Chapter 415: Inciting Him to War

Chapter 415: Inciting Him to War

Hey, it’s not like I’m trying to take advantage of you. If you want, wash yourself then.

Zheng Jinyu placed the items nearby and turned to leave.

She calculated that Xie Peiyu hadn’t finished yet, so she called for a servant to add another bucket of hot water.

Bathing and washing hair took a long time, especially the hair.

In ancient times, washing one’s hair was quite troublesome—long and abundant, with no running water, only a dipper to rinse slowly.

After washing, one had to dry it by sitting in front of a fire stove, wringing it out with a handkerchief, using the heat from the stove to speed up the drying process.

Only wealthy families had these conditions; poor families faced difficulties in winter, as without charcoal fires, their water could freeze. It was said they would try to reduce the frequency of washing their hair as much as possible.

Sometimes, the whole family would wash their hair together to save on charcoal.

While helping him wring out his hair, they talked about his journey.

He only shared the good news, skipping over the dangerous parts, focusing mainly on this mission.

"Gao Zhi’s birth mother is indeed from Yu City and was a well-known merchant there. The old Prince of Prince Zhong's Mansion went to Yu City on business and stayed there for nearly a month. When he returned to the capital, he brought back the daughter of that merchant.

Our investigation revealed that the merchant woman was already engaged. According to the elderly who served her, the two were deeply in love, making them a perfect match. However, the old Prince fancied her, and her father, to curry favor with the old Prince, sent her to be his concubine. When he returned to the capital, he brought her along."

Zheng Jinyu pondered and asked, "So when she was with the old Prince, she wasn’t married yet?"

Xie Peiyu shook his head, "No, she was supposed to get married after the New Year, but the old Prince took her away six months before that."

"Given that, how can Gao Zhi not be the old Prince’s child?"

Xie Peiyu smiled faintly, "I don’t know. Only Gao Zhi’s biological parents would know. However, when I showed Gao Zhi’s portrait to the elders in Yu City who knew her, they all said Gao Zhi bears a striking resemblance to her. I suspect that’s why the old Prince is convinced Gao Zhi isn’t his son."

Xie Peiyu thought he needed to meet the old Prince again in a couple of days.

Zheng Jinyu said, "Gao Zhi’s birth mother died long ago. He is now the Emperor. To claim he isn’t of royal blood, relying on witnesses won’t be enough; we need convincing evidence."

Xie Peiyu sighed and nodded, "Yes, so we must find a way to locate that person."

Zheng Jinyu asked, "Is he still alive?"

"I don’t know, but he should be."

"Should be?"

"It’s rumored that many years ago, someone from the capital caused trouble for that family, framing them and sending them to prison, aiming to eliminate them completely. With the Emperor far away, such actions weren’t easy. That family spent some money and managed to escape."

"Who did this? Gao Zhi?"

"No, Gao Zhi was young then, probably unaware of why the old Prince disliked him or his true identity."

"So it was the old Prince?"

"Yes, a prince’s power is limited, which is why they escaped."

Xie Peiyu added, "I need to visit the old Prince again. Perhaps I can learn something useful from him."

He didn’t go that night, planning to enter the palace the next day and rest for a few days afterward.

Such a significant matter couldn’t be resolved overnight.

Rushing wouldn’t help.

When he entered the palace, the Princess Consort accompanied him.

Before reporting official matters, the Princess Consort pulled Xie Peiyu aside and cried to the Emperor.

"This time, Peiyu suffered greatly, returning wounded, almost falling victim to those unruly peasants."

"Yes, I’ve heard about it. For his suffering and great contributions, I have prepared gold and silver rewards."

"Who cares about those things? Are they more important than life?"

"Well…" The Emperor looked troubled, "What does my sister suggest?"

"Your Majesty must send troops to punish those people and avenge Peiyu."

The Emperor pursed his lips.

Xie Peiyu said, "Mother, those people are ordinary citizens. They suffered disasters and waited in vain for relief, leaving them no choice but to rebel. The government has already distributed food and calmed them down."

The Emperor smiled, "Yes, Peiyu is right. They are just ordinary citizens, driven to rebellion by hunger. Their crime doesn’t warrant death."

"Hmph, if you say so, what about thieves?"

"Well…"

"Take the beggar who stole my daughter-in-law’s carriage last time. He did it for a bun. Not just him, countless thieves do it for survival, even human traffickers who steal children to sell. Aren’t they also doing it for survival? Do they count as wrong?"

Her words left the Emperor speechless.

The Princess Consort continued, "I heard they robbed many local gentry and even the local government office. Peiyu, whom Your Majesty appointed as a Prince, was delivering food, and they still robbed him. These people committed treason. Shouldn’t they be punished?"

"Well…”

"I think they shouldn’t be let off. We need to make an example of them. Otherwise, if similar incidents happen again, they’ll repeat their actions. Cause a riot, rob, and the government will obediently send food. Once they taste the benefits, such incidents will increase."

Hearing this, the Emperor began to seriously consider the matter.

It seems to be the case.

Which year is free from natural disasters or human calamities? There are always many people who can't afford to eat due to various reasons. If everyone acted up like this, it would be unmanageable.

"Imperial Sister has a point," he said after taking a deep breath. "However, this matter is significant. We need to carefully consider how to handle it, whether to engage in battle, and who should lead the troops. It requires careful planning."

The Princess smiled. "That's true. The specifics should be left to the officials; they shouldn't receive their salaries for nothing. Your Majesty, I'll take Yu'er back now. Please give him some time off; he needs to recover from his injuries."

He never refused her requests, so he readily agreed.

"Alright, let's give Yu'er a half-month leave."

Xie Peiyu followed the Princess back to their residence. As soon as they entered the room, he asked anxiously, "Mother, why did you suggest sending him to fight against the disaster-stricken civilians? They are ordinary people whose homes have been devastated by disasters and who have lost loved ones. They only gathered together to raid the local gentry and government offices because they couldn't survive otherwise. They only took food to sustain themselves and clothes to keep warm; they didn't harm anyone."

The Princess leaned back in her chair, smiling faintly. "Didn't they gather an army to rebel?"

Xie Peiyu replied, "The rumor about the disaster victims gathering an army to rebel is somewhat misleading. There are indeed bandits who use the guise of disaster victims to loot food. Even without the disaster, these individuals would still be bandits who burn, kill, and plunder."