Chapter 149 He will respect your wishes and cherish you for everything that happened in the past...
The autumn rain outside the window had intensified again, and the long, slanting rain poured into the corridor, the watermarks on the deep red wooden planks forming a dark, shimmering expanse that slowly spread out.
The secret she had painstakingly concealed, even through lies, had to be revealed now; she had no other choice. She knew better than anyone that Cui Miaochang absolutely could not leave Jian'an at this time.
With Wang Fengshu's death, and in such a gruesome manner, the Wang family will undoubtedly mobilize all their resources, both overt and covert, to search for the murderer. Leaving the city now would mean facing ten times stricter checks at checkpoints, tantamount to walking into a trap.
Yu Nie knew perfectly well how to choose between exchanging a secret that had yet to be revealed for an immediate life-or-death crisis.
Leaving her martial uncle, Cui Miaochang, behind is the safest option right now. As long as he's still alive, and as long as we can buy some precious time, there's still room for maneuver, and things won't spiral out of control.
Upon hearing the news that Langxi was in Jian'an, Cui Miaochang, who should have been astonished, remained calm and composed, showing no change in expression.
After speaking, Yu Nie waited for a while, but seeing that she remained silent, he couldn't help but call out to her softly, "Uncle-Master?"
Under her gaze, Cui Miaochang, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stood up and moved slowly with his hands behind his back.
To everyone's surprise, she then revealed a shocking secret.
"I already knew what you just said."
"What?!" Yu Nie stared in disbelief.
She quickly realized that Cui Miaochang knew Langxi was in Jian'an, which might mean...
As she speculated, Cui Miaochang continued speaking her unfinished words: "Previously, I secretly followed Wang Fenghu and saw a young lady from the Wang family go to find him. He mentioned that Consort Hui in the palace was a vixen who bewitched the emperor, causing him to not enter the empress's palace for two months. Wang Fenghu cursed her with gritted teeth and wanted to use witchcraft to curse Consort Hui to a violent death."
At this point, Cui Miaochang turned to look at Yu Nie, who had already stood up, her eyes calm: "During the conversation, the young lady mentioned Consort Hui's name, and Wang Fengshu followed up by saying that she was from Yuyao and that her father had served as an official in the Ministry of Personnel."
“I thought there was no such coincidence in the world, so on the day Huan Xun saw me off to the expedition, I secretly went to the city gate to prove that my guess was correct. Unexpectedly, I caught a glimpse of Lang Xi among the ceremonial guards.”
After saying this, Yu Nie was momentarily at a loss for words.
She had assumed that her martial uncle would be at Yongxing Temple that day, but unexpectedly, because of the Wang family, her secret was leaked and the latter went outside the city gate.
In her uncle's eyes, her excuse had already been exposed.
What puzzled her was that Cui Miaochang knew she had lied and concealed Langxi's true whereabouts, yet she didn't mention it at all, nor did she even ask her.
Perhaps her martial aunt had already met with Lang Xi in private. If that were the case, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering if their plans had already been discovered.
Cui Miaochang's silence this time was interpreted by Yu Nie as whether the other party was waiting for her to open up and confess everything.
A jumble of thoughts overwhelmed Yu Nie. Finally, she raised her eyes, her voice trembling with anxiety, and asked, "Master Uncle knows I lied about Junior Sister's matter, so why... why didn't you ask me how I concealed Junior Sister's whereabouts?"
As if she had anticipated this question, Cui Miaochang slowly turned around, her eyes looking towards the door: "When I watched Langxi's carriage disappear through the palace gates, my confusion was far greater than why you lied. I wanted to understand why she entered the palace and how she became 'Consort Hui'. There must be a bigger secret behind this. Therefore, I went to see Xu Cai immediately."
"Second Brother Xu?"
“That’s right.” Cui Miaochang said, “Xu Cai, as a member of the Wuwei Camp, was promoted after entering the palace and now serves in the palace. He and Lang Xi are childhood sweethearts, so he must have met her. I guess he might know some inside information.”
Yu Nie: "So, you also know about Brother Xu's matter, Uncle-Master?"
Cui Miaochang nodded slightly, her expression grave. "Through Xu Cai's arrangement, I saw Langxi in the palace the night before last. She had lost a lot of weight. She confessed that she was determined to avenge Xu Jingyang, and her resolve was as firm as a rock. She would not give up no matter what."
After a slight pause, Cui Miaochang sighed softly: "As her master, I should have advised her to let go of her obsession and not let deep hatred consume the rest of her life. I should have reminded her that one wrong step in the depths of the palace would lead to an abyss of no return. Zhao Yunfu is the emperor, and serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Killing the emperor is not something that can be easily escaped."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cui Miaochang's gaze drifted into the distance, as if she were seeing Langxi's resolute eyes again. Her next words were filled with regret: "But when I saw the unwavering determination in Langxi's eyes, and thought of Xu Jingyang's immense place in her heart, the deep affection between the two of them, and the sacrifice of Jingyang and his pure heart, all my words of dissuasion were stuck in my throat, and I couldn't utter a single word."
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie saw that there was no reproach in her uncle's eyes, only a kind of compassionate acceptance.
Cui Miaochang: "Langxi has made her choice. The only thing I, as her master, can do is respect her choice and let her follow the path she has chosen."
Since yesterday, Yu Nie has not yet entered the palace due to her own responsibilities, and does not know exactly what they talked about, but just hearing Cui Miaochang's retelling, she already felt unbearably bitter.
Upon hearing Cui Miaochang's decision to let Langxi go on his own, Yu Nie felt not a turbulent storm in the depths of her heart, but rather a surge of bitterness that instantly overwhelmed her, causing her heart to clench.
She should have expected it. Although her senior uncle seemed serious and strict, and only focused on saving money for the temple and paid no attention to anything else, he actually had a clear understanding of the character of each of his disciples.
Within the entire temple, no one understood the fierceness and stubbornness in her disciple's bones better than her master, and comprehended her determination to seek revenge even at the cost of her life.
Forcibly stopping her might save Langxi's life, but it would be tantamount to destroying her.
As her master, Cui Miaochang chose to avoid such an outcome, and thus let her venture out on her own, even if the road ahead was fraught with peril.
This kind of acceptance is far more profound than any verbal dissuasion.
Watching her disciple take such a risk—to put it nicely, it's a risk; to put it bluntly, to any discerning person, it's tantamount to suicide. Therefore, Cui Miaochang found the decision far more difficult than others, and the fact that she could do it speaks volumes about the strength of her resolve.
Hearing her words, Yu Nie was deeply moved.
But then she thought again, her senior uncle and her junior sister had already had a secret talk, so had Lang Xi revealed the more secretive and dangerous plan between her and Lang Xi, the secret that, if exposed, would lead to the annihilation of everyone?
Thinking of this, she tentatively asked, "Besides the desire for revenge, did you, Junior Sister, say anything else to your Martial Uncle?"
Cui Miaochang's gaze fell on her face: "No, she only told me the reason she entered the palace, and told me not to blame you, and that you had to lie because you were afraid I would worry."
Upon hearing Cui Miaochang's reply, Yu Nie lowered her eyes, and Lang Xi kept their shared secret.
However, she was now pondering whether she should reveal this plan to Cui Miaochang.
Thinking of this, she looked at the person in front of her. Since Cui Miaochang came to Jian'an, he had become much more depressed and listless.
Thinking of all the worries their uncle had made for them over the years, if he knew they were about to take this dangerous step, he would be worried day and night, and might even risk his life to protect them.
Under these circumstances, Yu Nie withdrew her plan to reveal the secret.
She couldn't say it now, she thought. She would wait until the situation was settled and everything was clear before kneeling before her uncle to beg for forgiveness.
At that time, she would be willing to accept any punishment from her martial uncle.
Thinking of this, she gave a calm smile, stepped forward, and said solemnly, "Uncle-Master, rest assured, I will take good care of Junior Sister and will never let anything happen to her."
Upon hearing this, Cui Miaochang looked at the still-childish face. After a long while, she raised her hand to stroke the thin cheek and said in a reminiscing tone, "When we were little, you were the most mischievous one, always fiddling with fried things. I never thought that today, your uncle would hear you say such things."
“You’ve really grown up.” Cui Miaochang said wistfully, her voice filled with relief but also with an undeniable worry: “Don’t think that your uncle doesn’t know what you’ve been doing tinkering with those gadgets in the yard all day. Aunt Liu has already told me the reason in secret.”
Cui Miaochang: "You want to do something small for the people of the world. You have lofty aspirations. Uncle, I am truly proud of you."
Then, as if she wanted to etch this advice into Yu Nie's heart, she said earnestly, "But your uncle hopes even more that you won't overwork yourself. No matter how important it is, don't forget to eat well and sleep soundly. Your health is more important than anything else to your uncle."
“Uncle-Master…” Yu Nie’s eyes reddened.
Cui Miaochang touched her face, turned around and walked to a wooden cabinet. After rummaging through it for a while, he took out an envelope.
Returning to Yu Nie, she opened the envelope, revealing three slightly worn silver notes inside.
“These are the savings I’ve accumulated over the years for you, Langxi, and Ahui.” As she spoke, she stuffed the banknotes into Yu Nie’s hand: “Including the pocket money I used to withhold from you, it’s all in here.”
Yu Nie looked down at the silver note in her hand, stunned for a moment. The disbelief in her heart was like a churning sea, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“I was planning to hand these over to you all when you’re all adults.” Cui Miaochang’s voice lowered, but he continued, “The world is in turmoil right now, and Lingbao Temple is in a strategic location. Who knows when war will break out? That’s why I brought these with me this time.”
She paused, her voice slightly hoarse, "But... Ah Hui is gone. You and Lang Xi can share his share. Consider it... Ah Hui's dowry to you."
As she finished speaking, her smile became bitter and sorrowful: "Anyway, that boy always talked about giving you two the most lavish dowry in the world. This way, his wish will be fulfilled."
Yu Nie looked at the three silver notes in his hand.
She had resented her uncle's strictness and harshness before, and she had secretly complained about him cutting her allowance. Unexpectedly, every penny of that money was saved, and he even saved so much extra for them.
The seemingly inhumane control she had received in Huaiyuan in the past had now transformed into the deepest love, weighing heavily on her heart.
This is truly heavier and more poignant than any direct gift.
It instantly shattered all her resolve, and tears streamed down her face.
These tears were not from sadness, but from her regret—regret for never having understood the silent, mountain-like protection hidden beneath her stern demeanor.
She knelt down, choking back tears: "It was because I was ignorant before, and I even resented you, Uncle Master. I was narrow-minded and misunderstood you..." She sobbed uncontrollably.
Seeing her like this, Cui Miaochang's eyes softened with an unusual gentleness as she bent down to help her up.
“Lingbao Temple is a humble place and cannot provide you with fine clothes and delicacies.” She wiped away her tears: “All that your aunt can do is to ensure that, in the future, whether you stay in the temple or not, you have something solid to rely on, so that you don’t have to worry about making a living and can live more comfortably.”
After saying that, she placed her hand on Yu Nie's shoulder, her voice carrying a mix of reluctance at the thought of letting go and knowing relief: "Good child, your aunt can only take care of you this far."
She said, "Seeing that you can now stand on your own and have a reliable person to entrust your life to, your uncle can finally put down a lot of weight in his heart."
After a pause, Cui Miaochang's gaze seemed to travel back to the scene from a few days ago.
“That day, Huan Xun came to see me specifically. He said that he knew that your marriage to him was bestowed by the emperor, but he did not care about the emperor's wishes. He wanted to solemnly ask for my consent as his uncle.”
Cui Miaochang recounted the words spoken that day: "He said that although I am your teacher, I am also like a mother to you. He wanted me to entrust you to him with peace of mind. He knelt down before me and swore that he would protect you with his life, never letting you suffer any grievances or live a single unhappy day. He said that he would respect your wishes, cherish your aspirations, and do everything in his power to protect you whatever you think and desire."
At this point, Cui Miaochang's eyes revealed relief: "In my uncle's opinion, Huan Xun, though young, is steady and keeps his promises. When he was in Huaiyuan, I saw that he acted with propriety, was capable of shouldering responsibility, and was a gentleman who always kept his word and could be entrusted with one's life. I... am at ease entrusting you to him."
Huan Xun had privately met with Cui Miaochang, and Yu Nie already knew about it from Aunt Liu, but she only learned of his vow to entrust her life to him now.
Cui Miaochang: "Your future is bright, and I am very pleased that someone is protecting you. However, I cannot see you wearing your wedding dress. I cannot stay any longer; it would be too dangerous for you."
"No, Uncle-Master." Upon hearing this, Yu Nie stopped her, saying, "The situation outside is tense, and you cannot handle it alone. I absolutely cannot let you leave like this."
"Qiqi, listen to me..." Cui Miaochang was about to persuade her.
Before they could finish speaking, Aunt Liu rushed in, looking flustered, and said urgently in a low voice, "Someone's here outside!"
As soon as Aunt Liu finished speaking, Sui En had already run to the door, cupped his hands and reported to Yu Nie: "Princess, the Wang family has arrived. They are outside the door and insist on seeing you."
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