Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Yin Yuan walked back to the back hall. As soon as he entered the room, he saw his precious daughter Mantangjiao leaning on the lady's shoulder. The mother and daughter were talking softly. Wen Jiao must have washed up. Before he came out, she was still in the lady's arms. She was sobbing and shaking. Her hair was messy. Now there was nothing special about her face. Only by looking closely could you find that she looked a little thinner. Sitting at the bottom was the prince of the Duke of Yun, Yin Yuan. The young man with a jade-like face and red lips had a livid face and was obviously very angry. When he saw him come in, he immediately came up to him and said, "Dad, what did that heartless man say?"

Yin Kaishan took out the divorce agreement, unfolded it, and waved it in front of him. Yin Yuan took it and looked at it, frowning: "It's too easy for him."

Madam Yin asked Yin Yuan to bring the divorce letter. After reading it carefully, she still had a look of anger on her face. "He really did it for him. Who the hell is Chen Guangrui? He has no talent or moral integrity, but he dares to treat my daughter badly! He wants to just ignore the divorce letter. I can't bear this."

"Talent... he does have it. It's not easy for a poor scholar to become the top scholar." Wen Jiao blurted out with the natural awe that every student who has experienced the fierce competition for the top scholar in the college entrance examination has.

"You, you still have feelings for him, don't you?" Mrs. Yin misunderstood and glared at her, almost choking on her breath.

Wen Jiao quickly pointed to the sky and swore: "Mother, you misunderstood. I have absolutely no such intention."

Madam Yin took a breath and said, "My silly girl, do you really think Chen Guangrui is such a popular person? He was a local official, but he was easily plotted against by two boatmen and lost his seal and documents. This is a serious crime. At the least, he would be dismissed from office, and at the worst, he would be beheaded. If he really died, it would be fine. The court could also allocate a pension to his family. But he didn't die. He hid in the Dragon Palace and left the people of the state to the impostor for more than ten years. If he wasn't your father's son-in-law, no matter how pitiful he was or how strange his situation was, the emperor would have to punish him for being so careless."

"No wonder after Chen Guangrui was resurrected, the court only gave him the honorary title of Wenyuan Pavilion Scholar, but did not grant him a real position. Chen Guangrui always thought that I was the one who ruined his reputation..." Wen Jiao said, and suddenly she felt like her heart was being cut by a knife. The sadness from Yin Wenjiao almost suffocated her, and she covered her heart involuntarily.

Yin Kaishan sneered, "He has been appointed for more than ten years, but he has not taken up his post for a single day. How can he have a good reputation as an official? The emperor, considering that he is the only son-in-law who has a bookworm in his heart, is reluctant to hold him accountable. However, he dares not let him go out to be an official, fearing that he might be robbed by a boatman if he is not careful. That is why he is detained in Beijing and is given an empty post to eat salary. Since he thinks that this fifth-rank university scholar is not worthy of his talent, then he may as well not have it."

His smile deepened. "A Yuan, tomorrow you will take a team to the Chen family and collect things from Chen Guangrui according to your sister's dowry list. All the things in my Prime Minister's Mansion, whether it is a flower, a tree, a blade of grass, or a piece of paper, must be brought back intact. If there is anything missing, you will have to watch your back."

"Yes." Yin Yuan was not in high spirits.

Wen Jiao thought of a sentence in the divorce letter and looked at Yin Kaishan: "Chen Guangrui is nominally the governor of Jiangzhou, but in fact, that position was held by Liu Hong who impersonated him. He has been in office for only one year and has not accumulated much. The annual salary of a fifth-rank official in this dynasty is 200 stones, and the Chen family lives a rich life. Most of them have concubines and maids, and are dressed in silk and satin, which is not much worse than the wealthy families. In order to show his noble character, he donated all the property he had saved when Liu Hong replaced him in previous years. In the past, I was the head of the family, and I could find ways to supplement them. Now that I am leaving..."

Yin Yuanfu was touched and clapped his hands: "He wrote it himself to provide my sister with three years of food, clothing and other expenses as a concubine. Oh, I want to see where he got the money from!"

This trap was obviously set by Yin Kaishan for Chen Guangrui. Chen Guangrui talked a lot about the integrity of a scholar, but in fact he was a bully who only cared about the weak and was afraid of the strong. Even though he knew it was a trap, he had no choice but to jump in because of Yin Kaishan's power.

With such loving parents and caring brother, Yin Wenjiao was forced to commit suicide by a heartless man. Her death was really not worth it!

Wen Jiao sighed inwardly, stood up, straightened her clothes and bowed solemnly to Yin Kaishan: "I am an unfilial daughter, and I made my father worry about me."

Yin Kaishan waved his hand and said, "What happened yesterday is like death yesterday. There is no need to think about the past anymore. Your Wanhua Tower has been well preserved for you. In the future, our family will be together and we will have plenty of family happiness to enjoy."

As soon as Chen Guangrui got home, he rushed to check the account books without stopping. The candles in the accounting office burned until late at night. The concubine Li Aman prepared wine and food, waiting for him and his sister Li Xiaoman to watch the moon, but when the moon was above the willow branches, the two of them were nowhere to be seen. Li Aman sent maids to invite them, and one came back and said, "My husband is busy with important things, so please do as you please." The other said, "I was frightened by the meal I had with my mistress during the day, so she went to sleep first." After being stood up by two people in a row, Li Aman lost all interest. She ate a few mouthfuls at random, but couldn't sleep, so she went to see her sister.

Li Xiaoman was sitting in a daze wrapped in a blanket, and didn't notice her approach. Li Ahman took out a fan and patted her: "What are you thinking about? You didn't even know that you were taken away by a wolf?"

Li Xiaoman came back to his senses, moved aside a little, and spread out the quilt: "It's cold outside now, you don't sleep well, and come to my place, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Li Ah Man went in and sat shoulder to shoulder with her sister. "I don't know why, but I always feel uneasy, as if something bad is going to happen. Can't I be tied up by the lady too?"

Li Xiaoman shuddered, and his laughter suddenly became a little sharp: "Kidnap? If she wanted to kidnap us, could she wait until today?"

Li Ah Man was puzzled: "Didn't the lady kidnap you because she hated my sister's favor? I was so scared, I was afraid that she would bring people to kidnap me too. Although she didn't dare to do anything to us sisters for the sake of her husband, it was still very scary."

Li Xiaoman curled his lips, uttered a "huh", and said softly: "My dear, do you count on him?"

Li Aman didn't hear clearly: "Sister, what did you say?"

Li Xiaoman came back to his senses: "It's nothing, just go to sleep without worry, you are a double body, you can't stand the fatigue."

Li Ah Man had always listened to her sister since she was young. After hearing this, she said a few more words to her and then left. Before she left, Li Xiao Man suddenly called her and said, "Sister, you must remember that no matter what I do in the future, you must believe me."

Li A'man looked back puzzled and saw Li Xiaoman still huddled in the quilt, motionless, but her eyes seemed to be determined and burning with a desperate fire, so bright that it was frightening.