Chapter 112 Past Events
Meng Yutong raised her eyes, the candlelight flickering slightly in her clear pupils: "Ji Yun, do you know about the case where my grandmother's family was wiped out because the silk they presented as tribute was found to be poisonous?"
Ji Yun's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.
He looked at her quietly. She finally realized that if she had any questions or things she wanted to do, she should look to herself first, not others.
This realization stirred a strange, indescribable feeling within him.
He naturally took her hand and led her to the desk. Once she was seated in the only chair at the desk, he leaned against the edge, picked up a sheet of Xuan paper, and spread it out. His slender fingers picked up the wolf-hair brush and lightly dipped it into the inkstone.
“I have secretly investigated what happened back then.” As he wrote, he lightly flicked his sleeve, and the faint scent of ink wafted out. “Since you want to know, I will tell you everything I know.”
The pen tip danced across the paper, leaving behind two names.
“The Jiang family of Guangling was once a leader in the silk trade in Jiangnan. Seven out of ten of the silks presented to the imperial court each year came from the Jiang family.”
He paused, then lightly circled the words "Virtuous Consort": "After examination, the physician claimed that the brocade was stained with a deadly poison. The Virtuous Consort was furious and requested His Majesty to severely punish the Jiang family. At that time, His Majesty was unwell and handed the case over to the then eldest prince, who is now Prince Rong."
Meng Yutong's fingertips tightened slightly.
He lightly touched the name, still wet with ink, with his fingertips: "Dou Ying is Dou Zhijie's father, and the current Minister of Rites. As for Wu Ju... he was sentenced to thirty years in prison for failing to investigate the tribute silk case and for giving false testimony. He should have been released from prison ten years ago, and after his release, he disappeared without a trace."
Meng Yutong stared at the two names and understood. Since Dou Ying was a member of the Empress Dowager's faction, the collusion between the two must have started as early as the Jiang family case.
Consort Xian believed that her grandmother was hindering Prince Rong's future, so she did not hesitate to use such a vicious scheme to overthrow the entire Jiang family, just to keep her son firmly under her control.
"Are you clear about the details of the case you were in charge of?" She suppressed her anger and forced herself to remain calm. She had known about these past events for a long time, but she had never had the opportunity to inquire about the details. Now that they were being discussed again, her disgust for the Empress Dowager's actions had only intensified.
Ji Yun's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if admiring her composure at that moment.
“Prince Rong admires Old Madam Meng, so naturally he doesn’t believe the Jiang family would commit such a treasonous act.” He continued, sketching out several key points on the paper. “He was the one who volunteered to oversee this case. Unfortunately… how could the Dowager Consort allow her plans to be ruined by her son?”
The candlelight suddenly flickered, casting a dim and shimmering light in his deep eyes.
“Every time the Jiang family presented a large quantity of silk as tribute, they would have a special person seal and preserve the samples to ensure everything was in order. Prince Rong collected all the sealed samples of the Jiang family's batch of silk and stored them in his study in the palace. He asked the physician to examine them and summoned two officials from the Ministry of Rites to testify.”
His voice grew somber, “But just as the test results were finalized, a fire broke out in the study, and all the sealed samples and test reports were destroyed.”
Meng Yutong unconsciously clenched her sleeves.
"The Jiang family's crimes are hard to clear. Prince Rong, accompanied by two officials from the Ministry of Rites and the imperial physician, went to see the emperor and insisted that the test results proved that the silk was not poisonous."
Ji Yun paused heavily on the name "Wu Ju," writing, "Of the three, only Wu Ju was willing to testify for him. Dou Ying and the physician, however, both insisted that the seal was also poisoned."
Even more shockingly, Dou Ying produced a small sample of "poisonous" substance that she had "rescued" from the fire.
He put down his pen, the ink slowly spreading across the paper: "From this point on, the Jiang family had no way to turn things around. The once illustrious silk family collapsed overnight. Wu Ju, who insisted on giving his testimony, was also sentenced to thirty years in prison for 'perjury'."
Upon learning the details of the past, Meng Yutong felt a tightness in her chest and found it difficult to breathe.
How innocent is the Jiang family? How innocent is the grandmother? Why should they suffer all this unjustly because of Prince Rong and Consort Xian?
She remembered what Granny Gui had told her about the origin of the scar on her grandmother's face. She could almost imagine the despair her grandmother must have felt back then. Her family had been unjustly wronged, and she must have pleaded desperately with Prince Rong, even handing over the last pieces of evidence against the Jiang family, but in the end, she couldn't overcome the whim of the powerful.
That's why Grandmother was so heartbroken in the end that she stormed into the Empress Dowager's palace in such a resolute way, just to save the lives of the Jiang family.
Lord Wu Ju, however, paid the ultimate price for upholding the truth. In contrast, a villain like Dou Ying enjoyed a meteoric rise in his official career.
Is this world truly fair?
Meng Yutong stared blankly at the sheet of Xuan paper, her usually calm face revealing a rare hint of anger, her eyes churning with uncontrollable pain and resentment.
Her hands, resting on her knees, unconsciously tightened, her slender body trembling slightly, like a chrysanthemum weighed down by the autumn wind. Though the wind was strong, the stems did not bend. Beyond her cool rationality, there was an indomitable spirit against the bleak fate of the world.
Ji Yun had never seen her express her emotions so openly. His heart tightened, and he stepped forward, squatting down in front of her, gently placing his warm palm on the back of her cold hand.
“Yutong,” he said in a low voice, but with an undeniable force, “the justice of heaven is clear, and they will eventually pay the price for their actions.”
She slowly shook her head, trying to force a smile, but her expression was tinged with bitterness, making one feel inexplicably sorry for her: "I'm fine."
Meng Yutong's gaze fell on his face, with a hint of inquiry, "How do you know so much about these old stories?"
Ji Yun met her gaze and said frankly, "I have investigated everything about you and the Meng family."
"When did you investigate? And why are you investigating my affairs?" There was obvious confusion in her eyes.
“It was around after we broke off our engagement.” He paused slightly, his long eyelashes drooping, and his voice lowered a few decibels. “At first, I just felt that you were very different from before, and I became curious. Later, I even started to investigate your family’s past because… I cared.”
He raised his eyes, his gaze intense: "Because I care, I want to know everything about you. Besides, the Empress Dowager sees your grandmother as a thorn in her side, and because of Li Jing, she has also made things difficult for you. Naturally, I cannot let the situation develop and allow her to threaten your safety."
The candlelight flickered gently in the quiet room, casting a warm, soft glow around them, with the two figures positioned one above the other, one at a higher position.
A faint blush rose to Ji Yun's ears, which was clearly visible in the warm yellow light.
Meng Yutong awkwardly withdrew her hand, but her gaze was drawn to the dark red bloodstains on his right shoulder. The glaring red slowly spread across his light-colored clothing.
“Your wound,” she leaned forward, her fingertips pointing lightly at his chest, “is split open.”
The blood seeping from Ji Yun's chest had already soaked a small patch of his clothing; the two of them had been so engrossed in their conversation about the past that they hadn't noticed.
Ji Yun felt a warmth in his heart from the concern in her words: "It was already late when I returned from the palace. I was in a hurry, so I rode back. I think I just aggravated my wound. It's nothing serious."
"What's the rush?" she blurted out, raising her eyes to meet his gaze.
He gazed at her, his eyes gentle and focused: "I'm anxious to see you."
A wisp of night breeze slipped in through the crack in the window, gently lifting the stray strands of hair at his temples. That strand of dark hair brushed against her brow, bringing a subtle, gentle, and slightly cool tickle.
Meng Yutong abruptly looked away, straightened up, and walked out.
She had barely turned around when he grabbed her sleeve: "Where are you going?"
"Go get the medicine and treat your wound," she said helplessly.
He then released his grip, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
When she returned with the medicine box, Ji Yun was already sitting on the edge of the bed.
Meng Yutong instructed, "Take off your clothes, let me take a look."
He lowered his head, untied his waistband with one hand, and was about to lift his shirt with the other when the movement aggravated his injury, causing him to frown and groan.
"Let me do it," Meng Yutong interrupted, walking up to him.
As she approached, the bright light in front of her was blocked, and Ji Yun's vision was instantly enveloped by a gentle light purple.
From this distance, one can clearly see that the pattern on her nightgown is a small patch of lilac flowers embroidered with white thread, clustered together on the fabric in front of her chest, vibrant and lovely.
The dress has a unique pattern, so it must not have been purchased from outside. The embroidery is also exquisite, so it probably wasn't embroidered by her personally.
It was probably Bai Zhi who made it for her.
She originally liked lilacs... In her previous life at the Ji family mansion, she often placed plum blossoms in their room. He thought she loved plum blossoms, but now he realizes it was probably because her mother loved plum blossoms and planted them in the mansion. She probably assumed she liked plum blossoms too...
Meng Yutong lowered her eyes, carefully untied his belt, and gently removed his blood-stained clothes.
As his outer robe slipped down, his muscular chest and bandaged wounds gradually came into view. A faint smell of blood filled the air, mingling with the delicate medicinal fragrance emanating from her.
They deliberately avoided each other's gazes, yet their eyes met a few times in the confined space. She could feel his burning body temperature, and he could smell the faint fragrance of her hair.
Meng Yutong took a clean cloth, dipped it in warm water, and carefully wiped away the blood around the wound. Her fingertips occasionally brushed against his chest unintentionally, each touch causing Ji Yun's body to tense slightly.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
He shook his head, but his gaze lingered on her focused profile, seemingly unnoticed.
The candlelight cast a soft glow on her, adding a touch of warmth to her delicate features. Her long, beautiful eyelashes cast subtle shadows beneath her eyes, and when she blinked, the tips of her eyelashes resembled a graceful butterfly, making him want to reach out and hold them in his palm...
Meng Yutong suddenly turned around to pick up the bandages beside him, and immediately turned his gaze away to the ground.
The most grueling part was the bandaging process. She had to lean forward, wrap her arms around his waist, and wrap the bandages layer by layer.
The almost embracing posture brought the two extremely close, and Ji Yun unconsciously tightened his jaw.
He deliberately ignored everything in front of him, but when her warm breath sprayed on his skin, the more he ignored and suppressed his feelings and emotions, the more they spread uncontrollably like a tide.
Although the wound was very painful, today's experience made him feel that it would be worth it to take another cut.
He just wished that this moment could pass more slowly, just a little bit more...
While bandaging, Meng Yutong could feel Ji Yun's body tense. She thought it was because he was in too much pain, so she quickened her movements. When the bandage was finally finished, she took a step back with a sigh of relief and began to pack her medicine box.
"Alright." She closed the medicine box, her voice much softer than usual. "It's getting late. I've had Wu Ming clean up the room you were staying in before. I'll take you upstairs to rest, and I'll also ask Mr. Wu Lin a few questions."
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