Chapter 74 Without blood ties, what…
It seemed as if someone was quietly stepping on the tiles, moving around very gently.
Yu Tan looked up at the dim candlelight, pausing for several breaths between calling for help and not wanting to alert the enemy.
Then I heard someone being kicked off the roof, and heavy objects falling to the ground.
"Who sent you?"
The courtyard was instantly ablaze with firelight, casting a group of shadows onto the doorframe, a dark mass that looked like malevolent ghosts seeking revenge.
She knew there were many people hiding in the courtyard, but she didn't expect there to be so many. Now she couldn't sleep at all. She got up, put on her blouse, wrapped herself in a cloak, and hurried into the courtyard.
A dark shadow flashed in the courtyard and disappeared into a corner in a few moments, leaving only a few unremarkable servants.
Aunt He stood in the middle, holding two short knives. Her aura was far more imposing than when she held a kitchen knife. In front of her, three corpses lay upright.
The moonlight was bright, and all around was deathly silent; this road was destined to be difficult to travel.
"My lady, these men couldn't escape, so they committed suicide by poisoning themselves."
He was probably a trained assassin who took his own life before being captured.
"Search them to see if they have any identification tags. If there's no information, take them out and bury them."
She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, turned around and went back into the house, completely unable to fall asleep.
With Pei Ji's death imminent, Jiang Tingfeng embarks on a mission to investigate the Pei family, only to return severely wounded, and relentlessly accuses Pei Shen of treason.
Rumors even circulated that the Pei family had fallen from power and that someone had been sent to kill her, like a vicious dog trying to tear off a piece of flesh before it dies.
She kept her eyes open until dawn, then fell asleep from exhaustion. When she woke up, a person was sitting at the head of her bed, casting a large shadow.
"Were you frightened last night?" His long, slender hand gently tucked her long hair, which had fallen in front of her, behind her ear.
"No, brother." She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. The gauze curtains were drawn, blocking most of the light, which made her mistakenly think it was still early. She offered her seat so that Yu He'an could lie down for a while. "Why did you come back?"
Yu He'an propped himself up and didn't move: "We need to go back to Dali Temple in a bit."
"Oh..." She moved back closer to Yu He'an and realized that the dark circles under Yu He'an's eyes could not be hidden, and his jawline was even sharper, making him seem more unapproachable, as if he were a sharp weapon forged by iron laws and etiquette.
His gaze fell upon her, but it was focused and gentle.
The past two weeks apart have been exceptionally busy.
Even the most capable people get tired.
She got up and hugged Yu He'an, stroking his back. Yu He'an's chin rested on her shoulder, his weight pressing against her, his breath tickling her ear.
"Brother, how long can we stay?"
"One hour." The steady voice was a little muffled, shrouded in a deep weariness.
He would have to return to Dali Temple in at most an hour.
He had been busy all night and planned to take a short rest for two hours.
When news of an assassination attempt on Yu Tan arrived, his heart tightened. Despite having detailed plans, he was still worried, and only by returning to see for himself could he calm his restless heart.
"Brother, take a nap. I'll wake you up in a bit." Yu Tan moved a little further inside, making room for him.
"Mmm." Yu He'an lay down fully clothed. This spot had long been warmed by Yu Tan, and was filled with the fragrance of Yu Tan. She fell asleep almost immediately.
Yu Tan, however, was wide awake, her eyes open as she recalled the whole incident. She thought of the seriously injured Jiang Tingfeng, whose parents had died in that great battle, and who had spent his entire life seeking revenge for them. She wondered if he would survive.
She tiptoed over Yuhe'an, put on her upper garment, and went out. Aunt He was standing outside the door.
"Where is my beloved?"
She must have been reporting the assassination attempt to Yu He'an. She put a finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture.
Let's talk about it later.
"Yes." Aunt He quickly withdrew.
She glanced at it; there was still about a quarter of an hour left.
Looking back, Yu He'an had already gotten up. The short rest had made him feel much better, and he sat on the edge of the bed and tied his hair back up.
"You will be summoned to the Dali Temple in a few days. The case has been opened to the public." After tying up her hair, Yu He'an stood up. Her eyes had regained their clarity. After explaining everything, Yu He'an had to leave again.
"Should I go and bang on the petition drum? Make a big fuss."
Yu He'an was taken aback, his movements froze, and he even mistakenly thought that Yu Tan knew something.
He was never afraid to admit his despicable and scheming nature in front of outsiders, but he didn't want to expose those filthy things to Yu Tan. He selfishly wanted to preserve some of the good things.
Why do you ask that?
“A few days ago I saw a young woman beat the drum to appeal to Pei Ji, and not long after Pei Ji was dismissed from his post. I thought this was also a way out.”
Brother, you've been going to the Dali Temple a lot these days. Do you know what happened to that young woman? Is she still alive?
"He's dead." Yu He'an didn't intend to hide it from Yu Tan.
Tang Wan'er had already been beaten half to death, and then spent half the winter night in the cold wind. She was forcibly hung up and imprisoned while the Dengwen Drum was beaten. She died in the Dali Temple prison half a day later.
"The truth has come out, and my wish has been fulfilled." Yu Tan was in a daze. Since the young woman chose to beat the drum to appeal, she was probably prepared to die to reveal the truth to the world. She could be considered a fierce woman.
“You don’t need to go that far. Even if you go to the Dali Temple, you will only be questioned and will not be imprisoned.”
"Brother, thank you." She stepped forward and hugged Yu He'an. "With you by my side for the rest of the journey, I feel at ease."
Fortunately, Yu Tan didn't say anything that was both grateful and distant. Yu He comforted Yu Tan's back, enjoying Yu Tan's trust and reliance, "With me here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
The evil spirit will sweep away all the dangers in its path and return to her to take away all its minions.
*
What Yu He'an called "a few days" turned into half a month later, and things were even more difficult than Yu He'an had anticipated.
Winter arrived in the blink of an eye. The officers from the Dali Temple arrived in the morning and waited in the small hall. They politely explained that this was only the first time to verify the testimony before the trial, and told her not to be nervous.
She put on a light pink cloak and went to Dali Temple. While verifying the confessions, she met Jiang Tingfeng, who was being helped into a wheelchair. He was pale and weakly leaning against the back of the chair, and greeted her.
She entered the Dali Temple, never expecting that they would now be on the same side, facing the Pei family together.
When she came out after dealing with everything, she found Jiang Tingfeng still under the corridor, his gaze burning, his eyes almost shooting out sparks. The deathly aura that had been weighing on his shoulders because of his parents' deaths had finally dissipated a bit, and he seemed to have returned to the boy who slept on the tree trunk in Yuyang.
"This time, we will make sure the Pei family has no chance to recover."
This time, Jiang Tingfeng deserves much credit; he found irrefutable evidence that Pei Shen had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, causing the tragic deaths of 30,000 soldiers.
Yes, it will.
When he was summoned again, another month had passed, and the year was drawing to a close.
With special approval from the emperor, and led by the fifth prince Chu Yunce, the joint trial of the chief minister Zhang Hezheng began.
He was tried in the Dali Temple courtroom.
She stood in the side room waiting. When she was brought to the court by the Dali Temple officials, Pei Shen, as a Duke, was still seated during the trial, and Pei Yuanqing knelt beside him.
She knelt on the ground, and this time she was fearless and recited the entire complaint aloud.
She could feel the gazes around her like knives scraping her; they wished she were dead.
But the truth is they are the ones who deserve to die; she will live a better and better life.
She was then led out of the courtroom and stood in the corridor waiting, hoping to hear news that Pei Shen had been detained or sentenced.
As afternoon approached, no news came out, and the interrogators gradually dispersed.
She, who was originally full of confidence, became a little impatient and kept looking inside.
I was brought back to my senses when I was tapped on the shoulder.
"Young Lady Yu, Yu He'an asked me to pass on a message to you, asking you to wait for him for a while."
Jiang Tingfeng looked much better than last time. This serious illness had drained most of his energy, and his robes were now mostly empty.
"The verdict has been announced, Pei Shen..." Has he been brought to justice?
“Pei Shen is a Duke of a State, and Pei Yuanqing is a Minister. Even if there is irrefutable evidence against him today, it still needs to be presented to His Majesty before a verdict can be reached.”
"Oh..." Then we'll have to wait, she was always worried that things might change if we waited too long.
"Once the verdict is handed down, I will set off for the frontier." Jiang Tingfeng scratched his head. The remains of his parents and Yu Tan's father were still in that valley. This was probably the last good deed he could do.
Take care on your journey.
Jiang Tingfeng waved and slowly disappeared from her sight.
As she turned around, she happened to bump into Yu He'an walking side by side with an old man in a dark cloud-patterned scarlet official robe. His back was straight, and his steps were not fast, but each step was steady and firm.
Yu He'an lowered his eyes, listening patiently to the instruction.
She had just seen this old man in the courtroom; he was none other than Zhang Hezheng, the current Grand Secretary.
If things go smoothly this time, would Yu He'an be allowed to enter the cabinet ahead of schedule?
The two men stopped in front of her, and she greeted them with a curtsy, but vaguely referred to herself as such.
She didn't want the relationship to be an obstacle for him.
Zhang Hezheng smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Yu He'an, patted Yu He'an on the shoulder, like an elder to a promising young man.
"Once you've made a decision, just do it. As long as you have a clear conscience, that's all that matters."
After saying that, Zhang Hezheng quickly left, leaving only the two of them behind.
"Brother."
Yu He'an's gaze fell on her, as if asking why she wouldn't admit her relationship with him, or as if he was simply overwhelmed by longing for her after not seeing her for so many days.
"The testimonies have all been presented to His Majesty. We probably won't know until after the New Year. Go home now."
"Okay." The two walked side by side, getting closer and closer, their hands clasped together, their fingers interlocked. After walking for a quarter of an hour, they left the Dali Temple.
Yu Tan couldn't hold back any longer and leaned closer, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Brother, does Lord Zhang know about our relationship?"
"Yes, I know." Without blood ties, nothing can stand in their way of being together, so there's no need to hide it from anyone.
"Ah..." Yu Tan frowned, the words swirling in her mind. In the past, she was always afraid to say them, but now it was different. She could speak frankly, "Won't this cause trouble and hinder your career?"
“There won’t be any trouble, Yaoyao. You have to understand, you’ve never been a problem.” Yu He’an paused for a while. “Grand Secretary Zhang said he would like to come to the wedding if there’s an opportunity.”
Author's Note: Thank you "MiMao" and "(.XzX)." for the nutrient solution [hugs][hugs][hugs]
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