Chapter 87 She is the unlucky Li Shang
According to the Dasheng custom, the time for the birthday sacrifice should be at night, but because the sacrificial matters need to be prepared in advance, Duan attached great importance to it, so she went to the Princess's Mansion early to prepare.
After getting off the carriage with Duan, Chang Suining raised his head and looked at the mansion in front of him.
Everyone in the palace knew that Princess Chongyue had unexpectedly suffered a serious illness when she was eight or nine years old. Although she luckily survived, she suffered from many sequelae, which could not be cured for a long time and gradually became chronic diseases.
When His Royal Highness the late Crown Prince was twelve years old, he volunteered to join the army for training. Before leaving, he specifically asked the late Emperor for permission to allow his elder sister to leave the palace to recuperate.
The sage approved it and made an exception to open a princess's residence outside the palace for Princess Chongyue, who was only twelve years old. He ordered a medical officer to live with her, away from the noise of the palace, so that she could concentrate on treating her illness.
Later, when the previous emperor passed away and Li Bing ascended the throne, Princess Chongyue's Mansion became Princess Chongyue's Mansion.
But whether it is a princess or a princess, it is not so easy to be——
Looking back on that rather short life, Chang Suining felt that the six characters "Princess Chongyue's Mansion" on the plaque of the mansion should be changed to "The Life of an Unlucky Man".
And she is the unlucky one, Princess Li Shang of Chongyue.
"Come on, follow me in." Duan's voice sounded in his ears, and Chang Suining withdrew his gaze from the plaque.
Because outsiders are not allowed to enter, the gate of the Princess's Mansion is kept closed all year round, and it will only be opened when the emperor visits.
At this time, Duan took Chang Suining and went out through the side door.
The maid who led the way was a young unfamiliar face. Chang Suining followed Duan and the maid all the way, only to find that the furnishings in the mansion were the same as those in Xuan Ce's mansion, all retaining their previous appearance, with only traces of renovation and no major changes.
There was only one place that was newly built, and it was to this place that the maid led them—the sacrificial hall.
In the quiet, tidy sacrificial hall, which was filled with the aroma of incense and candles, was placed the tablet of Princess Chongyue, various offerings, and a portrait.
The woman in the portrait has a pretty face, cool eyes and a calm and dignified demeanor.
The painting looked very much like her, but not at all like her - she looked alike in appearance, but she had probably never been so dignified and graceful in her life.
From childhood to adulthood, she has never been dignified and quiet.
When she was young, she was born in a relatively humble family among the princes and princesses. Her quiet temperament meant that she was always bullied, and even after being bullied, she could only swallow her grievances.
She didn't want to be a stupid and pitiful person who couldn't even fight back after being bullied. What's more, Ah Xiao was sick and weak, and as his elder sister, she absolutely could not be weak again - this idea had been engraved in her mind since she could remember.
Later on, she had no room for weakness and gentleness.
Whenever he returned to his hometown, old memories always came to his mind. Chang Suining quietly helped Duan to place the sacrificial items and never spoke a word.
Seeing that although she was a young lady with a new face, she was calm and quiet in her work, the maid from the Princess's Mansion felt relieved - the wife of Duke Zheng was allowed to come to offer sacrifices by the saint himself, and there was nothing wrong with her bringing a young lady with her. After all, there was a precedent in previous years when the young master and his wife of the Wei family came with them. As long as they were sincere in their worship and did not make any noise, they would not say anything.
By the time everything was ready, it was getting dark.
The white candles in the sacrificial hall were lit. Duan lit the incense and inserted it into the incense burner. Her movements were unusually steady and careful, probably because she was filled with heavy thoughts.
Then, Duan took Chang Suining and knelt down on the mat and kowtowed to the tablet.
After bowing, Chang Suining knelt on the mat and looked at the tablet. She felt very mysterious - she wondered how many people in the world could prepare offerings for themselves and worship themselves like she did?
Is this kindness from the King of Hell only for her, or for other unlucky people as well? The paper money was burning in the brazier.
Duan, who had been very quiet all the time, had tears in her eyes at some point.
Seeing her like this, Chang Suining felt quite uncomfortable.
After waiting for a while, I saw tears silently falling from Duan's eyes as she lowered her head.
Chang Suining felt more and more uncomfortable, and turned her head slightly to look away, only to see the maid beside her also wiping tears - but she had never seen this little maid, why would she cry for her former master whom she had never met? Perhaps this is the embodiment of doing one's job well... a strong professional quality.
Over there, Duan threw a handful of burning materials into the brazier, and her tearful eyes looked like a pitiful puppy in the light of the fire.
Chang Suining felt inexplicably guilty and could only whisper to comfort him: "Madam, please accept my condolences..."
Duan wiped her tears, exhaled a long breath, looked at the tablet, and sighed hoarsely: "Your Highness once said that I am the funniest when I cry... If you saw me like this, you would definitely laugh at me."
Chang Suining sighs with regret in his heart.
Saw it.
But I wasn't very good at it and couldn't even make a joke.
Seeing that Duan wanted to cry but didn't want to lose her composure in front of a junior like her, Chang Suining said, "Madam, do you want to talk to His Highness alone?"
Duan nodded slightly, and thinking that Chang Suining had been busy with her for half a day, she said, "Miss Chang, please go to the front and have some tea and rest for a while."
Chang Suining agreed, stood up and walked out.
It was a special case that she came with Duan, and sacrificial rites required solemnity and tranquility, so Xier was asked to wait in the carriage outside.
There was no maidservant with her, and a maid from the Princess's Mansion led her to a side hall not far from the sacrificial hall.
After Chang Suining sat down, the maid went to the tea room to make tea and prepare snacks.
Although the furnishings in the Princess's Mansion remained unchanged, the owner was not there, so there were not many servants. After the maid left temporarily, Chang Suining was the only one left in the hall.
Chang Suining seized the opportunity and left the side hall.
Although she had never lived in this mansion for a long time before, she would come back every once in a while when there was no war, so she was very familiar with her home environment.
When he reaches a place with a wide view, Chang Suining looks around carefully.
The mansion had been without an owner for many years, so even though it was already night, there were not many places with lights on. Apart from the sacrificial hall and the servants' living quarters, there was only one exception -
Chang Suining quickly determined that it was the direction of Xiyuan.
Chang Suining thought for a moment, chose an empty path, and walked quickly in that direction.
When she got closer, she heard a chaotic voice coming from the yard. She did not go forward, but hid behind a rockery on the side.
Amidst the noise, there was one voice that sounded particularly serious, and it even had a hint of anger in it.
"Today is His Highness' birthday, and you are totally unprepared. I clearly gave instructions long ago, so how did you do it?"
"He is so lazy and careless... The Princess's Mansion cannot tolerate such sneaky people!"
"I will report this to His Highness!"
As he was speaking, the gate of the courtyard was opened from the inside and the person who spoke walked out quickly.
With the help of the lantern hanging outside the courtyard gate, Chang Suining could see the man's face clearly.
Although he has changed from his early twenties to his early thirties, he is not difficult to recognize.
That was her former personal maid, Yuxie——
The other person's manners as she walked were impeccable, and she had the dignity of a first-class maid.
But it was still obvious at a glance that the expression on her face was not that of a sane person.
Soon two maids with lanterns chased out.
One of them stepped forward quickly to block Yuxie's way, saying hesitantly, "...Aunt Yuxie, His Highness is not in the mansion at this time."
Yu Xie stopped abruptly upon hearing this, and after a moment's stunned expression, her pupils constricted and her whole body trembled, as if she had recalled something extremely painful, horrible, and unacceptable.
At this time, Chang Suining, who had held his breath, was standing behind a rockery two steps away from him, taking in all the changes in his expression.
"His Highness is gone. He was murdered in Beidi..." Yu Xie murmured, "It's all my fault. It's all my fault that I failed to protect His Highness. I am the one who deserves to die..."
After she finished speaking, as if she was trapped in the painful past, she suddenly pushed away the maid who was blocking her way and ran into the night without any warning.
"Aunt Yuxie!"
Two maids hurriedly followed.
Seeing that they were leaving in the direction of the sacrificial hall, Chang Suining did not rush to follow them. Instead, he bent down and picked up a stone from under his feet, walked to the wall of the courtyard, and drew a few times on the corner of the wall with the stone, quickly leaving a seemingly simple pattern.
This is not the main courtyard, and the walls are a bit mottled. The pattern is not conspicuous on it, and no one would pay much attention to it even if they saw it.
But in the eyes of those who are careful, it must be eye-catching enough.
She came here today just to see Yuxie and explore the way.
From what she had just seen, she knew that Yuxie was guarded by at least two maids. In this situation, even if she had great abilities, she would not be able to do anything to Yuxie without arousing suspicion.
Moreover, this is the Princess's residence, and she is no longer Li Shang. She will have no advantage at all if she acts like a demon here.
Therefore, she wanted Yuxie to come to her on her own initiative. Regardless of anything else, she just wanted to take the initiative first.
No matter whether the other person is really stupid or just pretending to be stupid, as long as he is still alive, don't think you can hide the truth.
…
"Where did Madam Chang go?"
As soon as Chang Suining returned to the front hall, she saw the maid who had gone to make tea earlier walking towards her quickly. It was obvious that she had been looking for her for a while.
"I just had a stomachache, so I went to find a clean room." Chang Suining lied, seeming a little uncomfortable.
The maid glanced at the direction she came from, and saw that there was indeed a bathroom there, so she didn't think much about it, and just frowned slightly to remind her, "The Princess's Mansion is different from other places, Madam Chang should not walk around alone."
Chang Suining's attitude was also very positive: "Don't worry, sister, it won't happen again."
The girl's expression was not fawning or flattering. Instead, her fair and pretty face showed a look of serious reflection. The word "sister" made the maid stunned for a moment.
After a moment, his expression unconsciously relaxed.
——After all, she didn't do anything wrong. What's wrong with a little girl looking for a clean room nearby when she has a stomachache? On the contrary, why was she so serious just now? It was really wrong.
"It's a cool night, Madam Chang, please come into the hall and have some hot tea and fruit."
Chang Suining nodded, thanked him, and went into the hall and sat down as he was told.
After drinking a cup of hot tea and sitting quietly for another quarter of an hour, Chang Suining estimated that the time was almost up, so he mentioned going to look for the wife of Duke Zheng.
The maid nodded and took her back to the sacrificial hall.
As soon as the two approached the memorial hall, they heard uncontrollable crying.
But it’s not Duan—
Although Duan had let herself go and cried for a while after Chang Suining left, halfway through, she suddenly heard a more sad and intense cry. Turning back, Duan saw Yu Xie rushing in like a madman, kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly.
This scene frightened Duan so much that she stopped crying and quickly moved aside.
The two maids who followed wanted to take the people back, but the more they pulled the jade chips, the harder they struggled. During the struggle, they bumped into the incense table and broke their heads.
She cried and made a fuss like this for a long time, and soon after Chang Suining arrived, she fainted from exhaustion.
Only then can we calm down.
Seeing Yu Xie being helped down, Duan sighed deeply, not knowing what to say, and finally said, "Let's go back too."
Chang Suining nodded without asking any more questions.
After returning to the Chang family, Chang Suining took a bath and sat in front of the dressing table, while Xier twisted her hair with a snow-white cotton towel.
As the light moved, the girl's face in the mirror became blurred, seeming both real and illusory.
Today's trip was worthwhile. Now all I have to do is wait for news from Yuxie.
But even though she had to wait, she couldn't just sit there and wait for this one thing. She had many other things to do.
The next morning, Chang Suining got up as usual and went to the martial arts arena.
At noon, Chang Kuo returned home from court.
Chang Sui'an was invited to go out and meet a friend, so he was not at home today. During lunch, only the father and daughter were at home.
Chang Suining was a man who would do what he thought. During the meal, he talked about the idea of becoming a disciple: "Father, I want to become Sanda's teacher and let Sanda teach me."
Chang Kuo paused in his eating, swallowed the food in his mouth, and looked at his daughter anxiously: "Sui Ning doesn't want to practice martial arts again?"
"How could it be possible? But the time for practicing martial arts is only half a day at most, and the rest of the time is wasted. It is better to use it to study."
This sentence was like a reassurance, making Chang Kuo smile with relief: "It seems that our Sui Ning wants to be both civil and military... Your father is so ambitious, of course he agrees, but why do you have to ask your third father to be your teacher? He is busy with the affairs of the Imperial College and can't get away on weekdays. I'm afraid he can't come here for ten days or half a month."
Chang Suining: "Since Third Father is not able to come, I will go to the Imperial College to look for him."
Chang Kuo was stunned: "But the students in the Imperial College are all men——"
"I just want to know what the men learn." Chang Suining's eyes revealed just the right amount of innocent expectation: "But I can't enter the Imperial College. After thinking it over, I can only worship Third Father as my teacher so that I can have a chance to learn a little bit."
Chang Kuo felt a pain in his heart when he heard this.
For a general who was invincible on the battlefield, the feeling of being unable to fulfill his daughter's little wish as a father was too painful.
While I feel heartbroken and blame myself, I also can't help feeling that it's unfair.
Damn it! Why couldn't his daughter, who was so outstanding, go to the Imperial Academy to study openly as a student? There was nothing wrong with the place that couldn't accept his daughter!
Chang Kuo turned his grief and anger into strength. He quickly ate his meal and urged his daughter, "Let's eat quickly. After we finish eating, Dad will take you to find your third father!"
Chang Suining couldn't help but ask, "But when it comes to becoming a disciple, it's more proper to visit early in the morning, right?"
Chang Kuo said without even looking up: "If you are one of my own family, then why would you choose a time?"
This sentence, combined with his aura at the moment, sounded more like "I'll beat you if I want to, why pick a day?" After all, he was Old Chang, and apart from military regulations, he didn't follow any other rules.
Chang Suining chose to temporarily observe filial piety and follow his father's arrangements.
Looking at the general and the girl who were about to bury their heads in their rice bowls, the servants' faces were numb.
After dinner, the Chang family father and daughter went to the Imperial College to look for Qiao Jijiu.
At this moment, Qiao Jijiu was meeting guests.
The identity of the visitor is somewhat special, and Qiao Jijiu would like to call him the most popular figure in the court recently.
Good night everyone~ (End of this chapter)
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