Saving My Life By Simping For My Empress - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 VIP: Wei Yu thought to himself: How could I ever be disgusted by you? I don’t even have enough time to love you.

Lu Guangwen was dragged out to be caned. Every strike was delivered with heavy force, and since the executioners were the Imperial Guards, their technique was naturally anything but light.

After twenty strokes, Lu Guangwen looked like a dead dog. Chen Xuanwu ordered men to drag him back into the public hall, where he lay sprawled on the ground.

“Lu Guangwen, why must you endure this physical suffering? Wouldn’t it be better to just confess honestly?” Qin Ji sat enthroned in the hall, watching Lu Guangwen pant for breath.

The Imperial Guards had been ruthless. His outer official robes had been stripped away, and the bloodstains from the caning were impossible to hide. Beneath his trousers, his flesh was a mangled mess of blood.

“You are impersonating the Emperor! You are destined to die a miserable death!” Even though Lu Guangwen had been beaten into a pulp, he remained full of vigor when cursing Qin Ji.

Wei Yu could not stand anyone cursing Qin Ji; Lu Guangwen’s words trampled right over his red line.

“The Emperor has been merciful to you, do you truly think His Majesty is someone to be bullied?” Wei Yu shouted coldly. “Chen Xuanwen, what are you waiting for?”

Chen Xuanwen emerged from a hidden corner, silently pulling a small cloth bundle from his waist. When unrolled, it revealed a row of silver needles of various lengths and thicknesses.

“I, personally, enjoy researching methods of torture. It might be a bit bloody, so try to bear with it.” Chen Xuanwen bypassed the thinner needles and picked out a very thick one.

Lu Guangwen finally panicked. A needle that thick would be unbearable no matter where it pierced him. Furthermore, he knew of Chen Xuanwen—he was the Commander of the Secret Guards. The Secret Guards dealt with matters that were inconvenient for the public eye, and their methods were naturally unsavory.

“I am a court official! You cannot use private torture on me!” Lu Guangwen tried to scramble away.

Chen Xuanwen grabbed Lu Guangwen by the collar and hauled him back, smiling. “What kind of court official are you? Your robes were stripped by the Emperor himself; you are nothing but a criminal now.”

The thick silver needle was pressed against the crevice of a fingernail. Chen Xuanwen squeezed Lu Guangwen’s hand, making a move to thrust the needle into the flesh.

“Spare me! I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” Ultimately, Lu Guangwen lacked the courage to test Chen Xuanwen’s “grand torture” and surrendered.

Qin Ji was slightly surprised. He had thought the fake Qin Ji had exceptionally loyal followers, but it seemed they were only so-so.

“Chen Xuanwen, let him speak.” Qin Ji waved his hand, signaling for Chen Xuanwen to step back. He wanted to hear if anything valuable—or “ivory”—could actually emerge from Lu Guangwen’s mouth.

Lu Guangwen wiped away sweat, trying to soothe his terror.

“Are you trying to stall for time?” Wei Yu grew irritated watching Lu Guangwen’s hesitation. “Chen Xuanwen…”

Lu Guangwen cried out, “I’ll speak right now!” He didn’t have the luxury to wonder who this person was that could casually order around the Emperor’s Secret Guard Commander; he only wanted to avoid the pain.

Qin Ji patted Wei Yu’s hand, comforting him with a look. Indeed, when it came to matters involving him, Wei Yu could never remain calm.

“This… this humble servant entered officialdom five years ago after passing the imperial examinations. I was assigned by the Ministry of Personnel to Huyang County as the Magistrate. At the end of the first lunar month last year, the Emperor came to Huyang County alone and found me.”

“What ‘Emperor’? That was a rebel,” Wei Yu corrected him harshly.

“Yes, yes, the rebel.” Fearing that Wei Yu would call Chen Xuanwen to stab him again, Lu Guangwen hurriedly changed his wording.

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow with interest. It seemed the people chosen by the fake Qin Ji weren’t all that impressive.

“That… that rebel found me and said someone was impersonating him, attempting to replace him. He… he wanted me to help him reclaim the throne.”

Qin Ji: “…”

“And you just believed that rebel’s words?” Qin Ji truly couldn’t understand how someone with Lu Guangwen’s brains passed the imperial exams.

Lu Guangwen’s eyes flickered. “Y-yes.”

Wei Yu asked, “And you have been working for that rebel for over a year?”

Lu Guangwen pressed his head to the ground, not daring to make a sound.

Both Qin Ji and Wei Yu were puzzled: How did the fake Qin Ji know the real Qin Ji would return? Wei Yu had lived through a lifetime where Qin Ji did not exist. In that life, the fake Qin Ji had successfully reigned as the Emperor of Qin until the moment the country fell. Moreover, there had been no hidden edict from Qin Rui to kill the fake and crown Qin Zhao. How could the fake Qin Ji in this life have such foresight?

This mystery would remain unsolved until they captured the imposter.

“The thirty thousand taels of silver for disaster relief—did he order it to be embezzled?” Qin Ji asked.

Lu Guangwen replied tremulously, “Indeed.”

Qin Ji slammed his fist onto the magistrate’s desk with a loud bang. “Incredibly stupid!”

In the first month of last year, the late Emperor had not yet passed away. The fake Qin Ji was still just the Crown Prince. For a Crown Prince to incite an official to embezzle relief funds—did Lu Guangwen really not realize something was wrong?

Qin Ji didn’t believe that. He believed Lu Guangwen had simply been blinded by greed for fame and wealth. It was incredibly difficult for a County Magistrate to rise through the ranks to become a high-ranking official unless they had truly remarkable achievements, and Lu Guangwen clearly wasn’t the type of official to produce such results.

How many people harbor great dreams when studying for the exams, only to lose their original intentions once they actually become officials? Qin Ji didn’t want to judge whether Lu Guangwen once had a heart for the people, but he certainly didn’t have one now.

“Where are those thirty thousand taels?” Qin Ji didn’t believe Lu Guangwen would dare spend that money within Huyang County.

“All… all of it was given to the rebel. I didn’t keep a single tael.”

Qin Ji nearly had a heart attack from anger. Thirty thousand taels had all gone to the fake Qin Ji. With the imposter’s cruel nature, there was no telling what he might do with it. Furthermore, since the relief funds were never distributed, how were the disaster-stricken people settled?

“I ask you: how did you treat the commoners who were supposed to receive that relief money?” Qin Ji’s face was grim, his words carrying a freezing chill.

“I… I…” Lu Guangwen stammered.

Qin Ji threw a command token down. “Speak!”

“I… I ordered the runners to drive away all the commoners who dared to come to the yamen for relief. I also… threatened them, saying that if they dared to cause trouble at the yamen again, they would be arrested and executed…”

Qin Ji was furious. “Outrageous! Are the commoners of my Qin Kingdom yours to kill whenever you please?”

Lu Guangwen wailed in supplication, “Your Majesty, have mercy! I know my crime!”

Qin Ji sneered. Knowing your crime now? Where were you before? It’s too late!

“Besides giving thirty thousand taels to that rebel, what else did you do for him? Confess everything.” Wei Yu pressed Qin Ji down and took over the questioning himself.

Lu Guangwen tried to hide more details, speaking vaguely. Wei Yu simply called for Chen Xuanwen. Lu Guangwen could endure the boards, but he couldn’t handle the Secret Guards’ methods. Frightened by Wei Yu’s threat, he confessed everything.

“There is iron ore in Mount Daliu within Huyang County. I ordered Mount Daliu to be cordoned off so the rebel could mine the iron.” Lu Guangwen propped himself up to kowtow. “I have only done these things; I haven’t done anything else! I beg the Emperor for mercy!”

Qin Ji didn’t want to hear any more of his repentance. He had Lu Guangwen dragged away and thrown into the dungeon, with no water, no food, and no medicine for his wounds. Whether he would survive until the day of his execution depended on his own luck.

“Chen Xuanwen, go to the Huzhou Governor’s office to deliver an edict. Order the Governor to lead the provincial troops into Mount Daliu to find the iron mine. Additionally, order the Governor to post wanted posters in every county of Huzhou. We must bring the rebel to justice as soon as possible.”

“This servant obeys the edict.” Chen Xuanwen took Qin Ji’s token and departed for the Governor’s office.

“Chen Xuanwu, revoke the mountain closure order. Also, post notices calling for the villagers whose lands were seized to come to the yamen. After verifying the land records, return the fields to the people.”

Chen Xuanwu bowed with clasped hands. “Yes, sir.”

“Gao De, draft an edict appointing the Huyang County Vice-Magistrate to act as Magistrate for the time being, to oversee the return of land to the people.”

Qin Ji only allowed the Imperial Guards to bring Lu Guangwen into the yamen; everyone else was kept outside. Currently, the other staff in the Huyang yamen had no idea what had happened, why an army was protecting the place, or why the gates were barred.

After making the arrangements, Qin Ji returned to the inn. He washed his face with cold water to calm his chaotic thoughts.

“The fake Qin Ji didn’t die. How did he survive?” Qin Ji was still preoccupied with this question.

Wei Yu took the towel away. “Stop using cold water. If you’re unhappy, just give me a hug.”

Qin Ji deflated and slumped into a chair. “A-Yu, tell me, why hasn’t the fake Qin Ji been struck by lightning yet? Why is the sky so blind?”

Wei Yu wrung out the towel and hung it up. “There’s a saying: ‘Good people don’t live long, but the wicked endure for a thousand years.'”

Qin Ji closed his eyes. “Then I should become a bad person. Otherwise, what will I do if I don’t live long?”

Wei Yu reached out and pinched Qin Ji’s lips, not letting him talk nonsense. “You only need to be ‘bad’ to me. You must be a good person and a good emperor.”

Qin Ji pulled Wei Yu, and Wei Yu tumbled into his lap.

“I will,” Qin Ji promised.

Qin Ji felt the threat posed by the fake Qin Ji. More frighteningly, he was in the light while the enemy was in the dark. He had already sent an edict back to the capital to issue a nationwide warrant to track the imposter’s tracks within the borders of Qin. Fortunately, the fake was using Qin Ji’s own appearance; otherwise, they wouldn’t even have a portrait. Finding an unknown face in the vastness of Qin would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Mingche, don’t worry too much. Even if the fake Qin Ji appears to confront you, the officials in the morning court will stand firmly by your side.” Wei Yu kissed Qin Ji’s chin, his tone full of comfort.

“Maintain your vigilance against the fake, but also have faith in your Father. He was such a powerful man; he surely left behind a backup plan, don’t you think?” Wei Yu added.

Qin Ji gave a long “mm” before saying slowly, “My Father is also your Father.”

Wei Yu couldn’t help but laugh. He scratched Qin Ji’s chin twice. “Yes, he is our Father.”

Qin Ji cheered up and gave Wei Yu a firm kiss.

“I’m going to Mount Daliu to take a look. Will you wait for me at the inn or come with me?” Qin Ji stood up.

Wei Yu didn’t hesitate. “I’m coming with you.”

Although there were many guards and safety wasn’t an issue, this was the first time Qin Ji was handling administrative affairs outside the palace and taking direct action. It was a significant milestone for him, and Wei Yu wanted to be there to walk through it with him.

“There must be many insects in the mountains. We need to bring a veiled hat to keep them away.” Qin Ji immediately called someone to prepare the hats. He wouldn’t stop Wei Yu from standing by his side; he would simply do his best to protect him. The mountain bugs were numerous and vicious; it would break his heart if Wei Yu were bitten.

“Aren’t you wearing one?” Wei Yu asked.

Qin Ji replied, “I’m a rough man; a bit of roughness doesn’t matter.” A truly good husband can suffer himself but never let his wife suffer!

“Then have someone go to the pharmacy to buy some insect-repelling powder,” Wei Yu laughed. “What if you get bitten and your face is ruined?”

Qin Ji wrapped his arm around Wei Yu’s waist. “Even if I’m disfigured, you can’t be disgusted by me. You’re stuck with me for this lifetime.”

Wei Yu thought: How could I ever be disgusted by you? I don’t even have enough time to love you.

In the afternoon, Qin Ji led his group into Mount Daliu. To enter the mountain, they had to pass through Dalianzi Village, so Qin Ji decided to find a guide there.

The villagers of Dalianzi saw the Imperial Guards in their official armor and were full of suspicion. Ordinary villagers couldn’t distinguish between different types of government troops; they assumed they were Lu Guangwen’s men and hid in their homes behind barred doors.

“Is the master of the house in? Could you please open the door?” Qin Ji chose a random house and knocked. “We are imperial envoys sent by the court, not Lu Guangwen’s men.”

Only then did the owner peek out—not into the yard, but just by opening a window.

“Is what you say true?” The owner was an old man, stooped and with a raspy voice.

“Old sir, I am not lying to you. these soldiers are the Imperial Guards, the Emperor’s own guard. No one can move them without the Emperor’s command. Lu Guangwen is a mere County Magistrate; it’s impossible for him to mobilize the Emperor’s personal troops, don’t you agree?” Qin Ji stood outside the gate, speaking patiently.

The old man thought for a while before coming out and walking to the gate to open it. “You are people sent by the Emperor?” He was still clearly cautious.

Qin Ji replied, “Indeed.”

The old man looked puzzled. “Then why have you come to our Dalianzi Village?”

Qin Ji smiled and explained, “It’s like this, old sir. We have interrogated Lu Guangwen, and according to him, there is a mine hidden in Mount Daliu. we are entering the mountain to find it.”

The old man realized, “You don’t know the way in Mount Daliu, so you came to look for a guide?”

“You are right, old sir.”

The old man clenched his fists. “If you want to enter Mount Daliu, I can find a strong young guide for you. But before that, I have one question I want the Imperial Envoy to answer.”

“Please, ask.”

The old man said, “Where is that Magistrate, Lu Guangwen? How has the Imperial Envoy dealt with him?”

Qin Ji answered, “Lu Guangwen has already been imprisoned. We will handle him once everything is settled, but I can promise you, old sir: he will certainly be executed.”

Upon hearing this, the old man was overcome with emotion. He fell to his knees, shouting, “Thank you, Imperial Envoy!”

“Old sir, please stand up.” Qin Ji bent down to help him. “This is what we ought to do.”

The old man wiped his eyes with his withered palm. “For over a year, Lu Guangwen has preyed upon the people. He was utterly tyrannical. We people of Huyang County have suffered deeply!”

Qin Ji felt a profound sense of guilt. “Old sir, this was the fault of the court for its lack of oversight. After this, we will surely reflect and reform.”

The old man was deeply moved. Having gained the elder’s trust, they were quickly introduced to a guide.

“Imperial Envoy, this is our village hunter, Wang Dahe. Before the mountain was closed, he often went in to hunt and is very familiar with the area,” the elder introduced.

“Dahe, we’ll have to trouble you to lead us. Rest assured, you won’t be doing this for nothing,” Qin Ji said.

Wei Yu timely handed over one tael of silver. Wang Dahe’s eyes lit up when he saw the silver, but he didn’t take it. “I’m just showing the way, is this really necessary?” He had never heard of getting paid to do work for the government.

“Take it,” Wei Yu said. His voice was cool yet gentle. “This is what you deserve. Besides, the court will compensate the villagers of Dalianzi for the losses caused by the mountain closure.”

Qin Ji directly stuffed the silver into Wang Dahe’s hand. “Dahe, it’s hard work for you to make this trip. Keep it.”

Only then did Wang Dahe take the silver, tucking it into his tunic as if it were a treasure. He whispered, “When I get back, I’ll go to town to buy some tonic for my mother.”

With the guide found, they didn’t waste any time. Qin Ji led the group into the mountain. Along the way, Wang Dahe described Mount Daliu to Qin Ji. “Lord, Mount Daliu is actually a mountain range. It’s rich in resources. We who lived off the mountain used to have a pretty good life. It only got hard after the yamen issued the closure order and we couldn’t go up anymore.”

Wang Dahe sighed. “That dog-official Lu Guangwen really didn’t value our lives at all.”

“Lu Guangwen’s wanton behavior in Huyang was a failure of the court’s oversight. Rest easy; he won’t live for many more days,” Qin Ji said coldly. Once everything settled, Lu Guangwen would certainly not be spared.

“Lord, the elder said you are looking for a mine. I never saw a mine in Mount Daliu before the closure order. It must have been built after the mountain was sealed. If I don’t know the general direction, it will be very hard to find.”

They had a rough map, but Lu Guangwen couldn’t draw well; it was just a vague direction. This was why Qin Ji needed a local guide.

“Chen Xuanwu, bring the map.”

Qin Ji opened his hand, and a simple map was placed in it. “Dahe, look here. This is Dalianzi Village. These are the two paths that split once you enter the mountain. We are taking the western one.” Qin Ji couldn’t praise Lu Guangwen’s artistic skills—it was essentially a primary-schooler’s doodle. He hoped they could find the mine successfully.

“Looking at the direction and distance, it seems close to Gupan Village.” Wang Dahe compared the doodle with their current progress. “It should be right.”

“Oh? There are still villages inside Mount Daliu?” This was news to Qin Ji.

Wang Dahe replied, “Yes, the range stretches for a thousand miles. There are quite a few villages and towns inside. However, after the closure order, the villagers might have been driven out.”

Qin Ji silently added another demerit to Lu Guangwen’s tally. If he didn’t kill Lu Guangwen, he would be failing the people of Mount Daliu.

“Very well, lead the way.” Qin Ji folded the map and gave it back to Chen Xuanwu for safekeeping.

“A-Yu, be careful.” Qin Ji turned and took Wei Yu’s hand, leading him forward.

The mountain paths were difficult. After trekking for over two hours, they finally saw the silhouette of Gupan Village.

“Your Majesty, I will lead some men to scout the village first,” Chen Xuanwen said. To keep the mine a secret, the rebel might have stationed people in the village as monitors. It was best to scout ahead to ensure Qin Ji wasn’t walking into a trap.

“Go, stay safe.”

Chen Xuanwen took a few Secret Guards and vanished towards the village. Qin Ji helped Wei Yu sit on a rock to rest. “Have some water.” Qin Ji opened a waterskin and held it to Wei Yu’s lips. Wei Yu was indeed thirsty and gulped down several mouthfuls. After Wei Yu finished, Qin Ji drank from the same skin.

Wang Dahe caught a glimpse of a face beneath the veil that looked like an immortal’s. He was momentarily dazed but quickly lowered his head. This “immortal” was likely the Envoy’s family member; someone of his status shouldn’t stare.

“The terrain of Mount Daliu is easy to defend and hard to attack. It would be best if there is only one mine here,” Wei Yu said, looking around.

Qin Ji understood. If the fake Qin Ji had used Mount Daliu as a base and built up his own forces, it would be extremely dangerous.

“Young master, please put your mind at ease. The rebel would not use Mount Daliu as a base,” Chen Xuanwu said with a smile.

Wei Yu asked, “Oh? Why is that?” He had never led troops or been to a battlefield; he didn’t understand military strategy.

“It’s like this.” Chen Xuanwu pointed to the surrounding peaks. “Mount Daliu is indeed easy to defend, but it spans a thousand miles. Without enough men, you can’t monitor everything. Once a large army enters and surrounds it from all directions, the rebel would certainly lose—unless a massive army suddenly appeared from nowhere inside the mountain.”

In such rugged terrain, finding a place that could sustain an entire army was incredibly difficult, especially with the needs for food, water, and training. “You can hide a small unit in Mount Daliu, but you definitely can’t hide a massive force.”

Qin Ji: “That’s good.” If the fake Qin Ji had managed to gather a massive rebel army, he would be sick with worry. But thinking logically, no matter how capable the imposter was, he couldn’t have raised an army right under his Father’s nose. The fake surely wanted to rebel, but it was likely on a small scale. The most annoying thing about this imposter was how he stayed in the shadows to cause trouble.

The group rested for a while until one of Chen Xuanwen’s Secret Guards returned to report.

“Report! A large number of corpses have been found in Gupan Village!”

Qin Ji stood up abruptly. “Corpses? Why are there corpses?”

Wei Yu stood up as well. “We will know once we see the village.”

Qin Ji took a deep breath and ordered, “Move out! To Gupan Village!”

Chen Xuanwen had remained in the village. He and the Secret Guards were examining the bodies and discovered that these people had died recently—certainly no more than two days ago.

Who were these victims? Had the rebel killed them? Nothing was yet known.