Chapter 92 Wife's Book

But the ten-year-old child's face was tense and he bit his lower lip tightly.

Pei Ji looked at him.

The child in front of him suddenly overlapped with the figure in his mind who was clutching his wrist tightly in his dying moments.

On the sickbed, the prince was dying, his cloudy, sunken eyes filled with tears. He used up his last bit of strength and said:

"Pei Ji... my best friend..."

"How much do you want to protect Yunye..."

"Protect him... a little bit..."

He stared into the void, a rumbling sound of bellows coming from his throat, his eyes distracted yet persistent.

"I don't ask my son to... fight for the supreme position..."

"I only pray... that my son will be safe and sound..."

"Tell Yunye that Daddy loves him very much..."

The cold fingers slid down and finally fell silent.

Seeing Pei Ji remain silent for a long time, with a complex expression, Chao Yunye thought he was unwell. Worry filled his face, and he cautiously called out, "Sir? Are you okay?"

Pei Ji suddenly pulled himself out of the heavy memories.

My heart felt like it was being pressed down by a huge rock, causing a dull pain.

He looked at the boy in front of him who was crying but standing straight with his back stubbornly.

Safe and smooth?

A prosperous and peaceful era?

In his heart, Pei Ji answered his dear friend who had long since turned to dust with the most bitter thoughts:

"Your Highness, the world is in decline and surrounded by wolves."

"The current situation does not allow him to be an ignorant and carefree dog."

A strong sense of bitterness rushed to the tip of my nose, and my eyes became uncontrollably hot.

He stood up slowly, his tall and straight figure casting a shadow in front of Chao Yunye.

He stretched out his big, bony hand and placed it on Chao Yunye's small shoulder.

The warmth from the palm, through the thin cotton robe, instantly soothed the child's body, which was trembling with excitement and crying.

"Your Highness, I heard it."

He didn't say "yes" or "no" and didn't promise anything.

But this one sentence is worth a thousand words.

No matter what, I, Pei Ji, will always stand before you, Chao Yunye.

This is what I promised your father.

There will be no change in this life.

Inside Zhuoming Pavilion, the charcoal fire burned silently, casting the frozen figures, one large and one small, on the window lattice.

Pei Ji looked at the little grandson Chao Yunye, whose tears were still on his face.

In those once innocent eyes, there was now a fire burning that was totally inconsistent with his age.

"Your Highness," Pei Ji's voice deepened, "Today, I would like to give Your Highness eight words."

Chao Yunye immediately held his breath, subconsciously wiped the tears from his face with his little hands, and tried his best to put on the most attentive listening attitude.

"Govern the country with righteousness and employ surprise in war."

Chao Yunye's eyes suddenly widened. This wasn't the warm and gentle look his teacher had shown him in the past when he'd been teaching him to read. These eight words were like fire, burning his heart.

"The current situation is full of crises and undercurrents, and its dangers are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

"We are walking on a path thick with thorns and surrounded by abysses on both sides. It is inevitable that we will encounter conspiracies, cunning schemes, and treacherous tricks..."

He paused slightly, as if he himself was extremely reluctant to admit this cruel reality. A trace of deep helplessness and disgust flashed across his eyes. "I have to use it!"

Four words, powerful and resounding.

Ten-year-old Chao Yunye shivered involuntarily, and his little face turned even paler.

"One day, if His Highness can really..."

The rest of the words were not spoken, but both of them knew it.

Inherit the throne and hold the supreme power.

A heavy silence descended, with only the faint crackling sound of the charcoal basin.

Chao Yunye's little face was tense, and his lips were pressed into a stubborn straight line.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes surprisingly bright, meeting Pei Ji's unfathomable eyes, and used all his strength to nod vigorously again and again.

"Student understands!" The voice was still nasal, but it made Pei Ji's heart warm.

The child is teachable.

The time has come.

The last trace of relaxation on Pei Ji's face disappeared completely.

"Then, Your Highness," he lowered his voice, "from this moment on—whatever Your Highness thinks in your heart, what you worry about in your chest, what you see with your eyes, and what you do with your hands, unless you are someone like me, you absolutely cannot reveal a single thing!"

He emphasized each word deliberately, forcing him to remember it firmly:

"Hide your heart! Hide it well! Hide it tightly!"

"Your Highness! Can you! Do! This?"

Chao Yunye shuddered all over.

Without any hesitation, he straightened his back almost at the moment Pei Ji finished speaking the last word.

"Yes!" A crisp and resolute answer burst out, and he even hurriedly added: "I can do it. I can definitely do it. I'm starting now!"

The voice was as low as a dream talk, with a gentleness that even Pei Ji himself had not noticed:

"Your Highness, well done."

These four words, like a warm current, instantly melted Chao Yunye's heart.

All the pent-up emotions found an outlet the moment I felt the unprecedented warmth from my husband.

"Ugh... sir——!"

A heart-wrenching cry suddenly broke out.

That voice contained too many heavy things. It was no longer the crying of a child acting coquettishly, but the fear that had been carried for a long time and could not be expressed to others was finally found a complete outlet.

Chao Yunye could no longer control himself. It was as if all his strength had been drained away from him. With a feeling of attachment, he suddenly threw himself into Pei Ji's arms.

The small arms tightly hugged Pei Ji's belt buckle, and the body was like a rootless duckweed finally grabbing a big tree, burying the tear-stained face deeply in Pei Ji's solid arms.

“Wa ...

The crying was shrill and the little body was shaking violently.

Pei Ji's body stiffened slightly when he was first hugged, and then a huge feeling of heartache overwhelmed all his stiffness.

His big hands, which had once held guns and swords, now slowly and firmly embraced the thin body in his arms with unprecedented gentle strength.

Again and again, his movements were still a little stiff, but he was extremely patient.

No words.

Silent comfort is like warm spring water, silently wrapping the crying little animal in my arms.

I don’t know how long I cried, but the heart-wrenching cry gradually turned into low sobs of exhaustion.

The tense muscles of the little body in my arms slowly relaxed, and the violent trembling slowly subsided.

Crystal tears hung on the thick long eyelashes. Under the dual effects of fatigue and a sense of security, the heavy eyelids finally closed little by little.

The steady breathing sound gradually became even and long.

On the tear-stained little face, the tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the corners of the mouth showed a barely perceptible arc of relaxation.

After Chao Yunye completely released all his pent-up anxiety, he finally fell asleep in Pei Ji's arms.

Outside the heavy brocade curtain of Zhuoming Pavilion.

The Crown Princess, who had been standing there quietly for some time, slowly loosened her hand that was tightly clutching the handkerchief. The huge rock that had been hanging on her heart for years, weighing her down to the point where she could hardly breathe, finally fell back to the ground with a "thump".

Through the tiny gap in the door curtain, she clearly saw——

Her young son curled up in Pei Ji's warm arms, tear marks on his face, clinging to the front of his black uniform.

Her little hand was still unconsciously tugging at a corner of Pei Ji's belt, but her sleeping face showed an unprecedented peace and contentment.

It seemed as if all the wind, frost and swords in the world were blocked outside by the mountain-like figure.

Pei Ji maintained a slightly stiff posture, holding the child and patting him to sleep.

He tilted his head slightly, his jawline hard and his eyes lowered to the sleeping face of the child in his arms.

In that look, there was pity and protection that she had never seen before.

The halo of candlelight softly enveloped them, as if they were coated with a thin layer of gold.

This scene is worth a thousand words.

The Crown Prince's instructions. Pei Ji's promise. Yun Ye's awakening.

Finally at this moment, the dust settled.

The Crown Princess's eyes suddenly felt sore and hot.

She suppressed the sob in her throat and quickly wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips.

She didn't go in to disturb them. She just glanced at the two figures, one large and one small, hugging each other in the hall with great satisfaction, then turned around, walked lightly, and left Zhuo Ming Pavilion quietly.

The wind blew through the courtyard, bringing with it a chill, but in her heart, there was a warmth that was enough to resist the cold.

Finally, the mother and daughter have someone to rely on!

…

After the snow, the sky cleared up and the pale sunlight shone on the snow-covered green tiles.

Several carriages with the emblem of the Changning Earl's Mansion were parked quietly in the narrow alley outside the side door, and the copper bells on the shafts occasionally rang softly in the cold wind.

Pei Ji walked out of the side door and saw a man waiting in the snow and mud at the bottom of the steps.

It was Old Chu. The old man had his hands in his pockets and was wearing a half-worn sable fur coat. There were many freshly fallen snowflakes on his gray temples and beard.

His nose was red from the cold, but he was grinning with a toothless smile.

"Sir." Pei Ji stepped forward, bowed properly, and performed a student salute.

Old Chu raised his foot and gently kicked his calf, without much force. "Alright, alright, stop with all this nonsense! I've packed the books for you, get out of here!"

His cloudy old eyes carefully scanned Pei Ji's face, and he smacked his lips. "Go back quickly after you've finished your work, and don't dwell on it. This old man is still waiting to drink at your wedding! I'm telling you, if you can't marry her, don't come and kowtow to me and make things difficult for me!"

Pei Ji stood up straight, a faint smile flashed across his cold face, then quickly disappeared: "I've made note of this. Take care, sir."

He said no more and turned to get on the green-curtained carriage in front.

The horses' hooves stepped on the soft snow and mud, and the wheels squeaked as they passed over the frozen ruts.

The carriage was filled with cold air. Pei Ji sat back on the brocade cushion with his eyes closed, listening to the sounds outside, his mind calm.

I don't know how long it took, but the noise from the street outside the carriage gradually increased. The coachman sighed and the carriage stopped.

"Young Master, we're here!" The curtain of the car was lifted, and the guard Jingchen's face with a playful smile peeked in.

Pei Ji got off the car and stood still.

The cold air instantly enveloped him.

Before my eyes was the familiar door lintel of the Changning Marquis's Mansion, and the two bronze animal knockers on the vermilion lacquer door still shone brightly in the gloomy weather.

Just as he was about to go up the stairs, Pei Ji's eyes accidentally swept across the high door lintel, and his movements suddenly stopped.

Those talismans...

In the past, during the New Year holidays, or when there was any "bad omen" incident in the mansion, especially every time my mother "attempted to commit suicide", strings of new and old yellow talismans, paper banners, and even copper coin swords would be hung under the eaves of the mansion gate.

Those things always swayed in the cold wind, like spells to exorcise evil spirits, with a sense of eerie weirdness, accompanied by the embers of burnt sandalwood and paper ashes and a sense of dejection.

But at this moment, the high eaves of the door lintel were clean.

Those once dazzling yellow talismans and paper banners disappeared without a trace overnight, revealing a rare simplicity.

It was as if the last trace of last night's farce was thrown into the flames and burned clean along with the talisman paper.

Pei Ji's gaze lingered on the empty eaves for a moment, then he retracted it, with no emotion in his eyes.

He raised his foot and stepped steadily onto the stone steps.

Jingchen, who was behind him, was carrying a large bookcase and following briskly.

The bookcase was quite heavy, weighing down his shoulders slightly, but he couldn't help but lean closer to his master. He lowered his voice with unconcealed pride, "Young Master! Guess how much money Old Chu saved for you in this 'wife' fund?"

He reached out and patted the side of the thick bookcase, making a dull thud. "Account books! Full of farms and shops, gold, silver, and valuables! It's terrifyingly rich! You want to marry a young lady, this is enough to give you the confidence!"

Pei Ji did not stop and ignored Jing Chen's winks. He walked straight into the mansion, crossed the front yard, and walked towards Shusekiyuan where he lived.

As soon as I entered the yard, a long-lost warmth hit me in the face.

In the small courtyard, several figures gathered together, chatting. A small clay stove, flickering with flames, was warming water. Jiang Xi was brewing tea with a kettle, and the air was thick with steam. Lai Fu squatted on the ground, clumsily picking up a few scattered pieces of silver frost charcoal.

Ling Ji leaned against the plum tree in the corner of the wall, holding a sword, with a slight curl of his lips, but his eyes drifted towards the large bookcase carried by Jing Chen.

"Hey! Are you back?" Jiang Xi saw him first and greeted him with a smile.

Several people turned their heads and their eyes fell on the bulging bookcase behind Jingchen.

Jingchen looked like he had obtained a huge treasure. He bared his teeth and took off the bookcase on his back as if he was presenting a treasure. He carefully placed it on the stone table in the middle of the yard, then patted it: "Guys, guess what this is?" He deliberately whetted everyone's appetite.

"The Wu Mu's posthumous letter hidden in Mr. Chu's family?" Lai Fu scratched his head and played the supporting role honestly.

"Pah!" Jingchen rolled his eyes complacently, lowering his voice mysteriously, "This is the money our young master needs to marry his young mistress!" He pointed at the bookcase, "Old Chu has saved up his entire life! It's all here! We're just waiting for us to go to the general's mansion and propose!"

The air in the yard stagnated for a moment when this brat spoke so bluntly.

Jiang Xi paused as he brewed his tea. Ling Ji held his sword still, his gaze darting ever more sharply toward the bookcase. Lai Fu's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open.

At this moment, a young servant wearing a dark brown hemp cotton jacket hurriedly came running from outside the yard. It was Laicai, who served the uncle.

He paused for a moment when he saw the scene in the courtyard, then hurried forward and bowed to Pei Ji, his voice a little anxious: "Master, you are finally back! Master has been waiting for you in the study for a while, and said to come over as soon as you get home."

A hint of understanding flashed across Pei Ji's eyes.

He stopped looking at the eye-catching bookcase on the table, and ignored the guards whose atmosphere had been ignited by his words. He simply said to Jiang Xi, "You settle down."

He turned around and followed Laicai out of Soseki-in, heading straight to the study of his father, Earl Changning, deep in the mansion.

The study is located on one side of the main courtyard of the Bo Mansion.

When I opened the door, a strong smell of medicine mixed with a faint scent of ink and the warmth of burning silver charcoal came to me.

In the warm room, the windows were tightly closed, isolating the room from the severe cold outside.

A huge copper charcoal basin was burning brightly, making a slight crackling sound.