"Why did I give birth to a son like you!" Wan Hesu was blamed for Wan Huqing's tragic death, and Wan Chengji was now filled with regret. "Why wasn't it you who was switched? I can just pretend you never existed."
"Do you think I am willing to be your son? If it weren't for you, I might have escaped long ago." Wan Huqing still refused to repent.
"Well, you don't want to, right?" Wan Chengji was so angry that his chest felt tight and his eyes turned black. "Then get out of here! The farther the better! Don't let me see you again!"
"Just get out! I don't want to be with you guys anymore!" After saying that, Wan Huqing turned around and walked away.
"Dad! Dad!" Wan Huqing had just left when Wan Chengji fainted. Wan Jiangyuan was so scared that he caught him and kept calling out.
Facts have proved that Wan Huqing's statement that he was held back by the Wan family and could not escape was just wishful thinking.
Later, when Pei Xuanqing ordered an inventory, he discovered that the exiles, including their bodies, were still there. Furthermore, his men had killed many people impersonating exiles, further confirming that someone had deliberately instigated the unrest.
Pei Xuanqing explained the whole story in public, and the man who pretended to be the third prince showed up afterwards, finally dispelling the previous rumor.
Pei Xuanqing then announced the punishment for this incident: "Anyone who escapes and is executed will have their bodies left exposed in the wilderness, and their relatives and friends may not collect their bodies! Anyone who escapes and is captured will be punished even more severely, and will be exiled to the army as a slave. Unless pardoned, they will be enslaved forever! Anyone who knew about this incident, even if they did not participate, and did not report it will be flogged thirty times!"
Wan Huqing thought that he would be fine since Wan Hesu took the blame for him, but he never expected Wan Jiangyuan to speak at this time.
"Master Pei, I have something to report to you."
"Oh?" Pei Xuanqing raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "What's the matter?"
"I want to say that my second brother is really innocent. He was not the one who ran away. He just wanted to catch the one who ran away." Wan Jiangyuan said this, on the one hand to seek justice for Wan Hesu, and on the other hand to show Pei Xuanqing that their family was not fully aware of Wan Huqing's escape, and even made amends after he escaped.
"You mean someone else escaped?" Pei Xuanqing pretended to be clueless despite knowing the truth. Even if Wan Jiangyuan hadn't reported Wan Huqing, he had witnessed with his own eyes that Wan Huqing escaped more happily than anyone else. How could he be the only one to be spared from punishment?
"Yes." Wan Jiangyuan nodded heavily, "My third brother Wan Huqing was the one who escaped. He wanted to persuade us to escape with him, but my father didn't allow it, so he took advantage of the chaos to escape. My father asked my second brother to chase him, but who would have thought that my second brother would be the one who died tragically." As he spoke, his eyes turned red and tears flowed down his face uncontrollably.
"Sir! Don't listen to his nonsense! The man who ran away was my second brother, and I was the one who went to catch him." Wan Huqing stood up and argued.
Pei Xuanqing asked with a cold face, "Do you think I'm blind?" Then he looked down at his subordinates and ordered, "Come here! Capture Wan Huqing for me!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Sir! I've truly been wronged!" Wan Huqing ran to Wan Jiangyuan before Pei Xuanqing's men could catch him, tugging at his sleeve and pleading, "Brother, quickly tell them that my second brother was the one who escaped. I was wronged." He then whispered, playing the emotional card, "I know you blame me, but my second brother is dead. I'm the only brother you have left."
"I don't have a heartless and ungrateful brother like you! Don't you want to not be with us? It's just right, I can help you!" After saying that, Wan Jiangyuan pulled back his sleeve that was being grabbed.
"Brother! I was wrong! I beg you, please help me!"
Wan Jiangyuan turned his head away and waited until Wan Huqing was taken away before he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His family had been terribly harmed by Wan Huqing, and he couldn't let this scourge stay with them any longer!
After the matter was settled, Pei Xuanqing found Shen Yu and bowed to him, saying, "Forgive me for being late due to my official duties. This has caused you to bear the blame and suffer for a few more days."
Shen Yu returned the greeting, "Master Pei is very polite. I am the one who should be thanking you."
"You and I will be comrades from now on. No need to be polite."
"But I will definitely need your support in the future!" Pei Xuanqing would be Shen Yu's immediate superior, so Shen Yu had no choice but to be polite to him. He was currently without any foundation and needed someone to back him up, and Pei Xuanqing was the perfect person to do it.
"There's really no need for us to be polite. When we get to the Northern Frontier, we're all new here, so we need to help each other." Pei Xuanqing, as a new official, also needs to build relationships.
"Then I won't be polite to you in private. If you need me in the future, just let me know. I will fully support you."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that." Pei Xuanqing turned to look at Wan Xueying again. "I showed the Ministry of Works the tent blueprints Miss Wan gave me, and they all praised them. The Emperor is also very satisfied. I believe that it won't be long before the barracks will see the improved tents. I thank Miss Wan on behalf of all the soldiers!" He then bowed and thanked Wan Xueying. He also changed her address from Miss Wan Er to Miss Wan.
"Lord Pei, you are too polite. I am only here because I can make money." Wan Xueying had just heard Wan Jiangyuan talk about Wan Hesu's tragic death. She was in a bad mood and told the truth directly.
The only person in the Wan family who could move her was Wan Hesu. Suddenly hearing that he had died for that scum Wan Huqing made her feel that his death was not worth it at all.
Seeing that she had no interest, Pei Xuanqing also had a lot of things to deal with. After handing Shen Yu's token and order to Shen Yu, he said goodbye to the two of them.
"Do you want to go over and take a look?" Just now, Lin Yingnan rushed into the canyon like crazy to look for Wan Hesu's body. Wan Xueying's eyes were on Lin Yingnan for a long time. Shen Yu guessed that she might also want to see Wan Hesu off for the last time.
"No," Wan Xueying shook her head, "Let Miss Lin go alone to see him off." If it were her, she would probably just want to be with the person she loved most at the end of her life.
After a moment's thought, she asked Qiu Shi to help Lin Yingnan and his servant bury Wan Hesu later. The dead are the greatest, and no matter how many grudges there were in the past, they could be put aside. Since none of the Wan family members could be relied upon, she had to be the one to do the good work.
Shen Yu saw that she was in a bad mood and told her to go back to the carriage to rest. She nodded slightly, and before she turned around, she saw Chun Jiao running towards her frantically, shouting "Miss Xueying!", and then knelt down in front of her with a plop.
"Do you want to find someone to help bury Wan Hesu?" Seeing Chunjiao gasping for breath and not speaking for a long time, Wan Xueying asked.
Chun Jiao waved her hands and said breathlessly: "No, no, Miss Xueying, Master Wan Er is not dead yet. My lady asked me to ask you to save him."
Wan Xueying glanced at Shen Yu and saw the same surprise in his eyes. Then she turned around and asked Chun Jiao calmly, "Are you saying that Wan Hesu is not dead?"
"Yes, when we went there, Young Master Wan Er was still breathing and was not dead." Her young lady was extremely excited.
"That's great," Wan Xueying said nonchalantly, "Congratulations to your young lady."
Hearing her reply, Chunjiao was a little amused. What did she mean by "that's great"? Congratulations to her young lady!
No, she came for help.
"Miss Xueying, please stop teasing me. I'm here to ask you to save someone."
"But why should I save him? I've already paid back what I owe him." Not only that, she even went so far as to save Lin Yingnan's life. After a pause, she continued, "Besides, your daughter helped so many people in the past, but when she really needed help, how many people were willing to help her? So why should I be such a good person and do this favor?"
"My young lady really didn't know how to judge people, which is why she was deceived. She also knows that she owes you a great favor and shouldn't come to you for help, but we really have no other choice."
"You've asked the wrong person. I really don't know how to treat illnesses, and I can't save Wan Hesu even if I go. If your young lady needs someone to help dig a hole, I can be of some help." Wan Xueying still had no intention of saving anyone.
"We really don't have anyone to turn to. Whether you can save them or not, it would be nice if you could just go over and take a look."
"What do you mean there's no one to turn to? Aren't there still the Wan family?"
"The Wan family?" Chun Jiao sneered, "Even though the Wan family knew that the second young master Wan was dead, no one went to see him off from beginning to end." What else can you expect from a family like this?
In fact, this time it was not that the Wan family did not want to send someone over, but Wan Chengji and Xu were so shocked that they had been unconscious, and Wan Jiangyuan was unable to take care of them.
Wan Jiangyuan didn't go because he thought Wan Hesu was dead. Seeing that Lin Yingnan had already found his body, he thought she wouldn't let Wan Hesu's body lie exposed in the wilderness. Furthermore, he really didn't want to be associated with this escape anymore; the Wan family was counting on him.
"Then there's nothing I can do to help you." Wan Xueying was determined not to help.
"Please save Master Wan Er. I beg you!" Chun Jiao said while kowtowing to Wan Xueying.
Shen Yu saw impatience in Wan Xueying's eyes. He knew that Wan Xueying hated being forced to do good things. So he said to Chunjiao, "Hurry up and go help your young lady. If you go back too late, she might be dead. Furthermore," he said with certainty, "regardless of whether Wan Hesu is still alive today, he is dead."
"What does Mr. Shen mean by this?" Chun Jiao was confused.
"Whether you understand or not, go back and tell this to your young lady and Wan Hesu." Shen Yu then ordered Shunzi, Nanying and Beiwu: "You guys find a place with good feng shui, dig a hole, and help Miss Lin bury Wan Hesu." He once again gave an incredible order.
What is even more incredible is that Shunzi, Nanying and Beiwu did not think there was anything wrong with the order. The three of them dragged Qiu Shi to the bailiff to borrow some tools and then went to dig a hole.
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