Chapter 136 Self-recommendation

The corridor is bright and clean.

Song Lingyi was standing outside the window and happened to hear what Xiang said. The color on her fair and delicate face instantly faded.

In fact, she knew very well that going to Qizhou did not necessarily mean breaking off the engagement, but if Pei Zhao wanted to recommend himself as the Supervisory Censor, he had to pass Xiao Mingyi's test.

While my thoughts were in a mess, I heard my uncle's voice again in the hall:

"Qizhou surrendered not long ago and has many problems. This time, they dared to take action against the Inspector, which may have affected their interests. The court cannot directly resolve the issue with force. Jianzhi made this decision with the interests of his country in mind."

"But going to Qizhou as an official doesn't necessarily mean breaking off the engagement. Both children are still young, so postponing the wedding for a year or two won't be a big deal."

Lu Tanwei's words were nodded in approval by all the Lu family members.

But the Pei couple had said the same thing to Pei Zhao last night, but he was adamant and insisted on breaking off the engagement, so they had no choice.

The atmosphere between the two families was once deadlocked.

The Duke and his wife had not dared to tell the old lady about the broken engagement. After all, they had broken off the engagement once before, and the old lady must be upset if they broke off the engagement again. Moreover, breaking off the engagement would not be good for her daughter's reputation.

Therefore, they all held a conciliatory attitude, hoping that there would be room for a turnaround in the divorce.

At this critical moment, Song Lingyi suddenly walked out of the window.

"I agree to cancel the engagement."

All the elders looked at the girl standing at the door in astonishment.

Wang's expression changed slightly: "What nonsense are you talking about, kid? The elders are still discussing——"

"Aunt." Song Lingyi was calm, her eyes clear and resolute. "No need to discuss further. I agree to cancel the engagement."

Since Pei Zhao had made up his mind to go to Qizhou, why didn't she help him? Aunt Pei was right. It would be easy to keep him in Kyoto, but Brother Pei's death would eventually be like a thorn in his heart.

Rather than being trapped in the regrets of the past for the rest of your life, it is better to let go and fulfill your destiny.

"Lingyi, do you know what you are saying?!" Lu Hanzhi frowned.

The two families had already called off an engagement once, and if they did so again, rumors would surely circulate throughout Kyoto. Pei Zhao was already the most outstanding unmarried man in Kyoto; he wouldn't be able to find anyone as good as him in the future!

"Marriage is about fate. If there is no destiny, why bother holding on to it?"

A steady and old voice came from the corridor. Everyone in the hall was shocked and looked towards the door. After a moment, they saw a maid helping the old lady in.

"Mother, why are you here?" Lu Tanwei immediately stood up and went to greet her, looking embarrassed and a little guilty.

"If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known how bold you all are. You even dare to ignore an old woman like me when discussing breaking off the engagement." The old lady gave him a side-eye, her face so gloomy that water could be squeezed out of it.

"No way, it hasn't been refunded yet." Lu Tanwei helped the old lady sit down.

The old lady ignored him, only staring at her granddaughter, and asked in a deep voice, "Lingyi, have you thought clearly about breaking off the engagement?"

Those black eyes, as clear as glass, glanced at the half-signed divorce document on the table. Without the slightest hesitation, his tone was filled with regret:

"Brother Jianzhi is a man of affection and righteousness. As my grandmother said, marriage is based on fate. Since he doesn't want to delay me, why should I keep nagging him? I'll just think of it as a way for him to go to Qizhou to take up his post without any burden."

The Pei couple remained silent.

The old lady sighed and said, "Now that you have thought it through, I have nothing more to say. Please sign."

"Mother..." Lu Hanzhi wanted to say something else, but the old lady glared at him and made him shudder.

Song Lingyi walked to the table, picked up the document of annulment of engagement, looked at it solemnly for a long time before picking up the pen.

The slender tip of the pen was suspended at the signature, and his eyes were fixed on the two words "Pei Zhao" written in elegant handwriting, but he was unable to put pen to paper.

Until her wrists were sore and trembling, she took a deep breath, bit her lower lip tightly to suppress her tears, and wrote down her name one by one.

After signing the document of annulment of engagement, Song Lingyi didn't dare to look at it any longer. She hurriedly put down her brush, turned around and left the hall, fearing that if she stayed for another second, her emotions would collapse and she would be unable to control herself.

"Lingyi!"

Mrs. Wen stopped the Duke and his wife from chasing after her and said, "Just let her stay alone for a while."

After leaving the hall, Song Lingyi finally no longer had to remain calm. With her head lowered, she walked aimlessly into the depths of the corridor with slow and heavy steps.

The floor beneath my feet gradually became as hazy as water and fog, and my tears flowed like broken red strings, unable to be stopped.

…

As the warm midday sun shone, the snow covering the red walls and green tiles of the imperial city shone brightly, and a few birds were hopping around on the bare branches.

Purple smoke curled around the silent Mingde Hall.

Xiao Mingyi stared gravely at Pei Zhao, who was standing in the hall. After a long pause, he said, "Master Pei, are you aware of the complex situation in Qizhou? Have you given your willingness to serve as the Supervisory Censor a thorough consideration?"

"Your Highness, this humble servant did not make this decision on impulse. I have already discussed it with my family elders before entering the palace."

Pei Zhao's voice was gentle and soft, but his attitude was resolute. His eyes shifted as he added, "Your humble servant is well aware that investigating the truth behind my brother's death is fraught with difficulty. It might even affect the interests of the current powers. To avoid delaying my beloved, I have asked my family elders to cancel the engagement with the Duke's Mansion."

Hearing this, Xiao Mingyi leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, a hint of intriguing meaning appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Master Pei is really thorough in his work, leaving no room for maneuver."

"Your Highness, you are too kind."

Pei Zhao had an indifferent expression, his tall figure stood like a green bamboo, his thick eyelashes obscured his eyes at the moment, making them unclear.

The hall fell into silence for a moment.

After a while, a calm voice, speaking from a high position, inquired again: "I ask again, Master Pei, do you regret recommending yourself to go to Qizhou?"

Pei Zhao replied calmly, "Your Highness, Qizhou has been plagued by problems for a long time. I offer my services not only to investigate the cause of my brother's death, but also for the stability of Dayuan. I have made up my mind and will never regret it."

Xiao Mingyi looked at his calm and fearless face, his expression slightly shaken, and curled his lips: "What a person who will never regret it."

After a moment of silence, he opened the wooden box beside him and took out a gold medal. "Yuncheng is adjacent to Qizhou. If the Qizhou patrol encounters difficulties, you can use this gold medal to dispatch the cavalry battalion stationed in Yuncheng."

As for what difficulties they would encounter, the king and his ministers were tacitly aware of it.

"Master Pei is only a civil servant. If you want to get to the bottom of this case, you need help. Tomorrow, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, I will have the deputy commander of the Pacification Division accompany you to Qizhou. Xuanfeng is my trusted confidant and has extraordinary skills. He will definitely help you find the truth on this trip."

Pei Zhao looked up in surprise.

"Don't overthink it." Xiao Mingyi leaned back against the gold-woven brocade chair, his narrow, dark eyes slanting. "I knew the trip to Qizhou was dangerous, so I had this in mind. I'm dispatching the Supervisory Censorate, not a death squad. I have to ensure the safety of the officials."

"As Master Pei said, Qizhou has been plagued by problems for a long time, but if I want to clean up the local forces, I must have a reason."