The man, having been recognized, no longer hid his identity: "It's me..."
He brushed aside his hair, revealing the left half of his face—scarred and disfigured by fire, grotesque and horrifying.
Yan Wenjing recoiled in shock but couldn't help stepping forward: "Uncle Ji... is it really you?"
Ji He had been the most trusted aide of the heir apparent. But on the night the city defense plans were stolen, his room had suddenly caught fire, and everyone assumed he had perished in the flames...
"It's me, Young Master." Ji He knelt on one knee, as if wanting to pat his head, but his hand froze mid-air. "Ji He has failed you... and failed the heir apparent. I should have died in that fire..."
The expressions of those around them turned grave.
Could he be involved in the theft of the city defense plans?
Chu Ruoyan frowned sharply. "Explain yourself!"
Before Ji He arrived, Meng Yang had already informed him that this was the Third Young Master's wife. With no intention to conceal his bitterness, Ji He spat out, "It was that vile woman... Ajiao. When she failed to seduce the heir apparent, she turned to me. I was a fool to believe she truly wanted to marry me. After... after we consummated our union, I accidentally revealed the location of the city defense plans. She knocked me unconscious, then set the fire to burn me alive in that room..."
Everyone was stunned into silence.
This was the truth behind the theft of the city defense plans!
The heir apparent hadn't been careless—it was his subordinate who had slipped up...
Yet Chu Ruoyan suddenly paled as a realization struck her. "Who... who saved you?"
"Ji He!"
Meng Yang hurriedly tried to interrupt, but it was too late. "It was the Third Young Master..."
"He dragged me out of the fire, told me the city had fallen, that the southern barbarians had breached the gates... He ordered me to stay silent and hid me in a dog hole, leaving behind water and steamed buns so I could survive for half a month until someone came to retrieve me... I counted the days—seventeen in total—and then Meng Yang finally arrived..."
The man whose name was mentioned wished he could vanish into the ground.
Chu Ruoyan staggered, staring at him in disbelief. "You... knew as well?"
If Yan Zheng had rescued Ji He long ago, then Ajiao's false accusations were utterly insignificant!
With this trump card in hand, neither the Ministry of Justice nor Prince Yu could have laid a finger on him!
The only explanation was that he had done it deliberately!
Chu Ruoyan recalled how calmly he had urged her in the Ministry of Justice prison to investigate whom Ajiao had met after her release...
In a flash, everything became clear. "This was all part of his plan, wasn't it? He deliberately let Ajiao go, waiting to see whom she would turn to for help, then follow the trail to uncover the mastermind behind it all. That's why he risked himself, allowing his own imprisonment in the Ministry of Justice, wasn't it?"
Even in his panic, Meng Yang couldn't hide his astonishment.
Who would have thought that with just a few words from Ji He, she could piece together nearly the entire truth?
He quickly defended, "Yes, but the Young Master didn’t mean to deceive you. The danger was too great—he feared that a single misstep might drag you down with him..."
"Drag me down?" Chu Ruoyan let out a cold laugh. "Or was he afraid I’d act impulsively and ruin his grand scheme?"
Meng Yang fell silent.
Truth be told, the Young Mistress was just like the Young Master—their words mirrored each other perfectly.
The night before Ajiao was released, he had specifically asked the Young Master whether to inform the Young Mistress.
But at the time, Yan Zheng had coldly trimmed the candlewick and replied, "If she has ulterior motives, telling her would be suicide. If she’s truly devoted as the Third Young Mistress, wouldn’t she act recklessly upon learning I’m imprisoned, destroying my entire plan?"
But these words could never reach the Young Mistress’s ears. Meng Yang could only bow repeatedly in apology.
A sudden cold breeze brushed against her cheeks.
Chu Ruoyan thought of all her efforts—her frantic negotiations, her sleepless nights of worry—and suddenly found it all laughable.
She had underestimated Yan Zheng far too much...
Such cunning, such ruthlessness, willing to risk his own life to achieve his goals!
With this level of self-sacrificing determination, not even Prince Yu or the Marquis of Pingjing could rival him—perhaps not even the one seated in the palace!
And here she was, foolishly fearing he wouldn’t survive the torture...
At this thought, she turned on her heel and strode away.
Yan Wenjing called after her, "Aunt, where are you going?"
Chu Ruoyan replied without looking back, "The Duke of Chu's Mansion!"
She had been away from home for too long, had stayed by Yan Zheng’s side for too long.
So long that she had nearly forgotten why she had come, forgotten the true nature of this demon king!
---
Duke of Chu's Mansion
When Chu Ruoyan returned, Chu Huaishan was present. He looked at her with surprise and delight. "Yan'er? Why have you come back?"
Lady Jiang the Younger, seeing her exhausted appearance, assumed she had returned to seek help and warned, "Eldest Miss, His Majesty hasn’t yet ordered the release of the Marquis of Anning. At this time, the master mustn’t stick his neck out!"
"Silence!" Chu Huaishan snapped. "Whether His Majesty says so or not, the Marquis of Anning is my son-in-law. This marriage is known throughout the capital—do you think keeping a low profile will spare us suspicion?"
He then grasped his daughter’s shoulders and said solemnly, "Don’t worry. I’ve already rallied several senior officials. Tomorrow, we’ll submit a memorial urging His Majesty to hold a public trial. As long as Yan Sanlang is truly innocent of treason, justice will prevail!"
Chu Ruoyan’s eyes reddened.
Unable to hold back any longer, she threw herself into her father’s embrace. "Father..."
Tears streamed down her face, startling Chu Huaishan. "What’s wrong? Did Yan Sanlang mistreat you?" He shook his head. "No, he’s first in prison, then at the Cao Family’s—it can’t be him. Was it the Yan Family?"
Chu Ruoyan bit her lip and shook her head, wanting only to tell her father to let it go.
Yan Sanlang was a block of ice—impossible to warm, impossible to melt.
But all her words dissolved into silent tears.
---
For the next few days, she stayed in the Bodhi Courtyard, shutting out the world.
Lady Jiang the Younger wisely avoided provoking her, granting her a rare stretch of peace.
Then one day, her aunt Chu Jing paid a visit.
Chu Ruoyan hadn’t seen this beloved elder in a long time and hurried to greet her.
Chu Jing scolded her the moment she entered. "What did I tell your cousin to warn you? Don’t marry him, don’t marry him! Yet you stubbornly went ahead. Now you regret it, don’t you?"
Chu Ruoyan lowered her eyes without a word.
Chu Jing sighed. "I know you’re upset. Yan Sanlang, a decent man, is now slandered as a patricidal monster—it’s only natural you’d feel wronged. But this can’t go on forever. You must find a way to resolve it."
Chu Ruoyan blinked. She had a feeling her aunt had misunderstood something.
"Aunt, it’s not about that. It’s just..."
"I know, it’s Grandma Yan’s meddling that’s worn you down. But that old woman has already been taken in by the Yan Family’s second branch. With Lady Xue’s domineering temper, she’ll have her hands full tormenting the old lady." Chu Jing waved dismissively. "Enough. None of this is Yan Sanlang’s fault—don’t take it out on him. Since I’m visiting Old Madam Cao today, why don’t you come along and see him?"
