The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 436 Aru, it's me

“You can’t. I’m on the royal register, and according to palace rules, I have to come to the palace to pay my respects on the first and fifteenth of every month.”

"You are the best at putting on a show. I just gave birth and had to attend the Crown Prince's funeral before I even finished my postpartum confinement. I didn't miss a single day. When I went to the palace to pay my respects before, even if I had a minor injury, pain, or illness, I was still forced to go to the palace to apologize and explain the reason in person, thanks to you. I was afraid that my illness would affect the nobles in the palace, so I performed a grand ceremony outside the hall."

If she doesn't go, something is definitely amiss.

This is also why she never resisted before.

Some things may seem like a loss, but they can be a turning point in a crucial moment.

"Then can you kill me?"

"That won't work either. You should understand better than me the principle that moving one thing can affect the whole situation. There are so many people watching you."

"Years ago, when you injured your leg and were feeling down and out, one concubine after another came to take in women. Not to mention some of them were of dubious origin, from families that had committed crimes, but you rescued them because they were beautiful. There were also some who were unwilling to submit to you, so they were simply rolled up in mats and carried out. I was the one who took care of all the dirty work in the inner quarters for you."

"If something happens to me, you won't be able to find someone who can solve your problems. And these things might be exposed one day."

"Look."

She looked coldly at Ying Zhi's dark face.

"What else can you do besides jumping up and down in front of me?"

As it turns out, Ying Zhi was able to succeed.

He calmed down.

He married Yao Ru back then because she was capable!

Let's see what the Fifth Prince's wife is like.

Besides her high status, the Yue family could provide the Fifth Prince with great assistance, but the Fifth Prince's wife was notoriously petty and her methods were no match for Yao Ru's.

But Yingzhi realized that she had underestimated Yao Ru.

Yao Ru never admitted her mistakes, and showed not a trace of guilt or shame. It was as if she could turn the tables and threaten him if he caught her cheating on him.

Yao Ru never cared about himself.

All she cares about now are Dun Ge'er and Ying Fuyan.

Yingzhi couldn't possibly do anything to his beloved son.

But he can also touch on people's sore spots.

"Let me count, how many years has Ying Fuyan been in exile? He's been tortured to the point of being neither human nor ghost."

"You don't know, do you? I heard that he was lying on the edge of a mud puddle fighting with wild dogs for a puddle of sewage to quench his thirst, and he was whipped by the guards for stealing tree bark to fill his stomach, leaving his back split open."

"He was plagued by miasma, and his skin was ulcerated and oozing pus. He lived worse than an animal in Lingnan. Anyone could come up to him and kick him, and he took pleasure in it."

"You prayed for him, but it was no use; he still died."

"Is a dead, worthless person like him worth your concern?"

Sure enough, Yao Ru began to tremble.

Ying Zhi smiled.

"The jailer who delivered the message confessed under the Grand Tutor's questioning, saying that he had no clothes to cover his body before he died, and that his wounds were crawling with maggots."

"He didn't die from overwork; he died from excruciating pain."

He spoke fluently and eloquently, word by word.

Yao Ru couldn't hear a single word, her eyes rolled back, and she completely fainted.

royal palace.

The injured Emperor Yingqian was not at peace.

A whole night has passed, and the cause of the fire still hasn't been found!

Now, all those serving inside the palace have been replaced by shadowy figures, not for covert protection, but for direct, close-up service.

When He Xuran led the officials from the Censorate over, he glanced at them discreetly.

Then he stepped forward and knelt down.

"I shouldn't have disturbed His Majesty's peace, but... the news of Ying Fuyan's death..."

He paused slightly.

Emperor Yingqian was being helped by a shadowy figure to be fed medicine. The medicine had a strong aroma, but it was also extremely bitter.

He pushed away the medicine bowl, his eyes revealing no emotion, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

He Xuran continued his report: "The news has spread. As an imperial censor, I receive a salary from the court..."

"Say it!"

He Xuran respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, I, the subject Ying Yi, have committed the crime of treason and collusion with the enemy. According to the law, I should be executed. However, Your Majesty has spared my life because of our brotherhood."

Yingyi was the name of the Prince of Yan.

He speaks clearly.

"It is evident that the Emperor's grace is boundless." "The death of the disgraced subject Ying Yi caused His Majesty great distress for many days. Therefore, everyone in the Great Jin knew that Your Majesty could not bear it and once made a promise to take care of his son, Ying Fuyan."

This was originally used by Emperor Yingqian as a compliment.

"Now that Ying Fuyan has died tragically, I believe this matter should be thoroughly investigated. But is it possible that someone deliberately disobeyed the imperial decree, disregarded Your Majesty's words, and outwardly complied but inwardly made things difficult for Ying Fuyan in Lingnan, which led to his death?"

As always when handling cases, He Xuran spoke with righteous indignation.

“A lowly commoner like myself should simply die if Fu Yan dies. But this matter involves the reputation of the royal family.”

"There are already rumors outside the palace that it was the Emperor's order; otherwise, why would the officials from Lingnan treat him like a human being and let him die such a gruesome death?"

Yang Weiwen knelt down behind him: "Your Majesty, please allow us to thoroughly investigate this matter to silence public opinion."

Censor Shu led the other censors to kneel down.

"Your Majesty, please allow us to thoroughly investigate this matter to silence public criticism."

Emperor Yingqian remained expressionless, but his hands under the covers were clenched into fists, veins bulging.

He stared intently at He Xuran.

"You have a huge burden to bear!"

The words praise him highly, but aren't they still doubting him?

He Xuran remained unhurried.

The censor is intolerant of any wrongdoing and wants to investigate everything thoroughly. Isn't his position a position where he offends people every now and then?
He raised his voice: "Your Majesty, I, your subject, believe you!"

If things are clean, there's nothing to fear from being investigated.

But is he clean?
Emperor Yingqian's emotions were unclear, and he suddenly chuckled softly.

The servants waiting outside the hall suddenly felt their legs go weak and their knees buckled before they even realized what was happening.

Then you can hear the emperor's voice inside.

"He truly deserves to be called the best censor I have ever chosen."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The rain outside hasn't stopped; it keeps drizzling down, which is annoying and disturbs one's peace of mind.

When Yao Ru woke up, she felt a tightness in her chest and didn't even know why she was crying. She leaned against the couch without saying a word and sent all the servants out of the room.

Just then, some noise came from the window.

The man's long, slender, and weak hand tried to push it away.

Ying Fuyan tried to pluck the inkstone several times, but to no avail.

Wei Zhao, who had brought him here using his light-footed skills, couldn't bear to watch any longer.
After leaving for a moment, he knocked out the servant guarding the door and prepared to carry Ying Fuyan inside.

Yes, carry.

But he had excellent hearing and could hear faint footsteps inside the house.

He raised an eyebrow and went to a more distant place, keeping a close eye on his surroundings.

Yao Ru didn't actually want to get out of bed to watch.

But the window was close to her side, and the noise coming from it was very light, almost negligible under the sound of the rain.

His voice was soft and hesitant, as if he were testing her, or perhaps afraid of disturbing her, but it sounded unusually persistent.

The window was gently pushed open a little, and then snapped shut with a soft click the next moment.

Keep pushing, and with a soft creak, it snaps shut again.

For some reason, it sounded deafening to her, making her extremely irritated.

She could have ignored it, but for some reason, her heart, frozen to the bone, was still beating because of this noise.

She wasn't wearing shoes; she went barefoot. Uncontrollably, she moved in that direction.

When the person outside tried to push the window open again, they helped open it.

Yao Ru was dressed in thin clothes, her eyes were lifeless, and she looked haggard, as if a string could break at any moment.

The man outside the window looked sickly and struggled to stand. He was wearing a thick cotton coat, but his lips were still trembling from the cold.

Yao Ru didn't react much to the sight of the man outside.

It seemed as if she didn't care at all.

I don't know how many breaths later.

Her eyes finally focused, and she could see Ying Fuyan's face clearly.

"Jia, what are you doing here?"

Ying Fuyan had a lot to say, but after seeing the person, she didn't know what to say.

He looked at the person he had been longing for.

Finally, my throat felt dry.

"Aru, it's me."