Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 72 Epilogue
After everyone had packed up and were about to return to the yamen, Mo Yun returned, looking exhausted. He looked puzzled and said, "What's wrong? Are you leaving? Sir, I've found out a lot of information!"

Su Zhan rolled his eyes at him, his face speechless, and said with disdain: "You've already finished investigating the case, and you've only just come back! If we had waited for you to come back and save us, we would have all become mummies!"

Yan Mingzhang smiled and said nothing, not interrupting him, letting him continue. However, his hands were not idle, helping Rong Wanyin get into the carriage.

Mo Yun looked innocent: "What on earth is going on?"

On the way back, Su Zhan told Mo Yun everything. Mo Yun was so shocked that he rushed to the carriage, picked up Yan Mingzhang's arm and looked at it again and again, without any hesitation: "Sir, you are really not missing any arms or legs?"

Yan Mingzhang looked helpless. This Mo Yun always had a way of saying things that made people uncomfortable. He clearly cared about him, but it sounded so awkward. "Why, do you want me to lose my arms and legs?"

Mo Yun smiled innocently: "No, no, how could that be? As long as you are safe and sound, I will be relieved."

Yan Mingzhang's face darkened: "Go down and ride your horse. Don't squeeze in here!"

Monk Moyun and Zhang Er were confused and asked Changfeng in confusion: "Changfeng, did I say something wrong again?"

Chang Feng rolled his eyes at him and lowered his voice, "Didn't you see that your master and Miss Rong were alone in the carriage? Even Master Su was sent out to ride, so what were you doing up there?"

Mo Yun looked as if he had suddenly realized something. He clasped his fists towards Chang Feng and said, "Thank you for your advice!"

"Cough cough..." Yan Mingzhang's cough was heard in the carriage. Changfeng curled his lips, shrank his neck, and dared not say anything more. He forgot that he, as an adult, had the most sensitive ears. He probably heard what he just said!
……

In the carriage, Rong Wanyin was chewing a piece of pea yellow. Her eyes were empty as she chewed it intermittently, not tasting the food. She only scraped a little bit with her front teeth each time, as if she was just killing time.

Yan Mingzhang handed over the brewed tea and said softly, "Miss Rong, tea, be careful, it's hot. ... What's wrong with you? Pea yellow doesn't taste good?"

Rong Wanyin took the teacup but didn't drink from it. She just stroked the outside of the cup, feeling its heat, and sighed softly: "Sir, how can this man be so evil? For the sake of profit, he can even disregard his wife and children. Is this human nature? Sometimes people are scarier than ghosts!"

Yan Mingzhang smiled without saying anything. He took out a piece of pea yellow and took a bite. He held up the bitten piece of pea yellow in his hand and said, "People are like this piece of pea yellow. They are all imperfect. Some have more imperfections, some have fewer. From one side, this person looks almost flawless. From the other side, they have many flaws. Human nature is so complex and diverse. These flaws can be innate or acquired. As human beings, we are constantly being worn down by the world and our inner selves. And it is precisely to resist this wear and tear that we must strive to become closer to perfection. Therefore, Confucius said: 'The way of a gentleman is these three: the benevolent are not worried, the wise are not confused, and the courageous are not afraid.' The way of a gentleman is what we strive for in life."

It's not that Rong Wanyin hadn't studied the Analects, but her life experience was shallow. Furthermore, her grandparents, parents, and brothers had protected her so well. Her eldest brother always talked about the complexity of human nature and the perils of the world, but she hadn't experienced much directly. She simply thought it was his way of deceiving her, keeping her from venturing into the world. Now, seeing so many people die before her eyes, all for personal gain, Rong Wanyin suddenly felt pessimistic: Was it worth it? Human nature was truly terrifying! After listening to Yan Mingzhang's words, she seemed to understand, yet also seemed to not.

Rong Wanyin murmured to herself, "You seek the way of a gentleman? What about me?"

Yes, what kind of person are you and what kind of person do you want to be?
Rong Wanyin had once dreamed of becoming a knight-errant, roaming the world with her sword; she had also dreamed of becoming a gourmet, sampling every delicacy in the world; she had even dreamed of becoming a traveler, compiling her observations into a book; and later, after meeting Yan Mingzhang, she even dreamed of becoming a detective prodigy, solving crimes like a god... But were these her lifelong aspirations? Rong Wanyin wasn't sure.

Yan Mingzhang tapped Rong Wanyin's forehead lightly, a gentle smile in his eyes as he slowly spoke, "If you haven't figured it out, take your time to think about it. There's no rush. It's not easy to figure out what you've been pursuing all your life. Most people never even realize this problem, let alone think about it. You've done very well. Keep trying, and maybe one day you'll have an epiphany. ... Take a break. You've been working hard these past few days. That mountain was really hard to climb, wasn't it? Are you hurt? And... thank you for saving me."

Rong Wanyin curled her lips, her nose feeling sore, and nodded without feeling aggrieved. Sometimes, when people are tired and wronged, they don't feel anything at the time, nor do they feel the pain. But if someone shows concern at that moment, they will feel particularly aggrieved, just like when a child falls down, it's better for adults not to care, but if they show concern, they will definitely burst into tears.

Rong Wanyin's eyes were slightly tearful, and she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito, feeling extremely aggrieved. "My hands and feet are all broken, it hurts so much... and that person's death was so horrible! I'm so scared! Wuuwuwu..."

As she spoke, Rong Wanyin began to sob, and tears fell down like pearls.

Yan Mingzhang didn't laugh at her. He just opened his arms and smiled, "Let me hold you for a bit."

Without a second thought, Rong Wanyin threw herself into Yan Mingzhang's arms, hugging him tightly and bursting into tears like a frightened little animal. Yan Mingzhang hugged Rong Wanyin and patted her back from time to time, like coaxing a child.

Rong Wanyin cried for a long time before her sobs subsided, but her hands were still tightly grasping the corner of Yan Mingzhang's clothes.

"By the way, there is one more thing I want to ask you. ... I didn't eavesdrop on purpose, I just heard it accidentally. ... That... Yin Tian said before that he wanted to make you into a puppet, what's the matter? You didn't agree to him, right?" Yan Mingzhang asked cautiously. After all, Rong Wanyin had never mentioned this matter.

“…” Rong Wanyin did not respond.

Yan Mingzhang looked down and saw the little girl with her eyes closed, breathing steadily and slowly. She was obviously asleep. It seemed that she was really exhausted these past few days. Yan Mingzhang gently pried away Rong Wanyin's hand that was pulling at the corner of his clothes, laid her gently on the chair, and cushioned her with a soft pillow. Then he took out a handkerchief, moistened it with warm water, and gently wiped Rong Wanyin's tears.

Yan Mingzhang helped Rong Wanyin wipe her face clean, and gently protected her with his hands to prevent her from falling off the seat. Then he leaned back in the car and quietly looked at Rong Wanyin's sleeping face.

Rong Wanyin's skin is very good. If you look closely, you can even see tiny hairs, just like a baby's. The car was a little hot, and Rong Wanyin's fair face was stained with a blush. Her plump lips were pink and cute, and there was a trace of sweat on her forehead. Rong Wanyin rubbed her head on the cushion, and a strand of hair stuck to Rong Wanyin's face. Yan Mingzhang gently tucked the strand of hair behind Rong Wanyin's ear with his fingers. His fingers gently touched Rong Wanyin's skin, and the soft touch was very comfortable. Yan Mingzhang's eyes fell on the pink lips. He brushed them gently, and he even had the urge to kiss her in his heart. The corners of his mouth rose unconsciously, and there seemed to be a burst of air in his chest that was about to burst out. He couldn't hold it back: How can she be so cute!

Suddenly, the carriage jolted. Yan Mingzhang hurriedly supported Rong Wanyin, but then, as if realizing something, he abruptly retracted his hand, turned around, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the carriage, feeling very guilty. What was he doing? He muttered to himself, "This is not what a gentleman does, this is not what a gentleman does!"

Yan Mingzhang slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Rong Wanyin cautiously, then turned back guiltily as if he had been electrocuted, not daring to look at her again.

Yan Mingzhang closed his eyes, but the image of this little girl remained in his mind. Yan Mingzhang had seen all sorts of beauties, but none of them were as vivid and lovely as her. He couldn't help but look at her, and when he saw her, he couldn't help but smile. The tenderness in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

Yan Mingzhang opened his eyes and looked at Rong Wanyin's cute sleeping face. He felt very relieved and suddenly thought that it might be a good idea to just stay by her side and keep going.