Autumn was drawing near, and many things were happening in Lin'an, the capital of the Wu Dynasty. Remember the URL: \(¨Complete¨ Novel¨ Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

After the humiliation of Jingping, the martial spirit of the Southern Dynasty began to flourish. The year's martial arts examination (武状元式) was held in the capital with great fanfare, attracting a large number of knights-errant (侠士) to the city. The influx of people carrying swords and sabers caused a slight disruption in the capital's security, but the various deeds of these knights-errant were transformed into stories of longing in the mouths of storytellers. Not long ago, the famous courtesan Lin Susu fell in love with a great hero of the Jianghu (江湖), which led to two Jianghu heroes agreeing to duel on the city wall, creating a sensation for a time and becoming a popular tale.

While the martial arts examination was underway, the thriving literary societies of Lin'an were not to be outdone. The academies gathered in Lin'an organized several large-scale patriotic literary gatherings in the city, creating a sensation. Several famous poems were born, stirring and impassioned, and were widely sung by the women of the brothels.

The prevalence of both martial and literary spirits swept away the decadent atmosphere of the Northern Wu period. There was even a hint of a prosperous era. At least in the eyes of the literati, the society's慷慨向上 (kāng kǎi áng shàng - generous and upward-looking) spirit was far superior to the decade or so of superficial peace and prosperity. As the autumn harvest began, a gang of bandits, including Wang Xigui, who operated near the capital, were captured and beheaded in the capital as a warning to the people, greatly boosting public morale.

Numerous shops, restaurants, and workshops were opening up, and the commercial prosperity near Lin'an caused the city to expand at an astonishing rate. By this time, its prosperity had even surpassed that of Bianliang, which had been the capital for two hundred years. Stories of talented scholars and beautiful women were emerging from the brothels every day, and anecdotes about court officials occasionally became the subject of after-dinner conversations for the people of the capital. In this vibrant atmosphere, one particular incident became a popular topic of discussion during this time.

The Imperial Son-in-Law (驸马) Qu Zonghui had committed a crime.

At the end of June, this Imperial Son-in-Law took a fancy to a Northern girl while indulging in pleasure. During the encounter, an accident occurred, and he unintentionally killed the girl. His attendants tried to cover up the matter, but the girl's parents were of stern disposition and refused to let it go. In this way, the matter became a clan extermination case, which was later discovered by the magistrate of the capital (京兆尹) and reported to the Emperor.

In the capital, the investigation and reporting of various cases followed a certain procedure. If it were that simple, the matter might not have escalated if the upper echelons had suppressed it when it was reported. However, since the Imperial Son-in-Law had committed such a deed, it was hard to say what the Princess's feelings were. When it was reported, the Eldest Princess was furious and had the Imperial Son-in-Law thrown into prison. Qu Zonghui's family was also a prominent clan in the South, and they quickly came to plead for mercy. As the matter went back and forth, it was leaked.

Afterward, some unexpected news gradually emerged, leading the entire situation in a direction that many people had not anticipated.

While it was certainly detestable that the Imperial Son-in-Law had committed such a heinous crime, as the discussions deepened, many people gradually learned about the situation of this Imperial Son-in-Law. The current Eldest Princess was of a proud nature and had always looked down on this Imperial Son-in-Law. They had been married for ten years, but the Princess had not borne any children. Even seeing the Princess was extremely difficult for the Imperial Son-in-Law. If these were just common matters of discord between husband and wife, the rumors that the Princess had never shared a bed with the Imperial Son-in-Law since the day of their marriage and had never allowed him to get close to her had added fuel to the fire.

The man who had been recruited as the Imperial Son-in-Law had been looked down upon by his wife from the day of their marriage. He had not shared a bed with her for ten years, which had led to his gradual self-abandonment. As he gradually declined, the Princess's mansion showed no concern and allowed him to drift. It was certainly hateful that he had done these things now, but beyond that, were there problems with the Eldest Princess's actions? Gradually, such discussions spread among the people.

Although it was not yet a time when rituals could kill people, there was still a focus on female virtue. Qu Zonghui's case was nearing a conclusion, and there was nothing to say about it. However, the Eldest Princess's arrogance was undoubtedly a bit too much for people to bear. The literati shook their heads, and even the girls in the brothels felt that this Princess had really gone too far. The Eldest Princess's swift action of imprisoning the Imperial Son-in-Law earlier could not be seen as selfless, but rather as an attempt to kill him off as a burden. As a wife, treating her husband like this was really inappropriate.

Amidst these discussions, even bigger news gradually arrived. The upheaval in Tian Hu's forces had not yet spread on a large scale due to deliberate control. General Yue's second great victory in Xiangyang, with successive reports of triumph, heated up the atmosphere in Lin'an and suppressed the Imperial Son-in-Law's gossip for a short time...

**********

The sunlight was warm, and the fallen leaves were golden. While most people in Lin'an were attracted by the great victory in the north, the things that had already happened could not be skipped over. In the Imperial Palace, officials and dignitaries came and went every day, and the matters involved, including those related to the Imperial Son-in-Law and the Qu family, occupied a considerable portion of these days. On this day, the sighs of the father echoed back and forth in the Imperial Study.

"... Fortunately, Yue Qing's great victory in Xiangyang has somewhat offset the discussions about this matter, but you have been married for ten years, and this matter is ultimately not good for your reputation... The Qu family has been running back and forth many times. Yesterday, his grandfather came and knelt on the ground to beg朕 (zhèn - imperial 'I'). This is all based on the friendship from Jiangning. You are married, and you don't like him. 朕 hasn't said anything about it for so many years. But killing him, how can this matter be explained? How will others see it? Daughter, you won't get anything good from this..."

With his hands behind his back, Emperor Zhou Yong sighed repeatedly while earnestly advising. Having been emperor for eight years, the Emperor Jianshuo had become quite imposing, shedding the casualness and recklessness of when he first ascended the throne. But facing his twenty-seven-year-old daughter, he still felt heartbroken.

On the opposite seat, Zhou Pei's gaze was calm, and she also showed a hint of weariness. She listened quietly, and only when Zhou Yong paused did she speak in a low voice.

"Father, killing him is for the majesty of the law."

Her tone was not high, and Zhou Yong couldn't help but sigh in his heart. To be honest, Zhou Yong usually cared more about his sons than his daughters. There were naturally complex reasons for this - at the beginning of his reign, Zhou Pei was regarded as a successor by Kang Xian and Zhou Xuan, and she took on the burdens of the Chengguo Princess's Mansion. Zhou Pei had an independent character and was skilled in handling affairs. Zhou Yong occasionally thought about the affairs of the Chengguo Princess's Mansion and then thought about himself, realizing that he had better not interfere.

He was not an upright gentleman when he was a prince, and he was reckless and lacked a sense of responsibility, but perhaps his only virtue was that he had some self-awareness. His daughter was capable and had her own opinions, and he was too lazy to see her. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Listening to her voice, which was so low and lacking in spirit, he knew that an unhappy marriage was really hard for a woman.

As for the majesty of the law and such, he felt that it was a bit pretentious, and he waved his hand.

"Yes, yes, yes, let the magistrate of the capital handle the case. 朕 is just talking to you. Don't make the relationship with the Qu family too stiff. After all, they helped us when we came up. 朕 scolded them, and yesterday, 朕 slammed the table and scolded them. 朕 told them: 朕 understand why you are looking for朕 for Qu Zonghui, and 朕 am not an unreasonable person, but what is being spread is about the Southern and Northern people. It has come to the point of smearing the Eldest Princess's reputation, and 朕 will kill a batch of these people! Damn it! What are they!"

Zhou Yong imitated his expression from yesterday, using harsh words and cursing. Only then did he calm down: "You don't have to worry about these things. There are ulterior motives behind this, and 朕 will stand up for you."

Zhou Pei looked at him: "Thank you, Father, but it's just rumors in private. It can't cover up the众口悠悠 (zhòng kǒu yōu yōu - the murmuring of the masses), so there's no need to kill people. It's not right to kill people."

"Uh..." Zhou Yong thought for a moment, "The officials like to join in the fun, and the more they join in, the more lively it gets. 朕 has to beat down a batch. Otherwise, the rumors about the Princess will really spread like wildfire!"

The Imperial Study was quiet for a moment. Zhou Yong looked at Zhou Pei and then said: "As for the matter of the Southern and Northern people, Daughter, let Father say one more thing, don't make it too intense. Our foundation is ultimately in the South. Although 朕 is now the Emperor, 朕 must be impartial, but 朕 shouldn't offend all of these people in the South. The current situation is not right. Yue Qing's victory in Xiangyang is secondary. The real big thing is that something big has happened in Tian Hu's territory. 朕 always feel uneasy about the Black Flag (黑旗) coming out of the mountains. Daughter, even if we really want to fight north in the future, the rear must be stable. It won't work if it's not stable."

He said these things, thinking that his daughter would refute them, but Zhou Pei nodded: "Father is right. Daughter has also been reflecting on this matter. I have made many mistakes in the past few years."

Over the years, Zhou Pei's expression and temperament had become more and more graceful and calm. Zhou Yong became worried instead, wondering if his daughter was speaking sarcastically. He looked at her twice and then nodded repeatedly: "Hey, my daughter, you haven't made any mistakes. It's just that the situation... the situation is not quite the same. That's right, Qu Zonghui will be dealt with by 朕, and 朕 will let him go..."

Zhou Pei raised her head. Zhou Yong looked over, and the father and daughter looked at each other for a moment. Zhou Pei then said: "Father, Daughter doesn't think this is appropriate. If you let him go, what about that family?"

"Daughter, it's meaningless to say that." Zhou Yong frowned, "Here, Qu Zonghui has a bad reputation. After this incident, 朕 will take the initiative to divorce him for you, and you can marry someone you like. What do you think? You find someone you like, and then tell Father. Father will arrange another marriage for you, and that's how it will be..."

Zhou Yong rambled on, and Zhou Pei quietly looked at him, not knowing what to say. In the past few years, there had always been a faint barrier between the father and daughter in their conversations. The main reason was that their thinking was not on the same level at all. She opened her mouth: "Thank you, Father, for your kindness, but... there's no need..."

"It is 父皇 (fù huáng - imperial 'father')'s duty to do this for you. 朕 was confused back then and didn't care enough about you two children. At that time, 朕 was thinking that Jun Wu would inherit the throne in the future and would just be a leisurely prince in Jiangning. It was the same for you. You would marry and raise children... Who knew that you would later ascend the throne? Qu Zonghui, you didn't like him. 朕 didn't know that back then..."

Having been emperor for eight years, Zhou Yong thought about many things. Now that he was talking about it, he couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't cared enough about his daughter's unhappy marriage, and if he had let others arrange the wrong marriage for her. The father and daughter then chatted for a while. When Zhou Pei left, Zhou Yong's head was hurting. A daughter is a daughter, but a twenty-seven-year-old woman who hasn't had a man has a strange temper. It's really pitiful...

Zhou Pei felt a chill in her heart as she went out. Her mind had been extremely tired these days. In the years after the court moved south, the economy of the Wu Dynasty developed rapidly, centered on Lin'an. The wealthy gentry in the South had all taken a share, while a large number of Northern people who had fled were often reduced to slaves or beggars. Under this trend, Jun Wu tried to give the refugees a way to live, and Zhou Pei intentionally or unintentionally helped behind the scenes. While this was described as fair and just, in the eyes of others, it was just helping the Northern people beat the Southern people.

This counterattack was sudden and unexpected. Zhou Pei had been in charge of a huge business for several years. As she got older, she became calmer in nature. It was impossible for her to have any good and gentle reputation outside. However, no one would have randomly spread any bad rumors about the Eldest Princess before. Who knew that this time, because of Qu Zonghui's matter, the rumors would come so fiercely? A woman who was strong and shrewish, lacking in female virtue, twenty-seven years old without any children, and who even wanted to kill her husband, all of these things were considered major sins that would lead to being drowned in a pig cage in the countryside.

Whether or not a crime has been committed can be discussed rationally, but defamation of character is another matter. With everyone pointing fingers, she might die without illness. Even though Zhou Pei was clever, she was still a twenty-year-old woman in her heart. Her pressure had been unspeakable these days. If it hadn't been for a little reason, she would have probably abandoned the whole business and hid somewhere无人之处 (wú rén zhī chù - deserted).

For a time, she wanted to persevere with resilience, and for a time, she was reflecting on whether she and Jun Wu had really done something wrong, as the Tian family ultimately needed people to support them when doing things, and the world was vaguely about to be in chaos again. For the second time in two years, she woke up crying at night - the last time was the night after hearing the news of Ning Yi's death. After that, she thought she had no tears left.

After all, there were still some.

No matter how unforgettable a person is, the dead are gone, and the living must continue to move forward.

On the way out, before reaching the palace gate, Zhou Pei saw Jun Wu walking briskly and busily from over there—probably also back from Jiangning for this matter—seeing his elder sister, the fire in the太子 (tài zi - crown prince)'s eyes diminished a little, smiling and greeting her.

"... I've heard about Qu Zonghui's matter, and I'm going to speak to Father... The world is about to be in chaos, and these short-sighted guys are still fighting for their own selfish interests, and now they've stooped to the point of smearing my elder sister's reputation! I won't spare them! By the way, elder sister, wait for me here first, and I'll come out later and talk to you..."

After saying these words, a group of people passed by in a mighty manner. Zhou Pei waited for a while in the nearby Imperial Garden and saw Jun Wu return in a rage. His negotiations with his father probably didn't yield any results. In all fairness, Zhou Yong was already extremely biased towards these two children, but when he was the emperor, he had to maintain some rationality and couldn't really do anything to strike "Southern people" for the sake of "Northern people."

However, although there was anger in his eyes, Jun Wu's spirit didn't seem to be discouraged. He had probably just made noise with Zhou Yong to express his position. Now that he had found his elder sister, the two of them went towards the city wall together so that they could say some intimate words.

"... The Black Flag (黑旗) has been silent for two years and has finally come out. I think they're going to do something big. This is a fatal blow to Tian Hu... I don't know what the Jin people's reaction is, but elder sister, do you know what Liu Yu's reaction is..."

Jun Wu's words were excited, but Zhou Pei still seemed calm: "The scouts say that Liu Yu has gone mad again."

"That's right, the Black Flag (黑旗), hehe... They drove Liu Yu crazy a few years ago. This time, when he heard the news of the Black Flag (黑旗), he was so scared that he got up in the middle of the night and ran around the palace with a stick, hitting people he saw. By the way, by the way, there was also that battle outside Xiangyang City. Elder sister, you know about it, right? The Black Flag (黑旗) people killed Lu Tuo..."

As they spoke, the two of them climbed onto the city wall of the Imperial Palace.

"They brought the突火枪 (tū huǒ qiāng - fire lances). The fire lances are even better to use." Zhou Pei looked at him, her eyes slightly bitter, and said, "But... the Black Flag (黑旗) is still the Black Flag (黑旗). Jun Wu, you shouldn't be so happy."

"Ha." Jun Wu laughed dryly. He looked at his elder sister, thinking about something in his heart. The two of them walked forward for a while, and Jun Wu casually said some idle words, finally stopping.

"Sister," he said, "Master is still alive."

"... Ah?" Zhou Pei took two steps forward before turning her head back. She was wearing a tooth-white dress, and her moon-like face looked plain and graceful. She used her fingers to block a strand of hair at her ear, but her clear eyes instantly became slightly hollow.

Jun Wu then repeated it.

"Ning Liheng... Ning Liheng is still alive..." he said, "... General Yue has seen him."

The autumn wind caressed the skirts and hair. Looking down from this high city wall, the world was full of traffic and people coming and going. In the wind, there were distant sounds. The autumn sun was warm, and Lin'an was full of flying fallen leaves...

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