Chapter 28 : Return
Pei Si Yan's head appeared to have a temporary short-circuit, and after quickly returning to normal, she asked in shock, "Is Lord Tang saying that I need to be interrogated? What happened?"
"Both the Imperial Historian's Office and the Da Lisi have received letters exposing your embezzlement of disaster relief food and silver, and there are witnesses and physical evidence," Tang Zanxian said, his tone rippling as if it was a puddle of stagnant water, "The Emperor attaches great importance to this, so he sent my subordinate and Lord Hong to investigate, and has requested that you, Lord Wuban, return to the Imperial Capital immediately, as a matter of holy decree. "
Tang Zhanxian took out a roll of yellow cloth embroidered with a dragon pattern like a magic trick.
Pei Siyan hurriedly took the holy decree and took a closer look at it, her face changed drastically, and she almost smashed the holy decree on the snow under her shock and anger, "Ridiculous!"
The matter of the mouldy rice had finally leaked out, and was being used to say that she had embezzled and accepted bribes, made huge amounts of ill-gotten gains, as well as helping the victims under false pretences of benevolence in a bid to cover up the truth. It seemed that someone had planned this from the beginning, no matter how she remedied the situation, it would not help, and would still be found by the other party to break through and trap her in injustice!
"Please return to the imperial capital with my officer immediately being, right and wrong will definitely give you justice, my lord." Hong Pei said, in the Imperial Historian's Office mixed a few years of him, in addition to the emperor to any official can not talk about "respectful, courteous" a few words.
"Give me to know who is planning all this, I will tell him not to die!" Thinking of her hard work for the victims but she was falsely accused, Pei Si Yan had the urge to cry, she forced herself to hold back and didn't bother to talk to the Hong Tang duo, angrily taking Yun Qi to pack up her things.
Li Qingye looked at Pei Si Yan and hurriedly walked in the other direction. Shi would take a look at both ends, and with some nodding of the head, welcomed the group of people from the Imperial Capital into the lobby.
After taking his seat, Hong Pei asked without any hesitation, "Lord Shi, have you been following around since Lord Wu Pan arrived in Western Yan County?"
Shi Hui replied respectfully, "Yes, my lord."
Tang Zhanxian then asked, "Did you know about the matter of Lord Wu Pan swapping the relief rice?"
Shi would obviously feel the hall getting colder, even though the flames in the charcoal fire pot were flourishing, "Under, my humble servant is not very clear ... According to Lord Wuban, it was only after arriving in Xiyan County that he found out that it had been stolen and replaced with mouldy rice, and after the incident, Lord Wuban himself paid for the rice to stabilise the people's hearts. "
Hong Pei and Tang Zanxian exchanged a meaningful look with each other, Hong Pei spoke again, "So you don't know whether this rice was stolen and exchanged by Lord Wuban, or whether it was deliberately framed by someone?"
"Yes, my humble servant does not know." Shi will steal a glance at the two adults, gulping down his saliva to build up his courage, "Lord, my humble servant believes that Lord Wu Pan absolutely did not embezzle the grain and silver, she has worked hard for the people of Xiyan County these days for all to see, how could such an official do such a thing?"
Hong Pei glares at Shi Hui, his eyes are cold and biting, as if the ice prongs under the eaves are generally cold and sharp, scaring the latter did not dare to speak freely, "How this matter is really this official will investigate clearly, no need for you to argue and say good words for Lord Wuban. Some officials are just a false appearance, on the surface of the country for the people tirelessly, in fact, secretly do net of things to cover up the truth, this official is not not encountered this kind of officials."
Shi will touch a nose of grey, timidly shrinking aside to listen quietly.
"Do you know why Lord Wu Pan did not report to the court about the reason why the relief grain was stolen and replaced?" Tang Zanchen asked.
"It's because I'm afraid that the news will get out and cause unrest among the victims, and because Lord Wu Pan thinks he's derelict in his duties and is afraid that the imperial court will blame him," Shi Hui said one by one, curious as to how the two men started the interrogation as soon as they arrived without preparing anything, and glancing at the doorway where a young man in green official clothes stood and was recording something on a pamphlet, he panicked in his heart and his mouth on more cautious, "Sir, what my official knows is not much ..."
"Then there is always know, right? Just say it all out." Hong Pei sneered.
"Yes, what the subordinate official knows must be told truthfully, not daring to hide anything."
Tang Zanxian coughed twice and waved his hand to signal the official who had been standing behind himself to take a few steps forward, "Lord Shi, I forgot to introduce, this is the new Assassin of Xiyan County, Lord Gu Ligu."
Once Shi Hui heard that his new superior had arrived, he became even more respectful and bowed repeatedly, "My humble servant Shi Hui pays his respects to Lord Assassin."
Gu Li and Hong Pei and Tang Zanxian had the same temperament, their faces were as cold as ice, and they only slightly raised their hands in gesture, "Lord Shi, please rise."
Shi will face show vegetable colour, have such a superior, do not know whether it is lucky or unfortunate, guess he is not far from packing a bag and rolling home.
Not allowing him to take a breath, Hong Pei asked, "Which merchants did Lord Wu Pan buy rice from, are you clear?"
"Yes, I am clear."
"Very well, later on, inform the Da Lisi Temple's head of the names of the merchants one by one, there shall be no concealment." Hong Pei pointed to the young official who had been taking notes.
"Yes ...," Shi would feel that the atmosphere was getting more and more oppressive, he was expected to suffocate alive if he was interrogated like this. He looked towards the door, hoping that Lord Wuban would hurry back and answer those questions in his place.
When Pei Si Yan packed up her things and came back, from a distance, she saw Li Qing Dye standing by the wall talking to a man wearing a dark coloured robe, the man had a cloud pattern embroidered on his sleeve, he was an exclusive Wuban family's guards, who only obeyed her and Li Qing Dye, but this part of the family she had always handed over to Li Qing Dye to manage, and seldom interfered herself.
Waiting for Li Qingye to walk over, Pei Si Yan asked, "Did something happen again?"
"The subordinate explained something." Li Qingye replied briefly.
"Alas ... don't know how this level is going to be passed," Pei Si Yan shook her head, entered the lobby, and said to the Hong Tang duo who were exchanging words, "Lord Hong, can we depart now? "
Hong Pei got up and said, "Yes, Lord Tantai, the carriage is already waiting outside. The matter is of great importance and the Emperor wishes to investigate it as soon as possible."
Pei Si Yan let out a soft "humph", she also wanted to uncover the truth as soon as possible and single-handedly strangle the person who framed her.
A group of people hurriedly out of the assassin's mansion door, in the freezing snow there is a large group of people kneeling at the door, with tears chanting "Wuban adult is innocent" and other slogans.
Hong Tang two people are surprised, Pei Siyan glanced to the expressionless Li Qingyan - in all probability this matter is his doing, have to sigh his speed as if his swordsmanship is generally fast and swift, the last time to bring Geng master to see the granary thing is also, he in a short period of time will be carried to the next door of the warehouse where the mouldy rice is located new rice, hidden from the sky and the sea.
"Everyone get up quickly," Pei Si Yan hurriedly walked up, "The weather is cold, don't freeze your body."
The old woman who had asked Pei Si Yan for help knelt on the ground and refused to get up, shouting at Hong Pei, "Lord, Lord Woo Pan is a good person na, you can't wrong her!"
Hong Pei coughed twice and walked to Pei Si Yan's side, "Whether it's right or wrong this official has his own public judgement, old man you don't need to worry."
"But ..."
"Granny," Pei Si Yan said with a smile, "You really don't need to worry, I just have something I need to go back to the imperial capital, it's not what you guys think. Everyone hurry back."
Seeing Pei Si Yan talking like it was true, the people got up from the ground one after another, and only gradually dispersed after saying good things about Pei Si Yan again and again.
Hong Pei looked at the silhouettes of the people, pondering, Tang Zhanxian called him several times before he came back to his senses.
"My humble servant won't be long to see them off, please have a good walk, Lord Wuban." Hong Pei owed his body nonchalantly.
"I wish you all the best, my innocence can be entrusted to you, Lord Hong." Pei Si Yan nodded and boarded the carriage.
The caravan slowly started, Pei Si Yan looked through the window at the county city where she stayed for almost a month, watching the place from the beginning of the unrest due to starvation to the present stability and peace, there was a small satisfaction in her heart temporarily replacing her anger, no matter what, she finally had something to do, for the future road slowly paving the foundation and accumulating experience.
The grey sky drifts down sporadic snowflakes, Pei Si Yan reaches out to pick up, but there is never a piece that falls in her palm.
"Miss, it's cold outside." Yun Qi, who was travelling in the same carriage, said kindly.
Pei Si Yan let out a lost sigh and closed the window.
The wind and snow were getting heavier and heavier, gradually covering the line of wheel hoof prints on the ground without a trace.
******
After another half a month of travelling, Pei Si Yan finally returned to the imperial capital after two months of absence. The weather in the imperial capital is also cold, the first snowfall of winter has just fallen, the children are running happily in the street, throwing snowballs at each other, the adults are helplessly chasing after the children, reminding them not to slip and fall.
Pei Si Yan stomped her frozen feet and jumped off the carriage, looking at the bustling market while waiting for the guards to fix the damaged wheels.
When entering the city just now, the horse did not know what spooked it into running wildly for a few steps, and the wheel hit a hard stone impartially, almost breaking in half. The coachman hurriedly stopped the carriage, and the guards ran close by to the city gate building to ask for a new wheel to replace it.
In fact, there are not many steps to the palace, but Li Qingyan insisted on taking the carriage, the last time he walked to the palace, the assassin found the opportunity to make him not dare to slack off easily again.
"Miss, the people over there seem to be talking about you." Yun Qi whispered, making a glance towards the street corner.
"Discussing me for what?" Pei Si Yan didn't bother to look, it must be that the matter of "embezzlement of food and silver for disaster relief" had spread in the imperial capital, and she had become a topic of discussion in her own right, just about to be on the front page of the newspaper, but unfortunately, there was no such thing as a newspaper in the Spirit Abyss continent.
The maid was silent for a while, her tone was cautious: "They are all quite angry, they look ..."
Pei Si Yan walked towards the nearly repaired carriage, unimpressed, "Eight or nine of them are saying that I'm embezzling, don't pay attention to them, jumping to conclusions without knowing what's right or wrong, boring."
"My lord, the carriage has been repaired, please get on." The guards came to report.
"Well," Pei Si Yan forgot to look towards the towering bell tower of the palace in the distance, taking a deep breath of the icy air, stirring his lungs to raw pain, "The blizzard is coming!"