Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 31

Chapter 31 The lonely lamp illuminates the prison

Xie Pu She Lao Ren’s Diary

The vows made that night at the ancestral hall created a subtle yet lasting warmth in Xie Heng’s heart.However, the atmosphere in the court will never slow down because of that private oath.

Three days later, memorials to impeach Yuan Wuyou were sent to the Ministry of Finance.

He was once a student of Xie Heng, and now he is also implicated.

“Check out Wu Xingyuan Wuyou. When his ancestors crossed to the south, the genealogical records are vague, and there are many suspicions of usurping the surname of the overseas Chinese in Yue. His father Yuan Yu, once served as a puppet of Zhao, and the correspondence still exists, which is suspected of collaborating with the enemy. However, Yuan Wuyou himself was favored by the promotion, and did not want to repay. Instead, he relied on Xie Heng’s favor, befriended the border generals, and leaked the secrets of the province to Xiao Jue.Those who seek personal gain can be punished.”

The memorial is very cleverly written, and does not mention Xie Heng’s name, but every sentence points to his unknown identity.Xiao Jue’s crime is not proven, but every word hints at internal and external collusion.The attached evidence is several vague copies of border grain and grass dispatch documents, which are signed by Yuan Wuyou as the handler. The amount of grain and grass mentioned in the document can vaguely match the time of Xiao Jue’s next delayed supply last year.

What’s more, there was also a fragment of a secret letter with a poorly imitated handwriting but signed by Yuan Yu’s old ministry. The content insinuated that the Yuan family had hidden secrets when they returned to the north.

Wang Yuzong knelt in the imperial study and spoke sincerely: “Your Majesty, I am in charge of the family. I am frightened and should not say much. However, after seeing this memorial, IIt’s shocking.If these frauds and collusion with the generals are true, the imperial court’s system of selecting officials and the distinction between internal and external officials will disappear.I am not doing this out of personal grudges, but in fact, it is because of the laws of the country and my Majesty’s wise plan. I dare not say anything.The Wang family has indeed made mistakes before, and I am willing to use this case as a lesson to help the court clean up its rules and make meritorious deeds.”

The emperor was flipping through the memorials, his face was calm, and he could not see any emotion or anger. After a long time, he said: “Is the evidence conclusive?”

Wang Yuzong was shocked and kowtowed: “The witnesses, material evidence, and traces of contacts are all there. Yuan Wuyou has been imprisoned. As long as there is a strict interrogation, the truth will be revealed. I am afraid that Xie Pushe will miss the old relationship and may be deceived, so I ask your Majesty to allow Tingwei and Yushitai to cooperate in the trial to ensure justice.”

The emperor tapped his fingertips on the imperial case, and his eyes glanced at the dark sky outside the window, “It’s accurate. I’ll ask the commander-in-chief Wei Qing of the imperial court to inspect the palace, and the imperial censor station will select officials to monitor the situation. Don’t let it go to waste.”

“I obey the decree!” Wang Yuzong bowed deeply. With the emperor’s order, there was room for many means to be used.

When the news reached Xie Mansion, Xie Heng was discussing the Qiu Wei regulations with several Qingliu disciples.Uncle Cheng walked in quickly and whispered a few words.Xie Heng’s hand holding the pen paused slightly, then he pressed the pen heavily on the table, and said warmly to several young officials with puzzled expressions in the seat: “That’s it for today’s discussion. After you go back, each of you will organize what you just discussed into a list. Be sure to be solid and don’t talk empty talk.”

Everyone looked at the words and expressions and knew that something big was going on. They didn’t dare to ask any more questions and bowed out respectfully.

After the study door closed, Xie Heng asked, “Where is he being held? What’s the situation like?”

“Tingwei Prison was held in solitary confinement. Wang Yuzong opened up the joints. The person in charge of the interrogation was Tingweiqing, and the supervising censor was from the lineage of Concubine Zheng.”

Uncle Cheng spoke very fast, with suppressed anxiety, “Our people managed to pass in a bowl of water. The news is that Mr. Yuanlang has passed a round of punishment and has not acknowledged it. But the Wang family’s intention is to ask him to take the initiative to confess, and I am afraid they will not give up easily.”

Xie Heng knew that Wang Yuzong would attack them, but he didn’t expect that the first one would be Yuan Wuyou.He is far more talented and arrogant than Youyou, but the place in Tingwei Prison can grind a steely will.

What Wang Yuzong wants is not for Yuan Wuyou to plead guilty, but for him to be a sharp blade that stabs Xie Heng and then scrapes Xiao Jue.

“Where is his family?”

“It has been secretly monitored. The Wang family has spread word that if Yuan Wuyou gets lost and finds his way back, he may be able to save the family.” Uncle Cheng’s voice was even lower, “Master Lang, can we…”

“No.” Xie Heng shook his head decisively and raised his eyes to make a decision, “Any action at this moment will become an excuse to rescue the party members. Wang Yuzong is waiting for us to make a move.”

He pondered for a moment, “Two things. First use all the power of the Qing Dynasty, not to mention whether Yuan Wuyou was wronged, but only to discuss the integrity of the country. How can the country’s laws be abolished because of impeachment? The authenticity of the genealogy must be confirmed. The past events of the fathers will not burden the children and grandchildren. Focusing on whether Yuan Wuyou committed a crime will lead to the court.Should the imperial court deny the established identity of Zhongzheng due to vague past events?In the end, you should go personally and look for old ministers or celebrities who were still alive when they traveled south at the same time as Yuan Yugong, and see if you can find any testimony or physical evidence that can prove the innocence of Yuan Yugong’s genealogy, even if it is just a piece of paper.”

“Yes.” Uncle Cheng accepted the order, but hesitated, “It’s just that the fire far away may not be able to save the fire nearby. If severe punishment is used over there…”

Xie Heng closed his eyes and opened them again. There was heavy pain deep in his eyes: “Do your best. Also inform General Xiao of the situation and ask him not to act rashly.”

The person who came to report the news to Xiao Jue was the most taciturn guard around Xie Heng. He only said a few words in a hurry, mentioning that Mr. Yuanlang still refused to let go after several rounds of torture, and that Xie Pushe had been suffering from old illnesses frequently recently, especially coughing, and bloodshot eyes were often seen on the handkerchief before the case.

He waved away everyone and stood alone in front of the window. The late spring wind carried the fragrance of flowers, but it could not dissipate the anger and heartache that suddenly rose in his chest.

He seemed to be able to see Xie Heng sitting alone in the study, suppressing a cough while reviewing the seemingly endless official documents, while being mentally and physically exhausted for Yuan Wuyou’s safety in prison. Qing Jian’s shoulders and back were straight, but even more lonely.

“I’m good at swordsmanship,” Xiao Jue stared out the window at the dark night and whispered to himself, “This ghost prison may not be impossible to explore.”

He knew that Xie Heng had many worries, but he, Xiao Jue, was different.He couldn’t just watch an upright man being tortured to death, and he couldn’t bear it, like a dull knife, weighing on Xie Heng’s mind day by day.

It was night, and the banger rang at the third watch.

Xiao Jue put on a dark suit with no markings, and quietly sneaked into the thick ink-like night with only two of his absolute confidants and Wen Boyan, who had been with him since the northern border.Their goal is not to rob a prison.It was the deserted square area outside Tingwei Prison.

There is a mixture of fish and dragons there, and it is also a secret road often taken by jailers, jailers and even some special visitors.Xiao Jue wanted to try his luck to see if he could find an opportunity, or to warn some jailer who could pass the message to restrain himself, or at least confirm whether Yuan Wuyou was still alive. Even just a glance from a distance could convey a hint of support.

The abandoned square area is full of broken walls and ruins, and the moonlight is cut in half by the towering shadows.The smell of rot and dust hung in the air.

The four of them, Xiao Jue, walked around like ghosts, alert to their surroundings.However, as they approached an alley where jailers were said to occasionally pass after gambling, dozens of black shadows suddenly jumped out of the shadows of the refugees at the base of the wall. Their movements were swift and ruthless, and they were definitely no ordinary bandits.

They remained silent and launched their killing moves, but they obviously left room to capture, especially Xiao Jue, who was the leader.The poisoned crossbow arrows shimmered blue in the darkness.

“Not good!” Xiao Jue’s heart sank, and he instantly understood that this was a trap set by Wang Yuzong.The other party had accurately calculated his possible moves and was waiting here to prove the accusation that the military general had trespassed into the powerhouse of the law with evil intentions. They might even want to capture him alive, beat him up and implicate Xie Heng.

Anger and killing intent suddenly rose, Xiao Jue shouted sharply and instead of retreating, he unsheathed the sword in his hand and drew an arc in the moonlight.The two henchmen also fought tooth and nail to protect their master, and a street fight broke out instantly.

The attackers were all well-trained warriors and cooperated with each other tacitly.Although Xiao Jue was unparalleled in bravery and killed several people on the spot, his left arm was finally grazed by a poisoned short crossbow arrow with a tricky angle, causing a trail of blood and a numb and itchy feeling immediately spreading along the arm.

He felt bad, so he gritted his teeth and waved his sword to force back the enemy in front of him, trying to find a way to break out of the encirclement.Another slash came from the diagonal stab. He turned sideways to dodge, and the blade grazed his ribs. Although it didn’t go deep, it also caused a bloody wound.

“General, let’s go!” Wen Boyan took a stab in the back and opened the gap in the flank.The other two guards held Xiao Jue’s numb left arm, and the four of them fought their way out of the siege in blood, escaping into deeper darkness.The sound of pursuit behind them gradually faded away. I don’t know if the opponent had achieved their goal or if they were afraid of alerting a wider range of night patrol troops.

When he returned to the hidden side entrance of the General’s Mansion, Xiao Jue’s complexion was already blue, the wound on his left arm was swollen and black, and the stab wound under his ribs was oozing blood.Although the poison was not so poisonous that it could seal his throat with blood, it was extremely violent, and the high fever began to sweep through his will.

“Find a trustworthy military doctor, and don’t alert outsiders…” After Xiao Jue gritted his teeth and finished the last sentence, his vision went dark and he fell into a coma.

The news was brought to the Xie Mansion by Xiao Jue, the seriously injured bodyguard who desperately tried his best to get it before dawn.After hearing this, Uncle Cheng turned pale and almost staggered into the study.

Xie Heng was reviewing official documents by candlelight. The moment he heard the words, the purple pen in his hand fell on the desk with a “snap” and rolled around a few times. The ink stains stained the snow-white sleeves and the open official documents.His whole body froze for a moment, and there was unconcealable shock and pain in his usually calm eyes.

“Prepare the car and go to the General’s Mansion. Take the corner door to avoid being seen.” His voice was surprisingly calm, even a little erratic.

In the inner room of the General’s Mansion, the smell of blood mixed with the smell of herbs. Xiao Jue lay unconscious on the couch, his face flushed, breathing heavily, and his forehead was covered with cold sweat.The wound on his left arm has been initially treated, but the blackness has not faded and the swelling is shocking.The stab wound under the ribs has been bandaged, but blood is still oozing out.

Xie Heng walked in quickly and paused slightly when his eyes touched the ferocious bandages on Xiao Jue’s body.He quickly screened away everyone else in the room, including the red-eyed old housekeeper of Xiao Mansion and the military doctor who hurried over.

“Keep the medicine and you go out. No one is allowed to come near this hospital.” His order was concise and cold.

The door was closed tightly, leaving only the two of them and Xiao Jue’s heavy and painful breathing.

Xie Heng walked to the couch and sat down slowly. He first probed Xiao Jue’s hot forehead, his fingertips trembling slightly.He took the medicine box left by the military doctor and gently but steadily unwrapped the temporary bandage on Xiao Jue’s left arm.When the fleshy crossbow wound was completely exposed before his eyes, Xie Heng’s breath suddenly choked.

He took some water and a clean cloth, cleaned the blood around the wound bit by bit, and applied antidote powder.His fingers were steady and every step was accurate, but when his cold fingertips accidentally touched the hot and fragile edge of the wound, he couldn’t help but tremble.

The same is true when cleaning a subcostal stab wound.

After doing all this, he did not leave.Instead, he sat on the low stool next to the couch and wiped Xiao Jue’s hot forehead and neck with a cloth soaked in cold water over and over again.Xiao Jue was not stable in the coma. Sometimes he frowned in pain due to high fever, and sometimes he uttered vague and murderous murmurs: “…kill…don’t touch him…Xie Heng…”

He held Xiao Jue’s uninjured right hand. The hand was still broad and strong. Even in the coma, he held it tightly, as if he still wanted to hold the handle of the knife.Xie Heng used his slightly cold hands to open it little by little, and then interlocked his fingers.

He kept watch all night.

Xie Heng maintained the same posture, his eyes barely leaving Xiao Jue’s face.The normally neat sleeves of his robe were stained with blood and ink, and his hair was a little messy, but he ignored it.

He watched Xiao Jue risking his injuries in order to share the pressure for him, lying here uncertain about his life or death. For the first time, he realized so clearly that there was some loss that he couldn’t bear.

When the sky was slightly brighter, Xiao Jue’s high fever finally subsided a little, and his breathing calmed down a little, but he still didn’t wake up.Xie Heng gently let go of the hands held by the two of them, and swayed slightly when he stood up.He walked to the window, opened a crack, and let the cool morning breeze flow in, blowing away the dull smell of medicine and blood that filled the room.

He looked at the increasingly clear scenery in the courtyard of the General’s Mansion, and then looked back at Xiao Jue, who was sleeping on the couch. The last bit of hesitation and hesitation in his eyes was replaced by something cold and hard.

He straightened his blood-stained sleeves, and then called Uncle Cheng in. His voice returned to his usual calmness, but it was hoarse as if he had not slept all night: “Go and find out the possible origins of the person who ambushed last night, even the smallest clue. And try to let the palace know that General Xiao relapsed from an old injury in the mansion last night and is seriously ill.”