substitute

"So you were here."

The emotionless voice rang out again—it was him!

Wen Ruo stared for a moment. The masked man, sitting on his horse, leaned slightly to hold the reins. In a few moments, he turned back and stopped in front of her. His voice was still cold and hard. "Give her to me!"

As he reached out, Wen Ruo's eyes were momentarily blinded by the silver light on his wrist. She subconsciously turned her head away. Did he carry a hidden weapon with him in the imperial city?

On her way back, she inquired about him and learned that this Gu Ying had suddenly appeared out of nowhere two years ago. He was ruthless and cold-blooded, and his actions were eccentric but within the bounds of law. More importantly, he was said to have a close relationship with General Gu, and as a friend of Qi Guanlan, he was feared by all the sons of officials.

Since she was under General Gu's command, she knew his character; his subordinates never tolerated those who bullied men and women.

Wen Ruo turned to look at the woman, "Was it really a forced marriage?"

The idea that Qi Guanlan would forcibly marry a commoner was utterly absurd to her. Not only would the princess not agree to it, but as the Prince of Anping, how could he violate the law?

She didn't want to frame him anymore.

Gu Ying: "You're quite clever. Give her to me."

"Is Young Master Gu in such a hurry? Since someone has asked for help, it is my duty to inquire as usual. Perhaps we should listen to what she has to say."

On the bright, open street, the timid and cowardly had long since left, but there were still busybodies on both sides of the street, their scrutinizing gazes fixed on the three of them.

Wen Ruo moved her shoulder closer, slightly bent her knees to meet her gaze, and said gently, "I want to hear the truth."

The woman hesitated for a long time before saying, "I don't want to be a stand-in."

Wen Ruo was stunned on the spot, while Cen Boxi and the other two instantly regained their composure and kept looking at her. "I know the character of Young Master Qi and the princess. Please explain properly. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding between you and Qi Guanlan."

The masked man's voice suddenly rang out, his softened tone now carrying a hint of magnetism, and his hurried tone began to slow down, "Since your father accepted his betrothal gifts, then you are his rightful fiancée."

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes immediately, and she cried out in desperation, "But I don't want to live the life of a widow."

Wen Ruo frowned: "What makes you say that?"

"He told the princess that he was devoted to Buddhism and that he would marry me as a lucky charm to please her in the princess's courtyard. I must be infertile."

"Wen Ruo, you talk too much."

Wen Ruo looked at her in a daze. It was clearly her name, but she was calling out the name of the person next to her. What was going on?

He Anqi said, "Wen Ruo, her name is the same as yours."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, her expression one of utter disbelief. "So you were me!"

Her tears fell instantly again, and her rough fingers trembled as she raised them. "It's all because of you. My surname is Wen, not Wen. He insisted on calling me Wen Ruo. How could my father resist the temptation of gold and silver? He even abandoned his ancestors for the sake of the betrothal gifts."

"Why are you persecuting me because of the feud between the two of you!"

A string of tears, like a raging storm, stirred up a tremendous storm in her heart. Wen Ruo dug her fingertips into her palms, a look of bewilderment flashing in her eyes. Why was this happening? How could the princess agree to such an absurd thing?

She was indeed referring to the Prince of Anping, but there was no one in the capital with the same name. No wonder Zhao Heng didn't mention the bride's name at all; there was another reason for that.

He hadn't forgotten.

"Wen Ruo!"

The masked man suddenly chuckled, his playful voice slowly slipping into your ears, "So you are! You enjoy playing the hero and rescuing the damsel in distress so much, how does it feel to be an official?"

The deliberately rising tone at the end of the note carried a hint of inquiry, and even a touch of mockery. Recalling the fleeting glimpse of someone passing by, a defensive stance was almost simultaneously adopted.

Wen Ruo immediately perked up, took her hand and held it in front of her, saying slowly and deliberately, "That's good. Take her case for example, me."

"Our Dali Temple has accepted it."

Cen Boxi quickly waved his hand, "Are you crazy? That's Qi Guanlan. He has a matchmaker and a betrothal."

He An and Lü Shaoming exchanged glances, looking at the Junior Minister with surprise. Zhu Fei sighed softly, "Troublemaker."

He truly doesn't know what fear is. He was initially skeptical of her words, but now he finds them perfectly reasonable. Only in this way could she be so bold.

It seems that not all those events back then were caused by Qi Guanlan.

All eyes were on her. Wen Ruo cleared her throat. "The Great Qi has always governed the country according to the law. It is written in the law that anyone who changes his surname without permission shall be sentenced to one year of penal servitude. If members of the royal family knowingly commit the crime, they shall be punished even more severely. I wonder if Young Master Gu is aware of this?"

"Really?"

A look of joy appeared on the woman's face. She quickly wiped away her tears and said, "I can see it clearly. The words on the marriage certificate are not so simple. It's not my surname, it's yours."

Utterly absurd!

Wen Ruo's face suddenly darkened, as if dark clouds were pressing down on her, and her brows were almost furrowed into the shape of the character "八". Qi Guanlan knew he was absurd, but he never expected him to be so crazy.

She tightened her lower lip, her eyes glaring at Gu Ying like sharp blades. "So you want to take the blame for Qi Guanlan changing his surname and send him to jail? Or should I talk to her father about the crime of changing his surname?"

The air froze instantly. Cen Boxi's eyes widened. She was truly not being arrogant because of Qi Guanlan's favor. Even if Qi Guanlan was willing, he could swallow this insult.

The next moment, a sneer rang in my ears.

"Bestowing a surname is merely a matter of His Majesty's word; you don't really think you can imprison him, do you?"

"Of course I know."

Wen Ruo remained unfazed, raising her head. "I will send the person back once His Majesty's decree arrives."

"Well done!"

After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out the words, "Let's go!"

Back at the Dali Temple, Wen Ruo calmly submitted the case file. Dusk streamed through the window, casting shadows on Wen Ruo's indistinct face. She lay on the desk, her eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep, her murmurs barely audible.

No matter what she said, she refused to leave, as if she were clinging to her. Wen Ru woke her up, and the two finished their shifts.

In the corridor of the Dali Temple, Wen Ruo led the way, followed by a string of people. Miss Wen stayed close by her side, and even He An, who was indifferent to the matter, walked behind Lü Shaoming. Cen Boxi looked on with schadenfreude.

As soon as I stepped out of the Dali Temple gate, I saw the familiar carriage.

"Brother Xiao Shun!"

Wen Ruo gave an awkward smile, "Long time no see, you've really changed a lot, I almost didn't recognize you."

A flicker of excitement flashed in Xiao Shun's eyes, but with someone staring at the back of his head, he didn't dare say anything and simply stepped aside. Qi Guanlan slowly walked out of the carriage. "What, trying to take my fiancée somewhere again?"

"This is the second time you've ruined my wedding. Could it be that you've realized you like me? Too bad it's too late, I don't like you anymore."

She gave him the hairpin with floating cloud tassels, and he finally understood.

If you don't like her, why are you acting like this now? Miss Wen keeps talking about Princess Rongjing.

Was it to spite his mother?

Wen Ruo snapped out of her thoughts and looked around to find that several people were staring at her. When she looked over, everyone's eyes darted away, but their heels seemed glued to the ground, all waiting to see what would happen.

She took a deep breath, her eyes smiling, "Doesn't Young Master Qi know what kind of person I like?"

Qi Guanlan was slender, dressed in a dark blue court robe. The five-clawed golden dragon on his chest seemed to soar through the clouds under the headlights, and the jade belt around his waist shimmered with a cold light. The once noble and unparalleled arch of his eyebrows was now as calm and undisturbed as autumn water.

Winter is approaching again. His pale face and slightly cold eyes made the once dashing young man resemble an ascetic monk, the layers of court robes weighing him down like shackles. It's said he spent several years at Yan'an Temple, only returning after the princess's repeated pleas. Had he extinguished all human desires through his Buddhist practice?

Qi Guanlan was silent for a while, then raised his head and smiled, saying, "Five years is too long. It's so long that I've forgotten you like someone as imposing as General Gu."

With a gentle and refined face, she neither flinched nor avoided him, her bright eyes staring straight at him. Suddenly, she looked around as if searching for someone, then a hint of regret flashed in her eyes. "Indeed, the masked gentleman I met today is quite to my liking."

This was pure adding fuel to the fire, and Lü Shaoming's heart sank. Would the Prince of Anping cause trouble for him later? He couldn't help but tug at her sleeve and said in a low voice with a forced smile, "That's too much."

Don't be so blunt. It turns out their complicated relationship was a case of the man having feelings for the woman, but she wasn't interested.

He Anqi asked, "Aren't you emotionally deficient?"

Wen Ruo glanced at him sideways, and He An realized his slip of the tongue. He immediately shrugged and hid behind Lü Shaoming, saying awkwardly, "I was just joking."

"You're right, she's heartless."

Their gaze lingered on him for only a moment before swiftly and decisively moving away, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance.

"The imperial decree is here."

The bright yellow imperial edict lay in his palm. Qi Guanlan casually unfolded it and laid it out in front of everyone, declaring, "Bestow a surname!"

Yet another "arranged marriage."

His tone was flat, showing no trace of the joy of his impending marriage.

"Lord Wen, is there any other question?"

Two imperial edicts—His Majesty is truly a good uncle to Qi Guanlan, so protective of his own; who can resist him?

Before Wen Ruo could even look up, he turned to the side, looking down at her with utter indifference, and said, "Wen Ruo, come back with me."

The hazy voice seemed to come from near and then disappear, like walking barefoot in the fog. The fog, which had been silent for years, suddenly dissipated, revealing a towering cliff ahead that inspired awe. A chill instantly ran from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.

Wen Ruo broke out in a cold sweat. She secretly pinched herself; it was really true.

Now that things had come to this, she seemed powerless to do anything. Words of comfort stuck in her throat, and she couldn't bring herself to say them.

As if sensing something, Wenruo grabbed Wenruo's clothes, "I'm not leaving!"

Wen Ruo bit her lower lip, somewhat embarrassed: "Unless your father is willing to break off the engagement and accept twenty punishments, otherwise..."

The rest of the words were on the tip of her tongue, but Wen Ruo looked at her quietly, tears welling up in the corners of her round eyes. Her slightly calloused hands gripped her sleeve tightly, her eyes lifeless, yet she stubbornly refused to let go. "You're the one who dragged me down!"

"I just want to be with the person I love."

"Daily necessities, the passage of time, no one can love forever."

Wenruo angrily flung her sleeve away, "He's so obsessed with chanting sutras, can't you imagine what kind of life he'll lead after we get married? I've had enough, I'm not a block of wood."

As darkness fell, though they were close, Qi Guanlan's figure remained blurry to her eyes. In the five years that had passed, he seemed like a completely different person. The wind blew, and the melodious sound of the bells echoed in the empty gates of the Dali Temple, sounding more like a death knell.

Wen Ruo couldn't quite describe her feelings at that moment. She looked at Qi Guanlan and asked, "Does it have to be this way? Aren't you afraid the princess will be hurt?"

"sad?"

Qi Guanlan's wide sleeves hung down behind him. He turned his back, his deep voice filled with unconcealed despair, "She said that the moment I fell into demonic possession, I was already heartbroken."

"And you, it's too late for you to care about me now."

"take away!"

......

"Wait!"

"Master Wu Hui once said, 'Without seeing one's inner demons, how can one save oneself?'" Wen Ruo composed herself and walked confidently to the carriage. "Why bother with a fake? I'll help you!"

Qi Guanlan paused, slowly turning his head, his expression still indifferent, unaware that his slender hands inside his sleeves had already quietly clenched into fists. "Is this your stalling tactic?"

Wen Ruo stood there, stunned.

"What, are you surprised?"

"Wen Ruo, things are different now than before."

"Did you think I would just give up?"

"Do you regret not secretly sending her out of the city? You can change your appearance."

"What's wrong? Have you gone stupid from reading too much? Where did your eloquence go?"