conflict
Now, everyone witnessed Aunt Qin killing someone to cover it up.
From the moment Xie An was lured away, all her guesses were confirmed.
As for the government, it was naturally at her behest that Xie An was appointed to handle it from the beginning.
The assassins appeared to be targeting Wen Zhibai, but they didn't kill him. Instead, they fired a hidden arrow and then lured Xie An away.
Who else could want to put her in danger?
...
When Wen Zhibai woke up again, it was early the next morning.
Tao Zhi stayed by the bedside, while Xie An stood guard outside the door.
She opened her blurry eyes, intending to touch Tao Zhi's sleeping face, but the wound on her chest was still aching, causing her to groan softly.
Upon hearing the sound, Tao Zhi quickly opened her wrinkled eyes and went to check on Wen Zhibai.
"Miss, you're awake?"
Hearing the commotion inside, Xie An, who was outside the door, also knocked on the door.
Wen Zhibai looked at the shadow on the door and said, "Come in."
Xie An gently pushed open the door and stepped forward anxiously, his youthful brows furrowed with worry: "Miss, are you alright? What you did was a bit too risky."
"Tell me first, what did the authorities say while I was unconscious?"
"The government has sent additional men to the Pei residence, and they're all guarding outside the courtyard. I think it's probably because of the Crown Prince. Ever since the He family and those powerful figures visited last time, everyone outside has been speculating about your relationship with the Crown Prince and Lord Pei, so they dare not be negligent. Also, your mother's coffin has been buried, but not in Wenling..."
"Not Wenling? But where has the government placed him?" Wen Zhibai frowned, his heart leaping into his throat. "Has Pei Qinzhou returned?"
"No, the magistrate hasn't returned yet, nor is it the government. After you fell into a coma, the government originally intended to temporarily bury you in Wenling, but the elders of the Wen family refused, and the situation remained deadlocked. A dozen or so people rode quickly to Wenling, claiming to be distant relatives of you, also surnamed Jiang. Their leader was a veiled woman. After showing a token engraved with a lotus flower pattern, they took the coffin away. I followed them and saw with my own eyes that they buried you, and you are now at peace."
Lotus Order?
Wen Zhibai seemed to remember something, and his heart trembled for a moment.
"Did they leave any explanation?!"
Xie An shook his head: "I asked them who they were, but they only sent someone to confirm your safety and then left."
A sense of loss washed over Wen Zhibai, but this also provided some clues about the Jiang family, making her next goal clearer. Most importantly, her mother could finally rest in peace.
"Xie An, do you still remember the place where they buried my mother?"
If we can find the Jiang clan's ancestral tomb first, we can follow the clues to find the Jiang clan's location.
“I remember, but Miss, your injuries haven’t healed yet, and you have a lawsuit to fight soon. Why don’t you wait for the master to return?”
"This matter has nothing to do with Pei Qinzhou." She gritted her teeth: "What's the current status of the lawsuit?"
"Qin Yanzhen insists that you framed her, and those thugs also say that you had accomplices and that you killed the wizard. You don't need to worry about the government finding us. The footprints at the scene have long been washed away by the rain, and the places I led the guards through have been covered up. However, in this way, you only have one mouth and no one to testify for you. I'm afraid your testimony alone will not be enough."
Wen Zhibai pondered for a moment: "Taozhi, spread this news throughout the city. Xie An, investigate the background of that sorcerer."
She looked out the window and said, "If we're going to make a scene, let's make it a huge spectacle."
"By the way, when was the confrontation in court?"
"The government said that they can begin once you wake up."
Wen Zhibai already understood everything. She was about to tell Xie An to step down and rest, but she noticed a hint of worry on the young man's face.
"Xie An, what's wrong?"
"...Miss, you're injured, the master..."
"Don't overthink it. Go and rest before dawn."
After Tao Zhi and Xie An left, Wen Zhibai finally let himself show his vulnerability.
When the wound aches, I can't help but think of the person who should be by my side.
Why hasn't he come back yet? Did something happen to him?
If it were up to Pei Qinzhou's usual character, he wouldn't leave me for too long.
Moreover, she is indeed facing some trouble right now.
But this is for the best; they remain unrelated and he won't be dragged into the vortex.
——
The carriage from the Hidden Feather Palace was already far from the capital; winter was approaching, and a chill was creeping in.
After much deliberation, Pei Qinzhou finally picked up his pen and wrote a letter.
Temperature rise—
I have already traveled to Liangchuan. The weather is getting colder, so please remember to wear more clothes.
Liangchuan is far away, and I don't know when I will be able to return. If Miss Wen says she misses me, then I will agree and return to your side before the first snow falls.
Signed Pei
After thinking it over, he added a small line to the letter: If you have anything you want to say to me, write it down in a dark purple book on my desk. I can hear you there.
The carrier pigeon carried his letter back to the Pei residence and eventually delivered it to Wen Zhibai.
She had just finalized the date for the lawsuit with Xie An.
After reading the letter, Wen Zhibai, with Tao Zhi's help, found the booklet that Pei Qinzhou had mentioned.
It's just an ordinary blank notebook, nothing special.
Can he really hear what she's trying to say?
Wen Zhibai initially wanted to blame him for leaving for Liangchuan without a word, but after thinking it over, he simply wrote on the paper:
I'm too busy to think about someone.
A smile appeared on his face as he put down his pen.
She didn't believe that Pei Qinzhou could really know what she was writing.
...
With the yamen in front of them, a crowd had already gathered outside, all there to witness this lawsuit between the powerful and wealthy.
"I never imagined that the renowned Wen family would have such a thing going on."
Two women carrying vegetable baskets chattered among the crowd. Tao Zhi bit her lower lip, looked around, and kept fidgeting with her fingers.
Wen Zhibai and Qin Yanzhen are now standing on opposite sides of the hall, and the debate is about to begin.
Sunlight streamed through the government gates and into the main hall, where the newly appointed magistrate was presiding over the case.
At first, no one in the government dared to handle this case, after all, it involved a powerful family, and digging deeper, it also had the background of the Crown Prince. It would be an extremely heavy burden for any official to bear. However, when the new magistrate heard that it was a murder case involving the Wen family, he took on this mess.
Everyone said that the new county magistrate was eager to make a name for himself, having risen through the ranks in Jingcheng after a difficult time.
Unfortunately, he was too ambitious and chose the wrong case.
Wen Zhibai sat on a wooden chair, her palms lightly pressed against her chest, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking frail and pitiful.
On the other hand, Qin Yanzhen, out of respect for the Wen family, was only detained in the government office for two or three days. Out of consideration for the family, she managed to put on a brave face. She had already heard that no official dared to investigate this murder case, except for a newly appointed county magistrate.
The new magistrate wore a plain robe, unlike previous officials, and when he sat down, he even concealed the patch on his cuff.
Wen Zhibai's gaze shifted to the person in a higher position, and when she saw the person's face clearly, her pupils trembled for a moment.
That was none other than Xu Xiqing, a student from Jingcheng.
In the blink of an eye, he had passed the imperial examination and become a county magistrate. Now, no one knows his age, but the once youthful man now has a few gray hairs at his temples.
Xu Xiqing was not surprised to see Wen Zhibai. He said with concern, "Since Miss Wen left the school last year, the teacher has always regretted your talent. I never expected that we would meet again today in the government office, to adjudicate a murder case."
Wen Zhibai chuckled softly, tears welling in his eyes. He finally suppressed a secret he couldn't tell anyone: "My father has taken a new lover, and my mother is seriously ill. I have failed your teachings, and I am ashamed."
Upon hearing this, the crowd outside the door began to discuss it again, saying that the rumors were true, that the head of the Wen family was fickle and had wronged his first wife, allowing his stepmother to bully his first wife's daughter.
Without much small talk, the murder case officially began.
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