Jing Wan'er knew that the Jing family was just a nameless small fry, and no one in Chang'an would stand up for the Jing family. But she thought the most impossible thing had happened today.

  "Stay in the temple, and you will have a day when you can see your loved ones again." Pei Tan's voice was as gentle as his gaze.

  Jing Wan'er stood in the courtyard, taking a deep breath for a long time. For anyone, loved ones are weaknesses. The pretended strength was also broken.

  ——

  At the entrance of the temple, Shen Xingwen walked to the front of the horse carriage and glanced at the street corner, where two shabbily dressed beggars were lying at the foot of the wall basking in the sun.

  He sneered inwardly and stepped up onto the horse carriage in front of him.

  The official guarding the carriage asked in a low voice: "Shen Temple, where are we going?"

  Shen Xingwen sat in the carriage and ordered the curtain to be lowered. After a moment, he said coldly:

  "Walk around Dongshi."

  New officials take office, three fires are lit. The yamen swallowed their inner murmurs and ordered the coachman to drive the carriage. The vehicle slowly started up and left the streets of the Temple of Great Awakening.

  The beggar who was originally sleeping suddenly opened his eyes, and the two exchanged glances: "Follow him."

  They guarded these days, Pei Tan never appeared, only Shen Xingwen finally showed up, they certainly wanted to follow this only "breakthrough".

  These people wanted to know where Shen Xingwen was going, and naturally they didn't dare to slack off as they followed him. In the eastern part of the city, there was a large area of land that included twenty-six streets and alleys with residential houses. Carriages had to make a detour, which would take at least two hours. Shen Xingwen didn't get out of the carriage, but instead sat inside and ordered his men to circle around the eastern part of the city, round and round.

  The people who followed him were dizzy from being circled around and around, and they actually circled until the sun went down.

  Even a fool would know that something is wrong, the person following him didn't have the luxury of a horse carriage and was exhausted under the scorching sun: "No way, Shen Xingwen did this on purpose."

  They followed all the way, and had to take care of hiding their tracks, which was more torturous than killing them.

  "If the adults find out that we can't even take care of a Shen family's illegitimate child, they will surely be disappointed in us."

  That man gritted his teeth: "Continue to follow, unless he spends his whole life walking around this Chang'an Street, otherwise, as long as he does things for Pei Tan, we can grasp his handle."

  In the carriage, Shen Xingwen put down the case files he had been reading all day and glanced at him slightly, "Let's go back to the Temple of Justice."

  It's also interesting to take those people out for a walk like walking dogs every day.

  In the past, there were no beggars begging around the Da Li Temple. It's a place where even passersby dare not casually walk by, so what can beggars get here when there aren't even any pedestrians?

  This was what they called a "professional" spy raised in a big family, yet he didn't even understand the basic feelings of ordinary people. Those "flawless" disguises made Shen Xingwen sneer inwardly.

  Zong Chuke looked at his trembling servant who came to report back to him and picked up his face

  The cup in front of him, slowly approached his lips: "Have you seen Her Majesty? What did she say?"

  I bowed my head and my voice trembled slightly: "Her Majesty said she wanted to accompany Your Majesty on a stroll in the garden, so there was no time to summon you, sir..."

  Zong Chuke had already submitted his card early in the morning and entered the palace to request an audience with Empress Wei. Since ancient times, it has never been possible for a queen or imperial concubine to meet with external officials at will; this was a major taboo between men and women. Yet Zong Chuke was able to directly submit his card and enter the inner palace, clearly this was not the first time such a thing had happened.

  I kowtowed and said: "The empress has sent a message through the palace maid, saying that Your Majesty intends to reform the government, which is a good thing. This shows that Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler, which is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty... As ministers, you should support the emperor and not add to his troubles."

  Zong Chuke stared at him, "What else?"

  I fell to the ground, prostrating myself: "So some things, Your Majesty has entrusted and shouldn't be bothered with one by one, as a minister should take the initiative to share the monarch's worries, this is one's duty."

  The previous sentence was still nothing if you listened to it, but this sentence has a clear implication.

  A hint of gloom flashed across Zong Chuke's eyes.

  What is it that can be called sharing the monarch's worries? Is it not that even if one does something wrong, one can still explain it away by saying that because of being deeply concerned about the monarch, one was momentarily careless. This reason is truly flawless.

  Rectify the imperial edict, help Crown Prince Zhang Hua reverse the case, and help a group of people who were wronged at that time to be rehabilitated. Everyone in Chang'an is watching Your Majesty's move.

  Zong Chuke shook his cup: "It's been several days since the imperial edict of forced marriage was issued, but isn't it too quiet in the city?"

  In the past, any slight movement in Chang'an City was like throwing a stone into a lake, causing ripples. The matter of granting marriage was between Dali Temple and Guanglu Temple, and there was almost no reason for it to be so calm.

  According to our people, Guanglu Temple Master did hand over a letter once, but Pei Tan didn't respond.

  This is not putting the marriage of favor in one's eyes.

  Zong Chuke's eyes were dim and distant: "Use silver to bribe the beggars on all eighteen streets of Chang'an, let them spread the news within a day, so that everyone in Chang'an knows."

  These street urchins are the ears and eyes of Chang'an City.

  "He didn't want others to know, so Ben Shang helped him out."

  He gazed at Shangshu with shining eyes: "Your Excellency is truly wise..."

  In less than a day, Chang'an was already filled with rumors and discussions in taverns and tea houses.

  Zi Yan'er stared at the guests who were chatting loudly in front of her and slowly said to her husband, Wen Lang: "Write a letter immediately and tell Jing Niang."

  In the past, when they sent messages, they would also avoid taboos and could only use carrier pigeons with cryptic language to convey information.

  But homing pigeons are not safe after all. What if they were shot down by some passerby, and the cryptic message was deciphered, inviting mortal danger at any moment.

  Until Jing Yuanyu said that any letter can be openly and directly sent into the Temple of Great Awakening.

  Although they didn't dare believe it, they still did as they were told.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, after sending in the first two letters, there was no reaction at all. They were surprised.

  Among them, they gradually became more at ease.

  The gatekeeper took a look at the person delivering the message and indeed didn't ask any more questions, taking the letter and entering the courtyard.

  The servant directly walked into the inner courtyard, "Jing young lady, there is someone at the door who has brought a letter for you."

  Jing Wan'er looked at the letter handed over: "Thank you, big brother."

  The official put down the letter and left, expressionless throughout.

  Jing Wan'er picked up the letter from the table, Pei Tan would never privately open Jing Wan'er's letters, and no one else in the Dali Temple would either.

  Every day Shen Xingwen would ride a horse carriage to the city center for a stroll and soon heard the voices of people outside discussing and commenting.

  "He coldly asked: 'What's being said outside?'"

  Outside, people were saying: "The Duke of Guanglu is the Emperor's nephew, and his daughter is the Emperor's niece. Is it true that Pei Tan married a princess from the imperial family?"

  "Your Majesty, this is truly a heavy reuse of the Great Temple..."

  Li Shouli, Duke of Guanglu Temple, was the son of Crown Prince Zhang Huaizong. As the grandson of a former crown prince, he was indeed a true princess of the Great Tang Dynasty.

  Shen Xingwen had heard enough and said calmly: "Return to the Grand Temple."

  The coachman was a bit surprised: "Today just made a circle..." Usually less said also have to wander until the sun sets.

  The horse carriage returned to the Da Li Temple, Shen Xingwen walked in and went straight to the study.

  Jing Wan'er lowered her head to grind medicine for Pei Tan, when she heard Shen Xingwen standing in the room, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

  He said: "Shen thought that the adults were so concerned about this case because they wanted to curry favor with their future father-in-law?"

  Pei Tan slowly raised his head, and Jing Wanyu also stopped moving, looking at Shen Xingwen.

  She suddenly understood what Shen Xingwen was talking about.

  Pei closed the book in his hand and asked faintly, "What does it mean?"

  Shen Xingwen narrowed his eyes: "Now the whole street is spreading, His Majesty has granted marriage to Dali Temple and Guanglu Temple, and now you are the most eye-catching person in Chang'an."

  The room fell silent for a moment, and Jing Yuanyu shifted her gaze slowly onto Pei Tan's face.

  Pei Tan was silent for a long time for the first time, and Shen Xingwen's sarcastic smile deepened.

  "Congratulations, sir! From now on, you are the Grand General of the Great Tang Empire."

  Jing Wan'er suddenly lowered her head and smiled, saying to Shen Xingwen: "Is Temple Master Shen implying that the adults will be biased in this case?"

  Shen Xing's eyes were dim and he stared at Jing Yuanyu: "I didn't say that."

  Jing Wan'er said: "Is that gentleman the Tang Dynasty's Duke, and what connection does he have with this case? Or is Shen Temple trying to express something?"

  Shen Xingwen stared at Jing Wanyu's face, unusually silent.

  "No matter what the reason is for investigating a case, it's the duty of the Dali Temple to crack it." Jing Wanyi bowed her head again and ground her teeth, her voice faint. "Carrying out one's duties doesn't require inquiring into reasons, that's how Master has always done things. It's rather Shen Temple Assistant, who hasn't been at the Dali Temple for a short time, yet still doesn't understand Master?"

  Shen Xingwen remained silent for a long time, then smiled and said, "Still, Jing's clever words are..."

  "Alas, Shen Mou felt inferior to himself."

  Jing Wan'er's expression was calm: "Your Honor has been working day and night to review the case, but now you're willing to let all your hard work go down the drain just because of a single reason for granting a marriage. It can be seen that rumors are more powerful than tigers, indeed not ordinary."

  Shen Xingwen was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and implicitly rebuked him for having no intention of solving the case.

  "Shen Mou has misspoken, I beg of you, sir, do not be alarmed." Shen Xingwen said.

  Jing Wan'er looked at Pei Tan and said: "Even Shen Temple's first reaction was to think this way, sir. It seems that in Chang'an City, there are not a few people who have such thoughts."

  Jing Wan'er's words naturally contained a hidden meaning, and Shen Xingwen immediately retracted his expression.

  Jing Wan'er also said, "It's only been a few days since the adults intervened in the case, and someone can't help but make trouble." The reputation of Pei Tan's investigation was built with great difficulty, but it was easy to destroy a person. A rumor that spread overnight could shatter all his hard work and lonely efforts.

  Was it because of Chang'an City that someone shouted a few words "Pei Qingtian"?

  There are also street corner conversations that "compare Di Gong", some people want to pull Pei Tan down from the blue sky, they all look forward to seeing Pei Tan fall.

  Shen Xingwen's expression completely sank, and he was silent for a moment before saying: "Do we need to investigate the source?"

  No one dared to make a fuss about the imperial marriage, and so many people on the street were talking about it with relish, so the matter of the imperial marriage must be true. It's just that since Pei Tan returned to the Grand Temple, he hasn't mentioned it again.