Chapter 301: Secret Decision 2
But Yang Si Niang was too hungry, and she also thought of letting God decide. If it was really poisonous, she would just die. She didn't care whether it was hot or cold, she just wolfed it down, filling her stomach first, and then went to the kitchen to boil hot water to quench her thirst.
She sat down only after she had eaten and drunk enough to feel refreshed. She waited for a long time but didn’t feel anything. That meant it wasn’t poisonous. She didn’t think about who sent the food and just started to daydream. Before the New Year, she told herself that she would go back to her hometown in Yulin after the New Year. Was she going to leave like this or should she see her sister again before leaving?
The princess giving birth to a child was a big event, so Su Yanli's family had to go out as a whole. No matter whether it was to visit or to take the baby out for the third day, all the etiquette had to be followed and they were busy as hell.
While they were busy, it was the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Su Yanli had already taken his wife to Weizhou County to work, leaving only the children to watch the lantern show.
In ancient times, on crowded days like the Lantern Festival, the Community Day, and the market, there were a lot of people taking pictures. Even when watching lanterns on the Imperial Street in the Imperial City, Su Ruojin was very worried and kept telling her two brothers and one sister, "Don't run around or squeeze around, you know, there are a lot of bad guys out there, be careful if you get caught, you won't be able to see your parents again."
Su Sanlang didn't take it seriously. "Sister, I'm already so old. Besides, I've been practicing martial arts since I was four years old. Most people are no match for me. Don't worry, I will take good care of Silang and Xiaomei, and let you guess lanterns with Brother Jin sometimes."
Su Ruojin: ...Why is this kid so stubborn?
He glared and said, "Big brother takes care of Silang, I'll take care of little sister, you just take care of yourself."
"Hehe..." Su Sanlang smiled mischievously, "You really don't need my help?"
"unnecessary."
The five brothers and sisters packed up together and had breakfast and dinner. After dinner, the Santai faction's carriage arrived. Hua Ping also drove the Su family's carriage out to see the lanterns on Imperial Street.
Ning Qillang was in a bad mood these days. The little beggar who was left in the villa disappeared, and the old lady Pu who looked after the villa was sold out by him, but he couldn't find her. What was the point of selling her? So he didn't look happy when he met anyone.
Ningning secretly asked his servant Ah Zhu, "What's wrong?"
Arjuna dared not say anything and shook his head, "I don't know." But in his heart he thought that the little beggar didn't get the money from his master, so he might have run away and found another home.
Yang Si Niang didn't dare to go to Xiangguo Temple to beg. She wandered around Ajie's alley, secretly paying attention to Ajie. Unexpectedly, Azu was often scolded by her mother-in-law, and her life was in chaos. Many times, she wanted to take Ajie with her to escape back to Yulin.
At first, Aunt Yang didn't notice that there was a little beggar around the alley, and she didn't think that the little beggar was her sister Arong, until she secretly hid in the corner with a basket and cried, and the little beggar opened his palm, revealing a few copper pieces and a dime of silver.
She looked up in surprise, "Who are you and why are you giving me money?"
Yang Si Niang looked around. This was a hidden corner with trees all around. Most people didn't come here. My sister probably often came here to cry when she was sad.
Hearing the voice, Aunt Yang Biyun was startled, "Arong, how did you become like this?"
Yang Si Niang sighed, pulled the person to the corner again, and whispered, "Sister, I lied to you last time. I didn't come to Kyoto with any caravan. Of course, I followed the caravan secretly at first, but not long after that I was cheated of money by other beggars..." She was almost deceived and sold to a brothel. Fortunately, she was smart and escaped. Of course, she didn't dare to tell this to her sister. She only told her the good things.
"That's how I made my way to the capital, and last year I begged for a while at Dongshan Academy."
"Where are you going?"
"I want to see Jin."
"Ah Jin?" Aunt Yang remembered, "Isn't his father a county magistrate in the capital? Why don't you just go and look for her?"
"I... I don't have the face to see her." Yang Si Niang lied again, but she found out that someone was following her, so she didn't dare to see Ajin casually.
Aunt Yang sighed, "Arong..." She really wanted to give her some money so that she could quickly return to her mother with the caravan. But now, she had pawned the only gold hairpin on her body before the New Year, and she no longer had any money to give to her sister as travel expenses back to Yulin.
Suddenly, she grabbed her younger sister and wanted to go home. "I'll tell my mother-in-law to let you live at home, and then I'll find you a marriage partner. You can marry someone near me, so that we sisters can have someone to look out for each other and help each other."
She had left the nobleman's villa on the third day of the first lunar month and had been begging on the street until now. She had been spending most of her time around her sister's alley. She knew exactly what kind of life her brother-in-law the Tang family was living. They were the poorest people at the bottom of society, worrying about money every day. Their lives were a mess, even worse than her life as a beggar.
Beggars still have freedom.
"Then you..." Aunt Yang also realized that her mother-in-law would definitely not tolerate her sister. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
Yang Si Niang felt sorry for her when she saw how tired and haggard she looked, and stuffed the money in her hand into her hand again.
Aunt Yang pulled her hand back as if she had been burned, "Arong, where did you get all this money?"
The capital city is not like other places. There are many wealthy families and powerful merchants. If you beg at their doors, it is easy to get a few coins if you encounter a happy event. Especially during the New Year, some merchants open for business and distribute copper coins. Some bosses even give silver coins to a cute little beggar like him when they come over. The silver coin in her hand was given by the servants of the old boss of a big restaurant who came over and saw that she looked happy.
"Sister, you take it. I'll go around the street later. Maybe I'll run into a restaurant or embroidery shop that's open. I'll get some more coppers."
Aunt Yang stared at A'mei in a daze, unable to utter a word.
How could this happen? The Yang family was once a wealthy official family, and they were once rich young ladies raised in luxury. How could their lives become like this? They had to rely on begging to make a living.
Seeing that her elder sister was crying again, Yang Si Niang hugged her and said, "Sister, when I get back, I will ask mother to pick you up. We will live together in the future and never suffer from the Tang family again."
"Don't talk nonsense." Aunt Yang came to her senses and wanted to give the money back to her sister, but Yang Si Niang ran away. She waved to her sister and disappeared at the end of the alley in a blink of an eye.
“Arong…”
Ye Huaizhen left the Su family at the end of last year and worked with the people from the Investigation Department to track down the leader of the Ula Grass, Gou Chunwen. However, until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, they still had not found any clues.
She stood in front of Mr. Shen and reported: "It's really strange. There is no trace in the capital. I can't find any useful clues."
Mr. Shen also had a headache. "Tonight is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Most of the people in the capital are out to see the lanterns. If Gou is really in the capital, then tonight is a good time to take action."
Ye Huaizhen pursed his lips.
Mr. Shen sighed, "His current target is the young prince and the second lady, you should follow him."
"Yes, sir." After searching for nearly half a month, there was no trace at all. It was really abnormal. She didn't give up. She took a few steps and replied, "Sir, will he use the same trick again and replace someone else's identity?"
Mr. Shen raised his eyes, "Then let's see if there are any other people in Beijing who look like him."
Ye Huaizhen: ...
"Sir, what about the disguise technique?"
“That’s a possibility.”
Ye Huaizhen: ...
Why did the gentleman answer her questions and the answers were ambiguous? She looked at him puzzledly, "Sir, is there something I don't know?"
Mr. Shen, who was about to read the official document, raised his eyes again and said, "You come to my courtyard every day. Is there anything you don't know?"
Ye Huaizhen: ...
It turned out that she was just testing, but Mr. Shen's behavior made her more suspicious, "Sir..."
"Go protect the young prince and the second lady."
Ye Huaizhen pursed his lips again.
Mr. Shen stared at her.
She left the yard unwillingly, looking up at the sunset. The sky was full of rosy clouds. Tomorrow would be another sunny day. When would she be able to catch Gou and avenge her father?
Seeing that it was getting dark, Ning Ba Niang came to find Ning Qi Lang, "Seventh Brother...Seventh Brother..."
There was no one in the yard, so she asked the girl, "Where is my brother?"
"The young master is out."
"He went out?" Ning Ning asked in surprise, "Seventh Brother went to Imperial Street?"
"This servant doesn't know."
Ning Ning pouted angrily, "Seventh Brother..." Just as she was about to go find someone, her eldest maid whispered in her ear, "Master Fan is waiting for you at the small gate."
Ningning: ...
General Ning wanted to marry her off to a lower class, but Fan Yanjia's family was too high-class, so there was no possibility between them.
Lady Ning Ba, who was fierce just now, suddenly became melancholy. Why did everything become so complicated after growing up? It was really annoying.
"Tell him I won't go to the Lantern Festival with him."
The girl looked embarrassed.
"Not yet."
"Yes, Ba Niang."
At the entrance of the alley, the naive boy from six years ago has become steady under the polish of time, his back is as straight as a green bamboo, he is dressed in an indigo satin robe, and although he is wearing a moon-white cloak with cloud and crane pattern inlaid with black fox fur on the outside, it cannot hide his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
Seeing the maid come out, the servant Qingfeng hurried over to speak, "Young lady, how are you?"
The girl shook her head.
Qingfeng looked disappointed, cupped his hands, and turned to report to his master.
Fan Yanjia asked, "How is it?"
Qingfeng shook his head, "Ning Ba Niang refused."
Fan Yanjia glanced at the Duke's Mansion in the distance, smiled slightly, and got on the carriage. The servant Qingfeng also got on, but was blocked by him.
"Sir?"
"I'll wait in front, you wait here."
Qingfeng: ...Okay, young master is really persistent!
As night falls, all the lanterns on the Imperial Street have been lit. Looking down from a tall building, it looks like the Milky Way in the sky, dotted with stars, winding and twisting, so beautiful.
Walking on the street is like being in a sea of lights. There are lanterns everywhere, with the twelve zodiac animals, various flowers, and some that look like oil-paper umbrellas, running cows and horses, butterflies, etc. They are exquisitely made and lifelike.
Su Ruojin held her fifth sister's hand and strolled slowly. When she saw a beautiful lantern, she would guess it. She was very happy when she guessed it and got it in her hands.
The little beggar Yang Si Niang also squeezed into the Imperial Street, begging while looking at the lanterns. The lanterns in the Imperial Street were as beautiful as in previous years, but she no longer had any relatives around her. She was the only one who was alone in the crowd, and unknowingly walked to the lantern stand of Zhengguo Mansion. The lantern stand of my grandparents' house seemed not as lively as in previous years. I heard that my grandparents were going to pass the title to my eldest uncle, and the title after my eldest uncle inherited would not be Duke, but Marquis.
Any title that does not produce capable people will be exterminated after five generations.
The capital city, which seemed to be still bustling, had actually undergone changes. She did not dare to stay. Just as she was about to pass by, she saw her cousin bending down and whispering softly to the young lady.
Although she had long since accepted her fate and her disliked cousin, she could not suppress the bitterness in her heart and tears welled up in her eyes when she saw him at this moment.
Diagonally opposite is the lantern tent of the Ningguo Mansion - the most popular aristocratic family in Bianjing City. People come and go, and groups of people come to exchange greetings, making it very lively.
Ning Qillang was greeting Yingnan County Prince Zhao Lin when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar little figure passing by. He quickly winked at Ah Zhu.
Ah Zhu followed his master's gaze and almost lost his composure due to surprise. After a moment, he recovered and quietly moved a few steps away. He said to the guards beside him, "Hurry up and keep an eye on that little beggar."
The two guards instantly merged into the crowd and disappeared.
Yingnan County Prince Zhao Lin seemed to be chatting with Ning Qilang casually, but in fact, all his actions were seen by him. He secretly gave him a wink, and the secret guards behind him followed him without making a sound.
Ning Qilang Ning Hua was in no mood to chat with anyone, so he bowed and apologized, "I have something else to do. Brother Zilin, if you don't have anything to do, why don't you stay in my lantern shed first?"
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "It's time for His Majesty to go up to the city gate tower. I'd better go up and wait first."
"Then we'll be there for a while."
"See you later."
Saddened by the scene, Yang Si Niang had no mood to visit the lantern festival. She planned to go back to her sister's alley and was about to squeeze out of the crowd when suddenly, both her arms were grabbed and her feet were instantly off the ground. "What are you doing..." Someone covered her mouth with his hand. "Mmmmm..." She kicked her legs but couldn't get free.
After a while, she passed through the crowd and was taken to a private room in a restaurant. As soon as she landed on the ground, she tried to escape, but was held down by the two guards who caught her.
Ning Qillang sat on the ground, looking expressionlessly at the struggling young lady. He saw her twisting her body and finally sitting on the ground resigned to her fate, like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water.
Seeing that she didn't move, the two guards quietly left the room. Seeing that her master had a gloomy face, Ah Zhu also tactfully moved aside, as if she was invisible.
Ning Qilang picked up the teacup and sneered, "Run away, why don't you run away?"
Yang Si Niang pursed her lips, too lazy to argue with him, but her eyes were on the snacks in front of him. She ran from morning to night, begging for a living, and had occasional meals. By now, she was already hungry.
How could Ning Qilang not notice the hungry look in her eyes? He was really irritated by her behavior and laughed, "Living in the other courtyard, you have less food and clothes, and yet you have to run out and become a beggar."
Yang Si Niang curled her lips but didn't answer.
Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of him with just one blow of his stick, Ning Qilang angrily put down his teacup and said, "Speak."
With a bang.
Yang Si Niang was really frightened. She shrank her neck and then stretched it out again. "It was that woman who bullied me, so I ran away in anger."
Ning Qilang: ...Well, her subordinates were incompetent, so she is right.
He glared at her and said, "If you want to eat, come and sit over here."
Yang Si Niang: …It was her turn to be dumbfounded. She looked at herself unconsciously. With such a dirty and half-human appearance, he asked her to sit in front of him to eat?
He can watch it? Doesn't he despise it?
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