Edited by Tnyhy
Chapter 140: Soon Cannot Make It (Part 1)Heaven’s had blessed thus even though the weather for the next few days was not good, the particular day that Feng An Ning wanted to go out, it was good and the sun was up.
As the sun was warm, it was particularly comfortable when the sunlight shone onto them. However, despite this, Shen Miao still wore a rabbit fur cloak. Even though there was a blazer in the house, it was difficult to protect oneself from winds outside. It would be a troublesome thing if one were to catch a cold with the weather like this.
Early in the morning, Feng An Ning’s horse carriage was in front of the doors of the Shen mansion to pick up Luo Tan and Shen Miao. The Feng family doted on Feng An Ning a lot, so since Feng An Ning had already finished all the classes in Guang Wen Tang, she was unable to stay in the residence and would go out shopping every day. It was just that no matter how big the Ding capital was, there would be a day when one would finally get bored. Luo Tan’s arrival was a joy to Feng An Ning, as she was very happy to be the one guiding Luo Tan around and searched for new and fresh places for her.
However as time passed, Feng An Ning could not tolerate. Luo Tan was indeed a Young Lady from the Luo family, and she did not bother to look at clothing or jewellery shops, but kept on heading towards the weapon shops. Once she saw a unique weapon, her eyes sparkled. How would Feng An Ning understand all these? Thus she insisted on bringing Shen Miao along.
Feng An Ning wore a cherry blossom flowered dress with a brocade cloak, making her look extremely bright in winter. These days her appearance had matured and she was especially pretty. However when she opened her mouth to speak, the pretty appearance became somewhat arrogant. She lifted the curtain of her horse carriage and said hurriedly, “Wait till one die already. Still would not come up?”
She did not expect that the person standing outside the horse carriage was Shen Qiu.
Shen Qiu sent Shen Miao and Luo Tan out and he knew that Shen Miao had only one friend, Feng An Ning, in the Ding capital. His memory was still stuck with the little shy young female, but who knew that the one who lift the curtain was a lively Young Lady.
When the Young Lady saw that it was him, her head shrank and her high-pitched and arrogant voice lowered and softened, ” Vice General Shen.”
Shen Qiu glanced at Feng An Ning unfathomably and nodded his head as a greeting. He let Shen Miao and Luo Tan up the horse carriage, and instructed them to pay attention to safety before leaving. Because this was Feng An Ning’s invite, there were a number of the Feng's family's guards that were brought along, Shen Miao and Luo Tan did not bring other guards, as they thought that Feng An Ning would send them back to Shen mansion afterwards.
After Shen Qiu left, Feng An Ning patted her chest and finally felt relief. It was very strange as every time Feng An Ning saw Shen Qiu, she would have an instinct of being afraid. Even though Shen Qiu did not criticise her for her temperament, but the majestic air of a Vice General was still present. Feng An Ning once again thought about Shen Qiu’s appearance just now. After not seeing for the past two years, Shen Qiu who had been practising for the past two years had become more mature. Even though he was still a warm and gentle Eldest Brother but in the eyes of others, he was awe-inspiring.
Luo Tan asked Feng An Ning, “Ai. Why are you blushing?”
Feng An Ning was startled, and quickly touched her cheeks before realising that they were really weirdly hot. She covered up using her hands as fans, “This carriage is stuffy and somewhat hot.”
Luo Tan did not doubt her, “It is you that wore too heavily.” Then she suddenly thought of something, “An Ning, why are you afraid of Biao Older Brother?”
“Since when have I been scared of him?” Feng An Ning immediately refuted once she heard Luo Tan’s words which shocked Luo Tan.
“Just now you obviously looked like you were afraid.” Luo Tan said, “What is there to be shameful about? But Biao Older Brother is a very good person and just look fierce on the outside. If you are even scared of Biao Older Brother, wait till you meet Older Brother Sa, you will then know what a black-faced god is.”
Luo Sa was a thousand miles away from Luo Tan, but she had already smeared his name to her ‘good friend’. Feng An Ning stressed herself, “I am not afraid of him.”
Luo tan said, “Alright. Alright. You are not afraid. Is that alright now?”
Shen Miao who was observing silently at the side, saw that Feng An Ning’s cheeks were flushed up with anger, and her heart suddenly moved.
Because the family of the Supervisor of Attendants stood in the wrong team, Master Feng was implicated, and in order to protect this pearl in his hand, he could only marry her off to a cousin of his family in advance. Who knew that not only that cousin was shabby, after the Feng family declined, he raised a family outside and even had a son. With Feng An Ning’s arrogant temperament, how would she be able to tolerate those grievances? She then picked up a scissors and ended in mutual destruction with that external family.
In this lifetime because of Shen Miao meddling, the forces within the Ming Qi's Imperial family were now evenly matched, and Master Feng had not taken his stand. But with the previous life’s ending, one could not guarantee that it would not happen again.
Shen Miao did not have any feelings for the Feng family, but if it was Feng An Ning then she would want to help. Feng An Ning always made her think about Wan Yun, and all pitiful people who were implicated by the family clans.
“What are you looking at me for?” Feng An Ning saw Shen Miao staring at her and did not know what she was thinking, thus she thought that Shen Miao was still thinking about Luo Tan’s words. She said exasperatedly, “You also think that I am afraid of your Eldest Brother?”
Luo Tan laughed behind her sleeves, before Shen Miao recovered to her senses and shook her head, “It is not so. Just find that your dress is somewhat unique.”
Ordinary females would love to hear others flattering them, and no matter how much anger Feng An Ning has, she was unable to be angry with Shen Miao’s words. “Of course. This is the pattern that my Mother had got people to get for me.”
Shen Miao’s eyes hang down and she sighed in her heart. Let it be. Everyone had their own fate. One would not be able to eat hot bean curd if one was anxious, thus some things had to be done slowly.
One had to say that when three of them were shopping around, it was more tiring than two persons. Because Feng An Ning wanted to visit the jewellery and clothing shops, and Luo Tan only wanted to look at weapons, so they had to shop from the West to the East and from the North to the South of the city. Luo Tan and Feng An Ning kept on bickering, and the noise made Shen Miao’s head ache. When going out with these two people, it was just like a mother bringing her kids along. At the end after they argued, they would both tagged her at the same time, and said that Shen Miao was ‘young but was just like an old woman’ and was ‘more boring than the monks in the temple’. At the end Shen Miao could not be bothered about them at all.
This day was exceptionally lively as three Young Lady were shopping around, and the stuff that they bought filled the carriage that there almost was not any place left. Feng An Ning was however feeling proud as every time Shen Miao and Luo Tan liked anything, she would wave her hands, “Buy.” If Shen Miao blocked this, it would be fear that Feng An Ning would move the entire jewellery shop back to her residence.
After eating, drinking, playing and when the sun was almost setting down, everyone also planned to return back to the residence. Because Shen Miao and Luo Tan were invited out by Feng An Ning, it was not convenient to bring too many guards, so Shen Miao did not bring along the Shen mansion's guards and wanted to take the Feng family's carriage back home. Who knew that when they left the shop and returned to the carriage, Feng An Ning turned over her pouch and became anxious, “The cat-eye hairpin that I just bought is gone.”
Feng An Ning had visited all the jewellery shops in the Ding capital today, and if one were to say what she was satisfied with, it would be the butterfly-shaped cat-eye hairpin. That cat-eye was a transparent and rare blue jewel, making it very beautiful to look at. When Feng An Ning was in the restaurant eating, she took it out to scrutinise with Shen Miao.
Shen Miao said, “Search again. Just now it was in your hands so how can it disappear?”
Feng An Ning said, “I do not know.”
“Still do not go back to look?” Shen Miao said, “You just left, so if it was left behind the people in the restaurant would have picked it up. I will accompany you to take a look.”
Feng An Ning thought about it, “I will go myself and it would be only for a short time. If it cannot be found than let it be. It is a pity on the money spent. It is difficult to see something that one likes.”
Luo Tan was somewhat speechless. Feng An Ning was indeed wealthy. Speaking of which, although the Feng family was wealthy, it was not at this level of squandering. It was nothing more than the Feng family truly loved and doted on Feng An Ning, that there was no shortage of money for her to spend. Thus that lead to Feng An Ning being unable to have any perspective of money that even if something was lost, the first reaction was ‘it is difficult to see something that one likes’.
“I will bring a few guards up to take a look.” Feng An Ning said, “Wait here for me. I will be right down.”
Shen Miao nodded her head. Feng An Ning took almost all the guards, and this was most probably to make a strong point, just in case the waiter in the restaurant wanted her possessions, when they saw Feng An Ning’s stance, they would be timid about it.
After Feng An Ning left, there was only Luo Tan and Shen Miao left with four guards outside. Luo Tan looked at the skies and said, “When An Ning returns, it would be dark when we return to the residence.” She then stretched out lazily, “It is sure tiring today. Tomorrow I am going to be lazy and no one can disturb me.”
Shen Miao kept to her silence. Just now someone was still very interested to play around this happily the next time.
Just as she was thinking, she suddenly heard a guard speaking from the outside, “Shen Young Lady, Luo Young Lady, this subordinate just picked up Young Lady’s hairpin.”
“Ai.” Luo Tan sighed. She opened the curtains and indeed saw that the guard standing outside the horse carriage, was holding a shimmering hairpin in his hand. Was not this the cat-eye hairpin that Feng An Ning lost?
Luo Tan frowned, “This An Ning is really careless. The thing fell onto the ground yet she did not realise it.”
That guard moved towards the horse carriage two steps, when Luo Tan reached her hands out to pick up that hairpin.
Just as she held onto that hairpin, that guard suddenly flinged Luo Tan out.
Another guard of the Feng residence suddenly jumped on to the carriage, and pulled the driver down before whipping the horse. When the horse felt the pain, it slammed its hoofs down and started running crazily.
Everything happened so quickly, that the other two guards of the Feng residence were unable to react. When they finally reacted, Shen Miao and the horse carriage were already a distance away.
The fortunate thing was that Luo Tan was still in the carriage. She reacted very quickly, thus when that guard tried to fling her out, Luo Tan was already firmly grasping the carriage door and jumped back. This was a period where every second counted, thus the man did not continue struggling with Luo Tan and leaped onto another horse, and headed towards the direction of outside the city.
There were a number of commoners on the streets, and they were all stunned by that horse who was charging violently. Some of the stalls that were unable to dodge were overturned, but they did not know who was that arrogant. That horse carriage was in great speed, slamming Shen Miao and Luo Tan around inside.
At the crucial moment, Luo Tan still remembered to pull Shen Miao’s hand over, “Biao Youngest Sister, do not be afraid. We will jump off the carriage and reveal our identity. There are so many people outside, so we have to take that into consideration.”
Shen Miao’s heart slightly warmed up. Even though the entire carriage was out of control, she said, “It is too late. Look outside.”
Luo Tan looked outside the carriage and she was stunned. The familiar streets just now had disappeared. The small alleys were shrewdly twisted around, and there was not a person in sight. One did not know where this road was. Despair suddenly appeared in Luo Tan’s heart, as she was only thinking of jumping off the carriage to save their lives but at this moment, there was no one so even if they jump off, they would still be the meat on other’s cutting board.
“Do not worry. They should be targeting me so when it is time, you should feint a faint or try another means to escape. They will not do anything to you.” Shen Miao said.
“How could I leave you and escape myself?” Luo Tan grabbed Shen Miao’s hand, “At that time you saved the Luo family in the Xiao Chun City, even if I cannot save you, I will not leave you. If we were to die, we will die together.”
Shen Miao was somewhat dumbfounded. Now was not the time to be discussing about heroic loyalty. She forcefully managed to sit up in the violently moving carriage and whispered in Luo Tan’s ear, “Remember, if you succeed in escaping, think of ways to send a letter to Prince Rui's residence. Just say that there is a transaction to be done and prices will be discussed later.”
Luo Tan was blank when she heard this and looked suspiciously at Shen Miao, “How is this related to Prince Rui? Biao Youngest Sister, you…”
“Do not ask so much.” Shen Miao said, “This matter is of great importance, so do not mention the matter of Prince Rui to anyone else. I only tell you because I trust you.”
Luo Tan nodded her head but then shook her head again, “No. I will not leave you alone.”