Chapter 127: Her Choice
“I was originally supposed to die at Zhao Tan’s hands. Zhao Tan escaped, and I was carried away by several eunuchs.”
“In order to survive, the eunuchs told some nobility about my identity, and they took me in, seeing rare goods.”
“I was thus passed from hand to hand among many people. Under heaven grew increasingly peaceful, the new dynasty stabilized, and those with disloyal hearts were eliminated one by one. I also took the chance to escape control.”
“Because my identity could not see the light of day, I hid in the mountain forest to be a hunter.”
“But over these years, some people have never given up investigating me, wanting to use my name to plot for under heaven.”
Under heaven already has a new dynasty, the Emperor has firmly secured the rivers and mountains. At this time, if someone seizes the rivers and mountains, they will inevitably be seen as a traitorous minister and thief.
But the previous dynasty was only a dozen years ago. The people alive today were all once subjects of the Great Zhou Dynasty. To rebel against the current dynasty for the previous one is not being traitorous ministers and thieves; they can be crowned as loyal ministers.
Yang Luo understood, looking at Mo Zheng: “So in the previous life, you…”
Mo Zheng frowned: “The me in the previous life was definitely used by someone. Although I don’t know what will happen in the future, we won’t attack cities or plunder land, or harm the common people, because my companions and I have never thought of restoring the country.”
After she spoke, she looked at Yang Luo.
“Perhaps you don’t believe these words, but…”
Yang Luo interrupted her: “I believe.”
This actually stunned Mo Zheng for a moment: “Why do you believe?”
Yang Luo looked at her: “If you really wanted to rebel, you wouldn’t have come to save me. Letting me die in the bookstore would have been most advantageous for you.”
She stretched out her finger and pointed at Mo Zheng’s neck.
That jade pendant related to her background was still hanging there.
If she had died in the bookstore, it would not only protect Mo Zheng’s true identity but also completely replace her.
Mo Zheng replacing her, holding this jade pendant, would have enough opportunity to approach the Emperor and kill the Emperor.
But Mo Zheng did not, and even risked mutual destruction to save her…
Mo Zheng smiled, no longer continuing this topic, and went on: “The people at the bookstore today should be those wanting to use me to rebel and seize under heaven.”
Yang Luo nodded: “Yes, that person said at the time, we are all people who cannot see the light of day…”
At that time, she had indeed taken the meaning of those words as referring to mountain bandits.
Mountain bandits plunder and create chaos; they cannot see the light of day.
She had not expected that they were thieves wanting to plunder under heaven.
“Based on what you said about my fate in that life, it can be inferred that either I was used by them to lure the Imperial Court to exterminate me, or I refused them and was exposed by them to the Imperial Court, leading to extermination.” Mo Zheng said.
Yang Luo frowned and murmured: “At that time, I was confined at home and didn’t know about outside matters. Not long after, I also died.”
So she didn’t know who was behind the bandit leader A Sheng incident, nor what it triggered afterward, or whether someone really took the chance to stir up great chaos under heaven.
“This person is very cautious; several confrontations left no traces.” Mo Zheng said, smiling bitterly, “Perhaps in my previous life, I died without knowing.”
So were both of them muddled ghosts in that life? Yang Luo sneered, looking at Mo Zheng: “This time, we will definitely know their identities.”
As she spoke, she stood up, clenching her hands with flickering eyes.
“You directly facing them puts you in the light and them in the dark, so you’re passive. But next, with you watching from the side, you in the dark and them in the light, we can definitely uncover their identities.”
Next, she watches from the side? Mo Zheng also stood up, looking at Yang Luo.
“Young Lady, next I will arrange for you to leave safely.” she said.
“Leave? Why should I leave?” Yang Luo looked at Mo Zheng, slightly raising her brow, “For my Young Master, I won’t leave.”
For the Young Master… Mo Zheng felt somewhat helpless.
Zhang Sheng You and Tao Hua on the side also exchanged a glance.
This Miss Yang intends to continue disguising as the Young Master’s maidservant.
“Miss Yang, you don’t need to take this risk.” Mo Zheng said softly, “Those people are very vicious and heartless, able to turn hostile and kill you anytime, anywhere. I can give you a new identity to live safely…”
Yang Luo interrupted her, smiling lightly: “This time, I’m not living to live safely.”
Her gaze swept over Mo Zheng, Zhang Sheng You, and Tao Hua.
“Moreover, only if you all live can I live safely this time.”
This was also why she had picked up the old man’s words in the bookstore.
She had been very afraid at the time.
She had also wanted to tell the old man that the person he was looking for was now Miss Yang of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
But after revealing A Sheng’s secret, she might have lived then, but what about later?
Without A Sheng, how much longer could she live?
“In short, no need to say more.” Yang Luo looked at Mo Zheng again and said softly, “Next, you investigate who killed my mother and who wants to kill me. I will investigate what person wants to borrow your prestige. This time, even if we ultimately die, we will die knowing the truth.”
Mo Zheng looked at her silently for a moment, then bowed: “I shall obey Young Lady’s orders.”
Zhang Sheng You and Tao Hua came back to their senses and hurriedly followed suit in paying respects: “We shall obey Young Lady’s orders.”
Yang Luo looked at them and smiled again, her eyes somewhat excited.
From then on, she was no longer just herself.
She pointed at her own face.
“These expressions of mine look like you, right? They seem very arrogant and smug.”
“At that time in the bookstore facing that old man, I wasn’t thinking of anything else, just your expressions and tone of speech.”
“It should have worked and bluffed them.”
Mo Zheng frowned: “I’m not arrogant or smug; I’m very amiable.”
Yang Luo glanced at her: “Yes, strangers think you’re amiable, but those familiar know how arrogant your expressions can be sometimes.”
Tao Hua laughed cheerfully on the side: “Yes, Young Master, you are like that sometimes.”
Mo Zheng reached up to touch her brow: “Impossible, impossible.”
With this interruption, the atmosphere in the room lightened, and Yang Luo finally began to talk about what happened earlier.
“The words I said then had no issues, right?”
“No, you said them very well. Even we listening felt you were the Young Master’s maidservant.”
“But actually, I knew nothing and couldn’t understand what that old man meant. At the time, I just wanted to coax him into leaving.”
At this point, Yang Luo asked somewhat worriedly: “But calling Wei Jiao and having him investigate the bookstore—is that okay?”
At the time, mentioning Duke Ding’an’s Miss Yang was because she knew her hidden identity and background would scare these chaotic thieves if they investigated.
But now knowing Mo Zheng’s true identity as a prince of the previous dynasty, if Wei Jiao found traces…
Mo Zheng said: “I called Wei Jiao to further confirm that the Young Lady of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion has an extraordinary identity.”
It corroborated what Yang Luo had said to those people in the bookstore.
“Moreover, I don’t need to fear Wei Jiao, because Yang Luo’s identity is real.”
At this point, she raised her brow with a smile.
“If Wei Jiao finds traces, those people’s traces are among them too, which would actually help us greatly.”
Yang Luo looked at her and nodded: “See, that’s the expression—very arrogant.”
Mo Zheng laughed heartily.
……
…….
In the post station outside the capital city, as the year end approached, more carriages and horses came and went, and the rooms allocated by official position became increasingly strict.
An official document from a state office clerk could only get a narrow small room. These three people didn’t mind, settled their horses, and went in.
“Truly unexpected, we actually drew out the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and they took over.”
Sitting indoors, a middle-aged man said in a low voice, looking at the old man sitting opposite.
At the time, demolishing the bookstore was first to tell the other side this place was void, and second to create chaos for easier withdrawal, avoiding ambushes by the other side’s people outside. After all, they had suffered losses multiple times; this group acted ruthlessly and fiercely. Finally, they had people in the government to eliminate traces and cover up the matter, also to show the other side their strength.
But unexpectedly, right after demolishing the building, that Miss of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion came…
And publicly shouted treason.
They had been startled at the time.
They didn’t know if that maidservant was scared; after all, she also had the identity of a rebel thief.
Not only shouting, this Young Lady also wanted to call the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
And the Embroidered Uniform Guard really came—Wei Jiao, no less.
“She can actually command A Jiao Young Master.” another man said in a low voice.
The old man rubbed his face to relieve fatigue, his voice muffled: “Not the first time either. Last time, Seventh Master also ran into this Young Lady and A Jiao Young Master.”
