Chapter 89 Punishment
The eunuch behind him didn't have time to catch up; he had to watch Chen Ling die before he could go back to report.
Pei Wu walked along the dark and dirty long road, the torches on both sides flickering as he left, seemingly blocking out all the sounds of the prison. Soon, Pei Wu reached the end of the prison, and the guard respectfully opened the door for him. Pei Wu nodded and left the prison.
Pei Wu hadn't been gone for very long. Jiang Ru was reclining, eating a kumquat with an unseemly posture. When Pei Wu lifted the curtain, Jiang Ru was sitting with her legs crossed, her reclining posture having absolutely nothing to do with elegance.
When Pei Wu noticed her, her face went blank for a moment. She tried to sit up, but her posture prevented her from doing so.
Perhaps Jiang Ru had never paid attention to these things before, so she was never so concerned about her image in front of Pei Wu. Jiang Ru propped herself up and sat up straight, looking at Pei Wu innocently.
Pei Wu didn't expose her. He just lowered his head to look at the road, stepped into the sedan chair, and Jiang Ru probably saw wrong. She vaguely felt that Pei Wu had smiled, but when Pei Wu looked up again, his expression was normal, without the slightest hint of a smile.
Pei Wu sat down next to Jiang Ru. The sedan chair was originally meant for Pei Wu alone, but with Jiang Ru added, the space became cramped. The two were only an arm's length apart. Jiang Ru smelled a faint, bloody scent on him, which wasn't pleasant, but it was acceptable on Pei Wu.
Jiang Ru asked, "What did he say to you?"
Pei Wu paused for a moment: "Some provocative words."
Perhaps he was filled with resentment before his death and needed to vent his anger on someone. Pei Wu happened to be the one he chose. After all, the two were enemies. Pei Wu had absorbed Chen Ling's emotions before his death, so it was unlikely that he had said anything nice. Jiang Ru moved closer to him and said, "Don't take it to heart. His words were just meant to provoke you."
Pei Wu nodded and said, "I didn't mind."
Although Pei Wu seemed like someone whose emotions wouldn't be affected by others, Jiang Ru was still worried that he would be affected. She carefully observed him and made sure he didn't seem down before turning her gaze away.
The two changed their route home, and the journey back was uneventful and smooth.
After returning home, Pei Wu told Jiang Ru, "I should return to my post tomorrow."
Pei Wu has recovered quite well from his injury these days, and he can go out normally without any problems, as long as he doesn't engage in strenuous exercise.
The news came suddenly, and Jiang Ru felt that Pei Wu's injury was still very serious and that he should not be able to return to work. She hesitated and looked Pei Wu up and down: "Are you really able to return to work? Have you recovered from your injury?"
The situation in Caizhou was special; Pei Wu's wound was in critical condition, so Jiang Ru was the only one who could help. However, once they returned to Bianjing, the situation was no longer urgent, and Pei Wu refused to let her see him anymore. As a result, Jiang Ru was completely unaware of the progress of Pei Wu's wound recovery.
Pei Wu: "Your injuries have healed, and you are ready to return to your post."
Originally, Pei Wu was supposed to go back in the next few days anyway, so it wouldn't be strange for him to go back now. But Jiang Ru was reluctant to let him go. Thinking that Pei Wu would have to leave early and return late again after he went back, Jiang Ru sighed and said, "Alright."
The next morning, Jiang Ru woke up and habitually ran to Pei Wu's bedroom, only to find it empty. She then realized that Pei Wu had gone to work again.
Pei Wu was recuperating from his injuries, and Jiang Ru also stayed indoors, but finally managed to find some time to go out and visit the beverage shop she hadn't been to in a long time.
After the initial hype subsided, the beverage shop accumulated a customer base, and although business wasn't as good as it had been at the beginning, it wasn't much worse.
Jiang Ru invited Song Shu out, and the two went out for tea and shopping, discussing how to pursue Pei Wu. They also occasionally attended banquets, and their days were quite fulfilling.
However, both she and Song Shu were dim-witted. After racking their brains for several days, the ideas they came up with were always ignored by Pei Wu. Pei Wu had no idea that Jiang Ru was pursuing him. The two became more determined after each setback and tried again and again, hanging around in front of Pei Wu every day and clumsily flirting with him. Although it was of little use, Jiang Ru still enjoyed it.
After a few peaceful days, it was time for the court session every five days. Pei Wu would get up before dawn and take a sedan chair to Xuande Gate.
Song Pingzhang arrived at the same time as him and they had seen each other over the past few days. Song Pingzhang inquired about his injuries, and before it was time to enter the palace, the two exchanged a few words.
Song Pingzhang told Pei Wu, "I have found out who was behind the assassination attempt on you. I will report this to the Emperor at the court meeting later and ask him to give you justice."
Pei Wu asked, "Who is it?"
Song Pingzhang sighed, "They're just remnants of the Chen family; you should have already guessed that."
It took Song Pingzhang so long to find out about the remnants of the Chen family. Pei Wu had questions, but seeing that Song Pingzhang didn't want to talk about it anymore, he gave up.
Almost all the officials had arrived at the waiting courtyard to wait. Before the appointed time, they gathered in small groups and chatted quietly with each other.
Pei Wu stood beside Song Pingzhang, his face aloof, and he politely responded to the officials who spoke to him.
Soon, the time came, and the officials lined up to enter the palace. They walked from Xuande Gate to Chuigong Hall, and after about a quarter of an hour, they arrived outside the main hall.
At dawn, after the fourth drumbeat, all the officials entered the hall, holding their court tablets, and stood upright.
The court assembly proceeded as usual. However, with the Empress Dowager's passing and the court in turmoil, especially with the Northern Yan and Qi eyeing the court covetously, there were too many things to finalize. As with the previous assemblies, this day's assembly was long and tedious.
Near the end, Song Pingzhang reported that the assassin who killed Pei Wu that day was a collateral relative of the Chen family, Chen Ling's cousin, a fifth-rank official.
Originally, Song Pingzhang intended to bring this person to the palace for the emperor to personally interrogate him, but unfortunately, he only received news this morning that the person had committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment.
The emperor had previously ordered Song Pingzhang to personally investigate the case, which showed how much he valued it. Now that he learned that the man had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, the emperor was furious and ordered that the man be torn apart by five horses and thrown into a mass grave.
The enemy died so mysteriously, and the emperor felt that this was not fair to Pei Wu. He said to Pei Wu, "Minister Pei has worked hard and made great contributions. I cannot let my subject feel cold."
As for Pei Wu's rewards, after discussion among the emperor and his ministers, it was decided to appoint Pei Wu as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a second-rank official, and to bestow upon him countless other rewards, including gold, silver, and land.
Pei Wu, for some reason, paused for a moment before bowing to express his gratitude.
When he was about to be appointed, all the officials unanimously agreed. Logically, he should have been happy, but Pei Wu looked up at Song Pingzhang in front of him. It was Song Pingzhang who proposed to appoint him as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Perhaps feeling that he had failed to get justice for Pei Wu, he acted as if he was guilty. Pei Wu couldn't understand him.
While they were waiting in the waiting room, Song Pingzhang's words were completely different from what he said now. He said that the mastermind had been found and that he would give Pei Wu a satisfactory answer. His so-called answer was to promote Pei Wu, but he didn't mention the Chen family members who had died in prison.
Song Pingzhang's choice was the best for Pei Wu, but it was shrouded in mystery. Pei Wu didn't want to speculate too much about Song Pingzhang, but he couldn't help but recall what Chen Ling had said before he died.
Did Song Pingzhang discover something during the investigation, or was he hiding something? He was just a small fry in the Chen family, yet he investigated for almost a month and finally came up with such a casual result.
He was willing to let Song Pingzhang investigate because he trusted him, but the results Song Pingzhang gave were not satisfactory.
Because of his trust, he never questioned Song Pingzhang or urged him to do anything. He never expected that Pei Wu would be killed before he could even see the culprit.
He didn't dare to die in prison for so long, so how could he just happen to die today? Who revealed something so that he knew his fate was destined to be tragic and deliberately committed suicide before the court assembly? All of this is too coincidental and too bizarre.
Since no one was able to pass a message to Song Pingzhang during the court meeting, it means that Song Pingzhang already knew about the news this morning. But why didn't he tell him?
Pei Wu seemed to be staring a hole through Song Pingzhang. When he was congratulated, everyone congratulated him, but Song Pingzhang didn't even glance at him.
The matter seemed to have been settled. It wasn't that Pei Wu didn't trust Song Pingzhang; he just wanted to ask Song Pingzhang what he was really thinking after the court assembly.
However, at this moment, Su Mu, holding his court tablet, stepped forward on the right, casually glanced at Pei Wu and Song Pingzhang in front of him, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The memorial was handed to the emperor by a eunuch. After reading it, the emperor glanced at Song Pingzhang with a complicated expression and said, "Minister Song, take a look for yourself."
The memorials that the emperor had read were handed to Song Pingzhang. Song Pingzhang only glanced at them a few times before looking up at the emperor on the throne. Upon seeing the emperor's expression, his face instantly turned pale with horror, and he took several steps back. Pei Wu reached out to support him in time, and Song Pingzhang barely managed to stand up by leaning on him.
Song Pingzhang's hands trembled so much that he couldn't even hold the memorial. The memorial fell to the ground; it was open, and Pei Wu could see it simply by looking down.
Upon seeing the words written on it, Pei Wu froze, bent down and picked up the memorial from the ground. He could read it quickly, reading ten lines at a glance. Su Mu was very well prepared this time; every point on the memorial was enough to warrant the execution of nine generations of his family.
All the officials craned their necks to see it, but Pei Wu held the memorial firmly in his hand, and no one could see it.
Whispers filled the hall, each one piercing his heart. Even though Pei Wu tried to deceive himself, it seemed as if he could hear everyone's words.
He stared blankly at Song Pingzhang, who was completely stunned. This was not the reaction a victim should have. He should have argued back, he should have been angry, but this was not the reaction he was having, unless he had really done something he shouldn't have.
At this time, Su Mu sent someone to present some books to the emperor at the head of the table. The people below did not know what was going on, but they could vaguely sense that a storm was brewing, and they dared not breathe.
Although the emperor was young, he was still quite imposing when he frowned. He turned the pages one by one with a stern face, and after he finished reading them all, he slammed them all onto the table.
He laughed in exasperation: "Prime Minister Song, you are truly my good prime minister, truly my good teacher!"
The books on the table were probably all evidence. Su Mu gave a copy to each official, and after reading them, all the officials looked at Song Pingzhang in shock.
Who is Song Pingzhang? He is a veteran of three dynasties who has remained prime minister despite ups and downs. In everyone's eyes, he is a man who has devoted himself to the country. No one would have thought that he would secretly raise an army with the intention of usurping the throne.
Some officials promoted by Song Pingzhang did not believe it and bowed to the emperor to investigate again, saying earnestly, "Prime Minister Song is devoted to the emperor and would never have such thoughts."
No matter how much you disbelieve it, the evidence is clear: Song Pingzhang did these things, and Pei Wu can see it too. All the evidence is true.
But why would Song Pingzhang do this? If he truly wanted to usurp the throne, why would he have endured it all this time?
Su Mu's men had been suppressed for several years, but now they finally got their revenge and shut down those who spoke up for Song Pingzhang. The two sides argued, and Song Pingzhang's men couldn't produce any evidence to refute them. They just kept asking the emperor to investigate again.
However, the emperor simply said, "Is there anything else to investigate?"
Yes, the evidence is conclusive and there's nothing more to be found. Su Mu pressed on: "I've dispatched the Imperial Guards and found some people; should they be brought up?"
The people brought up were all contacts that Song Pingzhang had made during this period. They seemed to be hiding, but in fact they had been watched for a long time and were just waiting for today.
With witnesses and physical evidence present, Song Pingzhang's guilt is already a foregone conclusion.
Su Mu continued, “The troops that Lord Song has raised are all in Caizhou, Junzhou and other places. I have already sent people to guard them in various places. We are just waiting for Your Majesty to issue an order so that we can wipe them out in one fell swoop.”
The emperor on the throne seemed utterly disappointed with the matter. He closed his eyes and said, "Put Song Pingzhang in jail and detain the people of the Song family. They will be convicted after the rebels have dealt with them. Minister Su, you are in charge of handling this matter."
This situation was completely unexpected by everyone, especially the officials who had been personally promoted by Song Pingzhang. They all felt that they knew Song Pingzhang's character well, and they never thought that this day would come.
Pei Wu felt the same way. He saw Song Pingzhang's face turn from disbelief to ashen, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.
Pei Wu then looked at Su Mu. When their eyes met, Su Mu seemed to finally remember something and smiled at Pei Wu: "Minister Pei probably doesn't know, but the mastermind behind your assassination attempt is actually someone else. When I sent people to investigate Lord Song, I got some information. Some of Lord Song's private soldiers are in Caizhou. No one but Lord Song could have accurately located your location in Caizhou and prepared to assassinate you."
Su Mu: "Those people from the Chen family don't have the ability to assassinate high-ranking officials. Besides, it's only been less than a day since Vice Minister Pei was assassinated, yet Prime Minister Song found him so quickly. Don't you think that's a bit strange?"
It takes at least several hours to get from Bianjing to Caizhou, and even then, one must ride at full speed. Finding Pei Wu also takes time, yet Song Pingzhang was able to arrive in half a day. There are indeed many oversights.
Pei Wu did not believe Su Mu's words; he simply asked, "Is there any evidence?"
Su Mu shook his head: "This is just speculation. Chen Yun died suddenly and mysteriously, and Lord Song has left many clues. If we investigate carefully, we can find out the truth."
“It’s a pity.” Su Mu said slowly and deliberately, “Lord Song delayed for a month. Even if we could have found out earlier, it would be very difficult to find out now. After all, there is no way to verify the truth since the dead have died. Even the assassin’s body was buried by Lord Song, and there is no trace of his remains.”
At this point, it seemed that everyone was convinced that Song Pingzhang was behind it, except for Pei Wu.
Pei Wu glanced at Song Pingzhang: "Prime Minister Song, is it really so?"
Even with conclusive evidence, he still had to ask Song Pingzhang to find out if it really was him.
Song Pingzhang's lips moved slightly, but he didn't dare to look at Pei Wu. He nodded and said, "Yes."
Pei Wu asked, "Why?"
Song Pingzhang was unable to utter a word.
The man who had single-handedly promoted Pei Wu was speechless at this moment. Pei Wu took a step forward, and Song Pingzhang's body seemed to suddenly hunch over. He bent over, lowered his head, and didn't even dare to look at Pei Wu.
Pei Wu, still unwilling to give up, asked, "Is that really true?"
Song Pingzhang did not answer him, but said, "Take me down."
The emperor on the throne had nothing to say to Song Pingzhang. He gestured downwards, and the imperial guards who were already prepared escorted Song Pingzhang away from the main hall.
Pei Wu followed for a few steps, but was pulled back by the official beside him, who was afraid that he might do something rash at this critical juncture and offend the emperor.
Song Pingzhang's plan to assassinate Pei Wu seems to have some merit. After all, Pei Wu's promotion was too rapid, and Song Pingzhang was getting old. He might have to retire in a few years, and his position would likely be replaced by Pei Wu.
However, such a method is too cruel. After all, Pei Wu is his disciple, yet he did this out of fear, which is truly despicable.
An official familiar with Pei Wu tried to comfort him, but Pei Wu bowed to the emperor and said, "Your subject is willing to assist Prime Minister Su in thoroughly investigating this matter."
However, the emperor refused, saying, "I know you have feelings for Chancellor Song, but this matter is of great importance, and you have a close relationship with him, so it would be better if you did not get involved."
The implication was that he was being kept out of the picture for fear of Pei Wu showing favoritism.
Pei Wu wanted to say more, but the emperor had no desire to talk anymore. A eunuch nearby shouted for the court to adjourn, and Pei Wu was dragged out of the hall by other officials.
They pleaded earnestly, "Lord Pei, you'd better not get involved in this mess."
Everyone had mixed feelings, but Pei Wu's feelings were probably even stronger. Over the years, Song Pingzhang had cast a wide net to cultivate his own power in the court, and they were all people he had chosen, but he just didn't value them as much as he valued Pei Wu.
They were all hard to accept this turn of events, but what good was it? The die was cast, and who told Song Pingzhang to have such wicked intentions?
Looking back now, perhaps there were signs all along. Otherwise, why would Song Pingzhang have bothered to win them over? Wasn't it just to cultivate his own power base?
At this moment, Pei Wu saw Su Mu ahead who had received the order. He bypassed the officials who were closely surrounding him and quickly caught up with Su Mu.
Su Mu raised an eyebrow and glanced at him: "What?"
Pei Wu said, "I didn't realize that Prime Minister Su was faking it all along."
Su Mu was still as young as ever, and compared to everyone else, he was young and promising. He had already served two dynasties before he was even thirty. Perhaps it was because he always looked lazy that everyone had overlooked him. Now they realized that he was just a beast that had put away his claws.
His smile was alluring and captivating. He said lightly, "If you want to survive, you always have to learn to assess the situation."
The Great Xia Dynasty valued civil officials over military ones, and all officials tried their best to get a civil position so that they would have a chance to be promoted. As a result, everyone overlooked the fact that Su Mu, who seemed to have no presence in such a turbulent dynasty, had the power to mobilize troops with a single move.
If Song Pingzhang really wanted to usurp the throne, he would definitely need military power, so he would raise a private army, since going to the battlefield is not just about talking.
Song Pingzhang certainly possessed all the conditions to usurp the throne. Now that the Chen family has fallen, he has the opportunity. But why did he kill Pei Wu? If Pei Wu had supported him, he would have been his right-hand man.
Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Su Mu offered a rare suggestion: "If I asked you to rebel, would you agree?"
Pei Wu remained silent.
Su Mu smiled broadly: "That's good then. If he wants to rebel, you will definitely stop him, so the first person he'll eliminate is you. You're a pawn to be discarded."
After saying that, Su Mu stopped wasting words with Pei Wu and quickly walked away from him.
Su Mu, who was never considered an opponent by Song Pingzhang and had little offensive power, was ultimately the biggest force behind Song Pingzhang's downfall.
Emperor Wen had his reasons for valuing this young man who was not yet twenty. After Emperor Wen's death, he kept a low profile, seemingly being suppressed by others, but in reality, he was conserving his strength for a decisive blow.
Even sending Chen Ling to Nanzhao seemed to be premeditated, just waiting for him to walk into a trap.
Pei Wu stood there, watching the figure gradually walk away. Even though he was dressed in plain clothes, he still stood out in the crowd.
Pei Wu moved slowly, his limbs stiff, across the long road to Xuande Gate. This official road was only for officials. Pei Wu got into the sedan chair, his thoughts a jumbled mess, not even knowing when he got home.
As soon as the sedan chair landed outside the door, hurried footsteps were heard. Someone climbed into the sedan chair, creating a gust of wind that blew on Pei Wu's icy hands.
Jiang Ru was so anxious she was almost crying. She grabbed Pei Wu's arm, squeezing it so hard it hurt. Her eyes were red, and she asked anxiously, "Do you know what happened? Song Shu was taken away for no reason."
She and Song Shu were drinking tea when suddenly some soldiers arrived and wanted to take Song Shu away. Jiang Ru tried to stop them, but the soldiers were not only numerous, but also carried knives, and they were powerless to resist.
In that instant, Song Shu realized something. After the initial panic subsided, she calmly told Jiang Ru, "Go back and find your cousin. If things are not going well, just ask him to save my great-grandfather."
She was taken away before she could say those words. Jiang Ru ran home in a panic. Pei Wu had not returned by then. She sent someone to the Song residence to check, only to find that the Song residence was besieged.
In this situation, the only possibility is that something happened to Song Pingzhang.
Jiang Ru waited anxiously at home, and finally Pei Wu arrived.
Pei Wu seemed flustered by the matter, and Jiang Ru asked him several times, but he did not answer.
She felt the cold sweat on Pei Wu's palm. Pei Wu's voice was very soft: "Lord Song has been raising a private army."
Jiang Ru froze. The crime of keeping a private army was so serious that even the execution of nine generations of his family was not an exaggeration. But why was Song Pingzhang so reckless? He still had Song Shu. What would happen to Song Shu if he did this?
Jiang Ru was completely at a loss: "What about Song Shu?"
This kind of crime is something that even close relatives can't escape, and Song Shu is no exception.
Pei Wu said, "To become a government slave, or..."
He didn't finish his sentence, and Jiang Ru was extremely anxious: "Is there any way to save him? How could Song Pingzhang be so incomprehensible?"
Because of this incident, she started calling Song Pingzhang by his full name again.
Song Shu is Song Pingzhang's granddaughter. Even without Jiang Ru's connection, Pei Wu would have found a way to save her. But... if the investigation really turns out that way, would Song Pingzhang really do such a thing?
Pei Wu said, "Su Mu said that the assassination attempt that day was instigated by Lord Song."
Jiang Ru's eyes widened suddenly. She looked at Pei Wu in disbelief, trying to find a flaw in his expression, but she found none.
Jiang Ru knew that Pei Wu truly regarded Song Pingzhang as his teacher, and if Song Pingzhang did something like that, Pei Wu would be heartbroken.
He valued relationships so much, yet he was framed by Song Pingzhang behind his back. Just thinking about it made Jiang Ru's heart ache. She hugged Pei Wu, trying to warm him with her own body heat, and asked helplessly, "What should we do?"
Pei Wu said, "I don't believe it."
Jiang Ru looked up in a daze and saw Pei Wu's firm gaze. He said with certainty, "I don't believe that Lord Song would do such a thing, and I don't believe that he would send someone to assassinate me. If he wanted to usurp the throne, he would have done it long ago, and wouldn't have waited until now."
"But he kept it from me, he lied, and I don't know why he lied."
Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu and hugged him tightly. Pei Wu lowered his eyes, giving Jiang Ru the only gentleness in his gaze. He said, "Don't be afraid. I will save Song Shu and clear Lord Song's name."
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