Chapter 234, The branches are very strong, hence the name "Like a Branch".
Shen Ruzhi could tell that Lin Qingshuang was being very cautious about her kindness; in truth, she was also a victim in the matter of being abandoned.
Shen Ruzhi reached out and gently patted Lin Qingshuang's back. She had never had a mother and didn't know how to get along with her daughter or how to comfort her.
Wang and she didn't spend a very long time together.
“Um… you don’t really need to be so careful,” Shen Ruzhi said. “I know you must have had a hard time finding me all these years.”
"I know you didn't mean to abandon me, and that's enough."
Lin Qingshuang reached out and tightly grasped Shen Ruzhi's hand, unable to hold back her tears any longer, "Ling'er, Mother misses you so much."
"All these years, I've been searching for you in my dreams. Thankfully, God has eyes, and you're still alive. I would even be willing to die right now..."
Shen Ruzhi quickly reached out and covered Lin Qingshuang's mouth, "My father said that we shouldn't say such unlucky things."
"The purpose of life is to be happy. Now that I'm back, you should live your life happily from now on."
"Alright, alright, I'll listen to Ling'er." Lin Qingshuang nodded repeatedly. "With you here, I can't bear to die."
"And..." Shen Ruzhi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Could you call me Zhizhi?"
"Over the years, I've gotten used to this name. I just need to know that my original name was Tuoba Ling."
Shen Ruzhi was actually a very easygoing person. She didn't care what her name was, but she didn't want to sever even this last connection with Shen Zhao.
Having spent so many years navigating the martial world and the imperial court, Lin Qingshuang naturally understood Shen Ruzhi's reasons for acting this way, and without a second thought, she said, "Okay."
Shen Ruzhi looked up in surprise.
Lin Qingshuang smiled gently, "My greatest hope in this life is that you live, and live well."
"Everything else is a minor matter. Anyway, you don't share the same surname as your mother. The surname Tuoba has its advantages and disadvantages, and it can also bring you a lot of danger."
"You can be Tuoba Ling, or you can be Shen Ruzhi, or you can be anyone you want to be, your mother will not stop you."
Shen Ruzhi was wondering if she would be prevented from associating with people from Dongling if she went back.
After all, the two countries had been rivals for over a hundred years, and all the good things were just superficial; nothing would change because of her.
The problem is that she was a princess of Western Xia.
All the worries and anxieties along the way, and the countless ways I thought of to achieve the best of both worlds, turned out to be useless.
“Dad said that the day he found me, I was gnawing on a dry twig, and my little mouth was bleeding, but I didn’t give up.”
So, I named you Zhizhi?
Shen Ruzhi shook her head. "He said that the branch I gnawed on for so long hadn't broken yet, so the branch was very strong, which is why I'm called Ruzhi."
Lin Qingshuang...
"I've heard of Lord Shen's name. He's a good official, and also... a good person."
"You can go to Dongling anytime you want in the future. You have the entire Lingxiao Sect behind you, and no one will dare to do anything to you."
"Thank you, Mother," Shen Ruzhi said.
"Silly child, why are you thanking me?" Lin Qingshuang felt a little disappointed, but she could understand.
She hoped that Shen Ruzhi would act cute and playful towards her, instead of saying thank you so formally and politely.
......
After watching Shen Ruzhi and the others leave, Jiang Wanning opened the envelope.
"What did you write?" Pei Yanchuan asked softly from beside him.
Jiang Wan Ning opened the letter. It had the same word on it, but the handwriting was different. Most importantly, it seemed that these words were taken from different letters and pasted on.
Jiang Wanning handed the letter to Pei Yanchuan, saying, "I suppose Aunt Lin wants to tell us that the person who writes to her can imitate handwriting, so we should not make hasty judgments based on handwriting alone."
"It seems that Aunt Lin knows that after her words today, Zhizhi will definitely find a way to help me steal some useful things."
If Zhizhi only finds one of the letters, it will inevitably lead them astray.
“These letters were all written by Song Zhuran,” Pei Yanchuan said. “It is rare to find someone who can imitate another person’s handwriting so well that it is indistinguishable from their own.”
The vast Eastern Mausoleum is nothing more than Song Zhuran. "It seems that the person behind this self-proclaimed emperor trusts Song Zhuran the most."
Jiang Wanning nodded in agreement, "It seems we need to find a breakthrough by dealing with this young lady from the Song family."
“I recognize some of the handwriting on these letters,” Pei Yanchuan said. “There are the Emperor’s, Grand Tutor Zhou’s, and the Imperial Son-in-Law’s.”
"There are also some different ones, all of whom should be ministers in the court."
“With the Song family patriarch and her elder sister, the Empress, in the Song household, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to recognize the handwriting of the various ministers in the court,” Jiang Wanning said.
"It seems we need to go back as soon as possible. I'm afraid that now that they know Zhizhi has arrived safely, they will use other means."
Pei Yanchuan nodded. "The person in the dungeon might be the key."
Jiang Wan Ning forgot that they had also captured an assassin alive, and as long as they used certain methods, they weren't afraid he wouldn't talk.
"Let's hurry up and pack our things and go back."
As Jiang Wan Ning was speaking, Gongsun Xuance walked over, "Your Highness, Your Highness."
"Uncle Gongsun," Pei Yanchuan greeted respectfully.
Gongsun Xuance's eyes were full of joy. "I have prepared some food. Your Highness and Princess Consort can stay for a meal before you leave."
When Pei Yanchuan heard Gongsun Xuance say this, he knew that Gongsun Xuance must have something he wanted to tell him.
He agreed.
“It is not appropriate to drink alcohol in the military camp, so I will offer you tea instead of wine,” Gongsun Xuance said, raising his teacup.
Pei Yanchuan and Jiang Wanning also raised their teacups, and the three of them drank together.
Setting down his teacup, Pei Yanchuan asked directly, "Uncle Gongsun, is there anything you'd like to say?"
Gongsun Xuance stroked his beard, looked at Pei Yanchuan, and sighed, "I happened to be in the capital when the Duke had his accident."
"Seeing the Duke's mansion engulfed in flames, I went to rescue it, but it was too late."
"At that time, I originally intended to protect the Xie family army for your father. When the Duke was alive, he listened to the late emperor and assisted the Crown Prince."
"I originally intended to continue assisting the Crown Prince, just like Grand Tutor Zhou."
"But soon I received a letter. The handwriting was that of the Duke, which I recognized. It asked me to assist the Prince of Jin."
"Is the letter still there?" Pei Yanchuan asked.
"I felt something was amiss, so I kept it close to my body." Gongsun Xuance said, taking the letter out of his pocket. "These past years, since the Prince of Langya has been guarding the border..."
"Many Xie family troops have also been brought under my command. I was transferred here by the Emperor, which is basically a sinecure, so I gave up on that idea."
Pei Yanchuan opened the envelope but did not reply. He knew that Gongsun Xuance felt something was amiss, and since he was not in the capital and it was inconvenient for him to investigate, he did not act rashly.
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