Chapter 22, Part 22: Let go, don't touch me…
From early spring to autumn, more than half a year felt like a lifetime to Yuezhi.
In the dark and gloomy prison, her body and mind were constantly worn down. All that remained in her eyes was a blur of darkness. She almost forgot what Pei Heng looked like, his voice, and all his promises.
The voice in her ear was no longer the clear and bright one of a boy, but had become deep and magnetic, the voice of a young man, which was very unfamiliar to her.
She couldn't believe it, her body trembling uncontrollably, muttering repeatedly, "Let me go...don't touch me..."
Her face was pale with the sunset; it was already autumn, yet she was still wearing a thin summer dress. Her long, black hair fell from the side of her face, making her pale face look so fragile and pitiful.
With just one glance, Pei Heng felt as if his heart was being clenched, and his throat tightened, leaving him unable to utter a sound.
He slowly released her arm, told the attendants to leave, knelt down in front of her, took off the ornament from his neck, and gently placed it in her curled-up hand.
The warm gold lock landed in her palm. Yuezhi stroked the familiar pattern, the red rope she had woven herself. The panic in the face of strangers gradually subsided, and a storm seemed to surge in her chest. The grievances of the past few days and the loneliness she had nowhere to confide in turned into tears, which flowed from the corners of her dry eyes.
"Pei Heng, I can't see..."
Her voice was choked with sobs as she gripped the gold lock tightly, her other hand reaching out and grabbing his worn-out cuff.
Pei Heng suppressed his trembling breath and stroked her back through her clothes. "I'll find a doctor to treat you. He'll definitely be cured."
After crying for a while, Yuezhi remembered the barbarians outside and hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, "Why did you come back at this time? The barbarians have entered the city. It's too dangerous here. You should find a place to hide first."
"It's alright, they were just a scattered bunch, nothing to worry about. I've already led my men and scattered them." Pei Heng gently stroked the thin body beneath his palm, his brow furrowed with worry. "Can you still stand up?"
He helped her up.
With his help, Yuezhi took a step forward, her steps unsteady, and her shoulder accidentally bumped into his chest. She then heard the young man murmur in her ear, "Yuezhi, why don't you take a nap first?"
The next second, a warm palm covered the back of her neck, and with a gentle squeeze, Yuezhi immediately fainted.
Pei Heng steadily supported her limp body, put one arm around her back, bent down to hug her knees, and lifted her up horizontally.
The woman's soft dress fluttered off the young man's hard armor, as if her sleeping face rested on his broad shoulders. As she walked out of the prison gate, the men waiting outside knelt and bowed, their lowered gazes involuntarily drifting towards the moon-white hem of her dress.
"Your Highness, all the barbarians who broke into the city have been captured. The barbarians wandering outside the city have fled across the border after seeing our troops. Whether to pursue or defend, please give your instructions, Your Highness."
The young man held the woman's soft body in his arms, his eyes sweeping over his subordinates in the courtyard, his dark eyes revealing a ruthless, bloodthirsty glint.
“All the barbarians in custody were beheaded and their heads displayed to the public.”
"Immediately muster your troops and follow me out of the city to kill the enemy and eliminate any future threats."
"I will obey His Highness's command!"
*
As the autumn winds begin to blow, beyond the mountains lies the barren Gobi grassland. The barbarians wandering outside the border are suddenly attacked by the Liangzhou army, which is chasing them, disrupting their lines. The horses gallop, kicking up endless yellow sand.
The prince, who always leads from the front, has shed his boyish naiveté, and the sword he has forged in blood has become even sharper and colder.
He galloped through the chaotic defensive line, his sword flashing as it pointed directly at the center of the barbarian army.
The sword hilt flew from his hand, severing the neck of the barbarian chieftain who was protected by layers of guards. The scalding blood stained the eyes of the soldiers on both sides, and for a moment the battle was so fierce that the sky darkened and blood flowed like a river.
A few months ago, on the same battlefield filled with the clash of swords, the Marquis of Jing'an fell before him without warning.
After being examined by the military doctor, they learned that the fire at the Marquis's mansion that night had been caused by an assassin adding a rare poison called "Thousand Threads" to the wine they had drunk.
Those poisoned by this substance will not die immediately, but they must not have strong emotions. Strong joy, anger, sorrow, and fear will all affect the poison in the body. Mild cases may result in restlessness, indulgence, and drastic changes in temperament, while severe cases may lead to madness and sudden death.
Marquis Jing'an died from poisoning after being caught up in the heat of battle. Compared to Marquis Jing'an, Pei Heng's body was much less poisoned. Firstly, he was young and in good health. Secondly, when the poison was about to take effect that night, someone by his side calmed his agitation.
The death of the Marquis of Jing'an ruined half of the plan. The emperor offered generous rewards to persuade them to surrender, which caused unrest among the soldiers.
Others may not know the emperor's true colors, but Pei Heng sees them clearly. How could someone who can't even tolerate his own son possibly treat his defeated and surrendered generals well?
He killed the envoy, reorganized the army, and made good use of his cultivated confidants to stabilize the people's hearts. He stormed into the imperial city, headed straight for the palace, and personally stepped into the Taiji Hall, standing in front of the emperor's sickbed.
"You unfilial son, you truly harbor rebellious intentions..."
Ten years have passed. The aging emperor, with his head full of white hair and withered appearance, leans against his couch, his eyes still as fierce as those of an eagle or wolf, staring intently at him.
"You are just like your mother, adept at hiding your true intentions and cunning. Even the harsh cold of the borderlands couldn't extinguish your ambition. I shouldn't have been so merciful as to spare your life; I should have killed you then!"
Pei Heng watched his frenzied appearance as if he were looking at someone unrelated to him, feeling no emotion whatsoever.
He threw the two unseeing heads onto the dragon bed, and said in a calm tone, "Father, my two elder brothers are here watching. Please write an abdication edict and hand over the imperial seal to legitimize the throne."
The emperor and his concubine's two sons, though mediocre, were his favorite sons, and now they were both in his arms.
As for the Imperial Concubine, although she was a woman in the harem, she was also a political enemy who had to be eliminated. Pei Heng did not do it himself, but handed it over to his subordinates to kill her. At this time, she was already with the corpses of her two sons.
"Your Highness and your two elder brothers have already departed. I know that you love them dearly and will be reluctant to part with them. When you pass away, I will bury you with them so that you can be reunited in the underworld and enjoy the happiness of family life again."
Upon hearing this, the emperor was so angry that he had a terrible headache. He gripped the edge of the bed tightly with both hands, his body trembled, and he vomited a mouthful of blood.
"You beast! They are your own brothers, and the Imperial Concubine has never mistreated you. How could you do this to them!"
Why can't I bring myself to do it?
Pei Heng sneered, "Father taught me to be kind and obedient, and I've learned that. Father taught me to use any means to achieve my goals, to eliminate dissidents, and to eradicate them completely, and I've learned that too... I can also write Father's characters. Would you like to show them to Father?"
The emperor's pupils widened as he saw his son, whom he hadn't seen for ten years, transformed from a well-behaved, sensible, gentle, and polite child into a cold-blooded and vicious beast.
...and he's becoming more and more like him.
The emperor was shocked, and his last bit of stubbornness vanished. He collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath, swallowing the last of his regrets.
Pei Heng dismissed everyone else and personally escorted the emperor on his final journey with a yellow jade belt.
Even on his deathbed, the emperor stared at him with those cloudy eyes, as if declaring that his dignity as an emperor would not be extinguished by his destruction.
Pei Heng found it amusing. Watching the person slowly die, he said in a low voice, "The Imperial Concubine handed over the Imperial Seal before she died, and I have already drafted the abdication edict for you. You think you are very important to me? You are nothing but a stubborn and self-righteous sick tiger."
Two labored breaths echoed in the Taiji Hall, like stones thrown into water, struggling for a moment before disappearing without a trace.
He walked out of the Taiji Hall, where thousands of troops stood below the long steps.
On the Gobi Desert, littered with corpses, Pei Heng stepped onto the pile of barbarian corpses. He raised his banner high, and though he had not yet donned the imperial robes, he was already the unshakeable and ever-victorious king among the three armies.
He left a few men to clean up the battlefield, mounted his horse, and rode back to Yanjing City in the blood-red afterglow of the setting sun.
He dismounted, removed his armor and sword, wiped the blood from his face, and stepped into the familiar courtyard.
The house remained exactly as it had been when he left. The imperial guards he had left behind protected the courtyard. The accompanying imperial physicians and military doctors were cooking medicine in the kitchen. Upon seeing him arrive, the imperial physicians hurriedly got up to greet him.
Pei Heng looked anxiously towards the inner room of the main hall, stopped and asked the imperial physician, "How are her eyes? How did she go blind? What medicine should she take? How long will it take for her to recover?"
The imperial physician bowed low and said, “Your Highness, the young lady has lost her sight due to years of eye strain and a severe blow to the head, causing blood stasis in her brain that is pressing on her eyes. Treatment for this condition must not be rushed, and she should not experience great grief or pain. She should be encouraged to relax and be cheerful, supplemented with herbal decoctions to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. With proper care, she will surely recover one day.”
Upon learning that there was a chance of recovery, Pei Heng's anxious heart calmed down somewhat. He then noticed what the imperial physician had said: "Her head has suffered a severe blow?"
"Yes, that's why the girl went blind."
Pei Heng was furious and ordered his subordinate, "First, detain the Prefect of Yanjing for me. Then, go to the prefectural government office and find all the relevant files for this case. I want to see who is right and who is wrong in this case."
"Your subordinate obeys." The adjutant left the room.
Pei Heng dismissed the imperial physicians, pushed open the door and entered the main room. He lifted the curtain and saw Hua Qing taking care of Yue Zhi by the bedside.
She had just bathed Yuezhi and changed her into clean clothes. She was worried about Yuezhi's health and felt inexplicably repulsed by the strangers who had come into the house.
Pei Heng walked in, his murderous aura still lingering between his brows. He was dressed in a black outfit embroidered with gold patterns, which startled Hua Qing at first glance—this man exuded a violent aura and was full of the smell of blood, like a killing god on the battlefield, quite unlike her cold-on-the-outside-but-warm-on-the-inside cousin.
But judging from his appearance, it was indeed him.
Pei Heng did not force her to accept her identity as soon as possible. He simply stood in front of the bed and looked at the unconscious Yue Zhi. He brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead and saw that her face was as white as snow, like a person made of snow, as if she would shatter at any moment.
"Tell me everything you know about what happened after I left, why Yuezhi was imprisoned."
After entering the city, he went straight home, only to find Hua Qing alone, who had locked the door to avoid the barbarians. He heard her say through the door that "Yue Zhi is still imprisoned," so he immediately rushed over.
When asked for details, Hua Qing opened up, recounting how Yue Zhi was tricked into going to the mansion, how Xiu Yu and Qi Miao tried to bully her, how she was forced to kill to protect herself, how she secretly colluded with the prefect at the Qi family, and how they privately decided the case without investigation...
"How could such a despicable thing happen!" Pei Heng clenched his fist in anger.
"They're just taking advantage of the fact that we're all alone. Cousin, you have to get justice for my sister!"
Seeing Pei Heng's current entourage, Hua Qing thought he must have been promoted to a high-ranking official, and hoped that he could get the prefect to retry the case and clear Yue Zhi's name.
Pei Heng tucked the blanket around Yue Zhi on the bed and instructed Hua Qing, "Take good care of her. I'll be right back."
He left home and went straight to the government office.
*
The case file, which was so simple that it only had a few lines of text, detailed how Yuezhi was initially sentenced to beheading in the autumn, but was later reduced to one year of imprisonment because "Qi's family was kind-hearted and did not pursue the more serious offenses."
Pei Heng previously only knew that Qi Miao had dealings with the Marquis of Jing'an. Now it seems that he is so powerful and wealthy that he can easily bribe the government offices. In the entire city of Yanjing, from powerful and noble families to wealthy merchants and commoners, everyone speaks highly of him and praises his benevolence.
If he were truly of high moral character, he wouldn't have been dismissed from office and driven out of Pingzhou. He must have been in trouble in Pingzhou because someone had something on him and caused a major incident that he couldn't handle, which is why he hurriedly fled to Yanjing.
Qi Miao is dead, and this case was handled by his family behind the scenes.
Pei Heng walked out of the file room and came to the back hall of the government office, where the Prefect of Yanjing was being held captive, his hands and feet bound and his mouth gagged.
He raised his hand, and one of his junior officers removed the rag from the prefect's mouth.
The prefect looked around and saw that most of the people around him were dressed in the uniforms of the Liangzhou army, but he didn't recognize any of them. He said sternly to Pei Heng, "I am an official appointed by the imperial court. How dare you arrest me?"
Pei Heng threw the case file in front of him. "You convicted him without even holding a trial. Did the court give you such power to act so recklessly?"
The case file was unfolded in front of the prefect. Upon seeing the character "齐" (Qi) on it, the prefect swallowed nervously, looked around, and then glanced at the yamen runners being held in the courtyard outside.
"Even if I have made a mistake and wrongly judged a case, the court will send someone to convict me and arrest my people. The Liangzhou army is commanded by the Marquis of Jing'an, who is of equal rank to me. Even he dares not treat me disrespectfully. You are just minor generals in the Liangzhou army. How dare you be so presumptuous here?!"
The prefect mustered his courage, intending to intimidate the crowd.
The junior officer who was pressing down on his shoulder slapped him across the face and scolded, "Blind fool! This is His Highness the Crown Prince! How dare you be so disrespectful to His Highness? Don't you want your head?"
The prefect felt a pang of panic. He looked up at the tall and upright young man and saw that he was indeed extraordinary. His eyes and brows exuded authority without anger, and his every move was the demeanor of an emperor.
His voice stammered, and his imposing manner noticeably diminished.
"Since His Majesty deposed the Crown Prince ten years ago, no new Crown Prince has been appointed. If this is His Highness the Crown Prince, why have I not received any imperial edict from the capital?"
The young general said, "We received intelligence that the barbarians were invading the border, so we marched here at full speed and arrived earlier than the post station officials."
The prefect had reported the military intelligence ten days earlier, and knowing that it was this group who had relieved the siege of Yanjing, he finally dared not speak.
Pei Heng asked him, "How much silver did you receive from the Qi family?"
“One thousand taels…” The prefect knelt on the ground and confessed everything. “They said that the woman had no one at home and that she deliberately seduced Old Master Qi in order to ruin the Qi family’s reputation and cheat him out of money… Madam Qi said that she would rather spend one thousand taels to buy her life than be coerced by anyone.”
After hearing the testimonies from several parties, Pei Heng understood the whole story. He ordered his men to remove the prefect's official hat, confiscate his family's wealth, and imprison him for three years.
There were many capable county officials in Liangzhou, and Pei Heng personally selected one to fill the position of prefect, issuing a decree—
"Qi Miao and his concubine plotted to seduce a respectable woman. When the plot was exposed, the Qi family disregarded the law, bribed the prefect, and privately convicted her. They treated the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty as nothing and their crimes were unforgivable."
"The Qi family's property shall be confiscated, and their servants shall be made criminal slaves. If their family members are involved in the case, those with minor offenses may be exempted from prosecution, while those with serious offenses shall be exiled from the city and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor."
Before the new prefect had even taken office, Pei Heng's words were the new official's decree. The young general led his troops and the yamen runners in two separate groups to raid the Qi family and the former prefect's house.
When the Qi family was besieged, they were celebrating the birthday of the eldest son of the Qi family. The house was full of guests and the atmosphere was very lively.
The soldiers rushed in, pouring cold water on the Qi family's raging fire. The guests hurriedly fled their seats, and several maids, sensing something was wrong, quietly followed the guests and ran away.
The night was long, and the music outside stopped.
Xiuyu was oblivious to anything amiss. In the dimly lit room, she was having an affair with a servant, lost in her own pleasure, completely forgetting about the dead old man and Yuezhi in the prison.
Afterwards, she nestled in the servant's arms and asked him sweetly, "Once I get some more money from Madam, we'll leave the Qi family and live a carefree life, okay?"
"Of course it's good. It's my blessing to have such a beautiful wife like you." The servant hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to have another go.
Xiuyu laughed happily, "You silly boy, you're never serious."
After the old man died, she became happier every day. Sometimes she even thought about going to the prison to thank Yuezhi. If it weren't for Yuezhi killing Qi Miao, how could she have escaped from those old men and gained such true affection?
Unfortunately, her beautiful embroidered shoes would never step into the damp and filthy prison; she was only waiting to make enough money so she could elope with her lover.
The intimate moment in bed was interrupted by soldiers who burst in. Torches illuminated their faces, and the servants, scrambling to their feet, were caught red-handed.
Xiuyu looked at the newcomer in alarm, then at the servants.
The servant pulled up his pants, looking flustered. He glanced back at Xiuyu, and seeing her still-passionate gaze, he firmly stood in front of her, stammering.
"It was I who liked Aunt Yu and forced myself on her while she was drunk. This has nothing to do with her. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me!"
In that instant, Xiuyu, who had never believed or felt true love before, felt as if she had been showered by a spring rain and sprouted new buds—it turned out that there was more to their relationship than just sexual pleasure.
This man truly loves her.
She thought: With him by my side, even if the Qi family drowns her in a pig cage or drives her out to suffer, I would gladly accept it.
“The maids and the mistress of the mansion have all confessed that you plotted to lure a respectable woman, and after the incident came to light, you concealed the truth and tricked her mistress into bribing you to frame her. The higher-ups have already ordered that you be exiled from the city to do hard labor for twenty years. Come with us.”
The soldiers' words chilled Xiuyu's surging emotions to the bone. She murmured, "Twenty years, twenty years..."
Looking at the servant again, the servant's eyes became hesitant. He gritted his teeth, reluctant to do so, and helplessly lowered his head, saying nothing more.
Her genuine feelings lasted only a moment before being completely destroyed by "twenty years of hard labor".
Tears blurred her vision, but the officers and soldiers did not allow her to delay or resist arrest. They dragged her off the bed, intending to forcibly take her away.
Xiuyu cried uncontrollably, collapsing to the ground with her bedding. It was only after the servants took pity on her and pleaded with the soldiers that they were persuaded to leave, while they stayed behind to help her get dressed.
The two remained silent, and Xiuyu felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
She dressed and went out, shouting at the soldiers, "I confess, it's all my fault. Please let me see the Prefect. Even if you make me your slave, I'll do anything to stay in the city."
The soldiers put shackles on her, and no one paid any attention to her.
The soldiers who confiscated the property carried large boxes of gold and silver jewelry out of the mansion, followed by the confiscated slaves and the entire Qi family.
The Qi family's residence was sealed off, leaving the Qi family with nowhere to go, and resentful eyes were fixed on Xiuyu.
"Is it all my fault? That old geezer was indecent. When he was alive, none of you said a word to advise him. Now that he's dead, all the blame falls on me?"
Her voice was shrill as she confronted the Qi family, her eyes glancing out of the corner of her eye at the servants who had become slaves. The more she looked, the more heartbroken she became, until she gradually fell silent.
It was her sins that dragged him down.
In a daze, she saw a handsome young man being escorted out of the government office ahead—wasn't that the deposed crown prince?
Judging from his appearance, he must be powerful in the army. If I can get him to plead for me, I might be able to reduce my punishment. At worst, I'll just kowtow twice to Yuezhi. Anyway, that fool is soft-hearted and easy to fool. If she doesn't forgive her, I'll kowtow until my head breaks.
Taking advantage of the guards' laxity, Xiuyu dragged her shackled body and staggered toward the young man.
"Young master! Young master!"
A sharp arrow came hurtling through the air and pierced her chest.
Xiuyu lay on the ground, blood flowing everywhere, her eyes staring at the dim night sky, never closing until she breathed her last.
The guard put away his bow and arrows, and from beginning to end, Pei Heng did not glance in her direction once.
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