The case of General Feihong caused a great uproar in the entire Shuojing City. Soldiers and civilians who had received favors from General Feihong spontaneously went to the palace to beat drums and petition for a thorough investigation of the truth. General Feihong had a good reputation among the soldiers and civilians, and once the truth came out, the He and Xu families were also outraged.

Emperor Wenxuan referred the case to the Dali Temple. Within a few days, He Yuanliang could no longer bear the torture and confessed the truth. The officers and soldiers also found a lot of evidence in the He family that He Rufei had had dealings with the Wutuo people. After this case, the He family was found to have deceived the emperor, falsely claimed merits, and colluded with the enemy and committed treason. They were all sentenced to death, except for He Xinying, the legitimate sister of General Feihong. The main culprit He Rufei was extremely evil, so he was sentenced to death by torture. He was taken to the market, chopped off 120 times with a knife, and his head was displayed to the public.

As for the Xu family, a member of the Hanlin Academy, except for Xu Zhiheng who was sentenced to death, all the male members were exiled and the female members were enslaved.

The case was solved quickly. When the people learned the result, they all applauded and said that the He and Xu families got what they deserved.

The day before his execution, in prison, Xu Zhiheng looked at the rotten food in front of him and was reluctant to eat.

On the last meal before his death, other prisoners had wine and food, but he had nothing. This was because even the jailers thought Xu Zhiheng was too cruel and ruthless. Many people had received favors from General Feihong, and now, even for the sake of the deceased General He, many people would not let Xu Zhiheng have an easy time.

The jailer laughed at him and said, "Master Xu, why don't you eat? After today, there will be no more food. I advise Master Xu not to be picky."

Hearing this, Xu Zhiheng became excited, rushed to the prison door, grabbed the railing of the prison door, and looked at the prison guard outside: "No... I won't die! I'll give you money, you go find someone to rescue me! I'll give you money!"

"Okay," the jailer looked at him with a smile, "Who does Master Xu want me to look for?"

Who are you looking for?

Xu Zhiheng was suddenly stunned.

The He family had already fallen, and He Rufei himself could not save himself. Colleagues who had been on good terms with his family in the past must have avoided him now, fearing that they would get into trouble. No one could save him.

Xu Zhiheng collapsed to the ground powerlessly. In despair, he felt extremely unwilling and murmured, "Why? It's obviously not me who killed him... It's obvious that I didn't do anything!"

"You really didn't do anything?" A voice sounded from the darkness. Xu Zhiheng raised his eyes and saw someone slowly appearing in front of him, wrapped in a black cloak. He was happy at first, thinking someone had come to save him, but the next moment, his surprise turned into fear, because the man took off the hood of his cloak, revealing a face.

It was Wu'an Marquis He Yan.

Xu Zhiheng was startled and quickly retreated to the wall. He said vigilantly: "Don't come over... Don't come over!"

The jailer had already left. He Yan looked at the vicious man. Xu Zhiheng seemed to be very afraid of her. He stared at her as if he was looking at a ghost crawling out of hell, full of fear.

He Yan had never seen Xu Zhiheng like this. Whether it was the young man in blue who pulled her out of the snow and helped her take back her bag with a smile when she was fourteen, or the old man Xu who smiled and spoke to her warmly after she married him, they were completely different from the unshaven, frightened man in front of her. Even when He Wanru led people to drown herself, Xu Zhiheng never showed up from beginning to end.

She had seen Xu Zhiheng in his glory days, the decent Xu Zhiheng, but it turned out that Xu Zhiheng in prison was like this.

He Yan was a little disappointed.

Just like a general, if he dies at the hands of an opponent who is equally matched with him, he will not regret it, but if the opponent is far inferior to him...it is hard not to regret.

"Don't be afraid." She said in a gentle voice, even smiling a little, "I came here because I have something to ask you."

The woman's eyes were bright, and there was no hatred in them. That smile seemed to confuse Xu Zhiheng. He still didn't move, staring at He Yan, hesitating for a long while, and then asked: "What do you want to ask?"

"You..." He Yan smiled, "When did you know that your wife, He Yan, was General Fei Hong's?"

He Yan had never been able to figure this out. When she first married Xu Zhiheng, she thought that Xu Zhiheng knew nothing about her, and she even made up a lot of excuses to cover up her scars. She also made up a lot of excuses to explain why she was different from ordinary women. It was not until the day she died that she learned from He Wanru that Xu Zhiheng had known about it for a long time.

Perhaps her concealment and hiding during those years seemed like a joke in Xu Zhiheng's eyes.

But when did he know this? Was it after she married into the Xu family, or before she married into the Xu family, or even earlier? But if that was the case, why did he marry her?

Xu Zhiheng looked at her evasively, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes: "Why are you asking this? Who are you?"

"I'm the one who can save you." He Yan said softly.

Xu Zhiheng's eyes lit up: "Save me?" He took a few steps forward, as if he was afraid of He Yan again. He looked at her through the iron bars and asked anxiously: "Can you really save me?"

He Yan smiled and nodded.

He hesitated for a while, then said slowly, "I knew it a long time ago."

When did Xu Zhiheng know that He Yan was General Feihong? In fact, it was not long after General Feihong returned to Beijing. At that time, he was not yet a Hanlin scholar. Although the Xu family was a scholarly family, the position of Hanlin scholar was not something he could reach at his age. Most of the civil officials in the court were now students of Xu Jingfu. Sometimes, talent is secondary to climbing up the ladder. If you don't have connections, sometimes you won't be able to make a name for yourself in your life.

He was known as a child prodigy when he was young. As he grew older, people praised him too much, and he also thought too highly of himself, which was like a cage, trapping himself unknowingly.

Xu Zhiheng was depressed because of the temporary setback in his career. Seeing him unhappy, Mrs. Xu thought that at his age, it was time for him to find a wife. Mrs. Xu was also a smart person. After much selection, she chose the cousin of the newly appointed General Feihong in Shuojing City, the daughter of the second branch of the He family.

The second daughter had a weak health when she was young, and was sent to the manor by her family to recuperate early on. She just came back not long ago. Mrs. Xu had a very good plan. Becoming a relative of this new nobleman in the court would be beneficial to Xu Zhiheng's career.

But Xu Zhiheng was not the best choice for the He family at that time. After all, there were too many talented men of the right age in the capital, and the second Miss He was very popular because of the relationship with the eldest Master He, and many people wanted to marry her.

After reading the post under the He family, Mrs. Xu took Xu Zhiheng with her. We say we are guests, but in fact we are just seeing each other.

It was his first time to go to the He family, and by chance a servant spilled tea on him, so he went to the darkroom to change clothes. Unexpectedly, someone came in shortly after he entered and before he had time to come out.

Xu Zhiheng was neither in a position to advance nor to retreat. The two people who came in did not seem to notice him behind them. Someone spoke. It was a woman's voice, clear and pleasant to the ear: "Brother, mother...what is aunt doing? She actually invited these young masters into the house!"

"With so many young men, is there no one you like?" A man's voice answered her.

Xu Zhiheng understood almost immediately that the people talking outside were probably the Second Miss He and her eldest brother He Rufei.

He should have stood up and apologized immediately, but for some unknown reason, not only did he not move, he also tried his best to hold his breath so that he could hide better.

Now thinking about it, the deeper meaning of fate had already begun to slowly reveal itself at that moment.

Xu Zhiheng heard a secret.

"Brother, you are in such a hurry to marry me off, are you afraid that I will tell others that we have swapped identities and I am the General Feihong?" The woman said, "I have said before that I will not tell others. I have kept it secret for so many years and I will keep it secret forever."

"That's not the case." The man's voice carried a hint of impatience, "At your age, a normal girl would be married. He Yan, you are just living the life you should be living."

Behind the screen, Xu Zhiheng covered his mouth in shock.

What did he hear? What about swapping identities? What about He Yan being the general of Feihong?

He pinched his arm hard, and the pain in his arm reminded him that this was not a dream.

Xu Zhiheng didn't hear what the brother and sister were arguing about. Only after they left did Xu Zhiheng slowly stand up and look at the closed door.

He was not stupid, he was even quite smart, and he figured out the whole story in just a few words. He was shocked by the He family's audacity and He Yan's extraordinary means, but more importantly, he discovered an opportunity. A gift given to him by fate.

So he tidied his clothes, returned to the banquet table, looked at the late Miss He Er, and smiled gently.

Xu Zhiheng found He Rufei.

He Rufei looked at him with an unpredictable expression: "Master Xu wants to marry my sister?"

Xu Zhiheng smiled and said, "That's right."

"This matter still needs to be discussed with the elders," He Rufei said, "I can't make the decision alone. It also depends on my sister's feelings." After saying that, he turned around and left.

Xu Zhiheng spoke slowly and calmly: "Your sister is a heroine, no less capable than any man. I am very grateful to her and hope that General He can help her achieve her goal."

"What did you say?" He Rufei looked at him suddenly, murderous intent in his eyes.

"Before I came to see General He, I wrote a letter to a friend. If anything goes wrong, the secret letter will spread throughout the entire Shuojing City." Xu Zhiheng smiled and said, "I hope General He will help me."

He is confident and determined to win.

Just like that, Xu Zhiheng married He Yan. Shortly before he married He Yan, he became a Hanlin scholar as a "dowry gift" from General He to his sister.

Xu Zhiheng certainly understood that the more secrets one knew, the faster one would die. But he didn't think that this would happen to him, because he was a man who knew when to stop. After all, he was a civil official, not a military general. If He Rufei could not help him, he could only be a Hanlin scholar at best. He had to walk his own path in the future. As for marrying He Yan... marrying General He's daughter would be good for him in many ways.

The He family should also feel at ease. After all, it is better for Miss He to marry him who has something to ask of the He family than to marry her to another family who might discover the secret.

"So," He Yan looked at Xu Zhiheng in front of him and said slowly, "You started asking for Miss He's hand in marriage just to use her?"

"Use?" Xu Zhiheng shook his head. "No... not use. Even without me, she would have married someone else... From the beginning to the end, it wasn't me who wanted her life. I didn't do anything."

Xu Zhiheng could no longer remember He Yan's face.

Although he married He Yan, he still felt a little disgusted with her. The etiquette he learned since childhood made him look down on a rebellious woman like He Yan. He liked gentle, charming women like He Wanru. But not He Yan... She was carefree, and although she tried her best to act like a lady from a noble family, she would always unconsciously reveal some inappropriate embarrassment. She was not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, so she could not bring him honor, nor could she learn to express her love tactfully. She even had terrible scars on her skin. Sometimes when Xu Zhiheng looked at He Yan, he would think of her eating and sleeping with other men in the military camp, which was simply unbearable.

Although he was willing to be a "good husband", most of the time, even he himself could not control his disgust.

Fortunately, this kind of day soon came to an end. The He family sent a bowl of medicine, and after He Yan drank it, he became blind.

In fact, Xu Zhiheng was sitting in the next room at that time. When he saw He Yan drink the bowl of medicine, he felt a little sympathy. The He family's behavior was rather cruel. Moreover, if he took a blind mistress out, what would others say about him behind his back?

Fortunately, He Yan was very well behaved and didn't make much noise. Even though she was blind, she didn't cry much. Most of the time, she just sat there in silence and was in a daze. I heard that before He Yan got married, she had raised a dumb dog in the yard. Sometimes Xu Zhiheng felt that He Yan and the dumb yellow dog were actually very similar. No one cared about her, and she lived in silence.

If that were the case, it would be fine. But she tried too hard, so hard that even if she went blind, she still made the He family feel threatened, so she died at the hands of He Wanru and in the Xu family's pond.

"I didn't use He Yan," he tried to defend himself, "I was protecting her... It's all He Rufei's fault, it's all the He family's fault!"

He Yan stared at Xu Zhiheng and asked, "Besides being at the He family, have you ever met Miss He Er?"

Xu Zhiheng was stunned and shook his head subconsciously: "No, no! The first time I met Miss He was in the He Mansion."

He had forgotten.

This is to be expected.

He Yan found that she was very calm when facing Xu Zhiheng now. Maybe when she faced Xu Zhiheng, she always thought that she was facing the blue-clothed boy she met in the hunting field when she was young, but it turned out that, perhaps from the beginning, they were two people. To Xu Zhiheng, "He Yan" was just an exchange product based on interests. What was important was this identity, not the name, let alone the person. As long as he could become a Hanlin scholar, it made no difference whether it was He Yan or He Xinying.

A human life is nothing more than an official position.

She stood up slowly.

Xu Zhiheng watched her movements, and finally ignored everything, grabbed the fence, and asked, "I have told you everything I know. Can you get me out now?"

His eyes were full of desire, just like when he discovered the He family's secret and wanted to use the secret to embellish his career.

He Yan bent down slightly and looked into his eyes: "I lied to you."

Xu Zhiheng was stunned.

"I didn't do anything but lie to you." She curled her eyes, "You also lied to me, it's only fair."

After she finished speaking, she stood up and left. Xu Zhiheng's angry shouts could be heard from afar behind her, but He Yan pretended not to hear them.

She walked out step by step, as if she was leaving her past life step by step. From now on, Wu'an Marquis He Yan and the He family's second young lady would no longer have anything to do with each other.

The last question about the previous life was finally answered, but He Yan didn't feel much at the moment.

It was as if these people and these things could no longer withstand the turmoil in her heart.

But... I feel empty inside.

At the gate outside the prison, there stood a man with his back to her. His posture was as straight as the sword at his waist. He was turning his head to look at the snow piled under the eaves, revealing his beautiful outline.

He Yan stood there and looked at the back. Unconsciously, her heart was slowly filled up, as if the emptiness of not being able to step on the solid ground finally felt real at this moment. The traveler who couldn't find the way finally found a little light in his aimless search.

He Yan walked over and called him softly, "Xiao Jue."

He turned around, glanced at He Yan, and asked, "Are you done?"

He Yan nodded.

Tomorrow is the day of execution. There is nothing more to say between her and He Rufei, and between her and He Yuansheng and his wife. However, she still wants to find out when Xu Zhiheng discovered her identity. So she asked Xiao Jue to bring her here to see Xu Zhiheng for the last time.

"Why did you talk for so long?" Xiao Jue frowned.

"Long time?" He Yan asked curiously, "Why do I feel like it wasn't long? This is already very economical..." Glancing at Xiao Jue's expression, He Yan shut up at the right time. After a moment of silence, she quietly pulled Xiao Jue's sleeve again, "Are you angry again?"

"What's there to say to that kind of person?" Xiao Jue turned and walked forward, and He Yan chased after him. "There's really nothing to say, but after thinking about it, I feel that it would be too easy for him to just let it go. So I said I was a fierce ghost who came back for revenge and scared him half to death. Am I very fierce?" She made it up.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying to you. This is real. You should have seen the look on his face when he was scared by me just now..."

The girl beside him chattered non-stop, and the melancholy she had just felt when she came out was completely gone. He saw it, and with a slight smile on his face, he deliberately ignored her, letting her talk nonsense about anything.

"Xiao Jue, your habit of getting angry easily is not good. You need to change it."

"I'm not angry."

"You're not angry, you're just unhappy."

“…”

"Xiao Jue, Xiao Jue!"

"What?"

She grabbed the corner of his sleeve. "Nothing."