Chapter 7: Time reveals a person's true character 1
As soon as the Dali Temple Minister Cheng Jue left, Prince Min's mansion welcomed Changping Princess Song Yiyue. This was probably the first time the mansion had been so lively since Song Huaishi returned to Chang'an.
Song Yiyue did not enter the mansion, but sent a servant to inform Wei Youya to come out to see her.
Wei Youya gritted his teeth in disgust and said to the servant, "I won't see her. Since I returned to Chang'an, she has never given me a good look when I return to the palace. This time she came to the palace, she is probably here to make trouble with me. When you go out, tell her that I am not in the palace and tell the princess to go back first."
He was panting heavily, and just as he picked up the teacup, someone came in through the door. The person picked up the teapot on the table, threw away the lid and poured it on him. The boiling hot tea splashed all over him, and his wrist was instantly blistered. He stood up suddenly: "Princess, since you married me, you are a member of my Wei family. Do you have any virtue as a woman to treat your husband like this?"
Song Yiyue's usually pale face was now red, her eye sockets were red and swollen, and her lower lip had been bitten and bleeding. Wei Youya felt that he had said something wrong, and seeing her so out of control, he felt bad, took a breath, and took the initiative to hold her wrist: "Madam, what happened?"
However, before his fingertips touched her, she pushed him away. Song Yiyue was already in poor health, and this violent push did not hurt Wei Youya, but made him so tired that he could not stand steadily. Song Huaishi, who had hurried over after hearing the news, saw this scene as soon as he entered the flower hall. He quickly put his arm around her shoulders and helped her sit down.
"Don't be angry, sister. Don't get yourself hurt by it."
Song Yiyue stared with red eyes and spoke weakly: "If Wan'er wasn't ill, why would I come to see you?"
"Wan'er? What happened to Wan'er?"
"Wan'er has been born with a weak constitution. She started to have a high fever and talk incoherently the night before yesterday. The doctors in the Imperial Hospital were helpless. Now Wan'er's life is hanging by a thread. I sent people to ask you to come back to the mansion several times, but you always said you were not there. Your Wei family is the most important, and you, Wei Youya, have a great future. Why are you still asking what happened to Wan'er? In your eyes and heart, do you still have this child with your Wei family's blood flowing in her body?"
Wei Youya's face was pale, and he staggered out. Song Yiyue covered her chest and gasped for breath. Song Huaishi's eyes were red, and he carefully lifted her up and let her lean on him: "Imperial sister, I'll ask the imperial doctor to come and see you."
Song Yiyue took out the pills that Cheng Jue had sent her before. After taking one, her breathing gradually became smoother. She shook her head and said, "No need. Take me... take me back home."
"Okay, I'll take you back."
The carriage sped all the way and stopped outside Princess Changping's mansion. Song Huaishi helped Song Yiyue get off the carriage and walked in step by step.
As soon as he walked outside the Misty Rain Pavilion, he heard a painful roar that was almost like that of a wild animal: "Wan'er, I am your father! Wan'er, open your eyes and look at me. Your father has come back to see you. Why didn't you even give your father one last look? You were fine before, you were fine before, Wan'er!!"
Song Yiyue paused, his back stiff, not collapsing at all.
She looked dazed, staring at the lone goose in the sky with empty eyes. It seemed as if she was looking into the past.
She saw that the pretty and smart girl had to be dignified and kind because of her status as the eldest princess; she saw that the bride who had dreamed of a future married life gradually became cold-hearted in the hypocrisy of her husband; she saw that the mother who had just given birth to a pearl regained hope of continuing to live while holding her fragile daughter...
And now, hope is gone, everything is gone.
As the eldest princess, she worried too much about Wei Youya during her pregnancy, so she has been weak since childhood. After the confinement, she was weak and sickly.
If she had been like Jintai and risked her life for the one she loved, she probably wouldn't have so many regrets now.
It’s a pity that I have to suffer grievances and make do in this life, and finally fall into hell forever.
The world was spinning, the lone goose flew out of her sight, and her mind was in a mess.
"Royal sister! Royal sister! Someone, come quickly!"
Princess Changping's daughter Wei Wan passed away due to a weak disease. The princess was emotionally broken and fell into a coma after losing her beloved daughter. After waking up, she rushed to the temporary mourning hall and hugged Wei Wan's small body, refusing to let go. No one could persuade her. It was not until Emperor Xuanhe heard the news and rushed to the princess's mansion that he coaxed her for a long time before she let go.
Because of Princess Changping's status, all the royal relatives and important officials who received the news came. Seeing this scene, Cheng Jue recalled what he had said to Zhou Zhenzhen just half a day ago. It really came true.
Song Yiyue was like a half-grown child, she was wronged and sobbed in her father's arms. After a while, she stopped crying, struggled to stand up, put one hand on the coffin, pointed at Wei Youya with one hand, and said: "My father is here today, and all the officials are here, they can also be my witnesses. I, Princess Changping Song Yiyue, want to divorce Wei Youya today, and from now on, we will have nothing to do with each other in marriage and funeral."
Although the royal family of Dayu can inherit the throne regardless of gender, and the selection of officials in the court is not limited to men, the entire Dayu still prioritizes men. Divorcing a husband was unheard of in the past, let alone a princess of the current dynasty divorcing her husband.
When Song Yiyue said this, the whole room was in an uproar, and even Emperor Xuanhe changed his expression.
Wei Youya looked at her in disbelief, his voice trembling: "Princess, if you are angry with me, you can punish me in any way you want, but now Wan'er is still here. If she knew that her parents would be separated if she left, she would be so sad and how could she feel at ease?"
Song Yiyue's eyes gradually calmed down with a storm, her body was as sharp as a knife, she laughed wildly towards the sky as if she heard something funny, her eyes were filled with tears, "Wan'er was seriously ill, you only cared about your own future and didn't care about her life or death, if you had paid a little attention to the affairs of the mansion, how could you not know that her weakness was getting worse? Before she died, she was still crying and calling 'Daddy', but the daddy she missed so much was serving her in other people's houses, happy and comfortable. Wei Youya, you don't deserve to be Wan'er's father! It was you, it was you who made her leave uneasy! How can you have the face to say that our separation will make her sad? It was you who broke her heart a long time ago. If you see her again in your dreams at midnight, will your conscience be at peace?"
"I...I..." Wei Youya opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton and he couldn't make a sound.
Song Yiyue gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, then knelt down in front of Emperor Xuanhe: "Father, please make the decision for me..."
The mourning hall was silent as the cold wind blew the white curtains, making the autumn day even cooler.
Emperor Xuanhe seemed to have aged overnight. He was extremely tired and let out a long sigh.
If there is no wind at this time of year, the weather will be stuffy, as if all the misery will be piled up in these few days. Princess Changping lost her beloved daughter and divorced her husband. Wei Youya could not even attend Wei Wan's burial in person, but could only light a stick of incense in front of her spirit tablet in the old house of the Wei family.
Because of their closer relationship, Cheng Jue went to Princess Changping's mansion on his way back from the mausoleum and stayed there for a while before leaving. When he went around to the front yard, the servants in the mansion were about to escort Wang Zhen, the director of the Imperial Hospital, out.
Wang Zhen's medical skills and ethics were both extraordinary. Cheng Jue had always respected him. He walked a few steps forward and bowed, "Doctor Wang, are you here to prescribe medicine for Princess Changping again?"
"Yes, Master Cheng!" Wang Zhen nodded, twirling his graying beard and said, "That's right. The princess was already weak and sickly after giving birth, and now she has lost her beloved daughter. It is inevitable that her health will be hurt. Your Majesty has asked me to serve in the princess's mansion for half a month to take care of her health."
"Half a month..." Cheng Jue waved his hand and asked the servant who was leading the way to go back , and then walked with Wang Zhen.
"Was Doctor Wang also by Wei Wan's side when she fell ill?"
"That's right. Miss Wei has had a weak disease since her mother was born. There is no cure. The careful treatment over the past few years has only prolonged her life. Every change of season is a catastrophe. Miss Wei has been in poor health since the beginning of autumn. The Imperial Hospital tried its best but couldn't save her life. It's a pity. This old minister's medical skills are not good. Alas..."
Cheng Jue comforted Wang Zhen with a few words, then walked out of the door and called for a sedan chair: "Doctor Wang is old, you must take good care of yourself."
"Thank you, Master Cheng."
The sedan chair drove away steadily. Cheng Jue turned around and looked at the plaque hanging on the vermilion painted gate. The five large gold characters "Changping Princess Mansion" made his mind surging and tangled. After a long while, he got on the carriage and headed to the Dali Temple.
In the Detective Department, Zhou Zhenzhen and Lin Yuxiao were busy.
Since they collected the badges from the imperial guards last time, the two of them have been living and eating in the Dali Temple. Zhou Zhenzhen still lives in the duty room, and the reason given to the public is that she has not been on duty in the past and is making up for it this time, while Lin Yuxiao makes do with sleeping on the table and bench in the Detective Department.
Lin Yuxiao was originally responsible for investigating the lacquer flowers in Chang'an City, but he had no clues after three days of investigation. He was just a scholar and did not understand the investigation procedures of the Dali Temple, so he quit after three days.
"Master Cheng, why do you keep a useless person like me in the Dali Temple? Not only does it waste my salary, but it also damages the reputation of the Dali Temple. Please be merciful and let me go back to the Hanlin Academy!"
Cheng Jue agreed and said, "That makes sense."
Then Lin Yuxiao was brought back to check the badges of the imperial guards with Zhou Zhenzhen.
He is good at medicine and knows poisons. It was he who discovered the zero lacquer flower and heavy xixiang. With him around, it would be easier to find out if there is any problem with the badge.
Lin Yuxiao sighed and muttered, "God is unwilling to forgive me, a poor scholar."
Zhou Zhenzhen twitched her lips and felt that the next few days would probably not be easy.
But Lin Yuxiao looked careless, but he was serious when doing things, which was a bit like Meng Fan. Zhou Zhenzhen couldn't help but sigh that this Tanhualang really did things in the same vein.
Lin Yuxiao carefully checked each of the 763 waist badges more than five times before making a final decision, and Zhou Zhenzhen took up a pen to record them.
When Cheng Jue walked in, Zhou Zhenzhen's wrist was shaking a little. She stretched out her left hand and pinched it, then reluctantly wrote down the last stroke and breathed a long sigh of relief.
His heart was gripped, but he was still concerned about Lin Yuxiao's presence. He glanced at her red wrist for a moment before retracting his gaze and said in a deep voice, "Remember?"
Zhou Zhenzhen had a bitter face, but when she heard his voice, her brows relaxed immediately, and she stared at him with her bright black eyes: "It's all right, sir, please take a look."
These days, they were both in a hurry, and she seemed to have not looked at him so carefully for a long time. This time, she was a little dazed. Lin Yuxiao yawned lazily and said thoughtfully, "Why hasn't the young master of the Meng family come back yet? I am left alone in the Dali Temple to watch others flirt with each other. It's really torture."
Zhou Zhenzhen immediately lowered her face as if she was scalded. Cheng Jue glanced at Lin Yuxiao coldly, flipped through a few pages of records, and his fingertips stopped on the third page.
Lin Yuxiao stretched his waist and said, "When the lacquer flower and the heavy incense meet, they can cause people to faint, but the heavy incense itself will not evaporate and disappear. Master Cheng said to the public that the amount of spices embedded in the waist card will be reduced, but it was just to lure people in. Whoever increases the amount of heavy incense in the waist card is guilty of a crime. Here, there are seven thieves, and one more can make up two mahjong tables."
Zhou Zhenzhen was surprised that Lin Yuxiao was so smart and couldn't help but look up at him a few more times.
Cheng Jue frowned and threw the booklet aside. This list looked very familiar, he must have seen it somewhere before.
Cheng Jue's fingers moved unconsciously, and there seemed to be an abyss in his eyes. Zhou Zhenzhen pulled Lin Yuxiao out of the door and whispered, "Master Cheng is thinking about the case. If you speak, it will disturb his thoughts."
Lin Yuxiao pointed at himself and said, "Master Zhou, am I such a chatterbox in your eyes?"
Zhou Zhenzhen nodded without hesitation.
Lin Yuxiao choked, then continued to persuade him, "You have a misunderstanding of me. Meng Fan also had a deep misunderstanding of me before. Later, he understood my character and put aside his prejudice and became friends with me. That's how we became close friends."
Zhou Zhenzhen recalled Meng Fan's expression as he wanted to run away as soon as he met Lin Yuxiao, and then looked at the person in front of her who was talking nonsense seriously. She stiffened her neck, still speechless.
Could it be that all the third place winners have this problem of being talkative? And it gets worse every year?
The door was opened from the inside. Cheng Jue's face was unrecognizable, but his eyes seemed to be filled with flames. He looked at Lin Yuxiao, then at Zhou Zhenzhen, and spoke after a long while: "You have worked hard these days. I will give you two days off. Go back and have a good rest. Come back to the yamen the day after tomorrow."
Lin Yuxiao's joy was beyond words, and he hurried home to catch up on his sleep. Zhou Zhenzhen walked to the gate of the yamen, gritted her teeth and turned back.
Cheng Jue was sitting by the window with his eyes closed, and when he heard the noise he asked calmly, "Why are you back?"
"I...I am worried about you, sir."
Cheng Jue wanted to get rid of them, so there must be something that he had to bear alone. What kind of storm could force Cheng Jue, who was always calm and self-controlled and seemed indestructible, to be like this? She couldn't bear it and let him bear it alone.
He opened his eyes and looked at her with a half-smile: "Since you are worried about me, then... are you willing to comfort me?"
Zhou Zhenzhen was somewhat stunned by his words, and for a moment she could not react to what he meant. She could only ask, "How can I comfort you, sir?"
"Come here." He called softly, his voice hoarse, inadvertently setting up a fine cage. Zhou Zhenzhen heard her heartbeat faster and faster, but her feet walked in front of him without her control.
He sat, looking up at her. She lowered her head, looking into the abyss in his eyes.
He reached out and took her hand, pressing it against his left chest, and asked, "Look, is it beating fast?"
She nodded in a daze.
"Whose jumps faster than yours?"
She didn't know, but answered based on her feeling: "As if it were mine."
Cheng Jue held her waist with his other hand and brought her closer to him. The distance between them was reduced, and his breath was filled with a faint scent of tea, which enveloped her. She was intoxicated for a moment, and heard him ask in a hoarse voice: "What about this time? Who jumps faster this time?"
The area under his palm became even hotter as she got closer, and something inside was beating wildly, thump thump, so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of his chest.
"This time it's yours..."
