Judge Bao finally began to try Pang Yu. On the day of the trial, the area outside the government office was packed with people; everyone who could come had come, all wanting to witness Pang Yu's retribution.

Unfortunately, the situation in the hall was completely unexpected.

Pang Yu was not the mastermind behind the Chenzhou case; he was framed. The person who framed him was Zhao Lu, the Crown Prince of Xiangyang and the Emperor's cousin.

The people who had noticed the Xiangyang Prince's Mansion being surrounded by soldiers suddenly understood.

The heir of the Prince of Xiangyang did not appear in court; he is still confined to his residence. Xu Yi revealed the truth to Shen Miao, which then led to the revelation of the Xu family incident in Sishui City thirteen years ago; additionally, individuals involved in the Chenzhou case testified for Pang Yu. One major event after another unfolded, and by the end, the audience only knew that Marquis Anle, Pang Yu, was innocent, and the Prince of Xiangyang was plotting a rebellion.

This left the people who were expecting Marquis Anle Pang Yu to be executed on the spot completely dumbfounded. After all, they had only hoped that evil would be punished and justice would be served, but who knew that it would lead to the rebellion of the Prince of Xiangyang.

Judge Bao was certainly not wrong; his public trial of this matter was undoubtedly authorized by the Emperor. In the courtroom, Pang Yu wept with joy, while the onlookers were astonished and buzzed with discussion. The trial concluded, and the crowd dispersed, leaving in small groups to discuss their experiences.

Pang Yu didn't care what others thought; what he cared about was that he could finally go home.

The day after his conviction in the Chenzhou case was cleared, Pang Yu excitedly packed his clothes—which Grand Tutor Pang had given him from the beginning—and his books—which Yan Liang had bought for him. After bidding farewell to Lord Bao, Mr. Gongsun, and Zhan Zhao, Pang Yu hurriedly left, not wanting to stay in the Kaifeng government office for even a moment longer.

He had been waiting for this day since last winter, until the end of this spring. He was impatient and eager to get started. He had shaken off the timidity he had shown in the hall yesterday and was now radiant with new energy.

Yan Liang watched him excitedly pack his things and saw him to the back gate, where the carriage sent by Grand Tutor Pang was waiting.

Pang Yu boarded the carriage, peeked out from behind the curtain, and asked Yan Liang, "Would you like to come to my house for a visit?"

Yan Liang leaned against the doorframe and asked him, "Is food and drink provided?"

Pang Yu: "Enough is enough."

The two exchanged a smile, and Yan Liang waved his hand, quickly getting into the car: "Let's go."

On the way, Pang Yu mentioned that his father had been tricked by Bai Yutang, so even if he wanted to express his gratitude to Bai Yutang, he could not invite him to the Pang residence.

"I reckon that as soon as Master Bai enters the door, my father will have him kicked out."

The interior of the carriage was lavishly decorated, clearly exuding wealth. Yan Liang surveyed the interior, silently comparing it to Gong Jiu's equally magnificent carriage, and remarked, "It would have to be able to get out of here in time."

Pang Yu choked. Bai Yutang used to come and go freely in the palace, killing people and writing inscriptions without being discovered. He even sneaked into Pang's mansion late at night to tease his father. It seemed that no one could stop him, and it was impossible to kick him out.

Upon arriving at the Pang residence, Grand Tutor Pang looked at his son, who had lost a lot of weight and was no longer as robust as when he left the capital, and with a pang of heartache, he ordered the servants to prepare a meal.

Pang Yu believed that his current physique was quite normal compared to his previous flabby appearance, not excessively fat. However, Grand Tutor Pang thought he was skin and bones, and scolded the Prince of Xiangyang, while also secretly spitting on the kitchen of the Kaifeng Prefecture government office—he never forgot to bring his enemies along no matter what he did, which was quite impressive. After finishing his rant, he thanked Yan Liang.

Yan Liang smiled and said it was nothing, then praised Pang Yu at length.

You should always say nice things to the child's parents. Yan Liang knew this well.

Grand Tutor Pang had heard from his servants after they returned from visiting his son that Pang Yu had also written a letter. He had a lame fortune teller by his side who had escorted Pang Yu back to the capital. Although they encountered Bai Yutang and were arrested along the way, this alone gave Grand Tutor Pang a good first impression of Yan Liang.

After talking with him, I admired him even more. He was neither arrogant nor complacent, and his behavior was appropriate. More importantly, he got along well with Pang Yu.

The Pang family has already produced an empress; as long as they don't court disaster, they'll be worry-free even a hundred years from now. Grand Tutor Pang doesn't expect his foolish son to achieve great things, only that he live a peaceful and healthy life. However, what he truly lacks is someone to guide Pang Yu. Pang Yu's previous poor judgment of character, arrogance, and idleness are inextricably linked to Grand Tutor Pang's indulgence. Now that Yan Liang has descended from the heavens, he is clearly the best candidate to guide Pang Yu.

With this in mind, Grand Tutor Pang's gaze towards Yan Liang became much more amiable, while Yan Liang's expression remained unchanged. Pang Yu glanced at his father, then at Yan Liang, and felt that the atmosphere was strangely awkward.

After the three of them had eaten together, Grand Tutor Pang left the two young men alone, letting Pang Yu show Yan Liang around the mansion. He also needed to tell his daughter that Pang Yu had returned. The father and daughter had been extremely worried about Pang Yu, and now they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Yan Liang said, "Your father treats you very well."

As he said this, he was thinking of his scumbag father.

Pang Yu proudly puffed out his chest and said, "My father is very good to me and my older sister."

Although Grand Tutor Pang was fond of beautiful women and had many beautiful concubines in his mansion, he was exceptionally good to his children.

Yan Liang smiled and said jokingly, "So don't get fooled again, or your dad will probably have to worry about you again."

Pang Yu waved his hand, quite nonchalantly: "I'll follow you from now on, you wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

As the two talked, they passed a courtyard with lush bamboo groves and koi swimming in a pond.

Yan Liang stopped and gazed at the fish swimming in the lake, remaining silent.

Pang Yu took two steps forward before noticing that Yan Liang had fallen behind. When he turned around, he saw the young man looking dazed, his lips tightly pressed together. It was rare for the other man to be so silent; when they were together, they could chat about anything and everything. Pang Yu couldn't help but think about what he had just said... but when he remembered that sentence, he felt strange. After all, they had said that sentence many times in a joking manner, and Yan Liang would usually laugh it off, occasionally even pretending to be disgusted.

But this time it seems a little different.

Such a long and abrupt silence never occurred during their conversation.

Yan Liang remained silent for a long time, then looked up at Pang Yu and said, "Of course I wouldn't lie to you."

The young man spoke in a relaxed tone, a smile spreading across his face.

Pang Yu stared at the other person's smiling face, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the smile was pleasant and natural. He assumed that the other person was just being playful again and deliberately teasing him.

This was just a minor incident. Pang Yu pretended to be angry and complained a few times, but didn't take it to heart. Afterwards, he took Yan Liang to see the little parrot he had been longing for—a scarlet-breasted parrot with fierce eyes and brightly colored feathers. During Pang Yu's absence, it had been well taken care of by the servants. When it heard Pang Yu call it, it tilted its head and pecked Pang Yu's outstretched hand hard.

Yan Liang laughed gleefully from the side, while Pang Yu covered his hands and stared at the little parrot, feeling both annoyed and amused. He sighed that it had forgotten its owner completely after only a few months apart.

Pang Yu's daily routine in Bianliang consisted of walking his dog and playing with his birds. In addition to his little parrot, he also kept a local dog named Er Gou, which was also well-fed and glossy.

Yan Liang stroked Er Gou's head, looking at its tail that was wagging back and forth like it had an electric motor, and said to Pang Yu, "Your naming skills are really bad."

Er Gou is so down-to-earth.

"..." Pang Yu said irritably, "So what? You're probably at the same level as me."

Yan Liang remained noncommittal. He had a history of allergies to animal fur, and despite his fondness for animals, he rarely had the opportunity to come into contact with them. Pang Yu, seeing Yan Liang's hands moving incessantly, feared he might stroke Er Gou bald, and quickly stopped him.

As night approached, Yan Liang noticed it was getting late and said he needed to return to the Kaifeng Prefecture to discuss matters with Lord Bao, so he did not stay overnight at the Pang residence. Pang Yu thought there was plenty of time in the future, and there was no rush to repay his kindness by treating him to a meal, so he had the groom in his residence take Yan Liang back to the Kaifeng Prefecture.

Yan Liang lifted the curtain and smiled as he bid farewell to the young man. After lowering it, he lazily slid down the carriage wall and collapsed onto the soft couch.

It seems Pang Yu can no longer work for him.

Yan Liang looked at the tasks on the system panel and thought regretfully.

Latest mission: Rescue Bai Yutang.

Reward points: 10,000.

The system issued its first mission about saving someone's life... Even if it hadn't issued it, Yan Liang would have found a way to save Bai Yutang.

Yan Liang rushed back to the Kaifeng government office, where Judge Bao was discussing matters concerning the Prince of Xiangyang with Mr. Gongsun.

The emperor issued the decree too quickly; the Prince of Xiangyang's heir was besieged, and the Prince of Xiangyang must have already received the news. Once the enemy is alerted, catching them again becomes as difficult as playing on hard mode.

The emperor's idea was to directly send troops to attack Xiangyang. However, Judge Bao felt it was inappropriate. The evil deeds of the Prince of Xiangyang were too numerous to count, and there had been reports of him oppressing good people in the past. However, the emperor respected him as the emperor's uncle, and ordinary officials dared not disobey him because of his status as the emperor's uncle, and they did not know his true background.

Yan Liang raised his hand to greet Bai Yutang and stood beside him.

When Bai Yutang came to the Kaifeng government office during the day, he didn't see Yan Liang and Pang Yu. Now that he saw Yan Liang, he asked, "Did Pang Yu go back?"

Yan Liang nodded and said, "Yes, he also told me that he wanted to invite you to come and have some fun too."

Bai Yutang recalled the past and laughed, revealing the unique spirit of a young man in the hazy night.

"If I go, I'm afraid I'll be kicked out by Grand Tutor Pang."

Yan Liang also laughed: "Don't you and Pang Yu think alike? He said the same thing to me."

Bai Yutang felt a chill run down his spine from his unspoken understanding and said, "Fifth Master Bai, I won't be kicked out. If I have to leave, it will be on my own initiative."

Yan Liang clapped his hands and said, "Now, Fifth Master Bai, you and I are on the same page. That's exactly what I told Pang Yu."

Bai Yutang: "..."

Is this person having a run of bad luck with telepathy today?

Inside, Judge Bao and Mr. Gongsun were still talking, while Bai Yutang and Yan Liang chatted idly outside for a while. When Zhan Zhao returned from his patrol, he smiled and greeted the two of them warmly.

He heard the news of Pang Yu's return to the manor on the street. He wasn't surprised that he didn't see Pang Yu. He just said that the young Marquis Pang had gone through many hardships and was now able to return home after his injustice was cleared. He must be overjoyed.

Yan Liang smiled and said, "He's really overjoyed. You two should try to meet up with him more often in the future, since you've been through thick and thin together."

Bai Yutang snorted and said, "If he is still as idle and lazy as before, I will not bother with him."

Zhan Zhao glanced at him helplessly and said, "Young Master Pang is straightforward and honest; he will probably change."

Bai Yutang replied, "Then when you have free time in the future, go see him with me more often. Don't go looking for trouble and add unnecessary burdens."

Zhan Zhao: "..."

Yan Liang, who had been listening the whole time, laughed when he heard this: "That's right, Zhan Zhao, you should also get more rest. If I remember correctly, you don't need to go on the patrol tonight."

But Zhan Zhao still went.

Zhan Zhao said, "Now that the Prince of Xiangyang's heir has been captured, we must be on high alert just in case."

Yan Liang's smile deepened, and he said, "But you also need to take care of your health... After the matter with the Prince of Xiangyang is settled, you should rest more."

Zhan Zhao's heart stirred with warmth, and he smiled and agreed.

They assumed that Yan Liang had simply escorted Pang Yu home that day, so they didn't mention that he would go to find Pang Yu himself in the future, and no one thought much of it.

Author's Note: Good evening everyone~

The next chapter marks the end of this world.

Yan Liang could not escape death. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2020-01-06 17:53:01 and 2020-01-07 23:00:27!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Jade Makeup;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!