Wei Qingyan had never known that Du Xueyi, a grown man, could cry so much.
She endured and endured, but even after half an hour, he showed no sign of stopping. Finally unable to bear it any longer, she snapped, “Let go, get up.”
Years of habit had ingrained obedience to Wei Qingyan deep into Du Xueyi’s bones.
He promptly released his grip, stood up, and looked at Wei Qingyan with tear-filled eyes. “General, is she here?”
After three years of training under the General, he had thought his skills were quite good, but when he tried to defeat the General, he ended up being subdued instead. The moves they had just exchanged were exactly the same as back then.
That time, too, was in this empty room, on this very spot on the floor, where he had been pinned under the General’s foot, after which he wholeheartedly acknowledged him as his leader.
It really was the General who had returned, though he didn’t understand why he had become a woman.
If even the General could come back, how could he dare not believe that Lady Fang had become a resentful spirit after death?
To have her innocence slandered by her grandmother-in-law, her life plotted against, her dowry seized, and her daughter abused—if it were him, he would have returned for revenge too.
Wei Qingyan avoided looking at his tear-streaked face and nodded.
Suddenly, Du Xueyi felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced around but saw nothing. Rubbing his face, he spoke to the air, “Lady Fang, I wronged you, and I wronged our child.
I didn’t trust you enough. I believed Grandmother’s words without verifying them, doubted the child’s parentage, and allowed her to suffer. From now on, I will never let her endure hardship again. I will raise her well. As for those who harmed you…”
He paused briefly, then closed his eyes. “I will hand them over to the authorities.”
A life for a life—even if it were his grandmother, he could not shield her.
“She disagrees with handing them over to the authorities,” Wei Qingyan said coolly, looking toward the door.
Du Xueyi froze, following her gaze. “Why?”
Wei Qingyan shook her head. Without the Gongdeyin, this was all she could sense, though she could guess the reason.
The blood-red hue in the black mist faded; Du Xueyi’s apology had somewhat lessened Lady Fang’s resentment.
Wei Qingyan sighed inwardly. She needed to retrieve the Gongdeyin as soon as possible.
Du Xueyi assumed Wei Qingyan couldn’t reveal more. The returned General was somewhat mysterious. He glanced at the ground—there was a shadow, so she was alive.
Not daring to ask too much about the General’s affairs, he returned to his own matters. “Earlier, General, you said that Lady Fang had become a resentful spirit and needed her grievances cleared to enter the cycle of reincarnation, or she would turn into a demon.
Now that she refuses to report to the authorities, does she want to take revenge herself? Would doing so also affect her? What should I do to help her?”
“The human world has its order. Those who do not belong to this realm will ultimately face soul dissipation—it’s only a matter of time. Lady Fang is innocent; she shouldn’t meet such an end.”
Wei Qingyan looked at him. “If Du Laofuren could do such things to Lady Fang, might there be other matters you’re unaware of? Have you investigated thoroughly?”
In the past, she hadn’t understood the filth of the inner household either, but after seeing so much with Fat Monk over the years, she couldn’t help but think more deeply.
Lady Fang’s resentment sought out Du Laofuren for revenge, yet she didn’t want Du Xueyi to use her case to report to the authorities. She was likely worried that if certain things spread, falsehoods could become truths.
With a mother suspected of adultery, how would the world view Xiaoxiao in the future?
In this world, it is hard to be a woman.
Perhaps this was what Lady Fang feared.
Then they needed to find other charges to bring Du Laofuren to justice.
“I’ll investigate,” Du Xueyi said without hesitation, rising to his feet.
Once you become aware of a person’s hidden side, many things begin to connect.
As he reached the doorway, he turned back hesitantly and asked, “General, will you leave?”
His tone was cautious and careful.
Wei Qingyan smiled. “I am your sister. This is my home.”
Once the truth is uncovered and vengeance is served, she would still have to leave.
But there was no need to mention such things so soon after their reunion.
Du Xueyi nodded vigorously. “Yes, this is your home.”
The General was now in a woman’s body and could no longer return to the Guardian General’s residence—she had no home left.
But it didn’t matter. The General had saved his life multiple times, so his home would be her home.
“Don’t call me General anymore,” Wei Qingyan said calmly. “Now, I am Chang Qingnian.”
The Guardian General no longer existed in this world.
“Yes, Xueyi understands. I will never tell another soul.” Du Xueyi wiped his eyes. “It’s just… it’s unfair to you. A true man, now inhabiting a woman’s body.”
But at least she was alive.
Seeing him on the verge of tears again, Wei Qingyan’s lips twitched slightly.
To conceal her identity before, Abu had taken her place to bathe in the river with the soldiers.
When disguised as a man, she wore specially made boots to appear as tall as an ordinary man. In Du Xueyi’s mind, she was a genuine man.
Given her current appearance, it was natural for him not to suspect she had always been a woman.
Wei Qingyan didn’t explain further. Instead, she recalled another matter—Abu’s appearance.
She had smuggled Abu out of the palace’s slave quarters when they were young. At the time, he was skin and bones, bullied by a group of eunuchs. Unable to bear it, she hid him in her sedan chair and brought him out of the palace, secretly raising him in her courtyard.
Unexpectedly, once Abu gained weight, he bore a striking resemblance to her—seven parts alike.
She had once thought it a coincidence, but now she dared not trust any coincidence lightly.
Wei Qingyan gazed toward the palace. It was time to investigate…
Before leaving, Du Xueyi went to see Xiaoxiao.
The more he looked at her, the more guilt he felt. He decided to prioritize investigating the matter concerning the Old Madam.
At the same time, he gave orders: Chang Qingnian was his long-lost biological sister, the legitimate daughter of Anyuan Houfu. All servants in the household must respect the young lady as they respected him.
The servants dared not disobey, for too much had happened that day, leaving everyone in a state of anxiety.
All entrances and exits of the Marquis’s estate were guarded by soldiers.
The Old Madam’s beloved niece had been knocked unconscious by the newly found legitimate daughter.
Upon learning of this, the Marquis not only did not reprimand the legitimate daughter but also forbade the niece’s maid from leaving to fetch a physician.
The Steward and several elders from the Old Madam’s courtyard were carried out of the Marquis’s quarters, bloodied and battered. It was said they had committed wrongdoings and were exposed by the Marquis.
No one knew the specifics.
Thus, when Du Xueyi summoned people for questioning, it went exceptionally smoothly. Without much effort, those questioned confessed everything honestly.
But the more he learned, the darker Du Xueyi’s expression grew.
That night, the light in Du Xueyi’s study burned until dawn.
Wei Qingyan also slept little.
In the first half of the night, she was unaccustomed to having a baby by her side. In the latter half, her vitality began to drain away bit by bit.
Though not as severe as in the hot springs, the rate of loss was still concerning.
She needed to find Shi Yu.
Opening the door, she saw Du Xueyi sitting on the corridor, dark circles under his eyes.
“Gen—” Realizing his mistake, he corrected himself. “I need to leave the city today to investigate some matters. Could I trouble you to watch over Xiaoxiao?”
The only person he could trust now was the General.
Wei Qingyan lowered her gaze to look at the little one who was also looking up at her.
When she got up in the morning, Xiaoxiao had also woken up, seemingly afraid that she would run away, following closely behind her step by step.
Yesterday, she had struck Guan Yu’er. If she left Xiaoxiao alone in the mansion today, there was no guarantee that Guan Yu’er wouldn’t seek revenge.
So she nodded, “Alright, I’ll take her out. Are you at ease with that?”
“You’re going out?”
If accompanied by Du Xueyi, it would be easier to meet Shi Yu. But seeing his gloomy expression, it seemed the matters uncovered during yesterday’s interrogation were significant, and he would likely be busy all day.
Wei Qingyan faintly hummed in acknowledgment.
“I’m at ease, but the Minister of War, Wu Yuchu, has been assassinated. Today, the streets are filled with patrolling soldiers and constables.
You haven’t been in the capital for many years. How about I have A Lu accompany you?”
His heart was weighed down by many matters, so he didn’t notice the change in Wei Qingyan’s expression upon hearing this, nor did he ponder the connection between Wu Yuchu and Wei Qingyan.
Wei Qingyan didn’t refuse.
What she needed to do today would be inconvenient with a child in tow. Having A Lu help keep an eye on her would be better.
Unaware that she had become a tool, A Lu carried Xiaoxiao and followed Wei Qingyan out of the mansion.
Meanwhile, Shi Yu had learned from his guards last night that Wei Qingyan had entered Anyuan Houfu and stayed as Du Xueyi’s younger sister.
Upon hearing Dong Cang’s report that Wei Qingyan had taken a child to Yu Yan Lou, he pondered for only a moment before saying to Jing Zhe, “Prepare the carriage.”