The abstinent and powerful minister is cold and aloof during the day, but he adores her in his dream

Chapter 269 Lu Zhan: Then blow out the lamp... and go to bed.
Upon hearing this, Zhiwan's heart sank.

Although she had already guessed this outcome, she still felt heavy-hearted when she heard it from her cousin.

He was, after all, her own uncle...

Seeing that her face had turned pale and she remained silent for a long time, Lu Zhan felt a pang of anxiety and asked in a low voice, "Is Wan'er blaming me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan snapped out of her daze and looked up into the man's eyes.

Her cousin rarely called her by her maiden name. Since revealing his identity, the number of times he has called her maiden name can be counted on one hand.

When he suddenly called her that, she sensed a hint of nervousness in his tone.

My cousin is afraid that I will get angry and resent him.

She sighed inwardly, shook her head, and said, "I don't blame my cousin. He was just doing his duty. And my uncle's fate is his own fault."

Although her words sounded somewhat cold-blooded as a family member, the truth was undeniable, and she couldn't make excuses for him.

As a court official, and appointed by the emperor as the imperial envoy to inspect the Jiangnan region, it was his duty to deal with corrupt officials and bandits who persecuted the people. She could not hold a grudge against her cousin just because he had executed her uncle.

As the leader of a river bandit, no matter what his reasons were, robbing and killing people was wrong and he should be punished by law.

Even without his cousin, other officials would have dealt with him.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but ask, "Does my uncle have some...difficulties?"

Her father was an honest and upright official who did good deeds for the people during his tenure as magistrate of Jurong County. However, her uncle was the complete opposite of her father and became a notorious bandit leader.

The contrast is too great.

My father was such a good man, an honest and upright official, so why did my uncle go down the same path?

Moreover, her parents never told her that she had an uncle when they were alive.

My father never mentioned my uncle.

Why did these once closest twin brothers go their separate ways?
Is it because the two have different ideas?
Uncle must have had his reasons for becoming a river bandit, right?
Zhiwan had a lot of questions in her mind.

Lu Zhan was somewhat surprised by his cousin's keen insight.

But my cousin must never know about the matter concerning the descendants of the Prince of Jin.

Knowing that her uncle was a bandit leader was already distressing for her; letting her know about the descendants of the Prince of Jin would only add to her troubles.

"This... I don't know." After a long silence, Lu Zhan finally spoke.

"Didn't you interrogate him?" Zhiwan asked in surprise.

"The interrogation has been conducted." Lu Zhan nodded. "But your uncle is a very stubborn person." He paused, then reassured him, "Your uncle is your uncle. Whatever he does has nothing to do with you. Don't feel burdened, and don't tell anyone that Zhiye is your uncle."

Zhiwan understood his concerns.

If others find out that her uncle is a bandit leader, it will be troublesome, and it will also cause criticism of her cousin.

She still knows what's important.

"I know," Zhiwan agreed, then thought for a moment and asked, "Is Uncle... already dead?"

Lu Zhan paused for a moment, but finally didn't hide anything from her. "No, they are currently being escorted back to the capital. They should arrive in the next couple of days."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan looked at him in surprise, "But didn't you say..."

“I arrested him and used him as bait to lure out his accomplices, wiping them all out in one fell swoop. But he is involved in a very serious case, so we have to bring him back to the capital for the Emperor to judge his crime,” Lu Zhan said.

What he didn't say was that the emperor had originally ordered him to execute the Prince of Jin's descendants on the spot after capturing them, leaving no survivors. However, the emperor somehow received information that some of Zhi Ye's accomplices had escaped the net, and that these escaped individuals were deeply hidden, having secretly plotted for Xuan Yuan Ye for many years, secretly stockpiling grain and troops. No matter how he interrogated Zhi Ye and his accomplices, he couldn't get any useful clues. Therefore, the emperor issued a secret letter ordering him to secretly escort Zhi Ye back to the capital.

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan didn't think much of it.

She only thought that her uncle, as the leader of a river bandit, had been running rampant on the river for many years, robbing and killing countless people, and that the emperor wanted to sentence him severely.

Remembering something, she couldn't help but ask, "Isn't it a bit... inappropriate for you to return to the capital first?"

My uncle is a serious criminal and cannot afford any mishaps, but my cousin has returned to the capital first. What if something happens to my uncle on the way? Will the Emperor hold my cousin responsible?
Lu Zhan comforted him, "It's alright, I've made all the arrangements. But judging by the time, Duan Ling and the others will be arriving soon. I'll take some men out of the city tomorrow morning to meet them."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan felt relieved.

My cousin is always thorough in his work; he's not the type to act impulsively. He always has plans and considerations in place.

“But your hand is still injured…” Zhiwan said with some concern.

“I’ll take a carriage,” Lu Zhan said, then paused and asked in a low voice, “It’s time-consuming to travel back and forth. Can I stay here tonight, cousin? Jiang Shi and the others are here with you too, so I can set off with them from here tomorrow morning.”

Zhiwan was taken aback; she hadn't expected her cousin to ask her to stay overnight.

She knew her cousin had an injury and wouldn't do anything to her, but... they weren't married yet.

And this isn't a dream...

She hesitated for a moment.

Seeing her hesitation, Lu Zhan didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so he coughed lightly, stood up and said, "Then I'll go back first. Please help me get dressed, cousin."

When Zhiwan came to her senses, she picked up his undergarment and was about to drape it over his shoulders when her heart softened. "If you don't mind that the bed is too narrow, then... then please stay."

Even in their dreams, they often lie in the same bed.

Moreover, she and her cousin were already engaged, so in private, she didn't need to adhere to those rules and etiquette.

"Not forcing me?" Lu Zhan raised an eyebrow.

Zhiwan glanced at him and shook her head. "I won't force myself." Then, as if remembering something, a playful smile appeared on her face. "Just consider it... getting used to it in advance."

Seeing the smile on her lips, Lu Zhan's heart melted completely. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips, saying gently, "Then blow out the lamp... and go to bed."

"Okay." Zhiwan blew out the extra candles in the room, leaving only one by the bed, and then consciously lay down on the inside of the bed.

When she noticed her cousin lying down beside her, Zhiwan held her breath nervously at first, but then relaxed when she thought of the injury on his hand.

My cousin can only kiss her now; he can't do anything else.

Lu Zhan did not touch her.

Even with his beloved by his side, and his body and soul yearning for her, he managed to suppress all his desires with his strong self-control.

Zhiwan was tired and fell asleep soon after.

Listening to the girl's soft breathing, Lu Zhan also felt sleepy.

The next morning, Zhiwan was awakened by the rustling sound of someone getting dressed.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to see her cousin sitting on the edge of the bed, struggling to dress her.

Seeing this, Zhiwan was wide awake. She knelt behind the man and took the clothes from his hands. "Let me help you."

Lu Zhan turned to look at her, a hint of apology on his handsome face, "Did I wake you up?"

Zhiwan didn't speak, but asked instead, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you," Lu Zhan said. "But it seems I still woke you up."