Chapter 415: Dungeon Interrogation, All’s Fair in War

The Hu Family’s Three Brothers were locked in a spacious iron cage, their expressions initially calm as if they had long since accepted their fate.

However, when Ji Qingwu appeared in the dungeon holding a baby, the three men’s expressions changed in an instant. They all rushed to the iron bars, their eyes filled with shock and anxiety.

"The missus gave birth?!" Hu Lie was the first to bellow.

The dungeon echoed with his roar, making one’s ears go numb.

Startled by the sudden roar, the baby in Ji Qingwu’s arms woke up and began to wail.

"How is Yao Yao? Is she okay? Why isn’t she here?" Hu Chen gripped the bars, his eyes bloodshot, looking as if he would burst out of the cage at any moment.

Hu Feng, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.

But upon hearing the baby’s fragile and pitiful cries, his lips trembled slightly. In the end, however, he said nothing.

’He knew perfectly well that revealing the importance of a hostage to their captors was undoubtedly a foolish move.’

Seeing this, Ji Qingwu quickly adjusted her posture, holding the child tighter and using a hood to completely cover the baby.

She rocked the bundle in her arms with practiced ease, and under her soothing comfort, the baby’s cries gradually subsided.

Hu Feng forced himself to turn his head, his narrow eyes fixed on the man sitting in a chair in the southwest corner of the dungeon.

Although the man was dressed like an ordinary soldier, Hu Feng could tell from his gait and the way others treated him that his identity was anything but ordinary.

Hu Feng took a deep breath, finally made his decision, and said, "Sir, I beg you, spare this child’s life!"

Ji Qingwu followed Hu Feng’s gaze and finally noticed Wei Ting sitting in the corner.

A faint smile played on his lips. His eyes weren’t on Hu Feng; instead, they were fixed thoughtfully on her and the baby in her arms.

Ji Qingwu’s heart tightened. She quickly lowered her head and continued to gently rock the baby in her arms, trying to discreetly avoid Wei Ting’s gaze.

’She knew Wei Ting wasn’t as easy to fool as Li Chengxun. The slightest misstep, and her identity would be exposed.’

The two soldiers who had escorted Ji Qingwu over walked up to Wei Ting and said respectfully, "This is the midwife and the child."

Wei Ting glanced at Ji Qingwu, his tone calm.

"The child has been born?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes."

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself.

’They haven’t even found Qi Peiyao. This baby has nothing to do with the Hu Family.’

’She quickly understood Wei Ting’s intention. He was trying to pass off a fake as the real thing, using this baby to deceive the Hu Family’s Three Brothers.’

’Earlier, Li Chengxun had already led his troops to subdue the bandits. Wei Ting wasn’t stationed with the Northern Border Army right now; instead, he had come to Black Wind Village. He must be on an important mission.’

’And now he had people bring her, the one who delivered the baby, over with the child to deceive these leaders. He wanted to create the illusion that Qi Peiyao had been found and had already given birth.’

’It was all to blackmail the Hu Family’s Three Brothers into achieving whatever objective brought Wei Ting here.’

The corner of Ji Qingwu’s mouth curved slightly.

’Just like a classic tactic from the General Zhenbei. All’s fair in war.’

’But she also breathed a small sigh of relief. At least Wei Ting hadn’t seen through her disguise yet.’

Wei Ting’s gaze returned to Hu Feng.

"Hu Feng, you want me to spare this child, but do you know that your men are not people of Beili?"

Hu Feng’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t admit it.

"It doesn’t matter where they came from. They’ve been on Beili’s soil for many years. They are my brothers."

Hearing this, the smile on Wei Ting’s lips deepened.

"A fine sentiment, ’It doesn’t matter where they came from.’"

Wei Ting had been here for a while now, but Hu Feng had been beating around the bush the entire time, refusing to answer directly or admit that he had dealings with Xijin.

He raised his hand, and four soldiers immediately stepped forward, unlocked the cage, and prepared to drag out Hu Chen, who was at the far end.

Hu Lie immediately shielded Hu Chen, glaring as he barked, "What are you going to do with my third brother?!"

Hu Feng stared intently at the young general and said, "That’s my third brother! He’s not one of Xijin’s men!"

Wei Ting crossed his arms, his tone leisurely. "Since you consider Xijin’s enemy soldiers to be your brothers, then these two blood brothers of yours should be no different. They should all be executed on the spot."

’Xijin’s enemy soldiers?’

Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened, and she stealthily cast her gaze toward Wei Ting.

’If these mountain bandits are actually Xijin soldiers, then it would make sense why Qi Peiyao was so certain that no one would come looking for them.’

’However, it also meant that Hu Feng was colluding with a foreign enemy, a crime of no small measure.’

Just then, Wei Ting stood up. Ji Qingwu quickly retracted her gaze, softly cooed at the baby in her arms, and continued to devotedly play her "role."

The color drained from Hu Feng’s face.

’He knew that once the court learned of this, death would be waiting for them.’

Two more soldiers entered and headed for Hu Lie and Hu Chen. Hu Feng raised his voice. "You can’t touch them!"

Wei Ting leisurely adjusted the bracer wrapped around his wrist.

"I’ll show you right now whether I can or not."

With his hands on his hips, Hu Lie stood with the air of one man holding a pass against ten thousand, declaring righteously, "What Xijin enemy soldiers? You’re spouting nonsense! The people Black Wind Village has taken in are all homeless refugees."

Hu Chen, now restrained by the soldiers, also protested indignantly.

"If it weren’t for your court’s incompetence, there wouldn’t be so many people fleeing their homes! We just took them in."

Wei Ting snorted softly and looked at Hu Feng.

"Your two brothers are truly naive. It seems they don’t know anything."

Hu Feng remained silent.

’He had indeed never told Hu Lie and Hu Chen the true identities of the people in their village. First, he was afraid they would let it slip. Second, it was to prepare for the day their secret was exposed, so he could take all the blame himself.’

Hu Feng walked to the bars of the cell, his expression grim. "Who are you? I want to speak to the person who can decide the fate of Black Wind Village."

The soldier closest to him said, "This is General Zhenbei. You can say whatever you have to say to the General."

Hearing that the young man before him was the world-renowned General Zhenbei, Hu Feng’s expression changed.

"You’re Wei Ting?"

Hu Lie’s and Hu Chen’s expressions also grew strange, and their previous arrogance deflated considerably.

Wei Ting said, "Hu Feng, His Majesty has given me full authority to decide this matter. In other words, your lives, and the life of this child, rest on my whim."

Hu Feng said warily, "General Wei, we haven’t committed any heinous crimes over the years, nor have we ever betrayed Beili."

Wei Ting sneered. "Is that so? As far as I know, Black Wind Village has committed quite a few crimes over the years."

"Lord Li’s subordinates have already given me all the case files on your plundering over the years. You mostly robbed the carriages of rich merchants and corrupt officials, but many people have also died or been injured because of you."

He paused, and his tone suddenly turned cold. "But that is not your greatest crime."

Wei Ting suddenly walked over to Ji Qingwu’s side...