Angry face

Duan Jinru seemed to chuckle softly, but his wrist holding the paper remained motionless. He looked at Lin Xu with deep eyes, "Lin Xu, I should know the reason."

"The reason why you would do anything to bring down the Dou family."

After Lin Xu left, Duan Jinru looked out the window at the courtyard, which had returned to its empty state, before standing up with his hands behind his back.

The steward had already entered, only to find that the edges of two pieces of paper on the candlestick on the table were charred black, slowly emitting wisps of smoke. Confused, the steward hurried forward to try and salvage the two pieces of paper from the ashes, but Duan Jinru had already walked to the window, not turning back, leaving only an unusually cold voice:

"It's just waste paper, don't worry about it."

The steward, who had served Duan Jinru for many years, couldn't help but be surprised. "That lady just said the evidence she had was extremely valuable, related to the matter you're investigating, and that she wanted to hand it to you personally. But now you..."

Duan Jinru nodded, gazing at the darkness outside the window, his eyes as dark as ink. His mind replayed Lin Xu's resolute voice from inside the room.

...

“I have been married into the Dou family for over a year, and they have been harsh to me in every way. It has come to the point where our relationship is over. Moreover, this matter concerns the fate of the nation. General Duan has been investigating the events of that year for a long time, wasn’t it all for the sake of finding the truth?”

The voice was clear and cold as water, each word like snow falling on a palace wall on a snowy night, seemingly about to melt away in an instant, yet it fell directly into his heart, creating ripples—

“In the past, we debated together in the school, listened to the questions of the Spring and Autumn Annals, and debated loyalty and personal grudges with the doctor in the winter lecture. I still remember what the general said at that time: ‘Most of the grievances in the world arise from emotions, and not all of them are in accordance with the law, but it cannot be said that there is no right or wrong.’ Now, I feel the same way.”

...

Duan Jinru squinted, seemingly trying to determine the direction of the wind in the boundless night outside the window. After a long while, he finally let out a cold snort:

"...These two pages are filled with details of the collusion between the Dou family father and sons, their years of cover-up of embezzlement, with Dou Yanxun being the most prominent example. But Dou Yanxun is now in the Censorate; if he truly embezzled silver, Jiang Heng will handle him. Lin Xu is simply trying to blind me. If the Dou family is investigated, the evidence is already insufficient, which will only clear her husband's name. She can also use this opportunity to get rid of Dou Huaisheng and his good-for-nothing eldest son. She's clearly using me to kill someone for her."

The steward hadn't considered this at all. Recalling the resolute look in the lady's eyes as she left, his gaze flickered. Then he heard Duan Jinru coldly order:

“She came in a hurry today, as if something terrible had happened at home. It’s very strange that she didn’t go to the Crown Prince who protected her back then, nor to her close friend Kunrou, but instead came to me. Send someone to follow her and see what she’s going to do next.”

.

The evening breeze stirred the last crimson petals on the eaves, and the sunlight hung low in the sky.

Dou Yanxun returned from his duty at the Censorate, utterly exhausted. He hadn't yet changed out of his court robes, the hem still damp with the chill of the wind and frost. As soon as he entered the mansion, he sensed something was amiss. The guards and servants standing at the gate also all wore strange expressions.

His heart tightened until he saw Steward Qi coming out to greet him.

Manager Qi hurriedly cupped his hands, his face full of anxiety. Before he could speak, Dou Yanxun frowned, indicating that he should skip the formalities and said, "Speak."

Even the usually calm and experienced Steward Qi looked extremely solemn at this moment.

"A major incident has occurred in the manor. Consort Mu mistakenly ate highly poisonous food and fell into a coma. She passed away around dawn..." After a pause, Steward Qi seemed to take a deep breath before continuing, "The Second Madam was so frightened by this today that it disturbed her pregnancy. We sent the manor physician to treat her, but he has now disappeared without a trace..."

Dou Yanxun listened quietly until the second half of the sentence, at which point he finally looked up.

"What?"

Steward Qi broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly whispered, "I failed in my duty. The old lady had instructed the madam to rest temporarily in the side hall of the east courtyard and even assigned someone to guard her. By the time I arrived, the madam had already sent Zhuling away and quietly escaped through the side wall... The old lady was furious..."

Before he could finish speaking, the wind suddenly picked up.

Dou Yanxun rose to his feet, his footsteps creating a swift wind as he strode across the corridor, his robes fluttering in the wind. He frowned, clenching his fists, his heart pounding. Gone…how could she have simply vanished without a trace…

At that moment, the curtain of the main hall was half-lifted, and several old nannies were guarding the steps. When they heard the approaching footsteps, they looked at each other in bewilderment, but no one dared to stop them.

Inside the hall, the lights were particularly bright, and several sprigs of early spring white plum blossoms were placed in the four corners, purer than snow, faintly exuding a delicate fragrance.

Bai Shi knelt on a prayer mat before the Buddha statue in the hall, her hands twirling prayer beads, her eyes closed, murmuring incantations. Dou Yanzhou, kneeling beside her, was already pale, his clothes disheveled. Usually known for his cheerful and robust appearance, he was now deathly pale, his face filled with panic.

"Mother... Now that Mu Shi has been eliminated, is the secret account she possessed still there?"

Bai Shi's face showed neither sorrow nor joy as she slowly raised her eyes.

"All matters concerning the household are under my control. Although there is no danger, you have been making too many moves these past few days. I'm afraid several people in the court have already investigated, and it will soon be impossible to keep it a secret."

Dou Yanzhou looked dejected, clutching the hem of his clothes, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "Mother, then... what should we do? Your son... what if Father finds out..."

“Your father is now in a precarious situation and can only remain still.”

Dou Yanzhou could no longer believe his ears. He could only crawl to Bai Shi's side, grab her arm, and plead, "Mother, I can't go to jail... Mother, please, you must think of a way..."

Madam Bai slowly curved her lips into a smile. Her eyes were filled with calm and composed indifference. "Don't worry, Mother has already thought of a solution. The Prince Gong's residence will send someone over tomorrow."

Dou Yanzhou opened his mouth, but was full of confusion. Bai sighed and said, "They've come to propose marriage to your sister."

Dou Yanzhou pictured the heir of Prince Gong in his mind—a handsome and distinguished figure. He had vaguely heard rumors about him in his younger days, and like himself, he was a frequent visitor to places of pleasure and debauchery. But he couldn't care less about that now. If he could get on the good side of Prince Gong's family, he would also become a member of the imperial family, and he would no longer have to worry about imprisonment…

"Good! Good!" Dou Yanzhou nodded repeatedly. "Third Sister is well-behaved and sensible; she will surely be loved by Prince Gong's family!"

Madam Bai looked at her eldest son with affection, gently held his shoulder, and softly comforted him, "But right now, we still have one thing to deal with."

"...a cleaning task that had to be done."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud "bang" suddenly rang out, and the main hall door was kicked open!

Then, a biting wind, carrying the night dew, howled into the room, causing the lights to flicker and the curtains to tremble.

The man standing at the door was tall and imposing. His once handsome and aloof face now looked as if it had been suddenly cracked by frost, and his eyes were cold and menacing.

Where is Lin Xu?

The question, though simple, was utterly oppressive, like a sinking mountain.

Dou Yanzhou looked away somewhat guiltily, struggling to stand up: "Second brother, why are you so angry all of a sudden..."

Bai Shi remained calm and slowly raised her eyes.

"She is your wife, your first wife, Dou Yanxun's wife. She is not a three-year-old child. What? Yihui, have you forgotten even the manners I've taught you?"

Dou Yanxun's expression darkened further. He stepped forward, his already tall and slender figure now completely obscuring Bai Shi on the prayer mat in the lamplight. He looked down at her, gritting his teeth as he uttered a few words:

"I'm asking you, where is she now?"

"Madam Lin has always been arrogant and unruly since entering the household. She is also cold-hearted and heartless, as everyone knows. Now that she is gone, it is your dereliction of duty as a husband that has led to this. Why bother to make a scene and question your stepmother?"

After saying that, Bai stood up, supporting herself on the corner of the table, her eyes full of contempt.

"In the end, she was just born of a concubine. No matter how many years have passed, she still has no manners whatsoever."

Upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun was so angry that he laughed. He looked Bai up and down. For so many years, this murderer who killed his birth mother, this hypocritical mistress, this vicious woman with blood on her hands, was now trying to humiliate him by claiming to be born out of wedlock.

Countless times, he had dreamt of that day, of the icy river, the icy torrents, and how his infant brother and mother had vanished in an instant... Every time he woke from those nightmares of the past, he felt a deep-seated hatred, but now he had long since seen through this ridiculous and indifferent place.

Everyone saw through him, and he never cared. So why did these people cruelly take away even the last glimmer of light in his life?

That was the last ray of light that sustained him every day. His wife and children were gone from his home.

The name Yi Huai was given to him by them, but he never liked it. His elder brother was the boat, and he had to be the river that carried the boat, helping him to live a smooth and successful life. These people used the lives of his birth mother and younger brother to consolidate their own positions, and used his reputation to cover up and fulfill their own selfish desires... So filthy, and in the end, they still blame him for being impolite and disobedient.

Dou Yanxun's face was full of mockery, and the corners of his lips curled up into a chilling sneer. His wide robes billowed in the raging wind in the hall. He lowered his body to look at Bai Shi, making his figure appear even taller and more terrifying.

"...If my wife suffers any harm under your nose, I will repay you tenfold."

After saying this, Dou Yanxun turned to leave, and his surging hatred was evident even from his back.

But then Bai shouted coldly from behind, "Stop!"

"Madam Lin was six months pregnant, but she secretly colluded with Madam Mu, intending to escape from the manor. Madam Mu was poisoned, which is why Madam Lin panicked. She was already inconvenient to move around, so I sent people to take good care of her. Even so, she still insisted on escaping... If she hadn't had something going on with outsiders, how could this have happened? It's truly a misfortune for my family."

Dou Yanxun didn't want to pay any attention to him and was about to step out the door.

"Mother knows you don't want to believe it. But Aunt Guo has already found out that all these years, Lin has harbored ulterior motives and has only been flattering you."

Before the words were finished, the curtain at the door was lifted, and a cold wind carrying the fragrance of plum blossoms from outside swept in. Aunt Guo, dressed in a dark crimson satin dress and adorned with a plain hairpin, walked in. Behind her stood Dou Huaisheng, who had long since stopped concerning himself with the affairs of the inner quarters.

Dou Huaisheng did not change out of his sandalwood-soled court robe. Although he looked exhausted, his eyes were exceptionally sharp as he slowly swept over everyone in the hall.