Chapter 88 (End of Text)
Xue Dingshan was originally in Beizhen Fusi, but was placed in a private room. He had been locked up for many years and was already weak. On the day Li Zheng died, he had not eaten or drunk anything, so he fell into a coma.
It was said that Chu Xiunian had done his best to treat the patient and had given him strong medicine, so the patient was saved. However, he would probably have to stay in bed from now on and would not be able to live a normal life.
But at this moment he was still energetic. At least he could eat half a bowl of rice porridge by himself and had some strength.
When the Royal Guards carried him into the interrogation room, he did not ask any questions and appeared unusually calm.
When Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi entered the interrogation room, they saw him leaning back in a rattan chair, covered with a thin blanket, and half asleep.
Hearing the door open, Xue Dingshan raised his head and took a look curiously.
He was still skinny, and due to years of not seeing the sun, his skin was pale and his eyes were dull. He really didn't look normal.
But he was still able to greet them: "How are you, my Lord?"
Even though the voice was faint, it let Duan Nanqi and Jiang Lingyao know that he was normal and not crazy.
Duan Nanqi looked at him meaningfully, and after sitting down with Jiang Lingyao, he asked, "Do you know who you are and where you are?"
Xue Dingshan nodded weakly: "Sir, my surname is Xue, my name is Dingshan, I should be the commander-in-chief of the Jinyiwei, but I am probably not now."
Xue Dingshan said, "As for where this is, sir, I was in charge of this place more than ten years ago. This is the interrogation room of the Jinyiwei Beizhen Fusi."
He was clear-headed and had not become stupid due to years of imprisonment. Even his speech was halting and not incoherent.
Duan Nanqi couldn't help but praise: "Master Xue, you are really amazing."
Xue Dingshan sighed: "How can I say that he is so powerful? If he were really powerful, he wouldn't have been harmed like this."
Jiang Lingyao took over the conversation and started chatting with him: "Master Xue, you have been imprisoned for more than ten years. There should be no outsiders in the dungeon. But you look normal and speak quite fluently. How did you do it?"
Xue Dingshan had just woken up and had only spoken a few words to Chu Xiunian. Now, when he suddenly heard about Jiang Lingyao's relationship, he was slightly startled.
He was still nervous.
Jiang Lingyao saw him struggling to wrap himself in the quilt, and then whispered, "Li Zheng or Wen Li would bring me water and pickles once a day, and then clean out the pickles. They would scold me at this time."
"After they left, the cell was too quiet, so I walked around the cell and recited the Four Books by myself."
This way people can stay sober and not go too crazy.
Xue Dingshan was able to rise from poverty to be admitted to a prestigious imperial examination, and then from obscurity to become the emperor's most favored minister. This was not undeserved fame; such perseverance was rare among mortals.
If it weren't for the fact that the late emperor was in poor health and low spirits in his later years, and if it weren't for the fact that the court was in turmoil, the impostor Li Zheng would not have been discovered to be abnormal.
If Emperor Tianyou was still as high-spirited as he was when he was just restored to the throne, Li Zheng would not have been able to be so proud for so many years.
Jiang Lingyao glanced at Duan Nanqi, took a deep breath, and then said, "Master Xue is so smart, I'm afraid there is no need for me to say too much, why not learn from you and speak for yourself?"
Xue Dingshan looked at her, and first praised her for her youth, and then said, "Since you were able to rescue me, it proves that Li Zhenghe and Wen Li were involved in the incident. They should have explained how they impersonated me and imprisoned me. I won't say much."
Xue Dingshan didn't know that Li Zheng was dead, and thought that the two of them were just an accident.
As he said this, he suddenly became a little depressed: "When I just woke up, I asked Captain Chu, and he said that it has been the thirteenth year of Xuanhua, and the late emperor has also been dead for thirteen years."
He was locked up in endless darkness for more than a decade. When he returned to the human world, everything had become a thing of the past. The former emperor who had trusted and admired him had turned into a handful of earth and went to the underworld to inspect his vast territory.
Even if he returns to the human world, he will be dying.
Xue Dingshan sighed deeply, then raised his head and asked cautiously: "Sir, not only me... not only my wife and children, are they all right now?"
In order to learn from him the whereabouts of Yu Yong Bao Jian Tu, Li Zheng and Wen Li kept attacking him with his family members, but Xue Dingshan never believed them.
But he was homesick and didn't dare to ask. What if?
"Just because I am a popular figure around the late emperor and know a lot about him, they are harming my relatives in my hometown and threatening me with the lives of my wife and children," Xue Dingshan said with a bitter smile, "I can't obey."
"If I give in, I will be useless, and my wife and son will be even more useless."
"I've been holding on for so many years, just wanting to know if they are OK."
Xue Dingshan looked at Jiang Lingyao with expectation.
Jiang Lingyao closed her eyes and nodded at him: "They are all fine."
Xue Dingshan finally smiled.
Tears as big as beans dripped from his eyes. His hands were too weak to lift them up, so he could only let the tears flow, feeling miserable.
But his face was filled with a happy smile.
"After so many years, so many years," Xue Dingshan said with tears in his eyes, "I have made it through."
Jiang Lingyao asked Zheng Feng to wipe the tears from his face, and then said, "Master Xue, when the case is investigated, you will be allowed to meet the lady and the young master. What you need to do now is to explain everything you know."
Xue Dingshan nodded, his eyes lingered on the fence on the left top for a moment, and then fell on the two young criminal officials who were trying the case.
He cleared his throat and tried to make his voice louder: "In the third year of Tianyou, Your Majesty... the late emperor was worried that thieves would steal the imperial seal and the late emperor's will, so he sealed them in the Thousand Machine Box made by the Yuyongjian. After sealing them, the late emperor was worried that the craftsmen of the Yuyongjian would leak the formula to open the box, so he asked me to privately ask the craftsman Rong Jingui of the Yuyongjian. Rong Jingui was greedy for fame and fortune, and had already secretly sold several of the drawings. The rest were still in his hands, so I bought all the drawings and made him keep silent."
Afterwards, Xue Dingshan went to Wanping and bought back the drawings that had been sold.
Hearing this, everything came together.
Jiang Lingyao whispered to Duan Nanqi, "Feng Shuanzi wanted to kill Rong Jingui at that time. In fact, there was another layer of this. If not, why would he contact the assassin in advance? In fact, he had already had the intention of killing him to silence him."
Duan Nanzhi lowered his voice and said, "Feng Shuanzi has been refusing to confess. It seems that he is also connected with the mastermind behind the scenes."
However, Xue Dingshan just said that he bought the Baojiantu in the third year of Tianyou, but Emperor Xuanhua said that it was lost in the sixth year of Tianyou. So the fake Xue Dingshan made an excuse that he had not found it, and pretended to look for it for three years, until the Thousand Machine Box was lost in the sixth year of Tianyou, and then he reported to Emperor Tianyou that he had not found it.
The Thousand Secret Box was sealed by Emperor Tianyou himself. He was overly suspicious and worried all day about the instability of his throne. Therefore, when he later found the Thousand Secret Box but couldn't open it, he didn't say a word to Emperor Xuanhua.
Emperor Xuanhua had no choice but to send people to look for the Baojiantu himself.
Thinking of this, Jiang Lingyao's heart moved: "It seems that this mastermind behind the scenes must be very familiar with the character of the late emperor."
Duan Nanqi nodded.
The two discussed for a while, and then let Xue Dingshan continue.
Xue Dingshan ignored what the two were talking about. He sorted out his thoughts and said, "Actually, I memorized and destroyed the map of the treasure mirror after receiving it, but Li Zheng and the other two didn't know that. They and the people behind them impersonated me and locked me in a cellar of a temple. They interrogated me day and night, but I didn't confess."
“This is my only hope of survival.”
Xue Dingshan took a breath and said, "Later they moved me to another place. I don't know where it is. I only know that they were very anxious to find the Yuyong Baojiantu, but after a while, they were no longer anxious until this year."
Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi looked at each other, and they both understood that although Emperor Xuanhua ascended the throne, he had no children. It was not until the eldest prince was found last year that they finally had their own flesh and blood.
The fact that the eldest prince was named by the royal family meant that he was His Majesty's eldest son. If nothing unexpected happened, he would also be the crown prince in the future.
No wonder the people behind the scenes want to take action again.
Xue Dingshan didn't know this, he continued: "Regarding the use of the treasure map, if your majesty needs it, I can recite it all later."
Duan Nanqi felt a little relieved. He looked at Xue Dingshan and said, "Master Xue, you have been imprisoned for more than ten years. Do you know who is behind this?"
Xue Dingshan used to be in charge of the Beizhen Fusi. He must have some skills. He was quite smart and understood immediately that Duan Nanqi was not asking about stupid thugs like Li Zheng and Wen Li, but about the man sitting behind the curtain.
Xue Dingshan pursed his lips but did not speak immediately. He hesitated for a moment before saying in a hoarse voice, "I heard them say a name in the temple, but only that one time."
Xue Dingshan was very cautious: "I don't know whether it is true or not, I can't be sure."
The more cautious he is, the more complicated he is.
Duan Nanqi didn't need Xue Dingshan to ask, he frowned slightly and said seriously: "Master Xue, I think you already know that this is an interrogation room. In this case, you should also know that there are superiors listening to the trial. As long as you guarantee that you have not lied or deceived in everything you say, you will not be punished for it."
"I am the new director of the East Office of the Beizhen Fusi. I can assure you," Duan Nanqi spoke each word carefully, "even if the other party deliberately deceived you at that time, it was not your fault."
"We just need a name."
Xue Dingshan closed his eyes.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and said, "They are talking about Minister Zhang."
Duan Nanqi was shocked, but he did not show any surprise. He asked, "Which Minister Zhang?"
Xue Dingshan said in a hoarse voice, "It's Zhang Anbang, Minister Zhang."
Duan Nanqi let out a breath slowly.
He and Jiang Lingyao looked at each other, and both saw shock in each other's eyes.
Zhang Anbang is the current cabinet minister, an important assistant minister reserved by Emperor Tianyou for Emperor Xuanhua, and now the chief minister.
He was always honest and incorruptible, never forming a clique for personal gain, and was highly praised by people in the court and the countryside, and was known as a capable minister in governing the country.
In the early years of the Tianyou Dynasty, when Xue Dingshan was first imprisoned, he had not yet been granted a title of nobility or appointed as prime minister, but was also a first-rank minister.
Duan Nanqi never thought that the person behind the scenes that Xue Dingshan heard was actually Zhang Anbang.
Duan Nanqi took a deep breath and asked, "Did you hear the temple speak of Zhang Anbang's famous saying?"
Xue Dingshan nodded with difficulty, but his tone was very firm: "Sir, I heard them say with my own ears that Zhang Anbang is a good name. Anbang governs the country and is made a marquis and a prime minister. It is right for us to follow him."
Xue Dingshan said, "I can swear on my loyalty to the late emperor that I heard everything with my own ears, word for word."
At this moment, Jiang Lingyao caught the gloom in his eyes and asked, "Master Xue, besides hearing it with your own ears, do you also have doubts about him?"
Xue Dingshan was somewhat surprised at her sharpness. After a moment, he said, "Yes, I didn't believe it completely when I heard it at that time. But later when they transferred me to another place, I heard them laugh at Master Qiao."
"They said that Master Qiao had always disliked people like them, scolding them for being cowardly and unworthy of the public. Now they have ended up like this, and the whole family has no choice but to commit suicide. They don't deserve it."
Xue Dingshan's voice trembled: "This matter was discovered by the secret agents of the Imperial Guard in the early years. No one else knows about it, not even the late emperor, but I know about it."
"Master Qiao once said that Zhang Anbang is selfish and has no regard for the world, so he cannot stabilize the country."
That group of people had mentioned Zhang Anbang's name before, and Master Qiao, who had a grudge against him, had his family destroyed by someone else. Combining these two factors, Xue Dingshan was 80% sure that Zhang Anbang was the man behind the scenes.
But after many years, the emperor sitting on the throne has changed, and he doesn't know what position Zhang Anbang has reached now.
He was sure that Zhang Anbang must still be in the court and was even more powerful than the minister back then. Otherwise, Li Zheng and his people would have left him alive and would have killed him directly.
Xue Dingshan's intelligence did not surprise Jiang Lingyao and the others. Instead, he was able to survive in such a difficult situation, which was really admirable.
Jiang Lingyao's eyes welled up when she heard her grandfather's name. She took a deep breath and asked, "Did Li Zheng and Wen Li reveal a single word to the people behind the scenes in all these years?"
Xue Dingshan also said earlier that these two people pretended to be other people outside and their personalities had long been twisted. Whenever they brought him food or changed his water, they would insult and abuse him in every way.
In this case, neither of them made a mistake?
Xue Dingshan shook his head: "These two people seem stupid, but they are not stupid at all. They are not the masterminds of this case. They are just pawns placed on the stage. What can they know? Even if they know, neither of them dares to say a word."
Xue Dingshan laughed sarcastically: "After all, glory and wealth still depend on them, don't they?"
In other words, Xue Dingshan only knew these two clues.
But that's enough.
Jiang Lingyao looked at Duan Nanqi, who hesitated for a moment and said, "Sir Xue, this case has not been closed yet. There will be other trials later. When the case is over, you will be allowed to return home and meet your wife."
"Please wait a moment, sir. It will be a good time for you to recover."
Xue Dingshan smiled bitterly and said, "I know. I will do whatever the court says."
He looked up at the fence and sighed, "I never thought I would see the light of day again. It's fate."
Xue Dingshan had no more clues here, so he was asked to go downstairs to rest, and Jiang Lingyao and the others returned to the study.
As soon as you enter the study, you can feel the gloomy atmosphere in the study. The emperor sitting on the throne has his eyes half-closed, his face expressionless, neither sad nor happy.
The smiles on Jiang Zhisheng and Yao Yuan's faces disappeared. When they saw Duan Nanqi and the other person coming in, Jiang Zhisheng just glanced at them indifferently.
After Duan Nanqi and Jiang Lingyao bowed together, they stood by the door without saying a word.
Emperor Xuanhua was actually a bit indecisive, especially when it came to the people around him, he was reluctant to scold them.
Zhang Ge Lao was the assistant minister left to him by the previous emperor. Although he was not his teacher, he devoted himself to the affairs of the country and the family, and he was also upright and impartial. For the weak-willed Emperor Xuanhua, he did not think this was a shortcoming, but instead relied on Zhang Ge Lao even more.
Because of this, even though Yang Ge Lao could win favor from the Imperial Concubine and have a favorable impression on His Majesty, he could not become the Prime Minister and the most capable minister beside Emperor Xuanhua.
Now, when Emperor Xuanhua learned that his most trusted Prime Minister was the man behind the scenes, who not only framed and murdered loyal ministers in an attempt to shake the foundation of the country, but also wanted to shake his position as the crown prince, it was difficult for him not to feel heartbroken.
Even though Xue Dingshan had repeatedly emphasized that he didn't know whether it was Zhang Anbang, both he and the people who listened to him had already accepted this as the final answer.
Emperor Xuanhua felt sad, but it only lasted for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, clarity returned to his eyes.
"We'll start as soon as Qiao Sheng arrives."
On the first day of June in the thirteenth year of Xuanhua, Emperor Xuanhua was in a very good mood and used the occasion of his eldest prince's birthday to entertain important officials in the court.
The ministers, chancellors, generals and other officials gathered in the Forbidden City to celebrate the ninth birthday of the future crown prince.
As soon as the palace gate was closed, two teams of Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms quickly moved out. One team quickly guarded Zhang's house, while the other team broke into the house directly and arrested all the monks of Guiyin Temple.
After a joint trial by the Jinyiwei, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Shuntian Prefecture, there was evidence that Zhang Anbang had formed a clique for personal gain, framed and murdered his colleagues, disrupted the government, and committed treason. After his defense failed, Zhang Anbang confessed.
From the first year of Tianyou to the thirteenth year of Xuanhua, for more than twenty years, he was bent on monopolizing power and gaining profits. In order to suppress dissidents and rise step by step, he framed and murdered as many as twenty officials, and his relatives numbered more than a hundred.
After a month of interrogation, several of Zhang Anbang's cronies were finally identified. In addition to the fake Xue Dingshan, there were three hall officials and five external officials. This group of cronies had a total of ten people.
After all the implicated party members were imprisoned, the countless unjust cases of the previous twenty years were finally cleared up.
Among them, at the beginning of the sixth year of Tianyou, the case of General Duan Duo being framed and killed in battle, and his entire family committing suicide was finally exposed and made public. At the end of the sixth year of Tianyou, the truth of the case of Taifu Qiao Boyan being framed and attempting to rebel and forced to commit suicide with his entire family was finally revealed.
The net of heaven is vast and wide, and nothing can escape it.
After many twists and turns, the moon rises and sets, fifteen years of wind and rain have passed, the old friend has turned into yellow earth, and the injustice has finally been cleared.
This turmoil in the court lasted for two months and ended when all of Zhang Anbang's followers were imprisoned.
By this time, it was already midsummer.
On the day when the imperial edict was posted, it rained heavily in Yanjing. The strong wind and heavy rain swept in, and in an instant, it covered the streets and alleys of Yanjing.
People stayed at home or stood at their windows, looking up at the gloomy sky.
The torrential rain completely washed away the dust that had been dormant in Yanjing for many years, and cleansed the land.
That is God's lament for those who died innocently.
The rain lasted for a whole day and a night. When people opened the windows the next morning, they found that the rain had stopped and the sky was clear.
Above the head is a clear blue sky, and among the white clouds there is a bright and fiery golden crow.
Under the sky and above the earth, everything is clear and sunny.
A young child ran out of the house happily, stepping on the puddles left on the ground, leaving tiny water marks.
Snap, snap.
Songs that come with the laughter of young children and make them sing.
"The sky cleared and the wind came."
"Thank you, Lady Yu, our country is now stable."
————
In August of the 13th year of Xuanhua, it was midsummer, cicadas and frogs were chirping in Yanjing, and it was hot and rainy.
In this lush green that blocked out the sun in the summer, the two-month-long Zhang Anbang case was finally solved.
Eighteen gang members, led by Zhang Anbang, were sentenced to be beheaded in public, and Zhang Anbang was sentenced to execute all children under the age of ten in his family and exile them to the frontier.
Emperor Xuanhua personally wrote an imperial edict, presenting a confession of guilt, expressing his failure as an emperor to supervise Zhang Anbang for being deceived and not realizing that he had ulterior motives for decades, which led to the unjust deaths of hundreds of loyal ministers and their relatives.
All the unjust cases of loyal officials murdered by Zhang Anbang were redressed.
First, Qiao Boyan was reinstated as the Prince's Tutor, and was posthumously named Duke Qingle and given the posthumous title Wenzheng. Because his only legitimate bloodline, Jiang Lingyao, was already in the genealogy of the Jiang family of Anding Bo and had been raised by Qiao, his clan name was not changed, and his family property was confiscated and returned to the Qiao family. Jiang Lingyao was also named Princess Qingle and promoted to the rank of Shuntianfu Cheng, the fourth rank, in charge of criminal law.
Second, Duan Duo was reinstated as a general, and was posthumously named Duke of Wu'an and given the posthumous title of Wuning. His youngest son Duan Nanzhi was already included in the family tree of the Yongping Marquis Duan family, and was also the recipient of the Duan family's upbringing, so his clan name was not changed. Instead, his family property that had been confiscated was returned to the Duan family, and Duan Nanzhi inherited the title of Duke of Wu'an. At the same time, he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Jinyiwei, a second-rank official, and was in charge of Jinyiwei affairs.
Both cases occurred in the sixth year of Tianyou. Although Duan Duo's case was not announced to the world at that time, all the important officials in the court knew about it. Qiao Boyan had many students all over the world, and after the case, they were all implicated in a wide range of cases, and everyone in the court was in danger.
Now, fifteen years later, the truth has finally come to light.
At one time, the two people's relatives, friends, students and colleagues were all deeply moved, and they could finally say to each other: "I have missed you for a long time."
Only after the verdict was issued did Emperor Xuanhua once again step into the Beizhen Fusi Prison.
Duan Nanqi and Jiang Lingyao stood outside the cell, listening quietly to the sounds inside.
Emperor Xuanhua was also in his thirties at this time. Due to the hardships he experienced in his childhood, he had some gray hair even though he lived a life of luxury.
He did not ask for a seat, but stood quietly in front of the cell, looking at the old man with white hair inside.
"Zhang Anbang, why do you do this?" Emperor Xuanhua asked him indifferently.
Zhang Anbang was looking up at the mottled walls of the imperial prison, seeing the old marks left by the prisoners, and smiled to himself: "Your Majesty, I think you are different from the late emperor."
Emperor Xuanhua said nothing, but just looked at him calmly.
Zhang Anbang's voice was hoarse and low. His original high spirits and vigor had all vanished because everything was in vain. At this moment, he was just an old man.
"The previous emperor was indecisive and ambitious. He was clearly not good at either civil or military affairs, but he wanted to be a defender of the country like Emperor Wen. Once he fell, the court was in turmoil, and the whole country was almost ruined in his hands. Emperor Jingde was different from him. He was the one who could support the Ming Dynasty, the government, and the collapsing empire."
Emperor Xuanhua said in a cold voice: "I am asking you, don't drag the emperor's uncle into this. The emperor's uncle has passed away and will not be slandered."
Zhang Anbang suddenly laughed: "So I say, Your Majesty is different from the late emperor."
"Your Majesty is used to seeing me as the Prime Minister. You have never seen how I was in such a miserable state when I came from the countryside. How I struggled in the officialdom after passing the imperial examination was because Emperor Jingde saw my talent. I was able to stand out from the crowd. I had a bright future and was going to accompany Emperor Jingde to show my talents, but everything changed after the restoration of the imperial family."
"I am no longer the closest minister to the man on the throne. I am just a traitor and a thief of the previous dynasty. If I cannot regain my footing, the efforts of the past few decades will all be in vain."
When the previous emperor restored the throne, Emperor Xuanhua was already nine years old and could already remember things.
He vaguely remembered that Zhang Anbang seemed to have been lonely for a long time before he climbed back to the court step by step.
He was born with the ability to become a high-ranking official. Within just a few years, he had firmly established himself as a minister, and was only one step away from being granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister.
Emperor Xuanhua said, "You go on with your own way. Why did you murder the teacher?"
Zhang Anbang was indeed the most loyal minister. Emperor Xuanhua knew that he was asking about two people without any explanation.
"Your Majesty, Qiao Boyan has always looked down on me. He said that I don't have the character of a scholar. If I get a high position, it will definitely cause unrest in the court. So if I want to be a minister, I must get rid of him. And General Duan Duo," Zhang Anbang smiled faintly, "is because he ruined my good deeds and intercepted the Thousand Machine Box sent to Ganzhou."
Emperor Xuanhua did not ask him why he wanted to send the Thousand Machine Box to Ganzhou. He knew in his heart that this move was still because of Emperor Jingde.
After saying everything he needed to say, Emperor Xuanhua didn't want to see him again, so he gave him one last deep look, turned around and was about to leave.
However, Zhang Anbang still raised his head and looked closely at Emperor Xuanhua's back: "Your Majesty, I am a dying man, may I ask one last question?"
Emperor Xuanhua paused for a moment, and without waiting for him to ask, he answered directly: "The child who suddenly appeared in the Taifu's house was not the youngest son of the Emperor's uncle."
Emperor Xuanhua's voice shattered all Zhang Anbang's hopes.
"All of the emperor's uncle's children died young, leaving no descendants."
"Is it really so?" Zhang Anbang murmured to himself, and finally burst into tears and laughter.
“That’s actually the case.”
On the other side, Emperor Xuanhua stepped out of the dark cell and saw the young man waiting outside.
Both of them were officials, one was red and passionate, the other was green and pure, but from them, Emperor Xuanhua could see the youthful vigor and vitality, and also the desire in their eyes to serve the people and clear up grievances.
Emperor Xuanhua looked at the two of them, and all the anger in his heart disappeared.
He smiled lovingly: "There is one last secret in this case. You will find it out when you return home."
"When the time comes, remember to come to the palace to thank me."
——
Duan Nanqi and Jiang Lingyao still live in Xinghuang Garden. His Majesty is very generous and has awarded them a piece of house to be converted into a Duke's Mansion. It will take at least a year or so before they can move in.
Both of them now hold important positions and are very busy on a daily basis. Today, they had a rare moment of free time and returned home together.
After they sat down in the flower hall, Wen Zhu presented them with a rosewood box.
"My Lord, my Lady, this is the reward sent by the court today. I have asked you two to look at it together."
Jiang Lingyao looked at Duan Nanqi, and Duan Nanqi also looked at her. Finally, the two of them asked the servants in the room to leave, and Duan Nanqi reached out to open the wooden box.
There are two letters inside.
The upper letter had no title, but the lower one was written by Earl Anding himself and was addressed to the two of them.
Duan Nanqi asked Jiang Lingyao and opened the blank letter first.
This is not a letter, but a copied diary.
In the fifth year of Tianyou's reign, General Duan Duo returned to Beijing to report on his work. Emperor Tianyou was in a good mood, so he entertained the court officials and held a lively banquet in the palace.
On this day, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was delighted to see his two teachers again, and he asked about their family situations.
Imperial Tutor Qiao said with a smile that he had a granddaughter, while General Duan said that he had a youngest son. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was very happy and randomly ordered some poems.
"It would be better for us to become relatives in the future and establish the friendship between our two families."
Everyone had drunk too much and was in high spirits, so they all jokingly agreed.
"Very good. Very good."
Jiang Lingyao's eyes widened in surprise. "How could this happen?"
Emperor Xuanhua had never mentioned this matter, and neither had the Imperial Concubine. It turned out that His Majesty had always remembered the golden words of the emperor's words, and when he knew that the two children from that year had survived and had become the pillars of the country, he began to think of granting the marriage again.
Duan Nanqi turned around and looked at Jiang Lingyao's surprised face, with a smile on his face. He couldn't help but put his arms around Jiang Lingyao's waist, letting her lean on his arms, and experience this mysterious fate together.
Duan Nanqi looked into Jiang Lingyao's eyes, and the joy in them could not be hidden: "Yaoyao, we are destined to be together. Even if our fates change and our names change, we can still be a couple."
Jiang Lingyao leaned in his arms, with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
"No wonder, I felt like I'd seen you before."
Duan Nanqi smiled and said, "Me too."
There is no love word more beautiful than this.
Everything is destined.
The two met with great adversity when they were young, but they were not destined to die. They were blessed by their benefactors and grew up well. After twists and turns in their lives, they were blessed with good fortune again.
"No wonder His Majesty said he wanted to thank you."
Jiang Lingyao smiled softly, her eyes slightly curved, her face as red and beautiful as peaches and plums in March.
"Of course I have to thank you," she said.
Duan Nanqi's eyes darkened as he looked at the woman he had chosen since childhood. For a moment, he felt that God was merciful and kind to them all.
He reached out and held Jiang Lingyao's hand.
The two held hands tightly together, feeling a perfect fit and a sense of security.
After all the twists and turns, they will be together forever and never separate.
The two of them snuggled together quietly for a moment, then picked up the letter from Earl Anding.
The letter recorded some past events when he came to the Duan family. These few short sentences outlined Duan Nanqi's memories of his youth.
Finally, the old man wrote: "Nanqi, when you came to Beijing as a young boy, you got into trouble on the road. To ensure your safety, the general's personal guards contacted the general's old friend, Master Qiao, and secretly sent you to his home, saving your life. Later, when the Qiao family got into trouble, Master Qiao also tried his best to protect you and took the risk to send you to the Duan family."
"Master Qiao is also your savior."
Duan Nanqi suddenly raised his head, his eyes suddenly turned red, and he looked deeply at Jiang Lingyao with surprise and joy in his eyes.
Jiang Lingyao also understood. She looked at Duan Nanqi with joy on her face.
"It turned out that my grandfather saved my life back then."
Duan Nanqi held Jiang Lingyao's hand, tears welling up in his eyes, and choked up as he said, "How could I have forgotten? I shouldn't have forgotten."
Jiang Lingyao reached out her hand, held Duan Nanqi's face, and gently wiped away the apology in his eyes.
"We were three years old, how could we remember those things?" Jiang Lingyao said softly, "I am only grateful to Shang Cang. The Qiao family finally saved you."
Back then, the Qiao family was willing to take risks to protect Duan Nanzhu, not for any other reason but because they didn't want to see a loyal minister die unjustly and their youngest son die. It was out of kindness in their hearts.
This kind thought saved Duan Nanxi, and coincidentally, brought happiness to his descendants for the rest of their lives.
Good thoughts will never die and will eventually be rewarded.
Duan Nanqi took a deep breath, held Jiang Lingyao's hand, and looked into her eyes without blinking.
"Yaoyao, my grandfather saved my life, so I will give my life to you. From now on, I will never change my mind for the rest of my life."
Jiang Lingyao looked at the deep affection in his eyes and nodded heavily, with tears in her eyes.
She smiled and said, "Okay, I want it."
The two of them seldom talked about love, but this promise to each other with their lives was worth a thousand gold.
Duan Nanqi lowered his head and pressed his eternal promise on her lips.
Just when they were in the thick of their love, there was a sudden knock on the door from outside: "Master, Madam, someone is coming from the government office. There is another case."
Jiang Lingyao closed her eyes and suddenly laughed out loud.
Duan Nanqi held her in his arms and chuckled helplessly, "You came at the wrong time."
Jiang Lingyao patted him on the back and said, "Let's go and solve the case."
Duan Nanqi stood up, holding her hand, and the two walked out firmly.
"Let's go and solve the case."
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