novelraw Chapter 233
Chapter 233
Chapter 233: The Truth of the Past
Pei Yongjie’s sudden outburst startled Wei Yu quite a bit.
“If you want to speak, then just speak—why so loudly? Honestly.”
Wei Yu’s lips twitched slightly as he stared at the other for a few seconds, then glanced at the relatives behind him.
“Prefect Pei, are you giving up completely? Saying these things to me in front of everyone, what exactly do you want? Is it because you saw that I’ve arrived, so you no longer fear the people behind you?”
Pei Yongjie’s gaze fixed steadily. Suddenly, he smiled, “Your Highness, you know better than I do what you encountered along the way. Even if I don’t say it outright, I believe Your Highness understands what I mean.”
Wei Yu raised an eyebrow.
Their eyes locked in mid-air—one resolute, ready to face death; the other expressionless.
After a long moment, Wei Yu lifted his chin and gestured toward the people behind Pei Yongjie: “If you want to confess and redeem yourself, there’s no need for so many people. I don’t want this conversation to be overheard and spread.”
Hearing this, Pei Yongjie’s expression visibly relaxed. He turned and gave a look to the people behind him to step back, and the group of relatives obediently retreated.
The guards quickly surrounded the outside of the hall to ensure no one overheard their conversation.
The front hall was left with only Wei Yu, Pei Yongjie, and Fang Sheng, who stood behind Wei Yu.
Wei Yu lifted his chin, “Speak. Who are the people behind all this?”
Just the single word “people” confirmed to Pei Yongjie that the Wise King indeed knew quite a bit.
But this was something he had long anticipated. Moreover, at this point, even if Wei Yu knew nothing, Pei Yongjie had already decided to tell everything.
He raised his hand and respectfully bowed his head toward Wei Yu, “Your Highness is a prudent man. Before arriving at the city, you already sent people to gather intelligence. I know that now rumors circulate in the city, that Prefect Pei colludes with the Japanese pirates…”
Wei Yu, sitting in the leading seat, blinked without a hint of guilt.
What does such a rumor have to do with him?
It wasn’t spread by him, after all.
Pei Yongjie continued, still bowing his head. “The rumors are true. As the Prefect of Qian City Commandery, I indeed had contact with the Japanese pirates…”
“Did you approach them voluntarily, or was it they who approached you?” Wei Yu couldn’t help but interrupt.
Pei Yongjie paused. “Who approached whom—does it matter now?”
Wei Yu honestly shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. But I’m curious.”
Pei Yongjie: …
Taking a deep breath, Pei Yongjie avoided debating the question with Wei Yu and resumed his narrative.
“About ten years ago, a grain merchant appeared in Donghai Commandery. He established ‘Fu’an Grain Stores’ throughout the regions, and within two years, the stores expanded into Qian City Commandery. Three years ago, I came to Qian City Commandery to serve as its Prefect. At that time, all grain stores in the counties bore the name Fu’an…”
“Sorry to interrupt—could you clarify when exactly this was? Was the grain merchant behind these stores connected to the Japanese pirates?” Wei Yu interrupted again.
Pei Yongjie choked slightly.
When someone is sincerely recounting their story with complex emotions, it’s always awkward to have interruptions at inconvenient moments. Honestly, Pei Yongjie felt a bit at a loss.
After a brief pause, Pei Yongjie still answered Wei Yu’s question.
“Your Highness is perceptive. The people behind Fu’an Grain Stores were indeed connected to the Japanese pirates. I only learned about this after sending people to investigate Fu’an Grain Stores. At that time, I had just taken office for about half a year. There was a flood that season, which flooded hundreds of acres of fertile fields near a village. To help the people, I wanted to open the granary for disaster relief…”
“I sent my subordinates to handle it, thinking it was a simple matter that wouldn’t go wrong. But half a month later, when I personally visited the village, I found that…”
Pei Yongjie paused. After several seconds, he said gravely, “Everyone near that village had starved to death.”
Though he had suspected something, Wei Yu couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this.
“The flood destroyed the fields, the grain was wasted, and the government promised disaster relief. Yet the result was that hundreds starved to death!”
Pei Yongjie let out a bitter laugh unexpectedly. “Half a month after the order to open the granary was issued, no one came to me complaining that the grain was insufficient or that the government was lying. Your Highness, don’t you find that ridiculous?”
Having seen too many melodramas, Wei Yu simply looked at him silently, only slightly frowning, showing little expression.
He raised his chin and said expressionlessly, “So after sensing something was wrong, you began holding people accountable and discovered corruption among the subordinate officials, empty granaries, and a bunch of bad accounts. From a bit of evidence, you also found Fu’an Grain Stores scheming behind the scenes. Then you started secretly investigating Fu’an Grain Stores, but for various reasons, you had no choice but to get involved with the Japanese pirates again, sinking deeper and deeper, finally ending in a tangled mess where snakes and rats coexist, inseparable?”
Pei Yongjie was stunned.
He lifted his head and stared blankly at Wei Yu, speechless for a long while.
Wei Yu could tell what shocked him by his expression.
With no particular meaning, Wei Yu twitched his mouth calmly and said, “All of it was right, wasn’t it? Don’t look at me like that. Since you’ve decided to confess, it’s all the same what’s said. You just need to hand over the key evidence.”
Wei Yu didn’t want to hear those lengthy explanations.
All those self-examinations and repentance—it didn’t matter whether there were hidden reasons or some grand justification. Wei Yu felt such decisions were not for him to make.
After all, during the past three years, countless people in Qian City Commandery had starved to death. Even those who survived faced soaring grain prices whenever there was a disaster. Life was hardly any better.
Pei Yongjie’s gaze was vacant, his face pale, with a bitter smile, “Yes, Your Highness is right. It seems you have already uncovered everything. Whether I speak or not… it actually makes little difference.”
Wei Yu glanced at the dazed man.
But that wasn’t entirely true.
After all, if everything was uncovered, it would be overestimating him… or rather Yi Shisan.
That guy only searched the Prefect’s office secretly, uncovering the little secrets Pei Yongjie hid. What was truly in Pei Yongjie’s heart could only be revealed by Pei Yongjie himself.
What Wei Yu said was nothing more than based on minute details and many years of randomly guessing from novels and dramas.
It was fortunate if he was right—it would show his brilliant strategic style.
If not, it didn’t matter much. Pei Yongjie was here now; he would speak willingly.
Wei Yu said, “Your crimes, I will report in writing to His Majesty and let His Majesty decide your fate. As for whether to spare your family, that will depend entirely on you.”