Wen Mingtang, who was peeling the zongzi, sneezed and continued to concentrate on peeling the zongzi.

The bamboo leaves were peeled off, revealing the zongzi inside. Bright green peas, golden corn kernels, and dark brown diced bacon were evenly mixed in the light brown glutinous rice, and they were tightly pressed together.

The zongzi had a bright and beautiful color, just one glance was enough to stimulate one’s appetite.

Wen Mingtang lowered her head and took a bite. The glutinous rice was fragrant, the salty bacon cubes were mixed with a hint of smoke, the peas were refreshing, and the corn kernels were sweet. After taking a bite, the juice oozed slightly. There was also a hint of the fragrance of the bamboo leaves in all the ingredients.

Wen Mingtang was eating the zongzi slowly. In her hand was a pot of brewed scented tea. Next to the scented tea was an incense burner with three sticks of incense stuck in it.

As the incense smoke curled up, the girl sat cross-legged behind the stone table in the yard, leisurely drinking scented tea and eating zongzi.

When Wei Fu finished sorting out the files and passed by the gate of the courtyard, he saw this scene.

The extra incense burner on the stone table made Wei Fu pause for a moment. He couldn’t help but be curious. He walked over and asked, “Master Wen, this incense burner…”

The girl who was eating zongzi and drinking scented tea seriously said, “It’s my family’s memorial day, so I am paying homage.”

The word “Memorial Day” actually made Wei Fu remember it. It seemed that the time of the Wen family’s accident happened at the Dragon Boat Festival that year.

Just as his compassion aroused, he saw the tributes in front of the incense burner: a few red dates and a handful of fried melon seeds.

Looking at the zongzi and flower tea she ate, it was really obvious how perfunctory a girl with good cooking skills was in offering sacrifices.

Wei Fu fell silent and paused. When he was about to continue talking, he saw the girl finishing the zongzi and taking a sip of scented tea. She seemed to feel that he still had something to say, so casually took two more red dates and some melon seeds from the “tribute” and started eating.

Wei Fu: “…”

Looking at Wen Mingtang, who was eating dates and melon seeds, he fell into silence again.

When the girl finished the red dates and melon seeds on hand and continued to reach out to grab the red dates and melon seeds in the “tribute”, Wei Fu couldn’t help but call out: “Master Wen.”

The girl said “Oh”, as if she just remembered it, and handed the dates and melon seeds she grabbed to Wei Fu, and asked: “Wei Sicheng, do you want to eat dates and melon seeds?”

Watching the earnest expression on the girl’s face, Wei Fu smirked slightly, shook his head at the offerings in her hands, and couldn’t help but ask, “These are usually offerings to ancestors, how come you’re eating them like this?”

The girl who was eating melon seeds did not change her expression when she heard this and continued eating them. She said: “It’s a waste if you don’t eat it.”

Wei Fu’s eyes fell on the expression on the girl’s face. Seeing that the girl’s face was calm and showed no trace of sadness, he couldn’t help but say: “Master Wen, you…”

The girl only saw him say the word “you” and then stopped.

Wen Mingtang looked at him without interrupting him.

Just quietly eating melon seeds, waiting for him to continue talking.

After Wei Fu waited for a long time, he said: “Master Wen, I thought you were going to interrupt me.”

Wen Mingtang shook her head, munching on melon seeds while propping up one of the incense sticks that was about to tilt. She said, “Why interrupt? As a member of the Wen family, I’ve paid my respects to them!”

As for waste…

The girl tossed a date into her mouth and slowly spoke, “I remember the first few days when I entered the palace. Because of being of the Wen family bloodline, I faced a lot of exclusion in the Yeting¹ and was even confined to the ancestral hall of the Yeting. It was quite hungry inside there with nothing to eat. I survived on the offerings to the ancestors in the hall – a plate of dates and a plate of melon seeds.”

These words refer to the experience of the original owner.

“May the gods bless, and no blame was laid. I think it’s a reminder not to waste food,” Wen Mingtang said while cracking melon seeds. Glancing at the incense burner in front of her, she added, “They probably wouldn’t blame me either!”

Wei Fu paused after hearing this. After a long while, looking at the girl’s still calm face, he couldn’t help but ask: “Who in the family…”

“Dead,” the girl calmly recounted the events of that year. “People say my father, my uncle, and my grandfather tampered with imperial edicts, causing the death of a distinguished general. Such heinous criminals should be condemned by everyone. Therefore, the entire Wen family received the punishment they deserved.”

Wei Fu fell silent again after hearing this. After a moment of silence, he said: “Even though I didn’t take over your case back then, I also assisted in the investigation. The evidence…”

“The evidence was conclusive, I know.” Wen Mingtang said, paused, and added, “Everyone knows.”

After all, he was a great scholar who was famous all over the world. How can he be easily defeated without ironclad proof?

When this incident began, many people didn’t believe it. Even Wei Fu didn’t dare to believe it. But in the face of evidence, how could they deny it?

Wei Fu sighed. He was older than Liu Yuan, Bai Zhu, and Lin Fei, so he had been in contact with Wen Xuance.

“Your father was really upright back then,” Wei Fu looked at the calm-looking girl in front of him and said, “Did you know?”

“I was still young back then,” Wen Mingtang answered all questions and said seriously, “I don’t know. As for outside things, I only spend time at home reading, practicing calligraphy, and embroidering. The people I saw most were my mother and the masters. My father was very busy and rarely came back to see me. Each time, he must severely correct my mistakes and shortcomings. He was a strict and respectful person.”

Wei Fu said “Hmm” and looked at the girl, waiting for her to continue.

The girl tossed the melon seed shells aside, clapped her hands, and spread them out, saying, “That’s it.”

Wei Fu: “…”

Wen Mingtang added, “Indeed, that’s all. He rarely interfered in our affairs, always busy with external matters.”

“Before the accident, even my mother said that he only cared about external political affairs and state affairs, and no family affairs. Let him live with the court!” Wen Mingtang said, “He suddenly did something even my mother couldn’t believe such a thing.”

But with the evidence conclusive, who could deny it?

“The whole family suffered along with him. I don’t know what happened to the uncles, grandfathers, and cousins ​​outside. Those men were taken away on the first day of the accident.” Wen Mingtang brought another date over, but did not eat it. , but held it in her hand and played with it, saying, “The aunt and cousin in the backyard surrounded me and my mother, scolded us, pushed us, and cursed us with the most vicious words. Wen Xiutang also spit at me.”

“They weren’t like this before my father got into trouble,” Wen Mingtang buried the dates in the incense burner, “They used to revolve around me and my mother, afraid to offend us. Even Wen Xiutang, despite having a bit of a temper, wouldn’t dare to openly confront us. She would only secretly snatch things and then threaten me not to tell my mother and father.”

“At that time, my uncle and the others relied on my father to gain power; later, when my father fell, the power became a mountain of swords. They wished they could run faster than anyone else.” Wen Mingtang said and stood up. For the first time, there were some different emotions in her calm expression. She smiled as if mocking, “But they had been relying on us for so long, how could they run away?”

(End of chapter)

Footnote

1.  Lateral Courts in the imperial palace (housing concubines and administrative offices

T/N We get a little glimpse at the life of the original Wen Mingtan and also the backstory of their family.