Chapter 46: Invited. Pei Yunzhou, how dare you take revenge on your own behalf! ...
That unintentional reminder didn't leave a mark on anyone.
But Pei Ji knew that since his father accidentally discovered those letters and burned them, he must have known that someone was planning to assassinate the Pei family, and he must have been observing in secret.
The higher and more powerful he jumps in the previous dynasty, the more confused and anxious those people in the dark will become, and the more likely they are to reveal their true colors.
Naturally, Pei Ji is most suspicious of the Jin family of the Third Prince's faction. After all, apart from the fact that both families are pillars of the court, the eldest sister is a concubine and is constantly competing for favor with the Queen in the harem. If it is the Jin family, it is not impossible.
Pei Ji breathed a sigh of relief. There really wasn't any clue at the moment, but as long as he continued investigating, there would definitely be clues. It was better not to worry too much about it at this point.
He returned to the yard, pushed open the door to the bedroom, and saw He Zhiliao fiddling with a number of posts at the table.
Pei Ji walked over and randomly picked one up to look through it, his eyebrows raised. "These ladies have suddenly come to their senses and realized they're sending you invitations to join in the fun. Their timing is excellent."
Not only the rich men, but also many ladies would send invitations to him, asking him to pass them on to his mother. It was obvious that they knew that his mother didn't want to be with them, so they chose to be roundabout in this way.
Naturally, He Zhiliao threw away all the ambiguous posts. The only ones left at this time were invitations and visiting cards that he had carefully considered and believed would not have any impact even if there was any overlap.
"And there's an invitation from the palace. Does Jin Mei treat you as the Third Imperial Consort?" Pei Ji suddenly became displeased and threw the invitation sent by the Queen to the ground. "If you go, I'm afraid you'll come back injured again."
Chun Jian quickly picked up the invitation. Even if she didn't go, she wouldn't dare to throw the Queen's things like that.
Pei Ji's words were not polite at all, and he showed great disgust towards the Queen and the Third Prince's faction without hiding it at all.
He Zhiliao quickly shook his head. He was not going to accept the invitation, he just wanted to put the invitation away. He knew the queen's cruelty better than anyone else.
"How clever." Pei Ji waved his hand to send the servants out, and then he hugged He Zhile affectionately, "What's so interesting about these posts? If you find them boring, just pick a good one to play with."
He Zhiliao knew that he was dissatisfied, so she simply put away all the invitations and sorted them out later. If there was one worth going, she would naturally go.
He tilted his head back and saw the person behind him gently rubbing the side of his face, and they suddenly kissed.
Pei Ji's eyes lit up immediately, and he held his head and kissed him carefully. He kept probing inside and asked vaguely, "Have you eaten peach preserves? It's so sweet."
He Zhiliao was forced to endure his deep kiss. When she heard him ask these questions, she clutched the clothes around his waist even more shamefully. In order not to listen to him, she could only become more intoxicated.
Pei Ji wanted to go deeper, but after looking at the sky outside, he could only endure it for the time being.
He turned his head and held He Zhiliao's already red face in his hands, arching his eyebrows and eyes, "Poor girl, why are you so obedient? What did you do today? I haven't heard you mention it in the past few days."
He Zhiliao was a little shy. He had been staying at home recently and had never gone out to the streets.
He was tossed around every night, and he would go to the palace to work in high spirits. He would rest until noon, and even then, he would take a nap after lunch. If he felt tired in the evening, he would also take a short rest.
He has been focusing on sleeping these days, just to make Pei Ji happy at night.
He Zhiliao pouted, he was really the best and most upright king!
Pei Ji smiled wryly, "We are newlyweds, and the excitement of the wedding night hasn't faded yet. It's my fault. I will try to restrain myself in the future."
He Zhiliao curled his lips, saying that what he said was so shameless.
Facts have proved that Pei Ji can do shameless things.
That night.
A red quilt was draped over the two of them, and He Zhiliao was forced to sit on the upper seat. He wanted to escape in a state of collapse, but Pei Ji held his waist tightly. He had nowhere to hide and could only endure it.
Although there were many pictures in the booklet, I had never looked at them carefully. I thought I could just lie down, but who would have thought that he would let him do such bold and novel movements.
Not only was he tossed to and fro, but he even had to use his mouth.
He Zhiliao was really scared. With tears on her face, she huddled in front of the bed, pulled the quilt to cover herself, and refused to let him kiss her. How could he kiss her there!
Pei Ji licked his shiny lips and coaxed him in a low voice, "Be good, don't be afraid, I won't eat you. This is how the book is drawn, so of course I want to learn it. Come and let me learn."
He Zhiliao shook his head vigorously, saying that it was very dirty there.
She looked pitiful, her eyebrows and nose were all red, and tears were hanging on her eyelashes, about to fall. Her clear and watery eyes looked at him pleadingly.
Pei Ji sighed softly, "Then I won't learn anymore. Come here and give me a hug."
He Zhiliao immediately put down the covering quilt and crawled to him on his knees. His thin and light inner clothes could not hide the marks on his body. He snuggled in his arms without reservation, obviously trusting him very much.
But that kind of thing is not good.
Pei Ji patted his back gently, his hot lips touching his neck, and laughed deep in his voice, "My husband has been so obedient, shouldn't I reward him? Hmm? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your agreement."
He Zhiliao still had his mischievous fingers in his mouth, and shiny saliva was dripping from the corners of his lips. Even if he was not mute, he would probably not be able to speak in this situation.
This bad guy!
Pei Ji chuckled and re-entered, sealing his lips and teeth, entwining his soft tongue, stretching every night to the extreme.
The next day.
When He Zhiliao woke up, Pei Ji had already gone to the court to kill people. He grabbed the other's pillow and hit it hard twice as if to vent his anger, and then hugged him in his arms with special affection.
He didn't feel as tired as he did in the past few days. Instead, he slept very comfortably. He dragged his tired body to his feet and rang the bell that was hung in front of the bed.
This bell was originally meant for him to get up, but he forgot to take it down during their first marriage consummation, so the bell rang all night long, making He Zhi feel ashamed for a long time. Later, he would take it down at night and hang it up again after Pei Ji got up.
Hearing the noise, Yanhua and Xixin came in and helped him down to wash. They also rubbed moist ointment on his cheeks and hands to prevent them from drying out and cracking due to the wind.
Whenever he smelled the greasy scent of grease, he knew winter was coming.
In the past, he was always afraid of autumn and winter, as his thin clothes and bedding were not enough to protect him from the cold.
But now, even wearing a thin inner layer, I don’t feel cold at all.
Xixin tied her hair up according to her usual habit, a very relaxed and convenient hairstyle, and she didn't even show any intention of wearing earrings for him. However, He Zhiliao held her hand and signaled her to dress neatly.
Yanhua was slightly surprised. "Are you planning to keep your appointment today?"
He Zhiliao nodded slightly. He had received a lot of invitations and visiting cards recently. Although he didn't want to contact outsiders, he couldn't just refuse them.
A thousand-mile long dam can be breached by a single ant bite.
Any small thing could become a hidden danger, so he had to maintain superficial relationships with those people. This might allow him to learn more information, which would be beneficial to both the Pei family and himself.
Xixin immediately changed his hair accessories. The hair that was originally tied at the back of his head was fixed with several beautiful hair accessories. He also wore a purple headdress on his head, which was just embedded in the base of his ears, and a purple earring inlaid with pearls. He looked particularly dignified and elegant, yet lively.
He got up late, and the kitchen in the front yard would not follow his schedule, so he ate in the small kitchen in the yard. After eating and drinking, he prepared to ask the servant to deliver the invitation.
"Master, which house do you want to go to for the appointment?" Chun Jian asked softly. There were many posts yesterday, and they were put away before they were all read. Some were even thrown away by his son-in-law.
He Zhiliao lowered his eyes to look at the invitations and gently clicked on one of them.
The invitations all had time stamps, so he just had to go on time. He had an appointment at the Second Prince's Mansion, so naturally he should be called the King of Qi.
The Second Prince was diligent and respectful in his work, and His Majesty was very pleased with his composure, so he directly made him a king. However, this also put an end to his dream of becoming the Crown Prince.
The Princess of Qi didn't know whether he would come or not, but since she had already sent the invitation, everything should naturally be done according to the rules for entertaining distinguished guests.
Soon, the housekeeper came to tell him that Pei Sizheng had arrived.
He Zhiliao had met many princes before, but this was his first time in the Prince Qi's Mansion. This mansion did not look as grand as the Third Prince's Mansion, but was decorated in a particularly gentle and sophisticated way.
He Zhi was taken to the front yard by the servants. As soon as he stepped into the front yard, he saw from afar a man dressed very simply waiting for him. When he got closer, he saw the man's clothes and the red mole between his eyebrows.
"Meet the Princess of Qi."
He Zhiliao bowed and greeted them, while Chun Jian and the others spoke immediately.
He had never heard that the Princess of Qi was a male before, but that was true. The King of Qi had been married for many years. If the Princess was a female, she would have had both sons and daughters long ago, and the Third Prince would not have been the one to give birth to the grandson.
Princess Du Ziyue of Qi chuckled: "You are my honored guest, why are you so polite? In fact, I should have invited you to my house for a gathering before, but it was not the right time."
Before the Second Prince was crowned king, he still had the opportunity to become the Crown Prince. At that time, he could not easily meet with the aristocratic families, otherwise His Majesty would suspect that he was coveting the throne.
The extra money raised during fundraising was also used in the hope of taking better care of the people. Otherwise, he would not have been so prominent as to avoid being hated by other princes.
Later, when the prince was crowned king, many officials and noble families, seeing that the prince had no possibility of succeeding to the throne, gradually chose to move on. His Majesty no longer kept a close eye on them as before, and only dared to invite people to be his guests after seeing the situation clearly.
He Zhiliao was a little surprised that he would say this to her, but she didn't dare to nod in agreement easily for fear of causing misunderstanding.
"You don't have to be shy. Now there are only the prince's people in the mansion, and your husband is on good terms with our prince. It's a good thing to visit him often." Du Ziyue chuckled. Although he was not as good-looking as others, his gentle and calm temperament was the most special.
These words made He Zhiluo suspicious.
When did Pei Ji become friends with the King of Qi?
Apart from the last fundraising for disaster relief, it seems that he has never seen him in private again, nor has he heard Pei Ji mention him.
Du Ziyue's family background was not good, and her marriage to the King of Qi could only be said to be a result of weighing the pros and cons. Therefore, she had already developed the ability to observe people's words and expressions over the years.
He smiled and said, "If you have any doubts, go back and ask. You've been invited to my house today, and I won't let anything go wrong. But I know you like plum wine, so I've specially asked someone to brew an altar. Take it with you when you return. Have some hot tea here with me."
He Zhiliao didn't expect that he could actually see his hesitation. He pursed his lips a little embarrassedly, but it was rare to meet someone as sensitive as him. He inexplicably felt that they had met too late.
"It's a little chilly today. I've set up the banquet inside the house. There's also a stage in the backyard, and I've already asked a troupe to prepare it. So we don't have to go to the theater outside to listen to the music." Du Ziyue's voice was calm and gentle.
This arrangement took He Zhiliao's preferences into consideration and also maintained his usual habits - he was too lazy to go out and interact with people, and would never leave the house if he could stay at home.
During the casual chat, He Zhiliao learned that Du Ziyue was not the son of a high-ranking official, and his family background had already fallen on hard times. However, he did not expect that His Majesty would grant them a marriage.
Du Ziyue originally thought that the Second Prince would particularly dislike him. After all, with his status and position at that time, there were naturally better women for him to choose from. Perhaps the truth was already a foregone conclusion.
After all, no one can change His Majesty's will.
In the following years, he also tried many medicinal foods in the hope of conceiving a child as soon as possible, but he never found the right method, and his interest gradually faded.
After spending most of the day in Prince Qi's mansion, they ate, listened to music, and talked, and they felt that they got along very well.
"Take the plum wine with you. I think it's quite good. If you don't like the taste, you can give it to others." Du Ziyue said gently, "If we have the chance to get together again, I'll prepare some more of your favorite food."
He Zhiliao nodded slightly and said goodbye to him with a smile.
He had met many gentle people: his mother Qin Yurong was gentle but cold, his second brother Pei Su was gentle but tough, Song Yu was gentle but intelligent and quick-witted... Only the Princess of Qi gave him a feeling as light as warm water, either there or not.
There were always some ripples in his heart, and he was always worried about the other person.
Although He Zhiliao thought the other party was really good, he still had to ask Pei Ji about the situation and whether they could become close friends before making any plans.
He always remained skeptical about what Du Ziyue said about Pei Ji's friendship with the King of Qi.
Pei Ji was never idle in the court. The Censorate already had a lot to do, and now he had to work with the Ministry of Justice to interrogate Jin Ze, which made him even busier.
The Minister of Justice Meng Cheng is from the maternal family of the Third Imperial Concubine. His Majesty made this arrangement simply to let them check and balance each other, so that Pei Ji will not feel unbalanced, nor will the Jin family feel that they are being abandoned after their time has passed.
Pei Ji and Meng Cheng were personally guarding the prison. Meng Cheng naturally didn't want to set foot in such a disgusting place, but if he didn't come, who knew if Pei Ji would go crazy and torture him into confessing. What would be the point of him staying here then?
Since His Majesty had initiated the investigation into this matter, it was inevitable that Jin Ze would be punished. Pei Ji simply listened to his angry curses and roars, and felt that the punishment was still too light.
"Why can he still speak?" Pei Ji raised his eyebrows slightly, looked up at the jailer who was torturing him, and looked extremely sincere when asking this question.
"Master Pei, we are using torture, not forcing a confession. There should be a limit to torture, right?" Meng Cheng spoke quickly. He wanted to signal Jin Ze to stop scolding, but the other party couldn't see it!
It's like throwing a wink at a blind man!
Pei Ji smiled, "No wonder he's so stubborn and keeps spouting insults. It's obvious he's harboring resentment. He deserves a flogging."
"Flogging?" Meng Cheng was shocked. "Don't forget, he's the son of Grand Tutor Jin. Aren't you deliberately trying to make things difficult for him by doing this?"
"Sir Meng, according to what you said, I should let him go lightly. But don't forget that the salary you receive is a reward from His Majesty, not from some Grand Tutor." Pei Ji blocked all his words with one sentence and ordered the Ministry of Justice to start the flogging.
The short whip soaked in salt water instantly tore the person's skin and flesh apart when it hit him. As Jin Ze screamed in collapse, the dirty insults never appeared again.
Pei Ji used Emperor An to shut Meng Cheng's mouth. Although the other party would not confront him head-on, he would definitely inform His Majesty and Master Jin about the matter, but it didn't matter.
Jin Ze's crimes are too numerous to list. Unless the third prince can ascend the throne immediately, no one can stop him from killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.
Seeing the jailer gradually losing his strength, Pei Ji narrowed his eyes with some dissatisfaction. Jin Yang, who also worked in the Ministry of Justice, immediately turned cold.
He shouted angrily, "Since you want to prove Young Master Jin's innocence, you should beat him severely. If he doesn't change his words even when he's dying, maybe he can still be trusted. But by holding back like this, aren't you telling the people of the world that our Ministry of Justice is incompetent and can just laugh it off because it's just a crony of a high-ranking official?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the jailers who were trying to save face in front of Meng Cheng no longer dared to relax. They whipped Jin Ze one after another, without even giving him a chance to defend himself, and he got away with it completely.
"Oh my! Something terrible is about to happen! Pei Yunzhou, you are too arrogant! How dare you take revenge on someone else!" Meng Cheng shouted at the unconscious Jin Ze, "Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's punishment?"
Pei Ji's face was filled with confusion, but his eyes were remarkably indifferent. He tilted his head slightly, "Why do you think so, Lord Meng? I was merely following the procedures of your Ministry of Justice for the interrogation. How could this be considered a personal vendetta? As for your Majesty's condemnation, that's completely absurd. How could your Majesty punish a meritorious official for a guilty one?"
"You!" Meng Cheng had been immersed in the previous dynasty for decades, and had never seen such a domineering person who didn't take anyone seriously!
But it was not the right time to get too entangled with the other party. He looked at the jailer and said, "Master Jin is already unconscious. We can't get anything out of him at this moment. Why don't we take him away quickly and call a doctor for an examination!"
"You, the Ministry of Justice, are really so gentle when interrogating this criminal?" Pei Ji said in a low voice, "Splash it on him to wake him up. This criminal is not qualified to seek medical treatment. Lord Meng, please don't lose your composure!"
At this moment, there is no need to say who has the final say in the entire Ministry of Justice.
No one gave Jin Ze a chance to breathe. A bucket of ice-salt water was poured directly on his head. He woke up slowly in shock and anger. His throat was hoarse from cursing, but he still wanted to speak in a hoarse voice. However, his body was in pain and cold, so he could only shiver.
Pei Ji said coldly, "I already have the evidence, but His Majesty still insists on sending you to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. He simply wants you to confess in person so that he can give you a chance to live. But you are so unbearable. It is really a waste of His Majesty's efforts."
"I...I didn't do it..." Jin Ze naturally refused to comply. His father had told him before he came in that as long as he refused to admit it, he would find a way to rescue him. But if he admitted it with his own mouth, there would be no way to save him.
As if he had expected this answer, Pei Ji smiled and said, "Young Master Jin seems to be quite dignified. I really admire your arrogance. Since that's the case, then I will impose a few more punishments. If you still refuse to change your words, I will personally tell His Majesty that this is all a misunderstanding."
Jin Ze's originally dark eyes burst into light, "This young master has never done it, and I will not yield to you!"
Pei Ji raised his lips and chuckled, "I admire brave people the most. Come on, bring the branding iron."
"W-what...?" Jin Ze looked at him in shock. Even if the Ministry of Justice used all the punishments one by one, it shouldn't be the branding. "You lied to me!"
No matter how he struggled, the jailer from the Ministry of Justice had already raised the red-hot iron in front of him, ready to poke the iron cap into him at any time at Pei Ji's command.
Jin Ze couldn't bear it any longer and collapsed, shouting in a hoarse voice.
"I did it! It was all my fault!"
"I plead guilty! Let me go!!!"
Meng Cheng closed his eyes in despair, but Pei Ji curled his lips and smiled.
So, wouldn’t it be better if everyone just lived in peace at the beginning?
Pei Ji took the signed confession and left slowly. He would show the petition to His Majesty, and His Majesty's attitude at that time would also affect his attitude in the future.
Jin Ze could not withstand the punishment from the Ministry of Justice and confessed to what he had done before. The news spread like wildfire.
Master Jin gnashed his teeth and told his wife, who was wiping away tears, "Write a letter to the Empress, asking her to save Ze'er's life!"
"I'm going to the palace now—"
"Send the letter! You absolutely cannot enter the palace at this time. Just listen to me."
The Queen was naturally also very anxious in the palace. His Majesty had been particularly cold to her recently. Who knew it was not because of Jin Ze's involvement, but in the final analysis, it was all Pei Ji's fault!
She took a deep breath and said, "Prepare the sedan chair and go to the Shangshufang immediately."
The Queen hurried to the Shangshufang, but was stopped outside by Peng Tongmin. "Your Majesty, His Majesty is discussing important matters with several ministers and cannot see you at this moment. This servant will pass on the message for you."
"Peng Tongmin, you're becoming more and more capable of doing your job now?" The Queen gritted her teeth. "I'm the Queen. When do I need a messenger to see His Majesty?"
Peng Tongmin remained unmoved, only becoming more respectful. "Your Majesty, please calm down. I'm sure you've come here for your brother. His Majesty is furious right now. If you rush in, I'm afraid he'll get angry with you too. The Third Prince is still sieging the stronghold."
The reminder sounded like a threat.
The queen did calm down because of this. Jin Ze was important, but An Huan was her support. Nothing could happen to her, and nothing could happen to An Huan either. Otherwise, how could she sit on the throne of the queen mother?
While the Queen was stunned, several court officials headed by Pei Ji came out of the Shangshufang. Looking around, they seemed to be officials from the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice. It was obvious what they were discussing inside.
It's nothing more than about Jin Ze's life and death.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen."
Several officials saluted her, but the queen's eyes were always fixed on Pei Ji. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened.
But the Jin family is implicated, and she can no longer act rashly. There will be plenty of opportunities to deal with them in the future, as long as An becomes the crown prince or the new emperor.
Pei Ji looked at her with a half-smile, but he didn't have much respect in his heart. Now that they had completely torn their relations, there was naturally no peace between the several families.
"Master Pei, do you really not care about the Pei family at all?" The Queen sneered, "If you walk by the river too often, you will get your shoes wet."
Pei Ji smiled: "Your Majesty, I will listen carefully to your advice. Your Majesty, my family has always been loyal to you. If you are framed, I will find out the truth and make them pay a more tragic price."
Jin Ze is an example.
Set an example for the Queen and the Third Prince.
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The author has something to say: Today is Master Pei. [Spread flowers]
Xiao Pei: "The whip that hit my sweetheart back then has been returned to the Jin family today. Next time, I'll whip the Third Prince!" [Spreading hands]
The little cicada ate and drank: "What are you mumbling about, my husband?" [kiss]
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