Chapter 29 Giving an Umbrella "Could it be that you... forgot to bring an umbrella today?"
"Since Miss Zhou has come here today to confess her sins to you, sir, she must be truly repentant. Moreover..."
She paused, then turned her gaze to Pei Xu. "The Zhou family's business spans the north and south. Not to mention the distant places, even in the capital, the Zhou family's shops alone could fill an entire street. Tens of thousands of people work for the Zhou family, from women weaving and spinning cloth to porters traveling far and wide, to shop assistants and managers. They all depend on the Zhou family for their livelihood. If this is cut off, how will these innocent people, who are completely unaware and only seeking a stable meal, survive? I fear there will be widespread suffering and it will only increase public resentment."
Pei Xu's eyes were deep as he swept over Meng Lingyao, his face still as cold as frost, his sternness undiminished. "Miss Meng, the salt and iron smear has damaged the foundation of the nation. If the ringleaders are not severely punished, how can the laws of the country be upheld? How can we deter others from following suit? If we are lenient with the Zhou family today, more powerful families will follow suit tomorrow, treating the laws of the court as nothing."
“But my lord,” Meng Lingyao leaned forward slightly, her voice even softer yet clearer, “the livelihoods of those innocent people are also the foundation of the court. Miss Zhou has already admitted her mistake. If we can take this opportunity to thoroughly eradicate the intricate network from the inside out, uprooting the hidden rats, wouldn’t that be more effective in eliminating long-standing abuses and restoring order to the salt and iron administration than simply punishing the Zhou family? In this way, we can also protect those innocent people.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiwen felt as if a drowning person had finally grasped a piece of driftwood. She abruptly raised her head, her eyes flashing with a resolute light, "What you say is absolutely right! This humble woman... this humble woman dares not presume to ask for forgiveness! This humble woman confesses her sins! This humble woman..."
Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, yet it contained a deep-seated determination: "I know that my elders are already deeply involved and will never turn back easily! I am willing to reveal everything I know, including the officials and merchants who have colluded with the Zhou family, as well as the specific transportation routes and storage locations. In addition, the Zhou family is willing to hand over all ill-gotten gains to assist the court in thoroughly investigating this case."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xu's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Meng Lingyao looked up, and their eyes met briefly before they looked away to continue watching Zhou Xiwen's answer.
Zhou Xiwen took a deep breath, her speech quickening as if she were pouring out all the fear and determination that had been building up in her heart, "My lord, ever since I learned of this matter, I have been secretly gathering evidence..."
She knew where those smuggled salts and pig iron came from, how they were disguised through layers of smuggling, which secret passages and docks they used for transshipment, the locations of many transit warehouses, and even what legitimate businesses those warehouses were ostensibly hiding.
They also knew which officials in the imperial court were secretly accepting huge bribes and opening doors of convenience for them, and which local powerful figures were acting as their protectors.
Perhaps it was because she was born with the Zhou family bloodline, but she could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with those account books. After several checks, she found the real account books.
She didn't even need to copy it; just one glance was enough for every entry in the ledger to be imprinted in her mind.
Zhou Xiwen finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving violently, his eyes fixed on Pei Xu, waiting for an uncertain answer.
Pei Xu remained silent. The only sounds in the private room were the faint crackling of the charcoal in the stove and Zhou Xiwen's rapid breathing. The invisible pressure almost materialized. His sharp gaze swept over Zhou Xiwen's face, as if weighing every word she spoke, scrutinizing every hint of determination and fear in her eyes.
It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also seemed like only a blink of an eye. Pei Xu said calmly, "Words are no proof."
“I know that words are not enough. Your Excellency may send someone to verify what I have said.”
Pei Xu's words were exactly what Zhou Xiwen had expected. She gradually regained her composure and stated, "The inside story of 'Qiu Niang Ferry' was sent to the Dali Temple by my servants. The smuggled salt and iron were transported to the Jiangnan region through the Lu family. I'm sure you already know this, sir. Today, I want to point out the largest transshipment point in the capital. That place is both far away and right before our eyes."
The other two people in the room all focused their attention on her.
"It is the Ci'an Temple, a place of great religious significance outside the city!"
Zhou Xiwen curled his lips, revealing a hint of sarcasm. "My good brother goes there almost every month, under the pretext of praying for Grandmother's well-being, and no one has ever suspected a thing. Ci'an Temple appears to be untouched by worldly affairs, but in reality, it is a den of iniquity. Many monks in the temple are outwardly devoted to spiritual practice, but in secret, they are playthings for wealthy merchants and nobles to indulge in. And this is merely a cover; they use it to make connections with people and smuggle huge sums of salt and iron out of the country."
"Therefore, even if some people sensed something was wrong, they only thought that Ci'an Temple was secretly running a prostitution business, unaware that there were deeper secrets hidden within. Zhiqing, who had an affair with my brother in the temple, was the leader in charge of Ci'an Temple." Zhou Xiwen said in a deep voice, "Unfortunately, Ci'an Temple was outwardly loose but inwardly tight and strictly controlled. I only knew that salt and iron were definitely stored there, but I couldn't find out the exact location."
Zhou Xiwen kowtowed again, her forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud. "I know my father and brothers are guilty of grave sins, beyond redemption. Rather than let them continue to sink into depravity, dragging the entire Zhou family and countless innocent people down with them, it is better... for me to personally sever this root of evil. I swear on my life that every word I have spoken is true; if even a single lie is uttered, I am willing to suffer the punishment of being slowly sliced to death!"
"I only ask that the lives of Zhou's unsuspecting distant relatives and tens of thousands of innocent people who depend on Zhou's business for their livelihood be saved."
By the end, her voice was hoarse and her eyes were red, but she still managed to hold back her tears.
Meng Lingyao pursed her lips and glanced at Pei Xu. She knew from seeing Shen Xiaoshan at Ci'an Temple that the Dali Temple already suspected something amiss there. Therefore, the possibility that Zhou Xiwen's words were true was extremely high, and Pei Xu… he should be lenient.
Definitely.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed Zhou Xiwen to save face.
Pei Xu lowered his eyes in thought, his knuckles tapping the table lightly, making it easy to tell that he was weighing his options.
To put on airs.
Meng Lingyao thought to herself, "I don't believe the Dali Temple hasn't found anything these past few days. If they haven't discovered anything after monitoring Ci'an Temple for so long, then the people at Dali Temple shouldn't be officials; they might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes." Zhou Xiwen had made it so clear; if they had found anything, they should be able to verify the truth of the matter quickly.
I wonder who he's trying to impress by acting like this now.
“I understand,” Pei Xu finally spoke. “I will send someone to Ci’an Temple to investigate.”
“Miss Zhou,” he said solemnly, “you must know that your life and death, and the fate of the innocent members of the Zhou family, all depend on whether what you just said is true.”
Thus, it is agreed.
Zhou Xiwen's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, as if half of the strength supporting her body had been instantly drained away. The immense sense of surviving a disaster and the weight of the decision brought tears to her eyes, but she forced them back. Her throat bobbed, and she gave a deep bow, her voice trembling with barely perceptible sobs, "This humble woman understands, thank... thank you, sir!" With that, her body swayed slightly.
Meng Lingyao stepped forward at the right moment and supported Zhou Xiwen's slightly trembling arm. Her palm was soft but strong. "Xiwen, get up quickly. Lord Pei will surely see the truth."
Zhou Xiwen took a deep breath, forced herself to stand firm, and smiled slightly at Meng Lingyao before saying to Pei Xu, "This humble woman takes her leave and awaits your message, sir."
Pei Xu nodded.
Zhou Xiwen turned around, his steps still brisk, like a bamboo stalk that had just weathered a storm, its back straight, and pushed open the door to leave.
Only Pei Xu and Meng Lingyao remained in the private room. The stagnant pressure in the air seemed to finally dissipate. Meng Lingyao walked back to the small table, picked up the tea she had just poured, and found the water had cooled slightly.
She was about to drink it when Pei Xu stopped her.
"The tea is cold. It's too bitter."
He picked up the teapot again, and with his long, slender, fair hand, lifted the black-glazed porcelain bottle that was boiling on the stove. The smooth white and black clashed together, making it impossible to look away.
The clear tea water was slowly poured into the cup.
Meng Lingyao looked away.
"Lord Pei," she said softly, looking down at the ripples in her glass, "do you think... what she said is true?"
Pei Xu did not answer directly. He walked to the window and looked at the sky outside again. The clear sky that had just been clear had been swallowed up by rolling dark clouds, and distant thunder could be heard.
“The wind is picking up,” he suddenly said.
Before he could finish speaking, an extremely violent gust of wind suddenly swept in without warning.
A loud bang—
The carved wooden window facing the street was violently smashed open by the force, and a gust of wind carrying street dust rushed into the private room, scattering the papers on the table and overturning an empty teacup on the small table.
Just as the window was wide open, a torrential downpour began, like a celestial river pouring down. The dense raindrops instantly blurred the world outside the window, and the violent pounding filled the air.
Meng Lingyao gasped softly, instinctively reaching out to protect the documents scattered by the wind. Pei Xu reacted swiftly, leaping forward the instant the window was flung open. He grabbed the heavy, swaying windowpane with both hands and slammed it shut! The force was so great that the window frame creaked painfully. Despite wearing loose robes, his strong physique and sturdy shoulders and back appeared even more solid with the exertion.
The latch fell, the window closed tightly, completely shutting out the raging wind and rain. But the gray, rain-soaked scene outside was frozen in time.
The private room fell silent instantly, save for the resounding patter of raindrops against the windowpanes and roof tiles, creating a deafening cacophony. The room, which had been bright just moments before, was now dimly lit.
Pei Xu did not leave the window immediately. His fingers rested on the window frame, and through the rain-washed tiles, he looked out at the chaotic world outside, a hint of gloom gathering between his brows.
Meng Lingyao rested her chin on her hand, studying his profile. The cold, hard lines outlined by the dim light outside the window seemed now tinged with a deeper worry. Listening to the torrential rain, she thought for a moment, then said with a hint of joking, "What's wrong, Lord Pei? Did you perhaps... forget your umbrella today?"
Pei Xu turned his head, the dim light of the rain reflecting in his eyes. He looked into her bright eyes, paused for a moment, and nodded.
"yes."
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