Chapter 159 Interrogation: Miss hasn't spoken to me for three days. ...
At the end of the first month of the twenty-third year of Jiahe, Zuo Yingfeng, Xue Rui, Zhao Xizhi and other important officials involved in the case were dismissed and imprisoned. The emperor personally appointed officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate to thoroughly investigate the case of embezzlement during the reform of the border army, counterfeit military equipment, and the cover-up of defeats and wars on the border.
The case involves a large number of officials, and their cronies and close associates have also been investigated, detained, and are awaiting questioning.
For a time, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the capital, and everyone felt insecure.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor, accompanied by shouts, growing louder as they approached.
Wei Yihua, who was sitting at his desk with a pen in hand, suddenly trembled at the sound, and a few drops of ink fell onto the plain white Xuan paper.
As if sensing something, she looked up and was met with Su Yue, who was running towards her with her skirt lifted. Su Yue looked at the princess with eyes full of surprise and said, "Your Highness, it's Lady Yue! Lady Yue has returned!"
The brush in Wei Yihua's hand fell to the ground with a thud, splashing ink everywhere.
In early February, as spring fades into winter, the snow melts from the branches. Yesterday, the sun shone brightly, and the remaining snow in the Princess's residence gradually cleared away, leaving only a thin layer of jade on the stone slabs. The red plum blossoms in the garden were in full bloom.
A figure strode quickly towards them, losing her composure and composure, her face filled with anxious anticipation, her crimson skirt fluttering, her golden hairpin swaying, as she swept across the vast snowfield.
She couldn't wait even a moment longer.
Wei Yihua, hurrying towards the mansion gate, had only reached the inner courtyard of the ceremonial gate when she saw a group of maids leading a familiar figure towards her. The figure wore a verdant robe and had a slender neck, like a section of lotus root emerging from a lotus leaf reaching for the sky, yet untouched by any mud.
As Yue Yining turned into the central courtyard, the maid beside her stopped in her tracks. She, who had been lost in thought, looked up as if sensing something and saw a slender young woman in a red dress standing under the eaves, staring at her in a daze.
Yue Yining was also taken aback. She hadn't expected Wei Yihua to be here; had she run over here?
"Your Highness..." She couldn't finish her sentence because the Princess was running towards her, stumbling and falling.
Yue Yining's vision blurred as she was pulled tightly into her arms.
All the fear, repression, worry, and joy of the past turned into a sore throat. Wei Yihua hugged those thin, frail shoulders, her chin pressed tightly against Yue Yining's shoulder, her heart finally settling back into place, and tears suddenly filled her eyes.
There were countless moments when she thought she was going to lose her again in the same deep winter.
"Yue Yining! Do you know how worried I was about you? Do you know how I've been these past few days!" Wei Yihua roared, tears streaming down her face. She knew the maids around her must be looking at her in astonishment and fear, because she had never shouted like this before, but she couldn't care less.
"Do you know how much I regretted it after you disappeared? If you really died like this, do you think I could forgive myself? I sent people to rescue you, why didn't you come back to see me? You even made Yingying thank me, all you do is make me angry, don't you?" The princess's voice trembled, gradually turning into a sob, "How can you... always be so disrespectful to yourself?"
Saying she's sure she'll understand her is ridiculous. What if she doesn't? Saying she'll trust her is ridiculous. Is she really that trustworthy?
What do you mean by "standing on her own"? She doesn't want to be without her independence...
She resented her so much, resenting that she always made all her decisions with a seemingly gentle yet resolute attitude, resenting that she so casually put her own safety at risk, resenting that she made her so worried and so disheveled. Why could she always make her so vulnerable? Why could she always so easily let her go, yet she could never forget her for even a moment?
So much sorrow and pain she left her, so much that it overflowed. She was clearly still crying, the tears that streamed down her lips were so salty and bitter, but just holding her in his arms again like this made Wei Yihua feel at ease. The bitterness and resentment that had been deeply confined in her heart suddenly broke free from her body and vanished like smoke in the past.
The person she was hugging reached out and hugged her back, instantly enveloped in endless warmth.
After half a month apart, Yue Yining was still as gentle as before, her slightly upturned tone carrying a faint smile, so familiar: "Your Highness did very well."
"I knew it, Your Highness wouldn't let me down."
Wei Yihua bit her lip, but tears streamed down her face.
"...Yue Yining, I hate you." After hugging her for an unknown amount of time, the princess, her voice hoarse, finally spoke, her arms pressed against Yue Yining's neck, "Did you hear me? I said I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..."
"Mmm," Yue Yining responded, but didn't speak. She patted the back of the willful little princess, like soothing a tantrum-throwing child.
She let Wei Yihua hold her tighter and tighter, and the tears of this second most noble woman in the world soaked her clothes.
Wei Yihua sniffed, her voice choked with emotion, and said, "...Are you going to break your promise again?"
"Who said they would call me by my name from now on? Who is still calling me Your Highness?"
Yue Yining paused for a moment, then smiled and her eyes crinkled.
“You’re right, I was wrong,” she said. “Forgive me for always being so foolish, Yihua.”
It was two centuries late, but we have finally arrived at where we are today.
Wei Yihua whimpered, her arms tightened, and she let herself be overwhelmed by the warmth.
"Don't cry, Yihua."
Yue Yining returned to the Princess's residence. She was wearing the clothes she had been kidnapped and walked alone to the gate. When the Princess's residence explained to the outside world, they said that she had been taken out of the city by thieves with the intention of silencing her. She had escaped by chance and had been hiding ever since, fearing that she would be harmed again. So she waited outside the city for an opportunity to return. Finally, after hearing yesterday that the court had ordered the arrest of a group of corrupt officials, she made up her mind to enter the city and return to her residence.
The charges of treason and collusion with the enemy against Yue Yining were also proven to be false accusations, and he was subsequently exonerated.
Those involved in the framing were almost all officials from the Ministry of War. Based on the progress of the investigation into their embezzlement and corruption, they were dealt with starting with those whose crimes were the least serious, and in the end, some were dismissed from their posts and others were demoted.
The charges and punishments for most officials were initially determined in the following two weeks, seemingly bringing the matter to a close.
But everyone knows that the turmoil caused by the reform of the border troops is far from over.
Yue Yining rested in her residence for two days. The next day was her first time attending court after being reinstated. Unexpectedly, as soon as Yue Yining stepped out of the palace after the court session, she was surrounded by people on the ground.
One after another, fawning faces approached her. She hardly recognized any of them, yet they showered her with compliments and flattery, their intentions blatantly obvious.
"Your Excellency! I congratulate Your Excellency on the exoneration of your name. We have been filled with indignation these past few days, and now that we see you return safely, we are overjoyed."
"Indeed, indeed! The Lord of Yue has been wronged. Those corrupt officials who framed loyal ministers have now received their just deserts, it's truly gratifying!"
"Having survived this ordeal, the Great Yue King is even more radiant than before. Truly, good fortune favors the virtuous, and he is sure to have good luck in the future!"
“A loyal and capable minister like the Lord of Yue will surely be highly valued by Your Majesty in the future.”
"We will need your guidance in the future!"
These days, the imperial court has experienced several upheavals, and many people are observing the situation.
Yue Yining's case had caused quite a stir before, and everyone thought she was doomed. But now she has returned to the court with an impeccable reputation. It is said that she was the one who started the case that brought down the Left Grand Secretary, which shocked everyone.
In an instant, people with ulterior motives flocked up.
Yue Yining remained calm, but she didn't show any coldness. Instead, she smiled and responded to each person's requests, finally managing to send them away one by one.
Looking at the newly opened view, Yue Yining breathed a sigh of relief and took a step to leave.
Suddenly, a gentle voice, as clear as the clinking of jade stones, called out to her:
"The bigger man."
Yue Yining stopped in her tracks.
Looking back, only two or three stone steps away, Xie Qingyu gazed at her from afar, her clothes imposing and her body adorned with brocade, it was unclear how long she had been standing there.
Since the day the court was in turmoil, he released her from the manor as promised, and the two of them had not seen each other for several days.
Xie Qingyu slowly walked towards her under her gaze.
As they got closer, Yue Yining looked up at him, waiting for him to speak. But a hand with distinct knuckles reached out from under his dark, wide sleeves and, taking advantage of their close proximity, lifted her sleeve.
A curved, jade-white fingertip touched her palm and gently teased it.
Yue Yining was caught off guard by his action and instinctively flinched.
Her eyes widened suddenly as she looked at him. If there hadn't been a living person standing in front of her, she would have thought she had just been licked by a snake's tongue.
Xie Qingyu lowered her eyes, her tender gaze fixed on her, her voice barely audible, "Miss hasn't spoken to me for three days."
"Are you coming to see me tonight?"
Yue Yining's expression became subtle as she stared intently at him.
She suddenly laughed, taking advantage of the fact that everyone around her was too far away to hear. Her voice was gentle, but her words were full of teasing and quite wicked: "Lord Xie, has a one-night stand made you so thirsty?"
He actually dared to invite her to his residence for a night of passion right in front of the Holy Emperor's palace; he truly had no sense of propriety or shame whatsoever.
This is hardly the eldest son of a wealthy and powerful family, he's worse than a male prostitute in a brothel.
Hearing her meaningful teasing, Xie Qingyu remained silent, neither ashamed nor aggrieved.
His fingers, which had slipped under her skirt, still lingered in her palm, as he gazed at her with only his clear, watery eyes.
It's as if asking: Was it really just a fleeting romance?
After staring at it for a while, Yue Yining felt as if a cat's paw was gently scratching her chest, making it both itchy and soft.
She relented and said, "Tomorrow night then, I have to discuss matters with the princess today."
Xie Qingyu smiled, her face as gentle as a spring mountain, her smile warm and welcoming: "Okay."
Yue Yining was escorted all the way to the palace gate by Xie Qingyu. The gentle and refined young master from a noble family was like a mangy dog that couldn't be driven away, wishing he could be her shadow. If Fu Yao's gaze hadn't been sharp enough to kill, Xie Qingyu probably would have put her on the carriage.
Yue Yining leaned against the cushion, lost in thought. This man had only won her a little favor, yet he dared to be so blatant.
To be honest, we have to blame her; it's all her fault for spoiling them.
Just as she was pondering, Fu Yao beside her called her softly, muttering, "How strange, that person has been standing there watching our carriage since before Miss arrived, and he's still watching now."
Yue Yining followed Fu Yao's gaze.
Outside the palace gates, a figure in official robes stood quietly. In just half a month, he had become much thinner. He still possessed the same aloof and proud demeanor, yet he inexplicably gave off an air of humility and insignificance.
Yue Yining only came to her senses after the carriage had driven far away.
That's Zuo Xulin.
On the first day after Yue Yining returned, he met with many ministers and learned about Zuo Xulin's plea for Zuo Yingfeng a few days earlier, and also knew that it was Zhou Congyi who instigated it.
Although I was surprised, it was still within my expectations, and I could only sigh with emotion.
In a flash of thought, she remembered the old story about Zuo Xulin.
The following evening, she went to the Xie residence.
As the snow melts, a cool breeze sweeps through the garden, even colder than when it's snowing heavily. The bone-chilling cold makes one want to do something to warm up.
Yue Yining initially intended to interrogate Xie Qingyu, but somehow they ended up on the bed while asking each other questions.
She lay on top of Xie Qingyu, her outer robe trailing on the ground, leaving only her inner garment, a glimpse of snow-white skin swaying from the half-open collar. She moved very slowly, and when she lifted her skirt, the hem of her skirt rose, revealing the point where the two were joined.
Her lips parted rapidly, releasing warm, moist breath. She suppressed her pleasure, feigning composure, and looked down at the beauty lying beneath her. "I suddenly remembered something yesterday."
“When I first took office, I was made things difficult for a while. Before I could deal with it, those people and things stopped. At first, I thought it was Zuo Sheren taking care of me in secret.” Yue Yining felt something buried in her body suddenly jump when she mentioned the name of the absent person.
Xie Qingyu grabbed her wrist, his hot palm almost melting her flesh and bones.
Yue Yining closed her eyes, stopped moving, and took a moment to recover. Only after the feeling of being filled and bloated subsided did she manage to finish her sentence with difficulty: "Later, I asked him, and he said that he knew nothing about the change of tea and servants."
"Xie Qingyu, you did this, didn't you?"
At the time, Yue Yining was preoccupied with many matters and didn't have time to think about it in detail. However, after meeting Zuo Xulin yesterday, this long-forgotten corner of her mind was suddenly opened, and she finally understood the reason.
There was no one else but Xie Qingyu who knew her taste in tea and was always watching and observing her.
The person lying beneath her loosened his belt, and she tore open the lapel of his brocade official robe, exposing large expanses of his jade-white chest between the red curtains and soft bedding.
The disheveled beauty leaned against the pillows, suppressing her desire, her eyes red and moist as she watched her slowly move.
Xie Qingyu's chest heaved as he reached out to support her waist, but Yue Yining pushed his hand away.
She said, "What do you want to do? You haven't answered my question yet."
She rubbed against him, causing the man beneath her to turn red in the neck, and his hands, gripping the blankets tightly, to bulge with even more veins.
Xie Qingyu couldn't withstand such torture and confessed, "It was...it was me who did it."
The man on top of him chuckled, his voice rising at the end, "I knew it was you."
Xie Qingyu could no longer restrain himself, and grabbed her waist with both hands, pulling her down.
The bed curtains swayed and rippled, while the incense smoke from the golden censer steamed warmly and gently.
"Rong Xuan... Rong Xuan is one of your people too, isn't he?" Yue Yining's throat tightened, and she stammered, "When did you two get in touch?"
"A long time ago... before Miss knew me... uh... before she knew 'Xie Qingyu'..."
"No wonder you were able to plant people in the carriages and horses of the Ministry of Justice prison to kidnap me. So the entire Ministry of Justice prison is controlled by your people?" Yue Yining smiled meaningfully, her voice gentle. "I underestimated Young Master Xie."
As she neared the peak, Xie Qingyu gasped for breath.
She asked him many questions, but never about the paintings in the drawer.
Is it that you don't want to ask, or are you waiting for him to confess?
As Xie Qingyu hesitated, a pair of fair hands pressed against his chest, and the person on top of him rose and fell gently, neither violently nor gently.
His soul returned instantly, and he no longer cared about drawing or anything like that.
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Author's Note: While writing this chapter, I really wanted to send that meme: Oh my god, she's so hot! [Please!]
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