Nothing great is certain except death.

  Thank you anne198138 for the pink tickets, thank you 风过留香01 and 女流氓万岁 each for a safe blessing reward...

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  After Yuanyang asked this question, she didn't hear Qingjin's response for a long time.

  "......Never mind." After a long time, just when Yuanyang thought Qingjin wouldn't respond to her, Qingjin faintly opened her mouth and said these three words.

  "It's all because of the Fifth Girl! If she hadn't suddenly run out and blocked us for so long, how could the Young Lady have missed Master Shuijingchen?" Yuanyang said angrily in response to Qingjin's words.

  "This is probably just bad luck!" Qing Jin said calmly in response to Yuanyang's resentful words.

  At the time when Gu Qingxia suddenly ran out to block the way, Qing Jin's heart was also anxious. However, when the horse carriage arrived at the gate of Banruo Temple and saw Kong Wu and others standing at the gate, thinking that Shui Jingchen might have just left, she did not immediately chase after him.

  Because on the way here, she suddenly realized that this was her own life, and she couldn't guarantee that her designed escape from marriage would be 100% successful. Even if she temporarily deceived him under the protection of Shuijingchen, what about later? What if Long Han eventually took that position? She didn't have the confidence to design an escape from marriage that could forever deceive Long Han.

  If Long Hanyan finds out the truth later on, it won't just be the Anji Marquis Manor that can't escape, and even Water Mirror Dust might get implicated. In that case, this missed opportunity might be fate!

  At the same time Qing Jin was thinking this, in the Banruo Temple, Master Kongwu led a group of monks into the temple, dismissing them and walking towards his Chan chamber with only one young monk following behind. At that moment, he encountered a young monk wearing pure white robes walking from the opposite direction - it was Shuijing Chen.

  The little monk beside him saw the approaching Shuijing Chen, his eyes lit up, and he called out to Shuijing Chen with a tone full of admiration: "Master Shuijing!"

  Shuijing dust nodded kindly at Xia Shami, then saluted the empty space with a faint smile: "Master..."

  Kong Wu gazed at Shui Jing with a faint smile and said, "Are you leaving?"

  "Yes. Master, I'm leaving." Shuijing Chen said with his hands clasped together, responding to the empty space.

  "Go, go, walk around and may it bring you a deeper understanding and feeling of the Buddha's teachings. Amitabha!" Kong Wu heard Shui Jing Chen's response and joined his palms together to chant a Buddhist mantra.

  "Thank you for your guidance, Master. You've come from outside, is there something going on in the temple?" Shuijingchen asked out of curiosity.

  "It's nothing major, just some trivial matters within the temple. You're going on a distant journey, so there's no need to worry about these things." Kong Wu said nonchalantly in front of the water mirror.

  "The disciple knows." Upon hearing Kong Wu's words, Shui Jingchen was somewhat skeptical in her heart. However, thinking that she would be traveling far soon and Kong Wu was unwilling to speak, she thought it shouldn't be anything major, so she calmly replied.

  "En, you must remember when walking outside. We are monks, as a Buddhist disciple, always remember not to be greedy, angry or deluded. Cultivate your mind and body, with compassion in your heart, universally deliver all sentient beings..."

  "Disciples remember the teachings of their masters!" said Shuijing with a calm and peaceful expression.

  "Well, then go... Amitabha... " Kong Wu said, closing his eyes and reciting the Buddha's name.

  "Amitabha, the disciple has left, Master take care!" The last four words were spoken, Shuijing Cen turned around with a flourish, his simple monk's robe was holy and pure white.

  Until the figure of Shuijingchen disappeared from view, looking at the empty space in front of him, the little Shaoyi next to him finally spoke up and reminded him: "Master, Master Jingchen has gone far away."

  Upon hearing Xiao Shami's reminder, Kong Wu opened his eyes and gazed in the direction where Shuijing Dust had disappeared. He said, "Amitabha, I have committed a transgression, I have committed a transgression. Today, this old monk will also go into closed cultivation. You should leave as well!"

  This scene at Bore Temple, Qing Jin who was already sitting in the carriage of Anji Houfu returning to the capital would not know, but even if she knew, she wouldn't look back with regret.

  Long Han's cold, ruthless and unfeeling side, no one knew better than her. She couldn't bear the thought of Long Han's imperial wrath one day, so when the carriage arrived at Banruo Temple, she had already given up on the idea of asking for Shuijingchen's help.

  She gave up on finding help from the Water Mirror Dust, and marrying into the Jing Wang Fu was inevitable. However, she had thought it through clearly - she would not resign herself to her fate. One day, she would rely on herself and leave the back courtyard of the Jing Wang Fu. After careful planning, when the time was ripe, she would have the ability to leave, and also ensure that the An Ji Hou Fu would not be implicated by her. She believed that such a day would come.

  Although I don't know why Long Han wanted to marry her, it's definitely not because of love. I once heard a saying: Men are essentially a kind of animal that commits adultery. The higher you stand, the more they worship you; the colder you are, the more men will pursue you with difficulty; the more mysterious you are, the more curious they become; the more passive you are, the more proactive they become...

  She didn't believe it before, but after a lifetime, she found that the sentence was really applicable, so escaping marriage is the worst strategy. If everything can't escape fate, then in the near future, Long Han will secretly fall in love with her sister-in-law, her cousin, and the purpose of Long Han's marriage, she will also understand.

  Long Han will definitely like Gu Qingyao, and when the time comes, she will be the best chess piece to leave the back house of Jing Wangfu. Even if there are changes, she will create conditions and opportunities to leave, unless something big happens, in her previous life, she dared to set fire to herself, so this time, what's not daring about finding a way to jump out of the back house of Jing Wangfu?

  Moreover, when the time comes, Long Han will have someone he belongs to, and this unimportant woman in his backyard will not attract much attention even if she disappears or dies unintentionally.

  At this thought, Qing Jin's eyes flashed with a brilliant light and a dazzling smile.

  "Miss, what are you thinking about?" The mandarin duck beside her felt Qingjin's good mood and couldn't help but ask.

  Upon hearing the mandarin duck's voice, Qing Jin snapped back to reality and saw a curious mandarin duck beside her. Suddenly thinking of something, she spoke to the mandarin duck: "Mandarin Duck, you've followed me for so many years, is there anything you want?"

  "Miss, don't you want the mandarin ducks anymore? You promised the mandarin ducks..." The mandarin duck heard Qingjin's words and instantly understood what she meant. Her face turned pale as she asked.

  Looking at Yuanyang's pale face, Qingjin spoke: "I promised you, Yuanyang... You've followed me for so many years, how could I bear to let you leave? If I were marrying into an ordinary family as the legitimate wife, of course, I'd be happy to bring you along and protect you completely. But, Yuanyang, I'm going to marry into the royal family as a concubine of King Jing, and he already has a queen consort. With my humble background and status, once I enter the palace, I'll inevitably incur the queen's jealousy... The struggles in the harem will be fierce, with bloodshed and murder lurking beneath the surface..."

  "Girl, Swan is not afraid of that. It's precisely because of this that the girl can't do without Swan. The girl also said it was so dangerous, Swan must stay by the girl's side." Hearing Qingjin's words, Yuanyang immediately exclaimed excitedly.

  "I know your loyalty, but my mind is made up. You don't need to say any more." Qingjin said resolutely, not moved at all by Yuanyang's words.

  "Miss..." Hearing Qingjin's words, Yuanyang couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.

  Qing Jin closed her eyes and stopped looking at her.

  After returning to the Anguo Hou Mansion, Qingjin ignored Yuanyang and went straight to her mother's courtyard, telling her about her decision regarding Yuanyang. When Madam Jun heard what Qingjin had said about arranging for Yuanyang, she was somewhat disapproving. She thought that since Qingjin would soon be marrying into the Duke of Jing's mansion as a secondary wife, she would definitely face oppression from the Duchess. This was exactly when she needed someone by her side who cared for her. Yuanyang had been brought back by Qingjin and had grown up with her; Madam Jun had long since included Yuanyang among the maidservants who would accompany Qingjin in marriage, so it was unexpected that Qingjin would say she wanted to give Yuanyang her freedom.

  She wanted to persuade Qingjin to think again, but seeing Qingjin's determined look, she could only nod helplessly at her.

  After getting Jun Shi's nod, Qing Jin left Jun Shi's yard and spent the next few days preparing for her wedding in her own small courtyard.

  Time flies like water, and the time for Qingjin to marry into the Jingwang Fu has also arrived.

  On the eve of Qingjin's wedding, in the afternoon, Qingjin was reading a book in her room. At this time, a little maid walked in from outside and looked at Qingjin who was reading the book, wanting to speak but hesitating, yet not leaving either.

  After a brief moment of silence, Qing Jin finally put down the book in her hand and looked at the little maid who had just entered, "Do you have something to say to me?"

  Xiao Yāo heard Qing Jin's words and immediately opened her mouth in a timid tone: "In response to Miss's words, I really have something to say to...Miss...Miss..."

  "What's there to be afraid of? Just say it directly!" Qing Jin said impatiently.

  The little maid heard Qingjin's impatient words and wanted to retreat, but finally plucked up the courage to speak: "Miss, Yuanyang... Sister Yuanyang has been kneeling outside since yesterday... Miss... look..."

  Qing Jin heard the little maid's words and let out a deep sigh. On that day, she had discussed with Jun Shi about Yuanyang's arrangements: Firstly, Jun Shi would give Yuanyang her contract of sale, along with some land and silver; Secondly, the same contract of sale would be given to Yuanyang, along with land and silver, if Yuanyang did not want to leave the Anji Marquis' residence, she could also stay in the Anji Marquis' residence with these things, or go to the villa as a manager.

  Unexpectedly, Yuanyang didn't choose anything. After Junshi found her, she still attended to Qingjin every day, busy with preparations for Qingjin's wedding. Qingjin looked at her and felt both angry and heartbroken, but in the end, she steeled herself and wouldn't let Yuanyang enter her room again, nor would she allow Yuanyang to help out in her courtyard.

  Qing Jin thought that the mandarin duck should have given up by now, but with Qing Jin entering the Jing Wang Fu tomorrow, the mandarin duck instead knelt outside Qing Jin's courtyard every day. Previously, she still knew to rest and eat, but these past two days, she started refusing food and drink, seeming to have made up her mind that if Qing Jin wouldn't let her follow, then she would kneel to death outside Qing Jin's courtyard.

  Thinking of Yuanyang's stubbornness, Qingjin estimated that if she really didn't pay attention, Yuanyang would definitely kneel for a long time without getting up. Qingjin rubbed her brow and said to the little maid: "Alright, go call Yuanyang in to see me!"