A Shocking Dream

He stole a glance at Lin Wunian and finally couldn't help asking in a hoarse voice: "Miss Lin, many years have passed. Do you still remember the time when we were side by side on the battlefield and talked in the tent at night? Sometimes I feel that you are very close to me, and sometimes it seems that there are thousands of mountains and rivers between us..." The second half of the sentence disappeared in his throat, full of melancholy and helplessness.

"Your Highness, I remember saying it very clearly. I am Lin Wunian, not the Lin Bingshuang of the past. I hope Your Highness will remind myself at all times." Lin Wunian's eyebrows were raised, his tone was so cold as if it was wrapped in ice, and his starry eyes stared straight at Qin Rongchen. He looked like he really wanted to raise his hand and slap this guy in the face.

He was filled with anger and thought that he was brought to Yingzhou for official business, not to listen to him lingering on about past love affairs. In this urgent situation, there was no room for any romantic feelings to hold him back!

Qin Rongchen was so shocked by the harsh words that he staggered, a look of embarrassment spreading across his face, and he was speechless. He knew the situation was critical. Xie Yuan, the evil villain, was tyrannizing Yingzhou, and the people were suffering. He was entrusted with the important task of Miss Lin, and he should have been fully focused. But the moment he saw Lin Wunian, the memories of the past surged like a flood, so turbulent that he couldn't suppress it, and he lost his composure.

"Miss Lin... I was confused and rude." Qin Rongchen lowered his head, clenched his fists, and his nails almost dug into his palms. He tried his best to suppress the thoughts in his mind. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes clear and firm. "Don't worry, I will never let personal feelings interfere with anything again. Xie Yuan has committed a heinous crime, and he will pay for it with blood. Let's talk about the evidence first."

Seeing his sincere expression, Lin Wunian's tense face relaxed a little. He snorted coldly and returned to his seat, spreading out the book again: "Hmph, I hope that Your Highness will keep his word. This book records the secret correspondence between Xie Yuan and the rebels in the capital in recent years, as well as the details of his manipulation of grain prices and embezzlement of disaster relief funds. The evidence is solid, but if we really want to bring him down, we are still missing a key link." After that, she tapped the pages of the book with her jade fingers, her expression solemn.

Qin Rongchen leaned in for a closer look, his brow furrowed. After a moment's thought, he said, "The key must be to uncover his accomplice within the court. Otherwise, with only this information, I'm afraid he can still find excuses to shirk responsibility. He has many informants in Yingzhou City, and his actions are secretive. To find out about this accomplice, we must start with his trusted aides. I heard that there's a man named Feng Qi close to him who is extremely cunning and knows many secrets..."

"Lu Yao, come down!" Lin Wunian raised his head and shouted loudly, his voice piercing the quiet courtyard. A moment later, Lu Yao gently pushed open the door. Her frail figure slowly descended the stairs, each step carrying the weight of past pain.

Lin Wunian turned around and introduced to Qin Rongchen with a serious expression: "She is the victim whose family was destroyed by Xie Yuan. She is the witness Lu Yao. Xie Yuan set fire to her entire village overnight. Neighbors screamed, houses collapsed, and the tragedy was unbearable to look back." Qin Rongchen clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, and his eyes were full of regret and anger.

Lin Wunian took a deep breath and continued, "Misfortunes never come singly. Her sister was born with a peerless beauty, but was forcibly taken into Xie Yuan's house and raped. Such a good girl was humiliated to death. For revenge, Lu Yao gritted her teeth and disguised herself to sneak into Xie Yuan's house. She was in danger several times. One time, she happened to hear Xie Yuan and his staff planning evil deeds in the corner of the study, and she risked her life to steal this physical evidence." After saying this, Lin Wunian pointed at the book on the table with his jade finger.

Inside the house, Ah Nian, quietly sorting herbs in a corner, overheard these words. Suddenly, hearing Lu Yao's tragic story resonated with him, and remembering his own family's past at the hands of Zhou Junze's minions, tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth to stifle a sob, but his body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Ah Nian stood in a corner, listening to Lu Yao's tearful tale, feeling an invisible hand grip her heart. She could never have imagined that the Lu Yao who had always offered her a warm handkerchief, chatted with her, and laughed with her during these days, actually hid such a heartbreaking and tragic past. The burning of the village, the tragic death of her sister, each and every one of these events, like sharp arrows, pierced through the thin veil of strength Ah Nian's heart.

She lowered her eyes, looking at her toes, her hands unconsciously clutching the corners of her clothes, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her heart. Hesitation entwined itself like a vine, wrestling with whether or not to tell Lin Wunian about her own equally unbearable plight.

The scenes of her home being trampled upon and her loved ones being separated by Zhou Junze and Yang Zishi's minions were like nightmares and ghosts. She often broke out in cold sweats when she woke up in the middle of the night. She usually tried her best to bury them deep in her heart, but at this moment, facing Lu Yao's sincere confession, the secret seemed to be about to burst out.

Ah Nian quietly raised her eyes and looked at Lin Wunian, who was whispering with Qin Rongchen about countermeasures. His straight back and resolute profile had always been the backbone of the group. But her past experiences had made Ah Nian timid, fearing that revealing her scars would only bring pity or indifference.

The courtyard was quiet, the only sound being the rustle of a gentle breeze through the branches. Lu Yao, with her lotus steps lightly moving, approached Qin Rongchen. Her robes fluttered as her knees buckled and she fell to her knees with a thump. Her body was thin, but her back was straight. She spoke in a clear voice, "I, Lu Yao, pay my respects to Your Highness. I implore Your Highness to punish the wicked Xie Yuan, to bring justice to those he persecuted, and to restore peace to all." With these words, she lowered her head, her forehead lightly touching the ground, and folded her hands in front of her, her posture respectful yet revealing an unquestionable resolve.

Qin Rongchen's heart trembled suddenly, and he stepped forward quickly to support her, but was frozen in place by Lu Yao's resolute posture. He could only sigh: "Miss Lu, please get up quickly. Your kneeling is like a thousand-pound stone weighing on my conscience. I have heard about Xie Yuan's evil deeds a long time ago, and I am determined to get rid of him. Miss, don't add such etiquette to your current situation and embarrass yourself." He locked his eyes with Lu Yao, full of pity and guilt, as if the person kneeling in front of him was the embodiment of all the suffering in the world.

Lu Yao didn't move at all, she raised her tear-stained but burning eyes: "Your Highness, my family died a tragic death, my sister was raped and tortured to death by that beast, and the whole village was reduced to ashes in the sea of ​​fire. Without justice, the dead souls will not be at peace! Sister Lin asked me to believe Your Highness, and you must know that you have justice in your heart. I can only beg you not to let Xie Yuan go unpunished." Every cry and every word was full of tears, and every sound struck everyone's heart. Anian covered his mouth and sobbed, and Lin Wunian's eyes were red and he clenched his fists.

Qin Rongchen took a deep breath, his chest simmering with rage as if it were about to burn his heart and lungs. He spoke slowly, "Miss Lu, don't worry. I, Qin Rongchen, swear to heaven that I will cease to be a human being if I don't bring Xie Yuan to justice and scatter his bones and ashes! I have also contacted many loyal and patriotic people to put pressure on him from the officialdom. The people of this city have been oppressed by Xie Yuan for too long. With just one order, the public outrage will overwhelm him."