"My Empress, great news, momentous news!"
Inside the Yan Palace, Murong Kang, a Zhonghou of the Zhongjie Army, the imperial guards of the Yan Hall, rushed in to see Empress Murong Qing of Yan, announcing joyfully as soon as they met.
"Zhonghou Murong Kang, what good news do you have?" Murong Qing asked after inviting Murong Kang to sit down.
Within the Yan Palace, Murong Kang and Murong Qing dared not act rashly, nor could they address each other as siblings.
Thus, Murong Kang recounted the shocking case of Zhou Fugui.
"Is this true? Would he dare to be so bold?" Murong Qing was also greatly surprised after hearing the story.
"This matter will be known to everyone in the capital soon enough. How could I dare to speak falsely?" Murong Kang chuckled. "Now that old scoundrel Murong Bole will have a hard time."
"What do you intend to do?" Murong Qing asked after some thought.
"Impeach the Left Virtuous King," Murong Kang replied.
"On what charges?" Murong Qing asked again.
"Permitting a slave to commit murder," Murong Kang answered.
"Permitting a slave to commit murder?" Murong Qing shook her head slightly. "Zhonghou Murong, have you forgotten your father's dying words?"
At this time, Murong Wang, the Right Virtuous King of Yan, had already passed away. Murong Qing and Murong Kang, siblings, had lost an important pillar of support.
"Heinous official, how dare you!"
In the Yan Palace, Emperor Yan Murong Xi, after hearing the account of Zhou Fugui from Cui Tianchou, the Prefect of You Prefecture, was enraged. He swept the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the low table, scattering them noisily. Cui Tianchou, kneeling below, was so frightened he dared not even lift his head.
Zhou Fugui had shown great prowess in the Yan Palace's training grounds, and thus Murong Xi was rather fond of this fierce and brave general. If Zhou Fugui had been a Xianbei rather than a Han, he would surely have been heavily rewarded. Yet, the moment Murong Xi had bestowed upon Zhou Fugui the official post of 'Bijiang Jun' (Assistant General), before he could even properly settle into his seat, he had committed such a shocking crime? The slaughter of over two hundred people from the Qin and Duan families... The Qin family was perhaps acceptable, merely a wealthy Han household from Lumen Village in You Prefecture. However, the Duan family, especially Duan Mu and his son, were entirely different matters. Thus, Murong Xi was filled with both anger and annoyance.
"Where is he now? Have they apprehended him?" Murong Xi asked Cui Tianchou after his outburst of anger.
"He has been apprehended, and is already on his way to the capital. I rode ahead at full speed to report to Your Majesty," Cui Tianchou replied, bowing his head.
"Apprehended so quickly? Did he not flee?" Murong Xi asked curiously.
Having committed such a heinous crime, his death was certain. Generally, criminals would choose to flee immediately.
"No..." Cui Tianchou replied. "After killing the people, the criminal Zhou Fugui remained at the Duan family's residence, awaiting our arrival to apprehend him."
The case was too serious, and Cui Tianchou dared not conceal anything, so he could only answer truthfully.
"Oh, and why is that?" Murong Xi asked, puzzled.
Zhou Fugui's series of peculiar actions gradually dissipated Murong Xi's anger. As his anger subsided, curiosity began to rise.
"Your Majesty, according to my estimation..." Cui Tianchou replied. "He was trying to exonerate his accomplices. When I led men to arrest him, he claimed the deed was his alone and had nothing to do with anyone else."
"Nothing to do with anyone else? Heh heh..." Murong Xi chuckled, looking around. "Zhou Fugui, Deputy General Zhou, does he take everyone else for fools? He single-handedly killed over two hundred people? The Duan family had a sturdy manor that could withstand an attack; it would be absolutely impossible for him to achieve this alone!"
If Zhou Fugui were truly that capable, Murong Xi might have spared his life and sent him to guard the border, perhaps making him a fearsome figure to the enemy.
"Your Majesty speaks truly..." Cui Tianchou continued, still bowing. "The survivors of the Duan family stated that there were twenty-one people in total, including Zhou Fugui. They went to the Qin and Duan families late at night and killed over two hundred people in a single night."
"Only twenty-one people?" Murong Xi asked, astonished again.
"Only twenty-one. I have not yet verified this, but in my estimation, the number of Zhou Fugui and his companions should be roughly correct. Just over twenty people, and not one of them was injured," Cui Tianchou replied.
"Twenty-one people? Fighting one against ten, and not one injured? Hahaha, impressive, impressive! The Left Virtuous King is indeed not falsely named!" Murong Xi exclaimed with laughter.
The Xianbei people were divided into many tribes, such as the Murong, Yuwen, Qifu, Tufa, and Duan tribes. The Murong tribe held the throne and became the royal family, but not all other tribes submitted to them wholeheartedly. There were many who paid lip service but harbored dissent, which Murong Xi knew all too well.
When the Murong tribe was strong, things were better. Other tribes could only submit to their power. If the Murong tribe suffered setbacks, like the current defeat in the southern campaign, their strength weakened, and other tribes would become restless. Murong Xi was also well aware of this.
Therefore, this incident involving Zhou Fugui might have inadvertently helped the Murong tribe a little by intimidating other Xianbei tribes through brutal and bloody means.
Seeing this, Cui Tianchou secretly glanced up at Murong Xi, trying to gauge his intentions: was he inclined to lenient punishment or severe punishment for Zhou Fugui?
He could not afford to misinterpret these two completely different possibilities, Cui Tianchou mused to himself.
For an official, discerning the superior's intentions was paramount.
"Why did he kill the Duan father and son?" Murong Xi asked after a moment.
"When I first questioned him en route..." Cui Tianchou quickly replied. "It was because the Duan father and son had harmed his elder brother and insulted his sister, causing the Deputy General Zhou to commit such a shocking crime in a fit of rage!"
"This... such a hot-headed young man," Murong Xi shook his head and said. "Prefect Cui."
"Your servant is here!" Cui Tianchou responded.
"Arrest all his accomplices and their families and imprison them," Murong Xi said sternly. After a pause, he added, "However, the families will not be thrown into prison for now. We shall await the trial of the criminal Zhou Fugui."
The frequent feuds among the Xianbei people galloping across the northern steppes were not uncommon. Zhou Fugui's act of fighting one against ten and slaughtering the entire Duan family in revenge for his brother and sister, in the past, would have been not only without blame but perhaps even hailed as heroic by the Xianbei. However, now that the Xianbei had established a kingdom, the situation was entirely different.
Yet, Zhou Fugui was a general under Murong Bole, so Murong Xi had to show some consideration for him before the case was fully investigated. Besides, with the main culprit apprehended, where could his family members possibly go?
"Your servant obeys!" Cui Tianchou replied. "Your Majesty, there is one more matter..."
"Great Chanyu..." Before Cui Tianchou could finish speaking, Consort Duan, along with a retinue of concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs, entered the hall. Consort Duan began to wail as soon as she saw them.
Empress Murong Qing had also arrived at the hall.
"Eji, why have you come?" Murong Xi said, hastily rising with the help of two eunuchs.
Although Consort Duan was not Murong Xi's biological mother, his parents had passed away long ago. Thus, Consort Duan was Murong Xi's nominal mother.
"Great Chanyu..." Consort Duan wept. "My brother died so tragically, and also Jun'er and the others..."
Consort Duan, upon hearing the terrible news, had fainted and nearly passed away. After regaining consciousness, she had rushed to the hall to lament.
"Mmm, Eji, rest assured. I have already decreed that the criminal Zhou Fugui and his accomplices be apprehended," Murong Xi hurriedly consoled her.
"After he is apprehended, how will you deal with him?" Duan asked after stifling her sobs.
"Deal with him? After the court's Ministry of Justice has judged the case, then a decision will be made," Murong Xi replied.
"Great Chanyu, what further judgment is needed?" Duan exclaimed, gritting her teeth. "My brother and over two hundred others have already met a tragic end. What more is there to judge? Execute him immediately by being torn apart by five horses and publicly displayed!"
Duan's screams were exceptionally piercing, like the cry of an owl at night, almost piercing the roof of the hall. Everyone found it unbearable and wanted to cover their ears but dared not.
"Consort..." Before Murong Xi could speak, Empress Murong Qing said calmly, "The state has its laws, and the family has its rules. No matter what crimes Zhou Fugui has committed, he must first be judged before being convicted. Otherwise, the rules will be broken, and order will be lost."
"My Empress, what do you mean by this?" Duan shrieked angrily.
"The Great Chanyu has said that Zhou Fugui must be judged by the Ministry of Justice before he can be convicted. Did you not hear him? Or are you afraid of something?" Murong Qing retorted with a cold smile.
Duan had no sons, nor even daughters. Therefore, she regarded Crown Prince Cheng of Yan as her heir. This also stemmed from her desire to support Crown Prince Cheng and thus consolidate her own position. Consequently, Duan and Empress Murong Qing had become mortal enemies.
Now that the Duan family's weakness had been exposed, Empress Murong Qing had a greater chance of overthrowing Consort Duan, or at least confining her to the cold palace, thereby clearing a major obstacle for herself and Prince Yi.
It must be said that Zhou Fugui's opportunistic move, a strategy to save himself, regardless of whether it saved his life, had already disrupted the imperial court of Great Yan...
"What am I afraid of?" Consort Duan immediately became furious and her screams grew more shrill. "My brother died unjustly! I am seeking justice for my brother and the others. What am I afraid of?"
"Oh, is that so? Did Duan Mu and his son truly die unjustly?" Murong Qing said with a cold smile.
"My Empress, what do you mean by this?" Murong Xi asked Murong Qing unhappily.
Consort Duan was Murong Xi's nominal mother, but in reality, Murong Xi did not hold her in high regard. If Consort Duan were younger and prettier, she might even have become one of Murong Xi's consorts.
The Xianbei had a custom of levirate marriage, meaning that after the father's death, his son would marry his stepmother; and after a brother's death, his brothers would take his wives.
Therefore, Murong Xi treated Duan kindly only out of respect for her deceased father.
"Prefect Cui, you still have something to say, don't you? Why don't you tell us?" Murong Qing ignored Murong Xi's question and turned to ask Cui Tianchou.
"Ah? Oh, oh, Your Majesty, Consort, Empress, the matter is as follows..." Cui Tianchou, who was enjoying the palace infighting, quickly recounted the affair of the Duan father and son truthfully when asked by the Empress.
After Cui Tianchou finished speaking, Emperor Yan Murong Xi became furious, Consort Duan was greatly alarmed and terrified, while Murong Qing inwardly rejoiced.