Chapter 221 A long-cherished wish is fulfilled
When Marquis Cheng'en fell off his horse, everyone was startled and looked over here.
Even the deputy general standing beside him was stunned.
The once glorious Cheng'en Marquis Mansion, the head of the top aristocratic family in Dazhao died so unexpectedly, as easily as breaking a twig.
The Red Wind Army looked at the high wall in shock, their faces filled with hesitation.
Pei Xingju observed the expressions of the crowd and said, "You have seen this. This is the fate of rebellion. The Emperor is benevolent and will show leniency to those who surrender today. Otherwise, you will be crowned the Marquis of Cheng'en!"
The air was quiet for a moment, and then someone suddenly dropped their weapon with a clang. This sudden and loud sound instantly destroyed everyone's will, and soon after, people dropped their weapons one after another, some even bursting into tears.
Amidst the clamor, Pei Xingju's gaze rested quietly on the lingering Cheng'en Marquis, his thoughts drawn back to distant memories...
"Don't you want to learn some powerful kung fu? The move Dad taught you is called Shadow Arrow."
"That's amazing! I'll learn this!"
"Come on, try it. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground, string the strings accurately, and keep your left elbow and wrist relaxed... Once you learn this, don't use it casually to bluff others. The men of the Pei family can only bluff the enemy on the battlefield. Remember that?"
"Well, I remember Dad."
A cool breeze blew, and the flags fluttered, interrupting Pei Xingju's thoughts.
He withdrew his gaze indifferently, his eyes sinking into the dark sky.
.
Duke Xin's Mansion.
By this time, Duke Xin had changed into a suit of black armor and held the spear he had carried into battle sixteen years earlier. The red tassel on the spear fluttered in the wind, foreshadowing the impending final battle of the night.
He stood on the steps, his eyes fixed on the direction of the imperial palace. Everything was already arranged, and he only needed to wait for news from the palace so that he could immediately lead the Red Wind Army to capture the capital.
I don't know why, but my eyelids keep twitching at this moment.
After a moment, he couldn't help but raised his hand and pressed it.
"Duke!" A lieutenant general ran over.
Duke Xin paused, then heard the lieutenant general say with a mournful face, "We've lost! We've all lost!"
"Who lost? Tell me clearly!"
"We've lost at Wumen!" the Lieutenant General cried. "The Duke, Marquis Cheng'en, General Zhu, and 30,000 Red Wind soldiers were stopped at Taihe Gate. They surrendered!"
Upon hearing this, Duke Xin's face changed drastically.
"Impossible!" he muttered. "I clearly planned it all. Impossible!"
He suddenly turned around and asked, "Why were we stopped at Taihe Gate? Where is Yang Zhi?"
"Tonight was simply a ruse. Commander Yang was already captured by Pei Xingju a long time ago. The person who opened the door was Pei Xingju, not Commander Yang."
Duke Xin stared at him in silence for a while, his eyes dark and tearful.
Suddenly, he remembered something and immediately looked towards the corridor. There, Liang Yixin was walking towards him.
There was no longer any worry or panic on her face. She walked slowly with her hands in her hands, her expression calm and numb.
"Is that you?"
Duke Xin walked over and said, "It was you who tipped off the palace, leading to Yang Zhi's capture, and ruining my plan!"
Liang Yixin didn't say anything, her eyes still calm.
"You're a traitor!"
What did Duke Xin still not understand? Tonight, Liang Yixin had deliberately played a trick on him, extracting secrets from him and then quietly passing them on to Li Jinyu. He had thought she truly relied on him as a father, but who would have thought...
He grabbed Liang Yixin's neck in anger: "I am your father, I am your father!"
"You actually helped outsiders to harm me! You deserve to die!"
His grip tightened.
Liang Yixin was having trouble breathing, but she stubbornly refused to show any weakness. Gradually, she felt discomfort in her abdomen and struggled with her eyes wide open.
"Father... instead of blaming me, why don't you think about how to protect the Liang family..."
Duke Xin looked as if he had heard a joke: "What did you say?"
"Father, if you don't want the Liang family to be doomed, I urge you to surrender. Come to the palace and confess your guilt. The Emperor promised me that if you take the blame alone, the Liang family will not be implicated."
"Not implicated? Hahaha..." Duke Xin laughed out loud, his laughter ridiculous and embarrassing. "Do you know what you're talking about? I, Duke Xin, have been smart all my life, how could I give birth to a fool like you!"
"Surrender? I won't surrender. I still have 100,000 soldiers of the Red Wind Army outside the city, waiting for my order to raze the capital."
He continued to exert force on his hands, his eyes fierce: "If I take this path, no one in the Liang family will survive!"
Liang Yixin struggled hard but to no avail. Soon, she was on the verge of suffocation, her feet no longer able to stand and she slid down softly.
Just then, a fierce fight was heard at the door.
"Oh no! Duke, Lord Pei has broken in!"
Duke Xin was startled and turned around to look.
A man in silver armor, holding a spear, approached with a stern look. He raised his arm and pierced the messenger. Blood splattered from the man, blurring the night sky.
Duke Xin blinked hard.
The figure in front of me somehow coincidentally overlaps with the person from sixteen years ago.
"you......"
He subconsciously let go of Liang Yixin and took a step back as if he had seen a ghost.
"Who are you?" He stared at the newcomer in horror.
For a moment, he thought he saw Pei Zhang, and a trace of fear and nervousness rose in his heart. Now, looking carefully, the person standing in front of him was not Pei Zhang, but Pei Xingju, whom he had not seen for many days.
"Who are you?" he asked again, his eyes scanning the army pouring in behind him, shocked.
Pei Xingju stood in the center of the courtyard, the torches around him making his face look ghostly.
He was clearly smiling, but his pair of dark eyes revealed a sinister chill. His original cold temperament was gone, replaced by a terrifying madness.
"Didn't the Duke guess who I am?" Pei Xingju stepped forward slowly.
"You—" Duke Xin stared at him intently and asked in disbelief, "Are you the son of the treacherous minister Pei Zhang?"
After he finished speaking, Liang Yixin, who was leaning against the corridor and gasping for breath, was shocked and looked at Pei Xingju blankly.
Pei Zhang's son?
Is he the son of the general who died on the battlefield of Changguo sixteen years ago?
Tears slowly streamed down her face. It turned out that he was Pei Zhang's son. It turned out that some things were destined from the beginning...
Here, Duke Xin's words "guilty minister" immediately angered Pei Xingju. His expression suddenly changed, and a perverse and violent look flashed in his eyes. He swept his spear and rushed towards Duke Xin.
Duke Xin hurriedly confronted him.
Fate always plays tricks on us. Once, Duke Xin had battled Pei Zhang in the camp, and at that time, Pei Zhang's skills were unmatched. Now, facing Pei Zhang's son, he saw in just a few moves how sharp his spearmanship was, how powerful his momentum was.
"I underestimated you," Duke Xin defended himself against Pei Xingju's shot. "I didn't expect you to be so well hidden."
Pei Xingju leaped into the air, spun around and swung out a spear, and the spear tip immediately pierced into Xin Guo's helmet like an iron clamp.
Duke Xin's expression tightened, and the next moment his helmet flew off, his hair in disarray. He stumbled back a few steps, his hair disheveled, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet shattering.
"You haven't expected more than this?" Pei Xingju raised the corner of his lips, his face showing a somewhat morbid madness. "Sixteen years ago, you were defeated by Pei Zhang. Sixteen years later, you are still defeated by Pei Zhang's son."
"Ah!" Duke Xin roared, raising his spear and charging forward. His eyes were cold and ferocious, his state mad.
"You can't kill me." He said, "With just one order from me, the 100,000 Red Wind Battalion outside the city will be able to break through the capital."
"Really?" Pei Xingju sneered, "I forgot to tell you that your Chifeng Army was also defeated by the Pei Family Army."
Duke Xin's pupils trembled: "What?"
In the moment he was stunned, Pei Xingju suddenly attacked, his spear thrust diagonally, and even the wind became sharp. Almost instantly, the armor on Duke Xin was torn into pieces, revealing only his inner garment.
Duke Xin was as miserable as an old lion. He roared and struggled, but his movements always seemed clumsy and weak.
Until finally, the sharp tip of the gun pierced deeply into his left shoulder blade, he groaned and stopped.
"What did you just say?" He asked in disbelief, "Pei's Army? Where did the Pei's Army come from?"
Pei Xingju stood in front of Duke Xin like a rampant victor, looking down at him with a cold and defiant look in his eyes.
"You probably wouldn't have guessed that the Pei family army you drove to Wucheng back then still hasn't disbanded after so many years, and has become even more courageous after each setback."
"A hundred thousand Red Wind Army?" Pei Xingju sneered. "Are your Red Wind Army worthy enough to fight against the Pei Family Army? My father was a brave and heroic warrior. He trained the Pei Family Army to fight ten to one. Now, your hundred thousand Red Wind Army ambushed outside the city have been driven to flight by my fifty thousand Pei Family Army."
"I don't believe it!" Duke Xin narrowed his eyes. "Why do you have the Pei family army at your disposal? Don't forget, you are the son of a criminal. How could the emperor allow this?"
"Duke Xin has been arrogant and conceited his entire life, manipulating the court like a puppet, yet he is unaware that the current situation is already controlled by others."
"What do you... mean?"
Pei Xingju approached slowly, and the hand holding the spear penetrated deeper and deeper into Duke Xin's flesh and blood as he moved.
Duke Xin was sweating from the pain, but he heard him whisper in his ear: "Actually, you don't want to rebel, do you? I know you're being forced into this."
Duke Xin's pupils dilated.
Then he said, "Shen Mingchang hasn't woken up at all. Today's situation was set up by me from beginning to end."
Suddenly, Duke Xin spat out a mouthful of blood.
He laughed wildly, then coughed for a while because the blood choked his throat.
After a long pause, he asked, "Duan... Duan Hongyuan... has he always been in your hands?"
"Yes, I've been waiting for this day." Pei Xingju said without hesitation.
"Ha!" Duke Xin sneered, "You're hiding the traitor Duan Hongyuan, aren't you afraid that the Emperor will find out?"
He stared at Pei Xingju and said word by word, "You are the son of a criminal. You have concealed your identity for all these years. Aren't you afraid that the emperor will punish you for deceiving the emperor?"
"You don't have to worry about that." Pei Xingju's eyes darkened, and he twisted the gun barrel with force, causing Duke Xin to spit out blood in pain.
"The Emperor has already known this. Oh, by the way..." He said slowly, "The Emperor is also involved in today's situation."
A few days ago, Pei Xingju entered the palace and spent the night with the emperor, discussing these very topics. He delivered news about Duan Hongyuan and also included the evidence he had gathered over the years.
The emperor had already known Pei Xingju's identity at that moment.
"Hahahaha..." Duke Xin laughed again, his laughter full of sorrow and despair: "I have been clever all my life, but I have been tricked into this."
"But, so what? Do you think the Emperor will vindicate your Pei family? Impossible!" Duke Xin said triumphantly, "Li Jinyu finally secured the throne. It's impossible for him to cause unrest in the court just because of your Pei family's case. Hahahaha......"
Pei Xingju silently covered her long eyelashes, with a hint of sneer on the corner of her lips.
Speaking of this, Pei Xingju couldn't help but recall what Mr. Gu said to him when he went to visit his mentor two months ago.
"Child, have you thought about how to clear the Pei family's grievances after you have avenged your hatred?"
"It's been over a decade since the Pei family case, and the people involved are already deeply entrenched in the court. If you want to overturn the verdict, the entire court will be turned upside down. The emperor may not be willing to take this risk for you."
"Besides, it was the late emperor who made the final decision. Overturning the verdict would mean offending the late emperor. The emperor is kind and filial. To uphold the late emperor's dignity, he will definitely not agree with you. He might even ruin your career."
"But Master," Pei Xingju knelt down, "I have dedicated my entire life to this one thing. If I cannot achieve it, my life will only be painful."
"Alas! How could I not know your lifelong wish? It is precisely because of this that now, my mentor will point out a path for you. Whether it is life or death, you can decide for yourself."
"Master, please speak."
Mr. Gu picked up his pen and wrote three words on the paper: "Pei Family Army."
"When your father died in battle, Duke Xin wanted to take over the Pei Army, but the Pei Army refused to obey his orders. Duke Xin feared the army would harm his own interests, so he petitioned to have it guard the border city."
"Wucheng is remote, with rugged mountains and arid waters. The people live in poverty and go hungry. Leaving a powerful army known for its ability to kill enemies to guard Wucheng is a crime worthy of death. Duke Xin thought he could leave such a lion to die of old age in this remote place, but he didn't realize that lions are born to be fierce beasts, and their nature is fierce. How could they lose their fighting spirit just because of the harsh environment?"
"After so many years, this army has survived on its own. Five years ago, the court was troubled by the lack of someone to lead this powerful force. This is your chance. As Pei Zhang's son, you are the legitimate heir to this army. The emperor is ambitious and wants to expand his territory. With this powerful army, he will have a solid force to pacify Liaobei in the future. Weighing the pros and cons, it is up to the emperor to weigh the pros and cons."
A long wind blew, stirring up a thick cloud of dust. Memories faded, leaving only the enemy.
"You don't need to worry about my Pei family's affairs. But you..." Pei Xingju's eyes flashed with sternness: "I will take back the blood debts of dozens of Pei family members one by one."
After saying this, he pulled out the spear with force, and Duke Xin's blood splattered on his face and armor.
He pulled his spear back, about to stab again. At this moment, Liang Yixin in the corridor shouted, "Master Pei, please show mercy!"
"Master Pei," Liang Yixin couldn't bear to see this scene. She pleaded, "Please, Master Pei, hand him over to the emperor."
Pei Xingju stopped, suppressed the anger in his eyes, and ordered: "Come! Escort Duke Xin to the palace!"
"No need!" Duke Xin said sternly, "I'll go on my own!"
He stood up with difficulty and walked towards the door.
The courtyard was empty, and Pei Xingju's lonely figure faded into the night. He looked up at the sky, closed his eyes, and felt that the air tonight was extremely comfortable.
He stood there in a daze for a long time.
Someone asked, "Master Pei, how should the Empress be accommodated?"
Pei Xingju came back to his senses and slowly turned to look at Liang Yixin in the corridor.
Liang Yixin was also looking at him, tears on her face.
"Send it to the palace," he said, "the emperor is still waiting."
"yes."
Pei Xingju raised his foot to leave.
"Pei Xingju." Liang Yixin called him.
"Does the Queen have any other instructions?" Pei Xingju turned around but didn't look at her.
Liang Yixin moved her throat and wanted to speak, but what could she say?
Was she saying that the Liang family had wronged him, or was she asking if he had forgotten her four years ago?
But everything is meaningless. With the change of the world, they are drifting away from each other.
"Nothing else," Liang Yixin whispered, "Please, Lord Pei, take me to the palace."
.
The capital was in chaos all night, and Zhuang Wan waited anxiously all night.
Lixia said last night was incredibly dangerous. Besides the Red Wind Army at the Meridian Gate, there were another 100,000 troops outside the capital. If they failed at the Meridian Gate, the world would be in tatters when we woke up today.
Zhuang Wan was frightened after hearing this.
She had never experienced war, nor had she known turmoil, but she could clearly hear the intensity and anxiety of yesterday even while hiding in the mansion.
Rumor has it that Duke Xin was captured, the Red Wind Army surrendered, and many people died at the Meridian Gate. Even after a night of washing, the stench of blood still permeated the air this morning.
"Marquis Cheng'en died. His entire mansion was raided early in the morning, and all his family members were thrown into jail." Lixia said.
Zhuang Wan sighed and asked, "What about Pei Xingju? Where is he?"
"My Lord has been in the palace all the time, so he might not be able to return home until later."
"Is he injured?" Zhuang Wan asked.
Lixia laughed at her: "Miss, you've asked several times. Didn't Guard Lu send someone to report that you're safe? Your Excellency is well."
Zhuang Wan felt a little relieved.
"The girl didn't sleep all night last night. Fortunately, the situation has calmed down. The girl should go to sleep."
Zhuang Wan shook her head. How could she sleep after such a big incident? Then she remembered something and asked, "Can I go out now?"
"It's safe outside now. The Red Wind Army was sent back to Quzhou overnight, and the imperial guards are patrolling all over the capital." Lixia asked, "Where are you going, young lady?"
"I want to go out and take a look?"
Last night was full of dangers, and she didn't know how Qiu Tan and the shop assistants were doing. She wanted to go and see.
After going out, she went straight to Xifeng Street.
The streets had long been cleared, and many people, like her, cautiously came out to inspect the situation. There were fewer street vendors than usual, and many shops were still closed. Through the chaotic streets and patrolling imperial guards, she could vaguely see that last night had been a brutal one.
When he arrived at the shop door and just got off the carriage, he heard someone calling out "Master, the official from the Ministry of Justice" and subconsciously turned his head.
A group of people in official uniforms passed by the alley entrance.
Zhuang Wan was stunned for a moment, then ran towards the alley entrance as if she had sensed something.
"Hey, where are you going, girl?" Lixia also ran after her.
Zhuang Wan ran breathlessly, her skirt in hand, and stopped at the entrance of the alley. She saw many people gathered on the street, and a group of officials from the Ministry of Justice passed by on horseback, apparently on duty.
When she saw the familiar figure in front, Zhuang Wan couldn't help but call out, "Pei Xingju?"
Although they were already quite far apart, separated by a crowd and half a street, Pei Xingju still heard it.
He turned around and saw Zhuang Wan in plain clothes standing at the entrance of the alley, waving at him. He reined in his horse and stopped.
Shen Yi noticed it, turned around and saw the two of them looking at each other from a distance.
He curled his lips and said, "Go if you want to. I'll wait for you at the office."
Pei Xingju handed the things to him, turned his horse around and walked back.
Zhuang Wan was very happy to see him: "Pei Xingju, you are here..."
Before he could finish his words, Pei Xingju bent down and pulled him onto the horse.
He squeezed the horse's belly, and with a "spur", the horse's hooves immediately spread out and broke into a run.
Zhuang Wan was a little confused. Where was he going to take her so early in the morning?
But at this moment, she could feel that Pei Xingju was in a happy mood, so much so that he was so intimate with her regardless of the gazes of the onlookers.
The steed rode straight through the streets, dispersing the crowds wherever it passed. On the way, they encountered the Imperial Guards. Perhaps someone familiar among them whistled a flirtatious whistle at Pei Xingju, but Pei Xingju ignored it completely. He held Zhuang Wan in his arms and rode out of the city.
The two of them were like a sweet breeze blowing through the streets in early summer.
The Minister of Rites, who had just blown the whistle, looked at the backs of the young man and woman happily leaving, stroked his beard, and smiled: "Youth is still the best! Young people are free and unrestrained!"
"Commander Chen, let's go." He turned to the commander of the Imperial Guards and said, "We have to get this job done."
.
On this side, Pei Xingju took Zhuang Wan out of the city and ran along the mountain path.
Zhuang Wan sat in his embrace, her hands tightly clasping his arms, and asked, "Pei Xingju, where are we going?"
Pei Xingju leaned over to her ear and said, "I don't know."
"Don't know?" Zhuang Wan turned her head in surprise.
But unexpectedly, she met his bright and happy eyes.
She was dazed for a moment, but in that moment he held her lips.
The horses beneath them were still galloping, and the mountain path was steep and undulating, causing them to sway with it. Zhuang Wan was afraid of falling off the horse, so she clung to Pei Xingju's arm tightly, tilting her neck to withstand his passion.
The breeze whistled past as they kissed on horseback, and it seemed as if they were the only two people left in the world.
Exciting and tense.
"Pei Xingju." After a while, Zhuang Wan tried to push him: "Don't do it here. It would be bad if you fall."
She didn't want to do anything so wild, as it would be very painful if she fell off the horse.
Pei Xingju seemed to be obsessed, or perhaps he was in extreme joy, and he was eager to entangle with her as if he wanted to share this joy with all his strength.
"You won't fall, I'm here," he said.
However, the slap in the face came as fast as a tornado.
As he continued to chase Zhuang Wan's lips, he encountered a small pit in front of him. The horse jumped out and the two were caught off guard and thrown down.
Fortunately, Pei Xingju reacted quickly, holding Zhuang Wan tightly in his arms, and then rolled on the ground holding her.
As luck would have it, the two of them rolled down a slope, and they rolled straight to the willow tree at the foot of the mountain.
Zhuang Wan: “…”
Pei Xingju was pressing on her, looking a little embarrassed.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly.
Zhuang Wan was protected by him, so she didn't feel any pain. She shook her head: "How about you? Are you hurt?"
"No." Pei Xingju raised the corners of his lips slightly, and then slowly smiled.
Zhuang Wan looked at him and smiled too.
"I'm very happy." Pei Xingju said after a while.
"Today I saw you calling me at the entrance of the alley and waving at me in the crowd. I was very happy," he added.
Zhuang Wan knew what made him happy.
"I'm happy for you, too," she said.
He finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish.
"Zhuang Wan, I'm very happy." He repeated.
You could tell he was genuinely happy, so much so that he was at a loss for words like a child.
"Yeah." Zhuang Wan nodded.
The next moment, Pei Xingju's face pressed down.
Zhuang Wan was stunned for a moment, and then she was flooded with warm, gentle kisses full of affection and joy.
She immersed herself in his love as if she were feeling a wonderful spring rain.
While kissing, the two rolled a few times on the grass, sometimes Zhuang Wan was on the bottom, and sometimes Pei Xingju was on the bottom.
They were all deeply moved.
In the end, Zhuang Wan was kissed so hard that she was out of breath. Her clothes were slightly disheveled and even her belt was loose.
Pei Xingju was not much better off.
He slowly stood up and leaned over to the side, trying to calm himself down. After a long moment, he looked up again, the lust in his eyes still frighteningly intense.
"Wanwan," he said, "I want to marry you soon."
Zhuang Wan couldn't stand it anymore. She opened her eyes and looked at the vast, clear blue sky and white clouds, and hummed unbearably.
Pei Xingju lowered his head again, bit her collarbone, and whispered, "But before we get married, I want to give you a gift."
"What?" Zhuang Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her cheeks were as red as blooming peach blossoms.
Pei Xingju looked at her beautiful face, his eyes darkened as he glanced at the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye.
He thought, this teardrop mole really suits her. At least at times like this, she becomes even more charming and alluring, making it even more difficult for him to control himself.
He didn't mention the gift, but looked at her for a while, then lowered his head and buried his face in her clothes.
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