daily chores
As night fell, Xu Lanxin, with nothing to do, sat by the window, thinking about the events of the day.
A knocking sound came from the window frame, and Xu Lanxin leaned halfway out of the window.
The moonlight shone on the man's face, and she recognized him at a glance as a guard by Cen Yan's side.
"Qingyun?"
"The master requests that you come over, young lady, as he has something to discuss with you."
"Going there so late at night? How do you get there?"
"The young lady can simply close her eyes."
The man bowed, and before Lanxin could react, he had already left the ground and gone out the window.
"I'm sorry."
The evening breeze whistled past my ears, and my armpits ached terribly from the tightness of my clothes.
She must be overthinking this. She didn't offend Qingyun, did she? What kind of bizarre way of getting out of the house is this, being lifted by the collar and carried around like a whirlwind?
Is she a chick?
The lights were on in the Dali Temple Vice Minister's Hall. Cen Yan was engrossed in studying the case files, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he had encountered a difficult problem.
As soon as she entered, before she could utter a sound, he looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the candlelight.
An orange-yellow halo spread throughout the room, like a filter around him, softening his usual imposing presence and making him seem more approachable.
"They're here."
It is both a question and an answer.
Lan Xin stepped forward: "Well, sir, what important matter brings you here so late at night?"
"What, you've used me during the day, and now you want to kick me to the curb?"
His face remained the same as usual, but his eyes held a smile that concealed a meaning that was hard to decipher.
"My lord, what are you saying? It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding," Xu Lanxin said with a smile.
"Just give me your orders, and I will obey without question."
The man put down the case file in his hand and made a gesture as if teasing a dog.
"come over."
"This, this isn't right, sir, it's so late at night."
Although she said she didn't want Lanxin, her body betrayed her and she went over there.
What are you thinking about?
"Thud!" A flick of the hand landed on her forehead.
"Let's see the autopsy results from the coroner of Miaoyue Temple."
Seriously? Calling someone over to look at the autopsy report so late at night? Shouldn't they be enjoying a romantic evening?
He's a complete straight man, confirmed.
Lan Xin took the autopsy report with a dejected look and began to read it carefully.
She focused on the paper in her hand, while Cen Yan watched her intently.
After she finished reading, she looked up and met those dark eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat, and in a panic, she reflexively raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes.
Damn it, what is she doing? She should be using her mouth, why is she using her hands?
"Ahem, sir, I've finished reading it."
The man regained his composure and leaned back in his chair.
Tell me about it.
"This report is exactly the same as what I saw that night. Although I only saw a corpse that day, the bruises and wounds on the body showed that it had been abused before it was born, and it may have been abused to death."
Have you found the tools used in the crime? Was the Buddhist temple thoroughly searched?
"By the way, the other day I saw a man in fancy clothes embracing a nun behind the artificial hill, saying something about lighting lamps?"
The man kept staring at her, and Lan Xin unconsciously raised her hand to wipe her face.
"Is there something dirty on my face? Oh, sir, you didn't see how all those nuns are so alluring. Tsk tsk, even a monk would probably lose his magic if he went there."
Cen Yan choked on her sharp words.
"Thud!" Another flick on the forehead.
"nonsense."
"Hiss!" Lan Xin rubbed her forehead and said in a coquettish tone, "Sir, are you bullying me because I'm short? I want to bounce back!"
He lunged at him with bared teeth and claws, grabbing his head before he could react and giving him a sharp rap on the head.
Xu Lanxin chuckled after getting her revenge. The man remained silent, staring at her intently, which made her uneasy. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin.
He hooked her slender waist with one hand and held her in place, a move that frightened her so much that she couldn't move.
Cen Yan lowered his head, his breath almost touching hers, and Lan Xin, overly nervous, blurted out.
"Sir, shall we continue discussing the case?"
The momentary passion was extinguished by the flood, and the man released her and leaned back in his chair.
Xu Lanxin, what are you doing? You've squandered this perfect opportunity to get close to a handsome man.
"Qingyun, take the young lady back."
No, sir, that's a bit too much.
"Sir, are we not going to discuss this case anymore?"
Qingyun's black figure flashed before her eyes, his constipated expression suggesting she was afraid he would continue talking, and he gestured for her to leave.
And so, Xu Lanxin experienced the game of "eagle catching chicks" once again.
Back at Jingyou Courtyard, the courtyard lived up to its name, devoid of any human presence.
The moon must have gone back to her hometown. Apart from the dim light in her room, it was pitch black all around. No one noticed she had been gone for so long.
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep until the fourth watch of the night, when she finally drifted off to sleep. In her hazy state, the sounds of arguing woke her up.
"Get out of my way."
"Second Miss, the young lady has not yet gotten up."
It's that little white lotus again. Why is she here so early in the morning instead of sleeping?
"What happened?"
Lan Xin, still half asleep, sounded drowsy and naturally had a very strong morning grumpiness.
"Elder sister, Mother asked me to inform you to pack quickly. Mother is taking us to Bailing Temple to offer incense and thank Buddha for bestowing such a good marriage upon you."
Lan Xin sneered inwardly. What does the emperor's bestowal of this marriage have to do with Buddha? If anyone should thank someone, it's that scoundrel Cen Yan and the emperor.
Wait a minute, these two are full of bad intentions, could they be plotting something?
Go ahead and go. Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? There are plenty of those tricks for dealing with women on TV. Let's see what they have to offer.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I'm done!"
Xu Lanxin walked out of the gate and saw two carriages. The boundary between them was quite clear. Just then, she saw them and her eyes hurt.
After a bumpy ride, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Modern cars are better; the roads are smooth and wide, and the cars are stable.
Bailing Temple is very popular with worshippers, and the surrounding area is also bustling with people.
The air was filled with a rich, pure incense fragrance, free of impurities, unlike the unpleasant, lung-sore scents of modern chemical incense.
She followed the two of them into the main hall, knelt and worshipped the Buddha. Feng Wanqing, in a proper manner, said some nice words of thanks to the Buddha.
She clasped her hands together and stared intently at the Buddha statue. Thinking that she could travel through time, perhaps the Buddha really was very powerful!
Buddha, Buddha, can you bless me to go back?
Before the words "I want to go back" could even be uttered in my mind, a crimson figure flashed into my head, with a cold and dignified appearance.
Why did I think of him?
After offering incense, Feng Wanqing made an excuse that she needed to rest and seek guidance from a master, so she asked a young novice monk to take her to the meditation room to rest.
Is she such an obedient person? Halfway there, she asked a young monk for directions to the meditation room, then declined, saying she wanted to wander around the temple and would come over by herself later.
Wandering aimlessly, I passed by a pavilion on a high platform.
A familiar voice reached their ears; it was Xu Lanzhi. What was she doing here? She pulled Xiao Xi aside.
“Cousin Lingyang, I have feelings for you. That day at the Lotus Banquet, it was the Sixth Prince who fell for me. How could I refuse him?”
Good heavens, this is some really explosive gossip! She didn't eavesdrop on purpose!
"Why not? If you just tell me you already have someone you love, can the Sixth Prince force you?"
"Cousin, you're putting it too lightly. The Sixth Prince holds a high position and wields great power. If I refuse, wouldn't that put Father in a difficult position in court?"
The sound of crying came through, and the following words were also laced with sobs:
"Does my cousin want me to be seen as an unfilial daughter? Does he not believe me anymore?"
Annoyed by the crying, Xu Lanxin thought of leaving, but just as she took a step, she miraculously stepped on a dry tree branch.
The "click" startled the unfortunate people in the courtyard.
Xu Zhilan peeked out and met her gaze.
"Big sister"
Seeing that Xu Lanxin was about to leave, she hurriedly ran downstairs, still holding "wait" in her mouth.
"What is it?"
To be honest, she didn't care about her romantic history at all; she just wanted to leave.
"What did you just hear, sister?"
Xu Zhilan stepped forward, her eyes filled with probing and questions.
"What do you want me to hear? I was just passing by on my way to the meditation room to rest, I didn't hear anything."
This girl changes her attitude faster than turning the pages of a book; in the blink of an eye, a fake smile is back on her face.
“Then I’ll escort my sister there, lest she go to the wrong place again, since this place is the opposite of the meditation room.”
"Is that so? Then I'll trouble you, little sister!"
Xu Zhilan walked past Xu Lanxin, her smile replaced by a sinister one. Xu Lanxin, who was behind her, couldn't see her. If she had, she would have clapped her hands in approval.
The layout of the meditation room was pretty much the same, with a large "Zen" character hanging on the wall, and the chairs were made of ordinary wood, unlike the extravagant Miaoyue Nunnery.
I wonder how the case is progressing?
"Xiao Xi, go with Cui'er to the carriage and get some pastries. Let your older sister have some; the vegetarian meal won't be ready for a while!"
Xiao Xi hesitated for a moment.
Go!
Lan Xin finally spoke up: "Since you want to play, let's play properly."
The direction of the script is, of course, her decision!
With a "whoosh," the door was pushed open just as the group left.
"Young lady." The newcomer was somewhat sleazy, but dressed in a respectable manner.
"I'm here." The man groped with his hands, making a standard gesture of teasing a melon.
“Then come here,” Xu Lanxin beckoned. As the person approached, she tied his hands behind his back and casually pulled out a piece of cloth of unknown origin to bind him up.
“I told you to come here,” she said, punching him repeatedly in the face, each blow landing squarely. His screams were deafening. Lan Xin simply pulled off his shoe and stuffed it into his mouth.
"I'm asking you questions now. If you confess, you'll avoid physical punishment. If you don't, I'll beat you up again and send you to the authorities. You'll be accused of humiliating the fiancée of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. You won't have a good end either."
The man nodded vigorously, saying "uh-huh."
"Speak, who sent you?"
The man looked troubled, but quickly spoke up when he felt Lan Xin's palm strike:
“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you. Actually, I don’t know who it is. It was just a pretty maid who gave me some silver and said that her young lady admires me and is waiting here to meet me.”
"What did that maid look like? What were her features? What clothes was she wearing?"
"Young lady, how could you possibly remember such a scoundrel?"
Sensing Lan Xin's displeased look, he immediately changed his tune:
She wore a green dress and had a butterfly hairpin in her hair.
"A red mole at the end of your eyebrow?"
"Yes, that's right. How did you know, young lady?"
"Smack!" He was slapped on the head.
"Shut up! You're coming with me somewhere, and you're not allowed to make a sound. I'll let you go after we're there. Otherwise, I'll send you to my fiancé, Lord Cen!"
It would be wonderful to be able to use his identity to bully others in a crucial moment!
"well!"
Before Lanxin and her group could even leave the temple, they were intercepted by someone they knew.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing here? And with a man with you?" Little Kingfisher Yan'an Prince stepped forward and asked.
Shh, is there a car? Give me a ride!
"Of course, where would you like to go, sister-in-law?"
"Take him to find my father," Lan Xin quickly explained, noticing Yan An's increasingly strange gaze.
"Stop daydreaming! I have important business to attend to."
That "you think I'm a three-year-old? I don't believe you" expression couldn't be more obvious.
"Stop thinking about it, hurry up and take me to my father. If we're too late, we'll be discovered and people will start conspiring to tell the same story. Let's go!"
The wooden stake only reacted after being pushed.
The three drove to the palace gate, but when they went to her father's office, they were told he was still inside the palace, so they had no choice but to wait here!
"Why aren't they out yet?" Xu Lanxin was getting impatient.
"Look at this! The emperor must be furious!"
So you're staying to work overtime?
Unable to understand what she was saying, Yan'an was completely bewildered!
Xu Lanxin was in no mood to explain to her. She saw the officials walking towards the palace gate, including Xu Yingshan, and of course, her beloved fiancé was behind them.
"Father!" Lan Xin waved excitedly from the car, attracting everyone's attention, including Cen Yan.
They both came towards her, but what she didn't know was that Cen Yan was very puzzled as to why she was in the Prince of Yan'an's carriage.
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