Chapter 24 Why is Pei Jinghuai in bed again? ...

"Prince Heng is the eldest son of the emperor. His Majesty has no legitimate son in the empress's palace, so Prince Heng's chances of ascending the throne should be very high. Why would he rebel?"

Shen Lingyue was shocked and quickly asked, "Did he succeed?"

Yan Yi reached out and poked her forehead. "You're so impatient. Let me explain slowly."

Perhaps because she had just woken up, her voice was still a little hoarse, and she coughed after saying a few words.

Shen Lingyue quickly poured her water to soothe her throat and patted her back to help her breathe, taking meticulous and thoughtful care of her.

Yan Yi drank a whole glass of warm water, which relieved the burning thirst in her throat considerably. She held the teacup in both hands, unconsciously stroking it, as she sorted through her memories and began to recount them in a gentle, detailed manner.

"About five years later, it must have been autumn, I saw the maple leaves in the palace gardens turning fiery red, and chrysanthemums blooming in every palace... His Majesty suddenly fainted during a grand court assembly and fell into a coma."

Shen Lingyue was surprised and started sucking her thumb.

She had just met the old emperor today and seemed quite vigorous. How could she suddenly fall ill?

Is it a stroke? Or a heart attack or a stroke?

"I don't know either. In any case, after a consultation by the Imperial Medical Academy, the royal family members, cabinet ministers, and officials from the Six Ministries were summoned to the palace, seemingly to discuss the aftermath."

The emperor suddenly collapsed, without having chosen a successor to the throne. Various factions argued amongst themselves, each with their own preferred candidate.

At this moment, Consort Gao appeared holding an imperial edict, which stated that Emperor Qingxi intended to establish the Eighth Prince as the Crown Prince, and that Consort Gao would rule from behind a screen.

But the Eighth Prince was only three years old at the time.

After his birth mother, Consort Wang, died in childbirth, Emperor Qingxi decided to give the Eighth Prince to Consort Gao to raise and register him under her name.

At the time, everyone thought that the old emperor felt sorry for his favorite concubine who had no children and wanted to raise a child for her to relieve her loneliness, so no one thought much of it.

After all, the princes who ranked higher in the family all had many children and were about to become grandfathers. Who would take a three-year-old baby seriously?

And yet, the absurd thing just happened.

After the cabinet and the six ministries officials took turns inspecting the edict and confirmed that it was indeed written by Emperor Qingxi himself, the whole situation exploded.

How can this vast empire be handed over to women in the inner palace and ignorant children?

"In short, the court was in complete chaos. On the very night His Majesty breathed his last, Prince Heng bribed the commander of the palace guards, broke into the palace, and said he wanted to kill the wicked concubine and purge the court of corrupt officials."

Yan Yi's face paled even more as she recalled the blood-soaked night in her dream.

"When the rebels stormed into the palace, the first to suffer were the concubines and palace maids. They looted and raped them indiscriminately, and even dragged out the little princess and the little prince and killed them one by one, eliminating them completely..."

Even though she was just an invisible and intangible wandering soul in her dreams, the cries and screams, the despair and pain, the rivers of blood and severed limbs that filled her ears still pressed down on her like boulders, making it hard for her to breathe.

Shen Lingyue was also shocked to hear this; no wonder Yan Yi looked so uncomfortable in her sleep.

This was a terrible, despairing nightmare.

She grasped Yan Yi's icy hands. "What about Consort Gao? How is she?"

Shen Lingyue simply couldn't connect the beauty she had seen today with the wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country.

Yan Yi frowned, a rare glint of extreme disgust flashing in her eyes.

"Consort Gao was kidnapped by Prince Heng's confidants. He publicly claimed that the evil consort had been executed, but in reality, he secretly imprisoned her and made her his own plaything."

It turns out that Prince Heng had long coveted Consort Gao, this stunning beauty. This palace coup was not only to clear obstacles for his ascension to the throne, but also to possess the beauty he had been longing for.

“...This is disgusting!” Shen Lingyue pounded the bed in anger, saying bitterly, “No wonder he could raise a daughter like Princess Rongcheng. His whole family is no good.”

She then asked Yan Yi, "Could it be that Prince Heng has really succeeded in his rebellion?"

Five years from now, won't they have to go to the palace and kneel before this disgusting man?

Ugh!

No, he failed.

Yan Yi first reassured her.

Her expression was somewhat subtle. "Just as Prince Heng stormed into the palace and coerced the cabinet to draft the edict of succession, it was Qi Xiuyuan who tricked Princess Rongcheng out of the tiger tally and other seals, went out of the city to seek help, and launched a counterattack against the rebels."

Shen Lingyue exclaimed, "Wow! Wouldn't you say that Qi Xiuyuan sacrificed his own family for the greater good and rendered meritorious service to the new emperor?"

By the way, who is the new emperor?

If they were acquaintances, perhaps they could get to know each other beforehand and build a good relationship?

Yan Yi shook her head blankly, "My dream ended here. After that, there was only a vast expanse of white mist. I woke up as I was walking."

The last scene I saw in my dream was Qi Xiuyuan, his white robe stained with blood, stabbing Heng Wang in the chest with a sword in front of the Princess of Rongcheng. Blood gushed out, and he died on the spot.

He simply withdrew his sword indifferently, threw it with a clang in front of the despairing and collapsing Princess Rongcheng, and walked out of the hall without looking back.

Shen Lingyue was shocked for a while before she slowly digested it. She couldn't help but say, "We changed Qi Xiuyuan's fate of being plotted against. So, five years later, when Prince Heng rebelled, who went out of the city to call for reinforcements?"

There's also the old emperor and Consort Gao... Shen Lingyue has a pretty good impression of them, could she try to save them too?

A new emperor brings a new court. The entire Changning Marquis's mansion is deeply intertwined with Emperor Qingxi. Pei Jingyi is even his nephew. With such a relationship, the Pei family should be hoping that the old emperor can live to be a hundred years old.

"Don't rush, we have plenty of time, five years."

Yan Yi calmly analyzed: "Even without Qi Xiuyuan's inside help, since we already know the future, we will definitely find other ways to break the deadlock."

Shen Lingyue nodded, "That makes sense."

He couldn't help but sigh, "Qi Xiuyuan must have had a very difficult five years—luckily, he listened to you, and we rescued a future Grand Secretary."

They can't find a new ruler, but they can build a good relationship with Qi Xiuyuan beforehand.

Shen Lingyue pretended to stroke his beard, shaking his head and saying, "This child is extraordinary; he will surely achieve great things in the future!"

Yan Yi was amused by her.

Shen Lingyue, however, couldn't be happy anymore. She looked at her with concern and said, "What will happen to your health? The doctor told you to sleep and rest more, but if you keep having nightmares when you sleep, how can you get proper rest?"

She clung to Yan Yi's waist, refusing to let go, saying, "We've finally reunited here; we can't be separated again."

If she were left alone in this desolate place, Shen Lingyue felt she would definitely go crazy.

"Perhaps my dream isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Yan Yi seemed to be deep in thought. She had a vague guess in her mind, but before it was confirmed, she decided not to tell her, lest she be disappointed.

Just then, Shen Lingyue's stomach rumbled, indicating that it was time for dinner.

She slapped her forehead and remembered, "Pei Jingyi is still in the study. He said he'd tell him when you wake up."

Shen Lingyue vividly described how he carried Yan Yi back in his arms all the way.

"I didn't expect him to be so healthy; he carried you and walked faster than I could."

Shen Lingyue rarely praised him, saying, "He even told the doctor that no matter what rare medicinal herbs are used, we must take good care of your health."

Okay, she reluctantly accepted this brother-in-law!

Yan Yi blushed a little at her teasing and wanted to explain something when she heard a knock on the door.

"I heard voices inside. Is the lady awake?"

Shen Lingyue jogged over to open the door, her whole body radiant as if she had been given a shot of medicine.

"Brother, come in quickly."

Pei Jingyi nodded and went into the room. He saw Yan Yi sitting on the bed, her complexion having regained some color.

He thought for a moment and then said, "I have taught myself some traditional Chinese medicine. Why don't I take your pulse?"

Just as Yan Yi was about to nod, Shen Lingyue exclaimed in surprise, "Big brother, you also know medicine? That's amazing!"

Pei Jingyi humbly replied, "I have some knowledge of it, but I am not as experienced as the doctors who practice medicine outside."

"That's still very impressive." Shen Lingyue praised without reservation.

Unlike that bad dog, which only bites and throws tantrums, hmph.

Pei Jingyi sat down on the edge of the bed and gestured for Yan Yi to extend her hand.

I gently pressed my warm fingertips against the inside of her wrist, skin to skin, feeling her pulse.

Yan Yi subconsciously held her breath, her body tensing up unnaturally.

He said softly, "Relax."

Shen Lingyue stood to the side watching, her eyes darting around suspiciously.

They've already slept in the same bed, so why would Yan Yan be nervous?

However, Yan Yi has always been shy, unlike her, whose Douyin (TikTok) collection is full of male idols offering "fan service," hehehe...

Pei Jinghuai probed for a while before withdrawing his hand and asking her a few more questions about how she felt.

Yan Yi replied truthfully, "I was a little tired when I first woke up, but I feel much better now."

However, she felt that she was more affected by the tragic scenes in her dream, which was why she was emotionally unstable.

Pei Jingyi pondered for a while, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated to speak.

"Sister-in-law," he said, looking at Shen Lingyue, his tone softening, "thank you for taking care of her today."

Shen Lingyue waved her hand, "It's not hard work, it's not hard work. Actually, I didn't do anything."

Pei Jingyi paused for a moment, then said, "Huaizhou went out on business, he should be back by now. Do you want to go back to Danyue Pavilion and wait for him?"

Shen Lingyue blinked, then suddenly realized what she meant.

So she became the third wheel?

"...Big brother is right, then I'll head back now."

Shen Lingyue walked quickly to the door, turned back and waved to Yan Yi, "I'll come to keep you company again tomorrow!"

Pei Jingyi turned his head away and coughed twice to cover it up.

There's no need to come so frequently.

After Shen Lingyue had been gone for a while, he said to Yan Yi, "I'll sleep in the study tonight."

Yan Yi's eyes widened slightly, and in his eyes she looked like a startled fawn. "Why?"

"The doctor said you need to rest well."

Pei Jingyi raised his finger and pointed at her face; there was a faint bluish tinge under her eyes.

You probably haven't slept well these past two nights.

Yan Yi lowered her head and remained silent.

That's true.

Even though the bed was large enough, she and Pei Jingyi were each covered with a blanket, with half a person's distance between them.

But sleeping alone feels different from sleeping with someone else; she can hardly ignore the extra soft breathing beside her.

For the past two nights since she married into the family, she has stayed up until almost dawn before finally getting a short nap.

"But if that's the case..."

Yan Yi looked conflicted. "Won't the elders have something to say?"

"You don't need to worry about these things, I'll take care of them."

Pei Jingyi had already made up his mind in his study that afternoon; he was just informing her now.

He stood up and said gently, "Listen to the doctor, get some rest, and don't think about anything else."

"I see."

Yan Yi smiled at him, her eyes sincere, "Thank you."

Before leaving, Pei Jingyi asked her again, "You didn't tell your sister-in-law about the three rules we agreed on, did you?"

Yan Yi looked away somewhat awkwardly: "...Not yet."

Yesterday, a funny thing happened in the garden, and now she has to explain it to Xiaoyueliang again, but something just doesn't feel right.

Pei Jingyi inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

He calmly nodded, "Then let's not tell her for now. The more people who know, the more trouble it will cause."

In a sense, the younger sister-in-law and Huaizhou are quite a good match.

They are all people who can't keep a single secret.

*

When Shen Lingyue returned to Danyue Pavilion, Pei Jinghuai had not yet returned.

She felt hungry while she was at Yan Yi's place, so she didn't wait for him and had Qing Chan go to the kitchen to bring back food. She ate her fill.

As night fell and the lights were lit in the room, Shen Lingyue put down her storybook and muttered subconsciously, "Why isn't he back yet?"

They disappeared after parting ways at the palace gate, not even a message was sent back... They really let go of everything.

Where did this person go?

Shen Lingyue felt inexplicably irritable and wanted to continue reading the storybook, but she lost the mood for it.

She angrily tossed it aside and refused to look at it anymore.

"Qingchan, prepare the water; I want to take a bath."

Shen Lingyue washed herself until she smelled fragrant, and before getting into bed, she carefully checked every window in the room and bolted them all.

Let's see how he gets in now.

She tossed and turned in bed, sometimes thinking about the old emperor and Consort Gao, sometimes about Qi Xiuyuan and Princess Rongcheng.

Could the old emperor really be senile? Otherwise, why would he pass the throne to a three-year-old toddler?

And then there's Consort Gao. She looks like a delicate and beautiful flower that needs careful nurturing. How could she have become an ambitious and scheming concubine who ruled from behind the curtain?

And Princess Rongcheng, I wonder if she regretted marrying Qi Xiuyuan back then when she witnessed him kill Prince Heng?

She let her mind go blank, her thoughts drifting aimlessly, when suddenly she was jolted awake.

I remember now!

Qi Xiuyuan, isn't that the mastermind behind the scenes in a novel about officialdom that she read before?

The book says that he became the youngest chief minister of the dynasty in his early thirties, assisting the young emperor. He wielded immense power, presided over new policies and reforms, which threatened the interests of many powerful figures. Despite being attacked and impeached by various officials, he remained steadfast in his convictions.

Having lost his wife at a young age, he remained single and never remarried. This led to his political enemies fabricating scandalous rumors, claiming that he used his position as a tutor to the young emperor to gain access to the palace, while in reality having an affair with the young empress dowager…

Good heavens, could the young emperor and empress dowager be Consort Gao and the eighth prince?

Shen Lingyue was no longer sleepy.

This is complete chaos!

Let's just take a small sip amidst the chaos.

With her mind filled with powerful ministers and imperial concubines, Shen Lingyue fell asleep contentedly.

...

She rolled over, felt something warm in her arms, and gave it a couple of squeezes.

Hmm? Why is the pillow so big...?

Shen Lingyue opened her eyes, shocked.

Why is Pei Jinghuai in bed again?!

He was still fast asleep. From her angle, looking up, she could see his high, straight nose, deep, undulating brows, thick, dark eyebrows that extended into his temples, and long, curled eyelashes that trembled gently like two small fans.

A large hand tightly encircled her waist, and long, heavy thighs pressed down on her; it was unclear who was using whom as a pillow.

Shen Lingyue: ...Help! I can't breathe!

She was furious and struggled to reach out and pull at the soft flesh of his cheek.

"Let me out!"

Pei Jinghuai groggily slapped her hand away, muttering, "Stop messing around, I'm going to sleep a little longer..."

Shen Lingyue then noticed the large dark circles under his eyes and almost laughed in exasperation.

Did he go thief again last night?

A faint light shone through the tent; it was already the next morning.

Having no other choice, Shen Lingyue crawled out of his arms like a caterpillar, got out of bed, and went to find Qingchan.

"When did Pei Jinghuai return? How did he get into the house?"

She clearly checked the window before going to bed.

“It’s just past midnight,” Qingchan said. “This time, the young master didn’t climb out the window—I opened the door for him.”

She was pleased with herself for her cleverness, and luckily she heard the noise when she got up to get a drink of water in the middle of the night.

Shen Lingyue: ...We were careless. There's a mole among us!

She pretended to put on a stern face: "He was out fooling around until midnight before coming home, and you still opened the door for him? Are you my maid or his maid?"

Qingchan said pitifully, "We can't just lock the son-in-law out, can we? You're all supposed to be going back to your parents' home together today."

She added quietly, "I heard there was a commotion at Jiusi Academy last night, and the eldest young master slept in the study alone. We can't let the whole mansion laugh at our academy."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lingyue forgot all about being angry with Pei Jinghuai and asked, "They had a fight? Why?"

She was perfectly fine when she left last night, wasn't she?

Qingchan shook her head. "I haven't found out yet. I only know that they sleep in separate rooms."

Shen Lingyue rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush out.

You, Pei Jingyi, know perfectly well that Yan Yi is unwell, yet you still dare to make her angry!

Strip him of his title and banish him to the cold palace!

Qingchan hugged her waist from behind, "Miss, don't be impulsive. If you go to the eldest young master's courtyard dressed like this, people will think you've gone crazy."

Shen Lingyue looked down at her nightgown and remained silent for a moment.

Cui Qingchan: "Quickly help me comb my hair and change my clothes."

Having to comb my hair every morning is such a hassle.

The mistress and servant were busy at the dressing table when a lazy voice came from behind them.

"You got up so early today."

Pei Jinghuai lifted the bed curtains, leaned against the edge of the bed, and yawned.

He also wanted to see her expression when she woke up and found herself lying in his arms.

It's always fun to tease her.

Shen Lingyue didn't turn her head: "Of course, I'm not like someone who goes to steal in the middle of the night."

Pei Jinghuai perked up upon hearing this, "Are you angry?"

"...I don't have time to be angry with you."

Qingchan stuck a pearl flower in Shen Lingyue's hair, she looked in the mirror, and hurriedly went outside.

Pei Jinghuai was taken aback for a moment, then asked Qingchan, "Where is your young lady going?"

Qingchan chuckled dryly, "Perhaps, she went to the Nine Thoughts Academy..."

Shen Lingyue rushed through half of the Marquis's mansion, and the gate of Jiusi Academy was right in front of her, but she saw a figure lingering ahead.

She narrowed her eyes, strode forward, and patted the person on the shoulder, "Cousin?"

Dong Lanyi was startled and turned around in a panic. "Second sister-in-law? You, what are you doing here?"

Shen Lingyue gave a forced smile, "That's what I wanted to ask my cousin too. What are you doing in your brother and sister-in-law's yard so early in the morning?"

A flicker of panic crossed Dong Lanyi's face as she guiltily looked away. "I was just passing by."

"I remember your and your aunt's courtyard isn't this way, is it?" Shen Lingyue stared at her, jokingly, "Cousin, you've lived in the Marquis's mansion for ten years, do you think you'd get lost?"

Dong Lanyi sensed her sarcasm and, somewhat indignant, blurted out, "Second sister-in-law's courtyard isn't even here, so how did you get here?"

"I walked here with my own two feet, upright and honorable."

Shen Lingyue blinked: "I came to discuss the time for my sister-in-law's homecoming. Sigh, getting married is so troublesome. Luckily, my cousin, you're not married yet, so you don't have these worries, right?"

She stood like a gatekeeper in front of the Jiusi Academy, determined not to let Dong Lanyi get close.

In the end, Dong Lanyi could only glare at her resentfully before leaving unwillingly.

Shen Lingyue made a face at her back.

Want to steal her best friend's boyfriend? You'll have to get past her first.

Shen Lingyue stepped forward and knocked on the door with satisfaction.

Good morning, brother and sister-in-law! The weather is so nice today. Have you gotten up yet? Have you eaten?

Pei Jingyi walked out of the study and saw Shen Lingyue standing at the door, waving enthusiastically at him. His temples twitched twice.

"Sister-in-law, you really didn't have to..." come so early.

He seemed to want to speak but hesitated, yet he still wanted to.

Shen Lingyue pretended not to hear, walked in with a smile, and looked around. "Is Sister-in-law up yet? When are we leaving today?"

So that's what it was about.

Pei Jingyi said seriously, "The Zhou family and the Shen family are not on the same route. You and Huaizhou can go out on your own. There's no need to wait for us."

Shen Lingyue nodded, then probed indirectly, "How did your sister-in-law sleep last night? I heard that people who have trouble sleeping often wake up at night. How many times did she wake up last night?"

Pei Jingyi: ...

Sister-in-law, your methods of getting information out of me are rather clumsy.

He cleared his throat and explained, "Last night I processed a batch of urgent documents. It was very late when I finished, and I didn't want to disturb her rest, so I spent the night in the study."

So it wasn't an argument after all.

Shen Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief.

This cicada, even when it comes to asking for information, it always ends abruptly.

She nodded, then casually brought it up, "When I came over just now, I saw my cousin Lanyi wandering around nearby. Did she want to see you?"

Pei Jingyi's voice turned colder: "The people in the manor are all her close relatives and elders. Even if something happens, it's not my place to interfere. After all, there's a difference between men and women."

Shen Lingyue silently added a little red flower to his heart.

Male virtue, male virtue, wai ri good!

"It's good that you understand, brother." Shen Lingyue waved her hand. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

Pei Jingyi watched her walk away, then sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Those who know her would think she's his sister-in-law, but those who don't might think he's gained a mother-in-law...

Having ascertained that Yan Yi had not been wronged and having also dealt with a potential rival in love, Shen Lingyue was in a good mood and returned to Danyue Pavilion humming a little tune.

Pei Jinghuai had already gotten up, dressed neatly, and was sitting at the table waiting for her to come back so they could have dinner together.

He placed a piece of honey cake on Shen Lingyue's plate and asked, "What are you going to Jiusi Academy for?"

“I’ll go ask my older brother when they’re leaving,” Shen Lingyue said. “My older brother told us to go ahead, since our two houses aren’t on the same route anyway.”

Pei Jinghuai nodded, and after a while asked, "I heard that my sister-in-law was carried all the way back by my brother yesterday. Is she feeling unwell?"

Shen Lingyue glanced at him. "Are you just making conversation for the sake of it?"

Pei Jinghuai: ...

Look, he's clueless about romance again.

He touched his nose and spoke up: "Yesterday, I went with some friends to take care of some serious business. We didn't go to any random places."

Shen Lingyue retorted, "What do you mean by a messy place?"

Pei Jinghuai's eyes flickered slightly: "It's brothels, entertainment venues, cockfighting dens, gambling dens..."

Seeing Shen Lingyue's face growing increasingly dark, he finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Haha, I was just kidding. Besides, there's nothing fun about these places."

"...Just eat yours."

Shen Lingyue slapped his hand in an annoyance and turned to Shuangxu, asking, "Have you prepared all the gifts for the homecoming?"

Shuangxu managed her dowry and the small storeroom.

Shuangxu nodded: "It was packed up last night. I'll have someone move it to the car in a bit."

"Oh, right."

Pei Jinghuai suddenly said, "I also have some assets and savings, which I previously entrusted to Duofu and Duoshou. I'll hand them over to you to manage when I get back tonight."

Shen Lingyue was somewhat surprised.

Has this dog changed its nature? It actually handed over its secret stash of money.

But who is "多福多寿" (meaning "abundant blessings and long life")?

“They’re the two maids who used to help me tidy up the house,” Pei Jinghuai said nonchalantly. “You can arrange their chores from now on.”

The servant boy is called "Peace and Good Fortune," and the maid is called "May You Have Abundant Blessings and Longevity"...

Shen Lingyue complained, "Can't you put a little effort into it?"

Pei Jingyi's servants were even named Shumo and Diyan.

Pei Jinghuai argued vehemently, "So what? What is vulgar is also elegant."

By the end of the meal, they were so busy bickering that they got carried away.

Even after they had finished getting ready and boarded the carriage, the two were still arguing about which name sounded better.

Halfway there, the carriage suddenly stopped.

The coachman explained from outside, "Second Young Master, Second Young Madam, there are people blocking the road ahead, we'll have to wait a while."

While idly looking out the curtain, Shen Lingyue heard a drunken male voice drifting over.

"Let me go! I am the cousin of the Duke of Ling's family, and the Duchess of Ling is my aunt. Let's see who dares to touch me!"

Shen Lingyue looked closely and saw that the man in brocade robes being dragged on the ground by several servants was Fan Guangzu, whom she had met once before.

The servant was extremely arrogant and showed no fear upon hearing Fan Guangzu's words. He raised his voice slightly and said, "You scoundrel, you sneaked into my master's study in the middle of the night to steal valuables, and you dare to implicate the Duke's mansion? Now that you've been caught red-handed, my master has said that he will break your legs right now and send you to the yamen to jail!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another person stepped forward with a wooden board in hand, raised it high, and slammed it down forcefully.

"ah!!!"

As if he could hear the sound of bones cracking, Fan Guangzu curled up in pain and howled like a madman.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Moonie: I've joined the Large Dog Victims Alliance √

//I'll ​​be updating around 7 PM every day for now. Any changes to the time will be announced in the announcement section.~