Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 2 Grace
Pei Qinghe gazed at her younger self in the mirror with almost greedy eyes.

She raised her eyebrows, and the little girl in the mirror raised her eyebrows as well.

She grinned, and the girl in the mirror smiled.

So young, so vibrant.

Madam Feng hugged her daughter tightly and cried out, "Qinghe, it's good that you're awake."

"The Pei family was exterminated and their property confiscated. His Highness the Crown Prince knelt outside the Golden Palace for half a day to save the lives of the women and children of our Pei family. Today, when he left the capital, the Crown Prince even sent the Prince of Zhangwu to see him off."

"We must remember this kindness..."

Kindness?

A cold glint flashed in Pei Qinghe's eyes.

His Highness the Crown Prince, who pleaded for the Pei family, was both compassionate and righteous. The young and benevolent Prince Zhangwu escorted the family of the disgraced official twenty li outside the capital. The Crown Prince and his son, though they lost the valiant general Pei Zhongde, won the hearts of the entire court.

If the Crown Prince was willing to protect the Pei family, how could he sit idly by and watch the Pei clan be framed by the Prince of Wei?

The women of the Pei family were exiled to Youzhou, where they suffered endless humiliation and struggled to survive. Why did the Crown Prince not offer any assistance?
The King of Wei was tyrannical, cruel, and ruthless. All the men of the Pei family died at his hands. This blood feud must be avenged.

The Crown Prince and his son are hypocritical and pretentious; they're no good people at all!

The door was suddenly pushed open, and an old woman with white hair walked in shakily: "Prince Zhangwu is going back. We're going to kowtow to His Highness to see him off."

This old woman is Madam Lu, Pei Qinghe's grandmother.

The Pei family suffered a devastating blow; over two hundred male members of the Pei clan were beheaded, and Lu's four sons and eleven grandsons all died on the execution ground. For a nearly seventy-year-old woman who revered her children and grandchildren, it was a fatal setback.

Within days, Madam Lu's hair turned white, her once straight back bent, and her eyes lost their will to live and their light. She withered and decayed rapidly, like a leaf separated from a tree.

If things continue like this, just like in my previous life, I won't last more than two months before I'm exhausted and die of illness in a foreign land.

Pei Qinghe exhaled a deep breath and quickly got out of bed: "Grandmother, I will go with you."

Madam Lu was dazed and slow to react, only managing a soft "oh" after a long while. She didn't even ask whether her granddaughter, who had just woken up from a high fever, could go out to see people.

Madam Feng wiped away her tears with her sleeve and whispered worriedly, "Qinghe, you are weak, you should lie down and rest!"

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "The Prince saw us off; his kindness is as high as a mountain. I want to go and express my gratitude in person."

Having led troops for over a decade, she was accustomed to issuing orders, and her words naturally revealed the commanding presence of an unyielding leader.

As if she saw the shadow of her husband, Pei Zhongde, Feng felt a sudden pang of sadness.

Lu was utterly despondent, his heart as dry as a well, and nodded blankly.

Madam Feng quickly stepped forward and supported Madam Lu's left arm. Pei Qinghe supported her grandmother's right arm, and the three of them slowly walked out.

……

A total of 322 women, children, and elderly members of the Pei family were exiled. The oldest was Pei Li, from the fifth branch of the Pei family, who was 81 years old. The youngest was a two-month-old infant from the eleventh branch of the Pei family. There were 298 women and 24 young boys.

According to the laws of the Jing Dynasty, treason is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. The Crown Prince knelt down, saving the Pei family women and children, and protecting the boys under the age of eight.

This act of kindness earned the Crown Prince prestige and popular support, and his reputation for benevolence spread throughout the court and the country.

As the eldest son of the Crown Prince, Prince Zhangwu personally escorted the Pei family ten miles away from the capital, which is naturally another beautiful story.

The fourteen-year-old Prince Zhangwu was tall and slender, with long eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. He was handsome and gentle, exuding the air of a grandson of the emperor. Behind Prince Zhangwu were several officials from the Eastern Palace, as well as dozens of tall and sharp-eyed guards from the Eastern Palace.

More than three hundred members of the Pei family knelt down to express their gratitude, amidst bursts of sorrowful and desperate cries.

Prince Zhangwu's eyes showed pity as he said gently, "Get up, everyone, don't kneel. The journey to Youzhou is long and arduous, please take care."

Upon hearing this, the crying grew even louder.

Amidst a chorus of mournful cries, a clear, melodious girl's voice suddenly rang out: "Your Highness, I have something to say."

Prince Zhangwu was taken aback.

Everyone's eyes turned to look at it.

The girl was about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a slender figure, fair skin, bright black eyes, and a spirited air about her.

He looks just like Pei Zhongde, who died unjustly.

The Imperial Guard, which protected the capital's palace, comprised twelve guards. Pei Zhongde commanded one guard, his troops consisting entirely of elite cavalry, making him the foremost among the twelve guard generals. Pei Zhongde's five sons were all young and outstanding, jokingly referred to as the "Five Tigers of the Pei Family."

With the imperial edict issued, Pei Zhongde and his six sons were beheaded, leaving only their young daughter, Pei Liuniang. It was uncertain whether she could survive until she reached Youzhou.

“I am Pei Zhongde’s youngest daughter, Pei Qinghe.”

"The Pei family was loyal to their country, but they were slandered by treacherous officials and framed for the serious crime of treason. Two hundred and ninety-seven men of the Pei family were unjustly executed."

Pei Qinghe's words sent shivers down the spines of all the officials in the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince's Chamberlain, Pang Long, coughed loudly, interrupting Pei Qinghe: "Thunder and rain, both are imperial favors. Please be careful with your words, Miss Pei." He then winked at the Prince of Zhangwu.

The loss of the Pei brothers was like the Crown Prince losing an arm, but fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince intervened in time to restore the Crown Prince's reputation. The tragedy of the Pei brothers, in fact, cemented the Crown Prince's reputation for benevolence.

At this moment, the most important thing is to quickly send the Pei family women and children back to the palace to report back; we must not cause any unforeseen complications.

Prince Zhangwu came to his senses and said, "Please accept my condolences, Miss Pei."

Pei Qinghe's gaze swept over the various expressions on everyone's faces, finally settling on Prince Zhangwu's face.

This Prince Zhangwu was the eldest son of the Crown Prince, and was renowned for his talent and virtue. Unfortunately, Emperor Xiaowen favored Prince Wei and treated the Crown Prince and his son with indifference. Prince Zhangwu was already fourteen years old, but had not yet been formally appointed as the Crown Prince's grandson.

In fact, the Prince of Wei was indeed the victor in the power struggle for the throne. In his previous life, Emperor Xiaowen deposed the crown prince a year later, and the Prince of Wei ascended the throne.

King Wei was cruel and tyrannical. After ascending the throne, he conscripted laborers on a large scale to build palaces, driving the people to the brink of despair. Rebellions broke out in various places, and foreign tribes such as the Xianbei and Xiongnu invaded. In just a few years, the Jing Dynasty came to an end. The capital was captured by a rebel army, the palace was burned to the ground, and King Wei was burned alive.

The deposed crown prince, who was imprisoned, also died at the hands of the rebel army.

The Prince of Zhangwu before us was rescued from the fire by his loyal guards, disguised, and escaped from the capital.

At that time, the country was in chaos, with uprisings and local warlords establishing their own independent regimes.

Prince Zhangwu went to seek refuge with his maternal relatives, the Zhang family of Bohai. The Zhang family married their eldest daughter to Prince Zhangwu and supported him as the new emperor, raising the banner of restoring order and the Great Jing Dynasty, which attracted many soldiers who were still loyal to the court to join them.

After the establishment of the new dynasty, the power of the Zhang clan of Bohai grew rapidly, and they soon revealed their ambitions. The puppet Prince Zhangwu died suddenly of a serious illness a few years later, without leaving any heirs.

While grieving, Zhang swiftly changed the dynasty and declared himself emperor.

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(End of this chapter)