freenovelworld Chapter 938 General Shi Wants to Avenge Pei Huizhou
Chapter 938 General Shi Wants to Avenge Pei Huizhou
"continue!"
The rope tightened again, and Sun Demao heard his bones creak.
His vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.
A basin of icy salt water was poured over his head, and the intense stinging pain jolted him awake.
He was panting heavily like a fish out of water, his whole body convulsing.
"I'll talk, I'll talk! It's General Shi!"
“It was him…he sent me to spread rumors and ruin…ruin the Marquis of Anguo’s business and reputation.”
"The Marquis of Anguo's prestige is simply too high... there's no way to get to him. Just then, his seven daughters suddenly appeared and started a purchasing agent business, so we had no choice but to target them!"
The prefect walked up to Sun Demao, squatted down, and stared at him sharply.
"Why? Why would he do that?"
"In order to... in order to avenge Lord Pei."
Sun Demao managed to utter a few words.
"Pei Huizhou?"
The prefect was stunned.
"Yes."
Sun Demao breathed heavily, “The General said that Lord Pei… Lord Pei died suddenly, but he knew it was not from illness, but… was killed by Marquis Anguo.”
Upon hearing this, the prefect of Qingzhou froze on the spot.
It turned out to be the case.
It turns out that General Shi had always believed that Pei Huizhou was killed by Bai Lu.
No wonder he went to such lengths to target Marquis Anguo, who was far away in Qingzhou.
In reality, Pei Huizhou was ordered to commit suicide by the emperor.
This matter was a secret in the capital, known to very few people.
Because of his special status and frequent contact with the Empress Dowager and Bai Lu, the prefect of Qingzhou learned a little bit about the matter through some secret channels.
The imperial edict could not clearly state the truth; it was only announced to the public that he had died suddenly.
General Shi and Pei Huizhou were once close friends, so it's understandable that he would have such a misunderstanding.
"Ugh."
The prefect of Qingzhou stood up and let out a long sigh.
This matter must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise there will be endless troubles.
General Shi has a high reputation in the army. If he continues to hold a grudge against Marquis Anguo, who knows what trouble he might cause in the future.
The prefect of Qingzhou immediately turned around and instructed the yamen runner beside him, "Go and invite Marquis Anguo over here."
When Bai Lu arrived at the prefectural government office, she looked somewhat weary.
Recently, she has also been putting a lot of effort into the business matters of her children.
Now that Sun Demao has been arrested, we can finally have a few days of peace and quiet.
"Father."
Bai Lu entered the study and nodded slightly to the prefect.
"sit."
The prefect pointed to a chair to the side, his face apologetic, "I've asked you to come so late because there's something urgent."
Bai Lu sat down and looked at him calmly.
The prefect of Qingzhou handed over Sun Demao's confession and said in a deep voice, "Sun Demao has confessed. The mastermind behind it all is General Shi."
Bai Lu took the confession and quickly skimmed through it.
When she saw the words "avenging Pei Huizhou," her brows furrowed slightly.
"He thinks I killed Pei Huizhou?"
Bai Lu's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.
"Exactly."
The prefect of Qingzhou nodded, observing her reaction. "The general and Lord Pei have a very close personal relationship. It is likely that he was blinded by grief and made such a foolish decision."
The prefect of Qingzhou continued, "If this matter escalates to the capital, it will have far-reaching consequences and will benefit no one. It would be better if you wrote a letter and sent it to General Shi, explaining the cause of Lord Pei's death to him."
His words were tactful, but his meaning was clear.
The trouble should end it.
Once General Shi learns the truth, this feud will naturally be resolved.
Bai Lu put down her confession, a hint of impatience appearing on her face.
She leaned back in her chair.
Back in Liangzhou, General Shi almost got himself killed by listening to slander.
At that time, out of consideration for his many years of fighting for the country, she did not hold it against him.
Unexpectedly, instead of repenting, he has now extended his reach to Qingzhou.
They also want to harm her and her children.
Bai Lu's gaze turned cold.
It's not that she doesn't have a temper, she's just too lazy to waste her energy on these unimportant people.
However, the other party's repeated provocations crossed her bottom line.
"There's really no need for me to write him a letter to explain... is there?"
The prefect sensed the change in her emotions and his heart tightened. He quickly explained, "I know you're wronged, my dear daughter."
"However, this matter involves Lord Pei, and the cause of Lord Pei's death... is related to the palace. If it can be resolved privately, that would be the best outcome."
Fearing that Bailu might refuse, he added, "Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, General Shi will certainly not make things difficult for you anymore."
“Otherwise… if we confront General Shi head-on, won’t you and your daughters face a lot of trouble? That’s completely unnecessary.”
Bai Lu remained silent for a moment.
It wasn't that she was afraid of General Shi, she just found him troublesome.
When will this cycle of revenge end? She has more important things to do.
"pen and ink."
She eventually gave in.
The prefect of Qingzhou was overjoyed and immediately prepared ink and paper for her himself.
Bai Lu picked up her brush and dipped it in ink.
She didn't write many polite words, but simply stated the facts.
She told General Shi that Pei Huizhou had colluded with the Turks and intended to rebel, and the evidence was conclusive. The matter was dealt with by order of the emperor himself, and had nothing to do with her, Bai Lu.
At the end of the letter, she added one more sentence.
"I can overlook the past. But if it happens again, I will not tolerate it."
After she finished writing, she dried the letter, folded it, and handed it to the prefect.
"Thank you for your trouble, Father."
The prefect of Qingzhou carefully accepted the letter and immediately arranged for the fastest courier to deliver it to the capital.
Kyoto, the residence of General Ishida.
General Shi sat in his study, clutching the letter from Qingzhou tightly in his hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
He had grown so fond of the letter paper that the edges were rough, and every word on it felt like a needle, piercing deeply into his heart.
"Impossible... This is absolutely impossible!"
His voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot.
How could the emperor possibly kill Pei Huizhou?!
This must be a lie told by Bailu!
It was a lie she fabricated to exonerate herself!
General Shi suddenly stood up and slammed the letter onto the table.
His chest heaved violently; he couldn't accept this fact.
He has to find out the truth!
He wanted to ask the emperor face to face whether all of this was true!
General Shi could no longer sit still. He strode out of his study, not even having time to change his court robes, and rushed out of the mansion gate, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the palace.
Inside the imperial study, the emperor was reviewing memorials.
Upon hearing the eunuch's report that General Shi urgently requested an audience, he raised his head in surprise.
"Xuan."
General Shi strode into the imperial study, even forgetting to perform the proper etiquette between ruler and subject.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the emperor, pulled the letter from his pocket, and presented it with both hands.
"Your Majesty! Please tell me, is what is said in this letter true?"
The emperor's gaze swept over the letter, then fell on his distraught face, his eyes becoming deep and thoughtful.
He did not accept the letter.
"General Shi, what are you doing?"
The emperor spoke calmly.
"His Majesty!"
General Shi knelt on the ground with a thud. "Your Majesty, I only want to know the truth! Pei Huizhou... how exactly did he die?"
A long silence fell over the Imperial Study.
The air seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe.
After a long while, the emperor finally spoke, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Everything stated in the letter is true."
General Shi was startled and looked up in disbelief.
The emperor continued, "Pei Huizhou colluded with the Turks, betrayed military intelligence, and attempted to seize the position of crown prince. I... out of consideration for his past as my adopted son, have already given him a final act of decency."
General Shi felt like the sky had fallen!
His face turned deathly pale instantly, all color drained from his skin.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
My throat felt like it was blocked by something; it was dry and astringent.
It turns out he was wrong.
It was wrong from the very beginning.
He always believed that Bailu was the enemy who killed Huizhou, and he went to great lengths to take revenge on her.
In the end, however, the real murderer was the very monarch he served.
The death of his close friend was entirely his own fault.
This realization nearly crushed him completely.
“Return the ship… Your Majesty… Why did you do this…”
General Shi muttered to himself, utterly dejected.
The emperor looked at him with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
"General Shi."
The emperor's voice turned cold. "I ask you, was the incident in Qingzhou also your doing?"
General Shi's body stiffened.
He knew that the emperor already knew everything.
"Yes...it was I who was confused."
He lowered his head, his voice hoarse.
"Confused?"
The emperor's voice suddenly rose, "You are not only confused, you are downright audacious! Marquis Anguo is a pillar of the nation, and has made outstanding contributions to the Great Wu."
"How dare you plot against the descendants of loyal officials for the sake of a traitor?"
The emperor grew angrier as he spoke, and suddenly slammed his hand on the table.
"I have entrusted you with command of the troops in the capital region to protect our country, not to abuse your power for personal gain or to engage in factionalism and suppression!"
"Do you know how close you came to a terrible mistake!"
"I haven't settled the score with you yet for faking your death!"
"If it weren't for the merits of your ancestors for three generations, and the countless hours you've worked for my Great Wu, I would have executed you on the spot!"
"Now you've really gone too far, shamelessly coming to the palace to question me, even saying these nonsense in front of me, and not even bowing to me. Where are your manners? Where are your etiquette?"
"You've fought in wars all these years, do you think you're so loyal that you can act recklessly? Your achievements overshadow your lord?!"
General Shi lay prostrate on the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He dared not defend himself, nor did he know how to do so.
"You listened to slander before and almost harmed Marquis Anguo. I spared you from severe punishment because you were momentarily confused. Now that you have committed such a grave mistake, if you are not severely punished, what will become of the law!"
The emperor's voice was icy and chilling.
"Somebody come!"
"By imperial decree, General Shi has framed loyal officials and abused his power. Effective immediately, he is hereby removed from his post as General, demoted three ranks to the rank of Deputy General, and this decree shall take effect immediately!"
Upon receiving the decree, General Shi collapsed to the ground.
He didn't know how he got out of the palace.
By the time they returned to the manor, it was already dark.
He sat listlessly in his study, and remained there all night.
The next day, the people at the General's Mansion discovered that General Shi was missing.
He left behind only a letter, in which he said that he had failed His Majesty and Marquis Anguo, and had no face to stand in the court. He decided to retire to the mountains and forests to live out the rest of his life.
No one knows where he went.
A renowned general has thus vanished without a trace.
The news reached Qingzhou half a month later.
The business turmoil in Qingzhou was completely quelled by the capture of Sun Demao and the downfall of General Shi.
Without any covert obstacles or sabotage, Seven Little Moons' business flourished.
South of Qingzhou City, at Bailudong Academy.
It was the afternoon rest time, but the entrance to the academy was much more lively than usual.
Several young people dressed in school uniforms were gathered around a small stall, peering around curiously.
Two little girls were sitting behind the stall.
A calm and composed-looking person was holding a notebook and carefully taking notes with a charcoal pencil.
The other one was much more lively, with smiling eyes, and was enthusiastically introducing himself to the students.
It is the daughter of White Dew, January and March.
"Senior, your copy of 'Shanhe Zhushu' has arrived."
In March, she pulled a thick book from a large package behind her and handed it over.
The student took the book as if it were a priceless treasure and thanked the author profusely.
"Thank you, Miss March. I've been looking for this book for a long time but haven't been able to find it."
March smiled and waved her hand.
"You're too kind, senior. I'm glad I could help you."
She spoke crisply and decisively, "Please check it. If there are no problems, please sign here."
In January, he pushed the register over and pointed to the corresponding name.
After confirming that everything was correct, the student readily paid, signed the papers, and left satisfied with the book.
Another student stepped forward, somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Miss March, I wonder... could you possibly purchase some of the special wolf-hair brushes from the Kyoto Ink Treasure Shop?"
He agreed immediately in March.
"Naturally."
She took out another booklet. "How many do you need, senior? Do you have a specific model? Our caravan is going to Kyoto next month, so we can bring them along."
As she asked questions, she quickly jotted down the requirements, her handwriting clear and organized.
This is the new business of Seven Little Moons.
They not only buy cosmetics, but also other goods from all over the country.
Most of the students at the academy came from poor families or from far away, making it difficult for them to buy books, stationery, or local specialties.
In March, after discovering this need, she discussed with her sisters about using the Bai family's existing caravan resources to provide purchasing services for the students.
They only charge a small delivery fee, the price is fair, and the service is excellent.
The main responsibilities are still handled in January and March.
In January, I was responsible for registering and summarizing the information to ensure there were no errors.
In March, I was responsible for liaison and communication, and handling various needs.
As for Bailu Beauty Store, it was mainly handled in February and April.