I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Chapter 121: Zhou Wenjian's Secret

Just as Fang Xiaoxiao was about to push open the door in front of her and go in, she heard faint sobs coming from her right side.

Who is it? Staying up so late at night, whimpering like a little kitten.

She immediately turned to the side, looked in the direction of the sound, and found that there was no one beside her.

"Strange, am I hallucinating?"

Fang Xiaoxiao muttered to herself.

But at that moment, the crying stopped abruptly, and then someone's voice could be heard.

“Father, Mother, I am sorry for failing you. I failed to protect everyone. I deserve to die. I should not have lived on. I should have gone to the Yellow Springs with you.”

"!!"

Upon hearing this voice, Fang Xiaoxiao suddenly sobered up considerably.

Isn't that Zhou Wenjian's voice?

What exactly did he mean? Could it be that his parents have already passed away?

A strange sense of curiosity arose spontaneously.

Driven by curiosity, Fang Xiaoxiao slowly followed the sound until she saw Zhou Wenjian squatting in the narrow alleyway on her right.

She didn't make a sound or take another step forward. Instead, she hid at the alley entrance, waiting for Zhou Wenjian to come out.

Zhou Wenjian's speech became slurred, likely due to drinking too much, and he rambled on and on.

These words shocked Fang Xiaoxiao completely.

According to Zhou Wenjian, he was originally the son of a high-ranking official, but he was implicated in the Crown Prince's rebellion, and his parents were exterminated by the emperor, while he was the only one who escaped.

This news surprised Fang Xiaoxiao greatly; she never expected that such a small county as Changle would be full of hidden talents.

The key point is that she encountered all these dragons and tigers.

First, there was He Jinnian, the Chief Justice who went undercover to investigate the case while concealing his identity, and now there's the son of a former Minister.

Is this world too crazy, or is she just too unlucky to encounter anything?

However, Zhou Wenjian is really unlucky; how did he end up in this mess?

That damned crown prince is really something. He suffers himself, but he also drags others down with him. He's utterly despicable.

Fang Xiaoxiao was inwardly cursing, wishing she could rush to Zhou Wenjian and tell him to stop blaming himself.

"ah!"

Just as she was about to finish, a little Jerry climbed up to her without her noticing.

It's said that women can be fearless, but they are afraid of small animals like cockroaches and Jerry.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Wenjian wiped away the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, stood up, and asked.

"who!"

"Ah, how terrifying! Wenjian, save me!"

Fang Xiaoxiao was speaking when she ran towards Zhou Wenjian.

Zhou Wenjian only relaxed his guard when he saw that it was his wife, and quickly walked up to her.

"what happened?"

"There's a mouse! Help me get rid of it!"

Fang Xiaoxiao threw herself into his arms, her face full of terror, burying her head in his chest, too afraid to look at the scene behind her.

Zhou Wenjian reacted quickly, kicking the rat several meters away.

The rat was also incredibly resilient. After wriggling a few times on the ground to recover, it quickly ran towards the corner of the wall and disappeared without a trace.

After Zhou Wenjian saw that she was out of sight, he comforted the woman in his arms and said softly.

"It's alright, the rats are gone, my wife can rest assured."

With a look of fear, Fang Xiaoxiao cautiously turned her head to look behind her. Only when she saw that the rat was indeed gone did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She patted her chest and said slowly.

"Scared me!"

"Don't be afraid, my wife. With me here, nothing can hurt you."

Zhou Wenjian's eyes revealed a resolute determination as he supported his wife's shoulders with his hand.

Wow, so handsome! Is this what manly spirit is all about?

Fang Xiaoxiao was momentarily dazed, her eyes revealing a hint of admiration.

Unbeknownst to her, someone was watching their every move from above on the roof.

Pei Yan's face darkened, and he looked at the two below with apparent displeasure.

He was already standing on the rooftop the moment Zhou Wenjian hid in the narrow alley.

From the first time he met Zhou Wenjian, he felt that the other man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who he was.

It wasn't until Zhou Wenjian mentioned the Crown Prince's departure and the massacre of Minister Zhou's family that I realized Zhou Wenjian was Minister Zhou's legitimate son.

When Pei Yan first heard that the Zhou family had been wiped out, he was filled with guilt and felt compelled to clear their name. He even considered standing up to clear the name of the Zhou family.

But he also understood that if he did that, he would face death.

In order to find out who framed him, he went so far as to disguise himself and conceal his identity, and searched everywhere.

"I'm sorry, but I will make it up to you."

Pei Yan secretly resolved that no matter what, he would clear Zhou Wenjian's family's name in the future...

Zhou Wenjian and Fang Xiaoxiao were sitting at the stone table.

Fang Xiaoxiao asked softly.

"Wenjian, I heard everything you said just now. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Zhou Wenjian's expression softened, and he shook his head.

"No need to apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"I am still a fugitive, and I have been deceiving you by concealing my identity."

"Perhaps I should leave, lest I bring disaster upon you, my wife!"

"!!"

Fang Xiaoxiao refused.

"What are you talking about? We are family, we share the good times and the bad."

She doesn't cause trouble, but she's definitely not afraid of trouble either.

If anyone's to blame, it's that damned crown prince. Why did he have to rebel and implicate others? What a selfish guy.

Zhou Wenjian was slightly stunned after hearing this.

We share both good times and bad!

These words warmed his heart.

Since that incident, he had sought help from many people, all of whom were his father's students and were now loyal officials in the court. He had hoped that some of them would come to him out of consideration for his father.

But to my surprise, those people not only didn't help, but also made some very unpleasant and sarcastic remarks.

Some say their family deserved it; why did they have to advise the crown prince? They were practically courting death.

Some people say that his father is an old stubborn man who is not easily persuaded and does not know how to be flexible.

In short, those people not only didn't help their family, but also added fuel to the fire.

Zhou Wenjian had already fled, but one of those people reported him, which led to his arrest and exile to Changle County.

Seeing that he remained silent, Fang Xiaoxiao continued.

"Wenjian, what are your plans next?"

Zhou Wenjian then blurted out.

"I want to overturn the verdict!"

"Overturn the verdict? How do you expect to overturn the verdict? What do you need us to do for you?"

“I’ve heard some very important information from the underworld.”

"what?"

Fang Xiaoxiao asked with curiosity.

Zhou Wenjian didn't hide anything and directly revealed his plan.

“I spent fifty taels of silver to ask someone to find out about the Crown Prince.”

"After being chased, the Crown Prince did not die, but escaped to Changle County."