Chapter 51 He already possessed an unshakeable love...

Everything happened so suddenly, like this rain in the cold wind, with thunder and torrential rain like a waterfall. With a "boom," it poured down on the Yan residence, extinguishing the fire in half a day, turning into thick, foul smoke that drifted wisps throughout the entire city of Jinling.

The rain was terrifyingly heavy, and the Prince Rui's mansion was no longer as quiet as before. Chaotic footsteps pounded back and forth. Before long, Prince Rui's confidant rushed to the corridor and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I can confirm that Yan Yu and Yan Ruheng are dead beyond recognition."

Yu Chenghe's expression changed instantly. He took a few steps forward, stepped onto the stone steps, and his clean boots splashed water droplets, soiling the hem of his robe.

Having been a prince for so many years and born into the imperial family, Yu Chenghe only panicked for a moment before standing back up, clasping his arms behind his back and looking around at the torrential rain.

The pitch-black sky seemed to have been torn open, and in an instant, he seemed to have become a high-stakes gambler in a game, seeing the opportunity that was about to be revealed.

After thinking it over carefully, he asked, "Where is the Crown Prince?"

The trusted aide replied, "The young master is still at the Guo family home with Miss Guo."

Yu Chenghe nodded and immediately ordered, "Now! The Yan family is in chaos, catching everyone off guard. You must immediately take a group of people and cover me and the Queen as we leave the city through Chaoyang Gate!"

"Send another group to the Guo family to find the young master, and while they're at it, make contact with Guo Qi and have him take the young master through the North Gate!" As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chenghe's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He turned around, flicked his sleeve, and roared, "Quickly!"

The wind howled and the rain poured down throughout the city. Everyone was wide-eyed and hawk-eared. The news of the Yan family's misfortune spread throughout Jinling in just half an hour. Even the music and singing along the banks of the Huai River temporarily ceased. Everyone was terrified. From the gatekeepers to the common people, they only dared to peek through the cracks in their doors.

The horses' hooves seemed to shatter the long street as the government troops and the Imperial Guards mobilized together, surrounding the Lin, Wang, and Fan families.

Immediately, at the command of the Imperial Guards, the vermilion gate was smashed open, and maids and servants fled in panic, their screams drowned out by the thunder.

Beneath Chaoyang Gate, a caravan of merchants, clad in straw raincoats, drove two carts laden with silk and precious jewels. The leader, seeing the city gates tightly shut and the surroundings as usual, stepped forward, bowed to the guard, and uttered a pre-arranged coded message: "Please, sir, be lenient. We men make a living with difficulty; this shipment must be delivered to Yangzhou, and not a moment's delay can be tolerated!"

The next moment, he pretended to lift the tarpaulin covering the two vehicles.

Two figures in the caravan kept their heads down, not even raising their hands to wipe their robes, which were soaked by the rain from the edges of their straw hats.

After a long pause, the figure on the city wall chuckled and asked, "Yangzhou? Why doesn't Your Highness flee further away?"

In an instant, the sound of steady footsteps amidst the chaos swept in from all directions, and the group of merchants were surrounded by a group of Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes.

Qin Lizheng slowly walked forward, crossed his arms, and leaned down from the city wall, letting his face be reflected in Yu Chenghe's horrified eyes through the torrential rain. Their eyes met, and a hint of ice gradually gathered in Qin Lizheng's eyes. "Take him down."

The man who had spoken earlier was the leader of Yu Chenghe's secret guards. He quickly drew the sword from his waist and shouted, "Protect the Prince!"

Swords clashed, swords were broken one after another, and the guards fell to the ground one after another. Seeing that they were at a disadvantage, the guard leader gritted his teeth and hurriedly protected Yu Chenghe and the princess as they fled. "Your Highness! As long as we're alive, we can fight again. This trap was clearly waiting for you to fall into today!"

Qin Lizheng waited patiently for the long time to pass, how could he possibly give them a chance to escape? He sneered, flipped over and leaped over the wall, his figure rolling around in the rain with lightning speed, drew his embroidered spring knife from his waist, and cut off half of the leader's arm with one stroke.

In just a moment, they had turned around and blocked the way for Yu Chenghe and his wife.

Blood dripped from the tip of the knife, quickly washed away by the rain. Qin Lizheng looked at Yu Chenghe quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "The Yan family is currently facing a major upheaval. It was I who ordered the city gates to be sealed off. Your Highness's information network is rather poor. I would like to ask Your Highness, what are you doing going outside the city all of a sudden?"

Yu Chenghe's eyes were filled with horror. He glanced around and saw that all his guards had been captured. Panic began to rise in his heart, but he still maintained his composure. "How dare you! You dare to lay a hand on me! I don't know what I have done to deserve your waiting here to ambush me!"

Qin Lizheng nodded slightly, not exposing him, but just smiled and said, "Your Highness knows what you have done wrong. The sudden death of Yan Yu and his son is also something I've been wondering about. So, after discussing it with Lord Wei, we decided it would be best to seal the city gates and not let anyone leave the city."

He immediately changed the subject and raised his voice, ordering, "Prince Rui's behavior outside the city is suspicious. Seize Prince Rui and his wife!"

Qin Lizheng didn't mention the past or the embezzlement; he only used the word "suspicious" to arrest Yu Chenghe at this critical juncture. But ironically, this only made Yu Chenghe more uneasy, and he shouted all the way, "Have you eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard?! I am a member of the imperial family, holding an iron certificate personally bestowed by the founding emperor! How dare you capture me!"

Unfortunately, as the words faded, Qin Lizheng didn't even turn his head, letting the rain soak him to the bone, standing there in silence for a long time.

His fingers gripped the embroidered spring knife with extreme force, as if the bones would burst out of his flesh. Qin Lizheng had originally intended to arrest Yu Chenghe on charges of treason, but now that the moment had come, he changed his mind again—it wasn't the right time for Liang Tu to appear.

Qin Lizheng looked in the direction where Yu Chenghe and his wife had left. The wind and rain were chaotic, and a piece of broken tile on the eaves fell to the ground with a "crack".

Just like when he secretly came to Jinling to spy on the couple back then, he was filled with intense hatred and wanted to fulfill the vow he made back then, to make them pay back the pain they had inflicted on the Qin family, stroke by stroke, a thousand times, ten thousand times.

Chu Zhiyan watched quietly from the side, knowing that his heart was still troubled and that the time for him to feel at ease had not yet come. So he covered him with a raincoat and remained silent.

After a long pause, Qin Lizheng withdrew his gaze and asked calmly, "Did they send someone over from Bei'anmen?"

Chu Zhiyan nodded. "Yu Minsen can't escape."

Yu Minsen was horrified when he heard his father tell him to follow Guo Qi to escape through Bei'an Gate. After all, he had been well taken care of by Prince Rui and his wife since he was a child, and he looked somewhat bewildered and helpless.

Guo Qi's mind raced quickly. He immediately got up and escorted Yu Minsen to the Beian Gate. They walked through the torrential rain to the city gate, only to find that the guards who were supposed to be guarding the city were all on the city tower, and the gate was tightly closed.

Guo Qi had no choice but to quickly climb the stone steps to the city wall and order his men to open the city gates, leaving the few people from the Prince Rui's mansion who had come to deliver the message to guard the city wall.

Upon learning that Prince Rui was going to take Yu Minsen out of the city, Guo Yue, her scheming mind racing, simply dragged Yu Minsen up the city wall with her, took him to a secluded corner, and pressed him, "Where is the Prince taking you? Why did you ask my father to cover for you? When will you be back?"

Yu Minsen's mind was in a mess, but he still knew to coax her gently, "I don't know for now, but we can't just leave like this. Didn't something happen to the Yan family? It's probably because my father guessed that Jinling was going to be in chaos and didn't want to get involved in the conflict."

Guo Yue, however, did not believe in such things. In fact, she was already showing signs of backing down at this point, but the sense of prestige that the Prince Rui's mansion brought her was too addictive. She gripped his sleeve tightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, Jinling is about to fall into chaos. If you leave the city now, I don't know how long I will have to wait for you. You must give me a definite answer. No matter what happens, if you inherit the throne in the future, the position of the princess will definitely be mine."

Yu Minsen was slightly taken aback. He didn't expect her to still be thinking about fame and fortune at such a critical moment, and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Seeing the urgency of the situation and hearing the approaching sound of horses' hooves, he raised his voice, "Yueyue! What are you saying?"

Unfortunately, he didn't agree to Guo Yue's request and didn't say the right thing. It was at this critical moment that the figure of the Imperial Guard suddenly appeared in Guo Yue's sight.

Yu Minsen naturally noticed as well. He became anxious and quickly pulled away from Guo Yue's hand that was gripping his sleeve. He looked at Guo Qi and whispered urgently, "Uncle, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is here!"

Although somewhat bewildered, the sudden commotion—whether it was about escaping or the presence of the Imperial Guards—made Yu Minsen inexplicably certain that these Imperial Guards were after him! Sure enough, the Imperial Guards drew even closer, shouting at Guo Qi, "Orders from above: no one is allowed to leave the city today!"

Several guards from the Prince's mansion drew their swords to meet him, and Yu Minsen shuddered and instinctively turned to flee!

Before he could react, Guo Yue suddenly grabbed him and hugged him tightly. After a sudden, thunderous outburst, she said urgently, "I just need one definite answer from you! If I can sit on the throne of the princess in the future, my father will immediately open the city gates and let you go!"

Yu Minsen was also so anxious that he tensed his knuckles to grab her hand. This was no time for vows of eternal love. He said, "Yueyue! Let go!"

After failing to get a definite answer twice, Guo Yue gradually composed herself, leaning her face against his back and staring down at the Imperial Guards who were about to reach the city gate, immediately weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

Yes... With so many Imperial Guards mobilized to arrest Yu Minsen, who knows what Prince Rui has done wrong? Why didn't she realize it before? If he has done something wrong, it must be something serious, otherwise, with Prince Rui holding the imperial edict, who would dare to arrest him?

Guo Yue concealed the calculation hidden in her eyes, then thought it over carefully again. Her father was already a sixth-rank official, and it wasn't impossible for him to climb higher in the future. If something happened to the Prince Rui's mansion...

Yu Minsen was no longer her best choice.

Her face brushed against Yu Minsen's back, leaving a trail of tears. Seeing Yu Minsen anxiously looking down from the city wall, she suddenly lunged forward, crying, "Your Highness, I can't bear to part with you!"

Immediately, Yu Minsen accidentally fell off the city wall. In great fear, he tried his best to climb the stone wall. In his trembling eyes, Guo Yue's expression also changed in shock. She hurriedly tried to grab him, but because her hand was too slippery, she accidentally brushed his fingertips away.

Yu Minsen's body plummeted downwards, his robes billowing upwards, yet the wind and rain seemed to pierce through him, searing through his body with excruciating pain. He floated briefly in mid-air, his gaze towards Guo Yue filled with disbelief—

.

As the rain subsided, Qin Lizheng met Wei Ming in the imperial prison. Due to the sudden wind and rain, the prison was dark and cold, as if it were trying to seep into people's robes and cut through their skin.

Wei Ming, still wearing his official robes and holding a black gauze hat in his arms, sat wearily in the main hall of the imperial prison. He sighed with an ambiguous tone, "People often say that there are sudden rainstorms in Jiangnan. I have witnessed it this time. The weather changes are truly terrifying."

He looked up at Qin Lizheng standing in front of him and saw that Qin Lizheng's robe was still dripping with water, as if it were raining outside. The world beneath Qin Lizheng was also churning and surging.

Wei Mingjiu was in the capital and had dealt with Qin Qingshan before. When he came in, he already knew about the news that Prince Rui had been imprisoned. After thinking for a moment, he understood the situation.

Seeing that Qin Lizheng was not talking much, he wanted to change the subject and talk about the important matter of the day. "Commander Qin, thanks to this rain, the fire at the Yan family's house was extinguished. However, no remains were found in the house."

Qin Lizheng slowly lifted his eyelids to look at Wei Ming, and gently tapped his moist chin, "With such a commotion, naturally there will be no remains."

The prison was desolate. The words "no remains" pierced Fan Baozhu's heart like a sharp blade. She was imprisoned with her parents in a relatively clean and warm cell. At first, she sobbed softly, but gradually, her cries grew louder and turned into wailing.

"Impossible...impossible..." She looked helplessly at Mrs. Fan with tearful eyes, grabbed Mrs. Fan's hand tightly, and shook her head repeatedly, "Sanlang came to see me in the evening, talked to me, and gave me some things, how could he suddenly be gone?"

Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, "How could he die?"

Qin Lizheng heard the commotion and, after a moment's thought, walked up to her.

He was about to press for answers, but then he remembered that day at Jinghai Temple when Qian Yingyi had advised Yan Ruheng to cherish the person in front of him. He could hear the pity she felt for the girl in front of him, so when he spoke again, his voice softened. "What did you say Yan Ruheng gave you?"

Fan Baozhu was crying so hard she couldn't breathe and didn't answer for a moment.

Lord Fan, dressed in an ordinary gray-blue robe, sat cross-legged in the hay, looking dazed. The Yan family had gotten into trouble, but the Fan family had been imprisoned. Lord Fan knew the reason for this. He knew that he had long since betrayed the integrity he had maintained for decades, and felt ashamed. He could only sigh and bow high in the direction of the capital, saying, "If Your Majesty wishes to kill or punish me, I will have no intention of resisting."

His gloomy eyes immediately returned, staring at Qin Lizheng, and he said, "But my daughter is innocent and knows nothing about it. Can you please let her go?"

Mrs. Fan, however, was not as disheartened as he was. Holding the sobbing Fan Baozhu, she couldn't help but shed two lines of tears herself, crying out, "Commander, although the Fan family has made a mistake, we have never committed any evil deeds. If you can spare the lives of my entire family, this sinful woman is willing to confess everything and be treated leniently!"

After finishing her statement in one breath, she added, "Yan Sanlang gave Baozhu a brocade box."

Qin Lizheng nodded, then turned to look at Lord Fan. He didn't answer his question directly, but said, "Whether it's right or wrong, what will be the fate of your Fan family, and whether your daughter can be pardoned, is not up to me. Only the Emperor can decide."

He immediately turned and left, walking past several prison cells. Suddenly, Lin Bianhong's fat hand shot out from the gap, shouting in panic, "Why are you arresting me! Without any evidence! Why are you arresting me!"

Coincidentally, this side of the prison was filled with people from the Lin and Wang families, as well as some servants from the Yan family who hadn't had time to escape.

A boiling fire burned on the cold, black walls of the imperial prison, like the embers of the Yan residence that had not yet burned out. Qin Lizheng quietly surveyed the group of people, a cold smile creeping across his face. "Evidence?"

“That’s true,” Qin Lizheng nodded. “Catching a thief red-handed always requires evidence.”

He walked slowly to Lin Bianhong, staring at him through the fence. "Those landlords you almost silenced earlier, the tens of thousands of taels of silver unearthed from the Wen residence, Wen Jianzhou's confession, and the account books in Pei Ji's possession..."

"Is this enough to arrest you, Lord Lin?"

In the dead silence, Wang Yi stared wide-eyed. "Account books? What account books?"

Qin Lizheng turned around and smiled at Wang Yi, "Ambassador Wang, don't you know? Your distant cousin, Pei, had already been thinking about breaking up with you last year. You can only blame yourself for not being able to hold your liquor and telling him all these dirty things when you were drunk."

Wang Yi was horrified. When he came to his senses, he cursed angrily for a moment. After cursing, he was filled with a deep sense of fear.

Lin Bianhong remained defiant, attempting to shift all blame onto the now-deceased Yan Yu. "What landlord! You mean those few who were sued in Jiangning? Weren't those cases already adjudicated by Governor Yu? Yan Ruheng was even on the sidelines at the time. How did Wen Jianzhou end up with tens of thousands of taels of silver? Wasn't it all related to the Yan family? In every single case, which one involved my Lin family!"

"Who said there isn't?" Qin Lizheng glanced at Lin Bianhong, but spoke to his subordinate, "Bring them here."

In the damp and cold prison, a figure soon entered, following behind the Imperial Guards, head bowed.

Lin Bianhong almost thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes with his fat hands for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock, “Yan Wenying!”

Upon hearing the name, Xun Yun, who was behind him, hurriedly scrambled up from the haystack, her dark eyes fixed on Yan Wenying. After a long while, her shrill voice was filled with anguish, "Bitch! Bitch! Give me back my whole son!"

Lin Yuhu huddled in the corner, staring blankly at Yan Wenying. At first, he was stunned for a moment, then, like a child who had lost his mind, he desperately shrank back against the wall, half his face hidden in darkness. His lips moved incessantly, and when his tongue was partially exposed, it was a glaringly bright red. "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer! Lord of the Underworld! Don't take me! I know what retribution is! I know! Haha, don't come any closer!"

Qin Lizheng watched him go mad indifferently, then turned his gaze to Lin Bianhong. "To this day, she has not shown her face. The marriage relationship between the Yan and Lin families is still recorded in the government archives. As your daughter-in-law, she can also be considered a member of your Lin family. Is her testimony enough for me to arrest you?"

Lin Bianhong stared at Yan Wenying with his mouth slightly open and his eyes filled with hatred, but he could no longer utter any words of excuse.

Qin Lizheng coldly swept his face, which had suddenly changed color, and sneered. As he walked past Yan Wenying, he said, "You've been given a few months of freedom. You should be satisfied. You're the only one left in the Yan family. Once your confession is presented to the Emperor, whether you live or die will be entirely up to the Emperor to decide how to deal with the Yan family."

Although Yan Wenying was not as beautiful as before, and was wearing an ordinary indigo vest, there was no regret in her eyes. She just stared at the Lin family, then broke into a very happy laugh, and followed the Imperial Guards into the prison cell.

She sat across from Lin Yu Lake, quietly watching him, truly like a lord of the underworld. As for the confession, or the claim that she was the only one left in the Yan family, she didn't care.

Her soul is already free.

As they walked out of the imperial prison, the Embroidered Uniform Guard came to report, "Commander, in a moment of carelessness, Pei Ji got ahead and escaped."

Qin Lizheng frowned, his eyes still cold. "Send a few men to search along the route towards Huai'an Prefecture."

“I ordered someone to search the Fan residence. Fan Baozhu had received a box from Yan Ruheng, and she came to see me after she got the box.”

"As for Prince Rui, let him shout whatever he wants, I have my own arrangements."

The Imperial Guards withdrew in response.

The rain gradually subsided, and the strong, strange smell that had emanated from the Yan residence earlier had disappeared.

Qin Lizheng glanced up at the dark sky, thinking that Qian Yingyi had been quite frightened today. He then looked down at his own disheveled state, remembering her usual cleanliness, and couldn't help but smile. Without lingering, he immediately left, intending to change his clothes and go find her clean.

Qian Yingyi was staring blankly at the raindrops dripping from the eaves, muttering, "The rain is getting lighter..."

"The fire at the Yan residence is out," Qian Linye's slightly deep voice came from behind her. "Don't stand too far outside, what if you catch a cold?"

The Qian family members sat in the small flower hall. Xu Jun held a cup and sipped her hot tea, her tone horrified, still carrying a lingering fear, "How could Yan Sanlang have thought of blowing up a pair of parents?"

“He is not Yan Yu’s biological son,” Qian Yingyi turned around and sat down next to Qian Yuxing, pressing her face against Qian Yuxing’s knee. “I only heard from A Zheng and the others today that Yan Yu suffers from a hidden illness, and her original biological son has long since died. He is the son of Yan Yu’s younger brother.”

There was a brief moment of surprise among the crowd. Qian Yuxing rolled her eyes and guessed, "You told us before that he wasn't just someone who did evil deeds. Could it be that he's determined to take Yan Yu down to the underworld with him?"

After all the twists and turns, the fake parents and the son who might have genuine feelings have long since been shattered beyond recognition. It's pointless to dwell on Yan Ruheng's motives now.

Qian Yingyi didn't reply, but held onto Qian Yuxing tightly, thinking to herself that the change in the world was truly terrifying.

Having worked as an editor in the Hanlin Academy for several years, Qian Linye was naturally very perceptive. He sighed, "The officialdom in Jinling is in turmoil. After today, this person will surely invite you to ask questions, and that person will invite you for tea. For a while, people will be filled with anxiety."

Qian Lanting nodded in agreement, looking exhausted, clearly having just returned from the Ministry of Works. He slumped back in his chair.

Regarding what happened to the Yan family, he simply sighed, "As an official, one should not be so greedy. Now he has ended up with no remains. He did not enjoy any of the things he had embezzled. If he had known this would happen, why did he have to scheme and plot for money? In the end, he died and it was all over. But who can the suffering people turn to for justice?"

He was strict in managing his family when he was young, and upon hearing about this matter, he repeatedly emphasized to Qian Linye, "Remember what your grandfather told you. As a member of the Qian family, you must live up to the words 'honest and upright' in both your conduct and your actions."

Qian Linye readily agreed in a deep voice.

Qian Yingyi felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite put into words. Seeing that the rain was gradually subsiding, she simply got up and said, "I'm going back to my room first."

Carrying a lantern, I walked all the way to Yunteng Pavilion, pushed open the door and entered the room. I saw Qin Lizheng sitting alone on the couch. There were no lights in the room, and a faint light shone from the crystal beaded curtain, making him look even more ethereal.

Suddenly her eyes welled up with tears, and scattered crystal beads fell onto her shoulder. After a moment, she rushed forward and hugged him tightly without saying a word.

Qin Lizheng was slightly taken aback. Hearing her soft sobbing, he quickly pulled her up to take a closer look. He then tapped the silver lamp beside him, his voice softening, "Why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry. Were you frightened today?"

“It’s too unreal,” Qian Yingyi sighed, sniffing as she lowered her eyes. “So life and death are just a thought away.”

She caught sight of a square brocade box on a high table beside him, wiped away her tears with her fingertips, and asked, "What is this?"

Qin Lizheng got up, took her hand and walked to the table, and opened the brocade box. "It was given to Fan Baozhu by Yan Ruheng before he died. I haven't seen it yet, but I guess there might be something inside that he wanted to pass on through Fan Baozhu."

Qian Yingyi gently nodded her chin, pursed her lips, opened the brocade box, and took out the contents one by one to examine them closely.

Two letters, a neatly folded letter written in blood, an unofficial house deed, several hundred-tael silver notes, and a flawless gemstone bead.

Qian Yingyi looked at it quietly for a moment, then put one of the letters and the gemstone back into the brocade box. "This letter and this bead were left for Fan Baozhu. I shouldn't have looked at them."

She immediately opened another anonymous letter, unfolded it under the lamp, and the gentle flame illuminated the neat handwriting on the letter. She read it in one go, and her heart felt even more suffocated.

Clutching the letter, she closed her eyes, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Ah Zheng, he predicted it. He predicted you would get this box. This letter looks like it's for you, but it's actually for me too."

Qian Yingyi handed the letter to Qin Lizheng and said softly, "Back at Jinghai Temple, I secretly advised him that the difference between good and evil is just a thought away. I know that he helped Yan Yu do so many evil things that cannot be forgiven. Perhaps he himself knew this, so he divided his last bit of goodness into three parts."

"One copy was given to Baozhu to sever ties with the Fan family."

"One copy was given to Mrs. Feng, probably knowing that the fire would destroy the Feng residence. This unregistered deed was a gift to Mrs. Feng."

"The last portion was left for his mother. Please send these several hundred taels to Fengyang."

Qian Yingyi suddenly took a deep breath, propped her elbows on the table, and covered her face with her palms. "He ended his evil with his own goodness."

Qin Lizheng looked down at the letter, feeling neither sadness nor joy. He remained a detached observer, but as a human being, he couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion.

He put down the letter, then picked up the blood-written letter again, scanned it carefully, and spoke again, his voice carrying a barely perceptible heaviness, "It's a confession, a confession exposing all of Yan Yu's crimes."

Qian Yingyi buried her face in her hands, thought carefully, and wanted to say something, but found that after going around in circles, all that was left was a sigh.

Perhaps she could lament Yan Ruheng's death. Yan Ruheng was already dead, completely gone, but he was the one who followed Yan Yu, sucking the blood of the people. She could never feel any pity for him.

This happened so suddenly that Qian Yingyi felt so frustrated that she couldn't even manage a smile. She could only cling tightly to Qin Lizheng.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with the raging fire at the Yan residence and the screaming maids and servants running around in all directions.

She couldn't help but hug Qin Lizheng's waist tightly. Gradually, a chill and fear rose from the bottom of her heart. "I'm so scared."

Qian Yingyi felt like a light, floating feather, with a sharp tail and a soft body.

Just as she said that day, she had always lived in a greenhouse. In trivial matters, if she was bullied, she could use her sharp tail feathers to fight back. For example, when Yu Minsen shot her with an arrow earlier, she could also shoot it back without any mercy.

Faced with such a direct life-or-death situation, her tail feathers became useless, leaving her only with her soft feathered body. It rained heavily in Jinling for half the night, and she seemed to be hit hard on the ground by the rain. She rolled around for a long time, but still couldn't get up.

Feeling helpless, she could only cling to Qin Lizheng, murmuring repeatedly, "I'm really scared..."

Qin Lizheng understood what she was afraid of. Just as she had jokingly said at Jinghai Temple that day, nothing in this world is unchanging. Even though she was courageous, resilient, and capable of both love and hate, she had never witnessed such a cruel side before.

Yan Ruheng's death was like a painting without blood, yet still blood-soaked, hanging before her eyes. She couldn't see the blood, but she could smell its stench.

The gathering has been delayed.

Therefore, Qin Lizheng opened his arms and hugged her, patiently repeating, "I'm here, don't be afraid, Yingyi, don't be afraid..."

Gradually, Qian Yingyi calmed down, and Qin Lizheng kissed her on the cheek, wiped away the tears from her eyes with his thumb, and said with a smile, "You promised me before that you wouldn't cry so easily, you have to keep your word."

Qian Yingyi only then noticed that his fingers were unusually cold, so she quickly grabbed them tightly in her palm, stared at him, and asked with a calculating look in her eyes, "You... caught Prince Rui, didn't you?"

Qin Lizheng's upright shoulders slumped slightly. He suddenly leaned close to her, burying his face in her neck and rubbing against her soft flesh. "Hmm, let's not talk about this, okay? Let me hug you properly."

He might also be "escaping" at this moment, "escaping" his hatred, not wanting to expose it to her. Qian Yingyi understood this in her heart, and her voice softened as she hugged him back, "I will always be with you."

Outside, only the patter of rain remained, and the whole world fell silent again. Inside the house, calming sandalwood incense burned.

The two took off their shoes and socks and climbed into the tent. Qian Yingyi rested her neck on his arm, and she held his other hand and kneaded it, pressing it down gently, just like he used to pinch his own fingers.

Qin Lizheng calmed down and lowered his eyes, then chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Whether I talk about this or not is not to tell you to stay silent. The way you look makes it seem like I'm bullying you and you're too intimidated to say a word."

He teased her intentionally, and Qian Yingyi always enjoyed it. She actually sat up and punched him, about to scold him, but seeing the tired look in his eyes, she hesitated and asked, "Are you going to sleep or not?"

Qin Lizheng raised his eyebrows slightly, his body gradually heating up as he slid down. He held her tightly, rubbing his face against her waist. He made a soft "Mmm" sound and used his leg to trap her slightly cold feet. "It's still early. You should talk to me before bed like before. I can't sleep without hearing you talk."

Once those words were spoken, the previous gloom vanished. Qian Yingyi's feet gradually warmed up, and her slightly sour and quiet heart also came back to life. She immediately laughed out loud and jumped down, and the two of them fell into the quilt together.

When speaking face to face, Qian Yingyi always liked to put her two palms together and place them under one cheek, squeezing out a round arc. When she spoke, that little mound of flesh would move up and down. "Hey, my memories of the capital are a bit blurry. Tell me more about it."

Qin Lizheng chuckled, unable to resist lightly poking her flesh with his finger, which earned him an impatient glare from her. He then obediently withdrew his hand, thought carefully for a moment, and knowing that she was greedy, he started talking about "food," "There are no errand-running jobs in Jinling, do you remember that there is a group of food vendors in the capital who specialize in this?"

Qian Yingyi blinked, pondered for a long time, and then suddenly burst into a smile, "I remember now, those people deliver meals to the officials in the yamen, right?"

Upon hearing this, her brief and hazy memories suddenly became clear. She turned over and stared at the top of the tent, recalling, "I was craving this back then too, um... let me think, there were flatbreads, pickled cucumbers, braised pork and tofu soup, and the cooking was much better than the cook at home."

“I did go to the yamen a few times with my father and get to eat there,” Qian Yingyi said softly as she recounted the past. “Back then, the food at the yamen was completely devoid of oil and fat. We ate pickled vegetables every day. My father was so thin he almost turned into a pickled vegetable. At first, he refused to secretly buy food from outside like his colleagues did. But after trying it once, he never ate the food at the yamen again.”

She talked a lot in one breath, and Qin Lizheng mostly just smiled and responded. After she finished speaking, Qin Lizheng picked out something that only existed in the capital to evoke her memory.

Gradually, Qian Yingyi's eyelids began to droop. She rubbed her eyes and drifted off to sleep under the covers. Before falling asleep, perhaps because she was thinking about Qin Lizheng, she mumbled, "You should go to sleep early too, don't be sad."

As her breathing gradually returned to normal, Qin Lizheng looked down at her obedient sleeping face for a while before gently pulling her into his arms.

Her hair carried a faint jasmine scent, just like her—soft, resilient, yet possessing the purest innocence.

She told him not to be sad, and Qin Lizheng thought about it for a moment, then gave a silent smile.

She was right. He already had an unshakeable love and shouldn't let himself be trapped in sadness. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, replying, "I know, Yingyi."

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Author's Note: The two of them understand each other now. After the heartwarming moments, the revenge begins in the next chapter!

Yu Minsen is wicked, so he needs an even wicked Guo Yue to teach him a lesson.