Chapter 25 Breakup Xie Xuanlan is a fool.
Cong Ying stood in front of the duty room and saw the people from the Ministry of Justice carrying Lu Mu's body away. His right hand fell from the bamboo pole, and there were obvious thick calluses on his knuckles.
That is the mark of ten years of hard study.
Cong Ying thought that since Third Young Master Xie had already assured her of the Jiang family's safety, she should withdraw and not get involved in this treacherous situation with her tiny body.
However, Lu Mu would be convicted of committing suicide out of fear of punishment, leaving his parents to wait for the imperial court's indictment while they sat on a table of rotten food. Your Majesty would be accused of embezzlement and personal revenge.
Just as Third Master Xie said, even if people try to avoid disaster, disaster will not avoid people.
From Ying, a barely audible sigh was let out.
She watched Lu Mu's body go away, turned around and walked to the other end of the duty room. Seeing that there was no one around, she quietly pushed open the door of the room at the end.
The person living in this duty room was named Yu Wenzhong. He was the transcription officer who exchanged desk positions with Lu Mu in the transcription room, and was also the "good friend" mentioned by Lu Mu in his letters home.
In his letter home, Lu Mu said that Yu Wenzhong recommended him to be the transcriber for this imperial examination, and also said that after this matter was completed, he would be appreciated, become successful, and bring his parents to Yunjing.
How could a mere transcriptionist get any recognition? Lu Mu had been benched before, so he wouldn't be so naive.
Unless he promised Yu Wenzhong something else.
The door was pushed open with a creak, and there was no one in the room. The furnishings were simple and tidy, and almost everything was visible.
Cong Ying tiptoed in and searched around nervously, and out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a wooden box on the corner of the table.
This is a box of ancient Huizhou ink. Cong Ying just broke a piece of it in the carriage, and the pain is still fresh in the memory.
This was very strange. Cong Ying thought, the transcribers all used the Sichuan inkstone issued by the Imperial Examination Hall, which they could use at will and take back to their duty room. Why would Yu Wenzhong bring his own precious Huizhou inkstone?
She opened the wooden box, took out the ink stick and weighed it, then carefully examined the wooden box and found that the gap on the edge of the box was thicker than the one she bought, and the interlayer seemed to have been pried open.
After prying open the interlayer from Ying, I found that there was indeed something hidden inside.
It was a folded article in Lu Mu’s handwriting, titled “To Minister Duan of the Ministry of Rites,” with “Respectfully presented by student Lu Mu” written at the end.
Cong Ying quickly scanned the article and found that the content was unremarkable. The reason why it was hidden was that a sentence in the middle was cut out. Cong Ying pieced together the context and found that it was the sentence hidden in Lu Mu's arms, "I regret having been perverted and violated the moral principles, and having helped the tyrant to commit atrocities!"
It seems that Yu Wenzhong must be related to Lu Mu's death, so what about the Minister of Rites Duan Jingxiu?
When he took Jiang Congjing's fake red scroll to the palace to report it, why didn't he take the black scroll with him and leave it in the Imperial Examination Hall, as if he was deliberately trying to let the investigators find the evidence pointing to your master?
There were hurried footsteps outside the window. Cong Ying quickly put the evidence away and put the wooden box back in its place, but she had no time to hide and bumped into the person who came.
He was an older scholar, wearing the clothes of a transcriber. He looked frightened, but the moment he saw Cong Ying, his expression turned ferocious.
Cong Ying's heart tightened, and she stopped him: "Yu Wenzhong, Minister Duan asked me to question you!"
"Minister Duan? That old bastard is still in the palace."
Yu Wenzhong sneered as he pulled out a seven-inch paper cutter and pointed at Cong Ying, saying, "Don't try to fool me. I can see you're someone the King of Jin sent to investigate me."
Cong Ying was stunned, King Jin?
Isn’t the King of Jin sick? How does this matter have anything to do with him?
Before she could finish her thought, Yu Wenzhong rushed in front of her with a paper cutter in hand. She hid from Ying and urged him to calm down: "The Imperial Examination Hall has been surrounded and locked. You can't escape even if you kill someone!"
Yu Wenzhong seemed to be overwhelmed by some kind of fear, and just raised the knife to stab. Zong Ying dodged three times and turned to run out the door, but was pulled by Yu Wenzhong. The blade brushed against her shoulder. She suddenly felt a tightness on her shoulder. She didn't dare to look back, so she broke her sleeve and ran out.
She ran and called for help. Yu Wenzhong chased her out and was about to grab her when the dagger brushed past her neck again.
Another pain.
"Who is committing murder here?"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the other end of the corridor. It was a young court lady dressed in imperial attire, accompanied by four or five guards. Yu Wenzhong was startled by her, and Cong Ying took the opportunity to break free from him and hide behind the guards.
Yu Wenzhong saw that the situation was not good, so he turned around and ran away. Cong Ying covered her wound and gasped: "He is the murderer, don't let him get away..."
The female official was not anxious. Instead, she lowered her head and looked at her: "Are you from the Ministry of Justice?"
Cong Ying hesitated for a moment and nodded.
The female official sneered: "The Ministry of Justice is full of ungrateful people. Whether they live or die is none of my business."
He pushed her away and was about to leave.
Cong Ying called out to her anxiously, "Madam, are you here to clear your master's name?"
The female official paused, only to hear Ying say, "That man just now was related to Lu Mu's death. Only by arresting him can we find out who was behind the death!"
The female official was skeptical and was about to ask the guards to arrest Yu Wenzhong, but the accompanying Huben Guards stepped forward and shouted, "Aunt Gan Jiu."
The Tiger Guard glanced at Cong Ying, his eyes gleaming like a sharp blade. He whispered something to the female official Gan Jiu. Cong Ying had a bad feeling, and sure enough, Gan Jiu sneered and grabbed her collar, his voice cold: "You said you were from the Ministry of Justice, so why do some people in the Tiger Guard think you look like the Fourth Miss Jiang?"
It's over.
It was just such an unfortunate coincidence that the members of the Huben Guard had participated in the siege and search of the Jiang family some time ago.
Gan Jiuzheng hated the Jiang family with a vengeance. If it weren't for Jiang Congjing's mischief, how could Her Royal Highness the Princess be caught up in this mess?
Gan Jiu questioned her, "Why were you in the Imperial Examination Hall? Was that man really the murderer, or was this another trick you used to frame His Highness?"
Cong Ying's wound was pulled by her, and she felt dizzy and dazed by the pain. Thousands of words of explanation were stuck in her heart, and she couldn't make a sound.
I heard Gan Jiu's cold voice order: "Give her the caning. Beat her until she tells the truth."
＊
The Prince of Jin's carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, and the imperial guards on duty looked at each other in surprise.
Only when he approached with his jade crutches did she react and stop him: "Your Highness Prince Jin, you cannot enter here."
Prince Jin coughed twice and said, "Imperial edict?"
The imperial guards said, "It is Inspector Xue's order that no outsiders are allowed to enter."
The Prince of Jin curled his pale, blood-red lips slightly, and a hint of coldness appeared in his dark, jade-like eyes: "Is it me, an outsider?"
He beckoned the imperial guard to come forward, then raised his jade crutch and slapped him in the face.
The imperial guard was also unlucky. The swelling on his left cheek from being hit by Mr. Xie San had not yet subsided, and he was hit hard on the right cheek again.
The Prince of Jin spoke slowly and coldly, "Since when have the words of eunuchs and eunuchs ever been applied to a prince?"
Suddenly, there was sparse applause behind him. King Jin turned around and saw Xie San approaching on horseback.
The sky darkened, leaving only the setting sun in the west, like an endless blaze of heaven. Xie Xuanlan, dressed in a bright red round-collared robe, seemed to absorb all the dark light. When he looked towards him, the sunset glow dimmed in an instant.
He swayed on his horse in a relaxed manner, looking quite elegant and carefree. He smiled and said to the King of Jin, "Your Highness, you fight well. If it weren't for this time and place, I would like to make you my close friend."
As soon as the King of Jin saw his behavior, he knew what had happened: "It seems that the Third Young Master received a heavy beating."
The smile in Xie Xuanlan's eyes slowly disappeared.
The palace guards came to report that Jiang Congying had returned, and Xie Xuanlan was worried that something had happened to her, so he had to come and see. However, he didn't want to confront his father in front of his mother, so he had to quietly accept the beating.
Xie Xuanlan scoffed, "Your Highness is truly well-informed. How could you not know that this imperial examination case is not something that can be easily interfered with?"
The King of Jin asked directly, "Where is she?"
"who?"
"Mrs. Jiang Si."
"Why should I tell you?"
The two men remained in a stalemate at the gate until the imperial guards from the Imperial Examination Hall came out and hurriedly reported to Xie Xuanlan: "The young lady who was traveling with you today has been caught by Princess Chun'an's men."
Xie Xuanlan's face changed slightly, he turned around and walked away, striding into the tribute hall with big strides. Prince Jin became anxious, and the blood rushed to his throat. He could only suppress his temper and slowly follow him.
*
Cong Ying was held up by a wooden stick, but regardless of the pain and humiliation, he still tried to persuade Gan Jiu.
"...Although the Jiang family and Her Royal Highness have a past grudge, they are united in this matter. I swear on my life that I have no intention of framing Her Royal Highness. Lord Gan, please prioritize the greater good, apprehend the murderer, investigate the case... and bring me before Her Royal Highness to defend myself!"
Gan Jiu was unmoved: "You young ladies from official families are all cruel and vicious. I believe you will not have a good ending. If you want to see His Highness, you must first be beaten with a stick and tell the truth."
Just as the stick was about to fall, someone shouted, "Stop!"
Xie Xuanlan's expression was as cold as ice. He took three or two steps forward, snatched the staff, kicked the Tiger Guards who were escorting Congying a few feet away, and wanted to lift Congying up by the shoulders. When she dodged, he discovered several wounds on her shoulders.
The blood had seeped through his clothes, soaking a large area.
Gan Jiu scolded him, "Xie San, you still have no respect for others, how can the princess's guards allow you to be so presumptuous!"
"He must be unruly, what about me?"
The jade crutch knocked against the bluestone bricks, making a crisp sound. Although King Jin spoke softly and walked slowly, his aura was like the deep and long night. The quieter it was, the more dangerous it was, and the coldness seeped into the bones.
His expressionless gaze fell on Gan Jiu: "I will kill you all, so it won't be considered as an insult to your dignity."
He is the only prince conferred by the emperor in this dynasty. His rank is equal to that of the Crown Prince. In terms of honor, he is no less honorable than Princess Chun'an.
Gan Jiu looked panicked and didn't know what to do for a moment, so he knelt in front of King Jin.
Xie Xuanlan said to the King of Jin, "I will take her to treat her wound first."
Prince Jin nodded, but he never dared to look at Cong Ying. No one saw that his sleeves were clenched with fists that turned white in the knuckles, and he was almost unable to control the vicious murderous intent left over from his previous life.
He couldn't bear to see Ying Ying in pain, so he needed someone to comfort him.
"etc."
Cong Ying, however, broke free from Xie Xuanlan's support and walked before the Prince of Jin, bowing and saluting. "Your Highness, please help me, Prince of Jin, arrest the murderer Yu Wenzhong, thoroughly investigate the truth behind the imperial examination fraud, and clear my family and the deceased Lu Mu's name!"
Everyone present was stunned. Xie Xuanlan went to help Congying and advised her, "Treat the wound first. Leave these matters to me."
Cong Ying avoided him again and said in a calm voice, "If we hand it over to Third Master Xie, I'm afraid Yu Wenzhong won't be able to catch him, and all the evidence will be erased."
Xie Xuanlan frowned slightly: "What do you mean, do you doubt me?"
Cong Ying: "Shouldn't Third Young Master Xie be suspected?"
Their eyes met, one was stunned and puzzled, the other was indifferent and defensive.
Cong Ying lowered his gaze first. "Mr. Xie, you knew that Lu Mu was murdered and not committed suicide, but you still asked me to leave in order to inform the Ministry of Justice and destroy the evidence. How can I trust you again?"
She knelt before the King of Jin, presenting the letter from Mr. Lu and the "Letter to Minister Duan of the Ministry of Rites" she had found in Yu Wenzhong's room. "These are the evidence I have obtained. Your Highness, please conduct a thorough and impartial investigation and do not allow the Third Young Master to interfere."
Xie Xuanlan was doused in dirty water, and he raised his voice in anger: "Jiang Congying, have you lost your conscience? If I were really in cahoots with the murderer, why would I bring you to the Imperial Examination Hall? I should have just tied you up and locked you up—"
King Jin frowned and scolded him: "Asshole! If you can't speak, shut up."
He pushed Xie Xuanlan aside, leaned over and extended his hand to Cong Ying: "Get up first, I'll take care of anything for you, take care of your wound first."
Cong Ying put her hand on his wrist and slowly stood up. Zi Su came over to help her, and asked someone to move the curtain and send a doctor to treat her wound.
Just now, he was too nervous and didn't pay attention to the pain. Now that he relaxed a little, he felt the tingling pain, as if it was ice and fire, spreading along his bones and flesh to his heart.
Outside the curtain, Xie Xuanlan was still loudly questioning her, "Jiang Congying, am I really that intolerable in your heart? Come out and explain clearly. What's going on with your injuries?"
Cong Ying didn't say anything. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath when the powder was sprinkled on his shoulder.
Zi Su wanted to bandage her: "Miss Jiang, take a breath and bear it for a while."
Xie Xuanlan didn't hear her response and was about to push aside the curtain to rush in. The King of Jin raised his jade staff to stop him. In his deep voice, filled with disappointment, he scolded Xie Xuanlan, "Do you still have any shame? Now is the time to be unreasonable. Even if you can force her to say she believes you, what's the point?"
Doubt cannot be dispelled with words, and trust cannot be forced. Xie Xuanlan certainly understood this simple truth, but he just couldn't accept it.
Unwilling to accept this, she chose the unpredictable and unfamiliar King Jin rather than listen to his explanation.
"Thank you, Third Young Master." After Cong Ying finished bandaging the wound, she walked out from behind the curtain. She covered her shoulder with her hands and wore a black and gold mink cloak.
It was not the one he put on her, but the one that belonged to the Prince of Jin.
Cong Ying said, "I'll return this thing to you. From now on, you and I will each be on our own and not offend each other."
What she handed over was a gold-inlaid black bird jade pendant.
Xie Xuanlan didn't answer, but stared at her coldly, as if he wanted to eat her alive.
Then the jade pendant fell to the ground. Zong Ying turned and walked towards the King of Jin, bowing and saying, "Your Highness, thank you for waiting for me. Please take me to the palace to meet His Majesty and make my case."
＊
The night outside the carriage was dark, like stagnant ink. Cong Ying leaned against the window, staring blankly at the swaying shadow of the carriage on the ground.
Prince Jin was staring at her, she knew, and his gaze was too intense for her to ignore.
But she was not in the mood to think about it at the moment. Her mind was full of the scene when Xie Xuanlan chased her out just now.
Xie Xuanlan held onto the shaft of the carriage to prevent her from getting on, his tone somewhat anxious: "I can explain. I won't hide anything from you again."
Cong Ying had thought he would be angry, but she had never thought he would be in such an attitude, as if he was heartbroken by her, but afraid that she would really leave.
"Are you still thinking about him?" Prince Jin asked her.
Cong Ying shook her head slightly: "No, I was thinking about the cheating in the imperial examination."
"You're lying, I can tell." The corner of Jin's lip curled slightly: "If you don't trust me, why did you choose me?"
This question was difficult to answer. Cong Ying considered her words in her mind, but always felt that they were hypocritical, so she finally decided to tell the truth.
She said, "Yu Wenzhong mistakenly thought I was the one you sent to investigate him, and he seemed quite afraid of you. I then learned that Your Highness was also involved in this matter. In this situation, Your Highness doesn't trust me, and the Xie family is untrustworthy. Your Highness, although you haven't fully understood the situation, is the only one I can turn to for help."
Prince Jin nodded: "Yes, that makes sense."
"There's just one thing I don't understand," Cong Ying said, "Your Highness agreed so readily, but I don't know what I can do for Your Highness."
Prince Jin smiled and said, "Do I have to have some ulterior motive? Maybe I just want to help you."
Cong Ying pursed her lips and said nothing. Although she did not refute, her expression showed that she did not believe a single word of it.
"Well, I do have an idea—give me your hand."
Prince Jin leaned forward slightly, and the golden candlelight from the carriage fell on the side of his face, making him look more friendly and lively.
He held Congying's hands and pressed them against his forehead. This gesture was too intimate and pious. His shallow, warm breath soaked in the fragrance of medicine fell on the back of her hands. Congying instantly tensed her body and subconsciously wanted to pull her hands away.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," King Jin said, "I'm just a little tired."
He really didn't make any further moves, and Ying hesitated and let him go.
From this angle, you can see his thick eyelashes casting long shadows, his straight nose bridge pressing against her hand, his thin lips slightly open, and he looks very relaxed.
Is His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin so defenseless against her?
He seemed to have a sense of familiarity and trust towards her, as if they had known each other for a long time, but they had only met a few times in total.
This feels so weird, Ying thought.
"Xie Xuanlan is a fool." During the long silence, Prince Jin suddenly sighed softly, "He can't see that you're doing this for his own good. You're afraid he'll find out about his family and end up in a dilemma between loyalty and filial piety, so you're so cruel to break with him."
From Ying: "..."
Is it possible to hear the voice of one's heart by holding hands like this?
She said stubbornly, "I didn't."
The King of Jin said, "But your words are so hurtful. Aren't you afraid that he won't be able to change his ways and will really part ways with you from now on?"
This kind of thing has happened in the past life. If I hadn't understood her hard-mouthed but soft-hearted character, I'm afraid even the hardest heart would not be enough to be destroyed by her.
"A Ying," King Jin sighed, "Are you really willing to let go?"
It was like a spell falling into Cong Ying's ears, causing her eyes to instantly turn red.
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The author has something to say: In order to catch up with the list, I’m going to post tomorrow morning’s in advance.
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