Shengshichun

Chapter 400 Old Friend
In February, the Dali Temple became busy.

Xu Yin, Lian Yang and others who had been imprisoned in Tianlao for several months finally received the final verdict.

Their case could have been closed long ago. All the witnesses and evidence were there, and the evidence was irrefutable, beyond any doubt.

However, after the case of Xu Yin and Prince Rong's Mansion was concluded, Lian Rong and Lian Yang were brought up again. Then the court was busy establishing a crown prince, and there was also the matter of collusion with Dong Zi. The verdict of the three courts had been on the emperor's desk for a long time, and it was not until now that the emperor gave his approval.

Before the execution, the case was brought up again on the streets. Especially Xu Yin, the Minister who was once regarded as brilliant by everyone, fell from the clouds into the mud, and behind him was an extremely vicious heart. Such a huge contrast, how could it not surprise people?

As a result, the story of Miss Liang who was murdered was also dug up again.

On the day of execution, Fu Zhen also took a carriage to the street.

After not seeing each other for several months, Xu Yin in the prison car looked disheveled and had sunken eye sockets. In order to verify his identity, his beard under his disheveled hair was shaved off before he was taken out of the cage.

Fu Zhen's carriage was in the crowd, not in a particularly conspicuous position. But when the prison carriage passed in front of her, Xu Yin actually raised his head and looked over here. Then he called to the yamen runners in front to stop the carriage, and stared at Fu Zhen who was sitting calmly in the carriage window.

Fu Zhen simply hung up the curtain and leaned his elbows on the window frame.

Xu Yin's throat rolled several times, and finally he withdrew his gaze. The guards were impatient and shouted a few words, and then ordered the prison van to move forward without any explanation.

From Fu Zhen's position, he could just see the tall execution platform.

When the executioner raised his knife, Xu Yin's head fell to the ground, and the blood spurting from his neck splashed a dozen feet away.

The head rolled several times on the ground, its eyes still wide open, and when it stopped, it was facing the direction where Fu Zhen was.

Fu Zhen raised her hand, and while the people were throwing eggs and rotten vegetable leaves, she casually threw the two chess pieces that she had been stroking, just hitting the two wide-open dog eyes - in this way, he finally closed his eyes.

Dozens of people were executed this time, including Lian Yang and Lian Rong, as well as the generals and guards who followed Lian Yang. The area outside Caishikou was covered in blood and it took two or three days to clean it up.

Prince Rong and his son repented at a critical moment, confessed a lot of useful information, accused the deposed crown prince and Xu Yin, and finally escaped death. The entire Prince Rong's mansion was demoted to commoners, Prince Rong and his son, including several illegitimate sons of the prince's mansion, were all exiled to the northwest, and only women and children were allowed to stay in the capital.

On the second day after Xu Yin and his men were beheaded, Fu Zhen was eating bird's nest in Wanbin Building when Yang Tong suddenly walked in with an oil-paper bag:
"Someone gave this to the young lady, but I don't know what it is."

Oil paper bags are made of very rough paper and can be found everywhere on the streets.

Fu Zhen stretched out her hand to open it, but Yang Tong quickly stopped her hand: "Wait for me to come down, be careful of fraud!"

He opened the paper package carefully, but found only a dagger wrapped in a handkerchief inside.

As soon as Fu Zhen saw the dagger, he gasped: "Who was here? Where is the person who delivered the gift?"

Yang Tong pointed outside in surprise: "It was a little beggar, he's gone."

Fu Zhen walked through the door without saying a word, chased outside and took a look, and sure enough, there was no one there.

She lowered her head to look at the knife in her hand again, then looked at both sides of the street, and then saw a person standing under the tea stall diagonally opposite, also looking at this side from a distance.

Fu Zhen just paused and then walked over.

The person in front of her was wearing plain clothes and a straw hairpin, with no makeup on her face. She smiled at her lightly.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Fu Zhen took a deep breath: "Crown Princess."

Zhang pursed her lips and smiled: "Do you think this title is still suitable for me?"

Fu Zhen also smiled, looked at the dagger in his hand, and then pointed to the Wanbin Building behind him: "Long time no see. I would like to invite you over for a cup of tea, would you please do me the honor?"

Zhang took a look at the luxurious restaurant filled with guests and said slowly, "If you don't mind me losing your status, why wouldn't I obey your order?"

Fu Zhen nodded and led her across the road.

Then he led her all the way to the backyard.

Jinzhu came forward, probably intending to talk to Fu Zhen, but when she got close and saw Zhang behind her, she immediately froze in place.

"Please make me some good tea and prepare some snacks."

Fu Zhen gave her instructions, then walked directly into the courtyard where Yang Yi had stayed before. He looked back at Zhang and sat down on the stone bench under the tree.

The weather has been sunny since the beginning of spring, the trees in the yard are in bloom, the spring scenery is bright, and the breeze is pleasant.

The wind also blew Zhang's hair, which was casually tied up under her headscarf.

She sat down slowly: "It turns out that spring has been here for a long time, but I didn't know it until today."

Fu Zhen turned his head and looked at her: "Where do you live now? Zhang's family?"

Since Prince Rong and his son were arrested and imprisoned, Fu Zhen had not paid attention to the affairs of Prince Rong's mansion. He only knew from the fragmentary news that after all the men in Prince Rong's mansion were detained, the women were also imprisoned.

Now that she has come out, it seems that the palace has not made things too difficult for them.

"The Zhang family has also fallen." Zhang looked up at the sky, her expression very calm, "My father and brother are still in prison, and my mother has been seriously ill for a long time and she doesn't have many days left to live.

"Both the Zhang family and the Rong Palace were confiscated. It's hard enough for me to take care of the child, and I can't afford to pay for her medical treatment."

Fu Zhen was silent for a moment, then said: "Then you..."

"We live in the South City now. Our prince has made many friends outside. Although many of them are ungrateful, there are still some loyal ones.

"There is a silk shop owner in South City who still remembers the kindness of our prince who gave him money to treat his illness when he was down and out, so he vacated two rooms for us to stay.

"He's not rich either. I'm already satisfied that I can do this. At least the child doesn't have to follow us to live under the bridge."

Fu Zhen remained silent even more.

This situation was completely expected. Considering what Prince Rong and his son had done, the Emperor and Empress were able to spare their lives, which was already a huge favor to them.

If it wasn't for a strange combination of circumstances, it would have been Yang Yi who died in Baiyu Hutong seven years ago. If Yang Yi had died then, the Great Zhou would now be facing the difficult situation created by the Yi family and others.

So, what do exile and confiscation of property matter?

However, Zhang was indeed innocent in this case. If she had resentment, it was wrong, but her feelings were understandable.

"This knife is worth at least a hundred taels of silver if you pawn it. Why didn't you take it to exchange for money?"

Fu Zhen said as he looked at the dagger on the table.

This was one of the weapons that her elder brother Liang Qin gave her when she first arrived in the northwest. It had accompanied Liang Ning's father for many years. Later, her father gave it to her elder brother, who then gave it to her.

Later, when she decided to get engaged to Xu Yin, Liang Ning told him the story of the dagger. In her impression, the knife should have been left at the Liang family. She didn't know why it appeared here after so many years. "Because I didn't find this knife." Zhang looked at her, "I was just entrusted by someone to return it to you."

"'return'?"

Fu Zhen was shocked. "Where did you get that from?"

Even if this knife was lost for some reason, it should be returned to the Liang family, not to her.

Unless someone knows that she is Liang Ning!

But who else?
Who else would know that she is Liang Ning? !

"It's Yongping."

Zhang uttered these three words calmly.

Fu Zhen was stunned, Yongping?
She had ignored this name for even longer.

“I don’t know where she got it from, but I saw that the knife has been with her since the day she moved out of the Xu family.

"Last night she suddenly told me that the knife was yours and asked me to give it to you."

A flash of inspiration suddenly occurred to Fu Zhen's mind. Although it was fleeting, it was so real.

She took the knife again, looked at it for a moment, and said, "Where is she? I want to see her."

"She lives with us with her child." Zhang stood up and said, "She told me before I came here that if you want to see her, let me take you there. Come with me."

……

Zhang and her family lived in the most remote alley in the south city, and the next street was the most famous red-light district in the capital.

When they walked through the alley and arrived at the gate of the courtyard where they lived, all the lowly people in the alley stared at their carriage.

Zhang led Fu Zhen in through the small door in the side alley. As soon as they opened the door, they heard a woman scolding her son harshly from the yard, followed by the crying of a child.

Zhang stopped and looked back at Fu Zhen, her eyes complicated as she said, "She has changed."

The door opened, and I saw the yard in a mess. The small wooden table and benches were all overturned on the ground. A young and thin woman was holding a branch in her hand, beating a child squatting on the ground.

The child was crying so hard that he was out of breath, but he was still shouting, "Mom, please don't hit me."

When Fu Zhen was about to take a step, Zhang had already jumped up, dragged the child out and protected him behind her, saying angrily, "How old is he? Are you angry with him? Isn't he your son?"

The woman stared at them blankly, panting like a bellows, then threw away the branch and sat down on the ground. Then she hugged her knees with her hands and buried her face deeply in them.

She began to sob and her thin shoulders began to twitch, but no matter how violently she twitched, she never burst into tears.

She has always considered herself a princess, and even at a moment like this, she would not allow herself to lose her composure without any bottom line.

When she started crying like this, the child stopped crying. He slowly walked over, stretched out his little arms, and hugged his mother.

"Don't cry, mother. Lian'er is not naughty anymore. Never again."

As soon as these words came out, loud crying sounded instead. The small and shabby yard was suddenly filled with deafening crying sound.

Zhang looked at Fu Zhen, and Fu Zhen stepped forward.

After thinking for a while, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, handed it over and said, "Yongping."

Yongping was startled and suddenly raised his head.

The face that was once impeccably maintained, now looked haggard in just half a year.

The moment she saw Fu Zhen, her face turned pale instantly. Then she quickly let go of Xu Lian, raised her hands and wiped her eyes repeatedly.

She stood up quickly again, her waist straightened. After everything was done, she slowly turned around and asked: "How long have you been here?"

Fu Zhen naturally took back his hand that she ignored and said, "Your sister-in-law brought me here."

Yongping's face twitched a few times. "I didn't expect you to really come. If I had known you would come, I would never have done this."

"I know." Fu Zhen took the opportunity to prop up the bench on the ground and sat down. She didn't even lift up her gold-embroidered skirt and just sat down. "You have always wanted to save face, and you have always disliked me. How could you want me to see your child being naughty?"

Yongping was speechless.

Pursing her lips, she saw her pick up another stool on the ground. The stool legs were still covered with mud. She didn't mind, so she couldn't help but say, "I'm penniless now, and I can't afford to compensate you for your dress. You'd better be careful."

"Aren't clothes meant to be worn? If they get torn or dirty, you can just change them. How can you treasure them so much?" Fu Zhen said, disdaining her again, "It's the same with men. If they are blind and choose the wrong person, can't they just kick them away? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has only one life and there is no turning back. Why make it hard on yourself?"

Yongping was standing there quietly, but when he heard this, his eyes suddenly turned red.

She looked at Fu Zhen steadily and bit her lower lip.

Then he suddenly turned his face away and quickly wiped away his tears.

Zhang sighed and took Xu Lian's hand: "I'll go wash her, you two can talk."

The yard fell silent.

Yongping's sobbing gradually stopped.

She sat dejectedly on another chair that Fu Zhen had helped to lift, and murmured, "It is only today that I realize how wrong I was.

"He doesn't deserve it, not even a finger of his own!"

"Think positively," Fu Zhen said earnestly, "You are not the only one who is blind in this world. At least you are still alive."

Yongping suddenly looked at her, then bit his lower lip and lowered his head.

Fu Zhen said, "Where did you get the knife that you asked your sister-in-law to return to me?"

Yongping looked ahead and took a deep breath, "I went back to pack my clothes and found it in the box he left behind.

"I know this is yours."

"Then how do you know it's me?"

"I guessed it." There were still tears in Yongping's eyes. Without makeup, she looked more fragile than before, but also less thorny. "He once told me that, although he was not very sure at that time. But later I thought, it can only be you."

Fu Zhen stared at the ground for a while and said, "Then why did you return it to me?"