Chapter 66
Chapter 66
The shouting echoed in the darkness, hitting people's hearts, making them feel flustered. The retainers around the prince looked at the prince several times, unable to bear the torment, "Your Highness..."
The prince's face was tense.
The people from the court arrived quickly.
I have been blocking the city gate for two or three days and have already let Prince Jing go. Do I really have to open the city gate and send the third son of the Xie family out to have him impeach me for forging an imperial edict in front of his father?
impossible.
But closing the door like this and locking out the court people is tantamount to disobeying the imperial order and is also not a solution.
The prince glanced behind him and asked his retainer, "Where is Pei Yuanqiu?"
The retainer hurriedly said, "Lord Pei told His Highness not to worry, as long as the city gate is opened, the third son of the Xie family will definitely appear."
The people from the imperial court outside the gate had been shouting for a while. If the gate was not opened, it would probably reach the emperor's ears. "Open the gate and guard it for me. If you see the third son of the Xie family, kill him without mercy."
The city gate opened and the person who came to meet them was Xu Xun, the commander of the cavalry.
After waiting for a long time, his voice was almost hoarse, and then he saw the city gate open. Before he could go in, he was stopped outside by the prince's retainer, who smiled and said to him, "Your Highness the Crown Prince knows that Commander Xu is here to pick someone up, and he is anxious to find someone. Recently, many dead souls have returned to the south city, and they should not be frightened. Please forgive me, Commander Xu, for waiting here for a while. Once Your Highness finds someone, bring him to the commander immediately."
Xu Xun reined in his horse and looked up. The city gate was open, but a group of people were blocking the gate.
There's no plan to let him in.
Xu Xun was a student of Xie Pushe. Today, the emperor personally ordered him to bring the third son Xie back to Dongdu safely. He couldn't back down before he saw him. He smiled at his retainers and said, "The emperor has given the order. How can I be lazy and let Your Highness do it for me?" He turned around and ordered the guards behind him, "Go into the city to pick up the third son."
"Commander Xu!" The retainer raised his voice: "As far as I know, His Majesty only said that he would pick someone up, but he didn't ask Commander Xu to search the city. Could it be that Commander Xu still wants to force his way into Dongzhou?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a row of dark guards surrounded him from behind.
Xu Xun's face changed.
The retainer on the other side smiled politely again and said, "Commander Xu, please wait for news here."
Pei Yuanqiu had been guarding the mountain for half the night. He had just taken a nap when he heard someone beside him say, "Sir, someone is coming."
Pei Yuanqiu opened his eyes in an instant, looked up and saw a group of people coming down the mountain road. The sky was already bright, and walking in the front was Xie Shao, the third son of the Xie family.
Following behind him were Pei Qing, Wei Yun and others.
Not one less.
Pei Yuanqiu slowly stood up from the low stool, looked up at the young man on horseback, and waited for the horse and the man to slowly approach. When old acquaintances meet, there is no need to say more. "Thank you, young master, we meet again."
Xie Shao smiled and said, "Congratulations to Master Pei for his great contribution. It's time for him to be promoted again."
Pei Yuanqiu did not answer, but glanced at Pei Qing behind him. There was a young "master" sitting on the back of the horse.
After living for so many years, he can still tell whether the other person is a man or a woman.
Since eight years ago, all of Pei Qing's movements have been under his control. He knows exactly who he has come into contact with, but there is no young lady.
Where did it come from?
Why did the prince's men suddenly withdraw from the mountain? How did the young master of Wei get in touch with the third young master Xie? Thinking back to the grain donation in Fengcheng...
It suddenly dawned on me that this person must be the second wife of the Wen family and the third wife of the Xie family.
Seeing his sharp eyes staring back for a long time without moving, Xie Shao's face turned cold, "Lord Pei wants to be promoted, Xie thinks this life is enough. Dafeng has a vast territory, and we can go forward by land and sea. Lord Pei, why don't you leave a way out for yourself."
If the third grandmother of the Xie family were to go to Dongdu, she would probably have no way out.
Pei Yuanqiu didn't move, he was weighing the pros and cons.
Just as he was hesitating, Pei Qing squeezed his horse's belly and slowly stepped forward. For the first time, he looked directly at the face of the middle-aged man below him and asked calmly, "Master Pei, do you keep your word?"
Their eyes met, and the hatred in the eyes that were staring at him suddenly disappeared. Pei Yuanqiu was slightly stunned and understood what he meant.
As long as he is willing to go with him, he can show some favor to his son.
The only one who showed up in public was the third son of the Xie family. As for the others, he didn't know them.
Pei Yuanqiu folded his hands in front of him and said in a gentle voice: "Of course it counts."
Pei Qing said nothing more. He walked behind Pei Yuanqiu with Wen Shuse, turned his horse's head, and turned to face Xie Shao.
Pei Yuanqiu heaved a sigh of relief, raised his hand, and the people behind him stepped aside, making way for Xie Shao to pass through the main road to the city gate. "Master Xie, please come in."
Xie Shao didn't look at Pei Qing, nor did he look at Wen Shuse behind him. He pulled the reins and drove towards the city gate without looking back.
Wen Shuse leaned forward, and Pei Qing reached out and grabbed her arm.
Wen Shuse straightened his body and didn't move at all.
After a hole appeared in the sky, the light quickly brightened and the person in front of me became clearer and clearer.
Pei Yuanqiu followed the team and stood side by side with Pei Qing. He turned to look at him. His arm was still bandaged and his face was covered with several scratches. He must have suffered a lot on the way. He felt a little distressed. "Go back later and have a good rest."
Pei Qing didn't respond and asked him, "Where is mother's spirit tablet?"
"In my room, don't worry, the incense has never been cut off."
The sound of horse hooves moving forward was heard, and Pei Qing suddenly asked, "Have you ever regretted it?"
Pei Yuanqiu was stunned. What touched him more than the answer to this question was that he was finally willing to ask himself.
The year he left, he seemed to be only six years old. I carried him to the door, and when the father and son said goodbye, he hugged his neck tightly and cried, "Dad, come back soon."
In the years that followed, when he was surrounded by wealth and luxury, he recalled this scene more than once, and how could he not regret the pain that welled up in his heart?
Pei Yuanqiu said hoarsely: "I am sorry for you and your mother."
Pei Qing smiled, his face full of sarcasm.
Pei Yuanqiu didn't care, and continued: "But if I were to choose again, I would still take this path." The softness in his eyes slowly disappeared, and his eyes turned cold. "At least I can pave a shortcut for you, so that you don't have to take a detour in the future. The descendants of my Pei family will no longer have to worry about their livelihoods, and can focus on their work."
Pei Qing's eyes twitched, "So, mother should be abandoned by you."
Pei Yuanqiu could not deny it, "I have failed her."
She was abandoned and betrayed by her husband for no reason. Her only son was left to raise his child alone and was tortured to death for a living. All she got was a sense of betrayal.
Pei Qing's hands were shaking, anger and pain intertwined, almost swallowing him up, and his eyes went dark.
Pei Yuanqiu is not even a beast, what else can he expect?
I don't want to look at him again.
The team continued to move forward with Xie Shao. The roads on both sides became quieter and quieter. When they arrived at the city gate, the morning light just happened to shine on the nine-ridged top of the city wall, creating a dazzling circle of light that dazzled people.
There was a huge crowd of people below, all of them were the prince's men.
Xie Shao in front had stopped.
"Pei Yuanqiu." Pei Qing's eyes were cold as he said, "You are not worthy." Not worthy of being a husband, not worthy of being a father, and even less worthy of being a human being.
Pei Yuanqiu was stunned.
"Sister-in-law, hold on tight and follow Brother Xie." Pei Qing thrust the reins into Wen Shuse's hands, suddenly leaped off the horse's back, and threw himself on the horse of Pei Yuanqiu opposite him.
The two men fell heavily to the ground. When everyone came to their senses, Pei Qing had grabbed Pei Yuanqiu's collar, and the knife in his hand was pressed tightly against his neck, roaring: "Get out of the way."
The horse was frightened and Wen Shuse almost fell off. He grabbed the reins tightly and lay on the horse's back, not daring to move.
Pei Qing shouted to Xie Shao in front of him, "Brother Xie, take her away. I'll cover you."
No one expected an accident to happen. Feng Chao looked at the knife in his hand nervously, "Sir, calm down. Don't be impulsive."
Pei Qing ignored him and dragged Pei Yuanqiu towards the city gate, "Let them move back!"
Pei Yuanqiu fell down and his bones were all broken. He was threatened with a knife and his face turned red. He didn't care about himself and cursed angrily, "Stupid and ignorant! You are brave but not wise. Do you think you can threaten the prince like this? You will only get yourself killed!"
The prince had been waiting for three days and had long wished to grind the Xie family into ashes. How could he let them go just because of Pei Yuanqiu?
As expected, they retreated to the front of the prince's troops and could no longer move.
Xie Shao and his companions had already dismounted from their horses, and Wen Shuse also came to his side. The group was protected by Pei Qing behind them, sandwiched between Pei Yuanqiu and the prince's men.
The prince sat in the carriage and watched for a while. At first, he was very happy to see someone finally coming. He secretly praised Pei Yuanqiu for his talent, but he didn't know that he raised a stupid son.
There is almost no need to consider which is more important, the position of the crown prince or having a capable subordinate.
As soon as the curtain was opened, he told the people around him, "Go ahead, don't leave anyone alive."
The soldier obeyed the order, turned over and rode to the front, took a look at the embarrassed Pei Yuanqiu, and said, "Master Pei, what happened?"
Pei Yuanqiu said urgently: "Your Highness, please give me another chance."
"Lord Pei is confused. These villains are trying to murder Your Highness. Lord Pei should kill them immediately." After the soldier finished speaking, he waved his hand without caring about Pei Yuanqiu's life or death, and the guards behind him immediately surrounded him.
Xie Shao protected Wen Shuse behind him and was well prepared. He whispered to the others, "The prince's men are outside. Cover your mouth and nose and move closer to the city gate."
As soon as he finished speaking, he threw a cigarette holder out of his hand and thick smoke spread instantly.
The guards who rushed up were caught off guard and were choked to the point that they could not open their eyes. Several of them took the opportunity to rush towards the city gate. Pei Qing was grabbed by the sleeve by Wen Shuse behind him, and he also dragged Pei Yuanqiu to retreat.
Unfortunately, the city gate had already been surrounded by the prince like a solid wall. However, after moving forward about ten steps, they were surrounded by guards again.
Xie Shao suddenly raised his head and shouted towards the outside of the city: "Excuse me, Your Highness, what crime did I, Xie Shao, commit that caused Your Highness to go to such great lengths and even send people from the military office to kill me?"
Xu Xun, who was guarding outside, saw the thick smoke coming out from inside. He knew that the situation had changed and became anxious, but he could not find a reason to attack the city.
Now that he heard Xie Shao's voice, he no longer hesitated and rode his horse and led his men to attack. "Your Majesty has ordered to take Xie Shao, the third son of the Xie family, back to the Eastern Capital. Anyone who disobeys the order will be regarded as treason and will be killed without mercy..."
Xu Xun attacked from the outside, and the guards who were blocking the way in front of him gradually loosened up.
Among the soldiers besieging the city gate today, there were many government troops. They originally thought that they were really here to capture the traitors, but now when they heard people from the court shouting outside, they felt a little panicked.
On the contrary, Xie Shao and his companions, knowing that reinforcements had arrived, tried their best to rush out.
The road behind them was blocked by Pei Yuanqiu's men, and the prince's troops could not attack. Seeing that the situation was not right, the soldiers shouted angrily: "Master Pei, what are you doing? Hurry up and catch the traitor."
People have reached the city gate.
If they went forward and waited for the imperial troops to arrive, it would be too late. Knowing how much effort his master had put in for this day, Feng Chao did not care about anything else. He put the overall situation first and rushed forward to stop the people.
The prince, who was not far away, also noticed something was wrong, and cursed him as a waste. He ordered, "Close the city gates, and prepare arrows!"
"Archers, prepare your arrows!"
Once the city gates are closed and arrows are fired, everyone will surely die.
Pei Qing suddenly pushed Pei Yuanqiu away, and the knife cut his neck. His eyes were red, and he stared at him intently, "Now, I don't know if my life can threaten Lord Pei."
Pei Yuanqiu was pushed out by him, and before he could recover, he looked at the knife on his neck with a frozen expression.
Pei Qing gritted his teeth and said, "Please ask Master Pei to take us out of the city."
Pei Yuanqiu's face turned pale, "You rebellious..."
Before he could finish, Pei Qing swung the knife in his hand and cut his throat without hesitation, leaving a trail of blood at the location of the knife.
Pei Yuanqiu's legs softened, and panic finally appeared on his face, "Don't mess around, calm down first..."
Pei Qing pushed the knife into the flesh again, "I am your only son. If I die, there will be no one to continue the Pei family's incense. How can you face your ancestors in the underworld?" Pei Qing smiled, "Think about it carefully. Do you want me to live and continue the Pei family's incense, or do you, Pei Yuanqiu, live in disgrace in this world without any descendants."
Blood flowed from the neck. Pei Yuanqiu was terrified. He stared quietly at his only son in front of him, his expression slowly falling apart.
Pei Qing suddenly stabbed a knife into his abdomen.
Pei Yuanqiu collapsed to the ground in fear and shouted, "Let them go!"
Feng Chao: "Sir..."
"Didn't you hear me? Let them go!"
Feng Chao also saw the handle of the knife in Pei Qing's abdomen. He was stunned and dared not move anymore.
The city gate had been mostly closed, and without Feng Chao's men blocking them, Xie Shao and his men quickly rushed to the city gate, stepped out of the gate, and looked back anxiously, "Pei Qing, hurry up, follow me!"
Pei Qing pulled out the knife from his abdomen, turned around and headed out, but did not leave the city. He used his shoulder to push against the half of the door that the guards had not had time to close, and pushed it outwards. He looked at Xie Shao outside the door, smiled with his lips curved, and said loudly: "Brother Xie, take a good look at Dongdu for me!"
The prince is going to kill ruthlessly tonight, and those outside may not be able to resist.
The longer he could delay, the greater the chances of Xie Shao surviving.
Before Xie Shao could react, the city gate weighing several hundred pounds slammed shut with a dull sound.
"Pei Qing!" Xie Shao roared angrily, turned around suddenly, rushed to the city gate, and chopped it with a curved knife, "Pei Qing, come out, we can all get to Dongdu."
Pei Qing leaned his back against the city gate, his face pale, beads of sweat on his forehead, "Let's go!"
Knowing that he would not come out, Xie Shao kicked the city gate and raised his head to curse: "Pei Yuanqiu, you beast! Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, do you really want to end your family lineage? Let him out! I'll take him to the Eastern Capital."
The roar from the broken throat penetrated the city gate and reached Pei Yuanqiu's ears. His bloodshot pupils looked in horror at the young man whose back was pressed against the city gate, his body gradually stained with blood.
That was the only son of his Pei family, the son he once held in his arms and who he personally taught to call him father.
In his entire life, he had never experienced what a father-son relationship was like except for Pei Qing. He had already abandoned him once, so would he abandon him again?
Is the Pei family really going to be destroyed in my hands?
"Feng Chao, send him out!" Pei Yuanqiu roared from his chest, with veins bulging on his face.
The archers behind him were already in position. Seeing Pei Yuanqiu blocking the door, the soldiers shouted angrily: "Pei Yuanqiu, are you going to betray your master?"
Pei Yuanqiu only saw the blood flowing out of Pei Qing's body. He went crazy. He drew a scimitar from the waist of the guard beside him and turned to face the prince's men. "The emperor has ordered! Send Master Xie to the Eastern Capital. Who of you dares to rebel?"
No one knew how Pei Yuanqiu climbed to his current position and who he depended on. No one had expected that he would rebel. The prince was furious when he heard this and wished he could kill him with a knife.
The soldiers also looked at him angrily, "Master Pei, please think it over carefully."
Pei Yuanqiu did not answer, and urged the people behind him again, "Send the young master out!"
The soldier's mouth twitched, "Shoot!"
The people behind him hurriedly opened the city gate. Feng Chao dragged Pei Qing's arm and passed the person to Xie Shao outside through the crack of the door. Before he could retreat, a long arrow pierced his vest. He suddenly knelt forward and said to Xie Shao with great pain: "You must save the young master." He used up his last bit of strength to push himself out of the crack of the door, pressed his body against the city gate, and shouted: "Go!"
The sound of fighting came from the door, and the prince was ready to fight to the death.
Xie Shao held Pei Qing's arm and lifted the man up together with Wei Yun. Xu Xun came to the rescue in time and pointed to a carriage behind them, "Third Master, help the man get on the carriage first."
Knowing that the prince would not give up, Xu Xun jumped on his horse and called for his men, "Protect Master Xie to enter the capital, retreat!"
The carriage was in front, and Xu Xun's men were at the rear. They galloped all the way, and two quarters later, they finally reached the territory of Dongdu.
Ahhh, it’s too late today, so I’ll post it first. Yueyue will add another thousand words for free later.
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