Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 214

As for Prince An’s residence, the reason Pei Che’s people fail to detect any unusual activity is that those operating in the shadows never openly enter or exit the estate. Back when the late emperor was still alive, there was already a secret passage beneath Prince An’s residence.

This secret passage leads to another street adjacent to the residence. On that street, there is a courtyard that a wealthy merchant uses to keep a mistress in secret. Even the merchant himself is unaware that a side courtyard—sealed off due to rumors of a haunting after a concubine’s death—has actually become a hidden passage for others to come and go.

The first thing Prince An does upon returning to his residence that day is to write a letter and have it swiftly delivered to Chaoyang by a fast rider. The message is to reach Cheng Kaihua, instructing him to handle matters properly.

For the past few days, Prince An had been unable to eat or sleep in peace. No matter For the past few days, Prince An has been unable to eat or sleep in peace. No matter what he does, he can’t muster any enthusiasm, and his temper has worsened considerably. He erupts in anger at the slightest provocation, leaving the people in the residence walking on eggshells, terrified of making a mistake and incurring his wrath.

His worries are not unfounded.

Emperor Liangping’s forces, while traveling, change horses at every relay station, allowing them to move at a much faster pace than Prince An’s men, who have to remain discreet.

As they near Chaoyang, in order to avoid alerting their targets, they abandon their horses and cross the mountains on foot to infiltrate the city for their investigation. And sure enough, their search uncovers something suspicious.

Although Cheng Kaihua has supposedly been exiled back to his hometown by imperial decree, his influence in the city remains immense—so much so that even the local government has to yield to him. The reason is simple: the eighteen mountain strongholds outside Chaoyang City, filled with so-called “heroic outlaws,” all deeply respect Cheng Kaihua. If anyone dares to act against him, that person will undoubtedly meet an untimely end before long.

Guan Lianyun also leads his men to investigate these bandits further. What they find is alarming: not only are the weapons used by these people of military-grade quality, but even their training methods bear striking similarities to those of a proper army. Their mannerisms and discipline are far from those of mere scattered brigands; instead, they resemble soldiers who have undergone specialized training.

This discovery leaves them utterly shocked. To think that within the lands of Great Liang, such a force exists—it is nothing short of an outright rebellion!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Guan Lianyun entrusted a trusted aide with the half of the military tally personally given to him by the emperor before his departure. He orders the man to take the tally and immediately head to the Qianjiang military camp—over a hundred miles from Chaoyang—to mobilize reinforcements.

Meanwhile, Guan Lianyun himself remains in Chaoyang with his comrades, keeping close watch on Cheng Kaihua in secret, searching for further evidence.

When the troops sent by Prince An enter Chaoyang City, Guan Lianyun’s men are the first to receive word. At the same time, the messenger who has gone to mobilize troops has already stationed his forces thirty miles outside the city.

At Guan Lianyun’s command, his subordinates launch a sudden assault on Prince An’s men, intercepting his personal token and a handwritten letter on the spot.

After obtaining the letter, they bind Prince An’s forces together in one place and send an unfamiliar face carrying the token and letter into Cheng Kaihua’s residence.

As expected, Cheng Kaihua falls for the trap. The moment he hears that someone is investigating the whereabouts of the iron weapons, he panics completely. In his fear, he immediately gathers the evidence within his residence, preparing to destroy it.

Seeing this, the disguised operative—posing as Prince An’s subordinate—smashes a cup on the ground, signaling his allies. In the next instant, a squad of imperial guards descends from above, surrounding Cheng Kaihua’s estate and engaging in combat.

These men are no match for the highly skilled imperial guards and are swiftly subdued on the spot.

Realizing he has been deceived, Cheng Kaihua clings to the hope that reinforcements from outside the city will soon arrive to rescue him. What he doesn’t know, however, is that the soldiers disguised as bandits in the mountains have already been utterly crushed by the elite troops from Qianjiang’s military camp. Their forces are routed, scattering in all directions.

The fate of Chaoyang is now sealed.

One day, far away in Liangjing, Prince An suddenly feels his heart skip a beat, an inexplicable sense of panic washing over him. As he tries to reassure himself that it is merely his imagination, the imperial eunuch sent by Emperor Liangping is already standing outside his door, waiting to deliver the decree.

When news of Prince An’s conspiracy breaks, the entire city is in shock. No one expects that after so many years of lying low, he has secretly been plotting something so immense.

The investigations that follow uncover one case after another—illegal arms procurement, recruitment of mountain bandits and outlaws, bribery of court officials—each charge more damning than the last. The people of Liangjing can only shake their heads at the revelations.

A prisoner under house arrest, yet he can’t just stay put? Why stir up such trouble?

Now that his entire operation has been dismantled in one fell swoop, there is no second chance for clemency under the ancestral laws.

In addition, another case surfaces that leaves the people in awe—the murder of the heir to the Duke of Zhongguo household, Pei Shijie, and his wife ten years ago.

Back then, the citizens of Liangjing had mourned their deaths, believing it to be a tragic accident. Many had lamented that such brilliant individuals had been lost to fate too soon. Meanwhile, court officials had long suspected that the culprit was none other than the current emperor, who had once been the Third Prince.

However, when the truth is finally revealed, it turns out that the murder has actually been orchestrated by Pei Shijie’s closest friend. Though he never intends for them to die, it is ultimately his actions that lead to their demise.

At the same time, the people also learn that the reason Prince An is caught is due to the investigation conducted by Pei Shijie’s son—now the current heir of the Pei family—while looking into the case of his parents’ fatal fall from the cliff years ago. This revelation leaves many sighing in amazement: Justice prevails, and retribution never fails.

If not for the sins committed back then, how could they have led to such a disastrous outcome today?

While Prince An is imprisoned, Pei Che goes to see him once.

The man who once stood in the grand hall arguing with him is now a true prisoner, shackled and powerless.

“Do you regret killing my father?” Pei Che asks.

Prince An slowly lifts his head, his eyes dull and lifeless as he stares at Pei Che.

“Regret? What is there to regret?” His expression twists as he grows agitated. “If he hadn’t betrayed me, how would I have ended up like this? He had the power to help me ascend the throne, yet he foolishly thought he could stay out of it! How could I have let him walk away just like that? And you—when I had already made a grave mistake, I considered wiping out the entire root. But because you were still young, I spared your life. If I had known you would be the one to bring about my downfall, I should have sent you to the underworld to join them back then! My greatest regret is that I was too soft-hearted!”

Pei Che looks at him silently. As expected, it is impossible for someone so steeped in wrongdoing to feel any remorse.

Ignoring the prisoner’s furious outbursts, Pei Che turns and walks out. Outside, the sunlight shines brightly—completely different from the cold, oppressive darkness inside.

…

Another winter month arrives, and the shocking cases that have shaken the court in recent months are gradually being washed away by the passage of time. Even the rivers of blood that once flowed outside the Meridian Gate have long been scrubbed clean, disappearing with each bucket of water poured over the stone pavement.

Perhaps due to the heavy bloodshed that has taken place this year, Emperor Liangping finds himself plagued with restless nights. With the Buddhist festival approaching, he thinks that staying at the temple for a few days and speaking with the abbot might help ease his troubled mind.

Once this news spreads, the number of people heading to Puling Temple reaches an all-time high. From nobles and officials to common folk, everyone wants to be part of the spectacle.

On the seventeenth day of the winter month, carriages from various households stop at the foot of Puling Temple’s mountain, and people proceed up the path in an orderly fashion. The common folk are kept at a distance by the imperial guards, craning their necks in excitement to catch a glimpse of the scene inside.

As Jiang Miao steps down from the carriage, he glances back over his shoulder and suddenly chuckles.

“Do you remember? A few years ago, I was among those people. When I heard that one of the Four Young Lords of Liangjing had stepped out of a carriage, I even tried to push my way forward for a look.”

Pei Che also smiles. “Back then, I was completely impatient with the whole event—I didn’t even notice you in the crowd.”

“Even if you had noticed, you wouldn’t have recognized me,” Jiang Miao says. “I was just a bun vendor. How could someone like me ever catch the eye of a noble young master like you?” Thinking back on it now, fate is truly a strange thing. They had been worlds apart, yet somehow, the red string of destiny had bound them together.

Pei Che is about to refute that—after all, from the very first moment he saw Jiang Miao, he had been deeply impressed. A mere street vendor, yet so eloquent. Despite supposedly being uneducated, he could speak with reason and persuasion.

“Do you know what I was thinking back when I used to set up my stall here?” Jiang Miao asks, unaware of Pei Che’s thoughts.

“What were you thinking?” Pei Che follows along with his question.

On the seventeenth day of the winter month, carriages from various households stop at the foot of Puling Temple’s mountain, and people proceed up the path in an orderly fashion. The common folk are kept at a distance by the imperial guards, craning their necks in excitement to catch a glimpse of the scene inside.

As Jiang Miao steps down from the carriage, he glances back over his shoulder and suddenly chuckles.

“Do you remember? A few years ago, I was among those people. When I heard that one of the Four Young Lords of Liangjing had stepped out of a carriage, I even tried to push my way forward for a look.”

Pei Che also smiles. “Back then, I was completely impatient with the whole event—I didn’t even notice you in the crowd.”

“Even if you had noticed, you wouldn’t have recognized me,” Jiang Miao says. “I was just a bun vendor. How could someone like me ever catch the eye of a noble young master like you?” Thinking back on it now, fate is truly a strange thing. They had been worlds apart, yet somehow, the red string of destiny had bound them together.

Pei Che is about to refute that—after all, from the very first moment he saw Jiang Miao, he had been deeply impressed. A mere street vendor, yet so eloquent. Despite supposedly being uneducated, he could speak with reason and persuasion.

“Do you know what I was thinking back when I used to set up my stall here?” Jiang Miao asks, unaware of Pei Che’s thoughts.

“What were you thinking?” Pei Che follows along with his question.

“I was thinking that the next time I came here, I wouldn’t just be busy selling things. If I finally got a chance to visit this place, I ought to take a walk up the mountain, see the sights you rich people see, and enjoy the experience for myself…”

“Now that your wish has come true, how do you feel?”

“This mountain path is way too long…”

“Should I carry you up?”

“Don’t embarrass me, there are so many people around…”

“Then give me your hand—I’ll hold it as we walk up. My sleeves are wide, they won’t notice…”

“…Alright.”

The hand he reaches out is firmly clasped in another’s palm. The winter sunlight filters through the branches, casting a warm glow over them. And in that moment, their hearts, too, are warmed.

—The End—