Chapter 109 Heading North

Chapter 109 Heading North

The Great Xia cannot even defeat the troops scrambled from the Northern Qi. Once Bianjing falls, the Great Xia will perish. Moreover, given the Great Xia's current governance, not only in Hongzhou, but also in other areas, the number of rebel armies will only increase.

Therefore, maintaining an army is of paramount importance. Pei Wu's greatest advantage lies in his legitimate right to openly and legitimately summon troops, especially since Tanzhou is a strategic location, so even if he summons more troops, it would be understandable.

Pei Wu hadn't had a chance to tell Jiang Ru about these things yet, but now he still felt he needed to discuss them with her first. Pei Wu said, "Before coming to Hongzhou, I had Wu Changzhi recruit soldiers."

Jiang Ru's eyes widened; she seemed to understand, yet also somewhat hesitant to fully comprehend, and finally asked only, "Are you going to support Bianjing?"

Pei Wu said, "Yes and no."

He used to work for the emperor, but now he hopes to take his own destiny into his own hands, so that if the emperor ever turns against him, he will have the strength to fight back.

No one who becomes regent doesn't want to sit on the dragon throne; it's just that their position isn't legitimate. The closer one gets to that position, the more likely they are to have such thoughts. Pei Wu may have had such thoughts in his previous life as well.

Jiang Ru pursed her lips and whispered to Pei Wu, "Do you want to be the emperor?"

Pei Wu paused, his deep eyes gazing silently at Jiang Ru. He didn't answer Jiang Ru's question directly, but simply said, "There are only two possible outcomes if you take this path."

Advance and you live; retreat and you die.

Although neither of them explicitly said it, they both understood what the other meant.

Perhaps it was seeing the Taiping Army that gave Jiang Ru some other ideas: rather than being slaughtered, she might as well fight back.

Although we haven't reached that point yet, the fall of Yanshan Prefecture has made the situation extremely urgent.

In the past, Pei Wu might have used a more moderate approach. He did not want to be emperor. When he first started studying, he thought about how to benefit the people and how to assist the monarch. Even before Jiang Ru revealed his past life, Pei Wu had the same idea.

He only asks to have a clear conscience.

But Jiang Ru said that he died in his previous life, which means that Pei Wu's idea was wrong, he made a mistake, he thought he could get away unscathed, but he still died.

Pei Wu no longer wants to be emperor, but if he doesn't hold power in his own hands, he will only become a tyrannical ruler.

Pei Wu stared intently at Jiang Ru and asked, "Are you afraid?"

Whether his thinking was right or wrong, it was too unfair to Jiang Ru, whose husband had embarked on such a rebellious path. If he failed, Jiang Ru would not be able to escape either.

But Jiang Ru hugged Pei Wu tightly and said, "Don't be afraid."

To prove that she meant what she said, Jiang Ru sat up straighter. She sat on Pei Wu's lap, at eye level with him, and said earnestly, "I've died once, I'm not afraid of death."

If that day really comes, Jiang Ru might regret that her love with Pei Wu ended so hastily after only a short time, but as for fear, she wasn't afraid at all; she was only afraid of being separated from Pei Wu.

Jiang Ru stepped forward slightly, her nose touching Pei Wu's, as if they were whispering sweet nothings. Jiang Ru said, "I'm married to you now. We're husband and wife, completely bound together. If you live, I live; if you die, I die."

If they succeed, the history of the Great Xia Dynasty will end with Yuan Tai's generation; if they fail, they will still be recorded in history as traitors and rebels, so their lives will not have been in vain.

In his previous life, Pei Wu had also served as regent for many years, and Emperor Yuantai would forever remember that humiliating time when he was dominated by Pei Wu.

Standing so close, both of them stared at each other. Suddenly, Jiang Ru said, "Pei Wu, we can live two lifetimes. Even if we die, there's no guarantee we won't have a third life. Even if we don't, we can still be ghosts, and ghosts can still be lovers."

Before she transmigrated, Jiang Ru didn't believe in ghosts and gods. But after she actually transmigrated and experienced rebirth, she thought that perhaps there really was such a saying. Even if she could never be reborn, her soul would still follow Pei Wu and be entangled with him for all eternity.

Jiang Ru was not afraid of death if she could be with Pei Wu.

Pei Wu's eyes flickered slightly. He embraced Jiang Ru and said, "Thank you, cousin, for coming to Jinzhou to see me."

If it weren't for Jiang Ru, they would still be like they were in their previous life, never recognizing each other until death. The connection between them was something Jiang Ru had forcefully created.

Jiang Ru also hugged him: "No need to thank me, it's fate that brought us together."

Fate decreed that she and Pei Wu would be related by blood, and that they would be reborn.

...

After the carriage left Hongzhou, Pei Wu led his men to Xinzhou.

There is only one official road to Xinzhou. If Yan Ming returns safely, they will be able to meet him. However, if Xinzhou also rebels, Yan Ming may not be able to escape unscathed. Their mission is to support Yan Ming.

After traveling for several days, Pei Wu and his party were about to enter Xinzhou territory when they first encountered Yan Ming's carriage.

The wheels of the carriage rolled by, kicking up clouds of dust. The carriage and horses came to an abrupt stop, and the horses neighed.

The government's carriages were easy to recognize, especially since they had come from Tanzhou together. However, they were completely different from when they arrived. Yan Ming and the others looked disheveled and were practically fleeing in panic. Pei Wu lifted the curtain, and his subordinates, understanding the situation, rode ahead to greet Yan Ming.

Soon, his subordinates brought Yan Ming and a disheveled official over.

This official must have suffered quite a bit; his official robes were filthy beyond recognition. He was covered in dirt and scrambled along with Yan Ming, kneeling on the ground as soon as he saw the carriage.

He knelt on the ground, crying and wailing, and cried out, "Lord Pei, this humble official has suffered a great humiliation!"

Jiang Ru and Pei Wu exchanged a glance, basically confirming that the person on the ground was indeed the prefect of Xinzhou, Yan Ming had actually brought him here.

The subordinate stood in front of the carriage and explained the whole story.

It turned out that after Yan Ming arrived in Xinzhou, he found that Xinzhou had rebelled. So he brought provisions and fought against the rebel army in Xinzhou. After all, he was an official of the imperial court and naturally stood on the side of the court. He tried his best to rescue the prefect of Xinzhou who was imprisoned and took him with him to escape from Xinzhou.

The grain and fodder sent over could not be retrieved; they all ended up in Xinzhou.

The reason we chose Yan Ming was because of his steadiness, and he handled this matter exceptionally well, except for one thing…

Should these corrupt officials on earth, who are afraid of death, be saved or not?

When a place suffers a disaster, it is either due to natural disaster or human error. The fact that Xinzhou is in such a state means that the prefect of Xinzhou bears an unshirkable responsibility.

Yan Ming did a good job. He brought the news out and saved the person involved. If the court were to reward him, he would be the first.

After the subordinates reported the whole story, the curtain of the carriage was finally lifted, and Pei Wu sat upright inside. He was dressed in a silver moon brocade robe, looking elegant and refined. His phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and the upward movement made his gaze appear arrogant and cold. He looked at the prefect of Xinzhou as if he were looking at an ant, without the slightest emotion.

The prefect of Xinzhou on the ground trembled under that gaze, not daring to lift his head. Sweat slid down his forehead and dripped into the dust.

Pei Wu didn't blame Yan Ming for saving him; after all, Yan Ming was an official of the imperial court, and it was perfectly normal for him to do so.

The prefect of Xinzhou was over forty years old, his temples were already gray, and his official robes were covered in dust and he hadn't had time to change them. He first kowtowed twice to Pei Wu, even knocking his hat askew.

Finally, under Pei Wu's gaze, he said tremblingly, "Lord Pei..."

Pei Wu said calmly, "Prefect Ji has suffered. The most important thing right now is to return to Tanzhou and then make further plans."

Ji Caizhen was helped up by the constable beside him. He thought that the look he had just seen in Pei Wu's eyes was an illusion, and kept wiping his sweat.

Yan Ming then cupped his hands and said, "Lord Pei, I have already reported the matter of Xinzhou to the court."

Pei Wu hummed in agreement: "You did very well."

Yan Ming continued, "It's just that the grain and fodder have all been seized by the rebels, and I have failed in my duties."

As he was about to kneel down, Pei Wu raised his hand and said, "It's alright. The situation was urgent, and you had no other choice."

Yan Mingcai straightened up.

Upon receiving Yan Ming, Pei Wu ordered a return to Tanzhou.

The return journey was much smoother. They traveled during the day and stayed at post stations at night. After a few days, the carriages and horses entered the territory of Tanzhou.

Aside from the initial dishevelment during his journey, Ji Caizhen later changed his clothes, which Yan Ming had lent him, and gradually became bolder and more unrestrained, no longer as frightened as before.

After returning to Tanzhou, Yan Ming went all the way and arranged for Ji Caizhen to stay at the post station, so that he could finally avoid seeing him and getting rid of his annoyance.

Ji Caizhen rose from a minor official to the position of prefect. Initially, he abused his power and became even more arrogant after becoming prefect.

Pei Wu had heard about it before, and this time he sent someone to inquire. On the night he met Yan Ming's carriage, his subordinates reported to Pei Wu.

The uprising in Xinzhou started a few days later than in Hongzhou. They rebelled after learning of the rebellion in Hongzhou. After that, the prefectural magistrate of Xinzhou fled, and the prefect, Ji Caizhen, was arrested.

Ji Cai was indeed a talented individual. He had done many things to bully men and women in Xinzhou, and his imprisonment was his own fault. Unexpectedly, Yan Ming rescued him.

Upon returning to the government office, Yan Ming recorded the events of the trip and submitted them to Pei Wu, also providing Pei Wu with a copy of the memorial submitted to the court last week.

Pei Wu had read them all and said that Yan Ming had done a good job. Yan Ming hesitated for a moment and then said, "Lord Pei, there is something I don't understand."

Pei Wu raised his eyes, gesturing for him to continue.

Yan Ming then said, “When I arrived in Xinzhou, I learned that Xinzhou was in dire straits. Although Ji Caizhen is the prefect, he does not care about the people and only thinks about how to extort money from them. I can only save him. I don’t understand whether I should save such a prefect.”

Yan Ming knew he shouldn't save Ji Caizhen, but he had no choice; he couldn't get over his conscience and could only ask Pei Wu for advice.

He should have kept these words to himself, but Pei Wu's time in Tanzhou had been enough to convince him of the prefect who was much younger than him. So after thinking about it for so long, he couldn't help but ask Pei Wu.

Pei Wu thought he was dull-witted, but he never expected that he could think of these things. He stopped what he was doing and said, "It is your responsibility to save him. As for Ji Caizhen, he will get his retribution."

Yan Ming frowned, assuming that Pei Wu would submit a memorial to the court for the court to deal with. He always felt that Pei Wu was too lenient with Ji Caizhen, which was why he said these words. He looked down on Ji Caizhen, but Ji Caizhen's official position was higher than his, so he could only be suppressed and let him do as he pleased.

Therefore, when he said these words, he actually intended to get Pei Wu to impeach him. After all, he was only an eighth-rank official, and unless it was an urgent matter, he could not bypass Pei Wu to submit a memorial to the court.

Since Pei Wu didn't say anything, he didn't dare to bring it up either. He could only cup his hands and say, "Prefect Ji sent someone to say that he wants to see you."

Pei Wu agreed.

After Yan Ming left, Jiang Ru, who had been hiding behind the desk, finally looked up. It was a blind spot, and Yan Ming, with his eyes fixed straight ahead, didn't see her at all.

Jiang Ru looked up at Pei Wu. She also disliked Ji Caizhen. She had seen Ji Caizhen occasionally these past few days, and his gaze always made her uncomfortable. She couldn't develop any good feelings towards him.

She poked Pei Wu on the back and asked, "If Ji Cai is really that bad, why do you still want to see him?"

From the first day she learned what outrageous things Ji Caizhen had done, Jiang Ru wished she could tell Yan Ming not to save him. The rebels in Xinzhou were too kind. The prefect of Hongzhou was beaten so badly, but the prefect of Xinzhou, apart from being imprisoned, didn't suffer at all.

Actually, she had other ideas, such as assassinating Ji Caizhen in private, but she only dared to think about it. Killing someone was still beyond her acceptable range.

Pei Wu replied, "We should see what he's really up to."

Not long after, Ji Caizhen was brought to the scene. Upon hearing the knocking on the door, Jiang Ru, as before, hid behind Pei Wu.

The stool she was sitting on was very small, and it felt a bit cramped, but this way Pei Wu could completely surround her and she wouldn't be seen by anyone.

Pei Wu saw the hem of her skirt draped on the ground and couldn't help but say, "You can sit next to me, no one will say anything."

Jiang Ru shook her head: "No, I'll sit here."

As she spoke, Jiang Ru gathered her skirt that had fallen to the ground and dusted it off. Pei Wu had no choice but to give up and looked outside.

After Pei Wu gave his permission, Ji Caizhen was led into the house.

As soon as he entered the house, he knelt on the ground and started crying and wailing, cursing the rebels. He had kept it to himself before, but perhaps he thought he was safe in Tanzhou, so he finally dared to openly curse.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, kneeling was a rare custom, and officials usually only bowed to each other. But Ji Caizhen had probably been kneeling for a long time, and he knelt down as soon as he saw Pei Wu.

The insults were so offensive that Jiang Ru couldn't bear to listen and kept covering her ears.

Pei Wu said calmly, "Prefect Ji, I summoned you here not to hear you curse."

Ji Caizhen's cursing stopped abruptly. His chest was still heaving violently. He could no longer curse, so he took out the memorial he had written in advance, and the servants delivered the few sheets of paper to Pei Wu's desk.

Pei Wu glanced at it casually and found that Ji Caizhen's memorial was no different from what he had just said. It also denounced the crimes of the rebels and mentioned the humiliation he had suffered. This section alone filled two pages, and he asked the emperor to send troops to suppress the rebellion as soon as possible.

Only at the very end did he mention that he had been rescued by the prefect of Tanzhou and was currently in Tanzhou.

Pei Wu read it and simply said, "I will definitely deliver Prefect Ji's memorial."

Ji Cai was truly satisfied and kowtowed repeatedly.

It was at this moment that Pei Wu casually remarked, "Prefect Ji, the person who rescued you was Yan Ming, the Registrar of Tanzhou, yet you didn't mention him in your memorial."

Ji Caizhen was taken aback, then smiled obsequiously: "Yan Ming working under Lord Pei is naturally thanks to Lord Pei."

Upon hearing this, Pei Wu chuckled lightly: "Prefect Ji is truly..."

Pei Wu didn't say the rest, but Ji Caizhen saw him smile and thought his flattery had worked, so he continued to say more flattering things to Pei Wu.

He was very good at this kind of thing, and he thought he had flattered Pei Wu to the point. He also thought that Pei Wu was just a paper tiger, only slightly better at studying, which was why he had reached this position at such a young age.

It was at this moment that Pei Wu casually asked, "I heard that Prefect Ji previously ordered the killing of several civilians who had offended you, is that true?"

Ji Caizhen's expression froze. Everyone keeps such things to themselves and won't talk about them in public. After all, being impeached for massacring civilians would be a serious matter for him.

Ji Cai wasn't that stupid; upon hearing this, he quickly shook his head: "That's not true, how could I..."

Pei Wu smiled and didn't elaborate further. He then asked, "Did Prefect Ji flee to Tanzhou and still have any family members left in Xinzhou? If so, I will send someone to look for them."

Ji Caizhen's eyes lit up. Tanzhou was Pei Wu's territory, and he could do whatever he wanted, let alone submit memorials. No one in Tanzhou would listen to him, so he even had to have Pei Wu deliver the memorials.

When the topic of family came up, he already had something on his mind, and now that Pei Wu brought it up, he said, "I have a few concubines, and I would like to trouble Lord Pei to help me find some."

Pei Wu asked curiously, "Why didn't the rebels imprison them as well?"

Ji Caizhen's expression was filled with resentment: "Those few traitors, they ran away as soon as they saw the rebels. If I catch them..."

Pei Wu's expression turned cold, but Ji Caizhen, lost in his own emotions, failed to notice. He continued his angry rant. Suddenly, Pei Wu asked, "Why did they run away? Could it be that Lord Ji forcibly abducted a woman?"

Ji Caizhen did not answer directly, but said, "I provide them with food and clothing, what more could they possibly want? They're always thinking of running away..."

Pei Wu interrupted him, rubbing his temples: "Go down, I will deliver your memorial for you."

Ji Caizhen got up from the ground, not knowing what she had done to offend Pei Wu, and seeing that he seemed tired, she reluctantly left.

Before he had even completely stepped out the door, Jiang Ru nudged Pei Wu from behind. Pei Wu turned around, and Jiang Ru, furious, asked, "If I kill him, will you cover it up for me?"

She didn't know if Pei Wu would think she was impulsive, but she still had this idea.

She hadn't heard all of her subordinates' reports, only knowing that Ji Cai was no good person. Little did she know that he not only treated human life with contempt but also forcibly abducted women.

Just now, Jiang Ru had already thought of many ways to kill him, and even figured out where to buy the poison.

Pei Wu lowered his hand and touched Jiang Ru's cold hand. He pulled Jiang Ru up from the small stool and said gently, "You don't need to do it, I can do it."

Before Jiang Ru could understand what he was saying, Pei Wu picked up his pen, and Jiang Ru's gaze fell on the tip of his pen.

Pei Wu finally reported the news about Hongzhou and Xinzhou to the court. It wasn't too late for him to report now, and Yan Ming had already reported it a few days ago, so Pei Wu couldn't hide it any longer.

He presented the facts to the emperor, and then wrote in the last column: Ji Caizhen, the prefect of Xinzhou, was filled with remorse for the loss of Xinzhou and hanged himself at the Tanzhou post station.

Jiang Ru was stunned. She watched as Pei Wu put down his pen. The memorial was finished. Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu blankly, and Pei Wu looked at her in return, repeating, "I'll do it."

The incident in Xinzhou should have resulted in Ji Caizhen being held accountable, but the court's punishment was too lenient. What Pei Wu is doing now is simply the retribution he deserves.

Jiang Ru stepped forward and hugged Pei Wu.

...

Ji Caizhen's body was discovered at noon on the second day. The servant who brought him food noticed that he hadn't come out for a long time and knocked on the door for a long time without any response. Realizing something was wrong, he opened the door and found Ji Caizhen hanging from the roof beam, his death gruesome.

On Ji Caizhen's desk was a confession, written entirely in Ji Caizhen's handwriting. It described the evil deeds he had committed over the years. In addition, he expressed remorse for failing to defend Xinzhou and, in self-blame, chose to hang himself.

In his confession, he also wrote that he knew his sins were grave, so he threw his body into a mass grave and did not bury it.

The servant hurriedly went to fetch people, and the news quickly reached Pei Wu. Pei Wu personally went to see Ji Caizhen's body. Everyone had seen the confession and recognized that it was indeed Ji Caizhen's handwriting.

Everyone who met Ji Caizhen knew that his confession was true. It was rather strange that such a cowardly and treacherous person would hang himself.

However, Pei Wu came to see it but did not say he would pursue the matter. He simply said, "Since Prefect Ji has already spoken, then let it be thrown into the mass grave."

The people of Daxia were obsessed with being buried after death. If they could not be buried after death, they would never be reborn. Therefore, they were thrown into mass graves. This shows how ruthless Ji Cai was to himself.

Although everything was strange, since Pei Wu didn't say anything, everyone assumed that he had hanged himself, wrapped him in a straw mat, and threw him into the mass grave.

Yesterday, Pei Wu had just told Yan Ming that he would be punished, and it had come so quickly. Yan Ming looked at Pei Wu suspiciously, but seeing his calm and composed demeanor, he could only suppress his thoughts. Perhaps it really was retribution.

With Ji Caizhen's matter concluded, Pei Wu submitted another memorial, sending Ji Caizhen's confession to Bianjing, thus bringing a resolution to Ji Caizhen's case.

The uprisings in Hongzhou and Xinzhou were gaining momentum and recruiting more and more people. In Tanzhou, Wu Changzhi also conscripted some able-bodied men, who were now being trained.

Tanzhou is close to Hongzhou, so it's hard to guarantee that it won't be affected. Wu Changzhi previously didn't understand why Pei Wu was conscripting soldiers, but now he praises Pei Wu for his foresight. Even if the rebel army from Hongzhou attacks, they won't be defeated.

Within a month, Hongzhou and Xinzhou had made rapid progress, and their forces were growing stronger. However, instead of expanding southward, they began to head north, heading straight for Bianjing.

The imperial court is currently at war with the Northern Qi. If the rebel army were to actually capture Bianjing, it would indeed be possible to change the dynasty.

Pei Wu remained inactive, and a month later, an imperial edict was sent to Tanzhou.

The court did not respond to the memorial submitted by Pei Wu, nor did it mention the uprising. Ji Caizhen's death was also glossed over.

The imperial edict read: Pei Zhimiao, the Vice Director of the Chancellery, is hereby promoted to the position of Vice Director of the Chancellery and Privy Council, and shall lead troops to resist the Qi. He shall enter the capital immediately.

Nearly a year has passed, and Pei Wu's occasional memorials have all concerned matters in Tanzhou. The court has never assigned Pei Wu any tasks. Now, however, the emperor seems to have forgotten the previous unpleasant parting and only issues an imperial edict when he needs Pei Wu.

Pei Wu received the imperial decree, and at the same time, he received a secret letter from an official in the capital.

The letter contained only three words: Bianjing, in danger.

It was feared that the Northern Qi had already invaded the Great Xia and that Bianjing was about to fall, so the emperor hurriedly summoned Pei Wu back to the capital.

After returning home, Jiang Ru said indignantly, "Is this emperor sick? He only summons you when he needs you and kicks you out when he doesn't."

Pei Wu smiled and said, "Emperors are all like this."

The imperial court has issued an edict; if Pei Wu doesn't go, he will be disobeying the order. Jiang Ru hesitated and asked, "Should we go?"

Pei Wu said, "Of course I'll go."

Jiang Ru knew he had more to say, since Pei Wu wouldn't walk into a trap. She waited for Pei Wu to continue, and he said, "Not only will we go, but we'll also bring the troops from Tanzhou with us."

Realizing what Pei Wu meant, Jiang Ru paused and bit her lower lip lightly.

The meaning of leading troops into Bianjing is quite clear.

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Author's Note: I'm holding on a sliver of hope, but I'm a little late. [Pity]