ebookland Chapter 251 is all a scam
Chapter 251 is all a scam
There is a hidden message behind these few words.
Butler He wanted to become the He family's son-in-law, to become He Niannian's beloved and bedmate. However, He Niannian looked down on him, and Master He was unwilling to marry his daughter to him. In his view, only when He Niannian suffered enough setbacks and was in a state of extreme despair would she possibly turn to him, giving him an opportunity to take advantage of her.
His thoughts must have been hidden in the shadows; he wouldn't openly tell Master He that he wanted to marry He Niannian, much less openly tell He Niannian that he wanted to become her husband. Master He and He Niannian probably didn't realize his intentions, otherwise they wouldn't have kept him in the He household and entrusted him with important responsibilities.
When He Niannian was thrown into the river, he was probably hiding among the onlookers. He watched as He Niannian was thrown into the river, then left the crowd, went downstream, and pulled the barely alive He Niannian out of the water. Then, under the guise of protecting her, he settled her in a country village and had the then-beggar Master Zhang take care of her.
She didn't know whether Steward He loved He Niannian. She only knew that if she were the one drowning, neither the Crown Prince, Lu Yun, nor Xiao Yebai, nor anyone around her would entrust her to a ten-year-old beggar whose background was unknown.
Lu Zhiyuan opened her eyes: "Does Fourth Sister know what happened afterward? How did He Niannian die?"
Fourth Aunt sighed, "I know. He handled He Niannian's funeral arrangements. He not only told me about He Niannian's final moments, but also took me to see the house she lived in. It wasn't in the capital, nor in a town, but a farmhouse in the countryside. A simple house, very clean, with almost nothing. She became mentally impaired, her eyes were lifeless, and she couldn't even eat properly. According to the people who took care of her, the thing she did most often was sit by the bed, motionless, as if waiting for someone."
He Niannian married Butler He while suffering from amnesia.
Butler He lied to her. He said they fell into the river on their way to elope, that He Niannian's injuries were caused by her father beating her, and that her father disapproved of their relationship because of his lameness and the injuries on his face.
Butler He didn't tell He Niannian her true identity, fearing she would investigate. He was overthinking it. He Niannian was the typical pampered young lady; she was innocent, kind, and warm-hearted, but also possessed a timidity and cowardice stemming from being overprotected. She simply didn't have the courage to go back and face the furious father Butler He had described.
She regarded Butler He as her support and believed everything he said. In addition, she thought that Butler He treated her well and followed all his arrangements.
After giving birth to her first child, He Niannian's health deteriorated rapidly. In order to prolong He Niannian's life, the housekeeper took her back to the Zhang family, where Master Zhang assigned someone to take care of her.
According to Mr. Zhang's recollection, He Niannian was very thin at that time and needed help to walk. It was under such circumstances that the housekeeper still insisted that she give birth to a second child.
He Niannian suffered postpartum hemorrhage after her second pregnancy, barely escaping death, and spent another six months in bed.
It wasn't that she was acting suspiciously or unwilling to go out; rather, she simply didn't have the strength to leave the house. She was confined to the two-story building in the backyard of the Zhang family, and all she could see each day was through the window. To prevent anyone from discovering her, Butler He had Master Zhang buy two adjacent houses. One was converted into a garden, blending it into the original garden, while the other was left as it was—the house they had passed through when they left the Zhang family.
He Niannian lived in the Zhang family's house for several years, only seeing her and Steward He's children during holidays. Occasionally, she could hear the children playing and see their kites flying through the window. Some of those children belonged to Master Zhang, some to the Zhang family's servants, and others to people from far away in the town.
When she was in good spirits, she would embroider or lean against the window to make clothes, waiting for her busy husband and children.
Years later, her illness worsened until she could no longer recognize people. Butler He bought a courtyard house in the countryside and brought her there from the Zhang family. The last time Master Zhang saw her was ten years ago; she sat quietly, just like the statue of the goddess in the temple. She was wearing dark clothes, her hair had turned completely white due to the medication, and she had become emaciated from her illness.
For some reason, her quiet, seemingly dazed state possessed a captivating beauty.
The next time we met was when she was handling her funeral arrangements. She lay in the coffin with her eyes closed, and neither Butler He nor her two children came.
Her early life was happy; although she lacked a mother's love, she had her father's meticulous care. She had no worries about food or clothing. Her later life, however, was mired in lies and hurt.
Amnesia and mental impairment may be the last bit of mercy God has shown her.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Zuo Yi, and his bodyguards mingled in the crowd, slowly moving forward with the sacrificial procession. It was a cloudy day; everyone wore black cloaks, heads bowed, walking silently, one after another. Zuo Yi felt a sense of oppression, occasionally glancing up at the Crown Prince from under his hat. The Crown Prince reassured him, while simultaneously keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
Different thoughts are hidden beneath the same cloak.
Some people fear the Black Goddess and offer sincere sacrifices, some go with the flow and live day to day, some are eager to uncover the mystery and try their luck, and some, like them, want to use this sacrifice to find out the truth.
After walking for about half an hour, the sacrificial procession stopped. The prince looked up and saw that he and Lu Zhiyuan had been to this street before. Further ahead was Chunfeng Bridge, and not far after crossing Chunfeng Bridge was the Black Goddess Temple. From the Black Goddess Temple, a hundred meters further ahead was the river in the town.
Since He Niannian did not die, the fact that she transformed into an evil spirit to take revenge on the townspeople does not exist.
There are no evil spirits, but there are ghosts and monsters causing trouble; what controls these ghosts and monsters must be the human heart.
The ritual was nothing special; it consisted of reciting incantations, kneeling, praying for the Black Goddess's forgiveness, and offering sacrifices. The sacrifice was a little girl dressed in elaborate attire, sitting with her eyes closed on a tray carried by two people. With the town mayor's command, the temple doors opened, and the little girl was carried inside.
A strong wind blew, making the sacrificial offerings flutter wildly. When the wind died down, the little girl sitting on the tray was gone. Someone shouted, "Look into the water!" The onlookers craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, and all saw a huge, dark creature underwater.
The town mayor, closest to the water, shouted "Black Goddess!" and all those participating in the ritual knelt in worship. By the time the prince reacted, he and those around Zuo Yi were already kneeling. The town mayor also knelt, but did not bow his head, instead meeting their gazes across the crowd.
Even though Zuo Yi was used to big occasions, he was a little nervous and asked quietly, "Your Highness, shall we kneel?"
The prince stared at the water, squinting: "They took the child away! The boat in the middle of the river is there to pick them up! Find a way to stop that boat."
Zuo Yi whistled, and the hidden guards lurking among the people immediately tore off their cloaks and rushed towards the riverbank. Just as they reached the shore, someone rowed a small boat towards them. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the innkeeper and his staff.