Shu Jian then helped Wei Qinglou into the carriage with a look of deep resentment, as if he were extremely worried about him.

Only after Wei Qinglou was settled comfortably in the carriage did Shu Jian regain his solemn expression, and the look in Wei Qinglou's eyes also became clear again.

He was on good terms with Shen Zhao, and he was naturally saddened by Shen Zhao's death.

But he was not a refined scholar after all. Born into a noble family, he had long understood that this world treated the lives of ordinary people as worthless as grass.

He was used to the sordid affairs within the grand mansions of the wealthy and powerful. If he were to be so devastated by the death of Shen Zhao, he would never have entered officialdom in the first place.

Sadness and grief are the most insignificant emotions for someone like him. As early as when Shen Zhao died, he had already suspected that Zhang Jingxuan was acting under someone's orders, and he had already devised a plan on his way out of Songjiang.

Whether he was distraught, visited Song Baopu, or got drunk by the river, it was all for show.

...

Ning Mansion.

After seeing Xiao Wan, Zhu Jiayu went to the side courtyard.

This was the second time she had set foot in this place since she had interrogated Liu Heng last time.

Several days passed, and Liu Heng was already emaciated from the torment. His cheeks were deeply sunken, his hair was disheveled from not washing for a long time, and he even had a sour smell on his body.

But that wasn't the worst part. What was worse was the constant stench emanating from his lower body. Because he had been tied to the chair for so long and unable to move, sores had formed on the areas where his thighs met the chair, as well as on his buttocks. And because they hadn't received any treatment, they were now rotting beyond recognition.

The door was pushed open, and long-lost light shone in. Upon seeing a familiar face, Liu Heng struggled violently.

He was wrong! He was so wrong! He shouldn't have been so blinded by greed! He shouldn't have doubted Zhu Jiayu! Zhu Jiayu truly kept his word!

He is now truly experiencing what it means to be unable to live or die!

"So, Mr. Liu, are you willing to confess?" Zhu Jiayu asked leisurely, covering his nose.

Liu Heng nodded vigorously: "I'll confess, I'll confess! I'll confess everything!"

Zhu Jiayu nodded and sent someone to invite Ning Han over.

Liu Heng wept bitterly: "I killed Jiang Zhi, I killed the maids and servants who served Ning Qian, and even Ning Qian... I killed Ning Qian."

Whether it was out of a pang of conscience and remorse, or a pretense to beg for Ning Han's forgiveness, he wept uncontrollably, trembling and even convulsing.

"I didn't want to at first, but... but she found out my secret and even wanted to go back to the Ning family to tell my older brother!" His expression turned fierce, then he began to sob softly again, "But I really didn't expect this..."

"Big brother? You still have the nerve to call me big brother?" Ning Han walked over and slapped him hard across the face. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he was still not satisfied. He kicked Liu Heng hard in the chest, knocking him and his chair to the ground.

Once you pry open the tightly closed clam's mouth a crack, it becomes much easier to make it open its mouth wide.

Zhu Jiayu didn't care how he had killed Miss Ning. He took Ah Xiu, who was crying so hard she was about to faint, out of the hall, leaving the place to Ning Han and Liu Heng.

"I said I would help you find your sister, and I haven't broken my promise. You can go home now," Zhu Jiayu said calmly to Axiu.

Ah Xiu pursed her lips, knelt down at Zhu Jiayu's feet, and pleaded, "Ah Xiu doesn't want to go home, please take me in, Miss."

She didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, but she knew that the man inside had killed her sister, and the young lady had brought retribution upon him, avenging her sister. She wanted to repay the young lady.

Zhu Jiayu glanced at her and said, "Go back. I have plenty of people to serve me."

Ah Xiu looked up blankly, staring at her with tears still on her face.

Zhu Jiayu's voice was so calm it was almost indistinct: "You've seen it yourself, I'm not a good person. You won't get anything out of me. And don't even think about repaying me. I only helped with your sister's matter as a favor. Go back now."

After leaving the Xiao residence, she pondered for a while, then had the coachman drive her horse to the riverbank.

These past few days, she's been going to the riverbank intentionally or unintentionally, and she always sees Wei Qinglou drinking there.

It's still early today. If we go to the riverbank now, Wei Qinglou should still be sober.

She was still hoping that Wei Qinglou would strive to rise in rank, ideally becoming second only to the emperor, so that he could help her out. It wouldn't do for him to stay drunk like this.

With that thought in mind, she got off the carriage and headed straight for where Wei Qinglou was.

It's September now. Wei Qinglou sits at a low table, his face slightly cool from the river breeze. He sees Zhu Jiayu walking over in the distance and feels drunk even before he's had a drink.

He looked at it for a while, then looked away and went to get the wine.

As expected, Feng Zhi impeached him in court for being dissatisfied with Shen Zhao and plotting to kill him.

However, it is true that he was on good terms with Shen Zhao, that he petitioned the emperor to thoroughly investigate the real culprit after Shen Zhao's death, and that he is now depressed and drinking every day because of the death of his friend.

Feng Zhi's impeachment was completely unfounded, and Chang Beiqiu was also implicated and reprimanded by the emperor.

Now that the storm has subsided, he still has to keep going.

He picked up the wine jug, but it was stopped by a slender hand. His hand holding the jug trembled, and the wine spilled onto his clothes. Zhu Jiayu was also startled. She looked up, somewhat dazed, and said, "I didn't mean to."

Wei Qinglou chuckled, but when he realized that Zhu Jiayu was leaning down and even holding his hand, he couldn't laugh anymore. He felt a burning sensation from the inside out on her knuckles and his chest, which was soaked with wine.

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