Chapter 95 Could it be that the Pei family has a history of infidelity...?

Pei Jingyi protected Yan Yi and hid her under the long corridor in front of the palace, letting her crawl inside his raincoat to shield her from the wind and rain.

The rain continued unabated, and the night was deep. Only two swaying lanterns on the mountain path flickered and gradually drew closer.

Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai arrived a step behind, carrying umbrellas and cloaks. Seeing Pei Jingyi still looking calm and collected, as if he had no idea how dangerous it was for him to speed along the muddy mountain road, they couldn't help but mutter, "He's such a love-struck fool."

The rain was too loud, and Pei Jingyi didn't hear clearly, "What did your sister-in-law say about me?"

Shen Lingyue secretly rolled her eyes. "I mean... Big brother, you're such a jerk! All you think about is your sister-in-law, you'd even risk your life for her."

Pei Jingyi readily accepted the new nickname, and even had the mind to smile at Yan Yi, "Don't worry, it's just that the road up the mountain is a bit difficult to travel, the official road out of the city is still fine..."

Before the words were finished, an even more violent landslide roared down.

Yan Yi's face paled even more, and she subconsciously gripped his sleeve tightly.

Pei Jinghuai mustered his courage and walked to the roadside to look down. He turned back and said gloatingly, "Brother, if you had been any slower, you would have been buried."

Pei Jingyi narrowed his eyes dangerously: "Are you disappointed?"

Pei Jinghuai snorted, "My feelings are not important, but can you bear to let your sister-in-law remain a widow?"

"My sister-in-law would never be a widow."

Shen Lingyue's clear voice broke in, and she glared angrily at Pei Jingyi, "If anything happens to you today, I'll find ten or eight better men for my sister-in-law tomorrow, and I guarantee she won't shed a single tear for you!"

Pei Jingyi was too lazy to argue with the two of them, and simply turned his head to stare intently at Yan Yi's face, "Is that what Madam thinks too?"

Yan Yi's pale face was tense, and her whole body was trembling slightly from being soaked in the rain, but she still used all her strength to pinch his back hard.

“Yes.” She glared at him fiercely. “If you continue to disregard your own safety like this, I can remarry anytime, not even when you die.”

Her anger wasn't very strong, like a kitten scratching an itch, but Pei Jingyi still cooperated by wincing in pain and pretending to beg for mercy, "Madam is right, I promise I will never dare to do it again."

When the rain started during the day, Pei Jingyi was still working at the Ministry of War.

Looking up, I saw a foggy sky and continuous drizzle that made me feel uneasy.

He knew that Yan Yi and the others had gone to the Jade Buddha Temple today, and if the rain didn't stop anytime soon, they might be stranded on the mountain.

Pei Jingyi, unusually, left half an hour early. When he returned to the Marquis's residence and inquired, he learned that they had indeed not returned yet.

He wasn't an impulsive person, so he gave himself a moment to think.

Then Pei Jingyi decided to go out of the city to find her.

...

Shen Lingyue slipped a silver ingot to the head chef in the canteen, asking them to boil several buckets of hot water and send them to Yan Yi and Pei Jingyi's room so they could have a nice hot bath.

He then rummaged through the carriage and found several bottles of commonly used medicines, such as wind-avoiding powder and ginseng pills, and sent them over all at once. He also repeatedly instructed Pei Jingyi to make sure that Yan Yi drank ginger and brown sugar water and dried her hair before going to sleep.

Pei Jingyi is tough and can be bullied, but her Yan Yan can't afford to catch a cold.

"Thank you for your kindness, sister-in-law. I will definitely take good care of your wife and myself."

Pei Jingyi tucked the medicine bottle into his sleeve and said slowly, "There's no need for you to find someone else for her."

The door slammed shut with a click, and he even bolted it shut.

Shen Lingyue stomped her feet in anger and threw a few wild punches at the closed door. The cold wind and rain made her shiver, so she quickly wrapped her cloak tighter and ran back to the west wing.

...

These Zen temples on the back mountain were specially built for distinguished pilgrims, and each room is equipped with a small cubicle for bathing and changing.

Pei Jingyi dismissed Shen Lingyue and returned to the room. He first checked the several burning charcoal braziers, then opened a small crack in the window furthest from the bed to ensure good ventilation. He then placed his hands lightly above the charcoal braziers until his palms felt slightly warm before getting up and entering the cubicle.

The hot water in the bathtub was steaming, and white mist filled the air. Yan Yi was completely immersed in the water, and her pale face regained some color. Her wet hair spread out on the water's surface and circled in front of her as the water flowed.

She opened her eyes and looked at Pei Jingyi who had entered. "Sister-in-law, you came again?"

"Yes, she told me to take good care of you."

Pei Jingyi stood behind her without changing his expression, and placed his palms, which were warm from the charcoal fire, directly on her shoulders, gently kneading them.

"You just got caught in the rain, so you need to get rid of the dampness and cold as soon as possible."

Yan Yi didn't speak, but looked down at the swaying shadows on the water.

Pei Jingyi said that the massage was really a massage, and his movements were very proper. He put his hands under the water and pressed them against her smooth back.

Yan Yi shifted uncomfortably, then twisted her body away from him. "...It's so itchy, let me wash up first before you massage it."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Pei Jingyi picked up the loofah and soap beans that were placed next to him. "Shall I wash your hair for you?"

His long, slender fingers slipped through her hair, pressing gently, which gradually relaxed Yan Yi's tense body, causing her to let out a sigh.

She leaned against the tub, and when she looked up, she could meet his focused gaze. She couldn't help but whisper, "You only know to try to please me after you've made a mistake."

She even said she'd listen to him... but when has she ever actually listened?

Pei Jingyi raised an eyebrow slightly, his ethereal face revealing a perfect hint of grievance. "Madam, you're wronged. I've been trying my best to 'please' you."

Their eyes met, and Yan Yi blushed involuntarily, raising her hand to splash some water. "...Don't talk nonsense, don't you know where you are?"

Knowing she was shy, Pei Jingyi dared not provoke her any further. He quickened his pace, carried Yan Yi to the bed, and let her sit by the bed to dry her hair. He then quickly washed himself with the remaining two buckets of hot water.

Listening to the rushing water in the cubicle, Yan Yi picked up the brown sugar ginger soup. With its warm and slightly spicy taste, she slowly drank most of the bowl and felt warm all over. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She bit her lip, reflecting with some annoyance that she had been too impulsive today and had run over without thinking.

But in that situation, she seemed completely out of control. She couldn't wait for Pei Jingyi to walk up to her step by step. She just wanted to see him as quickly as possible, to hug him, and to make sure that it wasn't all a hallucination.

Yan Yi gently patted her head.

Little Moon also said that Pei Jingyi is love-struck... she probably is too.

Are you still angry with me?

When Pei Jingyi came out after taking a shower, he saw Yan Yi sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze. He walked over, picked up the ginger soup she hadn't finished, drank it all in one gulp, and put the empty bowl back on the table.

He sat down next to Yan Yi, picked up a cloth and gently wiped the ends of her hair, his peach blossom eyes glistening with moisture as he looked over, "What else do you want me to do to calm you down?"

Yan Yi grasped his wrist and said earnestly, "Promise me, this really is the last time."

Pei Jingyi nodded in agreement, "Yes, I promise you, Madam, I will never ride a horse up the mountain in the rain at night again."

Yan Yi paused for a moment, then glared at him irritably: "Playing word games with me?"

With so many constraints combined, the chances of him making the same mistake again are practically negligible.

Pei Jingyi turned his head away, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips, before turning back to look aggrieved. "But I don't want to lie to you. If a similar situation happens again, I can't control my instinct to see you."

He reached out and pulled Yan Yi into his arms, his thin lips gently brushing against the skin beside her ear. "...I worry about you. Will you be scared all by yourself? Will there be any danger on the mountain? When you can't see me, will you miss me too, hmm?"

The warm breath tingled and tingled as it traveled over her skin. Yan Yi could no longer pretend to be indifferent to him. She reached out and hugged his waist, nestling against his chest, and sighed as if she had found something she had lost.

"I...of course I'll miss you too." Her cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, each beat like a love confession spoken to her.

Pei Jingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took her fingertip and kissed it, then coaxed her gently, "What did you do at the temple today? Were there any fun places to visit?"

"Hmm... The vegetarian noodles at the temple are delicious, and the fortune teller is very accurate and the master is very handsome."

Recalling the fortune slip Yun Zhi had interpreted for her, Yan Yi couldn't help but smile.

Pei Jingyi raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "Really? How good is it?" Yan Yi looked up at him strangely. "You'll know for yourself when you go see it tomorrow."

She patted Pei Jingyi to stop him from interrupting her, and slowly recited the fortune slip again.

"The master said I would definitely get what I wanted."

Yan Yi's face was filled with anticipation, and she didn't notice that Pei Jingyi's hand had already slipped inside her clothes.

When she came to her senses, she quickly grabbed his restless hand, "Don't be silly, this is a temple..."

Pei Jingyi's deep eyes had already lowered, easily finding her vulnerability.

He chuckled softly, then nibbled on her earlobe and mumbled, "What temple? Ganye Temple?"

Yan Yi: ...Sometimes I really hate myself for reading too much.

She tried to push his shoulder in annoyance, but being pinned down, she couldn't exert any force, and her voice quickly became breathless, "You, you're really crazy... We're not..."

“Of course we are not.” Pei Jingyi, who was already on the same wavelength as her, cut her off before she could finish. “We are a lawfully wedded couple who have paid homage to heaven and earth and our ancestors. Buddha will not blame us.”

Pei Jingyi kissed her dazed, wet eyes, coaxing her repeatedly, "Good A-Tan, do you think Buddha will grant us a boy or a girl?"

Yan Yi covered her face tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, "You, you stop talking."

Who would have thought that this person, who is usually so proper and aloof in public, would become so talkative in bed!

The more she resisted, the more he insisted on talking, slowly brushing aside the slightly damp strands of hair from her forehead, "What's the use of just drinking ginger soup? You're too cold. You need to thoroughly, completely, drive out all the cold—"

Pei Jingyi wrapped one arm around her back, pulling her close to his waist. Yan Yi was forced to hug his neck and bit his shoulder in frustration, saying, "You bastard."

...

In the dead of night, amidst thunder and lightning, Shen Lingyue was fast asleep, nestled against Pei Jinghuai's chest, with a suspicious, glistening liquid at the corner of her mouth that had soaked a small patch of his nightgown.

Suddenly her body trembled slightly, and she woke up with a start. She straightened up and looked out the window, while pushing Pei Jinghuai twice.

"What's wrong?" Pei Jinghuai was still half asleep, only feeling a cool sensation on his chest. He didn't bother to wipe it, and reflexively patted Chen Lingyue twice. "Dreaming again?"

Shen Lingyue shook her head. "I think I heard something next door, like a woman screaming."

Next door? That's Princess Lekang's courtyard.

Pei Jinghuai rubbed his eyes. "It's raining so hard outside, and there's thunder. How come you only heard a woman scream? You must be confusing your dream with reality. Go back to sleep..."

He was about to lie down when Shen Lingyue forcibly pulled him up. "No, I'm worried. Let's get up and go check next door."

"...You are truly my living ancestor."

Pei Jinghuai was finally awakened by her antics. Resigned, he got out of bed, dressed, and draped a thick cloak over Shen Lingyue. The two of them, carrying lanterns and umbrellas, braved the wind and rain to go next door.

Shen Lingyue had just pulled on the door knocker, and before she could even exert any force, the courtyard gate opened by itself.

Pei Jinghuai asked in bewilderment, "The people serving the princess are too careless. How come they didn't even lock the courtyard gate?"

The two quickly entered the courtyard and headed straight for the main house.

Shen Lingyue knocked on the door twice and called softly, "Princess, Princess, are you asleep?"

Through the door, she heard hurried footsteps coming from inside.

Soon, a little light appeared in the room and gradually moved to the door.

"Is that Sister Chen?" Princess Lekang's voice came from inside. "Why did you suddenly come here?"

"I just heard some noise from Your Highness's side, like someone screaming, so I came to check it out."

Through the crack in the door, Shen Lingyue could vaguely see Princess Lekang standing inside in her nightgown, so she didn't ask her to open the door, but simply asked, "Are you alright?"

"Thank you, Sister Chen. I just had a nightmare. I dreamt about the carriage from earlier in the day..." Princess Lekang's voice trembled, as if she was still shaken. "I probably shouted in my dream, which is why I woke you up."

"No, no, my husband heard it when he got up to get a drink of water. I'm glad you're alright."

Shen Lingyue skillfully placed the pot on Pei Jinghuai's head, and then said to Princess Lekang, "It's just a dream, it's alright. If you're scared, just leave this lamp on, and it will be fine when it gets light."

"Yes, it's raining heavily outside. Sister Chen, you should all go back to your rooms and rest. I'm fine here, really."

Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai returned to their room. She raised her chin at him and said, "See? I told you I didn't hear wrong, didn't I?"

"Then why did you say I heard it?" Pei Jinghuai pretended to be angry and glared at her. "It's not like it's anything shameful."

"Oh, I was just saying it casually." Shen Lingyue tugged at his arm and shook it a couple of times. "Otherwise, what if the princess misunderstands and thinks we're up in the middle of the night for some reason..."

Pei Jinghuai understood, his face flushed, and suddenly he reached out and picked up Shen Lingyue, placing her steadily on the bed. "Alright, go to sleep."

It's fine at home, but this is a Buddhist temple, so we need to be more solemn.

Shen Lingyue rolled over twice inside the blankets and patted them down. "Come on. Want to sleep together?"

...

That night, everyone in the east and west wing rooms slept soundly, but Pei Yuzhen in the main room suffered from insomnia, a rare occurrence.

She angrily rolled over in bed.

This is truly an eye-opener. How did her most polite and virtuous nephew turn out like this?

Does the Pei family produce generations of romantics?

Her father was like this, her older brother was like this, and now her two nephews have also been bewitched.

All that talk about romantic love between men and women is unhealthy!

Finally, dawn broke, and Pei Yuzhen managed to doze off for a while. She heard the sound of rain outside gradually weaken and then stop.

She got up, pushed open the door, and went into the courtyard. Seeing that both side rooms were quiet, she snorted again.

Being young is great; you can sleep soundly anywhere.

Feeling a bit hungry, Pei Yuzhen decided to go to the canteen to find something to eat.

They had only gone halfway when they heard a shrill scream coming from the direction of the main hall ahead.

"Dead, someone's dead—!!!"

Pei Yuzhen was startled and immediately quickened her pace to run over.

"What happened? Who died?...Ah!!!"

Pei Yuzhen suddenly stopped in her tracks, and the next second she also screamed desperately.

On the open ground in front of the main hall lay a charred corpse with a strangely shaped weapon stuck in its chest.

Pei Yuzhen's face turned deathly pale. She immediately turned her head away, unable to bear looking any longer, and tightly grabbed the sleeve of the little monk beside her. "I want to go down the mountain! Quickly take me down the mountain!"

The little monk looked extremely pale and shook his head, saying, "No, it won't work. The heavy rain last night washed away the mountain path, and now there are only big rocks below. We can't get out."

...

"Jingyi, Jinghuai, wake up, get up!"

Pei Yuzhen rushed back to the courtyard in a panic, shouting to both sides, "Something terrible has happened! We're trapped on the mountain, and there's a dead body outside!"

A moment later, the doors to the east and west wing rooms opened one after the other, and four people quickly came out. "Auntie, what's going on?"

The scene she had just witnessed was so shocking that Pei Yuzhen turned pale, broke out in a cold sweat, and felt nauseous whenever she thought about it. She felt like she was about to collapse.

Shen Lingyue quickly reached out to help her up and then took a piece of candy from her purse and stuffed it into her mouth.

Judging from my aunt's condition, it seems like she has symptoms of low blood sugar.

She and Pei Jinghuai helped her to a stone bench in the courtyard. Pei Yuzhen, with a candy in her mouth, finally felt a little better. Pointing outside, she said weakly, "I can't go on. You can go to the main hall to see for yourselves..."

"Then I'll have my maid come and keep you company."

Taking the opportunity, Shen Lingyue pulled Yan Yi to her side, first touching her forehead with the back of her hand, then observing her complexion, "You haven't caught a cold, have you?"

Yan Yi shook her head, then glared at Pei Jingyi when she wasn't looking.

Pei Jingyi remained expressionless and said to Pei Jinghuai, "My aunt's words are rather vague. Let's go take a look ahead first."

“Let’s go too.” Shen Lingyue pulled Yan Yi along.

The group quickly arrived at the open space in front of the main hall, and from a distance they could see a dark figure on the ground. Shen Lingyue was startled and quickly hid behind Pei Jinghuai, covering her face with her hands and only daring to peek out through her fingers.

"Oh my god, this person wasn't struck by lightning, was he..." Shen Lingyue muttered under her breath as she looked at the body. "And what is that weapon stuck in his body?"

Pei Jingyi recognized it at a glance: "It is the Vajra Pestle of Bodhisattva Weituo."

He shielded Yan Yi behind him, not allowing her to come any closer, saying, "It will scare you, so just stand here and don't move."

Pei Jinghuai also gave Shen Lingyue a similar instruction, then stepped forward to examine the charred corpse closely, and suddenly exclaimed.

He widened his eyes slightly and said to Pei Jingyi, "This person... seems to be the young imperial brother-in-law."

"Consort Gao's younger brother?" Pei Jingyi frowned. "I'm not familiar with him. Are you sure?"

Pei Jinghuai suppressed his nausea and took a few more glances. "I'm sure it's him, and he happened to be at the temple yesterday."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a surprised glance.

The young imperial brother-in-law Gao Yu, actually died just like that?

"What, what's going on?"

Abbot Liaokong of the Jade Buddha Temple rushed over and immediately noticed the Vajra pestle stuck in Gao Yu's body. His expression changed drastically, and he quickly bowed his head and began chanting Buddhist prayers, "Forgive me, forgive me..."

How could such a peaceful Buddhist sanctuary have become a place of death? And the deceased was none other than this powerful member of the royal family?

Pei Jingyi stepped forward and bowed. "Master, I heard that the road down the mountain was washed away by the torrential rain last night. Is that true?"

Master Liaokong sighed and nodded, “That’s right. This morning, the disciples wanted to go down to fetch water, but on the way they found that huge trees and rocks were blocking the mountain path. It would take at least three days to clear a road that would be passable for a horse-drawn carriage.”

Fortunately, the Jade Buddha Temple has always had ample food reserves, so even if people cannot go down the mountain, the temple's inventory can sustain them for several days.

Master Liaokong, having already learned Pei Jingyi's identity, grasped at the opportunity as if it were a lifeline, "Benefactor Pei, what should we do now?"

Pei Jingyi hesitated for a moment, about to speak, when another group of servants rushed over from the direction of the back mountain, "Young Imperial Uncle—"

The one in the lead was the same arrogant lackey who had been following Gao Yu around yesterday. He rushed up, grabbed Master Kong by the collar, and shouted through gritted teeth, "The young imperial brother-in-law is dead! None of you bald monks will escape!"

Pei Jinghuai pulled the person away impatiently and said coldly, "Show some respect to the master. You have no right to speak here."

The man, ultimately fearing the power of the Marquis's mansion, reluctantly took a few steps back, clenching his fists: "The Imperial Concubine's younger brother is dead. If you cannot hand over the murderer, the Gao family will not let you off the hook."

Pei Jinghuai chuckled, "Who knows if he did something that was despicable to gods and ghosts, which is why he was punished by heaven and struck by lightning."

A young monk plopped down on the ground, closed his eyes, and shouted, "It must be Bodhisattva Weituo manifesting himself, otherwise how could the Bodhisattva's magical implements appear here?"

The monks around looked at each other and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Weituo Bodhisattva is a guardian deity who holds a vajra to subdue demons and protect all living beings.

Since entering the Jade Buddha Temple yesterday, this young imperial brother-in-law has been beating and scolding the monks, ordering them around, and has also obtained a lot of wine and meat from somewhere, which he has been eating and drinking recklessly in the meditation room.

Could it be that his actions angered Bodhisattva Weituo, which led to divine punishment?

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

Author's Note: Here it comes! [heart emoji]