Chapter 144: The Inside Story of the Xu Family’s Massacre and the Deposed Crown Prince’s Family
Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Inside Story of the Xu Family’s Massacre and the Deposed Crown Prince’s Family
Xie Wenjin fell silent for a moment before looking at Pei Shaoqing and asking, "Why the sudden interest in this?"
"I met someone in Tongzhou who claims to be a surviving member of the Xu Family," Pei Shaoqing said in a low voice. "He doesn’t know I’m your son-in-law and confided in me. I wanted to ask you, Father—if he truly holds a grudge against you for wiping out his family, then I can eliminate the problem at its source."
Xie Yun’s eyes widened as he blurted out, "Brother-in-law, that can’t be right! Father killed his whole family, and now you want to hunt down the last survivor?"
The Xie Family’s upbringing was decent, and having never been exposed to the evils of the world, his moral compass was still quite straight.
"What do you know, child? Be quiet!" Madam Xie shot him a glare before turning to her husband.
Xie Wenjin let out a soft sigh and waved a hand at his wife. "Take Yun out of here for now."
Some things were not for a child’s ears.
"Let’s go." Madam Xie stood and started pulling Xie Yun away.
"Hey, am I not part of this family?" Although Xie Yun wanted to stay and listen, he didn’t dare defy his parents. He could only follow them out the door, grumbling with reluctance.
Only then did Xie Wenjin speak in a deep voice. "I was merely the blade that carried out the deed. Killing Xu Yong was Elder Wen’s intention. The talk of him colluding with foreign tribes to rebel was all nonsense. He died because he wanted the position of Minister of War, which angered Elder Wen."
"Father, do you mean Elder Wen Xi? The one who was Your Majesty’s teacher and has since retired from the Imperial Court to his hometown?" Xie Qingwu asked, already knowing the answer. She was mainly clarifying for Pei Shaoqing’s benefit.
"How many other Elder Wens are there?" Xie Wenjin frowned, finding his daughter’s question baffling.
Pei Shaoqing quickly chimed in, "Father, even if Xu Yong wanted the position of Minister of War, they were all officials serving the same court. Did it really have to be so ruthless?"
Political struggles in the Great Zhou were fierce, but they usually had their limits. Physical elimination wasn’t a common tactic.
And something as extreme as wiping out an entire family...
...was rarer still.
"He was one of Elder Wen’s men. Elder Wen didn’t support the Crown Prince, yet Xu Yong was frequently in contact with the Crown Prince Faction during that time," Xie Wenjin stated succinctly.
’Pei Shaoqing understood at once. As one of Wen Xi’s key players, Xu Yong was unwilling to sacrifice his personal gain for the good of the group. He defied Elder Wen’s will and tried to jump ship.’
’How could Wen Xi possibly tolerate that?’
’Xu Yong held a significant position within the Wen Faction and knew many of its secrets. If he defected, the Wen Faction would be like a naked girl before the Crown Prince Faction, utterly exposed and vulnerable.’
’For his own sake, and for the political faction he led, he had to eliminate Xu Yong. The reason it was so ruthless was likely to make an example of him—killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.’
’That’s why they framed Xu Yong for treason.’
"But how could His Majesty be so easily deceived by Elder Wen?" Pei Shaoqing suddenly thought of Emperor Jingtai.
’He was one very clever old fox.’
Xie Wenjin said flatly, "That’s why, not long after Xu Yong’s death, Elder Wen retired. In the end, the biggest winners of that struggle were His Majesty and the Crown Prince."
"By sacrificing Xu Yong—who was part of the Wen Faction to begin with—they managed to drive that powerful and influential Elder out of the Imperial Court. In the following years, His Majesty systematically dismantled the Wen Faction, clearing the greatest political obstacle for the Crown Prince. It’s just that, later..."
He didn’t finish, letting out a sigh. ’Who could have known that the Crown Prince himself would later stage a rebellion?’
"Perhaps it’s because His Majesty cleared the path for the Crown Prince too early and too thoroughly," Xie Qingwu surmised with clear logic. "With no one left to check him, his ambition grew, making him impatient to take the throne."
"Who knows what he was thinking?" Xie Wenjin shook his head, then suddenly looked at Pei Shaoqing. "The survivor from the Xu Family... it’s a girl, isn’t it?"
Xie Qingwu’s head snapped toward Pei Shaoqing.
"How did you know, Father?" For a rare moment, Pei Shaoqing looked guilty, his eyes shifting away, not daring to meet Xie Qingwu’s gaze.
"So many from the Xu Family died. How do you think a little girl, too young to remember anything, could have possibly escaped?" Xie Wenjin’s expression was complex. He sighed heavily. "Xu Yong had rendered meritorious service to the state. I didn’t want to see him die in a political struggle, but I couldn’t stop the tide."
"I am a military man. I’ve fought campaigns across the north and south my entire life and killed more men than I can count. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to harm a babbling little girl. Qingwu was about her age back then... I just considered it an act to accumulate merit for her."
’Pei Shaoqing had a sudden epiphany. So Jiang Xue managed to escape because my father-in-law showed mercy. Even if she wants revenge, she should be going after Elder Wen, not him.’
"The Xu Family is gone. One little girl can’t stir up any storms. Let her be. Why hunt her down?" Xie Wenjin added with another wave of his hand.
"No!" Xie Qingwu’s face was stern, her voice cold. "Father, the Xu girl has never forgotten her revenge. If she causes a scene and His Majesty finds out, won’t you be held accountable for your incompetence? And wouldn’t Elder Wen take issue with what you did?"
’She guessed that Pei Shaoqing must be involved with that Xu girl; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so concerned.’
’But her desire to kill the Xu girl wasn’t born of jealousy. She was simply afraid that Pei Shaoqing would become so infatuated that he’d start thinking with his little head instead of his big one, letting the girl drag him down into this mess.’
"Even I don’t care about the Xu girl. You think His Majesty lacks that much magnanimity?" Xie Wenjin said dismissively, letting out a breath. "His Majesty has been on the throne for over thirty years. It is precisely because of this soft-heartedness that I am merely Uncle Anning. And it is also because of this soft-heartedness that I am *still* Uncle Anning."
Among those who followed His Majesty during the great pacification, some, like Pei Shiqing and Jiang Hu, became powerful Marquis guarding their own territories. Many more, however, were demoted or even had their entire clans annihilated. Yet through all the political storms, he remained untouched.
Because he was never greedy, never fought for power, never overreached.
He always left some leeway in everything he did.
Everyone knew this, including the Emperor.
On the carriage ride home from the Xie Family estate, Xie Qingwu asked with a water-like gentleness, "Husband, how did that Xu girl taste? Do you intend to avenge the massacre of her family?"
"My lady, please rest assured. Your husband is not so foolish," Pei Shaoqing said, taking her hand with a serious expression. "Elder Wen has only retired; he isn’t dead. Besides, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Why would I provoke the Wen Family for the sake of the Xu girl?"
"Hmph! You’d better have your head on straight. I was afraid you’d let her bewitch you into recklessly seeking revenge for her, consequences be damned," Xie Qingwu said, snatching her hand away.
Pei Shaoqing shamelessly pulled her into an embrace, coaxing her in a soft voice. "How could I be so foolish? If I did something like that, where would that leave you? Where would that leave Sister Shuang and the others? Don’t worry. If she insists on this single-minded quest for revenge, I’ll cut ties with her immediately."
’Of course, he was just saying that to placate Xie Qingwu.’
’He couldn’t be that heartless to Jiang Xue. A bond forged in a single night is said to last a hundred days, and they had been together for more than just one night.’
’Besides, he had spent ten thousand taels of silver on her!’
’So he couldn’t just stand by and watch Jiang Xue throw her life away. He would keep feeding her empty promises to keep her calm. If an opportunity to help her get revenge came up, he’d take it. If not, then it was as if he’d never said a thing.’
’In any case, he wasn’t about to risk his entire family’s lives to help a courtesan get revenge.’
"You don’t have to be quite so heartless." Xie Qingwu’s expression softened. Seeing that Pei Shaoqing had shown the right attitude, she relented. "It is only natural that she would want to avenge her father. Husband, you may provide her with some support for her living expenses, but you must not get involved in the matter itself."
"My dear wife is so understanding." Pei Shaoqing planted a kiss on her cheek, then suddenly recalled something. "Oh! I forgot to tell your father and mother that you’re pregnant. Should we turn around and go back?"
"We’ll be in the Capital City for a few more days. We can share the happy news anytime," Xie Qingwu said, shaking her head and stroking her belly. "There’s a place outside the city, Qi Yun Temple. I hear prayers there are answered. Let’s go in a couple of days to pray for our child."
"Of course. We can ask Sister Shuang and the others to come along for an outing," Pei Shaoqing readily agreed.
...............
「Imperial Palace. Siguogong Palace, its gates sealed shut.」
The deposed Crown Prince and his family of five resided here.
They were attended by two eunuchs and two palace maids.
Though they were prisoners, the palace eunuchs and female officials dared not mistreat the deposed Crown Prince. His family’s food, clothing, and accommodations were still far superior to that of any common household.
After all, the seed of a dragon is still a dragon. No matter how far he had fallen, he was not someone mere servants could disrespect. To do so would be to insult the entire Royal Family.
The deposed Crown Prince, now thirty-five, still had a healthy complexion and a distinguished air. Due to his long-term pampered and sedentary life, his figure had grown rounder, lending him an aura of introverted calm.
There was no trace of despair or decline about him.
He held a book as he paced in the courtyard. Suddenly, he noticed a calico cat had appeared on the wall. A faint smile touched his lips as he beckoned to it. "Here, kitty. Come here, come to me."
In all his days of confinement, he could count the people he had seen on one hand. This was the first new face he’d encountered, and he couldn’t help but feel a little thrilled.
The calico cat stood up, ran off nimbly, and leaped from the wall to the roof, heading toward the inner courtyard of Siguogong Palace.
"To have fallen so far that even a cat won’t spare me a glance," the deposed Crown Prince said with a self-deprecating smile, shaking his head.
Leaping into the inner courtyard, the calico cat heard the rhythmic tapping of a wooden fish. It followed the sound to a Buddhist hall with its doors wide open. Inside, the Crown Prince Consort was at prayer.
The Crown Prince Consort, now in her early thirties and a mother of three, was still a woman of considerable charm. Save for a few faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her fair, jade-like face seemed untouched by time.
She wore no ornate hairpins, only a single Jade Hairpin holding her hair in place. She was dressed in a simple, rather drab gray skirt. Her chest was full, and because she was kneeling, her plump, rounded bottom was especially prominent.
One hand tapped the wooden fish while the other held a string of Buddha Beads. She murmured a Buddhist Scripture, the picture of piety. The compassionate aura about her seemed more divine than that of the Buddha statue itself.
The calico cat gave her a single glance before departing in silence. It roamed through Siguogong Palace, seeing the Crown Prince’s eldest son practicing calligraphy, his second son practicing with a sword, and his young daughter playing the qin.
It was hard to tell if the family had simply grown accustomed to their situation or if they truly felt no sense of loss, but they all appeared perfectly at ease, showing no signs of feeling imprisoned.