Chapter 156 Traces Her shoulders were like snow covered in flowers. ...
The snow fell all night and only stopped at dawn the next day.
Under the bright sunlight, Zhou Congyi stepped through the shimmering snowflakes and arrived at a private room in the Manshenglou Restaurant to meet a distinguished guest on behalf of the Princess.
A line of maids in pink dresses, carrying tea and snacks, gracefully approached from the other end of the corridor. Just as they reached the door, they heard a sudden shattering sound from inside, as if a teacup had fallen to the ground, startling the maids.
"What did you say?!"
Inside the private room, a wooden table stood between the two, and the one who cried out in pain was Zuo Xulin.
The blue-robed female official in front of him remained calm and composed. "Lord Zuo, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Zhou Congyi remained seated, calmly watching Lord Zuo suddenly stand up opposite her. He had clearly recovered from his initial shock, and his eyes now held a barely suppressed anger as he looked at her. "Lord Zhou, please watch your words!"
“If what you are saying is an insult and slander against my elder brother, then it seems I have come to the wrong place, and there is no need for me to sit here and listen to you continue.”
Zhou Congyi: "Lord Zuo sent a letter to the Zhou residence, wasn't it just to try and find out about Lord Yue from me?"
This casual reminder instantly extinguished the anger that had just risen within Zuo Xulin.
Under Zhou Congyi's gaze, Zuo Xulin gradually regained his composure and stiffly sat back down in his chair.
Zhou Congyi looked at his expression thoughtfully.
That day, after Yingying, who had been sent to the Xie residence, returned with Yue Yining's words, Wei Yihua was completely relieved. The intelligence from the border had been sent back, and the corruption chain of the border army's reform had been sorted out. Whether it was the list of people involved or the collection of physical evidence, all preparations were gradually becoming complete. Now that they knew that Lord Yue was safe and sound, these female officials could finally unleash their full potential.
Wei Yihua has made a decision. She plans to join forces with Censor-in-Chief Lin and other officials of the Qingliu faction to submit a memorial impeaching Minister of War Xue Rui and a group of ministers represented by Grand Secretary Zuo Yingfeng, exposing the corruption and malfeasance hidden under the reform of the border army.
Today.
Zhou Congyi received a secret letter from Zuo Xulin a few days ago.
After reading the contents of the secret letter, Zhou Congyi went to see Wei Yihua. After discussing it, Zhou Congyi had a plan.
She knew that Yue Yining had deliberately maintained a delicate relationship with Zuo Xulin in order to keep Zuo Yingfeng's attitude in check, but judging from Zuo Xulin's wording in the letter, his concern for Yue Yining had gone beyond what it had before.
Zhou Congyi made up his mind and agreed to the meeting.
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to meet Zuo Xulin, Zhou Congyi had already discerned the truth with her keen eyes.
This was completely unexpected. This aloof and serious man, known in the court as rigid and dull, had actually developed an inexplicable and special affection for Yue Yining.
Zhou Congyi's initial thoughts couldn't be stopped. She began to subtly probe Zuo Xulin's attitude. Just now, she deliberately revealed a little information in her words, a little about what they had found out about Zuo Yingfeng's actions in the border army reform case, a little fact that was insignificant compared to the whole picture. Zuo Xulin's reaction was quite intense.
This reaction showed that Zuo Xulin completely disbelieved what she said, but Zhou Congyi also saw from his reaction that he really didn't understand his beloved elder brother at all.
Thinking that Her Highness the Eldest Princess might already be on her way to the capital, Zhou Congyi decided to speak frankly. She recounted the shortcomings of the border army reform that Yue Yining had analyzed for the Eldest Princess, and concluded with, "Lord Zuo, do you think that none of the officials in the court who handled the border army reform decision would have thought of these errors? Including your elder brother, who is the Grand Secretary and who led the entire process of passing and implementing the decision?"
Suppressing his anger, Zuo Xulin said, "Lord Zhou is overthinking it. The three major drawbacks you mentioned were properly resolved during the review and decision-making process. Otherwise, this decree has been in effect for half a year, and the border should have been in chaos long ago. How could it still be peaceful?"
“The imperial court receives a large number of documents from the border to the central government every month, detailing everything clearly in black and white, stating that the border troop reforms have been remarkably successful, border affairs are peaceful, and the border people live in harmony and prosperity! I think if Lord Zhou had seen these documents, he wouldn’t have uttered these slanderous words today!”
Zhou Congyi laughed instead of responding to his rebuttal. Her laughter seemed inexplicable, and Zuo Xulin's anger subsided somewhat. He frowned at her and asked, "What do you mean by this, Lord Zhou?"
“What you say is true, and it’s all ‘fact’,” Zhou Congyi said. “But are the words recorded in those documents necessarily credible, necessarily the truth?”
Seeing that Zuo Xulin was frowning and still couldn't figure out the key to the matter, she took out a thick document that she had prepared beforehand and handed it to Zuo Xulin, saying, "Lord Zuo will understand after reading this."
Zuo Xulin took it, and as his gaze swept down line by line, his expression finally changed, from initial astonishment to shock to utter dismay.
He recognized every single word, but he preferred to believe that he was seeing things.
He instinctively resisted believing the contents of the document, yet it was so impeccable, so precise and sharp, that it dissected the conspiracy hidden behind the curtain of border army reform, presenting him with undeniable, bloody facts.
He saw the exchange and reciprocity of power, the ambition of the poor to dominate, the insatiable plunder of corrupt officials, the assistance and cover-up by the Ministry of War, the surrendered weapons and provisions, the national funds plundered into the pockets of officials, the soldiers and civilians who were killed on the frontier, and the soldiers and civilians who were forced to become bandits. But he did not see any loyalty to the country and the people.
He was well aware of the corruption within the court, but he was always ashamed to associate with such people, and he would never condone or shield them from wrongdoing. He always handled all government affairs that came to him impartially.
He never imagined that his respected elder brother was one of the people he was ashamed to associate with.
Fate played a joke on him, or perhaps it was mocking him, wondering what he would do.
He never lets any corrupt official get away with it.
Will he be able to handle his elder brother fairly this time?
When Zuo Xulin raised his head again, it was as if his spine had been suddenly removed; his face was as pale as paper. "Where did you get all these things—"
"Are you asking how we found this information?" Zhou Congyi smiled, his tone subtle. "It's all thanks to Lady Yue. After she took office as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, she found clues in a pile of old documents, which gave us a lead."
Zuo Xulin stared intently at Zhou Congyi. He had already understood the implication of her words. He thought of the questions he wanted to ask her during his meeting, and his eyes instantly surged with a storm of emotions.
That was an enormous, unbelievable thing.
He opened his mouth, his voice tinged with despair, and asked her for confirmation: "You mean, Yue Yining... she did this because of this...?"
Zhou Congyi met his gaze without flinching. Her eyes were deep, like a bottomless, icy pool.
"Yes." Zhou Congyi finally spoke, her voice not loud, but with a resolute coldness. "Why do you think she was imprisoned? She was framed because she had almost found evidence of the Ministry of War's counterfeiting of military equipment. In order to stop her, the Ministry of War and the Fourth Prince hastily framed her for treason, and their methods were despicable and full of loopholes."
"With your brother's keen insight and the power of the Grand Secretary, such a clumsy frame-up actually managed to deceive him." Zhou Congyi looked at Zuo Xulin and said, word by word, "Lord Zuo, do you still think your elder brother is completely innocent in this situation?"
Zuo Xulin's lips moved, but no sound came out. Zhou Congyi gave him no chance to catch his breath and continued, "When the Ministry of War took action, the Grand Secretary did not stop it. When Yue Yining was imprisoned, the Grand Secretary also stood by and watched. I don't know if you, Lord Zuo, sensed anything amiss back then, or if you spoke up for her. If so, how did he appease you when you questioned your brother? Did he denounce the Ministry of War for framing a loyal official, or did he advise you not to interfere and to protect yourself?"
boom!
Something seemed to explode in Zuo Xulin's mind! The pillar called reverence and trust collapsed and shattered into dust with Zhou Congyi's last words!
He remembered.
When Yue Yining was arrested and imprisoned, he was shocked and furious. He immediately returned to the Zuo residence to question his elder brother who had signed the arrest warrant. He remembered his brother's expression at the time; it was not shock, nor anger, but an indescribable complex emotion, carrying a deep weariness and an almost cold calm.
He still remembers his elder brother's indifference at that time, and his brother's advice to calm down and think things through, and not to act rashly.
I see.......
I see.
Zuo Xulin suddenly stood up, his sleeves flapping open with his arm, sweeping away the fruits and pastries scattered all over the ground, their rich, sweet fragrance turning into mud.
Zhou Congyi looked at Zuo Xulin standing in front of her, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair, his eyes churning with pain and despair enough to burn everything.
Time flowed slowly in the deathly silence, each breath heavy and suffocating. After an unknown amount of time, the violent trembling subsided slightly. Zuo Xulin slumped open his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, each word sounding as if it had been sanded clean:
"Why are you telling me all this? What is your purpose? What...what do you...want?"
There was no longer any defense of her brother in her voice, only a hollow emptiness left after it had been crushed.
Zhou Congyi sat upright and motionless.
“Lord Zuo,” she said, “your brother once privately forged weapons and sent them all the way to the border. His intention to make amends and atone for his mistakes may not be genuine. I don’t know his true thoughts, but perhaps you, Lord Zuo, can discern them. Is he truly a treacherous minister? Or was he simply forced into this situation, merely finding himself in a desperate situation, and his good intentions led to a bad outcome? Is he also suffering from sleepless nights now, tormented by his conscience?”
"—However, things have come to this point, and the grave mistake has already been made. Embezzling military funds, using inferior equipment, and causing the soldiers on the border to die unjustly due to substandard weapons, he has become a traitor to the country and a villain to the people. This is an unforgivable crime."
"The Yue people are imprisoned and their reputations are tarnished because of their thorough investigation of this case. Their fate is uncertain. He must have been involved in it. This is a frame-up of a loyal official and a reversal of right and wrong."
"Your brother knew the truth but didn't report it, tacitly approved and condoned it, and even sacrificed innocent people to protect himself! He erased the truth from the border and let Yue Yining be framed and imprisoned!" Zhou Congyi said firmly. "Lord Zuo! Tell me, even if he is remorseful, can he outweigh the souls of the heroes who died unjustly at the border, can he wash away the injustice suffered by Yue Yining, and can he erase his crimes with a single stroke?"
As the final question fell, Zuo Xulin seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
He suddenly raised his hand and covered his face tightly, a suppressed sob escaping from between his fingers.
Wrong... all wrong.
His elder brother, whom he revered like a god and was proud of, had made too many mistakes.
Zhou Congyi looked at him, the sharp light in her eyes slowly fading, returning to a deep, still pool.
She waited patiently, waiting for the desperate sobs to gradually subside, and occasionally the soft rustling of snow sliding off the branches could be heard outside the window.
After a long while, when Zuo Xulin's hands, which had been covering his face, slid down limply, revealing his pale face with bloodshot eyes, Zhou Congyi finally spoke again.
This time, her voice was very low, even with a hint of gentleness that was barely perceptible: "Lord Zuo. I think that when Zuo Zhongshu first entered officialdom, he was also a spirited young man from a poor family, with a grand ambition to establish a better life for the people. His achievements today are by no means overnight."
"In the treacherous world of officialdom, blinded by lust for power, one wrong step leads to another, until one is mired in a quagmire from which there is no escape." Zhou Congyi's voice carried a heavy sigh. "But now, the situation is no longer solely his own. If this case cannot be cleared, the reputation of the Yue people will be in jeopardy, and hundreds of soldiers on the border will die with regrets. Where is the law? Where is justice?"
"If the problems with the border armaments are not eliminated and the corrupt officials are not eradicated, what pass will be like tomorrow if not Black Tiger Gorge today? How many more loyal and brave soldiers will die on the battlefield, their blood staining the ground, their eyes wide open in disbelief, because of the stabs in the back?"
Every word Zhou Congyi said weighed heavily on Zuo Xulin's mind.
He suddenly remembered the Lantern Festival. The streets were brightly lit, and they sat chatting in front of a tea stall. Yue Yining brought up the topic as if it were unintentional.
Upon hearing his answer, a radiant smile slowly appeared in her eyes.
So that's what it was for.
Yue Yining must have thought that he was different from his elder brother. But now that he knows the truth, he is still hesitating. He has completely betrayed Yue Yining's trust.
He was just as despicable as his brother.
In those empty eyes, besides the pain, a faint fluctuation gradually appeared.
Zhou Congyi caught this slight fluctuation.
She stood up, not approaching, but calmly watching Zuo Xulin through the mess:
"Lord Zuo, you respect and love your elder brother, which is a matter of human affection. As his closest relative, you should stop him from going astray. Protecting him is not saving him, but pushing him into the abyss. You must not be able to bear to see him sink deeper and deeper into sin, right?"
Zuo Xulin's body was still trembling slightly, but the scattered emotions in his eyes began to gather and change.
Zhou Congyi fell silent. She simply sat there quietly, like a gust of wind striking another silent mountain, awaiting the final echo.
The room fell silent once again.
Outside the window, the sunlight shifted, but the snow's glare remained blinding.
After a long, suffocating silence, Zuo Xulin sat down, as if utterly exhausted. He slowly raised his hand to cover his face, and from Zhou Congyi's angle, all that could be seen was his lips pressed into a straight line, and two lines of clear tears slid down between his fingers.
After a long while, Zuo Xulin finally spoke.
Every word he uttered seemed to be forcibly ripped from the deepest, most painful part of his soul: "........What do you want me to do?"
......
Meanwhile, at the Xie residence.
When the maid brought lunch, Xie Qingyu had already washed and dressed, but the other person was still lying on the bed, motionless.
The maid didn't dare to lift her eyes. She hurriedly set the food on the table in the outer room and then left, closing the door tightly behind her.
Xie Qingyu passed through the screen and went around to the inner room. There, he saw Yue Yining lying on her side with her back to him, the quilt covering her from her feet to her chin. Only her black hair could be seen spread out on the brocade pillow, like a blooming ink velvet flower.
Xie Qingyu's heart swelled with emotion as she watched this scene.
He knelt on one knee beside the bed and, just as he had done in Jiulian Town, gently called to Yue Yining to get up, "Miss, it's already noon."
"I've had the maid bring lunch. If you're feeling sleepy, why don't you get up, eat something, and then go back to sleep?"
Yue Yining was clearly awake, but she didn't intend to get up. Her only response was to move her neck slightly without making a sound.
With that movement, her black hair swept to one side, revealing her fair neck. There were several red hickeys on it, so striking that just by looking at the color one could imagine the intense lovemaking she had experienced the previous night.
Xie Qingyu couldn't resist. He leaned down, wrapped his arms around Yue Yining's waist through the quilt, pulled her into his embrace, and pressed his lips to hers once again.
Yue Yining slapped him across the face without hesitation and said without any mercy, "Get out!"
Xie Qingyu didn't react to being slapped, as if it were just Yue Yining's caress. He didn't blink, but instead swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrist as she tried to pull it back. Looking down at her, his other hand slid under the covers. "Is Miss angry? Are you still in pain? Let me see..."
Yue Yining was furious. "I told you to get lost! Are you a dog? Can't you understand human language?! Ugh...!"
She didn't know where he had touched her, but her voice suddenly stopped, becoming long and weak. Yue Yining felt ashamed and simply pursed her lips tightly.
Xie Qingyu looked at the blush rising on Yue Yining's neck. When she struggled just now, the soft brocade quilt slipped down a bit, revealing a pair of slightly trembling, porcelain-white shoulders, covered with marks like a flower bush blooming in the snow.
Xie Qingyu's throat tightened, her fingers pressing against the soft, damp spot, her voice low and hoarse as she said, "This area... when I first rested last night, I glanced at it, and it was a little red."
"I feel it now, and it doesn't seem swollen."
"Miss, is it uncomfortable here?"
-----------------------
Author's note: I didn't write much, and my account has been locked countless times. I'm at my wit's end. [Lemon emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com