Chapter 78 Returning to the City: A Ploy
June 18th, tomorrow is the day of enlightenment.
Mingying remembered that Master Yuanyin was going to shave her head and take her as his disciple on this day.
She had thought it all through. There was nothing wrong with spending her life at Jinghui Temple. In the future, Master Yuanyin would bestow upon her a Dharma name, and Mingying would cease to exist in the world. Those past events would gradually fade away with time.
On the eighteenth day, Master Yuanyin assigned Mingying a task: to accompany two newly ordained novice nuns down the mountain to beg for alms, and then to Chengyin Temple on Lianwu Mountain to listen to Zen meditation for a day.
The two novice nuns are still young, but they just became nuns last month and left Jinghui Temple. They would take the initiative to tell Mingying about their lives before they became nuns.
Mingying knew that both of them had lost their parents and had been raised by relatives for several years. When their families could no longer afford to eat, they were sent to Jinghui Temple. The kind-hearted nun Yuanyin took them in, and they lived in the nunnery for three years before becoming nuns.
She suddenly thought of herself. If she had been sent to Jinghui Temple instead of Mianyue Tower, would her life have been different?
Sometimes, tranquility is better than turbulence.
Perhaps it's all fate.
The three of them went down the mountain early in the morning, their stomachs rumbling with hunger, and each ordered a bowl of vegetarian noodles at a noodle shop.
These small shops are busiest in the early morning, when they are packed with people inside and out. They wait for the people at the previous table to leave before they sit down to eat.
Mingying stirred the noodles a few times with her chopsticks, but before she could even take a bite, she was drawn to the loud conversation of the man at the next table.
"...You don't know, do you? General Shen was ambushed by thieves and is now seriously injured, his life hanging by a thread."
Mingying's heart skipped a beat, her knuckles stiffened slightly, and then she heard them say:
"Which General Shen?"
"Now, which General Shen, Marquis Jing'an, or General Shen, the God of War of the Northwest, can still be found in the court?"
With a clatter, the chopstick holder on the corner of the table was knocked to the ground by Mingying's weak arm. The bowl of noodles, which was about to fall, had half of its hot soup spilled onto her dress. She reached out to retrieve the bowl, and the back of her hand was scalded red by the soup.
"What's wrong with you?" The short novice monk who was traveling with her asked when he noticed that something was wrong with her.
“I…” Mingying shook her head repeatedly, her words somewhat incoherent, as if something was stuck in her throat.
When she left, her brother was perfectly fine. How could he be so seriously injured? Soon, she remembered that when she left, the enemy in Langzhou had not been completely wiped out. Could it be that her brother had really fallen into the enemy's trap?
The thought made my heart pound, and a chill ran through my entire body.
"Are you feeling unwell? There's a clinic up ahead, would you like to go see them?"
Mingying felt as if she were drowning, unable to open her mouth to respond to them. She had been living in seclusion here, her brother's life hanging by a thread; she couldn't do it...
That was her only relative in the world, the one with whom she shared the purest bloodline.
Even though she knew perfectly well that going back would mean falling into the tiger's den again, she couldn't care less; all she wanted to do now was see her brother.
She stood up, suppressing the stinging in her nose, and said to the two people opposite her, "I'm sorry, I still have people I care about, and I can't truly sever my ties with the mortal world and enter the Buddhist order. Please tell Master Yuanyin that I thank her for taking me in during this time. I'm sorry for the high hopes she placed in me. We'll take our leave now, and hopefully we'll meet again someday."
After speaking, she picked up the bundle on the bench and headed back the way she had come, facing the morning sun.
—
The clinics in Langzhou were overflowing with patients who had contracted the disease from drinking the water and came for treatment.
Pei Xiaoyun sent his own people and local officials to maintain order.
He Lianqing, along with several doctors, worked day and night to prepare the antidote. After many people drank it, their headaches and fevers were relieved. They insisted on giving him gifts to express their gratitude, but he refused them all.
He glanced at the figure standing by the door, his expression shifting slightly. He brought over a bowl of herbal medicine and held his arm out in front of her: "Drink some? It'll help the remaining poison subside faster."
Xingwei stared at the bowl of medicine for a few moments, then reached out, took it, and drank it all in one gulp.
She was wounded by a poisoned arrow, and He Lianqing had already treated her for the poison while she was still in the village.
After she finished the medicine, the cup was still warm. Holding the small cup, she suddenly said to him, "I knew nothing about what happened back then."
She was referring to the time in Hangzhou when she insisted on leaving, which he thought was a scheme against him.
Back then, she didn't think this matter was important, but now, for some reason, she feels that it needs to be explained.
Her master sent her on a mission to Jiangnan for a year. She thought she would stay in Jiangnan and never come back. She shouldn't have any other thoughts. She just needed to do what her master ordered.
Unexpectedly, she returned to Beijing and saw him again.
She was quiet and reserved, and this was the first time she had ever wanted to say what she hadn't said before.
He Lianqing was taken aback; he naturally knew what she was referring to.
When she left Hangzhou with her sword, he swore he would never interfere in her affairs for the rest of his life. Later, because Pei Xiaoyun staged a fake death and returned, he assumed that Xingwei had known all along and was cooperating with Pei Xiaoyun in the act, leaving them all in the dark.
He felt that his good intentions had been repaid with ingratitude, and for a long time afterward, he resented her and kept a clear distance between them.
Today, she told him that she was unaware of it back then.
He immediately believed her, because she had no reason to lie to him. Pei Xiaoyun had taken advantage of everyone, including her loyalty.
He misunderstood her for two years.
His eyes flickered slightly, and he looked away, unsure of what to say. He simply reached out to her, asking for a cup, "Give it to me. Remember to take the pills I give you on time, otherwise you might suffer from aftereffects and not even be able to lift a sword."
“I’ve already eaten,” Xingwei blurted out almost without thinking.
But she spoke so quickly that after she finished, there was complete silence around her, and she didn't know what to say next.
He Lianqing nodded, slowly turned around, and went inside with the cup.
—
Pei Xiaoyun was seriously injured this time. Just as He Lianqing said, if he hadn't been lucky, he would have died on the spot.
He was still unable to get out of bed. His muscles and bones felt as if they had been reattached, as if they were not part of his own body. Even the slightest movement would bring excruciating pain, like his bones were being crushed and his marrow was being sucked dry.
Only when asked about Mingying did he seem oblivious to the pain, sometimes even managing to prop himself up on one side just to hear his subordinates report if there was any news he wanted to hear.
"Why is there still no movement? Did you order someone to spread the news of Shen Mingshu's serious injury to Xuzhou?" He lay there, getting a little impatient.
Kong Qing replied, "Since you specifically instructed me to do this, I dare not neglect it. I have ordered people from all walks of life to spread this news in batches throughout the city. If Miss Ming is really in Xuzhou, she would not have been unaware of it."
Pei Xiaoyun pondered to herself and felt that it made sense.
Although she was ruthless towards him, she and Shen Mingshu had a deep sibling bond. If she heard the news, she would definitely miss her brother and would return to Langzhou as soon as she was worried.
He closed his eyes and sighed, "Let's wait a little longer."
The journey from Xuzhou back to Langzhou by land normally takes four or five days. Mingying spent some money to buy a horse from a horse shop in Xuzhou and rode back to Langzhou at high speed.
She hadn't eaten or drunk a drop of water, and had been traveling day and night on horseback. Her clothes and hair were covered in dust from the north, and when she reached out to grab a handful, her palms were covered in rough dust.
Throughout the journey, whenever she thought of what the people in the noodle shop had said—that her brother had been attacked and was on the verge of death—she couldn't control her emotions and burst into tears on horseback.
The cold wind dried my tears, but they kept flowing again, making my cheeks red and stinging, as if being scraped by a knife.
Three days later, in the evening, before it got dark, she finally returned to Langzhou.
She knew that as soon as she entered Langzhou, she would be targeted by Pei Xiaoyun's men, but she had no time to worry about her own safety. She dismounted and went straight to her brother's residence in Langzhou.
Upon entering the mansion, they found it deserted, with not a single servant in sight.
The unusual silence suffocated her, darkness enveloped her vision, and she even noticed her heart beating erratically. Now, she felt utterly helpless, as if she had cried out to heaven and earth in vain.
In this vast city of Langzhou, where is my brother, who is injured?
Sometimes, what's terrifying isn't death, but the destruction of faith and the erosion of hope.
She knew that now, probably only one person knew the whole story and where her brother was.
Thinking of that person, she gradually clenched her fists, closed her eyes slightly, and without much thought, resignedly left the house and headed straight for Pei Xiaoyun's residence in Langzhou.
After crossing two streets, she arrived at the mansion. The vermilion lacquered gate was wide open, and the servants of the mansion came and went freely. When the servants sweeping in front of the gate saw her, they simply greeted her with a normal greeting and called her "Miss".
Mingying was deeply surprised. She only wanted to know her brother's whereabouts and condition. She had returned with the expectation that she would be controlled by Pei Xiaoyun again.
She thought that once she arrived at the mansion, someone would detain her, tie her up, and take her inside, but reality was beyond her expectations.
“I want to see him,” she said coldly.
The maidservant, following orders, said, "Miss, His Majesty is inside. If you wish to see him, you may go in yourself."
Mingying had been brought here by Pei Xiaoyun before. She didn't need anyone to guide her. She took her own steps, crossed the threshold, and walked through the pavilion and corridor to her bedroom without any hindrance.
Just then, a maidservant came out carrying medicine and bumped into her. The maidservant slightly curtsied and said, "Greetings, Miss."
She greeted him familiarly, then left as if she had lived there before.
Mingying frowned upon smelling the bitter aroma of the medicine and pulled the maid aside to probe, "Who is this medicine for?"
“Reporting to you, Miss, this is His Majesty’s medicine.” The maidservant, carrying a tray, answered fluently, “His Majesty has been seriously injured and cannot be exposed to the wind. He needs to rest. If you wish to visit His Majesty, please remember to close the door behind you.”
Mingying was stunned by her words, finding them both absurd and astonishing.
How did he get injured too? What happened? Was it because of the knife she stabbed him back then, that the wound was so severe and hasn't healed yet?
She gave a cold laugh, a slight regret in her heart. That cut was so heavy; why hadn't she been able to cut harder?
But now, she is more concerned about where her brother is.
Suppressing her resentment and disgust, she raised her hand and placed it on the door frame, intending to push the door open.
Once he goes inside, how will he punish her?
She closed her eyes and thought to herself: If my brother is safe and sound, even if Pei Xiaoyun kills her to vent his anger, or tortures her in any way, she will accept it. At worst, she will find an opportunity to end her own life in the future.
She pushed the door open only a crack, and the voices inside drifted out.
First came Kong Qing's voice, tinged with worry and confusion: "Your Majesty, why are you doing this? General Shen may be brave, but he is still just a subject. You, as the monarch, are risking your life to protect him. Physician He said that if that stone had penetrated even half a step deeper into his lungs, he would have..."
Pei Xiaoyun coughed violently a few times, each cough becoming more hoarse and weaker than the last.
"I owe him a life. If I really die this time, it will be considered that I have repaid it."
Upon hearing this, Mingying's face turned pale, her features lost their vitality, and only her eyelashes blinked slowly, a cloud of doubt buried in her heart.
What do you mean by him shielding his brother from injury? What exactly happened during the days she was away?
"How is Shen Mingshu's injury?" After a long silence in the room, Pei Xiaoyun asked again.
"Your Majesty, General Shen's injuries are minor, and after treatment, he is probably almost fully recovered."
Pei Xiaoyun hummed in agreement. "Send some of the medicine that He Lianqing prescribed for me to him as well."
Mingying's mind went blank, her lips trembled slightly, and she stood there motionless.
He really shielded his brother from injury? How could that be?
She didn't quite believe Pei Xiaoyun's words. What if he knew she was outside the door and was deliberately saying those things to her?
"Miss, what are you doing standing here? Come in and take a look." A maidservant approached from behind and patted her shoulder when she saw her standing in front of the door.
Mingying was startled and instinctively dodged, but the faint sound still alerted Pei Xiaoyun inside the room.
Immediately afterwards, his trembling yet fervent voice came from inside:
"Ah Ying, is that you?"
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Author's Note: Please water my blog! [crying emoji] [crying emoji]
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