Chapter 310: Side Story: Joy Record 26

Side Story: Joy Record 26

"Heh heh~, is that so? But just like Magistrate Pei, even when death is at your doorstep, you are still so arrogant. I admire you, I truly admire you! It's a pity, though, that even so, I must still send you on your way, Magistrate Pei..."

While speaking, Jiang Ping'an glanced sideways at the murderous Shui Yun, then smiled again.

"But rest assured, Magistrate Pei, having a beauty to accompany you on the road to the Yellow Springs can be considered not having lived this life in vain!"

As he finished speaking, Jiang Ping'an smiled slightly, then waved his hand. In an instant, the group of people lunged toward Pei Yaoguang and Shui Yun!

Three months later, in the Yongle Palace.

At the end of the seventh month, it was the hottest time of the year. Although there were ice basins in the palace, Nie Jinxuan did not like that; she was accustomed to sitting directly under the large tree in the courtyard, enjoying the cool air and drinking the rock sugar bird's nest soup specially prepared for her by the Imperial Kitchen, feeling extremely content. Shui Yun stood by her side serving her, as calm as a deep pool in a valley, appearing no different from any other day.

But only Nie Jinxuan noticed a slight difference, and she raised her eyes to look at Shui Yun.

"Shui Yun, have you been well these past three years?"

Nie Jinxuan had been awake for over two months now. The recuperation during these days had helped her recover quite a bit, though her body had not yet returned to its previous robustness. At least she had put on some weight, her complexion was decent, and she looked much more spirited.

Since she woke up, although Shui Yun had been by her side, for some reason, Nie Jinxuan always felt that Shui Yun was a bit different from before, though she couldn't quite put her finger on where. Shui Yun was not the talkative type, so she had no choice but to probe indirectly.

A warm breeze blew, and a faint rustling sound reached their ears. Upon hearing Nie Jinxuan's question, before Shui Yun could speak, Xiao Xizi, who was standing on the other side, couldn't help but laugh and respond.

"Your Ladyship, what is the matter with you? Since you woke up, you have asked this three times already~."

Nie Jinxuan had always been gentle and calm, and she treated the palace servants very well, so even when other servants encountered Nie Jinxuan, they were absolutely respectful, but they lacked timidity—not to mention Xiao Xizi, who had always followed Nie Jinxuan.

It was just that Xiao Xizi didn't understand Nie Jinxuan's meaning and had spoken out of turn. Nie Jinxuan didn't hold it against him; she just glanced at him and scolded him a couple of times.

"You chatterbox, you've been keeping count of how many times I've said it?! Didn't I tell you before that I would punish you if you spoke out of turn again?"

"Heh heh, this servant remembers Your Ladyship's words; they are the absolute truth! But rest assured, Your Ladyship, you truly haven't mentioned punishing this servant~!"

"Go away! You clever little thing, you annoy me!"

After trading a few barbs with Xiao Xizi, he realized that Nie Jinxuan had something to say to Shui Yun. He made a few more cheeky remarks with a grin and then scurried away. Of course, he didn't forget to take the other palace servants in the courtyard with him.

In the blink of an eye, only Nie Jinxuan and Shui Yun were left in the large Yongle Palace courtyard. Only then did Nie Jinxuan purse her lips slightly and point to the empty chair opposite her.

"Sit."

Shui Yun knew Nie Jinxuan's temperament best. Hearing this, she paused for a moment, then obediently sat down. Once Shui Yun was seated, Nie Jinxuan smiled slightly and said slowly.

"Shui Yun, you have followed me for so long, so I naturally know you. Over these three years, although you didn't say anything, I know a little bit; it must have been hard on you."

"Your Ladyship, please don't say that. It wasn't hard for Shui Yun; the one who had it hard was the Emperor..."

For Nie Jinxuan's sake, in just three years, Yin Fengzhan's temples had turned white. Over a thousand days and nights, he had personally helped Nie Jinxuan with washing and massages. Only those close to them, like Shui Yun, could see such devotion clearly. So, if anyone had it hard, Yin Fengzhan was the one.

Mentioning Yin Fengzhan, Nie Jinxuan naturally felt a warmth in her heart, and her expression softened significantly. Even so, she didn't forget what she wanted to say, and she slightly composed her expression.

"You girl, I am talking about you, why do you bring him up again?!"

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips slightly and sighed.

"Shui Yun, tell me the truth, what has been going on with you lately? Why do you always seem so restless?"

Nie Jinxuan asked earnestly, and at this moment, Shui Yun couldn't help but fall into deep thought...

Actually, if one were to speak of it, one must mention what happened three months ago.

That day, Jiang Ping'an brought people to the Chen family and surrounded Pei Yaoguang and Shui Yun on the spot. In that situation, Shui Yun had unhealed wounds, Pei Yaoguang knew no martial arts, and the other side had come prepared. It was clear that in such a situation, no matter how clever or capable Pei Yaoguang and Shui Yun were, they could hardly escape death.

But in the end, good and evil always have their rewards. Just as the people Jiang Ping'an brought were about to make their move, a whistling sound suddenly came from afar, and before Jiang Ping'an and the others could react, they were already surrounded by a group of guards.

These guards were the secret guards under Yin Fengzhan, and the leader was none other than Lian Feng, Yin Fengzhan's top death warrior. Accompanying Lian Feng were Yun Hui and Huo Rong.

It was clear that the message Shui Yun sent back to the capital had received enough attention from Yin Fengzhan, who had dispatched the last three remaining death warriors under his command. This indirectly proved how much Yin Fengzhan valued Pei Yaoguang and Shui Yun.

The aftermath was predictable; even if the people Jiang Ping'an brought were formidable, they were no match for Lian Feng and the others. Within an hour, Jiang Ping'an's minions were completely routed, and Jiang Ping'an, who had no strength to truss a chicken, was naturally captured.

Afterward, Lian Feng took Shui Yun and Pei Yaoguang down the mountain. Then, Pei Yaoguang received a secret decree from Yin Fengzhan, ordering him to follow the clues and wipe out Jiang Ping'an and the forces behind him in one fell swoop.

By this point, Pei Yaoguang naturally knew that the person behind Jiang Ping'an was definitely not Yin Fengzhan. Thinking of this, Pei Yaoguang suddenly saw the light. He didn't even need Yin Fengzhan's secret decree; he had already made up his mind to drag those demons and monsters hiding in the shadows out one by one and crush them!

Because of her injuries, Shui Yun was secretly sent back to the capital to recuperate. Once Shui Yun left, Pei Yaoguang threw himself completely into the case.

Unfortunately, after Jiang Ping'an was captured, he committed suicide by banging his head against the wall in the Huizhou dungeon that very night. Pei Yaoguang didn't get any information out of him, but he didn't mind at all. After all, the monk might run, but the temple couldn't. With Jiang Ping'an dead, there was still the iron mine. So that same night, Pei Yaoguang ordered a total lockdown of Huizhou and sent people to thoroughly search the mountains!

The arrangements were made, and with the help of Lian Feng and the others, things were naturally twice as effective with half the effort. Within two days, they indeed discovered an active iron mine in the deep mountains near where Pei Yaoguang had fallen off the cliff.

Once the iron mine was discovered, the rest was easy. Pei Yaoguang brought people to interrogate everyone related to the mine one by one. Although some were stubborn, they were ultimately cowardly and afraid. Following the clues provided by these people, Pei Yaoguang finally brought this shocking case to light in just two months.

It turned out that Jiang Ping'an was the adopted son of Pei Wenhao from back then. Jiang Ping'an's original surname was Zhang, and he came from a merchant family. When he was ten, his family suffered a great disaster; his father was harmed by villains, and the Zhang family fell into ruin. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; the once-wealthy Zhang family became so poor they couldn't even afford a meal, their old home was occupied by others, and the servants naturally left. Those who used to fawn over them not only failed to offer help in their time of need but also mocked them and watched from the sidelines. His mother was devastated by this, and within half a year, only Jiang Ping'an and his younger brother were left to rely on each other.

If anyone else had encountered such a thing, even if they were filled with hatred, they would have been helpless. But the young Jiang Ping'an did not swallow his pride; he went directly to the authorities to report the villain. However, because the villain was wealthy and powerful, the local magistrate didn't take the ten-year-old Jiang Ping'an seriously at all. Even so, Jiang Ping'an did not give in. Seeing that the local magistrate had taken bribes from the villain, he went directly to report it to higher authorities, and this report reached Nie Wenhao, who was only a prefect at the time.

Nie Wenhao was indeed shrewd and cunning, but he was also very good at judging people. When he saw that Jiang Ping'an was so persistent at only ten years old, and that even the complaint he wrote was meticulous, he immediately felt that Jiang Ping'an was a talent. He then personally investigated the case.

The villain who harmed the Zhang family received his retribution. But by now, even if the villain was dead, the Zhang family no longer existed. So afterward, Nie Wenhao secretly took Jiang Ping'an as his adopted son and supported his studies to enter officialdom. Jiang Ping'an was naturally intelligent and harbored thoughts of repaying Nie Wenhao's kindness. Later, he indeed passed the imperial examinations and successfully entered officialdom.

The rest of the story goes without saying. The people privately mining iron were the remnants of Nie Wenhao's faction, led by Jiang Ping'an. After Nie Wenhao was captured back then, he was executed by Ling Yidao. Although Yin Fengzhan subsequently killed his followers, the forces he had cultivated throughout Dongling for over twenty years had not been completely wiped out. Fearing Yin Fengzhan's iron-fisted methods, they acted more and more secretively.

So these people secretly recruited personnel across the country, and once they were sure they could be used, they would control them with the "Half-Month Sorrow" poison, forcing them to work for them. However, what Jiang Ping'an and the others were doing was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations. So when Wang Er and the others learned that they were actually working for these people, they were naturally terrified and tried to escape regardless of their lives. But Jiang Ping'an was not soft-hearted; once he discovered them fleeing, he sent people to hunt them down, and even to prevent secrets from leaking, he had his men disguise the killings as naturally as possible.

However, Jiang Ping'an did not expect that even though he thought his actions were flawless, he still left clues for Pei Yaoguang, and because of just one Wang Er, they were uprooted and his efforts were wasted.

Pei Yaoguang investigated the case thoroughly and wrote a dossier to report it to the imperial court. Yin Fengzhan then asked Long Jingyun for help to create an antidote for the "Half-Month Sorrow" for those subordinates controlled by Jiang Ping'an. Then, he completely wiped out the remaining remnants of Nie Wenhao's faction.

Because of this case, Pei Yaoguang received Yin Fengzhan's praise. He was promoted two ranks, from the original third-rank subordinate to the second-rank subordinate. His official position remained the Jingzhao Yin, but he was given the additional title of Censor.

The matter had come to an end. Pei Yaoguang returned to the capital, and ever since Shui Yun returned from Huizhou and recovered from her injuries, Nie Jinxuan had woken up, and she had been taking care of Nie Jinxuan wholeheartedly.

Everything had returned to the starting point. For Shui Yun, the days she spent traveling with Pei Yaoguang from the capital to Huizhou and then fleeing in the deep mountains of Huizhou felt like a dream. Now that the dream had ended, every scene remained vivid in her mind.

Shui Yun was somewhat clear about these things, yet somewhat confused. For a time, she couldn't figure it out, but for some reason, her usually cold heart had gained something, making her feel a bit stifled.

Lost in thought, Shui Yun didn't speak for a long while. Nie Jinxuan didn't urge her, but as clever as she was, she understood that something must have happened during the days she was in a coma. It was just that Shui Yun couldn't bring herself to say it, and if Shui Yun couldn't even say it to her, then it was clearly a private matter, possibly even related to feelings!

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan looked at Shui Yun quietly for a moment, then said a few simple words and changed the subject. However, Nie Jinxuan took this matter to heart.

So that evening, after Yin Fengzhan returned and finished dinner, Nie Jinxuan dismissed the palace servants. While watching her three-year-old son, Yin Junting, stack wooden blocks, she whispered to Yin Fengzhan, who was sitting beside her reading memorials.

"Fengzhan, what do you think of Shui Yun?"

"Hmm."

Yin Fengzhan was still a man of few words. Nie Jinxuan was used to it; hearing him just respond with a sound, she understood that he meant Shui Yun was very good.

But this "very good" was too general. Besides, Yin Fengzhan likely meant that Shui Yun was good at her work. But the point was, Nie Jinxuan wasn't talking about how Shui Yun worked, so she pressed further.

"I'm not talking about how she works, but asking you, what do you think of Shui Yun... um, as a woman?"

Nie Jinxuan carefully weighed her words, but upon hearing this, Yin Fengzhan didn't move his gaze and just responded with a sound.

"Hmm."

"Hey, be serious, I'm talking to you about something important."

Although she was used to Yin Fengzhan's temperament, she didn't want to hear just that kind of answer now. Yin Fengzhan finally raised his eyes to look at her and closed the memorial in his hand.

"Why are you asking this suddenly?"

"Naturally, there is a reason."

"About Shui Yun?"

"Hmm."

"What is it?"

Seeing Nie Jinxuan so serious, Yin Fengzhan naturally became curious. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but look at him, wanting to say that it had nothing to do with him and he should just answer. But on second thought, she pursed her lips slightly and looked at Yin Fengzhan.

"It's nothing major, I just always feel that since I woke up, Shui Yun has been a bit strange. I asked her today, but she wouldn't say, so I wanted to ask you to see if you know what's going on!"

"I don't know."

Yin Fengzhan answered quite readily, but he was telling the truth. After all, as the ruler of a country, how would he have time to see if Shui Yun was doing well or not?! But Yin Fengzhan was clever, so after his voice fell, he thought for a moment and continued.

"Actually, these three years, Shui Yun hasn't done much, except that the one surnamed Pei would look for her from time to time to help with autopsies."

"Oh? Really?"

These days, to let Nie Jinxuan recuperate well, Yin Fengzhan hadn't told her too much. Nie Jinxuan had been in a coma for three years; now that she was awake, although she cared about the surrounding events, what she cared about most, besides Yin Fengzhan, was naturally her three-year-old son. So she hadn't asked about other things. Only now, when Yin Fengzhan mentioned it, did Nie Jinxuan realize that while she was in a coma, Pei Yaoguang had actually asked Shui Yun for help.

At this moment, seeing Nie Jinxuan's eyes clearly light up, Yin Fengzhan added.

"Then a while ago, a case came up, and Shui Yun went out. Afterward, this case involved a wider scope, and that one surnamed Pei specifically requested Shui Yun to follow..."

Afterward, Yin Fengzhan explained the ins and outs of the Jiang Ping'an case to Nie Jinxuan in detail. But after hearing about the case, Nie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed out loud.

"So, first Shui Yun saved Pei Yaoguang's life, and then Pei Yaoguang has been taking care of Shui Yun?"

"I'm not sure, but it should be about right... Why? Is there a problem?"

Yin Fengzhan didn't understand why Nie Jinxuan was laughing so happily, so he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Meeting his eyes, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but chuckle again, then leaned close to his ear and whispered.

"Whether there's a problem or not, you'll know in a while!" ===== CHAPTER 311 =====