Chapter 61: A Ying Is My Wife

The dim Heavenly Prison reeked with a pungent odor.

Pei Zhouwu leaned against the wall, the white garment inside his robe stained with a large patch of blood. The arrow in his shoulder remained deeply embedded in his flesh, its tip exposed and pressed against the wall. Blood trickled down the arrowhead, leaving streaks of crimson on the stone.

Having not slept for a day and a night, his exhaustion and inner torment left him looking haggard. The agony of the arrow piercing through him had drained all color from his face. His half-lidded eyes stared blankly, as if he had lost all vitality.

Yet he wished he were truly lifeless, so he would not have to endure this torment worse than death.

Earlier, his father had come before him, intending to personally escort him away. At that time, he had still refused to surrender, even though he had understood his father’s painstaking efforts from the look in his eyes.

That arrow from his father was, in truth, meant to protect him.

The Emperor had once decreed that if Pei Zhouwu left Xiangshan without summons, anyone could execute him on the spot, with no mercy shown.

Had it come to that, a volley of arrows would have rained down, and in the chaos, he might not have survived the layers of encirclement at the Qi Prince’s Mansion.

Even with overwhelming evidence before him, he still refused to believe that A Ying had deceived him.

No matter what, he had to see her first.

It was only when the Old Consort Dowager of Qi arrived, swearing solemnly before the gods, the Taoist faith she revered, and all her family—young and old—that if there were anyone named Su Yueying in her mansion, she would become a lonely ghost with no offerings or worship after death, and the Qi Prince’s Mansion would end without heirs—that he finally broke down and gave up all resistance.

But now, thinking back, doubts arose once more.

Perhaps the Old Consort Dowager had lied as well. Years ago, she had recuperated alone at A Ying’s home and might have feared that the truth would tarnish her reputation, so she fabricated the story.

Even if she hadn’t…

Even if it was truly A Ying who had deceived him, so what?

He had to see her with his own eyes and hear her say it herself. Perhaps she had her reasons.

A Ying was his wife!

They had bowed to heaven and earth in marriage.

No matter what others said, he would always trust his wife more. Now, with her neither seen alive nor found dead, he refused to believe anyone’s words.

…

In the imperial study of the palace, the reigning Emperor Zhao Youheng was so furious he was throwing things.

Pei Zhouwu’s father knelt before him, head bowed, saying nothing as the Emperor vented his anger.

“Spare me your hypocritical act. Do you think I don’t know your intentions? You pretended to shoot him with an arrow, putting on a show of righteousness and severing family ties, but your true purpose needs no explanation from me. If not for your protection, that wretch would likely have been riddled with arrows by now. You once swore to me that you would expel him from the Pei family and sever all ties with him. I actually believed you!”

Zhao Youheng angrily flicked his sleeves, pacing back and forth beside Pei’s father.

“Pei Zhouwu has shown such contempt for imperial authority that I can hardly tolerate it. He defied my decree, escaped arrogantly, and even dared to assassinate my imperial uncle. With multiple crimes at once, if I do not punish him, how can I command the respect of the people?”

“Your Majesty!” Pei’s father kowtowed deeply.

“A father’s failure to teach his son is his own fault. I am willing to die to atone for my sins and beg Your Majesty to spare his life.”

“You wretched fool—!” Zhao Youheng pointed at Pei’s father, his rage reaching its peak.

At that moment, sudden exclamations erupted from outside the hall.

The eunuch who rushed in to deliver the news had lost his usual composure, stumbling several times in his haste.

Zhao Youheng was about to curse when he saw the eunuch, tears welling in his eyes, kneel down with a thud. “Your Majesty, Western Jin has raised troops to invade, attacking in two separate routes and breaching the borders of Yunnan and Zhaoxi. Zhaoxi has already lost two cities, and General Xiao He… has fallen in battle. General Wei Buyu of Yunnan is also severely wounded and can no longer hold on. Now, Yunnan is already a scene of carnage, too horrific to behold. Western Jin has also sent word that they will soon march north with a million-strong army, heading straight for the capital of Shangjing.”

The eunuch held the letter high in his hands, his eyes blurred with tears.

“Your Majesty, this letter was delivered by urgent courier seven days ago. At present… at present, we still do not know how the war has progressed.”

“What did you say?” Zhao Youheng reached out but hesitated to take the urgent letter.

“Your Majesty.” Pei Zhouwu’s father kowtowed again, reporting solemnly, “My son, Pei Zhouwu, has fought in Zhaoxi for many years and is familiar with the area…”

“Shut up!” Zhao Youheng snapped at him.

“Do you want me to issue an edict ordering that wretch to lead troops into battle? You’ve made a fine calculation. I tell you, my court does not rely solely on Pei Zhouwu’s bravery and skill in warfare. Let him lead troops? He dared to barge into the Qi Prince’s Mansion alone. If he were to lead troops, wouldn’t he storm straight into the imperial palace?”

Though he spoke these words, Zhao Youheng’s expression was not as resolute as his tone.

There were few capable generals left in the court. General Song, already seventy years old, had fallen ill two months prior and could hardly leave his home, let alone go to the battlefield. The younger generals lacked experience and had limited abilities. Even a great general like Xiao He had fallen in battle—they would likely be even less effective.

“What about General Shen? Shen Xiunian happened to leave the capital two days ago to garrison the south, didn’t he? Send an urgent edict immediately, ordering him to lead troops to support Yunnan.”

“This servant will dispatch someone at once to deliver the edict. But what about Zhaoxi, Your Majesty? The situation in Zhaoxi is even worse than in Yunnan.”

Zhao Youheng glanced at Pei Zhouwu’s father, holding back his anger and refusing to speak.

Pei Zhouwu’s father no longer concealed anything. He retrieved a letter from his sleeve—the very one detailing Pei Zhouwu’s framing and entrapment.

After reading it, Zhao Youheng’s expression grew increasingly grim.

“The Prime Minister? How could it be… Why didn’t you present this letter to me earlier?”

Pei Zhouwu’s father kowtowed once more and replied in a low voice, “Your Majesty, I had already disowned Pei Zhouwu from the Pei family earlier. Without absolute certainty and evidence, I dared not make this letter public lightly. I feared Your Majesty would doubt my intentions, and I was even more afraid that the traitors would tamper with it again. If I hadn’t just heard about the dire situation on the border, I might not have presented this letter. I ask Your Majesty, if I had given this letter to you earlier, wouldn’t you have been even angrier, suspecting that I forged such a letter to slander the Prime Minister in order to save my son?”

“…”

Zhao Youheng clenched the letter in his hand, his expression showing signs of being moved.

Yet, in the end, he remained hesitant and did not issue any decree.

…

Over the next two days, one urgent letter after another was delivered to the palace. Each arrival signaled a further deterioration of the war.

The matter shook the entire court, and the people outside the palace were also filled with anxiety and fear.

Only when it seemed the sky was truly about to collapse did Zhao Youheng issue an explicit decree to release Pei Zhouwu from the Heavenly Prison, stating that he would be allowed to atone for his crimes by achieving merit in quelling the war in Zhaoxi.

Pei Zhouwu was carried out of the Heavenly Prison unconscious.

The wound on his shoulder was not fatal, but he had lost too much blood and could not recover immediately.

Many had died on the front lines, and no one dared to say whether the timing of this war was a coincidence.

Yet it cannot be denied that if not for this war, even if Pei Zhouwu could avoid the death penalty, he would hardly escape severe punishment and lifelong suffering.

Another wave of imperial physicians arrived, tasked with restoring his injuries as quickly as possible. The front lines could no longer afford delays; even if his wounds had not fully healed, he would have to travel while recuperating, dragging his ailing body along the way.

However, on the eve of departure, Pei Zhouwu vanished without a trace.