Chapter 180: "Pei Song! How cruel you are!"...
The force of his grip on A Yin's nape tightened, and the child began crying again out of instinctive fear.
Though Jiang Yichu was frail beyond measure, in that moment she somehow summoned an unexpected burst of strength, struggling to rise from the bed and snatch A Yin from his hands, clutching the child tightly against her chest.
Her back was so emaciated it appeared gaunt, yet her gaze toward Pei Song remained that of a mother beast protecting her young. Pale-faced, she uttered hoarsely, "Direct your wrath at me, but do not touch A Yin!"
Pei Song stared at his empty palm, his eyes brimming with even deeper mockery. He let out a cold, angry laugh and demanded, "Indeed? Then why did you direct your fury at me, instead of that child who hasn't even had the chance to behold this world?"
Jiang Yichu held her daughter tightly, as if the child were the only lifeline keeping her alive. Her eyes were bleak and numb as she stated, "You can kill me."
After speaking these words, she seemed to have finally found a solution. Still gently patting A Yin's back to soothe her, she offered Pei Song a weary smile: "Pei Song, you can kill me."
She spoke with such sincerity, as if genuinely wishing for Pei Song to do so.
For A Yin's sake, she could not take her own life.
But she was truly exhausted from living.
Hearing this, Pei Song's rage intensified momentarily, yet for some unknown reason, he quickly regained composure. With lover-like tenderness, he caressed Jiang Yichu's cheek and smiled gently: "What nonsense are you speaking, sister?"
As if fully immersed in a role, all traces of his previous anger and sarcasm vanished. He spoke with extreme gentleness: "Sister must focus on recovering your health."
Wiping the tears clinging to A Yin's lashes as the child sobbed against her shoulder, he embraced Jiang Yichu as if they were a family of three, kissing her hair and declaring for her: "Once sister has regained her health, we shall have another child."
In that moment, Jiang Yichu became absolutely certain: it was Pei Song who had gone mad, not her.
Facing Jiang Yichu's gaze that regarded him as a lunatic, Pei Song merely smiled: "Worried about Lady Zheng and her father? Fear not, I shall settle this matter with them."
Outside, a Hawk Hound knocked: "Master, Advisor Gongsun has come seeking you."
Pei Song glanced at A Yin in Jiang Yichu's arms and said: "Be good, sister. Let the child remain here these couple of days. I shall return to see you later."
He seemed to want to kiss Jiang Yichu's cheek again, but when she hastily evaded, his lips only brushed past her temple. Unbothered, Pei Song rose to leave, his terrifyingly gentle smile lingering.
Watching the swaying door curtain after Pei Song's departure, Jiang Yichu's pale face now revealed traces of irony and absurdity.
How dare he ask her for another child, after he had smashed her Jun'er to death?
The moment Pei Song stepped out of the courtyard, he saw Gongsun Chou standing rigidly in the bitter wind, his expression grim.Upon seeing him, Gongsun Chou did not wait for him to speak before bowing deeply: "My lord, that Enchantress, relying on her pregnancy, previously employed every means to bewitch you into exhausting the people and draining the treasury. For the sake of the bloodline in her womb, this old minister only advised you not to be deceived by her. Now, with a serpent's heart, she even plots against your other children, all to aid the Liang Camp and sow discord between you and your generals at this critical moment. My lord, such a venomous woman truly cannot be kept! Only by immediately executing this poisonous woman can we give General Zheng and his daughter an explanation!"
Pei Song, however, nearly sneered: "An explanation? Is it not possible that I, the Minister of Education, should be the one demanding an explanation from the Zheng family?"
Under Gongsun Chou's astonished gaze, he coldly stated: "As for how the bastard in Consort Zheng's womb truly came to be, she herself should know best."
Gongsun Chou was filled with shock, and then only one thought crossed his mind: absurd.
Consort Zheng was announced to be pregnant not long after Jiang Yichu was diagnosed with pregnancy.
That is to say, the Zheng family did not dare to gamble on whether Jiang Yichu would give birth to Pei Song's first son first, so Consort Zheng took this risky step, determined to become pregnant before her by any means.
Now, taking advantage of General Zheng's renewed favor, she even arranged her own miscarriage to simultaneously eliminate the true bloodline of Pei Song in Jiang Yichu's womb.
Gongsun Chou stammered and asked: "Does my lord have evidence?"
Pei Song sneered: "Do you think I am making excuses for Lady Jiang? Then I can immediately arrest the guard Consort Zheng brought from her maiden home and interrogate him for you to see."
Overwhelmed by grief and indignation, Gongsun Chou's face suddenly showed a look of collapse, as if he sensed that the situation was already lost.
Consort Zheng acted this way to strive once more for her Zheng family, and also because she felt unjustly treated by Pei Song.
He was angry that the Zheng family dared to carry out such a deceitful scheme, and grieved that Pei Song had ultimately reached the point of calculating interests separately from his generals.
He asked Pei Song: "Then why did my lord not expose the Zheng family earlier?"
Pei Song said lightly: "Letting the Zheng family believe they have deceived me—isn't it better to have them serve me with utter devotion?"
After several moments of silence, Gongsun Chou finally spoke: "Since my lord had this intention earlier, and the current situation is urgent, to avoid further unrest in the army... my lord should still pretend to be unaware of this matter and keep General Zheng steady..."
The Zheng family of Mozhou brought the entire Mozhou army to join Pei Song, making it the most combat-effective regular army under Pei Song's command, aside from the troops obtained from Grand Commandant Ao.
Pei Song retorted: "The Zheng family is audacious and even plotted against my child. Now, sir, you are no longer demanding justice for my unborn child?"
With a complex and pained expression, Gongsun Chou said: "My lord should never have allowed that Enchantress to bear a child in the first place. Perhaps all of this is also heaven's will. The Zheng father and daughter have shown disrespect to you, my lord. You can settle accounts with them when the situation stabilizes. Why create more difficulties for yourself now?"
He paused, then continued with difficulty: "I only hope that from now on, my lord will not be bewitched by that Enchantress again and neglect the other consorts."
Pei Song's face turned cold abruptly: "Are you blaming me for allowing the Zheng family to reach this point?"Gongsun Chou bowed with folded hands and said, "This old minister dares not presume, but Liang Camp has not only properly resettled the refugees fleeing south, but has also issued a surrender decree, proclaiming that all past offenses will be pardoned for those who defect to Liang Camp now. We can no longer conscript soldiers from the populace, and the lower-ranking generals are growing restless. Did the Lord not initially form marital alliances with numerous commanders precisely to stabilize them? Given the current circumstances, how can we continue to neglect these ladies?"
Pei Song suddenly spoke with extreme gloom, "Does the Master fear Han Yang now?"
Gongsun Chou, his eyes filled with the weariness of ages, replied, "That remnant of Wen Shi, who rode on the reputation of her father and brothers to be elevated to that high position by old fools like Li Yao and Yu Ziyan—why should this old minister fear her? If the Lord insists on sparing that Enchantress’s life, and if she can one day serve as leverage against Liang Camp, this old minister will say no more. But only when these ladies bear the Lord’s heirs can the generals who follow you settle their hearts completely and remain unswayed by Liang Camp’s temptations!"
He sighed deeply, "I know the Lord is proud by nature, but your secret plan to send forces to the Northern Border, intending to strike Northern Wei from behind when the barbarians attack, has been foiled with that scoundrel Dou Jianliang’s exposure. Wei Qishan has already mobilized his troops to march south against us. With him and Liang Camp closing in from north and south, even if the Lord fears nothing, the soldiers below will grow anxious…"
The barbarians beyond the frontier have long failed to breach the Northern Border. Once spring arrives, they will no longer need to assault the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun desperately for provisions, freeing Wei Qishan to redirect his forces. Our situation will only worsen.
If we seek cooperation with the barbarians then to pin down Wei Qishan, what they demand will likely be far more than the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
By the end of his speech, Gongsun Chou’s eyes were red-rimmed: "If we lose this battle, the Lord’s path will grow even harder. For every general who defects, morale will crumble further. Everything I advise is for the Lord’s sake…"
Pei Song sneered coldly, "Does the Master truly believe this Minister will be defeated?"
Without waiting for Gongsun Chou’s response, he declared stubbornly, "Then this Minister will show you exactly how I win this battle!"
He stormed off in a fit of anger, his sleeves flung back. Gongsun Chou watched his retreating figure, the redness in his eyes deepening.
A Hawk Hound attending Pei Song clasped his hands toward Gongsun Chou and made to leave, but Gongsun Chou stopped him, saying, "Send some rewards to Lady Zheng in the Lord’s name."
The Hawk Hound hesitated briefly before replying to Gongsun Chou, "There is no need anymore."
In Lady Zheng’s quarters, the matron serving her lifted the door curtain and entered, dismissing the attendants. Addressing the pallid Lady Zheng lying weakly in bed, she said, "My Lady, the guard has been dealt with."
Since her miscarriage, Lady Zheng had been extremely frail, her lips nearly devoid of color. A flicker of sorrow passed through her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed as she asked, "No one witnessed it?"
The matron replied, "Rest assured, My Lady. The guard died suddenly from a severe illness after consuming cold food."
Only then did Lady Zheng relax slightly. There would be no evidence left for Pei Song to use against her.
She had risked her own health to make Jiang Yichu lose her child as well because she had noticed Pei Song growing suspicious of the guard she brought from her maternal family. Once under suspicion, this child could not be allowed to live—it would have become irrefutable proof.The old maidservant, seeing Lady Zheng's face as pale as a ghost, felt heartbroken. After the maid brought the medicine, she carefully fed it to Lady Zheng spoon by spoon, saying, "The General received your letter and, upon learning you were safe, sent word back. The Minister has promoted the General another military rank and bestowed many rewards. It's only you, my lady, who have suffered so greatly this time."
Lady Zheng swallowed the bitter medicine, tears rolling down her cheeks from the bitterness, as she spoke with grief, resentment, and a touch of ruthlessness, "This is all what Pei Song owes my Zheng family."
"My father risked the lives of our entire clan, leading tens of thousands of soldiers to join his ranks and fight on the front lines. Yet, he dotes exclusively on that criminal woman from the former Liang dynasty. Does he expect my father's subordinates to die in droves, all to pave the way for him and that bastard child of the criminal woman?"
The old maidservant comforted her sympathetically, "The Minister now relies heavily on the General. Once you recover your health, my lady, it won't be too late to ask the Minister for a child."
As Lady Zheng's personal maidservant who had accompanied her to the marriage, she knew well that Pei Song rarely visited the various ladies' quarters. Lady Zheng's residence was one he visited relatively more often, yet only once or twice a month. Lady Zheng had been keeping a close watch on the movements in the courtyard of that criminal woman from the former Liang dynasty. It was only after learning of the other's pregnancy that she resorted to this desperate measure.
She had thought she could deceive everyone, become pregnant, and then send the guard back to the Zheng family. But unexpectedly, Pei Song had caught wind of it.
Thus, she decided to go all the way, taking the criminal woman, Lady Jiang, down with her to miscarry the child, and then eliminating the guard.
Lady Zheng swallowed another mouthful of the medicine fed by the maidservant, her face pale but resolute. "Of course. I was willing to become a concubine and marry here for the sake of one day becoming the empress when he ascends the throne."
Pei Song's past was not honorable. Any aristocratic family with a shred of pride disdained to associate with him.
Mozhou was not a significant territory on the Northern Border, and her father was not even among the top-ranking generals under Wei Qishan.
If she had married Wei Pingjin as a concubine, the support the Zheng family could offer would be negligible in the eyes of the Wei family.
Pei Song, as the Hawk Hound who betrayed his master, had momentarily risen to power by exploiting popular resentment. Her father's defection to Pei Song with the entire Mozhou represented the aristocracy's recognition of Pei Song, and that carried substantial weight.
Just as Lady Zheng was about to take another sip of the medicine from the maidservant, she suddenly clutched her abdomen in agony. "My stomach..."
The maidservant panicked. "What's wrong, my lady?"
Lady Zheng was in so much pain she nearly rolled around on the bed. The maidservant, sensing something amiss, lifted the quilt and saw that a large patch of blood had soaked through beneath Lady Zheng.
The maidservant was flustered. "Why is there bleeding again?"
She hurriedly shouted outside, "Ping'er, quickly fetch the physician!"
The tightly shut door was suddenly kicked open from the outside, and a maid whose throat had been brutally snapped collapsed into the room like a sandbag.
A cold wind swept away all warmth from the room, carrying with it the thick scent of blood from the courtyard.
The Hawk Hound stepped inside. "No need to fetch a physician."
The maidservant was terrified and stammered, "You... how dare you disrespect my lady? Our General is still at the front..."
The Hawk Hound leader tilted his head slightly, and two subordinates tore down the high-hanging curtains in the room, wrapping them around the maidservant's neck from both sides.
The Hawk Hound leader said leisurely, "General Zheng has received the lady's letter. He will focus on fighting this battle well for our master."
The two Hawk Hounds tightened their grip. The maidservant struggled to pull the curtains strangling her neck, but it was futile.On the bed, the beautiful concubine Zheng, who had lost so much blood that it dyed the bedding beneath her crimson, cried out in despair: "Nanny Song!"
The old woman stared at the beautiful concubine Zheng with bulging eyes, soon breathed her last, and collapsed limply to the ground, just like the maid at the door.
The leader of the Hawk Hound reported: "The beautiful concubine Zheng died from excessive blood loss due to a miscarriage. The Minister over the Masses was enraged and ordered the execution of the physician who treated her, along with all the servants who attended to her in the courtyard."
The beautiful concubine Zheng lay prostrate on the bed, her face as pale as paper, devoid of any sign of life. Cold sweat from immense pain covered her forehead, yet she let out a mad, hysterical laugh.
She knew that from the moment she had sent that letter to her father, she had fallen into Pei Song's trap.
She had thought that, given the current situation, Pei Song would compromise with an unverified outcome. She had underestimated his ruthlessness.
Clutching her abdomen, she wept and snarled, cursing venomously: "Pei Song! You are so cruel!"
"I curse you... to be abandoned by all and die a wretched death!"
Pei Song sealed off all news. The death of the beautiful concubine Zheng was like a grain of sand falling into the ocean, failing to stir even a ripple.
Just as the Wei Camp mobilized its troops to march south, the Liang and Chen Camps captured several prefectures and counties under Pei Song's control in a matter of days.
The refugees fleeing south from Guanzhong surged like seasonal migrating fish, becoming an unstoppable tide.
Pei Song closed the passes, detained women and children, and enforced conscription, temporarily stabilizing the situation.
Although his many strategists drafted proclamations vehemently condemning the Liang Dynasty for unjustly executing loyal officials and harming the people's livelihood, the Liang Camp countered by attributing all these wrongdoings to the previous emperor. They detailed the numerous reforms carried out by Changlian Wang and his son to rectify these issues and declared that their Princess Han Yang was willing to issue an imperial edict of self-accusation on behalf of the previous emperor's actions. This rebutted all of the Pei Camp's accusations. Moreover, they listed the countless crimes committed by Pei Song, from serving as a lackey for the Party of Ao to bringing devastation to the people—truly exemplifying the phrase "too numerous to record."
In the still bitterly cold and stormy Yuzhou, the Wei residence was attacked late one night, and the doors of the dungeon were broken open.
Tao Kui, using his physical advantage, smashed the iron-barred gate outside the dungeon to pieces. In the distance, the study of the Wei residence was engulfed in flames, the sounds of the roaring fire, the clanging gongs of the firefighting efforts, and the bronze bells ringing in the dungeon all mingled together.
Zheng Hu and his men subdued the guards of the dungeon, took their keys, and tried them one by one on the locks of the thick iron bars. He cheerfully said to Xiao Li inside: "Old Man Wei has taken his dog of a son to fight that treacherous villain Pei Song. The barbarians have seized the chance to cross Yanle Mountain, and Liao Jiang has led the Wolf Cavalry to counterattack. Finally, our brothers have found the opportunity to break you out! The strategist said that once you're out, Second Brother, you can openly rebel against that Wei Qishan, and no one in the world will dare say a word against you!"
Finally finding the right key, the lock on the cell door clicked open and fell to the ground. The heavy black iron shackles on Xiao Li's wrists also crashed to the floor, as if a wild beast had finally broken free of its restraints.
At that moment, however, a group of Wei reinforcements surged into the dungeon entrance. Staring at them, they suppressed their fear and ordered: "Prison break! Shoot these traitors to death with volleys of arrows!"
Xiao Li's expression was calm, all his ferocity concealed within a rock-like steadiness. He showed no signs of having been imprisoned for nearly ten days. Lifting his eyes, he coldly scanned the Wei soldiers at the entrance who had raised their crossbows and said: "Fight our way out!"
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