Chapter 56: So Much Like, Truly Like
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**Chapter 56: So Much Like, Truly Like**
By the side of the fork in the road, a naturally formed peculiar stone had accumulated a bit of simple Zen charm. At this moment, the young girl, accompanied by a servant, was passing by that strange rock.
In the warm yet still slightly chilly spring, she wore a floral blue cloak, which accentuated her snow-white skin.
Her face still retained a hint of childishness; her jaw was not sharp but rather slightly blunt. This bluntness did not diminish the brightness of her features but rather added a lively charm.
When she looked up, her bright eyes were particularly calm and composed.
Yao Yi observed her, and his heart trembled.
So much like!
It is truly like!
He suppressed all the fluctuations beneath a calm facade, revealing very little.
However, even so, it was enough to make Chang Suining, who had temporarily developed the skill of being keenly observant in this matter, feel vigilant. She almost wished to bring the war drums from the front lines to beat in Yao Yi's ears to wake him up.
“Suining, come, meet Minister Yao!” Chang Kuo beckoned to his daughter.
Chang Suining approached and greeted Yao Yi.
“Good, good…” Yao Yi smiled and nodded, praising, “General Chang truly has good fortune, having such excellent children; it’s truly enviable.”
Seeing Yao Yi's smiling eyes, Chang Suining felt that there was something deeper in his words, as if he were saying—your daughter is good, but soon she will be mine!
Chang Kuo chuckled and nodded: “My daughter is indeed good; my son, not so much.”
Humble, but not too much—only limited to the son.
Yao Yi smiled and casually praised, “Your young master has an impressive demeanor; one can tell he is destined for greatness.” Then, as if bringing it up casually, he asked, “General Chang has such a pair of children; I imagine the young ladies have already stepped across the threshold, have you settled on a marriage for your son and daughter?”
“That rascal only knows how to play with swords and hasn’t even opened his eyes yet; there’s no rush!” Chang Kuo gave some “effective answers” first.
Yao Yi's smile remained, and he subtly glanced at Chang Suining.
Chang Kuo then added, “As for my daughter… there’s even less of a hurry!”
Yao Yi nodded in agreement: “What General Chang said is very true; choosing a husband is a significant matter for young ladies and should be considered carefully.”
“Exactly.”
“By the way, where is General Chang headed?” Yao Yi then asked.
“Looking for Yu Gong,” Chang Kuo laughed, “We’ve been fighting for two years; I’m going to catch up with him!”
He was usually straightforward, and since he indeed had a connection with Yu Zeng shi, his open remark would not lead others to think about the taboo of “military generals colluding with officials.”
“In that case, I won’t keep you, General Chang.” Yao Yi smiled and raised his hand, “We can chat again another day.”
Chang Kuo nodded in acknowledgment: “Farewell.”
Thus, he led his two children away.
After walking ten or so steps, Chang Suining instinctively turned to look back.
That glance met Yao Yi’s smiling face, which was watching them as they left—
“…!” Chang Suining felt her heart race, realizing that this Chief of the Dayun Temple had suddenly become a figure of intrigue in her eyes.
Not far away, another pair of eyes was fixed on Yao Yi through the foliage.
Seeing the man’s gentle smile and thoughtful expression was a stark contrast to the cold hostility he had shown her earlier. The woman’s eyes seemed to bleed, her fingers digging into her palms, causing her well-groomed nails to break and pierce her skin.
...
Once they had walked far enough away, Chang Sui'an could no longer hold back and exclaimed, “Father, did you see that… Minister Yao is clearly harboring ill intentions!”
Seeing his son looking as if he had used up all his cunning for a lifetime, Chang Kuo scolded, “First, take a look at yourself; you’re acting like a hen with chicks! Did you forget everything I told you?”
Chang Suining lowered her head in embarrassment: “I know, I need to pretend I know nothing and can’t let anyone see anything unusual.”
Chang Kuo: “Then can’t you keep your elbows in? You’re practically bumping them into your sister’s face!”
“…” Chang Suining instinctively shrugged her shoulders and fell silent.
“However, regarding Minister Yao… it really is different with Suining.” Chang Kuo frowned and spoke in a low voice, “From this, it seems the previous speculation was mostly correct.”
If Yao Yi was indeed looking for a daughter and coincidentally found Chang Suining, and if the Pei family became aware of this, everything would make sense.
Chang Suining nodded, looking towards the Zen temple, lost in thought—
It seems Yao Yi is truly looking for A Li…
Chang Kuo brought his two children to the front of the Zen temple, and the little eunuch guarding the entrance led them into the corridor, saying, “Please wait a moment, General Chang; I’ll go inform Yu Gong.”
Chang Kuo scoffed, “There are truly too many rules here.”
This place was the temporary office of the Si Gong Tai. The eunuch had just gone to one of the Zen rooms to make an announcement when they saw an inner eunuch being dragged out, begging for mercy: “Yu Gong, please spare me, spare me!”
“You can’t even handle a small matter, and you still have the nerve to beg for your life! Hurry up and drag him away; if you disturb Yu Gong’s peace, you’ll find your punishment doubled, and I’ll skin you alive and feed you to the dogs!” one of the eunuchs came out and scolded harshly.
The inner eunuch turned pale, and immediately lost the courage to plead, going limp as he was dragged away.
“It’s General Chang!” The eunuch who had just scolded saw Chang Kuo and smiled, stepping forward to greet him.
“In this pure land of Buddhism, you’re committing killings and punishments; don’t you fear ruining tomorrow’s grand ceremony and diminishing the merit of prayer in front of the Buddha?” Chang Kuo furrowed his brows and asked.
The eunuch smiled slightly: “Rest assured, General; Yu Gong knows what he’s doing. He’s just dragging those who made mistakes out; he’s saving up for later, and will deal with them uniformly when they return to the palace.”
Chang Suining looked up at the sky.
If the Buddha heard of this “saving up,” who knows what he would think, perhaps he would want to commend their thoughtfulness.
“General Chang, Yu Gong requests you to go in and speak.” The little eunuch who had just gone to make the announcement approached.
After following Chang Kuo into the Zen room, Chang Suining finally got to see Yu Zeng.
It had been fifteen years since they last met, and even with preparation, she was still taken aback by the significant changes in him.
Having known each other for many years, and with no outsiders present, neither Chang Kuo nor Yu Zeng exchanged pleasantries. The man, wearing the robe of the inner eunuch, sat cross-legged at a small table where documents were placed, and he glanced up at them indifferently.
As the inner eunuch closed the door from the outside, the room darkened significantly, making Yu Zeng’s already pale face seem even more so.
He was barely in his thirties, still considered young, and had an androgynous face. However, his slightly sunken eyes now emanated a chill, like a cold well that made one hesitant to gaze deeply.
But Chang Suining did not conform to the strict definition of a “human,” thus she scrutinized carefully.
Meeting Yu Zeng’s curious gaze, he slightly furrowed his brows.
To be continued.
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