Imperial study.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Emperor Xiaocheng glanced indifferently at Chu Xun who was kneeling below him, with a majestic aura without even getting angry.
"Xun'er, tell your father the truth. What exactly did Chen Feng do wrong in the army?"
After the court was dismissed, Pei Yan was summoned into the imperial study by Emperor Xiaocheng, along with the fourth prince Chu Xun.
Pei Yan was wearing court robes, his back straight.
One hundred years ago, when the head of the Pei family agreed to help Emperor Taizu Xiaoyuan conquer the Chu Kingdom, Emperor Taizu Xiaoyuan promised that as long as the throne was occupied by a descendant of the Chu family, successive heads of the Pei family would not have to perform the ceremony of kneeling and bowing.
However, since the generation of Pei Yan's great-grandfather, the Pei family has been well aware of the difference between the ruler and his subjects.
Even with the imperial decree from Emperor Taizu Xiaoyuan in hand, the Pei family never bragged about their achievements. In the court, they knelt alongside the other officials, never undermining the imperial dignity. From beginning to end, their sole desire was to remain alive.
But what did they get in the end? They were secretly persecuted by the royal family again and again.
Over the past eleven years, Emperor Xiaocheng has repeatedly cut off the food supply to the Pei family army in order to snatch the military order from him.
For his own selfish reasons, he disregarded the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and the people living on the border...
However, until his death, his father still advised him not to harbor any rebellious thoughts against the Great Chu and not to plunge the people into war... Ha, it's really ridiculous.
…
Pei Yan's eyes were deep as he lowered his eyes to look at Chu Xun who was kneeling on the ground.
The Fourth Prince had reported Chen Feng's death to the old emperor as early as when he returned to Beijing.
If the old emperor really knew nothing, he could have just held him accountable in the court. Why would he summon him to the imperial study to confront the fourth prince?
I just don't know if this drama is to deal with him or to trick the Fourth Prince?
But no matter what the old emperor's purpose was, in the end it was nothing to watch.
Without the military token of the Pei family army, the old emperor would not touch him openly.
He was just Chen Feng. Even if the old emperor knew that it was the Fourth Prince who killed him, he would at most put him in solitary confinement for a few months.
Pei Yan frowned. It was so boring that it delayed his time to go home and see his wife.
"Father, Chen Feng betrayed military intelligence and committed treason. He should be executed according to the law."
Chu Xun's voice was firm and powerful, without any hesitation.
On that day, there were only him and Pei Yan's men in the central army tent.
During this military supervision trip, he returned to Beijing to report and concealed many details about the military camp, which was considered to be a help to Pei Yan.
If he is a smart man, he will know what to do today.
"Yan'er," Emperor Xiaocheng turned to look at Pei Yan, his expression suddenly becoming much kinder. "I've watched you grow up. I know you're a straight-talking kid. Tell me, did Chen Feng really dare to sell out military intelligence, collude with the Hu people, and commit treason?"
Pei Yan replied expressionlessly, "Your Majesty, I have already handed over all the evidence of Chen Feng's crimes of betraying military intelligence, colluding with the Hu people, and treason to the enemy when the Fourth Prince returned to the capital."
Emperor Xiaocheng leaned forward slightly and asked, "Just a few letters?"
Pei Yan said solemnly, "What is written in that letter is all the tactics of the Pei Family Army that I told General Chen."
"But as far as I know, the tactics used by Pei Qing in the battle have nothing in common with what is written in the letter." Emperor Xiaocheng stroked his beard, and his words gradually revealed a sense of dominance.
Pei Yan curled his lips, raised his eyes to look at Emperor Xiaocheng, and said calmly: "Since I have doubts about General Chen, how can I tell him the real tactics?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xiaocheng's gaze suddenly became fierce, and there was a strong murderous intent in his eyes as he looked at Pei Yan.
I'm afraid he was not suspicious of Chen Feng collaborating with the enemy, but was wary of him because Chen Feng was his talent.
This kid is much braver than his father.
If he had known this would happen, he should have wiped out this kid after Pei Zhi died.
"He is worthy of being Pei Zhi's son!" Even though Emperor Xiaocheng was extremely dissatisfied with Pei Yan, now was not the time to touch him.
Not only could he not move, Emperor Xiaocheng also rewarded him: "The disciple surpasses the master, Pei Qing has done an excellent job!"
Pei Yan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply ashamed to accept your praise."
Emperor Xiaocheng waved his hand and summoned Eunuch Zhao to draft an edict: "What reward do you wish for, Lord Pei? Feel free to tell me."
Pei Yan: "This is my duty, I dare not take credit for it and ask for reward."
"Mr. Pei is too modest." Emperor Xiaocheng was quite satisfied with his words. He stroked his beard and ordered Eunuch Zhao, "I will reward Marquis Pei with a thousand acres of fertile land outside the capital and a hilltop in Xiaohuai Mountain."
Xiaohuaishan is a mountain next to Yanshan, the royal hunting ground. Awarding a peak of Xiaohuaishan to Pei Yan... is not a good thing for Pei Yan.
But since the old emperor had given it to him, Pei Yan had the courage to accept it. "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."
After rewarding Pei Yan, Emperor Xiaocheng let Pei Yan leave the palace, leaving only the fourth prince in the imperial study.
Chu Xun knelt for a long time and couldn't get up. He couldn't figure out why his father acted like this today.
But even though he couldn't guess it, Chu Xun didn't show any fear on his face.
Emperor Xiaocheng remained silent, so he also lowered his eyes and remained silent, waiting for Emperor Xiaocheng to speak.
After a quarter of an hour, Emperor Xiaocheng finally smiled and said, "Get up."
"Thank you, father." Chu Xun thanked calmly and slowly stood up.
After all, he had been kneeling for too long, and when he stood up, his legs were numb and he couldn't help but stagger.
Emperor Xiaocheng ordered Eunuch Zhao to bring a soft chair and said to Chu Xun, "Sit down and have a good chat with me."
Chu Xun glanced at his father in surprise, and after a moment's hesitation, he walked over to the soft chair and sat down. "Father, what do you want to ask Xun'er?"
Emperor Xiaocheng waved his hand and asked all the servants in the imperial study to leave.
In an instant, Emperor Xiaocheng and Chu Xun were the only two people left in the huge imperial study, and the air was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"Among the six princes, I value you the most."
Emperor Xiaocheng spoke slowly, "The eldest is too radical, the second is too soft, the third is dull and inflexible, the fifth is incapable of taking on the responsibility, and the sixth is as timid as a mouse, unfit to rule a country."
"You are the only one whose temperament and character are most like mine."
"And the Emperor knows that you have great ambitions."
"When you were fifteen, the Grand Tutor showed me your essay. In it, you wrote about crushing the eight tribes of the Hu people and recovering the Later Liang Dynasty."
Emperor Xiaocheng spoke in a low voice, but each word carried a sense of majesty that struck the heart: "Xun'er, do you still remember?"
Chu Xun was startled. He had no idea that his father had actually read those articles...
His eyes flickered as Chu Xun said, "My son, remember."
"Do you really remember?" Emperor Xiaocheng's voice suddenly rose. "If you did remember, you wouldn't have lied to me because of a woman!"
"Don't say that Chen Feng doesn't have the courage to collaborate with the enemy and commit treason. Even if he really did have that guts, you should have brought him back to the capital for a joint trial by the three courts, instead of executing him for your own selfish desires!"
"Don't tell me, don't you see that this is a trick set up by the Pei family kid to use you to kill Chen Feng?"
Chu Xun's hands suddenly clenched beneath his sleeves. What if he knew? If it happened again, he would still kill Chen Feng on the spot!
When Emperor Xiaocheng saw that Chu Xun was silent, he knew that he was still concerned about his love for his daughter.
Fortunately, the little girl from the Cui family is dead, so Xun'er will no longer be affected by her...
"Xun'er, have you ever thought about why the Pei family boy, knowing all along about your relationship with the Cui family's daughter, watched her being bullied to death by Chen Feng without offering a helping hand?"
Chu Xun suddenly raised his eyes, and a flash of blood appeared in his eyes.
Seeing this, Emperor Xiaocheng waved his hand and said, "Go back and think carefully about whether the Pei family can stay."
…
Pei Yan did not go far after leaving the imperial study. He did not move, and his figure was hidden on the path that Chu Xun had to take to leave.
But he waited for half an hour before he saw Chu Xun.
Pei Yan's face did not look depressed.
He had thought of finding an opportunity to reveal the news about the young lady from the Cui family to Chu Xun in a few days, but the old emperor kept Chu Xun and had mentioned Chen Feng before, so it was inevitable that he would mention the young lady from the Cui family... This fourth prince might impulsively do something irrational.
Pei Yan walked out from the shadows and stopped Chu Xun, who had a fierce look on his face.
When Chu Xun saw Pei Yan, he just wanted to cut him into pieces.
But Pei Yan and Chen Feng were different; they were not people he could touch...
Chu Xun clenched his fists and asked, "May I ask what is the matter with Lord Pei?"
Pei Yan looked at him coldly and whispered two words: "Alive."
After saying this, he turned and left.
When he left the house early in the morning, he told Pei Xi that he would be back at the end of the day. Now it was already noon, and Huanhuan must be waiting anxiously.
Chu Xun was confused at first. What did being alive mean to him?
But in a flash, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Chu Xun took a step forward to chase Pei Yan in front of him, but after two steps, he remembered that he was in the palace, and the palace was full of his father's spies... His eyes dimmed, and Chu Xun's pace slowed down again.
Pei Yan walked out of the palace with a sullen face. As soon as he walked out, he saw Pei Xi standing next to Pei Shen... Was it Huanhuan who came to pick him up?
He couldn't help but feel happy, but then panicked. He quickly walked over to Pei Xi, frowned, and asked, "Madam, why are you the only one following you when you leave the house?"
The author has something to say: Lao Pei said in a serious tone: My wife needs at least a hundred or eighty people to protect her when she leaves the house.
Thanks to the little angels who cast the tyrant votes or irrigated the nutrient solution for me~ Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: 1 for Yuexi; Thanks to the little angels who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
8 bottles of Tang Ying; 1 bottle of Xuanjuan;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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