Chapter 92 A False Hope
No wonder the emperor ordered them to bring shovels today. The emperor himself refused to do such a despicable thing as digging up graves, so it was left to his subordinates to do it.
Although it was a newly erected grave, the soil was packed very firmly, and the subordinates were all diligently shoveling with shovels.
Actually, they weren't working too slowly, but the emperor seemed to find it unbearable, so he grabbed a shovel and started shoveling himself.
Half an hour later, the coffin under the grave was finally revealed. The cold moonlight shone on the coffin covered with a layer of soil. A cold wind blew and the mountain wind howled, like the wailing of an infant, which was particularly eerie.
The emperor's eyes were sinister as he personally opened the coffin.
If there are no remains, the coffin is usually filled with the deceased's clothes, which is called a cenotaph. But this coffin is empty, with nothing inside.
After opening the coffin, the emperor glanced at it and then sneered, "I knew he was lying to me."
Burial after death is something that the people of Daxia care about very much. Pei Wu is so fond of his cousin, yet he won't even let her go with her clothes. Either this person is not dead at all, or he has a deep-seated hatred for her.
If the second reason is ruled out, then there is only one possibility: Jiang Ru did not die.
The emperor stared at the dark, black coffin and laughed for no apparent reason. His subordinates behind him fell silent, feeling a chill run down their spines. A cold wind blew past their backs, and they trembled, afraid to look at the coffin again, lest the coffin's owner come to claim their lives.
The emperor, having confirmed his thoughts and showing no intention of letting the matter rest, ordered, "Burn it."
The emperor's behavior tonight was utterly insane. His subordinates dared not resist and, holding torches, had no choice but to step forward.
Just before taking action, the emperor suddenly changed his mind, took the torch, and threw it into the coffin himself. It was unclear what grudge the emperor had against the coffin's owner that led him to burn the coffin as well.
It would take some time to burn the coffin. The fire grew stronger and stronger, the flames soaring into the sky, illuminating everyone's faces with their red light. The heat was scorching, and everyone subconsciously took a step back.
They grumbled inwardly, but no one dared to show it; they all stared at the raging fire with serious expressions.
The emperor suddenly spoke: "Do you know why I'm burning it?"
The subordinates looked at each other, all inwardly groaning, wondering what this ancestor was up to now. Fortunately, the emperor didn't seem to care about their answers, muttering to himself, "I'm going to make things difficult for them."
If Jiang Ru hadn't died, then digging up the grave wouldn't have mattered; it was just an unclaimed, wild grave anyway.
But if Jiang Ru really died, he wanted to annoy Pei Wu and make him unhappy so that he would be satisfied. As for Jiang Ru, without a cenotaph, her soul would become a wandering ghost, and the emperor would be more than happy if she turned into a ghost and came to find him.
He's daring; this kind of thing is nothing to him.
Just as he was immersed in his hatred, his subordinate weakly reminded him: "Your Majesty should return to the palace. If they find out that Your Majesty has sneaked out of the palace again, you will be impeached again."
Not only would the emperor be impeached, but they would also meet with no good end and would inevitably be punished. They truly did not want to die.
In the past, at least there were people above who could keep the emperor in check, and he would only run away from the palace very occasionally. But now there is no one above him to keep him in check. He ran away from the palace yesterday, and today he has relapsed into his old ways.
The old ministers in the court were all extremely pedantic. Su Mu didn't care about them, but they always kept a close eye on him. If he made a small mistake, his subordinates would nitpick about it for a long time.
The palace gates close at eight o'clock at night, and it's already long past that time. If I go back, I'll definitely be discovered, since it's impossible to hide the emperor leaving the palace.
But they couldn't do anything if the emperor wouldn't listen to their advice. After all, disobeying the imperial decree would anger the emperor, and they were doomed either way.
Upon hearing the reminder, the emperor's face darkened: "You think I'm afraid of them?"
The subordinates lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Don't tell them this; they can't make decisions anyway.
Although impeaching them is nothing serious, too much entanglement is annoying. The emperor had obviously thought of how troublesome these people were, and he pursed his lips impatiently: "Fine, let's go back to the palace."
Fortunately, the emperor listened to advice. After the coffin was almost completely burned, the emperor finally vented his anger and left with everyone.
At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), a subordinate came to report to Pei Wu that someone had dug up Pei Wu's grave on Mangshan Mountain. The tombstone was lying on the side of the grave, and the coffin had been burned to charcoal.
Pei Wu was not surprised at all: "Report it to the authorities."
Even Pei Wu had to report such a matter to the authorities according to the rules. As for the person who dug up the grave, the authorities couldn't find him after investigating for several days, and the matter was eventually dropped.
After Jiang Ru was buried, Pei Wu acted normally, staying at home every day to mourn his cousin, and keeping all visitors out.
Many officials even suspected that he might be contemplating suicide and was about to follow his cousin. Finally, Pei Wu reappeared when Song Pingzhang left the capital.
It has been more than half a month since Song Pingzhang was imprisoned. Over the years, many officials he has promoted in the court have secretly bribed him, so Song Pingzhang is doing relatively well. Of course, he is only doing well in prison; in the end, he will still be exiled according to the imperial decree.
Song Pingzhang was exiled to Cangzhou, north of Bianjing. Compared to distant places like Jiangzhou in the south, Cangzhou was not too far away, only a few hundred miles from Bianjing.
If Song Pingzhang were to walk these hundreds of miles alone, his physical condition would be able to manage it. The key issue is that the exiled prisoners must wear shackles on their feet, which weigh several tens of kilograms each. Every step they take is a heavy burden on their feet.
Besides shackles, there were also cangues and other chains. If the family paid a bribe, the cangues could be removed, but shackles were different. For exiled people, shackles were not only a punishment, but also a mark of shame.
Song Pingzhang was dressed in prison clothes, with the shackles on his feet dragging on the ground. Few officials came to see him off, since anyone who came to see him off was likely to be labeled as an accomplice. Most people still wanted to distance themselves from Song Pingzhang on the surface.
Led by Pei Wu, about seven or eight officials changed into ordinary clothes to see him off. Song Pingzhang dismissed the crowd, fearing they would be implicated by him, and told them to go back.
He said that, but no one listened to him and left. Song Pingzhang wiped his eyes. He was the one who was exiled, yet he said a few words of comfort to everyone.
Before he could say much more, the officer looked up at the sun and urged, "Lord Song, it's time to get going. If we miss the appointed time, we won't be able to reach the post station today."
The officials were all reasonable and did not make a fuss; they gestured for them to leave.
Pei Wu, who had been standing in the corner without speaking to Song Pingzhang, took a couple of steps with him.
As Song Pingzhang lifted his foot, the heavy shackles dragged on the ground with a dull thud. Pei Wu lowered his eyes, looking at the shackles wrapped around Song Pingzhang's foot.
The shackles were extremely heavy, and it was summer now, so his ankles would get chafed and even ooze pus if it got too bad. Even though ointment and people had been taken care of, Pei Wu was still worried.
In Bianjing, one cannot be too conspicuous; at the very least, Song Pingzhang will have to walk dozens of miles with these shackles on.
Convicts exiled by the imperial court who escape on their own will spend the rest of their lives in hiding. Pei Wu was unsure if his idea was correct, but he was even more afraid that Song Pingzhang would die on the way to exile.
The winters in Cangzhou are bitterly cold. If Song Pingzhang were to actually go to Cangzhou, Pei Wu doubted that even if he were to survive, he wouldn't live much longer.
At this age, he should be enjoying his retirement, but instead he has to endure such suffering. Pei Wu felt it was unfair to Song Pingzhang. He followed Song Pingzhang and called out "Teacher" without any reason.
Song Pingzhang paused, their eyes met, and he saw the deeper meaning in Pei Wu's eyes. Without any hesitation, he shook his head at Pei Wu.
He knew what Pei Wu was going to do, but this would drag Pei Wu into it, and he didn't want to see that happen, so he said, "Let's go back."
Pei Wu finally stopped and watched his teacher, who walked with faltering steps but insisted on keeping his back straight, leave.
That evening, Song Pingzhang and the officials arrived at the post station. The post station consisted of only a few dilapidated houses and the conditions were poor. The officials handed Song Pingzhang a bowl of porridge, which he ate clean.
After nightfall, Song Pingzhang lay on the wooden bed. After walking all day, his body could hardly hold on, and he had long since fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
The wind was strong at night, and the whistling sound of the wind accompanied the creaking of the window sill that wasn't closed properly.
The wooden door was suddenly kicked open with a heavy blow, and the sounds of fighting outside woke Song Pingzhang. When he opened his eyes, a dark figure was standing by his bedside, holding a bowl or something in his hand. Song Pingzhang stared in horror as the dark figure pressed him down and actually held the medicine in his hand to his mouth.
The shadowy figure was a martial artist with immense strength. The callus was wedged under Song Pingzhang's chin, forcing his mouth open. Bitter medicine filled his mouth. Sensing that this person intended to kill him, Song Pingzhang began to struggle violently.
The medicine choked him. Song Pingzhang was too tired to resist after a long day, but as death approached, he suddenly found the strength to knock the medicine over.
The medicine shattered on the ground, and Song Pingzhang lowered his head and coughed violently, spitting out the medicine from his mouth.
The shadowy figure clicked his tongue in annoyance and impatiently drew a knife from his side. The cold, sharp blade etched a horrified look onto Song Pingzhang's face. He tried to dodge to the side, but the shadowy figure had already blocked his way.
Suddenly, the wooden door slammed shut again, and several men in black squeezed into the room, immediately engaging the shadowy figure in a fight.
The shadowy figure was no match for the enemy and tried to escape through the window, but was quickly surrounded and killed on the spot.
Moonlight streamed into the room, and only then did Song Pingzhang notice that the guards responsible for escorting him were already dead, while the men in black before him knelt on one knee: "Lord Song, we were sent by Lord Pei to rescue you."
At that moment, a slight noise came from the side, and a person dressed in black walked to the door and blocked the light.
It was Pei Wu.
He looked at Song Pingzhang and said, "Teacher."
Even though he was backlit, his features were still so clear. Song Pingzhang looked at him for a long time before sighing, "You really are..."
He had clearly told Pei Wu not to come to the rescue rashly, but he still did it anyway.
At this moment, Pei Wu saw the black-clad man lying on the ground with his eyes wide open in death. He stared at him for a moment and said, "Someone is trying to assassinate the teacher."
Song Pingzhang nodded: "Even this official is dead."
Pei Wu's gaze then shifted to the other official. He remained silent for a moment before saying, "Someone will bury them."
Someone will find them tomorrow and report it to the authorities.
Now, Song Pingzhang will have to bear the crime of fleeing from justice no matter what. If he is really poisoned to death, this will be a miscarriage of justice. But even if he doesn't die, if the official dies, he will also be implicated.
Song Pingzhang ultimately had no choice but to compromise: "I will leave, but I will not go with you."
Pei Wu frowned, and Song Pingzhang continued, "You are still working in the court. If I go with you, it will be a burden to you."
Pei Wu said, "It's not a burden. I have already requested a transfer to Tanzhou. If all goes well, I will be able to go to Tanzhou in a few days. At that time, you can come with me, Teacher."
Tanzhou, Song Pingzhang nodded knowingly: "Tanzhou is fine too."
Being far away from Bianjing, far away from the capital, would greatly reduce the danger.
“So…” Pei Wu couldn’t finish his sentence. At the moment of danger, he instinctively dodged, his longsword missed its target, and all the force of the blow struck the wall, sending sparks flying.
Suddenly, another group of people appeared out of nowhere and attacked Pei Wu without saying a word.
Pei Wu's subordinates quickly shielded him behind them and launched a counterattack against the sudden attack. Pei Wu strode to the officer's side, took the key from his pocket, and then went to unlock Song Pingzhang's shackles.
The iron chains rattled, and Song Pingzhang, sensing something amiss, decisively said, "Take your men and leave first. Don't worry about me."
Too many people wanted Song Pingzhang dead, one wave after another. He was already very grateful that Pei Wu came to save him, since he didn't really have any chance of surviving anyway.
Pei Wu kept a tense expression. He resolutely unlocked the shackles, and the heavy iron chains all fell to the ground with a clatter, kicking up a cloud of dust. Pei Wu said, "I'll take the teachers first, and they will join us later."
Then he said softly, "Teacher, I'm sorry."
His words were respectful, but his actions in dragging Song Pingzhang up were anything but gentle. Pei Wu practically lifted Song Pingzhang up, and before Song Pingzhang could even resist, he was being dragged along behind him.
Disregarding all respect for teachers and elders, Pei Wu lifted Song Pingzhang as if he were carrying a piece of cloth. Song Pingzhang stumbled and fell as he followed Pei Wu, escaping the encirclement under the cover of his subordinates.
However, at that moment, Song Pingzhang glanced back hastily and caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd. Although the figure was very different from a few years ago, the fighting style and movements seemed to be those of the person he knew.
Song Pingzhang stopped in his tracks. Sensing his lack of cooperation, Pei Wu yanked him again, almost causing him to fall over. Just as he was about to forcibly take Song Pingzhang away, Song Pingzhang turned to a figure in the crowd and asked, "Is that Xie Jun?"
The man he called Xie Jun paused slightly with his sword, taking a moment to reply, "Yes, I'll come to the rescue after I've dealt with this thief..."
He had just seen Song Pingzhang being dragged away and was so anxious that he was about to slash at the chest of the person blocking his way. Just as his sword was about to pierce the person mercilessly, Song Pingzhang suddenly shouted, "Wait! We're all on the same side, stop fighting!"
The attacks from both sides paused. Swords and blades were about to pierce the opponent when they were suddenly stopped by the shout, and could only swing their swords into the air.
The two sides looked at each other, neither quite believing that the other was one of their own.
The man named Xie Jun removed the cloth from his face, revealing a face with deep-set eyes and a sharp, angular face; he was quite a handsome young man.
Unexpectedly, Pei Wu looked at Song Pingzhang with a puzzled expression.
It's a long story, Song Pingzhang sighed, "It's not convenient here, let's find another place to talk."
The group could only temporarily shake hands and make peace, following Song Pingzhang's advice, and then changed course and mounted their horses.
Pei Wu had booked a mountain villa in advance, located in the mountains, just as a place to rest. Tonight, they wanted to get as far away from this post station as possible. They traveled all night and finally arrived at their destination at the first light of dawn.
The two groups of people were clearly separated. Song Pingzhang, in the middle, looked at Pei Wu, then at Xie Jun, and finally turned to Xie Jun: "How could you..."
Xie Jun explained, "There was a slight accident. Although I survived, I can't show my face."
The two were speaking in cryptic language when Pei Wu suddenly asked, "Is he the third son of the General Who Guards the Army?"
Xie Jun was surprised that someone recognized him and nodded, "Yes."
Pei Wu understood and didn't interrupt.
Xie Jun said, "I led my personal guards back to the capital. On the way, I heard that Prime Minister Song had run into trouble, so I quickly brought people to find him. Now that Prime Minister Song has nowhere to go, why don't you come with me to Zhen Ding Prefecture? Although it's not very peaceful there, my father's men are all there. As long as I'm here, I can ensure that Prime Minister Song is safe."
Zhen Ding Prefecture borders the State of Qi, and there are always wars, large and small. Pei Wu disagreed, saying, "Teacher, why don't you come with me to Tanzhou? It's more peaceful there."
Upon hearing Pei Wu's words, Xie Jun immediately looked at him with displeasure. Even with Song Pingzhang in the middle, it didn't affect his dislike of Pei Wu.
Song Pingzhang completely ignored the undercurrents between the two and made a firm decision: "I will not go with you."
Both men looked at Song Pingzhang, who cleared his throat: “I once had a friend who, after resigning from his official post, established an academy in his hometown. I plan to go and seek refuge with him.”
Pei Wu asked, "Where?"
Song Pingzhang said, "Shuzhou."
Pei Wu was slightly taken aback: "That's Jiang Ru's hometown."
Song Pingzhang was also stunned: "What a coincidence!"
Pei Wu nodded.
Regardless, Song Pingzhang still refused to go with them, and the two sides remained deadlocked. Finally, Pei Wu broke the ice with a suggestion: "Song Shu has been settled in Tangzhou by me; perhaps we should bring her over there?"
Upon hearing Song Shu's name, Xie Jun immediately looked at Pei Wu and continued to stare at him with a very aggressive gaze. Pei Wu was extremely sensitive to other people's gazes, and when he noticed it, he only frowned slightly.
Song Pingzhang hesitated. He was afraid that if Song Shu followed him, they would be captured by the soldiers and all of them would be rounded up. But he was also afraid that if Song Shu did not follow him, she would suffer.
Just as he was hesitating, Xie Jun raised his hand and interjected, "I'm going to Tangzhou too."
Pei Wu: ""
Song Pingzhang: "".
Just a moment ago they were talking about going to Zhen Ding Prefecture, but now they've changed their tune so quickly and immediately want to go to Tang Prefecture with Pei Wu and the others.
Before Pei Wu could speak, Xie Jun was already urging Song Pingzhang: "Lord Song, let's go find Song Shu together, and then you can come with me to Zhen Ding Prefecture."
Judging from his attentive manner, everything was clear: he liked Song Shu.
Seeing that Song Pingzhang was beginning to soften his stance, Pei Wu instructed his subordinates: "Take half a day to rest and recuperate."
Even if he were to go to Tangzhou, Pei Wu couldn't go anytime soon, as his transfer order hadn't been issued yet, and he could only stay in the capital for the time being.
Although he was under the guise of mourning Jiang Ru these days, he couldn't leave Bianjing for too long, otherwise it would easily arouse suspicion.
He sat aside and waited for Xie Jun to persuade Song Pingzhang before Pei Wu said to Song Pingzhang, "Tomorrow I will send you back to Tangzhou first. Please wait for me in Tangzhou for a few days. I will come to meet you soon."
There are still more than two months until Jiang Ru's "mourning period," and Pei Wu will not be able to take office for another two months, which means he will not be able to go to Tangzhou for another two months.
Song Pingzhang wanted to go to Shuzhou, but he couldn't ignore Pei Wu, who was, after all, his student and called him "teacher." It wouldn't make sense for him to leave without a word.
Song Pingzhang compromised: "Then I'll go to Tangzhou and wait for you."
Pei Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Xie Jun told Pei Wu, "I will escort Prime Minister Song to Tangzhou, so you don't need to worry about it, Lord Pei."
Since he didn't know this person well, Pei Wu was a little worried about him. He wanted to send a few more people to follow him, but Song Pingzhang told Pei Wu, "Xie Ke can be trusted. Your men can stay and protect you for now. I'm fine here."
Since it was Song Pingzhang who spoke, Pei Wu nodded in agreement. At noon, he took his men and rushed back to Bianjing.
After traveling for several hours, Pei Wu returned to his residence. By then, news of Song Pingzhang's abduction had reached Bianjing. The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. Pei Wu was suspected, and his residence was surrounded by a large crowd that very day.
However, the mansion had been burned down a few days earlier, leaving only a few bedrooms and storerooms intact. There were very few things left, and after searching all night, they found nothing.
The officials could only surround the Pei residence to prevent Pei Wu from escaping.
The remaining officials were tasked with finding Song Pingzhang, but Xie Jun had already led Song Pingzhang into hiding in the vast territory of the Great Xia, making it difficult to find any trace of him.
Pei Wu couldn't find anything, but the officials surrounding the mansion refused to leave, making it difficult to even enter or leave. The mansion's expenses could only be covered by the government.
Xia and the others cursed the government's tyranny several times in private, but could only accept it humbly.
Pei Wu comforted them, "It will be fine in a few more days."
He has now lost the emperor's favor, and the emperor will suspect and fear him. After three months, the emperor will surely agree to his transfer.
He had not made any mistakes, and the emperor could have kept him in Bianjing, even if he was sidelined. However, this would not have been a good thing for the emperor. As long as Pei Wu was around, the emperor would suspect that Pei Wu had once again brought the Song faction under his control.
Agreeing to his transfer is the best option the emperor could make at the moment.
We can keep him firmly in our grasp, avoid seeing him and getting annoyed, and not worry about him causing any trouble. He's just a minor prefect; even if he's in office for a few years, he won't amount to much.
Just as Pei Wu was eager to get to Tangzhou, Jiang Ru, who was in Tangzhou, also missed Pei Wu.
She was unaware that she was already "dead," and every day she counted down the days waiting for Pei Wu, while complaining about why Pei Wu hadn't come to find her yet. Song Shu was tired of hearing this and would always tell her perfunctorily not to worry.
A few days later, the group of people approached their residence. Their subordinates had received a letter in advance saying that Lord Song was about to arrive. Jiang Ru was looking forward to it, thinking that Pei Wu would also come with them. When she heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, she hurriedly ran out of the house.
The carriage at the front belonged to Song Pingzhang. He had injured his leg a few days ago, so he was riding in a carriage.
All that could be seen was this carriage, and Pei Wu was nowhere to be seen on horseback, so he must be inside the carriage. Therefore, Jiang Ru kept staring at the carriage.
Song Shu was also eager to see her great-grandfather. The two linked arms, and Jiang Ru impatiently lifted the curtain first, excitedly calling out, "Pei Wu."
Song Shu first looked at her great-grandfather, her eyes red, and called out, "Great-grandfather."
Song Pingzhang immediately exclaimed "Hey!" and hurriedly got out of the car to comfort his granddaughter.
Jiang Ru searched the carriage thoroughly, but apart from Song Pingzhang, there was only one other man she didn't recognize. She was immediately disappointed and gave a disdainful "humph".
Poor Xie Jun arrived in Tangzhou full of joy, only to be ignored by his beloved and then disliked. He could only stand there stiffly, weakly asking, "What about me?"
However, no one paid attention, and Jiang Ru closed the curtain.
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