Chapter 292

Chapter 292 Lord Jing Cried for Help

“He Mansion’s third young master?” Pei Yuanjun raised his long and narrow eyes and looked at a small jar of water lotus on the table.

The jar was only as big as a normal flower pot, but it was very delicate. The water lotus inside the vat was also not big, but it was pretty. Its color graduated from blue to pink, which was very beautiful.

Although it was beautiful, it was eclipsed by Lord Yun.

Above its big leaves, the water lotus was swaying, looking extremely gorgeous.

“Yes. It was said that Third Young Master He went to Qu Mansion to look at Fourth Lady Qu personally. When he returned to his mansion, he was very satisfied and agreed to marry her. His family is already preparing betrothal presents.”

Ji Hai reported with a smile.

“What betrothal presents did they prepare?” Pei Yuanjun asked lazily as he flicked the water lotus jar with his slender fingers.

Ji Hai answered carefully, “I really don’t know, but I heard that they didn’t prepare many gifts. It seems that the others in He Mansion aren’t satisfied with Fourth Lady Qu.”

Pei Yuanjun stood up with his hands behind his back. He stood on the rockery and looked down at the scenery of his mansion. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.

Ji Hai stole a glance at Pei Yuanjun’s handsome face and tried his best to stay away from him. The more Pei Yuanjun laughed and the more indifferent he looked, the angrier he was. Whoever annoyed him now was bound to suffer. Therefore, Ji Hai hurriedly added one thing to conclude his report.

“I heard that there was another dispute today. It was said that Lord Jing Mansion wanted Third Young Master He to marry First Lady Qu, but Third Young Master He refused.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Pei Yuanjun sneered, “How dare he be so choosy?”

Ji Hai still wanted to step back. He had already reached the corner of the pavilion, but if he was cautious enough, he could lean against the pillar at the back, which was the furthest away from Pei Yuanjun.

“Since Pei Yusheng has intervened, we should help him!” Pei Yuanjun continued, walking down the stairs of the rockery with his hands behind his back.

“In the matter of Third Young Master He?” Ji Hai was already prepared. He had been well prepared when he heard that Third Young Master He was going to be engaged with Qu Moying.

Others might not know about this matter, but how could Ji Hai not know about it? But it was not a big deal to Pei Yuanjun.

Pei Yuanjun said lazily without answering Ji Hai’s question, “Prepare a carriage for me. I am going to the palace.”

“My lord, I will prepare it immediately.” Ji Hai hurriedly said. Although he lowered his head, he secretly smiled. He knew it would be like this. Although Pei Yuanjun looked like he didn’t care about anything, it was not true. Ji Hai knew how much Pei Yuanjun cared about Qu Moying, but he could share this truth with nobody, which made him feel pity.

As for Third Young Master He, Ji Hai didn’t give a damn to him. How could such a nobody compare with his master Lord Yu?

When Third Young Master He’s deeds were revealed, people in the capital were shocked.

First, a family went to He Mansion to make trouble, saying that their daughter went to He Mansion to be a maid, but she had never returned home. They didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

Following that, someone went to the governor of the capital to make a complaint. The person said that his daughter was He Mansion’s maid. She would sometimes return home before, but she had not returned home recently. He went to He Mansion to look for his daughter, but he was told that his daughter had eloped with someone.

But when he asked whom exactly his daughter ran away with, the other party couldn’t answer him but just told him that she had run away with a servant to an unknown place.

The rumors suddenly began to spread. It was said that Third Young Master He philandered beautiful women and tortured them to death every time. Whenever he killed a woman, he casually threw her into the mess grave. Even his ex-wife was a victim to his heinous deeds. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have died in such a short period after marrying him.

It was said that his ex-wife had always been in good health before she married into He Mansion. After she married, her health deteriorated by the day. However, she was ashamed to tell her family. It was said that every time her family went to see her, she would always cry bitterly. Her body became weaker and weaker.

The cause of her death was said to be a serious cold. However, someone in He Mansion said that the medicine she took was not for curing cold.

These gossips were a mixture of truth and falsehood, and for a time, even the ex-Third Madam He’s family was alarmed.

Since they could marry their daughter to Third Young Master He, the most promising one among the other young masters in He Mansion, it could be seen that the ex-Third Madam He’s family was no ordinary. After they heard about this matter, they sued Third Young Master He in court.

The governor of the capital went to take the people in front of He Mansion away. Now, there were three cases in total, which all targeted Third Young Master He.

The entire capital was alarmed by such a case.

In front of the royal palace’s imperial study, Pei Yusheng rapid walked over. When he reached the door, he calmed his breathing and looked at the palace attendant guarding outside the door.

“Is there anyone by Father’s side?”

The young eunuch answered in a low voice, “Lord Yun is inside.”

Pei Yusheng frowned. Why was Pei Yuanjun here at this time? It was no good for him, but he could not wait any longer. He wanted to ask something else, but he knew that it was inappropriate. How could he inquire too much about his father’s thing? He could only say, “Go and report to His Majesty that I want to see him.”

The young eunuch complied and went inside.

The imperial study was quiet. The emperor was reading reports inside, and Pei Yuanjun was reading a report that the emperor had just asked him to review.

Li Quan, who was standing behind the emperor, frowned when he saw the young eunuch coming over.

The young eunuch was so scared that he didn’t dare to speak for a moment. However, he then saw Li Quan nod at him, and he knew he was allowed to speak, so he hurriedly knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, Lord Jing is here.”

“What is he doing here?” The emperor muttered to himself, then nodded casually, “Let him in!”

The young eunuch walked out to invite Pei Yusheng in. Pei Yusheng tidied up his clothes and entered the imperial study. He respectfully bowed to the emperor, “Greetings, Father Emperor.”

“Save the formalities.” The emperor put down the report in his hand and asked indifferently, “Why did you come to see me?”

Seeing that Pei Yusheng was in a hurry and did not look well, he knew something big must have happened.

“Father Emperor, please save me.” Pei Yusheng fell to his knees with a thud, and his eyes were red.

“What happened?” The emperor’s face darkened. Lord Jing had never come to ask him for help. It could be seen that this was definitely a big deal.

“Father… Father… If… if you really can’t tolerate me, I am willing to guard the imperial mausoleum and stay in a remote place for the rest of my life.” Pei Yusheng said with tears in his eyes, looking extremely wronged.

Pei Yuanjun had already put down the report in his hand. He leaned to the side and rested his elbow on the chair. He lazily watched Lord Jing complain to the emperor. He looked quite pleased, as if he was watching a show. His beautiful lips curled up, and his eyes were glistening.

“What exactly happened? Who can’t tolerate you?” The emperor slapped his hand on the imperial desk and shouted angrily. Pei Yusheng was his son. Although he might not be his most beloved son, he was still his son. He wondered who dared to force Pei Yusheng to this point. Didn’t they even take him seriously?

Pei Yusheng stopped keeping the emperor in suspense and directly said, “Father Emperor, something happened to my uncle’s family.” He wiped his tears and continued, “Just now, many people went to He Mansion to make trouble. They suddenly accused He Dayu. Almost at the same time, some people went to governor of the capital to accuse him. How could there be such a coincidence? Even if He Dayu really did bad things, how could people come to him at the same time?”

He Dayu was Noble Consort He’s nephew, and he was the most promising one in his family. The emperor had heard Noble Consort He talk about him more than once, so he naturally knew him. He had seen He Dayu before. He Dayu was good-looking and also quite talented. Many people said that he would definitely pass the Imperial Examination next spring.

The emperor also thought highly of him.

He didn’t expect something to happen to He Dayu. According to what Pei Yusheng said, someone was behind this. Could it be that someone wanted to frame Pei Yusheng by framing Third Young Master He?

Thinking of this, the emperor could not calm down. If there was anyone who would frame Pei Yusheng, the emperor could think of no one but his eldest son.

“What did He Dayu do?” The emperor asked in a low voice. He leaned back and looked coldly at Pei Yusheng, trying to figure out this whole thing.

Even if someone set He Dayu up, there must be a reason.

“They said that He Dayu did something to his ex-wife. But the ex-Third Madam He died of a cold. However, her family insisted that she didn’t die of a cold but because of He Dayu, and they even said…” Pei Yusheng paused for a moment because these things were not pleasant to hear, but now he had to say it, so he could only grit his teeth and continue, “They said that He Dayu did the same thing to another two maids.”

It was all about women. Pei Yusheng’s words were vague, but the emperor understood what he meant, and his face darkened. “Did He Dayu kill those women and even his ex-wife?”

“Father Emperor, how could he do such a thing? He Dayu is gentle and quiet. He barely does anything other than reading. How could he do such evil things? His ex-wife died because of her poor health. Things about his mansion’s maids were even more suspicious. Maybe someone else was the murderer, or maybe the maids ran away with others.”

Before Pei Yusheng entered the palace, He Mansion’s people had come to him and told him the whole story. He thought he knew the matter clearly.

He thought someone was scheming against him, and the person first dealt with He Dayu, his right-hand man.

The emperor asked again, “Are you sure this has something to do with you?”

“Father Emperor, if it has nothing to do with me and Mother Consort, who would harm such a scholar who doesn’t even have an official rank? How could there be so many people accusing him at the same time? There must be something behind this.” Pei Yusheng said angrily. It could be seen from some clues that this thing was unreasonable. Pei Yusheng believed the emperor could also tell.

“Lord Jing, you think that someone wanted to deal with you by dealing with Third Young Master He. But did Third Young Master He really do all those things? Lord Jing, there’s no smoke without fire.”

A lazy voice came from the side. What Pei Yuanjun said hit the nail on the head…

Pei Yusheng’s face froze.