"Brother Duan, I'm so sorry to bother you so late!" Seeing that Magistrate Duan looked a little lost, Jiang Ling bit her lip and greeted him apologetically.
Jiang Ling was also somewhat embarrassed. Ever since Magistrate Duan confessed his feelings to her, Jiang Ling's mind had been in turmoil, like a ball of yarn that got more and more tangled the more it was pulled, making her feel very irritable. But now, Jiang Ling had no choice but to come.
Jiang Ling had to be wary of Su Shunhe, that cunning fellow. She worried that Su Shunhe's previous actions were a ploy to lure her away, and that once she went to Shengjing, Su Shunhe would come to snatch the children. Then, only Jiang Yaojie and the other children would be left at home, truly helpless and desperate.
Even if this matter causes a big fuss in Lujia Village, and other neighbors come to help, Su Shunhe can simply use his status as the Third Prince to forcibly take Nianci away.
Therefore, Jiang Ling had to take Nianci away before him. After much deliberation, Jiang Ling finally decided that leaving her with Magistrate Duan was the safest option.
"Oh, aren't you being too polite? Why did you come here so late?" Magistrate Duan was secretly delighted to see Jiang Ling's appearance.
Regardless of whether it's good or bad, the fact that Jiang Ling came to see him in the middle of the night proves that Jiang Ling at least doesn't dislike him.
Thinking of this, Magistrate Duan quickly welcomed Jiang Ling into the house.
Seeing that his mission was complete, Zhao Liu disappeared silently into the night.
"What brings you here so late?" Magistrate Duan asked curiously, looking at Nianci, who was yawning incessantly beside Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted her teeth and told the whole story. However, due to her ambiguous relationship with Magistrate Duan, Jiang Ling did not mention the arranged marriage. She only said that Su Shunhe was pressuring her to return Nianci to him.
Hearing this, Magistrate Duan was filled with righteous indignation. He frowned and cursed Su Shunhe under his breath, then looked up at Jiang Ling and asked, "So what do you want me to do?"
Jiang Ling didn't speak, worried that someone might be overheard. She took out the note she had prepared and placed it in front of Magistrate Duan.
Magistrate Duan nodded, picked up a brush, and wrote on it: "Alright, leave Nianci to me. You must take care of yourself! I can't accompany you to Shengjing!"
Jiang Ling nodded and thanked Magistrate Duan before taking the paper and walking to the candlestick.
Under the cover of night, Jiang Ling left the county government office. The two of them did not rush back, but instead stayed overnight at an inn in Pingxi County.
The next day, before dawn, Jiang Ling gave Jiang Yaojie a lot of silver, gave him repeated instructions, and then carefully left.
There are two routes to Shengjing: one by water and one by land. After thinking it over, Jiang Ling decided to disguise herself and take the faster water route.
After arriving in Yecheng, Jiang Ling immediately headed towards Qingzhou. She didn't stop for a moment along the way, and finally arrived in Shengjing nearly half a month later.
Jiang Ling had no time to pay attention to the prosperity of Shengjing and headed towards the imperial city with great speed. However, once she arrived at the imperial city, an even bigger problem caught her off guard.
In ancient times, the royal palace was heavily guarded, and it was virtually impossible to enter without proper credentials.
Just as she was frowning and thinking about how to get in, a shrill voice entered Jiang Ling's ears, and then someone patted her on the shoulder.
"An'an people?"
Jiang Ling looked back, and her gloomy mood vanished instantly.
"Eunuch Yin?"
"An'an? It really is you? What brings you to Shengjing? There's still some time before the Emperor's birthday celebration!" Eunuch Yin asked in surprise.
Jiang Ling bit her lip, hesitant. She didn't know if Eunuch Yin would help her, but then she realized she didn't seem to have any other options.
"Eunuch Yin, I wish to see the Emperor. Can you help me?"
"What? You want to see the Emperor..." Eunuch Yin didn't finish the last word, but mouthed the words to Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling nodded and continued to Eunuch Yin, "Yes, I want to see His Majesty. I want His Majesty to retract his promise!"
Eunuch Yin was horrified. He shook his head and refused, saying, "My lady, listen to my advice, go back quickly, and stop thinking about losing your head!"
At this moment, Eunuch Yin regarded Jiang Ling as a hot potato. After finishing his words, he retreated repeatedly, turned around, and returned to the palace.
Although Jiang Ling wanted to chase after them, she gave up the dangerous idea after seeing the gleaming blade of the guard at the door.
Jiang Ling glanced at Eunuch Yin's disappearing figure, sighed helplessly, and decided to find a place to stay and make further plans.
Fortunately, this was Shengjing, where everything from clothing and food to accommodation and transportation was readily available. Jiang Ling found a hotel that looked fairly luxurious, paid the money, and settled in.
Exhausted from her journey, Jiang Ling quickly drifted off to sleep on the soft bed.
That night, Jiang Ling had a series of nightmares. First, she dreamed that Su Shunhe took Nianci away in front of her, and then she dreamed that Su Shunhe killed everyone around her with a swift stroke of his knife.
The nightmare jolted Jiang Ling awake. She felt as if someone had set fire to the top of her head, the flames spreading all the way to her feet. Frustrated, Jiang Ling threw off the covers and opened the window to breathe in the fresh air.
That night, Jiang Ling barely slept. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that sleepiness finally overwhelmed her, and she lay down on the bed and fell asleep again.
When Jiang Ling woke up again, she heard her stomach rumbling, and this feeling of hunger was quite uncomfortable.
Jiang Ling frowned, lifted the covers, and got out of bed. After washing up, she dressed and went downstairs.
It wasn't mealtime, and there weren't many people around. Jiang Ling chose a corner to sit down and ordered some basic food.
Just as Jiang Ling was waiting for the food to be served, a commotion caught her attention.
"Hey girl, there's no such thing as eating without paying!"
"I...I already told you I was in a rush today and forgot to bring any money. Here, take this as collateral, and I'll settle the bill once I get the silver!"
Jiang Ling looked toward the sound and saw the waiter frowning and glaring at the woman in front of him, his hands outstretched, blocking the entrance to his shop.
The woman was tall and slender, wearing a light yellow jacket. She had a slender waist, and her jet-black hair was as smooth as a waterfall. Her oval face was flushed from the argument with the waiter.
"Oh dear, who knows if what you're saying is true or false? What if you never come back? Besides, if you set a precedent, everyone will do the same thing, and I won't be able to do business anymore!" The waiter continued without backing down.
"You!" The female lead was so angry that her face turned red, and she stood there awkwardly, twisting the hem of her clothes.
Judging from these actions, the woman was in a very awkward situation. She looked around helplessly, and just then her eyes met Jiang Ling's.
This is neither Lujia Village nor Pingxi County, but the renowned Shengjing. Jiang Ling originally did not want to meddle in other people's business, but she suddenly changed her mind the moment she saw the woman's eyes.
She placed the teacup on the table and walked over to the woman, saying to the waiter, "She's a young lady, she's easily embarrassed, how can you talk to her like that!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
