57. Hug

It was quiet at night, and the lights in the Yun Mansion were dim. Everyone seemed to have fallen asleep, but Qingzhu, who was sitting at the door, was suddenly startled by a series of rapid knocks on the door.

He was a little dazed, but he stood up and walked out. The night wind was cold and bleak, and the knocks on the door became more and more urgent.

Qingzhu frowned slightly and slowed down his pace, when he suddenly heard a cry with a crying tone.

"Wuwu... Sister Yun, Sister Yun... Save my sister and mother..."

Qingzhu paused, then immediately opened the door and saw Su Zheng wrapped in fox fur with tear marks on his face. He was crying so hard that he couldn't breathe, and his hands were tightly clutched with a stack of documents stained with thick blood.

"Wuwu...Sister..."

Qingzhu was startled and hurriedly pulled him in. The two ran towards Yun Zhihe's house.

Yun Zhihe had not fallen asleep yet. The candlelight was flickering. She picked up the pen to write about today's work. She rubbed her forehead to hide her tiredness.

Suddenly, she heard rapid and subtle sounds and crying outside the house, and she raised her eyes in an instant.

"Wuwuwu... Yun, Sister Yun! My sister and mother, they, they..."

When he saw her, Su Zheng cried so hard that he seemed to have no strength left and was about to collapse. Yun Zhihe was startled and picked him up.

"What happened?!"

"My sister and I went out to seek medical help for my mother's leg disease. Unexpectedly, on the way back to Beijing, we encountered thieves who wanted to kill my sister and mother... Then, I..."

It turned out that Su Lin heard that there was a miraculous doctor outside the capital who could bring people back to life, so he took his mother, whose leg was broken by the mob, to seek a doctor. However, he did not meet the miraculous doctor and his efforts were in vain.

On the way back to Beijing, they encountered thieves who didn't want money but wanted Su Lin's life. The Su family guards struggled with the thieves but died one by one. Su Lin was protecting Su Zheng when he was stabbed by a sword, and then he was told to run away quickly.

He also handed him a stack of documents and told him to give them to Yun Zhihe, telling him not to alarm anyone or trust anyone when he returned to Beijing.

Su Zheng hid in a cart transporting horse grass and entered the capital. After hiding for several days, he was exhausted both physically and mentally.

Only when she arrived at Yun Mansion did she feel relieved and cry.

Yun Zhihe took the blood-stained document from his arms.

"Wuwu... please save my mother and sister... Sister Yun, please save them..."

Su Zheng was so anxious that he couldn't breathe, his face was haggard and had traces of tears.

The thieves are not after money, they are after human lives. Add to that the document, things won't be that simple. After a few days, I'm afraid... it's more dangerous than good.

Yun Zhihe comforted him with a complicated look in his eyes, "I will send people to search that place immediately, just calm down first..."

"Save them, save them...save her..."

Su Zheng was panting, his face flushed red, and he fainted before he could finish his words.

Yun Zhihe felt Su Zheng's thin body in his arms, paused, put him on his bed, then put on his clothes, and said to Azhi with a serious expression.

"Hurry and send someone to investigate to see if there are any survivors. Prepare your horses! I want to go to the palace to see His Majesty!"

"By the way, be quiet. Don't let anyone notice, and don't let anyone know that Young Master Su Zheng is in the Yun Mansion!"

Azhi obeyed the order.

This is definitely not an accident. As the only survivor, Su Zheng is bound to be in danger.

Yun Zhihe pursed his lips.

…

A night of secret talks.

By the next day, things had become clear, and they even argued about it during the morning court session.

The fact that Su Lin and his mother were murdered was not reported by Yun Zhihe, but was reported to the central government by someone who saw corpses and a blood-stained carriage outside the capital.

According to the letter, the carriage was branded with the Su family's logo and hung next to the cliff. It was covered in blood and half of the bodies had fallen off the cliff. The cliff was difficult and no one dared to go down. So no one was found alive and no body was found after death.

There had always been bandits in that place, and some people were certain that it was the bandits who did it, so they wrote a petition to suppress the bandits.

Lord Chen's voice was tense, "Your Majesty! These bandits are too arrogant! They even murdered court officials, Lord Su, Madam Su, and the newly-wed Master Su. They were all killed. They are so arrogant! Your Majesty, please order the suppression of these bandits—!"

As soon as the word was spoken, everyone in the court supported it.

What they read were books of sages. From ancient times to the present, bandits murdering officials have always been a minority. They have never seen such arrogant bandits. The Su family massacre is truly outrageous!

Listening to the "suppression of bandits" declarations that were getting louder and louder, Yun Zhihe frowned slightly.

This incident... has not yet been confirmed to be the work of bandits.

Moreover, the imperial court needs to send people to investigate the place where the crime occurred before a conclusion can be drawn. It is too absolute to conclude that it was done by bandits now.

Although her people have already gone to the local area to investigate, they still need to be cautious.

Last night...what Su Zheng gave her was what Su Lin had been investigating these days -

The connection between the corruption in the Song family and the murder in the downtown area.

Yun Zhihe spoke.

"Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to send someone to investigate the scene and determine who is responsible."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lord Chen beside her glared at her, extremely angry. "You little brat! You've already killed someone, and you still want to go through that ridiculous process! Are you going to wait until all the bandits have fled before you start suppressing them?!"

"What on earth are you up to—!"

Yun Zhihe did not refute, but turned to Xuanyuan Ying and spoke again.

"Your Majesty, before suppressing the bandits, we should first understand the whole process of the crime. The bandits must be suppressed. Send troops to station there first, and it won't be too late to suppress them after we understand the whole process."

Her words also won the approval of many people.

And Queen Mother Cheng suddenly spoke.

"I beg for the order to lead the troops to suppress the bandits! To pacify the country and bring peace to the people of the world!"

As soon as the voice was raised, it was so resounding and powerful that the rest of the people were all persuaded and responded in unison.

Yun Zhihe met Xuanyuan Ying's gaze, then suddenly knelt down.

"Your Majesty! Madam Su Lin and I have always had a close relationship. I am deeply saddened. I also request your order to lead the troops to suppress the bandits and avenge my dear friend's enemy!"

Queen Mother Cheng snorted coldly, "Madam Yun is just a scholar. How can she understand the principles of riding a horse, shooting arrows, and fighting on the battlefield? Don't just talk about military affairs on paper. It's embarrassing."

...You're welcome.

Xuanyuan Ying paused, lowered his eyes, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice, each word slowly.

"I know you are deeply saddened by the tragic death of your dear friend. Revenge is the right thing to do. Therefore, Queen Mother Cheng and you will jointly lead the army to suppress the bandits and bring peace to the country."

This was already the convenience that Xuanyuan Ying could obtain for her. Yun Zhihe knelt down to express his gratitude.

Queen Mother Cheng paused, pursed her lips, and also knelt down to express her gratitude.

Yun Zhihe and Su Lin weren't close friends; they had just worked together for a while. How could they be so close? It was just a ploy to get along.

The news that Su Zheng was still alive was concealed, and when Su's father heard the news, he fainted. As soon as he woke up, he went to the ancient temple and said he wanted to stay there and pray to the gods and Buddhas to protect the Su family. He was crying so hard that he couldn't shed any tears.

The documents given by Su Zheng were also what Su Lin had been investigating these days.

Do you still remember that downtown murder case? Now that there's a clue to the matter, and it's connected to the huge sum of money in the Song Mansion, it vaguely points to the hometown of the downtown killer - Qing County.

Su Lin wrote in the document that he originally wanted to treat Su's mother, but he had not found a miracle doctor. On the way, he found a clue. He wanted to send Su's mother and Su Zheng back to the capital and then go to Qing County to investigate, but he never expected to encounter a thief.

No...it's not a thief, it should be...a killer.

Yun Zhihe concealed his thoughts and asked Qingzhu as soon as he entered the Yun Mansion, "Is he... okay?"

Qingzhu shook his head.

"Mr. Su woke up crying and was very depressed."

Yun Zhihe walked towards the room.

Although he was simple, he was not stupid. How could he not know that his mother and sister were in great danger? He just curled up in the bed and cried listlessly.

Yun Zhihe sighed softly, looked at Su Zheng who wrapped himself in the bed, and faintly heard crying.

She slowly pulled the quilt, resisting Su Zheng's strength, and Yun Zhihe pursed her lips.

"Be good...let me see you."

Perhaps it was because of her gentle words that the force pulling the quilt suddenly slowed down, and Yun Zhihe was able to slowly remove Su Zheng's quilt.

She saw that Su Zheng's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and he looked in a miserable state, no longer as lively and pretty as before.

Yun Zhihe paused. "I've already sent people to protect your father and told him you're safe. But from the outside, it seems you've already died along with... them. In order to uncover the mastermind behind this, I can only ask you to be my servant and accompany me to the scene of the crime."

"I've requested permission to go there. After an investigation, I will definitely be able to give you justice."

"The carriage is on the cliff, and we haven't found any news about your mother and sister... So, maybe they are still alive..."

She spoke concisely and to the point, and given her personality, it was the best comfort she could give.

Su Zheng blinked, then his eyes stayed on her, and he suddenly threw himself into her arms.

"Wuwuwuwu—Sister Yun! I, I'm so scared... And my sister and mother, they... they must be fine... they..."

How can one not sigh when a delicate young man who has just reached adulthood is hiding from place to place and enters the capital alone, with his heart filled with the blood of his mother and sister.

Yun Zhihe hugged him and gently stroked his back to comfort him.

The woman's embrace was warm and fragrant, and Su Zheng soon fell asleep sobbing. He held Yun Zhihe's waist tightly with his hands, refusing to let go, as if she would leave like his sister and mother.

Qingzhu stood beside her, watching Su Zheng fall asleep in her arms calmly.

Yun Zhihe hugged him, extremely gentle.

She is such a person.

It was clearly moonlight, hazy and cold, yet it carried a suffocating warmth.

Qingzhu closed his eyes, his fingertips trembling slightly.

They were about to set off. Before leaving, Xuanyuan Ying asked Lou Zhi to stay with Yun Zhihe to protect him, saying that the journey was dangerous and he was afraid that some evil people might be plotting against him in secret. Lou Zhi was a martial arts master, the best in Ling Dynasty, and was capable of protecting Yun Zhihe's safety.

Yun Zhihe agreed and looked up at Xuanyuan Ying's eyes.

Xuanyuan Ying did not dodge at all. He paused, stood up and walked in front of Yun Zhihe.

He pulled her up, his eyes complicated. Perhaps they hadn't had a good conversation since they got drunk that day.

"You, be careful on this journey..."

Yun Zhihe nodded and said, "I will be extremely careful on this trip. Your Majesty, don't worry."

Or maybe it was because he looked really strange, as if he carried a complicated and tangled feeling about him, and his voice sounded faint.

"If you give it your all, I...will do the same."

The voice is low and hoarse.

After he said this, he turned around and let Yun Zhihe leave.

Yun Zhihe was a little confused. This sentence sounded strange and incomprehensible.

Then Eunuch Li's voice was heard at the door, "Your Majesty! Queen Mother Cheng requests an audience!"

Although he didn't understand why, Yun Zhihe was still ready to turn around and leave.

“Hmm—”

As soon as I turned around, I was suddenly hugged from behind.

Xuanyuan Ying lowered his head and buried it in Yun Zhihe's neck, pressing his tall nose against his neck as he exhaled tremblingly.

"Jinniang...I..."

"I……"

Yun Zhihe was wrapped in warmth for a moment, and Xuanyuan Ying's body temperature was particularly hot.

"Do you know?"

Yun Zhihe's mind went blank.

Xuanyuan Ying's lips touched his neck, and his voice was hoarse with a sticky throat.

Especially... beautiful.

"I……"

——I’m happy with you.

Before he could finish, there was a "click" sound at the door, and the door was opened by Mother Cheng. Xuanyuan Ying on the screen paused, suddenly let go of Yun Zhihe, and quickly stepped back.

Then he said in a deep voice.

"Why not wait for the announcement?"

Mother Cheng knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Yun Zhihe was still standing there in a daze, lowered his eyes, and quickly left.

Mother Cheng turned her head to look at Yun Zhihe's departing back, lost in thought.

The author has something to say:

I want to make the male protagonist His Majesty... I really want to write some literature about an older virgin who loses his virginity and then gets pregnant, but is busy dealing with state affairs. He is cold and majestic in front of people, but behind people he holds his belly to coax the little bastard in his belly, and then cries and looks for his wife for comfort. He is afraid that he will become ugly due to his age and pregnancy, and he is always worried about gains and losses. He has to hug his wife every day. Some kind of literature about a spoiled husband, so... stop.