Chapter 90: When they met, their eyes met, and everything was laid bare.
January of the third year of the Xining era.
Jiang Xu personally went to several important prefectures in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, ostensibly for inspection, but in reality to secretly collect evidence. For example, the testimonies of several local officials who had close ties with Pei Sheng, the financial transactions of the Pei family in recent years in the account books, and even the clues about the former emperor back then. Each and every one of these pieces of evidence was just waiting to bring the people to justice.
In previous years, Pei Sheng acted recklessly, taking advantage of the impending collapse of the government and his own high position and power. It was thanks to this that Jiang Xu was able to gather the evidence he wanted in just two months of traveling south.
When the time was right, the group hurried to Pei Sheng's residence, but just as they were about to arrive, they received news that the courtyard was on fire.
At that moment, Jiang Xu was on the road, galloping on his horse. Upon hearing the news, he paused almost imperceptibly, "You mean... this villa suddenly caught fire, and by the time people were sent to put it out, it was too late?"
"Yes." Sensing the displeasure in his emperor's words, the guard's expression tightened involuntarily. He respectfully replied, "Once the fire was brought under control, our men immediately went in to investigate and discovered several bodies that were burned beyond recognition. According to officials familiar with Pei Sheng, they were confirmed to have died from self-immolation."
When this man entered officialdom, the late emperor was obsessed with elixirs and neglected state affairs. Later, when the young emperor ascended the throne, he spent more than ten years plotting and then held power in the court for several years until Jiang Xu attacked Luoyang, at which point he withdrew from public life.
If one didn't want to fall into his hands and suffer torture, or if it was to protect their wife, daughters, and clan, that was all possible, but...
"Confirmed, he committed suicide by self-immolation?" Jiang Xu spurred his horse, making it run even faster, and the wind seemed to dispel some of the doubt and coldness in his voice. "Or rather... is it certain that it was he who committed self-immolation?"
Beside him, the bodyguard was speechless for a moment, "This..."
At that time, the group arrived at the villa.
By this time, the ground was covered in ruins, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burnt flesh, wood, and beams.
The coroner and the new batch of officials responsible for identification reported nervously, "Your Majesty, although the face is difficult to identify, the physical characteristics match the token on the person, and... a large amount of oil was found in the room, indicating that they were prepared in advance."
"Confirmed...it is undoubtedly Pei Sheng."
Jiang Xu stood quietly in place, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over the corpses. In the darkness, his dark pupils narrowed slightly, and his tone was unreadable, "In that case, let them be properly buried."
After a moment, he added, "Now that Pei Sheng is dead, we can hurry up and wipe out the remaining henchmen in one fell swoop." Well then, regardless of whether there were any hidden reasons for his death, at least on the surface, Pei Sheng will no longer exist.
If uncertain things can be turned upside down, how much more so when so many people have verified it layer by layer?
Coming to his senses, Jiang Xu subconsciously took a few steps forward, intending to investigate the situation inside the courtyard. Behind him, several trusted confidants who had followed him looked at each other, but none of them dared to stop him.
Jiang Xu walked into the courtyard and searched it carefully. Suddenly, his steps slowed down and almost stopped.
In the past, there were flames soaring into the sky, turning the roof beams and crossbeams into scorched earth. He concentrated for a moment, then gently sniffed. A familiar, acrid smell mixed with the stench of blood instantly filled his nostrils, traversing hundreds of days and nights, once again disturbing his thoughts.
Even though Jiang Xu didn't want to admit it, deep down, the similar scene stirred up a bit of irritation in him.
The dark dragon-patterned cloak rustled in the cold wind. Jiang Xu stood alone for a long time before speaking again. His tone was as usual, but it was cold and menacing. "Issue my decree: Pei Sheng committed suicide out of fear of punishment. His crime is unforgivable. His remains shall be displayed for three days as a warning to others."
"All remaining members of the Pei clan, regardless of their relationship to the family, shall be investigated and dealt with strictly. In all prefectures and counties of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, anyone who harbors or colludes with them shall be punished in the same way."
In the following days, houses were searched, people were arrested, and interrogations were conducted. Every few hours, someone would be imprisoned. By the time of the Lesser Cold, officials in the Jiangnan region were all in a state of fear and could not sleep at night.
......
Inside the inn, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, and the candlelight flickered, illuminating the room.
Jiang Xu's trusted confidant, who had been sent out to investigate, returned to the residence, looking utterly distraught.
He had previously served under Xiao Chijie and had heard a little about what happened back then. After pushing open the door and walking around the copper basin and charcoal fire, he saw His Majesty marking names on the register as soon as he stood still.
Upon seeing him arrive, Jiang Xu casually asked, "How did it go? Did you find anything?" Pei Sheng's death was suspicious, but the die was cast, and the other party was now a confirmed "dead man." The cleanup went quite smoothly, so although Jiang Xu was tired, his mood was still acceptable.
Seeing this, the confidant felt even more complicated. He took a deep breath and spoke with difficulty, "Your Majesty, I stayed in Fuji Village for two days and looked around carefully from many angles. I found that the owner of the soup shop actually looks like..." He mumbled a few words and finished in a low voice, "...about eight or nine points similar to him."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu was slightly taken aback, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "...Really?" It had been more than two years since Shi Wan's death. How long had it been since he had heard his subordinates mention that name?
He himself only dared to glance at the ice coffin quietly when he was in the middle of the night. Faced with life and death, even if he had a hundred skills and a thousand schemes, he was powerless to change the situation and was an extremely insignificant person.
After a few pauses, his voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, "Really... eight or nine points similar?"
Coming to my senses, I felt a sharp pain in my palm. Looking down, I saw that the sandalwood wolf-hair brush I was holding had broken in two, and the cinnabar had spread across the paper, quickly spreading like pools of blood.
The trusted aide immediately said, "I've confirmed it several times, and it is indeed so. But the strange thing is, the shopkeeper... is a man, and he has a daughter with his wife." Seeing the man at the head of the table look enlightened and speak with worry, "Your Majesty...!"
However, Jiang Xu seemed oblivious.
The familiar taste, the two coincidences, and the striking resemblance.
man......?
He chuckled.
Are there really so many coincidences in the world?
After a moment, Jiang Xu composed himself and leaned back in his chair. Outside, snow had started falling again, with flecks of white snow scattering down. In the stillness of the night, he could only hear the increasingly deafening pounding of his own heart.
The answer is self-evident.
Substituting a plum for a peach, or a cicada shedding its shell.
Jiang Xu suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with an almost insane obsession, yet his face remained remarkably calm. "Prepare the horses, we're going to Fuji Village immediately."
Outside the building, a cold wind whistled, and snowflakes dotted the ground.
The horses galloped swiftly, like thunder, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.
......
*
In Fuji Village, as Lunar New Year's Eve approaches, the festive atmosphere grows stronger.
Although the shop was closed early due to the tension caused by the emperor's southern tour, everything inside the courtyard remained the same.
In this small space, everyone was busy preparing for the New Year. Bamboo racks in the open space were hung with cured meat and sausages. Inside the room, there was plenty of charcoal fire. Shi Wan, Cai Yue, Qiao Zuyi, and Tang Yun sat around the table, cutting paper-cuts together.
After some cutting, the red paper was transformed into various unique patterns. After a while, as usual, Qiao Zuyi took Tang Yun to sleep. The group took turns taking care of the baby, and Tang Yun was quite well-behaved, so they weren't too tired.
Once the two had left, Caiyue turned around and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look so distracted."
Shi Wan gave a bitter smile and shook her head slightly.
She was constantly on edge. These past few days, Jiang Xu had personally visited the Jiangzhe region, Pei Sheng had committed suicide by self-immolation, and the officialdom of various prefectures and cities had been shaken. Even though news from Fuji Village wasn't very reliable, people were still discussing the matter every day.
The subconscious unease grew stronger, and the fact that the soup shop had previously received praise from the government made it too conspicuous. If they continued to indulge it, would it be...?
Shi Wan glanced at Cai Yue and said casually, "A Yue, you said that after the New Year, when the weather gets warmer, we can go to other places to look around, how about it...?"
Having spent the past two years with her, Caiyue almost always understood her meaning. "Why did you suddenly bring this up? You... do you still feel unsafe here?"
“It’s not necessarily unsafe.” Shi Wan hesitated, carefully choosing her words. “I just think that a tall tree catches the wind and is too conspicuous.”
"Besides, the situation in the Jiangzhe area is clearly not very peaceful. If this continues, I will always feel uneasy." She sighed, "Perhaps we can find a better place and open a small shop again. With the recipe and the savings from the past two years, we can make a living."
What Shi Wan didn't say was that she was already secretly studying maps, keeping an eye on the news brought by caravans passing through, and learning about the local customs and traditions of other places, making several preparations.
Just waiting to have a happy end to the year, I will start planning the relocation.
The situation was not yet completely stable, so Shi Wan kept her thoughts to herself. If Cai Yue hadn't asked, she planned to keep it a secret for a few more days. After all... she could tell that the others had already developed a certain dependence on the village.
To go through all the trouble of relocating because of her personal speculation would be far too much...
Thinking of this, Shi Wan mustered her courage and was about to ask Cai Yue what she thought when she suddenly heard the rapid, thunderous sound of horses' hooves coming from the street outside, which made her heart tremble.
Caiyue also heard the commotion and asked in a low voice, "Could it be... that the government officials have come again?"
Shi Wan pursed her lips and remained silent. After a moment's thought, her tone was somewhat uncertain, but she still denied it, saying, "It shouldn't be." She stood up, straightened her clothes, and said, "I'll go out and take a look."
"It's right at the door, there shouldn't be any problem."
"Don't worry."
After speaking, he opened the door and stepped out onto the street, holding a bamboo paper umbrella with ink-wash flower and bird patterns. The snowflakes fell like cotton wool.
The wind rustled as she stood there. After a short while, the sound of horses' hooves stopped. Shi Wan slightly raised the umbrella and looked up. A few steps away, she saw a person sitting upright on horseback.
Wearing an indigo robe and a plain white belt, the chill dampened his temples, causing tiny droplets of water to condense and slide gently down his face. The man's expression was stern, his lips pressed into a straight line, seemingly blending into the night.
Those two eyes alone seemed to burn you.
It cuts through the wind and snow, locking her in tightly, never blinking.
Their eyes met, and everything was clear.
There is nowhere to hide.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here I am!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
