Жениться на государственном служащем династии Северная Сун

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"What did you say?" Junyu stepped forward. "What happened to Mr. Zhu and his wife? Was it your father's doing again?"

Zhu Yu sneered, "This time it wasn't my father. It was the censor who discovered that the scholars of Qiansi Academy were forming cliques and plotting, trying to interfere in politics, advocating war against the Hu tribes, and committing a literary inquisition. The emperor was furious and ordered their arrest."

Junyu had no time to ask further questions, and Zhu Yu had already gone far away, laughing loudly.

Junyu recalled how Young Master Nongying had gone into seclusion in his early years due to a literary inquisition against his family. These cases often involved nine generations of relatives, not just a few individuals, making a simple prison break a possibility. Hundreds or even thousands were imprisoned at a time, and unless the emperor granted a pardon, there was virtually no hope of rescue! However, arrests were usually ordered by the emperor; if he granted a pardon, it was an indirect admission of wrongdoing. These incompetent rulers, to maintain their so-called authority, would never admit their mistakes!

She had no time to think further, so she immediately settled the affairs in Phoenix City and set off for Jiangnan overnight.

They rushed to Yangzhou, arriving in the first month of the lunar calendar.

Junyu found the largest inn in the area, "Lianyi Inn," booked a room, and sat down. The waiter brewed tea—fragrant, emerald-green Longjing. In the delicate Jingdezhen ceramic cup, wisps of steam rose, and the tea leaves appeared lifelike, like orchids just beginning to bloom, the clear, green liquid a feast for the eyes. Junyu took a sip; the aroma was intoxicating, rich and fragrant like orchids, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. Although Phoenix Village produced tea, it was nowhere near as fine as this; it was merely ordinary tea, mostly sold to nomadic tribes, whose diet consisted mainly of meat, and who needed tea to aid digestion. Traveling along the way, seeing the prosperous and beautiful Jiangnan region, Junyu couldn't help but sigh, no wonder the nomadic tribes beyond the Great Wall had always coveted this magnificent land!

Her mind was in turmoil, and she had no interest in savoring the moment. Just as she was about to get up and go out to inquire about the situation, she suddenly noticed that the guests in the lobby were all leaving. Junyu looked around and saw that all the tea drinkers had quickly disappeared. Then, a man walked in and sat down opposite her: "It's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. How about we have a drink together?"

With a wave of his hand, the waiter brought over a jar of fine bamboo leaf tea! Then he withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the large teahouse.

Junyu looked at this person; almost every time he saw this person, it was not a pleasant experience.

The visitor poured two cups of wine, drank one himself, and sighed, "Since Junyu was born, why was Zhu Yu also born!"

Junyu remained silent and drank his own cup.

Zhu Yu downed three cups, glancing at her sideways, and suddenly recalled the scene when he first met Jun Yu at Qian Si Academy! It was a winter morning, and he watched that graceful young boy on the snow, feeling for the first time a strong urge to greet a stranger, an urgent desire to become friends with such a wonderful person! But Meng Yuanjing had already run up to him, and the young boy and Meng Yuanjing became best friends from that moment on. From that moment on, he suddenly felt a deep hatred for Meng Yuanjing, and also for that little boy!

Back then, they were all just teenagers, arrogantly considering themselves the elite of the elite, geniuses among geniuses. But then this god-like teenager appeared, and suddenly, everyone else was nothing!

……

Zhu Yu remained silent for a long time, then slowly said, "Do you know? I've hated you since I was little! Before you came along, I was always number one in everything I did; but after you came along, I always fell behind you in everything—this disappointed my father, who thought I was a useless piece of trash..."

There was something he didn't say: "You're not even willing to be my friend!"

Junyu suddenly understood why he wanted to fight her with his internal energy when they met for the first time after so many years. She couldn't help but say, "At least, your kung fu is better than mine!"

That was the first time in her many years in the industry that she had been seriously injured and almost lost her life. Although Zhu Gang had attacked her with a sneak attack, she knew that she was ultimately inferior to Zhu Yu in the end.

"Of course!" Zhu Yu said proudly, "I've put in a lot of effort for this!"

It was already completely dark outside. Junyu stood up, and Zhu Yu raised his cup and took another sip: "Are you going to visit Mr. Zhu in prison?"

Junyu sat down again: "Do you want to come with me?"

Zhu Yu had also studied at Qiansi Academy, and if he were willing to help, he would be the best candidate to rescue Mr. Zhu.

This was the first time Zhu Yu had ever seen such earnest eyes from someone he had always been hostile to. For some reason, those eyes made his chest tighten. After a long while, he finally said, "Is this what you're asking me for? Even the all-powerful Jun Yu has to ask for favors?"

Junyu nodded, and a strange and unfamiliar feeling suddenly welled up in Zhu Yu's heart. He stared into those bright, star-like eyes and whispered, "I agree, because you begged me! Remember, you owe me a favor!"

"Yes, I owe you a favor!" Junyu smiled slightly. "I will remember it!"

Zhu Yu dared not look at her smile, leaped up, and ran straight ahead.

Junyu got up and caught up with him in a few leaps.

Yangzhou Prison.

The prefect of Yangzhou had already gone to bed when he was suddenly woken up by his clerk. The clerk whispered a few words in his ear, and the prefect's expression changed. He quickly came out to greet him: "Young Master Zhu!"

Zhu Yu waved his hand: "Sir, there's no need for such formalities. I've come here to meet Mr. Zhu!"

The prefect of Yangzhou was someone promoted by Prime Minister Zhu. Now that the son of the Prime Minister's mansion had come in person, how could he dare to be negligent? He immediately ordered the guards to light lanterns and personally led the way, heading straight for the prison.

Along the way, he asked, "Did the Prime Minister send you?"

Zhu Yu said impatiently, "You don't need to worry about that."

The prefect dared not speak again, and the group soon arrived at the prison.

Mr. Zhu and Mei Mei were locked in separate cells, while his family and relatives were imprisoned in more than a dozen large cells.

The guards opened the door, and the prefect waved his hand, dismissing the guards and leaving himself as well.

Zhu Yu stood still, and Jun Yu ignored him and quickly stepped forward.

"Mr. Zhu, Mrs. Zhu!" she called softly, her voice choked with emotion.

"Junyu, it really is Junyu!" Mr. Zhu's hair was completely white, and a surprised smile appeared on his thin face.

“Junyu…” Mei Mei’s expression was somber, her hair disheveled, her weak voice filled with disbelief and ecstatic joy. She reached out her hand from the cell, and Junyu’s heart ached. He knelt down and grasped those withered hands!

"I haven't heard from you all these years, and I've been so worried. Now that I see you've grown up safely, I can die in peace!" Mei Mei sighed, with a sense of relief and joy.

"I will try to save you," Junyu said softly.

Mei Mei seemed no longer concerned about whether she could be rescued. She gripped Junyu's hand tightly: "I'll be so happy to see your mother in the afterlife..."

Mr. Zhu smiled, shook his head, and his eyes showed a sense of helplessness and resignation towards the unexpected disaster: "Junyu, in both the previous and current dynasties, countless people have been implicated and their families wiped out because of literary inquisitions. It is no easy task to find a way to rescue them, so don't bother with it!"

"Zhu Yu is here too!" Jun Yuqiang smiled.

"Zhu Yu?!" Mei Mei and Mr. Zhu were both a little surprised.

Junyu turned to look at him. Zhu Yu walked over reluctantly and bowed to Mr. Zhu and Mei Mei.

Mr. Zhu smiled: "Zhu Yu, you've grown up too!"

Zhu Yu stood to one side, without saying a word.

After the two were released from prison, Zhu Yu said, "Meet me at that teahouse three days from now in the evening! Remember, only you can come."

"Thank you, Zhu Yu!"

Zhu Yu gave her a deep look, then turned and left!

Junyu had just returned to the Lianyi Inn where he was staying when he saw Meng Yuanjing waiting at the door. Upon seeing Junyu, Meng Yuanjing immediately said, "Junyu, you've finally arrived!"

It turned out that Meng Yuanjing, as one of the vanguard generals in the previous battle, led his troops into battle first. He clashed with a 10,000-strong army of the Hu tribe at Xifeng Pass, killing most of them. Just as he was about to pursue their victory, he received orders to withdraw, saying that the imperial court had negotiated a truce. One of the conditions of the peace agreement was that the Hu tribe severely punish the commander of this vanguard army. Therefore, Tang Zhen dismissed Meng Yuanjing from his post on the charge of "rashly attacking friendly forces." Disheartened by this fate, Meng Yuanjing, full of patriotic fervor, simply returned home to care for his elderly mother.

Meng Yuanjing's family lived in Yangzhou, and Junyu guessed that he must also be trying to rescue Mr. Zhu, so after leaving Phoenix Village, she sent a letter to Meng Yuanjing. She originally planned to go to him to find out the situation as soon as she arrived in Yangzhou, but she did not expect to meet Zhu Yu first.

"Junyu, have you met Mr. Zhu?"

"I just saw him."

“Even with the joint efforts of renowned scholars from Jiangnan and their secret bribing, we still couldn’t meet with Mr. Zhu alone, no matter how hard we tried. How did you manage to meet him?”

"Zhu Yu took me there."

Meng Yuanjing was greatly surprised: "This kid can be so kind?"

Junyu nodded and sighed, "Not only did Mr. Zhu and his wife suffer such a calamity, but it's also pitiful for their clansmen. Some of them had never even met Mr. Zhu's family before, and this fabricated literary inquisition has implicated them all. Dozens of these people are imprisoned in cells, with no hope for the rest of their lives. Even if they are lucky enough to survive, if they are exiled, their children and descendants will be slaves for generations to come."

Meng Yuanjing said, "Let's try our best to think of a solution."

"Zhu Yu told me to go to the prison in three days, so we'll just take it one step at a time."

"Very well, I've arranged for a group of renowned scholars from Jiangnan to go to Yangzhou Prefecture tomorrow to make arrangements. Let's split up and proceed."

As they were parting, Meng Yuanjing suddenly took out a letter: "Junyu, I almost forgot, Lanni asked me to give this to you!"

Junyu took the letter, opened it, and found it was from Shi Lanni, inviting her to Ailian Manor for a chat, without specifying a reason. Junyu remembered that she still had three days until her appointment with Zhu Yu, and thought it best to visit Shi Lanni, so she immediately agreed.

The next morning, Junyu went to Ailian Villa as promised.

Ailian Manor sits atop an evergreen orange grove. Junyu suddenly remembered that her hometown also had such a vast orange grove, and every autumn, her mother would take her there to pick oranges. Seeing such an orange grove in Jiangnan now evoked a very familiar feeling.

Under a tall Chinese tallow tree stood an old man. Junyu approached and found that the old man was only about 50 years old. Perhaps because the years had left too deep marks on him, he looked much older than his age.

The old man strolled along casually with his hands behind his back, seemingly oblivious to the people passing by. Junyu walked past him sideways, and he didn't even glance at her.

After walking about two miles further, a large courtyard came into view. Above the entrance of the central marble building were four simple, ancient characters: "Ailian Villa"!

Two servants, each wielding a long spear, stood at the doorway.

A fair-skinned, beautiful young woman with delicate features was looking around at the door. Upon seeing Jun Yu, she immediately greeted him with delight: "You must be Young Master Jun! My sister is waiting for you!"

Seeing Junyu's surprised expression, she immediately smiled: "My name is Shi Hongni, and Shi Lanni is my older sister. My sister has been thinking about you ever since she returned home, and my parents also want to meet you in person to thank you, but they haven't had the chance. This time, we heard from Brother Yuanjing that you would be coming to Jiangnan, and we've been looking forward to seeing you every day..."

Junyu followed behind her, smiling as he listened to her clear, cheerful voice, which was very pleasing to the ear. After winding through several courtyards, they arrived at a very elegant glazed tile courtyard.

Above the archway of the courtyard was a couplet with lacquered gold and jade seal: "Lotus-loving beauties, graceful ladies; elegant ladies, charming young ladies; princesses, elegant young ladies." The horizontal inscription read: "Two peerless beauties!"

Jun Yu followed Shi Hongni through the gate. Inside the elegant house, Shi Lanni quickly stood up and called out, "Young Master Jun!" Then she turned to a middle-aged woman sitting in the center and said, "Mother, this is Young Master Jun!"

This is none other than the legendary beauty of the martial arts world, Fang Gege! The moment Junyu saw her, he understood the source of the Shi sisters' beauty. Fang Gege's features and figure were exquisite and delicate. Her body was wrapped in the most luxurious silk garments, and her limbs were surrounded by the most dazzling jewels. She was like a flower; she was so dazzling that even her two beautiful and vibrant daughters paled in comparison when standing next to her.

"Greetings, Madam."

Fang Gege glanced at her, smiled faintly, then looked at her again and suddenly stood up, pointing at her almost incoherently, "You...you..."

The Shi sisters had never seen their mother so distraught. They both rushed forward to support her, saying, "Mother, you..."

"Lan Ni, Hong Ni," a dignified voice rang out. Jun Yu turned around and saw the old man she had just seen under the tallow tree.

"Father!"

This old man was none other than the famous Shi Daming, the number one swordsman who was renowned throughout the martial arts world twenty years ago.

Just as Jun Yu was about to bow, Shi Daming suddenly noticed her sword, then looked at Fang Gege, whose face was full of surprise, and his eyes flashed. "Young Master Jun, thank you for saving my daughter's life!"

"Not at all, it was just a small favor, please don't take it to heart!"

Junyu suddenly realized that Shi Daming's calm gaze held an even greater confusion than Fang Gege's.

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Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven

“Those are Lancia’s eyes, no doubt about it. Only Lancia could have eyes like that!” Fang Gege whispered, looking at her husband. “I never imagined Lancia would have a son, and what’s more, her son saved my daughter’s life…”

Shi Daming looked at Junyu, who nodded blankly. Suddenly, she remembered the hateful look in Prime Minister Zhu's eyes, while Shi Daming and his wife's eyes were full of surprise and excitement!

"Is your mother alright?" Shi Daming's expression was calm, but his voice trembled slightly.

My mother passed away many years ago!

Shi Daming swayed, his expression pale: "I owe her another favor... I can never repay it in this lifetime, never..."

Fang Gege and her daughter watched him walk straight out the door, neither of them daring to call out to him!

Junyu looked at him blankly, then at the Shi sisters, and the three of them looked at each other in bewilderment.