escape
Coming out of the back garden, the two passed by Jingfu Palace in silence.
Tai Shi Zheng looked at the flying eaves and pointed corners of Kunning Palace from afar and stopped involuntarily.
Qi Liyuan also stood there with him.
He suddenly recalled many past events, like the beautiful girl with a rosy complexion, holding a beautiful kite and gracefully passing by his palace. But looking back, the carefree days of those years were gone, and all that remained was distant memories.
Qi Liyuan spoke in the wind: "I thought you would come back here like before."
Zheng could understand the implication of his words, but her eyes remained fixed on the direction of Kunning Palace without shifting for a moment.
Zheng asked Qi Liyuan, "Master, do you love me, or do you miss me, or do you want to hold onto that past... Only you know. But since fate has brought us all this way, so bumpy, to this point, we shouldn't look back. The only one worthy of this place, the one who can carry it on, is my eldest sister. Master, don't you understand better than I do?"
Qi Liyuan silently gazed at the girl beside him, whom he had longed for. Suddenly, in Taishi Zheng's question, he found the answer he had long sought. He had been trapped in the past, wanting to keep Taishi Zheng by his side.
But the long river of life flows endlessly, and one must be able to pick up and put down. However, Tai Shi Zheng picked it up, but Qi Liyuan did not put it down.
Zheng turned to look at the supreme ruler beside her and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the country is in your hands, the people are in your hands, Sister Jue is in your hands, and the moral principles of the world are in your hands. Don't disappoint the sage and the late emperor. We will all get better and better."
Zheng's words were sincere and full of hope. They should have resolved the entanglement of many years and overcome the hurdle between them long ago.
After all——
Zheng's heart and eyes are now filled with a man named Cui Zhijun.
Qi Liyuan also has a new companion.
Meeting Taishi Zheng's bright gaze, Qi Liyuan smiled with relief, and said, "I understand. Zheng, you must be happy."
Zheng suddenly laughed and responded softly, "Tenth brother, you too."
-
The sixth day was still an unforgettable rainy day.
Cui Jianchun's every move remained under Chu Fanghua's surveillance. As agreed, she was to go to Kaifeng Prefecture today, armed with evidence of Liu Yugeng's remarriage, to file a lawsuit. However, although Cui Jianchun had discovered the location of Chu Fanghua's engagement box a few days earlier, she couldn't escape the maid's surveillance. This presented a real dilemma.
Suddenly pushing open the door, the maid sent by Chu Fanghua was probably going to the East Office, as her son was not at home. Only Cui Jianchun's personal maid Ying'er was left waiting outside the door. Ying'er saw the master come out and called out, "Young lady."
Cui Jianchun glared at his personal maid without saying a word.
Ying'er shrank back at the sight. After all, she was the one who betrayed her master that day, and now she was in the wrong when she saw Cui Jianchun. Unexpectedly, Cui Jianchun suddenly asked, "Have I ever treated you unfairly in all the years you've been by my side?"
Ying'er raised her head. "No, no, the young lady is kind-hearted and never mistreats her servants. How could she mistreat a slave like me?"
Cui Jianchun snorted coldly upon hearing this, "So you're going to betray me in front of Mother?"
"My dear lady..." Ying'er was terrified, but she was just a little maid, and she couldn't afford to offend anyone inside or outside. What else could she do? She immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, "I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong. It was all because of my momentary indulgence. Please forgive me, my dear lady."
Cui Jianchun saw that Ying'er seemed to have an opportunity to take advantage of, so he turned around and asked, "Where's the one on duty with you?"
Ying'er lowered her eyes and spoke haltingly, pointing her finger outside the yard.
"Yes, she is outside the yard in the East Office."
Upon hearing this, Cui Jianchun hurried to the courtyard and picked up a dead branch from the pear tree that the maid had not yet swept away. He was about to leave in anger, but before leaving, Cui Jianchun took one last look at Ying'er. She said loudly, "Ying'er, I'm giving you one last chance. Consider it for me and for yourself. Don't go to your mother to tell on me. As for the rest, follow your conscience. I don't think you would want to serve an ungrateful son-in-law in the future—"
Ying'er knelt in the corridor and looked back. The dead branch in Cui Jianchun's hand seemed to be blooming with pear blossoms.
Her determined back reflected in Ying'er's eyes. After more than ten years of being together, this was the first time she had seen Cui Jianchun so resolute.
Cui Jianchun left.
She decided to give it a try.
He resolutely walked to the East Office outside the courtyard, which was specially used for servants, and knocked on the doors one by one until the familiar voice came from them. Cui Jianchun then whispered "I'm sorry" and stuck the dead branch in his hand outside the door, trapping the people inside.
Inside the East Office, a violent shove of the door was heard, and the dead branch swayed precariously. It looked as if the people inside could break it without even waiting for Cui Jianchun to leave.
Cui Jianchun had no time to hesitate, she turned around and tried to escape.
Ying'er came over holding a stick that she usually used to beat the bedding. She quickly replaced the stick outside the door before the dead branch broke.
Ying'er propped her hand against the door and turned to look at Cui Jianchun. "Young lady, you're wrong. It doesn't matter who I serve. What matters is that you can't marry that kind of person. Leave this to me, young lady. Let's go."
Cui Jianchun was moved for a moment. It turned out that there was someone else in the second room.
Looking at her...
Cui Jianchun muttered solemnly, "Ying'er."
Ying'er smiled and said, "Although I don't know what you are going to do, please be careful."
Now was not the time to play the role of a master-servant love. Cui Jianchun walked away in Ying'er's voice. She carefully hid all the way to Chu Fanghua's courtyard. Every time Chu Fanghua came to this time, Yu Yuelan would ask her to go to Fushou Pavilion to serve the old lady. Cui Jianchun calculated the time and entered the courtyard.
But there were still many servants coming and going in the yard, so she pretended to be summoned by Chu Fanghua and waited, so that the servants doing rough work would not be suspicious.
Cui Jianchun pushed open the door of Chu Fanghua's bedroom as if nothing had happened.
By this time, Cui Bin had gone to work at the Ministry of Examination. The house was empty, so Cui Jianchun searched for the place where he remembered Chu Fanghua hiding the things. But he found nothing. Cui Jianchun was extremely anxious. Could it be that his mother had become suspicious and moved the things somewhere else?
The messy mood and confused thoughts made Cui Jianchun's ears ring.
She was unwilling to give up and needed to calm down.
The only one who could save her now was herself. Cui Jianchun tried hard to catch her breath.
She thought, Chu Fanghua must be feeling guilty, and she must be uneasy no matter where she put it. Chu Fanghua was afraid that this thing would be accidentally discovered. Looking out the window blankly, Cui Jianchun watched the people coming and going in the courtyard. She suddenly had a thought: this letter must be somewhere where no one is... somewhere where no one is...
Xingchunzhai!
Xingchunzhai is now empty. Since my eldest brother left, my mother even forbade the cleaning staff from entering.
Cui Jianchun made up his mind and turned around and walked out of the dormitory.
Then, ignoring the question from the messenger behind him, he said, "Hey, young lady, aren't you waiting for the eldest lady to come back? It's about time she comes back—"
Walk away.
Xingchunzhai was not far from where Chu Fanghua lived. When Cui Jianchun arrived, he tiptoed and gently pushed the gate open.
The creaking of the courtyard door startled her sensitive nerves. Cui Jianchun peeked through the crack in the door. Wild birds were nesting on the roof, and ants were swarming in the yard. Cui Zhilin had been gone for only a month, and the place had become so desolate.
Just like this home...
He was also messed up by Chu Fanghua.
Cui Jianchun slipped into the courtyard and headed straight for the main house. When she saw the fingerprints on the door due to the dust, Cui Jianchun became more certain of her choice.
She pushed the door open, searching frantically for her last chance.
Cui Jianchun's breathing became more rapid as her search progressed. Wild birds chirped on the eaves, and she became increasingly panicked. She knew she had to find the engagement letter, she knew she had to go to Shuntian Gate to see Xia Buyu off. She couldn't give up.
She finally showed some courage for once...
Suddenly, as if guided by something, the palm prints on the dressing table caught Cui Jianchun's attention. Suddenly, she approached, suddenly bent down, and finally discovered the secret of the dressing table's mezzanine. Pulling out Liu Yugeng's engagement letter, Cui Jianchun, who had been suppressed for a long time, burst into tears.
But when she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes became deeper. She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and the dust from her fingertips stained her cheeks.
Cui Jianchun smiled suddenly and turned away.
-
Meanwhile, on the other side, Chu Fanghua returned from Fushou Pavilion and, upon hearing the messenger's story about Cui Jianchun, he immediately became suspicious. Chu Fanghua and Danyun exchanged a glance, then turned and ran out of the courtyard without a word.
"Oh my God, something terrible is happening..."
Running across the wall in the same time and space, the drizzle wets different cheeks.
Cui Jianchun, skirt lifted, trudged across the muddy path, passing through a thicket of blossoming flowers. She was just one turn away from meeting Chu Fanghua. Fortunately, the gods had favored her. Mother and daughter, by some strange coincidence, had missed each other. And Chu Fanghua was headed… in the direction of Xingchunzhai.
"Chun'er, come quickly."
Outside the mansion, Taishi Zheng was already prepared to meet Cui Jianchun. When Cui Jianchun extended his arm, Zheng immediately pulled him onto the carriage. In one smooth movement, the carriage sped forward the moment Cui Jianchun boarded.
At that time in Xingchunzhai, the powder box on the dressing table that Qi Yijun did not take away was also scattered all over the floor.
Chu Fanghua planned everything, but lost to his own frivolity.
"What a bastard! That rebellious girl—how dare she lie to me? I thought she'd finally figured it out and figured out how to plan for herself and the second wife. I never imagined I'd trusted her too much and let her take advantage of me. She's crazy, completely crazy! Does she know how much trouble this will bring me? Danyun, hurry, go find her! Even if you have to break this rebellious girl's legs, you have to drag Cui Jianchun back to me."
Danyun turned around after receiving the order.
Chu Fanghua stopped her, "Wait, send someone to the palace to deliver a message. If Cui Jianchun has the courage to make a big deal out of this, tell the Queen Mother to suppress it. Don't worry about that girl at all. Hurry, go——"
Danyun said yes upon hearing this and did not dare to stay for a moment.
But after she pushed the door open, Chu Fanghua suddenly lost her spirit and collapsed on the dressing table... The outcome of this round was still undecided, but for some reason she had a vague feeling that it was too late...
-
The bumpy carriage passed through the Liang Gate.
Cui Jianchun clutched the "stolen" engagement letter tightly, still in shock. She was terrified. What if she couldn't find the engagement letter today? What if Ying'er didn't stand by her today? What if she ran into Chu Fanghua...
What should I do?
She couldn't imagine that her fate would have a different ending because of a slight mistake.
Zheng noticed something strange about the people around her. She slowly reached out and took the engagement letter, which contradicted its own meaning. She tightly grasped Cui Jianchun's hand and said in a deep voice, "Chun'er, don't be afraid. Take the engagement letter and leave the uncle's mansion, and we'll be safe. Good and evil will eventually be rewarded, it's just a matter of whether it comes sooner or later. They can't stop this. You must believe that justice is on our side."
Cui Jianchun was gradually warmed by Taishi Zheng. She was no longer afraid. She asked her cousin's wife, "Are we going to Kaifeng Prefecture now?"
Zheng shook her head and said, "No, let's go to Taiping Xingguo Temple first—"
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