Marrying Wife and Concubine Together: After Rebirth, I Remarried the Scumbag's Father on the Sp

The lights in the Ministry of Personnel burned brightly every night, illuminating Zhan Yan's figure sitting upright at his desk. His figure was as upright as a pine tree and as steady as a mountain. In this turbulent time in the court, he became a bright spot that calmed people's hearts.

And at the end of that lamplight was the direction of the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion, where the person he longed for was waiting for him to return home, guarding a lamplight.

Zhan Yan's busy work at the Ministry of Personnel continued, and the court's administration showed signs of improvement. In the Marquis's residence, Lin Yiwan took care of Zi'er's recovery while managing the household's affairs, and life was relatively peaceful.

That afternoon, she was sitting by the window teaching Zhan Miao how to prepare medicine pills when a servant rushed in to report that her uncle, Lin Ran, had sent an urgent letter asking her to go to the Dali Temple immediately, as something important had happened.

Lin Yiwan's heart sank. Lin Ran, as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was usually calm and composed. He would never send a message so hastily unless it was an emergency.

She hurriedly ordered people to prepare a carriage, instructed the steward to keep an eye on the mansion, and then rushed to the Dali Temple with her personal maid.

The atmosphere inside the Dali Temple government office was somber, with many solemn-looking yamen runners standing under the corridor, their usual peace completely gone.

As soon as Lin Yiwan entered the main hall, she saw Lin Ran pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry. The files on the table were spread out, the ink still wet, clearly having just been compiled.

"Uncle, what happened?" Lin Yiwan asked softly, breaking the silence in the room.

Lin Ran sighed when he saw her arrive, pulled her to the desk, and pointed to the file, saying, "Wan'er, recently a vicious thief has appeared in the capital. He targets aristocratic women who walk alone at dusk, robbing them of their money and drawing peach blossom marks on their faces with rouge. People in the capital call him the Peach Blossom Thief. This thief is agile and acts stealthily, having harmed seven or eight young ladies in succession. Last night, he even dared to sneak onto the head of the Grand Tutor's daughter. Now, the young lady is so frightened that she has lost her mind and has identified the murderer as soon as she woke up."

Lin Yiwan's heart tightened. Such a wicked person had appeared in the capital. She hurriedly asked, "Who did that girl point to? Why is my uncle in such a predicament?"

Lin Ran's face grew increasingly grim, and his voice lowered as if he were finding it difficult to speak: "Although the daughter of the Grand Tutor's family was so frightened that she was out of her mind, she said in every word that the Peach Blossom Thief was wearing a black brocade robe, had a tall and straight figure, and cold and stern eyes. Although she could not see his face clearly, his voice was exactly the same as Zhan Yan's."

Lin Yiwan was struck dumb, taking a step back with disbelief on her face: "Uncle, what did you say? That girl identified Ayan? How is that possible! Ayan has been living and eating at the Ministry of Personnel these days, and hasn't even had time to go home. How could he do such a thing? That girl must have been frightened and mistook him for someone else!"

She knew Zhan Yan too well. He was always upright and prudent, with his country in his heart. He would never do such a despicable thing as bullying a woman, and he wouldn't even look at other women. He would never be a thief, let alone paint on a young girl's face. It was simply absurd.

Lin Ran understood this perfectly well. Looking at his niece's excited expression, he felt helpless: "Wan'er, of course I trust Zhan Yan's character. I know him better than anyone. But that Grand Tutor's daughter spoke with absolute certainty, describing even the details perfectly. This morning, the Grand Tutor led a group of people to the Dali Temple, demanding that I arrest her immediately!"

He then changed the subject: "What's even more troublesome is that the places where the Peach Blossom Thief committed his crimes are all not far from the Ministry of Personnel, and the crimes all occurred late at night. Everyone says that although Zhan Yan is busy, he is not without a chance to escape."

As he spoke, Lin Ran picked up a portrait from the table. It was a portrait of the Peach Blossom Thief drawn by his aunt, Sang Qiutang, based on the description of the suffering woman.

The man in black robes stood tall and straight, his cold and stern expression exactly like Zhan Yan's. If Lin Ran hadn't known the inside story, she might have been misled by this portrait.

He said helplessly, "Rumors are spreading throughout the capital. Many noble families are in a state of panic because they have female relatives in their families. They are all demanding that the Dali Temple arrest the Peach Blossom Thief as soon as possible!"

"The Grand Tutor even submitted a memorial in court, saying that Zhan Yan held great power and knowingly broke the law, and demanded that His Majesty investigate thoroughly. Although His Majesty considered Zhan Yan's past merits and did not immediately punish him, he also issued an oral decree, ordering the Court of Judicial Review to investigate the case within three days and give everyone justice. If no evidence is found to prove Zhan Yan's innocence, he shall be temporarily detained in the Court of Judicial Review to await trial."

Lin Yiwan's fingertips were icy cold, and anger and anxiety surged within her.

She knew this was no accident. Ayan had recently gained significant power in the selection of officials and had offended many powerful figures in the court. Someone must have harbored a grudge and deliberately set up this vicious scheme to frame him, both to ruin Zhan Yan's reputation and to take the opportunity to bring down the Zhan Yi Marquis's mansion.

Lin Yiwan steadied herself, a determined glint in her eyes. "Uncle, there's no way Ayan could have done such a thing. Someone must have deliberately imitated him and set up this trap. We'll find out the truth and clear Ayan's name in three days."

Lin Ran nodded. He didn't believe Zhan Yan was involved in the case, but the matter was far-reaching, there were witnesses from the Grand Tutor's mansion, and rumors were rampant, so he couldn't afford to be careless.

He said in a deep voice, "I have sent someone to the Ministry of Personnel to ask Zhan Yan to lay low for the time being, but you know his temperament, I'm afraid he won't compromise easily. Just now, a yamen runner came to report that he has come from the Ministry of Personnel."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure in black strode into the main hall; it was Zhan Yan.

He had been working hard for days, and the dark circles under his eyes had not yet faded, but he still stood tall and his aura was frighteningly low, clearly indicating that he already knew about the matter.

Zhan Yan first bowed slightly to Lin Ran and said, "Uncle!" Then his gaze fell on Lin Yiwan. Seeing that her face was pale and her eyes were full of anxiety, he quickly stepped forward and held her hand tightly.

The warmth of her fingertips dispelled some of her chill, and she said in a hoarse voice, "It's alright. If you're upright, you have nothing to fear. I won't take this mere framing to heart."

Lin Yiwan looked at him, her heart aching, but she knew this was not the time for sentimentality, so she could only nod and suppress her worries.

Lin Ran looked at Zhan Yan and said in a deep voice, "Zhan Yan, this matter is of utmost importance. That Peach Blossom Thief imitated your appearance perfectly and acted with extreme caution, leaving no clues at the scene. His Majesty has given us three days. If the real culprit is not found within three days, not only will your reputation be ruined, but the Zhan Yi Marquis's mansion will also be implicated."

Zhan Yan released Lin Yiwan's hand, walked to the table, picked up the portrait, and glanced at the eyebrows and eyes in the portrait. A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Since this villain dares to imitate me, he must be someone who knows me very well, or even someone who has been in close contact with me."

He paused and then said, "This scar under my left eyebrow is from an arrow wound I sustained while fighting in the northern deserts. The depth and curvature of the wound are so precise that it would be impossible to describe it so accurately without seeing it with my own eyes."

As soon as he finished speaking, both Lin Ran and Lin Yiwan felt a jolt in their hearts. Yes, the scar was not in an obvious place, and Zhan Yan had never liked to show off. Unless one was close to him, it would be extremely difficult to know the details of the scar, let alone have an artist draw it so accurately.