Chapter 101 Falling into the Trap "It's not that I'm free. Every day at this time, I..."
Three hundred miles from the capital, the post road winds its way along steep cliffs on both sides, a truly strategic and impregnable place. The mountain wind is biting, whipping up withered branches and fallen leaves with a mournful sound.
Pei Xu reined in his horse. Here, two mountains stood side by side, the forest was deep and secluded, and the official road became narrow, making it an excellent ambush location.
The sound of the wind rustling through the treetops seemed to be mixed with other noises.
He raised his hand, and the line behind him came to an abrupt halt.
Almost at the same moment he gave the warning, dozens of dark figures shot out from behind the rocks and from the bushes! These people moved swiftly and landed silently, their faces covered with black cloths, revealing only pairs of emotionless eyes.
"Protect the master!" the captain of the guard shouted sharply, his sword already drawn. The cold light reflected the bleak winter sky.
Without a word, the assassins drew their blades and stabbed! Their moves were ruthless and their training was superb; they were no ordinary mountain bandits.
In an instant, the sharp sounds of clashing swords, suppressed shouts, and the whistling of blades cutting through the air shattered the deathly silence of the mountains.
Pei Xu drew his longsword, its light flashing like a ribbon, slicing through the dim world with several silver streaks. Each move was aimed directly at the vital points, without any hesitation or delay.
The battle lasted for nearly an hour, with casualties on both sides. Seeing that the assassins outnumbered them and that reinforcements were constantly arriving, the captain of the guards raised his voice to Pei Xu, "Sir, we are outnumbered. We should fight and retreat!"
Pei Xu's eyes turned cold as he parried the incoming blade, using the force to retreat half a step. His gaze swept over the carriages behind him carrying heavy wooden crates, and he had already made up his mind.
He ordered in a deep voice, "Abandon the vehicles! Everyone, follow me and break through!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the carriages carrying heavy wooden crates were overturned one after another, and several crates rolled to the ground, their seals broken, revealing neatly bound files inside.
"Go!" Pei Xu cracked his whip, and the remaining men protected him, no longer lingering in battle, and charged forward with all their might.
Seeing that they had abandoned their belongings and fled in a sorry state, the assassins immediately stopped their pursuit and rushed towards the scattered boxes and cages.
The leader of the men in black pried open a wooden box and saw dense writing on it. His face lit up with joy, and he ordered his men to quickly collect the writing.
When they delivered these vital items to the nearest post station, the messenger opened them and his expression changed drastically—
These are not ledgers at all!
With a grim face, he ordered his subordinates to open the wooden boxes one by one for inspection, only to find that most of the boxes contained old account books stained with ink and bundles of blank paper underneath.
"Waste paper, all of it is waste paper!"
"We've fallen for their trap! Chase them!" the assassin leader cried out in exasperation.
However, the opportunity had already passed, and Pei Xu and his party had already traveled hundreds of miles away.
The real key evidence is currently being escorted by another team of secret guards, disguised as medicine merchants heading north, traveling steadily along another official road, and is about to enter the capital.
Three days later, in the Golden Palace, civil and military officials stood solemnly, the emperor's face ashen.
Pei Xuli stood in the hall, peeling back the layers of the Jinling case, revealing that every single point was supported by irrefutable evidence.
The Emperor was furious and immediately ordered Yuan Chengde's execution. All the officials involved were imprisoned, and all members of the Cui clan implicated were to be arrested and tortured without any leniency!
This imperial decree was like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, stirring up a thousand waves. In an instant, the capital was filled with unease, and those who had previously been openly or secretly allied with the Third Prince all withdrew their influence and fell silent as if trembling in fear.
In the Second Prince's residence, the charcoal brazier in the study crackled and popped.
Upon hearing his confidant's whispered report, the Second Prince was first taken aback, then burst into a hoarse laugh.
"Hahaha...cough cough..." He laughed so hard he curled up, coughing violently, his face flushed red. "My dear brother...you, you've finally met your match!"
The Second Prince's wife brought in the medicine. Upon seeing his condition, she quickly placed the medicine bowl on the table, stepped forward to pat his back and soothe him, and said gently, "Your Highness, please take care of yourself."
"My body?" The second prince pounded his numb leg, his eyes full of mockery. "What's the point of caring about this crippled body of mine?"
He was healthy and strong since childhood, rarely even catching a cold, and was proficient in martial arts and other related fields. Now, however, he can only spend his days confined to his sickbed...
He swung his hand violently, shattering the medicine bowl and spilling thick, black liquid all over the floor. "What's the use of this soup and liquid? I'm already a cripple, I'll never..."
"Your Highness!" The Second Prince's wife suddenly raised her voice, interrupting him, "If Your Highness does not cherish your health, wouldn't you be playing right into the hands of your enemies?"
The second prince was taken aback and looked at his wife, who was always gentle and kind.
The Second Prince's wife spoke clearly and firmly, saying each word distinctly: "What the Third Prince's faction most wants to see is Your Highness become despondent and lose your will to live. The more they want this, the more Your Highness must do the opposite to prevent them from getting what they want."
The second prince was panting, staring intently at the shards on the ground, his eyes shifting unpredictably.
“If you truly do not cherish yourself,” she raised her eyes, her gaze calm, “you will only cause pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies.”
The second prince remained silent for a long time before his voice was hoarse: "You're right. I absolutely cannot... let them have their way!"
"Someone, brew another bowl of medicine."
The maid brought the medicine bowl again. The second prince took it, looked at the dark medicine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The Second Prince's wife handed over a candied fruit and smiled, "I've heard that the Third Prince is currently busy completely severing ties with the Cui family and the Marquis of Wuxing's mansion."
“He wants to distance himself,” the Second Prince said, his eyes bright and sharp. “I’m going to help him solidify this relationship! Tomorrow, you will go to the palace to see your mother.”
The Second Prince's Consort curtsied gracefully, "Yes."
After a month-long journey by boat on the canal, the outline of the capital city finally came into view.
On the day we docked, snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the leaden sky. At first, it was just a few scattered snowflakes, but gradually it became dense, like willow catkins and goose feathers, fluttering down and covering the bluestone slabs of the dock, and also whitening the gunwales of the ship.
Wearing a cloak, Meng Lingyao, supported by her maid, stepped onto the long-lost land. Cool snowflakes landed on her eyelashes, melting instantly. She reached out, catching a few snowflakes and watching them turn into glistening water droplets in her palm.
It's been a year.
On a snowy day like last year, she was attending a banquet at the Princess's residence. At that time, she could never have imagined that in just one year, the world would turn upside down like this.
On the shore, a young man dressed in a snow-white fox fur coat held an oil-paper umbrella and walked slowly toward the dock, his steps unhurried, as if he were walking in a winding ink painting.
Meng Lingyao jogged a few steps and slipped into the snowless space under his umbrella. She looked up, a faint smile in her eyes, "What brings you here today, Lord Shaoqing?"
Even when their ships occasionally docked for repairs and resupply, they could hear the buzzing news from the capital.
Pei Xu subtly tilted the umbrella towards her and said calmly, "It's not that I'm free. I come here every day at this time."
The wind and snow seemed to intensify, making the umbrella whistle loudly.
Looking at the white expanse of snow, Meng Lingyao suddenly sighed softly, "It's snowing in the capital, I wonder what it's like in the southwestern borderlands right now? Is Her Highness the Princess alright?"
“I received a military report the day before yesterday,” he said slowly, looking at her nose, which was slightly red from the cold. “A great victory was achieved at Lushan. Your Highness killed generals and captured flags, and Prince Lu Yin suffered heavy losses.”
"Then His Highness will be able to return to the capital very soon?"
He lowered his head slightly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "It will still take some time, but in this battle... the victory is already decided."
A bright joy flashed in Meng Lingyao's eyes, and she almost blurted out more details, but then swallowed the words back.
Pei Xu seemed to know what she was thinking, "Your Highness will know the details upon your triumphant return."
He paused, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's getting late. I just sent someone back to the Meng residence to deliver the message. I imagine my uncle and aunt are already waiting anxiously at home."
He shouldn't have brought it up, because once he did, Meng Lingyao was immediately eager to go home and couldn't care less about chatting with him anymore, urging him to go home right away.
Pei Xu escorted her to the gate of the Meng residence.
"Go in quickly," he said gently. He did not dismount, but simply held the reins and watched her quietly for a moment in the swirling snow. In the end, he did not go in to disturb their rare reunion, but left only the words, "I will visit you and your aunt another day."
Meng Lingyao nodded, lifted her skirt, and quickly stepped into the mansion.
Inside the Meng residence, the lights were bright and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.
Upon receiving the news, Meng Yan could no longer sit still and paced back and forth at the entrance of the hall. Just as Madam Zhong was about to scold him for making people dizzy, she caught sight of her daughter's figure appearing behind the screen wall and rushed forward to greet her, much more swiftly than the civil official Meng Shaoqing.
"You're finally back!" She took her daughter's hand, looked her up and down, both happy and worried. "You seem to have lost a lot of weight..."
Looking at her mother, Meng Lingyao felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She deliberately put on a tough front and said, "Father and Mother always wouldn't let me come back before. I thought they didn't want me as their daughter anymore."
"You silly child!" Madam Zhong wanted to scold her for getting too wild outside, but after not seeing her for months, she couldn't bear to say anything harsh. She gently poked her forehead. "How was your journey? Did you get tired?"
Meng Lingyao hugged her arm affectionately and nodded emphatically, "I'm exhausted. Especially mentally, I'm so tired, I can't sleep because I miss my mother so much."
Knowing full well that she was just making things up, Madam Zhong looked at her daughter's face and could actually see a hint of fatigue, as if there were still shadows on her eyes. Her heart softened instantly, and all the worry and concern she had felt over the past few months turned into a soft sigh. "Hot water has been prepared in the bathhouse. Go and wash up quickly to get rid of the chill."
After Meng Lingyao finished washing up and changed into a slightly worn casual dress, she let out a comfortable sigh.
The round table was already laden with her favorite dishes, all local specialties. Her parents sat around the table, their eyes filled with undisguised concern.
"Father, Mother." She sat down with a smile, disregarding the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping. As she ate, she enthusiastically recounted her experiences in Jinling, naturally only reporting the good news and omitting the bad. She lightly glossed over the thrilling assassinations and conspiracies, only picking out interesting local customs and anecdotes from her journey. This amused her parents, who temporarily set aside their worries about the political turmoil and immersed themselves in the joy of their daughter's return home.
That night, the mother and daughter leaned against the couch, having endless private conversations. Madam Zhong simply stayed in her daughter's room, leaving Meng Shaoqing alone in the empty room.
Helpless, Meng Yan took out his guqin, which hadn't been played with for many days and was covered with a thin layer of dust. He casually strummed the strings, and his mood was unexpectedly the same as that of someone who had been standing outside the door without entering today.
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