Chapter 103 How could a corrupted and loyal believer blaspheme against God?
He Chan smiled.
"I really didn't expect this," she said cryptically, her gaze deepening. "How did you know me?"
Yue Yining: "Wanted poster. When I first arrived in Qinghuai, I read through all the wanted posters posted in the government office, and your face left the deepest impression on me."
When others look at a stranger's face, they judge it by its beauty or ugliness, by their liking or dislike. But Yue Yining sees a person's fate.
The more rugged and unpredictable a person's fate, the more unique their appearance, which often leaves a deep impression on her.
He Chan actually joked with her: "Is it because I'm good-looking?"
Yue Yining hesitated for a moment, and seeing her blank expression for a instant, He Chan's eyebrows lifted and she burst into laughter.
The atmosphere was nothing like that of an interrogation.
"I've heard that General He never arrests innocent people." Yue Yining said calmly, her words carrying a hidden meaning. "I don't know when I committed a crime and became someone who is not innocent in the general's eyes."
He Chan tapped her finger on her knee, and her smile faded.
She looked at Yue Yining, her eyes dark and brooding. "Twelve days ago, the policy you proposed was adopted by Che Zilong. Within five days, the price of grain in Qinghuai City soared to 190 wen per dou, and the people in the city were filled with fear and unease."
Do you agree with what I've said?
As expected, it was because of this.
Yue Yining's guess was confirmed. She looked directly at He Chan and said, "I admit it. This policy was indeed proposed by me."
He Chan smiled enigmatically: "If that's the case, are you still going to protest your innocence?"
The atmosphere inside the cave became tense again. Yue Yining coughed twice, his voice even lower and hoarse: "Although I drafted the policy, I did not intend to profit from it."
"On the contrary, this move is to mitigate the disaster. Raising food prices is the best solution I can think of."
He Chan crossed her arms and stared intently at her: "You still haven't explained why raising grain prices can help with disaster relief."
"How many ordinary families in the entire Qinghuai region can afford rice at 190 wen per dou? If ordinary people can't afford it, let alone disaster victims, then wealthy merchants, having made money and gained government approval, will only become more rampant and hoard rice for speculation."
Yue Yining calmly said, "We should let them run rampant and hoard goods for profit."
He Chan still didn't understand what she meant, but as Yue Yining explained in detail, her expression gradually changed.
"...You make it sound very nice, but how can you be sure that everything will go as you expect?" He Chan continued to press her, staring intently at her. "Especially since your plan requires a wealthy and influential businessman to lead the way, who will play that role? Do you have such connections? And how can you be sure that your connections will act according to your instructions? This businessman who takes orders won't get any benefits."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "General He, don't worry, I have a suitable candidate. She should already be on her way to Qinghuai with her men."
"I was originally very confident, but the general kidnapped me halfway. Now that I am not in the city to oversee things, I really dare not make any promises about how things will develop."
Faced with Yue Yining's words, which sounded like both a reproach and a reminder, He Chan narrowed her eyes.
Are you threatening me?
The female official in blue and white robes looked at her with sincere eyes, "I dare not, and have absolutely no such intention."
He Chan's expression was calm, but her tone was as sharp as a drawn blade: "Since I dared to capture you, I dare to make sure you don't leave alive, and I will not let you go easily. I advise you not to waste your breath."
"The plan you just described is only your side of the story. Who knows how much of it is true and how much is false? Maybe it's just a trick to deceive people, to buy time for someone to come and rescue you."
Yue Yining did not directly refute.
Her clear black pupils reflected He Chan's image. After a moment of silence, she uttered a startling statement: "General He dared to kidnap me, doesn't that mean he was certain that neither Che Zilong nor Dong Qi would come to my rescue?"
He Chan's eyes suddenly changed, becoming sharp and unstoppable in an instant.
Yue Yining, however, continued as if nothing was amiss: "General He is insightful, so I will speak frankly."
“You know Che Zilong and Dong Qi very well, and you also know the fragile relationship and complex conflicts between them. I was lured out of the city and was killed outside the city. It is not within their jurisdiction. Even if I die, it is just my bad luck and stupidity. It does not affect their official positions, and it is not their place to be responsible.”
"If it doesn't concern them personally, neither of them would take the initiative to send reinforcements to rescue me. It's a mission with no reward, and neither side is willing to suffer the loss. They're both hoping the other will take the loss, so they'll just keep shirking responsibility and delaying the rescue."
After Yue Yining finished speaking, she looked up and met He Chan's gaze, which was icy cold.
She paused, then said, "The general is a native of Qinghuai. When I saw the general's arrest warrant, I asked the officials who received me, and they said that you fled the city to avoid punishment."
"Whether the general's charges are true or false, I don't know, nor do I care. In my eyes, the general is a man of great principle, willing to rid the people of harm, and even went so far as to arrest me, a 'corrupt official,' to coerce me into withdrawing the policies that have already been implemented. You and those scoundrels like Che Zilong and Dong Qi, who only know how to exploit the people and embezzle public grain, are not the same kind of people at all."
“That’s why I want the general to believe me.” Yue Yining said firmly, “Please give me some time, my colleagues in Qinghuai will testify for me that I have no intention of harming the common people.”
"I share the same heart and mind with the general."
Jiang Feiyan stood guard at the cave entrance, only able to faintly hear the conversation inside, but not clearly. After a while, footsteps sounded and came from behind the curtain.
Jiang Feiyan quickly stood up straight and saw He Chan lift the curtain and come out. She glanced at Jiang Feiyan first, then her gaze fell on Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Ying: "You two keep an eye on the two people inside. If anything happens, let me know immediately."
Xiao Ying and Xiao Zhuo replied in unison, "Yes."
He Chan added, "If their requests are not excessive, try to fulfill them. There's no need to take anything from them."
Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Ying exchanged a glance, and this time they answered more cautiously, "Yes."
Jiang Feiyan's heart skipped a beat, and she stammered, "General..."
He Chan glanced at her, and seeing her unease, reached out and pinched the back of her neck, like pinching a kitten's neck. Jiang Feiyan's legs went weak from the pinch, and her fierce and sharp eyebrows drooped into a ball, becoming very obedient.
He Chan put down her hand and gestured for her to follow. "Let's go. It's a good opportunity for us to talk."
The curtains were drawn back together, and the light inside the cave dimmed again. Having spoken too much at once, Yue Yining, who was recovering from a long illness, felt a sore and itchy throat and couldn't help but cough a few times. Immediately, a water pouch was offered to her lips.
Yue Yining was taken aback. She looked up and saw the slender, fair hand holding the water pouch. Without further hesitation, she brought the pouch to the spout and drank some water.
The cool, sweet water flowed over my dry throat as I swallowed, and my throat felt clear and I felt much better.
She opened her eyes and looked at him: "...Thank you."
The person in front of me smiled, his beautiful eyes crinkling. Even without a crown or jade ornaments, they were still bright and dazzling, as radiant as the sunset, and exceptionally handsome.
Yue Yining then noticed his clothes and accessories, her eyes narrowing: "Where are your things? They're gone."
For a young nobleman to appear before others without a crown or belt, with disheveled hair, is both disrespectful and impolite. She remembered that seven days ago, Xie Qingyu had chased after her, clearly dressed impeccably, with a magnificent crown and belt. Now, however, he was without hairpins or ornaments, his hair disheveled and dressed in plain clothes. What on earth had happened these past few days?
Xie Qingyu glanced down at the ends of her hair that had fallen onto her chest, then looked up to meet Yue Yining's probing and worried gaze. Her heart warmed and burned with concern because of Yue Yining's care.
He said in a gentle voice, "On the way up the mountain, I accidentally snagged a tree branch and some of the clothes fell off. The rest that I had with me were lost after I changed clothes these past few days. Perhaps they took them."
"It is indeed improper for me to be by your side in my current state, Miss." His long, thick eyelashes, when he lowered his eyes, were like a captivating scimitar. "If Miss finds me an eyesore..."
"No!" Yue Yining quickly said when she saw his disappointment. "I don't care about those formalities. I was just afraid you would feel uncomfortable."
Xie Qingyu's fingers, tucked into her wide sleeves, pinched her palms together. Several orioles were plugged into her ears. As her caring words flowed in, the orioles sang and burrowed deep into his body, fluttering and dancing in his chest, chirping loudly.
He suspected that he had contracted a disease called Yue Yining.
He was already terminally ill.
Xie Qingyu's throat was dry, but she smiled gently and said, "Okay, I understand."
The cave was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; no one spoke.
Yue Yining reviewed her conversation with He Chan, her mind clearing. She glanced at Xie Qingyu, her fingers rubbing her arm, wondering whether she should tell him, when she heard Xie Qingyu speak: "These people, they must be the bandits the Fourth Prince's men are trying to wipe out, right?"
Yue Yining's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned around to look. Seeing her movement, Xie Qingyu said softly, "Don't worry. I only said it after I estimated that they had all gone far away."
“…” Yue Yining said, “It’s very likely.”
She hesitated to tell Xie Qingyu because he was, after all, the Seventh Prince's man; she just hadn't expected that he had already figured it out.
When she first saw He Chan's portrait, she had a gut feeling that He Chan was not an irredeemable person, and that there might be other hidden reasons for her escape after being convicted.
Now that she has met him in person, she is even more certain of her judgment.
“Flood control and disaster relief are tasks assigned to the court by the floods, but the task of suppressing bandits originated from a request from the Qinghuai region to the court, which points to Che Zilong and his group.” Yue Yining lowered her eyes and said, “Now it seems that Che Zilong knew all along that there was a powerful band of bandits on the mountain outside Qinghuai City, but for some unknown reason he did not dare to personally send troops to suppress them. So he used the excuse that Qinghuai was not well guarded and wanted to use the court to get rid of them.”
The fact that Che Zilong went to such great lengths just to eliminate them quietly shows how much he feared He Chan and her group.
Yue Yining already had a guess about the original situation. If she had her copper plate with her, she would definitely be able to calculate more clues.
Unfortunately, she left the divination plate in her bedroom early seven days ago when she went out.
Xie Qingyu didn't care about these things. He was only worried that Yue Yining's condition had only just improved and that she had already exhausted too much energy. So he said softly, "Miss, your fever has just subsided today, and you are still very weak. Would you like to lie down and sleep a little longer?"
Although Yue Yining was tired, she wasn't sleepy: "No need."
This reminded her of a question she hadn't had a chance to ask earlier, "By the way, you've been taking care of me these past few days, haven't you?"
Xie Qingyu: "It's what I should do."
“It’s not a question of whether it should or shouldn’t be done.” Yue Yining paused. “I just think it’s not easy to even think about it.”
Her clothes were soaked through by the rain, and she had a high fever. She vaguely remembered someone holding her and making sure she slept in a warm place. They also found her medicine and fed her the medicine spoonful by spoonful.
She was only thankful that Jiang Feiyan hadn't mistreated them; otherwise, it would have been much more troublesome for Xie Qingyu to take care of her.
Even though they were just prisoners, Jiang Feiyan provided them with clothes, firewood, and bedding. The cave they were given to live in was good enough; it didn't look like a place for prisoners at all.
Of course, more than anyone else, the person she should thank the most is Xie Qingyu.
Yue Yining was only eloquent when she was being irreverent; when it came to speaking seriously, she became tongue-tied. After a long while, she could only manage to utter a dry, uninspired sentence: "...Anyway, thank you for your hard work."
“You said before that I saved your life when you were in danger, so I owe you a debt of gratitude. Now that you’ve saved my life, we’re even,” Yue Yining said. “You don’t need to call me ‘Miss’ anymore; it sounds really awkward.”
Because of this kindness, Xie Qingyu always adopted a humble attitude in front of her. Yue Yining was not without confusion. She thought it was just because he had exceptionally good family upbringing and knew how to repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude. Later, she attributed it to his unusual affection for her.
Yue Yining sometimes feels pressured, as if a thousand pounds are hanging over her.
She vaguely felt that Xie Qingyu had placed her in a position that was too high.
Like people worshipping a god, he held her on a jade throne atop a celestial terrace, where even the moonlight could not warm her. Even her lowered gaze and graceful figure became an unattainable grace.
Even she herself felt offended by these words, but she couldn't find a more suitable way to describe them.
Yue Yining looked up at Xie Qingyu's expression and saw that his face had lost all color and was as pale as paper.
She paused, then asked, "What's wrong...?"
Did she say something wrong?
Upon hearing her say that they were even, Xie Qingyu subconsciously clenched her hand hidden in her sleeve, her mind buzzing.
She wanted to sever ties with him.
Why? Was it because he overstepped his bounds? When?
"Didn't you overstep the bounds?" The voice in his mind questioned him calmly and relentlessly. If you still love her with the same pure heart as before, and look up to her without any selfish desires, then why did you kiss her?
She was seriously ill and in a coma, but you were perfectly lucid. You pressed your lips to her wrists and palms, and while she was asleep, you even touched your eyes with her hand. You left your lip prints and scent on her body, and the dirty vapors from your breath clung to her skin.
The voice in his mind listed his crimes one by one, sentencing him as coldly as a bucket of ice water poured over his head.
Don't be ridiculous. How could a devout believer dare to blaspheme against God?
A deafening roar exploded in his mind, shattering all his self-deception.
His mind was in turmoil.
At this moment, Xiao Zhuo, who was at the entrance of the cave, lifted the curtain and called out, "Lunch is ready. Someone come with me to get it."
Xie Qingyu suddenly stood up. Yue Yining was stunned for a moment, then heard him hurriedly say "I'm going" and leave in a hurry, his steps unsteady.
Yue Yining stared at his retreating figure, her face full of confusion.
What's wrong?
She touched the back of her head, puzzled, and was about to get out of bed when she suddenly heard a rustling sound.
Turning her head, she saw a little girl nervously peeking through a corner of a curtain. Her skin was dark, and she wore coarse linen clothes; only her large eyes shone like two bright gems.
She recognized the little girl.
Yue Yining was somewhat surprised: "It's you?"
Compared to Qiu Yuebai and Shen Liude, Yue Yining needed to negotiate with various forces and visited the disaster relief tents less often, but she would always see this little girl in the group. Although her features were covered in mud, she could tell that the girl was actually very pretty, clever, and likable. She often saw her chatting with the disaster victims.
Yingying was conflicted.
It was only after she spoke up for this female official that Sister Yan agreed to go and gather medicinal herbs for her, even accidentally cutting her hand in the process. She later overheard others talking and learned that this female official seemed to be a bad person; it was because of her policies that grain prices in Qinghuai City had risen, making it unaffordable for many people.
However, she had personally witnessed Yue Yining helping the disaster victims, and it was definitely not fake.
Yingying looked at her timidly: "...Are you a good person or a bad person?"
Yue Yining found her cautious questioning manner adorable and chuckled, "I guess I'm a pretty good person."
Yingying didn't understand what "considered a good person" meant, and mumbled something without speaking.
A clear, deep female voice suddenly sounded behind them, "Yingying."
Yue Yining was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw a woman standing at the cave entrance. She was slender and tall, wearing a simple and elegant moon-white robe with a skirt that flowed like waves.
"Deputy Division Commander Jiang!" Yingying exclaimed in surprise, running over and throwing herself into the woman's arms. "I haven't seen you in so long!"
The woman Yingying called Deputy Division Commander Jiang had a gentle and quiet face with light eyebrows and an oval face. She gently stroked the back of Yingying's head and said, "It really has been a long time since I've seen our Yingying."
How long will you be staying this time?
"They probably won't leave again anytime soon, right?"
Yue Yining squatted down and watched Deputy Division Commander Jiang and Yingying talk for a while. Yingying had many questions and chattered like a little sparrow, and Deputy Division Commander Jiang answered them all patiently.
She found an excuse to send Yingying away, leaving only the two of them in the cave for a while.
Deputy Division Commander Jiang looked Yue Yining up and down, his expression indifferent, and smiled gently: "I heard that the general captured someone and brought her up the mountain, but I didn't expect her to be a beauty."
Caught off guard by the praise, Yue Yining coughed to cover her embarrassment: "I'm flattered, I'm flattered..."
"Yingying is a very cute child, isn't she?"
Deputy Division Commander Jiang came to the earthen bed and sat in the spot where He Chan had sat, but her posture was completely different from He Chan's. Her back was straight, like a lotus or bamboo, and she looked at Yue Yining with composure and elegance, and said with a smile: "She looks young, but she is actually ten years old. Yingying's father originally planned to sell her into a brothel to make money, but the general cut off one of her father's hands and snatched her from him."
Yue Yining was stunned.
Seeing her blank expression, Deputy Division Commander Jiang said slowly, "The general has many children with such tragic backgrounds. When the screening for entering and leaving Qinghuai City was very strict, people with distinctive features like the general and Feiyan could hardly sneak into the city. It was all thanks to these children who crawled through the dilapidated dog holes in the city walls to contact informants and buy supplies needed by the camp."
"They can do a lot of things, like passing on information and gathering intelligence. When they grow up, they will learn martial arts from the general and never have to get married. They can make a living on their own. It's always better to rely on yourself than to depend on your family and husband, isn't it?"
"..." Yue Yining wanted to say something, but felt it was too weak, so she could only reply, "You're right."
The few times the curtain was lifted, Yue Yining was able to see the faces of the two women in black guarding the cave entrance. Her mind was sharp at that moment, and she quickly pieced together all the fragments.
She realized that she had seen not only He Chan's face, but also Xiao Zhuo's, Xiao Ying's, and Jiang Feiyan's faces in the wanted posters posted by the government.
As for why she didn't recognize Jiang Feiyan immediately, it was because Jiang Feiyan's face on the wanted poster was flawless and clean, without that horrifying scar running across it.
She still remembered the wanted posters on that wall; the vast majority of the criminals were women.
In other words, all the bandits on this mountain may have been women who escaped from Qinghuai City.
Yue Yining paused, then looked up at Deputy Division Commander Jiang opposite her: "I have already spoken with the general. I have no ill will toward the people, nor toward you."
"Our goals are actually the same. This kidnapping was just a misunderstanding, and we will not pursue it afterward."
Deputy Division Commander Jiang nodded slightly: "I see."
Yue Yining looked at her face, but was somewhat confused.
She searched her memory thoroughly, but she was certain she had never seen this face in any of the official wanted posters.
She asked, "Deputy Division Commander Jiang, that's how Yingying calls you."
Deputy Division Commander Jiang: "Yes, it's fine, you can call me that too."
"What did Deputy Division Commander Jiang do before? Why did he come up the mountain?"
“Me?” Deputy Division Commander Jiang smiled. “I used to be a doctor. Not a very good one, nothing much to say. The reason I went up the mountain was the same, nothing worth mentioning.”
After meeting Yue Yining and exchanging a few words with her, Deputy Division Commander Jiang made an excuse to leave.
She arrived at the mountain and headed straight for the cave where He Chan lived. As soon as she approached the cave entrance, she heard a commotion coming from inside. Jiang Feiyan was being scolded, and she was still being disobedient, constantly arguing in her own defense.
"Just because that man took care of her, you got upset again?" He Chan said sharply. "Look at what you took from him! Putting aside whether we should have taken it or not, these pieces of jewelry are so unique. If they are resold, someone might follow the trail and end up getting themselves into trouble!"
"How could I care about all that back then? I was traumatized, so what?!" Jiang Feiyan shouted. "Don't you know best why I was traumatized?!"
The cave fell into a deathly silence.
Deputy Division Commander Jiang's gentle smile vanished. She lifted the curtain and looked at the two people inside. "Stop arguing. What kind of behavior is this?"
"Old Jiang, you've come at the right time. There's something I need to discuss with you." He Chan sat on the earthen bed with her legs spread apart, recounting her conversation with Yue Yining that morning in detail, and finally asked, "What's your opinion?"
Deputy Division Commander Jiang said calmly, "Didn't I already say that?"
He Chan frowned: "Back then, I didn't even know the specifics. Now that I've told you so much information, can it be the same?"
“So what? No matter what she says, my stance will not change,” Deputy Division Commander Jiang said. “My opinion remains consistent: kill her.”
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Author's note: All three important female characters in the second case have appeared.
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