Chapter 113: Hello Chang’an
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**Chapter 113: My Affection for Pan An**
Amidst the murmurs of astonishment, Yao Yi spoke up, “The matter regarding Zhou Ding is indeed related to me, so I ask everyone to be patient and allow me to explain the truth.”
With his official status and prestige, his words immediately silenced the crowd.
Yao Yi’s expression grew serious. “This matter begins with my ex-wife, the Pei family.”
The surroundings remained quiet, but the exchange of glances among the crowd grew more frequent.
The incident concerning the Pei family was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the punishment of Pei shi, the former wife of the Minister Yao, at Dayun Temple had never been a secret.
Equally well-known was the fact that Pei shi had viciously targeted the daughter of the Chang family out of suspicion that she was the illegitimate daughter of Minister Yao.
Yet, prior to this, it had only been hearsay, whispered in private, at most discussed quietly in the shadows.
But now, at this moment… they could actually hear the true account of the matter from the mouth of Minister Yao himself?
Without spending a single coin, they could be present at a scene filled with high officials and scholarly elites, indulging in fine wine and poetry. And now, they could even listen to Minister Yao speak about personal matters to satisfy their curiosity…
Did they deserve such privilege?
What right did they have?
The group of Scholars felt a mix of surprise and unease, yet this did not prevent them from leaning forward eagerly, afraid to miss anything.
“Previously, Pei shi poisoned a sacred elephant and ruined a prayer ceremony at Dayun Temple. The motive behind her actions was to frame the daughter of the Chang family. Once her conspiracy was exposed, she was dealt with by the Emperor and imprisoned at Jingye Monastery—this matter, I believe, you all have heard of to some extent.”
As the Minister of Justice, Yao Yi spoke with clarity and structure, providing context to the unfolding events.
But this was not merely a prelude; it also served as a lead-in to the next point.
“However, what you might not know in detail is that Pei shi had previously attempted to murder the daughter of the Chang family before the incident at Dayun Temple. She had long ago hired an assassin to kill her—” Yao Yi said solemnly, “and the one she hired was Zhou Ding.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
It turned out that he was not a suitor, but one of the murderers?!
“No… that’s impossible!” The man exclaimed in disbelief, shaking his head. “My nephew would never do such a thing!”
Yao Yi replied, “After the case was handed over to the capital's court, those around Pei shi confessed the details. Zhou Ding had indeed made an attempt on the life of the Chang family’s daughter on the night of the Lantern Festival. Fortunately, she escaped the attempt on her life. Afterwards, when General Chang returned to the capital, Pei shi held Zhou Ding accountable for his failure to carry out the job and, not wishing to leave any troublesome traces, had him killed and his body discarded in the city moat—”
As he spoke, he scrutinized the man. “Zhou Ding’s parents, who hadn’t seen him return home for a long time, went to the capital to report his disappearance. Afterward, the capital’s court, through the case of Pei shi, revealed Zhou Ding’s whereabouts. They sent people to retrieve the body but found nothing, yet they informed Zhou Ding’s parents about his death in the course of committing the crime—did you not know this?”
Because this case had been personally adjudicated by the Emperor at Dayun Temple, the subsequent proceedings of the court had not been made public in detail. However, all those involved knew the particulars; the Chang family knew, the Yao family knew, and Zhou Ding’s parents were also aware.
But the man before them was clearly in the dark.
His understanding of his nephew’s fate was still stuck at the point of “missing for a long time.”
Cold sweat dripped down his face as realization began to dawn on him.
After his brother and sister-in-law returned from the capital, they had seemed startled, and had stopped mentioning the search for their nephew.
Then, his sister-in-law had fallen ill and had not fully recovered, and the couple had hurriedly moved away.
He had been puzzled by this until one day, a woman who looked like a maid had found him, informing him that his nephew had ties to the daughter of General Chang and that his nephew’s disappearance must be related to the Chang family—
At that time, he thought his brother and sister-in-law were too afraid of the Chang family's power to pursue their nephew's whereabouts…
Now he realized there was more to the story than he had known!
Had the person who sought him out not known these details, or were they intentionally hiding them from him?
After all, had he known that his own nephew had once plotted to harm the daughter of the Chang family, he would have fled with his brother and sister-in-law long ago!
His brother and sister-in-law had acted unjustly, covering up their son’s murderous deed without even telling him; they just left him behind to run away… were they truly his blood relatives?!
The man felt a deep sense of regret and despair, realizing he had no way out now. He had to follow the instructions given to him; otherwise, he would truly be trapped with no escape!
He clutched the bundle tightly in his arms, as if it gave him newfound courage. Facing the angry and disdainful murmurs from the crowd, he shook his head and said, “... It’s impossible! My nephew already has an established career; he had a bright future ahead. How could he take such risks to engage in such wicked deeds?”
Yao Yi responded coldly, “This man has a serious gambling addiction. On the day of the incident, he lost money and was caught gambling by his fiancĂ©e’s younger brother. To save this engagement, he even attempted to kill the child who witnessed it—what’s so surprising about a person like this taking money to commit murder?”
In order to avoid any conflict of interest, the Emperor had never allowed him to interfere in the Pei family and Pei’s case, but to prevent any potential oversights by the capital's court, he had conducted a thorough investigation into the matter.
His in-depth knowledge about Zhou Ding made his claims clear and credible, further convincing the audience.
On the other hand, the man appeared increasingly flustered. Under the scrutiny of Yao Yi’s piercing gaze, he no longer dared to insist otherwise: “Even if… even if my nephew was momentarily seduced by money and was manipulated into doing something foolish… it’s true that he had deep feelings for the daughter of the Chang family; I’m not lying about that!”
This was the only support he had left!
As long as he could prove that there was some truth to this, the Chang family wouldn’t dare to act against him in front of so many people!
And as long as he could leave here and complete the task as instructed, the man would ensure his safety and reward him with a large sum of money…!
No matter what his nephew had done, by simply appearing here today, he had already offended the Chang family beyond measure. He had been prepared for this… The promise of so much money was worth the risk!
With this thought in mind, the man felt as if the weight of gold and silver was in his arms, bolstering his courage.
“So, your reason for seeking your nephew is a lie, your affection for him is a lie—” Chang Suining finally spoke again, looking at the man who still stubbornly claimed that she and Zhou Ding were in love. “The only truth is that you seek to ruin my reputation.”
She showed no signs of anger or any strong emotion, calmly asking, “If you say that I had feelings for Zhou Ding, then why would he become engaged to another woman?”
“That… that was a marriage arranged by his family to make him give up on his delusions!”
Chang Suining looked at him with amusement. “If he truly had feelings for me, would he worry about money? Why would he oppose me if it was for mere financial gain?”
The man cried, “Who knows what your family has done to force a good scholar down this path? Now that he’s gone, he obviously can’t confront you face-to-face; you can only spin the narrative as you wish!”
“He took my sister’s life, and in the end, you say we forced him? Who would believe such absurd words? How can you even say such a thing!” Chang Sui'an was evidently taken aback by such brazen shamelessness, feeling a surge of anger.
If not for a shred of reason holding him back, he would have gladly punched this shameless scoundrel straight into the ground!
Chang Suining coldly laughed silently.
Shameless?
Indeed, he was shameless.
Were his words absurd?
They were, without a doubt, absurd.
Yet, the problem was that such absurdities, if circulated, would still find believers—amidst rumors, people are often inclined to believe what they wish to hear. To those who enjoy gossip, the more ridiculous the story, the more entertaining it becomes.
It was just like those tales in novels that couldn’t withstand scrutiny, filled with inconsistencies, yet still captivate people and are even passed down through generations.
If her affairs today were to spread in such an unclear manner, to the eyes and ears of strangers, they would be no different from the tales in those novels; it wouldn’t be long before people linked Zhou Ding’s murder to her as a crime born of love turned to hatred.
Once some matters were associated with romantic entanglements, there were always those eager to twist them into complicated love stories.
However, the man’s reliance shouldn’t merely be on such unfounded absurdities… He dared to appear here, openly tarnishing her reputation, and should have had something he believed would guarantee his safe escape.
Chang Suining’s gaze fell on the bundle the man was holding.
From the way the corners of the bundle bulged, it seemed to contain a long object.
Having concealed it for so long, it was clear he aimed to draw more attention—
Chang Suining scanned her surroundings.
Good, even the guests on the third floor had been stirred, some were either rushing to the second floor or standing by the railing, lowering their heads to watch the scene below, murmuring among themselves.
It was time for whatever was in that bundle to be revealed.
But after all, this was a gathering of scholars; it couldn’t be denied that educated people tended to think more clearly and rationally, not easily deceived by ridiculous claims—
Perhaps feeling that it was foolish to bite the hand that feeds them, many voices of doubt began to rise.
“This person has ulterior motives, choosing to cause a ruckus on a day like today; it’s truly suspicious…”
“Regarding a woman’s reputation, aside from his word, there’s no evidence whatsoever. How can we trust him blindly?”
“Exactly! He keeps claiming they’re in love; if this is believed, then I might as well say I’m in love with Pan An!” Yao Xia could no longer contain herself.
“…” Many gazes turned toward her in unison.
Madam Jie’s eyes flashed with annoyance.
A young woman who hadn’t even married yet dared to speak such shameless words in public; indeed, it was true that birds of a feather flock together.
A young man sitting close to the ice basin thoughtfully remarked, “By that logic, I could just as easily claim that I have feelings for Taibai.”
The attention that had been on Yao Xia shifted to the young man.
The young man remained seated behind the ice basin, raised a hand with a smile, and looked at the man still kneeling. “This is merely a thoughtless outburst. Just like what that guest said, it has no basis in truth; you all shouldn’t take it seriously—”
Chang Suining gave the young man another look.
“I speak nothing but the truth!” The man was still crying. “Even if my nephew did something wrong, facts are facts. Why don’t you think about it? If my nephew had no ties or relationship with this Chang family girl, why would the hired killer specifically target my nephew?”
“When did I say I had no relationship with Zhou Ding?” Chang Suining didn’t deny this point. “I’ve naturally met him, and not only that, but I also provided him assistance when he claimed his family was too poor to support his studies.”
Hiding in the shadows and too afraid to speak up for a long time, Xi’er finally dared to interject, “That’s right! My lady has a kind heart and is charitable. Not only did she help him, but you can ask around; which beggar outside Xingning Fang hasn’t received alms from my lady?”
“There are at least eighty people who have received aid from our Chang family over the years. We offered help without expecting anything in return, but it’s truly disheartening to see such an ingrate!” Chang Sui'an clenched his fists.
At this moment, he wished he could jump into the moat and fish Zhou Ding out just to beat him up!
While alive, he harmed his sister, and now that he was dead, he still wouldn’t let them be!
The murmurs around them grew louder.
“She was actually the one who helped him…”
“Isn’t this a case of biting the hand that feeds you?”
“You’re talking nonsense!” The man’s expression grew agitated. “If what you say is true, so simple and straightforward, then why would the Lady Chang send a painting to my nephew?”
“You’re the one talking nonsense!” Xi’er firmly replied. “When did my lady send a painting to him?”
The young woman had only exchanged letters with Zhou Ding occasionally, and she was merely the one passing them along. She had never sent Zhou Ding any painting!
Moreover, the letters were completely innocent, containing no hints of any impropriety! Even after the incident with Zhou Ding, the young lady had sent Jiantong to secretly retrieve all those letters from Zhou Ding’s residence to avoid any unnecessary trouble later on.
Yet trouble had still arisen, and it was from such baseless slander!
“It’s this painting! This is the evidence!” The man scrambled to sit up, hurriedly opening the bundle, which indeed contained a rolled-up painting.
The painting quickly unfurled in the man’s rough, dirty hands, coming into the view of the crowd.
The man cried, “This painting has always hung above my nephew’s bed; how could it be fake?”
Jiantong frowned.
What nonsense was he spouting? He had turned Zhou Ding’s room upside down; if it hung above Zhou Ding’s bed, how could he not have seen it?
What kind of ridiculous claim was this, to slander their young lady?
But Xi’er’s expression slightly changed.
No, this painting…
Chang Suining also looked over.
The painting depicted a young girl in a blue dress holding a cat, looking up at the red beans that occupied half the canvas.
One end of the painting had a signature, complete with the date and name—last winter, signed by Chang Suining herself.
Chang Suining’s gaze flickered.
When she first arrived, to avoid drawing too much attention, she had quietly learned Ah Li’s handwriting, studying many of Ah Li’s previous writings and paintings.
Thus, it wasn’t difficult to recognize that this painting… was indeed created by Ah Li.
And this wasn’t just any painting; it was filled with red beans, symbolizing longing and affection.
No wonder…
No wonder he dared to come here.
So he truly had something in his hands.
Compared to the previous baseless nonsense, this painting was clearly the real ace up his sleeve.
“Look…” The man, eager to prove his innocence, held the painting up for those around him to see.
(End of chapter)
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