Chapter 112 Chapter 112 is the only genuine version...
A lot of people were crowded in the small, dilapidated courtyard.
Their faces were filled with shock and doubt. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears, who could believe such a ridiculous thing!
When they first heard that Liu Ling was determined to break off the engagement with the Zheng family, they just thought that it was because the Zheng family had such bad family traditions that they raised such a restless daughter, who was really not worthy of Liu Ling.
Everyone felt sorry for Liu Ling.
Just now, in the middle of a class at the Imperial College, Zheng Si suddenly rushed in with a ferocious look on his face, dragging Liu Ling out without hesitation. Fearing that the Zheng family would be enraged and murder Liu Ling, or that they would use their power to force Liu Ling to marry the unfaithful Miss Zheng Liu, they hurried after him, and some students even went to find the Imperial Censor to join them.
As a result, they were stopped after entering the yard.
Then, I heard everything I should and shouldn’t have heard.
They thought that Miss Zheng Liu was fickle, but it turned out that Liu Ling deliberately designed it in order to break off the engagement. It was Liu Ling who maliciously slandered Miss Zheng.
Moreover, Liu Ling actually has such a hobby?
The Imperial College's chief academic officer couldn't help but look at the old blind man. His face was black, his cheeks were swollen, his eyes were dull, his eyebrows were sparse, and even half of his hair was gray. What did Liu Ling see in him?
Looking at the people in the yard, Liu Ling was also frightened, and his chaotic brain was buzzing.
He instinctively wanted to explain, but his dry lips moved again and again, and he didn't know what to say.
There was a vague feeling in his heart telling him that this was wrong and he had to make things clear, otherwise his future would be ruined.
But……
"Master Liu," Gu Zhizhuo's voice rang out in Liu Ling's ears like a spell, "Your sweetheart is terrified. You should make him a promise. Don't you really care about him?"
"Of course I mean it!"
Liu Ling blurted out, and the chief priest gasped and turned pale.
"Sir," Liu Ling finally made up his mind. He bowed deeply to the teacher outside the door. "I am devoted to Chen Lang and will never change my mind. Please bear witness for us."
Crash!
There was a commotion.
Even though some people didn't believe their ears just now, and even suspected that Zheng Si had forced Liu Ling to say those words, now they completely believed it.
Unwavering faith.
The doctor of the Imperial College was stunned.
Liu Ling is a good student and has a good chance of getting into high school next year. He is destroying his own future!
"Master Jijiu."
Zheng Si also cupped his hands and said expressionlessly, "I would also like to ask you to be a witness to what happened today."
The chief priest nodded heavily.
He maliciously ruined the reputation of the girl from the Zheng family just to break off the engagement and live with such a fortune teller. This crazy behavior could even ruin his reputation.
No matter how much the chief priest felt sorry for him, he really couldn't say anything like asking the Zheng family to show mercy.
It was Liu Ling who first forced the girl from the Zheng family into a state of despair.
Moreover, the chief priest looked at the other people around him. He was not the only one here. Even if he was willing to keep silent for Liu Ling's future, someone else would still tell it out, especially Censor Zhou who was the most upright.
Why.
Never mind. Liu Ling brought this upon himself.
"Brother Liu, why are you so depressed?" Finally, some classmates came back to their senses from the shock and started talking at once.
"You are not possessed by evil spirits."
"Don't talk nonsense, Chen Lang and I are sincere."
"No, no, no. I didn't, I wasn't!" Blind Chen cried with a sad face, but his voice was quickly drowned out.
Blind Chen was so scared that he turned around and ran away, dragging his aching limbs. The next moment, someone hugged his waist tightly.
"Chen Lang, don't leave!"
"Let go, let go quickly. Someone come and save me..."
The small courtyard was in chaos.
Gu Zhizhuo took her brother's arm and walked out lightly. After they left, she said, "Brother, send two people to guard him. Don't let Blind Chen die. He's still useful."
With things like this, there's no telling what the Liu family might do for Liu Ling.
Death would be too easy for them, she is not that kind-hearted.
Gu Yican nodded, put his fingers under his lips, and made a few sharp sounds like bird calls.
"Sister." Zhou Liulang was so happy watching her that he chased after her like a lackey and asked, "Will Mr. Liu always be like this? This is too exciting!"
"This talisman is second-hand."
Gu Zhizhuo spread his hands and said, "It can only last for one or two months at most. Then, he will slowly wake up."
Last time, when Zhou Liulang went back to get the lantern, his master had told Madam Zhou that this kind of sorcery, which controlled a person's love, hate, infatuation, and anger, was by no means permanent. Even if left alone, the person would gradually regain consciousness after three to six months. However, for a woman, these three to six months were enough to ruin her life.
And now, for Liu Ling, even if it can only last half the time, it is still enough.
Zheng Si thought the same thing. He said cheerfully, "That's enough. One month is enough for his reputation to be ruined and his future to be shattered. When he wakes up, hmph, he'll be living a life worse than death!"
Zheng Si walked out of the alley happily. He no longer cared about the dirt and stench in the alley.
"Mr. Zheng Si, please take out 20,000 taels of silver. This will help you avoid disaster and end this karma."
Gu Zhizhuo finished his words and briefly explained it again. Zhou Liu suddenly remembered Zhang Xiucai, who was killed by the teahouse. He nodded repeatedly and asked on behalf of Zheng Si, "Is twenty thousand taels enough?"
"It's second-hand." The backlash would fall on Liu Ling. "Just spend some money."
"no problem!"
Zheng Si answered very readily.
Even though he had been receiving a monthly allowance before the family split, twenty thousand taels was nothing if he borrowed from others. Without blinking, he said, "Who do you want to give it to?"
Gu Zhizhuo looked around the alley and sighed, "Let's open a charity house. Just take in girls and give them ten copper coins a day. Then hire a master to teach them some skills to make a living."
"Do I have to pay money to teach you a skill?" Zhou Liulang asked in confusion.
Zheng Si understood and slapped him in disdain: "You are stupid! How can they bear to let girls go to school without paying them a penny? They might as well stay at home and do housework. Didn't you hear what that little girl said just now? This little kid, how could he be ten years old? His father actually asked her to pull half the curtain!"
Zhou Liulang felt uncomfortable after hearing this.
As a qualified playboy, he never cares about the suffering of the people.
However, even in a family like theirs, a girl can't make a single mistake, or she'll lose her life. It's far from being like a man who can be "worth more than gold" even if he's been a playboy all his life. It's not fair to think about it.
Zhou Liulang and Zheng Si exchanged a look, and he raised his hand and said, "Sis, count me in!"
"I'm going to go drink with Mo Jiu and the others later, and then ask them for some silver. We should be able to scrape together a hundred thousand taels." Zhou Liulang said enthusiastically, "Brother Can, if you have silver, you can give me ten thousand."
This is to help Zheng Si spend money to avoid disaster, so they naturally cannot take over the main role.
Gu Yican: "Okay! My sister and I will each pay 10,000. You guys will take care of the rest."
"no problem."
The two of them whispered to each other and managed to collect 100,000 taels that day.
Zheng Si cleared out a courtyard under his own name and transferred a few maids from various mansions to help. In just three days, a small girls' school was set up in an orderly manner.
Several people owned their own "industry" for the first time, and even though this industry only made losses, they were all busy and excited.
Gu Zhizhuo followed the excited Zheng Si and others to take a look. There were already girls studying there. The school gave them two sets of clothes and lunch every year, and ten copper coins a day. Soon, some of them were attracted. Anyway, keeping them at home to do work was not worth ten copper coins, so it was better to send them here to make money.
When Gu Zhizhuo went there, a nanny was teaching them to read the Three Character Classic. After they learned the common characters, someone would come to teach them a skill that they could use to make a living.
She went quietly and left quietly. She did not return home, but went to Taiqing Temple.
When Zheng Si went to the Imperial College to arrest someone, Gu Zhizhuo asked the old blind man to think carefully about who he had given the marriage talisman to. There was a wonton vendor in the red-light district, a man surnamed Wang from the Imperial Music Bureau, a beggar in the south of the city, refugees from outside the city, and even three people whose origins were completely unknown.
The matter involves a private one. Gu Zhizhuo has the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion behind him, so it is not appropriate for her to go to each of their homes one by one. So her senior brother came to help!
After he explained what had happened, Qingping took the initiative to take it on.
"Leave it to my brother, and relax."
Qingping patted his chest and promised her, and ran to the capital for several days.
Not long after, Gu Zhizhuo, who was busy calculating data for the repeating crossbow, heard that the short man Fang, who sold wontons with flower patterns, had drowned in the river and that his new wife, Wu, had returned to her parents' home. Then, a beggar from the east of the city sued the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple for breaking off an engagement. While beating a drum to protest his injustice, the drum collapsed, paralyzing him...
It's just karma. Gu Zhizhuo smiled and, without even looking up, wrote a number on the jute paper with a charcoal pencil.
These things did not attract much attention in the huge capital city, and were completely incomparable to the Liu family's excitement.
Liu Ling, driven by selfish ambition, framed Miss Zheng Liu and tarnished her reputation. His actions were so egregious that the Imperial College's chief academic officer reported him to the provincial governor, who stripped him of his academic title. The Liu family campaigned for justice, but Liu Ling refused to return to Yanziwei Lane, refusing to return. The family resorted to accusations that he was possessed by an evil spirit and sought refuge at the Shangqing Monastery, drawing widespread attention throughout the capital.
Lian Ji Nanke is no exception.
She stroked the red lucky bag. No wonder the old blind man refused to sell the marriage talisman to her. He had strong tastes and didn't like the beautiful woman. Instead, he used the marriage talisman on Liu Ling.
However, this marriage talisman is indeed quite powerful, as it can make Liu Ling give up his future, family, and reputation and stay with him forever.
Can't delay any longer! Ji Nanke made up his mind, took the lucky bag, and went to Ji's yard.
Ji had been pretending to be sick for a while, but no one in the mansion cared about her. She said she was sick, and they called a doctor for her, but no one came to visit her.
The entire small courtyard was as deserted as a nunnery.
Ji Nan Ke walked into the room and looked at the unfinished breakfast on the Eight Immortals Table, a simple bowl of porridge and four side dishes, and her beautiful eyebrows frowned slightly.
She placed a bamboo basket in her hand on the eight-immortals table. The basket was covered with a layer of blue floral cotton cloth.
"Ke'er."
Seeing her coming, Ji's face lit up with joy and asked impatiently, "Have you seen him?"
Her cheeks were slightly red, as if she was shy.
Ji's silent and uneasy heart came alive because of Ji Nan Ke's last words, and he looked forward to Ji Nan Ke bringing him good news every day.
Seeing that Ji Nanke didn't respond, Ji Shi felt a little uneasy: "Is he, is he..."
Ji touched her cheek. Although she was only in her twenties, she discovered a fine line at the corner of her eye this morning, perhaps because she had not taken good care of herself recently.
He has now ascended to the throne, and there is no shortage of beautiful women around him, so how could he remember himself?
Ji sat back dejectedly.
"Aunt, you worry too much." Ji Nanke sat beside her, holding her hand and comforting her: "The emperor is of course worried about you, but you are my wife."
Yes. Ji was silent. She was the minister's wife, and it was impossible for them to be together openly.
Over the years, she has always harbored hatred in her heart. If the Duke of Zhenguo had not wanted to marry her, she could have stayed with him instead of being like this now, sneaking around and not being able to show her face in public. Even her son can only take his surname.
Ji sighed softly, his tone hoarse: "If he can't take me away, then forget it."
Now she is like a bird trapped in a cage with broken wings, and can only watch the bright sunshine outside from afar.
Ji Nan Ke was secretly annoyed.
It's really useless to be happy and sad for a man!
She suppressed her displeasure and said gently, "Please think about Yan'er."
"Even if you don't fight now, will Gu Zhizhuo let you go? Do you want to live like this for the rest of your life, letting Yan Ge'er bear the name of a bastard and never be able to make a name for himself in this life?"
Ji Nanke questioned again and again, her voice becoming increasingly fierce: "This is still for the best. You know the worst outcome. Do you want to die suddenly with Yan Ge'er?!"
"Aunt, you can't retreat just because you want to!"
Ji closed his eyes and his face turned pale.
She almost forgot that she was risking her life.
"But he can't take me into the palace."
"Aunt." Ji Nanke emphasized, unconsciously gaining the upper hand, "I asked for a marriage talisman for you."
"Ke'er, how could you believe this?"
Ji Nanke said meaningfully: "This talisman is different, it is very effective."
She winked at Nanny Wan, who hesitated for a moment, then went out, closed the door and stood guard in the corridor.
Ji Nanke took out the red lucky bag she got from Blind Chen and handed it to her: "It can make your sweetheart be loyal to you and never change his mind."
Ji was startled for a moment, then shook his head with a smile: "How is this possible?"
"Aunt, I promise you."
Ji Nan Ke suppressed his smile, moved closer to Ji Shi, and whispered in her ear.
After he finished speaking, Ji Nanke took her hand, placed the lucky bag in her palm, and gently closed her five fingers, saying with a smile: "As long as you give this talisman to the emperor, it will surely be as you wish!"
Ji Nanke's tone was filled with instigation: "For the rest of your life, for Yan Ge'er to one day wear the prince's dragon robe, isn't it worth it for you to take a gamble?"
"I..." Ji stared at the talisman, hesitant.
Can such a talisman make him reveal his identity and take me into the palace?
Can it allow Yan Ge'er to recognize his ancestors and become a dignified prince?
this……
Ji hesitated and said, "Ke'er, witchcraft is a taboo."
Shrinking. Ji Nanke cursed inwardly. No wonder he had such a good hand, but ended up playing it like this. She patiently said, "This is just a marriage talisman, a token of your affection for him. How can you call it witchcraft?"
She saw that Ji was already moved, and continued: "Think about your cousin Yan, and then think about yourself."
"Do you want wealth and glory, or a sudden death?"
Ji: “…”
"Madam Wan, is Aunt Ji here?"
Suddenly, a maid's crisp voice was heard in the corridor, startling Ji so much that she almost threw the marriage talisman in her hand away.
"Here I am."
Nanny Wan deliberately raised her voice so that the people inside could hear her, and after a few breaths she pushed open the door.
"Auntie, it's Xiaokui who is beside the Madam."
Xiao Kui was a third-class maidservant about twelve or thirteen years old, responsible for running errands and delivering messages.
She knelt politely and said joyfully, "The mansion is very happy. The Madam said that the whole house will receive a generous reward. Aunt Ji, this is yours."
She took out two silver ingots weighing one or two taels each and presented them to him.
This year is the Year of the Rabbit, and the silver ingots are all made in the shape of rabbits. A full box was made for the lady to use as rewards on a daily basis, enough for her to use for a year.
Ji's fingers were shaking as he held the two silver ingots.
The Madam used these silver ingots to reward her servants and never gave them to the younger generations in the mansion.
Ji Nanke glanced at her and asked, "What's the happy event in the mansion?"
"The eldest brother-in-law has asked Prime Minister Song to propose to the eldest young lady." Xiao Kui said happily, and then asked, "Madam Wan, how many people are there in your courtyard? I'll give you two silver ingots for each of you. The Madam said that everyone in the mansion should share in the good news."
Ji was feeling extremely depressed, so she hardened her heart and grabbed the lucky bag tightly.
She believed that the emperor was affectionate towards her, after all, she had given birth to a son for him.
Xiao Kui gave the silver ingot to Nanny Wan and left. There were still many servants waiting!
The yard became deserted again, so cold that even the summer sun seemed unable to shine in.
"What should I do?" Ji asked, her head slightly lowered, a shadow on her face.
Ji Nan Ke pulled off the blue cotton cloth covering the bamboo basket, revealing a basket of peaches inside.
Ji is allergic to peaches.
She took one and gave it to Ji: "Eat it."
Bang!
The sound of firecrackers crackled.
Even in broad daylight, fireworks were set off over the entire mansion. The brilliant fireworks covered the blue sky and white clouds with a faint red color, just like the morning glow.
The Lady Dowager joyfully accepted the engagement letter from Prime Minister Song and repeatedly replied, "Good, good!"
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