The imperial examination was scheduled for March 11th, and Jiang Ning nned to return to the Capital City on March 5th.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Everything was arranged; she just needed Lan Xu to agree.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Mother,e back to the Capital City with me," Jiang Ning had said this countless times.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Ling''er," Lan Xu smiled helplessly, looking at Jiang Ning with eyes full of love, "Please stop trying to persuade me. Go back by yourself and live a good life with Mr. Liu. I''ll pray for your happiness in Qushui City."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning wanted to say more, but Lan Xu held her hand and spoke from the heart: "This time has been the happiest of my entire life. I can die without regrets!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning closed her mouth, realizing that further words were useless. She would have to take action.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But the person before her was still her mother, and Jiang Ning felt that knocking her unconscious would be somewhat unfilial. After much deliberation, she suddenly remembered she still had a few packets of sleeping powder.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The old doctor had sold her five packets at once. She had used two on Liu Ming''an, leaving three, which was perfect.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
On the morning of the 5th, after breakfast, Jiang Ning brought Lan Xu a cup of tea.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They had agreed yesterday not to sell osmanthus cakes today, but to visit the temple and recite some scriptures. Lan Xu had dly agreed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Mother, have some tea. I brought this tea leaves specially from the Capital City," Jiang Ning lied with a straight face.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Alright."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu didn''t suspect anything and drank from the cup. Although she found the tea vorless and quite bitter, she thought it must be because Jiang Ning had brought it, so she dismissed her concerns and slowly finished the entire cup.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu told herself that her inability to appreciate the tea''s vor must be because a mountain boar couldn''t appreciate fine food. It couldn''t be the tea''s fault!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning watched Lan Xu drink the water and smiled softly.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She had mixed all three packets of powder into it, so the bitterness should have been obvious, yet Lan Xu didn''t suspect a thing.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In less than a quarter of an hour, Lan Xu fell into a deep sleep at the table. Jiang Ning immediately began rummaging through drawers and cabs, packing their belongings.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They had quite a lot of things between the two of them, but it wouldn''t make sense to carry nothing. After some thought, Jiang Ning symbolically hung two bundles on her arm, putting the rest in her spatial storage.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After everything was packed, Jiang Ning bent down to carry Lan Xu on her back, locked the door, and headed towards the dock.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
People stared along the way, but Jiang Ning pretended not to notice. Once on the boat, when curious fellow passengers gathered to inquire, Jiang Ning offered the exnation she had prepared in advance.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"My mother suffers from a strange illness. She often falls into a deep sleep for no reason and can''t be woken up no matter how we try. I''m taking her to the Capital City this time to seek treatment."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Her words were sincere, and coupled with the fact that Jiang Ning appeared to be a frail young woman shouldering such a responsibility, it truly moved and impressed people.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu woke up on the second evening after boarding the ship. The power of three packets of sleeping powder taken together was indeed strong; she had slept for two days and one night straight. When she woke up, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar ce that was swaying violently, and for a moment, she couldn''t understand what was happening.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Mother, you''re awake. Here, have some water," Jiang Ning''s voice sounded nearby. Then Lan Xu was helped to sit up, half-leaning against the headboard, with a cup of water brought to her lips.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The water was mixed with spirit spring water, sweet and refreshing. After drinking the whole cup, Lan Xu''s foggy mind, dulled by the long sleep, instantly cleared. Then she realized something was amiss.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Ling''er, where are we?" Lan Xu looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, feeling a bit uneasy.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"We''re on a boat. We''ll reach Jinzhi City tomorrow, and then take a carriage to the Capital City," Jiang Ning answered with a smile.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Ling''er!" Lan Xu''s emotions suddenly red up, looking at Jiang Ning with disapproval.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Before she could say anything, Jiang Ning spoke first: "Mother, I''m going to marry Liu Ming''an this year. I hope that when I bow twice to my parents, it will be to you."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu''s eyes trembled violently, and then she heard Jiang Ning continue: "Isn''t it tradition for the mother tob the bride''s hair and give blessings? Mother, you wouldn''t want to see me marry with disheveled hair, would you?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The conflict in Lan Xu''s eyes was unmistakable. Every word Jiang Ning spoke struck her heart; how could she remain unmoved?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"But I made a vow... Ling''er, a person who breaks their word is no better than an animal. Moreover, if I go back and happen to encounter someone from the Prime Minister''s Mansion, I..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
As Lan Xu spoke, her eyes reddened. Jiang Ning quicklyforted her: "Mother, it''s alright, don''t think about the past..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After Lan Xu''s emotions had calmed a bit, Jiang Ning made a decision: "The Capital City, as its name suggests, only refers to the four districts and eight streets within the city walls. Mother, why don''t you go to the outskirts? To Fuling Temple. You can stay there. This way, you won''t be breaking your vow, and you definitely won''t run into anyone from the Prime Minister''s Mansion."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"But this, this—"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu wanted to say that this behavior seemed like self-deception, but Jiang Ning interrupted her: "Fuling Temple has shown great kindness to both of us. After all these years, don''t you want to see how those nuns from back then are doing?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lan Xu finallypromised.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
A dayter, the passenger ship docked at Jinzhi City. The two rested in the city for a night, and the next day they boarded a carriage, saying they were going to Fuling Temple.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Fuling Temple was built many years ago by a woman from the capital.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was said that this woman came from a wealthy family. One day, while fishing near the sea with her husband and son, they were caught in a sudden storm. As their boat capsized, the father and son used all their strength to push her onto a floating piece of wood, but they themselves were swallowed by the raging waves, their bodies never to be found.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In an instant, her oncerge family was reduced to her alone. This devastating disaster made her want to end her life, but then she thought about how her husband and son had fought with all their might to save her, and she felt she couldn''t die.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In the end, the woman, her heart as cold as ashes, sold all her possessions and built this Fuling Temple on a mountain in the outskirts of the capital.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
At this point in her story, Lan Xu paused and pointed to a nearby mountain, telling Jiang Ning, "Ling''er, it''s right there."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Fuling Temple was built halfway up the mountain. The nuns there didn''t rely on alms for their livelihood. Fields were cultivated at the foot of the mountain, and various fruits and vegetables were grown on the mountainside, all tended to by the nuns. It was more like a self-sufficient utopia.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Actually, the women here aren''t really considered true nuns. Every woman whoes here has her own tale of hardship. They''re not wholly devoted to Buddha. Besides chanting sutras and striking wooden fish, they have to do a lot of farm work to support themselves. This ce just provides these women with a refuge from the world."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
As they walked up the small path towards the mountain, Lan Xu continued to exin to Jiang Ning: "When I came here at sixteen, they didn''t ask any questions. They just let me in, and no one ever asked about my past afterwards."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning was surprised. So this Fuling Temple was actually a shelter for women. It embraced everyone''s shameful past, using the guise of bing a nun to provide them with a safe haven.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Women understanding women, women saving women.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In such a feudal and backward era, this powerful and vigorous female force left Jiang Ning in awe.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0