Chapter 49 Who exactly is in Yongning Ward? ...

Minister Xie entered the palace carrying a storybook.

In just one morning, the news spread throughout the capital that Minister Xie had cornered Marquis Anyuan, He Xiao, in front of the Emperor, crying and making a scene, threatening to smash his head against a pillar, and demanding that the Emperor uphold justice for the Xie family.

This sudden farce left even the emperor bewildered. He Xiao was even more at a loss. The old general, who had fought for more than ten years, raised his hands and retreated to the corner of the wall, afraid that he might accidentally bump into Xie Shichang and be blamed by him again.

Xie Shichang gritted his teeth and presented the storybook to the emperor, explaining the cause and effect. Only then did the emperor and He Xiao understand what had happened.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat strange.

Emperor Fengle kept a straight face, not daring to think about the plots written in the storybooks.

He Xiao blankly flipped through the entire book, then hesitated to speak.

Emperor Fengle looked at him, his tone revealing undisguised embarrassment: "What does the Imperial Uncle say about this matter?"

He Xiao glanced at Xie Shichang and said, "The storybook says it's about Minister Xie, which is a homophone but a different character. Why would Minister Xie want to take the blame for himself? Don't you think so?"

"Am I trying to take the blame upon myself?" Xie Shichang roared. "These rumors are spreading throughout the entire East Market, ruining the reputation of the Xie family! Does Marquis Anyuan dare to say that this matter has nothing to do with He Zheng?"

He Xiao thought about what his youngest son had done and didn't dare to say that.

Seeing this situation, Emperor Fengle could only appease both sides and immediately sent people out of the palace to investigate whether Xie Shichang's words were true.

The three waited in the study for the entire afternoon before the eunuch finally reported that the situation was true.

At this very moment, He Zheng was still sitting at the entrance of the East Market Bookstore, personally hawking his storybooks.

He Xiao nearly choked on his breath. Not daring to look at Xie Shichang's angry expression, he could only apologize to the emperor: "I have failed in my duty to educate my son. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Looking at Xie Shichang's angry expression and He Xiao's embarrassed appearance, Emperor Fengle couldn't help but find the two of them somewhat comical.

Under Xie Shichang's gaze, which seemed to have been deeply humiliated, the emperor finally issued an edict, fining An Yuanbo three months' salary and ordering the He family to strictly discipline He Zheng.

The next day at noon, He Zheng set up his stall in front of the bookstore as usual.

Many candidates wanted to read storybooks, but fearing retaliation from the Xie family, they deliberately dressed in ordinary cloth clothes, wrapped their heads in coarse cloth, and wished they could wear a set of night clothes to cover their faces. They hunched over and lowered their heads to approach the bookstall, their eyes shining.

Unable to contain their curiosity, someone whispered, "Young Master He, you are so knowledgeable and insightful. Are the things written in these stories true?"

He Zheng draped the palm-leaf fan over his chest, feigning profundity, and said, "It's better to believe it or not. I won't say more; you can decide for yourselves."

The more mysterious he became, the more eager the crowd was to find out the truth. He Zheng was surrounded by a throng of people, many of whom were scholars who used to look down on martial arts practitioners, begging him to say a few more words.

Just then, the steward of the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion arrived with two servants. He stood imposingly on the periphery of the crowd, and the people, intimidated, silently made way for him.

Under the expectant gazes of the students, He Zheng was led by the steward to the carriage to return to the mansion.

After more than half a month, he returned to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw He Xiao sitting high in the hall, with He Ting standing beside him with his arms crossed. The two looked serious, unlike their usual easygoing selves.

Oh, and there's an imperial edict on the table.

He Zhengchao bowed and greeted the emperor. Just as he was about to ask what imperial decree was in order and whether it concerned him, his father tossed him a familiar book of storybooks.

He Xiao had already heard about He Zheng's book-selling spree from the eunuch the day before, and the steward had just gone to find him to verify it, but still patiently asked again: "Does this have anything to do with you?"

He Zheng glanced at the cover, didn't intend to open it, and simply admitted, "Yes."

Seeing that he still showed no fear, He Xiao was furious and couldn't help but raise his voice to question, "Did you really write this?"

He Zheng hesitated for a moment, then replied vaguely, "Just take it as that."

He Xiao was amused and annoyed. He turned and exchanged a glance with his eldest son, He Ting. Then he pointed to the scroll in his hand and said, word by word, "Minister Xie had a night with Shi Lang, Vice Minister Zhang was secretly jealous, Yongxingfang was indulging in nightly revelry, and the handsome young man was intimate with someone of unparalleled beauty... This disgusting thing, did you write it?"

"Hmm." He Zheng looked up at the sky, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out of his nose.

"That's bullshit!"

Unable to bear it any longer, He Xiao slammed his hand on the table, grabbed a teacup, and threw it at him. "Trying to fool me with nonsense? Your father may be illiterate, but he's not blind! With the little knowledge you have, you think you can write such erotic stories? You're kidding me!"

He Zheng had practiced martial arts since childhood and was agile. Seeing that the situation was not good, he dodged away in a flash.

The teacup crashed to the ground some distance away, shattering into countless fragments. Fortunately, He Xiao was strong enough that the shards of porcelain, scattered far away, did not land on him.

In He Xiao's eyes, this scene was tantamount to fanning the flames.

Enraged, He Xiao gathered his strength and his voice boomed like a bell: "You little brat, you dare to hide?"

He Zheng not only dared to hide, he also tried to run away.

However, the An Yuan Marquis's mansion was full of hidden talents, and many of the servants were warriors who had followed He Xiao through thick and thin. He was no match for four hands with one punch. He had just taken a step back when two dark figures appeared outside the door and blocked the door frame.

He Ting stared intently at him, a playful smile playing on his lips, and said, "Haven't been home for half a month, so eager to leave?"

After carefully assessing the situation, He Zheng became obedient, stepped forward, and knelt before He Xiao.

"In short, this was my doing alone, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. I will accept whatever punishment is due."

He Xiao picked up the imperial edict and poked his forehead, saying helplessly, "If you're going to do something, do it cleanly. Yesterday, Xie Shichang led more than a dozen disciples to the Emperor's court, demanding an explanation from us. The imperial edict reprimanding him has already been sent home. What do you expect your father to do?"

He Zheng, however, was righteous and awe-inspiring. He spread his arms, closed his eyes, and said, "Then tie me up and send me to the Emperor for judgment."

He Xiao placed the imperial edict back on the coffee table and remained silent, pursing his lips.

Seeing this, He Ting knew that he would have to play the villain again.

"His Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state; how could he have the time to judge your case?" After saying this, he ordered the steward in a deep voice, "Bring the family disciplinary rod and punish him with fifty lashes. This will also serve as an explanation to the palace."

The steward received the order but didn't dare to move, instinctively glancing at An Yuanbo's expression.

Erlangjun is the apple of the eye of the Earl and his wife. Without the Earl's permission, no one would dare to lay a finger on him.

He Xiao raised his chin, and the butler understood, then left to carry out the order.

He Ting then instructed the other servants: "Open all the doors, and in a moment, blow louder so the neighbors can hear it."

Fifty lashes are no small amount, and he even specifically instructed that they be lashed louder? He Zheng reasonably suspected that his elder brother had long disliked him and was taking this opportunity to settle a personal score.

"Brother, you're already the heir apparent! What good will it do you to kill me!"

He Ting laughed: "Ten more lashes."

He Zheng decisively changed his target, grabbing He Xiao's clothes, "Father, aren't you going to do anything about this? Brothers fighting amongst themselves, turning against each other, this is the beginning of a great disaster!"

He Xiao sighed, patted the back of his hand, and then instructed Jing Hong to fetch a cloak.

He Ting complained, "Wearing such thick clothes, how can he even feel pain?"

He Zheng gritted his teeth: "That's a cloak, not armor!"

He Ting ignored him and instead bowed to He Xiao, advising, "Father, we should go all the way. What if the palace sends a royal physician to treat his injuries, and they find the boy is unharmed after taking off his clothes? Wouldn't we be guilty of deceiving the emperor?"

He Xiao glanced at He Zheng's clothes. They weren't very thick, but they were early spring clothes with three layers of fabric inside and out, so they shouldn't cause any problems.

Then he waved his hand again, ordering Jinghong to take the cloak back.

…

As evening approached, Yu Mingshu put down his collection of essays and suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside the back wall.

"Gently, gently, don't hurt my lord!"

"You blind fool, go and fetch the wound medicine!"

"My lord wants water, why aren't you going to boil some water?"

“My lord, your injuries are so severe, you should stay at home to recuperate. Why endure the bumpy ride back to Yongning Ward…”

Key words extracted: severe injury, wound medicine.

Yu Mingshu's brow twitched. She pushed open the door, stepped onto the wooden crate, and asked, "Jinghong, what's wrong with your husband?"

Jinghong looked back at the person on the wall, his tone carrying a hint of reproach: "It's all because of that girl's storybook!"

Yu Mingshu frowned. "Explain yourself clearly. What happened to him?"

"My lord, he..."

No sooner had he spoken than a furious shout rang out from inside the room: "Jinghong! Shut up!"

Unfortunately, Jinghong's mouth was loose as if it had been loosened for more than ten years. Before He Zheng in the room could react and rush out to cover his mouth, he had already poured out the whole story.

Upon hearing that He Zheng had been whipped sixty times, Yu Mingshu disregarded all etiquette, climbed over the wall, and barged into He Zheng's bedroom.

The room was dimly lit. He Zheng sat under the window with his back to the door, seemingly preparing to apply medicine to himself. Hearing the door open, he hurriedly picked up a black silk robe and draped it over his shoulders, his right hand still tightly pressing against his left shoulder, as if afraid the thin silk would slip off.

Yu Mingshu stopped two steps away. The room was filled with a strong smell of medicine, which made her eyes red. She felt as if someone had grabbed her heart, feeling guilty, worried, and a little angry.

"You've suffered such serious injuries, why didn't you stay at the Marquis of Anyuan's residence to recuperate? What are you doing coming back here?"

He Zheng had an answer in his heart, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Yu Mingshu sighed silently, took another step forward, and softened his voice: "Are you badly injured? Does it hurt?"

Hearing the person behind him approaching, He Zheng's ears turned red, and he quickly shook his head, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Yu Mingshu was still worried. Her back was thin and had little flesh, so how could it withstand the whipping? She stared at the thin silk dress, probably imagining a bloody and gruesome scene...

For the first time in her life, she boldly asked, "May I take a look?"

"No!" He Zheng's body tensed up suddenly, pulling at the fine wounds on his back and causing a sharp pain.

Yu Mingshu could clearly see the knuckles on his shoulder tightening, and beads of sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

She couldn't help but chuckle: "I just asked you to lift your clothes, not to take off your pants. What's there to be afraid of, you're a grown man?" With that, she reached out her hand.

In his panic, He Zheng tried to grab the collar of his clothes, but he was too late. A gust of cool wind swept by, and Yu Mingshu lifted the thin shirt on his body, revealing his scarred back.

He could only retract his hand, which was frozen in mid-air, and cover his face as if deceiving himself.

A moment later, he heard the person behind him breathe a sigh of relief.

He Zheng's injuries were not as serious as imagined. Dozens of red lashes crisscrossed the wounds, yet not a single one drew blood. The fact that he was only injured like this after sixty lashes was enough to show how much the Earl of Anyuan doted on his youngest son.

Yu Mingshu felt somewhat relieved.

Just as my gaze lingered behind him, many unclean thoughts involuntarily surfaced in my mind.

He Zheng's physique was indeed as Cui Hongli had described: broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and firm muscles. He was more robust than a scholar, yet not as rugged as a warrior. Upon closer inspection of the crisscrossing scars, they did not appear grotesque or terrifying at all; in fact, they were somewhat... pleasing to the eye.

He Zheng felt uneasy under the gaze. "Have you looked enough?"

Yu Mingshu swallowed hard, his throat dry. After a moment, he felt uneasy and silently looked away, picking up the medicine bottle and unused gauze from the table.

"You can't see it yourself, so let me apply the medicine for you."

He Zheng's ears turned bright red, "No need! Let Jing Hong do it!"

Yu Mingshu glanced outside the door; Jing Hong had long since walked away.

My heart was beating a little fast. I put one hand on his shoulder and said, trying to sound calm, "If you feel uncomfortable like this, you can lie on the bed."

He Zheng remained silent, standing still without moving.

Sitting is better than lying down.

Yu Mingshu poured the medicine onto the gauze and then gently touched the wound with it. The medicine inevitably caused a stinging pain when it touched the wound, and from her perspective, she could clearly see the slight trembling of his back muscles with each movement.

Worried that she might have hit too hard, she softened her movements and tentatively asked, "Does it hurt?"

“It’s not that fragile,” He Zheng said with his eyes closed.

"Then I'll be gentler," Yu Mingshu replied, seemingly unrelated to the question.

After applying the medicine, He Zheng silently picked up his clothes and dressed neatly, then turned to meet her complex emotions in her eyes.

"It really doesn't hurt. It's not as bad as the bumps and bruises I get when I'm practicing martial arts."

Yu Mingshu looked away and said, "If I had asked you even one more question about your plans, I would never have handed the storybook to you."

He Zheng's heart suddenly jumped, and he asked in confusion, "Why?"

“I can accept your help because we are friends,” Yu Mingshu said seriously, “but I cannot accept that you will make enemies for the Marquis of Anyuan’s family in order to help me.”

He Zheng said, "The Xie family is no longer a threat now that Xie Shichang has fallen into their hands."

Yu Mingshu shook his head and said, "Your surname is He, you are the Empress's nephew and the Crown Prince's cousin. The Emperor will not punish you for a trivial matter, and powerful families will not dare to touch you easily. This is certainly your source of confidence. But confidence is like an ironclad guarantee; it cannot be transferred."

He Zheng was completely confused. "I didn't..."

Yu Mingshu said, "There are many ways to stand up for a friend. Responding to violence with violence and ruining one's own reputation is the worst approach."

"I don't care about reputation," He Zheng shrugged.

"This isn't a matter of whether we care or not!"

Yu Mingshu couldn't help but raise his voice: "You are clearly knowledgeable and farsighted, with a high comprehension in reading, and you practice martial arts diligently without ceasing. From the sixth day of the Lunar New Year until today, I have heard you practicing with spears and knives in the courtyard every morning for a whole month without ever slacking off! You are clearly not a pampered son of a cockfighting and dog-racing family. You deserve the praise and acclaim of the world, so why do you insist on ruining your reputation and destroying your future?"

He Zheng stared at her blankly, remaining silent for a long time.

Yu Mingshu could tell that he had taken it to heart.

"Burning oneself to light up others sounds touching, but it's not. Only treacherous spirits need sacrifices; friends only want what's best for you!"

She paused, then pressed down on He Zheng's head, forcing him to look at her.

"He Xingzhao, if you really want me to be at ease, then stop making these self-righteous sacrifices."

After a long silence, He Zhengcai said, "I understand."

…

That night, the Anyuan Earl's mansion was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

When Tao heard that her youngest son had been punished, she was extremely anxious. She chased He Xiao around the courtyard three times with her sword before being stopped by her eldest son and daughter-in-law, who then put away their swords.

He Ting and Madam Chen each helped one of the elderly people back to the main hall.

He Xiao took a sip of tea, pointed at He Ting, and accused Tao Shi, "Madam, I swear to heaven, it was the eldest son who wanted to enforce the family rules. How could I bear to be so cruel to the second son!"

He Ting rolled his eyes inwardly, but outwardly he could only agree: "It was indeed my order to punish Erlang. Mother, blame me if you want."

Tao was furious and punched her husband again. "Do you think I'm easy to fool? If you don't agree, who would dare to lay a finger on Erlang?"

He Xiao looked up at the sky, furious but unable to speak out.

Tao then asked the servants, "How is Erlang's injury? Has it been treated? Is he sad? Why isn't he coming out to eat?"

The servants in the west courtyard were sweating bullets. They bowed to the lady and said, "Second Master insists on returning to Yongning Ward and will leave this afternoon."

Tao was shocked: "Erlang is injured and still has to rush back. Who is in Yongning Ward?"

As one of the few people in the household who knew the inside story, He Ting and Madam Chen exchanged a glance, unsure whether they should speak up.

Neither of them expected that when He Xiao tapped the table, an inconspicuous servant would appear and recount everything that had happened after He Zheng returned to Yongningfang, even repeating the conversation between He Zheng and Yu Mingshu word for word.

He Ting looked at his father with an increasingly strange gaze. Is this how spies who gather military intelligence are used?

After hearing the servant's report, He Xiao waved his hand to signal him to leave, then turned to Tao Shi with a smile: "Madam, are you relieved now?"

I feel relieved, so relieved.

Erlang's injuries are not serious, and he doesn't seem to have had any grudges against his father and brothers. He also has a girl he cares about in Yongningfang, and there is hope that he can settle down and find a wife...

Tao couldn't be more at ease.

When she first heard that He Zheng was selling storybooks for Yu Mingshu and spreading rumors about Xie Shichang, she felt a little uncomfortable, worried that this Yu woman was as scheming and ambitious as rumored.

Hearing their subsequent conversation, especially Yu Mingshu's lengthy persuasion of He Zheng, not only was Tao Shi completely reassured, but all four present were also free of any worries.

…

As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, the sound of a spear cutting through the wind could be heard precisely outside the wall.

Yu Mingshu listened in the room for a while, but her mind wandered, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her reading. So she brought a ladder, took her collection of questions, and climbed onto the roof.

He Zheng leaped into the air while wielding his spear, flipped over, and suddenly saw the figure on the roof, his movements freezing for a moment.

Perhaps out of fear of being seen by Yu Mingshu, or perhaps out of fear of accidentally getting hurt, He Zheng always wore a simple cloth undershirt when he did his morning exercise.

The black fabric didn't show water stains, but he wore the heavy-duty clothes as if they were close-fitting, clearly indicating that he was drenched in sweat.

Yu Mingshu couldn't help but shout at him, "You're covering your back with whip marks and sweat, aren't you afraid of the pain?"

Her response was the whistling of the wind.

After practicing a set of marksmanship, the gun barrel was firmly driven into the brick seam. He Zheng took the towel handed to him by Jing Hong, wiped his sweat, and then smiled broadly at Yu Mingshu.

"This minor injury will heal overnight." Setting aside the silver spear, He Zheng untied the ribbon with one hand. "Don't believe me? Take another look."

Yesterday, it felt like it would kill me to even catch a glimpse of him, but today he's so open about undressing himself. Has this guy been possessed by a ghost?

Yu Mingshu remained silent, closed the book, climbed down from the roof, and skillfully scaled the rooftop into He Zheng's residence.

He Zheng's coat was half-open, and he looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Why did you come down?"

Yu Mingshu said, "We can see it more clearly if we get closer."

As expected, the person in front of me suddenly blushed, the redness extending all the way to their ears.

He Zheng seemed startled and hurriedly tied the scattered sash back on, his hands moving so fast it was like he was on double speed. He then pulled his collar inwards to tighten it, adopting a defensive stance.

The smile then shifted to Yu Mingshu's face.

Having satisfied her perverse pleasure, she decided to stop while she was ahead, waving the workbook in her hand and saying, "You keep practicing, I'm going back to review."

Perhaps as preparation for her to climb over the wall, several wooden boxes were thoughtfully placed at the base of the wall of the He residence. Yu Mingshu became more and more skilled at climbing over the wall, and lightly jumped back into her own yard without making a sound.

He Zheng stared blankly at the wall for a long time, then picked up the silver spear and continued his morning practice, unable to regain his previous focus.

I practiced for half an hour with a distracted mind, sweating profusely, but my heart grew increasingly restless.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he threw down his gun and shouted at Jinghong, "Fetch water! I want to take a bath!"