Late at night.
The cellar wasn't cold.
It was even a bit warm.
After all, there was a stove for heating branding irons.
It also provided so warmth.
The nuns had repeated their story many tis.
They said they had heard that Lord Commander was devastatingly handso, and Madam ng was as beautiful as Daji.
So they wanted to take their youngest daughter away.
To raise her properly.
What about returning to the right path? That was just rhetoric.
It's usually just rhetoric.
When large families hear that a girl might hinder the family's fate, they tend to believe it to so extent.
Because they had found out that the family had no elders present, and seeing that the little girl was indeed quite beautiful, they decided to simply abduct her.
The nuns had repeated this story many tis.
But Jiang Changtian didn't believe it.
Neither did Jiang Feng.
ng Shaoxia interrogated them again.
He hadn't even resorted to torture.
There was no need to.
The two nuns and the coachman kept eagerly repeating their story.
And it was always the sa content.
It sounded like a spur-of-the-mont decision.
The prefectural city of Jingzhou had nurous temples.
There were about a hundred, big and small.
The most famous were the True Return Temple and Shangqiu Convent.
True Return Temple was full of monks.
Shangqiu Convent was a place for nuns to practice.
It was said to be particularly efficacious; as long as one was sincere, all wishes could co true.
Many nobles worshipped there, especially the won.
Shangqiu Convent also housed won from great families who had made mistakes.
In short, it had significant connections.
When Zi Lu led a rebellion earlier, these two temples were not affected.
Unlike Ming County managed by Jiang Changtian, where even the senior monks obediently paid taxes and had to personally perform rituals, working hard to earn incense money.
Busy until midnight, they had another late-night al, noodles in swan soup.
It was still a bit fishy, but the wild onions covered the taste, giving it a unique flavor.
Qin Luoxia had opened up a patch of land in the mansion to grow wild onions; these things grew quickly, reaching full height in just a month.
By now, Jiang Mianmian was already asleep.
Jiang Xiaoshu had sohow found his way to the cellar, following the scent.
The coachman called the nuns "mistress," suggesting they held significant positions in Shangqiu Convent.
They had fallen unconscious several tis during the torture.
But they had managed to endure it.
Their recovery ability seed extraordinary.
The two didn't possess immortal arts, otherwise they wouldn't have co to a mortal family to convert soone.
But they did have so secret techniques. The process of developing these was quite painful, involving strict diet and routines, and consuming a secret dicine from a young age, making their bodies different from normal people.
Their bodies were light, their appearances attractive, their skin fair and delicate, and their recovery abilities exceptional.
However, few of them lived long lives.
Thanks to their beauty and deanor, they had always moved easily among the great families.
When they ca to Commander Jiang's mansion, they inquired about the background and found no strong backing.
With their skills, they thought it would be an easy task.
They were actually puzzled; in the past, such matters were handled through persuasion.
Usually, after a couple of visits from monks or Taoists, and spreading so rumors, the family might send away the daughter who was affecting the family's fortune on their own.
Why the rush this ti?
A family's fate was certainly more important than a little girl's life.
Perhaps they themselves had been sent to the temple for similar reasons.
And then they used the sa reasoning to deceive others.
An endless, vicious cycle.
But this ti, their master had told them to act quickly, without delay.
And then they were sohow subdued by a little girl, an old nanny, and a chubby maid.
The legendary Madam ng, said to be as beautiful as Daji, was indeed pretty, but not to that exaggerated extent.
But the little girl their master ntioned was truly beautiful, translucent, delicate like fine jade, radiant and glowing.
They had moved fast.
But they didn't expect the other side to move even faster.
Lying in the cellar, the coachman was barely breathing, more inhaling than exhaling.
The two nuns weren't much better off. After the torture, they thought they could rest, even thinking of ways to escape.
But in the middle of the night, they felt sothing biting them. However, they were in too much pain to notice and fell back into unconsciousness.
The next day.
Jiang Mianmian woke up, staring at the ceiling.
She hadn't slept well last night.
Her digestion wasn't good, so she had drunk too much spirit spring water, causing her to get up in the middle of the night.
Pangya had attended to her.
As soon as she woke up, Pangya quietly lifted the curtain and gave her a big smile.
Co to think of it, how did Pangya know she was awake when she just opened her eyes?
That was a bit too perceptive.
This maid's professional standards were too high.
Thinking of her loli-like yet vicious kicking yesterday, indeed so cuteness has existed since ancient tis.
Like curling her toes while kicking.
Oh right, Pangya also had a lisp.
Pangya said her mother always told her she was destined to be a rough maid, but she didn't believe in fate, so she worked hard to learn from the first-class maids, and that's how her voice ended up like this.
Before her was not just a maid with high professional standards, but also one with ideals and ambition.
Seeing Pangya's big smile, Jiang Mianmian felt that the new day would be bright and sunny.
But when she opened the window.
It wasn't.
It was raining.
An autumn rain brings a chill.
It was very cold.
Jiang Mianmian was dressed in a cotton robe, then a cotton vest, and cotton shoes.
Pangya held an umbrella and carried her to eat.
Though it was raining, the path had been swept quite clean.
Arriving at the dining hall, Jiang Mianmian greeted each elder in turn.
She called out to everyone, after all, she was the youngest.
Finally, she ended up in her father's arms.
It's nice being a child, often able to be a legless accessory.
After eating.
It was raining today.
Commander Jiang wasn't in a hurry to go to work.
After all, he didn't have much official business at the office.
Being late for roll call didn't matter.
But unexpectedly, despite the heavy rain, soone ca calling.
It was Judge Yu.
Lord Yu, in charge of criminal cases.
Lord Yu brought a group of subordinates and knocked on Commander Jiang's door.
"Brother Jiang, pardon the intrusion. Soone reported that two masters from Shangqiu Convent went missing in your ho. They insisted I co to check. You know, people like us, even though we've obtained official positions, are still nobodies, just following orders. I hope you'll forgive the offense." Yu Qian wore a smiling face, but behind him stood a full complent of yan runners.
The rain made everything look a bit white.
Jiang Changtian smiled at Yu and said, "No worries, no worries. We all follow orders. Please, do search thoroughly. How could soone disappear in broad daylight?"
Looking at Commander Jiang's exceptionally beautiful face, Yu Qian's heart inexplicably raced. He inwardly cursed: I've fought tooth and nail in Jingzhou, and all I got was the position of a judge. This Jiang fellow did nothing, stayed holed up in Ming County, and beca a Commander. Surely he didn't get it by selling his body?
Yu Qian was just starting to make a na for himself in Jingzhou, even the prefect had to treat him with respect, so he didn't think much of Commander Jiang.
Seeing Jiang's weak and compliant attitude, he also smiled: "Excuse us, then."
He not only brought n, but also dogs.
Dogs could track scents.
This Lord Yu might be lacking in character, but he did have so skills.
However, after a thorough search, they found no one.
But they did see a horse carriage.
This Commander was interesting.
So greedy, yet he kept the carriage.
It was as if he was openly telling them he had the people.
Yu Qian left with his subordinates.
Looking back through the rain, Commander Jiang was still there.
He cupped his hands towards Commander Jiang.
Then galloped away on his horse.
Commander Jiang and his mansion beca part of the rainy evening scenery.
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