SEHE Chapter 118.2

Imprisoned (part 2)

Each and every one of these charges, even a single one placed on someone else, would be an infamous crime warranting the execution of nine generations of kin.

Pei Yanci listened as he droned on without finishing and couldn’t help but yawn.

One charge or eighty-three charges—there really wasn’t much difference. They couldn’t very well find several more Tangxi Zhuis for them to kill to vent their anger.

When the court session ended, Pei Yanci boarded his carriage. Just as it had driven out two streets, he lifted the curtain and said to the coachman, “Crash into that horse ahead.”

“What?” The coachman froze.

“Crash into it.”

“But…”

While the coachman was still hesitating, Pei Yanci had already seized the reins and cracked them hard. The horse, startled, ran forward and crashed into the rear of the horse ahead after a few steps.

Gu Wanchong’s eyes and hands were quick. At the moment of falling, he swiftly leaped up and saw a carriage tilted and crashing about wildly a few times before finally stopping.

“Pei… Why is it that nothing good ever happens when I encounter you?” Gu Wanchong was furious.

“My deepest apologies, Prince Qi. This official’s horse was suddenly startled and collided with you. Your Highness’s horse appears injured. How about this—shall this official escort you back to your residence?”

“No need.” Gu Wanchong stabbed the horse with his sword, killing it.

A horse with injured legs would only face a painful and prolonged death. Better to end it quickly with one stroke.

Watching the horse neigh once, struggle a few times, and close its eyes unwillingly, he thought of himself without reason.

He was forever trapped in Pei Yanci’s curse, struggling futilely.

But he wouldn’t sit and wait for death.

Only by dragging Pei Yanci into the mire and swamp as well, watching him suffer, could he find release.

Sheathing his sword, Pei Yanci had already jumped down from the carriage and was walking toward him.

The forceful aura made him retreat half a step involuntarily.

“What do you think I’ll do to you? You’re now the dignified Fifth Prince, the war god of Great Yu.”

That was right.

“Get in the carriage. I’ll escort you back to your residence.” Pei Yanci commanded softly. The inviting, consultative tone from before had completely disappeared without a trace.

Gu Wanchong gripped his sword hilt tightly, walked past him, and got into his carriage.

As soon as he sat down and saw Pei Yanci follow him in, he suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Fear was like ants—tiny, yet pervasive, drilling piece by piece into his mouth, nose, and very bones, rampaging wildly, making it hard for him to breathe.

“Are you with the Crown Prince’s faction or Tangxi Zhui’s faction?” He irritably took the offensive. “If you’re with Tangxi Zhui, his execution by a thousand cuts is already an inevitable outcome. You’d be better off continuing to lurk beside Gu Jiuqing, secretly passing information and supporting me.”

“Nine-Thousand-Years supported you so much, and he just entered prison—have you already abandoned him?”

“He and you arrested my maternal grandfather’s entire clan. What kind of pleasant face do you expect me to show him?” Gu Wanchong accused in a low, angry voice, like a sick tiger trapped in a cage.

Pei Yanci discovered that this person had very deep bonds with the people of this lifetime.

Unlike himself, who after his soul’s transmigration had no emotional attachments whatsoever to his predecessor’s relationships.

“If Nine-Thousand-Years dies this time, do you think your maternal grandfather’s clan can still survive?” Pei Yanci laughed. “Those people have been imprisoned in the Elu Bureau’s dungeon for several months. Do you think Nine-Thousand-Years still has the kindness to let them eat and drink well in prison without any harm?”

Gu Wanchong fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Are you begging me to save Tangxi Zhui? Do you like the eunuch?”

His expression instantly became strange—like pride, like anger, like the contempt of someone looking down from on high.

“I’m not begging you to save him.” Pei Yanci said. “I just want to ask you—once Tangxi Zhui is gone, will Cui Ya continue to choose to support you?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

“But only I, as someone from the eunuch faction who now has the Crown Prince’s trust, can give you the greatest assistance. The Crown Prince has already gained the support of most of the Zheng faction and the aristocratic families. And you? You’ve just lost the support of the Elu Bureau. The other eunuch faction members are now living in fear, already considering whether to change sides. If you want to become Emperor, without my support, how much chance do you think you have of ascending to the throne?”

Gu Wanchong fell silent for even longer now.

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. Finally, reluctantly, he said, “Cui Ya has already defected to my side, and so has Wu Cong’en.”

The Minister of Justice?

Pei Yanci’s heart skipped a beat.

“You…”

“You needn’t persuade me further. No matter what, even if I must sacrifice my maternal grandfather’s clan, Tangxi Zhui must die! The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice will certainly convict him. Do you think the people of the Censorate will feel grateful to Tangxi Zhui and thus offend both the Crown Prince and me?”

“It seems my initial choice wasn’t wrong. You and I are both people who will use any means to achieve our goals, even hurting those closest to us.” Pei Yanci chuckled softly, leaning his upper body closer. “If you hadn’t been so greedy back then, perhaps we could have been together.”

Gu Wanchong’s breath caught. He turned his head to the other side, avoiding the increasingly aggressive breathing.

“Shy?” Pei Yanci laughed softly, his fingers slowly reaching toward his face. “Still as handsome as ever, your temperament still suits me perfectly.”

The hands on Gu Wanchong’s legs clenched tighter and tighter, his face so darkly set it could drip water.

“What does Your Highness think?”

He closed his eyes, then suddenly rushed out of the carriage. “Stop the carriage.”

Gu Wanchong didn’t wait for the carriage to stop before jumping out, disappearing like the wind on the street in the blink of an eye.

Pei Yanci withdrew the dissolute smile from his face, leaving only coldness.

“Let’s go back.” He wearily rubbed his temples.

****

The oppressive black-clad figures of the Elu Bureau could no longer be seen on the streets. Instead, they were replaced by scenes of the Northern and Southern Barracks Imperial Armies arresting people everywhere.

Still somewhat worried after all, when Pei Yanci detoured to the Chief Overseer’s mansion, he saw Peng Chulang’s men at the entrance counting and loading treasures from inside. Sealed wooden crates filled cart after cart, and even more crates were being continuously carried out from the mansion.

House raiding.

Every tael of silver here, every precious treasure plundered, would become ironclad evidence of Tangxi Zhui’s capital crimes.

Huo Cun came out from inside, the ingratiating smile on his face as always, but the object had changed to Peng Chulang.

He respectfully saw Peng Chulang off. When he saw the person disappear, he turned to go back to the mansion. After walking a few steps, his neck tightened as someone pulled him into a corner.

“Punishment Officer Huo, how are you still perfectly fine here?” Pei Yanci pressed him into a deserted corner with his dagger, questioning with a half-smile.

“This servant…Foster father, could you put down the dagger first before talking? It’s quite frightening.” Huo Cun’s voice was high-pitched as he cried out in alarm.

Pei Yanci’s ears hurt from the noise. As soon as he lowered the dagger, Huo Cun immediately gave him a hard shove. His body nimbly dodged. “Someone come! An assassin! Tangxi Zhui’s accomplice and remnant is here! Ahhhh—”

This was the Chief Overseer’s mansion, full of Imperial Guards everywhere. This person’s martial arts appeared to be higher than his own. Pei Yanci kicked him hard and quickly fled the mansion.

****

When he returned to his residence, he slammed the door open forcefully. Wuli and Wushu heard the commotion and came over.

“Big Brother, everyone on the streets is saying that old eunuch from the Elu Bureau was arrested and is about to be executed soon. Is it true?” Wuli’s pale face wrinkled up. “What should we do? We won’t be implicated, will we?”

“I dealt with him privately. Gu Wanchong knows, but I just tested the waters earlier—he still wants to win me over to work for him, so he won’t reveal this.” Pei Yanci’s eyes were somber, shooting out restrained killing intent. “But Huo Cun—I underestimated him. He’s actually still fine and hasn’t been arrested.”

Later, he might need to find a way to silence him, or drag him along to accompany Tangxi Zhui in death.

“Rootless things are just like that—not a shred of backbone. They consider anyone who feeds them as their mother. He probably colluded with the Zheng faction long ago, selling out his master for glory. Otherwise, with that old eunuch’s dirty methods, how could he have been schemed against by them?”

“Hey, are you praising him or insulting him? Is now the time to insult people?” Wushu wanted nothing more than to slap this fool to death with one palm.

“Yanci, now that Tangxi Zhui is imprisoned, what will you do?” Wang Lingche also leaned worriedly by the door. “Will you save him? I can go to the Wang family…”

“Thank you, but no need.” Pei Yanci shook his head. “I don’t want to make an enemy of the entire court. As long as his matter doesn’t implicate me, that’s enough.”

These words sounded cold. Wang Lingche was somewhat surprised, but the little joy in his eyes couldn’t be suppressed no matter what.

“Alright, don’t just stand around here either. Go hurry the kitchen about lunch. I’ve been out all morning without a drop of water, and I’m starving to the point of confusion.”

Wushu shooed the two of them toward the dining hall. Before leaving, he hesitated, then said softly, “Big Brother, don’t be sad. You still have us.”

With that, he followed the footsteps of the other two.

Pei Yanci smiled helplessly. Which eye of theirs saw that he was sad and worried? Tangxi Zhui had committed countless evils—wasn’t this the inevitable outcome?

It was just that this outcome came earlier than expected, somewhat sudden, somewhat unexpected.

And somewhat unprepared.

His plans hadn’t been laid out yet, hadn’t been deployed.

How could he fall at this juncture?

Pei Yanci took a deep breath. His whole person appeared very calm.

He got up to close the door, then rummaged through the cabinet for a set of clean everyday clothes.

He took off his official robes and shook out the clothes but hadn’t put them on yet when goosebumps erupted on his back and his hair stood on end.

When a person senses danger far beyond their capabilities approaching, they instinctively stiffen completely, their consciousness goes blank, as if their soul has already been extracted from their body.

But you can clearly know everything happening around you.

Pei Yanci’s entire body stiffened. The intense sense of crisis and killing intent let him know that a terrifying presence was right behind him.

Who?

Had he offended such a capable person?

He kept guessing in his mind until he caught a familiar scent.

Impossible—that person was clearly locked up in prison.

The next moment, beneath his pearl-like earlobe, an index finger extended and lightly touched his cheek twice.