Chapter 172 She Only Believes in Herself
In the early morning, the bluestone road was wet and cold after the rain, covered with withered yellow leaves. When the carriage wheels passed by, they left two shallow ruts.
A palace carriage stopped outside the Xingningfang General's Mansion. When Ming Luo stepped out of the carriage, a maid carefully supported her arm and said, "The road is slippery after the rain. Please be careful with your step."
Ming Luo did not comment and walked into Chang's mansion with his maid and two eunuchs.
At this time, Chang Suining was still in the martial arts arena. He heard the servant come to tell him that Ming Luo had come to his house, and he couldn't help asking, "Did you tell me why you came here?"
"I just said that I came here on the orders of the Holy Saint, and I didn't elaborate on the rest." The servant said, "Butler Bai is already in the front hall, and he asked me to invite the girl over."
After all, the girl is the only head of the family in the mansion now.
Chang Suining nodded and threw the bow in his hand to A Che: "I'll go back and change clothes first."
The servant nodded hurriedly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that the girl would be too casual and go over in this dress and boots splashed with mud.
In the front hall, after waiting for a quarter of an hour, Chang Suining still did not appear. The maid beside Ming Luo frowned slightly and said, "Why hasn't your lady arrived yet? Madam Chang is so negligent in dealing with the emperor's instructions?"
She still remembered the last time Ming Luo lost control of his emotions in the carriage. The maid knew that her mistress was not happy with Chang Suining, so she wanted to find an excuse to find fault and blame him.
"My dear aunt, you don't know that my daughter has the habit of practicing martial arts every morning. She usually goes to the martial arts field at this time of day...but now that she heard the saint's instructions, she probably threw away her swords and guns, fearing that it would be disrespectful, and is busy going back to change her clothes." Manager Bai explained.
The maid had a strange look on her face. Who was this old man, who was about to be buried, calling "aunt"?
Manager Bai smiled warmly - he heard that when meeting the maids coming out of the palace, it was always right to call them "Auntie", as the more courtesy the better.
"Don't be rude." Ming Luo scolded the maid, "We came here unexpectedly first, so just wait patiently."
"Yes..." The maid lowered her head nervously.
At this moment, Ming Luo vaguely saw a figure appear at the door of the hall. She turned her head and saw that it was Chang Suining walking in.
The visitor walked into the hall and raised his hand to her: "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Ming."
Ming Luo looked at the girl and saw that there was no strange expression on her face, as if the verbal conflict between them in the carriage that day had never happened.
Ming Luo also smiled slightly: "I am here today in compliance with the instructions of the Holy Saint to invite Lady Chang and Lord Chang to go to Dayun Temple to pray for General Chang and the soldiers who are fighting against the rebellion."
Pray for blessings? Go to Dayun Temple? Chang Suining's face remained unchanged, but he was already thinking subconsciously.
He said, "Unfortunately, my brother was admitted to the Xuan Ce Army not long ago. He is currently training in the Xuan Ce Army camp and will not be back until two days later."
Xuan Ce’s military camp is nearly a hundred miles away from the capital. Even if he wants to call people back, it will have to be tomorrow at the earliest.
Ming Luo: "In this case, I will ask Madam Chang to accompany me to Dayun Temple."
Chang Suining heard this and felt a little suspicious. He asked casually, "How long will it take to get back?"
Ming Luo said slowly: "The Saint needs to pray for blessings in Dayun Temple for three days this time."
Three days...
Chang Suining nodded: "In that case, I'll trouble you to stay here for a while, and let me go back to prepare something."
Since you are going to stay in the temple for three days, you must prepare clothes and daily necessities.
Ming Luo nodded and watched Chang Suining leave the front hall.
On the way back to his residence, Chang Suining had already thought quickly.
It was reasonable for her, a daughter, to pray for her father who was away at war. She might not have thought much about it before, but recently...
Recently, she always thought of the tone and expression in Cui Jing's voice when he mentioned the name "Guiqi" when she went to Xuan Ce Mansion to see Liuhuo that day.
Then, she repeatedly thought of the eyes of Imperial Master Tianjing staring at her during the Mid-Autumn Flower Banquet, and the extremely strong feeling of being spied on and understood that she felt at that time...
These two things gave rise to a guess in her mind.
As for her rebirth, she had always classified it as something that "normal people cannot imagine" because it was too incredible. She had thought that if she had not experienced it herself, if a "reborn person" appeared around her, even if she noticed something wrong, she would probably only think that the other person was possessed by some evil spirit or was playing tricks, and would not easily think of the matter of resurrection...
But the feeling that Cui Jing and the Imperial Master Tianjing gave her was that she gradually felt that she was being seen through, or was about to be seen through.
But if Master Tianjing saw something from her face, then what was the basis for Cui Jing's suspicion? Was there something she didn't know existed in a place she couldn't see?
She felt as if she had walked into a fog, and the sudden summons from the Queen was like a huge hand pushing her deeper into the fog.
Her intuition told her that this trip to Dayun Temple might not be that simple.
But she had no choice but to go - the Queen sent Ming Luo here in person, leaving her no room for refusal.
His Majesty the Emperor has always acted like this in the past, and after becoming Emperor, he has obviously become even worse.
While Xier was busy packing her clothes, Chang Suining came to the dressing table, picked up an enamel bracelet and put it on her wrist.
This seemingly ordinary bracelet is actually hollow inside and contains a sharp blade mechanism. When necessary, it can be rotated and used to defeat the enemy.
Chang Suining heard about this technique by chance from Shen Sanmao. She asked Shen Sanmao to draw a blueprint and then asked Chang Ren to find someone to make this bracelet.
When Shen Sanmao was drawing the picture, he felt a little nervous and ashamed, saying that he had only been thinking about these crooked ways in the past and they were really not presentable.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the girl who took the blueprint threw him a bag of heavy gold beans, and told him to use it to study these unorthodox ways. The more unorthodox, the better she would like it. If it was not unorthodox enough, don't send it to her.
Shen Sanmao didn't understand, but was greatly shocked and inspired.
Since then, Chang Suining would occasionally receive some small gadgets sent by him.
Including a small porcelain bottle she picked up at this time.
Chang Suining hesitated for a moment, but still took the porcelain bottle with him.
Even though she was suspicious, it was better to be prepared.
After Chang Suining had prepared everything, she got on the palace carriage with Ming Luo - she had originally planned to take the carriage from her own house, but since Ming Luo had invited her, she did not refuse.
This action, which seemed like close surveillance, made Chang Suining even more suspicious.
But she did not say much to Ming Luo. Soon after getting on the carriage, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes to rest.
Ming Luo looked at the girl who seemed to have fallen asleep with her eyes closed, and a murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
If possible, she really wanted to immediately get rid of this girl in front of her who had brought her countless misfortunes, and completely eliminate any future troubles.
Even with his eyes closed, Chang Suining was able to catch a glimpse of murderous intent with his keen perception forged on the battlefield. His heart remained calm and his eyelashes did not even move.
Even if the other party had the courage to attack her at this time, he did not have the ability to kill her. Instead, he would only lose his own life.
But the other party's sudden murderous intent was worth her thinking about.
During their last conversation in the carriage, she had not yet realized that Ming Luo had any intention of killing her. Could it be that something else had happened since then, causing Ming Luo to become even more hostile to her and regard her as a threat that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible?
Could it be related to the current trip to Dayun Temple?
In order to control his fluctuating emotions, Ming Luo slightly shifted his gaze to look at the green curtain that was swaying slightly as the carriage moved.
One of the two eunuchs who accompanied me today was someone close to my aunt.
Her aunt would not say those words of disrespect to her directly, but she would always give her warnings and reminders, which invisibly bound her hands, feet and mind.
She clearly remembered that her aunt had hinted to her several years ago that her aunt was worried that Cui Jing would eventually side with the aristocracy after gaining control of the Xuan Ce Army. Her aunt hoped that she could get together with Cui Jing. If she helped her aunt to control Cui Jing, this variable, her aunt would help her fulfill her wish of marrying Cui Jing...
That was an unspoken agreement between her and her aunt.
But that night at the Hibiscus Flower Banquet, Cui Jing asked to marry Chang Suining. She could clearly sense that if Chang Suining nodded at that time, her aunt would definitely agree to grant the marriage...
Cui Jing belonged to someone else, even if that person was unwilling to marry her! Yes, she knew her aunt had no choice, but her aunt knew what she was thinking. However, after that incident, she never mentioned Cui Jing to her again, let alone comfort her with words... It was as if she was just a chess piece that could be used when she could be used and thrown aside when she was useless. Naturally, there was no need to give any explanation or comfort to a chess piece.
This made her wonder, after Cui Jing was gone, who would be the next person to disappear from her hands? This was the case with Chang Suining, so if Chang Suining really "became" the eldest princess, would her aunt take back everything she had given her without hesitation? After all, now, her aunt would not even allow her to have the thought of keeping her own things.
This ironic and suffocating feeling made Ming Luo want to break free for the first time.
But she knew clearly at this moment that the more she tried to break free, the tighter the bondage would become, until it mercilessly took her life.
Not only could she not break free, she even had to suppress all her thoughts and deal with it carefully. Her aunt's reminder this time was also a test. If she ever became disloyal and disobedient, she would be doomed.
Her aunt wouldn't give her the chance to make mistakes.
Perhaps, in her aunt's eyes, she is so easy to control.
It is precisely because she is easy to control that her aunt has kept her by her side all these years and chose to let her take care of the affairs of the Tiannu Pagoda - the emperor cannot do these trivial matters himself, so it is very important to choose someone who is easy to control.
Ming Luo was full of sarcasm.
But can the unrealistic delusion in the Tiannv Tower really come true? She can only watch now.
Then she'll just watch.
Ming Luo, who had not slept the whole night and felt suffocated and powerless, even looked at the girl with her eyes closed with a somewhat numb feeling.
Although her last name was Ming, she had been bullied and teased by fate since she was born, and had never been favored by God... I wonder who God will favor this time? Chang Suining seemed to have closed her eyes and rested all the way, but in fact she had imagined all the possibilities she could think of.
Soon, her idea was confirmed.
There are rules for entering Dayun Temple. No matter who comes for what purpose, one must first go to the Main Hall to burn a stick of incense.
Chang Suining entered the main hall, and Mingluo, who had come to burn incense when leaving the temple early in the morning, was waiting by the side.
A young monk handed the incense to Chang Suining. When Chang Suining took it, the monk put his hands together in front of him and bowed to her.
When Chang Suining returned the greeting, his eyes fell on the monk's clasped hands, and he was slightly startled.
The monk's hands appear to be clasped together, with the other fingers together, but the little finger of his right hand is pointing downwards.
In the past, when she was in the army and it was inconvenient to speak, she had to use gestures to convey messages. Each finger pointing in a different direction had a different implication... This was the secret code between her, Wu Jue and Chang Kuo.
Did this monk get Wu Jue's instructions? Wu Jue...already knew who she was?!
Chang Suining was shocked in his heart, but he did not show any expression on his face. After inserting the incense into the incense burner, he knelt down on the cushion in front of him.
The monk stepped aside.
When Chang Suining knelt down, his hand touched the ground and reached silently under the cushion, and soon he felt a cold object.
She saw the thing clearly while bowing... It was the Heavenly Stone Ring that Wu Jue always wore in the past. It was said to be a treasure of his master, taken from flying stones from outer space, containing profound power. Wearing it could ward off disasters and overcome difficulties.
The monk's gesture just now was to signal her to pay attention to the bottom, and what was hidden below was Wu Jue's ring...
Did Wu Jue really recognize her?
Why did he secretly give her the ring? Was he reminding her of something?
Chang Suining's heart was filled with turmoil, and he slowly straightened up.
"After you burn incense, Madam Chang, please follow me to the Heavenly Maiden Tower. The Saint and Master Wu Jue are already waiting inside the tower for you to pray for blessings."
Chang Suining silently clenched the ring tightly, seeming a little puzzled: "Tiannu Tower?"
"That's right." Ming Luo said, "Although the Heavenly Maiden Tower does not allow ordinary people to enter easily, the saint said that this prayer is for the great cause of suppressing rebellion, which is of great importance, so he made an exception and allowed Madam Chang to enter to pray."
In a flash, countless thoughts popped into Chang Suining's mind.
Including the strange feeling she had when she passed by the Tiannu Tower and accidentally entered the formation.
The Tiannu Tower, which never allowed outsiders to enter, made an exception for her at this moment. Was it really because of the battle in Yangzhou?
In other words, what is the purpose of the Tiannu Tower with its strange formation? Ming Luo's voice sounded again: "Madam Chang, please follow me."
Chang Suining stood up.
Before standing up, she put the ring back, hiding it under her cloak and sleeves.
She can't take this away.
If she took it, it would be equivalent to admitting that she was Li Shang.
She was not sure who Wu Jue was doing this for, or whether he was testing her for someone else. In short, she did not dare and could not trust anyone until everything was clear.
The more you are in the fog, the more cautious and vigilant you must be.
At this moment, she only believes in herself.
Fortunately, she has always been responsible and attentive for every step she takes, so she is worthy of my trust.
The girl gently bit the pill hidden behind her teeth, and a bitter and spicy feeling immediately filled her mouth and nose. She exhaled slowly and looked forward with a leisurely expression.
Even if one takes a step back and says that his life is really in his own hands, at least he can do it for her satisfaction, which is better than leaving his safety to others.
On the way to the Tiannv Tower, Chang Suining felt that every step he took was in a sea of fog.
But her intuition told her that the truth was often at the end of the fog.
Perhaps, as long as she can walk out of this fog, she will be able to see the truth.
Outside the pagoda courtyard, Ming Luo looked at Chang Suining who had stopped for a moment and said, "Madam Chang, please come in."
Good night, everyone. (I got off work on time, picked up my computer and ran away from my workstation. (End of this chapter)
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