Chapter 120 I have something important to tell you
The night was as dark as ink, and the courtyard of the Sizhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion was quiet, with only the soft rustling of the wind through the treetops.
Yan Jinghong adjusted her clothes, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes, "You've stumped your mother with that question."
Old Master Lu has been in the underworld for so many years, and his actions are always elusive and unpredictable; no one has ever been able to properly track him down.
Upon hearing this, Pei Zhiwei smiled, her eyes crinkling, "That's true."
She looked up at the waning moon in the night sky, and her thoughts drifted back to before she left Yangzhou.
The reason they dared to entrust such important evidence to Lu Yinzhou and have him secretly bring it to the capital was because they valued his unparalleled ability to remain hidden.
Although Lu Yinzhou insisted on not dealing with the government, this did not prevent him from acting as an "evidence deliveryman".
Moreover, Pei Zhiwei and Xie Ji have been preoccupied with cases these days, leaving them with very little time to focus on their studies.
Lu Yinzhou kept mentioning that there were still many unique skills of the thieves' guild that he hadn't had time to pass on, so he was naturally happy to go back to the capital with them.
However, in order to lull those forces that were secretly spying into a false sense of security, they still put on a show.
They scoured Yaoguangyuan and gathered a whole box full of scrap paper with writing on it and unimportant accounts. They carefully packed it up, making it look and feel incredibly real.
Even when marching, he would make a point of having his guards keep a close watch on this box, deliberately putting on an air of "the evidence is here, there's no room for error."
The real core evidence had already been quietly handed over to Lu Yinzhou.
Even Pei Zhiwei and the others didn't know exactly how he took them away.
All I remember is that after Lu Yinzhou agreed, they were still busy packing their bags and arranging their itinerary.
One moment I saw the old man sitting in the courtyard drinking tea, and the next moment when I turned around, he was gone without a trace, and the sealed evidence had also disappeared.
Xie Ji shuddered in fright, rubbing his arms and muttering, "This old man is definitely on our side, isn't he?"
Pei Zhiwei also swallowed hard. Although she felt a little embarrassed, she still forced herself to comfort herself and Xie Ji.
"Don't scare yourself. Grandpa Lu is definitely on our side."
Thinking of this, Pei Zhiwei couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Yan Jinghong smiled as she looked at her daughter, and took her hand as they walked towards the room: "It's late, get some rest, we have to travel tomorrow."
The following afternoon, the sun shone brightly, dispelling the morning chill.
In the courtyard of the governor's mansion, everyone had rested and recovered. Even the guard who was injured in the fight with the assassins by the river the day before had been examined by a doctor, given new medicine, and looked much better.
Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was quite different from the warm and inviting atmosphere outside the courtyard.
Xiao Yunzhan sat upright at the head of the table. His dark-colored robe embroidered with auspicious clouds made him look tall and straight, but his face was very gloomy and his aura was so low that it was hard to breathe.
Pei Lin sat in the chair on the lower left, his expression calm, yet exuding an aura of righteous indignation.
Xie Ji sat beside Pei Lin, arms crossed, looking impatient, occasionally glancing at Li Liang, the prefect of Sizhou, who stood trembling in the hall.
Yan Jinghong and Pei Zhiwei stood behind Pei Lin.
Xiao Yunzhan broke the silence in the hall first, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger: "Prefect Li, Sizhou is under your jurisdiction, yet you've set a precedent for burning down an official post station in our Great Liang!"
He slammed his fist on the table.
"Leaving aside the fact that arson is a serious crime, the official post stations were an important link in the transmission of military intelligence and the exchange of officials."
Last night the fire raged so fiercely, turning half the sky red, yet I saw not a single soldier come to put it out. Even you, the governor, didn't hear a thing before we knocked on the door?!
Xiao Yunzhan practically roared out his last sentence, which seemed to shake the beams and pillars in the hall.
Li Liang was already terrified, and now his knees buckled, and he fell heavily to his knees with a thud, his head hitting the ground with a thud.
"Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Highness, please forgive me!"
I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give Your Highness an explanation!
"I beg Your Highness, please spare my life, for I have an eighty-year-old mother and an infant in swaddling clothes!"
He cried uncontrollably, begging for mercy repeatedly.
But Xiao Yunzhan remained unmoved and instead said angrily, "Is it enough to just investigate?"
"If an emergency military situation arises during this time, causing a major delay, can you bear the responsibility?"
Li Liang trembled at the shout and quickly kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, please calm down!"
I will first have a simple stable built on the spot of the official post station, and then arrange a corresponding number of fast horses and special personnel to guard and take care of it there.
"I swear on my life that I will absolutely not delay the transmission of any message!"
"And then?" Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow and pressed on, his tone full of sarcasm.
"Is it over once the stables are built? What about the burned-down post station?"
"No, no!"
Li Liang quickly added, "Then I will definitely gather the best craftsmen in the city and rebuild the official post station as quickly as possible, ensuring it is restored to its original state... no, even more orderly and sturdy than before!"
Xiao Yunzhan chuckled, "It seems you have a good relationship with the Ministry of Revenue, as you can quickly mobilize so much money and supplies?"
Li Liang waved his hands frantically, cold sweat streaming down his face.
"No, no!"
This disaster was caused by my negligence. I should be responsible for the full cost of rebuilding. How could I have the face to report to the court and use the court's money?
This is merely a humble official's expression of remorse; I beg Your Highness to grant my request!
As he spoke, he kowtowed heavily again, making a dull thud.
Xiao Yunzhan said calmly, "This is against the rules. The imperial court has its own laws. How can you privately compensate for losses caused by the dereliction of duty by officials?"
“Your Highness, rules are rules, but people are flexible!” Li Liang raised his head, his face full of sincerity.
"I am truly remorseful. I will not be at peace if I cannot make amends for this mistake myself!"
"I beg Your Highness to grant me a chance to redeem myself. Please do not report this matter to His Majesty. I will be eternally grateful and will certainly be diligent in my duties from now on, daring not to slacken in the slightest!"
Looking at his appearance, Xiao Yunzhan deliberately put on a stern face and said in a sarcastic tone, "Repent?"
When the fire broke out last night, why didn't you have this awareness?
"I know I was wrong! I've been living a good life for too long and have become quite lax!" Li Liang admitted his mistake repeatedly.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will immediately investigate and bring the arsonist to justice. No matter who it was, I will find out the truth and bring them to justice!"
As for those patrol officers who neglected their duties, I will hold them accountable one by one and show no leniency!
I beg Your Highness to show mercy, otherwise my life will be ruined!
Xiao Yunzhan pretended to be deep in thought, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair. After a while, he slowly spoke: "Very well, I will give you a chance."
You may pay for the reconstruction of the official post station privately, but the accounts must be clear. Send them to my residence later so I can review them one by one.
You have ten days to investigate the matter of the inspection and the arson, and give me an explanation.
If this is not handled properly, don't blame me for reporting today's matter to His Majesty as well!
Upon hearing this, Li Liang's face instantly lit up with ecstatic joy, and he hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your mercy! Thank you, Your Highness, for your mercy!"
"This humble official will certainly obey your orders and dare not make the slightest mistake!"
Xiao Yunzhan was too lazy to look at him anymore: "Go down and take care of your business, don't get in the way here."
Li Liang felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up from the ground, bowed, and retreated, his steps unsteady.
Another day passed, and the group finished packing and prepared to leave the governor's mansion of Sizhou and continue their journey to the capital.
Li Liang was waiting at the gate of the mansion early in the morning, with a fawning smile on his face. When he saw Xiao Yunzhan and the others come out, he quickly stepped forward, holding an ebony box in his hands.
"Lord Pei, Your Highness, when I went to inspect the fire scene at the official post station yesterday, I found that there was still a box that had not been burned."
"This humble official dares not open it without permission, so I brought it specifically for Your Highness to inspect and see if any items inside the box have been lost."
Xiao Yunzhan glanced at the box and gestured to the guard beside him to take it.
The guard handed the box to him, and Xiao Yunzhan lifted the lid to reveal a box full of gold ingots.
He raised his eyelids and looked at Li Liang with a half-smile: "How does Lord Li know that these are ours?"
Li Liang quickly bowed and replied, "Your Highness is too kind. This box was found in Your Highness's bedroom, and there are also traces of your burned luggage around it, so it is naturally Your Highness's property."
Xiao Yunzhan didn't stand on ceremony. He gestured to the guards to put it away, then mounted his horse and looked down at Li Liang.
"Lord Li, please keep your promise and repair the official post station as soon as possible. If any mistakes are made, I will not forgive you."
After saying that, he rode away without waiting for Li Liang's reply.
Pei Lin, Pei Zhiwei, and others also mounted their horses and followed closely behind.
After Xie Ji could no longer see Li Liang when he turned around, he caught up with Xiao Yunzhan.
"You've not only improved at bragging, but you're also getting better and better at acting."
You really portrayed this incompetent and furious prince perfectly.
If I didn't know what was going on inside, I would have really thought...
He almost burst out laughing as he spoke, but quickly straightened his face and coughed a few times.
The convoy headed towards the capital in a grand procession.
The next few days of travel were surprisingly peaceful.
They did not encounter any more large groups of assassins ambushing them along the way. However, occasionally when they stopped at several post stations, two or three chickens and ducks from the post stations, and even a rabbit that Xie Ji had specially caught for an extra meal, were poisoned to death because they had eaten the food prepared for Zhang Xuren.
The group proceeded with extreme caution, traveling by day and resting by night.
They finally entered the capital city before the city gates were locked.
Xiao Yunzhan reined in his horse and turned to the crowd, saying, "The palace gates are currently locked, so it is inconvenient for us to enter."
Zhang Xuren is an important witness, so I will temporarily take him back to the palace for safekeeping. Tomorrow at court, I will bring them all directly to the palace to be presented to His Majesty.”
Pei Lin nodded, his expression solemn: "That's very good. The prince is reliable in his actions, and we feel at ease entrusting him to you."
Xie Ji stretched, his face showing a look of eager anticipation: "Then I'll head back to the Marquis of Ding'an's residence first. After all this trouble, I'm finally home."
See you at the palace gate tomorrow!
With that, he cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd and rode off towards the Ding'an Marquis's residence.
Xiao Yunzhan turned to Pei Lin and said sincerely, "I am escorting Zhang Xuren back to the manor, so I will not see Lord Pei off."
I had my guards escort Lord Pei, his wife, and Lady Pei back to their residence, so they could look after each other on the way.
Just as Pei Lin was about to refuse, Xiao Yunzhan spoke first, saying, "Lord Pei, there's no need to decline."
This investigation in the south involves a wide range of people. Those people have deep roots in the capital, and it's hard to guarantee they won't make moves in the shadows.
We are all important witnesses, so for our safety's sake, please don't refuse, Lord Pei."
Pei Lin thought about it and felt that Xiao Yunzhan made sense, so he nodded: "In that case, I'll have to trouble Your Highness."
When the convoy reaches the fork in the road, they must separate.
Pei Zhiwei sat in the carriage and subconsciously lifted the curtain, only to meet his gaze.
The warm light from the street lanterns spilled over his eyebrows and eyes, outlining his clear features and adding a touch of softness.
Before Pei Zhiwei could speak, Xiao Yunzhan said first, "I have something to say to you after this is over."
Pei Zhiwei paused slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, and asked, "What is it? Is it important?"
Xiao Yunzhan nodded solemnly, his tone firm: "Very important."
Pei Zhiwei grew even more curious and pressed, "Can't you tell me now? We're almost there anyway."
Xiao Yunzhan subconsciously looked into the carriage. Pei Lin had a half-smile, but his eyes were becoming increasingly unfriendly. Yan Jinghong was also trying her best to suppress her laughter. Xiao Yunzhan's cheeks couldn't help but feel a little hot.
He coughed lightly, avoiding Pei Zhiwei's gaze, and said, "Let's wait until things are over; it's not convenient to talk about it now."
Pei Zhiwei followed his gaze to her parents in the car, somewhat puzzled, but then thought that he must have his reasons for not saying so now, so she didn't press him further.
She simply smiled and nodded at him, "Okay."
Looking at the smile in her eyes, Xiao Yunzhan felt his heart filled with something, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
He cupped his hands in greeting to Pei Lin: "Lord Pei, I shall take my leave now."
He then signaled to the guards to escort the prison cart toward the Prince Rui's residence.
Nothing was said that night.
The next day, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), just as dawn was breaking, the entire Pei household was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.
The steward opened the door, and there stood several soldiers in imperial guard uniforms, their expressions serious.
The steward dared not neglect them and hurriedly invited them into the mansion. He then turned and went to the backyard to report to Yan Jinghong and Pei Zhiwei.
After the two had quickly dressed and tidied themselves up, they rushed to the main hall.
Upon seeing the two, the imperial guards clasped their hands in a salute. The commander of the leading guards asked, "Madam Pei, Lady Pei, did Lord Pei go to court today?"
Yan Jinghong nodded, puzzled, but her unease grew stronger: "Yes, this morning, I personally helped the master change his clothes and saw him off to the carriage."
Why would you ask that?
What happened?
The Imperial Guard commander's face was solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Madam, Lord Pei did not appear at the morning court session this day."
His Majesty was concerned that something might have happened to Lord Pei on his journey, and therefore sent me to the residence to inquire about the situation.
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