Chapter 87 Chapter 87 What explanation do you need? I'll marry him...

Early in the morning, Sheng Puzhu woke up with soreness all over her body. She stared at the familiar curtain in front of her, her head feeling very dizzy.

Yesterday at Xinghualou, she drank fruit wine, watched the top scholar parade through the streets, and then...

And then what did she do?

The memory in my mind is fragmented, I only remember that the night was very dark and the wind was very strong.

As for what happened later.

Sheng Puzhu rubbed her eyes with her hands. She seemed to be drunk and forcefully stripped the man's clothes off.

"My wife has finally woken up." Madam Du breathed a sigh of relief, her smile almost overflowing from her face.

"Madam, what good news is going on? Why do you look happier than the day I got married?" Sheng Puzhu supported herself on the couch and sat up, somewhat confused by the situation.

"My wife and my husband are so loving and affectionate, and I am naturally happy."

Aunt Du winked and gave a knowing expression.

Nonsense! When did they become affectionate?

Could it be that Aunt Du is hallucinating because she is overworked today?

Sheng Puzhu blinked her black eyelashes, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, her plain white lingerie slipped off, revealing large patches of ambiguous red marks on her collarbone, just like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

When her peripheral vision finally caught sight of marks on even such a private area as her ankles, not to mention the skin elsewhere,

The deeper memories are like a flood, and my waist feels sore and weak as if it has been run over.

All the chaotic images of last night suddenly flooded into her mind: Xie Zhiyan's hot breathing, his strong restraint, and finally, being enveloped by his breath, endlessly demanding...

After nightfall, he carried her all the way back to Yunyu Hall.

Sheng Puzhu's cheeks were burning hot. Whenever she thought about the fact that she was the one who initiated the teasing in that secret tent, she felt so embarrassed that even her fingertips were trembling.

She forced herself to wash and dress properly, and after breakfast, she carefully picked out a piece of clothing that could cover the marks on her neck. Then she took her maid to Yishou Hall to pay her respects to her elders.

The weather is good today, and her mother-in-law, Princess Shoukang, is also here.

The old lady was talking to Dou. When she saw her coming, she smiled and waved, "Puzhu, you've arrived just in time."

"Yesterday's number one scholar parade was incredibly lively. Rumor has it that he's more beautiful than the peonies in Luoyang, even outshining this year's runner-up."

"Do you think the third place winner is more handsome, or the first place winner is more elegant and graceful?"

The heat that had just faded from Sheng Puzhu's cheeks surged up again, and even the tips of her ears were red.

How would she answer this question?

Not to mention the appearance of the top three scholars, she didn't even catch a glimpse of the corner of his clothes before she was forcefully taken away by Xie Zhiyan.

"Grandma..." Sheng Puzhuhu lowered his eyelashes, feeling guilty, "There were so many people around yesterday, and my granddaughter-in-law...didn't see clearly."

Princess Shoukang seemed to know something. She slowly put down her teacup and raised her eyes slightly. "Oh, I heard that Duanyang had reserved a private room in Xinghua Tower half a month ago."

"This is the place where the top scholar must pass through during the parade."

Dou, who was standing by, also joked, "Could it be that our Puzhu is shy? Her face is red as blood."

Sheng Pazhu was teased by several elders and smiled shyly, her voice almost inaudible: "No, it was... Sanlang, he took his granddaughter-in-law away halfway."

"Why take him away?" The old lady didn't understand.

Sheng Puzhu gritted her teeth and decided to just go for it. The whole point was to show that they were a loving couple.

It’s not like she can’t act.

"Sanlang won't let me see it."

As soon as the words fell, Yishou Hall suddenly became quiet.

Even Princess Shoukang couldn't help but cough lightly.

Several people looked at each other, and saw disbelief and astonishment in each other's eyes.

"Zhiyan, this kid." Princess Shoukang was stunned for a moment, shook her head as if she wanted to say something, but finally held back.

No one spoke in Yishou Hall. No one could have expected that someone like Sanlang Xie would one day do something as jealous as this.

At this moment, the instigator was discussing matters with others in the study in the front yard. He looked calm and composed as usual, as if the man who lost control of jealousy yesterday, used all means to trick the girl away, and even used his beauty to seduce her, was just an illusion.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The wedding in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess is Wei Sanniang, the legitimate daughter of Duke Naicheng.

Wei Yuanning and Sheng Puzhu were close friends, and since the ceremonial crown came from Linlang Pavilion, Sheng Puzhu naturally went to the Duke's Mansion early to watch the ceremony and help Wei Yuanning with her makeup.

The Duke Cheng’s Mansion was decorated with lights and was bustling with people.

The ladies of high rank and noble birth all smiled and talked sweetly as they gathered in the boudoir and talked around the bride.

Wei Yuanning must have been nervous, holding Sheng Puju's hand tightly until the auspicious time came, when the prince's wedding procession arrived with loud drums and music, and the scene was magnificent.

"Bozhu." Wei Yuanning's eyes were red and even his voice trembled slightly.

She married into the Eastern Palace and became the crown prince of Dayan. Once she leaves today, she will never see her parents and siblings again, and she may never be able to go back to the past.

Sheng Puzhu wiped Wei Yuanning's eyes with a handkerchief and comforted her gently, "The Empress is easy to get along with, and the Queen Mother is even more kind. If I have time, I will come to the palace often."

"If you encounter something you can't solve, have someone deliver a message to me."

"Okay." Wei Yuanning nodded, as if he suddenly felt confident.

All the younger sisters in the family were unmarried, and this was Sheng Puzhu's first time to send someone to get married.

The front yard was bustling with activity, and the crowd was like a tide, eager to catch a glimpse of the crown prince of Dayan.

Wei Yuanning was carried on her brother's back, and Sheng Puzhu stood not far away watching. The whole hall was filled with joy, and she almost forgot whether her wedding day was as lively as this.

At this moment, someone moved aside and a clear voice sounded from not far away: "Bozhu."

Sheng Puzhu instinctively turned her head and saw the person opposite her looking at her with a smile: "We meet again."

"Hmm, what a coincidence."

Pei Xuzhi had gentle eyes and a polite smile on his lips, and he exuded a scholarly air. He was the newly crowned top scholar who had galloped past the Xinghua Tower more than ten days ago.

He approached, the smile in his eyes deepening. He seemed to want to touch her head like he did when they were little, but he finally held back: "After not seeing you for so many years, Puzhu is still as reluctant to call for help as she was back then."

"Pei Wulang." Sheng Puzhu lowered his eyes, a smile on the corner of his lips, but there was a sense of alienation everywhere.

"Bozhu doesn't even want to call me brother?" Pei Xuzhi's eyes were restrained, but he still couldn't hide his disappointment.

Sheng Puzhu smiled and didn't respond.

At this moment, an invisible yet cold force suddenly approached.

Xie Zhiyan stood at the other end of the corridor, his eyes penetrating the noisy crowd and landing precisely on the two people standing opposite each other.

The faint smile on his face didn't change at all, but the line of his jaw instantly tightened and his eyes became deep. He had been on guard for a thousand times and never expected that the two of them would meet.

"lady."

Xie Zhiyan almost immediately sent away the people surrounding him, pushed through the crowd with an expressionless face, and walked straight forward.

Pei Xuzhi noticed the undisguised fierceness of the person who came, and his smile faded slightly. He took a step back at the right time, his posture relaxed and impeccable.

Xie Zhiyan didn't even look at her, his eyes fixed on Sheng Puju. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to his side without saying a word.

"Who is this?" He had clearly checked the person thoroughly, yet he still asked knowingly, "Madam, won't you introduce me?"

Xie Zhiyan's voice was steady, and one couldn't even tell whether he was happy or angry, but every word he said carried an unquestionable pressure.

How could he not know? Sheng Puzhu stared at him, but still said calmly: "Luoyang Pei family, Pei Xuzhi."

"Luoyang Pei, I heard that she is good at reading."

Sheng Puzhu almost laughed out loud. This man was so petty. Pei Xuzhi was the newly crowned number one scholar personally appointed by the sage more than ten days ago, but when he said it out loud, it became like he was good at reading.

Pei Xuzhi's expression froze, and he looked at Xie Zhiyan deeply: "Who is this?"

At this time, as a wife, she still made up her mind to play the role of a loving couple. Sheng Puzhu naturally had to give the other party face: "I forgot to introduce my husband, Xie Zhiyan."

Pei Xuzhi couldn't describe the feeling. It was probably as if a piece of his heart had been dug out, or rather, his heart began to rot when she left. Later, before the wound had healed, he heard that she was engaged and would be married soon.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and his heart should have been rotten by now.

"I've long heard of your great name." Pei Xuzhi bowed to Xie Zhiyan, controlling his emotions well.

Xie Zhiyan's eyes were indifferent, as if he wasn't even looking at him. After a while, he pursed his lips and said, "It's getting late. We should go back."

Sheng Puzhu didn't want to stay in this embarrassing situation for a moment.

She nodded, looking relaxed, raised her beautiful eyes slightly and even smiled at him.

Xie Zhiyan looked at her for a long time, as if he was angry with himself, but he had to suppress his anger.

In Yunyu Hall, Sheng Puzhu rubbed her aching back and complained to Madam Du: "Getting married is so complicated. How did I manage to persevere that day?"

Aunt Du found it funny: "A bride is bound to be nervous when she gets married, so it's natural that you don't feel the hardship."

"Ma'am, you're talking nonsense. Why would I be nervous?" Sheng Puzhu disagreed.

Madam Du looked around and asked, "Why isn't my husband here?"

"He went to the study."

Normally, since they came back together, they should have taken a shower and gone to bed by now. However, Nanny Du felt that something was wrong.

Sheng Puzhu saw the doubt in Nanny Du's eyes and blinked: "The Crown Prince is getting married. I have spoken to Pei Xuzhi at the Duke of Chengguo's Mansion."

"Bang!" Nanny Du lost her grip on the cup and it fell directly to the ground.

"My wife."

"this……"

Sheng Puzhu slowly raised her head, still smiling: "Madam, there's no way to hide it. He's the new top scholar this year. Now that he's entered the government, there's no way he can keep the secret of what happened back then."

"Although the Pei clan is far away in Luoyang, my mother was the third wife of the Pei clan before she married my father. Although she has been publicly claiming to have died of illness since the divorce, don't forget that when I was in Luoyang, I had someone else's mouth. I couldn't stop them from saying whatever they wanted to say."

Aunt Du's face turned pale. "What if rumors start spreading like they did back then? Madam's health is already not good, what will you do?"

Sheng Puzhu was silent for a moment, then slowly lowered his eyes and said coldly, "If the Pei family dares to speak, I will tear their mouths apart."

Madam Du nodded and said, "How do you want to explain to my husband?"

Sheng Puzhu's voice was a little vague: "What explanation do you want?"

"I've already married him, how else can I explain it?"