The prince is more stable

Chapter 603 Treason is Unforgivable

One of Chai Ruona's jobs was to harbor criminals wanted by the imperial court.

Do not doubt it, he is that bold. Of course, his biggest reliance is still the imperial edict.

This item has undoubtedly become the Chai family's ultimate protective charm. As long as it remains in the Chai family's possessions, no official, regardless of rank, will dare to enter the Chai family's mansion or estate to search it.

Starting with the previous generation, Chongyi Gong, the Chai family had become bolder and secretly harbored criminals wanted by the imperial court.

No one knew what the Chai family was up to or why they were taking in these wanted criminals; their motives were truly sinister.

Taking in one or two criminals would be one thing, but over the years, the Chai family has taken in no fewer than two or three hundred wanted criminals, all of whom were highly skilled martial artists and ruthless killers.

After these wanted criminals entered the Chai family's estate, Chai Ruona arranged for them to change their names and live openly as guards and servants.

It was also because of these wanted criminals that hundreds of capable but uncivilized people gathered together, turning Chaijiazhuang into a chaotic mess.

Outsiders avoided the area, fearing being targeted by the so-called guards of the manor. This resulted in extremely poor security in the vicinity of Daming Prefecture, with robberies and even murders occurring frequently.

This is why Zhao Xiaoqian was determined to eliminate the Chai family.

Such a malignant tumor must not be allowed to continue to exist, let alone thrive.

He Xiong, a wanted criminal of the imperial court, stayed at the Chai family's estate. After lying low for several days, Chai Ruona finally found the time to meet him in person.

Upon meeting, they would exchange kind words of encouragement, followed by a banquet. Once the wine was flowing freely, they would address each other as brothers, a typical way for the Liangshan heroes to make friends.

After a welcoming banquet, He Xiong changed his identity and name, and naturally became the guard of Chai Family Manor, gathering with hundreds of wanted criminals of the imperial court.

Even at this point, Chai Ruona still didn't realize that something was wrong.

Like other wanted criminals he was taken in, He Xiong was nothing special. His appearance and stay were nothing more than a ripple in Chai Ruona's life.

Five days passed in this way. It was the dead of winter, and snow was falling heavily. One day, a retainer of the Chai family suddenly ran to Chai Ruona with a pale face and told her that something had happened in Zhen Ding City.

The retainer was vague about the specifics of what happened, only saying that Zhao Xiaoqian was furious and ordered the city gates to be sealed off. The garrison troops were ordered to search house to house, as if they were looking for a very important person.

The person being searched is said to be a wanted criminal, a major one.

The fact that this person was officially recognized as "heavyweight" by the imperial court, and even angered the renowned Prince of Hejian who personally ordered the city gates to be sealed and a massive search for the wanted criminals inside the city, speaks volumes about his importance.

The criminals who are so highly regarded by the imperial court must have committed some earth-shattering crimes, which are very likely related to treason.

However, due to Zhao Xiaoqian's order to seal off Zhen Ding City, much news could not get out, and Chaijiazhuangzi did not know what kind of criminal this wanted criminal was or whether he had been captured by the government troops.

However, upon hearing the news reported by her retainer, Chai Ruona immediately turned pale, her heart sank, and the image of a certain person involuntarily popped into her mind.

Chai Ruona remembered that just a few days ago, a wanted criminal named He Xiong had sought refuge with him. It just so happened that He Xiong was the one who had escaped from the Zhen Ding Prefecture prison.

According to He Xiong, his brothers spent money to bribe the jailers and secretly released him.

What made Chai Ruona's heart tremble was that if He Xiong was the person Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to arrest, he would be in big trouble. In particular, He Xiong's case was very likely related to treason, otherwise Zhao Xiaoqian and the government would not have gone to such lengths to find him.

Over the years, the Chai family has taken in hundreds of criminals wanted by the imperial court, seemingly accepting all comers. However, the Chai family actually has principles and bottom lines. The bottom line of the Chai family is the bottom line of the Song Dynasty government, which is to absolutely not get involved with people or things related to treason.

Whenever a criminal convicted of treason came to Chai Family Village, Chai Ruona would sternly and firmly bind him up and hand him over to the government seeking praise and a banner.

The late Emperor Taizu's dying instructions clearly state that all emperors should treat the descendants of the Chai family well, and not punish them for their crimes, except for the crime of treason.

Therefore, the word "treason" is absolutely a red line for the Chai family. If the whole family wants to live together in harmony, they must never get involved with this word.

A few days ago, He Xiong came to seek refuge. Chai Ruona remembered asking him what he had done wrong. He Xiong replied that he had robbed a passing caravan, killed several people, and after hiding for half a year, he was finally captured by the government due to a moment of carelessness.

At that moment, Chai Ruona was relieved and generously invited He Xiong to stay.

The crimes committed by He Xiong were basically the same as those committed by the criminals held in Chai Family Manor. They were just murder and robbery, and had nothing to do with treason. The Chai family could protect them.

But when such shocking news came from Zhen Ding City today, Chai Ruona's heart immediately jumped into his throat. He hurriedly summoned He Xiong and asked him for details again.

There was no other way; Chai Ruona had to be careful, given how coincidental it all seemed.

He Xiong had only been under the protection of the Chai family for a few days when a major criminal was captured and fled from Zhen Ding City. How could Chai Ruone sleep soundly if he didn't find out the truth?
Faced with Chai Ruona's serious questioning, He Xiong expressed his innocence and grievance. He strongly stated that he was an honest and upright person who had never done anything outrageous except for murder and robbery!

Chai Ruona looked at him with suspicion, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He Xiong's eyes were clear, his expression upright and righteous, and he had a clear conscience.

After staring at her for a long time, Chai Ruona finally felt a little relieved.

However, despite saying "slightly," Chai Ruona's suspicions were not dispelled. He planned to spend some time sending someone to Zhengding City to investigate the situation and find out whether the person Zhao Xiaoqian was pursuing was indeed He Xiong.

The most perfect solution would be to kill He Xiong without asking any questions, regardless of whether he was the person Zhao Xiaoqian was looking for. Keeping him around would ultimately be a problem.

However, under the long-term influence of the imperial edict, Chai Ruona had become increasingly bold. Secondly, Chai Ruona still valued loyalty to those martial arts masters. Killing He Xiong was easy, but Chai Ruona was worried that if the other wanted criminals found out, they would lose heart and lose the support of the people.

And so He Xiong continued to stay at the manor, while the people sent by the Chai family to Zhen Ding City to gather information still had no results after several days.

…………

The snow fell heavily, blanketing the sky and creating a hazy, uncertain future, much like the unpredictable path ahead.

In such terrible weather, ten miles away from Chaijiazhuangzi, Zhe Keshi's 10,000 troops gathered in the narrow mountain path of the valley, braving the heavy snow and quietly awaiting orders.

Zhao Xiaoqian also attended in person this time.

The Chai family was ultimately too sensitive and too important, so Zhao Xiaoqian was not entirely at ease with them and had to personally take charge.

The heavy snow continued for a day and a night without stopping, and the temperature kept dropping. Zhao Xiaoqian was dressed in thick clothes, with a bearskin cloak wrapped around his body. There was a bonfire burning in front of him, but he was still shivering from the cold.

"Tell the soldiers to light fires to keep warm. In this awful weather, no one wants to go out except for us lunatics. Light fires without worry, the Chai family won't find out," Zhao Xiaoqian said in a trembling voice.

Zhe Keshi happily turned around and gave the order. He liked commanders like Zhao Xiaoqian, who were strict in governing the army but loved his soldiers like his own children and were very warm.

“Your Highness, aren’t you afraid of causing trouble by directly targeting the Chai family this time? I’ve heard that even the government doesn’t want to provoke the Chai family…” Zhe Keshi said with some concern.

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "What's there to be afraid of? The Chai family has committed an unforgivable crime, and this time the imperial edict won't protect them."

"What crime did the Chai family commit?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly, word by word: "Treason, do you think it's a capital offense?"

Zhe Keshi was taken aback: "The Chai family is plotting a rebellion? Is...it really true?"

"Harboring a traitor is treason for the Chai family. Do I need to teach you this principle?" Zhao Xiaoqian sneered several times. "The late Emperor Taizu instructed that the descendants of the Chai family be treated well, but treason is not included in the pardon. Therefore, even the late Emperor Taizu's instructions could not protect him. Chai Ruona brought this upon himself, so he has no one else to blame but himself."

Zhe Keshi remained silent for a long while before whispering, "That traitor who was harbored by the Chai family..."

Zhao Xiaoqian said frankly, "That's right, I arranged for him to defect there. His name is real, and the things he did are real. His real name is He Xiong. He once gathered villagers in a village under the jurisdiction of Xingzhou to kill officials and burn down the county government. He was convicted of treason and imprisoned in the Zhen Ding Prefecture prison."

"The names, case files, and evidence are all verifiable. Even in the imperial court, no one would dare to object. The Chai family's involvement in this case is nothing short of treason."

"Moreover, Chai Family Manor is also harboring hundreds of criminals wanted by the imperial court, descendants of the deposed emperor of the previous dynasty. What exactly does he want to do by harboring so many bandits and criminals? Can't this be considered treason?"

Zhe Keshi finally felt relieved and chuckled, "As long as I don't implicate Your Highness, I don't care about anything else. I just need to charge into battle for Your Highness."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I know you care about me. Don't worry, I always leave myself a way out. If one day I do something without leaving a way out, it means I've really been forced into a corner and have to burn my bridges."

This is a trap, a trap personally set by Zhao Xiaoqian. From the moment He Xiong entered the Chai family estate, the Chai family was destined to be involved in this treason case, and Chai Ruona could not clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

Since the decision has been made to eliminate the Chai family, a cancerous growth, the process and methods need not be too particular; Zhao Xiaoqian only needs to see the results.

Zhao Xu probably thought the same way, and his attitude gave Zhao Xiaoqian the confidence to act today.

Looking up at the heavy snow falling from the sky, Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly, "We'll set off for Chai Family Village once the snow subsides a little."

"First surround them, then advance in batches. Don't let anyone escape. Don't kill the Chai family, including Chai Ruona. His crimes are indelible. It's fine to bring him back to Bianjing for trial. As for the others, such as bandits and wanted criminals, capture them alive if possible. I need to secure evidence."

As they were talking, Zhe Keshi suddenly stretched out his palm to feel the snowflakes falling from the sky, with a bright and innocent smile on his face. The scene was as romantic as the villainous and ugly male supporting character in an idol drama.

"Your Highness, the snow is lessening, it's lessening!"

Zhao Xiaoqian reached out towards the campfire, greedily seizing the last bit of warmth, then reluctantly got up and brushed the snow off his shoulders.

"Order the entire army to march!"

(End of this chapter)