Chapter 154: Men and Women Should Not Touch

Men and Women Should Not Touch

In his twenties, with fair skin and a handsome appearance, but between his brows, there was a sense of extravagance and debauchery... This was the eldest son of the Nie mansion, Nie Jinhong.

At this moment, hearing Nie Jinhong say this, and seeing his exasperated and contemptuous expression, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but frown.

"Eldest Brother, what do you mean by that? Jinxuan doesn't understand."

Nie Jinxuan asked in confusion, but she had her own thoughts in her heart. Then she heard Nie Jinhong say loudly:

"What's there not to understand? Isn't it your second sister! Hmph, a dignified daughter of a Senior Minister, actually going to seduce the Crown Prince?! Is she still shameless? But then again, anyway, she has no blood relationship with us, she really is a shameless bitch, implicating us..."

Nie Jinhong's words were very ugly. But before he could finish, he saw Senior Minister Nie, who was sitting in the main seat, instantly raise his hand and slap the table beside him hard.

Instantly, a loud 'Bang—' sound startled the people in the front hall and interrupted Nie Jinhong's words.

"Enough! Shut up!"

"But Father, that bitch..."

"Who are you calling a bitch? That is your sister!"

"What sister, she's just a child adopted over, how..."

"Shut up, you unfilial son!"

Senior Minister Nie was finally angry. Being roared at like this, Nie Jinhong was startled, and he hurriedly shut his mouth.

At this time, staring at Nie Jinhong, who had instantly become honest, Senior Minister Nie then said:

"You still have the face to talk about Jinhui?! You don't even look at how much trouble you cause and how much face you lose on weekdays! Besides, I'll tell you one last thing, although Jinhui is an adopted child, she also has the surname Nie, so if I hear you speak filthy words again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Senior Minister Nie was known for his good temper, but he had been rolling in the officialdom for many years and was a first-rank Senior Minister, so once he got angry, who could bear it?! So being told by Senior Minister Nie, Nie Jinhong, who had already become honest, didn't dare to make a sound!

After teaching Nie Jinhong a lesson, Senior Minister Nie pursed his lips, and after calming his mood slightly, he looked at Nie Jinxuan.

"Jinxuan, I heard that you just returned from investigating a case yesterday afternoon, so you might not know... actually it is..."

Senior Minister Nie looked embarrassed, and when he got to this point, he seemed unable to continue. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan stepped forward and said slowly:

"Father, may I ask if Father wants to talk about the matter between Second Sister and the Crown Prince?"

Everyone present was family, so Nie Jinxuan didn't beat around the bush. Upon hearing this, Senior Minister Nie was stunned.

"What? You already heard?"

"Yes, after Jinxuan returned yesterday afternoon, I heard about it. I wanted to come back and ask immediately, but because of some urgent matters, I only came back this morning..."

"Sigh, is that so? Even you know about it..."

Speaking of this, Senior Minister Nie sighed.

"I don't know what's going on. Since a few days ago, rumors have been spreading in the capital that there is an affair between your second sister and the Crown Prince. But although the second sister has no blood relationship with our Nie family, she is also someone I watched grow up, and her temperament is known not only to me but also to the family. So how could she do such a shameless thing? Sigh..."

Senior Minister Nie was a first-rank official after all, so his words were relatively subtle. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes moved slightly.

"Yes, Father, Jinxuan also believes that Second Sister would not do such a thing that damages the family style. But now I don't know who spread such rumors?"

"Yes, Jinhui is also a child I watched grow up, and I naturally understand her temperament... As for this matter, I have also investigated it, but I have never found out who it was! After all, Jinxuan, you also know that rumors are the hardest to investigate, so..."

Rumors are the hardest to investigate, so Senior Minister Nie sighed. Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips, but before she could speak, she heard the First Madam Chen, who was sitting on the side, say:

"That goes without saying. It's rumored outside that during the spring festival at Zuixiashanzhuang last time, Jinhui and the Crown Prince were like this and that. But the things that happened at Zuixiashanzhuang, how could ordinary people know?! So if you ask me, it must have been spread by someone who attended the spring festival..."

Chen was around thirty, with gorgeous features. Although she had passed her prime, she was well-maintained. Just as she was saying this, Chen paused, and her gaze turned to glance at Nie Jinxuan!

Chen's words were full of hidden meaning, but Nie Jinxuan was neither anxious nor annoyed, and just looked at Chen.

"Mother's words are very true. However, before the matter is clear, everything is just speculation. So Jinxuan thinks it's better to wait until Father has investigated it clearly... After all, most of the people at Zuixiashanzhuang back then were royalty, so if the words Mother just said were spread, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause~!"

Nie Jinxuan's voice remained calm, and her beautiful face showed no joy or anger. Upon hearing this, Chen's face changed instantly, and she hurriedly explained:

"Oh my, look at my mouth. Jinxuan is right. But I was just saying it casually, it doesn't matter."

Chen's ability to adapt to circumstances was not small. After all, according to Chen's statement just now, it was clear that she was saying that Nie Jinxuan was the one making trouble behind the scenes. But Chen forgot that Nie Jinxuan was not the only one who attended the spring festival at Zuixiashanzhuang. Therefore, if Chen's words were spread, it would offend many royal relatives! At that time, it wouldn't be something Chen could handle!

So, after explaining in a hurry, Chen chose to shut up wisely. Seeing her become honest, Nie Jinxuan then turned her gaze to Senior Minister Nie.

But this time, Nie Jinxuan didn't speak. At this time, seeing Nie Jinxuan looking at him, Senior Minister Nie was stunned, but then he reacted and said in a deep voice:

"Alright, the matter can only be seen as it goes... Madam, Jinhong, you go down first, I have something to discuss with Jinxuan privately."

Senior Minister Nie spoke, and then First Madam Chen and Nie Jinhong got up and walked out. After the two left, Nie Jinxuan stepped forward and sat beside her father, then whispered:

"Father, is the situation really that serious?"

Nie Jinxuan also just returned yesterday. Although she heard the news, she didn't know the specific situation, so naturally, she wanted to ask clearly, which was the fundamental purpose of Nie Jinxuan

"Because Pei Yaoguang's father, Pei Baiwan, is the richest man in Dongling."

Young Master Mo pointed out the reason in one sentence. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, and for a long while, she could not collect her thoughts. Seeing her like this, Zuo Wei then chuckled and said:

"That's right, Third Miss, that's how it is. It is said that the Pei family has always been famous for its wealth in Dongling. Especially by the generation of Pei Baiwan, they became the richest family in all of Dongling in one fell swoop. According to those who have been to the Pei residence, the place is magnificent and opulent; even the teacups are worth ten thousand gold."

"But the Pei family has one problem: for a hundred years, although the Pei family has been rolling in money and every member is an expert at business, they have one shortcoming—their scholarship is lacking. As a result, not a single talented scholar has emerged in a century, and naturally, none have entered the imperial court as officials. Finally, until Pei Baiwan's youngest son, Pei Yaoguang, showed great talent from a young age, he passed the imperial examinations and subsequently entered the court..."

"And since ancient times, among the four classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, although the Pei family had immense wealth, they were a merchant family and naturally could not be presented in polite society. So, when Pei Yaoguang passed the exams with high honors, the entire Pei family was overjoyed, and Pei Baiwan even held a continuous banquet for half a month... Tsk tsk, Third Miss, you might not know the situation back then, but it was truly astonishing."

"Following that, Pei Yaoguang entered the court as an official. Although his initial position was very low, he was the only one in a hundred years of the Pei family to become an official; it could be said that the entire family's hopes were pinned on him. So, Third Miss, you should be able to imagine that with the background of the richest family, money is like floating clouds to him. Besides, even if you were to send gifts or money, could it compare to how much the Pei family has?!"

His mung bean-sized eyes narrowed into slits as Zuo Wei looked at Nie Jinxuan with a chuckle. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was dazed for a short moment, but then she immediately understood.

That's right, the son of the richest man in Dongling would naturally not care about money. Furthermore, as someone carrying the high hopes of the entire Pei family, it is likely that the only thing Pei Yaoguang seeks now is to be a good official, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the court, and bringing honor to his ancestors.

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan could not help but smile.

"In that case, the Emperor's decision to choose Pei Yaoguang back then was quite reasonable... Since that is the case, I will go find him personally, and while I'm at it, I will ask about what happened back then."

Given Pei Yaoguang's situation, he should not be someone who would engage in corruption or cover-ups. But now that the murderer has captured Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi, and has not made a move yet... Could it be that Pei Yaoguang got it wrong back then?!

Or perhaps, the murderer themselves got it wrong?!

This is a question. Therefore, Nie Jinxuan must meet Pei Yaoguang in person.

Nie Jinxuan made up her mind. The people in the room naturally expressed their approval. After discussing a few more details, everyone left.

With everyone gone, Nie Jinxuan could not help but let out a breath, then gently moved her injured right shoulder.

After these few days of recuperation, plus the medicine Yin Fengzhan loosened, Nie Jinxuan's wounds were healing quickly. Even the scabs that had formed were slowly falling off, revealing fresh, pink skin.

But although her body was better, Nie Jinxuan had felt an inexplicable stifling in her heart these past few days. She narrowed her eyes slightly, but just then, a voice came from beside her ear:

"Are you avoiding me?"

A low voice, familiar beyond measure. In an instant, Nie Jinxuan opened her eyes wide and met Yin Fengzhan's deep, cold gaze.

It turned out that just now, when everyone was leaving, Yin Fengzhan had remained seated in his place without moving. Now that everyone had risen and left, and there was no one else in the room, he finally spoke.

At this moment, meeting his eyes and hearing him say this, Nie Jinxuan was dazed for a moment, but she immediately recovered.

"What does His Highness mean by that? I don't understand."

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan stood up.

"I am a bit tired and would like to rest. If Your Highness has nothing else, please leave first."

When she said this, Nie Jinxuan did not look at Yin Fengzhan, but upon hearing her, Yin Fengzhan's expression darkened instantly. He also stood up and took a few large strides to stand in front of Nie Jinxuan.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Hm? I'm fine~!"

"Nie Jinxuan!"

He called her name in a deep voice, then reached out and grabbed her left arm, pulling her toward him with a slight force.

"What is wrong with you?"

Speaking again, Yin Fengzhan's expression was ugly to the extreme, his eyes fixed tightly on the Nie Jinxuan before him, not blinking once. Being grabbed like this, Nie Jinxuan struggled reflexively twice, but seeing she could not break free from his restraint, she stopped struggling and let him hold her, then looked up to meet his gaze.

"What else does Prince Chen have to say? Can you not be clear? Besides, men and women should not touch; you doing this makes me very uncomfortable!"

"Should not touch... what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

She said it without thinking, then Nie Jinxuan composed her expression and said solemnly:

"Fine, since you want to hear the truth, I might as well make it clear to you now... Yin Fengzhan, we have divorced. I am staying here temporarily out of consideration for safety. But whether it is you or me, let us not forget that we are no longer husband and wife. So, it would be better to be more mindful of certain things! After all, Yin Fengzhan, you are a man, and no one will say anything about you, but please think of me. Even if I, Nie Jinxuan, have a heart of steel and don't care about gossip, not caring doesn't mean I like hearing it. You should understand what I mean by this!"

Nie Jinxuan's voice was unexpectedly calm. But the moment she finished these words, she could not help but feel an indescribable bitterness in her heart.

That's right, no matter what the reason for their separation was back then, they had separated in the end. And now, they had only gathered again because of the case; what else was there besides that?

And she had actually forgotten this point before. Heh... yes, if it weren't for Qin Yuxia being poisoned that day, which reminded her, she would likely still be immersed in the fantasy that she was still the Princess Consort.

Qin Yuxia is his concubine, and she... is now nothing more than an outsider!

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips slightly. But hearing this, Yin Fengzhan, who had been holding her, narrowed his eyes, and a look of obvious malice instantly appeared on his face.

"So, you want to tell me that everything about you has nothing to do with me?"

Yin Fengzhan's voice was as low as it could be. It was as if if Nie Jinxuan said 'yes' right now, he would swallow her whole! But looking at him like this, Nie Jinxuan did not feel fear, only bitterness.

"Isn't that the case? From the day we divorced, you and I have had no relationship. So, what you should care about now is Han Luoxue, Bai Meilan, and Qin Yuxia, who is suffering from poison... not me."

"... Is this what you truly think?"

"... Yes."

She paused slightly, but then Nie Jinxuan nodded decisively. Watching her increasingly calm face, Yin Fengzhan felt an instinctive, destructive rage; his eyes were as gloomy and terrifying as a Yama from hell.

Yin Fengzhan's anger was so obvious. But seeing him like this, Nie Jinxuan reached out to push him away after a moment, making a move to turn and leave... But just then, the furious Yin Fengzhan's eyes flashed, and he grabbed her again. Then, in the moment of Nie Jinxuan's surprise, he leaned down and kissed her lips.

This was a brutal kiss, so wild and forceful that after her initial shock, Nie Jinxuan felt an instinctive pain. Before even a moment had passed, Yin Fengzhan forcefully pried open her teeth and thrust his domineering tongue into her mouth...

Yin Fengzhan kissed her crazily. One hand held her slender waist, the other supported the back of her head, so forcefully that Nie Jinxuan could not refuse. Finally, when she tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth, Nie Jinxuan began to struggle, but just as she moved, Yin Fengzhan let her go instantly.

The sudden kiss, and the sudden release. For a moment, Nie Jinxuan felt unable to collect her thoughts, but just then, she saw Yin Fengzhan staring at her coldly, and he said in a low voice:

"Nie Jinxuan, listen to me clearly: even if we are divorced, you are still my, Yin Fengzhan's, woman. In this life, unless I let go, don't even think about leaving me by even a fraction!"

Yin Fengzhan's voice was as cold as it could be. After the words fell, without waiting for Nie Jinxuan to speak, he turned and strode out.

Having decided to meet Pei Yaoguang, Nie Jinxuan tidied her appearance early the next morning and left the Chen Wangfu.

But as soon as she stepped out of the gate, Nie Jinxuan saw Young Master Mo standing by the carriage.

Clearly, he was waiting for her. Nie Jinxuan was a bit surprised, but she walked down the steps and said softly:

"Young Master Mo, why are you here?"

"It is not safe lately, so I will escort Third Miss."

Young Master Mo was not a man of many words, and he did not beat around the bush. Upon hearing him say this, Nie Jinxuan was stunned at first, but then she understood.

"Heh~, so that's it. But it should be fine. After all, no matter how rampant the murderer is, they wouldn't dare make a move in broad daylight!"

"Better safe than sorry."

He said these four words simply, then without further ado, Young Master Mo pulled open the carriage curtain. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan could not say anything else; she smiled slightly and boarded the carriage. Once Nie Jinxuan was seated, Young Master Mo stepped forward to lead his horse, leaped onto it, and followed the carriage to the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Two years ago, Pei Yaoguang was only a fourth-rank official, but because of his meritorious service in the Jin Qi case, he was promoted by one rank and is now a third-rank Jingzhao Yin, responsible for all affairs in the capital region.

The Jingzhao Prefecture was not very far from the Chen Wangfu, so it took only two sticks of incense by carriage to arrive at the entrance. However, after Young Master Mo went ahead to ask, he learned that a case had occurred at the home of a Mr. Li outside the city, and Pei Yaoguang had just taken his men to the scene personally.

Hearing this, Young Master Mo could not help but frown, then walked to the carriage to ask for Nie Jinxuan's opinion. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan thought for a moment and said softly:

"Since there is a case, why don't we go and take a look? It just so happens we can see how Magistrate Pei handles a case!"

"Very well!"

Nie Jinxuan's words were gentle, but Young Master Mo understood her intent. He nodded slightly, remounted his horse, and they went together to the home of Mr. Li outside the city.

Mr. Li's name was Li Zhen, and he was a famous wealthy man in the capital. Because he often built roads and bridges and helped poor farmers, everyone called him 'Kindhearted Li'. His home was located at Wudaopo outside the city, not far from the West City Gate. So, not long after leaving the West City Gate, Nie Jinxuan and Young Master Mo arrived at the entrance of the Li residence.

The Li residence was large, its vermilion gates exuding an obvious air of wealth. After getting off the carriage, Nie Jinxuan took a look around. By this time, Young Master Mo had already approached the gatekeeper. Seeing Young Master Mo's cold demeanor and the token he produced, the gatekeeper assumed they were with Pei Yaoguang and the others who had arrived earlier, so without even asking, he let Young Master Mo and Nie Jinxuan inside.

Then, led by a servant, the two arrived at the back courtyard. But just as they stepped through the moon gate, they heard a loud voice:

"Damn it, what's going on? You're actually calling it a suicide? Is this a suicide? Do you take this master for a blind man? Isn't it damn obvious that this is murder!"