The case of General Feihong caused an uproar in the entire Shuojing. Soldiers and commoners who had been favored by General Feihong spontaneously went to the palace to petition with drums, asking for a thorough investigation of the truth. General Feihong had a good reputation among the soldiers and the common people. As soon as the truth came out, the Hexu family was considered to have committed public anger.
Emperor Wenxuan handed the case over to Dali Temple, and within a few days, He Yuanliang couldn't bear to force a confession and told the truth. The officers and soldiers also found a lot of evidence of He Rufei's relationship with the Utuo people in the He family. After this case, the He family deceived the king, pretended to take merits, cooperated with the enemy and treason, and punished several crimes together, except for General Feihong's sister He. Outside the shadow of the heart, there are all the mortal sins. The main culprit, He Rufei, was extremely vicious, and he planned to take Lingchi to the city, where he was executed with one hundred and twenty knives, and his head was displayed to the public.
As for the Xu family, the Hanlin scholar, except for Xu Zhiheng's death penalty, all the males were exiled, and the female relatives were not slaves.
The case was resolved quickly, and when they learned the result, the people applauded and accused the Hexu family of what they deserved.
The day before his execution, in prison, Xu Zhiheng stared at the sour food in front of him, and refused to move his chopsticks for a long time.
On the last meal on Huangquan Road, other death row prisoners had wine and food, but he had nothing. It was because even the jailers felt that what Xu Zhiheng had done was too ruthless. There were many people who received General Feihong's favor back then, but now even for the dead General He, there are many people who do not make Xu Zhiheng feel better.
The jailer laughed at him and said, "Why don't Uncle Xu not eat? After today, I won't be able to eat anymore. I advise Uncle Xu not to pick and choose."
Hearing this, Xu Zhiheng got excited, rushed to the prison door, grabbed the railing of the prison door, and looked at the jailer outside: "No... I won't die! I'll give you money, you can find someone for me and ask them to take me Rescue! I'll give you money!"
"Okay," the jailer looked at him with a smile, "Who does Mr. Xu want to look for when he is young?"
Who to look for
Xu Zhiheng was suddenly stunned.
The He family had already collapsed along with them, and He Rufei could not protect himself. The colleagues who used to be close friends with their family have long since avoided it, for fear of causing trouble. No one could save him.
Xu Zhiheng collapsed to the ground helplessly, and in despair, he was very unwilling, and muttered: "Why? It's not the one I killed... Obviously I didn't do anything!"
"You really didn't do anything?" A voice sounded from the darkness, Xu Zhiheng raised his eyes abruptly, and saw someone slowly appear in front of him, his whole body folded under a black cloak. He was overjoyed at first, thinking that someone had come to save him, but the next moment, the surprise turned into fear, because the man took off the cap of the cloak, revealing a face.
It is the Hou Heyan of Wu'an.
Xu Zhiheng was startled, and quickly backed away, all the way to the base of the wall, and said vigilantly, "Don't come here... don't come here!"
The jailer had already left, and He Yan looked at the embarrassed man. Xu Zhiheng seemed to be afraid of her, staring at her as if he was watching the evil ghost crawling out of hell, full of horror.
He Yan had never seen Xu Zhiheng like this. Whether it was the youth in green who pulled her up from the snow at the age of fourteen and smiled to help her take back the burden, or the gentleman Xu who smiled at her after marrying him, they were all unshaven with the beard in front of him. The men who are frightened are completely different. Even when He Wanru led someone to drown himself, Xu Zhiheng never came forward.
She has seen Xu Zhiheng when she was beautiful, and Xu Zhiheng who looked like a man, but Xu Zhiheng, who was in prison, looked like this.
He Yan was a little disappointed.
Just like a general, if he dies in the hands of an opponent who is equal to himself, he will not regret it, but if he is far from himself... It will be embarrassing.
"Don't be afraid." Her voice was gentle, and even showed a little smile, "I'm here to ask you something."
The woman's eyes were bright, and there was no hatred in her eyes, and the smile seemed to confuse Xu Zhiheng. He still didn't move, stared at He Yan, hesitated for a while, and then asked, "What do you want to ask?"
"You..." He Yan smiled, "When exactly did you know that your wife, He Yan, belongs to General Feihong?"
He Yan never understood this matter. When she married Xu Zhiheng, she thought that Xu Zhiheng knew nothing about herself, and she made up a lot of reasons to cover up the scars on her body. And for the difference between himself and ordinary women, he made up many excuses. It was not until the day she died that she learned from He Wanru's mouth that Xu Zhiheng had known it for a long time.
Perhaps her cover-up and hiding in those years seemed like a joke in Xu Zhiheng's eyes.
But when did he know it? After she married into the Xu family, before she married into the Xu family, or earlier? But then, why would he marry him
Xu Zhiheng looked at her dodgingly, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes: "Why do you ask this? Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the one who can save you out." He Yan whispered.
Xu Zhiheng's eyes lit up: "Rescue me out?" He took a few steps forward, as if afraid of He Yan, looking at her through the bars of the iron prison, and asked eagerly, "Can you really save me out?"
He Yan smiled and nodded.
He hesitated for a while, then said slowly, "I already knew that."
When did Xu Zhiheng know that He Yan was General Feihong, in fact, not long after General Feihong just returned to Beijing. At that time, he was not yet a Hanlin bachelor. Although the Xu family had a scholarly family, the post of Hanlin bachelor was not something he could achieve at his age. Most of the court officials are now Xu Jingfu's disciples. Sometimes when they climb up the ranks, their talents are secondary.
He had the reputation of a child prodigy when he was young, and as he got older, people held him up too high, and he himself regarded himself as very high, like a cage, trapping himself unknowingly.
He was temporarily blocked in his official career, which made Xu Zhiheng feel depressed. Seeing that he was unhappy, Mrs. Xu thought that with his age, it was time to find a marriage. Mrs. Xu is also a shrewd person. She picked it up and down, and she chose the cousin of the newly-appointed General Feihong in Shuojing City, and the young lady of the second room of the He family.
This second young lady was in poor health when she was young, and was sent to Zhuangzi by her family to recuperate early, and she only returned not long ago. Mrs. Xu's abacus is very good, and it will be beneficial to Xu Zhiheng's official career to become a family with this new noble of the court.
But Xu Zhiheng at that time was actually not the best choice for the He family. After all, there are too many talents of the right age in Beijing, and Miss He is now a sweet treat because of the relationship with the eldest son of He, and there are many people who want to marry her back.
Mrs. Xu took Xu Zhiheng along with the post from the He family. Said to be a guest, in fact, is to see each other.
It was the first time he went to He's house at that time. He happened to be knocked over by the servant, so he went to the darkroom on the side to change his clothes. Unexpectedly, someone came in shortly after entering and before he had time to come out.
Xu Zhiheng was neither advancing nor retreating. There were two people who came in. He didn't seem to notice that he was behind. Someone spoke, it was a woman's voice, clear and sweet: "Brother, mother... What is auntie doing? These young masters are invited to come home!"
"There are so many sons, don't you like it?" It was a man's voice who answered her.
Xu Zhiheng understood almost immediately that it was probably Miss He Er and his elder brother He Rufei who were talking outside.
He should have stood up and apologized immediately, but the ghosts and gods not only did not move, but also tried to hold his breath to teach himself to hide better.
Thinking about it now, the deep meaning of fate has begun to slowly emerge as early as that moment.
Xu Zhiheng heard a secret.
"Brother, you are so anxious to marry me, is it because you are afraid that I will tell you that you and I will exchange identities, and that I am General Feihong?" The woman said, "I said it, I won't say it, I After hiding for so many years, it will continue to be hidden.”
"It's not like that." The man's voice contained a hint of impatience, "At your age, an ordinary woman should get married. He Yan, you are just living the life you should be living."
Behind the screen, Xu Zhiheng covered his mouth in horror.
What did he hear? What exchange of identities, what He Yan is General Feihong
He pinched his arm hard, and the pain in his arm reminded him that this was not a dream.
Xu Zhiheng didn't listen to what the brother and sister quarreled about. It was not until the two left that Xu Zhiheng slowly stood up and looked at the closed door.
He is not ignorant, even quite clever, and in a few words, he can calculate the ins and outs of the matter. He was surprised by the boldness of the He family, He Yan's outstanding means, but more, but it made him discover an opportunity. A gift from fate.
So he tidied up his clothes and returned to the banquet table, looking at Miss He Er who was late, showing a gentle smile.
Xu Zhiheng found He Rufei.
He Rufei looked at him with an unpredictable expression: "Uncle Xu wants to marry my sister?"
Xu Zhiheng smiled and said, "Exactly."
"This matter still needs to be discussed with the elders," He Rufei said, "I can't be the master alone, and it depends on the sister's thoughts." After saying that, she turned to leave.
Xu Zhiheng said calmly: "Lingmei is a heroine, not to mention the men who give up so much. I am very fond of him, and I also look forward to the beauty of General He as an adult."
"What did you say?" He Rufei looked at him suddenly, killing intent soaring in his eyes.
"Before I came down to look for General He, I wrote a letter and handed it to a friend. If something goes wrong, the secret letter will be spread throughout the entire Shuo capital." Xu Zhiheng smiled and said, "I hope General He will complete it."
He has a plan in mind, and he is bound to win.
In this way, Xu Zhiheng married He Yan as his wife. That is, not long before he married He Yan, he became a Hanlin bachelor, as a "dowry gift" given by General He to his sister.
Of course, Xu Zhiheng understands that the more secrets he knows, the quicker he will die. But he doesn't think this kind of thing will happen to him, because he is a person who just takes it easy. In the end, he was a civil servant, not a military general. If He Rufei could help him, he could at most be a Hanlin bachelor. He has to walk the road by himself. As for marrying He Yan... Marrying General He's daughter would benefit him a lot.
The He family should also rest assured. After all, it is better to marry the second Miss He, who may find out the secret, than marrying the He family who has requests for her.
"So," He Yan looked at Xu Zhiheng in front of him, and said slowly, "You started by asking to marry Second Miss He, just to take advantage of her?"
"Using?" Xu Zhiheng shook his head, "No... It doesn't count. Even without me, she will marry... From the beginning to the end, it wasn't me who wanted her life. I didn't do anything."
Xu Zhiheng couldn't remember He Yan's face.
Although he married He Yan at the beginning, there was a bit of disgust in his heart. His etiquette rules since elementary school made him despise such deviant women as He Yan. He likes docile, charming, women like He Wanru. It's not He Yan... She is carefree. Although she tries her best to play the role of a lady, she will always unconsciously reveal a bit of untimely embarrassment. She doesn't know how to draw and calligraphy, she can't give him a face, and she can't learn how to tactfully take care of her. There are even terrible scars on her skin. Sometimes when Xu Zhiheng looked at He Yan, he would think that she once ate and slept with other men in the military camp, which was unbearable.
Although he is willing to be a "good husband", more often, even he himself cannot control his disgust.
Fortunately, those days will soon be over. The He family sent a bowl of medicine, and after He Yan drank it, he went blind.
In fact, at that time, Xu Zhiheng was sitting in the next room, watching He Yan drink the bowl of medicine, and had a little sympathy. The He family's move is ruthless. Besides, how would a blind mistress talk about him behind his back
Fortunately, He Yan was very well behaved and didn't make much noise. Even if she was blind, she didn't cry much. Most of the time, she just sat silently in a daze. I heard that He Yan had a dumb dog in the yard before he got married. Sometimes Xu Zhiheng felt that He Yan and the dumb yellow dog were actually very similar. No one cares, living in silence.
If so, that's all. But she tried so hard that even if she was blind, the He family felt threatened, so she died at the hands of He Wanru and in the pond of the Xu family.
"I didn't use He Yan," he tried to defend, "I was protecting her... It's all He Rufei's fault, it's all He family's fault!"
He Yan stared at Xu Zhiheng and asked, "Have you seen Second Miss He besides being in He's house?"
Xu Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head subconsciously: "No, no! The first time I saw Miss He Er was in He Mansion."
He has forgotten.
This is to be expected.
He Yan found that when she was facing Xu Zhiheng now, she was very calm. Maybe when she faced Xu Zhiheng back then, she always thought that she was facing the youth in green clothes she met on the hunting ground when she was young, but it turned out that maybe from the beginning, they were just two of them. For Xu Zhiheng, "He Yan" is just an exchange based on interests. What matters is the identity, not the name, nor the person. As long as he can become a Hanlin bachelor, it doesn't make any difference whether it is He Yan or He Xinying.
A human life is nothing but an official position.
She stood up slowly.
Xu Zhiheng watched her movements, and finally ignored everything, grabbed the fence, and asked, "I've said everything I know, can you save me now?"
His eyes were full of longing, just like when he bumped into the secrets of the He family back then, and wanted to use the secrets to brighten his career.
He Yan bent down slightly and looked into his eyes: "I lied to you."
Xu Zhiheng was stunned.
"I didn't do anything, I just lied to you." She rolled her eyes. "You lied to me too, that's fair."
After she finished speaking, she straightened up and left, and Xu Zhiheng's angry shouts came from far behind, which He Yan only pretended to have never heard.
She walked out step by step, as if she was leaving her past life step by step. From now on, the Marquis of Wu'an, Heyan, and the second Miss He of the He family will no longer have anything to do with each other.
The last question about the previous life was finally answered, but He Yan didn't feel much at the moment.
It's as if these people and these things can't stand the waves in her heart.
It's just... my heart is empty.
At the gate outside the prison, there was a person standing with his back to her, as tall and straight as a sword on his waist, looking sideways at the snow piled up under the eaves, revealing a beautiful outline.
He Yan stood on the spot and looked at the back. Unconsciously, her heart was slowly filled up, as if she could not step on the nothingness of the ground, and finally had a sense of reality at this moment. The traveler who could not find the way finally found a little light in the aimless search.
He Yan walked over and called him softly, "Xiao Jue."
He turned his head, glanced at He Yan, and asked, "Have you finished?"
He Yan nodded.
Tomorrow is the day of execution. There is nothing to say between her and He Rufei, and between He Yuansheng and his wife, but about Xu Zhiheng, after all, he still wants to find out when he discovered his identity. . So he asked Xiao Jue to bring her here and met Xu Zhiheng for the last time.
"What did you say for so long." Xiao Jue frowned.
"It's been a long time?" He Yan asked curiously, "Why do I think it's not too long. It's already very economical..." With a glance, seeing Xiao Jue's face, He Yan closed her mouth at the right time, and was silent for a while, before she quietly tugged at Xiao Jue again. Jue's sleeve: "Are you angry again?"
"What can I say to that kind of person?" Xiao Jue turned around and walked forward, and He Yan chased after him, "I have nothing to say, but I thought about it and thought that it would be too cheap for him. So I Said I was a Specter who came back for revenge and scared him half to death, am I very good?" She casually said nonsense.
"Don't lie."
"I didn't lie to you, it's true. You should see the look on his face when he was just frightened by me..."
The girl was chatting non-stop by her side, and the gloom when she came out has disappeared. He looked in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly, deliberately ignoring her and letting her talk nonsense.
"Xiao Jue, your habit of getting angry at every turn is not good, you need to change it."
"I'm not angry."
"You're not angry, you're just unhappy."
"… "
"Xiao Jue Xiao Jue!"
"What are you doing?"
She grabbed the corner of his sleeve, "Nothing."