Chapter 68 Chapter 68 You Must Be Responsible
"What's going on?" Mrs. Jiang was worried and looked out the window again. "What's going on?"
Under the corridor, Xiaoman sat alone, leaning against a pillar, neither crying nor laughing, her big, bright eyes staring blankly at the gray sky.
Mother Fang sighed silently.
When the girl came back from the academy yesterday, she was not quite normal. She was crying and laughing at times. She didn't say anything when asked and didn't even eat.
The last time I didn’t eat was when I had a falling out with Chen Ling’an.
This morning, the concubine of the Marquis's Mansion brought a letter, and they learned that Xiaoman had done something earth-shattering. Even the emperor knew about it and teased Prince Qin.
Mrs. Jiang was so worried that wrinkles formed between her brows. "The court won't arrest Xiaoman, will they? Oh, this child, they're really keeping it a secret."
"No, if they were going to arrest her, they would have done it yesterday. They wouldn't have waited until now. Besides, they didn't arrest so many protesting scholars, so arresting just one little girl is outrageous," Fang's mother consoled her. "Since the Emperor is in a mood to tease the Marquis of Pingyang, he won't make things difficult for our Xiaoman."
Mrs. Jiang thought for a moment and nodded, "That's right. I'm just worried. Alas, I'm worried that Chen Ling'an won't be able to get over this..."
Now Fang's mother was at a loss for words to comfort her.
They both looked at Xiaoman and sighed.
A cool breeze blew by, and the petals fell like rain.
Xiaoman opened her hand, and in her palm lay a yellow and curled magnolia petal, which Chen Lingan had given her when they parted yesterday.
I don't know how many days it had been held in his hand, but the floral fragrance had long since disappeared, leaving only the faint smell of rotting flowers and trees.
He said, "This is the magnolia tree my father planted in the academy. Please bury this petal under the tree for me."
After saying that, he went into the palace without even giving her a chance to refuse.
Nancui Academy was guarded by regimental soldiers and officers, so she had no way to get in and could only take it home.
Xiaoman stared blankly at the petals that were about to rot, then suddenly stood up, rummaged through the drawers and found a small brocade box, and put the petals in it with great care.
There was a clattering sound of footsteps outside the door, and Jinxiu rushed in, "Miss——"
Xiaoman's hand trembled and the brocade box almost fell to the ground.
"Wu, Lord Wu is here." Jinxiu said breathlessly.
Xiaoman hurried out, "Any news about Chen Ling'an? Please come in!"
Jinxiu followed behind and said anxiously, "He's gone. The Emperor has transferred him from the Northern Pacification Division and he'll be leaving the capital soon. He also said that Master Chen is not doing well. The Emperor is very angry and I don't think he'll be able to get away with it this time. If you have any connections, please find someone to rescue Chen Ling'an as soon as possible."
Xiaoman paused and slid down weakly.
"Girl!" Jinxiu screamed and supported her. On the other side of the courtyard, Mrs. Jiang and Mother Fang also ran over in panic.
Mrs. Jiang's face turned pale as she hugged Xiaoman, tears streaming down her face. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Mother has plenty of money. We can sell our house and land, even if we have to go bankrupt, we will save Chen Ling'an."
Xiaoman gritted her teeth and struggled to stand up. Now was not the time for her to show weakness. She had to be strong and hold on.
"I'll go find Aunt Lin." Xiaoman took a deep breath, "She's sure to have a solution."
"It's useless. No one can save him this time." A gloomy male voice came from the hall.
Xiaoman looked at He Ping in surprise, "What do you mean?"
He Ping changed his usual cheerful and frivolous appearance and looked so solemn that Xiaoman was scared.
"My teacher and I went to plead for mercy as soon as we heard the news, but the emperor still refused to see us." He Ping frowned, his tone heavy. "This time is different from the past. His disobedience is a foregone conclusion. He's still an Imperial Guard, a trusted aide... Sigh."
Chen Ling'an's action was tantamount to betrayal. The closer the person is, the more he cannot tolerate betrayal. Compared with other officials who disobeyed the emperor's order, the emperor was extremely angry.
Xiaoman's voice trembled violently. "But, but he has done so much for the emperor. If he disobeys orders once in a while, you can't tolerate him?"
He Ping smiled bitterly and said, "The emperor hasn't treated him unfairly. Xiaoman, don't say that again. It's not good for you or him."
"Will he die?"
"I don't know. The Emperor kept his mouth shut. That day, only Chen Ling'an and the Emperor were in the hall. Steward Lü wasn't around, and no one knows what they said. The palace servants outside the hall only said the Emperor was furious, but nothing else could be learned."
"Is there no way?" Mrs. Jiang couldn't stop her tears from flowing down. She simply couldn't imagine how Xiaoman would survive if something happened to Chen Ling'an!
He Ping looked up at the sky and sighed, "I can only leave it to fate."
Rumble! Under the gray sky, the thunder rolled closer like a heavy wheel rolling over ice, shaking the roofs. In a blink of an eye, heavy rain poured down.
It rained heavily for a whole day and night. As soon as the sky cleared up, news came that Nancui Academy had been demolished.
Next is the Xiliang Academy in the west of the city.
Other academies in Jinling were in a state of panic, and the atmosphere of panic quickly spread among the literati. Of course, there were also people who opposed it. Some, such as Li Lin and Liu Jinshu, spoke frankly and made suggestions, while others pretended to obey but actually disobeyed and dragged their feet. Gradually, the voices against banning academies became louder and louder.
Xiaoman is no longer able to care about these things.
The knife hanging over his head finally fell. Chen Ling'an was demoted, his property was confiscated, and he was exiled to Yanbei to guard the border.
At least I saved my life!
Mrs. Jiang clasped her hands together and chanted Buddha's name, "It's good to be alive, it's good to be alive. Money is just external things. If you lose it, you can earn it again. Being alive is the most important thing!"
Chen Yanning came over with two boxes in her arms. "Godmother, sister, someone suddenly sent these to Linyuan this morning, specifically for me and my sister. Come and take a look."
There were seals on both boxes, one with Yan Ning written on it and the other with Xiao Man written on it.
When he opened it, he saw a thick stack of banknotes. A rough count revealed that there were millions of them!
Chen Yanning suddenly realized, "It's my second brother!"
Xiaoman was stunned for a moment, feeling angry, annoyed, and distressed. "Adding makeup? What's wrong with him? He said he liked me, and now he wants me to get married. He can't even dream of that!"
She snapped the lid shut. "I've decided. I'm going to Yanbei with him."
What?! Mrs. Jiang was extremely shocked. "Yanbei is a bitterly cold place, and the border is not peaceful yet. You can't go there!"
"I know you can't bear to leave him, but you can't just give up your family on impulse. He's such a smart guy, he definitely won't cut off his own path. Just wait here for the day when he makes a comeback."
Mrs. Jiang held Xiaoman's arm tightly and stared at her intently, as if she would disappear in the blink of an eye.
Xiaoman knelt down and said, "Mother, I can't wait any longer. I've waited for him for nine years. I finally saw him again, and it took so much effort to get those words from him... I can't wait another nine years."
Not to mention how difficult the road of exile is, even if she arrives safely in Yanbei, it is still full of dangers. If she doesn't follow, it will be a farewell to Chen Lingan forever.
"My daughter is unfilial, please help me, mother!" Xiaoman kowtowed heavily.
"You..." Mrs. Jiang slowly closed her eyes. "You've always been a strong-willed person. Once you make a decision, you'll do it. I can't stop you. Okay, okay, I'll go too. Our whole family will go!"
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
Xiaoman stammered, "Mother, there's no need to suffer this. You grew up in the south and have adapted to life here. The climate and food in the north are all different from those in the south."
Mrs. Jiang glanced at her sideways. "Your mother is in good health. Climbing mountains and riding horses are no problem for her. Besides, I've been wanting to go to the north for a while, and now I have a ready-made excuse. Why not use it? Stop kneeling and get up and pack your things."
Xiaoman sniffed and stood up with red eyes.
Chen Yanning also wanted to go with them, but Xiaoman and Madam Jiang shook their heads. "You're too weak to go on such a long journey. Besides, you still have to study with Madam Lin, which is extremely important."
Chen Yanning lowered his head and said, "My brother suffered such a great disaster. How can I just stand by and watch, and only care about my own happiness?"
Xiaoman: "Your brother will be happy only if you live a carefree and happy life. Be obedient and stay with Madam Lin so that your brother can rest assured."
Chen Ling'an became a prisoner and was unable to protect his sister. The journey was long, and even if they could protect themselves, they would not have the energy to take care of the frail Chen Xiaomei. If they took her with them, they didn't know how long they would have to stay on the road.
Xiaoman was not in a position to point out the underlying meaning, but only urged her to stay in Jinling.
Perhaps Chen Yanning also slowly thought about it and nodded helplessly.
Xiaoman and Mrs. Jiang were both decisive and efficient. They immediately packed up their belongings, taking away what they could and selling what they couldn't. They even entrusted the house they lived in to a real estate agency to sell.
The Jiang family has a lot of things and it will take several days to pack them up. Xiaoman can't wait and plans to leave first.
Jinxiu wanted to follow her, but she wouldn't let her. "I've been running all over the mountains and plains since I was little. Walking is no big deal for me. But you can't. You grew up in a big house, so your feet are weak. You'll only be a burden to me!"
She didn't want the carriage Madame Jiang had prepared—what would the officers escorting Chen Ling'an think? It would take a look at the situation; there was still time to hire a sedan chair or a carriage along the way.
So she waited alone at the city gate.
The setting sun slowly radiated light, and the whole world looked as if someone had painted it with a pen dipped in rose purple, and everywhere was colorful and golden.
Under the incomparably beautiful canopy, Chen Ling'an saw Xiaoman sitting alone by the roadside. He looked up and smiled at him, "You must be responsible!"
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