Chapter 23: Xiao was forced into this situation; she is destined to die. ...
In the main hall on the first floor of the Linshui Pavilion, a group of maids in short robes sat around chattering. In front of them were five identical ceramic bowls with fish depicted on them. Incense smoke curled from the incense burner on the low table, and the scent of agarwood filled the air.
Their eyes shone brightly, they held their breath, and even their breathing was deliberately slowed down. He Jiaying, kneeling in the center, took a piece of bluefish hook from her waist and placed it in one of the ceramic bowls. Her hands moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, she broke the order of the five ceramic bowls.
She spread her hands, a smug look on her face: "Guess! Whoever guesses right gets it."
Yan Niang sighed and moved closer to Huiyin, whispering, "What's wrong with this Miss He lately? She's been coming here every day?"
Huiyin continued copying without stopping, unaffected by the deafening laughter and chatter of He Jiaying and her maid. She glanced over there and said, "Ignore her."
After that family dinner, He Jiaying suddenly changed her personality and devoted herself to Huiyin. At first, Huiyin would talk to her and comfort her, telling her not to hang herself on Pei Yu.
As time went on, Huiyin realized that she had long since lost interest in Pei Yu. However, Pei Yu became obsessed with her. She spent all twelve hours of the day at Linshui Pavilion, except when she returned to Qiutang Courtyard to sleep.
Huiyin disliked her and chased her away several times, but He Jiaying was shameless and generous, so everyone in Linshui Pavilion, including Yan Niang, changed their opinion of her a lot.
Huiyin was also short of money. Madam Pei never lacked money for her clothes and other necessities, but she didn't give Huiyin any money, so Huiyin was still penniless.
He Jiaying was happy to give away money, so Huiyin naturally had no objection. Thinking of this, Huiyin dismissed everyone else, and after the main room was cleared, she called He Jiaying to her and asked, "How's the matter I asked you to handle?"
“You mentioned Su Xin’s matter, I almost forgot.” He Jiaying leaned closer to Huiyin and threw out the information she had found out: “The Su family asked for a three-month leave for Su Xin at the Imperial Academy and sent him back to his ancestral home to pay respects to his ancestors. He will not return for about seven months.”
He Jiaying asked, "By the way, why are you asking about him?"
A few days ago, Huiyin found her and asked her to use her connections to find out Su Xin's whereabouts.
Huiyin glanced at her: "I have my reasons. Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
He Jiaying said angrily, "Fine, I won't say it then. You're so stingy."
Huiyin watched her retreating figure and said soothingly, "You did a good job, thanks."
He Jiaying was instantly appeased, turned around with a smile, and patted her chest, "This is nothing, I said I would make it up to you, just tell me if you need anything."
"Don't let anyone else know," Huiyin instructed, worried that He Jiaying might let slip and Pei Yu would notice something amiss.
Don't worry, don't worry.
After she left, Yan Niang said, "What do we do now? Should we wait for Su Xin to come back before taking action?"
Huiyin looked grave. She had taken out all the money she had and sent people to inquire about the situation, but so far no useful information had come back.
She couldn't wait three months. Su Xin would definitely go to see Madam Xiao one last time before leaving the capital, so she couldn't wait any longer.
——
Huiyin sat in the tavern with Muli, listening to the shouts outside the window.
"Yizhou pottery, for sale at official prices!"
"The silk fabrics from Sichuan are fine, soft, and of good quality at a low price!"
"Shu cakes! Freshly baked shu cakes!"
She looked in the direction of the shouts and saw young children, women selling cakes to support their families, young ladies walking hand in hand on the street, and wealthy ladies dressed in rich clothes, surrounded by attendants.
A few young men walked by, arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and joking loudly, gesturing with their hands.
She thought of Jingchuan, who, like Pei Yan, also had a heart yearning to fight on the battlefield and establish merit. He didn't have much talent in martial arts, but he was persistent and unwavering. He would get up at dawn every day to practice martial arts until daybreak, and then go to study and practice calligraphy.
He also liked Pei Yu very much. When the news came that Pei Yu had crossed Yanzhi Mountain and killed the King of Shelan, he pulled Huiyin with admiration and praised Pei Yu to the skies.
Jingchuan would be so happy to see Pei Yu. Why hasn't he come looking for her yet? Is it because he's too badly injured to get up, or is he already dead?
Light footsteps approached, and Yan Niang, wearing a veil to conceal her figure, sat down next to Huiyin. She took a sip of tea and leaned closer to Huiyin: "Everything is ready."
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The drums and gongs shook the heavens.
"Everyone, come quick! The Pinglang official's house is on fire!"
The quiet alley was awakened by the shout. A head peeked out from the two-courtyard house with its blue bricks and gray tiles, and smoke trickled from the roof of the Ping family's house. He hurried inside, picked up a wooden bucket from the corner, and fetched water to rush to the Ping family's house.
The neighboring residents also came out to help. Their houses were all connected and shared the same alley; if one burned down, it would definitely affect the others.
The Ping family's house was tightly shut. In this emergency, several men saw smoke rising from the chimney behind the house, kicked open the door, and rushed inside.
The main house door was tightly shut. Firefighters rushed up with buckets of water, pounding on the door until it was covered in dust. Inside, however, all was silent except for the faint scraping sound of the door latch being frantically pushed against it.
Someone said, "Could it be that he was knocked out by the smoke?"
Li San gritted his teeth: "Saving lives is the priority, kick down the door!"
Bang--
The door was kicked open, and everyone looked inside. A strange smell filled the room. Everyone present was married, so they naturally understood what was going on.
Looking further inside, the room was simply elegant, with wooden windows creaking open. Layers of curtains concealed the graceful figure on the bed, and all that could be heard was the woman's panicked cries.
Su Xin hurriedly grabbed his clothes and jumped out of the window. He hastily put on the robe and tied the belt loosely. He cursed inwardly, thinking how unlucky he was. He had wanted to have some fun before returning home, but he almost got caught.
He spat and reached out to open the back door. A choking cloud of smoke rushed out, and he took a deep breath, coughing violently. When the smoke finally dissipated, the scene before him made him freeze in place.
Dozens of women dressed in ramie clothes waited at the back door, two of them holding gongs. As soon as they saw him, they banged their gongs and shouted, "Help! Catch the adulterer!"
Su Xin felt a chill run down his spine. He tore off a piece of cloth and covered his face, intending to rush over with his head covered. Just then, several beggar children suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his legs, trapping him in place. The group of neighbors in the front yard also heard the commotion and rushed over.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Su Xin's face turned ashen. He grabbed the child at his feet and roared, "Get out of here! Do you know who I am?!"
The gongs and drums sounded again, and the woman's shrill voice pierced the eardrums: "He says he is Su Xin, the son of the Minister of Justice, Su Gong!"
Su Xin's head was spinning. He stared at the woman who had exposed his identity in disbelief. How could this be? How could these lowly people recognize him!
Several men who had rushed over had already pinned him down, forced him to kneel on the ground, and ripped off his face mask. Su Xin's body stiffened, and he stared blankly at the crowd surrounding him, who pointed at him and made comments at will.
It's over, everything is over.
After the woman shouted those words, the pedestrians on the street all rushed towards the west entrance of the street. They were usually struggling to make a living and had little entertainment. Gossip was their favorite thing, especially the romantic affairs of a noble young man.
The west street entrance was in complete chaos. The waiters of the tavern crowded around the door to watch, holding a handful of melon seeds in their hands. They were eager to see what would happen and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, so he's a young man. He's dressed so richly. Why is he coming to our poor, desolate place to have fun? The brothel is not enough for him."
Across the street, the citron shop owner chuckled knowingly, "As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen one! That new bride of the Ping Lang official, tsk tsk..."
Yan Niang glared fiercely at the citron shop owner who was fantasizing. She craned her neck to look at the west street entrance, where the Imperial Guards had already been dispatched and taken Su Xin and Xiao Fen'er away.
"Shall we go back now?"
Huiyin shook her head and looked away: "Let's go to Jixiang Temple first."
Jixiang Temple is located near the West Market, and most of the people who come here are ordinary people to offer incense. Although it is called a temple, it is actually just a courtyard house surrounded by earthen walls, which separates it from the noisy West Market.
Only a few old men in short brown robes were guarding the temple, clearing the compacted mud. Huiyin knelt on a straw mat, gazing at the low earthen shrine. Inside the shrine was a rough wooden plaque, its ink stains mottled, but the seal characters "the spirit tablet of my late father and mother" were still faintly discernible.
The earthy aroma was pungent and irritating, and the smoke swirled around. When the time was almost right, Huiyin scattered millet in front of the shrine, put her hands together to hold the incense, and bowed deeply to the wooden plaque.
Bearing the stigma of committing suicide out of fear of punishment, Song's father received a letter from his clan in Jingzhou early on, forbidding him from being buried in the ancestral cemetery. With the Song family in decline, Huiyin did not have enough money to place her parents' memorial tablets in Huguo Temple, and could only keep them here for simple offerings.
Huiyin clasped her hands together and knelt down expressionlessly. One day, she would call upon the Song clan of Jingzhou to personally welcome her father and mother into the Song clan's ancestral tomb.
The two returned to the residence and bumped into Pei Yu, who was about to leave. He was wearing a dark official robe with a crimson-trimmed cloak, a sword at his side, followed by Chi Yan and Fang Mu. Pei Yu stared at Huiyin for a few moments, then asked casually, "Where did you go?"
Huiyin replied, "I went to Jixiang Temple to offer incense to my father and mother."
Pei Yu nodded and stepped through the courtyard gate first. Huiyin lowered her head and stepped aside. The strong smell of incense ash on her body reached Pei Yu's nose. He frowned uncomfortably and quickly stepped past Huiyin to mount his horse.
Following closely behind, Chi Yan and Fang Mu bowed to Huiyin and quickly caught up with Pei Yu, riding swiftly towards the northeast. That was the direction of the Court of Justice.
Huiyin stared blankly at his departing figure. Pei Yu held the nominal position of Right Supervisor of the Court of Justice, the Su family was the maternal family of the future Crown Prince, and Pingzhen was the Empress Dowager's nephew. This adultery case was extremely difficult to handle, and the Imperial Guard would definitely throw the case to the Court of Justice.
Since Su Wenyi, the Minister of Justice, is Su Xin's father, he must recuse himself from this case. Therefore, Pei Yu is the most suitable person to take on this case.
Huiyin was eager to know whether Pei Yu would handle this case fairly or cover it up for personal gain.
——
The Court of Justice faces south and consists of several independent courtyards surrounded by rammed earth walls. The rammed earth platform in front of the gate is ten feet high, and two bronze lion heads with angry eyes stand on the hundreds of blue stone steps.
The plaque hanging from the beam is inscribed with the words "Court Minister," and the vermilion gate is studded with nine rows of copper nails. This was the highest interrogation agency in the Southern Dynasty.
Every few dozen steps along the stone walls on both sides of the passageway hangs a swaying ceramic lamp. In the torture chamber of the imperial prison, the green bricks, damp and stained with blood year-round, are dark brown, and moss grows in the corners.
After passing through the passageway and descending the steps, the interrogation room of the imperial prison came into view. On the east and west sides, there were huge bloodstained wooden shelves, three rows on top and three rows on the bottom, filled with all kinds of torture instruments, which made people feel terrified at first glance.
On the highest step at the southernmost point, there was a low table with red and black stripes, and behind the table, the ground was covered with bamboo slips recording testimonies.
Pei Yu sat at the table, flipping through the recorded confessions. He tossed the bamboo slips in front of Su Xin and coldly questioned, "Your confession is different from Xiao Shi's. Don't you have anything to explain?"
Su Xin curled his lips and changed from a kneeling position to a cross-legged position, stretching his legs forward and spreading them apart. It was a very ungraceful posture. He shook the shackles in his hands and said with dissatisfaction, "General Pei, I am not a prisoner. Why don't you have someone untie me first?"
Pei Yu looked at Su Xin, who lay lifeless on the ground, and suddenly smiled: "Are you waiting for your father, waiting for him to come and save you?"
He stood up and walked to Su Xin, taking out a chicken-wing wood token from his sleeve and showing it to Su Xin. "Why do you think His Majesty entrusted this case to me? Who do you think Ping Zhen is? Would he allow you to insult his wife?"
"And who do you think the Taira clan is? Who does the Empress Dowager think she is?"
Su Xin pursed his lips and remained silent. The token was engraved with a phoenix pattern, and only two people in the world could use it: Empress Pei and the Empress Dowager Ping, who lived deep within the palace.
Three years ago, the Ping family was just a minor official family. In just three years, His Majesty promoted them to the rank of two marquises. This was not because they were particularly capable, but because they were members of the Ping clan, relatives of Empress Dowager Ping, and relatives of His Majesty's maternal relatives.
Su Xin lowered his head. His father often warned him at home not to provoke the Ping family and that it was best to avoid them.
Su Xin was arrogant and never took Ping Zhen seriously. In his mind, Ping Zhen was at most a lucky illegitimate son. If Ping Laosan hadn't died young, he might not have been recognized by the Ping family.
Six months ago, after drinking with several close friends from wealthy families in Chunxiang, he went to the West Market to get some food. He inadvertently caught a glimpse of Xiao Fen'er carrying a bamboo basket as she went out to buy things.
Her beauty was secondary; what truly captivated Su Xin was her gentle and delicate aura, which instantly drew him in and stirred his desire. He immediately inquired about her identity and, taking advantage of the night Ping Zhen was on duty in the palace, sneaked into the Ping family and forced himself on Xiao Fen'er.
Thinking of this, Su Xin panicked for a moment and insisted, "It was Xiao who seduced me. It's all her fault. I was just confused for a moment."
"Oh?" Pei Yu squatted down, looked Su Xin straight in the eye, and asked, "But Xiao said that you forced her. On the night of Ganjiu in the winter of the fourth year of Jianyuan, you broke into the Ping family and forced and humiliated her."
"No, she's lying! She's lying!" Su Xin abruptly turned his face away, avoiding Pei Yu's gaze. His palms were sweating profusely, and he kept wiping them on the hem of his clothes.
Seeing his extremely guilty look, Pei Yu already knew the answer in his heart. He straightened up, returned to the table and sat down, leaning against the lion-patterned lacquer railing. He glanced at Su Xin casually and chuckled: "You don't think that as long as you insist that Xiao Shi seduced you, you can get away with it all, do you?"
Su Xin was taken aback, looking at Pei Yu with confusion. Yesterday, his father had someone deliver a message to him, saying that as long as he insisted that Xiao Shi had seduced him, his father could help him get off the hook. Su Xin lowered his head. Pei Yu must be bluffing him, he must be.
Seeing his stubbornness, Pei Yu gestured for Chi Yan to bring the men up. Several familiar-looking young men in brocade robes were then led into the hall by Chi Yan. They appeared to have just been reprimanded and intimidated; their heads were drooping, and they huddled together, trembling with fear.
"Do these people look familiar?" Pei Yu asked.
Su Xin lowered his head and remained silent.
"It's alright, if you don't want to talk, let them talk." Pei Yu tapped his chin, signaling Chi Yan to begin.
Chi Yan, his knuckles creaking as he clasped his hands together, addressed the group of young men in brocade robes, his tone strange, "Will you confess voluntarily, or should I help you out?"
Several young men in brocade robes showed fear in their eyes and scrambled toward Pei Yu, quickly confessing, "A few months ago, we had a small gathering with Su Xin while drinking. During the gathering, he drunkenly confessed to us how he sneaked into the Ping family and forced Ping Zhen's wife! He also said that Xiao's cries of pain when she was forced were the most beautiful sound in the world!"
"General Pei, everything we said is true, absolutely true! This matter has nothing to do with us right now, so why don't you let us go home first?"
Pei Yu waved his hand, and Chi Yan ordered someone to take the group away. He tapped the desk lightly and looked at Su Xin, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Su Xin kept his head down and remained silent ever since those people were brought in. He hadn't expected that Pei Yu would actually find out about these few cronies. He used to like drinking with them, and when they were drunk, they would say anything.
The crime of adultery can be serious or minor. There are so many sons of high-ranking officials in Chang'an, so he is not the only one who is guilty. The problem lies in Pingzhen's unusual status, which has even become common knowledge.
A sinister glint appeared in Su Xin's eyes. He had been tricked, and once he got away, he would tear that person to pieces!
Thinking of this, he feigned weakness and crawled forward, kneeling at Pei Yu's feet, pleading as if grasping at a straw: "General Pei, my elder sister is the future Crown Princess, the Su family is the Crown Prince's maternal family, and I am the Crown Prince's future brother-in-law! You cannot hand me over, you must help me, otherwise the Su family's reputation will be damaged, which will be of no benefit to the Crown Prince!"
He thought he was right, but to his surprise, Pei Yu suddenly burst into laughter. The dim candlelight reflected on his face, and the mockery in his eyes was clearly visible. Su Xin swallowed and asked in confusion, "General Pei, what are you laughing at?"
I laugh, you're dreaming.
Pei Yu kicked Su Xin to the ground and said coldly, "You dare to mention the Crown Prince? A maternal family that is of no benefit to the Crown Prince and may even bring him trouble, why do you think I would help you?"
“I will report this case truthfully,” Pei Yu said, stepping out of the interrogation room of the imperial prison. His voice echoed in the room, sounding like the lowing of a demon to Su Xin. “As for you, it all depends on how much power your Su family has to get you out of here.”
Pei Yu walked out of the imperial prison and climbed the second-floor walkway in front of the Court of Justice, letting the breeze carry away the bloodstains from his clothes.
Upon seeing Pei Yu at the entrance of the government office, Fang Mu immediately ran up to the second floor with his ring-pommel sword slung over his shoulder and stood behind Pei Yu, saying with difficulty, "Young General, Pingzhen is here. He said he must take his wife back."
Pei Yu looked in the direction Fang Mu was pointing. Ping Zhen was not tall, with fair skin and delicate features. He was wearing a court official's uniform, indicating that he had just returned from the palace and rushed to the Court of Justice.
He and Ping Zhen were not familiar with each other, but Xiao Shi was an innocent victim and probably won't survive.
Pei Yu glanced at the prison behind him, feeling no empathy whatsoever. Out of respect for Empress Dowager Ping, he agreed to let them go, instructing, "Let him take the person back."
"Yes, Young General." Fang Mu accepted the order. He went downstairs and went straight to the steps of the Court of Justice to convey Pei Yu's order.
Upon hearing this, Pingzhen respectfully bowed to the second-floor pavilion, then followed Fang Mu into the Court of Justice with a look of eagerness.
After a while, he helped the unsteady Xiao Shi into the carriage and they left.
Fang Mu crossed his arms and sighed, "This Pingzhen looks like a scholar, but I never expected him to be so devoted to his wife. He's quite a rare and devoted man."
Chi Yan stroked his chin thoughtfully, then shook his head slightly: "No man could tolerate this humiliation, especially since this matter has already become known throughout the world."
"Young General, what do you think?" Fang Mu asked.
Pei Yu looked at the setting sun and said calmly, "He's a fool, and a idiot."
"Young General, what makes you say that?" Chi Yan asked.
"If he hadn't upheld his inherent integrity, refused to return to the Ping family, and insisted on living in the marketplace with his wife, and refused to accept the Ping family's support, relying solely on the salary of a minor official, his family would have been too poor to afford servants, which would have given Su Xin an opportunity to take advantage of him."
“Besides,” Pei Yu turned and went downstairs, his tone sarcastic, “his wife was forced to be humiliated for more than half a year, and he knew nothing about it.”
In this world, being aloof is not a good word. If you can't wield the blade and have no ability whatsoever, how can you protect the people you care about?
There must be someone behind today's events stirring things up. The fire was suspicious. It was said to be a fire, but in reality, it was the smoke from burning damp firewood under the earthen wall in the Ping family's backyard that created the illusion of a fire.
Although Su Xin was a lecherous man, he was skilled in martial arts and acted cautiously. The man had anticipated that he would escape through the back door and had already laid a trap there for him.
The person behind it all had been tracking him for a long time, waiting for the right moment to strike him dead. It was unclear whether this person was simply after the Su family or had some other purpose.
Thinking of this, Pei Yu instructed Fang Mu and Chi Yan to question all those involved in the case today, especially the woman named Po Suxin, and to find out who was instructing her.
When Pei Yu returned to the mansion, it was already late at night. He did not go back to the front courtyard, but instead went to the Linshui Pavilion.
The candles in the courtyard of the Linshui Pavilion had been extinguished, leaving only the main room on the second floor lit. Huiyin's figure was projected onto the gauze window; she seemed to be combing her hair, her long hair flowing freely, graceful and charming.
Knock knock—
Lights were lit in the courtyard of the Linshui Pavilion, and someone knocked on Huiyin's door. Asang's voice came: "Madam Song, the young general has arrived. He is waiting for you on the first floor."
Yan Niang paused in her tidying of the wardrobe, glancing back at Huiyin. Her heart was pounding with anxiety, worried that Pei Yu had discovered her and Huiyin's whereabouts and would come to question them.
Huiyin comforted Yanniang, put on her outer robe, and went downstairs. There was only one lamp lit in the main room, making it dimly lit. Asang and the others were nowhere to be seen; only Pei Yu was standing in the room.
He was tall and slender, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the painted screen in the main room. The screen was a special gift from Madam Pei, and it was painted with pictures of stars and celestial phenomena.
Hearing the noise, Pei Yu turned around and gazed at Huiyin standing at the top of the stairs. Her hair was loose over her shoulders, she wore no makeup, and she was dressed in a crimson blouse, revealing an apricot-colored inner garment underneath. In the orange candlelight, even her usually aloof features appeared soft.
"Young General, is something the matter?"
Pei Yu asked, "Besides going to Jixiang Temple in the West Market, where else did you go today?"
Huiyin slowly walked forward, and Pei Yu noticed that the skin exposed at the hem of her skirt was as white as jade, dazzlingly white.
Huiyin noticed his gaze and immediately pulled her feet back under her skirt. She had forgotten to wear silk stockings when she came down. She stopped where she was and answered Pei Yu's question: "I also went to the west street entrance."
Pei Yu stepped forward and stood face to face with Huiyin, keeping only an arm's length distance. He stared into Huiyin's eyes and questioned, "What were you doing there?"
Huiyin looked puzzled and asked, "Young General, don't you know? A big event happened on West Street today, and it's been all over the West Market. I went over to see what was going on. I didn't expect it to be Su Xin."
Pei Yu stared at her for a moment, but couldn't find anything amiss on her face. However, his intuition told him that Song Huiyin was lying. His intuition was never wrong; in the past few years, he had relied on his keen intuition to evade the cold, hard swords and deadly crossbows of the Xiongnu.
Huiyin lowered her eyes, then suddenly changed direction, her voice low: "Does the young general doubt me?"
Pei Yu didn't speak, but approached Huiyin step by step until she had nowhere left to retreat and her back was pressed against the wall.
He reached out and brushed Huiyin's hair from her shoulder, leaned close to her ear and looked into her eyes, and murmured, "Shouldn't I have doubted you?"
His movements were incredibly ambiguous, yet his eyes were devoid of emotion, like a wild wolf in a desert, revealing its most ferocious nature.
This was a side of Pei Yuhui that had never been seen before, completely different from his usual carefree and unruly self. At this moment, he was like the young general who had fought valiantly against the Xiongnu on the grasslands, invincible in every battle.
Huiyin looked up at Pei Yu and said with unwavering determination, "It wasn't me, it has nothing to do with me."
Seeing her so confident expression, Pei Yu suppressed the coldness in his eyes, lowered his head and chuckled. He withdrew his hand, turned and left the Linshui Pavilion.
Huiyin had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the person who had walked to the courtyard gate suddenly turn around and speak, his voice cold: "Do you know? Xiao Shi was forced. She was coerced and threatened by Su Xin for more than half a year. Now that this has happened, regardless of whether it was Xiao Shi's fault or not, she is doomed to die."
Huiyin felt a chill run through her body and her breathing became rapid. She stopped thinking about Pei Yu's intention in saying those words and replied, "Then who is the culprit?"
Pei Yu did not answer, but Huiyin already understood.
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