Chapter 151: Chapter 151: How Can You Improve Like This? Forcibly Making an Arrest

The next day, on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Though it wasn’t yet time for evening moon-gazing, the streets and alleys of Celestial Capital City were already adorned with lanterns and streamers. A festive atmosphere enveloped everyone, and even the beggars on the street wore more smiles. After all, during the holidays, people were happy to give a few extra coins in exchange for a blessing.

But some people were destined to be unhappy today.

"Lord Pingyang, are we... are we really going to arrest Tang Zhi?" Gao Xi followed behind Pei Shaoqing with a group of subordinates, his expression tense and uneasy.

He never dreamed that Pei Shaoqing would actually use Tang Zhi as a scapegoat to close the case. That was the son of the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites! And it was rumored that Tang Fei might even be appointed to the Grand Secretariat.

Pei Shaoqing walked ahead with his head held high and chest out, saying calmly, "What else? Did I ask you to bring men out for an autumn stroll? Hundred Households Commander Gao, relax. Even if the sky falls, I’m tall enough to hold it up."

That morning, he had received a message from a maid sent by Jiang Yuechan, stating that she had already convinced Jiang Xiaoyun to move against the Tang Family.

And yesterday afternoon, Shen Zhen had already spread the news that the King of Qi was behind the Tang Zhou scandal all over the city.

So Pei Shaoqing decided to act immediately, with no intention of letting the Tang Family enjoy a peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival.

It would also serve as a Mid-Autumn gift for the Emperor.

"Lord Pingyang..." Gao Xi was still flustered.

Pei Shaoqing interrupted impatiently, "Haven’t I already analyzed it for you? The Emperor can no longer tolerate Tang Fei in his sight, so he certainly won’t blame us."

In his view, as long as he was certain the Emperor wouldn’t punish them, there was nothing that couldn’t be done.

"But in the end, it’s just your speculation. Perhaps you could trouble yourself to enter the palace and ask?" Gao Xi suggested tentatively.

He felt it was easy for Pei Shaoqing to talk tough when he wasn’t the one at risk.

If the sky really did fall, it wouldn’t be the tall Pei Shaoqing holding it up. Instead, a short man like him would be thrown out as a scapegoat to settle the matter.

So he couldn’t be blamed for being so hesitant and timid.

He simply didn’t have Pei Shaoqing’s background to fall back on.

"Hundred Households Commander Gao, oh, Hundred Households Commander Gao, how can you ever advance like this?" Pei Shaoqing shook his head and said helplessly, "Going to ask His Majesty would just be putting him in a difficult position, wouldn’t it? How would you have him answer? How could a wise and brilliant ruler like His Majesty agree to us framing someone?"

This kind of thing had to be done without the Emperor’s knowledge.

Otherwise, if he went to see the Emperor in the palace one moment and then went to the Tang Mansion to arrest someone the next, the outside world would surely interpret it as the Emperor’s will, which would be detrimental to his sage-like reputation.

But if the Emperor found out after the arrest was made, then in the eyes of the public, it would be Pei Shaoqing who wanted to deal with the Tang Family.

At most, the Jiang Family and the King of Qi would be implicated later on.

In short, it would have nothing to do with the Emperor.

In the end, even if the Emperor were to demote Tang Fei for failing to raise his son properly, the outside world would only praise his benevolence.

’The most effective flattery is to do what the other person wants without them knowing.’

"Well..." Hearing Pei Shaoqing’s words, Gao Xi also realized it was impossible to ask the Emperor. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it. Lord Pingyang, I’ll bet my life on you. Let’s take the gamble."

It had already come to this. If he turned back now, he would offend Pei Shaoqing and face a bad end either way.

"That’s more like it. If you don’t dare to take risks, when will you ever get ahead?" Pei Shaoqing said with a loud laugh.

The group proceeded in a formidable procession, swaggering down the middle of the road. Onlookers along the way hastily got out of their path.

「At the same time.」

The Tang Mansion was also brimming with festive cheer for the Mid-Autumn Festival, because today the male and female servants had all received a monetary reward from the master and madam.

The joys and sorrows of people are not interconnected. Tang Zhi, reading quietly in his study, only found the servants’ laughter to be noisy.

’Wasn’t it just a few hundred *wen* in reward money for each person?’

’A single cup of wine outside would cost more than that.’

’Is that little bit of money really something to be so happy about?’

"So annoying!" Tang Zhi slammed the book in his hand onto the desk. With a cold expression, he stood up, strode to the door, yanked it open with a BANG, and roared, "If any of you worthless curs dares to make another sound, I’ll rip your mouths off!"

The laughter of several maids in the garden came to an abrupt halt. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they quickly knelt to the ground to admit their fault. "It was our fault, Young Master. We were overcome with joy from the reward money and disturbed you. We beg for your forgiveness."

"Get lost!" Tang Zhi barked coldly.

The maids scrambled to their feet and hurried away.

"Wait!" Tang Zhi suddenly shouted again.

The maids all stopped in their tracks, turning back to look at Tang Zhi with timid and anxious expressions.

Tang Zhi pointed to a young girl in her teens and said, "She stays. The rest of you can go."

The other maids quickly departed.

Only the youngest maid was left standing there, terrified and anxious, her small hands tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.

"If you serve me well, my gifts are much more generous than my mother’s." Tang Zhi made no effort to hide the lecherous look in his eyes as he stepped forward and grabbed the maid’s hand.

The maid took a step back and said in a tearful voice, "Young Master, please don’t. I..."

SLAP! Tang Zhi delivered a heavy slap across her face. "You remember you’re a servant?" he said coldly. "Then do you have the right to refuse me? If you dare to dodge again, I’ll have someone drag you out and beat you to death!"

The maid’s face was drained of color. She didn’t dare to move a muscle.

Tang Zhi grabbed her in an embrace, pressing her against a nearby rockery. With excited eyes and ragged breaths, he began tearing at her clothes and kissing her face sloppily.

The maid could only cry silently, her delicate body trembling slightly as she bit her lip, not daring to make a sound.

"Damn it, are you dead? Can’t you even whimper?" Tang Zhi suddenly grabbed her cheeks roughly, his eyes fierce. "From now on, your name is Jiang Yuechan. Now say, ’Jiang Yuechan is a little slut, I beg Young Master Tang to ravage me.’"

"I... My name is Jiang..." The maid was trembling with fear, stammering out the words he had taught her.

"What are you doing! Who let you in!"

"Hurry and report to the master... AHH!"

A sudden commotion erupted outside.

"Have they all gone mad?" Tang Zhi instantly lost his excitement and released the maid. "Go see what’s going on."

The young maid quickly straightened her torn clothes.

CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER!

A flurry of urgent footsteps grew closer and closer.

Then, four Jing’an Guards rushed into the small, independent courtyard where the study was located. The squad leader at the head of the group recognized Tang Zhi at a glance, waved his hand, and ordered, "Take him away."

"What are you doing? On what grounds are you arresting me? Are you insane? Do you have any idea whose mansion this is?" Tang Zhi only came to his senses when two Jing’an Guards pinned him down, and he roared in a mixture of shock and fury.

But the four men paid him no mind, simply dragging and pulling him by force to the main hall of the Tang Mansion.

At this moment, Pei Shaoqing was seated imposingly in the host’s chair, slowly savoring a cup of tea.

But Tang Zhi didn’t see him at first.

Instead, he first saw his parents.

"Father! Mother!"

"Zhi’er!" Tears streamed down Madam Tang’s face.

Tang Fei glared at Pei Shaoqing, grinding his teeth. "Pei Shaoqing! You said my son Zhi killed someone, and I said I would have him cooperate. But what is the meaning of this—forcing your way in to arrest him? Have you no respect for me?! I am the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites!"

"Pei Shaoqing?" Only then did Tang Zhi’s eyes land on Pei Shaoqing. His gaze was bloodshot and full of hate as he struggled and shrieked hysterically, "Murder? When did I ever murder anyone? Pei Shaoqing, don’t you dare frame me!"

"I was just worried that Vice Minister Tang would shelter his beloved son," Pei Shaoqing replied with a smile.

’Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites?’

’Heh, not for much longer.’

Tang Fei pointed at him and said in a cold voice, "I will definitely report you, you whelp, to His Majesty!"

"Be my guest." Pei Shaoqing nodded, casually setting down his teacup. "This tea is quite good. Farewell."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he rose and strode outside.

Gao Xi and the others quickly followed.

"Father! Mother! Save me, Father! I really didn’t kill anyone! Pei Shaoqing is framing me!" Tang Zhi wailed at Tang Fei, struggling to avoid being taken away.

He was truly panicking now.

Since Pei Shaoqing dared to arrest him with such fanfare, it must mean he was confident.

He hadn’t expected this. He had been thinking about how a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years, but Pei Shaoqing had made his move today.

"Zhi’er, don’t worry. Father is going to the palace to see the Emperor right now. No one will be allowed to wrongly accuse you." Tang Fei comforted his son, then threatened Pei Shaoqing, "If a single hair on my son’s head is harmed, I will hold you accountable!"

"Now that he’s in my hands, he’ll be lucky to have a single hair left," Pei Shaoqing said with a great laugh.

Tang Fei’s eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck bulged.

"Father! Father! Pei Shaoqing, I’ll fuck your mother!"

Watching helplessly as his son was dragged away, Tang Fei took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "Prepare my official uniform."

No matter how anxious he was, this was a private matter.

And one had to be properly dressed for an audience with the Emperor.

. . . . . .

「The Jing’an Guard prison in the Yong’an County Hundred Households.」

"Pei Shaoqing, there’s no deep-seated hatred between us, just a small conflict. Why did it have to come to this? Why?! If you let me go now, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened."

Standing in the gloomy prison and looking at the various blood-stained instruments of torture, Tang Zhi completely lost his nerve. His face pale, he repeatedly begged Pei Shaoqing for peace, mercy, and forgiveness.

The most painful thing he had ever experienced in his life was being scratched by a girl’s nails while taking her virginity; the greatest hardship he had ever endured was the bitter taste of ginseng; the heaviest thing he had ever carried was a woman’s embroidered shoe...

How could anyone who had been pampered and lived in luxury since childhood not be afraid upon entering this place?

"Just as you said, there’s indeed no deep-seated hatred between us. So, you see, my arresting you is purely for the public good," Pei Shaoqing said with a smile.

Tang Zhi instantly broke down. One moment he was begging for mercy, the next he was cursing, "To hell with your ’public good’! You’re just taking revenge—AHHH!"

Before he could finish, Pei Shaoqing had already taken a red-hot branding iron from the brazier and pressed it against his chest.

Accompanied by a SIZZLING sound, a smell that was neither foul nor fragrant filled the air. Tang Zhi’s screams were heart-wrenching, his features twisted in agony as sweat poured down his face.

Gao Xi’s scalp tingled as he watched.

The son of the dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was actually being treated like this. If they failed to secure the conviction for this case, he couldn’t even imagine the kind of vicious retaliation he would face.

Only when the branding iron stopped smoking completely did Pei Shaoqing listlessly toss it back into the brazier. He turned to Gao Xi and said, "You interrogate him. We’ve come this far; there’s no turning back. His father has gone to the Imperial Palace. Before his father leaves the palace, he must confess and sign his name to it. Understood?"

"Yes! Rest assured, Lord Pingyang! I will give it my all!" Gao Xi replied, taking a deep breath.

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