Chapter 55 - 44 Malicious Intent

Lin E had just been looking around the courtyard, trying to get a glimpse of the excitement around Feng Yun, when the situation suddenly changed?

Caught off guard by being called out, she felt a bit weak in the knees at Feng Yun’s unfriendly expression.

Upon arriving at the hall, before anyone could speak, she prostrated herself before Pei Jue with a tender voice.

"This concubine pays her respects to the Great General."

Pei Jue looked down as he drank his tea, uttering not a word.

Feng Yun sneered, "Lin Ji, what a vicious heart you have. Merely because I arranged for you to work at Tianzhuang, you poisoned me, hoping to leave me dead?"

Lin E’s face changed color.

She had indeed been in touch with Eunuch Fang, who had provided her with poison, hoping she would find an opportunity to frame Feng Yun, get it into her bowl and lose favor with the General...

But hadn’t she not yet acted?

Unknown to anyone, Feng Yun had been taken away, and Lin E had been pleased about it. How could it be that the General saved her with nothing happening, let alone, now accusing her of poisoning?

"No... I didn’t," Lin E shook her head, denying vehemently, "This concubine was arranged by Shi’er Niang to till the fields at Tianzhuang, working like pigs and dogs under the scorching sun, with feet in the dust every day, and ne’er dared to harbor the slightest grievance, let alone cultivate such malicious thoughts?"

Feng Yun huffed a laugh.

Even now, she still wanted to complain to the General, claiming she’d been made to do hard labor, mistreated by her?

"Whether Lin Ji is the one who poisoned it, a search will reveal all."

Feng Yun glanced at Pei Jue, and seeing that he had no intention of intervening, she calmly continued, "Alou, please call for two of the General’s guards to search Lin Ji’s room."

Why bring Pei Jue’s guards? Naturally, to avoid accusations of framing Lin E.

Alou complied and hurriedly led the men away.

In less than half an hour, he returned, excitedly reporting back.

"My lady, we found this in Lin Ji’s makeup box..."

Feng Yun ordered it to be opened, and it was a pouch of earthen-yellow powder.

Feng Yun said, "Bring it before Lin Ji."

Lin E kept her head down, daring not to look too closely, her kneeling form slightly unstable, clearly out of fear and guilt.

Feng Yun asked, "Lin E, what is this?"

Lin E glanced at it, her eyes shifting subtly, then lowered her head, "This concubine does not know, I have never seen it before."

Feng Yun smiled, "Is that so? Then why don’t you taste it yourself and tell us what it is?"

Lin E’s face turned white with fright.

How could she face anyone after swallowing such a vile concoction of ’Tiger and Wolf Medicine’ on the spot? And how could she continue to serve the General thereafter?

"My lady, I remember now, this was bought by this concubine a while ago for facial applications, I simply forgot about it after placing it in the makeup box..."

Feng Yun laughed, "It seems Lin Ji is quite forgetful indeed."

Her face darkened as she sternly instructed Alou.

"Force it down her throat! Once Lin Ji tastes it, perhaps her memory will improve..."

"No, please no..." Lin E’s demeanor changed drastically, screaming in terror, struggling against Alou’s grip, as that foul-smelling earthen-yellow powder nearly entered her mouth, suddenly she closed her eyes and cried out loudly.

"I’ll talk... I’ll say everything... I’ll say anything..."

Feng Yun gestured for Alou to stop.

Lin E breathed a sigh of relief, then crawled forward and, kneeling, she looked up imploringly at Pei Jue:

"This matter, I dare not speak to outsiders, please, General, dismiss the others first."

Speaking in front of everyone that it was Eunuch Fang’s doing would ensure that even if she survived this day, she could not escape from the palms of the Empress Dowager; Lin E wasn’t foolish enough to do that.

Feng Yun saw that Pei Jue did not respond and smiled, "Let’s accommodate her."

Pei Jue waved his hand dismissively.

Everyone left the hall, leaving only Pei Jue and Feng Yun, along with an almost fainting Lin E, kneeling in the center of the hall, crying her eyes out.

"General, this concubine is guilty..."

Without beatings or the punishment board, Lin E confessed everything, clearly and sobbingly.

Jealous of Feng Yun’s favor from Pei Jue, and resentful that Feng Yun had sent her to do rough work at Tianzhuang, she relied on her old "good relationship" with Yutangchun to convey her loyalty to Eunuch Fang.

Unexpectedly, Eunuch Fang sent someone with the powder shortly thereafter, stressing repeatedly that she should find the right opportunity before acting, not to be rash and alert the General...

"This concubine was afraid the substance would take a life, my heart was uneasy; I hid it in my makeup box, too scared to use it..."

Having said this, she prostrated herself again, tearfully pouring out her heart.

"Ever since I first saw the General, I was captivated by your grace and fell in love, unable to extricate myself... I long to serve the General, but Shi’er Niang thwarts me at every turn, banishing us to Tianzhuang, to be sunburnt and rained on, overburdened with toil. I feared losing my looks, being abandoned by the General—such were my grievances. But I have not lost all compassion, I didn’t have the heart to act on it..."

Her words were stuttering.

They sounded very sincere.

Feng Yun did not presume to decide for the General, simply watching Pei Jue with a smile.

Pei Jue frowned and took another sip of his tea.

Seeing this, Lin E, filled with jealousy, hate, and fear, turned her tearful eyes towards Feng Yun and crawled over to kowtow heavily to her.

"My lady, please spare me, my jealousy of you is true, but I never thought to take your life... You being poisoned, I was unaware, truly an injustice..."

Feng Yun’s gaze was steady, not even looking at Pei Jue.

"When I last picked up someone from the mansion’s prison, I had a dispute with Eunuch Fang. I thought it was resolved on the spot, little did I expect... such a misunderstanding would arise..."

She did not mention Li Sangruo.

She added, "The handling of this matter is up to the General."

Pei Jue’s face was filled with chilliness, and although Lin E was still kowtowing and begging for mercy, claiming her innocence, he had lost the patience to listen any further.

"Come."

Two guards walked in.

Pei Jue said, "Drag her away, beat her to death."

Upon hearing the order for a beating death, Lin E’s body stiffened, her cries ceased, leaving only tears plopping down as she frantically tried to throw herself at Pei Jue and Feng Yun’s feet, her face twisted with terror, her whole body trembling.

"I didn’t, I didn’t."

"General, spare my life, I didn’t poison anyone."

She screamed, unable to accept her fate, loudly proclaiming her innocence.

But no one listened to her, no one believed her, and two guards, one on each side, dragged her away by her arms.

Feng Yun watched her retreating figure, furrowed her brows slightly, and said to Pei Jue:

"My matter is now resolved, it’s time to abide by the General’s decision."

She was referring to the incident of releasing Wen Xingsu.

Pei Jue had said she deserved punishment, and he would not let her off.

Unexpectedly, Pei Jue’s expression remained indifferent.

"Let’s drop the matter."

Feng Yun could hardly believe it.

The iron-hearted General Pei would let her go just like this?

Harboring an enemy general and releasing an enemy general, either charge could result in the same fate as Lin E...

Pei Jue’s expression did not change as he summoned Ao Qi, "Issue the order, once they leave Tianzhuang, if anyone still speaks of today’s events, they will be executed without mercy."

He did not elaborate, but Ao Qi understood his meaning.

Mention not the affair of Feng Yun harboring an enemy general, nor the matter of her being drugged, otherwise, one’s head was forfeit.

Ao Qi thought to himself how extraordinarily kind his Uncle was to Shi’er Niang...

For such a serious matter, just to protect Shi’er Niang’s reputation, he not only refrained from pursuing her but also spared all of them.

Ao Qi stood there dully, still and silent.

Pei Jue’s brows furrowed slightly, "Is there something else?"

Ao Qi came to his senses, saw a fleeting glint in Pei Jue’s eyes, became flustered, and quickly saluted with a fist.

"I failed in my supervision of the enemy general and should be punished. Please, General Pei, administer my punishment."

Pei Jue said, "Go."

"Yes," Ao Qi felt very unsettled.

If his Uncle had scolded him as usual, or even disciplined him with military baton, he would have felt more at ease.

But being looked at in such a way by his Uncle made him feel an inescapable sense of shame, as if the secrets hidden under his clothes had been noticed.

Ao Qi was vexed and troubled, his heart like it was dropping into an ice pit and then set upon flames.

Cold one moment and hot the next, he couldn’t figure it out. As he left the room, he hung his head low, looking downcast.

Meanwhile, the other guards and Meiling in the manor all let out a sigh of relief.

Having narrowly escaped death, they were all very grateful for the General’s favor towards Shi’er Niang...

But Feng Yun didn’t see it that way.

Everyone said she was favored, but in her view, Pei Jue acted this way solely to protect the Empress Dowager’s good name.

Lin E confessed to being framed by Eunuch Fang with poisoning, but who was behind Eunuch Fang? Pei Jue knew better than anyone.

Such a resolution, rather than saying Pei Jue spared her and Meiling, might as well be seen as a kind of equivalent exchange, compelling everyone to keep silent...

Only the two of them were left in the hall.

Feng Yun’s expression unchanged, she looked towards Pei Jue.

"Thank you, General, for not taking my life."

Her thanks were not so heartfelt, and Pei Jue picked up on that.

He raised an eyebrow, "Does Ji have complaints?"

Feng Yun looked at General Pei’s stern face and smiled slightly, "Not at all. The General is magnanimous for overlooking my mistake. How dare I presume upon the General’s intentions and make things difficult for the General?"

Pei Jue looked down and simply drank his tea.

Feng Yun was silent for a moment before she stood and walked in front of him, bowing deeply, "But this matter is entirely my fault, my elder brother is innocent, I hope the General will show mercy and spare my elder brother..."

Her voice was melodious and touching.

Because of the injury from the drug, her complexion still looked somewhat pallid and pitiable.

Pei Jue regarded her for a moment, then said, "I believe."

Just as Feng Yun was about to express her thanks, she saw him narrow his eyes and say in a lower tone, "He did so unwittingly, but you did so deliberately."

"..."

Feng Yun was taken aback, hesitatingly asking, "Then what does the General intend to do with me, and with my elder brother?"

She never believed that Pei Jue would let the matter rest.

This man was ruthless; there had to be a following move.

Pei Jue said, "Ji is my person, and I shall take responsibility for her crime. Wen Xingsu is different, having fallen into my hands, he must be severely punished to maintain military discipline."