Chapter 141 In the governor's mansion, the lights blazed...
The governor's mansion was brightly lit.
Upon learning the news, Wang Youzhong hurriedly packed his valuables and fled with his family in a panic.
The child was woken up from his sleep. Just as he opened his mouth to cry, the servants hurriedly covered his mouth and stuffed him into the carriage.
Wang Youzhong's face was grim. He pushed aside the weeping woman and, amidst the noise and chaos, went alone to the study.
As the stone statue was turned in his hand, the wall slowly opened, revealing a dark room that had never been visited before.
The dark room was small, and there wasn't even any gold or silver jewelry inside. There was only a box about the size of a girl's dressing case, which was placed inside inconspicuously.
Large beads of sweat dripped down Wang Youzhong's face. He stepped forward, hugged the box to his chest, hid it, restored the wall to its original state, and strode out of the room.
The carriage was ready to depart in the backyard. Wang Youzhong staggered and gasped for breath as he boarded the carriage. He could hear the wailing of his wife and daughters at home, who were panicked and confused about the situation. Wang Youzhong ignored them. At this moment, he used the last bit of rationality in his mind to think about the next step and what to do.
The carriage bumped along for a while, but came to an abrupt stop just as Wang Youzhong had finally calmed down.
Wang Youzhong was uneasy and waved his hand to let his subordinates go ahead and check the situation.
However, as time ticked by, the carriage remained stationary. Wang Youzhong's frustration reached its peak. He lifted the curtain and roared, "What are you all doing? Hurry up—"
Before he could finish speaking, his pupils contracted, his face contorted instantly, and extreme fear quickly crept over him. He turned ashen-faced and stammered, "You...you..."
Xie Pei stood calmly under the carriage, looking completely at ease.
The torch illuminated his chiseled features, but the intense heat did not melt the coldness on his face; he still looked as aloof as ever.
He lifted his eyelids, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Lord Wang, how have you been?"
Wang Youzhong was unable to utter a complete sentence at this moment; his mind was blank from shock.
At that moment, Wang Youzhong knew he was finished, completely finished.
He still held the box in his arms. It wasn't a rare treasure, but rather a box full of letters and secret orders. It could guarantee him a life of wealth and honor, or it could ensure his death without a proper burial, and that he would be despised by everyone after his death.
His pupils were bloodshot as he shakily opened the box and grabbed a stack of letters.
Tear it to shreds, tear it all to shreds!
Faced with life and death, wealth and glory are no longer important; he only wants to live, even if it's just to eke out a living.
Even if he doesn't even have a chance to survive, all this shocking evidence must be destroyed, so that he won't have to bear as much infamy after his death.
However, Xie Pei was determined not to let him have his way, and the sharp iron dart pierced his palm with the precision of a venomous snake.
Wang Youzhong cried out in pain, sweating profusely, and nearly fainted.
Xie Pei took a long stride, bent down and entered the sedan chair, picking up the box under Wang Youzhong's fearful gaze.
The letters inside were stacked in a thick pile. Xie Pei glanced at them briefly, closed the box, and didn't even spare a glance for Wang Youzhong.
Wang Youzhong's carefully cultivated air of otherworldly elegance vanished at this moment. He chased after the sedan chair like a madman, but was stopped by the soldiers. He could only choke out, "I have secrets that you don't know. If you are willing to let me go, I will tell you everything."
Xie Pei narrowed his eyes. "Lord Wang, don't be delusional."
The underlying message: Say it or not, you're doomed anyway.
Upon hearing this, Wang Youzhong collapsed to the ground like a limp rag.
In his despair, he stared at Xie Pei's retreating figure and thought that if it were someone else who came to arrest him tonight, perhaps he would still have a glimmer of hope.
Sun Kan walked up to him, blocking his view, and raised an eyebrow with amusement: "Lord Wang, shall we go?"
Wang Youzhong was heartbroken and his legs went weak, making it impossible for him to walk.
Sun Kan clicked his tongue and ordered the soldiers to lift him up.
The bright moon cast a faint silvery light in the dark night, scattering it across the ground.
Wang Youzhong was dragged for several miles before he finally understood. Like a dying fish, he made a final struggle: "Kill me or torture me, it's up to you. The children and the women in my family are innocent. I beg you to spare their lives!"
Sun Kan stopped and turned around to give him a look: "Lord Wang, forgive my bluntness, but according to the laws of the court, the crime of colluding with foreign invaders alone is enough to warrant the execution of your entire family ten times over."
There is hope as long as someone responds.
Wang Youzhong was not discouraged. Instead, he cheered up and said, "I know that I do not ask for anything else." This time, he chose to settle for second best: "I only ask that one or two young children from the collateral branches be left behind." He had to leave some offspring for the Wang family.
Fearing that Sun Kan would refuse again, he quickly offered a condition: "You only know a little about what happened back then, but you don't know that most of it was just oral accounts, and no conclusive evidence was left behind."
“And those things that are unknown to others,” he said, painfully raising his almost pierced finger to his head, “are all here.”
"Now that things have come to this, my request is not excessive. As long as you agree, I will tell you everything."
Sun Kan was immediately rejected. After a moment's thought, he glanced at him and said calmly, "I will report the truth to the general."
Wang Youzhong lowered his proud head, his whole body exuding an indescribable sense of dejection. He gave a self-deprecating smile, lamenting that even a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. He, Wang Youzhong, had enjoyed decades of glory, never expecting to fall to such a state one day.
"To seek the skin of a tiger, to borrow the tiger's power, the scoundrel Wang Youzhong deserves such an end, it is only because Heaven has eyes."
Back in Jizhou camp, Guan Shao also stayed up all night waiting for Xie Pei to return successfully.
He read through the letters in the box, and each one was shocking.
Among them was the one who, when the current emperor was still a prince, conspired with the southern barbarians to frame the then crown prince and seize the position of crown prince.
A few years ago, the Prince of Ningjiang, who was also the deposed crown prince, was mysteriously burned to death in his mansion. Except for the heir apparent, no one in the entire mansion was found. It was also a scheme orchestrated by the emperor in collusion with the southern barbarians.
Ironically, the diligent and hardworking Prince Ningjiang, who was dedicated to serving the people, was still discussing how to resist the invasion of the southern barbarians before his death. As a result, he was forced to bear the infamy of colluding with foreign powers to rebel.
And then there was the Xu family massacre from back then...
Behind each and every one of these unjust cases was the Emperor's doing.
Wang Youzhong was so hateful, yet he was nothing more than a lackey running between him and the southern barbarians.
Although Guan Shao already knew the truth, he felt rather uneasy with the substantial evidence in his hands.
Among these wrongful convictions were his former classmates and friends, his sworn enemies with whom he had a falling out, and even a trusted minister of the previous dynasty.
These people all lost their lives and were branded with infamy because of the current emperor's selfish desires.
Guan Shao sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair helplessly. "The news of Zishu came last night. I'm afraid the court is already in turmoil."
Xie Pei said, "I will immediately dispatch troops to escort the evidence to the capital with the utmost urgency."
Guan Shao shook his head, braced his arm on the armrest, and suddenly stood up: "I haven't been back to the capital for many years. At such a critical moment, I should go back in person."
Although he was away from home most of the year, as a veteran of two dynasties, he still had a considerable voice in the court. When necessary, he could also provide some support to Zishu, thus fulfilling his long-held wish to help the deposed crown prince back then.
Xie Pei: "Then I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Guan Shao said, "I'm not in the army, so take charge for me."
Xie Pei: "Yes."
Outside the tent, the sky was bright, and a ray of morning light pierced through the tent flap and fell on Xie Pei.
Guan Shao looked at Xie Pei in the light. He had been running around all night and hadn't had time to groom himself, so he now had some stubble growing on his beard.
Although he did not appear tired, the dark circles under his eyes did not seem fake.
Guan Shao immediately waved his hand: "Go back and rest. You should take good care of yourself. Don't worry about the dungeon. I will interrogate them myself later."
"yes."
Xie Pei was still thinking about the scene in the night when Zhu Mingyue tugged at his clothes and anxiously asked him when he would return.
A look of helplessness crossed his face; he had ultimately broken his promise.
Upon taking his leave,
Guan Shao suddenly called out to him, "I will be setting off soon. You should be familiar with military affairs, so there's no need for a handover. You can gain more experience while I'm away."
Guan Shao's words were almost an explicit statement.
Xie Pei paused, then solemnly replied, "Yes."
Guan Shao nodded: "Once the situation stabilizes, we will let you go back to your hometown of Ganzhou to get married."
Xie Pei's expression softened, and his tone was filled with expectation: "General Xie."
After the person left, Guan Shao shook his head with a smile, "This kid would be happier to get married than to get promoted."
After returning to camp, Xie Pei did not rest, but went to Zhu Mingyue's tent immediately.
The camp was quiet, and the flower branches that had been placed in the vase yesterday were still blooming beautifully.
The bedding on the tatami was in disarray, with a slight bulge rising and falling gently with each breath.
Seemingly sensing someone's entry, the bundle under the covers stirred, and then a round head peeked out.
Xie Pei's eyes softened, and a smile appeared on his face. He stepped forward and roughly tidied Zhu Mingyue's messy hair. "Looks like you haven't broken your promise."
Zhu Mingyue puffed out her cheeks slightly, "It's all because I took a nap!"
He was told he would see Xie Pei when he woke up, but when he woke up at dawn, Xie Pei was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn't just Xie Pei; usually, this time of day would be the time for drills in the camp, and one could faintly hear the sound of orderly footsteps coming from not far away. But today, it was eerily quiet.
Quite a few guards remained outside the door. Zhu Mingyue peeked out, then climbed back into bed, thinking that Xie Pei must have something important to do if he went out at night. She fell asleep again as she thought about it.
Xie Pei smiled noncommittally.
Zhu Mingyue patted the seat next to her and suggested, "Let's catch up on some sleep, we haven't slept all night!"
Xie Pei took off his coat and looked down at Zhu Mingyue's flushed face: "And you?"
Zhu Mingyue hugged the blankets and rolled over a little more, showing no intention of getting up: "I'll reluctantly stay up with you for a while longer."
"Okay." Xie Pei lay down and naturally pulled the person into his arms. The person in his arms had fair and rosy cheeks and looked smooth to the touch. Xie Pei couldn't help but rub against him.
"Ouch!" Zhu Mingyue struggled for a moment and complained softly, "Your stubble is so hard, it's poking my face."
"Don't move," Xie Pei gently pulled him into her arms, tucking her chin in to avoid touching him. "I'll sleep for a while, and then I'll deal with it when I wake up..."
Zhu Mingyue didn't hear what was said after that, but it was probably about dealing with his beard? He couldn't help but wonder.
Xie Pei wasn't originally that sleepy, but with his soft, fragrant lover in his arms, he felt safe and secure, and sleepiness immediately overwhelmed him, and he fell asleep just like that.
Zhu Mingyue tilted her head slightly in his arms, observing Xie Pei's somewhat rough complexion up close. Sun exposure, rain, and rough work had naturally made his skin less than perfect. On the battlefield, swords and spears were indiscriminate, leaving several shallow scratches on his face over time. But fortunately, his facial features were all to Xie Pei's aesthetic sensibilities, and he never seemed to tire of looking at him.
Even those minor flaws became his quirks in his eyes. For example, Xie Pei's stubble always grew very quickly, and sometimes when he was busy and forgot to groom it, he would look mature and decadent. Although he hated the feeling of his face being pricked by stubble, he was still very happy to occasionally appreciate a different side of Xie Pei.
Once she was sure Xie Pei was really asleep, Zhu Mingyue licked her lips and lightly touched his chin.
She nestled against his chest and rubbed against him, beginning her third attempt at falling asleep.
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Author's note: The main story will end tomorrow, and the remaining plot will be released as a bonus chapter a week later.
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