988 Previous Life (2)
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Bai Lu frowned and looked at Shen Miao. “Mother… Madam, he might be a charlatan. Don’t listen to his nonsense.”
Mo Qing was about to chase this strange old man away.
“Wait.” Shen Miao said, “It’s been quite boring along the way. Let’s listen to what he has to say.”
The old man bowed again and said, “Madam, there’s black aura around you. I’m afraid it’s not an auspicious sign. At the end of this journey, there is a calamity in store for you. If you turn your horse around, you can avoid this calamity. Madam, I have to mind you. This journey is towards the Netherworld. Don’t take it. If you take it, you won’t be able to turn back.”
“You’re getting more and more ridiculous!” Shuang Jiang was so angry that her face was ashen. “Are you cursing us?”
Shen Miao, on the other hand, had a good temper. After staying in the State of Qin for a long time, she found everyone from her motherland pleasing to the eyes. Even if this old man was talking nonsense, she was not angry. She only smiled and said, “Thank you for your reminder, Daoist priest, but I have to walk this path. My children are on this path. I have to go home.”
The strange Daoist priest took a deep breath and said, “As expected.” He looked at Shen Miao. “We met by chance, so I’ll give you a gift.” With that, he took out a red string from his sleeve and was about to hand it to Shen Miao when he was stopped by Mo Qing. He could only hand the red string to Mo Qing. Mo Qing looked at it carefully and saw that there was nothing strange about the red string before handing it to Shen Miao.
“This red string is a gift from me to you for giving me a bowl of water. Madam, tie it to your wrist.” He said seriously, “Madam, remember, the Heavenly Dao is changeful, and everything depends on individuals. I can predict your fate, but I can’t change it. The person who can change your fate is not me. The heavens are merciful. When there is a calamity, there will also be a way to solve the calamity. This red string is a question. One day, you will find your answer.”
With that, he laughed out loud and turned to leave.
Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang were a little unhappy with what the Daoist priest said. Bai Lu said, “Your Majesty, don’t take what that strange person said to heart. He’s probably not in his right mind.”
“Don’t wear this either.” Shuang Jiang also said, “It might bring bad luck.”
Shen Miao looked at the red string and felt that it was quite cute. For some reason, she liked it and tied it to her wrist. She said with a smile, “We’re fated to meet by chance. I’ll wear it. If it’s all nonsense, it’s fine. If isn’t not, isn’t that better?”
Since Shen Miao had already said so, Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang could not say anything else. Mo Qing told the escort team to continue the journey.
When she returned to Ming Qi, it was nowhere near the end of her suffering.
The world was changing at all times. The situation would change, and so would the people.
Apart from her status as the empress, there was nothing special about her anymore. Sometimes, when she thought about it, she felt that she was no better than when she was humiliated in the State of Qin. When she was in the State of Qin, she was humiliated openly, but in Ming Qi, she was humiliated secretly.
Shen Miao sat in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and looked at the withered Red Sleeve Flower on the table, looking a little tired.
The Red Sleeved Flower was sent to her by Mo Qing. It was said to be a very rare spiritual herb and was very good-looking. It looked like the sleeve of a woman’s dress swaying in the wind, so it was called the Red Sleeve Flower. However, it had been a little withered recently because Shen Miao had no intention of taking care of it.
She had been back in Ming Qi for a few years. In the past few years, she had not been doing well.