Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 347 Pei Degu is captured

Pei Degu left Jia Changchao's duty room and returned to his own room in the government office, where he immediately bolted the door shut.

The morning sun had already risen outside the window, and the bright light shone through the window frame, clearly illuminating the anxiety and ruthlessness intertwined on his face.

He paced back and forth in the cramped room like a trapped beast.

"Bang, bang."

The sound of boots stepping on the blue bricks was particularly jarring in the silence.

Two carefully selected skilled men managed to get that damned accountant to escape onto the main road with his broken body, only to be caught red-handed by the constables of Kaifeng Prefecture!

Although the report said that the man had been stabbed several times and was unlikely to survive, what if he was?
What if he still had a breath left and confessed something to Bao Zheng?

Bao Zheng's investigative skills were no joke. He solved the fake prince case back then cleanly and efficiently. Who in the whole of Tokyo didn't know how amazing Bao Zheng was?

Thinking of this, Pei Degu couldn't help but shudder.

Forging Privy Council documents, framing the Imperial Guard Commander, and implicating the newly appointed Provincial Governor—if these crimes were exposed, Jia Xianggong might be able to clear his name, but he himself would definitely be the scapegoat pushed out to take the blame!
But Pei Degu had no choice.

When the Lu brothers escorted the coffin back to their hometown, he thought they would never be able to make a comeback. In addition, Pei Deyu was still alive, and Pei Yan was, after all, his daughter, so he did not risk doing something to wipe them out.

Who could have predicted that instead of killing the snake, you would suffer the consequences!

More than a decade later, Lu Beigu suddenly rose to prominence!
This gave him a strong sense of crisis, because the other party's potential was terrifyingly visible to the naked eye!
If such a powerful figure who poses a great threat to him cannot be nipped in the bud before he enters officialdom, wouldn't he be doomed once he has gained power and even risen to a high position?

He would never allow it!
Therefore, Pei Degu chose to strike first this time.

Unfortunately, things haven't gone as he hoped.

"No! We absolutely cannot let this accountant speak! We must shut him up completely!"

A fierce glint flashed in Pei Degu's eyes. He stopped pacing and made up his mind.

We can't act recklessly. Sending people to storm Kaifeng Prefecture and kill them to silence them would be suicide. The only way is to work from within and let the accountant die "naturally" inside.

"Pei Fu!"

He unlocked the door and summoned his trusted confidant, who was also a servant of the Pei family, from the guard room next door.

Pei Fu has been a member of the Pei family since his grandfather's generation, and he is no different from family members.

"What are your orders, sir?"

Pei Fu asked in a low voice.

He has now been assigned by Pei Degu to work as a minor official in the Privy Council, which is essentially to follow Pei Degu around and handle matters that Pei Degu cannot reveal himself.

Pei Degu glanced outside to make sure no one was watching before locking the door again. He lowered his voice and ordered, "Go find 'Officer Cui' immediately and tell him that I need to know whether the seriously injured accountant who was sent into the Kaifeng Prefecture prison yesterday is alive or dead, no matter the cost! Be quick!"

"Cui Ganban" was a well-known middleman who mingled among all sorts of people in Kaifeng Prefecture. No one knew his real name. He was known by this nickname because of his efficiency and his ability to network with government officials.

Pei Fu knew the matter was of great importance, so he dared not ask any more questions and simply nodded emphatically: "Understood!"

He immediately turned around and left without a sound.

Time passed slowly, and Pei Degu was as restless as an ant on a hot pan.

Every moment of his wait felt like being fried in oil, both hoping for good news and dreading bad news.

About an hour later, Pei Fu finally knocked on the door, two long knocks followed by one short one.

Pei Degu suddenly stood up and opened the door. Pei Fu slipped in, slightly out of breath, and whispered, "Master, I've found out. Cui Ganban said that the man is still clinging to life. Kaifeng Prefecture has invited a doctor and is using ginseng soup to keep him alive. I'm afraid he might only last another day or two."

"Sure enough, he's not dead!"

Pei Degu's heart tightened; the worst had happened.

His eyes flashed with malice, and he grabbed Pei Fu's sleeve, his voice low and barely audible, as if squeezed out between clenched teeth: "Go tell Cui Ganban again! Tell him to immediately bribe the clerk in charge of delivering the meals and put poison in the food in the accounting office! Make it the fastest and most discreet way possible! I want him to die before sunset today!"

He took out a heavy little bag filled with gleaming gold ingots and stuffed it into Pei Fu's hand: "This is the deposit. Tell Manager Cui that after the matter is settled, there will be ten times this amount!"

Pei Fu's hand trembled slightly as he accepted the wealth that would have provided an ordinary family with a worry-free life for ten years. His throat tightened and he swallowed hard.

"Yes, sir."

He had done a lot of dirty work for Pei Degu and knew the risks involved, but he also knew that Pei Degu had no way out. So he said no more, put the small bag in his pocket and left.

At noon, at the Kaifeng Prefectural Government Office.

There was actually a special prison inside Kaifeng Prefecture called "Fusi West Prison". It was constructed entirely of brick and stone, with the walls and ground built of stone to prevent prisoners from escaping by digging through the walls or tunnels. The prison was divided into male and female cells and was very heavily guarded.

However, because the accountant was not a criminal but a witness, he was not imprisoned at all.

What the clerks in Kaifeng Prefecture knew was that this important witness was being kept alive by Wang Anshi in a room by himself, with guards stationed at the door.

The old official in charge of delivering meals had already received the porridge from the kitchen, and he was tightly clutching a paper package in his hand.

He was torn between his own thoughts and the conversation he had just had.

"That seriously injured old man. Someone thought he was breathing too slowly, so they mixed this little 'seasoning' into his food without anyone noticing."

“This Master Cui, he was only brought in yesterday. I heard that the higher-ups specifically instructed us to keep a close watch on him. If he dies from poisoning, won't I be finished too?”

"Tsk, what are you afraid of? My 'seasoning' is very expensive! There won't be any symptoms of poisoning."

"Besides, he was already badly injured. If he drank it, he would die. Even if the coroner from Kaifeng Prefecture examines the body, they won't be able to tell that he was poisoned. They'll just assume he was taken by the King of Hell. They won't suspect you. Do you want to do it? This much money is enough for your retirement!"

Temptation and fear intertwined in his heart, and the internal struggle ended.

The old official finally gritted his teeth, poured the poison from the paper packet into the porridge, stirred it well, and sure enough, nothing was visible.

At the end of the passageway in the West Wing was a room with a single guard.

Two constables personally appointed by Wang Anshi stood with their hands on their swords, looking vigilant. Their main concern was preventing anyone from breaking in and killing them to cover their tracks.

The old official walked over with his head down, carrying a food box, his heart pounding like a drum, almost bursting out of his chest.

"The food is here." His voice was dry, and he didn't dare to look up.

A young constable took the food box, opened it, and saw a bowl of well-cooked minced meat porridge, which was the liquid food they had asked the kitchen for.

He nodded casually: "Alright, leave it here, we'll take it inside later."

After the old official left the place with trepidation, and there was no one around, the two constables entered the house.

The room was empty; there was no "accountant who was seriously injured and needed to be kept alive"—it was all a ruse.

The older officers walked to the left side of the house.

Watching the older constable's footsteps, the younger constable curled his lip and complained to his companion in a low voice, "The person isn't here, so just leave the food there. Why go through all this trouble of testing every meal for poison? It's such a hassle."

The older constable's face tightened, and he quickly gestured for him to be quiet: "Shh! Be careful! You know the rules of the prince. It's always better to be cautious. Try it quickly, so that if the prince asks, we can both have an explanation."

Although the young constable looked impatient, he still accepted the bamboo basket handed to him by the older constable.

—Inside was a gray rat that had been prepared beforehand.

He muttered as he opened the food box, scooped out a little porridge with a spoon, and put it into the steamer.

The rat initially sniffed around, seemingly unaware of anything amiss, before quickly starting to gnaw on the food.

However, in just a moment, it suddenly let out a faint screech, without foaming at the mouth or twitching its limbs a few times, before collapsing in the cage and becoming still.

The two people who were chatting turned around when they heard the noise, and were immediately horrified and turned pale.

They stared in disbelief at the lifeless rat in the cage.

"This...this..." The young constable took a step back in fright, his impatience replaced by horror: "Poison, poison! It's damn poisonous!"

"You stay here and keep watch, I'll go and report to the prince!"

The older constable realized what was happening, and his voice changed.

In the nearby duty room, Wang Anshi was engrossed in reviewing official documents when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Your Highness, something has happened!"

The older constable said urgently, "Just now someone tried to poison the food, but as you instructed, we tested it with a rat, and the rat died instantly!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Anshi's expression suddenly turned as cold as ice.

He slammed his brush down on the table with a "smack," completely ignoring the ink splattering onto his robes.

"They actually dared to extend their reach into Kaifeng Prefecture to carry out this smear campaign!"

He suddenly stood up and ordered, "Take me to see it first, and then I will report to Judge Bao."

Wang Anshi followed the bailiffs quickly into the room, where he bent down to carefully examine the dead gray rat in the bamboo cage.

"How dare you!" he spat out the two words through clenched teeth.

He immediately turned around and headed straight for the main hall where Bao Zheng was.

Bao Zheng was discussing official business with several subordinates when he saw Wang Anshi approaching with a cold expression and ink stains on his robes. Knowing that something major must have happened, he waved his hand to dismiss his attendants.

"Judge Bao!"

Wang Anshi's voice was extremely low: "The thieves could no longer restrain themselves and have extended their poisonous hands into the government office!"

He quickly informed them of the poison testing.

Upon hearing this, Bao Zheng's white eyebrows and beard suddenly rose.

"They truly disregard the law! Jie Fu, what do you think?"

"The situation is urgent!" Wang Anshi said decisively. "Please, Judge Bao, immediately order the sealing off of all exits of the government office. No one is allowed to leave except those who are allowed to enter! All clerks and servants on duty today must remain where they are and not move! Thoroughly investigate the kitchen staff, those who deliver meals, and all their contact points! This is the perfect opportunity to catch them like turtles in a jar; delay will only lead to unforeseen changes!"

Without hesitation, Bao Zheng said, "Your request shall be carried out immediately! I grant you full authority, and all personnel are at your disposal. You must bring this villain to justice!"

"As ordered!"

Wang Anshi turned and strode out to begin making arrangements.

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the Kaifeng government office became tense.

The heavy gates of the mansion slammed shut, and armored soldiers stood at attention with their weapons, blocking all passageways.

Officials, clerks, and runners were all ordered to remain where they were, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what was happening, and a sense of panic filled the air.

Wang Anshi acted swiftly and decisively, heading straight for the kitchen.

All cooks and kitchen staff were immediately taken into custody. He personally supervised the process, isolating and interrogating everyone who had handled that bowl of porridge, from rinsing the rice and starting the fire to cooking and packaging it.

Soon, the focus of the interrogation shifted to the old official in charge of delivering the food boxes.

The old official had been detained in a side room for half a day; his face was ashen, and his whole body was trembling like a leaf.

When Wang Anshi arrived, seeing his appearance, he did not rush to question him, but instead placed the dead rat and the poisoned porridge heavily in front of him.

"It's still warm. Are you hungry? Have a sip."

Upon seeing these things, the old official's mental defenses crumbled instantly, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Your Highness, spare me! I was forced! It was that 'Officer Cui' who forced me to do it! He gave me a packet of powder, saying that he would reward me handsomely after it was done. I was bewitched, I deserve to die!"

He recounted, with tears streaming down his face, how he was bribed and how he was poisoned.

Wang Anshi watched coldly and ordered the scribe to record the details and affix his seal.

After obtaining the confession, he immediately ordered: "Request the assistance of the Imperial City Guard to apprehend this 'Cui Ganban' throughout the city."

dusk.

Inside the Privy Council's Office of Imperial Decree, Pei Degu sat listlessly in his duty room.

The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, stretching his shadow long and thin.

He couldn't concentrate on reading a single word of the documents piled on his desk. He just tapped his fingers on the table, making a dull "tap, tap" sound, as if he were timing himself.

Pei Degu had never felt such torment.

It was as if Cui's office had sunk without a trace; no further news came back.

This complete loss of control and the unknown made him feel extremely lost. Several times he couldn't help but get up and walk to the door, listening to the sounds outside the corridor. Every footstep made his heart tighten, but each time it was just an ordinary clerk passing by, not news coming.

As his mind wandered, he even began to wonder if the poisoned food had actually been delivered. Perhaps it was too late, delivered in the evening? And was that damned accountant even dead yet?
Various speculations churned in his mind, weaving together into a complex web.

Just when he was almost suffocating from this silent torment, and was preparing to pack his things and leave work early so he could go home and try to find out more,

A series of hurried footsteps approached, and the door to the duty room was pushed open from the outside with a loud bang, the force of which was completely contrary to the rules of the Privy Council!
Pei Degu trembled with fright and suddenly looked up.

Several people were standing outside the door, and the one in the lead was a young eunuch with a fair complexion, dressed in the robes of the Inner Palace Attendants' Office.

His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, and he carried a cold and fierce aura that was beyond his years.

Pei Degu recognized the young eunuch; he was Li Xian, the head of the Imperial City Guard in charge of ice wells.

Although young, this person was a ruthless character who rose rapidly during the major reshuffle of the Imperial City Guard after the Emperor recovered from his illness last year. He was known for his decisive methods and lack of leniency.

Bingjing Wusi held immense power in investigation and criminal justice, and would never be in a place like the Privy Council unless he had nothing to do.

Behind him followed two tall, indifferent-looking Imperial City Guard officers, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

Pei Degu's heart sank to the bottom instantly, and a chilling fear rapidly rose from his tailbone along his spine.
He suppressed the gasp that almost escaped his lips, clenching his fists tightly under the table, his nails digging into his palms, trying to use the pain to maintain his last shred of composure.

He then stood up, forced a stiff and unsightly smile, and said in a dry voice, "Prefect Li? What brings you to my humble abode? What is His Majesty's decree?"

Li Xian didn't answer, but instead looked him up and down with his sharp eyes.

The air in the duty room seemed to freeze, so heavy that Pei Degu could hardly breathe.

After a moment, Li Xian slowly spoke, his voice flat and without any inflection, yet every word pierced Pei Degu's ears like an ice pick.

“Pei Chengzhi, there’s no need to pretend to be calm. I just met that ‘Cui Ganban’ whom you asked Pei Fu to find in the water dungeon.”

Li Xian was wicked. He deliberately paused, savoring Pei Degu's instantly pale face, before continuing.

"Guess what? He's a straightforward guy. Before I even had a chance to use any tricks, he told me everything."

Pei Degu's blood pressure spiked instantly. He felt as if something had exploded in his head, his vision went black, and his ears were ringing. Li Xian's words became indistinct.

It was as if all the blood in his body had been instantly drained, then rushed back in, making him dizzy and his limbs cold.

Two imperial guards, one on each side, supported him as he walked out of the Privy Council's Office, drawing stares from countless Privy Council officials and clerks.

It wasn't until he left the Privy Council that Pei Degu regained some strength. He tried to look back at the gate of the Privy Council.

He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, it felt like something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Everything he had painstakingly built, the wealth he had desperately sought to climb, all turned to dust at that moment, along with the dead rat.

Subsequently, Pei Degu was escorted onto the Imperial City Guard's carriage, which carried him toward an abyss of no return.

(End of this chapter)