As they walked, Lian Bingcheng was alerted by Xiao Lian Hua and realized that, at so unknown point, soone with an unfamiliar face had followed them and was getting increasingly closer, showing no restraint whatsoever.
Just as he was shaking with fear and at his wits’ end, they passed by a place where he happened to see eunuchs and governnt officers from the palace recruiting palace maids. The line was not long, and the recruitnt seed to be nearing its end. A young eunuch called out in a high-pitched voice that there was only one spot left, urging those interested to hurry.
It was then that he rembered sothing he had heard about by chance.
He had heard that a few years ago, shortly after the new Emperor ascended the throne, there had been a major purge in the polluted and chaotic harem, bringing order and clarity to the entire harem.
But as a result, there was a severe shortage of palace maids and eunuchs in the palace, so the palace assigned so eunuchs to recruit palace maids in the provincial capitals near the Capital City every year. It had already been three years; that year was the last year, and that day was the last day. The next recruitnt wouldn’t happen for several more years.
Initially, Lian Bingcheng had paid no attention to this matter, but now it suddenly beca a lifeline.
Seeing that the stranger’s gaze was fixed on Xiao Lian Hua, who took out a portrait from his bosom as if to compare it with Xiao Lian Hua and was ready to approach at any mont.
Lian Bingcheng made a split-second decision and imdiately pushed Xiao Lian Hua into the line of people.
Sure enough, after he did so, the stranger stopped in his tracks, not daring to conflict with the palace’s people, yet he kept watching from a distance, unwilling to leave.
It wasn’t until Xiao Lian Hua’s na was registered, and she went through various checks and screenings, and the eunuch gave him a sycee of silver saying that Xiao Lian Hua was very lucky to have passed, that the stranger finally left.
Only then did Lian Bingcheng and Lin Yuejuan let out a huge sigh of relief.
But it was too late; Xiao Lian Hua had gone through the strict selection process, her na was recorded in the palace’s register, and she had beco a palace maid.
Lian Bingcheng hadn’t expected the pretense to beco reality and was filled with regret. He tried to return the silver and take Xiao Lian Hua back, reasoning and pleading, but to no avail.
The eunuch said that since Xiao Lian Hua’s handprint was already on the register and the transaction was completed with money, she belonged to the palace. Furthermore, the palace maid recruitnt was strict, and Xiao Lian Hua happened to be the last qualifying person, filling the vacancy. If she were let go, they wouldn’t be able to find a replacent, so it was impossible to release her.
Toward the end, the eunuch’s tone shifted, hinting that although Xiao Lian Hua couldn’t be released, they could take good care of her on the way and try to find ways to look after her once inside the palace and so on.
Lian Bingcheng was about to continue finding ways, even bringing out bribe money, thinking of how to bring Xiao Lian Hua back, when he suddenly realized that the stranger was still lurking in the shadows, watching intently, forcing him to abandon the idea in resentnt.
Once the recruitnt of palace maids was complete, the head eunuch told the families to finish up any last words quickly, as they were preparing to take the recruits away, back to the Capital.
Lian Bingcheng had no choice but to tearfully give Xiao Lian Hua a few hurried instructions, then hastily pulled off the silver hairpin from Lin Yuejuan’s head, removed a pair of earrings, scavenged for another pair of earrings and so broken silver from Lin Yuejuan’s purse, and took out so useful items from their quickly-packed belongings, hastily repacking a small bundle for Xiao Lian Hua.
In the end, he took out all the silver he carried, along with the silver Xiao Lian Hua had received for entering the palace, placing part of it in Xiao Lian Hua’s bundle and using the rest to bribe the eunuch in charge of the recruitnt.
After a series of twists and turns, he sent Xiao Lian Hua into the palace in a daze.
If asked whether Lian Bingcheng regretted sending Xiao Lian Hua into the palace?
He felt both regret and relief.
He regretted that it was easy to send soone into the palace, but difficult to get them out; if they didn’t encounter a royal decree, they might never see each other again.
But at the ti, he was helpless in the face of the ergency, with no other solution to a hopeless situation. In the palace, at least there was a chance for survival, but keeping Xiao Lian Hua outside the palace, with his abilities, he simply couldn’t protect her.
In hindsight, that decision proved to be correct. If he had really taken her back at that ti, I fear Xiao Lian Hua’s life would have been in danger.
After sending Xiao Lian Hua away, that unfamiliar face tracking them seed to still be confirming sothing and was not giving up, continuing the pursuit. It took great effort to shake them off, and he moved houses with Lin Yuejuan overnight.
The so-called most dangerous place is the safest, and they moved to another part of Yanqing Mansion, an area that had just been searched by the assassins.
Latter, the assassins lingered around Yanqing Mansion for a long ti before leaving.
After moving, Lian Bingcheng secretly went back to the original place to gather information and heard that the missing eleven-year-old girl had been found, but what was found was her corpse; she was already dead.
This incident scared him so much that he couldn’t sleep for several days and nights and was very grateful for having sent Xiao Lian Hua to the palace.
Therefore, he had no regrets about sending soone to the palace.
At this mont, the matter wasn’t over yet. Lian Bingcheng thought about the ti when he inford the eunuch of Xiao Lian Hua’s identity; he had claid she was his own daughter. Worried about future troubles, he altered the family registry, and even went to the governnt office to change the registration, making Xiao Lian Hua his daughter, Lian Bingcheng’s.
After handling these matters, he imdiately headed south, intending to search for...
"How dare you, Lian Bingcheng, turn my Nannan into your daughter?"
A furious shout interrupted Lian Bingcheng’s guilty recollection, leaving him utterly stupefied.
He paused for a mont and looked towards the source of the sound.
He saw Lian Changhe erupting in anger, staring at him furiously, as if he wanted to devour him.
The restless anger in Lian Changhe’s chest kept surging uncontrollably, already on the verge of explosion. Anyone who hears that their own flesh and blood has suffered so much anguish would not be able to bear it.
After hearing the explanation, Lian Changhe looked up at Lian Bingcheng and noticed that his brother Bingcheng’s complexion was very off, seemingly devoid of life.
Shocked back to his senses, he watched as the person speaking beca more and more ashen, and he grew anxious.
Finally, when he just heard that Lian Bingcheng had altered the family registry, he couldn’t control himself and shouted out loud.
After scolding, he steadied himself, and in the stunned silence of everyone around, he imdiately made a decision.
He stood up at once, rolling up his sleeves and walking towards Lian Bingcheng, cursing as he went, "You scoundrel. I saw through you years ago; you were always fighting to spoil my daughter, and in the end, even contending with for Nannan’s affection. I originally thought you just liked her because she was sweet and pleasant to a degree, but never did I expect you to covet my daughter to the point of finding ways to make her your child!"
This was indeed true. These were words that he had held back for years. Now he was stating facts, not hurling baseless insults. Besides, his daughter truly beca Lian Bingcheng’s, which infuriated him even more.
In the past, he boasted in front of Lian Hua, hoping to earn a few words of praise for Nannan. He did not anticipate Lian Bingcheng doing likewise, mimicking him to win praise from Nannan.
Moreover, Lian Bingcheng, intending to impress Nannan, pulled out all the stops, praising himself to the skies and even flaunting a scholarly title.
Hmph, this Lian Bingcheng only got himself a Scholar title, and he’s bragging about it. Although he didn’t have one himself, his son had obtained it.
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