After sending the system away, Wen Hemian fell into a long silence as she looked at the adorable cat in her arms.
I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
When the system was in place, she could completely treat caring for Xie Lang as her mission, but now she no longer had that reason.
I'm still a little worried.
After all, there were so many years of feelings involved. She jumped fast enough, timing it perfectly. She didn't know if Xie Lang saw it, but no matter what, the little brat couldn't escape being heartbroken.
Without real-time system updates, she couldn't get timely updates from Xie Lang, which made her quite uneasy, to be honest.
When the news reaches the capital, it will be alright for his colleagues and friends, but in his own household, Qingyun will probably have a good cry.
Unlike Wen Hemian, who had lived two lives, she was still somewhat naive and told that she was afraid of being discovered and thus bringing trouble upon herself.
Fortunately, Uncle Lu had given a heads-up that Wen Hemian was temporarily unable to send a message back, and could only wait and see how things developed.
As for the rest, once the little brat has recovered, it will be time for the powerful families in the capital to be dealt with.
It might be a bit tricky at first, but Wen Hemian has great faith in Xie Lang's abilities. With practice, he will gradually become more adept, and from then on, no one will be able to stop him from moving forward.
Even the sadness will gradually fade away.
He used to beg her to give him a courtesy name, and I don't know if he'll ever need it. But it doesn't matter. As long as he's doing well and can be a wise ruler in peace, that's enough.
As for her faking her death and running away, it's best not to let it be discovered, otherwise Wen Hemian can hardly imagine what she doesn't want to see might happen.
As Wen Hemian was thinking, she heard a knock on the door.
She responded and found that it was Qin Yi who came in, carrying two jugs of wine.
Seeing her daughter sitting by the window lost in thought, Qin Yi shook her head with amusement: "Still thinking about something? Is it about the capital, or perhaps, that little emperor you raised?"
A mother and daughter are of one mind; Qin Yi guessed it right every time.
Wen Hemian hummed in agreement: "I just don't know if I did the right thing."
"Whether it's right or wrong, we'll see in time. It's already a done deal, so there's no point in saying anything more." Qin Yi sat down next to her, carrying a wine pot, and raised her chin. "Want to have a drink with Mother? A good drink can wash away all your worries."
The wine at the border is strong, and Wen Hemian had been burned by it before. She glanced at it, hesitated for a moment, then thought of her mother and laughed: "Alright, tonight we won't leave until we're drunk!"
-
While families reunited at the border, a bloodbath was unfolding in the capital.
The powerful families had been arrogant for so long, and seeing that the young emperor hadn't made any moves, they never imagined that Xie Lang had already firmly grasped the evidence of their crimes. He had just suppressed it before, but now that there was a fuse, everything was ignited, and they were all caught off guard and thrown into prison.
The young king changed his usual ways. He continued to interrogate those who could be interrogated to find more clues, and those who could not be interrogated were framed and killed. For several days, people came and went in the imperial prison. Old faces came and went, and new faces came in. Everyone was dirty. Even the execution ground was stained with blood. It was difficult to wash the blood off with clean water for a long time.
It's truly terrifying.
However, by then it was too late to regret it.
Those powerful families who were living in constant fear then realized that killing Wen Hemian was not so much about cutting off the young emperor's arm, but rather about unlocking some invisible shackles, causing the young emperor's temperament to completely lose its restraint.
The young imperial tutor was the true embodiment of integrity and uprightness; without her restraint, everything changed.
Even the censors who had been making the most noise a few days ago quieted down and began to secretly resent the troublemakers.
Now look what's happened; everyone's been dragged into this mess.
The court was suddenly half empty. People went to court every day in fear and trembling, and they might not even be able to wait for the emperor. They would stand until their backs and legs were weak before being sent back.
While cursing them for deserving it, Ye Zhaoxuan couldn't help but feel a surge of worry: "If this continues day after day, neglecting state affairs, what will become of us..."
He was, after all, a loyal subject.
Lu Zishen shook his head firmly: "No."
They weren't originally this close, but after learning about Wen Hemian's accident, they often got together to discuss it.
Ye Zhaoxuan looked at him, puzzled: "Are you so sure?"
"Hmm." Lu Zishen took a sip of tea, his expression grave. "If His Majesty still cares about Lord Wen even a little, he would never allow this situation to occur. However, after this incident, his reputation will most likely be ruined."
A wise ruler needs decades of diligent work to maintain his position, while a tyrant can become one in the blink of an eye.
If word gets out that he's bloodthirsty, those unaware of the full story will probably call him a tyrant in private.
Ye Zhaoxuan sighed, "That's true. After all, that's an emperor whom Lord Wen watched grow up..."
"We haven't found them yet, and judging from His Majesty's attitude, he probably won't give up easily." Lu Zishen vaguely sensed something was wrong. "I feel like this turmoil won't subside so easily."
Ye Zhaoxuan gave a wry smile: "...Who knows?"
...
Having finished tidying up almost everyone who needed to be tidied up, Xie Lang returned wearily to the side hall. He lay on the couch, inhaling the faint, almost ethereal fragrance in the air, and only then could he barely feel his throbbing head gradually calming down.
The night before Wen Hemian left, he vaguely sensed that her attitude was softening and successfully kept her there. He thought he finally had a chance to wait for her to return so that he could see the light at the end of the tunnel and realize his greedy desires.
Little did I expect it would be our final farewell.
This journey to the Jianghuai region is long and arduous, and my old friends will never return.
He held onto a sliver of hope until he found the person.
Lai Xi boldly advised him many times to build a cenotaph for Wen Heming, as did many other officials in the court, but he did not agree.
He refused to believe it.
I don't want to believe that person has really disappeared from my sight forever.
Wen Heming should have remained calm and composed, even if it was just official business, and told him about the situation along the way, teaching him the great principles of governing the country, instead of just going off like that.
"Go and set the earth dragon on fire."
Outside, Lai Xi whispered instructions, seemingly afraid of disturbing Xie Lang, but the surroundings were too quiet, so the words could still be clearly heard.
"Go and fetch some more hot water for our family. I'll personally deliver it... And you guys, stay away from here, you hear me! Don't come near unless it's absolutely necessary!"
He had killed many people in the past two days, and outsiders said he had changed a lot. Even the once lively palace servants were all silent and dared not say much in front of him. Xie Lang had never implicated them, but at this moment he found it somewhat amusing.
But he couldn't smile; his lips were stiff and couldn't even form a slight curve.
A moment later, when all was quiet around him, Xie Lang suddenly felt a chill.
He casually put on his outer robe and walked blankly to the window.
A chill swept over us.
As the year draws to a close and the weather turns cold, the new year begins.
It's snowing.
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