Chapter 97: Wei Yue Arrives, Slaying Imperial Blood at Will
Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Wei Yue Arrives, Slaying Imperial Blood at Will
Two days later, an unusually large steed with a crimson coat and scales growing between its brows and under its neck galloped into Tongzhou City, causing a great sensation.
"Is... is that... a horse?"
"What a huge horse! It’s truly a divine steed!"
"Could it be the legendary Qilin Auspicious Beast?"
Everyone who saw the horse burst into discussion. If they thought they could catch up to it, they would have chased after it for a closer look.
The Jing’an Guard had eyes and ears everywhere, so Pei Shaoqing, who was diligently carrying out his duties as a Hundred Households Commander, quickly learned of the news.
"Lord Pei! Just now, an old man riding a divine, scaled steed was rampaging through the city."
Song Youcai rushed into the office to report.
"A divine, scaled steed?" ’That has to be a fine mount,’ Pei Shaoqing thought. He shot to his feet, his voice filled with uncontrollable rage. "How audacious! To gallop through the city and startle the populace! Where is this person now?"
’First, I’ll find this old man and investigate his identity.’
’If he’s just a commoner, or someone with less status than me...’
’...then Pei Qingtian will have to step in righteously, act on behalf of the people, and confiscate that troublemaking divine steed in the name of the public good.’
’After confiscation, ownership will belong to all the people of Tongzhou.’
’Lord Pei will merely have indefinite usage rights.’
"I am here!"
Accompanied by a voice full of vigor, Pei Shaoqing’s vision blurred for a moment. A middle-aged man in a black robe, with a fine beard and a scholarly air, had appeared four meters before him.
Before he had time to think, while Song Youcai was still processing what had happened, Pei Shaoqing had already skirted his desk, strode forward, and bowed. "Your subordinate, Pei Shaoqing, greets you, my lord!"
’I don’t recognize him, but anyone who dares to call himself ’this official’ so brazenly in front of me must be a superior officer.’
’And judging by his bearing, his rank is definitely not low.’
"Greetings, my lord!" Song Youcai followed suit.
Looking at the deferential Pei Shaoqing, Wei Yue was taken aback and found it a bit strange. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed this person was Pei Shaoqing.
He was like a completely different person from his past self.
But compared to the reckless scoundrel of the past...
...he naturally preferred and admired this junior who had earned merits and a title. The typically stern man couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile. "Rise. I’m still more used to you calling me Uncle Wei. First, take me to see Yan Sichen."
Upon hearing this,
Pei Shaoqing instantly guessed the man’s identity.
’Wei Yue! The Governor of the Jing’an Guard’s Northern Garrison!’
"This nephew obeys. Uncle Wei, please follow me." He immediately stood up and respectfully led the way.
On the way out, Wei Yue said in a calm tone, "I, Wei Yue, have always prided myself on my judgment of character, yet I failed to see someone right under my nose. You’re quite something, kid. You’ve fooled everyone in the Capital City, from the Emperor himself down to the common porters."
Hearing Wei Yue state his name, Song Youcai, who had already had his suspicions, felt his knees go weak. He forcibly suppressed the storm raging in his heart and silently stopped in his tracks.
’He was afraid he would disturb their reunion.’
Pei Shaoqing was taken aback by Wei Yue’s words.
’So because I earned great merit and was ennobled, everyone in the Capital City now thinks I was acting the whole time?’
’Shouldn’t they think it’s a case of the prodigal son returning?’
Although the turn of events was a little different from what he’d expected, it wasn’t a major problem. He gave an ambiguous reply, "I had no other choice."
"Does your father know?" Wei Yue asked with great interest. The Emperor and many others thought that Pei Shiqing had also been deceived, but he wanted to confirm it himself.
Pei Shaoqing’s mind raced as he considered how to answer. After a moment, he gave a bitter smile and said, "When has he ever cared about me, his son?"
’Pei Shiqing didn’t even care if he lived or died.’
’The relationship between father and son was terrible.’
’If I say he knew I was faking it, how would I deal with Pei Shiqing’s suspicions later?’
"Don’t say that. Your father may be a bit partial to your older brother, but if he truly didn’t care about you, with all the things you’ve done, you wouldn’t have survived this long." Wei Yue sighed, speaking a fair word for his old friend.
Pei Shaoqing feigned the look of someone resentful about the lack of fatherly love and sneered, "Hmph. He was just afraid of being implicated by me, so he had no choice but to clean up my messes. He’s wanted to remove me from the family registry for a long time."
"Sigh." Seeing this, Wei Yue shook his head and said no more. ’Every family has its own troubles.’
Then, he moved on to official business, his expression turning serious again. "Are you certain about the matter you reported?"
"There is not a single lie! How would this nephew dare to deceive the Emperor on such a matter?" Pei Shaoqing answered resolutely.
Wei Yue nodded in silence.
’If Pei Shaoqing were truly the audacious scoundrel from the past, he really might have the guts to deceive the Emperor.’
’But the facts have already proven that he was just acting before. He’s a clever man. Therefore, the greater the matter involved, the more credible his words become.’
Stepping out of the Hundred Households’ gates, Pei Shaoqing’s eyes immediately fell upon the divine steed, which was surrounded by a crowd like the moon surrounded by stars. He sucked in a sharp breath.
’Holy shit, what a magnificent horse!’
It stood a full head taller than a fine warhorse, its musculature lean and clearly visible. Its crimson mane fluttered in the wind like a burning flame, and a ring of glowing red scales grew between its brows and under its neck.
It held its head high, looking down on everything.
"Greetings, Lord Pei!" Upon seeing Pei Shaoqing, the Jing’an Guard members who had been mixed in with the crowd of onlookers all saluted.
The crimson steed snorted two puffs of air from its nostrils, walked up to Wei Yue, and lowered its head to nuzzle against him.
Wei Yue gently stroked the horse’s head.
Seeing that Pei Shaoqing didn’t seem to recognize the horse, he found it a little strange but introduced it anyway. "This is a Dragon-blooded Steed. The higher the grade, the purer the bloodline. This one of mine is a Middle Grade, capable of traveling fifteen hundred li a day."
"A Dragon-blooded Steed? Does that mean it has the blood of a dragon?"
"Fifteen hundred li in a day! It wouldn’t even take a full day to get from Tongzhou to the Prefecture City! That’s incredible!"
"Even the legendary Ferghana horses can’t compare."
The onlookers exclaimed in amazement, their discussions buzzing.
It was just like modern people gawking at a Ferrari.
Pei Shaoqing couldn’t hide his envy. He had always had a taste for fine rides in the modern era; how much more so in ancient times?
However, he had already realized he shouldn’t have been unfamiliar with this horse, so he quickly tried to cover his tracks. "The first time this nephew saw a Dragon-blooded Steed, I began to fantasize about when I might own one. Such a divine steed... I’ve thought about it day and night!"
"That wish of yours has already been granted. His Majesty has also bestowed one upon you. It’s a Lower Grade, however, and it’s on its way," Wei Yue said in a calm tone.
"Congratulations, my lord, on receiving a divine steed from the Emperor!"
The group of Jing’an Guard members immediately offered their congratulations.
Pei Shaoqing was overcome with joy. With a deeply moved expression, he cupped his fists in the direction of the Capital City and said, "This humble servant can only serve with all my heart and repay the Emperor’s boundless grace with my life!"
’This old Emperor is really something else.’
’A promotion, a title, and a divine steed.’
’He’s too generous!’
’Don’t they say that the older an emperor gets, the stingier he becomes?’
"Alright, let’s go. His Majesty said you deserve all of it. If you handle this matter well, he has another great reward for you." After speaking, Wei Yue led the horse away.
The crowd immediately parted to make way.
Only after the two had walked some distance away did the crowd begin to whisper, speculating about Wei Yue’s identity and discussing the Emperor’s favor towards Pei Shaoqing.
***
"The sinner, Yan Sichen, greets Governor Wei."
Thanks to Pei Shaoqing’s deliberate care, Yan Sichen, who had been imprisoned for a long time, was in good spirits. He appeared very calm upon seeing Wei Yue, not even forgetting his etiquette.
"Is what you said in your confession true or false?"
Wei Yue asked bluntly, his face expressionless.
"A man on the verge of death has no reason to deceive the Emperor." Yan Sichen was already impatient to be reunited with his family. He laughed and said, "My Second Uncle kicked out my Eldest Uncle to become Emperor. My father wants to follow his example, so why not? I heard my Eldest Uncle once said, ’May he who started this have no descendants.’?
"If not for a bizarre twist of fate, we had only just begun and hadn’t finished gathering our strength before Pei Shaoqing discovered us. We could have succeeded! My father could have become the Emperor! And I could have become the Crown Prince!"
Yan Sichen grew more and more agitated as he spoke, his hands gripping the bars of the cell door as he roared, on the verge of madness.
’Pei Shaoqing felt a pang of sympathy. Being a father is truly difficult.’
’In the future, I must strive to educate my children well.’
’If I really ended up with a rebellious son like Yan Sichen or the original owner of this body, I would definitely strangle him in the cradle.’
’To avoid planting a time bomb for myself.’
Hearing these treasonous words, Wei Yue’s eyes turned icy. He reached through the gap in the cell door, grabbed Yan Sichen by the neck, and said, "Those who rebel against their superiors should be executed."
An intense feeling of suffocation washed over him, and Yan Sichen’s face quickly paled. But he showed no fear. Instead, a strange smile appeared on his face, and a gurgling laugh escaped his lips.
’Since Wei Yue is killing me so directly...’
’...it means my father, my younger brother, my stepmother and sister... everyone in the Shu Royal Mansion will die!’
’I was actually afraid my Second Uncle would be soft-hearted, mindful of their old relationship and public opinion. But now, I can rest easy.’
’Father, dear little brother, I’ll go on ahead and wait for you.’
’Our family must be together, neat and complete.’
"GACK... Hahaha..."
With a SNAP, Yan Sichen’s neck was broken. His head slumped down, the smile still lingering on his lips.
"Uncle Wei?" Pei Shaoqing said, shocked and uncertain.
’Wait, the Heir of King Shu, a man of royal blood...’
’You just killed him like wringing a chicken’s neck?’
Wei Yue, his face cold, released the corpse. He withdrew his hand, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe it, and said in a detached tone, "His Majesty ordered me to confirm whether King Shu’s rebellion is real or not. If it is real, then I am simply to quell the rebellion."
’He didn’t believe that Yan Sichen—the Heir of King Shu, who was accused by Wang Wu and then caught red-handed by Pei Shaoqing while trying to break someone out of prison—would falsely accuse his own father of treason.’
’Personally confirming face-to-face that Yan Sichen’s confession came from his own mouth was enough.’
’As for more evidence?’
’It’s not needed.’
’The Emperor’s attitude towards such matters has always been: better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one guilty person go free.’
’Especially when it comes to his own family!’
’So, since everyone in the Shu Royal Mansion is going to die anyway...’
’...there’s nothing wrong with Yan Sichen taking the first step.’
’Pei Shaoqing had originally worried that the Emperor wouldn’t issue a kill order for King Shu. He had planned to arrange for Liu Yuheng to fire a stray arrow during the raid on the Shu Royal Mansion, ensuring King Shu died by "accident." ’
’Now it seemed he had underestimated the Emperor’s ruthlessness.’
’And Wei Yue was ruthless too. He killed the Emperor’s own nephew without the slightest hesitation.’
’He seemed to have no reverence for the imperial bloodline.’
’If it were anyone else, even with a direct order from the Emperor, they surely wouldn’t have been so decisive.’
’Still, he also really wanted to see if killing someone of the so-called imperial bloodline felt any different from killing a common person.’
"Tomorrow morning, as soon as my men arrive, we will head to the Prefecture City immediately," Wei Yue said, his tone icy.
Pei Shaoqing immediately replied, "Yes, my lord!"
The countdown to the Shu Royal Mansion’s destruction had officially begun.