Chapter 14 The father who poisoned and embezzled military funds!
Chapter 14
Imperial City Guard, Imperial Prison.
There was no light in the pitch-black dungeon, except for a sliver of light at the narrow entrance. The person inside could be vaguely seen wearing only an undergarment, stained red with blood, which was mottled on the white clothes.
A pair of eyes slowly opened in the darkness and looked toward the dungeon entrance. Without lowering their gaze, they slowly reached out as a rat passed by, and with a clang of the iron chain, they caught the brazen little rat.
The next moment, he saw a shadow flickering at the entrance he was looking at, footsteps sounded, and the figure grew closer and closer.
The jailer came in.
He placed the food box in front of the shadowy figure, took out the food, poured water into the chipped bowl, and muttered, "Young General Yan, this is all there is. Lord Lu will be here soon, so please eat quickly..."
The shadowy figure slowly closed its eyes without speaking. Its wounded hand twitched slightly at its side, parting the dry grass to draw a simple number on the bare ground:
【six】
-
The executioner at Caishikou raised his hands, spat out a mouthful of strong liquor, and with a flash of cold light, his executioner's blade fell heavily. A sharp pain shot through him, and blood splattered...
Ye Xiren suddenly sat up, clutching her neck, her breathing rapid and her eyes filled with terror.
She's back!
"Miss?" The maids filed in.
Ye Xiren immediately stood up, almost instinctively wanting to rush to the main courtyard to question Ye Pei, but she stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath, and said, "Xuechan, change my clothes and prepare the car."
She returned to the first day of the third month. Her primary concern was her brother's upcoming imperial examination, and she needed to confront Ye Pei immediately. Given his personality, he probably wouldn't tell her anything and would pretend to know nothing.
Having learned from her previous experience, she not only had to prevent the disaster from happening, but also had to figure out the reason... This rebirth was going to last for who knows when, and only when she understood the whole truth could she make a judgment that would benefit herself and the Ye family.
You can't trust anyone!
On the first day of the third lunar month, avoid cheating in the examination hall.
On the second day of the third lunar month, they secretly hid evidence of treason behind their grandmother's Buddha statue and tricked Lu Qian into confessing to framing the Ye family.
After the family finished their discussion, they went about their own business. Ye Pei left the mansion in a hurry and didn't return until evening. As soon as he entered the gate, he heard that Ye Xiren was waiting for him in the front yard.
I've been waiting since noon.
Ye Pei strode towards the front yard, saw the slender figure sitting inside, and smiled kindly, his voice gentle: "Xixi, you were looking for me?"
Ye Xiren sat upright in a grand chair in the front courtyard, with a cup of tea poured beside her and another cup in her hand, the aroma of tea wafting around her.
Hearing the sound, she looked up.
The tea in my hand had just been brewed, and steam rose, gradually blurring my vision. Everything in front of me began to become unclear. The tea leaves floated and sank in the teacup, and Ye Pei's figure, who was approaching, became indistinct.
Ye Xiren blew a breath, and everything before her eyes became clear. She placed the teacup on the table beside her, and the tea leaves fell steadily one by one. A breeze blew through the room, and the steam gradually dissipated...
"Father, have some tea." Ye Xiren pushed another cup of tea towards her.
Ye Pei sat down on the other side, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at her with the same loving gaze, "Xixi, would you be willing to tell me who gave you this information?"
Ye Xiren stared at him intently.
Ye Pei was in his early forties, upright and dignified, with clear and honest eyes. He did not have the scheming that many officials could not hide. Although he held a high position, he had been selfless and dedicated to his duties in the court for many years and was an incorruptible official.
At home, he was filial to his mother, respectful to his wife, and did not take concubines or keep mistresses. He devoted all his leisure time to his two children...
She had always thought that if she were to get married in the future, she would definitely want to find someone like her father, someone who could shelter the family from the wind and rain and provide for them.
When she was little, her father held her hand and taught her to read and write. When he came back from his duty, he would always bring her her favorite food. In Beidu, she liked the jewelry in the Treasure Pavilion, but it was expensive, so she didn't buy much.
But her father remembered that she didn't go out drinking with others or spend money recklessly. She secretly saved up her private money for a long time, and then tricked Ye Changming out of his pocket money. She put all the money together and bought her her favorite headdress.
Her father wouldn't even buy her good ink or paper, but he made her one beautiful gold hairpin after another...
He was like a mountain, like a tree. From childhood to adulthood, from the Northern Capital to the Southern Capital, from times of peace to times of war, he always protected his family well. Before his first beheading, Ye Xiren had never experienced hardship.
So, after she knew what was going to happen last time, she told Ye Pei and then let him handle it without worry, because she believed that her father would protect them.
"Xixi?" Ye Pei held out his hand and waved it in front of her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Ye Xiren's eyes suddenly reddened, and her voice trembled slightly: "Father, why did you insist on bringing up the military rations case? Even knowing the consequences would be disastrous, you still brought it up?"
She's questioning me!
Ye Pei's body jolted violently. Ye Xiren clearly saw his pupils constrict in disbelief. "Xixi, who told you that?! And how much do you even know?"
"I just want to know, why did you insist on bringing up the military rations case? Even knowing that you would fall into a trap and be accused of embezzlement, why did you still do it?" Ye Xiren asked rhetorically.
Ye Xiren interrupted him: "I don't want to hear your evasive answers. If you admit to embezzlement, your entire family will be executed. As your children who have been implicated by you, are you still going to try to appease me before disaster strikes?"
She looked utterly disappointed.
Knowing the consequences, he still risked his family's lives. What is this mountain that once protected them doing now?
Upon hearing the words "execution of the entire family," Ye Pei opened his mouth but made no sound.
He placed the teacup back on the table, his fingers trembling slightly, and accidentally knocked the tea over, spilling the tea inside.
Neither of them paid any attention, letting the tea roll down the table and onto the floor, making a "drip-drip" sound.
Ye Pei lowered his eyes and remained silent.
A draft blew through the room, and Ye Xiren actually felt a little cold.
She looked at Ye Pei and smiled bitterly:
“I used to not care about outside affairs, but people grow up and become harder to fool after experiencing more. I went out to investigate these past two days and I never expected that my usually mild-mannered father was a staunch advocate of war in the court, and had clashed with the pro-peace faction, such as Minister Chiang, in court many times because of this!”
From the few words she had heard before, she knew that her father, Ye Pei, wanted to protect General Yan because he was someone who could rival Northern Yan. Although she had some concerns, after her grandmother comforted her, she thought that it was just a difference in political views with others in the court, so she didn't pay too much attention to it.
It was truly unexpected that his father was a staunch advocate of war, and had clashed with the pro-peace faction, such as Prime Minister Jiang and Councilor Zhang, in court on many occasions. That General Yan intercepted and killed the Northern Yan delegation, disobeyed the imperial decree, and was extremely cruel. In the emperor's eyes, he was a "traitor" without a doubt. His father offended many people because of being a traitor.
The fact that General Yan is still in prison and hasn't been executed is a result of the efforts of her father and other pro-war figures. The military rations case only affected General Yan, which was precisely one of the goals of her father and others.
No wonder their family was being targeted...
Ye Changming's "exam cheating" and his grandmother's "evidence of treason" are likely due to what Ye Pei is doing. Although she doesn't understand the court, she knows from history books that factional struggles have always been bloody and turbulent.
"The Northern Yan delegation has arrived in the capital, and formal peace talks will begin tomorrow." Ye Xiren murmured, recounting the rumors she had heard. "Father, what's wrong with peace talks? Isn't peace a good thing?"
Hearing this, Ye Pei finally raised his head.
His eyes were filled with complex emotions, and he slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse:
"It is good that the world is at peace. The person from Northern Yan is Chi Zhanlan Ce, who is the next King of Northern Yan and also the strategist for Northern Yan's invasion of Daliang. He came in person with great sincerity. All the civil and military officials have been driven from Beidu to Nandu and have long been afraid of war. Seeing that Northern Yan is sincere in negotiating, they are overjoyed and wish they could sign the peace treaty immediately and agree to all their demands."
"His Majesty is a new emperor and has not yet consolidated power. Even though he was ambitious when he ascended the throne, he was persuaded by the pro-peace faction to imprison General Yan and properly entertain our Great Liang's enemy."
When General Yan first appeared last year, he won many consecutive victories, keeping the Northern Yan people firmly outside the Huai'an Canal and protecting the new capital of Daliang.
Everyone in the court was equally overjoyed, eager to reclaim lost territory, return to the Northern Capital, and drive the ambitious Northern Yan out of the Liang territory...
But just a peace treaty and a Northern Yan delegation led by Chi Zhanlan Ce changed the minds of many in the court.
Those who intercepted the mission were not necessarily rebels; they were more likely staunch advocates of war!
“Chi Zhanlan Ce is an extremely cunning man. He is the one who drove the Northern Yan army to invade Daliang, occupy the northern lands, and allow them to commit massacres.” Ye Pei said through gritted teeth, “How can I believe that such a person is sincere about peace talks?!”
They must be treacherous and ambitious, trying to disrupt the Liang Dynasty!
“Isn’t it said that Chi Zhanlan Ce is as important to the Northern Yan army as General Yan is to the Yan family army? He came in person, so how could the peace talks be fake?” Ye Xiren frowned. “If there really is a problem, we can kill that Northern Yan crown prince immediately!”
She thought of Chi Zhanlan Ce, whom she had only briefly seen that day. He looked like a banished immortal, seemingly gentle and polite to outsiders, untouched by bloodshed...
Ye Pei smiled bitterly upon hearing this: "Many people share your thoughts, even His Majesty has softened, which is why the formal peace talks have been scheduled for tomorrow. Northern Yan will definitely target General Yan and take his life..."
But he didn't believe that Northern Yan was genuinely interested in peace talks; there must be a conspiracy involved. Before he figured out what the other side was up to, he absolutely couldn't let General Yan die.
The Yan family army and the Northern Yan army are still locked in a standoff at the Huai'an Canal. How could General Yan die?
Chi Zhanlan must have a plan. Daliang cannot fall into a trap. We can only fight against Northern Yan, and we must never negotiate!
The best course of action is to immediately kill Chi Zhanlan Ce, release General Yan back to Huai'an Canal, continue the war against Northern Yan, and recover lost territory.
Ye Xiren still didn't understand. She frowned and turned her head away.
“But can you really protect him? In His Majesty’s eyes, what he did was treason and rebellion. Even if he is exceptionally talented, His Majesty will not spare his life.”
But what difference is there between those who insist on protecting the "rebellious party" and the rebels in the Emperor's eyes?
The people of Northern Yan are dangerous and may overthrow the Great Liang; they are rebels… Similarly, in the Emperor's eyes, what difference is there between rebels and Northern Yan? They are both people who threaten his rule.
It would be best if we could take back the North through peace talks.
"Prefect Zheng of Nandu has received news that many of the crimes on General Yan are false. His massacre of officials, massacre of refugees, and disobedience to imperial orders all seem to be related to military supplies."
Ye Pei shook his head and exhaled:
"I found some clues from the Ministry of Revenue. There might really be a problem with the batch of grain that was sent to Yan Family Army. Lord Zheng has already sent people to investigate the Huai'an Canal at full speed. They won't be back until the day after tomorrow."
"Therefore, no matter what, we must save General Yan's life first tomorrow. As long as we save General Yan, the peace talks cannot continue. This will give us time to retrieve the evidence and win back the Emperor's heart, preventing Daliang from falling into the Northern Yan's trap."
The peace talks are scheduled for March 3rd tomorrow. Those Northern Yan people are pressing too hard, but the harder they press, the more suspicious Ye Pei becomes.
Having received a wealth of information in a short time, Ye Xiren listened to these words and fell into deep thought, gradually sorting out the clues. The pro-war faction and the pro-peace faction were still locked in a tug-of-war. If they wanted to stop the peace talks and protect General Yan, they had to bring up the military rations case before the peace talks began, in order to win back the Emperor's favor...
etc!
Ye Xiren's pupils contracted, and she stood up abruptly, looking at Ye Pei in disbelief. She opened her mouth, then spoke with difficulty:
"No, tomorrow is the March 3rd peace talks, and General Yan is already in danger... Your proposal regarding the military rations won't save him at all, because you don't have any evidence yet!"
At this point, she almost gritted her teeth: "Only by clearing your name can you really buy time. So, you're not going to bring up the military rations case; you're going to take the blame!"
No wonder Ye Pei confessed his crimes at the Dali Temple. With the Dali Temple Minister protecting him, even if he was framed, he wouldn't have confessed so quickly!
No wonder she was framed even after being warned...
It wasn't that he fell into a trap again, but that there was no trap at all in the military rations case. He risked his life to take the blame and buy time for that so-called General Yan!
Ye Xiren almost felt dizzy.
Those who hadn't figured things out before now understood them all, and even connected the dots. There was a problem with a large amount of military rations, and only if the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War stepped forward could Yan's crimes be cleared immediately, his life saved, and peace talks delayed.
Ye Pei lowered his eyes and did not answer.
But his silence already gave the answer.
Ye Xiren swayed precariously, barely managing to stand by holding onto the table, her voice trembling: "The war faction and the peace faction have been at odds for more than a day or two, so why is it that my Ye family has been repeatedly subjected to the grave crime of being executed in the last few days? It's you, it's you who's going to take the blame!"
On the third day of the third lunar month, the pro-war faction will exert its efforts to stop the peace talks. The main force among them is Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue, who will personally take the blame!
The peace faction must have received the news and wanted to stop Ye Pei.
Therefore, anyone caught cheating in the examination on the first day of the third lunar month would be executed along with their entire family, and they wouldn't live to see the third day of the third lunar month.
Having escaped the first day of the lunar month, the second day brought the accusation of harboring evidence of treason, which led to the execution of the entire family. One major crime after another, because the third day of the third lunar month was the biggest battle between the pro-peace and pro-war factions!
Ye Pei pursed his dry lips, looked at her, and his eyes were filled with guilt:
"Your Majesty is merciful. I confess my guilt and should not be executed immediately. As long as we delay until the fourth day of the third month, we can send back evidence. If Your Majesty is furious or someone is causing trouble and really wants to kill me... Xixi, I will leave someone to send you away from Nandu as soon as possible."
Ye Xiren could hardly believe her ears.
"Will Grandmother leave? Will Mother leave?" Ye Xiren stared intently at him, her eyes bloodshot. "Could my brother and I abandon you and watch you die?!"
"Xixi..."
"What exactly is the basis for that guy surnamed Yan's claim?!"
"Just for a stranger, you're willing to take my whole family to die for him? Can you really be sure there's something wrong with the military rations? Can you really guarantee he's not a traitor? Can you really get evidence from the Huai'an Canal?"
“You have your ideas, but what about us? Father, do you know how painful it is to be beheaded? Do you know how terrifying it is to lie prostrate at the execution ground waiting for the executioner's blade to fall?”
Ye Xiren was already in tears.
Ye Pei lowered his head and after a long while said, "I will have someone send you away tomorrow. You all have to leave."
"I don't care!" Ye Xiren glared at him fiercely, then turned and ran out.
She had already run out of the front yard, and Ye Pei did not say anything to stop her.
Looking back, Ye Pei sat quietly in the armchair, motionless. In the empty front yard, he was all alone, staring blankly ahead.
His mind is made up, and he will not change it.
Ye Xiren gritted her teeth, her chest heaving violently with anger. The fire burned within her, engulfing her in fury, but soon, a cool breeze blew by, and she became perfectly clear-headed again.
Ye Xiren wiped away her tears and sneered:
"In that case, I'll do it myself."
Ye Pei doesn't care about her family's lives, but she does, and she'll protect them.
The third day of the third lunar month.
The residence of the Minister of Revenue was poisoned, and the entire family was bedridden.
Ye Pei was unable to attend court.
A note from the author:
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We cherish our treasures and are gradually becoming "ruthless"!
The author likes really awesome female protagonists. Xixi is relatively weak at the beginning of this story, but every rebirth is a transformation. Everyone can definitely look forward to it!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
