Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 510 Extra Chapter: Pei Yu (Part Two)
The woman's face was full of sorrow, her eyes almost swollen from crying. She choked out as she continued, "I changed my name and married into the Zeng family, and even had a child. I have no face to see you at the Pei family again. When I saw Qinghe, I begged her to let my child and me stay. She refused and made me leave with the Zeng family."

"Your mother had no choice but to cruelly abandon you again..."

The young man's eyes also reddened, and he said softly, "Sister, Mother has always thought about you. After I turned ten and became sensible, she told me everything that had happened before."

Pei Yu, whose face was usually cold, suddenly curled her lips into a sneer, her eyes full of mockery: "Back then, I had already become the Prefect of Pengcheng and had some reputation. Didn't your mother say that if the Zeng family ever mistreated you, you could come to Pengcheng and rely on me, your elder sister, so that I could help you out?"

The young man was still too young to lie, and he was also easily embarrassed. Upon hearing this, his face immediately turned red.

Because Pei Yu was absolutely right.

Over the years, his mother often told him privately that he was an unfavored illegitimate son in the Zeng family, and seeing that he didn't have much talent for studying, it would be extremely difficult for him to take the imperial examinations. She said he would have to rely on his elder sister, Pei Yu, in the future.

His elder sister grew up by Emperor Zhaoyuan's side and was deeply favored and trusted by the emperor. At a young age, she became the governor of a prefecture and governed Pengcheng so well that doors were left unlocked at night and lost items were not picked up on the road. She was sure to rise high in the future and have a bright future. As long as his elder sister was willing to help him, he could also have a good future.

He vaguely felt that his mother shouldn't think that way. But when he was looked down upon by his elder brothers or cousins, or when he was bullied, he couldn't help but wonder if he would be safe if he had an older sister who was a prefect and protected him.
Perhaps, he will rise to prominence in the future and become the most successful descendant of the Zeng family. The Zeng family members will all have to bow their heads and flatter him.

This year, his father passed away, and he and his mother faced an awkward and difficult situation in the Zeng family. So his mother brought him to Pengcheng to seek refuge with his elder sister.

He arrived in Pengcheng with his mother, filled with secret joy and anticipation. He waited for over half a month before his elder sister returned.

The imagined scene of mother and daughter reuniting and siblings recognizing each other did not unfold. The eldest sister showed no intention of acknowledging her biological mother, and her gaze towards her younger brother was exceptionally cold.

The young man couldn't help but look away from that scrutinizing and sharp gaze.

The woman, still weeping, barely managed to steady herself by gripping her son's arm. She cried, "Yu'er, he looks seven or eight parts like you. If you stood together, anyone could tell you were siblings. It's understandable that you hate and resent me. But he really is your own brother. Blood is thicker than water!"

"Take a good look at him. He's your brother!"

“His biological father fell seriously ill and died a few months ago. With no one to protect him, the matriarch of the Zeng family treated us even more harshly, often insulting me, which I endured. But his stepmother forbade him from studying anymore, saying that he was mediocre and studying was useless, and that he should learn accounting to make a living as an accountant in the future.”

"I can no longer let him stay in the Zeng family. I have no choice but to bring him here to seek refuge with you."

Pei Yu laughed instead of getting angry: "So, you brought your son to me because he has lost his support. You want me to be his backer, to support his studies, and if he fails the imperial examinations, to ask the Emperor for a special favor for him. Ideally, you'd also find him a good marriage with a noblewoman, is that right?"

The woman's eyes were full of expectation: "He's your brother..."

Pei Yu sneered at the woman, "My younger brother is Pei Lang, Pei Wang, and a whole bunch of Pei family youths. Who does he think he is, a mere illegitimate son of the Zeng family? And you, how dare you impersonate my long-deceased mother to deceive me!"

"Guards, lock these two swindlers in jail!"

At Prefect Pei's command, several guards standing outside the door immediately rushed in.

The young man was so frightened that his hands and feet went weak.

The woman was horrified and knelt down with a thud: "Yu'er, if you have any anger or resentment, just take it out on me. Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you. But he really is your brother..."

Pei Yu coldly ordered, "Gag them!"

The woman and the young man were gagged with rags and imprisoned together. Pei Yu wrote a letter and sent it to the Zeng family.

Just after the New Year, the head of the Zeng family received a letter from Prefect Pei.

After reading the letter, the head of the Zeng family was covered in cold sweat. He first summoned his nearly sixty-year-old sister-in-law and gave her a good scolding, then led several men of the Zeng family to Pengcheng at top speed.

The young Prefect Pei's gaze was icy as he coldly said, "This mother and son claim to be from the Zeng family. Come and see if they are."

The mother and son, who had been imprisoned for over a month, were not mistreated in terms of food and clothing, but they were listless and their eyes were vacant. Their mouths were stuffed with cotton cloth, so they couldn't open their mouths at all.

Prefect Pei, who had been beheading people with a knife since he was six years old, later killed many people on the battlefield. During his years as prefect of Pengcheng, he wiped out all the bandits and thieves in the surrounding area. At this moment, his eyes were cold and filled with murderous intent.

The head of the Zeng family wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said tremblingly, "Yes, yes."

Prefect Pei said calmly, "Since they are members of the Zeng family, I will forgive them for their fraud and deception. Take them back with you."

"If I hear any rumors or gossip about the Pei family, don't blame me for being ruthless. There are so many powerful families in Jiangnan; losing one Zeng family member won't make a difference."

The head of the Zeng family's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down: "Prefect Pei, please rest assured. I will take the mother and son back immediately and will not allow them to speak freely."

There are many ways to silence someone. You can confine them to a serious illness, or cause them to die in an accident. Even sparing the lives of mother and child is acceptable; if you have the son under control, why fear the mother causing trouble?

Prefect Pei gave a cold laugh, said nothing more, and simply waved his hand.

The head of the Zeng family wiped his forehead with his sleeve and whispered to the Zeng family members behind him to drag the mother and child away.

The young man did not struggle; his eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

The woman refused to accept her fate and struggled desperately, like a fish out of water and about to die. The two men holding her hesitated, not daring to harm her. The woman, in her struggle, collapsed before Prefect Pei.

The woman's mouth was still stuffed with cotton cloth, and she kept making muffled noises, her eyes full of pleading.

Prefect Pei didn't move, just stared coldly at the woman until the Zeng family members dragged her away.

This woman finally disappeared from her sight forever and completely.

Pei Yu let out a sigh of relief and turned away from the matter. When she picked up her pen to write a letter home, she didn't mention it at all.

Emperor Zhaoyuan did not inquire further, but simply sent someone to the Zeng family.

In the years that followed, the mother and son rarely appeared in public and gradually disappeared from the public eye.

In the fifteenth year of Showa (1945), the emperor issued an edict transferring Pei Yu from the position of prefect of Pengcheng to the position of prefect of Shuzhou, making him the youngest prefect in the Republic of China.

(End of this chapter)