Chapter 92 Are you really that experienced?
After the two inside finished their deal, Jing Hong led Yu Mingshu out of the inn and waited for He Zheng to come out in the carriage.
Upon seeing the person sitting inside the carriage, He Zheng's imposing aura suddenly diminished. He tentatively sat down next to Yu Mingshu, took two deep breaths, and then reached out to hold her hand.
I shouldn't have kept it from you.
Yu Mingshu had already seen his sincerity in the letter, so she didn't bring up the past. Instead, she grabbed his ear and scolded him in a low voice: "She framed you twice, and you still want to give her a fake identity and a thousand strings of cash for nothing? Are you the reincarnation of Buddha, here to save all living beings?"
He Zheng heard clearly what she had said and was secretly delighted. He held her hand and coaxed her, "My wife, don't worry, she won't get this money."
Yu Mingshu released his grip, not paying attention to his form of address, and pressed, "What do you mean?"
“She has Qin King’s men by her side, Yuan Yi will not allow her to reach this deal with me,” He Zheng said sarcastically.
“I have already sent people to keep a close watch on them. Once Yuan Yi’s men make any move, my men will appear. Yunying escaped death from the hands of the Prince of Qin, and the two of them will surely turn against each other. I want her to step forward and expose the mastermind behind it all.”
Yu Mingshu felt a pang of sadness.
Although the palace is a melting pot, Yuan Yi has only been back for a little over two months. Can someone who is well-versed in the classics and was once a teacher really become so indifferent to human life in such a short time?
"What will you do if the King of Qin's men don't intend to make a move?"
Without hesitation, He Zheng replied, "Cash on delivery. Once she leaves the city, we'll have someone disguise themselves as bandits and rob her of the money."
After saying this, he vaguely sensed that the woman beside him was looking at him with a complicated expression.
He swallowed nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you think this plan is too cunning?"
“No, I just sympathize with you,” Yu Mingshu said.
He Zheng was slightly taken aback. "Sympathy?"
“If you remain indifferent to Miss Yun’s plight, I might think you are cold-hearted. But if you grant her request, take her back to Chang’an, and personally care for her, I will definitely think you are a heartless, philandering, and ultimately heartless womanizer.”
After speaking slowly, Yu Mingshu looked up at him with a smile, gently stroking the back of his hand with her fingertips. "You showed her kindness and compassion, but stopped at a gentleman's friendship. It was she who was trapped in hatred and selfishness, imposing her resentment on you and betraying your kindness."
He Zheng felt a warm glow envelop his heart, a sweet feeling tinged with a hint of bittersweetness. He pressed himself closer to her, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. "You're not angry with me anymore?"
Yu Mingshu slapped away his restless right hand. "You have to grant me two requests first."
He Zheng agreed without even listening: "I will obey without question."
Yu Mingshu glared at him, "I haven't even said what my request is, what are you going to agree to!"
He Zheng then adopted a humble expression and said, "I'm all ears."
Yu Mingshu was too lazy to pay attention to his ingratiating little act anymore, and said seriously, "First, from now on, there shall be no deception between us."
Between you and me?
"That's right, you're not allowed to hide anything from me, and I'll never hide anything from you either."
He Zheng met her clear, bright eyes and his heart softened completely. He nodded emphatically, "Okay."
Yu Mingshu paused for a moment, then continued, "Secondly, don't help just anyone."
"That's it?" He Zheng chuckled, pretending to cling to her again. "I know even if you don't tell me. You learn from your mistakes."
"Not enough with two? Then let's add a third one."
Yu Mingshu pondered for a moment and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to drink alcohol unless absolutely necessary, unless I am present."
He Zheng's smile vanished as he tried to clear his name, "My alcohol tolerance isn't actually that bad. She tampered with my drink that day!"
Yu Mingshu shrugged. "It's safest not to drink it."
He Zheng had nothing to say and rested his head on her shoulder in frustration.
He was tall, and maintaining this position wasn't actually comfortable. He was also afraid of hurting her, so he quickly sat up straight and pulled her into his arms.
He asked softly, "Yesterday, after hearing Yun's nonsense, besides resenting that I had concealed something, didn't you have any doubts about my innocence with her?"
Yu Mingshu looked up and rolled her eyes at him, "You obviously have zero experience."
He Zheng choked up, and after a long while, he suddenly grabbed her wrist, pressed her into the corner, leaned closer, and his eyes revealed danger.
Yu Mingshu was taken aback by his sudden assertiveness, and lowered her voice, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Are you very experienced?" He Zheng stared intently into her eyes.
“I have extensive indirect experience,” Yu Mingshu said without batting an eye.
He Zheng didn't notice any sign of guilt in her, so he loosened his grip and asked, following her question, "What is indirect experience?"
Yu Mingshu leaned close to his ear and explained earnestly, "Direct experience comes from personal practice, while indirect experience comes from book knowledge."
He Zheng was skeptical. "How come I've never seen any books that teach this kind of thing?"
“You don’t need to read books.” Yu Mingshu smiled, clenching his right hand around his five fingers, and lowered his voice, “You can gain true knowledge from practice.”
The person beside her immediately began to breathe heavily, and the temperature of his palms rose. She deliberately avoided his burning gaze, lifted the curtain with her left hand, and turned her head to look out the car window.
He Zheng wrapped his arms around her waist, his grip so tight it seemed he wanted to embed himself into her. "Where are you going tonight?"
"Yongningfang".
"Didn't you say you weren't angry with me anymore?"
Yu Mingshu turned to look at him, gently resting her head on his chest. "When did I say I was over it?"
He Zheng pursed his lips, looking slightly dejected.
"How can I make my wife calm down?"
"Did you ask the examiner for answers during the exam?" Yu Mingshu rolled her eyes at him.
As the street scene outside the window gradually became familiar, and Jingfeng Gate was just ahead, she let go of He Zheng's hand, told Jing Hong outside to stop, and nimbly jumped off the carriage.
Jinghong anxiously glanced back and forth, and seeing that He Zheng showed no intention of chasing after him, he said with exasperation, "My lord, what are you waiting for?"
He Zheng turned his reluctant gaze away and said seriously, "Let's take care of business first."
Jing Hong was speechless for a moment, then sighed, "Yes, yes, I'll go right away."
…
At dusk, a fire broke out at the Ruyi Inn in the West Market of Chang'an City. Flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed from the courtyard, drifting with the wind towards the surrounding market areas.
The next morning at court, the censor stood up, filled with righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty He Zheng, the Marquis of Pingyan, is hereby impeached for arson and murder, and for attempting to silence witnesses!"
The fire that broke out last night has been extinguished, and before dawn today, rumors have already begun to circulate among the officials who are preparing to go to the palace for court.
It is said that the fire started at the residence of Miss Yun, who recently sued He Zheng for abandoning her after starting a relationship. She was taking a nap alone in the house when the fire broke out and was engulfed by flames in her sleep.
This morning, after the fire was extinguished, government officials dragged a woman's body out from under the fallen antique shelf. The scene was horrifying; the wooden shelf and the body were charred black, almost unrecognizable.
The crowd inside the hall was instantly agitated.
He Ting stepped forward and said loudly, "The censor keeps saying that He Zheng committed arson and murder. May I ask where the evidence is?"
The censor scoffed, "Yun came to the capital from Youzhou. She has neither relatives nor enemies in Chang'an. Apart from Marquis Pingyan, who else would want to kill her?"
“Without evidence, these are just your guesses.” He Ting bowed to the emperor on the throne. “Your Majesty, although my younger brother is unruly, he is by no means a villain. I implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the Ruyi Inn fire case, clear He Zheng’s name, and give justice to the Yun family.”
The emperor frowned, suppressing his inner turmoil, and after a long while, he summoned the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Prefect of the Capital to step forward.
"This case is entrusted to the two of you to investigate. You must solve it as soon as possible and quell the rumors in the capital."
After the court session ended, the ministers returned to their offices in twos and threes.
At this moment, Yu Mingshu also chased away He Zheng, who had been staying at the Imperial Household Department to share breakfast with her.
Just as He Zheng was about to leave, he pushed open the door and saw Liang Yuanyi standing outside with a gloomy expression.
He paused for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, "Your Highness, what brings you to the Eastern Palace?"
"Marquis Pingyan should worry more about himself." Liang Yuanyi walked past him and went into the house.
He Zheng turned around alertly, staring intently at the person's figure.
Yu Mingshu methodically tidied up the remaining breakfast on the table, gave He Zheng a look, and signaled him to leave without worry.
Liang Yuanyi sat upright opposite her, his eyes dark and silent.
Yu Mingshu offered a polite smile and nodded in greeting: "Your Highness, Prince Qin."
The eunuch behind him closed the door and tactfully withdrew from the courtyard.
With only the two of them left in the room, Liang Yuanyi's suppressed emotions finally erupted. He said in a deep voice to the person in front of him, "He deceived you, betrayed you, and indulged in debauchery outside. He has done such disgraceful and morally corrupt things. Do you still want to continue with him?"
“I have my own judgment about what kind of person he is, and I don’t need outsiders to introduce him,” Yu Mingshu said calmly. “I trust my own eyes.”
"What kind of person is he?" Liang Yuanyi couldn't help but sneer in his anger. "He was impulsive and easily angered when he was young. He beat up his classmates at Chongwen Academy, skipped classes and exams at Chang'an Academy, frequented gambling dens and martial arts schools and hunting grounds. He is the most typical playboy!"
"Yu Mingshu, a woman as well-read and talented as you, I can't understand why you would fall for him!"
Hearing him speak so disparagingly of He Zheng, Yu Mingshu gradually lost his smile.
“Your Highness, you were once He Zheng’s teacher.”
She raised her head and looked directly into Liang Yuanyi's eyes, her tone neither humble nor arrogant, "In my humble opinion, as a teacher, one should not judge a student's merits or demerits with prejudice."
“He was wrong to fight with his classmates at school, but he did not do it to bully the weak. He only did it to vent his anger when the conflict between the two sides escalated. This is a flaw in his character and a wrong way of handling things, not a problem with his character.”
"He suffered injustice and felt wronged, so he deliberately skipped classes and neglected his studies to vent his dissatisfaction with the academy's handling of the matter. However, he remained respectful and courteous to his teachers. At least when people like Xie Wu and Zhang San privately discussed and ridiculed His Highness's background, He Zheng never participated in it."
"Perhaps the teachers at the academy thought he was lazy and undisciplined and neglected his studies, but regardless of the severe cold or scorching heat, he would get up before dawn every day to practice martial arts, and he did not fall behind in his studies at the academy."
"As for your statement that you frequent gambling dens in the city, I have known you for so many years and have not yet seen any gambling addiction in you."
After speaking, Yu Mingshu stopped looking at the other party's increasingly gloomy face, lowered his eyes, and said firmly, "The He Zheng I know is loyal, knows his place, is open-minded, and treats people with humility. He is definitely not the wicked person that Your Highness and the rumors outside describe."
When she spoke of He Zheng, her eyes held an undisguised tenderness. Her trust in He Zheng was unwavering, like an impenetrable suit of armor, or a piece of fabric so finely woven that not even a needle could pierce it.
She was always gentle, even tender, but at this moment, that tenderness was glaringly jarring.
Liang Yuanyi's fingertips clenched tightly in his palm, his nails carving deep red marks into it, but the stinging pain in his palm could not mask the stinging pain in his heart.
He hated that He Zheng had so brazenly entered her heart. She always kept a distance from him, yet she readily accepted He Zheng's overstepping of boundaries.
She used to call him "sir," but now she calls him "Your Highness Prince Qin."
Your Highness, the King of Qin, what a prestigious title.
Power, fame, walking in the sunlight, being admired by thousands... For many years, this was what he had dreamed of.
Only today did he realize that even though he was granted the title of prince, in Yu Mingshu's heart, he was still just an insignificant cloud.
No, perhaps it's dust, or haze.
Liang Yuanyi suppressed the bitterness in his heart, his voice sounding emotionless, "And what about me? Yu Mingshu, what kind of person am I in your heart?"
Yu Mingshu said, "To this day, I still stand by what I said: Your Highness is both a teacher and a friend to me."
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