Chapter 285: Self-Inflicted

In the black night, Chen Liqin raised his knife to chase and hack at Chen Wenxiao, but no matter how much momentum and ferocity he had, the knife in his hand always failed to land on Chen Wenxiao’s body.

Amidst the crying of the Liang family, six border army infantrymen rushed forward together, pressing Chen Wenxiao down onto the yellow earth and binding his hands and feet with hemp rope.

Chen Liqin stood stunned in his original place, "What do you all want to do!"

One border army infantryman stepped on Chen Wenxiao and said, "Isn't Master Chen wanting to hack him? We'll help you hold him, quickly please hack him."

Chen Liqin’s face reddened, "When is it your turn to intervene in the family matters of my Chen family?"

The border army infantryman sneered, "The old man in front throws his head and sprinkles hot blood, this boy in back communicates with the enemy and sells out the country. If not for the general's orders to send him to the capital, he probably wouldn't be able to walk out of this Guyuan city."

Chen Wenxiao's face was pressed against the ground, and he struggled to shout, "You all release me, Father save me, Mother save me."

The Liang family rushed forward like mad, pushing away the border army, "We are relatives of Shao Jameshi of the Jameshi mansion, when did we communicate with the enemy and sell out the country? Do you have evidence? Don't spread groundless accusations."

The border army infantryman turned his head to look at Hu Junxian. When Chen Wenxiao communicated with the enemy and sold out the country, the border army was not on the scene, so they indeed had no evidence, only relying on Xiaoman's one-sided words!

And at this moment, Xiaoman had quietly slipped away at some unknown point, leaving only Hu Junxian and Zhou You standing with the horses!

Zhou You turned his head to look at Xiaoman. Xiaoman looked up at the stars in the sky, appearing as if the matter did not concern himself!

The next moment, someone softly said, "I testify, Chen Wenxiao communicated with the enemy and rebelled against the country!"

The Liang family and Chen Liqin suddenly turned back, only to see Chen Wenzong standing by the fire basin, his eye sockets red but his expression calm!

The Liang family cried heartbrokenly, "Wenzong, what do you want to do, do you want to harm your younger brother to death? Don't talk nonsense."

But Chen Wenzong only softly narrated, "After Chen Wenxiao was captured alive by the Jing dynasty thieves, the thieves inquired about the Dragon Gate Inn matter, and he for the sake of life..."

"Stop talking."

The Liang family staggered over to Chen Wenzong, and said softly and tragically, "Wenzong, you aspire to be the top scholar in the imperial examination, to proclaim your name outside the East Hua Gate! But the palace examination is personally selected by His Majesty with the vermilion brush. If Wenxiao is found guilty, how can His Majesty select the elder brother of a criminal minister as the top scholar? I'm afraid you will have no hope of the imperial examination in this life, wasting a lifetime! Let him go, it is also to accomplish yourself."

Liang family’s tears fell one by one, "Wenxiao, Mother can only rely on you two brothers. If both of you have accidents, how can Mother live? Who can Mother still rely on?"

If this matter in Guyuan is made big into small, and small into nothing, it might not necessarily spread to the capital!

But communicating with the enemy and selling out the country is different. If sent to the Ministry of Justice in the capital, Wenxiao will have only one outcome, beheaded on the spot!

And the crime name of being beheaded on the spot will be tried by the Ministry of Justice, then transferred to the Censorate for verification, and then reviewed and approved by the Supreme Court. After all objections are cleared, it will be presented to Renshou Palace and personally approved by His Majesty.

His Majesty will certainly know, and no one can save him.

Chen Wenzong was silent for a long time, "Mother, if you want me to cover for him, then it is letting me admit that the classics I have learned in the past are all wrong, and the articles I have written are false. What is the use of getting the top scholar then?"

The Liang family said sadly, "Could it be that you haven't learned about relatives hiding each other? Confucius said, 'Father hides for his son, son hides for his father,' and that is righteousness! Relatives hiding each other is also the way of a gentleman. Even in our dynasty's laws, it is written that maternal grandfathers, grandsons, daughters-in-law, husband's brothers, and brothers' wives can all hide each other. This is the utmost of heavenly principle and human feeling!"

Chen Wenzong stood stunned in his original place. He looked at his mother, and then looked at Chen Ji, unable to speak for a while!

The Liang family did not deceive him, our dynasty's laws are indeed written like this, and the utmost sage indeed said this!

Just when Chen Wenzong was in a dilemma, Qi Jianzhe suddenly ran over and shouted, "The Jing dynasty thieves inquired about the Dragon Gate Inn matter, and Chen Wenxiao, for the sake of life, betrayed my master Chen Ji! My master in the inn fully protected the Crown Prince, and with one person's strength slaughtered a hundred people of the Jing dynasty, almost losing his life to the enemy. Chen Wenxiao's actions are no different from communicating with the enemy and rebelling."

As soon as these words came out, everything around fell silent!

The Liang family suddenly fell and sat on the ground, their eyes looking like a lost soul!

Chen Ji glanced at Qi Jianzhe, not knowing for a moment whether to acknowledge this disciple!

In the silence, Hu Junxian spoke again, "Chen Wenxiao bowed and knelt before the Jing dynasty, communicating with the enemy and selling out the country. His crime should be executed! Since our border army has no power to dispose of him, we will send him to the Ministry of Justice for trial to set right public opinion! Pull him up and send him to guard!"

Hearing these words, Chen Liqin's heart gradually sank to the bottom of the valley!

However, just at this moment, the Liang family suddenly crawled up from the ground, pulled out the hairpin from her head, and rushed to Chen Wenxiao, stabbing it straight into his chest!

The Liang family cried softly, "Don't blame Mother, your elder brother cannot have any matters!"

Chen Wenxiao lowered his head to look at the hairpin in his chest, then incredulously lifted his head to look at the Liang family, tears and snot flowing down together, "Mother, my heart is very painful!"

Before he finished speaking, he dropped his head and was no longer breathing!

The Liang family looked hysterically at everyone, "Is it okay now?"

This sudden change shocked everyone. No one expected the Liang family to be so decisive, actually personally killing her own son. Even Chen Ji and Xiaoman didn't think that Chen Wenxiao wouldn't die in battle, but would die at the hands of his own mother!

Chen Ji only felt somewhat absurd. It was as if everyone in these two dynasties, Ning and Jing, was pathological, unbelievable!

Yet, the Liang family looked around with blood-red eyes, "This matter is already over. If I know who spreads this matter out again, my capital Chen family and Liang family will absolutely not let them go."

Saying that, she fiercely stared at Chen Ji and Xiaoman, her hair disheveled, looking like an evil ghost!

Chen Wenzong stepped forward to support her, but was silently pushed away by the Liang family!

She lay on Chen Wenxiao's body, softly sobbing, and did not get up for a long time!

Xiaoman looked at Chen Ji somewhat at a loss, "Young master, I didn't think..."

Chen Ji softly said, "Don't be afraid, he brought it upon himself!"

Only, hereafter, he and the Liang family have probably formed a deadly enmity!

Hu Junxian gazed at the Liang family for a long time, then waved his hand to the border army infantrymen, "Since the criminal is executed, our border army will no longer interfere!"

The border army infantrymen hurriedly retreated, afraid of being remembered by the Liang family!

Chen Ji thought of this matter and suddenly asked, "You all hid well in the cellar, how were you discovered by the Tiance army?"

Zhang Zheng had a bad look on his face, "We were hiding well in the well, but one person chased by the Tiance army in a panic jumped into the well and broke the stones piled on the well wall."

Chen Ji frowned, "What about that person?"

Zhang Xia replied, "Killed by the Tiance army."

Before he finished speaking, a shadow gathered above everyone's heads again. Chen Ji looked up and suddenly saw Mister Feng sitting on a horse, just smilingly looking at him, "You want to investigate, wasn't that person sent by me?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, "Yes!"

Mister Feng smiled, "No need to guess, it was me!"

Saying that, he jumped off his horse and handed the reins to Xiaoman, then said to Chen Ji, "Walk with me, I'm in a very good mood today, perhaps I'm willing to answer a few of your questions!"

Zhang Xia pulled Chen Ji's sleeve and slightly shook his head!

Chen Ji yet smiled and said, "No harm!"

Mister Feng and Chen Ji walked towards the ruins. After walking for a long time, Chen Ji still didn't ask!

Mister Feng stood at the end of the alley, looking at the countless corpses of the border army infantrymen, and suddenly asked, "Chen Ji, do you think the border army are not the most foolish people in this world?"

Chen Ji softly said, "What does the master mean?"

Mister Feng laughed, "Our dynasty's Ministry of War has a rule that military pay is distributed one day after the border army is stationed! In the spring of the 14th year of Jianing, the Datong border army went north to meet the enemy, and a very clever civil official played smart. Each time they camped, he only let the Datong border army stay for one day, and on the second day, he ordered them to change their camp location. This way, they would never have to distribute military pay!"

Chen Ji was startled, "Can it still be like this?"

This matter, at first hearing, didn't even sound true, but like a fabrication!

Mister Feng said calmly, "The border army are foolish in that even when treated like this, when the enemy comes, they still bravely kill the enemy! Last time, the Datong border army blocked the Jing dynasty's Tiger Jing army at Guhuling for more than a month, and the entire army died! At night, when no one went to collect their corpses, we cut open their bellies and discovered that inside their bellies, they only had grass roots, tree bark, and leather!"

Chen Ji was silent and did not speak!

Mister Feng just pointed at the night sky outside Guyuan city, "Chen Ji, the world should not be like this!"