Chapter 108: Counter-Kill

The second phase of the heat period had already begun. Outside, faint heatwaves rolled across the landscape, making the interior of the carriage even more sweltering.

Emperor Zhou held a memorial in his hand, eyes lowered as he scrutinized it. The head eunuch, Jiang Yan, served at his side, topping up his tea. In the corner, a basin of ice blocks emitted wisps of white vapor.

Through the drizzling rain, the convoy proceeded slowly.

“Another year of disaster,” Emperor Zhou sighed. “The rain here in the capital has lasted for three or four days, but in the south, it’s been falling for over half a month. The Yangtze River is rising and has already breached a weak levee, leaving thousands affected. Dong Tiancheng, the son of the Left Chancellor Dong Yushu, volunteered to manage the relief. He has backbone; I used to think he was just a dandy, but I didn’t expect him to have such a heart for the country and its people. It’s just that he lacks experience in water management. If he goes recklessly, he won’t fix the water and might end up in danger himself.”

Jiang Yan knew the Emperor was talking to himself and didn’t need interruption, so he quietly ground ink on the side.

Emperor Zhou continued, “Let the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works go with him so he can gain some experience. Dong Yushu clearly wants to pave a path for his son’s future. I shouldn’t dampen the spirits of an old official, and I might as well see what kind of talent this Dong Tiancheng actually possesses.” Having finished, he wrote a few comments with his vermilion brush, set the memorial aside, and picked up another.

“Oh, another memorial recommending the Marquis of Congyuan for the position of Right Chancellor.” Emperor Zhou shook his head with a smile. “This Jia Daogong usually keeps a low profile; I didn’t expect his popularity to be so high.”

Now it was time for Jiang Yan to speak. He smiled as well. “The Marquis of Congyuan is a clever man. Everyone likes to associate with clever people who won’t harm others’ interests. Speaking of which, the Jia family are all clever people; they keep themselves clean and know how to protect themselves.”

Emperor Zhou tapped the memorial. “That Jia Ling looks like a slippery one.”

Jiang Yan replied, “Young Master Jia Ling is indeed a bit smooth and enjoys lingering in the red-light districts, but he is very cautious when it comes to making friends. I haven’t heard of him getting too close to any particular young master, yet he doesn’t make enemies either.”

“Oh?” Emperor Zhou asked. “He hasn’t been busy currying favor with the Crown Prince?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “Likely not. I haven’t heard of any close interactions between the two.”

He continued with a smile, “Speaking of which, though the Jia family only holds a hereditary marquisate, their roots are deep. The two sons of the Jia family married the two daughters of the Duke of Rong. The Duke of Rong is cowardly and henpecked, but his daughters married very well. The fourth daughter is the Crown Prince’s side consort, and the fifth daughter is…”

Jiang Yan stopped abruptly, realizing he had mentioned someone who shouldn’t be mentioned. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. “This old servant misspoke.”

Emperor Zhou kept his eyes lowered and didn’t speak for a long time. Only then did he move his brush again, asking casually, “How has he been lately?”

Jiang Yan glanced at the Emperor’s expression. He knew who this “he” was and answered carefully, “Very well.”

Emperor Zhou was silent for another long while. Only after finishing one memorial and setting it aside did he say, “If he’s well, then that’s good.”

He didn’t get angry. Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that Emperor Zhou had always held a special affection for his fourth son, Pei Yuan. Perhaps out of guilt toward the Fourth Prince’s mother, he had poured all his love into him, spoiling him since childhood and fostering his unrestrained and casual personality. That was until the rebellion incident last year.

Jiang Yan guessed that at the time of the incident, the Emperor surely wanted to kill the Fourth Prince, but in the end, he couldn’t bear to. He only spoke harsh words, saying he would let him fending for himself. Despite saying that, he still kept an eye on him in secret. When the Ji family initially claimed the fourth daughter was ill and wanted the fifth daughter to marry in her stead, the Emperor only agreed after investigating and confirming the fifth daughter was pure-hearted and of upright character.

Later, he would ask about him from time to time. When he heard the Fourth Prince was close to Qiu Mingshan, he frowned but said nothing more. When the Fourth Prince later moved out of Qiu Mingshan’s estate, the Emperor was very happy that night and even drank some wine.

Jiang Yan thought that Emperor Zhou could never truly let go of this son, but the Fourth Prince had done something wrong, after all. He felt disappointed and couldn’t grant forgiveness.

Firstly, he couldn’t get past his own internal hurdle, and secondly, he couldn’t set a bad precedent for the officials.

Silence returned to the carriage.

Emperor Zhou said, “It’s too stuffy.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yan gently lifted a corner of the curtain to let in some fresh air.

Emperor Zhou looked out and sighed deeply. “This weather… I wonder when it will finally clear up.”

Tao Maobing, wearing armor and holding a blade, rode at the very front.

He commanded the military forces of the capital region, leading the Sixteen Guards to protect the city. For this trip, one guard was allocated to escort them—a full 2,000 men, winding like a silver dragon, an incredibly grand sight. The narrow valley stretched the convoy out very long. Looking back, he could only see the faint shadow of the yellow canopy in front of the Emperor’s carriage.

Tao Maobing’s gaze searched through the thickets on both sides, his hand tightening on his hilt as if waiting for something.

The Emperor’s excursion was incomparably luxurious, the convoy stretching for miles. At the very front were the escorting soldiers, in the middle was the Emperor’s secondary carriage, and Crown Prince Pei Xiao rode in the front of the middle section, responsible for vigilance.

Emperor Zhou had five sons, three of whom were with him now. The Second Prince, Pei Shu, was a simpleton with the mind of a five-year-old; he had remained in the palace in the capital with his mother. The mother of the Fifth Prince, Pei Yang—Consort Zhao—was frail and had recently fallen ill, so Pei Yang was serving at her side. For this trip, only the Crown Prince remained to accompany him.

At the very end of the convoy were the consorts, palace maids, and eunuchs.

The group moved at a steady pace. The humid air of the rainy day was suffocating, making one feel inexplicably anxious. There were too many flies, and the horses’ tails flicked back and forth to drive them away. The consorts in the rear probably couldn’t stand it and lit incense to repel the mosquitoes. The moisture from the rain mixed with the smell of vegetation and the pungent mosquito incense, creating a strange aroma.

The trees on both sides of the road suddenly shook violently, making a rustling sound.

Pei Xiao had been staring straight ahead. Hearing the noise, he whipped his head around. Seeing a black shadow in the trees, his pupils shrank. He pulled his reins and shouted, “Abnormality ahead! Alert!”

Almost the instant the words fell, a large group of people dressed in tight black clothes and holding axes and blades jumped out—there were dozens of them.

The horses were startled, rearing and neighing; the rear of the convoy fell into chaos.

Pei Xiao drew his silver sword and said with a burning gaze, “This is the Emperor’s carriage! Who is so audacious as to dare intercept the imperial convoy? Withdraw immediately!”

The leader of the bandits spat. “I’m robbing the Emperor himself! One score from him is enough for me to live happily for ten lifetimes. Even if I die, it’s worth it!”

Pei Xiao roared, “Outrageous nonsense! Presumptuous!”

The leader waved his hand. “Stop the talk. Fire!”

In an instant, many people holding longbows emerged from the osmanthus trees by the road, straddling the branches. Arrows fell like rain.

While swinging his sword to deflect them, Pei Xiao shouted, “Quickly summon General Tao to protect the Emperor!”

The bandits’ arrows seemed disorganized, but nearly half of them landed on the thirteenth carriage. Pei Xiao rode forward to kill the enemies; a stray arrow hit his shoulder. He let out a fierce cry, pulled the arrow out by the shaft, and showed a pained expression, but his eyes held a different, excited glint. Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

There was a reason Tao Maobing had brought so many men and stretched the convoy so thin: to create the illusion of a slow reaction and a failure to rescue in time.

They were all pretending to resist, intending to wait until the bandits killed Emperor Zhou before annihilating the bandits entirely.

Pei Xiao’s palm was bright red, the pulse in the back of his hand throbbing. He let out a yell, chopped off a bandit’s head, and shouted, “Protect His Majesty! Charge!”

There were about a hundred bandits, but those in the middle of the convoy were weak attendants who couldn’t resist at all.

The villains headed straight for the thirteenth carriage. Pei Xiao’s eyes were fixed on their figures, waiting for the good news to arrive.

Inside the third carriage, Emperor Zhou heard the commotion outside and already understood what was happening.

He closed his eyes and said slowly, “With such a meticulously planned itinerary and such a grand excursion, there are mountain bandits? Yandang Mountain is only a few hours’ journey from the capital. To have bandits under such strict surveillance… I have truly never heard of such a thing.”

Jiang Yan asked in terror, “Your Majesty, are you saying…”

Emperor Zhou asked, “How is the battle?”

Jiang Yan lifted the curtain to look. “The enemy is strong and we are weak; it’s not looking good. We can only wait for General Tao… Eh? Why are they all rushing toward the thirteenth carriage?”

Emperor Zhou knitted his brows.

On the other side, Tao Maobing had received the message from the messenger. His face paled in shock, and he immediately drew his long blade. “Brothers, His Majesty is in danger! Charge back!”

Pei Xiao watched in shock as the bandits hacked open the door of the thirteenth carriage, but inside was only a little eunuch dressed in yellow robes. He was so terrified he had wet his pants and was huddled in a corner, wailing.

The bandits were also stunned. They looked at each other and immediately began searching the carriages one by one.

Pei Xiao’s heart was pounding with an ill omen. His thoughts were in a mess as he wondered where things had gone wrong. Did Jia Ling give him a false report? Why? What should he do now? Since things had reached this point, he could only push forward. Even if he had to turn every secondary carriage upside down, he had to find the Emperor! Otherwise, he would be the one to die!

Tao Maobing, having calculated the time, sounded the gongs and charged back.

In his calculations, the bandits should have already cut off Emperor Zhou’s head by now.

But when the two sides met, they were both dumbfounded.

At that moment, the sound of drums suddenly rang out, followed by the roar of battle cries. Pei Xiao and Tao Maobing both turned their heads to see a small team of about ten riders charging down from the side slope. They were dressed efficiently and were all robust warriors—they weren’t their men! Pei Xiao’s palm gripping the sword hilt was drenched in sweat.

Those warriors held a sword in one hand and a strange weapon in the other. Their light-body techniques were exceptional, and the weapon was even more astonishing; even as they ran, bolts were fired with fierce power. In just a short moment, the bandits fell in heaps before the newcomers even arrived. Then, they headed straight for the third carriage.

Tao Maobing asked in shock, “Your Highness, are these also people you arranged?”

Pei Xiao’s eyes nearly split from rage.

He recognized Pei Yuan’s figure and gritted his teeth in hatred. He knew the matter had been exposed and regicide was now impossible. So far, the best outcome was for him to clear his suspicion and retreat unscathed.

Tao Maobing sat on his horse, watching his own soldiers already entangled in combat with the bandits. There were only about a hundred bandits, and they had initially held the upper hand, but now they were being pushed back further and further.

Tao Maobing suddenly stared and shouted, “Your Highness, they found His Majesty and rescued him!”

Pei Xiao turned his head to see the door of the Emperor’s carriage being opened. A person helped him out and put him on a horse. Upon closer inspection, that person was Pei Yuan!

Pei Xiao gasped for breath. He couldn’t figure out how the current situation had been created. He suddenly turned to look at Tao Maobing and demanded, “Did you collude with him and leak our plan?”

Tao Maobing asked incredulously, “Your Highness suspects me?”

His flustered look only deepened Pei Xiao’s suspicion. Pei Xiao knew that whether Tao Maobing had joined forces with Pei Yuan or not, this man could no longer be kept alive. He knew too much and was already wavering; if he couldn’t keep his mouth shut… Pei Xiao said, “No, it’s my mind that’s in a mess. I shouldn’t have blamed you wrongly.”

Tao Maobing breathed a temporary sigh of relief. He asked nervously, “What should we do now?”

Pei Xiao’s jaw tightened. “We can only play along. Kill all the bandits—leave no survivors!”

Tao Maobing took the order. “Yes!” With that, he galloped away. The remaining bandits, knowing they were no match, had already seized horses and fled, with Tao Maobing in pursuit.

Behind him, Pei Xiao picked up a longbow, drew it, and fired. From behind, an arrow pierced through the center of Tao Maobing’s back!

Tao Maobing’s eyes widened. Blood spilled from his mouth as he turned back with great effort.

Pei Xiao then turned toward a lone bandit. Staring into the man’s terrified eyes, he suddenly lunged toward the long blade in the bandit’s hand, letting it pierce his own stomach.

He vomited a mouthful of blood and collapsed on the ground, his hand clutching the damp soil as he shouted raspy, “Rescue… quickly rescue the Emperor!”

Emperor Zhou looked at Pei Yuan in disbelief. He had thought the situation was critical and was even prepared to get off the carriage to fight, yet the moment he raised his blade, he saw the carriage door broken open and Pei Yuan appearing before him.

“You…”

“Your Majesty, there is no time to explain.” Pei Yuan’s face showed no panic or fear. He bowed with his hands clasped and turned to offer his back. “Please get on my back. Once we are out of danger, there will be time for a slow talk.”

Emperor Zhou bit his lip and leaned onto Pei Yuan’s back. He realized with a shock that his son had grown so large, and it had been a very long time since he had held him.

After that incident, he hadn’t even looked at him once.

Emperor Zhou couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart—suspicion, regret, and a faint touch of emotion.

It was impossible for him not to be suspicious of Pei Yuan suddenly appearing here. After the brief emotion, he even wondered if all of this was orchestrated by Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan placed Emperor Zhou on a horse. The others also mounted and formed a formation. Those with long weapons were on the outside, and the archers were on the inside. They galloped away, unstoppable!

Behind them, Pei Xiao struggled to stand, kneeling on the ground while leaning on his sword, his bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at Pei Yuan’s retreating back.

Half an hour later, they finally reached the villa.

Bao Ning had been waiting at the entrance. Seeing them from a distance, her anxiety turned into hopeful expectation. Soon, the group appeared before her.

On the foremost horse, behind Pei Yuan sat a middle-aged man dressed in bright yellow robes with a naturally dignified countenance. Behind them, on someone’s horse, sat a man who looked like a eunuch, looking as if he were about to vomit from the long, bumpy ride.

Bao Ning knew this was Emperor Zhou and his close eunuch, Jiang Yan.

She led the servants behind her in kneeling to welcome them, saying, “Imperial greetings to Your Majesty.”

Pei Yuan flipped off his horse. He hadn’t spoken the whole way and remained silent now, reaching out to help Emperor Zhou down.

Emperor Zhou looked at him coldly, his heart heavy with suspicion. Just as he was about to speak to test him, he saw Pei Yuan suddenly double over and vomit a large mouthful of blood.

Bao Ning’s heart leaped into her throat. She staggered to her feet to support him. “Is it because you took that medicine? Are you feeling very unwell?”

Emperor Zhou was startled and quickly dismounted as well, calling out anxiously, “Yuan’er, Yuan’er?”

Bao Ning said, “Let’s go into the house first!”

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