21. General
She had her body to recuperate, so she returned to her own residence after returning from the eldest prince's mansion that day, even though she had countless things to say to Qin Duan.
Yun Zhihe was ill for a long time, and during this period many court officials came to visit her and congratulate her.
The content of the congratulations was naturally that the emperor was furious and sentenced Shangshu Song to death. The court cabinet also began to take the status of slavery seriously and has been discussing it recently.
It shouldn't have happened so quickly, but Prime Minister Wen, who was always gentle and fair in the court, insisted on upholding the matter, debating with the scholars and scolding those who held opposing opinions. I wonder if it was because his own son was insulted by them.
His Majesty has already ordered that after Yun Zhihe recovers from his illness, he will work together with Prime Minister Wen to handle this matter.
Yun Zhihe received the imperial edict and kowtowed to accept it. In this way, she truly entered the officialdom.
Li Miaomiao and Cui Mingyu are now in the Hanlin Academy. Their relationship has become better and better, and they often come to visit her together.
One day, she even asked Fang Xiaohou to come visit her. Fang Xiaohou was so moved that he hugged the three of them and started crying with tears and snot.
The three of them did not do this just to seek justice for her, but for the innocent slaves who died tragically, and to avoid such a tragedy.
Cui Mingyu still had some grievances with the other party, Xiao Hou, and couldn't stand her timid and fearful appearance, so the two of them started to wrestle in front of Yun Zhihe.
Although it was called a scuffle, Fang Li was only beaten unilaterally by Cui Mingyu.
She was so disappointed with him, "You cry when you encounter something. Let me wipe your tears! Zhihe knelt for three days without shedding a single tear. Why are you being so squeamish, woman?"
Fang Li cried even harder, sobbing, "I was wrong, don't hit me, don't hit me..."
Li Miaomiao watched this farce, leaning on the edge of the bed, stroking her chin with her fingertips, watching the two of them fighting, and suddenly said.
"...Madam Yun is really amazing! I see Song Er's body is completely rotten."
"I never thought that Madam Yun of Qingfeng Mingyue could come up with such a sinister method."
The voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it.
Yun Zhihe had a calm expression as he sat on the bed, his eyes fixed on the two people playing around. He spoke softly, "Madam Li is not bad either."
Li Miaomiao went to the prison specifically to tell Minister Song about the tragic death of her daughter. However, when she came out half an hour later, the girl looked relaxed and even hummed a song.
But Minister Song in prison had already gone mad.
Rather than saying that she is a girl with an innocent face, it would be better to say that she is a little crazy.
Yun Zhihe knew that in the inn where Li Miaomiao had stayed, several people had broken their legs and hands for various reasons, and without exception... they were all people who had offended Li Miaomiao.
But most of them are arrogant and domineering, relying on the power of others.
Although she had some friendship with Li Miaomiao, they were not close friends. She gave the medicine to Cui Mingyu and never told Li Miaomiao about it. She only took the confession and collected evidence.
Originally, only Cui Mingyu and she knew these dark things, but it was not difficult for Li Miaomiao to guess them.
Li Miaomiao suddenly laughed, her almond-shaped eyes curved, and she lowered her head to look at Yun Zhihe, a bright smile in her eyes.
"What a pity! If I were a young man, I would marry you."
Muttering to himself, "I really like you more and more."
Yun Zhihe did not answer, knowing that there was no need for her to accuse him of murdering Madam Song Er, and she had no evidence, so she just said it softly.
“…I’m not good at sharpening mirrors.”
Li Miaomiao smiled but said nothing.
"By the way! Zhihe, tomorrow is the celebration banquet for the General of Cavalry. Are you feeling better? Do you want to go?" Cui Mingyu spoke as if he had thought of something and walked to the bedside.
Yun Zhihe paused, thinking. It seemed like it was the general who had returned with his brother...
Cui Mingyu saw her thinking and thought she didn't know who the General of the Cavalry was, so he explained, "It's that male general, your Majesty's close friend in your youth."
Why did you come back this year? There didn't seem to be anything major happening in Beijing or at the border.
My brother has been busy these days, I don’t know what he is doing.
Yun Zhihe was lost in his own thoughts and didn't hear her words clearly. Cui Mingyu thought she still didn't understand, so he spoke again anxiously.
"Has he become stupid after being sick for a few days? He's the one everyone says is tall, strong, fierce-looking, and has a disfigured face."
Yun Zhihe didn't answer.
She made threatening gestures, imitating the man's appearance, and looked at Yun Zhihe in thought, then she was so angry that she shouted out loud.
"That's the male general who killed his wife!"
Her voice was so sharp that it scared Yun Zhihe. It took him a while to come to his senses.
By the way, that General Huoqi was also a great man in the Ling Dynasty.
His name is Lou Zhi, the same age as Your Majesty, and the first male general of the Ling Dynasty.
I heard that he met the wrong person many years ago and married Madam Xiao. However, he never expected that Madam Xiao was from a military family and had a bad temper. She often beat and abused Lou Zhi, making him endure an inhuman life for many years.
Finally, he could no longer bear it and raised his knife to resist, accidentally killing Madam Xiao. He was caught red-handed and sentenced to exile at the border.
At that time, the situation was turbulent and the border was invaded by foreign tribes. He took up his gun and mounted his horse, taking this opportunity to earn military merit.
His Majesty had just ascended the throne at that time. Upon learning of this, he pardoned □□'s crime out of consideration for their old friendship and his ability, and appointed him as the first male general in history, bestowing upon him a tiger talisman.
Speaking of which, the military power and favors in Lou Zhi's hands were a great help in His Majesty's stable ascension to the throne at that time.
But the ministers in the court looked down on him. Most people thought that he gained military merits by relying on his body, and that he had no ability, was dissolute, murdered his own wife, and had a bad character.
Some even believe that His Majesty promoted him simply because the situation was turbulent when he ascended the throne and needed someone he trusted to take charge of the military power. He was just a tool to consolidate the military power.
Because of these rumors, he has been subjected to a lot of scorn and insults over the years.
Yun Zhihe concealed his thoughts and was actually somewhat curious about this male general who was despised by the ladies in the court, and he also admired his rebellious spirit.
After all, women who commit domestic violence will not have a good death.
She nodded and said, "I'll go tomorrow."
Now that she has recovered, it's time for her to go out for a walk.
East Palace
Xuanyuan He looked at the secret report presented by the shadow guard, lying on the bed, his white and slender feet shaking delicately. The more he read, the brighter his eyes became.
He laughed suddenly, and his fingertips tightened, wrinkling the paper in his hand.
The shadow guard beside him whispered, "Your Highness, this is all we can find out."
Xuanyuan He was tired of laughing, and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingertips. He seemed to be unable to hold back the smile in his voice, "No need to look for it, I already know who it is."
This shadow guard was the only thing left to him by his deceased father. The Xuanyuan family had long thought that this shadow guard was dead, but they did not expect that he had been following Xuanyuan He all the time.
He has used this shadow guard to accomplish many things and is no longer the weak and crybaby child.
Xuanyuan He still couldn't help laughing. His hair was messy and he seemed to be out of breath from laughing.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
“Who could, who could… think of…” He lowered his head and covered his eyes, unable to suppress the curve of his lips.
"Yun Zhihe, who was so outstanding, turned out to be the murderer who planned Song Er's death."
He murmured the word "murderer" with emphasis, with an uncontrollable smile in his eyes.
The clues and evidence were sparse and it was impossible to convict anyone, but when he thought about it carefully, he realized that he was not stupid. Putting them together vaguely pointed to Yun Zhihe.
He thought about how the woman was usually as elegant as an immortal, and even when she lowered her eyes it seemed as if she was showing pity for the world.
Xuanyuan He laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe. He was so happy that his eyes were wet with tears.
He kept muttering, "Yun Zhihe..."
"Yun Zhihe..."
He turned over lazily, slowly murmuring her name, and soon fell asleep, breathing evenly, his fingertips still clutching the paper.
The night was dark and the capital was shrouded in silence.
On the day of the celebration banquet, Ah Zhi was choosing clothes, muttering, "Miss, you've been recuperating for such a long time, so you should dress nicely today, so that those young masters can see the unparalleled beauty of the most elegant lady in the capital."
Yun Zhihe declined her suggestion of red.
Today, Ah Zhi was stubborn. The two argued for a while before deciding on a white jade dress. Ah Zhi was still mumbling, "Always wearing white jade makes me look worse. How can I marry a husband?"
When it came to the banquet, it was a bit strange that many unmarried ladies were invited.
Sitting on the high seat were Xuanyuan Ying and a man. Yun Zhihe was a little curious and thought that this was Lou Zhi. He looked up carefully and saw the man's appearance clearly.
The black soft armor waist belt outlines her strong and slender waist, showing a sense of serious abstinence. Her posture is upright, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. She is indeed as tall as others said.
Just being there, there was a condensed evil aura.
She looked at his face again. His eyes were as pale as cold stars, with the corners of his eyes slightly drooping. His face was handsome, with deep features and a high nose tip, revealing a sharp and cold look.
It’s a pity that there is a scar on his face that runs from the brow to under the eye. Although it does not hurt the eyes, it adds a cold and murderous aura, making people dare not look directly at him.
Suddenly, their eyes met. Yun Zhihe paused, raised his lips slightly, and smiled at him politely, then Lou Zhi quickly looked away.
Yun Zhihe only looked at him a few times and then stopped looking. She was not a person who liked to gossip, nor would she have too many malicious speculations about the general. After recognizing the man's face, she started talking to Wen Yanhe next to her.
He hadn't seen him for a while. He was wearing a blue and white crane cloak, a circle of white fox fur around his neck, and a white jade crown. He looked even more handsome. At this moment, he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to look at Yun Zhihe.
He only muttered, "... thinner."
Yun Zhihe chuckled, "I've been sick for several days, so naturally I've lost weight."
Wen Yanhe pursed his lips and did not answer. He had visited the eldest prince's mansion every day since she was unconscious, but was stopped without exception.
Ever since he heard that Yun Zhihe went to the Second Prince's Mansion as soon as he woke up, he sneered in his heart and refused to go there again out of spite. Now he couldn't help feeling unhappy.
"Why don't you go see the Second Prince to see if you've lost weight?"
He started to criticize people again, with sharp words and a smile on his face, which made him look even more handsome and clear-headed.
Yun Zhihe blinked, somewhat confused about the source of his anger, and changed the subject, "Congratulations on becoming a male official. Now you have achieved your wish, right?"
She was also really happy for Wen Yanhe, and she smiled with sparkling eyes.
Wen Yanhe glanced at her and said softly, "Of course I'm happy. Thank you, Madam Yun."
"But if you get what you want, it won't be..."
Yun Zhihe didn't quite hear the last sentence and looked at him with a little confusion.
Wen Yanhe opened his folding fan to cover the lower half of his face, leaving only his narrowed eyes. His voice was clear and crisp, "Madam Yun, if you can't hear me, then don't listen."
"Even if you heard it, you wouldn't understand it."
So he turned around and ignored her.
Yun Zhihe burst out laughing.
Xuanyuan Ying lowered his eyes and looked at Yun Zhihe who was chatting happily with Wen Yanhe below. He frowned silently and shifted his gaze.
Then he asked Lou Zhi next to him, "Do you have a wife you like? If so, I can grant you a marriage."
Many unmarried ladies were invited to today's banquet, so Xuanyuan Ying's thoughts were naturally obvious.
Although Lou Zhi had a bad reputation and was older, he was of noble status and many women wanted to marry him to climb up the social ladder.
Lou Zhi pursed his lower lip, his eyes passing over Yun Zhihe who had just looked at him, and he was slightly stunned.
The lady didn't show any fear or disgust when she saw him just now. Instead, her expression was gentle and she even smiled at him...?
The kindness of these nobles in the capital was rare, and Lou Zhi was a little stunned.
"No need, I have sworn that I will never marry again in this life."
This was a private conversation between the two of them. They had known each other since they were young, so there was no need to be reserved. Xuanyuan Ying frowned, "You haven't found your true love yet. The border is bitterly cold, so you should have someone by your side."
"...Your Majesty has not had a loving partner by your side these years."
He refused calmly, even bringing it up with Xuanyuan Ying.
Xuanyuan Ying was silent for a moment, picked up the wine glass and held it between his fingertips, lowered his eyes and looked at Yun Zhihe's smile when he was talking to others, then spoke.
“…I, do.”
The author has something to say:
He is a beautiful, strong and tragic general, Jie.
Besides, good brothers should like the same woman (with a serious face)
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