At the Tang Mansion, Tang Ning was coaxing little A'ju, who had just changed her name. On the other side, Gu Helian took Princess Cheng to the unfinished academy in the south of the city.
The moon was hanging in the sky, and Princess Cheng was kneeling in front of the grave with fresh soil. Mu Feng and others had already retreated away.
Gu Helian was rarely seen in plain clothes. She stood a few steps away from her, looking at the woman in front of her with red eyes.
"Last night, I accompanied Tang Ning to the Song family to move the graves and buried Rong's elder sister and her family here. Do you know what we saw when we went there? Their coffins were opened, their bones were in disarray, and there were talismans and blood on the inside."
"Tang Ning almost went crazy, but he had to force himself to calm down."
Seeing Rong Yue's body trembling slightly, Gu Helian's voice became slightly lower.
"I know you are sad about what happened during this period, and you regret your years of love, but you don't eat or drink every day, and you are sad and grief-stricken, but you are never hurt by Xie Tianyu."
"Tang Ning has been running around with Xiao Yan for a while, and Rong's sister and Song Xi are even more unwilling to die. If you really can't recover and continue to be depressed, who will avenge them?"
"Revenge?" Rong Yue hissed and turned around.
Gu Helian lowered his eyes and looked at her: "Do you really think their death was just an accident?"
"When the couple died suddenly, everyone thought it was an accident, but their graves were dug up after they died, and their bodies were destroyed. They can hardly rest in peace even in the ground."
"I have already asked Xiao Yan. This matter is closely related to the aristocratic family and the royal family. It is very likely that it is also related to other things. It will not be easy to track down."
"There are only you and Tang Ning left in the Rong family now. Are you going to put all the pressure on a little girl like her, asking her to find out the truth for her parents while taking care of you who is too sad to come out of your shell?"
"Rong Yue, you shouldn't be like this."
She has a clear distinction between love and hate. Even if she is vindictive, she will pay back those who bully her a thousand times. She lives more vividly than anyone else, and she shouldn't be so self-pitying.
Rong Yue's eyes became even redder as she listened to the words behind her. Looking at the new grave in front of her and thinking about the confusion she had experienced these days, she suddenly fell down in front of the grave and started crying.
From the initial whimpering sound to the subsequent loud crying, it was as if she wanted to vent all the grievances and sadness.
Gu Helian squatted beside her and wanted to reach out and pat her on the back, but he pulled his hand back halfway.
"Rong Yue, you still have Tang Ning..."
And me too...
The second half of the sentence was lingering on his lips and was never uttered. This usually unrestrained man was now filled with timidity. After he put away his arrogance, he just stood by silently.
…
It was already late at night when Gu Helian and the others returned to the Tang Mansion. After sending Rong Yue back to her room to rest, he sat silently in the side corridor all night until he fell asleep leaning against the pillar when it was almost dawn.
When Rong Yue woke up, she felt that the illness in her heart seemed to have disappeared.
"The princess looks much better today." Xichun was full of joy as she helped her up.
Rong Yue looked at the person in the glasses. Her face was much thinner and not as delicate as before. She changed into a bright dress that she hadn't worn for a long time, and asked Xichun to tie her hair. After tying the belt around her waist, she said, "Send someone to bring food over. I'm hungry."
Xichun smiled and said, "Master Gu had someone prepare it last night, saying that you might be hungry when you wake up. I will go get it right away."
"Wait." Rong Yue called Xichun and said after a moment of silence, "Where is he?"
Xichun was stunned.
Rong Yue pursed her lips: "Gu Helian."
Xichun said hurriedly: "He's outside."
This time it was Rong Yue's turn to be stunned. Outside? She quickly got up and walked to the window, and saw Gu Helian sleeping with her eyes closed against the pillar outside.
He was leaning there with his clothes on, his long legs stretched out randomly on the ground as if he had no place to put them. The summer sun shone through the edge of the eaves and fell on the sleeping man's face, revealing the most defenseless side of this man who had always been extremely flamboyant.
There were stubbles on his chin and his face looked extremely tired. Normally, he was full of venom and sharp tongue, but now, even when he was asleep, his lips were slightly pursed.
"Master Gu hasn't had much rest for several days. After sending you back last night, he has been waiting outside the window. I tried to persuade him twice but he refused to leave, so I had no choice but to let him go." Xichun said in a low voice and asked, "Do you want me to wake Master Gu up?"
Rong Yue said, "Go get some food first, take more."
Xichun nodded and walked out through the main door without waking up Gu Helian.
Rong Yue stood by the window and looked at the person sleeping outside. For a moment, she felt like she was back in the past.
I still remember that when he was young, Gu Helian was always different from other children of officials. He didn't like reading and didn't like rules. Although his father was a serious and dull person, he always liked to make trouble. His father said that he was smart, but he never focused on the right path and liked all kinds of unconventional things.
He always found some rare and strange things and never lacked money. He would buy pearl flowers and make clothes for her and her sister, and take them to the theater. Sometimes when she and her sister were sitting under a tree reading, a head would pop out from the treetops above their heads and grin at them.
"Sister, Rong Yue."
Every time she would glare at him, angry that he called her sister but called her by her name.
When Xichun came back with breakfast, Rongyue reached out and picked a flower bud that had not yet opened from the pomegranate potted plant by the windowsill and threw it straight out.
Gu Helian woke up instantly and looked up to see Rong Yue standing by the window.
The red dress was dazzling and the phoenix eyes were bright. For a moment, he seemed to have seen the young Second Mother of the Rong family.
"What are you standing there for? Get up and eat."
"ah?"
"Ah what, you don't want to eat?"
Seeing Rong Yue frowning, as if she didn't want to eat, Gu Helian came to her senses. Before she could figure out what was going on, she quickly climbed up from the ground using both her hands and feet. Before she could even stand still, she hurriedly said, "Eat!!"
Never mind, just eat it first.
Rong Yue rolled her eyes, and Xichun stood in the room, covering her mouth and laughing.
…
When Tang Ning came to see Rong Yue again, he found that her spirit had improved visibly. She was no longer as confused as she had been in the past few days, and her eyes were clear now.
Rong Yue looked calm when she asked about Prince Cheng. Although Tang Ning didn't know how Gu Helian did it, she was happy that her aunt was able to get over it. She had never hidden the matter of Prince Cheng, and told Rong Yue about the Lu family, Queen Lu, and everything they had guessed.
Rong Yue was a little shocked, but more surprised: "It turned out to be her..."
Tang Ning said, "There is no evidence yet, but after my brother's probing, she did send someone to the Lu family. If Madam Lu is really like we guessed, and she took the blame for someone else, then we can be sure that it was Queen Lu who had an affair with Prince Cheng all these years."
Rong Yue's face looked a little bad. She couldn't say whether she had a good or bad impression of Queen Lu, but after marrying Xie Tianyu and becoming a "sister-in-law", the two of them had always had close contact. Especially after Tang Ning got engaged to the Lu family, she had frequently gone in and out of Fengxi Palace and had a very close relationship with Queen Lu.
Rong Yue was silent for a moment: "Is Xie Yin not Xie Tianyu's bloodline?"
If it was true that Queen Lu had been so cruel to those who married Prince Cheng, she would not have allowed Xie Tianyu to have bloodlines with other women. As for Queen Lu, it was impossible for her to give birth to a son quietly, so Xie Yin could only have been adopted from somewhere else.
Tang Ning said "hmm": "It should be the Lu family's bloodline, but I don't know exactly who it is."
Rong Yue said: "Lu Qingfeng is a very scheming person. Since she has been plotting against Xie Tianyu for many years, she would not just bring a child back to occupy the position of the prince of the Cheng Palace. She would not check who gave birth to a child in the Lu family that year, or the babies who died..."
She paused, then remembered something and said, "Although Lu Qingfeng was adopted by Lu Chongyuan, she is not as close to Lu Chongyuan as her biological parents. If we can't find anything from the Lu family, we can check with her biological parents. Maybe there will be clues."
Tang Ning nodded: "I will tell my brother."
Rong Yue said in a deep voice: "This matter concerns the Queen. Whether it is true or false, once it is revealed, it will hurt the reputation of the royal family. Even if you and Xiao Yan get the evidence, remember not to come forward. If possible, find someone to expose this matter."
Tang Ning said: "Don't worry, aunt, my brother has already made arrangements."
"That's good."
The two of them discussed the matter of Queen Lu in a low voice. Rong Yue also learned from Tang Ning that Prince Cheng was punished. Neither the aunt nor the nephew mentioned the child who was exchanged that year. Even Rong Yue herself seemed to be sure that the child was dead. She never mentioned it and didn't ask a single question.
Rong Yue said to Tang Ning: "In the next few days, I will find an opportunity to report to His Majesty and divorce Xie Tianyu."
Tang Ning frowned: "Will His Majesty agree?"
"Xie Tianyu was plotting treason and nearly killed me. He deceived me for many years and ruined my engagement. Even for the sake of the royal family's reputation, he would have agreed."
Rong Yue didn't know Emperor An very well, but she knew that he was a man with a strong sense of dignity. She was sure that she could get Emperor An to agree to their divorce. If he didn't agree...
Then you can't blame her for using other means.
Anyway, it's the royal family who is embarrassed.
Rong Yue looked at Tang Ning and said, "Don't worry about my affairs. I was confused before and almost got you into trouble. I won't do that again in the future."
She will protect Tang Ning and seek justice for her sister.
The girl from the Rong family is not so easy to bully, even if that man is the queen!