Government offices in a standoff
Xu Xiqing: "Now, regarding the case of the Wen family cemetery, Wen Zhibai, as your stepmother Qin said, on the day your mother was buried, Qin brought people to help find a shaman to find an auspicious burial site for your mother. However, you were dissatisfied with the site the shaman found, so you killed him. Later, because you resented Qin for marrying into the Wen family, you also wanted to kill Qin. As for your injury, you stabbed yourself during the argument. Based on the above, do you agree?"
“The officials can all testify for me that day. It was Qin who wanted to eliminate all traces of the Qin family and pave the way for his two children, and he wanted to kill me as well. How could I, a weak woman, have injured myself to this state?”
As Wen Zhibai spoke, tears streamed down his face as he looked pitifully at Qin Yanzhen: "Aunt Qin, my mother is already dead, why won't you spare my life? I know you've always been jealous of my mother for sitting in the position you most desired when she was young, obtaining the status you most coveted. But now I have nothing left. That day, you even had my mother's coffin dug up and tried to whip her corpse. How could you do such a heinous thing? If I hadn't argued with you, I'm afraid I would have gone to the Yellow Springs with my mother..."
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Qin Yanzhen glared angrily. With so many people present, she suppressed her rage and continued, "That day, Wen Zhibai didn't go alone. She had highly skilled martial artists with her. Before the officials arrived, those people left. Are all of you government officials incompetent? So many people must have left footprints; couldn't you see them?! Oh, and the Wen clan elders were also present that day. If you don't believe me, you can go and invite them here!"
Wen Zhibai responded first: "Yes, I admit that there were people with me, but they were just servants who buried my mother. After my mother's coffin was buried, I wanted to pay my respects to her alone, so I let them leave after the Wen clan elders left."
Xu Xiqing tapped the gavel and retorted, "Qin, you claim to have many experts who come and go without a trace, and whose traces can be wiped away by heavy rain. How could such people be commanded by Miss Wen, an orphan? You dozens of people couldn't stop her from committing murder alone. Is this reasonable and justifiable?"
As he spoke, Xu Xiqing pointed to another constable: "Tell Madam Qin, when you rushed to Wenling, did you see the expert she mentioned? Did you find any other traces at the scene?"
"Reporting to you, sir, there is none."
"How could there not be!" Qin Yanzhen shouted angrily, being pointed at and whispered about by everyone like a madwoman, and then she sneered: "Hehe... I know."
She turned and pointed at Wen Zhibai: "As soon as this magistrate appeared, he greeted you warmly. He must be an old acquaintance of yours from the school, right? No wonder, it must be a deep affection that made him speak up for you. He even disregarded fairness and propriety!"
"Are all feelings in this world romantic love? Besides, it was just a few pleasantries, and I'm not even married yet. Is Aunt Qin trying to use the rigid social norms of the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues to crush me?" Wen Zhibai forced himself to stand up, a hint of resentment in his eyes. "The bond between classmates, the bond between officials and commoners—aren't these all more in line with the truth than what Aunt Qin is saying?"
"Then tell me, how do you explain that the wizard was brought by me, and you killed him with your own hands?"
"Has Aunt Qin forgotten? You were the one who said the sorcerer knew too much and had to be killed to silence him. Everyone present that day was your man, and I almost died. How can you say I killed anyone?"
"My men saw it all; it was you who did it! Still trying to deny it?"
“You said they were all your people, and their words are not to be trusted.” She then turned to face the crowd: “Gentlemen, I am all alone, I don’t even have the right to bury my mother, how can I fight against dozens of thugs and kill one person?” She covered the wound on her chest: “If the government hadn’t arrived in time that day, I would have died long ago. In this world, who would want to kill me?”
"Wen Zhibai, you are truly shameless!" As she spoke, Madam Qin was about to rush forward to stop Wen Zhibai from continuing his speech, but she was stopped by the soldiers standing by. This only fueled Qin Yanzhen's anger, and she turned to attack Xu Xiqing, saying, "Magistrate Xu, you are merely a seventh-rank magistrate, do you even have the right to judge the affairs of my Wen family?"
Xu Xiqing straightened his official hat, neither humble nor arrogant: "I am an official appointed by the imperial court, in charge of criminal matters in this area. Since Wannian County is within my jurisdiction, I have the authority to handle any murder cases that occur here."
At this moment, the Prefect of Jingzhao and Wen Lingchen walked in, their imposing presence and imposing manner quite impressive.
Xu Xiqing gave up his seat, and the people outside the hall were cleared away one after another.
"This is nothing more than a quarrel between women in the family. I'm sorry to trouble you, Lord Prefect of the Capital." Wen Lingchen said with a forced smile, trying to quickly quell the matter.
In the eyes of important people, the death of just one wizard is not a big deal.
"Lord Wen, there's no need to be so polite. However, this matter is likely to cause quite a stir outside. We should think about how to handle this, otherwise we'll lose our reputation and it will have a bad impact."
Wen Lingchen's face turned ashen, and he shouted at Wen Zhibai, "Family scandals should not be aired in public! Get out of here!"
...
"Come home with me." Wen Lingchen pulled Wen Zhibai, who was about to leave first, but she pushed his hand away.
"Home?" Wen Zhibai sneered, then turned and left.
As soon as he stepped outside the hall, Tao Zhi came up to him and helped Wen Zhibai, whose lips had turned pale.
Her injuries hadn't healed yet, and she had exerted too much effort.
"Miss, what are we doing now..."
She bit her lower lip to ease the pain in her chest, and then said, "Taozhi, let's go home."
Back at the Pei residence.
The only place that can shelter her from the wind and rain right now.
As expected, after Wen Lingchen and Qin Yanzhen returned to the mansion, Qin Yanzhen saw a childish-looking boy.
That was the child that Wen Lingchen brought back from the Wen family's ancestral home a few days ago.
He will also be the legitimate son who will replace Wen Fushi in the future.
This time, the two did not argue; they both knew they had done something to wrong each other.
Qin Yanzhen walked up to the child and reached out to touch his little face, but was stopped by Wen Lingchen.
"Yanzhen, don't touch him."
Upon hearing this, she let out a cold laugh, a laugh that seemed to be a mixture of all her pain.
However, Qin Yanzhen stopped what she was doing. With her back to Wen Lingchen, she slowly said, "You haven't visited Fu Shi in a long time. Before, you always felt that the time you could spend with us, your son, was too short."
"Having lived to this age, we are no longer young, and we should understand the truth of things changing and the helplessness we have to endure."
Qin Yanzhen's face turned completely cold as she walked towards the door.
Standing by Wen Fushi's bedside, the poem about heartbreak came to mind: "This wounds my heart, I sit and worry as my beauty fades."
Pei Mansion Study
Wen Zhibai opened the booklet, his thoughts drifting back to the rainy day when he buried his mother.
"Would you praise my decisiveness, or fear that I've stained myself with blood?"
Tears of grief and resentment dripped onto the yellowed pages. Wen Zhibai felt she had changed, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly how.
Is it cruel? Is it heartless?
If she doesn't eliminate her rivals and kill those who stab her with their knives, how can she survive in this cannibalistic world?
What awaits her in the future is a road of no return, a road against her will.
But we have no choice but to keep going.
There was no choice.
“I had no choice…” Wen Zhibai buried his face in his hands and wept bitterly at his desk.
The very first step caused her pain.
To love someone is to think of them first when you are at your most vulnerable, and wish that they were by your side.
Also, I wish I could be there for her during every sad moment.
Hearing the sobbing sound beside him, Pei Qinzhou paused, frowning as he held the military report.
“New news from Naqi: 100,000 troops are pressing in, while we only have 30,000 elite soldiers. How are we going to fight this battle…” Xia Chengen clenched his fist, interrupting Pei Qinzhou’s thoughts: “General Qi, who is familiar with the Liangchuan region and Naqi’s tactics, is also suffering from injuries and illnesses. It is destined to be a tough battle.”
Pei Qinzhou put down the military report and walked to the edge of the map with Xia Chengen to discuss tactics.
late at night
The two stood in front of their battle robes.
Xia Chengen: "I never thought that you and I would have to put on our armor again. I should call you General Pei again."
Pei Qinzhou didn't speak, but instead stroked the worn areas of his armor.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!" A high-pitched voice entered the tent, and Guangxi walked in, with a small green bird perched on her arm.
Those two "Your Highness"s were spoken by the little bird.
“Your Highness, look, I just found this outside the camp. This bird can talk like a human.”
Xia Chengen teased the bird's chin with his hand and clicked his tongue twice.
...
A few days passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Yanzhen was confined to her home, and Shang Jingcheng spread rumors about her despicable methods, causing an uproar. Such comments were what made people like Qin Yanzhen feel the most uncomfortable.
"Miss, Miss!!" Tao Zhi ran towards Wen Zhibai, who was eating snacks under the pavilion, followed by two servants.
"Look!"
Wen Zhibai raised his head and looked in the direction Tao Zhi was pointing.
Two servants were carrying a birdcage with a green parrot inside.
Tao Zhi took the birdcage and handed it to Wen Zhibai, saying with a hint of teasing, "It was given to Miss by someone asked by the master."
Wen Zhibai blushed, tore off a small piece of pastry from her hand, and fed it to the parrot.
The parrot blinked: "Greetings, Miss! Greetings, Miss!"
"It can even talk!" Tao Zhi's eyes widened. "My master is so busy, yet he still remembers you, Miss. He's truly a first-rate person. Miss, please consider my master~" Tao Zhi smiled brightly.
"Tao Zhi." Wen Zhibai deliberately became serious.
Tao Zhi covered her mouth repeatedly and shook her head, indicating that she would not say anything more.
As he spoke, Wen Zhibai recalled the message he received from Xie An yesterday, saying that he had found out all the connections between the wizard and Qin Yanzhen.
The sorcerer lived in a place called Wutong Village.
She has replied and will meet up with Xie An first thing tomorrow morning.
"By the way, I'm going out tomorrow. Could you prepare some of Xie An's favorite snacks so I can take them with me?"
"Yes, Miss."
After everyone had left, Wen Zhibai looked at the parrot again, leaned over the birdcage, and whispered, "Where's Pei Qinzhou? Why hasn't Pei Qinzhou gone home yet..."
The person is not here, but they are everywhere.
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