Hearing this, Li Ming remained calm. He looked at Pei Wenxuan, who was kneeling on the ground, as if he had already understood what was going on. However, he still spoke: "What do you mean, Pei Aiqing? You are an official appointed by the court. How can anyone kill you?"
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan knelt on the ground, looking sad and angry, "Since Your Majesty already knows that I saved Princess Pingle yesterday, then Your Majesty may know something about my predicament."
"Dilemma?" Li Ming found a stone nearby, brushed off the dust, and slowly sat down. "Don't be afraid, just say it."
"Yesterday, on my way back to the city, I saw a group of soldiers galloping by. A group of people on the horses were vaguely saying something like kidnapping the princess. I felt uneasy, so I asked my servants to go back to the city and ask for help from the Crown Prince's Mansion. I went to see what these people were doing to prevent any accidents."
"Yeah." Li Ming responded. These things were all true. He had asked someone to check it out last night. He said calmly, "Then what?"
"I followed them and saw that these people were obviously servants from certain families, but they had changed into bandit clothes and pretended to be bandits. I knew something was wrong, so I set up roadblocks on the road to relieve the princess at the critical moment."
"You are quite smart." Li Ming laughed, "Those stone slabs are your work?"
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Ming had asked people to investigate the events of that night in detail, and that he had probably already checked anything that might have left clues.
Pei Wenxuan had worked for Li Ming for a year and was very familiar with his character. He was suspicious and sensitive, and he wanted to verify everything from multiple sources. So Pei Wenxuan thought about his own words and continued, "That's right. At that time, I was waiting on the road. Soon, I saw bandits chasing the princess. The princess was guarding the car secretly. In the crisis, I used roadblocks to rescue the princess, but the princess was injured and unconscious in the chaos. I had to flee with the princess in a hurry. I used my horse to lure those people to leave separately and ambush in the reed field. Then I heard a man chasing us. It's useless to scold my subordinates. I couldn't even stop the princess. This time the princess didn't even see him, how could I win the princess' heart."
Li Ming listened to Pei Wenxuan's words and chuckled: "These young people are quite active in their thinking." Then, Li Ming looked up at Pei Wenxuan and asked, "Is it Yang Quan?"
Pei Wenxuan pursed his lips and whispered, "Yes."
"I was panic-stricken and ran away without knowing where to go with the princess on my back. After I woke up, I discussed it with the princess and learned that she didn't know about it, so I didn't say anything more. This morning, the princess and I were rescued together. The queen summoned me to the palace, and then she told me..."
"What?" Li Ming asked calmly. Pei Wenxuan paused, as if hesitating. After a long time, he said, "The Queen asked me to keep the truth about my relationship with the princess a secret! Even if Your Majesty asks, I must not tell the truth. I can only say that I met Master Yang last night, and that Master Yang and I rescued the princess together. We were chased and killed, and then I got lost along the way, and it was Master Yang who saved the princess."
Li Ming couldn't help laughing when listening to Pei Wenxuan's words: "Is this why you asked me for help?"
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath and stood up, as if he had made a life-or-death decision. He looked at Li Ming, threw away his life and death, and spoke directly, "Since it has come to this, I will speak frankly. What I saw last night and what the Queen said today, everything is very clear. The Queen has already decided to marry the Yang family. What happened yesterday was just a show for the Princess, hoping that the Princess would look at Yang Quan with a new eye because of a hero saving a beauty. But such a thing was discovered by me. With Yang Quan's narrow mind and the Yang family's bold and daring style, now that they have left the palace, how can I survive?"
Li Ming remained silent for a long time. After a while, he said slowly, "Don't worry, the queen won't harm you for such a small matter."
"Your Majesty, do you really think," Pei Wenxuan stared at Li Ming and deliberately slowed down his voice, "that Yang's marriage to the prince is a trivial matter?"
Pei Wenxuan asked this, and Li Ming finally straightened his expression. He raised his eyes and stared at Pei Wenxuan. After a long time, he slowly said: "You know a lot, it seems?"
"Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan reminded him calmly, "three years ago, when my father was still alive, I was the eldest son of the Pei family, the top scholar of the year, and a student of the emperor. Even though my father is dead, some things about him are still here," Pei Wenxuan looked up at Li Ming and hinted, "They are still here."
Li Ming listened to Pei Wenxuan's words and showed a somewhat amused look: "Then tell me, why is it not a small matter for Yang Shi to marry the prince?"
"The Yang family has been tyrannical at the border for many years, with their own troops and self-importance. There have been many wars at the border. Every time a war started, the Yang family asked for money, food, and troops, and then resisted the Rong State. They won every war beautifully, but they never sent troops to eradicate the Rong State. Your Majesty has repeatedly requested to send troops to destroy the Rong State, but the Yang family rejected it on the grounds that the time was not right. There is a folk rumor in the northwest that 'Xia had two emperors, Yang in the north and Li in the south', which shows the power of the Yang family in the northwest."
"Go on." Li Ming said calmly, "Go on."
"The court is both afraid and respectful of the Yang family. The fear is because of the Yang family's military power, and the respect is because the border has been defended for many years by the Yang family. Therefore, Your Majesty is angry with the Yang family, but has never done anything radical. However, at the end of winter this year, the new king of Rong Kingdom took the throne, and Rong Kingdom invaded again. The Yang family surrendered without a fight and lost two cities in a row. Then, Your Majesty ordered them to defend the third city to the death. They defended 20,000 enemy troops with 50,000 troops and were defeated. Now they have retreated to Changping Pass and are confronting Rong Kingdom after receiving temporary reinforcements. Why did the Yang family, who have guarded the border for many years, suddenly fail to this extent? Has Your Majesty ever thought about it?"
"You know?"
"I think your majesty also knows," Pei Wenxuan said calmly, "For many years, the Yang family has been bribing the Rong Kingdom with military pay. The so-called war every year is just a collusion with the Rong Kingdom. The Rong Kingdom is weak in iron smelting and its strength is not strong enough. It is just that the Yang family has nurtured it for many years and gave the Rong Kingdom a chance to breathe and become strong. Now the new king has taken the throne and his heart is in Daxia. He is unwilling to accept money, so he was defeated in one battle."
"How dare you say that." Li Ming said in a low voice. Pei Wenxuan immediately kowtowed and whispered, "This news has long been known to the people in the border area. Your Majesty should have known it long ago. Otherwise, with your Majesty's wise heart, how could you have the intention to attack the pillars of the country?"
Li Ming felt relieved after hearing Pei Wenxuan's flattery. He stood up and said coldly, "Go on. What does this have to do with the princess' marriage?"
"Your Majesty knew that Yang had been defeated, but you suppressed the news and even brought the princess into contact with Yang Quan. Your Majesty's intention, I guess, is that your Majesty hopes that the princess's marriage will not become a bargaining chip for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"In recent years, as the Crown Prince has grown older, the power of the Empress's maternal family, the Shangguan clan, has expanded rapidly in the court. The Crown Prince has been disrespectful to Your Majesty and has been disobedient many times, all because of the Shangguan clan's instigation. Your Majesty is worried that the Shangguan clan will take advantage of the Princess' marriage, so the candidates chosen for the Princess are all people with suitable status but not involved in politics. Although Yang Quan has military power, he will face a disaster that will destroy him. Your Majesty should be collecting evidence now, waiting to wipe out the Yang family. But?"
Li Ming said nothing, tacitly agreeing. Pei Wenxuan said seriously: "But if Your Majesty has such a plan, it is a big mistake."
"oh?"
Li Ming didn't care at all: "What do you think, Mr. Pei?"
"Your Majesty, do you know the strength of the Rong Kingdom?"
“Very strong.”
"That's your misunderstanding, Your Majesty," Pei Wenxuan explained. "Rong is a barbarian country. Our swords can easily break their armor. As long as our soldiers are fully equipped, one can defeat ten. Today, Rong was defeated by Yang because Yang has been supplying weapons for many years. Rong attacked with our weapons this time, but they were not made by ourselves, so they will eventually run out, right?"
This was the reason why the Yang family organized a counterattack half a month later and won a great victory in the previous life.
Pei Wenxuan pondered and slowly sorted out what he knew in his previous life.
Although he didn't say it clearly, Li Ming immediately responded: "You mean, when the Rong Kingdom's troops are exhausted, our dynasty can attack again and win easily?"
"Yes." Pei Wenxuan said calmly, "Although the Yang family has lost 50,000 direct descendants, they have deep roots in the northwest, and no one knows how many troops they have secretly. Now your majesty has sent his own confidants to help the Yang family fight at Changping Pass, and Yang Quan has returned to the capital to ask for the princess's hand in marriage. If the Yang family succeeds in asking for the princess's hand in marriage, what do you think will happen next?"
"how?"
"Next, the crown prince and the Yang family will join forces. The Shangguan family will use the princess's marriage as an excuse to send a large amount of money to the Yang family. After your majesty's confidants meet the strongest wave of enemy troops, the Yang family will use the Shangguan family's money to recruit soldiers and horses, and counterattack again, and they will immediately win a great victory. By then, the Yang family will use the princess as an intermediary to gain a firm foothold in Huajing. When people see that Yang Quan has married the princess, they will misunderstand your majesty's intention and dare not do anything more to the Yang family. And if they turn defeat into victory in this battle, I am afraid that the Yang family's reputation will rise again, and it will be difficult for your majesty to investigate the past."
"Besides that, the Yang family has troops, and the prince may have another powerful general."
After Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, Li Ming remained silent. After a long while, he finally said, "Then according to Pei Aiqing's opinion..."
"Don't give Yang any chance to breathe."
Pei Wenxuan said calmly: "Now is the best time to take action against the Yang family."
"What about the border?" Li Ming frowned. "The Yang family has a lot of connections on the border. If we attack them now, they will rebel on the border..."
"Leave this matter to the prince."
Li Ming was stunned by this. Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Ming and said seriously, "The border is a mess now. In Huajing, except for the Shangguan family, Su family, Pei family and other big families, they are simply unable to clean it up. Your Majesty, why don't you hand this matter over to the crown prince? If the crown prince makes any mistakes, you can use this as an excuse to appoint another crown prince. For the sake of the crown prince, the Shangguan family will definitely come out and stabilize the Yang family."
"What if the prince is ready?"
"If the prince is ready," Pei Wenxuan laughed, "if the prince can really pacify the Yang family and consume the main force, then Your Majesty can replace the prince before the final battle and arrange your trusted confidant as the main general to fight against the Rong Kingdom and win the first merit, isn't that perfect?"
After hearing this, Li Ming was silent. He thought for a while, and Pei Wenxuan knelt on the ground, waiting for Li Ming.
After a long time, Li Ming turned around and looked at Pei Wenxuan: "You are a smart person."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Then," Li Ming said calmly, "why not be loyal to the prince?"
"Because," Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Ming and said steadily, "Your Majesty is Your Majesty, but the Crown Prince may not be the Crown Prince."
Li Ming stared into Pei Wenxuan's eyes.
He rarely saw a twenty-year-old young man with such calmness and courage in his eyes. Even when he looked into his eyes, there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.
Such sharpness may seem fierce, but in the court, being too rigid can easily lead to failure.
This is a knife, but it is just that and only a knife.
If Pei Wenxuan was old and smooth, but had such wit, Li Ming would still be a little afraid. But looking at Pei Wenxuan's ambitious eyes, Li Ming found it a little funny.
After all, they are just young people.
"I understand." Li Ming nodded. "You are right, but now in the court," Li Ming sighed, as if regretful, "I am afraid there are not many people who dare to touch the Yang family at this time."
"I would like to recommend someone to Your Majesty." Pei Wenxuan said respectfully. Li Ming raised his eyebrows and said, "You tell me."
"I am Pei Wenxuan," Pei Wenxuan bowed his head, "I am willing to share your worries."
"Heh..." Li Ming chuckled, "You are quite courageous. I wonder how you plan to share your worries, Pei Aiqing?"
"I will return to the palace in a moment. Please, Your Majesty, grant me a group of secret guards to follow me back to the palace. If Yang wants to take action today, I will use this as an excuse to request a thorough investigation, starting with the assassination of me, the kidnapping of the princess, and the border collusion."
"What if I don't do anything?"
"If you don't take action, tomorrow I will report him for kidnapping the princess. If no one dares to investigate the case, I will ask for your help in this case."
"Okay." Li Ming nodded. He raised his head, looked at the sky, and said calmly, "It's getting late. You should go back. Don't keep Master Yang waiting for too long."
Pei Wenxuan responded respectfully. He stood up, supported Li Ming and walked out slowly.
Neither of them talked about Li Rong's marriage, but Pei Wenxuan knew in his heart that as long as Li Ming treated him as his own, Li Rong would be able to get married.
The two came back from the garden chatting idly, and Pei Wenxuan took his leave.
Led by the eunuch, he walked out of Yu's study and arrived at the square in front of the palace gate. He saw Li Rong's sedan chair from a distance.
Li Rong seemed to have just come out of the East Palace. She was holding a sword in her hand and stroking the gem on it.
When Pei Wenxuan saw Li Rong coming, he and the eunuchs quickly moved away and stood respectfully on both sides.
When Li Rong saw Pei Wenxuan, she asked them to stop, sat on a high place, and said with a smile: "Master Pei, why are you still in the palace?"
"Your Majesty just summoned me," Pei Wenxuan said respectfully, "I chatted with Your Majesty for a while and just left."
"Is that so?" Li Rong glanced at the person next to her and said with a smile, "You saved me last night. Did the emperor give you a reward?"
"This is the proper thing to do, and you shouldn't accept the reward."
"That means I didn't give it to you." Li Rong sighed, "Father is really stingy."
As she spoke, she looked at the sword in her hand, held it horizontally and handed it over, saying reluctantly, "Forget it, I'll give it to you as a thank you gift."
Pei Wenxuan was stunned for a moment. Li Rong raised her eyebrows and said, "Why, you dare not refuse this reward from me?"
"How dare I not accept the gift from the princess?" Pei Wenxuan responded and quickly took the sword with both hands. Li Rong couldn't help but pursed her lips when she saw Pei Wenxuan bowing his head. She approached Pei Wenxuan and whispered, "Master Pei, you look very handsome."
When Pei Wenxuan heard this, he knew that Li Rong was seeing him paying respect to her, and he felt proud. He put away his sword and smiled softly: "The princess looks so innocent and adorable."
Li Rong could tell that Pei Wenxuan was scolding her for pretending.
What she feared most about people saying about her was that she was naive.
She smiled but didn't really smile, looking at Pei Wenxuan and said, "I'm busy meeting my father, Mr. Pei, please slow down on the road, don't get into any accidents by accident."
——I will never see you again in this life.
She used her eyes to convey the rest of the words. Pei Wenxuan showed disdain in his eyes, but said on his face: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Take care."
"Goodbye." Li Rong smiled, then moved closer to Pei Wenxuan, whispered in his ear, "I sent you a few people, thank you."
After saying this, Li Rong stood up straight, smirked gracefully, and then let the carriage start again, heading towards Yu's study.
Pei Wenxuan watched her leave and was escorted out of the palace by the eunuchs. As soon as he left the palace, he saw Tong Ye waiting for him at the gate in a carriage. He looked around and knew someone was following him, but he ignored it and pretended to know nothing. He sat in the carriage holding the sword, and the carriage started off with a swaying sound.
He didn't know whether Yang Quan would come or not, but it didn't matter, he was already prepared.
The carriage turned into the alley. At this moment, the sound of fighting suddenly came from the crowd. A man suddenly rushed into Pei Wenxuan's carriage and said directly: "I am here to protect you on the orders of the princess."
After saying this, he curled up like a bat, and lay on top of the carriage.
Pei Wenxuan was not surprised. When Li Rong said she was sending someone else, he knew that Li Rong was not just coming to see him. He nodded to the man, then closed his eyes. No matter how loud the shouting and killing was outside, he remained motionless like an old monk in meditation.
After a long time, the carriage was hit hard by someone, and the curtain was suddenly lifted up. Then Yang Quan rushed into the carriage with a bloody face and a knife in his hand.
Pei Wenxuan held the sword and opened his eyes. At that moment, the sharp blade pierced through Yang Quan's body from behind. The long sword in Yang Quan's hand was only a few inches away from Pei Wenxuan.
Blood splattered out, and Pei Wenxuan calmly looked at Yang Quan who fell down in shock.
"How dare you..." Yang Quan trembled, "How dare you... kill me?"
Pei Wenxuan remained calm, and spoke every word very calmly: "He colluded with the enemy, raised troops to gain power, was corrupt and violated the law, kidnapped the princess, assassinated court officials, and ignored the law and government rules."
"You dare to do all these, Yang Shi? I will kill you," Pei Wenxuan said in a serious tone, "Why don't you dare?"
With each word, Yang Quan lost his breath.
The man who had done it bowed respectfully to Pei Wenxuan and said quickly, "The princess told you to remember to kowtow three times in front of her portrait when you return to thank her for saving your life."
Having said this, the man jumped out of the carriage and disappeared.
Pei Wenxuan didn't even have time to curse back before he disappeared. He was silent for a moment, then heard Tong Ye hurriedly return to the carriage. When he saw Yang Quan on the ground, he was startled and hurriedly asked, "Master, are you okay?"
Pei Wenxuan did not answer. He looked at Yang Quan lying on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, he said calmly, "Go back to the palace."
"Return to the palace?" Tong Ye asked in surprise, "Return to the palace?"
After killing the young master of the Yang family, shouldn't you run away as soon as possible?
"Yes, let's go back to the palace." Pei Wenxuan said in a calm and serious voice, "He scared me. I have to go and complain."
Tong Ye: “…”
Sir, you really don't look scared, okay?