Chapter 26 My Wife 26 How can I not feel hatred?
Seeing an important clue before his eyes, he hurriedly asked, "Where did my father get this portrait? And who is the person in this painting?"
Pei Zhi laughed heartily, rubbing the rough stubble on his chin, with a look of understanding on his face.
He handed the portrait to Pei Yu, who took it in his hands and examined it carefully, from the features to the details, practically memorizing every inch of the sallow paper. "This man is the head of the Mi family and the elder brother of Wu Heng's mother."
"Yan Jin is a smart kid, never one to do anything without a purpose. I heard you say Yan Jin was suspicious of him, and when it comes to matters that threaten the nation's destiny, it's better to believe it than not. And this guy, on top of his Han appearance, it's hard not to think of Wu Heng's mother."
"The Mi family is a merchant family. Although they are a minor business, they are arrogant and contemptuous. They rely on their large-scale business to look down on ordinary people and almost never receive ordinary people. The Han Chinese who can replace Wu Heng in the capital and negotiate with this wealthy family must be an extraordinary person. It is very likely a member of the Mi family."
"I saw Wu Heng the other day, and he looks like he might be from the Chanyu. With just a cursory glance, I couldn't tell if he was related to Hesuler. So, I sent someone to find a portrait of a member of the Mi family. If Huaiyuan also sees a resemblance, then Hesuler's identity is clear."
Pei Yu cupped his hands and said, "Father is right. Hesuler is so similar to the patriarch of Wuheng's mother clan. I'm afraid they are not as master and servant as they appear. Perhaps Hesuler is..."
The last word he wanted to say was the same as what Pei Zhi blurted out at this moment, "Wu Heng's maternal uncle."
Wu Heng, Mi Shi, they've conspired to exploit the tribute period to penetrate the capital, which tightly controls the salt, iron, gold, and silver industries. This, coupled with Lu Huai's claims of his own explorations and probing in Chongzhou, clearly demonstrates their ambitions. It's unclear whether this ambitious move was Wu Heng's own doing or his father's.
The Northern Huns were already vast and extremely powerful. As a vassal state, they could still make people feel a little relieved if they could honestly do their job. However, if they were to develop ambitions to covet the imperial power in the Central Plains, not to mention the inevitable consequence of fierce fighting on the border, the situation might not even be contained within a controllable range.
The situation was dire. Pei Yu bid farewell to his father and led his personal guards back to the city, but they split into three groups, heading for the trading company, Mi Mansion, and the posthouse. Before setting off, he received word from a trusted confidant who had ambushed him at Mi Mansion. He said Hesu'er was likely aware of their plan to capture Yu through the Mi clan and might have gone the other way and gone to a place unconnected with the Mi clan.
So he focused his attention on the posthouse, and because he wanted to confront Wu Heng and Qiao Qi head-on, he decided to go there in person. The people in the other two directions also made careful deployments according to their talents, determined to capture Hesuler, the key chess piece.
But if we catch him and have no evidence, what can we do to him? It will just be a repeat of the same mistakes.
Pei Yu frowned.
Would they really rather kill a thousand innocent people than let any threat go? If the Northern Huns were to become desperate and force a war, wouldn't that be of no benefit?
At this critical moment when he was extremely anxious, the moonlight that lingered in his heart - Lu Huai came to the rescue breathlessly, which suddenly eased his anxious mood.
Transparent beads of sweat appeared on Lu Huai's smooth forehead and rolled down into his collar where others could not see. The white cloak made his pure and clear face, which was about to ascend to heaven, seem a little more worldly.
He first stuffed a stack of invoices into Pei Yu's hands, and without taking a breath, he explained to Pei Yu in a halting manner.
"I found evidence of collusion between the Mi family and Wu Heng. When they arrived in the capital the day before yesterday, the Mi family sent out a batch of goods to be shipped to Chongzhou. It seemed that they had nothing to do with them, but in fact, the goods contained a large amount of gold and silver that was supposed to be provided to the court."
Although Pei Yu was also concerned about his upcoming marriage, he also knew that the time had come for public affairs rather than personal interests. His expression remained calm, but he only raised his doubts after looking at the "hook" written on it, which was a far cry from gold and silver.
"Yanjin, slow down. This isn't gold or silver, so why is there a nail hook on it that has been approved by the Quality Inspection Bureau? This thing shouldn't be made of iron."
Lu Huai pulled out a detailed cargo list and pointed out the excessively high costs of inspecting iron products. Although he looked tired, his eyes were surprisingly bright.
"In the past, the Quality Inspection Bureau charged such high fees for inspections for two reasons: one was that the weight exceeded the actual weight, and the other was that officials accepted bribes."
"My people have tracked down the person who was in charge of the inspection that day. They told him to defraud me of the above order. He has personally admitted to accepting money from the Mi family and releasing the overweight supplies stuffed with gold and silver. If you need a witness, this is it."
"And the invoice states that the recipient's name is Mi He, but there's no such person in the Mi family in the capital. I heard he's the traveling brother of the patriarch. Does that match his description?"
"Mihe is Hesu'er." Pei Yu connected the pieces of information instantly and said to Lu Huai with great enthusiasm, "So, as long as we have this person and these objects as evidence, we can make Hesu'er behave himself and tell His Majesty to keep Wu Heng."
"I'll go ahead and take these things with me. Yan Jin, thank you so much!"
"It's okay. It's my fault for not doing my job well enough. I didn't even give the evidence to Huaiyuan first. It's my fault for causing Huaiyuan to run around so hard. You go first. The situation is urgent and there is no time to delay."
So Pei Yu obediently led people back the way they came.
This was the second time he had "thrown" someone away today, but he felt a pair of eyes behind him looking at him with gentle encouragement, which was completely different from Cheng Ruochen's paranoia and resentment.
It was Lu Huai... He couldn't help but turn around and look at him. Sure enough, he saw the face that was as beautiful as a white Epiphyllum and had long been engraved in his heart, and met those clear eyes that were as soft as water.
She forced herself to turn her head away and continue thinking about her career and the next step, but the figure of a virtuous wife waiting for her husband to return home in triumph still lingered in the corner of her mind.
Alas, if he wants to get married, why not marry him?
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At the post station, Wu Heng and He Sule received the news that the goods had been detained, and also received a reply from someone in the Mi Mansion, and they knew that the situation was serious.
The letter stated that Pei Yu had become suspicious of them and had surrounded the mansion, and that they were unable to resist. If the matter were exposed, it could be a capital crime, and they begged the prince to spare their lives. The letter also implied that He Sule should be punished and Wu Heng should take the blame, thus shirking responsibility.
Wu Heng's brown, glass-like eyes were filled with gloom, and he angrily tore the letter into pieces. "I knew these idlers were unreliable. Mother even said these uncles were doing quite well in Dayong. Now that they're in trouble, they're acting like this, which is disgusting!"
After releasing a little of the pressure that had been pent up in his chest, he looked at Hesuler worriedly, "Uncle, what should we do now? If there's really no way out, I'd rather have the Emperor of Great Yong hold you hostage here than have you take full responsibility for this."
"As for these opportunistic Mi family members, let them fend for themselves. Even my mother would be ashamed to see such heartless and ungrateful mother clan members."
Wu Heng's first sentence was full of care and showed his determination to protect him, which moved Hesuler deeply. However, the second sentence, which was a decisive judgment on the fate of the Mi family, exposed the ruthless nature of this nephew. Although they had the same blood, he didn't care about their life or death at all.
Even he couldn't tell at the moment whether Wu Heng's respect and closeness to him was just pure exploitation, or was there some sincerity in it?
But no matter what this thoughtful nephew thinks of him, he has to make the choice he should make for the kindness of the Mi family in raising him and the cultivation and reuse of him by the Northern Huns.
"Your Highness, you are an eagle of the grasslands, meant to soar into the skies. How could you be imprisoned in this man-eating Dayong before you've even fully grown your wings? You must know that once you become a hostage, not only will you lose the chance to become Chanyu, but even returning home will be a distant dream.
"My Mi clan's plans have been shattered, and we are facing this catastrophic disaster. This is inextricably linked to me. At this moment, I cannot escape. Moreover, you are our only hope, the hope of reviving our Mi clan and raising it once again on the grasslands."
Hesule looked up at the gloomy sky outside the window, as if he had seen his own fate, but he just sighed with tolerance and relief, and explained to Wu Heng, who had listened to his words and seemed to understand his intentions and therefore had an unclear expression.
"If your uncle can no longer accompany you... Second Prince, Heng'er, you must take good care of yourself. Return to the grasslands and rebuild your power. Only then will there be hope. Stay low and patient, and make no mistakes. With your talents, ascending to the throne of Chanyu is just around the corner."
Hesuler's expression was one of loving concern, completely different from the nonchalant look he had shown in front of Pei Yu before. With a strong sense of reluctance and unwillingness, he patted Wu Heng's shoulder with his rough hand, full of the expectations of an elder who had watched him grow up.
Without looking back at the young man who had no idea what he was thinking, he jumped out of the window and rushed towards the bustling crowd, towards Pei Yu who was about to arrive.
Pei Yu was busy hunting for his prey when he suddenly ran into him on the road. He had just ordered people to surround him and was about to "invite" the envoy who was clamoring for him to treat him politely to return home for a chat and discuss the evidence Lu Huai had given him.
But the man knelt down with a serious expression and said to him, "Mi He knows he has evil intentions. He betrayed his master and attempted to connect with Dayong to allow our family to dominate the business. He truly deserves death."
"The losses suffered by the Yong Dynasty today are entirely my fault. I am willing to die as an apology. I hope that General Pei will show mercy and speak well of me to the Yong Dynasty Emperor someday. Even if I am exiled, I will spare the lives of my Mi family and return all my wealth..."
Pei Yu secretly thought that something was wrong, and ordered someone to press the acupoints on the man's body as soon as he opened his mouth to immobilize him. However, he saw dark red blood flowing down from the corner of the man's mouth like a ferocious long snake.
"It's useless. I've taken a deadly poison that no medicine can cure... Hahaha." Seeing the young general's face turn pale, He Sule, who was gradually dying, smiled miserably. He was able to struggle for a few words before his throat was blocked by fishy and thick blood, turning into a gurgling sound. In an instant, he became a gray and dilapidated corpse.
This key evidence committed suicide to apologize. Seeing that they could no longer use this evidence to detain Wu Heng, their plan was destroyed and all their efforts were in vain.
Pei Yu, who had always been in good health, was so angry that he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His trusted subordinates hurriedly supported him. He wiped the blood and ordered in a hoarse voice to take He Sule back to the palace first.
At the other end of the post station, Wu Heng, who knew what his uncle was planning, was very glad that his "soft" policy was effective, which made Hesule understand that he should do his best to get rid of him and return to the grassland to start a new life.
But when he thought of the remaining warmth on his shoulder and the words he told him at the last moment, why did the pain still spread uncontrollably?
"Who is it?" He not only lost the relatives who had watched him grow up, but also lost the support of his mother's family. Originally, there were more than one outstanding children under the Chanyu. Now he was really alone and surrounded by enemies.
This was completely different from his original plan of coming to Dayong to gain bargaining chips for himself. The two parties should have worked together to help him ascend to the position of Chanyu. Now that such a big mistake had happened, how could he not be resentful?
Even the evidence of the source of the goods going to Chongzhou can be keenly detected. This move can only be done by someone who was suspicious of his intentions from the beginning...
"Lu Huai...is that you?" He closed his eyes as if he was in great pain and couldn't bear to look at the world anymore, but there was no big expression on his face. Just looking at his face, he looked as calm as the majestic Buddha in the Western Regions.
The voice sounded like a Shura from the underworld, stained with poison and blood hatred.
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Author's Note: Plot chapter! I've been revising it several times, sorry for the wait, ladies.
Ladies, don't worry that Wu Huai Gou is going to kill Huai. He'll only be willing to "kill~" him. His next appearance might be much later. He'll return to the grasslands with love and hatred to ferment. Families can look forward to what will happen (ahem). After this part, Zun Du will divorce!! The wedding is very close, expected to be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and it will be full of high energy.
I took a peek in the comments section and found that everyone's thoughts on the ending are a little different. Hehe, I'll let you know in advance when I finally confirm it! I'll secretly count the results again. New babies are welcome to leave their paws as well. Maybe the result will change. Hehe. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution between 2024-03-10 23:36:41 and 2024-03-11 23:46:28~
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Waffle Samoyed 2; 46784117, Lin Ruobing, Li Yu 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Yinye Muci 28 bottles; Qi Yu Bu Chi Yu 20 bottles; Cheng Qin 12 bottles; Li Yu, Zhi Jiang, Zero, Why is there always half a bottle of drink left, Ye Xia, 62142791 10 bottles; Fuli Zi Shi 9 bottles; Following the serial is gambling, Sui An 5 bottles; General Passing by Lily Kitchen, Qingyu Mingyue 4 bottles; Yiduo Maoyun 3 bottles; Mo He, Cube Sugar 2 bottles; 21994964, Carandang, Wen Qu'er, Mingyue Fried Pretty Wife, Zhan Zhan Ping An Xi Le, Sui Xin 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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