Chapter 369: Chapter 368: Longing Finally Echoes Back
Yan Mi’s lips were trembling.
She had never imagined that Yan Kun would harm Xie Fu.
She was too ashamed to stay any longer.
"What I said was not meant to embarrass you."
Xie Xun passed several plates of pastries across the table towards Yan Mi.
"These are the restaurant’s most famous snacks, and I thought girls liked them, so I ordered a few for you."
Yan Mi did not take them.
She said in a low voice, "Why would the Princely Heir discuss these matters with me? I am just an ordinary girl, the Yan Family is guilty, my father is unkind and unjust, he has wronged the Xie Family girls, whatever the Princely Heir wants to do, there’s no need to tell me, this is something the Yan Family has owed for over a decade, it should be paid."
She... after all, was a girl who understood right from wrong.
Xie Xun looked at Yan Mi with a gaze that was not usual, filled with a meaning outsiders could not fathom.
"Father?"
He muttered these two words. Finally, he passed a small box from his right hand side.
"A few days ago, the rain affected the paintings in the study, so I ordered people to move the items out for airing while the weather was clear and also to clean up the study inside and out. That was when this item was found."
He knew that Xie Xun had someone in his heart, but he never knew who it was.
Until he found this box.
"Surely, Lady Yan knows, you were not born to Qu Xi."
"Then, have you ever considered, you are not of Yan Kun’s blood either?"
Yan Mi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Honestly, besides looking into the matter with your aunt, I investigated another matter. The midwife who went to the Yan Family also confessed, Qu Xi gave birth to a stillborn."
Sadly, the real Xie Family child never knew this until his death. On one hand, he had feelings for Yan Mi, on the other hand, he felt guilty towards Xie Fu. No matter the decision between them, it was wrong.
As a result, he never managed to say a word to Yan Mi in his lifetime.
—Yan Family’s, you’ve come to see me off to battle again? Every time hiding in the crowd, yet you think I don’t notice? The return this time is uncertain, but if you dare to say you can’t bear to let me go, then I’ll marry you when I return victorious, how about that?"
One misstep, a complete loss. All turned into regrets.
Yan Mi, losing her composure, accidentally knocked the tea cup in front of her, the teaware fell to the ground, tea splashed, wetting her skirt, yet she was completely unaware.
Her eyelashes trembled, suppressing waves of discomfort. Her lips moved again and again, finally forming a sentence.
"Princely Heir has informed me."
Xie Xun asked, "Aren’t you going to open it and look?"
For some reason, Yan Mi didn’t dare to touch the box.
Her hands trembling, unlocking it became extremely agonizing.
Finally with a ’click’.
Inside, there was a broken brush pen, an out-of-style pearl flower, a whitened hairband, and an unsent letter.
Those fragmented memories slowly crawled up the girl’s heart, already full of scars.
The brush pen was hers, the pearl flower was hers, the hairband was hers too.
Yan Mi picked up the brush pen and noticed a rough sensation at the fingertips, as if something had been carved on it, she carefully discerned, it was the character ’Mi’.
It was carved later on.
If not for the secret of the box being discovered, perhaps no one would have known that Xie Xun, always so spirited, also had a habit of collecting these things.
Yan Mi was very confused, and then, from the very bottom of the box, she took out a 500 taels silver note.
"I put that in there."
He smiled warmly, "I think, the person Lady Yan truly owes, is not me."
The candlelight in the room flickered, growing more unsteady. Yan Mi stopped thinking, yet couldn’t stop herself.
Her eyes grew dimmer.
’Puff’, a sound.
The candle went out completely.
The room turned utterly dark.
Crystal clear tears fell, rolling down her beautiful face.
Xie Xun.
Xie Xun.
She repeatedly pondered over these two characters.
She thought it was unrequited, yet she didn’t realize that persistent thoughts eventually echo back.
In the darkness, all she could do was sigh softly.
————
The next morning, magpies chirped incessantly and frolicked on the eaves.
Everything was developing as expected.
During the early morning court session, Emperor He was not in good spirits.
"Present your matters if there are any; otherwise, court is dismissed."
Eunuch Ying’s sharp voice resonated.
The events of yesterday left the courtiers apprehensive, and even those with issues dared not raise them today.
However, Cui Yun made his move.
He paid his respects leisurely.
"The case of Hengzhou Prefect Zhou Zhangping is full of suspicions. Without the approval of the Ministry of Justice for a retrial, the Ministry of Justice had already apprehended him and put him in prison."
This was a matter from long ago, which he had mentioned before Emperor He, but Emperor He had told him not to overreach. Persistently defending Zou Wei.
Cui Yun looked at Zou Wei.
"Yet I just learned that ten days ago, Zhou Zhangping died in prison. Mr. Zou, could you please explain?"
Zhou Zhangping is dead?
Imperial Censor Shu almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
He quickly stepped forward: "Zhou Zhangping was seen as a parental figure by the people of Hengzhou! His achievements over the years are clear! Yet some officials, bloated with excess, falsely accused him of corruption and exploiting the common people."
"The people of Hengzhou know best whether he was good or not! Recently, waves of people from Hengzhou have come to Shengjing all on account of Zhou Zhangping’s situation, with no other recourse but to block the government office of the Ministry of Justice daily! They are only waiting for the matter to be investigated thoroughly to retrieve him! Seeing the extent to which the people have gone, this official believes he was a good official!"
"Zou Wei! How did he die!"
Zou Wei turned pale and fell to the ground in fright.
Just then, an eunuch waiting outside entered. He whispered a few words to Eunuch Ying. Eunuch Ying pondered, then approached Emperor He to whisper in his ear.
Weary, Emperor He finally said: "Summon him in."
Soon, Xie Xun entered in plain clothes, in stark contrast to the courtiers in official clothes beside him.
Xie Xun entered the hall and kneeled down.
The Duke stepped forward a few steps, came beside Xie Xun, and lifted his official robe to kneel down as well.
"Though it may be inappropriate to speak now, I have a matter to present."
He stood very straight: "My sister Xie Fu was murdered, I beseech Your Majesty to deliver justice."
This statement stirred a thousand waves.
Yan Kun was greatly shocked.
The events of yesterday had already left Emperor He sleepless and restless. And no sooner had one incident settled before another arose, increasing his agitation.
Xie Xun respectfully presented the object he held in his hand: "This is the evidence of the crime."
"The death of my aunt has deeply guilt-ridden my grandfather, who, unable to bear the shock, has lingered sick in bed. Within a mere month, the Xie Family had to hold two funerals."
Though not in official clothes, he was indeed a real military general and naturally entitled to address His Majesty.
Prince Gong stepped forward: "What does this mean? Was it a murder?"
"Does Your Highness remember Lord Zhu the governor from nineteen years ago?"
Before Prince Gong could speak, Emperor He responded: "I remember, that year I dispatched Imperial Censor Shu to thoroughly investigate the Zhu Residence, he committed suicide out of fear, and Mrs. Zhu disappeared with the fortune till now."
"Your Majesty, it was not a suicide."
"Lord Zhu was murdered."
Xie Xun looked towards a continuously perspiring Yan Kun.
"It’s said Mrs. Zhu suffered from a chronic disease, she always wore a mask in the presence of others."
He questioned word by word: "However, I have just obtained a portrait of Mrs. Zhu taken before her death. It bears an eighty percent resemblance to Mrs. Yan. May I ask, Lord Yan, do you know where she might be?"
This question was indeed intriguing.
Yan Kun’s ears buzzed incessantly. He almost couldn’t stand.
He heard Xie Xun say: "I accuse Yan Kun of three crimes: one, the murder of my aunt; two, the murder of a significant court official; three, the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"
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