Father and son conceal each other
"If it were you, what would you do?" Lin Yi pressed.
Xie Chengnan pretended to think seriously, but when he looked up slightly, he saw Lin Yi staring at him as if facing a formidable enemy. So he smiled and said, "If I say now that I will choose to tell the truth, will you turn around and tell Yue Mingzhang?"
He was joking, but Lin Yi answered seriously, "I don't know..."
She gave a wry smile. "How come I don't know anything about it?"
Xie Chengnan sighed softly, knowing that his few words of comfort earlier would not resolve the issue.
"You don't know how to choose or what to do because you want to find something better, but many things are incomparable. I will choose to tell the truth, not because the outcome is better, but simply because I am more ruthless."
I don't care about Duan Wenjin's character or his fate. I don't even care whether there's one more person punished or one less dedicated healer in Mingzhou City. Perhaps it's because I grew up in Mingzhou City, witnessing the infighting and scheming among the wealthy and powerful, that my emotions have become cold.
Xie Chengnan suddenly changed the subject, "But if Gu Shuan were to do this, she might make the same choice as you."
"Why?" Lin Yi asked, puzzled. "As the Crown Prince, wouldn't he be more likely to uphold justice and give the people of Mingzhou the truth?"
Xie Chengnan narrowed his eyes. "Being in his position, he could never think so simply. Perhaps the truth was very important to him in the past. But if he wanted to keep that position, he would inevitably have to fight for it, to think about which forces would submit to him and which would threaten him."
Lin Yi suddenly remembered that Yue Mingzhang had mentioned that someone was involved in this matter. Could this person be Crown Prince Gu Shuan?
For no apparent reason, Lin Yi suddenly shuddered.
Perhaps Gu Shu'an never truly trusted her, and thus secretly arranged for people to watch her every move. Or perhaps she repeatedly forgot that this is a world of deceit and treachery, where human nature and power struggles are the underlying principles, and once involved, such power struggles are inevitable.
"I'm telling you all this so you know that everyone's choices are influenced by their own circumstances, identity, and perceptions. From your perspective, making this choice is perfectly understandable. And no matter what you choose, I will always support you. Don't be too hard on yourself."
What did she do to deserve Xie Chengnan's words? "...Thank you."
"Let's skip the verbal thanks and get something concrete," Xie Chengnan shrugged, his tone incredibly relaxed.
Lin Yi was taken aback by his words and was momentarily stunned, but empty words were indeed too weak. "How do you want me to thank you?"
Xie Chengnan's gaze swept over her from head to toe, his eyes clearly revealing his ill intentions.
Lin Yi took a step back under his gaze, wondering what else Xie Chengnan could possibly want from her.
Xie Chengnan's smile grew even wider. Just as Lin Yi was about to lose her footing and flee, he finally let her go. "Alright, how about you treat me to a meal? I'm starving after keeping you company all morning."
"That's it?"
"Otherwise what? You've already given yourself to me, what else do you want to thank me for?"
"..."
She said she was treating someone to dinner, but Xie Chengnan ended up paying. She was absent-minded for two days in a row, and even forgot her purse when she left home in the morning.
"I'll make up the money for your meal when we get back."
Xie Chengnan, however, was also distracted, glancing towards the stairwell every now and then, and simply waved his hand when he heard this.
They sat in the open pavilion by the window on the second floor of Zuixianlou. Lin Yi followed his gaze and looked down. From this position, he couldn't see anyone on the stairs, let alone what was happening.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yi asked.
Xie Chengnan looked away and smiled slightly at her, "It's nothing."
As if realizing he had neglected her earlier, Xie Chengnan picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables and put it in her bowl. "The sunflowers are at their freshest right now. You won't be able to eat them after the season."
...
The two, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, hastily finished their lunch and left Zuixianlou side by side, their shadows gently overlapping on the ground, creating light and dark shadows.
Knowing that she was in a bad mood and there was no rush to return home, Xie Chengnan accompanied her on a leisurely walk back along the street.
As I reached the street corner, I heard a commotion, which seemed to be an argument.
Lin Yi had no interest in joining in the fun and tugged at Xie Chengnan's sleeve, eager to leave.
But then they heard a familiar voice among the voices and stopped in their tracks.
"You wretched child! I am your father! It is only natural for a father and son to cover up for each other! When you went to file the complaint, did you ever think about who raised you, or who taught you your medical skills?! If I had known you would be so heartless, I should have let you and your mother die together. Who gave you the right to turn around and bite me?!"
Duan Qitian was so enraged that his face turned a deep purplish-red. In contrast, his son remained calm and composed.
Duan Wenjin's gaze swept over the onlookers without leaving a trace, and when he saw Lin Yi, he quickly lowered his eyes. "My actions today are not out of disobedience, but precisely because I fear you will make another mistake, I had no choice but to do so."
Duan Qitian laughed angrily, "You had no choice? Didn't you get even a single benefit from those? You ambitious brat! I misjudged you. Renjitang is none of your business!"
Upon hearing this conversation, Lin Yi was not yet aware of what was happening until she pushed through the crowd and Xie Chengnan followed her to the front row, at which point she finally saw the situation clearly.
The people from Mingdu Prefecture arrived at some unknown time and surrounded the entrance of Renjitang. Two of them even held Duan Qitian down, appearing to be enforcing the law impartially.
"What's wrong?"
"It seems like the son sued his father. This world, tsk tsk tsk, anything can happen."
"Isn't this Master Duan from Renjitang? What did he do wrong?"
"These days, which person at the forefront of any industry doesn't have some dirty tricks up their sleeve? If you ask me, it's just that the son doesn't like his father and wants to overthrow him and take his place."
...
The onlookers whispered amongst themselves, but Duan Wenjin seemed completely unconcerned, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.
He bowed deeply and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Father, please rest assured. I will take care of Renjitang during this time, and there will be no trouble."
"You brat... how dare you..."
Duan Qitian was still cursing and swearing, but the man had already been taken away by the yamen runners.
Duan Wenjin watched the group leave, his gaze deep and complex. After a long while, he let out a barely audible sigh, ignoring the passersby who were watching the spectacle, and went straight back to Renjitang.
After everyone had had their fill of the excitement, they dispersed.
Lin Yi followed him inside, but was stopped by a servant. "Renjitang is not accepting patients today, please go back, young lady."
The indigo figure had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs. Lin Yi didn't insist and let the door be bolted in front of her.
"It seems that Duan Wenjin isn't just waiting to let you choose," Xie Chengnan said.
"I guessed he wouldn't just sit and wait to die, but I didn't expect him to act so quickly."
Xie Chengnan nodded in agreement, "He made a decisive decision. I underestimated him before."
Lin Yixin had a sudden thought and asked, "Why do you think he's in such a hurry?"
"Are you asking whether his swift action was premeditated or preordained? In my opinion... we just left Mingdu Prefecture, barely the time it takes to eat a meal, and the constables are already here to arrest us. It must be that we left and he arrived right after. His timing was so precise that he must have been keeping an eye on our movements."
Lin Yi neither confirmed nor denied this.
Xie Chengnan continued, "As for why he's keeping an eye on you, it's simply to see what you'll do. The moment you chose to cover it up for him, he spread the word about Duan Qitian's actions, showing that he's put in a lot of effort behind the scenes."
Lin Yi shook his head. "When we looked at each other just now, he seemed like a complete stranger. It was as if he had foreseen this situation all along. But our interactions before didn't seem fake either."
This observation only amplified her confusion and bewilderment.
Xie Chengnan pondered for a moment, then comforted him, "Perhaps, he rediscovered himself through his interactions with you."
“You say he has found himself again, but I understand him even less… He said all he wants is to be an ordinary doctor, to heal the sick and save lives, and I believed him. I thought that because I had a few more years of schooling, I could read people’s hearts, but could it be that he deliberately said those things to me yesterday? Or perhaps he knew our suspicions and intentions from the beginning, and all the character and behavior he showed afterward were deliberately displayed by him?”
“…If that’s the case, then he’s an absolutely terrifying person,” Xie Chengnan said.
"Don't you think it's terrifying that I'm making such unfounded accusations?" Her voice was soft, as if she didn't really want to ask. Xie Chengnan opened his mouth to retort, but Lin Yi didn't give him the chance. "Xie Chengnan, when is the execution in the autumn?"
The question came abruptly. Xie Chengnan hesitated between refuting the previous statement and answering this one, but still answered truthfully: "After the Autumn Equinox, but if you want to ask about the execution time of Master Liu, it should be after the Beginning of Autumn."
The saying goes, "Spring brings life, autumn brings death." Death sentences must be reviewed and executed in autumn, which is between the autumnal equinox and the beginning of spring the following year.
As for the Liu family case, the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on it, and it just so happens to be the Qixi Festival banquet. Xie Chengnan deduces that Liu Yuanwai's execution should be brought forward to around the beginning of autumn.
"That should be around June 18th." Lin Yi stretched out his fingers and counted the days. "There are less than ten days left."
"What are you going to do?" Xie Chengnan asked.
"I want to go see the execution."
"...Is it necessary?"
Is it necessary to force yourself to witness punishment and death, to face the bloodiest moments?
"There's no need to say whether it's necessary or not, I just want to learn a lesson. There's no specific reason, it's just... to make up for my guilt."
There was one more thing Lin Yi didn't say.
The majesty of the law is inviolable. This time, by protecting Duan Wenjin, she crossed the legal boundaries in her heart. Therefore, it is necessary to use the bloodshed of law enforcement to warn herself, punish herself, and, more importantly, admonish herself.
But on the day of her execution, her wish was not fulfilled.
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