Chapter 116
There was a burst of laughter outside.
Yi Ning came back to her senses, looked at the Xiangfeizhu curtain, and recognized the voice as her third brother's.
He wasn't a big smiler. Even though she'd been kind to him when they were younger, he'd always looked at her with a sharp, piercing gaze. He seemed to be talking to Yang Ling, "...Mr. Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, values him highly. It was Mr. Jiang who spoke up for him when he didn't pass the last performance review. Why did you have to make things difficult for him back then?"
"I just can't stand his behavior. Meng Zhangshu spent countless sleepless nights over the tax issue, and all of a sudden the credit went to him." Yang Ling said, "You don't have to try to persuade me. I know what's right and wrong."
Yang Ling was very vindictive, and Luo Yining naturally remembered that when Xu Wei was about to die, he knelt outside the palace gate for two days for Xu Wei's sake.
"...Miss, may I put your things here?" A maid came in carrying a book box.
Because I wanted to take her out to play, I wanted to deal with the official business on the way, so I brought her out.
Yi Ning nodded, "Put it here," pointing to the small table for her to place it. The maid put the things down and left. Yi Ning moved the box to her side, the copper lock just unlocked by the maid. Since it was Luo Shenyuan's stuff, she didn't hesitate to see what her third brother was doing all day. After opening it, she found it was filled with various official documents and files, presumably ones that needed to be dealt with soon.
Some case files were sealed with red wax, affixed with a small, secret character. Naturally, she wouldn't touch them. She took one without the red wax seal and opened it to reveal a seal from the Dali Temple. A death penalty case in Huaihua, Hunan, had been sent for review. He meticulously noted the ambiguities and contradictions in the evidence during the trial, writing, "Retrial Rejected." His handwriting was distinctive, thin and solitary, with a sharp, pointed stroke. Yining recognized it instantly.
Yining read through the memorial, which recounted the murder of a wealthy official in Huaihua by his own nephew. The lawyer who wrote the case possessed considerable literary talent, making it surprisingly engaging. Luo Shenyuan also provided annotations for any inconsistencies. For example, "What was the weather like at night?" "How could one identify the poisoner?" or "Trying to solve a case as a joke is truly unacceptable!"
Yi Ning couldn't help but laugh when she saw the place he marked, put down the book and picked up another one. After flipping through it a few times, she found a letter tucked into the file.
The envelope was written with "Yujing Yinggong Mansion".
How could he have a letter from the Duke of England? Yi Ning felt the handwriting looked familiar. She was very sensitive to other people's handwriting and could remember it very well. Thinking about it carefully, she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine...
Isn’t this the handwriting of pine branches!
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened the letter. For some reason, her hands trembled as she opened the letter. When the letter was unfolded before her eyes, the woman's beautiful handwriting jumped out onto the paper.
"On the fifth day of August, the Duke's title was in jeopardy. The young lady had a secret conversation with Deputy Envoy Guo. He then said goodbye and went to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. I did not follow him. The secret conversation lasted until late at night." It then continued, "On the sixth day of August, I went to see the steward to negotiate the transfer of the silk and satin shop. At noon, Deputy Envoy Guo came again, and the young lady had a detailed conversation with him for a quarter of an hour."
Name: Pine Branch.
Yi Ning stared at the words on the paper, not being able to recognize what was written on it. She could recognize them individually, but not when they were put together.
Luo Shenyuan is monitoring her?
Why was he spying on her? And through pine branches, when did this start, and why didn't she notice it at all?
Luo Shenyuan finally finished his conversation. He parted the curtain and walked in. "You've been waiting for a long time, haven't you? Yang Ling is quite difficult to deal with, but he's also quite interesting. I'll take you to the dock later. There's a place there that makes excellent fish soup, better than anywhere else. I'm sure you'll like it."
She heard him come in but didn't look up.
Luo Shenyuan felt something was wrong. He frowned, walked closer and asked her, "What's wrong? You're not happy..."
Before he could finish his words, he saw the letter in her hand.
He was stunned for a moment, then shocked, and suddenly reached out to grab it.
How did this letter get mixed up in the official documents?
Yi Ning reacted quickly and dodged his hand immediately. She stood up and took several steps back, her hands trembling slightly. She looked at him with a strange look in her eyes: "Third brother, what on earth are you thinking? You let Songzhi monitor me?"
"Meimei!" Luo Shenyuan said hurriedly, taking a few steps forward. "Give me the letter and I'll explain it to you."
She rarely saw him like this. Luo Shenyuan was always her calm and composed third brother, and it was rare for him to lose his composure like this. His handsome profile reflected the ripples of the lake, and his deep pupils couldn't hide his anxiety.
Of course there must be a reason. Who would do something for no reason? Luo Yining nodded and smiled, "Tell me what your reason is. I'm listening."
"...I was worried that you weren't having a good time in the Duke of England's mansion, so I asked Songzhi to deliver the letter. Don't misunderstand me." He paused, "Third Brother didn't mean anything else."
Yi Ning stared at him for a long time, then suddenly remembered, "...When I was leaving the Luo family, you asked me to take Song Zhi with me." She suddenly understood, "Even before that, Song Zhi had already been bribed by you. Ever since I arrived at the Duke of Ying's mansion, you've been controlling my every move?"
She suddenly didn't know what Luo Shenyuan was doing or what he was thinking! He was actually spying on her! Even if Luo Shenyuan wanted to care about her, who would spy on someone else's every move just because of concern? This reason was too far-fetched.
Luo Shenyuan endured it and reached out to pull her: "Meimei, I have no intention of harming you..."
Yining avoided his hand.
"You won't harm me." Yi Ning nodded, a wry smile on her face. "Of course I believe you won't harm me. Then tell me, why did you let Songzhi monitor me?"
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