Chapter 50 Sitting at the Desk, Warmly "Have you changed your ways? Are you planning to be a good person..."
Xie Qinghe was very pleased with her fancy expectations.
Or perhaps, he had never been so willing to cater to other people's expectations.
Watching her enthusiastic anticipation of success, he felt, for the first time, a useless competitive spirit arose outside of the power struggles in the court.
Ning Lu followed Xie Qinghe all the way from the main gate of the government office to the spot where the mirror was hanging high.
He had thought the first thing he would hear was the testimony about the old man's murder, but as soon as he sat down, he saw several people dressed in blue official robes enter one by one, each holding a file and speaking eloquently.
They arrived at the government office in the afternoon. These people were all incredibly long-winded, and their talk was so tedious and rambling that they didn't stop until it got dark.
Ning Lu stood behind him listening, her initial energy waning until she became drowsy.
Xie Qinghe rested one hand on the table, gently rubbing his brow with his fingertips, while the fingertips of his other hand roamed across the table, sorting through his thoughts.
As soon as the first official finished speaking, his fingertips, which had been resting on the table, paused and reached towards a teacup on the side.
The tea in the cup was empty.
The man instinctively frowned and glanced to the side.
The first thing you see is Ning Lu leaning against the pillar behind her, dozing off with her head down, nodding incessantly like a chick pecking at rice.
Seeing this, the officials below the hall were all secretly worried for this clueless soldier, and silently lowered their heads even further.
Xie Qinghe, without getting annoyed, subtly tightened the fingertip holding the cup, silently turned his head away, pushed the cup away, and gestured for the county magistrate below to continue.
At first, I only managed to get short, intermittent naps, waking up every now and then.
Lately, I've felt a sense of tranquility around me, and I've slept soundly for a long time.
It smells really good for a long time...
Suddenly realizing something was wrong, I snapped back to reality.
The chattering old scholars inside the main hall were nowhere to be seen, nor were Wei Chun and Wei Zhan.
Xie Qinghe sat in the chair, holding the case file and flipping through it.
Night had fallen, and the candlelight flickered on his face, making him appear even thinner and more frail.
However, the warm orange-yellow light added a touch of softness.
She clasped her hands together in front of her, quietly looking at his profile, her gaze sweeping over the pile of books on the desk.
There were more files than on his desk in his study...
Noticing the cup that had been placed far away, Ning Lu had a bad feeling and went over to touch it.
Not only was the tea completely cold, but it was also almost empty.
She quickly bent over, holding the teacup in her hands, and tiptoed backward.
Noticing the movement beside him, Xie Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly and silently curled his lips.
"woke up?"
"My lord," Ning Lu said with a smile, "Are you thirsty? I'll go get you a hot cup."
Their eyes met, then looked up, adding a touch of teasing.
"It was my first day on duty, so I wasn't familiar with it yet. I promise I won't do it again next time."
Amused by her silly antics, Xie Qinghe shook his head and tossed the case file in his hand onto the table: "Don't go."
He turned to his left and looked up at her: "Captain Zhu of the Imperial Guards will be here soon. There's something you need to know."
"Why would I care?"
Without Xie Qinghe needing to explain, heavy footsteps approached from afar and stopped below the hall.
The newcomers were Wei Zhan and a burly man.
Ning Lu thought the man looked familiar at first glance, but couldn't remember where she had seen him before. It wasn't until the man spoke that she realized who he was.
That day, the official who reported to the pavilion in the middle of the lake was also this gentleman.
He must be Captain Zhu of the Imperial Guard.
"Sir, the relevant personnel have already given their statements."
Without much pleasantries, Captain Zhu exchanged a brief glance with Wei Zhan and got straight to the point.
"The deceased's surname was Miao, and his given name was Miao Han. He was a well-known jade craftsman in the area, and people from several surrounding counties often came to him to polish jade. It is said that his jade imitation skills were superb, and he could often imitate jade to a nine-tenths of the original. However, in recent years, he has gotten older and only carves auspicious items for retail in his shop, and does not take on many small jobs."
"The neighbors said that two groups of people came yesterday afternoon, the day of the incident. First, a young woman came, but she left after sitting for a short while. No sooner had she left than two men who looked like soldiers came and started arguing after exchanging only a few words. Soon after, the fire started."
"Have you found the person?"
"The two ran in different directions. One of them went south out of the city." Commandant Zhu was silent for a moment, until Xie Qinghe looked up, before he spoke: "Probably in the direction of Prince Jing's villa."
Xie Qinghe nodded without saying a word.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Ning Lu turned to look at that person, biting her lip.
According to Captain Zhu, she was that girl.
So, if she had left a little later, perhaps Old Man Miao wouldn't have died.
Once this thought enters the mind, feelings of self-reproach linger like a venomous snake.
With her eyes lowered and head bowed, she unconsciously lost her breath and clutched the hem of her clothes.
Xie Qinghe tilted his head, furrowed his brows, and lightly tapped the table with his curled knuckles.
The teacup swayed and jingled.
Ning Lu snapped out of her turmoil and called out in a daze.
"Thank you, sir."
Wei Zhan and the captain Zhu below immediately noticed the difference and both looked at Ning Lu.
Xie Qinghe pushed the teacup to her side and reminded her in a deep voice, "Bring some more water."
"yes."
With unsteady steps, Xie Qinghe turned the corner, bent his index finger, and lightly pressed his temple.
"How's the investigation into the dungeon going?"
"All wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice have been resolved. Most of them were trivial old cases involving grudges against Pan Xingxue. After most of the cases were resolved, the defendants signed and sealed their documents and were released." Captain Zhu changed his tone slightly, showing a hint of hesitation.
"Is Fang Hong still in jail?"
Xie Qinghe immediately understood and raised his voice to ask a question in return.
"yes."
Lieutenant Zhu took out a letter and handed it to Xie Qinghe through Wei Zhan.
The words on white paper, written in red, all testify to his crimes.
It's always the same few things, over and over again.
He showed no respect for his ruler and father, betrayed ancestral teachings, was unfilial as a son, failed to speak out as a subject, and was unjust as a person…
A tired, tired-of cliché.
"Sir, should we...?"
Lieutenant Zhu tentatively opened his mouth.
Wei Zhan frowned in response and looked at Xie Qinghe.
Although he was dull-witted, he had followed Xie Qinghe for many years and had heard of Fang Hong to some extent.
Xie Qinghe's grandfather was a favorite student of Chief Minister Xie.
These are among the few remaining people in the world who still have connections to the Xie family.
Upon hearing this, Xie Qinghe's breath hitched and his face turned cold.
Knowing he had spoken out of turn, Captain Zhu bowed and waited quietly for instructions.
"Doesn't he like to criticize current affairs?" Xie Qinghe's sneer deepened as he looked up and said, "Put Jiang Hong and Pan Xingxue's messy accounts on him. Tomorrow, I want him to see his memorial."
Jiang Hong, the magistrate of Pingcheng County, was deeply involved with Pan Xingxue. Not only was he embezzling, but it was also common for him to secretly escort laborers into Changzhou, not to mention the sordid affairs under his jurisdiction.
Even if it took ten days, let alone one day, it's unlikely that a good solution could be devised.
Although Captain Zhu was puzzled, he dared not question or disobey any further, and simply lowered his head even further, repeatedly agreeing.
Ning Lu lingered as she carried the tea back, just in time to catch a glimpse of Captain Zhu's departing figure.
The nine-foot-tall, burly man was covered in cold sweat, looking flustered and panicked.
Thinking that something had happened to Xie Qinghe again, she quickly ran back downstairs.
"Does Your Excellency's arrangement indicate an intention to reinstate Fang Hong?"
After Captain Zhu left, Ning Lu did not return for a long time. Seeing the paper waving in Xie Qinghe's hand, Wei Zhan couldn't help but ask her.
The person sitting in the superior position remained silent for a long time. Wei Zhan knew that his question at this moment was no different from that of Captain Zhu, who had acted on his own initiative earlier.
But he was still furious.
"I feel that this person is too outspoken and arrogant. What if he joins forces with Cen Wei in the future..."
"I am worried that they may not be behaving appropriately for you, sir."
"What can they do to me?" Xie Qinghe read the letter in his hand again, then looked up at Wei Zhan: "Aren't they telling the truth?"
"grown ups."
"As his most prized student, who prides himself on being a man of integrity," Xie Qinghe sighed wearily, "naturally he must dedicate himself to serving the people."
Ning Lu held her breath and looked up at Xie Qinghe.
He sat upright in the main hall, speaking coldly and sarcastically.
The people below bowed their heads low, displaying an attitude of complete obedience.
No one noticed the confusion and self-mockery in his expression.
The tea in the cup was warm. Ning Lu steadied the teacup, sniffed, and stepped inside.
"Tea, my lord."
Upon hearing the sound, Wei Zhan gradually straightened up, took a step back, and then another step back.
Just before he turned to leave, he heard Ning Lu ask from behind, "When are we going back?"
"Are you tired of waiting?"
Ning Lu looked at the desk, which had grown larger rather than decreased, with a mournful expression and an innocent pout.
"You vomited a lot of blood last night."
She recounted this painful truth in a somber tone.
Xie Qinghe leaned back lazily in his chair, looking up at her serious expression.
He was the one who vomited blood, but he didn't think anything of it. On the contrary, she took it very seriously and talked about it hundreds of times a day.
"You're concerned about me?"
He took a sip of hot tea, which slightly eased the hoarseness in his throat, and asked slowly.
Her light purple lips, moistened by the tea, appeared even fuller and more lustrous.
Ning Lu stared at his slightly upturned lips, and hearing such ambiguous words, her head exploded with a buzz.
After a moment of hesitation, she replied helplessly, "Lord Xie, do you know that rhetorical questions are too aggressive and it's best to use them sparingly?"
Xie Qinghe understood immediately and changed his phrasing: "You care about me."
Who taught him to talk like that?
Ning Lu glared at him resentfully, snatched the teacup from his hand, poured another cup into it, and shoved it back into his hand.
“I think that after vomiting so much blood, you need to replenish your body properly. You only eat so little every day, and if you can’t sleep well, it’s really terrible.”
Actually, it's not uncommon for him to vomit blood.
Since the Crown Prince came of age, he had begun to deal with Prince Jing. Years of hard work and paperwork had made these ailments a daily occurrence.
Wei Zhan, who was standing outside the door, suddenly relaxed his brow.
She could no longer hear Xie Qinghe's response clearly, but she felt that her master's tone had become more relaxed amidst the back-and-forth banter.
The hand resting on the sword at his waist relaxed slightly, and he unconsciously quickened his pace to leave.
Xie Qinghe, without her noticing, focused his gaze on her eyes and brows: "It's none of your business. Don't blame yourself."
"I don't."
Caught off guard by his sudden change of topic, Ning Lu vehemently denied it.
But she immediately understood his meaning, her hands behind her back clenched slightly, and she lowered her head.
The reason I've been filling this pot with water for so long is because I'm feeling restless and have nowhere to vent my emotions.
Although she only caught a glimpse of a bloody, mangled arm, she couldn't help but panic. She kept thinking about what would have happened if she hadn't gone with the old man yesterday, or if she had left a little later, or even if the jade pendant hadn't been caused by her...
Xie Qinghe noticed her unsettled state of mind and, having no intention of arguing with her further, lowered his eyes and spoke softly.
"There will be a result soon."
“If you’re going to claim that you’re Ning Lu, then don’t take Liu Yunying’s things on yourself.”
Whether it's Miao and Han, or Suyun...
The second half of the sentence was left unsaid, yet each word was like a stone thrown into a lake.
Ning Lu stared wide-eyed at Xie Qinghe.
He seems like a completely different person lately.
From last night until now, he has been saying things that are unsettling and unpredictable, all while remaining calm and collected.
This kind of delicate demeanor as a spiritual mentor is rare even for Ji Amin.
The man held the teacup loosely with his hands clasped together, his pale fingers turning a light pink from the warm tea.
"Xie Qinghe."
She squatted down beside the rosewood chair, tilted her head up to face the man, and said in a serious tone, "Have you changed your ways? Planning to become a good person?"
"A good person?"
Xie Qinghe was both amused and exasperated; he hadn't heard that word from her in a long time.
The words that had insulted him back then were still ringing in his ears, and now the same face was asking him a serious question again, which made him unable to help but laugh.
Xie Qinghe tilted his head, feigning ignorance: "Ning Lu, I'm very curious, what exactly is your standard for a good person?"
"Standards? Do we need standards to be a good person?"
Ning Lu waved her hand: "Being a person is already tiring enough. You can't set a passing grade for being a good person. I only trust my intuition."
"Does your intuition tell you that Xie Qinghe is a good person?"
He confirmed it again.
Remembering the rumors she had heard about Xie Qinghe, she seemed to realize something and instead of answering, asked, "Lord Xie, you care about this a lot?"
"So you care about what other people say, right?"
Ruthless, vicious, and despicable...
Overjoyed, Ning Lu disregarded her fear and instinctively grabbed his clothes.
When the warmth of her daughter's body touched her cold skin, Xie Qinghe shuddered and his pupils contracted.
Suddenly a gust of wind arose, causing the paper slips on the table to rustle. He immediately turned his gaze to the indictment that detailed his crimes.
She was only half right.
He was uncharacteristically speechless, and Ning Lu immediately countered, not by asking questions, but simply by stating her position.
"Xie Qinghe, you care."
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Author's Note: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, updates will likely be around this time (11:30 PM) from now on. Writing furiously...
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