Chapter 222 I have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor!

The rebellion of Duke Xin broke out in an instant in the night and was extinguished in an instant, so quietly that it seemed like a dream.

Wealth and splendor were but illusions in this dream. In a short time, the capital's dignitaries found themselves in a completely different world. The once-thriving Cheng'en Marquisate, Xiayang Marquisate, and countless other prominent families were reduced to ruins in the mere six months of political strife.

When the people talked about it, they all sighed.

"It's better for ordinary people like us to live a simple life. We don't have to worry about who is in charge or what the world is doing. We just need to take care of our own little piece of land and not starve or freeze to death."

"Indeed, the world changes so quickly. A glamorous family can fall in an instant. On weekdays, they go out with a group of servants and look like the best, but in one day, they are reduced to criminal slaves in a dungeon. Those who have lived for most of their lives seem to have lost their lives, but poor little ones who have just come into the world!"

"But what exactly is going on? I heard that there was a fight between the Red Wind Army and the Imperial Guards at the Meridian Gate that day..." Someone lowered his voice and asked, "Is it Duke Xin who is rebelling?"

"Hiss... that's not right," another person said. "That shouldn't be the case. If Duke Xin was rebelling, how could the Queen still be in the palace?"

"this......."

There were many different opinions among the people about whether Duke Xin had rebelled, but the court was very secretive about the matter.

The reason was simple, because the attitude of the person sitting on the dragon throne was unpredictable. He avoided the Wumen Rebellion at the morning court and only asked people to continue investigating the affairs of Minzhou.

Two days later, there was finally some movement in the Qinzheng Hall. That morning, an imperial decree emanated from the hall, ordering the immediate execution of the former Imperial Guards commander, Duan Hongyuan, and publicly announcing his crimes.

Unexpectedly, this time, the entire responsibility for the Red Wind Army's attack on the imperial city fell on Duan Hongyuan's shoulders, without a single mention of Duke Xin.

Just when everyone was puzzled, two days later, Lord Cao from the Censorate sent a letter impeaching Duke Xin for colluding with Japanese pirates to invade Minzhou, causing an uproar in the court.

Duke Xin was imprisoned with thundering means, the Duke's Mansion was sealed, and all the masters and servants in the mansion were imprisoned.

Some people don't quite understand this matter. If there was no mention at the beginning that Duke Xin rebelled to protect the Queen, then why was Duke Xin imprisoned, the Liang Mansion banned, and all the members of the Liang family imprisoned?

This is quite intriguing.

But there are also those who have a long-term and thorough vision and know exactly what the emperor is up to.

After Pei Xingju finished all the house-confiscation matters, he finally had some free time to visit his mentor, Mr. Gu.

It was a beautiful day, and the master and his apprentice were sitting in the courtyard playing chess.

Mr. Gu placed a piece down and saw his opponent coming to eat it immediately. He quickly raised his hand and said, "No, no, I won't place it here."

Pei Xingju reluctantly reminded, "Teacher, a true man never regrets his moves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Gu hit him with his pipe.

"How old am I? How old are you? Will I die if I give way to you? Do you understand the importance of respecting the elderly and loving the young? I'm already old, and you're still arguing with me. You're a prime minister with a broad mind, but you've been in office for nothing all these years."

“........”

Zhuang Wan was playing with Yingniang's two children, making crickets. She turned and looked over at the sound. She found Pei Xingju's face, looking like a grandson, aggrieved. She found it amusing.

Pei Xingju also noticed her, glanced over, and couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, I'll give you another one, but you can't do it three times."

Old Man Gu chuckled and immediately took full precautions, determined to make the most decisive move.

But in the end, the upright old general still couldn't defeat the shrewd Pei Xingju. After losing three games in a row, he threw his chess pieces in disorder and said, "No more! No more! It's boring!"

He glared at Pei Xingju, stood up and walked into the house with his hands behind his back.

"Come in quickly!" Old man Gu shouted angrily.

Pei Xingju packed up the chessboard, quickly got up and followed him into the house.

After entering the house, Old Man Gu drank a cup of tea and asked seriously, "What does the emperor mean? What is his attitude towards Duke Xin?"

Pei Xingju also sat down and poured him another cup of tea.

"The Emperor has no attitude towards Duke Xin, but he has reservations about the Liang family."

"You mean... Duke Xin's Mansion will be closed, but the Liang family will not fall."

Pei Xingju nodded: "Master, you really see things clearly."

The Emperor wanted to protect the Empress, so he naturally couldn't let anyone know about the Liang family's rebellion. Rebellion was a grave crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the family. Since ancient times, no one involved in a rebellion could be pardoned.

After a long pause, Old Man Gu continued, "Duke Xinyi colluded with the Japanese pirates to cause the war. Based on this alone, there's no way the Liang family can escape. What's the Emperor's plan?"

Pei Xingju remained silent.

"What?" Old Man Gu looked at him and asked, "Do you know the reason?"

"Teacher," he paused and said, "The queen is pregnant."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Gu hissed and murmured, "So that's how it is."

So that was the plan.

The Emperor had to trust the Duke's life and weaken the power of the Empress's party, but he couldn't let the Liang family fall. The Liang family was the Empress's family and the Empress's face. If things got too ugly, the mother of a country would lose face.

Duke Xin's collusion with the Japanese pirates was a serious crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family, but if the queen was pregnant, that would be a different matter.

"No matter what, Duke Xin probably can't be saved. As for the Liang family... they'll just linger on, never amounting to anything." After a moment, he said, "Yuzhi, now you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. You've avenged your Pei family, and I'm happy for you."

"It's just..." He asked, "What does the emperor say about the injustice of your Pei family?"

"It still needs some heat."

"What temperature?"

.

Just as Pei Xingju and Mr. Gu had guessed, just as everyone in the court was watching the emperor's attitude, a shocking piece of news was announced in the court.

It was early morning, and the old-school, clean-minded officials were fiercely pursuing the Empress Dowager's clique. In an effort to bring them down, impeachment memorial after impeachment memorial was filed. The main theme revolved around the confiscation and execution of the Duke of Xin's family, demanding that they be punished according to ancestral laws and discipline, without risking criticism from future generations. Some even bluntly stated that the emperor was guilty of the same crime as the common people, that the Empress was a member of the Liang family, that the Liang family had colluded with the Japanese pirates, and that the Empress's virtue was unworthy of her position.

Li Jinyu, sitting on the dragon throne, listened coldly, his face showing no emotion, but he had already stabbed this minister who thought he was loyal and upright eight hundred times.

He waited patiently for these people to finish talking, and finally, when he was about to make a decision, a young eunuch ran into the hall in surprise and joy.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!" He knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, this morning when the imperial physician examined the Empress's pulse, he detected a pregnancy pulse. The Empress has been pregnant for over a month!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Golden Throne Hall suddenly fell silent, as if someone had stopped the machine. The expressions on the faces of the Qingliu Party, who had been so passionate just now, changed from confusion to surprise to regret, and then they were forced to force their lips to pretend to be happy.

After all, the fact that the royal family has a dragon heir is indeed a great joy that concerns the fate of the country.

The emperor finally smiled and said, "My dear ministers, let's discuss the Liang family's affairs later."

Therefore, this long-term plan was a unilateral decision made by the emperor.

The Empress became pregnant, and the women and children of the Liang family were pardoned from death. The Liang family was stripped of their dukedoms, and the entire Liang clan was exiled to their ancestral home in Hezhou, with three generations barred from taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom.

This decision set a precedent and can be regarded as a great favor from the emperor.

Just when everyone thought the turmoil was over, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the court - the old Taiwei Gu Jing, who had retired for many years, returned to the court. However, the first memorial he submitted was to impeach Duke Xin for framing the Pei family for a tragic death sixteen years ago.

Now, almost everyone was shocked.

Sixteen years ago, the confiscation and beheading of twenty-three members of the State Defense General's Mansion caused a huge uproar. The older generation had witnessed the tragic death of a brilliant general, and the scene of blood flowing like a river at Caishikou was still fresh in their minds.

When they learned that the Pei family was actually framed by Duke Xin, the sympathy buried deep in their hearts suddenly turned into anger, and they all submitted memorials to agree with General Gu.

The Qingliu Party, which had previously suffered a lot of grievances in front of the emperor, saw an opportunity and also rushed to seek justice for the Pei family.

At the morning court session, the emperor listened for a while, and finally set his eyes on Pei Xingju, who had been silent the entire time.

"Pei Aiqing, do you have anything to say?"

Pei Xingju was dressed in a purple official robe and looked upright and dignified. God knows how long he had been waiting for this moment.

Hearing the emperor's words, he stepped out of the line and knelt straight down.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

After these words fell, the hall fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, wondering how the emperor's favorite minister, Pei Xing, could be convicted of such a crime. The Emperor, General Gu, and Shen Yi were the only ones who maintained a calm expression.

"Oh? What crime has Pei Aiqing committed?"

"I have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

hiss--

The officials began to whisper among themselves, their words leaving many confused. Just now they were excited about the Pei family's affairs, and now Pei Xingju was inexplicably apologizing.

Suddenly, someone guessed something and opened their eyes wide in disbelief. The next moment, Pei Xingju's words confirmed their guess.

"Your Majesty..." Pei Xingju said in a resounding voice, word by word, "My true identity is Pei Yan, the third son of General Pei Zhang, who defended the country sixteen years ago."

There was a bang, like water being poured into a frying pan. Everyone in the hall was stunned. After a brief silence, the room suddenly exploded.

"He is actually Pei Zhang's son..."

"Pei Zhang's son is actually in the court. We have worked together for many years and yet we didn't notice it..."

"God has eyes, the Pei family still has a descendant..."

Some people couldn't help shedding tears when they recalled the horrific scene that happened to the Pei family back then. They wiped their eyes with their sleeves and said, "General Pei is a man of integrity and loyalty. He is a hero who is nowhere to be found except Sun Zhongmou. Fortunately, the Pei family's incense is still there."

"Yes, General Pei would be pleased to see such an outstanding son if he still has his spirit in heaven." The Minister of Rites was also very moved.

No wonder, he was wondering who in the world could give birth to such an outstanding son that made him so envious, and it turned out to be the famous Pei Zhang.

After everyone quieted down, General Gu knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the death of General Pei Zhang, the guardian of the nation, was truly innocent. The dozens of members of the Pei family were also truly innocent. General Pei had made great military achievements, yet he was murdered by traitors, and his remains are still buried in a foreign land. How innocent is he! Justice is clear and cannot be refuted. Your Majesty is a wise ruler. Please give justice to General Pei and the Pei family!"

"Your Majesty, please give justice to the Pei family!"

"Your Majesty, please give justice to the Pei family!"

"Your Majesty, please give justice to the Pei family!"

One after another, the officials in the hall knelt down, and finally spoke in unison and overwhelmingly to redress the grievances of the Pei family.

Among the densely packed kneeling officials, Pei Xingju was crawling at the front with his forehead on the ground.

No one knew that Pei Xingju, who had been strong all his life, had red eyes this time.

.

Just as all ice and snow will melt in spring, all darkness will dissipate before dawn. The Pei family, who had been wronged for sixteen years, was finally vindicated.

In May of the Xiyou year, Emperor Li Jinyu issued an imperial decree in the court, restoring the life honor of General Pei Zhang and personally redressing the grievances that had accumulated for sixteen years for the Pei family.

At this point, Pei Xingju regained his identity.

It was a beautiful spring day, and Pei Xingju, dressed in plain home clothes, sat in the courtyard. Crape myrtles covered the entire eaves of the house, their colorful blossoms swaying in the morning sun and gentle breeze.

"Pei Xingju?" Zhuang Wan walked over with a tray, sat down opposite him, and looked at him with her hands on her face.

After a moment, Pei Xingju closed the book and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"You look good." Zhuang Wan blinked and asked, "Isn't it nice not to have to go to court?"

Pei Xingju smiled.

Although the Pei family's charges were cleared, he did commit the crime of deceiving the emperor by concealing his identity and entering the government. Injustices should be redressed, and crimes should be punished.

So Li Jinyu fined him half a year's salary and confined him to his home.

"Honestly..." Pei Xingju said slowly with a smile, "It does feel good."

There is no need for intrigue, fear, paperwork, or hard work. Just sitting in the courtyard, watching the flowers bloom and fall, and the clouds roll and unroll, is very pleasant.

The most important thing is that there are people you love around you.

"If it's possible," he added, "I want to retire and live in seclusion, never to be involved in government affairs again. I want to live with you in a small courtyard of three or five rooms, grow beans and melons, and live a simple life."

"You want me to go farming with you?" Zhuang Wan curled her lips. "You wish! I don't want to."

Pei Xingju raised his eyebrows: "Why not? You said before that you like the life like your mentor."

"I do like it, of course," Zhuang Wan said confidently, "but what I like is a small room with three or five people, a poetic and picturesque courtyard with blooming flowers, a life where clothes are provided for me and food is served to me, I can sleep until I wake up naturally and count money until my hands cramp. That's not a life of hardship."

“..........”

"People like me can't endure hardship." Zhuang Wan said seriously.

Pei Xingju glanced at her sideways, speechless for a while, and couldn't help but reach out and pinch her face.

"Pack up later and I'll take you out," he said suddenly.

"Where are you going?"

"Do you still remember the gift I promised you?"

Zhuang Wan blinked. "How big of a gift is this? I have to go out to see it."

"Um."

The corners of her lips curled up: "Okay, then I'll dress up better."

After saying that, she pushed the plate forward and said, "Freshly baked walnut cake. I added three spoonfuls of honey. Eat it while it's hot."

After saying that, she stood up and gave him a charming look: "Then I'll go get dressed?"

Pei Xingju's eyes were filled with smiles. He coughed and picked up the book in a reserved manner.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zhuang Wan running out of the corridor like a butterfly.