Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 91 A journey of a thousand miles is not difficult; a person's heart is hard to fathom at three years old.
"The mountain is so high, why did you come to climb it?"

My steps kept shifting, and suddenly someone asked me why I was climbing the mountain. I looked at the stone steps, which were only a foot wide, and the pine trees on them were hidden in the clouds and mist. The mountain seemed to have no end.

Liu Jiao'an was momentarily stunned, wondering when she had arrived on the mountain. Then, only one thought remained in her mind—she had to climb to the summit. Only by reaching the top could she dispel all the clouds and mist, see the blue sky, and witness the sun's light shining in all directions.

"Because I want to climb to the top of the mountain," Liu Jiao'an replied.

Why do we need to climb to the top of the mountain?

Yes, why must we part the clouds to see the blue sky? Liu Jiao'an suddenly felt that these layers of clouds were clearly covering her heart. Why was something she had thought clearly about before now so difficult to explain, and why couldn't she even convince herself of it?
Liu Jiao'an is very smart. Things that others need to think about for a long time, Liu Jiao'an can understand without anyone pointing them out.

This is clearly not a dream, nor is it a spirit from Huangshan. It is my own heart that is making me hesitate one last time, revealing my truest self to myself.

Mountains have yin and yang, water has yin and yang, and everything has black and white.

The road up the mountain is difficult, but the summit holds the light.

The path below looked just as easy to walk, but once you took a step, you found yourself standing on the edge of a cliff, guided by the mist, shoulder to shoulder with the pine trees.

At that moment, Liu Jiao'an knew that she had nowhere to retreat but to move forward.

Startled awake from her dream, Liu Jiao'an stared at the wooden roof. Outside the window, the stars and moon still shone brightly, and the distant mountains remained untouched by the secluded beauty of her secluded chamber. Liu Jiao'an couldn't see the Huangshan Mountain of her dream, nor the blue sky above, yet her mind was crystal clear—she had to retrieve the letters from her father's study and rush to the capital that very night.

"Miss?" Qingmiao had already noticed when Liu Jiaoan turned over, but she didn't make a sound until the former sat in front of the dressing mirror and began to pack her luggage in the dim moonlight.

"you're awake?"

"What are you going to do, Miss?"

Qingmiao was asking a question she already knew the answer to.

"When you went to your father's study that day, was the letter in this box the same one?" Seeing Qingmiao, a name suddenly popped into Liu Jiao'an's mind. "Think back, was it the same color?"

"Or perhaps something that looks newer?"

Qingmiao was initially confused by Liu Jiaoan's questions, but when the latter rattled off all the details, she nodded firmly: "Some updates, but... not that many."

Logically speaking, such letters that could hold the lifeline of both parties should not be left behind. However, it is clear that parties bound by interests often do not trust each other's character.

When the other party climbs to a high position and wants to kill them to silence them, this evidence becomes leverage to blackmail them...

If one day they are implicated, or if they are falsely accused for some reason, this evidence can be used to atone for their crimes.

In short, this is specifically designed for a "dog fight, a mouthful of fur." ​​People without principles are most likely to understand their own kind, and naturally know that the other party is just as inexhaustible as they are.

"Miss, so what you said during the day..."

Liu Jiao'an understood that Qingmiao had guessed it.

Qingmiao is very intelligent. If she came from a better family, she would probably be a more famous and talented woman than Liu Jiaoan.

"If this succeeds, remember what I said and come to the capital to find me."

"if……"

"You may take any of the gold and silver jewelry in this room. I will leave a document to prove your innocence." Liu Jiao'an had already considered Qingmiao's fate. When she appeared in front of the dressing mirror, she had already written a document to give the silver to Qingmiao. "Pretend you didn't hear what was said during the day. Take care of yourself."

Taking the document from Liu Jiao and Andy, Qingmiao spoke again, her voice choked with emotion: "Miss, what does Miss want to do? Why don't I do it? After all, it's..."

"He is my father, and he should also be the people's father and father, but what has he done?"

To outsiders, it's all a fleeting dream; to those who understand, worldly fame and fortune are but illusions.

Liu Jiao'an dreamed of Huangshan Mountain, abandoning the so-called blood ties between father and daughter, choosing to seek a brighter future.

Faced with her young mistress's determination, Qingmiao did not try to persuade her further. Instead, she handed her own clothes to Liu Jiao'an and restyled her hair into a bun that would make it easier for her to walk: "Then Qingmiao can only hope that everything goes well for you, young mistress, and that you will be safe and sound."

Stepping down from her chamber, Liu Jiao'an's gaze lost its previous tenderness, replaced by disappointment—Sanheng, she had clearly promised Sanheng, and Sanheng had many opportunities to take her parents away from the Liu family, so why did she choose to become her father's lackey?
Has Sanheng never heard of the death of that family's youngest son?
Didn't Sanheng hear from his parents about how many innocent people lost their lives in a flood?
They blame the heavens and the earth, curse the wind and rain, but never considered that the root of all this is "human beings"!
As she walked downstairs, Liu Jiao'an still couldn't bring herself to hate Sanheng. Everyone is afraid of death, and all Sanheng could think of was the stable life in the Liu family. He had never seriously studied or actually farmed, so it couldn't be entirely blamed on his ignorance.

"Sanheng, Sanheng, I hope you will stop going against me."

Originally a sheltered young lady, and having been the mistress of a small courtyard and a tea plantation in the countryside, this was the first time Liu Jiao'an had ever done something so clandestine. She tiptoed into Sanheng's house and began searching for a man's personal belongings—hoping to find evidence.

Several letters peeked out from their neat corners. Just as Liu Jiao'an was about to reach for them, she heard a muffled voice behind her: "Sister Qingmiao."

Liu Jiao'an had to slow down, but the voice behind her only added to her wariness: "What is Sister Qingmiao doing in my room?"

Just as Sanheng was about to regain his senses, Liu Jiaoan had already received the letter and was walking out.

Unfortunately, Liu Jiao'an didn't see the fleeting smile on Sanheng's lips, nor did she dare to stop and check what was written in the letter.

"Is Sister Yi reading the letter that the third-ranked scholar wrote to you?"

Before Guan Yin knew it, Lingxiao had been there for three days already. He didn't know what had brought him here so early. But the moment he saw Lingxiao, he thought of the trumpet vine outside the courtyard—where had it climbed to now?
"Yes."

"When will the third-ranked scholar return to find you?" Before Guan Yin could discern her own feelings, the 'worldly-wise' Ling Xiao had already noticed the growing affection between them. "Do you miss him?"

"Somewhat." Guan Yin missed Cheng Heng a little, but she was more inclined to attribute it to homesickness.

"I'm starting to miss home even more."

Guan Yin didn't ask Ling Xiao why he had come to see her. The news that the top scholar had refused marriage for her sake had already spread. Whether it was true love or a shield using true love as an excuse, Ling Xiao would inevitably be the target of everyone's criticism in the brothel.

Upon meeting the madam of the music academy that time, Guan Yin knew that the sisters were mostly kind and friendly to each other, but the people who came to the academy might not be so!

Unable to run into Ling Xiao, the gossip and deliberately provoked jealousy would be enough to give Ling Xiao a hard time...

"I don't miss home, but I do miss him a little." Ling Xiao didn't shy away from expressing his love for Zhang Shuwen.

Especially since none of those well-intentioned or malicious speculations came true, Zhang Shuwen's eyes and words were filled with her. "The top scholar, huh?"

Knowing that Guan Yin was busy and that he was afraid of an awkward silence, Ling Xiao still feigned annoyance and said, "Otherwise, how could I be your third-ranked scholar?"

“What do you mean, yours or mine…” Guan Yin finally had time to put down his pen, looked up at Ling Xiao who was sitting sideways on his desk, and gestured for the latter to put down the things on the desk, “You’re sitting on my paper.”

Ling Xiao reluctantly stood up, his eyes fixed on Guan Yin: "Aren't you going to ask me why I came?"

"Aren't you curious?"

"Maybe you just want to avoid having a peaceful life... and you don't care about my peaceful life."

Unexpectedly, Guan Yin had such a sharp tongue. Ling Xiao stopped talking, found a stool for himself, and sat down, waiting for the former to coax him.

After waiting for a while without Guan Yin showing up, Ling Xiao finally couldn't sit still any longer: "It's Mom, it's Mom who wants me to come and keep you company."

“I told you that you are too lonely by yourself, and I was also afraid that something might happen to you… I was afraid that the Liu family would provoke you, so I went to inform them.”

Guan Yin himself hadn't expected this to happen.

"Oh... thank you very much..."

"What are you thanking me for? Don't you know that Sister Jiao'an is currently locked up in the yard by her father?"

"How would I know?" Guan Yin suddenly stood up. "Could it be that her purpose in going back is..."

"Those few words the third-ranked scholar uttered in the capital probably made Liu Qingxian realize that you are a woman, and he's going to cause trouble." Ling Xiao thought Guan Yin was really slow to realize things, and it was a wonder that someone like him could be a schoolteacher.

This does indeed resemble the bookworm that others describe!

"You mean your young lady took the letter and left?"

"Yes, sir, Miss has indeed fallen for the trap." Facing Master Liu at this moment, Sanheng felt quite like a hero. "Sir, I wonder about that letter..."

Liu Qingxian was naturally able to sense Sanheng's emotions. However, the latter had indeed helped him this time. Whether it would be useful in the future was another matter, but at least for now, it was worth a casual reply: "They're just some blank papers, dyed, nothing special."

"Sanheng?" Sensing that Sanheng was overly absorbed in his own world, Liu Qingxian spoke with a hint of mischievousness, "Do you know why your young lady is looking for that letter?"

"I don't know, it must be that Miss thinks the letter is useful?"

"You really don't know?" Jiao An'er is a smart girl, I don't know how she raised such a fool as Sanheng! But Liu Qingxian is happy with this.

If Sanheng hadn't been a fool, none of his plans would have come to fruition so easily. Thinking of this, Liu Qingxian's expression towards Sanheng softened even more: "That's the evidence she wanted, about the flood from back then."

"Flood?" Sanheng couldn't recall it for a moment.

I only remember that this flood seemed to have appeared in my mind more than once.

"Alright, go and rest! It's still early, we need to think of a way to bring your young lady back..."

"Jiao'an'er, oh Jiao'an'er, it was you who first harbored the intention to betray your own family for the greater good, so don't blame your father for using the same methods he used against those people to deal with you... Madam, oh Madam, if your soul is in heaven, you wouldn't want the Liu family, which we built up with our own hands, to fall apart like this..."

"Jiao'an'er, if you are heartless, then don't blame your father for not considering our father-daughter relationship!"

After muttering to himself for a long time, Liu's father called Sanheng back from the doorway: "Sanheng, how much of what I just said did you understand?"

"small……"

"Sanheng, I have a question for you."

Liu Qingxian paused for a moment, partly to see Sanheng's reaction and how much of what he had said had been overheard by the latter, and partly to come up with a suitable excuse to get Sanheng to work for him willingly.

"Please ask me anything, sir. I will answer everything I know and leave no stone unturned." Sanheng was still busy expressing his determination.

"Sanheng, what would you think if I told you that your young lady went there because of that woman from the brothel and wanted to destroy the Liu family?" Liu Qingxian had long since figured it out.

Butler? Which butler could it be?

Cheng Jianwei, which other Cheng Jianwei could there be?

He's nothing more than a scapegoat's butler, nothing more than one of my own good students taught in the same department!

Liu Qingxian said that there is no such thing as love at first sight in this world, and how could there be someone you dislike at first glance? In this way, everything makes sense. Everything was predetermined more than ten years ago. All this is just because I didn't know what it meant to "cut the weeds and eliminate the roots" back then, and I left behind trouble for no reason!
"How could Miss..."

"Do you know that your young lady's return this time was not to distance herself from that person, but simply to test your master!"

“Master, but Miss is still your daughter.” Sanheng still wanted to say a few words on behalf of Miss.

Actually, he had overheard a few of what Liu's father said. Suddenly, he felt that his behavior was somewhat unfair to the young lady who had been so devoted to him—but this family still belonged to the Liu family, and the master was still in charge. If he and his parents wanted to live well, they couldn't rely on the young lady!
"Did you see her treat me like her father?"

Now Sanheng dared not offer any more advice.

“But I still can’t bear to part with your young lady… Jiao’an’er, all these years I’ve raised her up little by little, only to end up like this.”

The master's mutterings in the study just now were not like that, Sanheng silently noted in his heart.

"I want your young lady to come back, even if it means that the one impersonating Mr. Cheng moves into the house."

Sanheng didn't know why Liu's father had suddenly changed his tune, but he disliked that person; it was that person who had caused his young lady so much suffering. If the master wanted to keep an eye on that person, it would suit Sanheng's wishes perfectly.

“If Mr. Cheng doesn’t come back, he can’t just run away. He’ll definitely be at the private school. As long as the master sends someone to look for him, saying that he’s welcoming his son-in-law back to the mansion, I think his students won’t stop him no matter what.”

I don't know what kind of spell she cast on a group of students and wealthy businessmen, all of them wishing her well! Sanheng spoke from the heart, feeling a little jealous of her brilliance.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

As long as he could keep this "witness" close at hand, both that man surnamed Cheng and Jiao An'er would be hesitant to act rashly. With this in mind, Liu Qingxian picked up his pen and made the arrangements.