Chapter 35: The Young Lady’s Recollections Of Death
Just after rebirth, Yang Luo often had dreams.
The most frequent dream was of the moment before death.
These days, perhaps because she was gradually adapting to the new life, she dreamed less, and upon waking, she couldn’t quite recall what she had dreamed.
At this moment, in broad daylight, standing in the hall of the National Academy, watching Miss Jiang surrounded by women chatting not far away, she dazedly fell into a dream again.
Yang Luo reached out to press her neck, as if touching the slashed wound again.
She lowered her head and saw blood spreading beneath her.
Her neck was cut open, and surprisingly, so much blood could flow out.
It was as if all the blood in her entire body was flowing out.
Once the blood drained, she would die too, right?
Why did she have to die?
This was her wedding day.
How did her neck get slashed?
In front of her stood a young girl, the girl holding a knife in her hand, blood dripping from the knife, staining her dress.
This was Jiang Meng, the younger sister of Jiang Rui, the late wife of her husband Zhu Yunxiao.
Jiang Rui was the daughter of General Liwei and died of illness one year after marrying Zhu Yunxiao.
Zhu Yunxiao observed mourning for a year, and someone introduced her to Duke Ding’an, so she married over as the remarried wife.
Today was her wedding day.
The Zhu family also sent an invitation to the Jiang family; Madam Jiang did not come, but the youngest daughter Jiang Meng came.
Jiang Meng’s arrival made the Zhu family very happy, and Yang Luo was also happy, wanting to befriend Jiang Meng.
Unexpectedly, when everyone left the bridal chamber, Jiang Meng suddenly appeared and without a word slashed her neck with a knife.
Why?
“Of course, for my older sister!”
The young girl’s sharp shout echoed in her ears.
“You killed my older sister, so I have to kill you!”
What nonsense was she saying? Yang Luo was bewildered; Jiang Rui had died of illness.
“…Illness! If you hadn’t set your sights on my brother-in-law, how could my older sister have been forced to death by illness?”
Heavens, how was it her who set her sights on Zhu Yunxiao? It was Zhu Yunxiao who came to ask for her hand in marriage.
She had never even met Jiang Rui, let alone, as an orphan residing in Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, have the ability to kill Jiang Rui.
Unfortunately, Jiang Meng didn’t have time to say more; Zhu Yunxiao came in, took the knife from Jiang Meng, and then stabbed into Jiang Meng’s heart.
Yang Luo seemed to hear Jiang Meng’s scream in her ears again.
The scream was very brief.
The person stabbed in the heart died even faster, so fast that Jiang Meng only spat blood and said her last words.
“…She forced my older sister to death, and not only do you not avenge your older sister, you also kill me, because she is a princess?”
Yang Luo pressed her neck tightly, breathing rapidly.
At the beginning just after rebirth, when she recalled this sentence, she wondered if she had misheard it in her dazed state before death.
What Jiang Meng actually said was “Is it because she is a princess?”, it was a question, sarcasm, anger, not an affirmation.
But…
She, with her neck slashed, died very slowly, lying on the ground, struggling, and saw Zhu Yunxiao walk out and talk to someone.
He said: “This way, we can give an account to the Imperial Palace.”
Give an account to the Imperial Palace.
Why give an account to the Imperial Palace?
Why would the Imperial Palace care about the life and death of an orphan like her?
She struggled to crawl over, and just as she reached the doorway, she saw the person standing at the door was her uncle Duke Ding’an.
Her uncle looked down at her covered in blood, his expression cold and unmoving.
The scene was too horrifying; Yang Luo’s last breath was scared out of her.
She died just like that.
When she woke up again, she was back at fourteen.
When she was clear-headed, she even didn’t dare to recall this scene of death; it was too painful, too terrifying, too bizarre.
Yang Luo felt somewhat out of breath; her hand pressing her neck slid down, then pressed on a pendant around her neck through her clothes.
This was a jade pendant.
This was something she had worn since birth.
Her mother told her to never take it off.
“The princess has arrived!”
Qin Ying pushed her arm beside her.
Yang Luo came back to her senses, her gaze somewhat dazed as she looked at Qin Ying.
“What are you thinking, spacing out like that.” Qin Ying smiled and said, pushing her again, “Come quickly to pay respects to the princesses.”
The princesses.
Yang Luo looked outside the room; the women in the room had all gathered, over forty girls appearing bustling; palace maids came in, and without needing to speak, the women squeezed together instantly parted, standing in two rows, the doorway suddenly clear, with four girls of varying ages dressed magnificently slowly walking in surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids.
Before Yang Luo could see the princesses’ faces clearly, the women in the room all curtsied to pay respects.
Yang Luo lowered her head and curtsied along with everyone.
“Welcoming Princess Pingcheng—”
“Welcoming Princess Wuyang—”
“Welcoming Princess Nangong—”
“Welcoming Princess Shengping—”
……
…….
All the young ladies participating in the selection had gone in, and the academy outside became quiet.
The academy was formerly a royal villa, so no residences were allowed nearby, nor were there street markets or teahouses; after seeing them off, the elders from home left, leaving servants and carriages and horses waiting outside.
Mo Zheng squatted in the shadow cast by the carriages and horses, pulling weeds from the ground to play left against right, occasionally glancing around the academy.
The National Academy was strictly managed; students entering to read could not come and go freely, with instructors on duty daily; now with the princesses here, imperial guards were added.
The security was tight, with almost no students moving about, though not entirely none.
When Mo Zheng turned her head toward the Imperial City direction again, one person came trotting on a donkey.
This was a young man in his early twenties wearing a cyan robe.
The donkey was small and thin, the young man tall with long legs almost touching the ground, his posture light and at ease, his brows calm, holding a book scroll in hand and reading.
The donkey didn’t need his guidance, trotting straight to the fodder pool where the carriages and horses were parked.
Meanwhile, the young man on the donkey lightly jumped down at the same time, eyes on the book, familiarly heading toward the academy gate.
When passing by Mo Zheng, Mo Zheng stood up from the shadow of the carriages and followed him.
The young man was completely unaware, walking forward while reading.
The imperial guards in front of the academy looked at him, opening their mouths to stop him, but the academy instructor beside them spoke first.
“This is Young Master Ling Ling Yu.” The instructor explained, “The Libationer’s third disciple, newly appointed Five Classics Doctor last year.”
So he was a Five Classics Doctor; the imperial guards asked no more, their gazes falling behind this doctor official… on the thin youth in cyan clothes.
At this moment, Ling Yu, still reading, suddenly threw the book bag slung over his shoulder to the youth.
“Distribute these classics to the students in Propylene Dormitory, and tell them I will examine them the day after tomorrow.” He said.
Mo Zheng steadily caught it and responded affirmatively.
So he was Ling Yu’s bookboy; the imperial guards withdrew their gazes.
So he was a menial laborer from the bookstore; the instructors withdrew their gazes, smiling at Ling Yu: “You’re examining them personally? Then the students won’t sleep well tonight or tomorrow night.”
Ling Yu’s gaze remained on the book, saying: “The world is at peace; this is the best time for reading. Wouldn’t sleeping be a waste?”
With that, he instructed the youth behind him again.
“Get them more candles.”
The youth responded affirmatively.
The instructors asked no more; Ling Yu was famously a bookworm, unwilling to put down his book even while walking or eating; if not for the Libationer watching and threatening that reading at night would blind him, he probably wouldn’t sleep at night either.
Ling Yu said no more, staring at the book as he entered the academy, with Mo Zheng carrying the book bag following behind.
The largest palace in the academy was the school palace; the other two were the residences of instructors and students, and one was the study place; further up the mountain was a library.
Ling Yu stepped into the covered corridor leading to the library, stopped, and finally lifted his eyes from the book, turning to look at the youth behind him.
Mo Zheng also stopped, looking into Ling Yu’s eyes; the young man’s eyes were lively like fish.
“Senior Brother Ling, long time no see; your eyes are still so beautiful.” She smiled and said.
Ling Yu’s gaze wandered, sweeping over the youth: “You should say, Senior Brother, long time no see; your eyes are even more beautiful.”
Mo Zheng laughed heartily and bowed.
Ling Yu held the book scroll in hand and returned the courtesy.
Have to go out tomorrow for a long flight, can’t update on time, everyone don’t wait.
