Denghuangtai

"Marquis Yin'an!" Before Pei Qingyan could finish speaking, the Minister of Justice standing to her right couldn't help but interrupt, shouting, "Embezzlement of military funds is no trivial matter! Don't fabricate such lies to escape punishment!"

Pei Qingyan gave the Minister of Justice a cold glance. The murderous aura he had forged on the battlefield was enough to send chills down the spine of the civil official.

The Minister of Justice immediately fell silent and retreated to one side.

"Your Majesty, this matter concerns the stability of the border, and I would never dare to speak recklessly on such an important matter for my own selfish reasons."

Pei Qingyan kowtowed again, his voice resolute, "Your Majesty, everything I have said is true. When I secretly presented the report, to guard against any unforeseen circumstances, I had someone make a copy of the original accounts and secretly hide it elsewhere. As soon as the imperial envoy was murdered, I knew this matter was no ordinary one, and immediately sent my trusted confidant south with it. Your Majesty only needs to send a team of imperial guards to Weicheng to bring this person and the items to the palace, and the truth will be known in an instant!"

The Minister of Justice couldn't help but speak again, "Even if the matter of the military pay is true, it doesn't prove you didn't kill anyone." "His Majesty hasn't even spoken yet, why is the Minister of Justice in such a hurry?"

"Even if...even if the matter of the military pay is true!" The court official, sweat beading on his forehead, retorted urgently, "it doesn't prove you didn't commit murder!"

"His Majesty has not yet inquired, so why is Wang Tingwei so eager to convict? Or is it that you fear this matter will implicate you, hence your frantic reaction?"

"Nonsense!" The Minister of Justice bowed to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, everything I have said and done is solely in accordance with my duty, and I have no selfish motives. Even if there was indeed embezzlement of military funds, it has no direct connection to the Imperial Envoy's murder..."

"Your Majesty!" Pei Qingyan's voice drowned out the Minister of Justice's skepticism. "I must expose a second colossal lie. Since the Imperial Envoy arrived in the North, his behavior has been quite suspicious. He rarely attends to official business at the post station, instead frequently wandering alone in sensitive border areas. Several times he nearly trespassed into military restricted zones, only to be stopped and questioned by border patrol soldiers. He always gave vague excuses, claiming he was surveying the local customs and showing concern for the people. I was worried about the Imperial Envoy's safety, and even more concerned that his unfamiliarity with border affairs might cause trouble, so I secretly sent a capable person to accompany and protect him. But unexpectedly..."

Pei Qingyan's voice suddenly turned cold. "It has been discovered that the Imperial Envoy has repeatedly made secret contacts with Xiongnu merchants in the horse market! Moreover, the meeting places are secluded, and his words and actions are clandestine, clearly not ordinary business dealings. Last year, His Majesty graciously approved the opening of the horse market, intending it to appease and facilitate trade. If the Imperial Envoy is using this bustling place to conduct treasonous activities, his intentions are despicable, and the harm he will cause is immeasurable!"

The Minister of Justice sneered, "You've already silenced the Imperial Envoy. The dead can't speak, so you can make all sorts of accusations against him."

"That Xiongnu horse merchant has been captured by me. He was a trusted advisor under the Xiongnu Left Wise King who fought against our army on the border five years ago."

She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, her voice heavy with sorrow and resolve:

"I suspect that the Imperial Envoy's embezzlement of military pay was one motive, but more importantly, he intended to sell the true state of the border defenses to the Xiongnu! My memorial touched upon this enormous network of interests! They were afraid, which is why they couldn't wait to kill the Imperial Envoy to silence him and then frame me—killing two birds with one stone: covering up their embezzlement and cutting off any clues of collusion with the enemy, shifting all blame onto an Imperial Envoy who 'committed suicide out of fear of punishment' and a border general who 'killed to silence him'!"

It turned out that her father had received a mysterious letter before his death. According to the servant in the front yard, her father's face changed drastically upon seeing the letter's contents. He left, dismissing all the servants from the study, and soon after, the sound of a teacup shattering on the floor came from inside. Pei Qingyan inquired about the mysterious letter, but the old woman's expression also changed drastically, claiming she hadn't said anything and telling Pei Qingyan not to ask further. Something was amiss, and Pei Qingyan was determined to investigate. Back home, she went straight to her father's study, hoping to try her luck—perhaps her father had hidden the letter. Of course, to no avail. The study was spotless; apart from military books, there were no other letters. The matter had reached another dead end.

Pei Qingyan was about to summon the chief secretary for questioning when someone infiltrated her residence to assassinate her. Pei Qingyan, still recovering from old injuries, barely managed to defend herself, but the assassin escaped. News arrived from the chief secretary's side that he had been killed by the assassin, and Pei Qingyan realized she had fallen for a diversionary tactic. Just as she was regretting letting the assassin go, Yun Zheng's men brought the assassin before him.

Yun Zheng interrogated the couple under torture and learned that the assassins sent to kill Pei Qingyan were the Feng couple. Feng Lingsu was the youngest daughter of the emperor's maternal uncle's family. The emperor, fearing the growing power of the Ban family, who were stationed in Liaodong, arranged for his cousin to marry the second son of the Ban family. He then used the pretext of holding a wedding banquet to summon the couple to the capital. After the marriage, Ban Qing was granted official titles and ranks, seemingly a sign of imperial favor, but in reality, the couple was kept in the capital to control Liaodong. Yun Zheng went to find the couple, but was questioned about the long-standing feud between the Pei and Yun families, and why Yun Zheng had sought out the real assassin for Pei Qingyan and stood up for him.

Yun Zheng stated that he was sharing the emperor's burdens. Even though Pei Qingyan was his enemy, the north couldn't be without a general, and he wouldn't act selfishly until a suitable leader was found in court. He spoke with righteous indignation and warned the Feng couple not to have any more wicked thoughts (he didn't directly ask why they attacked him; at this point, he was still in a phase of saying one thing but meaning another, secretly brainwashing himself into believing that his concern for Pei Qingyan's safety was only because Pei Qingyan was still useful; he only needed to ensure Pei Qingyan's survival, and he didn't care why Pei Qingyan was assassinated by the Feng couple). However, this matter still reached Consort Yun's ears, and Yun Zheng received another beating, ostensibly to remind him to be constantly vigilant.

With the chief steward murdered, Pei Qingyan's only remaining servant in the household was her wet nurse, who, being confined to the back courtyard, was unaware of the events unfolding in the front. Just as Pei Qingyan was at her wits' end, her uncle suddenly arrived. Pei Qingyan found this strange; their two families had long since separated and rarely interacted. Why would her uncle suddenly come? When the gatekeeper delivered the message, the wet nurse was beside Pei Qingyan. Upon hearing this, she immediately explained that since the end of last year, her uncle had frequently visited, sometimes staying for an entire day, during which time he and Pei Qingyan's father would be in the study, without even a servant. Pei Qingyan found this odd and sent for her uncle to come in. She wanted to see what he was up to.

The uncle behaved quite normally, as if he were an elder showing concern for a younger person. He also brought his son, Pei Qingyan's nominal cousin, who was a few years younger than Pei Qingyan but also very polite. Pei Qingyan exchanged pleasantries with them but failed to glean the truth. She then excused herself by saying her wound had relapsed and sent the guests away. She secretly had someone monitor the father and son because Pei Qingyan always felt that this uncle had ulterior motives.