cabinet first lady

Chapter 42 Mrs. Zhang finally admitted
In the middle of the night, Shen Wei came alone and quietly, and was injured, looking embarrassed as if he had escaped from something.

Could it be that someone assassinated him?

It is true that there are people who assassinate court officials, especially under the current situation, but it is not like it, because Shen Future is very secretive, showing that he does not want to make a statement.

And if it is an assassination, it should definitely not be this attitude.

When Zhang Anyi heard about Shen Wei's injury, his first reaction was to tell his servants not to tell it, which meant that he had a vague idea of ​​what happened to Shen Wei, and it was the kind that must never be told.

What will it be?Could it be related to Shen Wei's "rehabilitation"?
Ruan Muyang waited until midnight before Zhang Anyi came back.

Seeing that she was still awake, Zhang Anyi was a little surprised: "Why is Madam still awake?"

"How is Mrs. Shen? I just saw her pale face, a little scary." Ruan Muyang put away his thoughts and asked.

"Fortunately, the doctor came to see it, but the left arm was injured." Zhang Anyi obviously didn't want to say more, "It's getting late, madam, go to bed earlier."

Knowing that Zhang Anyi has practiced the skill of "Tai Chi" in the court hall to the point of perfection in the past few years, no matter how others ask him what he doesn't want to say, he can't get it out. He took the words back and said, "Second Lord, go to sleep too, he will enter the palace tomorrow."

That night, Ruan Muyang barely fell asleep, but he didn't dare to turn over and let Zhang Anyi find out.

In the next two days, Ruan Muyang secretly asked Han Shi to pay attention to the news outside, and found that there was no news that any court official was injured.

Obviously, the fact that Shen Wei was injured did not alarm others.

It was the day when I made an appointment with Luo Yu and Han Ruo to go to Lingri Mountain to enjoy the maple leaves.

When the three of them met, they naturally talked about Luo Yu's marriage first.

Seeing that Luo Yu was still a little unhappy, Ruan Muyang asked: "Have you seen that Jiang Hanyun?"

Luo Yu shook his head.What made her most depressed was that the marriage was settled without seeing anyone.

"Jiang Hanyun and my husband are in the same subject, and I heard that he is also a handsome scholar." Seeing that Luo Yu was still frowning, Ruan Muyang suggested, "Your grandfather dotes on you so much, why don't you ask him to find an opportunity to secretly See what Jiang Hanyun looks like? You can feel relieved when you see it."

Although this idea is a bit too unruly for other ladies, Luo Yu is someone who can do this kind of thing.

Sure enough, Luo Yu's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea!"

Seeing Ruan Muyang's complexion was a bit bad, Han Ruo asked, "Sister Ruan, what's wrong with you?"

Ruan Muyang smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that I don't know why I haven't slept well these few nights."

Now that there is a solution to the problem in her mind, Luo Yu also talked more, saying: "I didn't sleep well one night before, there was a thief at home, and my grandfather sent people to search it, and the trouble lasted all night."

Ruan Muyang's heart moved, and he asked: "What happened that night? Why didn't anyone say anything about it?" She vaguely felt that this matter was related to the things that lingered in her heart these days.

"What happened the night before." Luo Yu replied.

"Did the thief catch it?"

"No."

On the same night, in the capital city, and Luo Mansion and Zhang Mansion are separated by a street, the thief is undoubtedly Shen Wei.

But what did she do in Luo Mansion?Are you looking for something?
Ruan Muyang felt that because of this incident, Shen Wei's identity was faintly showing signs of coming to the surface.

It's not that she didn't want to check Shen Wei's background before, but in the early years, Emperor Wu killed too many ministers unjustly, it can be said that there are countless, and the only thing that shocked the government and the people can be handed down after many years is the corruption of Qi Youguang. Qi Youguang was involved in the case, and the others who were not the principal culprits would be almost forgotten, only the royal family would record them in the booklet.And those brochures are all in the Hanlin Academy, and she, a woman, cannot see them.

This matter was originally carried out without telling Zhang Anyi, so naturally he couldn't be asked to help.

But now, Ruan Muyang has a very suitable candidate.

This man might help him.

"Sister Ruan, when my grandfather promises me to secretly watch Jiang Hanyun, you and Han Ruo can come and watch with me." Luo Yu is a woman after all, so she feels a little embarrassed.And she also wanted the opinions of people like Ruan Muyang who came here.

Ruan Muyang originally wanted to agree, but he thought of what Zhang Anyi told her not to get so close to the Luo family, so he said, "It's fine for you girls to watch. I'm a woman, how bad would it be if people knew about it?"

"I won't let others know."

"No, let's see."

Whatever Ren Luoyu said, Ruan Muyang just didn't agree.

Fortunately, although Luo Yu's personality is savage, she is not malicious and very straightforward. When she doesn't agree, she just gives up and doesn't hold grudges.

"Luo Yu, you will be happy." Ruan Muyang said sincerely.

The three of them had already admired the last maple leaves, and in a few days the maple leaves would all fall, and winter was approaching.

Into November, the weather becomes cold.

After being pushed into the water by Ruan Muxi by the meditation pool a few years ago, Ruan Muyang's legs suffered from the root cause of the disease. Whenever he caught cold, his knees hurt, and after more than two years of recuperation, he still didn't get better.So in winter, her legs are particularly afraid of the cold, and the charcoal in the house is also warm.

One night, when the moon was in the sky, after Han Shi came in and said something to Ruan Muyang, she asked Fang Fang to bring her a cloak.

"Ma'am, where are you going so late?" Dian Cui asked suspiciously.

Zhang Anyi was still in the study, discussing the final revision of "Guanghua Shengdian" with the editors of Hanlin and Shu Jishi.

Ruan Muyang said: "I'm so bored in the house, take a walk in the yard and look at the moon."

Dian Cui didn't know what the moon outside was so beautiful in such a cold day, so she put on a cloak for Ruan Muyang with a puzzled face and followed her out.

Ruan Muyang stopped in one part of the yard.From her place, one could vaguely see the people coming and going in Zhang Anyi's study.And as long as those people don't pay attention, they can't see her.

Suddenly, a man came out with a lamp.

"Ah, it's that disciple!" Dian Cui said softly.

This is the person Ruan Muyang will be waiting for tonight.She deliberately asked Han Shi to watch to see when Yin Ji would come again.Today finally made her wait.

"I'll go out for a while, Fang Fang will follow me, and Diancui is in the room. If the second master comes back early, I will take Fang Fang outside for a walk to digest food." After giving the order, Ruan Muyang asked Fang Fang to take a lamp and went out. Cloud Chuanyuan.

Faintly feeling that someone was following him, Yin Ji stopped and turned around, but he didn't expect to see Ruan Muyang.

He was a little surprised at first, then raised his lips and said, "Madam Zhang, what a coincidence."

Ruan Muyang asked Fang Fang to take the lamp and go not far away to watch. "Thank you Yin Bangyan for the previous incident."

"No, Mrs. Zhang has already thanked you." Yin Ji said, "I didn't expect Mrs. Zhang to drink so well." Because the enamel was taken away, Ruan Muyang stood in the dark, and the weak light in the courtyard could only blur her figure. It is clearly illuminated, but it is also exquisite.

"It's just that I didn't expect Mrs. Zhang to be assassinated at home." He has a deep understanding of the dirty things in the house, "It seems that Mrs. Zhang's life in the mansion is not as satisfactory as the official thought. "

After knowing Zhang Anyu's identity, he knew that someone wanted to frame Ruan Muyang for having an affair with Zhang Anyu.

Some people would dare to harm her status as a third-rank imperial edict.

Ruan Muyang didn't want to mention this matter, so he briefly said: "This matter has been resolved."

"That's good. Otherwise, the lower officials will think that Zhang Ge's majesty is no longer effective in the Zhang family." Yin Ji's tone revealed his dissatisfaction with Zhang Anyi.

Ruan Muyang didn't pay attention to it because he was worried that someone would pass by and his mind wasn't on it, so he didn't hear it.She moved closer to him and said, "Can Yin Bangyan take a step to speak?"

Unexpectedly, she was looking for something to do with him, and she still looked like she wanted something from him. Yin Ji raised his eyebrows and said, "Naturally."

They walked to the wall not far away.

Because he got closer, the faint scent of Ruan Muyang penetrated into Yin Ji's nose. This scent made his memory clearer, and the scene in the temple outside Yangzhou city came back to his mind.

"I'm dissatisfied with Yin Bangyan, I have something to ask." Ruan Muyang said softly.

Yin Ji seemed to have discovered something funny, and asked frivolously in his complacent tone: "Oh? I don't know what Mrs. Zhang has to hide from Mr. Zhang Ge, and come to ask the next official for help?" As he spoke, he He deliberately leaned the lamp in his hand towards Ruan Muyang, as if he wanted to see her current expression clearly.

He was really surprised that she would ask him for help.

Thinking of her dignified and noble appearance on weekdays, Yin Ji really wanted to see her begging expression and whether she was still so superior.

His harsh tone and attitude made Ruan Muyang frown.She knew he said that on purpose, trying to annoy her.

"He -- he doesn't know about this matter, and only Yin Bangyan can help me."

"I don't know what kind of help Mrs. Zhang wants from the official?" Yin Ji looked at Ruan Muyang with great interest.

Perhaps it was because of the past when he was outside Yangzhou City, or because he knew that Yin Ji seemed to have some special feelings for him. Although Ruan Muyang thought he was frivolous, he still trusted him.If Yin Ji can help, then she will be closer to Shen Wei's true identity.

Thinking of this, her heartbeat became a little faster, and her throat felt a little dry when she spoke: "I want Yin Bangyan to find out for me whether there is an adult surnamed Shen among the ministers killed by the Holy Majesty over the years." Shen Wei's The matter has always been a knot in her heart, and she has never told anyone about it, but now she has indirectly brought Yin Ji to the edge of the matter.

Yin Ji didn't expect that Ruan Muyang asked him to check this.

Why does a woman want to investigate the affairs of the court?Or the minister who was killed by the Holy Majesty.

He gradually put away his frivolous eyes, and re-examined Ruan Muyang.When he returned to Yin's house in Yangzhou, he experienced such insidious intrigues and participated in extremely cruel sibling struggles. Naturally, the city today is not comparable to what it was back then.

He vaguely felt that Ruan Muyang was not that simple.

Seeing that she didn't speak for a long time, Ruan Muyang frowned, and his tone became unfriendly: "Did you hear me?"

Yin Ji smiled, his tone was the same as before, high and high.

"I don't know why Mrs. Zhang asked the next official to investigate the official surnamed Shen?" He asked tentatively.

Ruan Muyang noticed his intention, and his voice became a little cold: "You don't need to know about these Yin Bangs."

Yin Ji found it funny that she was sure that he would help, and she didn't seem to be begging for help at all. "Why does Mrs. Zhang think that if you don't say anything, the next official will agree?"

However, he is very useful to her attitude like this, and he just loves her attitude of being superior to him.

He suddenly thought of a word to describe himself - cheap.

Really cheap.

He himself felt that he was too unfulfilling, and he hadn't been so unpromising for several years.

Ruan Muyang expected that Yin Ji would not agree so readily, so he curled his lips and said, "Just because I had someone drag you out of the muddy water outside Yangzhou city, and then you were raped by your family members outside Yangzhou city." Pursue and kill, my people helped you escape."

Following Ruan Muyang's dignified and soft voice, the relationship between the two was finally brought to the fore. The past was like a tidal wave, bringing with it the hazy vapor of Yangzhou City.

Hearing her admitting her identity, Yin Ji's lips rose at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the frivolity in his eyes was gradually replaced by a kind of kindness when he saw an old friend, and he said meaningfully: "You finally admitted, Mrs. Leng Xin .Are you all right?"

"Lengxin" refers to her cold heart.

"You found out earlier." Ruan Muyang asked.

Feeling that Ruan Muyang seemed a little afraid of the cold, it was not because of the moonlight, her face seemed to be a little pale from the cold, so Yin Ji moved a little closer to her, shielding her from the wind, and then nodded incredulously. Said: "But this is different from you admitting it. I didn't expect that we would meet again, and it made me see what you look like."

——Either live uselessly, or become stronger, and trample those people under their feet in the future.

——In this world, either you eat others, or others eat all the bones you eat.

Yin Ji still remembers that day outside Yangzhou City, after many days of heavy rain, the air was moist and the ground was still muddy, Ruan Muyang's calm but shocking words, his face covered, hit the ground with a clang. in his mind.

He was 15 years old that year, and she.

In the many dark days that followed, he always remembered her words.

Now he is eighteen and she is twenty-one.

Three years passed in a flash.

Seeing that his words became more and more out of tune, more and more frivolous, Ruan Muyang frowned, and asked in a bad tone: "Then will you help me or not?"

Yin Ji suppressed the emotion in his eyes and smiled, "Of course I helped."

Ruan Muyang found that this person was hard-nosed, and he couldn't talk to him well, so he had to use a weaker tone to listen to him.

"Then Lao Yin will be No. [-] in the list. If it is found out, we will send someone to look for cold food at the gatehouse." She said, "You should remember him."

Yin Ji had a smile in his eyes: "Of course I remember."

After all, I was talking to the man late at night, so I couldn't stay for a long time, Ruan Muyang looked around and said: "Then I will leave first."

"Okay." Watching her leave, Yin Ji suddenly remembered something, and said, "If Mrs. Zhang has anything to do, you can ask Han Shi to find me in the official residence. I live in the official residence now."

How can I find him other than this matter?Ruan Muyang guessed that it was probably because of Zheng Shu's harm to her before, and he misunderstood that she was not doing well in Zhang's house.This kind of concern made her suddenly feel that although Yin Ji was a bit of a scoundrel, he was a good person, and he knew how to repay him.

Ruan Muyang didn't explain either, but wrapped his cloak tightly and said, "Okay."

While Ruan Muyang was waiting for news from Yin Ji, a piece of news reached Zhang's residence——Zheng Shu died on the way back to Jingzhou.

After hearing this, the old lady sighed, and said to Mrs. Li: "Although Zheng Shu did such a thing, she is still a relative after all, and she walked on the way back from the Zhang family. See if there is anything the Zheng family can help you with?" place."

Li Shi nodded while wiping away tears, then looked at Ruan Muyang angrily.

Leaving from the old lady, Diancui said: "It's true that evil comes with evil."

For Zheng Shu's death, although Ruan Muyang sighed, he did not sympathize.She said to Fang Fang: "Go and tell Han Shi in a while, let him continue to do what I ordered before." She ordered Han Shi to spread in Jingzhou what Zheng Shu did when she was in the capital, it cannot be because she died accidentally on the way It calmed down, and it could be regarded as a reminder to the Li family and the Zheng family not to think about it any more.

"Yes."

When Zhang Anyi came back in the evening, Ruan Muyang told him about Zheng Shu.

"Really?" Zhang Anyi's eyes were still soft, without any waves, "Let's take it upon ourselves."

Seeing that he was indifferent, Ruan Muyang couldn't help asking tentatively: "This is also a peach blossom after all, and the second master is not emotional at all?"

"Madam, do you want me to express my feelings?" Zhang Anyi asked with a smile.

Naturally it is not desirable.

But Ruan Muyang felt that such Zhang Anyi was a little heartless.She couldn't even imagine that one day he found out that he had lied to him, designed him, and done many things behind his back. How would he treat her? Would he be as ruthless as he was to Zheng Shu?

In the morning of the next day, Ruan Muyang went to greet Mrs. Li.

Li's eyes were a little red, and his spirit was not very good, obviously because of Zheng Shu's death.

Ruan Muyang thought it was funny, she was just an outsider who did something that hurt her daughter-in-law, yet she was still so sad, she really didn't care about the seriousness, she was so confused.

Mrs. Li kept Ruan Muyang behind, and after Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Chen left, she looked at Ruan Muyang and said in a firm tone, "The strange thing about Shu'er's death is that you did it secretly, right?"

Facing her question, Ruan Muyang was extremely surprised.

It is true that she also felt that Zheng Shu's death was a bit strange, why did she suddenly contract a serious illness on the road?

"Mother, this matter has nothing to do with me." Ruan Muyang explained calmly.

Li Shi obviously didn't believe it.She said angrily in her tone: "Who else would want Shu'er to die except you?"

These words made Ruan Muyang lose the last bit of patience and affection for Li Shi.She thinks that Mrs. Li is a mother-in-law, and she tolerates and tolerates her in every possible way. Who knows that she even poured dirty water on herself now, thinking that she killed Zheng Shu.

"Mother has to have evidence for saying such a thing, otherwise she is slandering Mrs. Gao Ming." Ruan Muyang no longer cared about the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Being pressured by Ruan Muyang's status, Li Shi felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Mother, Zheng Shu was really not killed by me. If it was really me, I will definitely admit it if you ask me this way." Having said this, Ruan Muyang paused, with a bit of indifference and arrogance in his tone, "Because I'm not afraid of being killed. People know that I killed her. She intends to murder her wife, which is a capital offense. I can still kill such a person and bear the consequences."

After that, she stopped looking at Li Shi's face, turned around and left with Diancui and Fanglang.

Mrs. Li was really confused.

The relationship between their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has reached the point where there is no room for relaxation.

The matter of Zheng Shu passed in this way, except for Li Shi, there was no disturbance in the Zhang family.

It will soon enter the twelfth lunar month.

One day, Han Shi came to Ruan Muyang's room, wrote a letter to Ruan Muyang, and said, "Ma'am, Master Yin sent this to me, saying that it is what Madam wants. Did he recognize us?" Han Shi didn't know that Ruan Muyang had admitted his identity in front of Yin Ji.When the person looking for him said that he was Lord Yin's subordinate, Han Shi was so surprised that he almost confiscated it.

Seeing Han Shi's reaction, Ruan Muyang found it funny, and said, "I know." It seems that the impression Yin Ji left on them back then was really bad, and even Han Shi was afraid that he would entangle him again.

After ordering everyone to go down, Ruan Muyang came to the case and sat down, and opened the envelope.

The envelope listed more than 30 officials surnamed Shen, and the reasons why they were killed, all of whom were killed by Emperor Wu in the past 20 years.

At the end of the letter there is a line of fine print—there are so many files, in order to fulfill Mrs. Zhang's entrustment, the official has not had a good night's sleep for more than half a month.

There is an invitation for credit between the lines, and his usual frivolity in the tone.

Ruan Muyang hooked his lips, pretending he didn't see it.

Although it is very difficult to check among more than 30 officials, it is much better than the original aimless one.

Ruan Muyang looked at each of them, and found that these officials were almost the same except for the crimes they committed and the size of their positions. There was almost nothing special about them.

Fortunately, Yin Ji wrote down the final fate of each official's crimes very thoroughly.

She remembered that Zhang Anyi had said that Shen Wei was the only one left in the Shen family, so she picked out the ones who had been ransacked, and there were 12 people left in total.

Shen Wei's true identity is probably hidden among these 12 people.

Here is her family.

Feeling that a secret is about to surface, and many doubts will emerge along with Shen Wei's true identity, Ruan Muyang's heart surges, his palms are sweating, his breathing becomes uncontrollably rapid, and his heart beats faster.

These officials were very unfamiliar to her, because she was still young when many of them died, and some of them died when she was only five or six years old.

After looking at the names of these twelve people, she suddenly found that one of the names looked familiar - Shen Lian.

Shen Lian, Dali Temple Minister, died in a corruption case 15 years ago.

Her intuition told her that Shen Wei was probably related to this Shen Lian.

But where did she see this name?

The more nervous and excited you are, the more chaotic your mind will be.Ruan Muyang had to force himself to calm down and remember.

Finally, she got a conjecture that surprised her.

She stood up abruptly and walked out of the room.She needs to verify it. If it is what she thinks, then everything makes sense.

(End of this chapter)