Chapter 69 Chapter 69: Mixed Feelings of Joy and Sorrow
Grandma Pei rarely even went out of the alley, and she had no acquaintances in the government office. There was no one else she could ask for help in this matter. When she heard that Baozhu could help to find out, she reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks to Lord Pei for taking care of me all the way from Suzhou to Bian Jing. You can rest assured, grandma." After handing the gift in her hand to the old woman beside her, Baozhu hurried home.
As soon as she got home, she asked her second brother to find out. Seeing her anxious look, Zhen Jia Erlang knew that the relationship between the two was unusual. He just thought that Lord Pei was really bold to talk to Baozhu under his nose.
Despite her complaints, Baozhu was anxious and didn't waste any time, asking for help from everyone. After several days of searching, she finally found out from the eunuchs who frequently entered and exited the palace that Pei Yanqing had never entered the palace.
Baozhu panicked when she heard this, but she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart that nothing would happen to a man as well-planned as him. The most urgent thing was to find the person first.
It has been six or seven days since then, where can I find him?
Baozhu knew that Pei Yanqing hadn't come to see her. Either he had his own plans that he didn't want her to know about, or he was being plotted against. He had offended many people, and even more people were jealous of him. No matter which method he used, he had to find the person first.
After all, he was not born into a military family. His skills were pretty good among a group of civil officials, but he was still slightly inferior to those martial artists.
Baozhu was having wild thoughts. Even if she had something to deal with, she should have taken the time to go back and report her safety to Grandma Pei.
No news is probably the best news right now. Baozhu was restless, but just waiting was not a solution, so she asked her second brother to go to the Imperial City Office first and ask Pei Yanqing's former good personal relationships to report the matter first. Deputy Envoy Liu, who used to work under Pei Yanqing, not only reported the matter but also made it public.
This matter itself could not be concealed. When the news of the disappearance of the commander of the Imperial City Division was reported, even the emperor was alarmed.
A close minister of the emperor disappeared quietly, which was tantamount to contempt for the royal family. The emperor ordered an investigation and demanded to find the person alive or dead. If the person was not found, the position of commander would remain vacant.
Deputy Envoy Liu knew that this was an opportunity to show off, and he also believed that he was more capable than Pei Yanqing. That guy only gained some favor by relying on his face, but he had real ability.
"This Deputy Envoy Liu has acknowledged the Eunuch Chief as his godfather and secretly held a banquet to offer him retirement support. His godfather is the Imperial City Envoy. Could it be that he wants to harm Lord Pei so he can get promoted himself?"
What Zhen Jia Erlang said was not groundless, and many people were also spreading it.
Baozhu shook her head. "Everyone's saying it makes it seem fake. How can it be worth taking such a huge risk just to advance a level or half a level? If something goes wrong, everyone will suspect him. Once this suspicion is planted, not to mention others, the government will definitely not believe him. Forget about getting promoted, it would be a good thing if his godfather didn't get hurt along with him."
No wonder Deputy Envoy Liu wanted to make a fuss about it, otherwise people would have suspected him of doing it. After all, many people knew that he had always disliked Lord Pei.
Mentioning this, Baozhu suddenly remembered what Pei Yanqing had said before about taking advantage of the situation. Pei Yanqing's disappearance might have nothing to do with him, but he definitely wanted to climb up the ladder. Whether it was to get rid of his own suspicion or to gain the trust of the government, they not only had to do their best to find the person, but also had to ensure that the person was alive.
This matter was only known within the Imperial City Office. People outside had no idea what was going on. This was an office that offended people. If anyone got wind of it, they would kill them even if their lives were not in danger.
Even the second son of the Zhen family was warned. He just used the excuse that Lord Pei was originally a tenant of his family. He went back to Beijing to visit recently but saw the grandmother of the Pei family crying every day. She said that there had been no news of Lord Pei since he entered the palace, so he came to help ask.
This was basically true, and those people didn't suspect anything.
With the official's personal order, the matter was investigated quickly. All those who had grudges against Pei Yanqing were summoned one by one, and the road leading to the palace was investigated again. Seeing that the matter was serious, some clues were discovered.
Seeing that no one knew about this, someone came out tremblingly with a peace locket pendant, saying that he had picked it up on the road and thought it was of good quality, so he stole it. Colleagues who were familiar with Pei Yanqing naturally knew that this was his thing.
Many people saw Pei Yanqing that day, but no one saw him again after he came out of this street.
Knowing the direction, the investigation was faster. In just two or three days, they found out that there was a carriage that day, which changed three times before entering a private house outside the city. Deputy Envoy Liu waited outside the house for another two days until he heard from his subordinates that this house was the private residence of Lord Lin, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, who kept a mistress.
Minister Lin was an official who had been promoted from Jiangnan. The officialdom in Jiangnan was in turmoil, and the people he left behind in Jiangnan had also gotten into trouble. He was afraid that Pei Yanqing would go to Beijing and cause trouble, and would then drag him into it, so he took action.
The Imperial City Division, known for their many escapades, easily found the mansion's dungeon, where Pei Yanqing was hanging, breathing in and out more than he needed to. Deputy Envoy Liu wished he could kill him immediately, but fearing the potential trouble, he could only quietly sneak over, slash the gatekeeper unconscious, and then send a message for the outsiders to rush in.
The reason why a loophole was left for Lord Lin was that this old man would threaten him. As long as Pei Yanqing did not let him go, this old man would not be able to escape. At most, he would suffer some punishment. How could Minister Lin dare to take his life easily?
Minister Lin used both soft and hard tactics, but this man was just a piece of rotten stone. He boasted that he would die, but the secret letter was presented to the emperor the moment he died.
——On the road to the underworld, with Lord Lin’s family accompanying me, I won’t feel lonely.
Pei Yanqing saw that it was Deputy Envoy Liu who came, which was a few days earlier than he expected. He smiled weakly and shouted, "Good brother, you are really brave."
As for Deputy Envoy Liu, even though he saved the man, he still had a blank expression on his face and sneered, "What a good plan."
Pei Yanqing pointed at the knife on the ground and said, "There's no need for us two to be so pretentious. Stab me once. Today I'll be Deputy Envoy Liu, and tomorrow I'll be gone with that calligraphy."
Deputy Envoy Liu was a little stunned, but without hesitation, he picked up the knife and stabbed him, carrying the man who had completely fainted out.
The government sent the imperial physician to save the man, and he was brought back from the brink of death. When Pei Yanqing woke up, he was summoned for questioning.
In fact, Deputy Envoy Liu has almost finished investigating the matter in the past few days. The Lin family is so bold and presumptuous that they have colluded with officials from Jiangnan. They even defy the royal majesty and attack officials appointed by the court.
"I deserve death. If Minister Lin hadn't exposed himself this time, I'd have missed this dark insect. Your Majesty, I beg you to punish me."
The official saw that there was not a single good spot on him and exempted him from the gift.
"You have accomplished a great deed in this fight, and your crime is pardoned. Not only will you be pardoned, but I will also reward you."
Pei Yanqing knelt down for a long time without getting up. He only saw blood oozing from his abdomen. "Your humble servant dares..."
The atmosphere in the room became tense. The emperor, who was always kind, spoke in a majestic voice. Pei Yanqing did not dare to look up, but felt as if a gaze was piercing his back.
"Go on."
Pei Yanqing was still prostrating himself on the ground. "My parents passed away when I was young, and my grandmother raised me. Now she is old, and she can't sleep at night since I left home. I am so cautious and cautious in my actions now, so I am bound to make mistakes. I am truly ashamed of your majesty. Please demote me."
"Do you know that this is considered disloyalty?"
Hearing this, Pei Yanqing felt relieved. If the emperor had spoken softly, his actions would have been suspected. He was seriously injured, and the emperor was kind-hearted. Even if he didn't respond, he would at least spare his life.
The eunuch helped him up.
"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. Since you are showing your filial piety, I agree to this matter." The emperor sighed. "The Ministry of Personnel has written to you that several county magistrates in the capital will be transferred to Jiangnan after their terms expire. If you decide which vacancy should be filled, please go and speak to the Ministry of Personnel."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yanqing was completely relieved. The emperor didn't know, but he knew that his back was already soaked with cold sweat. Even in the dungeon, he was not as nervous as he was today.
The emperor said that he was filial, but in his heart he just thought that he was afraid because he had suffered a punishment this time. Now he was lucky that his official rank remained unchanged. However, to others, this lateral transfer was already a punishment. After all, he had made many contributions, but he did not get any promotion. Instead, he was transferred from being a favorite of the emperor to being a county magistrate in the capital. I think he offended the emperor. Those who had grudges against him in the past no longer took him seriously. After all, no matter where in the capital, a county magistrate was not worth mentioning in the eyes of those officials in Bianliang.
After the second brother got the news, he came to tell Baozhu. Baozhu knew that the person had returned, so she quickly got in her carriage and went to Pei's house.
Pei Yanqing suffered this time, and many people were eyeing his position.
This position was closest to the emperor, and despite the dangers involved, many people rushed to take it. Pei Yanqing had proposed the transfer himself, and someone else had secretly persuaded the emperor, so the position was naturally given up.
Deputy Envoy Liu was a man of good manners and sincerity, and his promotion was a sure thing. Now that the two of them had no more grudges against each other, they felt a sense of sympathy for each other. He had not held back when he struck him last time, and he felt a little guilty about it. He came to the Pei family every day to take a look, and he also promised to go to Fanlou for a drink together when he was well again.
When Baozhu arrived, the people had just left. Grandma Pei was in tears. Although she didn't have many relatives, there were a few people from the same clan who were officials in Bian Jing. When she asked them for help, everyone pretended not to know. Now that they knew Pei Yanqing was going to be transferred to be a small official, no one was willing to come to visit.
Grandma Pei dragged Baozhu along, grieving. When Pei Yanqing ordered someone to carry her back home, she was so frightened that she couldn't stand. Grandma Pei wasn't as healthy as Grandma Zhen to begin with, and this shock had drained most of her energy.
"If I hadn't wanted him to stand out and make a name for himself, he wouldn't have fought so hard. I'm halfway to the grave, yet I still can't let it go."
"It's just Master Pei who's making progress. There's no need for Grandma to take all this on herself."
After she finished speaking, Baozhu comforted her and then went in to see him.
He didn't know how serious the injury was, and he was covered in gauze, almost wanting to wrap him up completely. Baozhu felt uncomfortable watching him. They had known each other for so long that she knew what method he was talking about without asking.
"You said you had a plan, but it turns out you're risking your life."
"If you don't fight for your life, how can you really get away?" Pei Yanqing smiled as he watched Baozhu look him up and down.
Baozhu choked up as she spoke. The man on the bed wanted to get up, so Baozhu held his cold hand and clasped her fingers together before she felt something was real. Uneasy, she checked his breath and found that he was alive and well.
"This is a win in the bet. What if I lose?"
"Didn't the priest at Hanshan Temple interpret my fortune? He said marriage is imminent. It's a sure thing. With that fortune, it's 100% certain." Baozhu's face was so close, Pei Yanqing felt his body burning. "We originally agreed that I would come to propose marriage after I was done with this job. Does that still stand?"
Baozhu was speechless and nodded slightly.
Pei Yanqing became more and more excited, and couldn't help but pull Baozhu to get up. Baozhu frowned and pushed him down again.
"Don't cry—" Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, Pei Yanqing pulled her to sit on the bed. "Although I have suffered a little this time, this suffering will pass. There will never be such a dangerous time again."
The more Baozhu spoke, the more her nose ached. Pei Yanqing could only cry out in pain, causing Baozhu to stand up in a panic to see if any of his wounds had broken open.
It was only then that Baozhu noticed that he was not wearing any clothes, only some gauze wrapped around his body. He was afraid that the wound would fester, so he did not dare to wrap the gauze too thickly. Through the gauze, she could see that he was strong and muscular. Baozhu swallowed and shook her head to get rid of some inappropriate thoughts. When she reacted, her face turned red.
Seeing his painful expression, she knew that he had suffered a great deal. The wound on his abdomen was bleeding again. Baozhu uncovered the cloth and picked up the medicine on the table to change his medicine.
As soon as he opened his mouth, he saw a mess of blood and flesh inside. There was no healthy part of his body. His chest and back were burned by the branding iron several times, and he did not receive timely treatment. The wounds were bleeding and his skin and flesh were curled up and rolled. When he was rescued, the imperial physician dug out the pus so that the wounds could heal.
Baozhu had never seen such a scene before. Even the last time she killed someone, she only killed him with one knife, and it was at night. As time went by, the pain would fade away. But this time, the man was tortured beyond recognition.
I don’t know how painful it is.
Tears rolled down her face unconsciously. Pei Yanqing raised his hand anxiously to wipe them away for her, but the tears flowed out from between his fingers like beads with broken strings, and no matter how he wiped, they would not stop.
Baozhu buried her head in his shoulder, and Pei Yanqing patted her back gently. She was angry that he hadn't said a word, which had made her worried for so many days. Now seeing him injured, she was even more worried.
"The job was difficult before, and many things could not be revealed. From now on, nothing will be hidden from you." Pei Yanqing knew what she was thinking.
Seeing that she was still frowning after what he said, he started to make jokes again, "Deputy Envoy Liu has a pig's head. Fortunately, you reminded me, otherwise I would have had to stay in the dungeon for ten days or half a month."
After saying that, he propped himself up and stood up. "From now on, we will just live an ordinary life. The government has allowed me to choose a few counties in the capital to be a county magistrate. Although the salary is not high, it is stable and close. You and your parents will definitely not be able to leave Bianjing's business. You can stay in Bianjing then. I can make more trips anyway..."
"Alright, alright, just take care of your injury first!" Baozhu interrupted without mercy.
Pei Yanqing closed his eyes and thought of wherever he wanted. If Baozhu hadn't told him, he would have even thought of where his child would go to school.
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