Chapter 264 is lifted

As time goes by, Wan Ning's house arrest gradually eased.
She occasionally leaves Yunyan Pavilion, and even leaves the palace. Zhou Cairen mentions this in front of the emperor, and the emperor doesn't get angry, he just smiles lightly. To Cairen, that is certainly an agreement.
If the emperor does not agree, he will say so. He himself discovered that what Wannings said about their relationship was indeed true, and he trusts Wannings.
Because of the emperor's lenient attitude, Wannings' house arrest has gradually become meaningless.
Whenever Wan Ning gets a chance, she will go back to Li Mansion. Compared to Li Mansion, the palace is still unfamiliar to her. This is also the reason why she has always blamed herself for sending Zhou Cairen into the palace.
She always returns to the Li Mansion, without realizing it herself, and even less willing to admit it, she is getting closer to a familiarity, which is actually longing.
She discovered that she easily fell into those memories from the past.
There are memories everywhere around me, so many memories that surround me. How can I forget them just like that? Wherever I go, there is always the presence of my brother, Zi'ang.
He still wears the jewelry he gave her from time to time. Now she realizes, from head to toe, there is no part of her body that he hasn't given jewelry to. They were once so close, how can it be said that they have completely severed ties?
Wan Ning is still deceiving herself as she works hard to expel him from her life. She just recently told the Emperor that the best way to deal with people or things etched into one's life is to face them. But when it comes to herself, she forgets everything. Avoidance has become her daily bread.
Still need to think more about Father. Regarding Father's matters, at this moment, she hopes to have someone to discuss with, or at least to speak out what is in her heart. However, no one in the Li Mansion can be involved.
These feelings all emerged after breaking ties with Brother Ziang. Sighing, she can't help but think, what good would it do to discuss with him when all she did was to desire punishment for her uncle? Would he support the disposal of his own father endlessly?
It seems that the emperor is no longer shielding his uncle. The word "shield" may not be accurate, but let's use it for now. He doesn't even allow the mention of it, isn't that shielding?
Since there is no longer any shielding, how will the emperor actually deal with him? Regarding this, Wanning has pondered over and over again.
Uncle treats the Li family as just a strategic cooperation. After all, we are almost family, but he didn't help when Father was demoted, and instead, he led the way in falsely accusing Father in order to seize the Li family's property. How can one not hate?
Putting aside personal grievances, it is a fact that my uncle has accepted bribes, sold official positions, and formed factions for personal gain. With these crimes alone, how can the emperor not deal with him to deter the court? If the emperor decides to take action, how will he handle him? Confiscation of illegally obtained wealth? Stripping him of his position? "Stripping him of his position" is a term that Subang has mentioned before, isn't it? He probably already knows what's coming.
But the uncle has been supportive even before the emperor ascended the throne, and can be considered meritorious for the state, so he can be said to be extremely loyal. Thinking in terms of the emperor's perspective, his merits outweigh his faults.
Wanning hopes that her uncle will be punished, preferably with a few days in jail. Otherwise, she cannot resolve her anger. Of course, it is more important for her father to be vindicated.
The inner palace cannot interfere with the former dynasty, so only the ministers in the court have the qualification to expose and report. There are some officials in the court specifically responsible for this task, in order to cleanse the court. If the emperor no longer protects him, perhaps someone needs to report it in his name? Thinking of this, Wanning became more determined in her belief.
Things that need to be done should be done quickly, as Wanning is concerned that if she waits too long, she will not be able to make up her mind when thinking of her brother Ziyang.
But who can she find? Which minister would be manipulated by a little maid? And who would wade through muddy waters for a dead person? The Emperor was right, people come and go.
During the same period, many officials were also demoted or had their positions reduced alongside my father. Does that mean every single one of them is guilty? Don't they also want to vent their frustrations? There may still be a chance for redemption and a return to their former positions if they make amends for their past actions. And as for my uncle, is it possible that he has managed to bribe every single person in the court? Surely, there are some who have not been swayed. For those who could not be swayed, aren't they afraid of retaliation and reprisals?
At a loss, Wanning once again thought of her master Zhiyang. She didn't want to drag Zhiyang down because of these things, and now, who else could she seek help from? Master also hoped that her father would no longer bear the evil reputation, right? That's what she thought. She just hoped that he could give her some guidance.
Once upon a time, there was always someone who would accompany me to Master's place. Now, I can only find one of my father's subordinates to accompany me when I go out, and it can only be boring to be bored.
She sat in the carriage all the way, with her father's loyal followers riding horses beside her.
When she arrived at her master's place, Zhiyang was naturally surprised and asked, "Why didn't Ziang come? No need for the free escort? You rarely make such a big scene when you go out." Before Wanning could answer, Zhiyang understood her meaning, "Oh, the young couple had a quarrel."
"Master, you're mocking me again."
"Come in and have a seat."
When Wan Ning sat down, Zhi Yang brewed a cup of high-quality tea. He had long heard that she had been punished by the emperor, banned from attending court sessions. Now it seemed that the ban had been lifted, but why did she still look like this? He had so many questions about her.
"You don't seem to be in a good state. There must be something going on for you to come over here. What happened between you and Ziang? Your state is so bad, but he is not by your side."
"Master, let's not talk about him." Wanning replied coldly, "I came to see you today because I do need your help."
"What's the problem? Just tell me if you need any help."
"I want to clear my father's name and reclaim everything that belongs to the Li family. But every time I mention my uncle's evil deeds to the emperor, he doesn't listen and gets extremely angry."
“你后宫过问前朝的事，当然会惹怒皇上了。”
“所以，师傅，我想朝中若有人揭发，皇帝一定会重视的。而且，我认为皇上已经重视起叔父的罪行。我最后一次提起叔父，他并没有动怒。”
According to Wanning's description, Zhiyang also believes that the emperor indeed wants to dispose of Gao Junming. But if that's the case, Wanning doesn't need to keep holding on. Besides, he is also Ziyang's father. Even if Ziyang understands her, how will she face her father-in-law and mother-in-law in the future when she marries into the Gao family? Even if she likes him, there will be objections.
"Nowadays, almost everyone in the court is on one side. Who would be willing to offend high officials for the sake of reopening old cases? However, there may be officials who were demoted around the same time as your father who could help you. Oh, Mr. Meng, he is excellent at writing and despises forming cliques and pursuing personal interests. Like your father, he was also implicated in that catastrophe and was demoted. Since then, he has immersed himself even more in writing. You can go and ask him."
"Mr. Meng?" Wan Ning asked in confusion.
"You may not know which Mr. Meng I'm referring to, his daughter, Meng Jingyao, you know her, she married Wang Pinhong. The Meng family is indebted to the Wang family for their help."
Although Zhiyang mentioned Lord Meng to Wanning, he has reservations about her. He does not want Wanning to end her relationship with Ziang because of this, and he doesn't want their relationship to be strained. Like the people around Wanning, he wants someone reliable to take care of her. Currently, the "young couple" are just having a small quarrel.
He believed that seeking help from Lord Meng would be enough for Wan Ning. With the character of Lord Meng, the emperor would listen and carefully consider his words. As someone outside the court, Wan Ning's actions would be sufficient.