Traveling through time and space to become a lady of a noble family, but she only wants to escape

Chapter 251 Heavenly Secrets

When Chu Yunchuan returned with the food box, he saw Bai Zhi and the little guard playing in the garden. The two of them were sitting on the ground in a very unrefined manner, each holding a few pieces of wood, playing a guessing game.

The young guard placed a wooden plank on the ground, and Bai Zhi immediately exclaimed, "Ye Zi!"

"How did you know!" The little guard lifted the wooden board, and sure enough, there were leaves drawn on it.

"Hahaha, that board is missing a corner! My turn!" Bai Zhi snapped down a piece of wood, and the little guard shouted, "Ye Zi!"

The wooden board was lifted, revealing that the room was empty.

The two were having a great time. After a while, the young guard looked up and saw Chu Yunchuan, quickly straightened himself up and stood up: "Your Highness!"

"No rush, you guys finish playing." Chu Yunchuan also sat down on the ground next to Bai Zhi.

Before long, the young guard narrowly won, happily put away the wooden plank, and very tactfully left.

Bai Zhi picked up the food box and weighed it in her hand: "What's this?"

"Soft shredded tofu, made by Hehe Restaurant." Chu Yunchuan opened the food box, and a sweet aroma wafted out. Inside the bamboo tray were soft shredded tofu that was white with a hint of pink. "It tastes better when it's cold, but it's just right now."

Bai Zhi pinched a piece and put it in her mouth. This thing was soft, sweet, and didn't stick to her teeth, making it perfect as a snack. While she was eating, Chu Yunchuan took her other hand to check her pulse. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "She's much better now."

"It's just a cold, nothing serious. What should we eat tonight?"

"I had the kitchen prepare some light, home-style dishes." Chu Yunchuan paused, then asked seriously, "How did you end up in Ge Zhen's hands?"

Bai Zhi almost blurted it out, but then she turned back and thought for a moment before saying, "Why don't you stop asking and I'll handle this myself."

Chu Yunchuan frowned: "Something's not right. You were ambushed. Who was it?"

Bai Zhi was speechless for a moment: "...How did you know?"

Chu Yunchuan moved closer, looked intently into her eyes, and pressed, "Whom are you going to protect?"

"..." Even if she didn't say it, Chu Yunchuan could slowly guess it. Bai Zhi sighed and said frankly, "It should be Qiao Banxian, but I can't be sure. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have been able to get the mask, nor should he have had any motive."

"mask?"

Bai Zhi honestly told Chu Yunchuan everything. As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Yunchuan's face darkened like a storm cloud before a downpour. He immediately turned and ordered, "Men! Bring that Qiao the Half-Immortal back to me!"

The guards obeyed the order, and just then a servant came to report: "Your Highness, there is someone outside the door requesting an audience. He claims to be surnamed Qiao and says he is a fortune teller."

Bai Zhi exclaimed in surprise, "Master Qiao? Why did he come by himself?"

The servants withdrew, and Chu Yunchuan stood up, sleeves tucked in. Bai Zhi also picked up the food box: "It came so easily! Go, open those many layers of trapdoors and bring him in quickly, don't let him escape."

Chu Yunchuan was taken aback, blinking nervously a few times: "You know?"

"There's such a big trap over there, I'm not blind," Bai Zhi laughed. "Your thing can't hold me in, the wall's so low, are you underestimating my light-footed skills?"

Chu Yunchuan's eyes widened, and he subconsciously raised his arm to stop him: "You..."

Bai Zhi laughed loudly: "Just kidding. Hurry up and open the door. I need to settle accounts with Master Qiao."

After an incense stick had burned, the three sat around in the main hall. Qiao Banxian was dressed in white, the same style that Bai Zhi had bought for him, but now it was spotless and dazzlingly white.

Qiao Banxian bowed deeply to Bai Zhi, a very deep bow, a gesture rarely used in the Great Yan Dynasty, so formal that it was unlike him.

Bai Zhi narrowed her eyes, her anger barely concealed: "Second Brother Qiao, did you really do this?"

Qiao Banxian slowly said, "My sister and I were born on inauspicious days, which foretell an early death. Heaven has indicated that we will not live past October this year. For many years, I have been walking among the people, trying to understand their fates and accumulate good deeds, but I have not been able to resolve this calamity. Until I met you, a person from another world, whose fate is beyond the reach of heaven, you may be able to resolve this destiny."

Bai Zhi stood there dumbfounded. The day her mask fell off suddenly flashed into her mind, and her whole body went numb. She gasped, "Yes, I did rescue Qiao Wanwan. Is that why you sent me to the Southern Barbarian Lands? You could have foreseen this?"

"The fate of those who cannot see the secrets of heaven cannot be predicted. I only bet that you can disrupt destiny."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"If you leak the secret, your fate is sealed."

Chu Yunchuan, who had been observing with a cold expression, spoke up at the right moment: "Bai Zhi, it is up to you to decide whether to kill or spare her."

Qiao Banxian sat upright and took out a strip of cloth from his pocket. On it was written an address and a name: "This person is currently in Ningzhou."

Chu Yunchuan took it, examined it closely, and then frowned: "Wei Lingyan?"

Qiao Banxian said, "I captured this person and replaced her mask with Bai Zhi's, thus deceiving everyone. Now that it's done, you can take her back."

After a moment's thought, Chu Yunchuan understood the whole story. He stared at Qiao Banxian, flicked the cloth strip, and his eyes seemed to spark: "A mere fortune teller, yet he is so audacious."

Bai Zhi suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, King Jing, please save Wei Lingyan first."

Chu Yunchuan took a deep breath, summoned his bodyguards, and ordered them to go and rescue the person immediately.

Bai Zhi stood up and took two steps forward, standing in front of Qiao Banxian. Her initial anger had long since vanished: "Such an important plan, you can just replace someone like that? You even know how to stick on a mask. You've turned the Prince Jing's mansion into a sieve."

Qiao Banxian simply said, "Everyone has something they want."

"Qiao Wanwan is saved, what about you?"

Qiao Banxian looked up at her and said, "My life is in your hands."

"Very well, I'll let bygones be bygones for the fact that you schemed against me, since you did it to save Qiao Wanwan. However, you may be spared the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment. Your Highness, I suggest that this person be put in prison for trial, so as to purge those who have been bewitched by him." Bai Zhi turned and glanced at Chu Yunchuan, who nodded slightly.

After a long silence, Qiao Banxian said, "I owe you a debt, but you have done me a great favor. I can grant you a great wish."

Bai Zhi said, "Then you can calculate whether I will encounter any more such setbacks in the future."

Qiao the fortune teller said, "You are destined to be blind to the secrets of heaven and cannot perform divination."

Bai Zhi said, "...Then what use are you?"

Qiao Banxian looked at Chu Yunchuan and said, "I can predict his fortune."

Bai Zhi raised her eyebrows slightly and looked over as well. Chu Yunchuan, who was being talked about, lowered his eyes, his index finger circling on the armrest of the chair. After a moment, he leaned forward and stated his birth date and time without any attempt to conceal it.

As Qiao the fortune teller performed his divination, Bai Zhi couldn't help but feel nervous.

After a while, Master Qiao spoke: "All the great calamities have been overcome, and everything will go smoothly from now on."

Both of them let out a long sigh of relief.

However, one thing is one thing, and another is another. Chu Yunchuan still ordered Qiao Banxian to be detained and let the Ningzhou Prefect, Lord Zheng, handle the case.