Wen Heming felt that he had been a bit hasty.
The cheat system gave her only worked when there were many people around, specifically at least six or more. This allowed her to easily escape from under the noses of the Imperial Guards, but she couldn't sneak back to her residence. So she had to put up with it for the time being and found an inn in the capital to stay in.
The capital city is prosperous and wealthy, but there is also a greater sense of restraint. Unlike in the Jianghuai region where commoners dared to speak ill of the emperor, here no one dares to mention it easily, for fear of being arrested by the patrolmen one day.
Wen Hemian's spies in the capital would occasionally send messages to the border, but the information was delayed, and she dared not speak too openly, so she mostly relied on her imagination.
After seeing it with my own eyes, I realized that it was completely different from what I had imagined.
Based on what we've gathered so far, it seems Xie Lang hasn't let go yet.
Wen Hemian sighed, feeling that he was caught in a dilemma.
After all, almost three years have passed. Even if she comes back, in what capacity can she return?
"It's really not easy for me to come out and see you."
Murong Yue lifted the curtain and came in, dressed in a brightly colored outfit. His sense of style hadn't improved much. Even though it wasn't hot, he insisted on holding a feather fan in his hand to fan himself, looking dashing and nonchalant.
"Young Master... or should I call you Miss now?"
Murong Yue spoke with a teasing tone, gazing at Wen Hemian's face hidden by a veil, his eyes revealing amazement, and his words were even more unrestrained: "Your Highness has hidden yourself so well. I vaguely remember saying before that you would be so beautiful if you were a woman. I never thought my wish would come true!"
At this point, he also gave himself a pat on the back.
Wen Hemian: "..."
Wen Hemian picked up the teacup and took a sip.
If Murong Yue hadn't simply been admiring her gaze, she would have already taken action.
This guy is really asking for it.
She patiently asked, "Tell me, what's the situation now?"
Murong Yue coughed twice, glancing lightly at her, and said in a tactful and reserved tone, "It's not a very suitable situation for you to come back."
Wen Hemian habitually raised her hand and tapped the table twice, her composed movements carrying an air of authority: "Explain yourself clearly."
Murong Yue shuddered and blurted out, "Some secrets are strictly controlled and no one dares to talk about them. But in brothels, it's inevitable that someone will let it slip. Some poor families will cut off their sons and send them to the palace. I learned about this by chance. Someone saw that the current emperor placed a memorial tablet in a side hall with your name written on it, and... Xie Lang's wife."
As he spoke, Murong Yue's gaze toward Wen Hemian changed, filled with a hint of amazement: "Everyone thought the young emperor had a deep teacher-student relationship with you, but I never expected it to be this kind of deep affection."
Wen Hemian: "..."
She was really starting to have a headache.
"But don't worry, this news is being kept very secret. I only managed to get it out of him when he was drunk. Judging from the current situation in the capital, no one else should know about it."
Murong Yue waved his fan, his gaze somewhat deep.
"Recently, the control in the capital has become stricter again. As for the palace... your young emperor is not holding court, which is probably a headache for the ministers."
"Don't address me like that." Wen Hemian inwardly scolded her father for hiring such unreliable subordinates. She sighed. "Any other news?"
"Hmm, let me think. There's one more!"
Murong Yue's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
"The Imperial Guards have been searching through bookstores lately, supposedly looking for books written by a young master named Frostfall. Could this be related to you as well?"
It really is related.
I thought the little brat was clever, but I never expected to skin her alive.
Wen Hemian felt increasingly that she had been too hasty in agreeing to the system's request. If she really dared to show herself in front of Xie Lang, would she have a good ending?
If she were truly dead, that would be one thing, but she isn't, and there's even this heinous act of deception. Xie Lang isn't the type to let things go; he'll probably hold this grudge for life.
"The capital city is a place of right and wrong."
Finally, Murong Yue came to this conclusion in a heavy tone. He looked at Wen Hemian, unusually serious: "Young Master, why don't you think about it carefully and leave here first?"
It's a bit unconventional, though.
Murong Yue, despite being a subordinate personally selected and trained by Wen Chengyuan, naturally favored Wen Hemian.
He said earnestly, "Three years ago, when you had just left, the young emperor had me summoned for questioning. He seemed rather extreme. If you had known that you had lied to him, the consequences would have been far more severe."
Wen Hemian came to her senses and slowly said, "I understand everything you said."
But the truth is, she can't leave.
Even if the child she watched grow up later became a disrespectful brat, Wen Hemian couldn't bear to watch him walk step by step toward destruction.
Putting everything else aside, there are so many innocent people in this world, and there are her parents, who have only been reunited for a short time.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade her, Murong Yue simply stopped talking and said, "Think about it again. Since the events of the past few days are related to you, don't wander around when you get back to the inn. After all, quite a few people still recognize you."
Wen Hemian nodded: "Mm."
Murong Yue was someone she had once been connected with. He was under intense scrutiny, and she was afraid of being targeted if she stayed too long. After saying these words in a hurry, she quickly left.
Unable to return to the Prince's Mansion, Wen Hemian could only temporarily use the inn as her place of stay. After leaving the teahouse, she wandered aimlessly.
She wasn't too worried about being exposed in crowded places, but back at the inn, where she was alone in her room, she was truly doomed if they came looking for her.
It was chilly in early spring, and there was still more than an hour before curfew. The sky was still a little dark, so the streets were still bustling with activity. The people here were dressed in brighter and more stylish clothes, which was different from what Wen Hemian had seen at the border. She felt a little nostalgic and couldn't help but stand there for a while longer.
The children were making a lot of noise, and one of them almost fell. Wen Hemian helped him up, and as she stood up and looked back, a smile had just appeared in her eyes when she was suddenly met with a pair of cold, sharp, dark eyes.
Her mind suddenly went blank.
The young emperor had been standing there for an unknown amount of time, or perhaps he had been following her for a long time. Having not returned to the capital for many years, his vigilance had lowered, and Wen Hemian had not noticed anything amiss.
While she was still in a daze, Xie Lang had already walked up to her in two strides. He seemed to be taller than before they parted, had grown up, and was more handsome. He had lost some of his boyishness, and his eyes were slightly lowered, filled with an indescribable fierceness.
He suddenly leaned closer to her, his eyes trembling and slightly red, and he lowered his voice with a deep laugh: "Grand Tutor, you've finally decided to come back."
Wen Heming's smile froze. Just as she was about to step back, a hand gripped her shoulder, and a burning heat followed. Xie Lang gritted his teeth, and another sentence seemed to fall on her ear:
"Is it only by becoming a tyrant that you will never leave me?"
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