Chapter 59

Sometimes she thought to herself, what a truly failing life she had led.

A father without pity, a mother without love, and brothers and sisters who regarded her as a thorn in their side and a nail in their eye.

Even now, when she had finally managed to find her birth mother after so much hardship, she could only watch from the beginning to the end as her mother acknowledged others as daughters, enjoying family reunions and serving by their knees.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of exhaustion welled up inside Meng Qingyue.

It was a suffocating fatigue that made her almost unable to stand, yet the dull, distinct pain of the hemp rope biting into her flesh somehow slowly quieted her thoughts. "Very well, then let it be as the Madam says."

Then let it be as the Madam says.

Since all of you are so eager to send me to a temple to become a nun, facing the biting winds and frosty swords of malice without a single day of peace, then I shall grant you your wish!

What of having one's hair shorn to become a nun? What is there to be afraid of?

Meng Qingyue's bonds were finally untied. She moved her sore wrists, though they were already so stiff she could barely manage. Raising her head, she met Lady Qiao's somewhat complex gaze. "Have you truly thought this through?"

Just moments before, consumed by blazing fury, she had been ready to tear apart this second young lady of the Meng family who had tried to steal her daughter's betrothed. Yet, after calming down slightly, she knew that as an outsider, she naturally had no right to demand a physical inspection of an unmarried maiden.

She truly had been blinded by rage earlier.

Yet for some reason, this second young lady of the Meng family—long rumored to be defiant of parental discipline and unruly in her behavior—was unexpectedly silent at this moment.

She merely kept her head lowered, lost in thought, with only her slightly trembling shoulders revealing that she was not entirely unmoved.

For some inexplicable reason, Lady Qiao suddenly felt a twinge of unease in her heart.

She did not feel that Meng Qingyue's atrocious deeds deserved any leniency, but unbidden hesitation welled up within her, making her wonder if she was bullying the girl too severely.

While her thoughts were in turmoil, several burly matrons over on the other side strode directly toward Meng Qingyue.

It was only then that Meng Qingyue seemed to finally snap back to her senses. She started fiercely, as if waking from a dream, and then abruptly lifted her head, tears shimmering in her eyes as she said, "There is no need to inspect!"

The depth of sorrow in the young girl's eyes was so profound that even the enraged Lady Qiao was momentarily stunned. The next instant, she heard Meng Qingyue speak every word with deliberate clarity:

"Since the Madam wishes for me to become a nun, then a nun I shall be. In any case, I am unworthy of the noble young master of your illustrious household. It is better to sever these three thousand strands of worldly silk right here and let us all have peace of mind!"

Lady Qiao looked at her with a complex gaze.

Her lips parted slightly, and she was just about to speak when she was interrupted by Meng Changle standing beside her.

As if terrified that Meng Qingyue might regret what she had just said, Meng Changle spoke at a rapid pace, a barely concealed sneer curling the corners of her mouth:

"Young sister, since you have made up your mind, we can hardly keep you here any longer. Later, when we return to the estate, I will personally explain the whole sequence of today's events to our parents."

"Everything that happened today stems entirely from your willful and reckless behavior, and it is your own willingness to become a nun. It has not the slightest bit to do with Lady Qiao!"

Meng Changle's tone remained as gentle and sweet as ever, and her words did not seem particularly harsh on the surface. Yet, to Lady Qiao's ears, somehow every word grated uncomfortably.

No matter what, even she, an outsider, had not yet spoken, so why was Meng Changle, an elder sister, rushing to drive her own sister away like this?

It truly did not quite match Changle's usual docile temperament.

Lady Qiao felt a subtle discomfort in her heart, but she did not say anything more on the surface, figuring that even if Changle had been somewhat tactless, it must have been out of anxious concern.

She sighed and turned to return to the room, but Meng Changle tightly grabbed her sleeve. "Aunt..."

Lady Qiao remained patient up to this point. "What is it, Changle?"

Meng Changle spoke in a hurried rush, "About the marriage between the Prince of Zhaowang and your esteemed daughter..."

Lady Qiao frowned.

"Since the Prince of Zhaowang has been so resolute about calling off the marriage, must my Qiao family grovel and cling to the match? If he insists on not marrying, then so be it!"

Hearing this, Meng Changle instantly panicked, her heart filled with anxiety and resentment. Yet, meeting Lady Qiao's suspicious gaze, she forced down the turbulent thoughts churning within her.

She squeezed out a smile. "Aunt is right. The Duke's estate abounds in wealth and prestige; even without marrying the Prince of Zhaowang, we can naturally find another far better match."

Night fell.

The night grew deeper and deeper.

A small sedan chair slipped quietly out of the Huainan Marquis Meng's residence. Four robust servants carried its four corners, bearing the heavy burden along the mountain path.

In the pitch-black night illuminated only by a single lantern swaying at the front, the servants trudged forward unevenly, wiping the sweat from their brows from time to time.

Even the air was silent until someone finally spat out in disgust, "What terrible luck! Having to run such an errand in the middle of the night!"

Another servant immediately chimed in, matching his tone of grievance, "Indeed! Which daughter of a noble family has it as bad as this? Not even married yet, and already being sent off by her own parents to become a nun in a temple!"

With that, several servants clicked their tongues in disapproval before falling into a unanimous silence.

Though they did not know why the second young lady was suddenly being sent away to a temple, they knew that once she left today, returning in the future would likely be nearly impossible.

A fragile woman, pampered and accustomed to luxury for years, was being cast into a nunnery just like that. How could she possibly survive the days ahead?

Night ravens cried out in the darkness, as if mourning the fate of the person inside the sedan chair with wailing, tragic shrieks. After two full hours, the sedan chair finally came to a steady halt.

Qingyun Taoist Temple had arrived.

A slightly pale, delicate hand reached out from the sedan chair, followed shortly by a slender figure stepping out slowly. Gazing at the austere and even somewhat crude Taoist temple before her, there was no particular emotion on her face.

It mattered not. It was merely a place to shelter her body. After all, she had never known many days of peace back at the Marquis's estate anyway.

"Second Young Lady, the Marquis and the Madam said that you are to stay temporarily here at Qingyun Temple. Once the turmoil in the capital settles down, they will send for you to return."

Meng Qingyue naturally knew that these words were merely platitudes spoken by the servants to comfort her.

After all, what kind of turmoil could there possibly be in the capital? It was nothing more than the Prince of Zhaowang calling off his marriage to Miss Qiao, which had displeased Lady Qiao and caused her to vent her anger on Meng Qingyue.

Since the Meng family had made the decision to send her to Qingyun Temple, they surely had no intention of ever bringing her back.

She smiled bitterly, yet in the end, she did not reject the servant's kind intentions. "Mm, I understand."