Chapter 20 Awakening
She wrote a letter to Pei Chengyu last night and asked Baozhu to deliver it. She received a reply early the next morning that Pei Chengyu had agreed to her request.
When she arrived, Pei Chengyu was already waiting for her at the entrance of the imperial prison.
The Chu family's affairs are of great importance; even those who have been out of the public eye for a long time can hear about them. Only after receiving Yu'an's letter last night did he realize how difficult her life was in the Ji family.
It was clearly something that only required a word from Ji Jinghe, yet she was forced to lower herself and beg an outsider; it was truly laughable.
Pei Chengyu looked at the bundle Yu An was carrying and the dark circles under her eyes, his gaze deepening. "You're dressed rather thinly; you might get cold when you go inside."
As he spoke, he took his cloak from the attendant and handed it to Yu'an.
Yu An waved his hand and murmured, "Thank you for your kindness, young marquis, but it's no need."
She paused, then seized the opportunity to ask, "What's the current state of my father's case? Is there any hope?"
Being confined to the Ji residence, she was kept in the dark about what was happening outside and could only rely on others.
Pei Chengyu: "I heard from the news that someone in the court has found out the source of the two boxes of gold hidden in the kitchen of the Chu family. It was put there by your steward under the coercion of Li Yan, the Vice Minister of War. However, Li Yan is already dead. The source of the money should still be thoroughly investigated. After all, a thousand taels of gold is not a small amount."
"That means there's still hope for my father, and someone else is framing him."
After two days of suppressed emotions, Yu-an finally heard some good news, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart. A faint, almost imperceptible smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
Having lost his mother at a young age, Pei Chengyu knew that if Chu Xingjian were to also encounter trouble, he would truly become a helpless and lonely person. Having anticipated this, Pei Chengyu refrained from saying more, pursed his lips, nodded, and glossed over the matter.
“The prison is cold and gloomy. If you want to spend more time with Grand Secretary Chu, you should put on this cloak…” he said as he draped the cloak over Yu’an.
Riding a horse is faster than a carriage, and when Ji Jinghe arrived, he happened to witness the scene at the entrance of the imperial prison.
The Pei family...
He had no idea that the Chu family and the Pei family had any connection, which left her with nowhere to turn for help, and in the end she had to turn to outsiders.
Seeing this, Qingque was afraid they wouldn't know Ji Jinghe had arrived, so she immediately raised her voice and called out, "Sir, let me help you lead the horse down."
Upon hearing this, Yu An noticed what was behind her and turned around, blocking Pei Chengyu's movement in the process.
Ji Jinghe dismounted and stared straight at her with his dark eyes, silent yet with a hint of interrogation. His deep gaze fell on her, and the hand that had just touched Pei Chengyu felt ironically hot.
How could he care about himself? He only felt ashamed to ask for help from others while bearing the title of the wife of the young master of the Ji family. He didn't care who she was with. He should care about Xu Jingshu, not her.
If that's the case, then what gives him the right to look at her like that?
Yu An lowered her eyes, resolutely turned around, and stepped onto the steps of the imperial prison.
After only two steps, the person behind him caught up. "Chu Yu'an."
She stopped in her tracks and didn't turn around for a long time. Even though she could feel that gaze fixed on her, it felt like a thorn in her back, making Yu An feel hot and weak all over.
"I can take you in, why don't you wait for me?"
His tone was very calm, and his voice was extremely low, so that it made people's hearts skip a beat as soon as he opened his mouth.
Yu An pursed her lips and didn't turn around for a long time. Pei Chengyu saw her helplessness and said, "Ji Shaofu, you should know the answer to this question better than anyone else."
"Is Young Master Pei very free?"
Ji Jinghe retorted without hesitation, displaying the absolute authority of a superior, as if a fight was about to break out at any moment.
Yu An sighed. In front of outsiders, she did not want to show her helplessness and embarrassment. She only said, "I went to see the master. The master is also the co-investigator and a former student of Lord Xu. He cannot be biased. I know that the master has concerns, so I went to the young marquis."
"...Sir, what else do you want?"
Those deep, dark eyes revealed no emotion; there might be anger or displeasure, but none of that mattered anymore.
From now on, the bridge will be the bridge, and the road will be the road. No matter who he wanted to protect, it has nothing to do with her now.
Yu An looked away, turned and stepped into the yamen. Knowing that the gaze on her back would linger for a long time, she walked quickly. Pei Chengyu escorted her to the gate of the imperial prison, and she followed the Imperial Guards inside.
The prison was so deep that it took Yu'an an unknown amount of time and many detours before he finally arrived at the place where Chu Xingjian was imprisoned.
How could anyone endure such a harsh and cold place?
Yu An suppressed the mockery in her eyes, composed herself, and waited for the lock to open. She then quietly stepped forward and patted Chu Xingjian, who was still lying on the kang (heated brick bed) and had not yet reacted.
"father."
It was that one word, "Father," that completely woke Chu Xingjian up. He even ignored the pain in his body and got up to check on him.
Upon seeing that tearful face, my heart melted instantly.
"You've come to see your father?" Chu Xingjian held his daughter's hand tightly, looking at the bruises under her eyes, his heart ached. "Because of what happened to your father, you haven't been sleeping well, have you? I'm so sorry."
Yu'an shook her head. "Father, it's my fault for only coming to see you now." As she spoke, she opened the package. "These are the clothes and blankets I brought for you. The prison is cold and damp; your legs will definitely suffer. But don't worry, I just heard that there's been a breakthrough in the case. Someone has found the source of the thousand taels of gold, and His Majesty has sent people to investigate."
Chu Xingjian suppressed the itch in his throat and forced a smile, "You child, you are so thoughtful. You know you're worried your father isn't doing well, so you bring him things to keep warm. Next time, remember to bring some wine."
To cheer his daughter up, Chu Xingjian tried to joke, but Yu An didn't smile. Instead, her expression grew more serious, and she even adopted a scolding tone: "What are you drinking for? And then you say 'next time'? You might not even be able to leave the house..."
His voice grew softer and softer, and even the end of his words was tinged with a few sobs.
Chu Xingjian had a lot on his mind, but he comforted him, saying, "Father is alright, don't worry."
Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. He regarded this as his final farewell, wanting to see her one last time, and even in death, he did not want to forget his daughter's every smile and frown, even her crying face, he loved her.
If he could do it all over again, he wouldn't have brought her to the capital. It would have been better if she had stayed in Jiangling. That way, she could have met a good man and wouldn't have had to suffer the troubles of the capital.
He gently patted Yu'an's increasingly thin shoulder and sighed, "Yu'an, if you're not happy with your life, take the dowry your father gave you and go back to Jiangling."
Perhaps it was the ordeal in the imperial prison that brought out the weariness and aging that Chu Xingjian had accumulated over the years. Yu An stared blankly at her father, whose temples were gray, and couldn't say a word.
The mist in her eyes grew thicker and thicker, as if her last words were echoing in her ears, leaving Yu An with no time to think.
"Zhuo'er is still young. After you bring him back to Jiangling, it would be best if he could be successful. If he is not good at either literature or martial arts, you don't need to worry about him. Just let him be able to stand on his own in the world. You should take care of yourself."
Once a crime is committed, it cannot be easily erased.
The Xu family and the Ji family have a deep relationship, and it's hard to guarantee that the Ji family won't make things difficult for her because of him. She used to have him backing her up, but now that's gone. Rather than being troubled at every turn, it's better to break up and be free of any trouble.
Yu An took a deep breath and choked up, saying, "Father, tell me the truth, is there really no room for negotiation?"
She's grown up, not a little girl anymore, and not easily fooled. That's the truth; with her daughter's eyes still filled with tears, Chu Xingjian couldn't come up with a lie.
Since he was imprisoned, he had never held out hope of getting out. The day he wrote the list for Ji Jinghe, he intended to save himself and help others, but he never relied on anyone else.
If the person who orchestrated this scheme has managed to get this far, it means they have made thorough preparations and finally seized the opportunity. If they are allowed to turn the tables today, when will they have another chance?
That's why he asked Ji Jinghe to bring Yu An over; it might be the last time the father and daughter would see each other.
Chu Xingjian suppressed a cough and asked, "How is Zhuo'er doing lately? I heard he got into a fight at the Imperial Academy?"
Yu An squatted on the ground, wiped away her tears, and only reported good news, not bad: "Zhuo'er has always been strong and healthy. He can easily beat eighteen or nineteen-year-olds and didn't suffer any loss."
Chu Xingjian had just started to smile when he couldn't stop coughing, and it took him a long time to gradually get better.
Yu An wondered when his cough had become so severe. Seeing that he was in pain, she quickly brought him a glass of water and went to comfort him.
Chu Xingjian kept his mouth tightly shut, waving his hand repeatedly, telling Yu An to leave quickly.
"father?"
The Imperial Guards outside urged her sharply, and Yu'an didn't even have time to ask a question before being dragged out by them. Chu Xingjian said in a hoarse voice, "Go in peace, don't think about your father."
The voice echoed in the prison, like a farewell message, each word striking Yu'an's heart, making it impossible for her to see clearly.
The more she understood Chu Xingjian's good intentions, the more heartbroken she became.
More than a decade has passed, and she is still a girl who hides in her parents' arms. Today's separation is just like when she watched her mother slowly stop breathing by her bedside, holding her hand tightly and comforting her in the weakest voice not to be sad.
In the blink of an eye, the scene from the past seemed to reappear, forcing her to watch helplessly once again and experience the pain of separation by death.
And she remained as helpless as she had been as a child.
She forced herself to wipe away her tears, not wanting to reveal anything to outsiders.
Pei Chengyu knew what she was thinking, so he didn't ask any more questions and led her outside.
The imperial prison was heavily guarded. Judging from the attitude of the Imperial Guards towards her just now, Yu An could guess what was going on. Pei Chengyu must have gone to great lengths to agree to her request and bring her here.
However, the current situation is an exception. Even if she wanted to express her gratitude, she was too busy to find the time to consider a gift.
“Don’t worry, I’ll send someone to deliver any new information to you,” Pei Chengyu said.
Yu An nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, young marquis."
Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. Who would have thought that the once glorious Chu family would fall to such a state?
She had no intention of saying anything more to others, so she turned around and returned to the Ji residence. Considering that Chu Zhuo'an was still there, she needed a lot of time to calm herself down on the way back.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Yu An still had a chance to plead with those officials who were close to Chu Xingjian. After appeasing Chu Zhuo'an, he wrote down various letters and sent them to them one by one. However, after a night, there was still no news.
It wasn't until dawn that there was any movement outside the corridor.
Baozhu ran over slowly, but after entering the door, she stared at her for a long time without saying a word.
Yu An sighed and stood up from her chair. "They're all unwilling to help, aren't they?"
Baozhu gritted her teeth, clearly holding back her words, but didn't utter a single one. Yu'an rarely saw her like this, and sighed, "Speak your mind, I can take it."
Immediately, Baozhu burst into tears, her lips trembling as she said, "News just came that His Majesty has ordered that Master... be executed immediately."
...
Yu An opened her mouth, then collapsed to the ground, feeling as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on her chest. She couldn't catch her breath, and even her throat felt like it was being choked, so she couldn't make a sound.
It took her a long time to gradually find her voice.
"Why..." she said, her voice trembling as if she were squeezing out each word, "Didn't we just say yesterday that we found the scapegoat? Why so fast..."
Baozhu: "When the Imperial Guards arrived yesterday, Li Yan had already hanged himself in his study. The gambling den owner who was associated with Li Yan died suddenly in prison, leaving no way to verify the facts. Just yesterday afternoon, while you were visiting the master in the imperial prison, someone discovered evidence of the master's collusion with foreign generals. With witnesses and physical evidence, the Emperor was furious... There was nothing that could be done."
Feeling a sudden heart attack, Yu'an shook her head repeatedly. "This is a frame-up! Father is the most loyal to the emperor and the country. Why would he collude with a foreign general? I don't believe it... I want to go to the palace. I want justice..."
Her eyes were wet and her vision was already blurred. She had just managed to stand up when she fell to the ground again. Baozhu couldn't bear to see her young lady like this, so she quickly pulled her back: "The imperial decree has been issued. How can you, young lady, shake the entire court by yourself? Even if you get to the palace gate now, what can you do? The emperor's wrath can cause millions to die. Even the officials in the court don't dare to dissuade you. How can you go?"
"Should I just stand by and watch my father die unjustly?!"
After bottling up her emotions for several days, Yu An finally let them out, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wipe the tears from her face. "No, I have to go find Ji Jinghe, I have to beg him..."
Dignity and face were all unimportant. Ignoring Baozhu's attempts to stop her, Yu'an, looking disheveled, staggered towards the study.
Just as she passed by, she bumped into Ji Jinghe, who had just arrived home.
Perhaps because he saw her and knew why she had come, he remained calm and showed no joy whatsoever. But she couldn't care less about trivial matters and could only speak quickly before he chased her away.
She took a breath and tried to keep her voice steady: "Ji Jinghe, please have mercy and help me this once. My father will not collude with foreign enemies, much less harm loyal officials. You are usually the most fair and just. Even if it's just for the sake of your official position, can you please save my father..."
After a long period of grief, before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face again. "If you're willing to help me, I'll give you my life. I can't live without my father. I beg you..."
All her strength seemed to have been drained, leaving her limp and collapsed to the ground. Ji Jinghe, like a heartless and loveless god, stood there, looking down on her, this ant, with nothing but endless indifference in his eyes.
Just like fourteen years ago, he still looked down at them quietly, but this time he would not lend a helping hand.
Ji Jinghe leaned down slightly and gripped her hand tightly on the hem of his robe, his expression filled with a deep sense of sorrow and pity. Then, he slowly pulled her hand away. "Send the young mistress away. She is not allowed to step out of the courtyard for three days."
Yu An struggled desperately, using all her strength to touch him again, as if grasping at a lifeline, "Ji Jinghe, can you help me... I only have my father left, I only have him..."
Baozhu and Qingque were pulling at her from both sides, but Yu'an's hands still wouldn't let go. The hem of her robe was deformed, and Ji Jinghe swayed, but Yu'an could no longer see his expression...
This time, Ji Jinghe was absolutely determined, unlike the day before when, even after being given the order, she still came and went as usual.
She cried day and night, and even when Chu Zhuoan came, she had no energy to pay any attention to him. The house where she was locked up felt like a hellish place, making it hard for her to breathe, as if she would die here at any moment.
If only people were so easy to die, but they are also the most resilient and the most unpredictable...
For three whole days, Yu'an stayed awake, while Baozhu stayed by her side without sleep, taking care of her until Qingque opened the door and sent out the message that Yu'an should leave.
Yu An closed her dry eyes and dragged her incredibly heavy body to put on her shoes. The scorching sun shone on her, but she couldn't feel any warmth; instead, she still felt eerie and cold.
She knew that Chu Xingjian was gone, and her father was dead.
Qingque: "Master has already arranged for the burial of Master Chu. If the young mistress wishes to pay her respects..."
Yu An couldn't hear the sounds around her; she could only see a mouth opening and closing.
Half-grown weeds covered her feet, a coffin overturned by wild dogs, a corpse exposed beneath tattered cloth, the sweltering heat enveloped the place, the air seemed to stand still, and apart from the buzzing flies, Yu'an could not hear a sound of life. The stench of decay seeped into her nostrils, relentlessly corroding every inch of Yu'an's skin, and her father would rest here.
She looked at the fresh, earthen mound of graves not far away, exposed to the sun, and stepped forward. She took off her cloak and covered the grave with it, afraid that if too much time passed, the grave would collapse and she wouldn't recognize it the next time she came.
Baozhu took off the bamboo basket slung over her shoulder, silently lit the paper money, and the flames danced between her fingertips before turning to ashes in an instant.
Thunder rumbled, and large pelts pelted her, gradually blurring her vision. Yu'an could no longer distinguish whether it was rain from the sky or her own tears.
A neatly folded piece of white paper fell from her sleeve, still bearing the ink stains she had left on it... She took the paper money that Baozhu handed her, and together with the divorce papers, burned them on the flames. Even as the flames burned her fingertips, she felt no pain whatsoever.
What orchids, what sachets, what life-saving grace... She devoted herself entirely to romantic love, but what did she gain besides endless humiliation and heartache?
His father was falsely accused and died, and he watched coldly; his younger brother was unjustly punished, and he did nothing about it... Chu Yu'an, what kind of person did you fall in love with?
Love, gratitude, it's all bullshit...
Father, your daughter is incompetent, causing you to suffer this injustice. In the future, I will surely clear your name and restore your innocence.
Even if everyone despises her, even if every step is difficult, she is determined to be this newly rich lady... and she is determined to avenge herself.
A note from the author:
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Tomorrow I'll be a paid chapter, with three chapters released consecutively at midnight [heart emoji]. Please spread the word!
Because the word count is currently low, the anti-piracy level will be 100% for the first week after it becomes a paid subscription (48 hours). After the first week, I will gradually lower the anti-piracy level, eventually stopping at 70%. Thank you so much to everyone who has read this far, muah [kiss]
Here's another quick note about the plot: what follows is President Ji's long and winding road to awakening and winning back his wife, and the female lead's main storyline will also begin. The entire story is about 450,000 words long.
The following is the synopsis for the upcoming novel "Only Two Hearts United" (to be published in the next installment):
[Heart] A General's Daughter vs. A Cold and Powerful Minister
The world knew that the eldest sister of the Yang family was radiant and gentle, and was certain that she and Pei Qingming were a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it was the youngest sister of the Yang family, Yang Qiao, who spent her days in the army, wielding weapons and fighting. The world was shocked and pitied Pei Qingming for his wasted life.
The new bride was shallow and vulgar, showing no restraint whatsoever in bed. The two found themselves at odds, and Pei Qingming felt the road ahead was fraught with difficulty, desiring only a peaceful life and ceasing all other thoughts.
But as time went on, he gradually grew accustomed to his wife's rough and unrefined manner.
She was simple and straightforward, with a lithe figure, not at all what he had initially thought; even more surprisingly, she was the one who had saved him from the icy water when he was young.
Just when he was determined to settle down and start a new life, she left behind a letter of divorce and disappeared without a word...
*
Yang Qiao had been infatuated with men since childhood, and ever since she saw the handsome Pei Qingming, she had kept him in her heart. So when her family discussed who should get married, she stepped forward without hesitation. She thought that the bustling capital would be more interesting than staying at home, but unfortunately, not only did she lose her freedom, but even her husband found fault with her in every way.
As the night deepened and the bed became more intimate, Yang Qiao, suppressing the flutter in her heart, asked, "Qingming, you really don't like me?"
The man continued his actions, answering without any lust: "When husband and wife consummate their marriage, what is there to talk about love?"
In the end, it was all one-sided wishful thinking... Oh well, a young lady like me has no shortage of husbands, let's get a divorce!
*
She left behind a letter of divorce and returned to Yulin Prefecture. Just as she was putting her heartbreak behind her, Pei Qingming reappeared.
One moment he'd bring her blankets and a heater, the next he'd get jealous for no reason and even shamelessly warm her bed.
"Pei Qingming, didn't we say we had nothing to do with each other anymore?"
“I didn’t sign the divorce papers, we’re still husband and wife,” the man said through gritted teeth. “I’m yours in life and in death, I will never leave you.”
There's another contemporary romance novel I'm looking for help with. Could you please add it to your favorites for free, and also add it to your author's page for free? [hugs] Hehe
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