From Bandit to Overlord

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The Death of Meng Qingyun, the Domineering Emperor’s Fierce Doting

「Great Zhou Celestial Capital, Southern Garrison Command Government Office.」

"My lord! My lord!" Meng Qingyun ignored the strange looks from his colleagues, shoving his way through and scrambling into his superior’s office. He dropped to his knees with a THUD and wailed, "You must seek justice for me, my lord!"

Above him, Zheng Zelin, one of the four Households Commanders of the Southern Garrison Command, was caught completely off guard. He set down his documents and frowned. "What is all this? Weren’t you away on official business? Why have you come back crying like this?"

He looked to be in his early thirties and had a burly, powerful build, but was unfortunately saddled with a long, horse-like face.

"My lord! I have been wronged!" Meng Qingyun lifted his head, his face already streaked with tears. He shuffled forward on his knees and choked out, "I heard a rumor and led my men to investigate covertly. I never imagined that not only would those vicious dogs from the local North Town refuse to cooperate, but they also killed three of my subordinates! They even publicly beheaded my own brother-in-law, Gu Mingshan..."

"What? The audacity!" Hearing this, Zheng Zelin flew into a rage. He slammed the table, shot to his feet, and roared, "Which bastard is so audacious? My South Town has the duty of supervision by imperial decree! Are they trying to rebel? Tell me, what is the name of their leader?"

It was no wonder he lost his composure. Nothing this egregious had ever happened before. It had always been the South Town bullying the North Town; for the North Town to actually dare to kill someone was unbelievable!

"It was Pei Shaoqing, my lord!"

Zheng Zelin’s expression froze. "Are you talking about Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang?" he asked, his voice full of shock and uncertainty.

"The very same!" Meng Qingyun replied, his voice trembling.

Zheng Zelin’s expression flickered between various emotions before settling into a cold sneer. "Meng Qingyun," he said icily, "I always thought you were a smart man. How did you end up doing something so foolish? Why were you investigating Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang?"

"Because someone reported..."

BANG! Before Meng Qingyun could finish, Zheng Zelin grabbed the inkstone from his desk and smashed it viciously into his already scab-covered face. In an instant, blood began to gush.

"You still dare to lie to me!" Zheng Zelin pointed at Meng Qingyun and roared. "Someone reported him? How come I never noticed you were so righteous and unafraid of power before? You were so secretive when you left the capital, and now that you’ve tripped and fallen, you come running back, trying to drag me down with you. Do you take me for a fool?"

"Forgive me, my lord! Forgive me!" Meng Qingyun kowtowed repeatedly, speaking frantically. "I didn’t mean to deceive you, my lord! The matter was just too serious, and I was afraid of implicating you! I’ll confess everything right now..."

"Stop!" Zheng Zelin cut him off, his face devoid of expression. "I don’t want to know anything, and I don’t want to get involved. I’m taking you to see the Lord Governor now. You can confess everything to him yourself."

Meng Qingyun cursed ’Old fox!’ inwardly, but he feigned obedience and replied, "Thank you, Lord Households Commander."

His original plan had been to drag Zheng Zelin down with him.

Only Zheng Zelin had the ear of the Governor; a lowly Hundred Households Commander like him didn’t have that privilege.

But he never expected Zheng Zelin to refuse to get his hands dirty.

The two of them, one in front of the other, arrived at the Governor’s office.

They only entered after being announced and receiving permission.

"I, Zheng Zelin, pay my respects to the Lord Governor."

"I, Meng Qingyun, pay my respects to the Lord Governor."

The office was dimly lit. The Governor, seated at the head of the room and shrouded in shadows, was engrossed in writing and paid them no mind. Thus, they remained kneeling in silence.

"Rise," the Governor finally said after finishing the task at hand, lifting her head to reveal a youthful face.

Her skin was as fair as jade, and her features were sharp and heroic.

"Thank you, my lord," the two said in unison.

"My lord, Meng Baihu said he has an urgent matter to report to you personally. I still have official duties to attend to, so I will take my leave," Zheng Zelin said with the utmost respect.

The Governor nodded slowly. "Mm."

Zheng Zelin immediately lowered his head and backed out of the office.

The Governor looked at Meng Qingyun’s bloodied face and frowned slightly. "How did you get into this state?"

"I am guilty, my lord. Please punish me!" Meng Qingyun fell to his knees again and cried out tearfully.

The Governor’s expression remained unchanged. "Tell me, then," she said lightly, "what are you guilty of?"

"I listened to Noble Consort Wan’s instructions and privately led men out of the capital to investigate the various crimes of Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang..." Knowing he couldn’t hide the truth, Meng Qingyun confessed everything.

He made sure to emphasize how Pei Shaoqing had destroyed Gu Mingshan’s waist token and beheaded him right in front of him.

When he finished speaking, the Governor was silent for a long time.

The large office fell into a terrifying silence.

The pressure on Meng Qingyun was immense. He held his breath, not daring to even breathe loudly, as sweat mixed with beads of blood and trickled down his face.

After a long while, the Governor’s cold voice finally reached his ears. "A fool like you, if left alive, will only bring disaster upon my Southern Garrison Command for your own selfish reasons."

Meng Qingyun’s eyes widened in terror as he snapped his head up.

The next second, the Governor, who had been several meters away, appeared before him and brought a palm down.

Blood poured from Meng Qingyun’s seven orifices as he died on the spot.

"Someone, come." The Governor took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands methodically. "Chop up his body and feed it to the dogs," she said nonchalantly as she walked out.

"As you command!" two subordinates replied as they entered.

After leaving the Southern Garrison Command Government Office, she went straight to the Imperial Palace to request an audience. Upon being summoned, she walked briskly into the Imperial Study and knelt on one knee. "Your subject, Tian Wenjing, greets Your Majesty."

Her figure was slightly slender, but when she knelt, her buttocks were particularly pert and round. Lu Dingchuan would have been ecstatic to see it.

"Minister Tian, dispense with the formalities. Have a seat." Emperor Jingtai revealed a faint smile and spoke unhurriedly, "Minister Tian, you rarely enter the palace. What matter brings you to see me today?"

"Your Majesty, I have failed to manage my subordinate, who committed a grave error. I have come to plead for my punishment..." Tian Wenjing hid nothing from the Emperor. She recounted how Meng Qingyun, instigated by Noble Consort Wan, had gone to cause trouble for Pei Shaoqing, only to be killed in return. She finished by saying, "Meng Qingyun colluded with the inner court to scheme against an outer court official. I have already executed him." ree

She had killed Meng Qingyun partly out of anger.

But it was also to prevent the Emperor from simply smoothing things over.

’I’ve already killed my own man for his mistake.’

’You have to punish Pei Shaoqing and Noble Consort Wan, don’t you?’

"How utterly outrageous," Emperor Jingtai said, his face dark. "That Meng Qingyun was so audacious as to try and frame Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang. His death is of no consequence! However, it was also improper for Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang to lash out at the men of the Southern Garrison Command in a fit of anger. Let’s just fine him three years’ salary."

As for Noble Consort Wan, he didn’t mention her at all.

Tian Wenjing looked up in disbelief.

This wasn’t just taking sides; it was blatant favoritism!

"Your Majesty! Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang killed one of my South Town’s squad leaders and three of our mounted guards! If he is not severely punished, how will the undermanned South Town ever keep the formidable North Town in check? The North Town will surely fall into depravity!"

"Minister Tian, you exaggerate," Emperor Jingtai said dismissively, waving his hand. "Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang also sent a letter regarding this matter, and his account largely matches yours. He killed that squad leader because the man could not produce identification, so he was treated as an impostor.

"As for killing the other three mounted guards, it was because Meng Qingyun attempted to storm the execution site and drew his sword to attack him. He was thus forced to counter-attack. The entire incident was caused by Meng Qingyun’s own selfish ambitions. How is Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang guilty of any crime?"

Tian Wenjing lost all desire to argue further. The Emperor had made it clear that he had no intention of punishing Pei Shaoqing.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave," she said, rising.

’The Emperor’s favoritism is his own business.’

’But as the Governor of the Southern Garrison Command, I have to vent this frustration. Otherwise, not only will the North Town look down on us, but the Jing’an Guard of the South Town will also lose respect for me as their leader.’

’The crucial thing is, I can’t swallow this insult myself!’

After Tian Wenjing departed, Emperor Jingtai picked up two letters—one from Pei Shaoqing, the other from the Hidden Guard in Tongzhou. He remarked, "Pei Shaoqing’s past audacity, it seems, was no act."

"He is still young and impulsive. He’s lucky to be favored by a Ming Monarch like Your Majesty. Otherwise, this incident alone would have been more than he could handle," Liu Hai said with a light chuckle.

A smile touched Emperor Jingtai’s lips. "When he returns to the capital for the Mid-Autumn Festival, I must teach him a good lesson. To think he’d make me clean up his mess... such nerve."

He then looked up at Liu Hai. "Tonight, I will not be staying at Yongning Palace. Have someone warn Noble Consort Wan to behave herself and stop causing trouble for Pei Shaoqing.

"One is my beloved consort, the other is my capable general. I can’t choose between them. When Pei Shaoqing returns to the capital for the Mid-Autumn Festival, I will condescend to mediate between them personally, so they can let bygones be bygones."

First, two generous rewards, and now, this protection, support, and mediation to resolve his feud with an Imperial Consort. The Emperor believed that for him, the supreme sovereign, to go to such lengths, any young man would surely be moved to repay him with his life.

Too bad he didn’t know that Pei Shaoqing was, at his core, a modern man. And in a modern man’s heart, there is no place for an emperor.

...

That evening, Pei Shaoqing hosted a dinner for Ouyang Rong.

After all, as the host, he couldn’t just dump him at an inn and ignore him. That would be too disloyal.

The men sent to Medicine King Valley to investigate Situ Jing had returned. Their report matched what Ouyang had said: Situ Jing and he were both personal disciples of the former Great Elder of Medicine King Valley.

Situ Jing’s talent was inferior to Ouyang Rong’s. Because of his gloomy, jealous personality and his fondness for unorthodox methods and crafting Poison Pills and Evil Medicines, he was not well-liked by the Great Elder.

After Ouyang Rong was expelled, Situ Jing inherited the position of Great Elder and became very close with Wu Tian, the Sect Leader’s Disciple and Eldest Brother of Medicine King Valley, who had pleaded for Ouyang Rong back then.

Pei Shaoqing had invited Ouyang Rong for drinks partly to ask about this. "Brother Ouyang, back then, it was Medicine King Valley’s Eldest Brother, Wu Tian, who pleaded for you and saved your life. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have just been expelled from the sect. But now, Situ Jing is very close to Wu Tian. What do you make of that?"

’This seems a bit strange,’ he thought.

"That’s perfectly normal. Eldest Brother is just a good old boy; he gets along well with everyone." Ouyang Rong downed a cup of wine, a reminiscent look in his eyes. "But we were the closest. He was like a real older brother to me.

"From my perspective, I suspect Situ Jing. But from his, he might not see it that way. After all, everyone in Medicine King Valley thinks I was the one who killed our master."

"I see." Pei Shaoqing smiled and changed the subject. "By the way, Brother Ouyang, where’s your wild boar?"

"Of course I couldn’t bring Brother Pig down with me. He’s still waiting for me on the mountain." Ouyang Rong chuckled, took another gulp of wine, and sighed, "I like spending time with Brother Pig because people are just too terrible."

"That’s because you, Brother Ouyang, wouldn’t fight a pig for its fodder. Conflict is almost always about self-interest, nothing more," Pei Shaoqing said, shaking his head.

Ouyang Rong was taken aback. He raised his cup. "Brother Pei, your words are enlightening. I was too naive in the past."

Pei Shaoqing clinked cups with him.

When they had had enough to drink, he left first.

He was in a hurry to get back and get behind the wheel.

The custom-ordered Ye Hanshuang "attack-speed gear" had just been delivered.

And tonight, this driver was planning on going hard—no speed bumps, pedal to the metal all the way.