Before I knew it, I was twenty-five.
Wei Qinglou has recovered his health, but it is said that he has developed a chronic illness that has damaged his health. No matter how well he recovers, he can no longer drink and fight as easily as before, and he can't even get close to women.
Once such rumors spread, countless young women in the capital city gritted their teeth and were heartbroken.
After all, although Wei Qinglou was a bit of a scoundrel, he was undeniably handsome. Once, when he fell into the water while riding a horse, according to insiders, his physique was quite impressive under his soaked clothes.
But now, the charming playboy has become nothing more than a pretty face with no substance, how can one not feel regret and sigh?
Wei Qinglou didn't care about the rumors. He was now the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, in charge of the imperial prison, criminal trials, and sentencing.
"We thought our Vice Minister Wei was just here for fun, but we didn't expect..."
In front of the imperial prison, two guards stood leaning against the wall, chatting idly.
A moment later, one of them was halfway through his sentence when his companion shushed him. It was clear that the two had developed a perfect understanding. The next instant, he stood up straight, bowed to the newcomer, and respectfully greeted him, "Lord Wei."
Wei Qinglou didn't give them any extra glances, and walked straight past them into the imperial prison.
The Dali Temple's prison was built underground, and it was always airtight and never saw sunlight. Only the candlelight on the walls could bring a little light to this damp and dark prison.
Wei Qinglou walked through the narrow passageway, his delicate features still shrouded in illness. He walked to the innermost part, sat down on the armchair, and looked at the man in front of him whose hands were bound and who was hanging up. He raised an eyebrow slightly: "Still won't talk?"
The man glanced at him coldly, spat, and laughed, "Even if I don't tell, what can you do with me? Now that I'm in your hands, you can kill me or torture me as you please!"
Wei Qinglou nodded indifferently, took out a dagger from his waist, and placed it in the red-hot coals until the dagger was also red-hot. Then he picked it up, went to the man, and pulled open his clothes.
The next instant, the scalding hot blade pierced the man's chest. Wei Qinglou exerted force and twisted it slightly. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere!
He pulled it out and said casually, "I happen to have become somewhat interested in carving lately, so why don't I use you as a practice subject?"
He patted the man's ashen face and laughed, "With such a stubborn mouth, you must have a tough life too, right? What do you say, I'll carve a peony on you?"
The man gritted his teeth and remained silent, a fierce glint in his eyes.
Wei Qinglou found it somewhat amusing: "Your life is as insignificant as an ant's, yet you dare to look at me like that? Who gave you the audacity?"
After he finished speaking, he began to move his hand. The scalding hot blade pierced the man's chest. The man felt as if his internal organs were burning. However, after only a few cuts, the man could not bear it. His eyes glazed over, and he almost cried out, "It's the Duke of Anguo's mansion! I was hired by the Duke of Anguo's mansion!"
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Wei Qinglou stopped playing along and plunged a knife into his heart.
Caught completely off guard, the man stared wide-eyed in disbelief, seemingly never expecting to die so suddenly.
However, Wei Qinglou didn't look at him again.
He lowered his head heavily, and the prisoners in the imperial prison felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on their hearts.
Looking at the handsome young official in his official robes, they couldn't help but shiver.
When they first saw the new Junior Minister, who was such a handsome and sickly young man, they thought he was easy to bully and that he was probably just a young master from a noble family who was there to gain experience. After all, the Dali Temple had a history of such cases.
But in just five days, he used his strength to change everyone's minds. There was no way around it; since this demon arrived, more people had died in the prison in those five days than in the previous five months combined. Corpses wrapped in straw mats were carried out one after another like a flowing stream, probably enough to feed even the emaciated wild dogs in the mass graves.
Emerging from the imperial prison, Wei Qinglou glanced at the sky outside. The sky was a clear, deep blue, like pure glass, so clean that it was free of any impurities.
Just like the day he first met Zhu Jiayu.
At that time, he only thought that woman was stupid, unconventional, shocking, and reckless, and that she had no admirable ladylike qualities whatsoever.
At that time, he never imagined that after they separated, he would miss her so naturally, as naturally as eating and drinking. He even found himself a handy dagger because of her influence.
The sky over Yujing is clear and bright, and the sky over Heling is equally clear.
At this time, Zhu Jiayu and the three Qiu family girls had arrived at the Wei residence. The fifth young lady of the Wei family was holding a flower banquet, so the mansion was naturally a riot of flowers. The pear blossoms were pure and serene, like white clouds scattered on earth; the peach blossoms were beautiful, like the rouge on a young lady's face, with a subtle fragrance; peonies and peonies bloomed in clusters, exuding a rich and luxurious aura; magnolias and wisteria were interspersed, purple and white intermingling, quiet and gentle...
Led by their maids, the girls who had come as promised passed through many flowers and trees and finally arrived at the place where Wei Wu Niang was holding a banquet—Qing Tan Garden.
Song Jiangmei arrived early today. In the past, when the young ladies hosted banquets for her, she was always the most pretentious and the last to arrive. Many people guessed that she enjoyed having so many eyes on her when she arrived.
But then I realized that this approach wouldn't work. After all, no matter when she arrived, as long as she was there, all the other women paled in comparison; she was always the center of attention.
So everyone thought that maybe she just liked arriving late.
Therefore, she arrived very early today, which was unusual for her. Everyone was quite puzzled, and they would whisper among themselves from time to time, and then look up at her again.
But this scenario was soon shattered.
Because Zhu Jiayu has arrived.
Unlike Song Jiangmei's delicate and pitiful beauty, Zhu Jiayu's beauty is stunning and radiant. If one were to describe her, Song Jiangmei would be more like a white plum blossom amidst snow-covered ice, while Zhu Jiayu would be like snow in the clouds or the moon in the sky—neither of them are mortal beings.
They might want to protect Song Jiangmei, but when it comes to Zhu Jiayu, they are even more afraid of disturbing the beauty by speaking.
Song Jiangmei keenly sensed the change in atmosphere, glanced at Zhu Jiayu secretly, and then looked away.
After Zhu Jiayu and the three young ladies, Qiu Jialingyan, Boyan, and Mingyan, took their seats, they quietly gazed at the flowering tree in front of them.
Qiu Lingyan thought she was nervous, so she squeezed her hand and said, "Don't be afraid, they are all very nice people. If anyone says anything unpleasant, just tell your cousin, and she will help you get revenge."
Zhu Jiayu smiled at her, her eyes crinkling, and whispered in her ear, "Cousin, you're amazing!"
Qiu Lingyan blushed slightly and didn't say anything, but she straightened her back even more.
She thought her cousin was truly amazing; otherwise, how could she have felt willing to go through fire and water for her cousin with just a few words? That's terrifying!
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