It was still early in the morning, just after midnight, and it wasn't yet fully light outside. There weren't many people on the road either.

  The boss of the Purple Pavilion, young and vigorous, in order to let his beloved wife sleep a little longer, quietly got up, tidied up, and walked to the door of the wine pavilion, pulled out the door bolt, and opened the door with both hands.

  It's unusual to have guests so early, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw a horse-drawn carriage blocking the entrance. A man and a woman were getting out of it.

  "Who is it?" he asked in surprise.

  Pei Tan stood with Jing Wanyu in the dimly lit dawn, gazing at the bewildered young master of the wine house across from them.

  Pei County didn't waste any time. After stopping the horse carriage, he immediately held up his token and said coldly: "Dali Temple Master, our master has something to discuss with you."

  In Chang'an, no one didn't know about Dalisi Temple's Chief, and the man opposite him clearly changed color.

  Pei Tan's hands were clasped together in a polite gesture, revealing a hint of the refined and cultured young master: "Excuse me, I just wanted to take advantage of the shop not being open yet to ask your wife a few questions."

  But for those who open a shop and do business, they naturally cannot sleep in like ordinary people. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that opening the door late is unlucky, so they still came late.

  His own daughter had gone to the yamen just a few days ago, which was also why he was more sensitive to the words "Dalisi Temple". He saw his pale face and said to Pei Tan: "Please come in, sir..." after a moment.

  Jing Wan'er saw that this obviously startled man was of a certain age and naturally noticed Pei Tan's previous sentence "your wife".

  Pei Tan glanced around the wine house and naturally noticed that there were only two partners, both of whom looked bewildered. The wine house was about to open, but the boss's wife was nowhere to be seen.

  The young man calmed down: "My wife... has not gotten up yet. Please wait a moment, I'll go and call her."

  "Thanks for your trouble."

  The man's face changed again, hesitated repeatedly, and still walked into the inner gate with a determined heart.

  Pei Tan came and directly said he wanted to see his wife, and even if he tried to stop him, it would be impossible.

  Zi Yan'er had already gotten up, although her husband was considerate and intentionally let her sleep in, not letting the servants make a sound. However, after so many years of helping her husband manage the wine shop, she had long been unable to sleep in late. When the time arrived, she naturally woke up. Sensing her husband's gentle movements, Zi Yan'er deliberately didn't make a sound, and in her heart, she was already warm and fuzzy all over.

  She was also a miserable person, but she was fortunate enough to meet such a man, and there's nothing to complain about for the rest of her life.

  Seeing her husband leave and return, Ziyuan naturally turned around in surprise, but saw the pale color on his face that had not disappeared.

  "Wen Lang, what's wrong?" Zi Cui'er had been in the palace for many years and her ability to read people was naturally sharp. She immediately saw that her husband had only just gone out for a short while, but seemed as if he had suffered some great misfortune.

  Her husband came forward and grasped her hand: "Chang'er, a high-ranking official from the Imperial Court has arrived."

  The adults of Dalit Temple, who else can there be, naturally only the Lord of Dalit Temple. Moreover, Zilian had just gone to Dalit Temple not long ago.

  Zi Yan'er suddenly understood, but in her heart and on her face, there was no panic. What was meant to come would always come.

  Qing Cui'er comforted her husband and naturally accompanied him to the main hall of the wine tower.

  Pei Tan, Zi Yan'er naturally recognized her, so as soon as she entered the main hall, she smiled faintly and curtsied: "Commoner's wife Zi Yan'er, has seen your honor."

  Pei Tan turned around and looked at her, Zi Cui'er got up afterwards, with a deliberately light expression on her face. She knew that what was meant to come couldn't be avoided, so she might as well be open about it.

  Pei Tan was well aware of his mind, so he simply turned around and said to the figure standing in another direction: "You don't have to be polite to me, today I want you to see is not actually me, but her."

  Zi Yan'er's eyes moved unconsciously, but she slowly looked in that direction.

  Jing Wan'er was still wearing Pei Tan's large cloak, but once she entered the room, her face and head naturally became visible. She also gazed at Zi Yan'er, who had already turned fourteen when she was rescued, so her appearance had already taken shape, and Jing Wan'er could recognize her at a glance.

  However, Zilian stared at Jingyuan, her expression had clearly changed, but she didn't make a sound for half a day.

  Jing Wan'er smiled and asked: "Are you married?"

  Zi Yan'er's eyes seemed to reveal a hint of daze, and the events of five years ago were still vivid in her mind. As for the person who had saved her life, Zi Yan'er, despite being taken aback at first glance, ultimately recognized him.

  "Hmm..."

  Moreover, the man she married is well-behaved and knowledgeable about etiquette, and he also has a rare fortune. Let alone an escaped slave, even if it were an ordinary family's daughter, wanting to marry someone as good as him would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

  So Zilian lowered her head, wiped the corner of her eye, and then raised her head again, smiled at Jingwanyu, but didn't need to say anything more.

  Although they used carrier pigeons to send messages, it was only for key moments to communicate with each other, such as the letter that allowed Jing Yuanyuan to escape from the miscellaneous service room in advance. As for the rest, separated by a palace wall, how could they have known what kind of life each other had been living for five years?

  Jing Wan'er slowly walked towards Pei Tan's side, "Sir, I am willing to take care of myself and do not plan to implicate anyone."

  In the end, she fled from the palace with such a great crime, no one can bear it for her. If it's just to survive... among so many struggling people on this Chang'an Street, she doesn't mind becoming one of them.

  Pei Tan looked at her and then turned to Zi Cui'er, "If I let you take in Jing Wanyan for a few days, would you be willing?"

  This sentence caused everyone in the house to change their expression.

  The owner of the wine house, Zilian's husband, had a completely bewildered expression, but somehow he sensed something with his sixth sense and subconsciously went to hug his wife's shoulders tightly.

  Jing Wan'er's eyes dimmed at the sight.

  Zi Yan'er gazed at Pei Tan, this clever woman naturally knew that asking anything now was superfluous, so she still chose a gentle smile: "The commoner's wife understands, the commoner's wife is willing to take in Jing young lady."

  Not to mention the life-saving grace in the past, she has her current life all thanks to Jing Wanyu. If she were unwilling to even take in Jing Wanyu, that would truly be a distortion of human nature.

  Bai Tan wanted nothing more than this sentence. The Temple of Great Wisdom cannot take in Jing Yuanyuan, so the only place to hide is in this vast city of Chang'an.

  And what he could think of was naturally these palace maids who had already made contact with Jing Wanyu and were hiding their identities.

  For some reason, when Jing Wanyu looked at the young man who was standing by her wife's side despite not understanding the situation, she suddenly felt a sense of despair wash over her.

  "Sir, Wan'er thanks you for your protection, but she doesn't want to stay here."

  She has done so much and is not afraid to perish with Zonghao. However, looking at this couple who have obviously found new life together, she can't bear to shatter it.

  The more one has been through despair in life, the more one understands how hard it is for hope to come.

  Pei Tan raised his eyelids and looked at Jing Wanyan's face without any expression.

  In the wine house, there was only one person who clearly saw through Jing Yuanner at this time, and that was Zi Canner.

  Only to see Ziyuan'er reveal a hint of a smile on her face, slowly putting down the hand that her husband had placed on her shoulder. She walked towards Jingyu'er, step by step, until she stood in front of her. Ziyuan'er stretched out her hand and wrapped Jingyu'er's hands in her own palms: "It's okay."

  Jing Wan'er stared at her blankly.

  Zi Yan'er had already married and become a woman, the smile on her face was gentle and soothing: "Believe me, you can stay."

  The eyes of the two met, and the expression in their eyes was surprisingly similar.

  No matter how much time has passed, no matter how different their lives have been, deep down they were always destined to be the same kind of people.

  Jing Wan'er's eyes suddenly blurred.

  Just then, Zi An'er pulled Jing Wan'er's hand and turned around to face her husband, saying: "This is a cousin from my maternal family, we haven't seen each other for many years. I don't know if you would agree to let her stay with me for a while?"

  Faced with such a pitiful plea, probably no man would refuse. The eyes of the wine shop owner also became moist: "Of course, since it's your relative, you can stay at home as long as you want."

  Zi Yan'er's eyes welled up with tears of emotion: "Thank you, Wen Lang..."

  Pei Tan also opened his eyes and said after a moment: "Everything that Jing Wanyu does in this place will be taken care of by the official, you two don't need to worry."

  This is guaranteed by Da Li Temple's reputation, even if something goes wrong, he will take responsibility first.

  However, only two people understood this sentence, Jing Yuanyuan and Zi Cui. The tavern owner looked at Pei Tan with fear, after all, she was his daily companion, and he might have understood that the relatives and hometown mentioned by Zi Cui were fabricated. But he didn't care, he just wanted to protect her well now.

  And as for Zilian's comings and goings from the Great Temple of Reason, he had never relaxed his vigilance.

  Now, this young Mr. Darcy has come in person, bringing a girl with him; what does this mean for him and his wife?

  At this time, Huan Yu'e secretly pinched Zi Cui'er's hand.

  Then Jing Yuanyu took a step forward, looked up at Pei Tan with a serious expression and said: "Sir, may I speak with you in private?"

  Pei Tan took her out of the palace, and the two had only been alone together in that small boat.

  Pei Tan looked at the girl's face and could easily see the caution in it.

  After all, it was just their first day of knowing each other.

  "Pei County, you let people avoid it first."

  The ones who avoided were just Zixian'er couple and Pei County. The couple didn't need to be said, upon hearing Pei's words, they unconsciously lowered their heads and walked towards the inner gate. Pei County hesitated for a moment before choosing to walk out of the wine house's main gate to guard his own young master.

  Pei Tan looked at Jing Wanyu and said calmly, "What you want to tell me, I already know."

  Jing Wan'er obviously looked up in surprise.

  Pei Tan's gaze was fixed on her: "You hope that no matter what I do, it will not implicate the couple from the wine house in the end."