Chapter 24

"Sister... what kind of person do you take me for?"

"I..."

Perhaps Jiang Yunchan had harbored slight doubts before as to whether Xie Yan would truly commit such acts. But just moments ago, she had witnessed him personally ejecting the Minister of the Grand Court of Revision from the room. It was evident that his true power far exceeded what was visible on the surface. If so, what was there that he would not dare to do?

Jiang Yunchan trusted only the evidence before her eyes. "The Marquis's estate is in your hands! You were the one who ordered the Apricot Blossom Courtyard to be sealed! The scent of the sachet belonging to my Huai-lang still lingers on your official robes! How do you explain these repeated transgressions?"

Jiang Yunchan deliberately raised her voice, knowing that many onlookers had already gathered outside. Among so many officials, it was impossible that every single one of them sang the same tune as Xie Yan. There were plenty who hungered for a chance to catch him in a mistake.

As soon as she finished speaking, a burst of unbridled laughter drifted in from outside the door. "I never expected that our usually gentle and quiet second brother possessed such daring—deceiving the Emperor and humiliating a protégé of the throne. Sister-in-law is truly impressed!"

Before the laughter had even faded, Song Jinlan kicked the door open. She had not expected that a casual outing today would allow her to witness a scene of dogs biting dogs. She was only too happy to kick a man when he was down, deliberately weaving the Emperor’s name into every sentence, wishing nothing more than for Xie Yan to meet an early death.

She was certainly not the only one who hoped for Xie Yan’s demise. Prince Jinan, having heard the rumors from somewhere, strolled over and patted Pei Yan on the shoulder. "I heard the Minister is handling a case. Why haven't you gone inside?"

The Prince, already at odds with the Crown Prince's faction, would not miss an opportunity to eliminate a rival. Before long, the Crown Prince himself arrived upon hearing the news. With two such heavyweights present in this small courtyard, Pei Yan dared not show further partiality. He entered the woodshed and demanded of Xie Yan, "Lord Xie, since the man is in your estate, you owe us an explanation!"

"Lord Pei, I truly do not know why Huaizhou is in my residence," Xie Yan said, bowing respectfully. Under the sunlight, he remained as humble and composed as ever.

However, against the weight of the witness, his words held little ground. While others dared not speak, Song Jinlan felt no such fear. She sneered, "The eldest brother is still in prison crying out his innocence! Who do you think you can fob off with a simple 'I don't know'?"

"Lord Pei, you must not be biased! My husband is still locked away on trumped-up charges and has already suffered dozens of lashes! This second brother is guilty of attempted murder and treason; surely he deserves a taste of the lash as well."

"Silence!" Pei Yan shot a glance at Song Jinlan before turning to Jiang Yunchan. "This matter concerns two high-ranking officials and must be brought before the Grand Court of Revision according to protocol. But a case requires a plaintiff..."

"I am willing to be the plaintiff!" Jiang Yunchan knelt and kowtowed without a moment's hesitation. As long as this case was brought into the light, Gu Huaizhou could be saved. As his wife-to-be, it was only right that she stand for him in court.

Yet, she failed to consider another outcome: she was accusing Xie Yan. If she won, Xie Yan would be utterly ruined.

Behind her, Xie Yan’s cold, dark gaze rested upon her. He was as calm as ever, yet it seemed as though a tempest was brewing, ready to swallow everything in its path.

With that, Pei Yan had no choice but to signal his bailiffs to take Xie Yan to the Grand Court of Revision. Dozens of bailiffs swarmed into the woodshed, surrounding Xie Yan and shackling him.

"Sister!" Xie Yan stood motionless, uttering only those two words. His clear, resonant voice cut through the chaotic crowd, yet it failed to reach Jiang Yunchan’s ears. She was too preoccupied with helping Gu Huaizhou to leave the estate, not even sparing a glance in his direction.

Xie Yan’s fingers, hidden behind his back, curled tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. "Sister, will you not ask for Huaizhou’s opinion?"

As Jiang Yunchan brushed past him, his voice drifted over, chilled by a few degrees. She paused in her tracks.

The members of the Crown Prince’s faction nearby immediately caught the implication and chimed in, "The heir is right! Why make this so complicated? Let us awaken Lord Gu and ask him exactly what happened. Wouldn't the truth be revealed then?"

"Indeed! To conclude that the heir is the culprit simply because Lord Gu is in his estate—isn't that too biased?"

Li Xiende, unwilling to lose his right-hand man, ordered, "Have the Chief Physician of the Imperial Academy come to the Marquis of Dingyang's residence immediately!"

Within the span of a tea break, several renowned imperial physicians arrived with their medicine chests. After silver needles were applied, Gu Huaizhou slowly and arduously opened his eyes.

"Huai-lang!" Jiang Yunchan cried tears of joy, pushing to the front of the crowd.

Gu Huaizhou’s clouded eyes shifted stiffly. The moment he saw Jiang Yunchan, a flicker of life returned to his gaze. "Chan... Chan'er..." He could hardly believe his eyes, and with great difficulty, he reached out to touch her face.

Jiang Yunchan knelt beside him, guiding his hand to her cheek. Her tears fell uncontrollably, landing in his palm. "Huai-lang, you're awake. I thought, I thought..."

"Chan'er, don't cry," Gu Huaizhou rasped, his fingertips gently brushing the wound on her cheek. "How did you get hurt so badly?" His touch was filled with such caution and heartbreak.

The onlookers watched the lovers' reunion with mixed expressions—some moved, others cynical. Song Jinlan scoffed, "Enough! You have plenty of time for this later! Let us get back to the matter at hand!"

The Chief Physician administered ginseng slices to help Gu Huaizhou regain his strength. Jiang Yunchan cradled him in her arms, gripping his hand. "Huai-lang, tell us exactly who harmed you. We are no longer afraid, we fear nothing."

Gu Huaizhou interlaced his fingers with hers, swallowing with difficulty. "It was... Xie Jin... who imprisoned me here!"

"That is a load of rubbish!" Upon hearing her husband's name, Song Jinlan’s temper flared. "A few days ago, I ordered my maid to gather peach blossoms from the Apricot Blossom Courtyard, but those short-sighted servants locked the gates! That was Xie Yan’s order! If he weren't hiding something, why lock the door?"

"This..." Pei Yan looked at Xie Yan with a troubled expression.

Xie Yan bowed politely, his gaze drifting to Jiang Yunchan and finally settling on their intertwined hands. "Sister, do you truly not know why I locked the gate?"

Jiang Yunchan stood five paces away, separated by the bailiffs. Yet, when he spoke, his warm breath seemed to permeate the crowd, brushing against the back of her hand. She flinched, releasing Gu Huaizhou’s hand, but she could only offer a vague, faltering response. How could she know why Xie Yan locked the gate?

Xie Yan shook his head helplessly. "Ever since my sister was a child, coming into contact with the rose pollen in this courtyard would cause her to break out in rashes. One year, it was so severe that she suffered a high fever, so every year during the blooming season, I have the courtyard locked. It has been this way for years, and there are records to prove it."

"This... this..." Song Jinlan recalled the matter as well, her tongue tripping. "But the Jiang cousin also said your robes smelled of the sachet belonging to Lord Gu?"

"I know nothing of that. Sister, on which day do you suspect I became tainted with this scent?" Xie Yan’s tone was relaxed, sounding not like someone making a desperate defense, but rather like someone asking for guidance.

Doubt clouded Jiang Yunchan’s mind as she whispered, "It must have been ten to fifteen days ago."

"Fifteen days ago?" Li Xiende slapped his palm. "That must have been when Lord Xie accompanied me here to transplant the southern crabapple trees, right?"

Li Xiende had admired the crabapple trees in the estate and had come with Xie Yan half a month ago to select some for the Eastern Palace. They had spent a long time in the courtyard that day; if Gu Huaizhou had been imprisoned there all along, it was perfectly reasonable for Xie Yan to have picked up some of the scent. The Crown Prince’s entourage of maids and attendants could all testify to this.

Song Jinlan, not daring to contradict the Crown Prince, pointed at Gu Huaizhou and demanded, "Don't you dare collude with Xie the Second to frame others! What reason would the eldest brother have to imprison you?"

"Because... because the Grand Court of Revision is secretly investigating Xie Jin for the embezzlement of military funds. He wanted to force me to hand over the evidence..." Gu Huaizhou struggled to sit up, his trembling hands pulling back the straw mat.

The mat was covered in dried blood, a testament to the severe torture Gu Huaizhou had endured. Yet, as a man of integrity, he refused to hand the evidence to Xie Jin.

Jiang Yunchan suspected he had hidden the evidence in the straw, so she knelt to help him search. At that very moment, a cold glint flashed through the air. A white-feathered arrow shot in through the window, aimed directly at Jiang Yunchan and Gu Huaizhou.

"Assassins!" The crowd scattered in a panic. The arrow flew with terrifying force, swift as lightning, poised to pierce through both of them.

A hand pushed Jiang Yunchan aside from behind. The arrow pierced Xie Yan’s arm, blood splattering onto Gu Huaizhou’s face. Already weak, Gu Huaizhou was so shocked that he fainted, his face smeared with blood.

"Huai-lang!" Jiang Yunchan, who had fallen to the ground, scrambled to catch him. "Physician! Physician! Huai-lang has fainted! There is so much blood!"

"Catch the assassin!"

"Save them!"

In the cramped woodshed, people rushed back and forth in utter chaos. Xie Yan lay on the floor, blood gushing from his chest, pooling around him. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw was the hem of a dark blue skirt drifting past as Jiang Yunchan followed the physicians away with Gu Huaizhou.

The sunlight at the doorway was blinding, making it impossible to see the path or the people within the light.

In the corner of the courtyard, Jiang Yunchan did not notice the fading gaze behind her. She only held Gu Huaizhou, using her sleeve to wipe the blood from his face. "Physician, how is he? He lost so much blood!"

The imperial physicians were all inside tending to the nobility; the one following Jiang Yunchan was a junior doctor. Unaccustomed to such scenes, he wiped the sweat from his brow and tucked a ginseng slice into Gu Huaizhou’s mouth. "Lord Gu is weak and needs to be in a well-ventilated space to catch his breath; he will wake up soon. Do not panic, young lady. Let me first examine his injuries."

"Thank you." Jiang Yunchan rested Gu Huaizhou’s head on her lap to make it easier for the physician.

The doctor examined Gu Huaizhou’s arm, his expression suddenly turning grave. "Physician, what is wrong with him?" Jiang Yunchan’s heart skipped a beat.

The physician pressed his hand down, signaling her to remain silent, and pulled back the collar of Gu Huaizhou's robe. Large red blisters covered his chest, some ruptured and crusted over, with dark, blackened marks spreading around the wounds. The physician checked his forehead, his own face turning pale. "Young lady, wait a moment; I must report this to the Chief Physician."

"Physician! Physician..." Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Yunchan called out, but he did not respond and hurried away without looking back.

Panicked, Jiang Yunchan laid Gu Huaizhou on the grass and started to follow, but a weak, trembling hand grabbed her wrist.

"Huai-lang!" Seeing him slowly open his eyes, Jiang Yunchan sat back down, helping him lean against the wall. "How are you feeling?"

"Chan'er, I am fine. Do not worry." Gu Huaizhou covered her cold hands with his own, breathing warmth onto them. "Seeing you, I am already well."

Gu Huaizhou was usually reserved, and Jiang Yunchan knew he was only saying this to put her at ease. She felt a mix of anger and shyness; tears like broken pearls rolled down her cheeks. "How can you be well? You are covered in blood."

Despite this, the scent of peach blossoms on him reached her, and her heart softened. She leaned against his shoulder, greedily feeling his genuine warmth. "I finally found you." During the days she couldn't find him, she had nightmares every night, her nerves stretched thin every moment in the Marquis's estate. Only now did she dare to breathe.

Gu Huaizhou turned his head, his lips brushing her hair. "I am dirty; I don't want to soil your clothes."

"I don't care!" Jiang Yunchan pouted, hugging his arm instead. Gu Huaizhou smiled indulgently, his large hand covering hers. "I am sorry. When I am better, I will surely complete our wedding ceremony."

"Oh! I have something for you!" From the blood-stained inner side of his belt, Gu Huaizhou retrieved a small oil-paper parcel and handed it to her.

Jiang Yunchan opened the crumpled paper to find a small, dried flower inside. Two petals were broken, but the shape was intact—it was clear he had protected this even while facing death.

"Before I was abducted, I went to your parents' grave in the outskirts of the capital to ask for their blessing. This wildflower bloomed on your mother's grave that very day." Gu Huaizhou held her hand. "I believe your mother has given her blessing; they will watch over us."

Jiang Yunchan’s eyes stung. After her parents passed away in Gusu, she could not move their remains to the ancestral grave, so she had cremated them and brought their ashes to the capital, burying them in secret. As a woman, it was inconvenient for her to visit, so Gu Huaizhou had been the one to pay his respects over these years. It seemed her parents approved of his character and had protected them so they could reunite.

"Don't cry. When we return to the Gu residence, I will accompany you to visit them. From now on, you can visit them whenever you wish." Gu Huaizhou patted her hand, gently describing a future of peace and harmony.

Jiang Yunchan looked forward to it, not wanting to stay in this suffocating place for another moment. "I will go find a sedan chair. We should return early so you can get treated."

Just as she was about to stand, a sedan chair was carried past them. The heir, who had been the "star of the show" today, lay upon it, his face devoid of color. His hand, hanging limp at his side, left a trail of blood on the ground. Behind him, a servant carried the blood-stained white-feathered arrow.

Had that arrow struck Xie Yan? Jiang Yunchan’s heart skipped a beat as she collided with his clouded, fading eyes.