Chapter 20: Honor In Ruins

Half an incense stick ago, Yan Chiyun had been in the front hall, accompanying General Yan in receiving guests.

Those seated at their table were all senior ministers who had served three reigns, high officials of the court.

 

For the most part, he simply listened, responding politely to their inquiries or flattery.

His gaze, however, swept casually past the screen.

Beyond it lay the women’s seating area.

 

Come to think of it, he had not seen Madam Pu during the meal.

Why had she not joined them for dinner?

He had assumed she must be in the side hall.

But the women guests had mostly taken their seats and were already halfway through their meal.

Still, she did not appear.

 

Si Yan, her personal maidservant, was present, receiving the guests on her behalf.

Where had she gone?

 

Yan Chiyun’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

 

For reasons he could not name, he found himself sweeping his gaze across the men’s seating area as well.

He did not see Yan Huaixiao’s friend, Cheng Wenque.

 

The two of them had vanished together?

 

He had told himself before that he must not indulge in baseless suspicions about Cheng Wenque and her.

It was unworthy of him.

Yet he could not restrain this instinctive search.

 

The evening meal was nearly finished.

Those who remained were merely engaged in polite conversation.

After a moment’s thought, Yan Chiyun invented an excuse and rose from his seat.

 

He had just rounded the screen and was about to summon her personal maidservant Si Yan for questioning when a young maidservant approached him.

She informed him that the young madam had gone to the lake pavilion to oversee a theatrical rehearsal.

On the way, she had twisted her ankle and sent him to ask for his assistance.

 

“Is it serious?” Yan Chiyun’s brow creased visibly.

The young maidservant said it did not appear too severe.

 

Madam Pu rarely troubled him, rarely sought his help of her own accord.

For her to send a maidservant to fetch him, and for her to have missed the evening meal—the injury must be considerable.

 

Yan Chiyun immediately set off, striding rapidly toward the rear courtyard’s lake pavilion.

 

***

 

The front hall buzzed with noise and activity.

He rounded the covered walkways, passed through the ornate inner gate, turned left through a moon gate.

The further he went, the more silent his surroundings became.

 

She had twisted her ankle.

She was alone, waiting for him to come to her aid.

 

At this thought, Yan Chiyun’s long legs stretched further, his pace quickening.

The maidservants and attendants fell behind him.

 

But when he reached the lake pavilion, she was nowhere to be seen.

He circled the area, searching.

Still, he did not find her.

He was about to call out her name.

 

Then, from the guest chamber nearby, he heard the murmur of voices.

Though very faint, he was a man trained in martial arts, seasoned in the Imperial Prison.

His vigilance was acute.

 

The guest chamber had no lantern burning within.

Why would there be voices?

Could it be that thieves had taken advantage of the wedding festivities to infiltrate the household?

Without hesitation, Yan Chiyun strode toward the sound.

 

As he drew nearer, the voices grew more distinct.

The surrounding silence was so profound that the words within became gradually clearer.

 

A man and a woman were conversing.

No, not conversing—whispering intimately.

Like lovers in secret tryst.

Could it be some servant and maidservant of the household?

 

Even as this thought crossed his mind, he felt, inexplicably, that these two voices—especially the woman’s—sounded somewhat familiar.

He did not know why, but he held his breath and pressed closer to the door, listening intently.

 

Wan? Wan, Wan’er?

 

A trembling male voice called out this name.

How did it sound so much like Huaixiao’s friend, the one surnamed Cheng?

 

At this realization, Yan Chiyun stiffened.

His brow knit as he listened further.

But who could have anticipated what he heard next?

 

He heard Pu Wange’s voice.

 

She said, “Louder, won’t you?”

She said she liked his voice, wanted to hear more.

And then the man actually stammered the name repeatedly.

 

It was in that moment he confirmed the man’s identity—Yan Huaixiao’s friend, Cheng Wenque.

 

Not Wan’er as in soothing, but Wan’er as in her name.

 

She responded to Cheng Wenque’s calls.

She even called him Que Lang.

She told him to call her that from now on.

She liked it very much.

 

After that, their conversation grew sparser, less coherent.

But soon, he heard broken, intermittent sounds—soft moans, murmured endearments.

The kind of sounds that left no room for misinterpretation.

 

Even without witnessing the scene firsthand, he could imagine exactly what they were doing within!

 

A man and a woman alone in a chamber.

Not just any chamber—a dark one.

He did not need to see with his own eyes to know precisely what was happening between them at this moment!

 

From the moment he confirmed, through their voices, the identities of these two people, Yan Chiyun felt as though struck by lightning.

 

He had never experienced such fury.

Never had his emotions surged to such explosive heights.

This rage, flooding through him in an instant, threatened to shatter his very mind.

 

Scenes of his time with Pu Wange flashed through his thoughts like lantern slides—moments of intimacy, of closeness.

Beyond the fury that blasted his consciousness to blank fragments, an icy cold permeated his entire being.

He felt physically ill.

 

He did not know how he continued listening.

When the situation within escalated toward the point of no return, he finally raised his foot and kicked the guest chamber door open with tremendous force.

 

The violent sound startled the adulterous pair within like birds startled by a twanging bow.

 

When Cheng Wenque saw who stood in the doorway, his complexion drained to a ghastly white.

Simultaneously, the blood in his veins turned to ice.

 

It was over.

He was finished.

 

At that same instant, Yan Chiyun’s dark, somber eyes beheld the face that slowly lifted into view—a face with meticulously applied cosmetics.

 

The woman nestled within looked back at him with those beautiful eyes of hers.

 

The moment their gazes collided, the last shred of lingering hope within Yan Chiyun’s raging breast was extinguished.

 

It was her.

It was indeed her.

Pu Wange—his wife, lawfully wedded and brought home with full rites—had chosen, on the day of his third brother’s wedding, to slip away from the crowd, abandoning even her meal, to meet a man in a guest chamber beside the lake pavilion and engage in illicit relations.

 

At this moment, Yan Chiyun wished he could strangle her.

How could she do such a thing?!

What had he ever done to wrong her?

 

How could she?

How dare she?!

 

Yan Chiyun regretted only that he had no blade at his side.

If he did, he would have slain them both on the spot.

 

The handsome man standing in the doorway radiated dark fury, his entire presence unbridled and overwhelming.

His rage, his murderous intent—even a blind man, a deaf man, an idiot could perceive it.

 

Cheng Wenque scrambled to distance himself from Pu Jinyu.

In his panic, he tumbled off the bed.

Then, crawling and stumbling, he rose from the floor.

His hands trembled as he fumbled with his clothing, attempting to dress himself.

He opened his mouth to offer excuses, to explain.

 

“Master Yan, if you would only liste—”

 

Before he could finish, the dark, furious man cut him off with a kick that sent him crashing into a sandalwood table and chairs.

 

The table and chairs toppled backward under the force.

The tea set, cups, and lantern upon the table overturned.

Most of them crashed to the floor with a deafening clatter.

 

***

 

The sound carried all the way to the moon gate by the lake pavilion.

Madam Yan, Madam Pu, and the assembled high-ranking noble ladies, who were just then approaching to watch the theatrical performance, all heard it.

 

“What was that noise?” inquired the wife of the Minister of Rites, seated to Madam Yan’s left.

 

Madam Yan was equally puzzled.

Madam Pu, behind and to the right, smiled.

“Probably the theatrical troupe rehearsing their cues.”

 

Another noble lady chimed in.

“Most likely.

Surely the performance hasn’t started before we’ve even arrived?”

 

The others laughed and quickened their pace toward the lake pavilion.

 

***

 

Yan Chiyun’s kick had been aimed at the man’s chest, delivered with the full force of his fury.

Cheng Wenque, a scholar with no martial training, was utterly incapable of withstanding such an assault.

 

The ribs beneath his chest seemed to snap.

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Darkness swam before his eyes.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the pain was too great.

Before he could utter a single word, he spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

 

He could not rise.

Even gripping the furniture for support, he wondered if he might die here today.

 

The searing pain in his chest nearly drowned out his terror.

He did not need a bronze mirror to imagine the depths of his own wretchedness at this moment.

 

Yan Chiyun looked down upon this useless man, who could not even withstand a single kick.

The fire of rage within him burned ever brighter.

He could not suppress it, could not force himself to calm.

 

A worthless waste like this—what had she seen in him?

 

Yan Chiyun’s gaze, filled with disgust and hatred, shifted from Cheng Wenque on the floor to the bed.

 

He saw her.

Her clothing was in disarray, her hair loose and tumbling about her.

The pale jade of her exposed arms gleamed starkly in the night.

The ribbons at her collar had come undone.

One gentle pull would bare her completely, revealing the beautiful spring scene beneath.

 

What had she been doing, bent over this man just moments ago?

 

She had lain in the same bed with him.

They had kissed, touched, coupled—hadn’t they?!

 

The urge to strangle her grew ever more overwhelming.

His eyes reddened with rage.

Though he struggled to contain himself, it was useless.

The towering fury made his chest heave, his jaw clench until his face was taut.

 

In the face of all this rage, Pu Jinyu remained terrifyingly calm.

 

She met his gaze like an outsider appreciating his fury, as though watching a theatrical performance.

 

Yan Chiyun could not understand how she could remain so composed.

She had clearly done wrong.

She had trampled his dignity as a man, ground the honor of the Yan household into the dust beneath her feet.

 

Did she feel not a trace of remorse?

What gave her the right to be so indifferent?

 

Yan Chiyun stared at her.

He fixed his gaze upon her, searching that exquisitely made-up face—the face that had brought him both joy and now disgust—for any sign of repentance.

 

He found none.

Repentance? She did not even seem afraid.

Not a flicker.

How was this possible?

 

“Pu Wange.”

 

He gritted out her name between clenched teeth.

He did not know that these three words ignited a flicker of excitement within her.

Her indifferent, quiet gaze finally stirred.

 

But he still could not understand.

He could not fathom why his wife, always proper and demure, gentle and obedient, would betray their marriage vows.

And in such a shameful manner.

 

Was she lonely?

Had he not done with her everything she wished to do at night?

Had he not indulged her every desire, even when it meant his own discomfort, always accommodating her, coaxing her, yielding to her?

 

What more did she want from him?

Did she think he spent too little time with her?

But all his hours outside of official duties were devoted to her.

Just days ago, he had set aside a mountain of accumulated work to be with her.

 

And yet, she had still sought out another.

 

Yan Chiyun recalled their intimacies in the bed those nights past.

She had been passionate.

He had felt her ardor, seen her expression, and been deceived.

 

At the time, he had sensed that her passion arose not from affection for him, but from a desire to perform the act itself.

As though she wished to do this thing, and so did it with him.

 

He had even questioned himself—if she wished to do this thing, would she seek out another?

Back then, he had despised himself for even entertaining such thoughts about her.

 

He had trusted her completely.

He had believed she would never have another, would never stray beyond the garden walls.

 

And the truth?

The truth was that his instincts had not been wrong!

He had caught her in the act!

 

“Why did you do this?!”

 

After a long moment, the young woman on the bed finally moved.

In the face of his furious questioning, she remained unmoved.

She dressed herself with deliberate slowness and rose from the bed.

 

Having at last composed herself somewhat, she looked at him with indifferent, emotionless eyes.

She used those beautiful eyes—the ones he had found so clear, so quiet, so beloved—to look at him.

 

And she said, lightly, carelessly, “Since you have seen it, let us divorce.”

 

This was her answer?

Her explanation?

 

Yan Chiyun looked at her face, so meticulously painted with rouge and powder.

His rage was beyond containment.

He laughed, a deep, hollow laugh.

 

He looked at the profile of his wife, quiet as gardenia, fair and lovely.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

 

In that moment, he realized how strange she was.

So strange that he felt he had never truly known this woman.

 

The atmosphere was deathly still.

When the acute pain subsided somewhat, Cheng Wenque recovered enough to recognize the situation.

The two were locked in confrontation.

This was his best chance to escape.

 

He had already been caught by Yan Chiyun, who was in the grip of overwhelming fury.

No explanation he offered could possibly clarify matters now.

 

Thus, he moved carefully, cautiously, clutching his chest and wiping the blood from his lips as he crawled toward the door.

He thought himself hidden, but both Yan Chiyun and Pu Jinyu noticed.

 

Yan Chiyun laughed, a cold laugh directed at Pu Jinyu.

It was as though he wanted her to see for herself the man she had coupled with—crawling on the floor like a stray dog.

Such a pathetic spectacle!

What had she seen in him?!

 

Cheng Wenque’s wretchedness and ugliness would surely shame or disappoint her.

But he had miscalculated.

Her expression remained as always, utterly unperturbed.

 

Cheng Wenque reached the door.

Just as he grasped the frame and attempted to pull himself up, he sensed figures moving before him.

 

He looked up.

The steps below were crowded with the noble ladies who should have been chatting in the front hall.

 

Cheng Wenque froze in shock.

The blood in his veins chilled further.

His very soul felt as though it were ascending to heaven.

 

The Minister of Rites’ wife, who had spoken to Madam Yan and Madam Pu earlier, asked, “What… what is happening here?”

 

The noble ladies present were all experienced women.

One look at Cheng Wenque—disheveled, clearly having been kicked—and they understood perfectly.

The door stood wide open.

What scene lay within?

 

They craned their necks, peering inside.

By the light of the lanterns beneath the eaves and the faint moon glow, some had already glimpsed the tall, imposing figure in purple brocade within the chamber.

 

Yan Chiyun had always drawn attention.

People noticed his clothing.

Today, he wore purple brocade.

And from the silhouette, it could only be… him.

 

If he was inside, it was not difficult to guess who had kicked Yan Huaixiao’s friend into such a state.

And the figure he was shielding—surely that was…?

 

Though no one spoke, some had already turned their gaze toward Madam Pu.

The implication in their eyes needed no elaboration.

 

Had they not been invited to the rear courtyard to watch a performance?

Was this the performance they were meant to see?!

 

Madam Pu stood frozen.

Her expression shifted and shifted again.

Could it be what she suspected?

 

That little wretch Pu Jinyu had taken a lover?

Taken a lover, and done so within the Yan household itself?

Been caught in the act?

Wearing her daughter’s face, her daughter’s reputation, she had taken a lover?!

 

No!

It must not be what she suspected!

It could not be!

 

“We do not know what has happened here either.

Perhaps thieves have invaded the Yan household?”

Madam Pu’s face twitched as she struggled to maintain her composure.

She addressed Madam Yan, who stood before her in unbroken silence.

 

Madam Yan’s heart was also racing with alarm.

She had been walking at the front.

She had glimpsed Pu Wange’s face, just a flash, before Yan Chiyun blocked her from view.

 

There was scarcely need for investigation.

Such a scene could only mean…!

 

But the guests were all present.

Regardless of the truth, it must not be acknowledged.

 

Madam Yan suppressed her panic and fury.

She signaled to the old matron at her side.

 

The matron immediately stepped forward and supported Cheng Wenque.

“What has happened to Master Cheng?”

 

“Surely thieves have invaded the rear courtyard, and Master Cheng, coming to investigate, was injured by the villains?”

The matron laid down a convenient explanation for Cheng Wenque to seize upon.

 

Cheng Wenque’s entire body ached.

With the assistance of a young maidservant, he steadied himself and stammered out his agreement with the matron’s suggestion.

Yes, thieves—he had been strolling nearby, heard sounds, and come to invest—

 

But before he could finish, a woman’s anxious cry rang out from within the chamber.

“Que Lang! Are you—”

 

Pu Jinyu’s words were cut short.

The enraged man had seized her by the throat, clamped his hand over her mouth, and pinned her against the bed frame.

 

His strength was such that her voice died instantly.

Darkness swam before her eyes.

She believed that with one gentle squeeze, Yan Chiyun could snap her neck as easily as crushing an ant.

 

The suffocation she had experienced at the moment of death in her previous life, during difficult childbirth, washed over her.

Unbidden, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Her thick lashes were soaked through.

She tilted her face up, lips parted, and looked at the man before her with empty, vacant eyes.

 

Seeing her like this—as though she were on the verge of expiring—Yan Chiyun gritted his teeth and relaxed his grip slightly.

 

But he had not anticipated that the moment he loosened his hold, she would struggle with all her might.

She whimpered and thrashed.

She even began to strike him, kicking and punching.

She struggled to reach Cheng Wenque, to expose herself before the crowd!

 

Yan Chiyun, consumed by rage, had not heard the approach of the women.

Not until the Minister of Rites’ wife spoke from outside did he freeze.

 

Before he could formulate a response, she had already courted death by exposing herself.

She had called out “Que Lang” at the top of her lungs.

As though she feared others might not learn of her adulterous affair with that base man.

 

“Silence!”

 

Yan Chiyun pressed his face close to hers and hissed the command through gritted teeth.

His grip on her throat tightened.

 

The suffocation that had just eased returned in full force.

Pu Jinyu’s face contorted in pain.

She could no longer speak.

“…”

 

***

 

Brief as the utterance was, that single term of endearment was enough to reveal the intimacy between them.

 

The performance they had come to the rear courtyard to watch was none other than the young mistress of the Yan household, Pu Wange, engaged in illicit relations with a man!

 

Heavens above!

 

And on this very day, the day of the Yan third young master’s wedding!

Had she seized upon the crowd, thinking to go unnoticed, and stolen away to the rear courtyard by the lake pavilion?

 

The faces of everyone present shifted.

Whispers had already begun, the name “Pu Wange” on many lips.

 

Madam Yan’s vision darkened.

She staggered, and the ladies behind her rushed forward to support her, expressing concern.

 

The old matron at Madam Yan’s side was a capable woman.

She stepped forward promptly.

“Thieves have invaded the rear courtyard.

May I trouble all the ladies to move to the flower hall and rest awhile?”

 

With these words, she directed the young maidservants to escort the noble ladies to the flower hall and away from this place.

 

Madam Yan and Madam Pu did not leave.

Cheng Wenque had barely risen before collapsing again.

His belt still lay within the inner chamber, upon the bed.

No matter how he adjusted his clothing, he could not make it presentable.

And his chest pained him terribly.

 

Once the noble ladies had departed, Madam Yan drew a deep breath.

She ordered that Cheng Wenque be guarded.

Then, leading the remaining matrons, she stepped into the chamber.

 

Candles had been lit.

The inner chamber was in shambles.

Tables and chairs lay overturned and splintered.

Tea and lanterns had been knocked aside.

 

Yan Chiyun still had his hand clamped over Pu Wange’s mouth and throat.

 

Madam Yan had never seen her son so utterly lose control.

He had always been strategic, composed, taking everything in stride.

Now, he was consumed by rage, physically restraining another person.

 

She had indeed taken a lover!

 

The moment Madam Pu laid eyes on Pu Jinyu, she felt as though struck by a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

How dare she?!

 

This little wretch!

She meant to destroy the Pu household!

Truly, she was as base and shameless as her concubine mother!

 

At this moment, Madam Pu regretted deeply ever allowing this little wretch to replace her daughter and marry into the Yan household.

She had enjoyed years of good living, daily clad in silks and satins, sleeping on soft beds with high pillows.

And she had obtained the finest husband in all the capital.

 

Yet still, she was not satisfied!

She had actually, brazenly, taken a lover within the Yan household itself!

Wearing her own daughter’s face and reputation, she had colluded with an outsider and committed such a shameless act!

 

Madam Pu rushed forward.

Taking advantage of Yan Chiyun’s distraction, she seized Pu Jinyu and dragged her from his grasp.

The moment she had her before her, she struck her.

 

Madam Pu’s hand fell with terrible force.

The sharp crack of the slap resounded through the chamber.

Pu Jinyu was knocked to the floor.

Not only did her hair fly with the force of the blow, but even her sash came loose.

 

She sat on the ground, clutching her face, her hair veiling her features.

Blood slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth.

 

But Madam Pu was not satisfied.

She surged forward, cursing Pu Jinyu as she did so, declaring her intention to beat her to death.

“How could the Pu household produce such a shameless creature as you?!

Have you lost your mind?!”

 

She no longer addressed Pu Jinyu as her daughter.

She truly meant to beat her to death.

If she died, the Pu household might still preserve some semblance of domestic discipline.

They might yet avoid utter ruin.

 

But just as she seized Pu Jinyu by the hair and dragged her toward the wall, someone intervened.

 

It was Yan Chiyun.

He had placed himself between them.

 

“Son-in-law, why… why do you stop me?”

Madam Pu could not understand.

 

Yan Chiyun’s fury had not yet faded.

He looked terrifying.

He was clearly enraged as well.

Why would he prevent her from executing this little wretch?

 

“Yun ge’er!”

Madam Yan called out sharply, signaling him not to involve himself.

 

As the mother-in-law, it was not her place to strike.

Let Madam Pu beat Pu Wange to death.

That way, the reputations of both the Yan and Pu households might yet be salvaged.

 

But why was Yan Chiyun blocking her?

Surely he did not intend to handle the matter himself?

Madam Yan could conceive of no other explanation.

 

This was, after all, a matter for the Pu household.

If Madam Pu took action, the Yan household’s hands would remain clean.

 

How much she had once liked Pu Wange, how deeply she now loathed her.

The thought that she had praised her publicly just today made her feel physically ill.

 

How many had witnessed this shameful scene?

This was how she repaid her mother-in-law’s kindness!

After all these years of treating her well, entrusting her with household affairs, granting her authority—this was her gratitude!

 

“Mother-in-law, let us speak calmly.”

Yan Chiyun’s voice was icy.

 

Madam Pu found herself at a loss for words.

Dimly, she perceived that Yan Chiyun was protecting Pu Jinyu.

 

She thought of his visit to the Pu household.

Ostensibly to inquire after her illness, but in truth to see this little wretch.

 

Madam Pu could not help but wonder—even now, was he still protecting her?

 

No.

Too many had witnessed this scene.

Pu Jinyu had already destroyed the Pu household’s reputation.

She absolutely could not allow the truth of the substituted marriage to come to light.

Thus, she must beat her to death.

Only the dead could not speak.

 

“Son-in-law, stand aside.

Our Pu household has raised such a daughter—truly shameful, disgraceful to our ancestors.

Her father and I have failed in our instruction, and the Yan household has suffered for it.

Let me beat her to death and give both our families an accounting.”

 

Madam Yan said nothing.

She agreed with Madam Pu’s words and approach.

Only Pu Wange’s death could preserve both households’ honor.

 

Pu Jinyu sat slumped on the floor.

Her throat ached.

Her face ached more.

She understood that matters had reached this point, and it was highly likely she would not escape unscathed.

 

But she had had no choice.

She possessed no power, no one to support her.

She could not shake the Pu and Yan households on her own.

She had already died once.

She was not afraid.

 

“I will handle this matter myself.”

Yan Chiyun’s peripheral vision caught sight of the figure behind him.

 

She sat motionless, hair disheveled.

She had stopped struggling.

 

He had barely suppressed his rage.

But one look at her like this, one thought of her indifferent, emotionless words, and the fury surged anew.

 

“Mother, there are still guests in the front hall.

Go and attend to them.

I will come shortly.”

 

Since he spoke thus, what more could Madam Yan say?

The priority was indeed to placate the guests.

Word of this must not be allowed to spread.

 

For great noble houses, honor was paramount.

Pu Wange’s punishment could wait.

It need not be immediate.

 

Madam Yan did not acknowledge Madam Pu.

She departed with her matrons.

As she passed Cheng Wenque, she no longer showed him the courtesy she once had.

Her voice was icy as she ordered him confined to the woodshed, with neither food nor drink.

 

In an instant, he had fallen from honored guest to imprisoned criminal.

Cheng Wenque’s heart was filled with regret.

But regret was useless now.

 

Before the Yan household dealt with him, he must formulate a plan.

Better to shift all blame onto Pu Jinyu.

After all, she had called out to him so anxiously before everyone, worried for his safety.

 

“Mother-in-law should also return.”

Yan Chiyun’s voice was cold.

 

“Son-in-law, how do you intend to handle this?”

Madam Pu did not leave.

She even demanded to take Pu Jinyu with her.

 

“Having done such a thing, she can only bring disaster upon the Yan household by remaining here.

Let me take her back.

In due course, I will give the Yan household a perfect accounting.”

 

Judging by the ferocity with which Madam Pu had struck her, Yan Chiyun understood perfectly what that “accounting” would be.

 

And indeed, this was as it should be.

She had humiliated him, humiliated the Yan household.

She deserved death.

 

But… in that moment of distraction, while she was in his grasp, she had been seized and slapped.

 

The sharp crack of that slap echoed in his mind.

He saw her knocked to the floor, seemingly half-dead.

 

And he felt the veins in his forehead throb.

His heart was oppressed and stifled.

He even felt a trace of ridiculous self-reproach.

 

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