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墨書 Inktalez
At that time, it was not that Qin Yaru did not want Gao Feng to get close; it was clearly their misfortune. It was the first time they secretly sneaked into the dense forest beside the camp to meet, only to be caught red-handed by two Military Police patrols.
Gao Feng was punished by their captain to stand at attention in front of the military gate for an entire morning. All he did was hug Qin Yaru and kiss her cheek. Qin Yaru suspected that if there were any more inappropriate actions next time and they got caught, Gao Feng's reputation would be ruined. From then on, she refused to let him take advantage of her.
Seeing Qin Yaru's disdainful glance, Gao Feng felt a bit guilty and smiled sheepishly.
After finishing their shopping, they returned to the backyard of Nangyun Study, where they found Qin Wenyuan waiting at the door. The three of them decided to set up a table in the yard and enjoy hot pot together.
Qin Yaru's culinary skills were exceptional, especially with the homemade ingredients.
Gao Feng had been eating for many years and now his meals were not as good as before. However, Qin Wenyuan could not forget the taste after trying it once. As soon as he smelled the fragrant broth, he could not help but sit up straight, drooling. He first brought a plate for Da Lang and then handed him a spoon, eagerly watching Qin Yaru.
Gao Feng also leaned his head over, watching Qin Young Lady gently stir the milky broth with a long-handled spoon. Fresh cabbage, thinly sliced lamb, large chunks of lamb ribs, and thick pork floated in the pot, creating a delightful aroma.
Eating hot pot was lively and made the flavors even better.
In the past, Qin Yaru often cooked at home alone. Although it tasted good, it was just her and Da Lang, which always felt lonely. Preparing too little meant there weren't enough varieties, while preparing too much resulted in leftovers.
Now seeing Da Lang stuffing various vegetables and fresh meat into his mouth while competing with Qin Wenyuan and Gao Feng for food made Qin Yaru feel her appetite grow.
Having stayed in the military for a long time, they had developed a taste for alcohol. Qin Wenyuan and Gao Feng downed two jars in one go, even Da Lang was fed half a cup by the enthusiastic Qin Wenyuan. At four years old, Da Lang could hardly handle the alcohol; even light wine made him tipsy. Qin Yaru had no choice but to carry her son inside to let him sleep first.
Once she settled her child and stepped outside, she saw Qin Wenyuan with a flushed face and anger in his eyes, speaking in a low voice to Gao Feng: "I don't want to wait any longer. Six years—six whole years! Father is already thirty-eight this year, almost forty. His health has never been good; if we keep waiting like this, will I only be able to dress in mourning for my father and carry his spirit home?"
He was clearly furious to dare speak such words.
Gao Feng sighed and patted Qin Wenyuan's shoulder. Watching him look so troubled made Gao Feng feel bad as well; after all, that was Qin Yaru's father—how could he not care?
"I've sent someone to find your uncle. Although we haven't received any news yet, your uncle is fortunate and has someone protecting him; he will surely turn misfortune into fortune. Don't be too anxious; haste makes waste. Right now we only have circumstantial evidence. I've asked someone to investigate that Dragon Robe incident from years ago. It turns out it was just a poorly made imitation costume rather than an actual Dragon Robe. The officials are still lenient; otherwise, the Qin Family wouldn't have only faced exile."
"I traced that robe back to a theater troupe that came from Kaifeng to Jiunzhou and ordered it from a Silk Shop. When it was made, it was clearly a theatrical costume; it must have been altered later on. That troupe has long since disbanded. You know it took you personally sending someone to investigate before we found out that two workers from that troupe are now settled in Kaifeng while the others have disappeared."
"These two workers don't know much; they only remember that on that day a well-dressed young Husband came by who liked singing opera but wasn't allowed by his family to do so. He specifically came to buy some costumes from the troupe to play with at home—not just one Dragon Robe but several other costumes as well. The kind of costume resembling a Dragon Robe is completely different from an actual Dragon Robe; even an ordinary person could tell them apart at first glance. They didn't pay much attention."
"It was also because it rained heavily that day; the sudden arrival of that Husband gave them quite a bit of silver as reward money for the troupe."
Gao Feng was not one to explain himself, but since Qin Wenyuan was his future brother-in-law, he felt compelled to provide reassurance.
"Nowadays, as long as we can find the Husband who bought the costumes back then, it would at least prove that the Qin Family was framed. Trying to find someone based on two vague impressions is like searching for a needle in a haystack. However, I recently received a lead. Besides the Dragon Robe, this Husband also purchased a few other items, the most notable being a dragon-headed cane and a phoenix hairpin. Currently, both the cane and the hairpin are with Ouyang Yue at the Brothel Management Office."
Qin Wenyuan straightened up suddenly, but his expression quickly soured as he frowned and said, "If it were someone else, we could use threats or inducements to investigate. But Ouyang Yue cannot be interrogated casually..."
Gao Feng forced a smile. Although Ouyang Yue was just an instructor at the Brothel Management Office, she was different from those retired courtesans; she was a lifesaver for officials and had some inexplicable romantic feelings from them.
It was indeed inappropriate to use overly aggressive methods on such a woman. Moreover, one must be cautious when dealing with sensitive matters; if things went awry, they could end up in greater trouble.
Last time, when Qin Wenyuan stirred up trouble with Pang Yuanying, Gao Feng had expected some action from the Pang Family. However, they remained completely quiet throughout.
"True enough. Although the old fox Pang is ill, Pang Chunzhi is not easy to deal with either. How could they act recklessly? But their silence makes me suspicious. After all, it's the Pang Family. The Marquis of the Pang Family has suffered such great humiliation; even if their eldest son is in trouble, they cannot ignore their second son. It shows they are feeling guilty."
Gao Feng lightly tapped the table. However, he found it hard to believe that the Pang Family would participate in Xiangyang Wang's rebellion. The Pang Family's status in court was not that of nobility but was even higher than that of nobles and more free than them; it was almost the pinnacle that an external minister could achieve.
Even if Xiangyang Wang succeeded in his rebellion, what could the Pang Family gain? They wouldn't be given half of the kingdom. Even if Xiangyang Wang dared to make such promises now, the old fox of the Pang Family would never believe it.
As the moonlight grew stronger, Gao Feng exhaled deeply: "We still need to focus on the officials. Even if Xiangyang Wang and the Pang Family become wary because of this, I can't afford to leave the Borderlands for too long. Until we resolve matters concerning the Qin Family, I have no mind for other tasks."
"Officials?" Qin Wenyuan's face showed a hint of sarcastic amusement as he blankly picked up a wine jug and gulped down its contents.
Gao Feng did not try to dissuade him. After an unknown amount of drinking, Qin Wenyuan finally released his tightly gripped jug. It fell to the ground, shattering into pieces that sparkled faintly in the moonlight, creating a somewhat desolate scene.
Qin Wenyuan looked up and fixed his gaze on Gao Feng: "If it weren't for Caring for Father and Taking Care of My Sister, I would risk my life to storm into the palace and question that Empress Dowager and that Official. My Qin Family has been loyal for generations; what have we done wrong to deserve being driven to ruin? If they can't answer me, I'll make them taste what I've endured—it's only right that debts are repaid."
Gao Feng was taken aback. If someone from this era heard such treasonous words, they would likely not even dare listen. But he wasn't just anyone; after a moment of shock, he quickly scolded him: "Stop talking nonsense! How can you slander the emperor?"
Qin Wenyuan said no more, but Gao Feng recalled a passage from Mencius: "Mencius told King Xuan of Qi: 'If a ruler treats his ministers like family, then ministers will treat their ruler like their heart; if a ruler treats his ministers like dogs or horses, then ministers will treat their ruler like commoners; if a ruler treats his ministers like dirt or weeds, then ministers will treat their ruler like enemies.'"
That is true reasoning. Those who demand loyalty at all costs are merely spouting twisted logic that should not be taken seriously.
Qin Wenyuan was drunk now; Gao Feng dared not take him out into public view. Otherwise, if he were to shout something treasonous along the way—even if officials were lenient and did not punish him for his words—such a disturbance would surely ruin any chance for the Qin Family to recover.
Just then, Gao Feng found an opportunity to stay at Qin Yaru's place for shelter.
"I will leave the door open for you, Wife, welcome to the night raid."
Qin Yaru chuckled. Gao Feng was always one to speak nonsense, and after giving him a few playful hits, she shooed him off to wash up while she herself took a bath and prepared for bed early.
She thought tonight would be a bit ambiguous and romantic, but unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, it became bright outside, with the eastern sky glowing red.
The noisy sounds outside woke Qin Yaru up. As she opened her eyes, she saw the window bathed in red light, startling her into quickly getting up. Just as she finished putting on her clothes, Gao Feng burst through the door and pulled Qin Yaru out in a rush.
They ran straight to the front yard, where several workers were anxiously packing books, moving boxes, and lifting cabinets in a chaotic scene.
Qin Yaru frowned and shouted, "Don't panic! The fire hasn't reached us yet; if it does come over, there's nothing we can do even if we hurry." With that, she and Gao Feng rushed out.
The burning building was an inn not far away, just three houses away from Nangyun Study. The flames were fierce, casting a blood-red glow across half the area and beginning to spread. The surroundings of Kaifeng were all wooden houses; once a fire broke out, the losses would be immense.
Many townsfolk rushed out without even properly dressing themselves. There were even more people rushing over to help put out the fire. Qin Yaru quickly called for the workers in the shop to bring water basins and buckets to assist.
Before long, the patrolling Yamen Runner arrived. Everyone worked desperately to extinguish the flames. Fortunately, the wind was not strong that night; however, by the time the fire was put out, much of the street had been damaged. Even Nangyun Study lost a wall; if it weren't for the wind blowing against it, none of Qin Yaru's precious books would have survived.
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