Chapter 131: 131. Let her get lost (Second update)
Translator: 549690339
Ten miles from the capital city of Qian Country, there was a high mountain named Wangxiang Mountain.
Legend has it that a tragic war took place here a hundred years ago. The soldiers who died far from their homeland were buried high on the mountain, where they could gaze at their hometowns, which is why it was named so.
On the mountaintop today, there is a huge rock engraved with many names that have become illegible due to the passing of time and weather. This rock is known as the Wangxiang Stone.
As the sun rose, the thick fog in the mountains gradually dissipated. Su Liang, holding a basket, stopped mid-hill.
In the chill of early spring, fresh plants had yet to sprout, yet there were a few sparse patches of dull green visible amidst the struggling pine trees that grew from the gray-black crevices in the rocks.
In a graveyard, Su Liang found a gravestone inscribed with ‘Grave of Su Yuanzhou”. She set down the basket and wiped the dust off the stone tablet with a handkerchief.
The sunlight illuminated half of Su Liangs face, and a cold wind blew against her. A sudden wave of sadness filled her heart.
Su Yuanzhou hadn’t returned to his hometown for many years but always thought about it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent money and goods to Su Daqiang’s family, fearing that they might suffer.
Unfortunately, he would never return.
Ironically, the relatives he cared for so much turned out to be a group of ruthless predators who had killed his only granddaughter upon her return to her hometown.
Su Liang didn’t bring any paper money. She took the food and wine out of her basket, placed them in front of Su Yuanzhou’s gravestone, arranged the chopsticks, and poured a cup of wine, sprinkling it on his gravestone. When Su Liang looked up, she saw Ning Jing standing near another smaller gravestone not far away.
She approached and found the inscription to be “Grave of Su Liang”.
“Do you think there would be bones inside?” Su Liang asked.
Ning Jing replied with a question, “Do you want to dig it up and see?”
Su Liang shook her head, “No, I’ll go directly to the fifth prince instead. He should know best.”
There were no graves for the original master’s parents here, as they had died in a foreign land when the original master was very young. Su Liang only knew that her father was named Su Hongzhao, but she had no information about her mother’s background or full name.
Before leaving, Su Liang bowed deeply toward the Su Family graves and silently vowed: If you were wronged in death, I will find the truth and seek justice for you.
On the way down the mountain, Su Liang asked Ning Jing, “Do you think, if I go directly to the fifth prince’s mansion, Duanmu Che would meet with me?” Ning Jing shook his head, “I don’t know.”
“But sneaking in might be rude,” Su Liang sighed slightly. “Never mind, I’ll go knock on the door and see if he’ll meet me.’
Fifth Prince Duanmu Che didn’t have much presence in the Royal Family.
However, the cunning Fourth Prince Duanmu Chen never underestimated
Duanmu Che.
It showed that Duanmu Che was not just a sickly prince.
After giving it some thought, Su Liang finally decided to pay Duanmu Che an open visit.
Asking Ning Jing if he would accompany her, he still refused.
The fifth prince’s mansion was not far from the fourth prince’s mansion, but the surrounding environment seemed quieter.
In broad daylight, the vermilion doors were closed, and no one was around.
Su Liang stepped forward and knocked on the door. After waiting for a while, she finally heard footsteps from inside, and shortly after, the door opened. An old, short, and plump man saw Su Liang and his expression changed.
This person recognizes me… Su Liang thought.
The door remained ajar, the old man did not speak but frowned at Su Liang, waiting for her to start the conversation.
“My family name is Su, and my name is Liang. I am here to request an audience with His Highness the fifth prince,” Su Liang spoke politely.
The old man’s expression turned dark and he retreated inside, slamming the door shut again!
Su Liang frowned and heard the old man’s voice from inside, “Young lady, please wait! Allow me to report to my master!”
Su Liang wondered if the old man might know about her previous departure from the capital city and thought she shouldn’t have returned?
As Su Liang patiently waited outside the fifth prince’s mansion, the old man’s reaction made her feel that her meeting with Duanmu Che might not go smoothly.
The old servant hurriedly entered the rear garden and saw a wheelchair not far away. He took a deep breath, slowed down, and approached it, “Master.”
A young falcon with a white head, brown wings, white tail, and white legs perched on the man’s shoulder in the wheelchair. At the sound of the voice, it spread its wings and flew away.
“The visitor is Su Liang, the granddaughter of Old Doctor Su Liang. She was the one you sent me to bring back to the northern village of the Su family. I don’t know when she returned to the capital city,” the old servant reported.
The wheelchair remained still, and after a moment of silence, a low voice said,
“Tell her to leave.”
The old servant sighed deeply but seemed unsurprised. “I shall send her away and tell her never to come back.”
The door opened, and Su Liang saw the old man from before standing inside, only showing his head, with a stern face, he said, “Please leave quickly, and never come back again!”
Without giving Su Liang a chance to speak, he closed the door heavily again.
Having the door shut in her face, Su Liang left.
When the old man saw Duanmu Che again, he was given a task: to find out if Su Liang had met with Xiao Muyun after returning to the capital city.
The old man didn’t know where Su Liang was, so he investigated Xiao Muyun’s whereabouts and quickly came back to report: Su Liang had met with Xiao Muyun at Wan Family Restaurant the day before, and they had been alone in a private room for half an hour.
After returning home, Su Liang thought things through and decided to write a letter to Duanmu Che, informing him that she had lost her memory and stating her purpose for coming back to the capital city, as well as asking for his help in providing clues and investigating the cause of death for the Su Family.
After writing the letter, Su Liang went to the Fifth Prince’s mansion again. After knocking on the door, she slipped the letter through the crack in the door and left.
As long as Duanmu Che saw it, he might meet with her afterward.
Soon after Su Liang left, the letter was picked up by the old man and given to Duanmu Che. The order he received was: burn the letter, he no longer wants to hear Su Liang’s name and would not care for her life or death anymore.
As usual, Su Liang went to treat Old Duke Qin with acupuncture that day. His body was recovering, and he looked at Su Liang and said a mumbled “Thank you.”
“Relax, Old Duke. Take good care of yourself and you’ll get better,” Su Liang said with a gentle smile.
When Su Liang left Duke Qin’s mansion, she “coincidentally” met Xiao Muyun shortly after.
Xiao Muyun was stunned by Su Liang’s elegant and regal appearance as she rode her horse with a straight back in her simple and elegant long dress.
However, before he could say anything, Su Liang turned her horse around and disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Upon returning home, she went to spar with Ning Jing.
After a few rounds on the training ground, Ning Jing said that Su Liang had too many distractions in the capital city and had been neglecting her martial arts training. Her previous progress was still far from complete, and the Military Exam selection was just around the corner, but she lacked focus.
Confronted with Ning Jing’s criticism, Su Liang nodded in agreement but said, “I don’t know if Duanmu Che has seen my letter and will meet with me.”
Ning Jing frowned, “Su Liang.”
“Huh?” Su Liang was taken aback, “I heard what you just said. I’ll definitely take my martial arts training seriously from now on.”
“Not later, but now,” Ning Jing walked towards the Plum Blossom Pile that he had set up not too far away. “Come here.”
A moment later, Ning Jing stood on a pile in the center, beckoning Su Liang,
Su Liang steadied herself, jumped on a pile not far from Ning Jing, and threw a punch at him.
The two fought on the Plum Blossom Piles, with Ning Jing’s feet not moving at all, only using his upper body to attack Su Liang.
Su Liang circled around Ning Jing, trying many different moves, but all were effortlessly countered by him.
In the end, Su Liang gave up from exhaustion, while Ning Jing still stood steadily on the wooden pile, calm and composed.
“Great God, I was wrong,” Su Liang admitted her recent errands had indeed kept her from focusing on her training, and her performance suffered.
Although, even without any slack, she would still not be a match for Ning Jing.
“Do you think that Duanmu Chen’s plot to bring you back to the capital city is just to deal with Duanmu Ao?” Ning Jing landed on the ground and looked at Su Liang as he asked.
Su Liang shook her head, “Duanmu Ao, that pervert, doesn’t have much ability to hinder Duanmu Chen. It’s the Crown Prince he wants to bring down. The Crown Prince and Duanmu Ao are half-brothers.”
“There’s more to it,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang’s eyes narrowed, “Do you mean… Duanmu Che? Duanmu Chen purposely talked to me and asked me to find Duanmu Che.”
“Why doesn’t Duanmu Che see you?” Ning Jing asked.
Su Liang thought for a while and replied, “If he was the one who arranged for ‘me’ to escape in the first place, he probably hoped that I would hide in my hometown forever and never return to the capital city, thinking that it would be a foolish act of seeking death?”
“He may not have seen your letter, and even if he did, he may not believe it,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang sighed, “But perhaps only from him can I get the clues I need.”
“When you make a name for yourself in the Military Exam, he’ll come to you,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang’s expression turned serious, “Right. Duanmu Chen clearly has ulterior motives. It’s better to delay what he wants me to do. For Duanmu Che to believe that I can truly avenge the Su Family, I must prove it with my capabilities. Talking more will be useless. To deal with people from the royal family, I must first have some bargaining chips; otherwise, I’m just a pawn. I’ll seclude myself for training, and regarding treating Old Duke Qin with acupuncture every day, can you help me with that?”
Ning Jing nodded. His acupuncture skills had already reached a certain level.
Seeing that Ning Jing was about to leave, Su Liang stopped him and then stood on the pile he had previously stood on, beckoning him, “Come here..”
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