The Prefect's Past

Upon hearing Liu Zhengyuan's words, Yin Yunze raised an eyebrow slightly.

As he summoned Fox Fire to physically purify the ailing lungs that were causing both physical and psychological discomfort, Yin Yunze asked, "It seems, Lord Liu, you know what's wrong with them?"

"----This is, in a way, one of my embarrassing secrets."

A hint of sadness appeared on Liu Zhengyuan's face, but he gritted his teeth and said, "However, before the true god, I have nothing to hide anymore. If I'm not mistaken, the one who cast the spell to harm Rou'er and Qian'er should be my wife, Lady Yao, in the capital—"

"As expected, it's that kind of sordid affair of powerful families again."

Yin Yunze could guess a thing or two about this.

After all, since ancient times, wives have always hated their husbands for cheating.

Especially in ancient times with clear class divisions, wives of high status would never treat mistresses as human beings.

Thinking about this, Yin Yunze couldn't help but wonder, if Liu Zhengyuan's wife was so ruthless towards his mistress, why didn't she also deal with that scumbag Liu Zhengyuan?

However, complaints aside...

Regardless of the circumstances, Liu Zhengyuan's wife's methods were rather ruthless.

His gaze fell on Xie Rou and Liu Qian, who were recovering from a serious illness, and lingered for a moment, especially on the little girl's still pale face.

Yin Yunze then turned to look at Liu Zhengyuan and said softly, "However, your wife is really no good. She actually used Gu worms to eat your lungs alive. Clearly, she hates those two to the core."

Moreover, this is a move to destroy your spirit—after all, if these two had even a sliver of the Dynastic Karmic Luck to protect them, they wouldn't have been poisoned by such a vicious sorcery—it seems your legal wife wants these two not only to die without a proper title, but even for their deaths to be due to their lack of a title!

The thought of a living person's lungs being devoured by venomous insects is enough to send chills down one's spine.

What's most infuriating to Liu Zhengyuan is that if Liu Zhengyuan had dared to acknowledge the identities of these two men, with the protection of the Dynastic Karmic Luck as a fourth-rank prefect, he could have eliminated these vicious worms in no time.

After all, Xie Rou and her mother's situation was different from Xu Yue's when she picked up the Ghost Bone; Xu Yue brought trouble upon herself.

However, the Gu worms on Xie Rou and Liu Qian were simply evil Gu worms planted by others, which happened to fall within the protection range of the Dynastic Karmic Luck.

Yin Yunze could easily imagine what would happen when Xie Rou and her daughter, lacking proper status, would suffer a gruesome death, being devoured by Gu worms.

Liu Zhengyuan's legal wife might then send someone to tell Liu Zhengyuan with a smile.

It was his cowardice, his reluctance to grant the mother and daughter a legitimate status, that led to their tragic deaths.

This can truly be described as killing someone by destroying their spirit.

"Waaaaah... My Qian'er, I'm so sorry!"

Upon hearing Yin Yunze's words, Xie Rou couldn't help but hug Liu Qian and begin to sob softly.

Looking at Xie Rou and Liu Qian, Liu Zhengyuan opened his mouth: "Rou'er ------I----"

However, Liu Zhengyuan couldn't continue speaking.

"Liu Zhengyuan ----" Seeing Liu Zhengyuan like this, Xie Rou hugged Liu Qian tightly, her eyes filled with tears as she pleaded in a low voice, "Zhengyuan, you have to be a man, no, you have to be a human being!"

You don't need to worry about whether I live or die! But Qian'er is your own flesh and blood! How could you let her suffer like this! Qian'er is your own flesh and blood, how could that woman be so cruel—"

"Because Qian'er is my child, but not hers—"

With a soft sigh, Liu Zhengyuan turned to look at Yin Yunze and said gently, "Princess, would you be willing to listen to a story from the past?"

"Go ahead and say it."

Although Yin Yunze could guess the melodramatic plot, Liu Zhengyuan thought that Yin Yunze couldn't very well shut him up.

"The story begins more than twenty years ago—"

As he spoke, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Liu Zhengyuan's eyes, but he said with a touch of melancholy, "Actually, Rou'er and I are cousins, and childhood sweethearts who grew up together. We were even engaged back then! But I was young and naive, and I was only thinking about establishing my career before starting a family—"

"Oh ho----"

Glancing at Liu Zhengyuan, Yin Yunze couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "I didn't expect someone with such thick eyebrows and big eyes like you to be a heartless man like Chen Shimei?"

Liu Zhengyuan received a glance from Yin Yunze, but he didn't care and continued, "Your Highness, please consider this me embellishing my own reputation. That year, I was lucky enough to get second place in the imperial examination—I thought I could rise rapidly in my career, but then I encountered the matter of finding a husband for someone who had passed the imperial examination—"

Yin Yunze was somewhat surprised to hear that Liu Zhengyuan was actually the runner-up.

However, to be honest, the title of second place is somewhat awkward compared to the top three.

The top scholar goes without saying; his talent and learning are undoubtedly number one.

As for the third-ranked scholar, he was usually chosen from among those with similar literary abilities, based on who was the most handsome.

Therefore, while the top two scholars (状元 and 探花) are both noteworthy, the second-place scholar (榜眼) seems somewhat inferior.

After all, although he came in second place, his talent couldn't compare to the top scholar, and his appearance wasn't as good as the third-place scholar, which made things a bit awkward.

However, this awkward situation is only compared to the top three scorers.

Regardless, the runner-up is one of the top three, and naturally a popular choice for a son-in-law.

What changed Liu Zhengyuan's life was that event where he was chosen as a son-in-law after passing the imperial examination.

Liu Zhengyuan, the second-place scholar, was chosen by a noblewoman.

Of course, Liu Zhengyuan was not the kind of person who would abandon principles for personal gain.

Liu Zhengyuan did not abandon his wife, Chen Shimei, in the face of this marriage proposal from a noble family, but instead resolutely refused. Moreover, Liu Zhengyuan stated at the time that he was already engaged to his childhood sweetheart and cousin, Xie Rou, and would soon return to his hometown to get married.

Liu Zhengyuan felt at the time that, after all, he was the second-place scholar chosen by the emperor, and even if the other party was from a noble family, they shouldn't be able to do anything to him.

In fact, after being rejected, the Marquis did not do anything to Liu Zhengyuan.

The marquis simply sent someone to Liu Zhengyuan's hometown to bring Liu Zhengyuan's parents over. And, incidentally, he killed Xie Rou's parents, slashed Xie Rou's face, and cut off Xie Rou's right thumb.

After hearing his parents' words and hearing Xie Rou's thumbs-up, Liu Zhengyuan realized how naive he had been.

Upon hearing Liu Zhengyuan mention this, Yin Yunze subconsciously glanced at Xie Rou's right hand.

Indeed, Xie Rou's right thumb looks a bit newer than her other fingers.

Clearly, it was the half-cup of Nectar Water that had been consumed earlier that had the desired effect.

Under pressure from his parents and threatened with Xie Rou's life by the Marquis, Liu Zhengyuan had no choice but to agree to the marriage.

And so, nearly ten years passed.

It was also more than a decade ago, after Liu Zhengyuan's father passed away, that Liu Zhengyuan took his mother back to his hometown, which gave him the opportunity to reunite with Xie Rou.

However, at that time, Xie Rou's life was extremely miserable.

Her parents' tragic deaths left her destitute and vulnerable, with even her family's assets being seized by various relatives.

Disfigurement and disability made it impossible for Xie Rou to find a good family to settle down and live out her remaining years.

The two were in love with each other, so how could Liu Zhengyuan possibly despise the woman whose life was ruined because of him?

Liu Zhengyuan's mother did not object to this; on the contrary, she was happy to see Liu Zhengyuan and Xie Rou rekindle their relationship.

Although it was somewhat against etiquette, Liu Zhengyuan and Xie Rou still spent three sweet years together, living a life that resembled that of husband and wife.

As for Liu Qian, she was also born during that period.

Later, Liu Zhengyuan arranged for his mother to stay in their hometown and live with Xie Rou and Liu Qian. Liu Zhengyuan would take two months each year to visit his mother and reunite with Xie Rou in their hometown.

This relatively stable life ended a few years ago after Liu Zhengyuan's mother passed away.

After much deliberation, Liu Zhengyuan found a way to become the prefect of Anqing Prefecture.

Because Liu Zhengyuan knew that his wife Lady Yao, was used to wealth and luxury and would not be willing to come to Anqing Prefecture to suffer.

As Liu Zhengyuan had expected, his wife Lady Yao, chose to stay in the capital.

Liu Zhengyuan, along with Xie Rou and Liu Qian, lived a life of marriage in Anqing Prefecture, though in name only.

However, ten years of peaceful life eventually eroded Liu Zhengyuan's vigilance.

By accident, Xie Rou and Liu Qian's existence was eventually discovered by Liu Zhengyuan's legal wife, which led to this disaster.

After listening to Liu Zhengyuan's account, Xie Rou's face was already covered in tears.

"Zhengyuan ----"

Looking at Liu Zhengyuan with deep affection, Xie Rou said softly, "I have never regretted rekindling our relationship. Over the years, I have only regretted one thing: that after I gave birth to Qian'er for you, I didn't give you another son or daughter—"

Hearing Xie Rou say this, Liu Zhengyuan's face showed a hint of unease, and he said in a low voice, "No, it's not your fault, it's a problem with my body."

Upon hearing Xie Rou and Liu Zhengyuan mention this matter, Yin Yunze seemed to remember something and glanced at Liu Zhengyuan again using the Qi Observation Technique.

As expected, the area around Liu Zhengyuan's kidneys remained an unhealthy dark purple.

Upon their first meeting, Yin Yunze assumed that Liu Zhengyuan was a lecherous man, which was why he suffered from kidney deficiency.

In retrospect, it seems that Yin Yunze misunderstood Liu Zhengyuan.

If the kidney deficiency is caused by lust, a sip of Nectar Water can at least significantly improve the condition, if not completely cure it.

However, this dark purple color indicates that Liu Zhengyuan still has significant kidney problems.

"This matter is probably neither Lord Liu's fault nor Madam Liu's fault—"

Since Xie Rou wasn't Keeping a Beauty in a Golden House, but rather the legitimate wife's childhood sweetheart, and the legal wife Lady Yao was the third party who had entered into the relationship, Yin Yunze would naturally respect this ill-fated couple.

Upon hearing Yin Yunze, the Primordial Lady of the Azure Heavens, address her as Madam Liu, Xie Rou's face lit up with joy.

After all, a woman raised in such an ancient society might forgo a formal title for her lover, but she couldn't possibly be indifferent to the importance of a formal title.

Yin Yunze's words about Madam Liu truly inspired Xie Rou to have faith.

Ignoring Xie Rou's sudden change of heart, Yin Yunze looked at Liu Zhengyuan and said softly, "Actually, someone poisoned Lord Liu, damaging Lord Liu kidneys. Given the condition of Lord Liu's kidneys, this poisoning likely occurred nearly ten years ago—"

Upon hearing Yin Yunze's words, Liu Zhengyuan and Xie Rou were immediately taken aback.

Xie Rou looked at Yin Yunze, then at Liu Zhengyuan, and said in disbelief, "How could she do this! You're her husband!"

"So that's how it is—" Liu Zhengyuan's reaction suggested a confirmation of his suspicions. "I knew it. After I returned from observing mourning for my father, her attitude towards me changed drastically. Later, I suddenly realized—it seems I was—"

Okay, this woman is ruthless.

Yin Yunze had secretly grumbled about it before.

Why does Liu Zhengyuan's wife only target Xie Rou, but not Liu Zhengyuan?

In retrospect, Yin Yunze was naive; the other party had already done it long ago, even before he made a move against Xie Rou.

Having finished listening to the gossip, Yin Yunze got down to business.

As Zi Guang stared intently at Liu Zhengyuan, Yin Yunze asked softly, "Lord Liu, you've been talking for so long. But you haven't mentioned anything about the true identity of your wife, Lady Yao!"

"----My principal wife, Lady Yao, is the third daughter of Marquis Yao Zhengyu of Marquis of Zhenping."

Looking directly into Yin Yunze's eyes, Liu Zhengyuan said in a deep voice, "And Marquis of Zhenping Yao Zhengyu of Zhenping is one of the three commanders of the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau, the commander of the Supernatural Suppression Guard!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Yunze narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yin Yunze finally understood why Liu Zhengyuan thought protecting two vulnerable women might be a difficult task for Yin Yunze.

After all, a marquis of the third rank and a third-rank official are two different concepts.

The title of a mortal being granted a marquisate is completely different from the nominal divine title held by Yin Yunze.

Not to mention, Marquis of Zhenping Yao Zhengyu of Zhenping was the second-in-command of the special agency, the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau.

The combination of two identities did indeed make things a bit tricky for Yin Yunze.

Fortunately, Yin Yunze doesn't need to confront the Marquis of Zhenping head-on.

For Yin Yunze, a direct confrontation with that Marquis of Zhenping would definitely be a losing proposition.

However, if it's just about saving two vulnerable women from the daughter of the commander of the Supernatural Suppression Guard, Yin Yunze doesn't think it's that difficult.

However, Yin Yunze didn't expect that she would have such a connection with the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau recently.

I just encountered three members of the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau from the Demon Pursuit Guard, and now I've run into the son-in-law of the Supernatural Suppression Guard Commander.

Accepting this task implies that Yin Yunze may have significant dealings with the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau.

Therefore, at this moment, Yin Yunze actually began to be curious about the structure of the Year Suppression Bureau.

Coincidentally, Liu Zhengyuan was the son-in-law of the Commander of the Supernatural Suppression Guard, so he should be more familiar with the structure of the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau than ordinary people.

Unlike Zhou Changqing and the other two who needed to keep their identities confidential, Liu Zhengyuan was not a member of the Supernatural Pursuit Bureau and therefore did not need to abide by any confidentiality agreement.

As Yin Yunze rises to his current position, he will likely have many more dealings with the Year Suppression Bureau in the future.

With the idea of knowing yourself and your enemy in mind, it would be good to learn about it in advance from someone familiar with Liu Zhengyuan.

If there were any further requests for help from Yin Yunze, Liu Zhengyuan would likely not only be completely open and honest, but he certainly wouldn't hide anything from him.

"Speaking of which, Lord Liu," Yin Yunze thought to himself, looking at Liu Zhengyuan, and asked softly, "Could you tell me about the structure of the Year Suppression Bureau?"