Love Lock

Chapter 278 Bold and Unruly Commoner
The cold wind howled all night, but by dawn, the snow gradually stopped and the warm sun peeked out.

The streets of the capital were covered with a thick layer of snow, with messy footprints left by early risers.

"Get out of the way! Everyone, get out of the way!"

A troop of imperial guards clad in iron armor surged in from the direction of the capital, their iron boots making a dull thud as they pounded the snow.

The leader, Ge Xu, held the imperial edict in his hand, his face as cold and stern as iron.

Pedestrians on the road scrambled to avoid them, and some vendors who couldn't dodge in time had their loads overturned, their goods rolling all over the ground and quickly crushed into mud by the military boots.

"What's going on?" Zhang, the proprietress of the silk shop, peered out through the crack in the door, her fingers gripping the door frame tightly. "So many Imperial Guards so early in the morning."

"Shh—" Her husband pulled her back and quickly closed the door. "Don't meddle! I heard that Prime Minister Wei's whole family was arrested last night."

Zhang gasped, dropping the comb from her hand. "Prime Minister Wei? That veteran of three reigns? This... how is this possible?"

In the teahouse across the street, several customers huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. The kettle on the stove bubbled and steamed, but it couldn't dispel the chill in their hearts.

"I heard it's about colluding with an enemy country..." a tall, thin merchant said mysteriously. "My cousin works in the Ministry of Justice, and he said that the Wei family's Jinxiufang workshop is hiding some kind of divine weapon."

"Nonsense!" An elderly man with white hair slammed his hand on the table, splashing water from his teacup. "Prime Minister Wei has served three emperors; how could he possibly rebel? Someone must have framed him!"

"Sir, keep your voice down!" the shopkeeper hurriedly came over to dissuade him. "Don't talk about state affairs. If this gets out, you'll be in jail too!"

"Yes, yes, yes." The old man nodded in deep agreement, then turned his gaze to the street outside.

At the street corner, a group of children who were building a snowman stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the Imperial Guards passing by.

One of the boys, about seven or eight years old, tugged at the sleeve of the woman beside him: "Mom, where are those soldiers going?"

The woman quickly covered the child's mouth: "Don't speak, come home with your mother."

The woman hurriedly picked up her child, and before leaving, she glanced back at the direction the Imperial Guards were heading, her eyes filled with fear.

Ge Xu's group stopped in front of the Wei family's money exchange in the east of the city. The money exchange manager had already heard the news and was kneeling at the door, his forehead pressed against the cold snow, his whole body trembling.

"By imperial decree, the Wei family's properties are to be confiscated! All individuals are to be imprisoned pending trial!" Ge Xu unfurled the imperial edict, his voice booming so loudly that it could be heard throughout the entire street.

It turns out that Emperor Jing kept his word!
Not only were the Wei family imprisoned, but their property was also seized without any psychological pressure.

Several employees were roughly dragged out, and a young man struggled and shouted, "I'm just a bookkeeper! I have nothing to do with the Wei family!"

The Imperial Guards ignored him and struck him on the leg with a stick. The young man screamed and fell to his knees.

Not far away, Uncle Zhou, the old steward of the Wei family, hid at the alley entrance, tears streaming down his face.

He escaped disaster last night because he went to the countryside to collect rent, but only learned of the terrible news when he returned to the city this morning. Seeing the state of the money exchange, he bit his hand tightly, afraid to make a sound.

"Hurry up!" Ge Xu shouted sternly. "Seale all account books and silver and transport them to the Ministry of Revenue!"

The soldiers rushed into the bank like wolves and tigers, and soon the sounds of rummaging through chests and cabinets could be heard, interspersed with the crisp sound of porcelain shattering.

A soldier carrying a box full of account books tripped and fell, scattering the pages all over the ground, where they were soaked by snowmelt.

"Be careful, all of you!" Ge Xu kicked the soldier. "This is all evidence! Can you afford to take responsibility if you ruin it?"

The soldier hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy, frantically picking up the faded writing.

Zhou Bo took the opportunity to quietly retreat, but unexpectedly broke a dry branch. The crisp "crack" sound was particularly jarring in the morning silence.

"Who's there?" Ge Xu turned his head sharply, his hawk-like gaze sweeping towards the alley entrance.

Zhou Bo turned and ran, but how could his aged legs outrun the well-trained Imperial Guards?

He hadn't run more than a few steps when two soldiers pinned him down in the snow, his white beard covered in mud and snow.

“Isn’t this the old dog from the Wei family?” Ge Xu walked over slowly, his boots crunching on the snow. “Perfect, saves us the trouble of looking for him.”

Zhou Bo was roughly pulled up. He spat out the snow water in his mouth and hissed, "Commander Ge! Prime Minister Wei has treated you well! When your father was convicted, it was the Prime Minister who pleaded for him before the late Emperor..."

"Shut up! When has Prime Minister Wei ever pleaded for my father?" Ge Xu's expression changed drastically, and he slapped Zhou Bo across the face. "Traitorous minister, everyone has the right to kill him! Take him away!"

As the soldiers escorted Zhou Bo away, a large crowd of onlookers had already gathered on the street.

Some shook their heads and sighed, some looked pleased, and many more were filled with fear, afraid that this disaster would affect them.

"I heard even the Wei family's one-month-old grandson was arrested..."

"What a tragedy! What do such a young child know?"

"Shh...it's none of our business..."

Whispers drifted like snowflakes in the wind, scattering in every corner of the capital.

At the same time, the gate of the Wei residence was locked with heavy iron chains, and seals with vermilion seals were pasted across the gate.

The mansion was in complete disarray; all valuables had been removed, leaving only overturned tables and chairs and torn curtains.

The plum blossoms in the corner of the courtyard have bloomed, their bright red flowers standing out starkly against the snow, yet no one appreciates them.

Wei Dapeng, the second son of the Wei family, had just returned from his travels and his luck had been extremely bad. He ran right into the Imperial Guards led by Ge Xu upon his return, and before he could even react, he was captured.

Wei Dapeng was locked up alone in the ancestral hall of the Prime Minister's mansion, his hands were chained, and he knelt in front of the ancestral tablets.

There was no fire in the ancestral hall, and the cold seeped into his bones, but he straightened his back and looked calmly at those familiar names.

"Father, your son is unfilial!" he murmured, sobbing, his voice hoarse, "Your son failed to preserve the Wei family's century-old legacy..."

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Zhao Zheng entered with two guards.

"Young Master Wei, how have you been?" Zhao Zheng said with a feigned bow, but his eyes were full of sarcasm.

Wei Dapeng didn't even turn his head: "Commander Ge, are you here to see a joke?"

"How dare I?" Ge Xu strolled to the offering table, picked up a memorial tablet and played with it casually. "Back then, when my father was convicted, Prime Minister Wei kicked him when he was down. Heh, I never thought the Wei family would end up like this."

The reason Ge Xu went to such lengths to confiscate the Wei family's property was that he was seeking revenge.

"Hmph!" Wei Dapeng sneered, "If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. My Wei family is clean and honest, and we are not afraid of your investigation."

"Innocence? Does that matter?" Ge Xu suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty ancestral hall. "Young Master Wei is truly joking. If His Majesty didn't have solid evidence, would he have targeted a veteran of three reigns?" He leaned down and whispered in Wei Mingyuan's ear, "To tell you the truth, His Majesty has been waiting for this day for a long time. The Wei family's power is too great; even the late Emperor had to compromise and appease them. Tell me... how can His Majesty sleep soundly?"

Wei Dapeng's eyelids twitched slightly, and in an instant, he understood everything.

The ancestral hall door was locked again, and Wei Dapeng finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.

On the second floor of the teahouse across the street, a man in a bright red robe with a bewitching appearance leaned against the chaise lounge by the window, his posture languid. His fox-like, seductive eyes took in the commotion on the street.

"Young master, it seems the Wei family is doomed this time," the servant-like man behind him whispered.

The man picked up his teacup and took a sip: "The Wei family? This is just the beginning."

"what do you mean……"

"The four great families are deeply intertwined; a single move can have far-reaching consequences." The man put down his teacup, a faint smile playing on his lips. "His Majesty of the Great Jing Dynasty... has quite the appetite this time!"

The servant nodded and asked no further questions.

On the main street, the Imperial Guards had already raided the Wei family's silk shop. Belts of fine brocade were roughly dragged out and stained in the snow.

The man smiled and stood up. "Let's go! We can go back now!"

The servant understood, immediately took out a silver ingot and threw it on the table, then turned and followed the man.

At the same time, inside the Marquis of Champion's residence in the capital.

The snow on the glazed tiles glittered under the warm sun, and the water droplets dripping from the eaves made clear, melodious sounds on the bluestone slabs, as if someone were gently tapping a jade chime.

Princess Chang Le and Zhao Qiao'er sat under the pavilion in the courtyard, brewing tea around a stove and enjoying the snow.

Princess Chang Le's personal maid, Mingyue, didn't move much, but Zhao Qiao'er, dressed in her finest clothes, served her like a lackey.

Princess Chang Le leaned against the carved sandalwood railing, her crimson fox fur coat casually draped over her shoulders.

She held a gilded sunflower teacup between her fingers, a few snow buds floating in the tea soup, and wisps of steam lingered around her delicate chin.

Several old plum trees outside the pavilion leaned precariously, their branches drooping low under the weight of accumulated snow. Occasionally, a gust of wind would send down snowflakes like jade dust.

“Your Highness, you don’t know, the young man in the bright red brocade robe that I met when I went to spread the news that day, he was so handsome… tsk tsk tsk, even more handsome than a woman.”

Zhao Qiao'er lifted the hem of her begonia-red skirt and approached, the gold hairpin at her temple jingling with each movement.

Today, she specially styled her hair in the "flying fairy" bun, a popular style among noble ladies in the capital. Her face was powdered and rouged, and even her nails were painted a vibrant red with nail polish from the mandarin duck hairpin.

Mingyue stood quietly to one side, holding a gilded hand warmer, and couldn't help but turn her face away upon hearing this.

The young maid was dressed in a simple lotus-colored padded jacket, with only a silver hairpin in her hair, making her appear more elegant than Zhao Qiao'er, who was dressed in full regalia.

Princess Chang Le casually cracked open some pine nuts, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Qiao'er's eager expression.

Princess Chang Le thought to herself, "Are Zhao Qiao'er and Zhao Zun really siblings? Why is there such a huge difference between them? Zhao Zun is a man of great talent and ambition, as proud as a pine tree in the snow, while his sister is brainless and infatuated, like a vine clinging to a wall. It's really..."

She suddenly recalled the scene of Zhao Zun she had seen in Cangzhou at the beginning of the year. Zhao Zun, riding on his brocade-eared horse, was indifferent and arrogant, which made her feel a pang of pain in her heart.

"Princess! Something terrible has happened!" Just as Princess Chang Le was lost in thought, the steward staggered into the courtyard, his boots leaving messy marks on the snow.

He didn't even bother with the formalities and said urgently, "Last night, the entire Wei family was imprisoned, and today the Imperial Guards are confiscating their property; even the money shops in the West Market have been shut down!"

With a "thud!", the plate of candied fruit in Zhao Qiao'er's hand fell onto the bluestone floor.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she covered her lips with her nail-painted fingers: "My God! So soon..."

Before she could finish speaking, she realized she had spoken out of turn and hurriedly looked at Princess Chang Le's expression.

Princess Chang Le loosened her fingers and placed a few plump, black melon seeds on the cloud-patterned stone table.

As she rose, her fox fur coat slipped down, revealing a pale white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) embroidered with golden sparrows underneath. "Prepare the sedan chair. Let's go see the excitement."

Princess Chang Le smiled and took Zhao Qiao'er's arm, whispering in her ear, "We're a couple. It would be a shame not to go and see such a lively event."

Princess Chang Le smiled, but her eyes held a chilling coldness.

If the Su family loses power, then the Wei family won't have an easy time either.

Wei Chengchao, that coward, is more trouble than he's worth. He deserved to be punished and imprisoned by Emperor Jing this time.

Emperor Jing did not recognize her status as a princess after ascending the throne. One day, she would make Emperor Jing know how powerful she was.

Just as Princess Chang Le was taking Zhao Qiao'er out to see the Wei family's commotion, the Jinxiufang in the capital was also attacked by the Imperial Guards.

When the Imperial Guards' iron boots shattered the bluestone slabs in front of the Brocade Pavilion, the Brocade Pavilion was bustling with business.

Many ladies and young women from wealthy families were selecting fabrics or discussing clothing styles.

The Imperial Guards filed in, and the hall was immediately filled with gasps of surprise from the noble ladies. Silks and satins were roughly overturned on the ground, and embroidered shoes left dark footprints as they stepped over the priceless fabrics.

The one who rushed out to greet the Imperial Guards was not the usually shrewd and resourceful Manager Tang of Jinxiufang, but Lin Yuanshan, the manager of Linji Cloth Shop.

"Sir, what's going on here..." Lin Yuanshan hurriedly went up to greet him, his face full of ingratiating smiles.

Today was his first day as the manager of Jinxiufang, and he specially wore a brand-new indigo long gown, with the jade pendant at his waist jingling with his hurried steps.

"Get out of the way!" Imperial Guard Commander Ge Xu shoved Lin Yuanshan on the shoulder, causing him to stumble. "We are ordered to confiscate the Wei family's properties! All bystanders, disperse immediately!"

Ge Xu's voice was like a piece of raw iron hitting the blue brick ground. The gilded token hanging from his waist was so bright in the sunlight that it hurt the eyes.

Lin Yuanshan's knees suddenly went weak, and he had to hold onto the carved counter to keep from kneeling: "My lord, please understand, this shop belongs to me! Look at these account books, and these land deeds and house deeds..."

"You audacious scoundrel, shut your mouth! The entire Wei family, including nine generations, has been imprisoned, and all thirty-two properties under their names have been confiscated." Ge Xu rubbed the rope binding the hilt of his sword with his thumb, his gaze sweeping over the golden plaque above the beam that read "Splendid Nature." "Everyone knows that this Brocade Pavilion belongs to the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family, Wei. How did it become yours?"

"It's absolutely true, sir! And the Mandarin Duck Hairpin and the Drunken Immortal Winery are both villains!"

As he spoke, Lin Yuanshan quickly went around to the back of the counter and, with trembling hands, took out a gilded box from the rosewood cabinet.

Upon opening the box, several documents bearing vermilion official seals lay quietly inside.

"Look at the military camp, the mandarin duck hairpins, the Drunken Immortal Wine, and this Brocade Pavilion—all of these were just sold to me by Young Master Wei at a discounted price yesterday. Look at this transfer document; the official seal of the Jingzhao Prefecture is still shining brightly!"

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