Chapter 90

Luo Qing entered the Luo family in the 28th year of Youde’s reign, and it has been more than ten years now.

In the early years, Luo Qing had always been an attendant to Luo Ming. Since he was skilled in riding and shooting, and had no problem reading and writing, Luo Ming decided to train him. He first freed him from slavery, making him a free man, and then sent him to the Wucheng Bingmasi ^[1]refers to Military Training Division. for training. Now, Luo Qing holds the rank of an eighth-rank military officer in the capital.

As one of the most trusted aides of the patriarch in the past, Luo Ming assigned him the task of going to Xuzhou to find evidence.

Luo Qing quickly followed the clues left by Luo Ming and found Pang Lu’s hometown in Feng County. However, when he arrived, the neighbors told him that the family had left two or three months ago and their whereabouts were unknown.

Luo Qing walked in and found that the house seemed to have been ransacked. There was nothing left inside. However, the door lock was intact, and there were no signs that the house was broken into through the windows. It seemed that the family had packed up and moved out on their own.

Luo Qing gave his neighbor a hundred coins and said that he was a distant relative of the Pang family. Since he couldn’t find anyone from the family at the moment, he asked for a bowl of water.

The neighbor was pleased with the money and answered almost all of Luo Qing’s questions.

Luo Qing soon discovered that the family had a young son who was a high-ranking official in the capital, and his mother and elder brother were both well-respected. The Pang family had lived in Feng County for generations and had few relatives outside the family, except for one aunt who married into Hong County a few years ago, but they had not been in contact for many years.

Luo Qing began to think about it.

Logically speaking, Ji Yanming was under investigation at the Dali Temple, with witness Lord Shi and a secret letter in place. Pang Lu, who wrote the official letter, had been missing for many days and was most likely silenced. Since the gang was still active, it seemed unlikely that they would have moved the mother and son of the Pang family so far in advance.

From the neighbor’s tone, it was clear that the mother and son had been gone for several months. They must have left on their own, feeling guilty after taking bribes, and were not hidden by anyone.

Luo Qing decided to take a chance and head to Hong County. There, he indeed found the person he was looking for.

When Pang Lu’s brother, Pang Xi, heard that Luo Qing was from the capital, his face changed, and he said that Pang Lu had not been home for a long time and they knew nothing about his whereabouts.

Pang Xi, clearly nervous and inexperienced, quickly began to distance himself. Before Luo Qing could even say anything, Pang Xi was already backing away.

Luo Qing continued to bluff: “Do you think that hiding here will prevent the court from finding you or investigating Pang Lu’s crime? You should know that your brother’s crime is serious, and it has already been reported to the emperor. If you are not careful, you could be accused of deceiving the emperor.”

Pang Xi turned pale with fear.

Though he didn’t know much about major cases, he had read about the crime of deceiving the emperor in books, a crime that could affect an entire family.

Earlier this year, his brother had brought home a large sum of money, claiming it was for his marriage.

Pang Xi had been in poor health since childhood and couldn’t work the fields like other farm children. His family had financial difficulties, and he had never been able to marry. Now, the problem seemed to have been solved.

Strangely, though, Pang Lu had always sent two letters home every month to report his safety, but after that, they lost all contact with him.

Not only did Pang Lu stop writing, but even when they tried to send letters to the capital, they could not find the recipient.

Pang Xi, remembering the large sum of money that was more than enough to cover his brother’s salary for decades, suspected something had gone wrong.

At this point, he was no longer concerned about marriage. He just wanted to take his mother and flee. Saving their lives was the most important thing.

The Pang family had lived in Feng County, Xuzhou, for generations, and after leaving, they had no place to go except Hong County, where their aunt lived.

Unexpectedly, the imperial court found them there as well.

Luo Qing, having served with Luo Ming for a long time, had a certain aura when he spoke, especially when bluffing.

“No matter what promises your brother made, they don’t matter now. The crime of deceiving the emperor and lying to the superiors will punish everyone involved. You may get the money, but you won’t live to spend it.”

Just then, Pang’s mother came out and asked her eldest son, “What’s wrong? What happened now?”

Pang Xi, with his hands hanging down, spoke in a low voice: “The people from the imperial court are here.”

The old woman looked at her son helplessly and said, “We traveled for days from Feng County to hide here, and now we must move again? When will this end? Your brother is gone, and now you have to pay for it? If you’ve made a mistake, you must correct it. If you’re guilty, you must admit it. Our family has always been a clean family. I believe the court will give us justice.”

Pang Xi stood silently, replying “yes” to his mother, seeming to have accepted the situation.

Seeing that the mother and son seemed to have come to their senses, Luo Qing immediately pressed on: “When was the last time you saw Pang Lu?”

Pang Xi replied, “Around the New Year, my brother Pang Lu, who works at the Imperial Academy in Beijing, came to visit me. He brought me some money, but he seemed flustered. He wasn’t as happy as usual, so I asked him a few more questions.”

“Oh? Did he say anything to you?”

“He was drunk that night and spoke vaguely. He said he might have committed a serious crime, but the people involved were powerful, and he couldn’t resist. It wasn’t his intention to frame others.”

This frame-up likely referred to Ji Yanming.

Luo Qing thought for a moment and asked, “Can you read?”

Pang Xi answered honestly, “I can read.”