Chapter 47: Grounded. What reward will you give me? ...
Jin Ze's actions are too numerous to list. According to the law, he should be executed immediately. Just as Emperor An was decisive in dealing with Wang Min and Wu Qing, he was as hesitant in dealing with Jin Ze.
Jin Ze's identity is extremely special. If he is beheaded directly in public, it will probably chill the hearts of the court officials. But if he is not dealt with, with such irrefutable evidence, His Majesty will also be criticized by the people.
Jin Ze was eventually spared.
But he would be imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Justice and would not be able to leave until he died. Although it was more painful than death, at least he could keep his life and wait for the future.
As long as you don't die, there will be a chance of recovery.
Emperor An also gave Pei Ji an explanation and reminded him that the matter ended here, but for Pei Ji, things were far from over, so he was not in a hurry.
In the evening, Pei Ji returned home. As soon as he walked into their yard, he smelled the aroma of sake.
He knew that He Zhiliao loved to drink, but drinking before dinner was a bit too much. If she got drunk, wouldn't she not even be able to see her husband soberly?
"My dear—"
【ah! 】
He Zhiliao responded immediately upon hearing the voice, quickly stood up and went to the door to greet him. Before he even left, he bumped into the person coming in.
Pei Ji laughed instantly. "You're throwing yourself into my arms like this, it's obvious you're thinking of me. What are you doing? The yard smells like wine."
【ah! 】
He Zhiliao dragged him into the house, where there were three wine jars. The servants in the yard were trying to put these jars of wine into small wine jars or wine pots so that he could drink more easily.
Pei Ji raised his eyebrows, "Who sent it?"
【Princess of Qi.】
"Him." Pei Ji nodded seriously, but he did not show whether his relationship with them was good or bad.
He Zhiliao couldn't help but become nervous. Could it be that he was cheated again?
Seeing him getting nervous, Pei Ji couldn't help but pinch his cheek and shook it, "If it's something he gave it to me, I can accept it. We are old acquaintances and we do have a good personal relationship."
He Zhiliao was not annoyed by being pinched by him. He patted his chest lightly, feeling glad that he was not deceived. This time, he also trusted Du Ziyue based on his intuition. Fortunately, what the other party said was true, otherwise he would never trust his intuition again.
【But I’ve never heard you say that before.】
"Hmm...what did he tell you?" Pei Ji asked softly. After listening to He Zhiliao's words, he smiled and said, "Pretty much. Princes always have to be cautious when interacting with aristocratic families."
However, it took him a long time to realize in his previous life that no matter whether the second prince was crowned king or not, he was destined to have no chance of becoming emperor.
The thoughts of those in power are extremely difficult to guess, so he didn't want to be secretive with the King of Qi anymore. After all, Emperor An had never thought of letting the second prince succeed to the throne.
He Zhiliao couldn't help but feel a little emotional. When he was in the He family, he was always trapped in the dilapidated backyard and knew nothing about these things. He had come into contact with them during this period of time, and he was afraid that he still had a lot to learn and understand.
But he was smart and could understand some of the inside story from Pei Ji's words. Although the second prince was the eldest son and the son of Deguijun, Emperor An had never considered him among the princes who would succeed him to the throne for some reason.
[They have been married for so long and have no children, why don't they take a concubine or a mistress?]
"Of course we are in love with each other and don't want others to interfere." Pei Ji said, "Do you think that if I become a disabled person, you will immediately abandon me and live with someone else?"
As soon as he finished speaking, He Zhiliao grabbed his little hand and punched him.
Pei Ji touched his chest and smiled, but He Zhiliao frowned and looked at him with some disapproval. How could he say such a thing? He had married into the Pei Mansion, so naturally he belonged to the Pei family in life and death.
How could I look for someone else just because he is sick?
Pei Ji held his hand and rubbed it, "To put it more bluntly, the King of Qi has no chance of succeeding to the throne, so naturally there is no need to pass on the family line. For him, having children is normal, and not having children is normal."
[But Princess Qi wants a child.]
When He Zhiliao went there, he felt that Prince Qi's Mansion was very warm and peaceful, but he also felt that Du Ziyue was a little too calm, like a pool of stagnant water. Perhaps a child could change things a little?
He is such a good person, he will definitely be able to raise good children.
"This matter requires the joint efforts of two people. Why do you always tell me about other people's affairs?" Pei Ji was a little unhappy. "My husband has returned from a long journey, and you don't even have a word of comfort. You are only concerned about others?"
He Zhiliao pouted. It was obviously you who started the conversation first, but you still want to criticize me!
Pei Ji held him in his arms and rocked him gently, and the two of them whispered softly and tenderly, and the topic of conversation shifted from other people's homes to their own.
Whenever we talk about children, we can’t avoid thinking of them.
Pei Ji was particularly open-minded about this and still maintained the attitude of "if there is a chance, there is a chance, if there is not, there is nothing". In addition, he knew better than anyone that this was not a good time to conceive, so he naturally made preparations in advance.
If he doesn't tell you, you won't know.
Three large jars of plum wine were quickly packaged. He Zhiliao put some away and asked Chun Jian and others to deliver some to other courtyards. After all, there was good stuff for everyone to share.
He Zhiliao suddenly remembered something and looked up at Pei Ji.
【It seems you should take a day off tomorrow.】
Pei Ji said: "That's right, but I've been very busy lately and can't take a break for the time being. I'll take a few more days to rest and accompany you."
【ah. 】
He Zhiliao nodded slightly. He had been counting the days on his fingers, and he naturally felt a little disappointed when he heard these words. However, he also knew that state affairs and future were more important, and he shouldn't be sad about such a small matter.
"It's my fault. I forgot to tell you in advance, causing you to wait so happily. If I take a day off tomorrow, have you thought about what you would do with me?" Pei Ji asked softly.
If it's a mistake, it's a mistake. Just make up for it later.
Hearing him ask this, He Zhiliao became interested again.
[It's autumn now. There's an orchard on the farm my mother left me. I want to take you there to see it!]
"You've made me excited." Pei Ji sighed slightly, "Can you wait for me a little longer? Tomorrow is really not possible."
The third prince An Huan was still encircling the mountain stronghold. Although it was an encirclement and suppression, all the people in the stronghold were trained by him. Asking him to encircle and suppress the stronghold personally was a treacherous move by Emperor An, but it was a good opportunity to test him.
Pei Ji naturally would not let go of this opportunity easily.
He is now in the Censorate, performing the duties of an official of public opinion. It is not his turn to make decisions on the affairs of the military generals for the time being. He can only spread some rumors in secret. As long as they are useful, who will care whether the means are good or not?
He Zhiliao nodded repeatedly. He knew everything and understood the other party.
"I'll be waiting for you. In a few days, the fruits will surely be even more fragrant and delicious, and we can pick more to share with everyone."
"Good boy." Pei Ji kissed and caressed him, not letting go. "Whose sweetheart is this so sensible? I don't even want to get a slap in the face."
As soon as he finished speaking, He Zhiliao raised his hand and slapped him on the chest neatly.
It wasn't heavy, but it seemed to hit Pei Ji's heart.
He covered his chest and groaned for a long time, just pretending to wait for He Zhiliao to coax him, with a very bad heart.
Dinner is eaten together. The Pei family does not have the rules of not talking while eating or sleeping. They should chat when they get together to eliminate the "strangeness" that comes from not seeing each other during the day. This is a good opportunity to get closer.
"We are going to a farm in the countryside in a few days. Do you want to go with us, Dad and Mom?" Pei Ji asked casually.
He Zhiliao also nodded repeatedly, thinking that the family should be together.
Qin Yurong raised an eyebrow. "What's the point of your farms? Seeing those guys gives me a headache."
"It's Zhizhi's farm, which his mother left to him. I just found out about it some time ago. It's said that there is a fruit forest there, and it should be the time to harvest and eat the fruits now." Pei Ji didn't explain in detail. After all, it was his beloved place, and no one would snatch it away.
"That's quite interesting." Qin Yurong said.
This means agreeing to go.
If she goes, Pei Xiao will naturally follow her, and the two brothers will naturally follow her as well. That's how it's agreed.
After dinner, the smile on He Zhiliao's face did not fade. He even found it particularly interesting to walk in circles while holding Pei Ji's hand to help digest the food.
Pei Ji tilted his head and kissed his forehead, "Do you really want to go out with everyone?"
I've never been able to go out with my family before, so I'm naturally happy to have the opportunity now!
Pei Ji knew his previous situation. The more he knew, the more he felt that the He family was hateful. He Hongan, that cheap marquis, had been sitting there for long enough.
"Then if everyone has free time in the future, you can get together and go out often. Your mother loves you and will agree." Pei Ji said.
He Zhiliao shook his head. It was okay to be like this occasionally, but if it was always like this, it would be annoying. No matter how close he was to others, he could not force others to obey him and he could not cause trouble for others.
"That's fine too. From now on, it'll just be the two of us." Pei Ji said, laughing again. "Ah, it's a good time for us to be alone. Who wants to hang out with others? Once is enough!"
【Ah!】That’s right!
He Zhiliao nodded in agreement. He really wanted to go with Pei Ji. If it didn't work out tomorrow, he would wait a few more days. They had to go anyway.
After digesting the food, the two returned to the house.
It is much warmer inside the house than outside, but it will get cold in a few days, and it feels like winter is coming in the blink of an eye.
.
Pei Ji continued to exert steady force in the court. Occasionally, when he was in a good mood, he would make a few small things to make the court officials lose their composure. He has been quieter these days. According to Emperor An, he has been keeping an eye on the movements of the third prince.
Just as Pei Ji had expected, the Third Prince was reluctant to take action against the private soldiers he had trained with all his effort. Every day he came to the front of the stronghold and pretended to shout at them, and occasionally he would clamor for the stronghold leader to come out and fight, but in fact he did nothing.
Whenever news was sent back to Beijing, they would either explicitly or implicitly say that the stronghold was difficult to conquer and that there were no effective methods to do so.
As this happened more and more times, Emperor An naturally became impatient.
As the eldest son, he was brought up by the best civil and military officials since childhood, but he couldn't even capture a small stronghold. How could we expect him to conquer the world when he is so incompetent?
Moreover, Emperor An sent him there to test him, but the Third Prince refused to even go through with the act, so there was nothing more to say.
"Since the Third Prince is unfit for this position, then send someone else!" Emperor An said with a gloomy face, "Pei Ji, tell me, who is the most suitable person to send this time?"
Pei Ji said, "Based on seniority, the Prince of Qi should go first, otherwise it would be the Fourth Prince. However, the Fourth Prince is obsessed with mountains and rivers, so I'm afraid he has no interest in this. The Fifth Prince's performance is generally acceptable."
This statement did not offend anyone. After all, Emperor An asked this question just to know who to send. He probably already had an idea.
Emperor An pondered for a moment and said, "You will personally accompany the Fifth Prince and bring back the Third Prince."
"I obey your order." Pei Ji retreated respectfully.
After leaving the Shangshufang, his expression did not ease much.
Logically speaking, this is a good time for the Fourth Prince to show his abilities. Although he was always fascinated by mountains and rivers and pursued the art of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and seemed to be the prince with the least chance of succeeding to the throne, Pei Ji knew that he was the son that Emperor An most wanted to train.
However, no matter how much you want to train him, he must have meritorious deeds to convince the court officials and the people. You can't just issue an imperial decree casually and expect the court officials to agree to let the unrealistic Fourth Prince sit firmly on the throne of the Crown Prince?
If the Fourth Prince went there at this time and captured the stronghold, all the court officials would think that the Fourth Prince, who has always been fascinated by mountains and rivers, is more outstanding than the Third Prince, who was born of a legitimate family and has been trained in many ways.
But Emperor An did not do so.
Did he feel from the bottom of his heart that the Fourth Prince shouldn't go, or did he already have other ideas?
The messy thoughts were ultimately false, so Pei Ji led his troops and the fifth prince to the mountain stronghold.
The stronghold is not far from the capital. According to what Pei Ji said, if we really break into the city one day, we will reach it in a few days.
Compared to Pei Ji's calmness, the fifth prince was particularly motivated. This was the first time his father had given him such a serious task, so he naturally had to do it well and must capture all those bandits from the mountain villages!
"Sir Pei, do you think my third brother is incompetent, or are those people his private soldiers?" the fifth prince asked with a little pride.
He didn't need Pei Ji's answer. Everyone knew what was going on.
But the Fifth Prince also had other thoughts. If those were really well-trained private soldiers, he should find a way to use them for his own benefit in case of emergency in the future.
Pei Ji said calmly, "I want to remind the Fifth Prince that there must be a reason why the Third Prince has been unable to be conquered for so long. Don't be too careless, or you might get hurt."
"Of course. This prince also learned it from civil and military officials. It is not your turn to teach me how to do it." The fifth prince snorted, as if he had already seen how he had taken down the stronghold.
"That's the best. Congratulations to the Fifth Prince in advance." Pei Ji was too lazy to say more to him. If he had a better attitude, he might have told him some inside information. Since the other party was so confident, he might as well just stand by and watch.
However, Pei Ji would occasionally sigh that Emperor An could be considered a good emperor, but his sons all had their own merits.
Emperor An knew that if he sent Pei Ji on this trip, the stronghold would be captured within a few days, and he would naturally not be able to test the princes anymore, so he only needed to send the fifth prince there and then bring the third prince back.
It was a very leisurely job, just like being a bodyguard, except that one had to deal with annoying superiors.
When they arrived at the foot of the mountain stronghold, the third prince was resting in the camp. He had not received any imperial edict before, and naturally did not know that Pei Ji would bring the fifth prince with him. So when he saw them, he was almost shocked to the point of falling down.
The fifth prince looked at him and smiled complacently, "Third brother, the emperor heard that you were not doing your job well, so he ordered me to take over your job. Third brother can rest assured now."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Why would the Emperor give you this mission?" The Third Prince was clearly unconvinced. "In a few days, I will have successfully conquered the stronghold. How can I tolerate you coming here and stealing my credit?"
"Since Third Brother doesn't believe it, just ask Lord Pei." The Fifth Prince said and gave Pei Ji a look.
Pei Ji lowered his head and chuckled, then took out the imperial edict he was carrying with him, and everyone immediately knelt down to receive it.
After hearing the decree, the Third Prince was completely stunned. He looked at Pei Ji in disbelief, "It must be you! It must be you who is interfering again! Otherwise, Father wouldn't be like this!"
Pei Ji shrugged helplessly, "Your Highness, you have misunderstood me. It is clearly your own fault that you are not doing your job well. You are so reluctant to conquer such a small stronghold. It is a small matter if you are not doing your job well, but it would be a big matter if you lose the favor of His Majesty."
The Third Prince naturally understood this hint and reminder, and he also knew from these words that Emperor An's sending him to encircle and suppress the stronghold was itself a test.
But he failed the test, so he sent the fifth prince.
"Third brother, you should go back with Lord Pei. As for this place, I will do my best to help you regain your reputation." The fifth prince was extremely proud.
As long as he can handle this matter well, he will surely win the favor of his father. If he performs better in his daily life and works hard to win over his father's heart with his mother, the position of crown prince is not impossible for him.
The Third Prince wanted to say something more, but he held it back. He sneered, looked at the Fifth Prince as if he were a clown, turned around and followed Pei Ji away.
The Third Prince didn't know that his departure was like telling the people in the village that he had abandoned them.
"inability!"
In the Shangshufang, Emperor An slammed the desk, and the heavy rebuke hit the ears of the Third Prince, almost making him unable to kneel.
He quickly kowtowed and apologized, "Father's moods are due to your incompetence. It's all your fault! I am willing to accept any punishment!"
"You are not only incompetent, but also extremely audacious!" Emperor An said as he slammed the desk, looking at the third prince with disappointment and indifference in his eyes.
Although the stronghold was full of well-trained private soldiers, the Third Prince brought with him trained imperial soldiers who could even repel the enemy's troops, let alone private soldiers!
The fact that the Third Prince was unable to capture the stronghold clearly showed that he had not tried hard to attack. It also proved that the private soldiers in the stronghold were all raised by him!
The third prince didn't dare to look at him again. He just kowtowed and admitted his mistakes, begging for another chance.
Emperor An always knew that the throne would be handed down in the future, so he never cared about the open and secret struggles among the princes. Winning the fight was the real skill.
However, he did not expect that his child would actually raise private soldiers, which was clearly telling him, the emperor, that if he could not give up the throne to him in the future, he would send troops to attack the palace until the throne was seized from him!
How could he tolerate the royal heir coveting his throne like this!
"Peng Tongmin! Pass on my decree: the Third Prince is incompetent. He is dismissed from his current position and confined to the mansion. He is not allowed to leave without my permission!"
"Father...Father, please forgive me! I know I was wrong! I will definitely do my best!"
However, no matter how the third prince begged for mercy, Emperor An did not revoke his order.
Although he was the third prince, he could no longer endure it.
How can I allow others to sleep soundly on the bed beside me?
The third prince was still sent away. Pei Ji looked at the panic and fear in his eyes when he left. That was the fear of power.
The second-in-command eunuch who was serving immediately brought tea and said, "Your Majesty, take a sip of tea and relax."
Emperor An took a sip of the tea, then looked at Pei Ji and said, "You've been working hard lately. Is there anything you want me to help you fulfill?"
"I wouldn't say I have a wish, but I haven't had any rest recently, so I want to ask Your Majesty for a few days off." Pei Ji had a silly smile on his face, and from that look, one could tell why he wanted to take a leave even without him saying it.
"Then go ahead." Emperor An looked up at him but didn't say anything else.
Although he was dissatisfied with Pei Ji's preoccupation with personal matters, he also knew that he only cared about that male lord. If he didn't even help with this matter, he was afraid that he would not be doing his job wholeheartedly.
After all, if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass.
Upon hearing this, Pei Ji immediately thanked the emperor for his grace and then left the palace happily.
As he walked out of the palace gate, the carriage from the mansion was waiting on the side. Seeing him come out, Yuan Rong immediately handed him the cloak and said, "Master, you are up so early today."
"Your Majesty's grace is so great that I have been able to rest these days." Pei Ji had a satisfied smile on his face when he said this.
"Zheng Jun is just waiting for you to come to the manor to have fun, but the wait is over." Yuan Rong knew why he was so happy, so he followed his words and said, "Then I will go back and ask the housekeeper to arrange for you to go to the manor."
"Good eyesight." Pei Ji patted his shoulder with great satisfaction.
Pei Ji returned home early today. He Zhiliao didn't expect him to come home so soon. When she heard the sound of his carriage, she immediately went to find him happily with the handwriting she had just practiced.
"Slow down!" Pei Ji hurriedly trotted forward to greet him, opening his arms to pull him into his arms.
He Zhiliao suddenly stopped, stepped back, and refused to let him hug him.
Pei Ji frowned slightly, an unhappy look on his face. He even snorted deliberately to see if He Zhiliao would notice.
【ah! 】
He Zhiliao handed the paper in his hand to him and looked at him expectantly. He had been practicing Pei Ji's handwriting recently. Before, it was only similar in form, but now it was somewhat similar in spirit.
Pei Ji lowered his eyes and took a look, and found that they were indeed more similar than before.
It seems that even though he is not here, the little cicada still misses him very much and has been practicing his calligraphy.
Thinking of this, the gloom on his face disappeared and he put on a smile instead. "Good boy, your writing is getting better and better. You are so diligent. Do you want any reward?"
He Zhiliao puffed up his cheeks slightly and said, "You are not a master, and you still want to reward me?"
What reward will you give me?
"I give it to you, and you can take it if you want. If you want to go out, that's fine too." Pei Ji hinted slightly.
When He Zhiliao heard him say this, his eyes brightened up a little. He looked at Pei Ji happily. Was it what he thought?
Pei Ji looked at his slightly red nose, raised his hand and took him into the house, saying as they walked, "Your Majesty said that I have been working hard recently and has agreed to let me take leave at home for the time being. Not to mention farms and orchards, even if you want me to accompany you to the southern region of Miaojiang, I will go!"
【Why would I ask you to accompany me to a place like that...】
He Zhiliao hummed softly, but his lips were raised high.
What about my father and brothers? Can they rest?
"We can all rest in two days. Let's prepare first. Bring a few more backpacks and pick all the fruits to sell to Song Yu and others. This way you won't have to worry about the harvest on your farm!" Pei Ji thought of all this for him in the blink of an eye.
After all, people in the village also need to eat.
Back in the house, the slightly thicker door curtains keep out the coolness outside. We have to go to the farm early, otherwise it will get cold.
It was easy for the men of the Pei family to rest, so they picked a sunny day and went to He Zhiliao's farm together.
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The author has something to say: Pei Gou: "I wanted to be slapped but couldn't get one." [smirk]
Little Cicada: Bang! [Starry Eyes]
Pei Gou: [heart eyes][heart eyes][heart eyes]
"How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?" is a Chinese idiom that was first used in Li Tao's "Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government, Year 8 of Emperor Taizu's Kaibao Period" in the Southern Song Dynasty.
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