"Madam, why are you reminding him of the invitation from sixteen years ago?"
"I heard that a man who was recently released from prison is now investigating the Zhu family case from thirty years ago."
"What if this involves the Marquis's mansion? Wouldn't that be letting him get away with it for nothing?"
Ye Lanyin sat inside the room, her gaze fixed on everything in calm.
"Hua Mei, Zou Shuang'er is high-profile and talks about her son being the top scholar every day. Her identity as the daughter of a disgraced official will be exposed sooner or later."
"The matter of Consort Zhao only made His Majesty give up his thoughts."
"Your Majesty is a man of great foresight and consideration for the royal family. The things the Zhu family did back then were related to the safety of the entire Holy Kingdom. Now, Consort Zhao has been by Your Majesty's side for many years without being discovered. For both public and private reasons, Your Majesty will conduct a thorough investigation in secret."
I remember now.
Before Zhu Guoliang was imprisoned, he had his eye on a piece of land, intending to build a large estate there for profit, hoping to refine an elixir of immortality. This land was the ancestral hall of Wenjia Village.
[Zhu Guoliang, relying on his position as a minister, forged a document.]
Inform the villagers that the land has been approved.
[Forced into a corner, the entire village drew lots for survival overnight.]
Upon hearing this, Ye Lanyin's eyes widened in shock.
A life-or-death contract?
She had heard her father tell this story before: in a village in Bianjing, there was an unsung hero who saved the entire village.
Could it be a life-or-death divination?
I never expected to be connected with the Zhu family.
Lin Wanwan grabbed Tianfeng from the ground and sat down on it.
Tianfeng wanted to cry but had no tears.
Having fallen to the mortal realm, it struggled to break free of its cocoon and transform into a butterfly. Doesn't your young master know how to cherish and protect a beautiful woman?
"snort!"
Ye Lanyin was taken aback. "Wanwan, what's wrong?"
Lin Wanwan turned her head. "No, Mother?"
I didn't say anything.
Ye Lanyin looked around, puzzled. She had clearly heard an unhappy groan just now.
He glanced at Tianfeng, then shook his head.
...
Wenjia Village.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
As the gongs and drums sounded three times, all the villagers of Wenjia Village gathered at the village entrance.
Everyone was all smiles, some holding flowers, some holding new clothes, as if welcoming a long-lost relative.
The village chief, who was at the head of the group, held a red silk ribbon in his hand. Several innocent children surrounded him, their eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if they were also looking forward to something.
"Father, why hasn't Grandfather come back yet?" The child's tender voice broke the surrounding silence.
"It'll be soon, it'll be soon, child..."
The village chief couldn't hide the sobs and excitement in his eyes.
Not far away.
A man of about fifty years old walked home with a determined look in his eyes, the naivety of his youth long gone.
Looking around, although everything had changed, the beauty and prosperity of the village filled him with immense satisfaction.
"Look, isn't that him?"
A child in the crowd shouted loudly, and everyone's eyes turned to look.
A man walked with steady, powerful strides, each step seemingly announcing his return to the world.
Despite the ill-fitting greyish-white auspicious cloud robe, one could still discern his youthful spirit when he wore it.
Some elderly women and men shouted, "Yes, yes, it's Xinghua! Our village hero has returned..."
His voice was filled with excitement and pride.
The villagers rushed toward the man, their faces beaming with joy and tears.
"The hero has returned."
"hero."
"Brother Hua is back!!"
"Hurry up, hurry up..."
The village chief wiped away his tears, turned around and helped the white-haired, aged woman beside him. "Mother, I'll take you there."
"Ah." The old woman was in tears, her aged face etched with the marks of time. She leaned on her cane with one hand and walked forward step by step, but her eyes were unwavering.
Looking at the village entrance, Wen Xinghua saw the whole village coming to welcome him. A warm feeling welled up in his heart. He smiled and stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting. "Fellow villagers, after thirty years, I, Wen Xinghua, have returned."
Thirty years is enough for a person's lifetime.
But he simply brushed it off lightly.
With red eyes, the elder looked at the man in front of him, his trembling hand taking the new clothes handed to him by the woman and draping them over Wen Xinghua's body.
"Good, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
"New clothes welcome old friends, heroes return and are recorded in history."
The elder patted Wen Xinghua on the shoulder, his words conveyed through his actions.
Wen Xinghua placed his palm over the elder's hand. "Uncle Li, it's been a long time!"
"Sigh." Uncle Li smiled as he wiped away his tears.
The village chief walked behind, supporting an old woman beside him.
"father."
Upon hearing this familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Wen Xinghua raised his head, his gaze passing through the elders and settling on the village chief's face.
"Father, I am your son."
Wen Xinghua was taken aback, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him who bore a striking resemblance to himself. "You are... Hongda?"
"Yes, Father, your son and mother have come to take you home."
Wen Xinghua's heart was churning with emotions. He slowly shifted his gaze to the woman beside him. The woman was dressed in simple clothes, and her white hair seemed out of place with her age.
Her bloodshot eyes stared at him without blinking.
"Pear?"
Hearing him call her name as he did when she was a boy, the woman could no longer hold back. She walked through the crowd, crying, and threw herself into Wen Xinghua's arms.
She reached out and punched Wen Xinghua repeatedly.
"My husband, it's me, Li'er, your Li'er."
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