Chapter 78: 078. Ning Jing died (first update)
Translator: 549690339
After dealing with the two kidnappers in a few moves, Ning Jing carried Zhengzheng and took a detour to avoid people. After walking hurriedly through several alleys, he returned to his and Su Liang’s home in Pingbei City through the back door.
As soon as Zhengzheng was put down, he ran forward with his short legs, and Ning Jing followed behind carrying the basket.
“Aunt! Aunt!”
Hearing Zhengzheng’s voice, Su Liang came out of the kitchen, smiling lightly as she bent over to pick him up and rubbed his little head. “You’re back just in time.” She was about to finish cooking their lunch.
Su Liang told Ning Jing to take Zhengzheng away first, and she would finish cooking. However, Zhengzheng became cranky after being in the basket for too long and did not want to be held by Ning Jing anymore.
“What happened?” Su Liang noticed a small red dot on Ning Jing’s outer garment, which seemed to be a bloodstain.
Ning Jing placed the badge he received from Qianshan Academy on the table in the courtyard and went to the kitchen to start the fire.
“I met many people today.” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang held Zhengzheng in one arm and stirred the soup in the pot with the other. “Were you intercepted by the kidnappers halfway, or did Ning Yao send someone to lie in wait at the academy, inviting you to ‘go home’?”
She had deliberately let Ning Jing keep a low profile before, just so they could have some peaceful days.
Ning Yao had tried several times to get rid of Ning Jing but ended up failing. However, he would never tolerate Ning Jing’s continued participation in the imperial examination and would certainly not want to see him excel.
Therefore, he would never give up on killing Ning Jing and would only intensify his efforts.
In addition, the wealthy Xiao Family of Pingbei City was related to the Li family by marriage. Madam Xiao was Third Master Li’s legitimate sister and his accomplice in the kidnapping of the young master of the Wan Family.
When they entered the city, they found that the guards had been bought off and were waiting for Ning Jing to arrive, the Xiao Family was likely behind it. Knowing that Ning Jing would appear at Qianshan Academy today, Madam Xiao would certainly not sit idly by.
“Both possibilities are true.” Ning Jing confirmed Su Liang’s guesses. “There were also people arranged by Yang Yu. She prepared a mansion for you.”
Su Liang was a bit surprised. “Had we known earlier, we wouldn’t have bought our own mansion. But since we have, let’s not bother her for now.”
“Yonglong Embroidery Workshop. I said you would go there tomorrow.” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang thought for a moment and nodded. “That’s fine. Maybe this place will be exposed soon, and we’ll need to move. Tomorrow, when you go to the exam, I’ll go to the embroidery workshop to say hello.”
The owner of this mansion registered with the government office was Su Liang, and they could not use a fake name.
And this name would naturally be found by some “intentional people.”
However, Su Liang only felt that there would be more trouble, she was not afraid. Therefore, she had no intention of moving to the place arranged for them by Yang Yu for the time being.
When the meal was ready, Su Liang fed Zhengzheng and asked him what he had seen today.
Zhengzheng said, “Uncle Ning… Jing Brother!”
Su Liang raised an eyebrow and looked at Ning Jing. “Who called you Jing Brother?”
Those who would call him that were either children or young ladies.
Before Ning Jing could explain, Su Liang seemed to have an idea. “Don’t tell me,
Ning Yao sent a woman over, claiming to be your old lover?”
Zhengzheng said another sentence, “Ning Senior Brother!” It was what he heard while hiding in the basket.
Su Liang wondered who would call Ning Jing senior brother.
Ning Jing’s face was calm. “Ning Yao sent someone to kneel at the gate of the academy, saying that the head of the Ning Family was seriously ill and wanted to see me one last time.”
Su Liang snorted, “Moral kidnapping, trying to force you to give up the imperial examination and cut off your future.”
This tactic was undoubtedly sinister and vicious, and quite offensive. One had to be careful not to fall for it.
“I said that the head of the Ning Family had sent me a message, telling me that he was fine and to be careful of Ning Yao.” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang nodded, “Since they can’t provide evidence that someone is seriously ill, you can say that you know the person is fine. After all, the person is alive and won’t appear here. By the way, who calls you Ning Senior Brother?” Ning Jing’s thin lips opened slightly. “Ning Jing’s junior sister.” Su Liang blinked her eyes.
Was this the start of an honest conversation about a certain matter?
Su Liang had known for a long time that the man in front of her was not the real seventh son of the Ning Family in Xunyang, but an imposter disguised as the fugitive rebel prince Gu.
Although she didn’t know how he managed to disguise himself as Ning Jing without being discovered.
As for this matter, they tacitly understood each other but had never talked about it.
“Ning Jing is dead.” Ning Jing said straightforwardly.
Su Liang was not surprised by the news, but it still felt strange to hear. “Please tell me more.”
“He once trusted Ning Yao most, but was framed by him. His mother died of illness, his father was unkind, and his siblings were all hypocritical and treacherous, trying to put him to death. He was poisoned with an incurable toxin and chose to end his life, not wanting to continue living worse than death.” Ning Jing recounted.
Su Liang sighed.
“I saved Ning Jing by chance five years ago, and when we parted, he said that he would repay me and find me to play chess when he went to the capital city. He decided to die, but didn’t want to die in the Ning Family. He wanted to find me but couldn’t, so he found Nian Jincheng. By that time, the Gu Family had already met with disaster, and I was being hunted down everywhere. Ning Jing paid heavily for a man from the rivers and lakes to cut off his face after he died and make it into a mask, and asked Nian Jincheng to deliver it to me.”
Su Liang stared at Ning Jing’s face in amazement. She thought he knew the Disguise Technique, but it turned out he was wearing a human skin mask?!
“There was also a letter. In it, he said goodbye to me and wrote about many unfulfilled wishes.” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang blurted out, “Taking the imperial examination was his wish, not yours. ”
Ning Jing nodded slightly. “He was a secret disciple of Lin Shuzhi, the dean of Qianshan Academy. He wanted to follow Lin Shuzhi’s footsteps, becoming a top scholar to prove himself, but not becoming an official and traveling the world.’
Yet the cruel reality had shattered his youthful dreams and left nothing behind.
At the time, Nian Jincheng had a clear idea that Ning Jing was an imposter when he went to Su Village. Nian Jincheng was directly involved in that matter.
But someone else was watching them in secret at the time, and if Nian Jincheng hadn’t gone, someone else would have gone, causing real trouble.
“Will that Jianghu person who made the human skin mask betray you?” Su Liang asked.
Ning Jing shook his head, “That person is sinister and evil. I informed Nian Jincheng to kill him and seal his mouth after the matter is done. No one knows about it except for you, me, Nian Jincheng, and Uncle Liang.”
“Uncle Liang…” Su Liang almost forgot about that old man who looked at her with great displeasure.
“He can be trusted,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang asked again, “Did Ning Jing ask you in his last words to fulfill his wish for him?”
Ning Jing shook his head, “He only wanted to die at the time and learned about the Gu Family’s trouble. He just wanted to give me his identity to repay my kindness. He wrote about many things in his letter, but didn’t ask me to do anything. Before meeting Xing Yusheng, I never thought about taking the Imperial examination for him. He also said that he would never see the girl he planned to propose to after he became Top Scholar.”
Su Liang pondered, “Lin Shuzhi’s disciple… Zhengzheng said someone called you Ning senior brother, is it Lin Shuzhi’s daughter? Is she the person that Ning Jing mentioned in his letter?”
Ning Jing nodded and then shook his head, “He didn’t say explicitly, perhaps.”
“So, you met Miss Lin and Lin Shuzhi in the academy today, and they didn’t notice any changes in you?” Su Liang asked.
“If there are changes, it’s normal,” Ning Jing said.
“True,” Su Liang nodded, “It seems that you have passed the test. If Ning Jing has a spirit in heaven, he would be happy to see you fulfill his wish, become the Top Scholar, infuriate those scums in the Ning Family, and then disappear, making the world think that the Seventh Young Master of Xunyang’s Ning Family went on a carefree journey. But what if Miss Lin wants to marry you?” Ning Jing shook his head, “Although Lin Shuzhi cares about Ning Jing, he doesn’t want his only daughter to be with Ning Jing.”
“Parents’ hearts,” Su Liang expressed her understanding, “As a fake Ning Jing, you are constantly in trouble and can’t have peace. How can they rest assured to marry their daughter to you? When you met today, did you think that Miss Lin liked Ning Jing?”
Ning Jing shook his head again, “I don’t know.”
“Then stay away from her, so as not to cause unnecessary misunderstandings,” Su Liang said seriously.
It wouldn’t be a problem to pursue someone if he resumed his original identity. But with a fake identity, it was a misunderstanding from the beginning, so it would be best not to have any emotional entanglements.
However, Su Liang felt that she was stating the obvious, as that kind of melodramatic plotline was impossible to happen with him.
Zhengzheng seemed to be dissatisfied that Su Liang and Ning Jing only talked and ignored him. He waved his little hand, shouting “aunt” and “Uncle Ning.”
Ning Jing reached out to hug Zhengzheng, but he turned his head and hugged Su Liang instead, indicating that he was still angry and wouldn’t let him hug him!
“You don’t have to worry about Zhengzheng clinging to you during the exam tomorrow.” Su Liang said, “If Cheng Yun is reliable, Zhengzheng’s mother should arrive soon.”
Qianshan Academy.
After Ning Jing left, the six members of the Ning Family kept claiming that their Family Head was indeed critically ill, and the eldest son Ning Yao had no intention of harming Ning Jing.
The former claim couldn’t be verified.
As for the latter, the onlookers would weigh it in their hearts.
Ning Jing, as the only legitimate son of the Ning Family, was expelled from the family due to his mistakes, and the illegitimate eldest son Ning Yao took over power.
Furthermore, from the perspective of bloodline, Ning Yao did not even count as a descendant of the Ning Family. The only rightful heir of the Ning Family was Ning Jing. Who would believe that Ning Yao had no intention of harming him?
Besides, although filial piety is the most important thing, scholars know best the difficulties of the Imperial examination. Ning Jing’s Provincial Exam was tomorrow, and if he passed, he would become a scholar and bring glory to his family. How could it be that the Ning Family showed up today, insisting that he return home immediately?
If they put themselves in the same situation, even if it meant not telling the truth, many scholars would think that even if their parents were seriously ill, they would keep it a secret from them, at least until the exam was over. This is what “Parents’ love for their children goes deep and far.”
Speaking unpleasantly, since the Ning Family’s Head is about to die, what difference does it make whether he sees Ning Jing or not? Are they trying to have Ning Jing return to inherit the family’s business? Then why drive him away in the first place?
Although it was rumored that Ning Jing was convicted of a serious mistake with conclusive evidence, who really knew what happened in the big family’s internal affairs? If the Ning Family didn’t say it themselves, how would outsiders know whether the tribute tea was burned by Ning Jing or Ning Yao?
If Ning Jing was really that important to the Ning Family Head, the one who would be convicted and driven out wouldn’t have been him in the first place!
No matter how pitiful the people sent by the Ning Family looked, it was not very useful because all the scholars who had read for many years would not believe them once they calmed down.
The Ning Family asked to see the dean of the academy, Lin Shuzhi, hoping he would help persuade Ning Jing to return home.
Lin Shuzhi did not let them in, but sent a message telling them to wait outside the academy’s gate.
In the end, when the six people waited for Lin Shuzhi to show up, the government soldiers also arrived.
The Imperial examination is a major event that each local Government Office attaches great importance to. When Lin Shuzhi sent someone to report a crime, saying that outsiders were causing trouble at Qianshan Academy and harassing students, they immediately sent someone to handle it.
Lin Shuzhi said seriously to the government official, “It is those six people who claim to be from Xunyang’s Ning Family. I don’t know their real identity or their purpose. This place is a quiet place for the academy, and tomorrow is the day of the Provincial Exam. They are causing trouble today and refuse to leave. I suspect they intend to disrupt the students’ minds for ulterior motives. I implore you to handle this matter seriously.”
The Ning Family members were dumbfounded and hurriedly explained.
However, the government soldiers naturally wouldn’t listen and quickly arrested them all and escorted them away, assuring Lin Shuzhi that they would be severely punished.
“Dad, you forgot to give the pen to Ning Jing,” Lin Xueqing reminded Lin
Shuzhi.
Lin Shuzhi shook his head, “Let’s talk about it in three days.” “What if he’s gone after the exam?” Lin Xueqing asked.
“Bring me a rope,” Lin Shuzhi said.
Lin Xueqing was stunned, “Ah? What do you need a rope for?”
“By then, I will be waiting at the Examination Hall’s gate. As soon as he comes out, I will tie him up and take him back. Are you satisfied?” Lin Shuzhi snorted.
Lin Xueqing laughed out loud, “Great! A gentleman’s word is his bond, I’ll find a rope for my father right away!”
Seeing Lin Xueqing about to run away, Lin Shuzhi called her back, “Stop teasing. It’s good to know that he’s okay, let him be for everything else.”
Lin Xueqing disagreed, “But after the Provincial Exam is over, it would be nice if Ning senior brother stays in the academy if he doesn’t go to the capital. He might just not want to cause trouble for us. Dad, are you really not going to look for him, and leave him to be alone?”
Lin Shuzhi sighed deeply, “Forget it, I can’t win against you. Go find a rope..”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺