Chapter 103

Chapter 103

The downpour drenched Gong Yuwen the whole way, washing away most of the mud stains from her face.

She hadn't bothered with an umbrella, letting the rain pelt her head, stream down her cheeks, and soak her pink dress until it was plastered to her body.

When no one was around, all traces of pitiful fragility vanished from her face, replaced by an expression as dark as the churning storm clouds overhead.

Her natural expression was a sharp downturn of the mouth, her eyes staring fixedly ahead without blinking, allowing the murky rainwater mixed with grime to flow into her eyes, making them burn red.

She only stopped when she reached the gates of the Xie residence, standing silently within the curtain of rain for a moment.

Like a stiff puppet soaked by the rain, she slowly flexed her aching jaw, forcing herself to lift the corners of her mouth, furrow her brows, suppress the fierce resentment swirling in her eyes, and reassume that delicate, tearful appearance.

"Open the door," she ordered coldly to the maid beside her.

The maid hurried up the steps and banged the door knocker. Hearing the commotion, the servants inside hastily slid open the heavy bolt.

As if the curtain on a stage were slowly rising, the moment Gong Yuwen made her entrance, her eyes reddened first.

"Madam! What happened to you?!" The steward took one look at her disheveled state and was frightened out of his wits. He was about to rush forward to support her but suddenly remembered the propriety between men and women, stamping his foot in frustration. "Good heavens! I'll go inform the master at once!"

The steward pulled Xie Langyang from his desk.

He stood up, looking momentarily dazed. Having leaned over the desk for too long, his arm was numb and sore, and his back ached from the cool breeze blowing through the window. Glancing around, he realized with a start that he had fallen asleep in the unlit study. Looking down, he saw he was still clutching the "Evening Mountain Rhapsody" tightly in his palm.

Outside the window, dark clouds hung low, and a torrential rain poured down, raindrops clattering against the window lattice.

Xie Langyang didn't know why he had slept for so long.

He was just about to speak when he heard the steward panting heavily, shouting, "Master! You must come quickly! Madam has been grievously wronged!"

"What?!" A chill sweat instantly broke out on Xie Langyang. He shot up from his chair, all weariness vanishing in an instant.

"I'll go see!" Xie Langyang took the steps two at a time, hastily leaving the desk. He stopped short in the doorway at the sight of the pouring rain.

He looked down at the "Evening Mountain Rhapsody" in his hand, then turned back, carefully tucking the paper between the pages of an old book and returning it to its place. Only after ensuring it was secure did he stride out quickly, heading straight for the inner courtyard.

The stone path from the study to the inner courtyard was slick with rain. Xie Langyang walked swiftly and urgently; the steward had to jog to keep up.

Rushing to the door of Gong Yuwen's room, he paused for a moment with his hand hovering over the dark wooden door before knocking heavily on the panel. "Yuwen, what happened?"

Only soft sobs came from inside. Gong Yuwen did not answer, as if her grievances were so overwhelming she couldn't even speak.

"Yuwen?" Xie Langyang knocked again, growing increasingly anxious.

The maid Qiaoyu inside could bear it no longer. She yanked the door open, her willow-leaf brows furrowed in anger, and exclaimed indignantly, "Master, Madam just now—"

"Qiaoyu! You shut your mouth! Don't speak nonsense!" Gong Yuwen, lying prone on the bed, choked out a sharp reprimand through her sobs.

Xie Langyang looked up and almost didn't recognize the person on the bed as Gong Yuwen.

Her hair was completely disheveled, and her pearl hairpins were missing. Her pink dress was filthy, and the cuffs faintly showed startling traces of bloodstains. Anyone seeing her would think she had suffered a terrible injustice.

Xie Langyang felt his head buzz, his hair practically standing on end.

Although he felt no romantic love for Gong Yuwen, years of companionship as husband and wife had fostered some affection. Moreover, she was his mentor's precious Ming Zhu.

"Qiaoyu, you speak!" Xie Langyang turned sharply, his voice stern.

Qiaoyu wiped her eyes, sniffled, and shot Xie Langyang a somewhat resentful glance before pouring out her grievances like beans from a bamboo tube. "It's all because of you, Master! Seeing you depressed and tormented day after day, Madam couldn't bear it any longer. So she went alone to the Wen residence to beg Master Wen to be merciful, to reconcile with you and end this mutual torment! Madam said she was willing to step aside for the two of you, asking only for a letter of divorce to return to the Gong family. She would take all the blame upon herself and not involve you in the slightest!"

Xie Langyang was stunned, momentarily at a loss for how to react.

"Qiaoyu! I told you not to speak!" Gong Yuwen cried even harder, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"I will speak!" Qiaoyu stiffened her neck as if throwing caution to the wind, her voice growing louder. "What status does Madam hold? She is the second daughter of the Chief Grand Secretary's household! How could she endure such humiliation? When Master Wen saw Madam, it was like hating the crow for the tree it perches on! He immediately began mocking and ridiculing her, saying Madam was someone you married holding your nose, that a filthy, vile thing like you was only fit for our Madam! He also said you should tuck in your tail and behave, lest you annoy him on a bad day and he casually crushes you to death!"

Every word, every sentence, felt like a dagger plunging into Xie Langyang's heart. A vein throbbed at his temple, blood rushed to his head, his face flushed crimson, then purplish, then ashen. A rare ferocity surfaced between his brows.

"Wen Wanshan... he truly said that?!" Xie Langyang asked through gritted teeth, word by word, the hatred in his eyes making even Qiaoyu tremble.

Gong Yuwen suddenly lifted her head, her eyes swollen and red as peaches from crying, tears still streaming down.

She looked at Xie Langyang, shaking her head desperately. "Xie Lang, don't listen to Qiaoyu's nonsense. Please, for my sake, don't start any more conflict with Master Wen..."

"Nonsense?" Qiaoyu immediately retorted. "Are the wounds on Madam's hands fake?! When Master Wen heard Madam defending you, he called over two fierce, savage country women from his household without a word and had them beat and kick Madam! Madam has been pampered since childhood; how could she endure such treatment? Look at her hands—covered in wounds, bleeding so much!"

"Let me see!" Xie Langyang rushed over in a panic, forgetting past propriety, and grabbed Gong Yuwen's wrist.

"No... don't look..." Gong Yuwen struggled to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly.

Xie Langyang looked down and saw several alarming wounds on those usually delicate, pale palms, some still oozing thin trails of blood.

His heart felt as if it had been violently wrenched. He turned sharply and shouted toward the door, "Call the physician, quickly!"

"Yes!" the steward responded from outside.

Xie Langyang sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Gong Yuwen's disheveled, miserable face, feeling endless guilt and pity well up inside him.

"Yuwen, I'm sorry." His brows were tightly knit, his voice full of remorse. "All these years, I've been obsessed, letting you suffer too much injustice... It won't happen again. Never again."

Gong Yuwen stared at him blankly, her tear-filled eyes full of disbelief.

Xie Langyang reached out and clumsily wiped the tears from her face. "I promise, I will never fail you in this lifetime."

These words finally brought Gong Yuwen back to her senses. She could no longer hold back, throwing herself into his arms and weeping loudly.

"Xie Lang... Xie Lang..."

Xie Langyang held her tightly, feeling her icy body tremble slightly in his embrace, a tumult of emotions swirling in his heart.

From Gong Yuwen's hair wafted a faint, sweet fragrance of osmanthus, gentle and soothing.

He suddenly felt he had been a complete fool all along.

All these years, it was as if something had bewitched his mind. Obsessed with that heavy snowfall on Qingping Mountain, he had searched relentlessly, overjoyed to hold that camellia in his hands, forgetting that the other person never wished to be the pure, fragrant white camellia, but only the lofty, cold mountain moon.

From beginning to end, only he had remained trapped in place.

That night, Xie Langyang stayed in Gong Yuwen's room. He remained by her bedside until she fell into a peaceful sleep.

In the deep quiet of the night, he quietly rose and slowly walked back to his study, leaving the silvery frost outside behind him.

The candle flame flickered, casting shifting light and shadow in his eyes. He sat in silence for a long while, then closed his eyes.

When he drank the ginger soup earlier, he had actually detected an extremely faint, peculiar fragrance in it, one that felt familiar, as if he had smelled it in his drunken state in his previous life.

But he did not wish to dwell on it.

By now, Shen Chen had been confined in the back annex for over a month. Perhaps he had been waiting for this very opportunity—one that would force him to burn his boats and leave him with no other choice.

Just as in his previous life, he had chosen a path he was forced onto for the sake of Gong Yuwen and her child.

The night watchman’s clapper shattered the deep silence of the long night. Morning mist extinguished the candle that had burned to its end, and the pale light of dawn spilled over the desk. Xie Langyang's eyes snapped open and saw the words he had unconsciously written:

“All my life, I studied the sages, accustomed to swallowing insults. Suddenly smashing the shackles of virtue, breaking free from the chains of righteousness, blood stains the pages of old texts—today I finally know what true evil is.”

-

After Gong Yuwen left, the careless nonchalance on Wen Zuo’s face vanished instantly.

He sat quietly in the main hall for a long time. Fine rain splashed against the veranda, and the damp chill seeped into the room, making him shiver slightly.

Liu Qiying, noticing his unusual demeanor, felt an inexplicable unease. Jiang Mannv also lost her cheerful demeanor and watched him with puzzled concern.

Wen Zuo finally looked up and calmly instructed, “Liu Qiying, summon Gu Weizhi and Huang Ting to the marquis’s residence. Jiang Mannv, go invite Ge Wei and have him find a way to bring Her Highness out of the palace for a while. I have something important to discuss.”

“My lord?” Liu Qiying keenly caught the gravity in his eyes.

A faint smile tugged at Wen Zuo’s lips. “Do as I say.”

By the time the lanterns were lit, the main hall of the Marquis of Yongning’s residence was brightly illuminated.

Wen Zuo sat on the left, the Marquis of Yongning in the center, with Jun Dingyuan and Jun Mulan on either side of the marquis. Gu Weizhi and Huang Ting stood respectfully below Wen Zuo, while Liu Qiying and Jiang Mannv stood side by side, guarding the inner side of the hall entrance.

As soon as the Marquis of Yongning took his seat, he sensed the solemn atmosphere in the room and frowned deeply. “Master Wen, gathering us so late at night—has something major occurred?”

All eyes turned to Wen Zuo. Unlike his usual composed self, his tone was uncharacteristically serious. “Marquis, Your Highness, General, and everyone present—I have called you here today to ask a favor. I implore you to act exactly as I say and refrain from acting on impulse.”

The group exchanged glances. Gu Weizhi responded without hesitation, “Whatever the Hanlin Academy Director commands, even if it means defying heaven itself, I, Gu Weizhi, will not utter a word of refusal!”

Jun Dingyuan, known for his fiery temper, saw Wen Zuo’s gaze settle on him and reluctantly said, “Just speak plainly, Director. Even if my senior brother isn’t here, I can keep my temper in check.”

Only after receiving their assurances did Wen Zuo slowly explain, “At the next routine court session, Xie Langyang will certainly impeach me in court. I beg all of you, no matter what he says or how many officials join in to support him, do not defend me. Let me handle it myself.”

“What?” Gu Weizhi’s expression changed instantly, and he slammed the table as he stood up. “How dare Xie Langyang!”

Huang Ting was also full of confusion, his brows furrowed deeply. “Director, your achievements these past days are clear for all to see, and you have strictly adhered to your duties. What grounds could he possibly find to impeach you?”

Wen Zuo gently rubbed the white stone between his fingers, finding it difficult to speak. He closed his eyes briefly. “You will know when the time comes. Let me repeat: do not speak up for me. In the Emperor’s eyes, I am a lone minister who does not engage in factional strife and remains loyal only to the sovereign. If you defend me, not only will you draw fire upon yourselves, but you will also confirm the accusation that I am forming cliques for personal gain, which would only harm me further.”

Jun Dingyuan still wanted to argue. “But the Emperor knows I am straightforward and outspoken. Surely he wouldn’t—”

Before he could finish, Gu Weizhi interrupted, burning with anger. “How can we let him distort the truth like this? Is the Xie family in Nanzhou so clean themselves? I say the Ministry of Revenue should impeach him first!”

“Both of you, calm down.” Huang Ting sighed and spoke slowly. “The Director makes a valid point. Have you forgotten how the Former Crown Prince’s faction tripped each other up during the victory banquet? If Chief Minister Gong hadn’t secretly leaked Lord Mo’s whereabouts to Cao Youwei, would the Emperor have become so wary of the Cao Faction and resolved to eliminate them? The more we defend the Director now, the deeper the Emperor’s suspicions will grow.”

Huang Ting’s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the impulsiveness of Gu Weizhi and Jun Dingyuan.

Wen Zuo paused his movements and turned his gaze to Jun Dingyuan. “General, I need you to mobilize the troops of the Three Great Battalions and strictly inspect all couriers and post riders traveling from the capital to Jinhai. We must not allow any news about me to get through.”

“We should also inform Duke Liu. The commander of the Five City Military Command was once his subordinate. Besides couriers and post riders, even merchants and travelers heading to Jinhai must be thoroughly checked. We must plug all loopholes and leave no opening for Shen Chen’s spies to exploit.” Wen Zuo paused, his tone resolute. “It won’t take long—at most a month, and this matter will blow over.”

He considered every possible vulnerability, laying out a meticulous plan. Just as he had said before, to cover up something already significant, one must create something even greater and more alarming to the Emperor.

Now, he was stepping into the game himself, determined to leave Xie Langyang with no place to be buried!

As Wen Zuo immersed himself in his carefully calculated arrangements, Jun Mulan, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke.

She looked at Wen Zuo, her expression complex and tinged with a barely perceptible sadness. “Director, you ask us to keep Zheng'er in the dark, not letting him know about your safety… Don’t you think that’s somewhat cruel to him?”

Wen Zuo was momentarily taken aback. He raised his eyes to meet Jun Mulan’s gaze, detecting an unusual clarity in her expression—as if she had seen through the hidden sentiments.

His heart stirred slightly, and he uncomfortably avoided Jun Mulan’s eyes, speaking with an air of nonchalance. “His Highness is destined for great deeds. A little cruelty is something he will likely have to endure.”

Wanting Xie Langyang dead was his personal desire, and the *Evening Mountain Rhapsody* was also a hidden danger he had left behind from years ago. He intended to settle accounts with Xie Langyang and would never let Shen Zheng wade into this muddy water.

Once this troublesome matter was resolved, he would be free to stay with Shen Zheng without any burdens. When Shen Zheng returned from Jinhai, he would pester him to describe the coastal scenery in detail and have him make cotton candy several times by hand, making up for the two pieces a day he had missed these past months!

The secret discussion lasted long enough to burn through two sticks of incense. Wen Zuo repeatedly urged them, his words earnest, and finally persuaded everyone.

When he returned to the Wen residence through the secret passage, the night dew was heavy. Wen Zuo felt his mouth dry and his body tense and cold, so he instructed, “Liu Qiying, brew me a bowl of autumn pear water.”

There was no response from behind.

Surprised, Wen Zuo turned around to see Liu Qiying standing on the steps, not too far but not too close either, her eyes slightly red.

“It’s because of that *Evening Mountain Rhapsody*, isn’t it?”

Wen Zuo remained silent, tacitly admitting it.

Liu Qiying’s shoulders trembled violently. She clenched her teeth, her voice filled with self-blame. “It’s all my fault! If I had retrieved that thing back then, such a huge disaster wouldn’t have been left behind!”

Wen Zuo, rarely seeing her like this, felt a flicker of amusement and curled his lips. “By that logic, wouldn’t it have been even better if I had never written it in the first place?”

Beside them, Jiang Mannv rubbed her hands together and said in a muffled voice, “My lord! I don’t understand all this weighing and scheming. I only know that Xie Langyang has no chance of harming you! Why don’t I sneak into the Xie residence tonight and snap his neck!”

Wen Zuo frowned, looking at her as if she were incomprehensible. “Do you think court officials are chickens raised in the backyard, to be killed at your whim?”

“How can you still joke at a time like this!” Liu Qiying was both angry and anxious, her face pale as paper. “The laws of Da Qian clearly state that intimacy between men is a crime against human ethics, punishable by dozens of lashes at the least, or exile to three thousand *li* as a slave at worst. With your frail health, my lord, what difference is there from a death sentence!”

Wen Zuo replied slowly, “I know.”

Liu Qiying felt stifled by his casual demeanor. Her eyes grew redder, but she stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.

She resorted to harsh words. “Since disaster is coming anyway, I’ll go tonight and take all the retirement money you’ve hidden under your bed—and I won’t look back!”

Hearing this, Jiang Mannv’s mouth twisted, and tears sprayed onto the steps like from a watering can. “A Liu, don’t say such angry words! I won’t allow anything to happen to my lord! Absolutely not!”

Wen Zuo’s expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed in shock, “How do you know I hid all my retirement money under the bed?”

Liu Qiying shot him a fierce glare, tears finally clinging to her eyelashes. “Not a single coin in this residence escapes my notice!”

“Fine.” Wen Zuo put away his surprise, slightly raised his chin, and resumed his proud, aloof demeanor. “If you really plan to run, don’t forget to do one thing for me before you leave. On my study desk, there are two compiled volumes of palace secrets. After the routine court session, if I do not return, quietly give them to those vendors who privately sell chapbooks. Tell them every word is true, shocking enough to rival unofficial histories, and make sure they spread them widely throughout the capital.”

Liu Qiying’s brows furrowed slightly, her anxious heart calming down a bit. Her voice grew steadier. “Is this your countermeasure, my lord?”

Wen Zuo nodded, then turned to look at Jiang Mannv, who was crying messily. “Look at you, for all your size! I’m not afraid, so what are you afraid of? Under my pillow, I’ve stored ten pre-written letters. If I am not here, send one to His Highness every five days on my behalf. Be sure to remember the timing accurately, or he will surely notice something amiss.”

Liu Qiying, sharp as ever, quickly asked, “Wait, how long will you be gone?”

Wen Zuo shifted his gaze. “I already said, at most a month.”

Liu Qiying nitpicked, “Then why did you prepare ten letters! One every five days—six would be enough!”

“…” Wen Zuo sighed helplessly. “It’s just to be prepared. If the secrets are spread well, this matter can end quickly.”

Jiang Mannv kept wiping her face with her dirty sleeves. “But if you write them in advance, my lord, what if they don’t match what His Highness writes in his letters?”

A faint blush tinged the tips of Wen Zuo’s ears. He turned and drifted back into his room, leaving behind a sentence: “…I naturally know what he would say!”