"How dare I do that?" Zhao Wei laughed bitterly. "Brother Pei and his wife are both very kind and noble people. I feel ashamed just by looking at them. How could I dare to have any bad thoughts?"
On that day, Zhao Wei agreed to Li Huanyan's request and immediately set off towards the direction of Ciji Temple. Everyone knew that Prince Pei and his wife took the fairy boy to fulfill their vows, but what everyone didn't know was where the temple was. Zhao Wei knew it well, as it was a small temple that he accidentally discovered on his way home, and he also went in to take a look. However, he had no pursuits, so naturally he had no requests, and he had never made any promises.
He set out a little later. By then, Pei Shijie and his wife had already arrived at Ciji Temple for some time, and the temple reconstruction had been agreed upon and started. Ciji Temple was a small temple, and its location was remote. There were not many pilgrims on weekdays, and it was already very difficult for it to survive, let alone repair the temple. This large sum of money was really precious to them.
When the Tzu Chi Temple was about to be rebuilt, Zhao Wei arrived. Pei Shijie and his wife were both happy and surprised by his arrival.
"Brother Zhao, didn't you say you would stay in Liangjing to take care of your mother? Why are you out now? What went wrong with the business?"
Faced with Pei Shijie's sincere concern, Zhao Wei felt a little ashamed. But thinking of what he had promised Li Huanyan, he still spoke with difficulty.
"Brother Pei, I am not here for business. I am here for you."
"Come for me?" Pei Shijie shook his head and said, "Brother Zhao, I am not sure what you mean."
"… The situation in the court is unclear now. I see that you, Brother Pei, have great ambitions. Why don't you choose a wise master and serve him? One day, you will be able to gain the credit of being a follower of the dragon, and help the Duke Zhongguo Mansion to move to a higher level."
Pei Shijie's smile faded slightly, and he looked at Zhao Wei with his gentle eyes, saying, "Brother Zhao, who are you here to lobby for? Pei has never had any ambitions. All he wants is to travel the mountains and rivers of Daliang with his wife and children. There is nothing else he wants. As for the title of Duke's Mansion, it is enough. You must know that it is lonely at the top."
Zhao Wei didn't know what to do after such a direct rejection. He reluctantly tried to persuade him, "Brother Pei, can you really bear to let your talent be forgotten? You are a man of great literary talent and broad knowledge. You are good at handling both government affairs and people's livelihood. Why don't you want to serve the country?"
"Brother Zhao, you are too kind. As long as they care about the people, anyone can do better than Pei. Besides, serving the country is for the country, not to become an accomplice in the strife between brothers. Such internal strife is of no benefit to the country or the family. The current emperor is working hard to govern the country, and I believe he has already planned the candidate for the crown prince. Why rush into it and seek the illusory merit of following the emperor?"
"…Brother Pei is very righteous, which makes me ashamed." Zhao Wei bowed to Pei Shijie, "Let Brother Pei know that I am just a businessman and have no power to interfere in the affairs of the court. It is only because of the trust of an old friend that I have the audacity to come here to be a lobbyist. Now I understand Brother Pei's thoughts, and I will not mention this matter again in the future."
Pei Shijie said: "Brother Zhao, you don't have to take this matter to heart. I just don't know who wants to recruit Pei?"
The fourth brother is currently the most powerful one in the court, and the third brother is equally powerful as him. The others are slightly weaker, but they are not without the ability to compete.
Zhao Wei raised one hand and then bent two fingers. Pei Shijie nodded. It turned out to be that person. He thought that this person hated him very much, but he didn't expect that he could bend and stretch.
The two did not mention the matter again. Since they were in the temple, they did not drink and chat. They just brewed a pot of tea, set up a chess table, and spent the day leisurely.
A few days later, the temple was renovated. One day, Pei Shijie and his wife suddenly came to say goodbye to Zhao Wei, saying that someone at home had reported that they had to return to Beijing as soon as possible. They came to say goodbye and asked him if he wanted to go back with them.
Zhao Wei returned empty-handed this time, and was afraid that he would have a hard time explaining to his cousin when he returned to Liangjing, so he said that he liked the scenery here and decided to stay for a few more days.
"Brother Pei, why are you so anxious? Is there something big happening in the mansion?"
Pei Shijie said, "It's nothing serious. My mother hasn't seen her grandson for a long time. She's afraid that he's suffered a lot out there, so she asked us to go back early. After I go back this time, I'll stay for a few days and then take my wife and children on a long journey. If Brother Zhao is interested, you can go with us."
Zhao Wei smiled and shook his head: "Brother Pei's family is so harmonious, which makes me seem lonely. I won't bother you this time. When I get married, our two families can go out together again."
Pei Shijie also laughed out loud and made an appointment with him to go out together in the future.
The next day, Pei Shijie and his party packed up and prepared to return. Zhao Wei came to see him off. Seeing that the sky was a little gloomy, he suddenly had an idea and said, "The weather is bad today. Brother Pei, why don't you leave another day? There is no place to rest for dozens of miles. If it rains, won't my sister-in-law and nephew catch a cold?"
If it was just Pei Shijie himself, he certainly wouldn't care. But when it came to his wife and children, he couldn't help but hesitate.
"Your Highness, don't worry. I've checked and it will be cloudy for a while but it will clear up soon." A coachman suddenly said.
"I still feel it's not a good idea. There's no one on the official road. Should we wait until the rain stops before continuing our journey?" Zhao Wei said.
"My lord, I know another way. There is a mountain road ahead. Shuibo County is only twenty miles ahead. If it rains, we can quickly find a place to shelter from the rain. Madam has asked someone to tell you to go back immediately. She and the eldest master are waiting for you at home." Seeing that Pei Shijie seemed to be persuaded, the coachman rolled his eyes and quickly persuaded him.
Zhao Wei knew him. He was the coachman of the Pei Mansion. He usually drove the carriage for Pei Shijie. He also married Feng Anxue's dowry maid, so he could be considered a close confidant of the two of them.
After Pei Shijie and his party had been walking for about half an hour, the sky became increasingly gloomy, and the clouds gathered more and more, becoming so heavy that they seemed like they would pour down at any time.
Soon, bean-sized raindrops fell with a thunder. The sound of the rain covered all other sounds. The rain water in the yard gathered into an ocean, which made people feel frightened when seeing it.
Zhao Wei felt a little regretful. He should have firmly dissuaded Pei Shijie from going out, and asked them to postpone their trip, at least to avoid the rain. He wondered if they had found a place to stay. The mountain road was difficult to travel, and it was even more difficult when it got wet.
The rain lasted for a long time before it stopped. It was almost evening, and Zhao Wei looked at the dark woods ahead, feeling increasingly uneasy.
“… Early the next morning, I led my men out, hoping to catch up with your parents, but I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect…” Zhao Wei’s eyes were filled with tears, and his face was filled with pain. Whenever he recalled what happened back then, he would blame himself for not insisting on persuading them.
Pei Che was silent. What Zhao Wei meant was that he did not kill his own parents, and the reason he felt guilty was because he failed to persuade them, causing his parents to suffer this misfortune
He always felt that something was not right. Just because of this, Zhao Wei felt so guilty that he never married or had children again and even severed relations with his uncle
"Master Zhao, the five hundred taels of incense money were added after this incident, right?"
"Yes, I heard about this incident and felt so sad. I wanted to carry the coffin all the way, but when I arrived at the city gate, someone was already waiting there. They said that my mother had suddenly fallen ill while visiting relatives and was now unconscious. They asked me to go and see her for the last time... It was difficult to be both filial and righteous, so I finally chose to go to another place to see my mother. After this incident, I was too embarrassed to step into the mansion of the Duke of Zhongguo. I just quietly went to the graves of the couple to pay my respects, and then ordered people to go to the Tzu Chi Temple to buy incense money. Every year on that day, I would help them perform a ritual. When the money is gone, I will add more."
"So, my parents' death was really just an accident?"
Zhao Wei paused, neither nodded nor shook his head, but just sighed silently.
Pei Che looked at him and asked, "Why did you break off relations with your uncle's family? Not to mention it was because of a business deal. You are a man who donated money and materials to the suffering people. How could you betray your family for a few dollars?"
Zhao Wei's expression was extremely complicated, even mixed with a bit of panic.
"It was Concubine Xian and her family who teamed up to kill my parents, right?!" Pei Che shouted, and the sudden noise made Zhao Wei blurt out the words in his heart.
“No, it wasn’t, your parents died before they could do anything.
"You are hiding something, tell me now!"
Zhao Wei looked ashen. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "I also heard it by chance. When my cousin came to me, she secretly sent people to follow me. They decided to make two preparations. What should they do if your father surrenders to them? What should they do if he refuses to surrender to them?"
"After learning that my persuasion failed, the group of people they sent decided to attack your father in order to cut off the Fourth Prince's right-hand man. But when they were lying in ambush outside Shuibo County, they didn't see any convoys leaving. Those people became suspicious and wanted to ask around. After asking, they learned that there was a fall off a cliff on the mountain road ahead. The prince and his wife were both dead, leaving only a young child."
"But, although they had nothing to do with your parents' death, the driver who spread the false news was bribed by them. If the driver hadn't urged your father and his family to hurry on in the rain, they wouldn't have been pushed off the cliff by the fallen trees. In the final analysis, it was my fault for leaking the news, which gave them the opportunity to take advantage of it."
After Zhao Wei finished telling the last secret in his heart, his mental state became better. He had been unable to sleep and eat because of this matter, but now that the dust has settled, he is not worried anymore.
"It's all my fault. If Prince Pei wants to avenge his parents, come after me."
Pei Che saw that he was calm and ready to die, and his rage continued to rise. He really wanted to kill this foolish man to vent his anger as he said. But he knew in his heart that if it was really as he said, the matter could only be concluded as an accident.
However, there is still a question.
"Did you know that the tree that rolled down towards the carriage was not an accident, but a man-made one? Are you sure that the conversation you heard between them did not cover up anything?"
(End of this chapter)