Late Song Dynasty: From Imposter Magistrate to Emperor Donning the Imperial Robe

Chapter 137 Identity Exposed

"...Suddenly turning around, I found him there, in the dim light."

The lingering notes of Xin Qiji's "Qing Yu An: Lantern Festival" echoed in Li Chong's mouth.

Xie Wenyu, sitting on the edge of the bed, was stunned. She stared blankly at Li Chong, unable to believe that he had actually written these lyrics.

Seeing the man's smug expression, Xie Wenyu couldn't help but bite her lower lip.

She knew in her heart that if the lyrics were written by someone else, they would probably have been sung throughout the world long ago, and she couldn't possibly be unaware of them.

Now that we're hearing this from Li Chong, there's only one answer: he did it.

Although it seems impossible, this is the truth.

Xie Wenyu unconsciously loosened her hand in the shadows, feeling somewhat confused. Had she really lost her mind?

But upon further reflection, she reaffirmed her belief.

The various illogical things that Li Chong has been doing these past few days are not untrue. Besides, with her husband's talent, he simply couldn't have produced such a masterpiece that would be passed down through the ages!

If he truly possessed such ability, he would have been famous throughout Bianliang long ago; there would be no need for his family to seek a son-in-law from among the successful candidates.

Forcing a smile, Xie Wenyu said, "My lord, you are truly talented. But I wonder when you composed this poem? It's not even the Lantern Festival yet, so why did you write a poem for me for the Lantern Festival?"

Li Chong was completely unaware of Xie Wenyu's unusual behavior. Seeing her silence just now, he assumed that she was stunned by him.

Li Chong has never doubted the power of Xin Qiji's famous works.

Of the five thousand years of Chinese history, only a small number of poems have been selected for textbooks. Even if Li Chong doesn't believe in himself, he still believes in the aesthetic standards of his predecessors.

He was still feeling smug: "So, time travel really does mean copying poems. A thousand years from now, students will be sitting in classrooms learning my poems."

After taking a few steps forward, Li Chong began to utter the excuse he had already prepared.

"The Lantern Festival hasn't arrived yet this year, but we spent the previous Lantern Festival together. Today you asked me for a poem, and after much thought, I had a sudden inspiration and wrote this masterpiece. Compared to my previous works, this poem is a superior piece, enough to demonstrate my sincerity as your husband."

He casually added a supplementary explanation, clarifying why the poem was so excellent.

Li Chong felt smug, thinking that he had made a perfect and flawless statement.

Faced with such beauty, he was somewhat blinded by lust.

Now that everything is on track, Li Chong has become much more relaxed and lax in his work.

She was his rightful wife, so how could he not be close to her?

Besides, Li Chong has been celibate for a long time after traveling through time, so it's time for him to let loose a bit.

Having made up several excuses for himself, Li Chong gradually moved closer to Xie Wenyu.

"My lady, now that we are both at rest, shall I tell you about the thought process behind composing this poem?"

As he spoke, Li Chong quietly placed his hand on Xie Wenyu's shoulder, and it looked like he could pull the beauty into his arms with a strong hug.

A slight smile played on Li Chong's lips; he felt a surge of excitement.

It looks like I'm going to have a wonderful night.

But in that instant, a cold light flashed, and something icy pressed against Li Chong's neck.

"If you dare to move again, I'll kill you right now!"

Xie Wenyu's face was cold, devoid of her former gentleness, and filled with a chilling intent.

Looking closer, one can still see a hint of tension and sadness deep in their eyes.

"This, this..."

Li Chong didn't dare to move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Xie Wenyu was holding a hairpin. The chill on his neck told Li Chong that this thing was quite sharp.

"Madam, why are you doing this?" Li Chong asked with a forced smile.

Xie Wenyu applied some force, and Li Chong felt a slight sting on his skin. However, he had come close to Xie Wenyu in order to get closer, so even if he wanted to run away now, it wouldn't be easy.

Whether the hairpin will pierce his neck first, or whether he will pull it away first, is anyone's guess.

Therefore, even though he was facing a weak woman, Li Chong did not dare to gamble.

Xie Wenyu sneered, "You think you can fool me?! You're not my husband at all! Tell me! What happened to my husband?!"

Li Chong protested, "Heaven have mercy! Why do you say that, Madam? Look at me, I look exactly the same as before, except that I've been exercising more lately and have become a bit thinner. Surely you wouldn't not recognize me?"

"snort!"

Xie Wenyu held the hairpin in one hand and pulled out a rope she had prepared beforehand with the other, tying Li Chong's hands to the bed.

"Don't try to fool me. You may look just like my lord, but your temperament and disposition are completely different. Even if people can change, how could you change so much in just a few months?"

"And most importantly, my husband and I have never discussed poetry before! He has always considered poetry a trivial pursuit and has never bothered with it. How could he possibly write lyrics for me?"

Li Chong was stunned.

After a long silence, his voice returned to normal: "So, you were deliberately testing me during the day?"

"Exactly."

"Something's still not right." Li Chong stared intently at her. "Just a few days ago, you were delighted by my change, and you didn't seem to be faking it. Today, you suddenly decided to test me, so you must have discovered some other flaws, right?"

Xie Wenyu's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she deliberately turned her head away: "So what if it is? You should answer me first."

"Oh, right!" she suddenly realized, "I'm asking you! Don't give me a vague answer, tell me!"

How could Xie Wenyu tell Li Chong in front of him that she had accidentally seen Li Chong's body when she couldn't sleep at night?

When a black spot suddenly appeared on her skin, where there shouldn't have been anything, she became suspicious and wondered if the person in front of her was not her husband.

Li Chong's performance these past few days has hardly been perfect. If there had been no suspicion before, everything would have been fine.

But now that suspicion has arisen, there are many things worth examining.

"Okay, okay, okay." Li Chong obediently cooperated by tying his hands together. "I'll answer, but could you loosen your grip a little? If you really stab my neck, you won't be able to handle the situation, will you?"

In her nervousness, Xie Wenyu didn't know her own strength and pricked the skin until it turned bright red, and it looked like it was about to draw blood.

Xie Wenyu glared at him, and only after confirming that Li Chong's hands were tied did she breathe a sigh of relief, though her right hand remained tied to Li Chong's neck.

She looked at Li Chong: "Now you can tell me."

Li Chong shrugged helplessly and told him everything.

A moment later, Xie Wenyu's eyes glazed over.

"Dead, dead..."

She suddenly perked up: "You're lying to me! Could it be that you murdered him for money, trying to steal my husband's identity, which is why you did it!"

"Big sister~~~"

Li Chong shook his head helplessly, moving away from the hairpin: "If someone hadn't asked me, who would dare to impersonate an official? Besides, if Cui Shi hadn't told me the inside story, how could I have impersonated him so flawlessly? Think about it!"

Xie Wenyu felt dejected again.