Chapter 44 Prophecy: "He will die in despair, his body utterly mutilated."...
The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood in the Jizhao Nunnery, and the Buddha's light shone brightly. After Ruan Yang explained her purpose, a young nun led her to Abbess Jingci.
The meditation room was elegant yet unusual; no incense was offered, only flowers were planted.
With the Grand Tutor's permission, the young nun placed a prayer mat on the ground, indicating that Ruan Yang should bow to Jingci.
After Ruan Yang kowtowed three times, the gray-robed nun who was meditating in front of the portrait finished turning her prayer beads once and got up to look at her.
The girl was dressed simply, with only a pale yellow ribbon tied around her black hair. Her snow-white skin was slightly flushed by the sunlight, so delicate that you could see the soft downy hair on her cheeks. Her eyes had just been crying, and they looked at people with a bright, watery gaze.
Although she didn't have a single valuable ornament on her body, her demeanor suggested she was by no means a country bumpkin.
Jingci said, "Miss, you are still beautiful and young. You will surely find a gentle and considerate husband in the future. Why do you want to sever your ties with the mortal world?"
Why?
Ruan Yang lowered her eyes. The love-hate entanglement between her and Ning Xian surged in her mind like a flood. She sighed, "I loved the wrong person and let down the person who was sincere to me. I want to stop all of this."
She was cowardly, unable to face Lu Wenjin's passion directly, nor dared to confront Ning Xian. Or rather, she dared not gamble, daring not to gamble whether Ning Xian would take his anger out on Lu Wenjin and the Lu family because of her.
Ning Xian is vengeful and hates evil. If she ever finds her, she will make her wish she were dead. She can endure any kind of suffering, but if something happens to Lu Wenjin because of her, she will probably go crazy.
The mistakes she made should be borne by her alone.
Jingci closed her eyes, her tone extremely indifferent: "This place does not accept those who are attached to worldly desires. Since you have someone you can't let go of in your heart, why force yourself? It may seem like you're cutting your losses in time, but in reality, it's counterproductive."
"Miss, please think it over before you come. Please see her out."
The nun had already asked the guests to leave, so Ruan Yang had no choice but to leave for the time being. She opened the door dejectedly, but before she could even look up, a dark figure surrounded her without giving her a chance to refuse.
The other person was reckless and much taller than her; Ruan Yang buried her face in his hard, broad chest and almost suffocated.
After struggling in vain amidst the familiar fragrance, she wrapped her arms around Lu Wenjin and then bit him hard on the shoulder.
As soon as Ruan Yangcai loosened her teeth, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
With clothes covering her, Lu Wenjin wouldn't feel any pain at all.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late, and the little girl still had her hair.
The boy touched her wet face with his palm, his reproach mixed with heartache: "Look, you're acting impulsively again. I understand your predicament; you're just worried about implicating me."
"But don't you understand yet? If you want precious jewelry, I have the ability to give it to you; if you want a noble status, I can grant it to you; even if you want to build your own career on your own, I can guarantee your future in the entire Daye."
“Ruan Yang, I am no longer the beggar who was bullied by everyone.”
Ruan Yang pushed him away and said cruelly, "Who you are is none of my business. This is a sacred Buddhist site. What kind of behavior is this, pulling at me like this? Are you trying to imitate that madman Ning Xian?"
The girl turned away and said, "I'll say it one last time: I don't love you. Even if Ning Xian can't be faithful to me, I'd rather be his concubine than your wife!"
She closed the door and slowly squatted down, suppressing a sob as she said, "I've changed my mind."
After a long silence, Ruan Yang remained pressed against the door. When she opened her eyes again, the dark figure outside the door was gone.
Jingci frowned: "So you are the second young lady of the Ruan family, the wife of the deposed crown prince? Didn't you go to the north with the deposed crown prince? How come you've returned to Bashu?"
Ruan Yang rubbed her numb legs and lifted her sleeves in front of Jing Ci, revealing several glaring bruises on her fair and slender forearms.
She said, "This is a long story. Marrying the Crown Prince was not my wish. I risked my life to escape from the Crown Prince to Bashu, and I did intend to seek refuge here, but it was definitely not General Lu."
"If I were to show my face in the future, I fear I would be exposed. I only hope that this place will take me in for now, and I will leave on my own once I find a way to make a living."
Jingci looked at the wounds on Ruan Yang's body, returned Ruan Yang's birth date and time to her, put her hands together, closed her eyes and shook her head and sighed: "One died in despair, and the other died without a complete body. What a tragic fate."
Ruan Yang was taken aback: "...Are you talking about the ending between me and the Crown Prince?"
The nun remained silent, only saying, "I am a cultivator and cannot be involved among the three of you. Fine, you are also a pitiful person. From now on, you can stay in the nunnery to do laundry and odd jobs."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Yang was overjoyed and wept, saying, "Thank you so much for taking me in, Master."
......
Yellow flowers piled up, fallen leaves fluttered down, and autumn arrived in the blink of an eye.
Summer in the North is short. It's only early autumn, but the locals are already wearing light jackets. Under the octagonal eaves, maids are busy moving congratulatory gifts from various prefectures and counties inside.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, and both sides suffered heavy losses. In the past few months, the northern region and the Great Ye region reached an agreement to temporarily suspend hostilities and maintain peaceful relations.
I also heard that Lady Jinlian was diagnosed with pregnancy a few days ago. This child is Ningxian's first child, and the whole Northland attaches great importance to it. It can be said that it is a double blessing.
Jinlian used to be afraid of the cold, and she had no choice but to work in the water in the manor. Now that she is the mistress, her inherent pampered nature is written all over her face.
The windows were not allowed to be opened inside. The incense burner by the couch emitted a sweet fragrance. Jinlian leaned lazily against the soft pillows, holding a hot water bottle in one hand and gently placing the other hand on her still unpretentious belly. Looking down, her slender and straight legs were exposed to the air.
The knee is red, swollen, and ulcerated.
The young maid was applying ointment to her, and perhaps because she accidentally used too much force, Jinlian couldn't help but tremble. The sharp pain in her knee made her already agitated heart even more uneasy.
She frowned, raised her hand, and slapped the maid across the face: "Are you blind? Don't you know it hurts?!"
The maids covered their faces, angry but not daring to speak out. They used to serve Ruan Yang. The lady in front of them was gentle and easy to talk to, but she didn't like to smile and was often angered by His Highness to the point that she would hide under the covers and cry secretly.
But they all liked to be with Ruan Yang and were willing to do everything they could to make her happy.
The new mistress, relying on her favor, kept making things difficult for everyone. You see, Jinlian used to be a lowly slave just like them, but now she has become their new mistress and even rose in status because of her son. No one would feel good about that.
The maid gritted her teeth and begged for forgiveness, "Madam, please forgive me, I didn't mean it..."
Jinlian glared at her and said, "Get out of here!"
He then grabbed the soft pillow behind his waist and threw it at the other person.
Seeing that Jinlian was destined for a life of luxury and endless glory, the mansion was full of people eager to curry favor with the powerful. One girl arrogantly told the people outside, "Lady Jinlian is pregnant. You all better be on your guard, or His Highness will not forgive you if anything goes wrong!"
After speaking, she dismissed the maids and ran to Jinlian's side to apply medicine to her: "Madam, don't let those people upset you."
Jinlian glanced at her lightly and snorted, "You're quite clever, but don't try to use me to bully others in the future. If His Highness finds out..."
If Ning Xian finds out, she will definitely be humiliated.
Fortunately, now that they have this child, Ning Xian cherishes his own flesh and blood and has finally stopped making her take off her clothes and kneel on the cold floor all night to watch him sleep.
This amulet was obtained by Jinlian after going through countless hardships. She was extremely careful with her food, clothing, and daily necessities, and even worried too much, often waking up from nightmares at night.
A dark shadow flashed in her peripheral vision, and Jinlian's heart sank: "...Who?"
The maid looked around in the corridor and, after spotting the man lurking suspiciously behind a pillar, immediately closed the door.
She said to Jinlian, "Madam, it's the same kitchen helper. He told you to rest assured and take care of your pregnancy, and said he made peach blossom pastries, which you like."
Upon hearing this, Jinlian's face changed drastically. She excitedly pounded on the bed, the gold bracelet on her wrist clattering against the pear wood: "What is he? A pig butcher dares to see me? Tell him to get lost!"
“Tell him that I will not eat anything he gives me, and that he is not allowed to come looking for me again.”
"yes......"
The maid had barely turned around when she was met by a tall, dark figure in the doorway. The man had fair skin, red lips, and features as if sculpted from jade. Though he wore a smile, his presence sent chills down her spine. The maid's knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground, stammering, "Your Highness, may you be well..."
"Mmm," Ning Xian responded softly.
In the months since Ruan Yang left, Ning Xian has returned to her carefree life as before, as if nothing had ever happened between her and Ruan Yang.
In his spare time, he would meet up with two or three friends to play chess and drink wine. After finishing his official duties, he would also visit Jinlian and the others.
He rested well, started eating and sleeping properly, and followed Ruan Yang's advice to him, living a good life with others.
Ning Xian walked past her and headed straight for Jinlian, saying softly, "What are you doing, throwing such a tantrum?"
He bent slightly and smiled, "Who can't come to see you? Me?"
Jinlian swallowed hard, and after confirming that Ningxian hadn't seen the man outside the door, she smiled and said, "How could that be? I miss Your Highness terribly. I even dreamed about Your Highness during my afternoon nap."
"Oh? What did you dream about me about?"
Jinlian's heart raced: "I dreamt... I dreamt..."
She had just dreamt that Ning Xian had seen through her colossal lie and, in a fit of rage, had given her a bowl of safflower. She died from blood loss, along with her unborn child, and was in excruciating pain.
"I dreamt that His Highness was holding our newborn child and was very happy."
Ning Xian raised an eyebrow, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He smiled and said, "Is that so? Then is it cute? Does it look like you or me?"
Jinlian nodded, and boldly grasped Ning Xian's hand, placing the man's large palm on her lower abdomen: "He looks more like Your Highness. By the way, could you give this child a nickname?"
Ning Xian didn't pull away, but silently felt something playfully rolling around under her slightly protruding belly in her palm.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Things have changed, and Ning Xian couldn't help but feel sad. He thought of the child he had with Ruan Yang, and his heart ached.
It's such a pity that it was so small and couldn't even move before it was gone.
Ning Xian looked up at the fake in front of her and chuckled, "Why are you so nervous? I'm not going to eat you."
"As for the name, you can call me whatever you want, I like it."
The two spoke tacitly. Seeing that Ning Xian did not suspect anything and personally fed her the medicine to prevent miscarriage, Jinlian felt a little relieved. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will certainly not fail Your Highness's expectations and will give birth to a healthy child."
Ning Xian stood up and said, "Now that you have a child and are unable to move around easily, you don't need to come to my place to serve you these next few days."
Jinlian was taken aback upon hearing this, and felt that her knees would finally be spared from suffering alongside her. Overjoyed, she said, "Thank you for your leniency, Your Highness."
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