Chapter 287: Self-Inflicted

In the black night, Chen Liqin, holding a knife, chased and slashed at Chen Wenxiao. But no matter how fierce his momentum, the knife in his hand never landed on Chen Wenxiao's body. Amidst the cries of the Liang family, six border army infantry rushed forward, pinning Chen Wenxiao onto the yellow ground and binding his hands and feet with hemp rope.

Chen Liqin stood stunned in place, "What are you all trying to do!"

One border army infantry, stepping on Chen Wenxiao, said, "Lord Chen, don't you want to hack him? We'll help you hold him, quickly hack away."

Chen Liqin's face flushed red, "This is my Chen family's internal matter, when is it your turn to intervene?"

The border army infantry sneered, "The old man fought bravely at the front, shedding blood and sweat, while this boy is communicating with the enemy and selling out the country at the back. If not for the general's order to send him to the capital, he probably wouldn't be able to leave this Guyuan city."

Chen Wenxiao's face was pressed to the ground, and he shouted with effort, "Release me! Father, save me! Mother, save me!"

The Liang family members rushed forward like madmen, pushing away the border army, "We are relatives of the Shao Zhan Shi of the Zhan Shi Fu, when did we communicate with the enemy and sell out the country? Do you have evidence? Don't slander people with baseless accusations."

The border army infantry turned their heads to look at Hu Junxian. The border army was not present when Chen Wenxiao communicated with the enemy and sold out the country; they indeed had no evidence, relying only on Xiao Man's one-sided words! And at this moment, Xiao Man had quietly slipped away at some point, leaving only Hu Junxian and Zhou You standing with their horses!

Zhou You turned his head to look at Xiao Man, who raised his head to look at the stars in the sky, wearing an expression of not being concerned with the matter!

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

The Liang family and Chen Liqin suddenly turned their heads, only to see Chen Wenzong standing beside the fire basin, his eyes red but his expression calm!

The Liang family members cried out in anguish, "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 narrated in a low voice, "After Chen Wenxiao was captured alive by the Jing Dynasty thieves, the thieves inquired about the matter of Longmen Inn, and he, in order to seek survival..."

"Shut your mouth."

The Liang family members staggered to Chen Wenzong's front and said sadly in a low voice, "Wenzong, you aspire to be the top scholar in the imperial examination, to have your name sung outside Donghua Gate! But the palace examination is personally chosen by His Majesty with his vermilion brush. If Wenxiao is found guilty, how can His Majesty choose a criminal official's elder brother as the top scholar? I fear you will have no hope in the imperial examination in this life, a wasted life! Let him go, and you will also fulfill yourself."

Liang family's tears fell one by one, "Wenxiao, Mother can only rely on you two brothers. If both of you have an accident, how can Mother live? Who else can Mother rely on?"

If this matter is made big into small, and small into nothing in Guyuan, perhaps it won't spread to the capital! But communicating with the enemy and selling out the country is different. If he is sent to the Ministry of Justice in the capital, Wenxiao will have only one end, execution by beheading! And the crime of execution by beheading will be handled by the Ministry of Justice, then transferred to the Censorate for verification, then approved by the Court of Judicial Review. After all have no objection, it will be presented to Renshou Palace for His Majesty's personal approval. 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 all the classics and meanings I have learned in the past are wrong, and all the articles I have written are false. Then what is the use of getting the top scholar?"

Liang family mourned, "Could it be that you haven't learned about relatives hiding for each other? Confucius said, 'The father conceals for his son, and the son conceals for his father; rectitude is to be found in this.' Relatives hiding for each other is also the way of a gentleman! Even our Ning Dynasty laws state that maternal grandfather, maternal grandson, grandson, daughter-in-law, husband's brothers, and brother's wife can all hide for each other. This is the principle of heaven and the utmost of human emotions!"

Chen Wenzong stood stunned in place. He looked at his mother, then at Chen Ji, and for a moment could not speak! The Liang family did not deceive him, the Ning Dynasty laws were indeed written like this, and the supreme sage did indeed say so!

Just when Chen Wenzong was in a dilemma, Qi Jianzhe suddenly ran over and shouted, "The Jing Dynasty thieves inquired about the matter of Longmen Inn, and Chen Wenxiao, in order to seek survival, betrayed my master Chen Ji! My master, in the inn, protected the Crown Prince Hall to completion, killing a hundred people of the Jing Dynasty with his own strength, almost losing his life to the enemy's hand. Chen Wenxiao's action is no different from communicating with the enemy and betraying the country."

Upon hearing these words, everyone around fell silent! The Liang family members suddenly sat on the ground, their eyes as if losing their souls!

Chen Ji glanced at Qi Jianzhe, unsure for a moment whether he should acknowledge this disciple!

In the silence, Hu Junxian spoke again, "Chen Wenxiao bowed and knelt to the Jing Dynasty, communicating with the enemy and selling out the country. His crime should be executed! Our border army has no power to dispose of him, so we will send him to the Ministry of Justice for handling, to correct public opinion! Pull him up and send him to the guardhouse!"

Hearing these words, Chen Liqin's heart gradually sank to the bottom of the valley! However, just at this moment, the Liang family members suddenly crawled up from the ground, pulled out the hairpin from their head, and rushed to Chen Wenxiao's front, stabbing it straight into his chest!

The Liang family cried in a low voice, "Don't blame Mother, your elder brother cannot have an accident!"

Chen Wenxiao lowered his head to look at the hairpin in his chest, then unbelievably raised his head to look at the Liang family, tears and snot flowing together, "Mother, my heart hurts so much!" Before finishing his words, he drooped his head, and there was no more breath!

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

This change shocked everyone. No one expected the Liang family to be so decisive, actually personally killing their own son. Even Chen Ji and Xiao Man did not think that Chen Wenxiao would not die in the war, but die at the hands of his own mother! Chen Ji felt a little absurd, as if everyone in these two dynasties, Ning and Jing, were pathological, unbelievable!

Yet, the Liang family, with blood-red eyes, looked around, "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." After saying this, she stared viciously at Chen Ji and Xiao Man, her hair disheveled, looking like an evil ghost!

Chen Wenzong went forward to support her, but was silently pushed away by the Liang family! She lay on Chen Wenxiao's body, sobbing in a low voice, and did not get up for a long time!

Xiao Man looked at Chen Ji somewhat at a loss, "Young Master, I didn't think..."

Chen Ji said lightly, "Don't be afraid, he brought it upon himself!" Only, after this, 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 infantry, "Since the criminal has been executed, our border army will no longer interfere!" The border army infantry hurried to retreat, fearing that the Liang family would hold a grudge against them!

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

Zhang Zheng had a look of bad luck, "We were hiding well below the well, but one person, being chased by the Tian Ce army and panicking, chose the wrong path and jumped down into the well, breaking the pile of stones on the well wall."

Chen Ji frowned, "What about that person?"

Zhang Xia replied with her mouth, "Killed by the Tian Ce army."

Before finishing his words, a shadow gathered over the heads of the crowd again. Chen Ji looked up and suddenly saw Mister Feng sitting on a horse, just smiling and looking at him, "You want to investigate whether that person was sent by me?"

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

Mister Feng smiled, "No need to guess, it was me!" After saying this, he jumped off his horse, handed the reins to Xiao Man, and then said to Chen Ji, "Accompany me for a walk, 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, shaking her head slightly! Chen Ji, however, smiled and said, "No harm!"

Mister Feng and Chen Ji walked towards the ruins. After walking for a long time, Chen Ji never asked a question! Mister Feng stood at the end of the alley, looking at the countless corpses of border army infantry, and suddenly asked, "Chen Ji, do you think the border army is the most foolish people in this world?"

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "What does the Lord mean?"

Mister Feng laughed, "Our dynasty's Ministry of War has a rule that border army troops receive military pay one day after stationing! In the spring of the 14th year of Jianing, the Datong border army went north to meet the enemy. An extremely clever civil official played a trick. Every time they camped, they only let the Datong border army station for one day, and on the second day, they ordered them to change their camping location. This way, they would never have to issue military pay!"

Chen Ji was startled, "It can still be like this?" This matter, upon hearing it for the first time, didn't even sound like a true matter, but rather fabricated!

Mister Feng said calmly, "The foolishness of the border army lies in the fact that even though they were toyed with in this way, they still fought bravely when the enemy came! Last time, the Datong border army blocked the Jing Dynasty's Tiger Shock army at Gu Hulu Ridge for more than a month, and the entire army died! When they collected their corpses at night, after cutting open their bellies, they discovered that inside their bellies were only 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!"