Rescue people
Outside Ganchuan Villa, a group of soldiers lined up at the gate, all with serious expressions, ready for battle. Leading the group was Hu Zheng, the Minister of Justice, who frowned as he stared at the closed gate.
Soon, the door opened and Meng Yu walked out. He glanced at the crowd calmly and asked Hu Siqing, "Master Siqing, what important matter has brought you to Ganchuan?"
Hu Siqing bowed and said in a clear voice, "Your Highness, I do not mean to disturb you. It is said that Pei Zhongcheng and his wife were recently in danger and were abducted by a group of thieves and taken to Ganchuan. After they narrowly escaped, they immediately came to the Dali Temple to report that the thieves were extremely audacious. Not only did they abduct officials, they also hid in disguise in Your Highness's villa as guards. This person is extremely vicious. If he is not captured quickly, it will be detrimental to Your Highness."
As he spoke, he waved his hand to signal his men to present a scroll, which was unfolded in front of Meng Yu. It was Cui Shou.
Meng Yu glanced at the portrait expressionlessly and said, "Hu Siqing has come to the wrong place. I don't have this person here."
"Your Highness, please do not be careless. This person is extremely cunning and very good at disguising himself. Whether he is in your residence or not, we will have to find him before we can determine."
Meng Yu frowned: "Are you going to search my house? This is my private residence, how can I allow you to do anything rash!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I have all the necessary documents for your inspection. If your safety is endangered due to my inability to capture the thief, Your Majesty will not forgive me. For your safety, I can only apologize."
Hu Siqing waved his hand and everyone below filed in. Meng Yu watched coldly, unmoved.
Soon, the officers and soldiers brought a man to report to Hu Siqing. The man cursed and saw Meng Yu not far away, and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, save me!"
Meng Yu approached, and Cui Shou's face lit up with joy. Unexpectedly, as he reached him, he whipped out the officer's sword and slashed his throat with it, spurting hot blood. A flash of surprise crossed Cui Shou's eyes, and then they froze forever.
Hu Siqing was unable to stop him and was shocked, saying, "Even if this man is a villain, he must be interrogated before being convicted and sentenced. How can Your Majesty kill people directly?"
Meng Yu threw the knife back, casually wiping the blood off his face. He said calmly, "I hate hypocrites and pretentious people the most. This person concealed his identity and lurked beside me, deceiving me for so long. How could I tolerate this? If Lord Hu finds my actions inappropriate, you can report them directly to my father and let him seek justice for you."
Hu Siqing choked, angrily flicked his sleeves, and said to his subordinates: "There must be accomplices of the thieves here. To protect the safety of the prince, search for them with all your strength!"
The subordinate took the order and left. Not long after, someone came back to report that they had found a yard with a dozen girls inside. When they saw someone coming, they hid there, acting very sneakily.
Meng Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "Those are all my concubines. Lord Hu, it's fine if you catch thieves, but you also want to interfere in my private affairs in the inner chamber?"
Hu Siqing did not answer and went straight to the apricot garden. He saw the girls surrounded by a group of soldiers. They were all huddled in a corner with their heads in their hands, looking terrified. Hu Siqing asked about their identities and origins, but no one could speak. They all glanced at Meng Yu with panic eyes.
The soldiers also found Xia Changhuan, covered in wounds, in a corner room deep within the apricot garden. Hu Siqing, upon seeing her, said, "I recognize this person. She's Xia, the owner of Zhijin Academy. Pei Zhongcheng's wife told me she stole a large sum of her property and absconded with the stolen goods. She asked me to apprehend her, but I didn't expect her to be hiding here. The prince's villa is truly a den of iniquity. Someone, take her back."
Xia Changhuan had been huddled weakly in a corner, but when he heard Cheng Yayin mentioned, he became excited and happily was put into handcuffs.
Hu Siqing looked at the dozen or so panicked girls and said, "These people's identities are unknown. For the sake of the prince's safety, they will also be taken back for trial."
With Cui Shou's lesson in mind, this time when detaining Xia Changhuan and the women, Hu Siqing deliberately arranged for officers and soldiers to tightly surround them, giving no one an opportunity to take advantage. As the group marched out of the villa, passing by the stern-looking Meng Yu, Hu Siqing bowed to him and said, "I have come here today with no intention of disturbing His Majesty's peace. I am here to apprehend the thief and dispel the evil spirit for His Majesty. Please forgive me if I have offended you."
Meng Yu didn't even look at him. He sneered and said, "Minister Hu is enforcing the law according to the rules. How dare I stop him? My concubines all followed me voluntarily. No matter how you interrogate me, I have a clear conscience. You will have to return them to me obediently. I don't mind, but you are offending the dignity of the royal family. You should think about whether you can bear the consequences of your official duties."
The temple official smiled indifferently and set off on his journey back to Beijing with the Dali Temple staff. That same day, a dozen women were thrown into the Dali Temple prison. The cell door was locked, and heavy guards were stationed outside. It was both a form of imprisonment and a form of protection.
After arranging everything, Hu Siqing went to the hall, where a tall and handsome man was waiting. His face was a little pale, but his eyebrows and eyes were handsome and gentle. It was Pei Songsheng.
Pei Songsheng saw Hu Siqing and bowed solemnly to him: "Thank you, Lord Hu, for your willingness to help me."
Hu Siqing waved his hand and said, "Investigating the case and apprehending the murderer is the duty of the Dali Temple. Sir Pei, there is no need to thank you."
Pei Songsheng said, "Lord Hu went to Ganchuan and must have encountered considerable obstruction from the Ganchuan governor. He also saw the women held captive with his own eyes, and he knew that nothing we said was false. So, we can release Xue Zhi as agreed."
Hu Siqing sighed heavily and said, "Master Pei, I didn't lock him up because I thought Xue Zhi was lying. He has been in the Dali Temple for many years, and I know him well. He would never do something like framing the royal family for no reason. I'm afraid that he might make a big deal out of this in a moment of impulse and bring about his own death. That's why I locked him up to prevent him from doing anything stupid."
Pei Songsheng: "I understand Lord Hu's good intentions, and Xue Zhi understands them too. But this is what we must do, no matter who the other party is."
"Sir Pei, although you are young and promising, you are still too naive," Hu Siqing said earnestly. "The Pei family is a family of nobles and nobles, a century-old prestigious family. You come from a prominent family and have talent, destined to be a key official in the next dynasty. But Xue Zhi is different. He studied hard for many years to achieve his academic achievements, and he has no one to rely on. If you insist on holding on to this case, it will be like hitting a rock with an egg. If you insist on exposing the affairs of Prince Jin'an to the public, or even reporting it to the emperor, will the emperor do as you wish and severely punish his own son? Not only will he not do so, but he will also be angry with those who have brought this matter to light. If a punishment is imposed, Sir Pei, you have the support of your family, so your foundation will naturally not be damaged. But what about Xue Zhi? Can Sir Pei protect him? Is the Pei family willing to risk offending the emperor by protecting a humble official?"
Pei Songsheng's eyes moved slightly, and he remained silent.
Hu Siqing shook his head and said helplessly, "I've admired Xue Zhi since he entered the Dali Temple and have high hopes for him. I really can't bear to see him ruin his future or even his life. I said this to Lord Pei, and when I see Xue Zhi again, I'll still say this - now that the girls have been rescued, we can find a place to house them after the storm has passed. Prince Jin'an will probably be wary of what he does in the future, so let's end this matter here!"
*
While Hu Siqing was trying to persuade Pei Songsheng, Cheng Yayin was applying medicine to Xia Changhuan in a cell of the Dali Temple.
The guards at the door had been dismissed. In the dim cell, Xia Changhuan's clothes were half-undressed, and Cheng Yayin carefully applied ointment to the whip wounds on her back.
As soon as the ointment touched the wound, Xia Changhuan grimaced in pain. Cheng Yayin frightenedly retracted her hand, apologizing profusely. When she touched her again, her movements were much gentler. Looking at the shocking scars on her back, Cheng Yayin said apologetically, "It was because of saving me that you stayed in the wolf's den and suffered so much."
Xia Changhuan said, "How can you be blamed for this? The King of Jin'an should be blamed. This man is so hateful and ridiculous. I thought he would kill me outright, but I didn't expect him to be so reluctant to give up my ability to make money. Even at this point, he still wants to use severe punishment to make me submit to him. It seems that these princes and nobles are only noble on the surface, and in fact they are still just trying to make money to show off."
She spoke so lightly about her near-death experience that Cheng Yayin didn't know whether to praise her for her generosity or worry about her big heart. However, seeing her speaking with such vigor, she felt a lot more at ease.
Xia Changhuan rambled on about what happened in the villa, berating Meng Yu for her ruthlessness. Cheng Yayin listened with a smile, concentrating on applying the medicine. Suddenly, Xia Changhuan quieted down, and when Cheng Yayin looked at her suspiciously, she said, "I'm sorry."
Cheng Yayin was stunned for a moment, then continued applying the medicine as if nothing had happened, saying with a smile, "You are my benefactor, why are you saying this?"
"If he hadn't tricked me and tricked me into revealing your identity, you wouldn't have been targeted by him." Xia Changhuan hammered his head in frustration. "I'm so self-righteous, but I didn't see through his facade at first. I was coaxed into spilling everything by his sweet talk. I should have told you all the truth when Lord Pei sent someone to Ganchuan to look for me, but I felt it was shameful to be deceived by a man, and I refused to tell him for the sake of my pride. In order to vent my anger, I delayed your investigation, causing you to fall into his trap and Lord Pei to almost lose his life... I'm so ashamed to see you."
"It's all in the past. You risked your life to save me, and that has atoned for all your sins." Cheng Yayin said softly, "As for King Jin'an, although we suffered at his hands, he will face justice."
After applying the medicine, Cheng Yayin helped Xia Changhuan put on his clothes while saying, "Although the charges are fabricated, the cells in the Dali Temple are easy to enter but difficult to exit. And for safety reasons, I'll have to inconvenience you to stay here for a while. I've already made arrangements. You and the girls will be well taken care of."
"Don't worry about me. No matter what, this place is already a fairyland compared to Prince Jin'an's villa." Xia Changhuan said, "It's just not good either. I'm bound to be bored here alone. Tell the adults outside to lock me up with my sisters. I'm telling you, they've been locked up by Prince Jin'an for so long that they're all like they've been drugged. I have to have a good talk with them and wake them up."
Cheng Yayin laughed and said, "Then you really helped me a lot."
After settling Xia Changhuan, Cheng Yayin walked out of the prison door and Pei Songsheng was already waiting for her outside.
After the two looked at each other, they reached out and held each other's hands, and walked out of the Dali Temple together. After waiting side by side for a moment outside the door, Xue Zhi came out.
He walked with heavy steps, looked dejected, and had a haggard face. There were dark circles under his eyes, and the stubble on his chin was untrimmed. It was obvious that he must have been suffering every day during these days of imprisonment and had not had a full night's sleep.
Walking closer, Pei Songsheng patted his shoulder. The two looked at each other in silence for a long while. He said, "I'll take you home first. You should have a good rest."
Along the way, Pei Songsheng carefully recounted Hu Siqing's words to Xue Zhi. Xue Zhi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the void, his thoughts unknown. The couple exchanged glances, sighed silently, and said no more.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Xue Zhi's small house. Pei Songsheng and Xue Zhi got out and accompanied Xue Zhi into the house. Pei Songsheng said some comforting words to him. Cheng Yayin looked around and saw that his house was simple and there were no servants to take care of him. Seeing that he had lost a lot of weight, she thought about sending a few people to look after him for a while after returning.
Before leaving, Cheng Yayin hesitated for a while, and finally made up her mind. She took out the handkerchief embroidered with bamboo patterns from her arms and handed it to Xue Zhi.
"This is what Xue Wan made for you. I'm sorry we were a little late. She worked so hard to make a birthday gift for Your Majesty from Prince Jin'an that she...she spent her final moments thinking about you. Her greatest regret is that she couldn't hand this gift to you personally. For her sake, you must take good care of yourself."
Xue Zhi clutched the handkerchief, his once frozen face suddenly trembling. He clenched his hands tightly, and soon he burst into tears. Cheng Yayin couldn't bear to watch and turned her head away. He burst into tears and suddenly rushed out.
Pei Songsheng grabbed his arm and asked anxiously, "What are you going to do?"
The skin on Xue Zhi's face twitched slightly from extreme grief and anger. His eyes were blazing, and he gritted his teeth and said, "I will kill King Jin'an!"
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