Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The study in the back hall of the provincial government office was simple, almost austere. Outside the window, a few bamboos cast sparse shadows on the polished blue brick floor. Liu Yanzhi was at his desk reviewing official documents when he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw a figure standing respectfully by the door. A subtle warmth crossed his face.

"Teacher," Zhang Jingwei bowed deeply, "I've come to say goodbye."

Liu Yanzhi put down his pen and looked at him gently. "Are you leaving now? You've worked so hard on the Gaoyang case, and now that it's settled, it's time to rest for a few days and relax."

Zhang Jingwei stood up straight, but there was no sign of relaxation between his brows: "Although the murderer has been brought to justice, the connection behind it has not been clarified and the root cause has not been fully determined. I dare not give up, for fear of failing to live up to the teacher's teachings and the trust of the court." His voice was not loud, but it was filled with a heavy sense of responsibility.

Liu Yanzhi stared at the student in front of him who had shed his youthfulness and was now shouldering a heavy responsibility. His eyes revealed undisguised approval, and he nodded slowly: "Well. Jingwei, you... have grown up." These simple words carried a thousand pounds of weight.

Zhang Jingwei felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He suppressed his surging emotions, bowed again, and said in a choked voice: "Teacher, please take care of yourself. I have already made arrangements for the military affairs office in Yunzhou. If you need anything, just send me. I... am a student and cannot listen to your teachings all the time. It is a pity." He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, folded his hands, put his thumbs inward, and solemnly performed a proper and upright Tianyi salute, bending his body deeply, his posture respectful and solemn.

Liu Yanzhi also stood up, his expression solemn, his hands clasped together, and returned a peaceful bow: "Be careful on the road. Yunzhou... is also your home, come back often." His eyes fell on Zhang Jingwei, with the concern and expectations of an elder.

Zhang Jingwei straightened, his eyes slightly red. He said nothing more, merely following the proper etiquette, stepping back respectfully until he was beyond the threshold, then turning to leave. Every time he parted with his teacher, his heart felt like a weight of soaked cotton wool, incredibly heavy. His old official robe, washed to a pale, almost light blue (it should have been dark, but the washes had faded it), the nanmu ruler hanging from his waist, its patina thick... His teacher's humble, upright figure was always so clearly etched in my heart.

He didn't mention a single word about the Yunzhou case, or about Ma Tianmao. The winds of the capital were too tight, the spies too close, and the teacher's position too sensitive. One careless word could lead to the heinous charge of "forming a clique for personal gain," dragging the teacher into a vortex of no return. He could only swallow all the heavy burdens alone.

……

noon.

Two carriages were waiting outside the yamen. Zhang Jingwei, Qian Ming, and Mu Tou squeezed into the lightweight donkey cart in front. A spacious and comfortable carriage sat behind, reserved for the motion-sick Huangfu Ling and her attendant maids. Zhang Jingwei had the carriage made spacious and stable, and thickly padded, simply to alleviate his wife's discomfort.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a rumbling sound, and drove towards the city gate.

Mu Tou sat in the carriage, twisted his sturdy body, and asked in a muffled voice, "Master, are we... going back to Gaoyang now?"

Zhang Jingwei leaned against the car wall, his eyes closed, and didn't even raise his eyelids when he heard this: "What else? What do you want to do? Turn around and go to the brothel, find two top prostitutes, hug them and sleep with them before leaving?"

Mu Mu's face flushed, and he quickly waved his hands: "No, no! I mean... we finally got back, and we haven't had a good stroll around the city yet! Yunzhou City is so lively!"

Zhang Jingwei opened his eyes and glanced at him unhappily. "I grew up rolling around in this muddy field. What alleys haven't I walked through? What's so beautiful that I can't get tired of it?"

Qian Ming laughed and joined in, "That's right! Mu Tou, no matter how lively Yunzhou is, can it be as interesting as our Zuixianlou in Gaoyang? You should experience the flavor there first!" There was a hint of longing on his face.

Zhang Jingwei looked at Qian Ming with a half-smile: "Hey? Mr. Qian, aren't you known for having a virtuous wife and being henpecked? Why are you still thinking about going to Zuixianlou?"

Qian Ming was thick-skinned. He smiled and winked cunningly: "Master, look at what you said! I went to Zuixianlou, was it just for fun? I was running errands and arranging official business for you, Master! Official business!" He had an expression that said "I'm very serious".

"Bah!" Zhang Jingwei cursed with a laugh, pretending to hit him. "Stop trying to pin the blame on me! If your Qiao'er comes rushing into the county government office with a rolling pin to arrest someone, I'm telling you, not only will I not open the door, I'll have to have someone show her the way to which private room you're hiding in!"

Qian Ming immediately frowned: "Don't, Master! My Qiao'er is well-educated and knows which places are suitable for respectable people to go and which places are not. She...she will never be like a shrew and indiscriminately..."

Before he could finish his words, the man beside him suddenly widened his eyes, pointed at Qian Ming, and shouted in a loud voice: "Qian Ming! You're done! You called the young lady a shrew!"

The carriage instantly became quiet.

The smile on Qian Ming's face froze, his eyes widened, cold sweat dripped down, and he stammered in defense: "Did I...did I say that? Of course I didn't! You...don't say that!"

Mu Tou didn't care about any of this. He was stubborn and unyielding. He used his thick fingers to count down Huangfu Ling's glorious deeds one by one. His voice was so loud that it shook the roof of the car: "Why didn't you say that! You said the young lady wouldn't be a shrew! But for the young master, the young lady was a true heroine! When you fell into the water, the young lady broke into the government office alone! Those clerks wanted to fool her, but there was no way! Later, the Gaoyang County government office was leaderless and people were in panic. It was the young lady who stood up and took charge of the situation. She calmed down all those who wanted to fish in troubled waters and take advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos! She overcame all difficulties! Young master, tell me, can this be called a shrew? This is called..."

Mu Tou continued to talk, but Zhang Jingwei was completely stunned. The playfulness and ease on his face disappeared, leaving only shock and disbelief. These things... these thrilling things, actually happened when he was imprisoned and knew nothing about Gao Yang? And he was completely unaware of it!

"This..." Zhang Jingwei's voice was a little dry, and a strong sense of sourness and heartache suddenly gripped him, "These... why didn't anyone tell me... before?" In front of his eyes seemed to appear the thin but stubborn figure of his wife who was holding on in the face of the chaotic situation.

Qian Ming saw that he could no longer hide it, so he also made a bold move and added in a low voice: "It's not just about presiding over the yamen, young master... Young Madam was so angry that she fainted twice in the yamen..."

"Fainted twice?!" Zhang Jingwei's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredible shock and anger and deep fear! He suddenly looked at Qian Ming and Mu Tou, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "You! How dare you hide this from me?! She's still sick! She's so weak! You..." The huge heartache and anger made his chest heave, and his fingers trembled slightly. "I'll deal with you later!"

Qian Ming and Mu Tou were frightened by his unprecedented severity. They looked at each other and saw the expression of "we're in big trouble" on each other's faces. They shrank their necks and turned their heads away embarrassedly like two quails, looking at the scenery rapidly receding outside the car window, and dared not say a word.

The only sound inside the carriage was the monotonous rolling of the wheels. Zhang Jingwei leaned against the wall, eyes closed, lips pursed. The last rays of sunset filtered through the window, catching his furrowed brow and clenched fists. His wife, unseen, held up his life for him, enduring unimaginable suffering. The weight of her love and silent protection burned his heart like a red-hot iron.