Chapter 127 Heavenly Decree for Rescue
The Changping Marquis's Residence.
Bang!
A long spear slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.
Marquis Changping stopped what he was doing, picked up his spear, placed it on the weapon rack beside him, and took a towel from the steward to wipe the sweat from his brow.
The steward said respectfully, "My lord, the madam has prepared your favorite white fungus and lotus seed porridge for you."
Marquis Changping nodded slightly, casually tossed the face towel in his hand to the steward, and then strode towards the backyard.
As soon as he entered the dining room, he saw people who were different from usual. He paused, and a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes.
He strode in with a stern face, and as soon as he entered, he said in a cold voice, "Zhou Jiming, didn't you say you weren't going back to the Marquis's residence? Why are you back now?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over several other unfamiliar people. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be scholars. He guessed that these people must be the so-called friends who were with Zhou Jiming.
He didn't care about these people, so he pretended not to see them and went straight to sit in the main seat.
Zhou Jiming did not argue with Marquis Changping as usual. He stared intently at him, his gaze sweeping over his face, comparing him to the kind father he remembered.
Marquis Changping is probably forty-five years old now. He is middle-aged and his hair is somewhat gray, but his eyes are sharp and firm, and he does not show any signs of old age.
Marquis Changping noticed that his gaze was different from his usual demeanor and frowned imperceptibly.
"I'm asking you a question, are you deaf?"
As he spoke, anger slowly gathered in his eyes.
Upon seeing this, a woman sitting next to Marquis Changping quickly curled the corners of her lips, then placed her hand on his arm and skillfully began to soothe him.
"My lord, please calm down. Ming'er has finally returned, you should be happy. Besides, Ming'er is all grown up now, he should know what he should and shouldn't do."
He's been away from home for so long; he must have suffered some injustice, which is why he ignored what you said before. Please calm down.
As she spoke, she reached out and picked up a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed porridge from the side, then gently stirred it with a spoon.
"My lord, this is porridge that I specially cooked for you. Please have a taste."
Marquis Changping gave Zhou Jiming a stern look before turning his gaze to his wife beside him, his attitude softening.
"Thank you, Madam."
He took the bowl from the woman, picked up the white porcelain spoon inside, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it gently, and put it in his mouth. The sweetness of the porridge released in his mouth, which made his brows and eyes relax a lot, and the anger in his heart also dissipated a little.
Zhou Jiming, who had been observing Marquis Changping, suddenly stood up, knocking over the chair behind him. The chair collided with the hard marble floor, making a piercing sound.
Immediately, everyone looked at him.
Shao Yanzhe sighed inwardly. Seeing Zhou Jiming's pale face, he thought that something must be wrong with Marquis Changping.
It is unknown when or from which the Marquis of Changping had his body taken over.
However, now is not the time to tear off all pretenses.
He quickly stood up and, together with Liu Mingyuan, helped the chair that had fallen to the ground up, then pressed Zhou Jiming down into the chair.
"I am very sorry, Lord Marquis, Brother Zhou did not rest well yesterday. Please forgive him."
Marquis Changping, who was about to lose his temper, forced himself to hold back. Although these scholars were not that important, they were still outsiders, and he didn't want them to make a fool of themselves.
He stared coldly at Zhou Jiming, who looked dazed, without asking where he felt unwell. Instead, he said coldly, "Since you're not feeling well, go back to your courtyard and rest!"
Zhou Jiming was completely absorbed in his own world and didn't hear what he said at all.
Seeing that Marquis Changping's face was getting more and more ugly, Shao Yanzhe quickly stood up, took Zhou Jiming's arm, and led him out of the dining room.
"We'll take Brother Zhou to rest now, Your Excellency. Please enjoy your meal."
Thus, Shao Yanzhe and his entourage, led by servants of the Marquis's residence, entered the courtyard where Zhou Jiming resided in the Marquis of Changping's residence.
Shao Yanzhe then discovered that the courtyard where Zhou Jiming lived was actually quite secluded, and one could exit the Marquis's mansion by climbing over the courtyard wall.
Once everyone was out of the courtyard, they didn't go inside, but instead went to a pavilion and sat on the stone benches inside.
Everyone looked at Zhou Jiming, waiting for him to speak.
After a long while, Zhou Jiming finally came to his senses and stammered, "My father is really not my father anymore."
The people present were not surprised by this answer.
Shao Yanzhe asked, "How did you find out?"
Zhou Jiming pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "My father doesn't like sweets, especially white fungus and lotus seed porridge. He thinks that the things put in this porridge are a mess and look very unappetizing."
His eyes were vacant, and he was lost in his memories.
The more he recalled, the paler his face became. Why did he only realize this now?
Shao Yanzhe nodded. He looked around to make sure no one could get close enough to eavesdrop, then said, "Now that we know that the soul of Marquis Changping has been replaced, let's first search to see if the original soul of Marquis Changping still exists."
He held little hope for this.
Unlike ordinary people, even if he happened to see their souls, he would only think that they had died a natural death and would not associate it with possession or anything like that.
Most people in Kyoto know Marquis Changping. If Marquis Changping's spirit were to wander through Kyoto, it would be impossible to avoid being seen, even at night.
It is highly likely that the other party will not allow the true soul of Marquis Changping to wander and dissipate outside.
The choice is either to directly destroy the soul of Marquis Changping, or to imprison his soul and wait for it to dissipate on its own.
Having thought all this through, he calmly looked at Zhou Jiming and asked, "Are there any places in the Marquis of Changping's residence that other people are not allowed to enter?"
Seeing Shao Yanzhe's calm demeanor, Zhou Jiming, who was in a panic, immediately felt reassured.
He frowned and thought carefully, going through every part of the Changping Marquis's residence before saying uncertainly, "It's my father's study. No one is allowed to enter except him, not even that woman who requests an audience."
Shao Yanzhe's spirits lifted. He knew, of course, that the study was a very important place in ancient times. He continued to ask, "Are there any other places besides the study?"
"No, apart from the study, servants go in to clean the other places every day."
Shao Yanzhe nodded: "Alright, let's find an opportunity to investigate."
The fourth watch.
The Changping Marquis's residence was shrouded in darkness, with only a few lanterns lit up here and there, and even the number of people on night duty had decreased significantly.
Shao Yanzhe and Zhou Jiming emerged from the courtyard and, led by Zhou Jiming, made their way to the Marquis of Changping's study without incident.
Shao Yanzhe peeked out from behind the artificial hill towards the study and saw only two people standing at the door, who looked like they were guarding the study.
He observed for a moment, then went around to the back of the study. After looking around and confirming that he hadn't been discovered, he carefully opened the window at the back of the study and jumped in.
The furnishings in the study were nothing special, and a quick glance revealed nothing of what he was looking for.
He thought for a moment, then tiptoed to the display shelf and carefully moved the antiques on it.
Zhou Jiming, who was unable to enter, looked puzzled upon seeing Shao Yanzhe's actions, not understanding why he was doing this.
However, he soon understood.
Just as Shao Yanzhe moved a vase, it didn't move at all. So he carefully turned it, and a dark door appeared on the wall not far away.
Zhou Jiming: !!!
He had no idea there was a door here!
Driven by an intense desire to know what was hidden inside, he reluctantly climbed in through the window.
"What's in here?" he asked in a low voice as he leaned closer to Shao Yanzhe.
Shao Yanzhe did not answer; he pulled Zhou Jiming carefully inside.
It was somewhat dark inside. The two supported each other and, with the help of the tinderbox, quickly spotted their target.
A familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared, semi-transparent, as if a gust of wind could blow it away.
"Father!" Zhou Jiming called out softly upon seeing the figure.
The ghost belonging to Marquis Changping turned to look at him, and after sizing him up, quickly recognized his identity.
"Are you... are you Ming'er?"
"Father! It's me!"
Shao Yanzhe stood aside and watched the two of them exchange information. After they had finished saying what they needed to say, he stepped forward.
"This isn't the place to talk. Why don't we go outside and talk?" he asked.
"Alright, alright, let's talk about it outside. However, I'm trapped here and have no way to get out," said Marquis Changping.
Shao Yanzhe nodded slightly, looked around, and quickly noticed something was wrong on the ground.
On the ground, something was being drawn with a dark red liquid; this must be the thing that prevented the soul of the Marquis of Changping's mansion from moving.
He took out the jade hairpin pen and waved it at the ground, and the dark red things disappeared.
"Huh? I can move by myself!" Marquis Changping tried it with some surprise.
"Let's go!" Shao Yanzhe didn't bother to explain, grabbed Zhou Jiming, and jumped out of the study, with Marquis Changping following immediately.
The return journey went very smoothly, and those who had been anxiously waiting breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them return.
"How is the situation?"
"I have fulfilled my mission!"
As soon as Shao Yanzhe finished speaking, the spirit of Marquis Changping appeared in front of everyone, startling them.
"Thank you all for saving me!"
"You're welcome. Uncle is Brother Zhou's father, so it's what we should do."
After the polite formalities, Shao Yanzhe cut to the chase: "I wonder what you, Lord Marquis, know about the person who stole your body?"
Marquis Changping thought for a moment and said, "You should all have heard of that person. That person is General Huang, who served Gu Huiming during his lifetime."
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