Chapter 89: Spicy Pot (Fifteen)
Leng Yue felt a lump in her chest, nearly brought to tears.
Seeing Master Jing looking drowsy yet still amiable, she assumed he was momentarily bleary-eyed and hadn't recognized her in her wide-sleeved long dress. She stepped closer, cupping her hands respectfully and speaking in a deep voice, "Your humble servant, Leng Yue, Chief of the Criminal Department's Constable Unit, pays respects to Grand Tutor Jing."
Master Jing raised an eyebrow with mild displeasure, as if watching a vegetable vendor shortchange him, and said with earnest gravity, "Don't lie before my ancestors, or you'll see strange things in your sleep at night, hehe..."
A chill ran down Leng Yue's spine, her mind growing muddled.
No matter how ambitious Xiao Zhao Ye was, he wouldn't bring girls—whose falseness even a drunken Jing Yi could detect—to deceive the clear-minded Master Jing. She had announced her identity so explicitly, so why was Master Jing reacting this way?
Cautiously observing Master Jing, who seemed no different from usual, she remained reverent and asked, "Grand Tutor Jing, how have I lied?"
Master Jing gazed at her with benevolent eyes, a faint smile gracing his lips as he replied without hesitation, "The person you speak of is my daughter-in-law. She started calling me 'Father' months ago, hehe..."
Leng Yue froze in shock.
Had Jing Yi not yet found the chance to tell Master Jing about divorcing her?
This matter had to be addressed eventually. Though it was somewhat improper for her to bring it up, if she didn't clarify now, who knew how the notoriously cunning Master Jing would deal with a fake daughter-in-law daring enough to show up uninvited.
"Grand Tutor Jing..." Leng Yue pressed her red lips together, a trace of reluctance in her tone as she stated firmly, "Jing Yi has divorced me."
Master Jing genuinely seemed to be hearing this for the first time, his narrow fox-like eyes widening in unmistakable disbelief.
An inexplicable wave of grievance washed over Leng Yue, making the tip of her nose sting.
Master Jing studied her for a moment with a gaze mingling shock and skepticism, then asked gently yet seriously, "Do you have the divorce letter?"
"Yes."
Leng Yue responded steadily, but as she reached into her robe and touched the unfamiliar fabric, she remembered that to avoid raising suspicion in front of Uncle Qi and others, she hadn't carried any items that could prove her true identity—including that torn and crumpled divorce letter envelope.
"I..." She awkwardly withdrew her hand and admitted truthfully, "I didn't bring it."
Master Jing stared at her for a beat, then slightly narrowed his eyes and amiably posed an entirely unrelated question: "The teacher who taught you to read passed away many years ago, didn't he?"
Leng Yue had no idea where this came from, but since Master Jing asked, she answered honestly, "Yes."
"No wonder..." Master Jing's smile deepened. "Claiming you didn't bring your homework when you haven't done it—that's a trick the Crown Prince used in his second year of studies, hehe..."
"..."
Leng Yue nearly dropped to her knees.
As if sensing her despair, Master Jing considerately offered a compromise: "Since you claim to be the Chief of the Criminal Department's Constable Unit, you must at least have your Criminal Department badge, right?"Leng Yue suddenly felt as if claws were scratching at her heart, but under Master Jing's kindly gaze, she had no choice but to steel herself and reply, "Yes, I didn't bring it..."
Master Jing looked at her with tolerant eyes and made another concession, "You didn't bring the Ministry of Justice token—did you bring the An Wang residence token?"
Leng Yue gritted her teeth and answered, "No..."
"You didn't bring the token for your horse to enter and exit the Ministry of Justice compound either, did you?"
"No..."
Master Jing looked at her already rock-solid composure and finally gave up on prompting her. He smiled knowingly, "Heh heh..."
Leng Yue felt a chill run down her spine. In her frantic state, her gaze somehow fell upon the offering table before the ancestral tablets, and her eyes immediately lit up. Her spirits lifted as she took two steps forward, picked up a plate of mung bean cakes, and without a word stuffed one into her mouth.
She didn't know if she still had the right to eat even a single bite of the Jing family's offerings, but at this moment, only this act could powerfully prove that she had once been a daughter-in-law of the Jing family.
Sure enough, watching Leng Yue choke on the hastily swallowed mung bean cake with wide eyes, Master Jing showed no restraint in revealing an expression of sudden understanding. He patted the cushion beside him affectionately, "Come, come... sit down, sit down and eat slowly, heh heh..."
Leng Yue felt that Master Jing's sudden understanding carried a hint of something else, but with the Jing ancestors' provisions stuffed in her mouth, she was overwhelmed with mixed emotions and couldn't discern what that faint flavor was.
After all, this was the Jing family ancestral hall, and these were the Jing ancestors being worshipped. Thinking that this was the first time she was bringing the little one in her womb before his ancestors, Leng Yue didn't sit cross-legged. Instead, she put down the plate of mung bean cakes, wiped the crumbs from her lips, knelt properly on the cushion, and respectfully kowtowed toward the numerous ancestral tablets.
Most of the time she didn't believe in gods or ghosts—the vast majority of people in the Three Judicial Offices didn't, because they were already busy enough catching villains and eliminating evil within the human realm. If they had to consider gods and ghosts too, life in the Three Judicial Offices would become impossible.
She bowed to the Jing family ancestors not to ask them for anything, but to thank them—thank them for striving to survive through poverty and wealth, stability and turmoil, for raising their descendants, so that generation after generation could continue their efforts, until eventually Jing Yi appeared in her life, and now this little one who hadn't made the slightest movement yet.
She didn't know when it started—perhaps it was when she saw corpses strewn across the battlefield after a clash, or when she saw flies persistently swarming around exposed bodies in the mortuary—but after witnessing so much death, she genuinely understood how difficult life could be.
Whenever she could save even one person, she would spare no effort.
Master Jing seemed to interpret Leng Yue's bow as an apology after being forced to eat the offerings. As soon as Leng Yue straightened from her kneeling position, Master Jing asked her cheerfully, "Do you know what offerings are for?"
The word "eat" almost reached Leng Yue's lips, but she ultimately felt it would be improper to expose an unborn child to such influences, so she changed her answer to a more conventional one, "To worship ancestors."
"Why worship them?"There are countless reasons for paying respects to ancestors—far more than ten fingers can count. In the end, Leng Yue chose the most conventional answer: "To seek their blessings."
"Do you believe the dead can protect the living?"
Leng Yue choked back a response, momentarily recalling the Jing family's rule against lying, and honestly shook her head.
"Neither do I," Master Jing said frankly, grinning as he pointed at the rows of ancestral tablets behind the altar. "But since we're guarding these tablets now, let's pretend to believe for a while, hehe…"
"...Understood."
With a mentor-like smile, Master Jing spoke meaningfully, "If one day... no, there will surely come a day when you, too, are placed in the ancestral hall, with grandsons and great-grandsons occasionally bowing before you... Can you imagine that feeling?"
"..."
The thought didn't sound particularly pleasant, so Leng Yue simply nodded without dwelling on it.
Beaming with encouragement, Master Jing continued his gentle guidance, "If those grandsons or great-grandsons of yours kneel until they grow hungry and sneak a bite of your offerings, what would you feel watching from the heavens?"
To be honest, Leng Yue's emotions were somewhat conflicted.
Leaving aside whether she could float in the sky after death, even if she could, she had never imagined witnessing such a scene...
But if that day truly came—and it wouldn't be far off, just decades later—if her spirit in the heavens saw her mischievous, monkey-like grandson kneeling hungry before her tablet over some trivial mistake, even if the child didn't touch the offerings, she'd probably manifest just to hand him food.
Once dead, who would begrudge their own descendants a bite of fruit or pastry they couldn't even taste themselves?
Leng Yue gently touched her abdomen, a uniquely maternal tenderness softening the corners of her lips and brows as she replied softly, "Let them eat. They should eat more—mustn't ruin their health."
"You think this way, and so do I." Squinting with laughter, Master Jing gestured toward the tablets with his flowing-bearded chin and said leisurely, "They would think the same... including the Late Emperor. Anyone with descendants would."
The earlier remarks had given Leng Yue some clarity, but the final line confused her again.
Master Jing's mention of the Late Emperor didn't seem casual—it carried hidden implications.
Leng Yue stiffened slightly and cautiously asked, "The Late Emperor?"
Master Jing hesitated, shifting closer to her and beckoning for her to lean in. Leng Yue quickly bent forward, only to hear him whisper cautiously, "The Late Emperor is that emperor who's already floating in the sky."
Leng Yue nearly faceplanted.
"Grand Tutor Jing..."
"Call me Father."
"..."
If it meant getting straightforward answers from Master Jing, she'd even call him Grandfather. Leng Yue took a deep breath, composed herself, and called out "Father" again, gazing sincerely at the thoroughly satisfied Old Master. "I came to seek your guidance on some matters."After Master Jing nodded, Leng Yue spoke earnestly, "I met Jing Yi last night. He told me that before his passing, the Late Emperor summoned him and all the princes in the capital to the palace intending to discuss matters with them. Unfortunately, before any substantive discussion could take place, he fell victim to poisoning... According to Jing Yi, the Late Emperor was clear-minded at the time and didn't appear to be under anyone's control. However, the administrative responsibilities of the various princes varied greatly, and some hadn't even reached the age to participate in court affairs. There wasn't any matter that required discussing with both them and Jing Yi together. I suspect there might be more to the Late Emperor's summons, but since he has passed, I can only ask you to ponder what his intentions might have been."
Master Jing listened with slightly narrowed eyes and a faint smile, nodding gently. "I knew you came for this reason."
His confident words warmed Leng Yue's heart, but before that warmth could spread throughout her body, Master Jing leisurely added another sentence that chilled her to the bone.
"So just now, before you even asked, I'd already told you, hehe..."
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