This was a matter of life and death for the emperor, and time was of the essence. That very night, Jiang Yankun set out with his troops, secretly accompanied by guards arranged by the Xuanwu Emperor.
Minister Pei of the Privy Council was no fool. He knew there must be imperial confidants among these men, and rash action would only put the entire Pei family in danger.
Moreover, the Pei family no longer had any concubines in the palace, and they had no intention of rebellion. If the emperor died, Jiang Xinyue would undoubtedly become the Empress Dowager.
Her first act might well be to destroy the Pei family.
So Minister Pei didn't order his subordinate officials to intervene, pretending not to notice them instead.
Besides, the Miao Borderlands people were mysterious and elusive - Jiang Yankun might not even find them!
"Crash!"
The sound of a broken wine jar came from outside: "Get out of my way! I am the legitimate grandson of the Minister of the Privy Council. If you dare block me, I'll have you killed!"
"My lord, it's... it's the young master."
Ever since Pei Zhishuo had been diagnosed by the imperial physician as being unable to perform conjugal duties, he had been drowning his anger in wine daily. When drunk, he would curse the emperor and the imperial consort, so Minister Pei had ordered him confined, forbidden to go anywhere.
The Pei family's eldest grandson had become a eunuch - it was too shameful for the family to bear.
They could only keep him confined for now, and after returning to the capital, quickly arrange a marriage for him. Whichever noble lady was unfortunate enough would be chosen, and they would rush to complete the marriage. Then they could adopt a child from within the clan, and the matter would be considered settled.
"Pei Zhishuo, what are you making such a fuss about?"
Minister Pei strode out, grabbed the youth's shoulders, and threw him to the ground: "Quickly take the young master back to his room. If he escapes again, you know the consequences."
The servants who had been hesitant to use force before now restrained Pei Zhishuo roughly, not caring if they hurt him as they lifted him from the ground.
"Grandfather! Grandfather, it was that witch Jiang Xinyue who ruined me, help me take revenge, please help me take revenge! I'm your own grandson, I beg you to help me get revenge, please?"
His crying was extremely pitiful, and Minister Pei's stern eyes softened. He walked over and brushed the dust from Pei Zhishuo's face, suddenly showing a ruthless expression: "How could grandfather not feel for you? You'll see, grandfather will certainly avenge you. As long as you behave yourself and don't cause trouble before we return to the capital, grandfather will use the heads of the Jiang family to vent your anger. Trust grandfather and do as he says."
Hope ignited in Pei Zhishuo's clouded eyes, and he sobered up considerably: "Grandfather, I'll do everything you say. As long as you avenge me, I'll obey you completely."
As a man, losing his manhood was something he couldn't accept.
And the Jiang family who caused all this deserved to die.
"My lord..."
"What should we do?"
Minister Pei stroked his beard: "Jiang Yankun is meticulous and suspicious by nature. They split into four teams, heading separately to Southeast Guizhou, the southwestern mountains, and the borders of Jingzhou, all to create confusion and prevent anyone from stopping them."
His follower asked: "Then our men..."
"We can't let the emperor know."
The sixty-plus-year-old Minister Pei was still sharp: "Jiang Yankun specifically requested the emperor's personal eunuch, and they took the Jingzhou route with their men, intending to lure us to follow them. Such an obvious tactic won't fool this old man."
"My lord means we won't pursue Secretary Jiang?"
"We'll take the Southeast Guizhou route."
It wasn't because he was certain the Miao people skilled in witchcraft lived there, but because Jiang Yankun had taken such pains to conceal it, trying to divert attention. The other three teams, including himself, were all meant to hide the true intentions of this one team.
Only the team heading to Southeast Guizhou was led by the famous martial arts master from the Ministry of Punishment, known for his bravery and wisdom.
This man had contributed significantly to Jiang Yankun's position as Minister of Punishment and was his trusted strategist.
He didn't believe Jiang Yankun would risk his life seeking medicine for the emperor - the Miao Borderlands territory wasn't easy to enter.
So there could only be one possibility - they were creating a diversion, making a feint to the east while attacking in the west.
Minister Pei wasn't the only one who thought this way. When the Duke of Cheng in the capital received news of the emperor being afflicted by witchcraft, he immediately went to the palace to see Consort De: "This is a good opportunity to bring down the Jiang family. We must act before Ma Yiyang, reach the Miao people in the southeast, and kill them all."
If all the Miao people were killed, Ma Yiyang wouldn't be able to get the antidote, and the emperor wouldn't receive treatment. He would surely blame the Jiang family.
Then, the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng could execute the evil consort on charges of regicide and treason, and put the third prince on the throne.
Consort De nervously clenched her fists: "Father, are you absolutely certain? Jiang Xinyue is unnaturally crafty. My carefully laid plans have failed several times due to various issues. I don't know if it's because her methods are extraordinary or if she's simply heaven's favorite, always turning misfortune into fortune. We can't act rashly without absolute certainty."
"Don't worry about this."
The Duke of Cheng smiled and said: "That old fool from the Pei family has lost his head seeking revenge since his grandson was castrated by the Imperial Consort. I'll plant some men among his people, and when everything comes to light, the Pei family will take all the blame, with no connection to our Duke's Mansion."
Only then did Consort De relax: "Father, about the divine physician you mentioned earlier..."
"He's already been settled in the Duke's Mansion. When Xuan returns, we'll find a way to have him visit - the physician can't enter the palace directly."
It was extremely difficult to bring a stranger into the palace.
Minister Pei's daughter had brought in a snake woman last year, but she was quickly discovered and paid with her life.
The Pei family was full of fools, which was why the Pei clan had been declining year after year.
"Your Highness, terrible news! The store-"
Luyin rushed in frantically but, upon seeing the Duke of Cheng, fell to her knees in fright, unable to speak for a long while.
The Duke of Cheng glanced at Consort De, then looked at the frightened Luyin: "What's so terrible?"
Luyin shook her head vigorously: "The storehouse where Your Highness keeps the flower fertilizer - because of the rain these past few days, the roof leaked, and the guards didn't discover it in time. When this servant went to check just now, many precious flower seeds and fertilizers were all moldy."
Consort De loved growing and cultivating flowers, and this was truly devastating news to her.
The Duke of Cheng had no interest in his youngest daughter's hobbies and left after giving Luyin a glance: "I will arrange everything. Just wait for good news in the palace."
Consort De quickly had the palace servants escort the Duke of Cheng out, then immediately slapped Luyin: "Fool, I was almost discovered by father."
"This servant wouldn't dare!"
Luyin held back her tears: "Your Highness, what should we do? Xiao Ronghua has escaped."
