Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Only stolen moments of tenderness could turn into…
Yu Tan knew what Jiang Tingfeng wanted to say. In the past, she was always afraid and instinctively resisted other people's love and hate. Now she finally had some confidence.
She owes no one anything, and she can confidently state her reasons.
"I don't like feeding the fish. I used to go to the riverbank to feed the fish often, not to see you..."
Jiang Tingfeng looked up, his face full of astonishment. Those beautiful memories belonged only to him.
It turns out it was all a misunderstanding on his part from the very beginning.
"The way you looked at me before was terrifying. I was afraid to get close to you, so I didn't have a chance to explain."
She just wanted to get away from all of them, the farther the better, and ideally, never see them again.
Jiang Tingfeng gave a bitter smile. Their relationship had always been a love-hate entanglement of his alone. He was trapped in it all by himself, and even tried to drag Yu Tan into it so that she would face the pain with him.
"Have a safe trip." She had said all she wanted to say, and she didn't want to say any more goodbyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." After saying that, Jiang Tingfeng quickly disappeared into the alley and fled in panic.
Yu He'an walked up to her, blocking most of the sunlight, lowered his eyes, and stared at her intently. "What are you saying? Why have you been talking for so long?"
"He apologized to me." Yu Tan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, feeling relieved to have resolved the trouble.
She couldn't figure it out, but she was no longer afraid of the future.
"It's okay if you don't accept it. Not all apologies have to be accepted graciously." Yu He'an ruffled her hair.
If an apology could erase all grudges...
Yu Tan honestly replied, "I didn't accept it; I just didn't want to get entangled in this pointless mess."
"So generous."
“Brother, once the case is closed, I want to go to Huizhou first. I've settled Wuniang there, and my business is also there. I want to go and bring her back. I also need to rethink the business.”
If she doesn't want to go back to Bianjing, I'd like to stay there for a while; I haven't had a proper talk with her yet.
For the first time, she spoke frankly with Yu He'an about the future, saying that since they had decided to be together, a temporary separation wouldn't matter.
She looked up at Yu He'an. Winter was approaching, but the midday sun was still so dazzling. The sunlight shone on Yu He'an's face, making his face look unrealistically handsome.
The sunshine felt warm and cozy on my skin, and even the dreaded winter seemed to arrive a little later.
"Finally, you're willing to talk to me about these things." Yu He'an smiled, put his arm around Yu Tan's waist, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her. He knew that Yu Tan's trip to Huizhou was inevitable, and there was no need for him to stop her. "I hope the case can be resolved in winter, and the heavy snow can wash away the injustice of many years."
She was worried that Yu He'an would stop her, but thankfully her worries were unnecessary.
"I will be back as soon as possible."
"No need to rush, Huizhou has beautiful scenery, you can stay longer."
Now it was Yu Tan's turn to be surprised, and she looked at Yu He'an with a somewhat blank expression.
"real?"
"Of course." Yu He'an was very magnanimous, as if he wasn't the one who had chased after her after seeing her exchange a few words with Jiang Tingfeng.
"That's good. I also want to spend more time with Wu Niang."
Yu Tan let out a long sigh. The time she spent with Zhao Qingwu last time was too short. She had been wanting to find an opportunity to see her for a long time, but she had been restricted by the plot and could not leave Bianjing.
She hasn't even called her "mother" yet.
She can leave once the case is closed.
This case is clearly a heavy burden, with the Pei family behind it, and the Third Prince behind the Pei family, one link after another.
With Yuhe An there, she had plenty of confidence.
From childhood to adulthood, Yu He'an has always been an omnipotent being in her heart.
After winter set in, the good weather didn't last long. The weather in Bianjing changed, and a cold wind howled. The remaining warmth was blown away in just a few days, and the city suddenly became cold.
Yu Tan has always been more sensitive to the cold than others. Although this house is small, the underfloor heating is well-maintained, and with the windproof curtains down, it is even warmer than Lan Fang Courtyard.
The case progressed more slowly than expected. After waiting for several days, on the tenth day after the beginning of winter, she was summoned to the Dali Temple.
Instead of holding court, Zhang Li, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, met her at the rest area of the Court of Judicial Review and, contrary to his usual behavior, dismissed everyone else.
Zhang Li stood behind his desk, above which hung a plaque that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High".
He frowned and pursed his lips, holding the petition for a quarter of an hour before letting out several long sighs.
"I never imagined that my wife was a descendant of Lord Zhao. I was once indebted to Lord Zhao. If it weren't for him, I would have died on my way to take the imperial examination."
Unfortunately... the case was closed too quickly back then, with mountains of evidence piling up...
In the following years, the leads always went cold, and I only managed to preserve a few witnesses by doing my best.
"Thank you very much, sir. It is already an immense favor to have your help." Yu Tan bowed and expressed her gratitude.
Yu He'an had mentioned to her before that the evidence for the case from more than ten years ago was thanks to Lord Zhang Li of the Dali Temple, which is why the case was submitted to Zhang Li's office separately.
The Pei family was at the height of its power, which is why the case had been suppressed. Zhang Li was also choosing the best time to report the matter.
Fortunately, Jiang Tingfeng's case is there to cover things up.
Zhang Li asked earnestly, "My lady, have you really thought this through?"
Yu Tan nodded. Zhang Li inquired carefully about the details of the case. The relevant evidence had been completed, and Yu Tan, as the plaintiff, needed to give a verbal account again.
We need a suitable time to bring this matter into the open.
No sooner had Yu Tan left the Dali Temple than the Pei family received the news and began to obstruct her in various ways.
The next day, news spread that Pei Ji had entered Zhang Li’s residence. Pei Ji was Pei Shen’s second son, born to a concubine. He was extremely arrogant and held the position of Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, a wealthy and leisurely post.
After Pei Ji visited, Zhang Lijun took leave for more than ten days and stayed at home without leaving his residence.
They only sent out a message, telling them to be patient, and that the Pei family was unaware of the matter.
After that day, the number of guards in the courtyard more than doubled.
Can a case from over a decade ago really shake the foundations of the Pei family?
It would take a much bigger and fiercer fire to ignite it first, and then to drop the bomb from over a decade ago, to completely destroy the Pei family.
In the imperial court, the contest between the Third Prince Chu Yunlan and the Fifth Prince Chu Yunce began. Yu He'an became noticeably busier, often returning close to midnight and leaving again before dawn.
Having already shared her thoughts with Yu He'an, she openly began contacting Zhao Qingwu.
She leaned over her desk, replying to Zhao Qingwu's letter.
As she put pen to paper, she realized she had already written four or five pages. She unfolded the last page, waited for the ink to dry completely, then folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and put it away. She could mail the letter the next day.
"My lady, shall we retire for the night?"
Qiaoxin had already returned from leave and, as was customary, was keeping watch outside the canopy bed. Lanxin, being careless, only remembered to quickly take leave and didn't tell Qiaoxin that she didn't need to keep watch.
"Waaah..."
She heard faint sobs, muffled by the wind, sounding like the whispers of demons.
She was so frightened that she trembled, and the calligraphy brush in her hand rolled around and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"Qiaoxin, did you hear anything? It sounds a bit like crying."
Qiaoxin's face was pale, and she nodded. "Don't be afraid, my lady. It must be the snowy wind that's frightening."
Dark clouds began to gather as evening approached, signaling that the first snowfall of winter was imminent.
The clapper sounded at midnight.
Yu He'an probably won't be coming back. If Qiaoxin stays, she can feel more at ease.
"Waaah..." The crying started again.
"What the hell is this? Playing tricks in the middle of the night!" The shouts and curses of Aunt He could already be heard outside the courtyard.
Her voice was loud and powerful; even if everyone in the entire alley came out, they wouldn't be able to out-argue her.
The master and servant, who had initially felt a chill, immediately mustered their courage, noticing the faint firelight reflected on the windows outside the courtyard.
Qiaoxin quickly peered through the doors and windows: "Madam, Aunt He complained that the lamplight wasn't bright enough, so she even had several servants light torches and stand on the wall."
The house next door was originally Li Xu's mother's residence, but it has been empty ever since Li Xu got married there.
Just two or three days ago, there were only a few people walking around the courtyard, but today someone is pretending to be a ghost.
Yu Tan put on a thick cloak and went out, the courtyard brightly lit by the firelight.
A ladder was set up in the corner of the courtyard. Aunt He had one foot on the ladder and the other on the top of the wall. She held a torch in one hand and a white silk ribbon in the other.
"Wife, why did you come out? Someone just threw white silk into the yard. I want to see who's playing tricks on me."
No wonder Aunt He was shouting and cursing here.
After waiting for a long time without any response, the butler from the neighboring courtyard came out. He was a man nearing fifty, dressed in fine silks and satins, his body covered in thick flesh.
He angrily shouted, "What are you doing in the middle of the night?"
Aunt He retorted without hesitation: "You all know it's the middle of the night, what are you trying to scare people with these ghost stories? What if you make my wife sick?"
As if suddenly remembering something, the man's expression changed, and he quickly explained, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. It's just that the child cried a few times last night. Why are you so angry? Let's go to bed early."
"Nonsense," said Aunt He, reaching out to hand over the white silk.
Yu Tan said, "Aunt He, please come down. It's just a small matter. Let's not ruin the harmony between neighbors."
The man laughed and said, "Your wife is so open-minded."
"My lady," Aunt He jumped down the ladder, "how can we let them get away with this? Who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause tomorrow."
A splash of bright red stained the white silk, appearing only briefly.
"Let me see." Yu Tan boldly stretched out her hand, and the blurred bloodstain clearly showed the words "Save me".
Someone in the neighboring yard was playing tricks, making a commotion, and trying to get help for her.
"Aunt He, take some people and stand guard in front of the neighbor's door later. Keep your voice down, and remember, no matter what you see, just follow them... don't make a sound."
"yes."
The night was bizarre; after all that commotion, it was past midnight. I stayed in the courtyard for a while and caught a chill in the wind.
After returning to the house for a while, her fingertips and cheeks were still cold. Now that she knew it was man-made, she wasn't so scared anymore.
"Go back to sleep." Sleeping on the floor is never comfortable.
"My lady." Seeing that Yu Tan insisted, Qiao Xin had no choice but to put away the bedding.
Qiaoxin bent down and stuffed a hot water bottle into the quilt. She pressed it against the soles of her feet, and her whole body felt much warmer.
"Hmm? I haven't asked you yet, how well has your husband treated you after you got married? Did you know each other before you got married?" Qiaoxin has been home for quite some time.
Yu Tan pulled the blanket up to cover the lower half of her face, blinking as she stared at Qiao Xin.
“We know each other. We grew up together since we were little. He has always lived in my house, and my parents have treated him like a son.”
After they got together, the couple lived happily.
Seeing Qiaoxin's face growing increasingly red, she finally understood that Qiaoxin's marriage partner was the sworn brother she had mentioned.
"Oh, that's good." She pulled the blanket up a little more and pretended to be asleep. "Looks like I'll have to give you another long vacation."
Muffled chuckles drifted out.
"My wife."
"Go to sleep now."
Yu Tan lay down on her side to sleep, and after a long while, just as she was about to drift off to sleep...
She heard footsteps returning, the blanket was pulled back, and before the cool breeze arrived, a warm body embraced her from behind, drawing warmth from her.
"Brother, why did you come back?" His tone was a little impatient; he didn't want to disturb her sweet dreams.
"Just fell asleep? Didn't I tell you not to wait for me?" He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace until there wasn't a gap between them.
"I didn't wait for you." She turned around and buried her face in her arms. How come Yu He'an was already warmer than her after only a short while?
She embraced Yu He'an and told him everything she had seen that night.
The volume gradually decreased until I was almost asleep.
"Someone's calling for help?" Yuhe patted Yutan's back, his shoulder blades slightly protruding.
As he spoke, his lips brushed against his robes, his voice first passing through his chest and then reaching the depths of his heart.
What was once unattainable and could only be stolen moments of tenderness have become every day thereafter.
Fortunately, Yu Tan did not act rashly and led a group of people to the neighboring house to rescue the person.
"Yaoyao." His hand slid down to her waist.
No one answered him; they must have fallen asleep.
"Vast and distant."
He fell asleep so quickly. Just as he was about to lie down, his toes touched his feet. Except for the part close to the hot water bottle that was warmed by the heat, the rest of the feet were still cool.
Seemingly finding it not warm enough, she reached up to his calf and finally snuggled into a comfortable position, then buried her head and continued to sleep.
Yu Tan used to have trouble sleeping, so she's making the most of every moment she can sleep now.
Yu Tan usually doesn't have a temper with him, unless he disturbs her sleep.
I asked her about it a while ago, and she said she no longer has nightmares, but she's always worried and always wants to rush back no matter how busy she is.
*
Separated by a wall, Aunt He and several guards crouched in the shadows, waiting for about an hour.
The back door next door creaked open, and two servants hurried out carrying a roll of straw mats under the cover of night.
"You unlucky thing, it's your good fortune to have been chosen by our young master."
"Those suicidal thoughts have really gotten them into trouble."
"Go, hurry up and carry it out and throw it away."
The servant grumbled and cursed as he quickened his pace to leave. There was a dilapidated carriage at the alley entrance. The servant threw a straw mat on it and headed towards the mass grave.
Just as Aunt He was about to follow, the courtyard gate opened again, and a young woman followed behind several servants. Her wrists were all tied with hemp ropes, and her eyes were covered with black cloth strips. She got into another carriage.
Aunt He sent two guards to catch up with the group heading to the mass grave, while she followed the carriage carrying the woman.
Author's Note: Thank you 41113994 for the nutrient solution! [hugs][hugs][hugs]
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