Chapter 207: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 207: Using Her as Bait
2023-06-02
As the first light of dawn broke through the clouds in the east, servants and scholars were already bustling through the Confucian Temple, holding ritual vessels and preparing for the grand Confucius memorial ceremony.
At the appointed hour, the gates opened in succession, and with the ringing of the morning bell, Qiao Yan, dressed in ceremonial robes, led the scholars from the Taixue (Imperial Academy) into the temple.
Soon, as accompanying ritual officials, Grand Tutor Zhu and other officials arrived as well.
Among them was Ming Luo, who had always served as the officiating sponsor for the annual Confucius ceremony.
For the great families that valued Confucianism, the Confucius ceremony was a major event. As such, many sons of influential families had gathered there.
In addition, renowned scholars and students from all over had come to attend.
With Qiao Yan, Grand Tutor Zhu, and Ming Luo leading the procession, everyone first paid their respects before the Apricot Altar, where over a thousand people lined up in order, paying their respects with great ceremony.
After the incense was offered before the Apricot Altar, Qiao Yan and the others entered the Grand Hall.
Inside the hall, the central altar housed a statue of Confucius, with statues of Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, and other sages placed on either side.
The welcoming music played, and Ming Luo, holding a ceremonial silk, led the ritual chant: “We welcome the great sage, Confucius, to his rightful position, offering reverence to the sages—everyone kneel!”
The hall was filled with officials and sons of noble families, while the students and ordinary scholars had already been relegated to the outer parts of the hall, where they paid their respects with the traditional three kneels and nine bows.
Song Xian stood at the front of the students but was somewhat distracted. Since the ceremony began, he had not seen Qiao Yubai's figure.
Where had he gone?
Was it because of the missing daughter of the Chang family that he had no mind for the ritual?
The ceremony continued in an orderly fashion as the sons of noble families approached the altar to offer incense and pay their respects. At this time, Ming Luo stepped aside to wait, and her personal maid came over to her.
“Lady Ming, something has happened at the manor…” the maid whispered. “The young master is missing!”
What?
Ming Luo kept her composure and led the maid away from the crowd, retreating behind a pillar in the hall to speak.
“…It’s said that the young master only took a maid and a young servant, and left through the back gate. The guards at the back gate were mysteriously drugged!”
The maid continued, “A search was conducted, and eventually, his carriage was found in front of a villa that was part of the madam's dowry, but the servants at the villa claim they haven't seen the young master!”
“the holy Emperor has learned of this and is deeply angered. Orders have been given to tighten the search both inside and outside the city…”
Ming Luo’s brow furrowed deeper.
The guards were drugged… Who helped Ming Jin sneak out of the manor at night?
It couldn’t have been his usual reckless friends; those young ruffians wouldn’t have had the courage, nor could they have done it so cleanly!
Could it have been… Chang Suining?
The thought of this possibility made Ming Luo’s heart skip a beat, and a sense of unease arose within her.
For the past few days, they hadn’t been able to find any trace of Chang Suining, which had already started to unsettle her.
Now, things weren’t looking right…
If Chang had succeeded, why hadn’t she shown herself yet? With the whole Chang family behind her, she definitely wouldn’t dare to flee… So, was there some sort of complication?
And if all this was being manipulated by Chang Suining, then what was the purpose of her making Ming Jin leave the manor? Was it to capture him and use him as leverage to force the Ming family and the emperor to release Chang Suining? Or was there some other motive?
Soon, a scholar came to deliver a message, and Ming Luo had no choice but to compose herself and return to her role, leading the ritual once more.
The Emperor, of course, had already anticipated the possibility and had set her plan in motion.
At the holy Emperor’s signal, the Imperial Guards and various government offices quickly dispatched search teams to comb through the city and its outskirts, focusing especially on areas connected to the Chang family.
“Recently, there have been reports of bandits and vagrants disturbing the capital, with incidents of them hiding in civilian homes, waiting for an opportunity to steal or harm people. We have been ordered to investigate their whereabouts!”
A group of officials arrived at the Chang family’s estate on the outskirts of the city.
Shen Sanmao, hearing this, was immediately alarmed. He quickly bowed and gestured for them to enter: “Such things have happened… please, gentlemen, come in. Please search thoroughly!”
He personally led them through the house and up to the rear mountains, worried that even a single grain of rice might have been stolen—something he simply couldn’t afford.
As the Imperial Guards and officials rushed from place to place, their presence stirred unrest among the unaware citizens.
Ever since the vagrants entered the capital and the war in Yangzhou started, the capital had visibly become less peaceful with each passing day...
“What’s going on now?”
A group of citizens, avoiding the officials, gathered in a corner and whispered among themselves.
The morning sky, which had been somewhat clear earlier, now darkened again, and the cold wind made people shrink their necks in discomfort.
Meanwhile, Ming Jin had no idea that outside, the search for his whereabouts had nearly turned the entire capital upside down.
At this moment, he was lying on a bed, just managing to open his eyes with difficulty. He instinctively raised a hand to press against his aching head.
“Young master… you’ve finally awakened.” The ever-watchful Qian Shuang spoke.
With her help, Ming Jin sat up, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings and frowning. “Where am I? How did I end up here?”
“Don’t you remember, young master? You fell asleep in the carriage on the way here. When we arrived at the villa, I couldn’t wake you, so I had the others bring you here to rest first.”
Is that so?
Ming Jin tried to recall how he had fallen asleep, but the more he thought about it, the sharper the pain in his head became.
He had drunk a lot of wine last night, taken some potent tonic pills, and was already fatigued from lack of rest. It was understandable that the alcohol had made him pass out.
Qian Shuang’s words gave him the impression that he was already in the villa. He casually asked, “Where is Ming Gui?”
Ming Gui was his personal servant.
Qian Shuang looked out the window before answering without hesitation, “He is waiting outside. Would you like me to have him come in and serve you?”
“No need.” As his thoughts returned, Ming Jin clearly recalled the reason he had come here. He immediately stood up and walked toward the door.
Once he left the room, he realized this place seemed to be an attic. His mother’s dowry villa was quite large; he had only been there once before, and since he had no strong impression of its layout, he didn’t find anything unusual.
It wasn’t long before he saw someone from Chang Shi’s side.
“Nanny Liao.” Ming Jin smiled. “Qian Shuang didn’t lie; you are indeed here.”
“Your Excellency…” Nanny Liao slightly bowed. Behind her was a servant.
“Did you really capture that woman from the Chang family?” Ming Jin asked impatiently. “Where is she? Is she alive or dead?”
Nanny Liao hesitated, her expression indecisive.
“What's wrong? Did my mother forbid you from speaking?” Ming Jin sneered impatiently. “She’s just the illegitimate daughter of a lowly military officer; why can’t I deal with her?”
Suddenly, the cold, sharp object pressing against his lower back served as both a reminder and a threat. Nanny Liao dared not hesitate any longer. “...She is upstairs.”
Ming Jin let out a delighted laugh, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he immediately headed upstairs.
Hearing his footsteps ascend, Nanny Liao’s heart sank, her gaze filled with cold hatred as she looked at Qian Shuang.
This wench had betrayed the young master, conspiring with others to trick him into this place!
Qian Shuang clenched her sweaty palms, her face trembling but she did not avoid Nanny Liao’s gaze. She just wanted to survive!
Not giving Nanny Liao a chance to speak further, when Ming Jin had already reached the second floor, a servant quickly bound her hands and feet, dragging her to an old, small, disused library and locking her inside. The servant stayed outside to guard.
When Nanny Liao was locked away, Chang Shi, who was also bound, quickly asked, “...What does Chang Suining want to do? Where is this place?”
“Madam... I don’t know what method she used, but she made Qian Shuang that lowly girl trick the young master into coming here!”
“What?!” Chang Shi’s eyes widened in shock. “What exactly does she want?!”
Looking at her mistress’s pathetic state, Nanny Liao shook her head in despair.
She didn’t know where they were either. She and her mistress had been knocked unconscious and brought here. They hadn’t eaten for two days, only drinking some water.
The physical and mental torment deepened Chang Shi’s fear and anxiety. She struggled and fell to the ground, attempting to escape to stop whatever was coming, but it was in vain.
In her futile struggles, Chang Shi’s eyes turned red from the exertion. At that moment, she suddenly recalled the last words of the girl in the Guan Sheng Temple:
“Before I die, you can just take a look at the logic of my insignificance.”
...
Ming Jin had reached the second floor.
Two servants were guarding the entrance. Seeing him, they hesitated for a moment but then stepped aside, allowing him to pass.
This only strengthened Ming Jin’s belief in the situation before him. Moreover, he was too distracted to consider other possibilities.
He raised a smile. “You stay here. I’ll go in myself.”
The two servants replied, “Yes, Young Master.”
Ming Jin lifted a bamboo curtain hanging in front of him and walked in.
All the doors and windows were tightly shut, not a single breeze could enter. There was no sign of the outside world, and it clearly felt like a scene of imprisonment.
It didn’t take long before Ming Jin saw the person who had been imprisoned.
She was bound to a chair, her arms and legs tied, her robes covered in mud and blood, her hair a mess on top of her head.
When she heard the footsteps, she turned her head. Only her eyes, still bright and chilling, stood out.
Ming Jin smiled in delight. “Good, you’re still alive!”
He walked over, looking at her with satisfaction, then bent down and pinched her chin, inspecting her closely. “Aren’t you usually so proud and capable? How did you end up in such a miserable state?”
As he spoke, he leaned in closer to her face. “I heard that when you were in Furong Garden, you secretly tampered with the horses. Is that true?”
Chang Suining looked at his face, now just inches away, and smiled faintly. “So what if it is?”
Ming Jin tightened his grip on her chin and suddenly grasped her neck, his voice full of hatred as he spat out each word: "Chang Suining, you really know how to court death..."
Chang Suining looked at the man before her with a sense of satisfaction.
Indeed, all it took was telling him the truth about his injuries, and he would definitely come.
Using herself as bait had turned out to be a viable method after all.
She provocatively asked, "Are you going to kill me for revenge?"
Ming Jin sneered, "What, do you think I wouldn't dare?"
Chang Suining continued to dismantle his caution, "If you really wanted to kill me, why would you imprison me here?"
"That's my mother!" Ming Jin’s grip on her neck tightened. "She imprisoned you here because she was afraid you'd ruin her plans… But I'm different! You’ve fallen into my hands now, and killing you will be as easy as flipping my hand!"
"You should have figured it out by now, I killed Changsun Xuan!" He said proudly, relishing the moment. "If I can kill the legitimate daughter of the Changsun family, what’s stopping me from dealing with you, the lowly adopted daughter of a military officer?"
He seemed to have found the perfect outlet to boast and continued, "To be honest, when I first killed her, I was a bit afraid... But later, others cleaned up everything for me, and your brother took the blame on my behalf!"
"Do you know why?" He smiled, looking at her. "Because my last name is Ming!"
He looked at the girl with a mockingly 'pitying' gaze, "Even if I skin you alive and make you suffer a hundred humiliations, who will come to your aid and seek justice for you?"
The girl’s face turned red from the pressure on her neck, but she only smiled lightly, "Just you? A pest worse than sewer rats... Do you think my brother would take your punishment for you?"
Her cold, disdainful eyes incited Ming Jin’s fury. With a growl, he used all his strength to slam her, along with the chair she was bound to, onto the ground with a loud crash.
The guards outside frowned at the noise but, recalling the lady’s orders, had no choice but to hold back.
The girl’s head hit the floor heavily, and though she furrowed her brow in pain, her expression remained cold, her gaze locked onto Ming Jin without any sign of fear.
Ming Jin stared at her, then suddenly asked, “You’re really not afraid of death, are you? You’re different from Changsun Xuan…”
"That’s right. I can’t let you die so easily. Changsun Xuan died too quickly. The more I think about it, the more I feel unsatisfied..." He loosened his grip on her neck, his gaze dropping to her right arm.
The sleeve was torn, and though the bleeding had stopped, it was clear that she had been wounded by a blade.
Ming Jin’s eyes gleamed, and he lamented, "I came in a hurry, didn’t bring anything useful..."
He scanned the area, finding nothing suitable, before finally yanking out a jade hairpin from her hair.
"How about using this?" He gripped the hairpin and forcefully drove it into the wound on her arm, twisting it slowly. He watched the blood flow freely from the gash, laughing in delight.
Chang Suining furrowed her brow, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
The warmth of the blood stained her hand, but Ming Jin’s laughter only grew louder.
Chang Suining observed his increasingly crazed expression and then glanced at the incense burner in the corner, from which a medicinal fragrance emanated— it was time.
The girl suddenly exerted force with her waist, twisting her body to fling both herself and the chair into Ming Jin, knocking him to the ground.
She quickly loosened the ropes binding her hands, freed herself from the chair, and with her hands on the ground, rose to her feet, her hair falling around her shoulders.
“...You despicable creature!”
Ming Jin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth where he had been struck, then climbed up.
...
Elsewhere, outside the Great Cheng Hall, the ceremony was nearing its end when everyone suddenly heard the sound of a crane’s call.
Everyone looked up in surprise, seeing a white crane fly overhead— it was an extraordinary sight.
Cranes were considered auspicious creatures, and for one to appear on the day of the Confucian ritual was undoubtedly a good omen!
As the crowd marveled, they watched the beautiful white crane spread its wings and flew toward the hall.
In front of the hall, Ming Luo was reciting the ritual text. She heard the commotion and looked up just in time to see the white crane flying towards him. It snatched the ritual text from his hands!
The crane circled with the silk in its beak for a moment, then emitted a long, resounding call.
"This crane is quite intelligent!" someone exclaimed.
"Look, it’s flying away!"
The crowd was amazed, and someone shouted, "Quick, let’s follow and see!" Many hurried after the crane, raising their long robes to keep pace.
Seeing this, Ming Luo's heart suddenly sank.
Others were unaware, but she knew that cranes could be tamed, and under the guidance of their caretakers, could perform actions that seemed full of spirit. Many so-called omens were likely created in this manner.
The appearance of this crane was certainly no accident!
Ah, here it comes!
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