Da Li Temple - Chapter 56.1

Chapter 56.1
Family Hatred (2)

“Why?” Su Moyi seemed to have not expected her to have such a reaction and was instantly puzzled. The moonlight was clear, and the candle flame fluttering on the corridor reflected her slightly furrowed brow.

“Because ……” Lin Wanqing hesitated. After a long time, she said softly: “Because of my family’s affairs ……”
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Su Moyi breathed a sigh of relief and laughed: “If you want to marry into the Heir residence, there are many things to do. We can’t miss any rituals. Just this set of steps alone will take half a year, and we have to find a legitimate identity for you before that.”
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Lin Wanqing was still in a difficult position. After she was four, her identity was something that Uncle Lin had bribed the county official in charge because his family had no children. At that time, to pay fewer taxes, the citizen would conceal the number of male children, reporting the number of male children like her was rare; the person in charge of the work thought that they could get the money and collect more taxes, so they also went along with it. Later, they moved from place to place, and the people who knew about it lost contact with them. Therefore, she registered as a man in the school. Her position in the government office was low so she could muddle through. But this time was different. There was Empress Dowager and Da Li Temple’s care; the people below would be careful with their heads, so, likely, she would not be able to hide. But once this matter blown out, it was like a stone stirring up a thousand waves.
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Even if Su Moyi can believe her, what about the Empress Dowager? What about Emperor Yong Hui? When the Xiao family was accused of ‘rebellion,’ how many people derogated them? Will they be willing to see the Xiao family redress their injustices? Even if Su Moyi is willing to help her, how long can he hold out under such a siege and hopelessness?
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With her thoughts in turmoil, Lin Wanqing and Su Moyi stood in the corridor, silently looking at each other.
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Finally, Su Moyi opened his mouth first. “I never asked about your family,” His tone was indifferent; the starlight in his eyes darkened slightly. His expression was undistinguishable, as if he had returned to the unsmiling Lord Su in the trial. He paused and continued: “Because I think, if you want to tell me, one day, you will confess to me. Therefore, if you don’t say it, I won’t ask.” He paused, waiting for her reply. Yet all that passed between the two was the silence of the night and the breeze that filled the courtyard. He had always been straightforward and could not tolerate a speck of sand in his eyes. But for her, he was willing to smear himself with ash.
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“You don’t understand me at all, do you?” Lin Wanqing worriedly asked, “You don’t even know my identity.”
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“En ……” Su Moyi lowered his eyes and gently smiled at the person before him.
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The two of them were close, and the fresh mugwort smell on her body was like a gentle night, quietly flaunting everywhere.
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He indeed didn’t understand her. He didn’t know where she came from, her name, or her intentions. Before this moment, he’d thought she was looking forward to ten miles of red wedding dress as much as he was.
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But he also knew a lot about her. He understood that of the over one hundred rooms in Da Li Temple, her favorite was the file room. He knew she liked to knit her brows and purse her lips in concentration while reading the file. He also understood that whenever she was silent, she wasn’t thinking. But instead, she was trying to figure out how to hide all the things she didn’t want to say, just like this moment. But these, he did not tell Lin Wanqing, thousands of thoughts at this moment are only turned into plain and simple words.
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He said: “Lin Wanqing, this is the last time I wait for you. What’s between us should not be my initiative alone. I will give what I can. But if you ask me to take one more step ……” He moved closer, his dark eyes indescribably despondent under the silent porch light. The burning gaze roved over her face like a starburst, burning her with a fine layer of sweat. She suddenly felt disappointed, as if the person in front of her had turned into a stream of fireflies.
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“I’ll leave,” he said in a tone of seriousness he had never known before.
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The night was not thick enough, and it was broken. Clear, cold light poured out from the leaky clouds, and Lin Wanqing saw their entangled and tugging shadows on the floor. The next moment, Su Moyi’s lips landed on her forehead. He wrapped his arms around her and quietly whispered, “Qingqing.”
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Full of fondness.

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Daming Palace, Cheng Huan Hall.
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Someone pushed open the door to the chamber and sidled up to light the candles in the room one by one.
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Wei Shu was preoccupied and was sitting on the couch. When she saw someone coming, she was startled and looked over with eyes full of defense.
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“It’s me,” A clear female voice came from behind the screen, dignified and atmospheric. Empress Chen, supported by Mama, marched out from the room full of lights.
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Wei Shu wanted to get up and salute but was spared by her. The rest buried their heads and retreated, and Empress Chen sat at the edge of her bed.
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“Have you figured out what I said?” She asked, gently shaking the fan in her hand.
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Wei Shu suddenly felt a coolness spread across her back. She moved closer, her voice laced with begging: “This slave, this slave’s mother, is in their hands. If this slave is not to work for them ……”
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“But if you work for them, I have ten thousand ways to end you.” The Empress’s voice was light and indifferent.
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“If you die, what will happen to your mother?” She asked with a smile in her tone, “After all, they are all going to die, so why waste your efforts.”
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“Her Majesty!” Wei Shu sniffed and knelt on the ground. She had rolled off the bed so that kneeling sounded extraordinarily loud, as if her kneecaps had shattered.
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Emperor Chen stepped back, not frightened but offended by her sudden move; she frowned and covered her mouth and nose with the fan, a look of disgust on her face.
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“Hm ……” She laughed coldly, rotating the fan in her hand, and the light cast some floating streaks on her face, like tiger whiskers.
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“You and I are the same; the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are what we rely on. Heir Su is the Empress Dowager’s heart. Why do you have to go against him?”

??——

Wei Shu gripped her skirt tightly and didn’t say anything. She was the most inconspicuous chess piece in this palace intrigue, and she didn’t even know who was manipulating her behind the scenes. She has no right to choose but to obey the order.
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The Empress saw her in this manner and instantly became unhappy. She coldly laughed and said, “If you do not want to join me, go ahead and see if you can turn over this Cheng Huan Hall.” She moved closer. Her beautiful almond eyes dyed with bright firelight looked creepy in the night. “At that time, just the charge of impersonating the Grand Princess will be enough for you to die ten thousand times.”
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After speaking, Empress Chen got up and left while scornfully looking at Wei Shu as if she was looking down at a pitiful ant.

T/N: I wondered if I missed some part because the story development seems off, but I already explored several raw sources, so I assumed it’s just how the author wrote it.