Chapter 157



157 Eternal Light

Yesterday, Yu Niaoniao said that she wanted to make coconut chicken for Xiao Juan. Today, this dish was served for dinner.

She’d proven herself a person of her word with practical actions.

Xiao Juan first took a sip of soup, before eating a piece of chicken.

The chicken stewed in coconut juice tasted very different. It was soft and tender. It was salty in the mouth but sweet in the aftertaste. At the same time, it had a strong coconut fragrance.

He didn’t eat much, but he finished the chicken and soup.

When Granny Xiu Yan came to clear the dishes, she was very happy.

In the past, Duke Lang did not like to eat. When he was in a bad mood, he would even vomit what he had eaten. It was really worrying.

Ever since Miss Yu arrived, everything had changed.

Duke Lang’s aversion to eating was getting lighter. He could basically eat three meals a day on time and almost no longer felt nauseous. He was much better.

If not for the etiquette, Granny Xiu Yan really hoped that Miss Yu would marry into the Langjun Imperial Palace now.

The next morning, Yu Niaoniao placed the coconut cake and lamp shadow beef she had prepared in advance into a food box. She also took two types of fruits that Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan liked to eat and placed them into the food box.

Dang Gui carried the food box in one hand and the flower basket in the other as she followed Yu Niaoniao out of the house.

Xiao Juan had already changed and was waiting outside.

He had especially worn new clothes today. He was wearing an ink-black round-necked brocade robe with a leather belt that accentuated his thin waist. He wore a jade crown on his head and deer leather boots. His posture was as tall and straight as a sword. He looked sharp, but he was also more solemn than usual.

“Let’s go.”

Yu Niaoniao had also become exceptionally quiet today.

She didn’t say much on the way.

When they arrived at the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple, Xiao Juan went to make arrangements with the abbot and quickly settled the matter.

The old abbot personally led them to the Changming Hall. There were many lamps in the hall.

The lights flickered, and the sandalwood was faint.

Yu Niaoniao took the brush from the old abbot and wrote the names of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan on the two Buddha plaques.

She laid out the Buddhist tablets and took two long lamps from the abbot. She lit them carefully.

Yu Niaoniao knelt on the meditation cushion and kowtowed three times respectfully to the memorial tablet.

After Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan died, they were buried near the Feng family’s old residence.

That place was far from the Jade Capital Road, and Yu Niaoniao could not go back often to pay her respects. She could only light two eternal lamps in the Ten Thousand Dharma Temple so that she could visit often in the future to entrust her sorrow.

She inserted the lit incense into the incense burner.

Dang Gui opened the food box and placed the food inside in front of the lamp.

Yu Niaoniao took out a bouquet of peony flowers from the basket and placed it in front of the lamp that represented Madam Xie.

“Mother, Father, I’m in the Imperial Capital now. I’m doing well. You don’t have to worry about me.

‘I even found you a son-in-law.’

“Not only is he good-looking, but he’s also a duke. I specially brought him to see you today.”

Yu Niaoniao turned to look at Duke Lang.

Her original intention was to let Xiao Juan come over and greet her parents.

Unexpectedly, the man lifted his clothes and knelt respectfully on the meditation cushion.

Yu Niaoniao could not help but be stunned.

The man said nothing. He kowtowed three times in silence.

Every kowtow was extremely solemn as if he was making a promise.

For some reason, Yu Niaoniao felt a lump in her throat.

She turned to look at the two eternal lamps and spoke with red eyes.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be alone anymore.”

As if in response to her words, the flame of the pole lamp wavered twice.

After leaving Chang Ming Hall, Yu Niaoniao’s mood was very complicated.

Initially, she only treated Xiao Juan as a forced choice. She felt that Xiao Juan had the same thoughts until she saw him kowtow just now. She suddenly felt that she was wrong.

Xiao Juan did not feel that he had no choice but to marry her. He was far more sincere about this marriage than she was. This made Yu Niaoniao feel a little ashamed.

She secretly decided in her heart that she had to correct her attitude in the future and manage this marriage well. She had to work hard to make their lives happy. This way, the high hopes Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan had for her before they died would not be in vain.

On the way back. Yu Niaoniao said as she counted the days with her fingers.

“This month is over. There are only eight days left until the wedding date. Counting the time, the days passed quite quickly.”

Xiao Juan replied indifferently, “Yes.”

Why were there still eight days?

They returned to the Justice Department.

Yan Nanguan had been waiting for a long time. When he saw that Duke Lang had returned, he immediately went forward to greet him.

“Your Highness, when I rushed to the Zhang family’s guest house with my men, it was already empty. We found the corpses of two Eagle Guards in the cellar of the guest house. They were killed with a single strike.”

There was sadness in his eyes as he finished.

The human heart was made of flesh. Even if they were Eagle Guards, they would have feelings and be sad because their companions had died.

Xiao Juan was not surprised by this outcome.

He instructed calmly, “Get someone to bury those two Eagle Guards and treat their families well.”

Yan Nanguan replied, “Yes.”

Thinking of his two companions who had died tragically, Yan Nanguan was concerned and indignant.

“We can’t just let the murderer go!”

Xiao Juan said, “Don’t be anxious.”

How could Yan Nanguan not be anxious?

“How are we going to continue investigating when the clues to the Zhang family’s guest house have been cut off?”

Xiao Juan looked at the letter in his hand and said slowly.

“We still have a lead in our hands.”

In his hand was the letter that the traveling Daoist had left for Prince Min. It was only a few words, but it was enough for Xiao Juan.

He dipped his pen in the ink, mimicking the handwriting in the letter, and wrote three words on a blank sheet of paper.

When the ink was dry, Xiao Juan folded the paper and handed it to Yan Nanguan.

Yan Nanguan’s eyes lit up. “I understand. I’ll do it now!”

He hurried away.

That night, an assassin sneaked into the prison cell of the Justice Department, intending to assassinate Li Qiao, who was imprisoned.

Fortunately, the Eagle Guards discovered it in time and took down the assassin on the spot.

Li Qiao sat on the ground, his back against the wall. He was covered in injuries and looked disheveled.

Even when Lo Pingsha took the assassin down on the spot, Li Qiao remained unmoved.

He even looked at Yan Nanguan as if he was watching a show.

Clearly, he felt that Yan Nanguan and the group of Eagle Guards were deliberately acting. No one wanted to assassinate him at all. It was all a play made up by the Eagle Guards.

Until Yan Nanguan found a letter on the assassin.

The letter contained only three words-

Kill Li Qiao.

Li Qiao’s first reaction when he read the letter was suspicion.

“That’s impossible! This letter is fake. You guys forged it!”

Yan Nanguan did not argue. He just looked at him quietly.

Gradually, Li Qiao wavered.

Because he couldn’t convince himself that the letter was fake.

He often communicated with that person secretly. The handwriting on this letter was identical to that person’s. There was no way he could be wrong.