Yan Zheng didn't answer immediately. Instead, he handed her a cup of hot tea.
Chu Ruoyan took a few sips before looking up, and only then did the man speak: "I’ve heard my father mention this. It was shortly after the late emperor ascended the throne, when he ordered a large-scale purge of the former imperial family. As you know, Emperor Yunning had no heirs, so the targets were the descendants of Prince Jin and the Regent King. The task was given to the late emperor’s trusted enforcers, the Yingyang Guard—they’d rather kill the innocent than let anyone escape. My father and the then-crown prince repeatedly advised against it, but you know how deeply the late emperor feared the Yun family, so all pleas were rejected. In those two years, tens of thousands died..."
Tens of thousands!
Chu Ruoyan was too stunned to speak. Yan Zheng took her hand and said softly, "A-Yan, this has nothing to do with you or anyone else. Dynasties change hands in bloodshed—the blame lies with those ruthless enforcers. Rest assured, within a few years of that massacre, most of the Yingyang Guard sent to Yangzhou died mysteriously, and their leader was torn apart by horses, his corpse displayed on the city walls. Likely... Yun Lang and his people were behind it."
Yun Lang?
Thinking of his snow-white hair—though he was only in his mid-twenties—he seemed to have weathered lifetimes of suffering.
Her heart ached. "How... how did he survive those years?"
Yan Zheng sighed and pulled her closer. "According to Shadow’s investigations, he spent those two years in hiding, barely scraping by. But later, the King of the Western Frontier intervened, marching his troops to the capital. Some agreement must have been reached, because after that, the persecution of the Yun family stopped."
"Still, you know Yun Lang’s nature—he never forgets a slight. Once he established the Bai Xiaoge, he began his revenge. For years, officials would vanish on their way home, only to be found dead in gutters or floating in the Wei River the next day. The capital was gripped with fear until nearly everyone involved had been killed."
Chu Ruoyan felt sick hearing this.
How old had Yun Lang been then? Twelve or thirteen—just a child, drowning in blood.
No wonder beneath his carefree facade, he was so world-weary...
"Yan Zheng, is the Jiang Family connected to the Regent King?"
The man’s gaze darkened with resignation. "A-Yan, you’re too sharp... Yes. The Jiang Family was closely tied to the Regent King’s household. Old Lady Jiang was even his wet nurse in her youth."
Chu Ruoyan shuddered and closed her eyes. "That explains it. After the purge, the princess’s loyal servant took Roumin to the Jiang Family. When they were implicated, they used my mother’s connection to send them to my father’s estate... He hid them until the Dowager Noble Consort came..."
Her voice trembled as a realization struck her. "Yan Zheng... is it possible that when the Dowager Noble Consort demanded them, my father... never actually handed them over?"
"A-Yan!" Yan Zheng interrupted, holding her tightly. "You have no birthmark on your neck, no scar Yun Lang mentioned. Don’t let your thoughts spiral, alright?"
She curled into his arms, whispering, "But there are too many clues... and the monk’s prophecy about a ‘phoenix destiny.’ Didn’t the Regent King originally have the right to the throne before stepping aside for his brother?"
Yan Zheng frowned.
Having an overly clever wife was truly a double-edged sword...
After a pause, he knelt to meet her eyes. "A-Yan, I know you’re worried about Yun Lang—afraid Roumin will harm him. But I also know you’re not ready yet. Give yourself more time. When you are, I’ll go with you to ask your father. Alright?"
The truth lay with Chu Huaishan.
If he spoke, the past would unravel.
But if it did—a daughter of the fallen dynasty and the current dynasty’s chief minister—could they continue as they were?
Would the emperor... let her live?
Chu Ruoyan took a deep breath. "Alright. I’ll ask Father when I’m ready."
Yan Zheng relaxed slightly, only for her to add, "Also, once Grandfather calms down in a few days, I’d like to visit again..."
He knew her thoughts at once. "Still concerned about your second sister? Hoping to mediate?"
She nodded. "Grandfather’s conditions aren’t impossible—the shop deeds can be returned, her adopted status revoked. If Second Sister truly wishes to marry..."
Yan Zheng cut in, "Does she truly wish it?"
Chu Ruoyan hesitated. He continued firmly, "A-Yan, Murong Jin is a fool, but your sister isn’t blameless. Her motives are clear—marrying your cousin is pure obligation. This upheaval might be for the best. Let her reflect on what she truly wants."
"Marriage isn’t the same for women as for men. If we wed wrongly, we can remarry or take concubines. For you, it’s a lifetime. One misstep, and everything is lost."
Stunned by his words, she finally murmured, "I understand. I’ll interfere less with Second Sister’s affairs..."
Only then did satisfaction flicker in Yan Zheng’s eyes.
Truthfully, his wife was perfect in every way—except for her tendency to overcare.
Even for those closest, some paths must be walked alone.
Suddenly, the carriage halted. Meng Yang’s voice came from outside: "Young Master, Madam—isn’t that Shadow?"
They lifted the curtain to see a noblewoman trailed by a beggar-like youth—filthy, ragged, with eyes bright as snow.
Chu Ruoyan and Yan Zheng exchanged glances.
That was undoubtedly Shadow.
But how had he ended up in such a state?
"Go away, you wretch! How dare you follow the Countess of Jianan!" A servant tried to shoo him, but Shadow stood firm, his gaze locked on Madame Mei.
Covering her nose in disgust, she snapped, "He reeks. Throw him some coins and be done with it."
The servant obeyed, tossing two coins at Shadow.
"Still here? You greedy little—"
Before "vermin" left her lips, a richly dressed youth—Tian'er—charged over and kicked Shadow to the ground.
Caught off guard, Shadow collapsed but kept staring at the countess as servants rained blows on him.
Madame Mei didn’t spare him a glance, fussing over her son instead. "Tian'er, why stoop to brawling with a beggar? Remember, aside from your elder brother, you’re the Xiao Family’s only heir. Act like it."
