Wrapped In Golden Branch - Chapter 23

Chapter 23
The Prince Consort’s background has changed
?

“Lord Qiao, the Emperor only let you ask a few questions but didn’t say he would allow you to take the person away.” The Imperial Guard Commander in flying fish uniform reminded him coldly.

Qiao Kaiyuan hurriedly said: “Commander, please rest a$sured. I understand.”

Although the Imperial Guard Commander’s rank was below him, the Imperial Guards were directly under the Emperor and could not be offended.

Pei Yujin’s hands and feet were unrestrained, so he hurriedly came forward, holding the iron fence firmly, looking panicked. “Uncle, please, please let me go! I know my mistake!”

“I shouldn’t play around. I shouldn’t have been involved with other girls when I was engaged with the Princess. I know I was wrong!”

During the half-month he was imprisoned in the Northern Office, Pei Yujin received no punishment except the fifty planks at the beginning, and he did not miss one meal every day. However, he was still worried all day long, fearing that one day he would die after falling asleep.

Qiao Kaiyuan did not respond to his words. He only looked at his thin face and raised cheekbones with a complicated expression. As Li Kangning had just expected, Marquis Huai’an did not dare to make a big splash to find his son because he suspected that the palace most likely caused his son’s disappearance. After thinking about it, Marquis Huai’an had no choice but to go to his brother-in-law, Qiao Kaiyuan, hoping he could enter the palace to seek mercy from the Emperor. It happened that Qiao Kaiyuan found some clues from that year. He reported them all to the Emperor and, with his permission, came to the Northern Office to interrogate Pei Yujin.

“Yujin, you know your life experience very well, right?” Qiao Kaiyuan’s eyes were as sharp as an eagle.

Pei Yujin was stunned when he heard this, and a chill ran down his spine. After a moment, he said uneasily: “Uncle, what did you say? Yujin doesn’t understand.”

“You don’t understand?” Qiao Kaiyuan said every word. “Why do you a$sociate with Du Ruoqing? She is Mrs. Jin’s niece.” His voice was deep and cold.

“Last time we met at the Marquis Mansion, I asked if you rem*mbered your grandfather before I left. You were panicked, weren’t you?”

Pei Yujin was as silent as a cicada, and his face became paler with every sentence he heard. He still insisted, “Uncle…”

Qiao Kaiyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, “I have found and interrogated the several women who delivered babies to Shuyun and Mrs. Jin, as well as the w*t nurses who took care of you.”

The Marquis Huai’an’s two sons were born in the same year, and their birthdays were on the eighth and ninth day of August, respectively. When Qiao Shuyun, Marquis Huai’an’s wife, learned that her maid, Xingyun, also had her husband’s flesh and blood during her pregnancy, she was depressed and suffered from dystocia during childbirth. On the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, she died. The two babies who were born have not yet grown up and look the same. The w*t nurse who had taken care of Pei Yujin relented after repeated interrogations. She said she vaguely noticed the difference in the young Heir back then. But the Mansion was in mourning, and the Marquis was grief-stricken, crying to the point of falling into a coma several times. She didn’t want or dare to speak out about the abnormality she discovered. After all, no matter whether her guess was correct, she couldn’t escape the responsibility for her negligence, so it was better to pretend that nothing happened.

Qiao Kaiyuan was both angry and ashamed. He was furious that his brother-in-law, the Marquis of Huai’an, was stupid and lax in his governance. He was also embarrassed that he had neglected his young sister and nephew, who were far away in the capital, while he was in the northwest. When he thought about his young sister’s early death and his only child being mistreated and left alone all year round, he closed his eyes as if he had no strength, and his chest heaved violently.

The dungeon of Northern Office was dark and damp, filled with thick blood and stench. The faint sound of mice “squeaking” could be heard. Much cold sweat fell from Pei Yujin’s forehead, and he embedded his fingers in his palms. He didn’t know what Qiao Kaiyuan had found and didn’t dare to say anything. He only secretly resented why Pei Yizhi didn’t die on the battlefield! At first, he didn’t believe Mrs. Jin’s words. He just felt that she had some agenda and was talking nonsense. Until he met Qiao’s grandfather —

Marquis Huai’an had always hated the bastard who killed his beloved wife and had never paid attention to Pei Yizhi’s appearance. But Pei Yujin knew very well the appearance of the illegitimate brother imprisoned in Yanshan Villa. He was 50% or 60% similar to Grandfather Qiao! After three years of training on the battlefield, Pei Yizhi had become more heroic, more powerful, and a bit more like —

“Yujin, tell everything you know truthfully.” Qiao Kaiyuan said quietly.

“As long as you are willing to confess, I will ask the Emperor to release you and spare your life.”

The Emperor and the Princess had no intention of taking Pei Yujin’s life but only planned to imprison him for a while as punishment. But Pei Yujin had endured half a month of mental torture, and now he was like a frightened bird, fearing that his life would be in jeopardy. Seeing that he seemed moved, Qiao Kaiyuan added: “Even if you don’t confess, I already have conclusive evidence.”

“Just think about it.” After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave.

The Imperial Guard Commander also stepped faster to lead the way for him. Pei Yujin was in a state of confusion and dilemma. His whole body was shaky, and he almost collapsed. His heart sank watching the two figures walking away—— “Uncle, don’t leave!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I’ll say! I will confess to Uncle!”

?

At the Princess Mansion, the next day.

Pei Yizhi rode his horse in high spirits early in the morning and went to work at the guard station in the northern capital. In the thick autumn afternoon, the sky was blue and cloudless.

Li Kangning, clad in a light apricot-colored narrow-sleeved coat and skirt, leisurely came to the studio by the lake after lunch. Just as she picked up the brush, she suddenly felt her wrists were sore, and she couldn’t help but curse the insatiable man last night. But he did treat her very well by his lips and tongue.

Li Kangning’s face turned pale, and she dared not think anymore. At this moment, a little eunuch rushed in anxiously, panting and out of breath.

Zhi Lan frowned and was about to reprimand. However, the little eunuch said anxiously with a pale face: “Princess, the Emperor declares that you, the Prince Consort, and Marquis Huai’an must enter the palace immediately, saying that it is because the Prince Consort’s background has changed…”

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