Chapter 76: Spicy Pot (Part 2)
As night fell, the wind howled and snow fell heavily. When Leng Yan brought Leng Yue into the city using a pass, Leng Yue's fair cheeks were flushed red from the wind, while her lips had turned pale blue. Seeing this, Leng Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and asked, "Where have you been all day?"
Leng Yue focused on riding her horse, casually scanning the distant city lights and the deathly quiet streets around them. She replied offhandedly, "Just went to some deserted place like you said... What, has the curfew been moved earlier?"
Hearing her calm and steady tone, no different from usual except for a trace of unconcealable weariness between her brows, Leng Yan silently breathed a sigh of relief and responded casually, "Yes, things have been unsettled lately. No one's allowed on the streets after dark. I had to get a pass from the Crown Prince to bring you in... Go home and get some sleep first. You can look for that scoundrel tomorrow when it's light."
Leng Yue turned her head in surprise. "Which home?"
"Which home?" Leng Yan turned to face Leng Yue's bewildered expression and couldn't help shooting an exasperated glare at the front of Leng Yue's robe. If she remembered correctly, that envelope marked "Divorce letter" and its contents were tucked inside those layers of clothing, closest to Leng Yue's heart. "What other home? Have you forgotten your own family name?"
Since she had accepted Jing Yi's blank divorce letter, it meant that small residence near the Dali Temple with the plaque reading "Jing Residence" no longer had anything to do with her. The only place in the capital that could be called home for her now was the Leng Residence opposite the Jing family mansion.
When she had willfully married Jing Yi, Madame Leng was visiting relatives in Liangzhou. Now that Jing Yi had given her the divorce letter, Madame Leng still hadn't returned from Liangzhou. If she came back and found this bucket of water that had poured itself out now being poured back without any warning, who knew how she would deal with her...
One thing was certain: those in the capital who already considered her morally corrupt would now speak with even greater conviction.
Leng Yue stiffly tugged at the corner of her mouth. Her marriage to Jing Yi hadn't been long, so why had she so naturally assumed he and home were always together...
Leng Yue shook her head slightly. "I still have important things at his place, and he has important things with me. If I don't go, I won't be able to sleep anywhere tonight."
"What things?"
"Things you can't handle for me..."
As Leng Yue spoke, she raised her whip to urge the horse forward, but Leng Yan grabbed it midway.
"You can't go!"
Leng Yue looked at Leng Yan, who had suddenly become inexplicably tense, and couldn't think of any reason for her to be so nervous. She pursed her lips. "Want to fight?"
Leng Yan was taken aback by her retort. Her already cold expression instantly frosted over, looking particularly chilling in the snowy night.
"Second sister..."
The term "second sister," carried through the wind and snow with a trace of warmth, pierced Leng Yan's heart. Her face, more strikingly beautiful than Leng Yue's, involuntarily softened with a hint of tender pity.To be honest, when Leng Yan first received this divorce letter delivered by the Crown Prince on behalf of Leng Yue, it took every ounce of self-restraint she possessed not to rush to the Jing residence and tear the place down.
After all, rules were one thing, principles were another, but her own younger sister was an entirely different matter.
"Xiao Yue," Leng Yan finally sighed helplessly, tossing the whip back to Leng Yue with a grim tone, "That wretched boy has gotten himself into some trouble recently... He's under house arrest right now. Even if you go, you won't be able to see him. Don't go looking for trouble."
Leng Yue froze in shock, her grip on the reins tightening so suddenly she nearly caused her horse to stumble.
"House arrest?"
Seeing her bewildered expression, Leng Yan rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Which one of us works for the government? Do I really need to explain what house arrest means to you?"
Logically speaking, house arrest was indeed a form of punishment, something Leng Yue working at the Ministry of Justice should know more about. However, in practice, cases formally adjudicated by the Three Judicial Offices rarely resulted in house arrest.
Throughout history, those placed under house arrest were typically individuals who had offended the current emperor, yet the emperor lacked solid grounds to execute or imprison them—or where executing them would create more complications. Thus, confinement served as a means to vent imperial displeasure.
Given Master Jing's prestige and Jing Yi's silver tongue that could talk the dead back to life, if he had truly provoked the emperor to this extent, unless...
Leng Yue's heart sank, and she nearly leaped from her saddle. "Did they search Jing Yi's residence and fail to find... fail to find what they were looking for, then placed him under house arrest?"
Leng Yan was taken aback. Even if Leng Yue had spent the entire day circling the city walls asking about matters in the capital, she could have at most learned about Jing Yi's house arrest. Such specific details were known to very few even within the city walls. "How did you know?"
Leng Yue didn't answer, only asking, "How long has it been?"
From the moment she decided to bring her into the city, Leng Yan had prepared for her eventual discovery of this matter—just not this soon. Hesitating briefly, Leng Yan vaguely replied, "About half a month."
Half a month ago, roughly around the time of the Late Emperor's passing...
If it truly was house arrest, then neither the Ministry of Justice's credentials nor Prince An's insignia would be of any use. Even if Prince An himself showed up, he might not be granted an inch of leniency.
Leng Yan was right—even if she went, she wouldn't be able to see him.
Leng Yue pressed her lips together, lost in thought for a moment. It was Leng Yan who broke the silence first. "Don't entertain any underhanded ideas... I happen to have the Crown Prince's token. I can get them to let you in for a visit."
Leng Yue's face lit up. "Thank you, Second Sister!"
Leng Yan shot her an annoyed glare. "Don't thank me. You'll have at most one incense stick's worth of time. Consider it carefully—just don't get me killed..."
As she spoke, Leng Yan raised her whip and gave her horse a sharp crack on the hindquarters. The horse, trained on border battlefields, didn't whinny or protest but immediately surged forward at a gallop.Leng Yue’s horse had been running with her for several days straight, so naturally it couldn’t match Leng Yan’s speed. Since she knew the way, Leng Yue decided not to rush and proceeded at a leisurely pace. By the time she arrived at the familiar estate’s entrance, Leng Yan seemed to have already spoken with the soldiers guarding the door and was standing there with her arms crossed, waiting for her.
The estate where she had once lived with Jing Yi was now tightly surrounded by a group of imperial guards. Judging by the traces at the entrance, these men had truly been stationed here for nearly half a month.
Looking at these solemnly standing soldiers, Leng Yue felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy.
With Jing Yi’s monkey-like temperament, he had probably slipped out to play numerous times over the past half-month without anyone noticing. It must have been quite a challenge for these soldiers to stand guard here without even daring to blink.
Who knew if he was even inside at the moment…
Unconsciously curling her lips into a faint smile, Leng Yue dismounted, deftly tied her horse to the hitching post by the gate, and stepped forward. Just as she was about to clasp her hands in salute, Leng Yan shoved her through the door.
“Hurry up, stop dawdling.”
Leng Yue had an impatient nature, but Leng Yan was even more impatient. Their eldest sister, who had married far away to Miaojiang, was more impatient than the two of them combined. So, Leng Yue didn’t find Leng Yan’s nearly exhausted patience the least bit unusual.
Even the soldiers seemed accustomed to Leng Yan’s temper. They watched as Leng Yan pushed her own younger sister through the door as if she were a prisoner, without showing the slightest reaction.
It wasn’t until Leng Yue had already entered the front courtyard that she faintly overheard a soldier at the gate mutter under his breath.
“Guard Leng, this one really looks like…”
“Like my ass!”
“…”
Pondering whether Leng Yan’s “ass” referred to her, Leng Yue walked on with her head down. She didn’t know how much influence the Crown Prince’s token had, but none of the soldiers standing guard along the way stepped forward to stop her. One even noticed she seemed headed toward the study and kindly pointed her in the right direction, redirecting her to the bedroom in time.
What time was it even? Would Jing Yi obediently stay cooped up in the bedroom?
Just before stepping into the courtyard leading to the bedroom, Leng Yue suddenly remembered something and turned to the soldiers guarding the door, cupping her hands in salute. “Excuse me, is Steward Qi here?”
The two soldiers guarding the door simultaneously shot her a sidelong glance.
“Just do what you’re here to do! Why all the unnecessary questions?”
Leng Yue was taken aback.
It wasn’t because of the soldier’s rude tone, but because his words made it seem as though he knew exactly why she was there at a glance—and that it was for some important, legitimate business.
Leng Yue had a vague feeling that Leng Yan might have used more than just the token to let her enter so openly. As for what else she had done, Leng Yue couldn’t guess at the moment, but judging by the way the soldiers looked at her face, she felt something was a bit off.
But since she was already at the door, no matter how off it felt, she had to go in and see.
Swallowing her original question, Leng Yue lowered her head and entered the courtyard.
The courtyard was still a courtyard, but the loofah vines that had been lush and green when she left were now withered and stiff, clinging to the courtyard wall. A few old loofahs that hadn’t been picked in time hung dried on the vines, swaying in the wind and snow as if they might snap the frail, withered stems at any moment.There was light in the room. Judging by the shifting patterns on the window paper, both the outer chamber and inner room were lit by lamps—dim ones, as no shadows moved within from the courtyard, nor any sounds reached outside. Leng Yue found nothing eerie about this; instead, the gloom felt inexplicably intimate.
Could it be that Jing Yi had slipped out to amuse himself and not yet returned?
Snow this heavy was rare in the capital. Who knew if some whim had led him to hole up in an obscure but authentic teahouse or tavern, composing poetry with like-minded companions…
If that were the case, she could hate him with a clear conscience.
Leng Yue took a soft breath, approached the door, and pushed it open without a sound. She froze on the threshold before she could step inside.
The outer chamber was empty, lit only by a feeble lamp. A scent of liquor wafted from the inner room, laced with a distinct fragrance. By the time it drifted through the cold outer space to Leng Yue’s nose, only a faint trace remained, yet it was unmistakable.
She had smelled this scent before—in Hua Mei’s room at the Sparrow Nest Brothel.
It seemed just as Leng Yan had said: once he sent the divorce letter, he was free to indulge in pleasure…
Unconsciously, Leng Yue touched her chest. Through the slightly damp official robe, dampened by snow, she pinched the silver bracelet hidden beneath. It was the bracelet she squeezed, but the one who hurt was the one squeezing it.
Fortunately, she hadn’t come to demand explanations from him, much less to beg him to change his mind. She had only one task to complete, and then she would leave.
Gritting her teeth, Leng Yue stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and walked steadily to the inner room’s entrance. There, she stood listening to Jing Yi’s breathless, flushed panting—a sound that made her own face heat. When it showed no sign of ceasing, she recalled Leng Yan’s advice and politely knocked twice on the door. Calmly, she said, “It’s me, Leng Yue. May I come in?”
Leng Yue swore she had asked out of genuine courtesy, but the response from within held no such politeness.
The voice was weary, as if drained, slightly breathless, yet unmistakably Jing Yi’s—though the words were ones he had never spoken to her before.
“Get lost…”
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