Chapter 228 Bloodletting
As the night deepened, Pei Jingming's slender fingers held the ink pen, moving like a snake on the paper.
The memorial on the Yuezhou case will be submitted to the emperor tomorrow, so this mission has lived up to the emperor's expectations.
After finishing the last stroke, he bit the pen, and a hint of longing appeared on his face with eyebrows like ink paintings and eyes like peach blossoms.
He has been away from Beijing for some time.
In front of others, he didn't dare to behave in the slightest. Only when he was alone did he dare to take out the desire buried deep in his heart and sniff it.
"Your Majesty, the Prince Consort is here."
The voice of the guard outside the door interrupted his thoughts.
The darkness in Pei Jingming's eyes faded away instantly, replaced by a coldness.
"Let him wait." He closed the memorial slowly.
Suddenly there was a sound outside.
Pei Jingming looked up and saw a servant being kicked down, right within his sight.
Not far away, Pei Qi retracted his kick, his face full of sinister intent.
He was dressed in gorgeous clothes and his face was well-maintained, but his distorted expression at the moment destroyed his elegance.
He pointed at the servant trembling on the ground and said, "I hate it most when people call me Prince Consort. The Emperor has been on the throne for a long time. I should be the Imperial Husband."
Pei Jingming gestured to help the servant up, "Take him down to see the doctor, and I'll give him ten taels of silver."
He didn't stand up, his eyes were gleaming with a faint light, "What are you crazy about?"
"I am your father."
Pei Qi said angrily, "In front of the guards and servants, at least give me some respect."
The moonlight shone into the study, and Pei Jingming smiled.
This smile was so beautiful that it made the servants around her nervous.
They were too familiar with what this expression of their master meant.
"Kick them out." Pei Jingming ordered lightly.
He was too lazy to talk.
"Wait," Pei Qi suppressed his anger, "I have something to talk to you about."
He couldn't wait to ask, "His Majesty sent you to Yuezhou right after he ascended the throne. Do you think he really loves you?"
Pei Jingming's eyes held a hint of interest. "Are you saying that all the years of His Majesty's cultivation of me were fake?"
"You are not his biological child. No matter how much he values you, you will still be carrying the sedan chair for that bastard Zhao Yuanrong in the future."
Pei Jingming leaned back in his chair, and a dagger appeared in his hand.
"Is that what you came here to say?"
Pei Qi said bluntly, "Go and tell His Majesty to take me into the palace and give me the status I deserve. Do you want me to bear the title of Prince Consort forever?"
He has been afraid to go out for several months.
Those mocking and mocking looks were more painful than killing him.
There were also constant letters coming from my hometown in Bingzhou asking about my whereabouts.
When Zhao Ju first ascended the throne, he was still nervous.
It turned out that no one wanted to kill him, and of course, they didn't remember him at all.
"I won't let you help me for nothing."
Pei Qi said, "The Pei family is a long-standing family with a rich heritage. Although we may not be as prosperous as the previous dynasty, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. We can support you and make you the new crown prince."
"Don't forget, you are His Majesty's son according to the law and are qualified to inherit the throne..."
The tip of the knife was against Pei Xi's throat.
"You are instigating me to rebel." Pei Jingming smiled perversely.
Pei Qi had always been a little afraid of him.
This time he did not back down, but instead said, "It's not a rebellion. Zhao Yuanrong doesn't know whose bastard she is. If she succeeds to the throne, the country will be handed over to someone else. So why not you take the throne?"
Pei Jingming folded his arms across his chest and looked at him quietly.
"How do you think the Song family, with such shallow roots, has been able to maintain control of the imperial court for so many years?"
Pei Qi swept away his previous cowardice, "The previous emperor's army massacred the aristocratic families, and the aristocratic families retreated bravely, but the forces rooted in the court are not so easy to eliminate. Those people joined Song Guang's army."
"Song Guang controls the government. During this period, the aristocratic families are keeping a low profile."
"Even if you can't get your hands on the throne in the end, you can still become the second Song Guang."
Pei Jingming was curious, "Why don't you just pick another puppet? Why did you choose me?"
"Is there anyone more suitable than you?"
Pei Qi was annoyed.
Instead of looking for someone else and waiting for this madman to kill everyone, it is better to find him from the beginning.
What the aristocratic families want is a place to survive.
The current emperor, under the instruction of the previous emperor, cannot tolerate aristocratic families. The same is true for Zhao Yuanrong. The dynasty needs a new Song family to give the aristocratic families a chance to breathe.
"I almost forgot."
Pei Jingming smiled faintly, "You, the aristocratic families who live in disarray, love to weave webs in the dark."
He listed a list of names.
Pei Qi's face turned pale immediately. Pei Jingming had found out everything about the power secretly cultivated by the aristocratic family.
"How did you know that?"
Pei Jingming laughed heartily, "Do you think my mother has been training me for so many years just to make me a rich and idle prince?"
Pei Qi stumbled a few steps. "Do you think Zhao Ju really treats you as her son? She only treats you as a dog."
The knife flashed, and Pei Qi's screams pierced the night sky.
One of his ears was cut off.
There was so much blood, it was very horrifying.
"Shh..." Pei Jingming made a silent gesture, "It's late at night, don't disturb others."
He clapped his hands, and four black-clad guards appeared silently.
"Tie him to the stone pillar in the backyard." He ordered softly.
He added, "Remember to use a rope soaked in salt water."
Pei Qi was truly panicked at this point. "Jingming, I am your father. I have raised you for over ten years..."
"That's why I let you live to this day," Pei Jingming said with a vague look in his eyes, "You should thank me."
Pei Qi was tied up tightly in front of the stone pillar in the backyard.
Pei Jingming held a slender silver knife in his hand. "You won't die quickly. I specifically asked Mu Ke how to bleed you so that you can live until dawn."
The guards around shuddered.
They all followed Pei Jingming to Yuezhou on business.
The scene of the Governor of Yuezhou being cut into pieces and dying with maggots crawling all over his body makes me sick just thinking about it.
When he cut the first blow, Pei Qi was still able to curse.
When the third cut was made, he began to beg for mercy.
The salt water seeped into the wound, and the pain went deep into the bone marrow.
"Let me go, let me go," Pei Qi said with a painful expression, "What do you want? I can tell you everything."
Pei Jingming concentrated on cutting.
"No need for that. His Majesty has already known your plan."
Pei Qi's pupils suddenly shrank, "Impossible."
"When Madam Song was alive, she came to the Pei family quite often, so His Majesty would naturally keep an eye on her," Pei Jingming said. "His Majesty is so kind that he would just pretend you didn't exist, but you chose to seek your own death."
He made the final cut, his eyes filled with pity, "I'm most afraid of useless people wanting to achieve great things."
The more blood flowed, the more pale Pei Qi's face turned.
By the time the moon was at its zenith, his curses had become meaningless mutterings.
Pei Jingming just sat there, appreciating the passing of life.
Until dawn, he still maintained his original posture, but Pei Qi had already passed away.
The strong smell of blood filled the backyard, mixed with the fragrance of flowers and plants in the early morning, exuding an indescribable scent.
"Your Highness, the sedan chair for entering the palace is ready."
Pei Jingming stood up and said, "Chop it up and feed it to the dogs."
After a sleepless night, Pei Jingming's voice was a little hoarse, and with his delicate face, he looked like a flower demon walking out of the flowers.
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