route they had taken on their way back to the residence.
Chang Suining nodded in approval.
When Xiao Duan and Xiao Wu were beggars, they must have often had to dodge pursuers. People who are trying to survive naturally find hidden paths, which may not be remarkable, but are definitely useful.
Moreover, they didn’t even need to act when they disguised themselves as beggars. With them providing cover, it was easy to avoid suspicion.
"You three did a great job on this," Chang Suining smiled at Ah Che. "Go find Xi’er and get your reward."
Ah Che was taken aback—just the opportunity to help the lady was already an unimaginable blessing, but now she was offering a reward?
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Meeting his clear, confused gaze, Chang Suining frowned slightly.
She could only add, "Take them to eat something nice, buy what they want, and remind them not to mention anything about yesterday to anyone."
Ah Che suddenly understood.
Ah, the reward was to help the lady win over hearts!
The young man now felt more at ease and nodded, "Don’t worry, Miss, I’ve got it covered!"
Then, he asked softly, "Miss, has Sister Ah Zhi returned?"
The task completed by him and Xiao Duan and Xiao Wu was only half of it. The other half was being handled by Sister Ah Zhi.
"Not yet," Chang Suining walked towards the weapon rack. "There’s no need to hurry."
Ah Zhi was with Chang Ren, and it was hard for ordinary people to get close to them. Furthermore, Ah Zhi carried Cui Jing’s bronze token, so the fact that they hadn’t returned yet and there had been no movement in the city meant the plan was going smoothly.
Though it had taken some time, this crucial first step was finally accomplished.
Soon, she would see the jade shards again.
Chang Suining took a spear from the weapon rack.
"Does sister want to learn spear skills today?" Chang Sui’an came over, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Yes," the girl in the blue robe stood by, holding the long spear in one hand. "Brother, will you practice with me?"
Chang Sui’an was pleased, "Of course!"
He had practiced spear fighting with his father since childhood; it was his forte!
"But be careful, the spear is sharp. Don’t hurt yourself," he reminded her before the practice began.
However, he soon realized that this reminder applied just as much to himself!
Although this was the first time his sister had fought against him, it felt as though she had many eyes, and his weaknesses quickly became apparent—some of which he hadn’t even noticed before.
Her strikes were swift yet measured, and the long spear, which she had just picked up, moved as fluidly as her own arm.
Chang Sui’an was astonished, and in his response, he became somewhat flustered.
His strength seemed to have vanished!
But it wasn’t completely gone… it had simply become her strength!
Chu Xing, who was observing from a distance, couldn’t help but feel stirred.
Though weapons had common principles, each person excelled in different areas. In the time he had observed, the young lady was able to master any weapon quickly, adapting in a short amount of time and intuitively understanding the techniques—
If her spear technique had been unique, he might have suspected she secretly studied under a master.
But because her spear technique was ordinary, it was just the basic moves, yet it appeared extraordinarily proficient because she wielded it with such natural skill.
Chu Xing couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
The difference between ordinary people and the clever ones is often only a few steps, but those extraordinary traits are always inexplainable.
The difference between a clever person and a true genius is like a chasm, and their extraordinary abilities often cannot be explained by common sense. Even if an ordinary person tries their hardest to comprehend it, the only thing they’ll end up breaking is their own head, and they’ll gain nothing in the end.
Chu Xing decided to stop torturing his mind.
But he couldn’t help but ask himself: Was he really worthy to be the lady’s teacher?
But… if even Head Master Qiao could do it, why couldn’t he?
If his elder brother could, surely the younger one could too!
With this thought, Chu Xing felt at ease again and then turned his gaze to Chang Sui’an.
In his opinion, the young lord wasn’t actually practicing, but was simply being tortured.
But having the chance to endure this "torture" was actually a good thing. It was the quickest shortcut to progress.
Though the process was a bit painful…
Chu Xing looked at the steadily retreating youth with some sympathy.
If the young lord weren’t so strong-willed, the sweat he was shedding would have been tears.
Fifteen minutes later, Chang Suining, also covered in sweat, put down the spear.
"Your spear work is quite good, Brother," she praised.
Chang Sui’an forced a wry smile. "Not really…"
"Let’s practice together again tomorrow."
Though Chang Sui’an’s spear skills were weaker, his strength was solid and unending, making him well-suited to help her practice the endurance and physical strength she was lacking. The two of them practicing together would allow them to progress together.
Moreover, she hadn’t used any of her signature moves, so it wouldn’t arouse Uncle Chu’s suspicion.
Chu Xing indeed had not suspected her for now. He only had doubts about life.
Chang Sui’an was similarly confused about life.
Although he had long accepted his sister was a prodigy, seeing it play out so vividly with himself as the subject left the young man somewhat dazed.
He watched the girl walk back to the weapon rack and quietly mumbled, "Uncle Chu, why is this happening…"
Chu Xing thought for a moment and decided to explain it in simpler terms. "Let me give you an analogy, young lord…"
"Opening the mind to ten percent is considered full. A donkey’s brain and a dog’s brain are usually only open to about forty percent, an average person’s mind is at eighty percent, and a smart person’s mind is at ninety or one hundred percent," Chu Xing said, looking at the girl. "Someone like the famous Tenth Young Master Wei or the young lady here is at one hundred twenty percent."
After speaking, he patted the young lord on the shoulder and sighed, "Do the math yourself, and once you figure it out, it will all make sense."
Chang Sui’an, still stunned, started counting on his fingers.
He was a normal person, so he had forty percent more brainpower than a donkey.
And his sister, with one hundred twenty percent, had forty percent more than him.
So, if they were both lacking the same amount…
When his sister looked at him, wasn’t it the same as how she looked at the donkey?
Or to put it another way, how he looked at the dog was how his sister looked at him?
Chang Sui’an stared at the donkey wagging its tail not far away, and his expression slowly became blank and numb.
…
That morning, two palace eunuchs arrived at the Feng residence in the capital.
The Feng residence was where Madam Jie lived, and Feng was her husband’s family name.
Madam Jie’s husband had passed away many years ago, and her son had already married and had a son and daughter.
At this moment, Madam Jie, along with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, knelt in the front hall as the eunuchs read aloud the imperial edict. The edict stated that she was stripped of her first-rank title and demoted to a fifth-rank county princess. "County Princess, receive the edict."
"Yes," Madam Jie barely controlled the trembling in her voice as she lifted her hand to receive the edict. "Xie acknowledges her wrongdoings and accepts this punishment… I thank her Majesty for her mercy."
The eunuchs nodded slightly, leaving the edict behind before departing.
After they left, the front hall of the Feng residence fell into a suffocating silence.
The maidservant, pale-faced, helped Madam Jie up.
The middle-aged man also stood up, and finally, unable to suppress his frustration, he exclaimed, "Mother, why did you have to stir up such trouble? Now not only has your reputation been ruined, but even her Majesty has issued a punishment… How do you expect me to hold my head high among my peers in the future?"
Three days ago, he was still the son of a first-rank national consort. But because his mother had gone to the Dengtai Tower that night, in the blink of an eye, he had become the laughingstock of the entire capital!
But who else was affected by this?
"Hui’er is only fourteen years old. He just entered the Imperial academy to study, and now this incident has happened. How is he going to stand his ground in the Imperial academy, face Head Master Qiao and the other teachers, and his classmates?"
"And Min’er…" He pointed to the young girl standing nearby. "She’s sixteen or seventeen, the age for matchmaking. After this incident, what kind of respectable marriage prospects will she have?"
The girl, who had been in a daze, suddenly reddened around her eyes upon hearing this.
"Enough!" Madam Jie suddenly raised her eyes and glared at her son. Her voice was sharp. "The reason the Feng family has come to this point today is all because of me! The reason you got the position in the Ministry of Works, what do you think it was due to? Hui’er’s entry into the Imperial academy—what do you think that was due to?"
"How I do things, do you think you have any right to yell at me in front of me?"
"Yes, Mother has always been domineering!" The man’s face darkened, and he turned to leave the front hall, his sleeves swishing as he did.
The girl also covered her face and ran out, crying.
"Min’er!"
The woman chased after her daughter, quickening her steps.
The young girl ran ahead, avoiding her mother, and sat on a large rock by the lotus pond, crying bitterly.
Her grandmother had been personally appointed by the holy emperor as a first-rank national consort, so since she was thirteen, families had come from all directions seeking to arrange marriages with the Feng family.
But her grandmother never thought highly of these families. She would tell the girl not to worry, promising that she would arrange the best marriage for her in the future.
The girl had always held onto this hope.
Over time, she gradually understood her grandmother's intentions—her grandmother often took her to meet the wife of Marquis Ying, and she became acquainted with the Marquis's eldest son as well…
The wife of Marquis Ying liked her a lot.
The Marquis's eldest son… had once privately given her a pair of hairpins.
Although her grandmother had never explicitly said it, the girl wasn’t foolish.
Her mother also saw the possibility of something brewing between them.
The Marquis Ying's family was no ordinary noble. They were the emperor’s maternal family, and the Marquis himself was the emperor’s younger brother. If she could become the Marquis's eldest son’s wife…
There was no better match in the entire capital!
But just when she thought everything was within reach, her grandmother suddenly caused such a scandal. Today, the emperor had issued an edict to strip her of her title!
Her father was merely a minor official in the Ministry of Works, and by birth, she was no match for those noble ladies, but she had the advantage of having a well-known grandmother. If Marquis Ying’s family had chosen her as their daughter-in-law, it would have been a great story…
But now her grandmother’s reputation was destroyed!
Her only support and advantage were gone!
Would Marquis Ying’s family still choose her?
The girl felt as if the world had collapsed around her, and her crying became even more intense. She took off the bracelet her grandmother had given her and angrily threw it into the pond.
In the front hall, the maidservant’s emotions were still unsettled. "Madam…"
"What Madam?" Madam Jie sighed coldly, mocking herself. "Now, I should be called the county princess."
"County princess… this clearly means someone else has taken the fall for you!" The maidservant, who had noticed there were no other servants present, nervously asked, "Should we explain this to the emperor?"
"The emperor?" Madam Jie looked at the imperial edict on her table. "Do you really think the emperor doesn't know? This decree is just for the public to see, a reminder to me."
The wife of Marquis Ying represented the family, and how could the emperor allow the Marquis’s family’s reputation to be tarnished?
"So, the consequences must be borne by the Madam… the county princess alone? It was clearly the Marquis’s people who made the mistake. They brought that painting and caused this trouble!" The maidservant said angrily.
Madam Jie scoffed. "What use is there in saying this now?"
"Then…" The maidservant knew it was too late to say anything. She lowered her voice. "What about the marriage that the wife of Marquis Ying promised?"
Before the wife of Marquis Ying convinced her to visit the Dengtai Tower, she had openly expressed her liking for the young lady from the Feng family and even hinted at a future match.
"Now is not the right time to bring it up." Madam Jie furrowed her brow. "Once this storm passes, we can try to see what her intentions are."
The maidservant nodded and agreed.
A breeze blew through the hall, but instead of bringing any coolness, it only stirred the air into an even more oppressive heat.
But in Madam Jie's dark eyes, there was only coldness.
She could hardly believe that she had fallen so hard over a small girl!
Now, her reputation, status, and situation had all plummeted, while the other party was enjoying the height of success, famous throughout the capital!
She had heard that the other party had even been summoned by the holy emperor yesterday.
And yesterday, the person had entered the palace to meet the holy emperor. Today, the holy emperor issued the decree to strip her of her title… Who knew what the person had said to the holy emperor!
Thinking of this, Madam Jie couldn’t contain her fury any longer and slammed the teacup on the table.
The news of her demotion to a fifth-rank county princess soon spread throughout the capital.
She couldn’t hear the endless gossip, but had she heard it, she would have been furious to know that the wife of Marquis Zheng, Duan shi, was already clapping her hands in celebration.
"Why hasn’t mother invited Lady Chang over for a chat recently?" Wei Miaoqing casually asked.
"With the heat outside like a furnace, it’s just too painful to go out. I’ll wait until the weather cools down before inviting her over," the reply came.
Wei Miaoqing only responded with an "oh," glancing out at the blazing sun.
It had been scorching for so many days now, and she wondered if it was too much to ask the heavens to send rain tomorrow.
…
Later that afternoon, Chang Ren returned to the residence to meet with Chang Suining.
"...I successfully led the group out of the city yesterday. Ah Zhi is currently at the estate, guarding the woman," Chang Ren briefly recounted the events. "Does the lady wish to see that person now?"
"Let’s wait until tomorrow," Chang Suining replied. "It’s more auspicious to make offerings before noon."
"Make offerings?" Chang Ren asked, puzzled.
"First, we’ll offer incense to the Buddha to ask for blessings, to help cover up this matter, or at least ensure it’s handled more securely."
"…"
Chang Ren thought to himself that if the Buddha wasn’t possessed, it was unlikely to help with matters like this.
Though the idea was somewhat absurd, he understood the intent.
The events of the previous night had been cautious, with no clear traces left behind. But a little more caution couldn’t hurt.
They could go offer incense tomorrow morning, and then stop by the estate on their way back without drawing attention.
So, the next morning, Chang Ren accompanied Chang Suining to the Dayun Temple.
As they walked through the temple, they passed by the mandatory Tienu Tower and, almost instinctively, Chang Suining turned her head to look.
It was strange. The tower felt eerie, yet it always made her want to look at it for a bit longer.
This time, she saw a familiar face.
The familiar face was engaged in something she couldn’t immediately understand.
(End of Chapter)
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