Chapter 340 (1/2)
Chapter 340: I Can't Fall Asleep without You
”Had she already done that thing with Ning Que as his handmaiden? But Sangsang is still young and it looks impossible.” In some side chamber of the royal palace, Lee Yu leaned against a soft couch, delicately holding a teacup with her fingers. She said somewhat mockingly, ”When I feel sleepy, someone places a pillow behind me. When I feel thirsty, someone pours me fragrant tea. It is naturally good if we can always have our wishes come true.”
The young eunuch in front of her lowered his head, not daring to say anything.
As the former empress's own daughter, Lee Yu had grown up in the royal palace. Because of her intelligence and cleverness, she was much doted on by others, and her marriage on the far gra.s.sland had won her more respect from the subjects of the Tang Empire. She could always get firsthand news from inside or outside the palace thanks to her reputation in the court and outside.
”Did the empress say anything else?”
With his head still lowered, the young eunuch softly answered, ”Her Majesty said that she would support Mrs. Zeng to acknowledge her daughter. But Sangsang has served Ning Que for many years and they formed an intimate relations.h.i.+p, so Her Majesty enjoined the Grand Secretary not to break their relations.”
Lee Yu slightly frowned at those words. She recalled the enmity that arose between that guy and her beside the bonfire at the entrance of Northern Mountain Road that year, and could not help feeling indignant. She said coldly, ”I have spent two years trying to get close to the pair, yet you should intend to do so just by recognizing a daughter!?”
The young eunuch was even more frightened, constantly kowtowing on his knees.
After a long time of silence, Lee Yu asked, ”Are you sure that Sangsang is really the daughter of the Grand Secretary?”
The young eunuch replied, ”Judging by the reaction of the Grand Secretary's wife, it is most probably true.”
”Is there any evidence?”
”I don't know.”
Lee Yu signaled for him to back off, leaving herself alone in the palace to stare blankly at those complicated and beautiful lines on the column for a long time. She was clear that her indignation came from her powerlessness, so she looked exhausted on the soft couch.
Back then, when she invited Sangsang to play in the princess' mansion, Ning Que was just a down and out calligraphy writer on Lin 47th Street, so naturally, their communication had nothing to do with utility at all. However, later on, Ning Que made his way in Chang'an City and even became a core disciple of the Headmaster of the
Academy. He became a World Wayfarer of the Academy, and it could even be predicted that he could influence the inheritance of the imperial power of the Tang. In this sense, such a communication was naturally mixed with something else.
Lee Yu felt there was no problem with her solution. When she occasionally thought of her acquaintance with the little handmaiden, she was more convinced that an invisible hand was helping her and her royal brother. However, who would expect that, at this moment, Sangsang suddenly had become a daughter of Zeng Jing, who, actually, was a faithful hound of that woman!
If Sangsang was really that baby girl that year in the Grand Secretary's Mansion, then how could their affection be compared to that between parents and daughter? In view of such an unbreakable relations.h.i.+p, which side would Ning Que choose if they really had to scramble for power someday? At the thought of all that, Lee Yu felt vacant again, and her heart was filled with the depression of being abandoned by Haotian.
Inside the Old Brush Pen Shop at Lin 47th Street—
”The d.a.m.ned steward stole you from the Official of Counsel's Mansion when your father and I were distracted. He sold you to a human trafficker. Now I guess the trafficker must have intended to bring you to other counties and sell you. But it was unknown why he had chosen Hebei County. That county was struck by a heavy drought, so even unable to take care of himself, he left you in the wilderness.”
Mrs. Zeng looked at Sangsang with wet eyes, wanting to reach out her hand. But looking at the big rag that was clenched in her hand, she was afraid that Sangsang would be unwilling. So she just nervously twisted her fingers, looking at her with expectation.
Sangsang lowered her head and looked at her toes. She softly said, ”That seems reasonable.”
Mrs. Zeng hurriedly replied, ”Reasonable, of course, it's reasonable. My daughter, do you believe that I'm your mother now?”
After a moment of silence, Sangsang raised her head and asked earnestly, ”And then?”
Slightly stiffening, Mrs. Zeng at once said tenderly, ”Then, you will go back to the Grand Secretary's Mansion together with us. That's your family. I have ordered maids to prepare your bedroom and have found maids for you. If you don't like those in the mansion, tomorrow I will ask the traffickers to bring some for you to choose.”
Sangsang slightly frowned, appearing to be indifferent because she did not know how to express her emotions now.
Zeng Jing, the Grand Secretary, was silently watching them recognize each other. Although he also felt happy, he was not as excited as his
his wife was. After all, he had children with his ex-wife. When he saw Sangsang's little darkish face, he tended to think of those b.l.o.o.d.y days and the things that happened afterward.
Although he had turned his misfortune into a blessing, he did not like those memories. Moreover, as a high official of the Tang, he cared very much about ethics and seniority, so he was a bit unhappy when Sangsang behaved so indifferently toward his wife.
Then he said in an indisputable tone, ”Go and pack up your things. Wait, having wandered outside all these years, it seems that you have nothing worth packing. Then go directly back with us. As for your census register, I will ask the Chang'an Local Government to make it. And as for Ning Que, I will invite the Old Chancellor to negotiate with him. So there is nothing that you need to worry about.”
Sangsang thought to herself, ”All of these years, young master and I have hidden so many banknotes here. How come that isn't worth packing up?”
Then she lowered her head again, silently looking at the tips of her shoes. Her darkish face looked blank because she was really at a loss now.
Sangsang had imagined what her parents would be like, but that was only a natural reaction when she saw the parents of others. The reason was unknown but, whether Ning Que, her guardian, was too competent, or the little handmaiden had so few requirements from this world, it was strange that she never envied those who had parents.