Chapter 59: Snow (I)

The fact that Zhenyi went out without permission soon alarmed the entire Wang family.

Thinking of Zhenyi’s words last night, “We should go to the government office to seek justice and clear our name,” Wang Xirui’s heart beat fast, and he ordered Wang Yuan, who had rushed to the hall after hearing the news, “…Quick, go to the government office immediately! Be sure to stop your second sister and bring her back!”

Everyone in the hall was terrified, and Wang Yuan did not dare to say anything more.

Watching Wang Yuan’s hurried back, the third wife with bloodshot eyes wanted to say something but stopped herself, her expression in agony. She was afraid that Zhenyi’s impulse would cause the disaster to spread, but she was also moved and grateful for Zhenyi’s sincere heart to protect her brother. At the same time, she couldn’t help but fantasize… Maybe Zhenyi could really create a glimmer of hope?

But looking at the men’s expressions, the third wife couldn’t help but feel that her fantasies were probably just ignorant and foolish imaginations, and all her emotions suddenly turned into cold tears of despair in her eyes.

“Zhen’er is always the most insightful and intelligent one…” Wang Xirui held the cane in his hand and murmured, “After all, she is still a young girl. Even if I explain it to her in detail, how can she really understand the harm…”

Wang Xichen stood aside feeling ashamed and uneasy. He really had not expected that his daughter, who had always been sensible and reassuring, would do such an impulsive act.

But… when he thought of those poems his daughter had written in private and never published, which were full of sharp and rebellious spirit… he felt that Zhenyi’s stubbornness and willfulness were like an undercurrent hidden under the water. It seemed to happen suddenly, but in fact there were signs of it.

Outside the hall, dark clouds piled up and surged like the tide in the dark night.

Wang Yuan chased all the way to the government office, but did not see any trace of Zhenyi.

Although Zhenyi’s action was impulsive, she had thought about it all night. She was now very clear that rushing to the government office to appeal for justice would not have any positive effect.

This was something she couldn’t do on her own, so she asked for help, asking those scholars who were on good terms with her second brother to testify and make a judgment on his behalf.

However, ordinary Han women had very few opportunities to walk around in Jinling City. Although Zhenyi was born and raised in Jinling, she was not very clear about her second brother’s friendships or the specific residences of those people.

Fortunately, Zhan Mei accompanied and showed the way – he and Wang Jie had been friends for many years and they had constant correspondence, and he had always been keen on traveling and making friends, so it was very smooth for him to bring Zhenyi to look for someone.

But Zhenyi’s request for help was not always successful. Some people evaded the question, while others sighed and said “there’s nothing we can do to help you.”

Zhenyi still bowed to them, thanked them, and apologized for disturbing them.

The young girl came to save her brother, but she had no resentment when she was politely rejected, which made people feel ashamed and reluctant. Watching Zhenyi say goodbye, the scholar’s eyes struggled, and he almost blurted out “stay”, but his brother beside him held his shoulder. He turned around and saw his brother shaking his head solemnly and regretfully.

As Zhenyi stepped out of the door of this family, she saw her elder brother coming towards her.

Orange stood in front of Wang Yuan cautiously, raising and swinging his big furry tail back and forth like a steel whip wielded by a soldier, with the momentum of a single man blocking the pass from ten thousand – this is exactly how Orange saw himself.

Seeing her elder brother, Zhenyi subconsciously took a step back: “Big brother, I…”

In the misty rain, Wang Yuan met Zhenyi’s slightly red eyes, but pretended it was a false alarm, and said with relief: “Why didn’t you tell me that my second sister was going out? I made everyone at home think about it, and they thought you were going out to do something naughty!”

Zhenyi was slightly startled when she heard her elder brother say, “Since everything is fine, I will go home and report the news.”

Wang Yuan said, looking at Zhan Mei beside him: “Zhan family boy, take good care of my second sister for me. If you have any problems, come to the soup house to find me!”

Zhan Mei quickly bowed and accepted the gesture.

After successfully “scaring” Wang Yuan away, Juzi retreated to Zhenyi’s feet.

Wang Yuan jumped onto the mule cart and asked his servant to drive the cart back home.

The servant who had followed Wang Yuan since childhood couldn’t help but hesitate: “Master, didn’t the masters say…”

“You told me to go to the government office and bring back my second sister, but my second sister hasn’t been to the government office yet.” Wang Yuan crossed his sleeves and urged, “Come on, come on, stop talking nonsense.”

“…” The servant was speechless. He turned his head and saw a rare reddish wet mark at the corner of his master’s eyes.

Wang Yuan returned home and explained that his second sister had not gone to the government office. He had brought her back to the soup house. He thought it would be a good idea to let his second sister stay in the soup house for the next few days so that his wife could accompany her and comfort her.

In the next few days, heavy rain fell in Jinling City. The cold wind blew the damp and cold fallen leaves, soaking the feet and skirts of passers-by.

Avoiding disaster is just like avoiding rain, keeping oneself safe is the choice of most people, but there are always people in this world who are willing to stand up in this storm for justice.

Wang Jie had studied hard for many years and was well-versed in knowledge, and his character was also impeccable. So the new leaves that should have been growing vigorously were suddenly pinched off and trampled into the dust and mud, which was more likely to arouse the literary spirit.

The first letter Zhenyi received, expressing willingness to testify on behalf of Wang Jie, came from Zhan Mei.

At that time, Zhenyi was still running into obstacles everywhere. In the mule cart, Zhan Mei handed Zhenyi the letter he had prepared long ago with both hands.

Following Zhan Mei, members of Wang Jie’s poetry society were also willing to lend a helping hand.

After meeting Zhenyi, nearly half of the poets in the poetry society were willing to vouch for Wang Jie, including some with great reputations. The reason they were willing to help was not only because of the mutual sympathy among the literati, but also because of some kind of struggle and game behind it.

Nowadays, scholars are keen on learning from teachers and forming societies, not just for discussing poetry and prose. Different poetry societies represent different schools of scholars, and different schools of scholars ultimately point to the factions in the court… Who dares to say that the court’s move to suppress and intimidate Jiangnan students is not influenced by the checks and balances between various parties? Zhenyi has some guesses about this, and Zhan Mei also tells her a little bit, but no matter what kind of interest connection, the help of the people in the poetry society is a timely help to Zhenyi.

After Zhenyi left the poetry club, a servant boy in blue came over and specifically asked Zhenyi to come.

The servant boy’s master was Wang Jie’s teacher.

The old gentleman could not bear to see his student being wronged, but he could not make a decision for the Wang family. This time, he heard that the Wang family was running around outside to seek help to save Wang Jie, so he sent the servant to invite him. When he saw that the person who bowed to him was actually a young woman, he could not help but sigh: “It’s amazing that you have such character and courage…”

Then he asked again, “I guess you are the second oldest among your sisters?”

Zhenyi answered yes respectfully.

The old man nodded in understanding: “No wonder…”

Zhenyi’s eyes suddenly felt a little hot and sour. With just this question and sigh, she could already imagine that her second brother must have said many compliments about her in front of his teacher.

The old gentleman handed Zhenyi a joint letter. This letter was initiated by the old gentleman. The names signed below were either Wang Jie’s fellow students or people entrusted by the old gentleman.

At this point, Zhenyi has gained enough support from many voices, but this is not enough. The old man reminded Zhenyi that if she wanted to hand over these things in her hands to the government smoothly and get the government’s attention, she must ask a sufficiently influential person to come forward to do it on her behalf.

There are many people who cry out for injustice in this imperial examination case. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the Nanjing government prefers to keep all trouble out. Moreover, the person who is really in charge of this case is the imperial envoy from Beijing. It is not easy to present the things in Zhenyi’s hands layer by layer and effectively.

Zhenyi and Zhan Mei both thought of a great man.

That night, the rain in Jinling got heavier.

Juzi followed Zhenyi in the rain and came to an elegant garden.

Juzi felt vaguely that this place was familiar, as if he had been here with Zhenyi before.

This is Sui Garden.

During the Lantern Festival when Zhenyi was seven years old, she came here with her grandfather and family to enjoy the lanterns and guess riddles. Zhan Mei was also there that year.

The people and cats who came were the same as before, and there was still a chill in Suiyuan during the Lantern Festival that year. The temperature was almost the same as tonight when it was raining coldly. However, one was the beginning of spring, and the other was the beginning of winter. The former meant the warm spring was in sight, while the latter was about to usher in the season when everything was frozen.

Wang Yuan’s lies had been exposed. When Wang Xichen and Qisheng chased all the way to Sui Garden, Zhenyi had already knelt in front of Yuan Mei, the owner of Sui Garden.

Zhan Mei and the cat were by her side, and Zhenyi bowed and thanked him in tears in the courtyard where the rain had just stopped.

“Mr. Yuan’s kindness…I will remember it forever!”

“Hurry up and get up.” The old man, whose hair and beard were already silver, spoke as slowly as his movements: “I recall what happened to Mr. Jin Yan back then, but I was unable to help at all…”

When helping Zhenyi up, the old man sighed and said to himself: “Among his descendants, you are the one who looks most like him. I don’t know whether it is good or bad…” The last half of the sentence was almost inaudible, leaving only the sound of an old sigh.

The rain stopped in Jinling City, but the cold became worse.

When Wang Yuan rushed back home with the news that represented a turn for the better, everyone in the Wang family still felt it was unreal. Before this, no one could have imagined that Zhenyi could actually accomplish something that they thought was impossible.

Things were taking a turn for the better, but the matter involved too many people at every level. Mr. Yuan was willing to step forward out of friendship, but the other officials were strangers to him. If he wanted to get them to do something, he would inevitably need to make arrangements… The Wang family, which was not well off after the old lady’s death, had to raise money urgently.

After all this running around, Wang Jie was finally released on the day before the Minor Snow solar term this winter.

The government did not want to publicize the matter, so they did not allow the Wang family to go and pick her up. The Wang family then asked Zhan Mei to go.

The Wang family members could not show up, but no one could control the Wang family’s cat.

Orange followed Zhan Mei, but the moment he saw people, he was stunned.

Juzi could hardly recognize Wang Jie.

The skinny young man with torn and dirty clothes and loose hair looked up at the sun that he finally saw again, but there was only confusion in his eyes.

Zhan Mei, with red eyes, helped her friend who could barely stand up: “Stay, and come home with me…”

After Wang Jie was helped onto the mule cart, Zhan Mei changed him into the clean clothes he had brought. Ju Zi witnessed Wang Jie’s wounds and would get close to smell them from time to time, but she could not smell any familiar smells – how could a person’s smell change so completely? What on earth had Wang Jie experienced in that dark prison?

As he thought about it, Orange was actually a little scared. Cats like him rarely feel scared.

And if even it was afraid, wouldn’t Wang Jie be even more afraid? So Juzi stayed close to the silent Wang Jie, rubbing his arm soothingly and making purring sounds, trying to heal his wounds and relieve his pain.

I haven’t updated for a month. Firstly, I was afraid that the content was too heavy and not suitable for reading during the New Year. Secondly, ahem, I was indeed a little lazy, and most of the content to come needs to be revised repeatedly. However, it will be completed this month~ Thank you all for waiting, there will be another big chapter later.