Chapter 28 Linlang Pavilion "This humble woman begs Lord Pei, please save my Zhou family..."

The carriage creaked and turned forward. Meng Lingyao fumbled for the token in her sleeve, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the strokes of the character "序" (xu, meaning sequence). Realizing what she was doing, she frowned slightly and decisively released her grip.

"Miss, we've arrived."

Songlan's voice came from outside, and the carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Linlang Pavilion.

Stepping into the shop, the interior is softly lit, with fine agarwood burning on the table, its wisps of smoke drifting slowly in the air, adding a touch of refined elegance to this small space.

Linlang Pavilion was renowned throughout the capital, attracting even nobles from the inner palace who frequently sent people there to commission jewelry. While the selection wasn't extensive, every piece was exquisite, crafted with the finest materials and superb workmanship, often costing tens or even hundreds of taels of gold. Even wealthy families had to grit their teeth to afford it, while ordinary people only dared to peek through the carved stained-glass window, never daring to even step inside.

As far back as she could remember, Meng Lingyao would come here every year on her birthday. Madam Zhong doted on her and always brought her here personally, letting her choose a piece of jewelry she liked as a birthday gift. Everywhere in the pavilion was exquisite: the various pearl hairpins and dangling ornaments arranged in a staggered pattern on the display cabinet, the tassel palace lanterns hanging from the beams, and the several pots of orchids in full bloom in the corner—all of these revealed the owner's thoughtfulness.

Manager Wei was a middle-aged man in his fifties. He was usually gentle and polite to his guests, but not overly enthusiastic. However, upon seeing the token in her hand, his expression changed abruptly. He quickly put down the ledger he was checking and respectfully stepped forward to greet her.

"Please follow me, Miss. A private room upstairs has been prepared."

Meng Lingyao nodded slightly and followed Manager Wei up the stairs covered with thick Persian carpets.

Pei Xu had been waiting here for about half an hour.

It wasn't intentional; he would just come here occasionally when he had nothing to do, either to read some books or simply to spend half a day quietly.

The tea brewing on the stove was about to boil, with tiny bubbles rising one after another. Pei Xu looked down at it, and heard soft footsteps beside him. His eyelashes trembled slightly.

The wooden door opened in the next instant.

A delicate aroma of tea wafted through the air. Inside the room, Pei Xu sat by the window, holding a document in his hands, his robes fluttering as if he were about to be carried away by the wind.

Meng Lingyao had initially thought that Pei Xu and Linlang Pavilion were completely mismatched, but now she found a common ground. They both exuded an air of arrogance that was hard to grasp. One was probably because there were few people in the world who could catch his eye, while the other was probably because he was short of money.

Upon closer reflection, the latter was far more heartbreaking. Meng Lingyao sighed inwardly.

Pei Xu seemed to sense something, turned his head to look at him, and their eyes met. A glint flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.

“Miss Meng.” He stood up, his voice like jade striking each other.

Just as Meng Lingyao was about to return the greeting, she was met with a cold February wind, and her shoulders trembled. "Lord Pei."

Pei Xu's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he raised his hand and closed the window.

"Please sit down."

The tea on the stove was just boiling, countless bubbles surging and billowing. Pei Xu picked up the teapot, the water pouring out, steam rising in the air. The teacup was pushed to the opposite side, filled to about seven-tenths full, the tea aroma clear and refreshing.

The series of movements ended smoothly and effortlessly.

Following behind the young lady, Songlan held the cloak, feeling momentarily lost, unable to find a place to use it.

She only just noticed that there was a goose feather cushion on the young lady's chair!

It seems the Pei family's servants do have some merits. She kept a solemn expression and silently noted it down.

"Songlan, you can go down now." Meng Lingyao found the most comfortable position to sit down and gave the order softly.

"yes."

Songlan responded and left, making the room even quieter.

Meng Lingyao held the teacup, warmth spreading from her fingertips. She lowered her eyes to look at the tea leaves floating in the soup and said softly, "I have an appointment with Miss Zhou at 1:15 am. She should be arriving soon."

Pei Xu nodded, but said nothing more.

Meng Lingyao's gaze swept across the room's furnishings, her attention drawn to a celadon vase in the corner. Several newly blooming magnolias were perched in the vase, their buds full and their petals as white as snow. The room was more elegantly furnished than the shop downstairs, yet it possessed a delicate and soft charm.

She suddenly raised an eyebrow. "To my shame, I always thought the person in charge of Linlang Pavilion was a woman. I never imagined it was Lord Pei."

Pei Xu paused slightly in the hand holding the teapot.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice calm, "This place is indeed my mother's ancestral property."

Over the years, neither his long-lost father nor he himself has changed any of the furnishings.

Meng Lingyao suddenly clenched her palm, pressing it tightly against the teacup, which seemed too tight and was a little hot.

She had long heard that Pei Xu's birth mother had passed away early, but she didn't know that this Linlang Pavilion was left behind by his mother. No wonder this place exudes elegance everywhere, even the flower arrangement is so exquisite.

Since they met, Pei Xu has usually been more taciturn, but today it was she who didn't know what to say first.

The faint sound of horses' hooves could be heard outside the window; Miss Zhou must have arrived.

Meng Lingyao breathed a sigh of relief and stood up as if she had been saved. "Lord Pei, please wait a moment. I will go and fetch her."

In an instant, Pei Xu was left alone in the room again.

He picked up the teacup but didn't drink; he simply let the aroma of tea linger between his fingers.

The Dali Temple had been paying attention to the smuggling of salt and iron across the north and south for several years. The imperial court strictly prohibited the smuggling of salt, but driven by huge profits, some people still took the risk.

Previously, the Dali Temple cracked a case involving the richest man in Jincheng colluding with local powerful clans to smuggle salt and iron, which shocked the court and the public, who all praised it as a great event.

Pei Xu, however, remained suspicious—everything was going too smoothly. The clues arrived at the perfect time, and the case-solving process was effortless, as if it had all been planned all along.

So he remained vigilant and ordered his men to continue their covert investigation. Their efforts paid off, and they finally discovered that the matter might be related to the Zhou family, the largest imperial merchant family in the dynasty. Last autumn, the Dali Temple (the Court of Judicial Review) received a clue: the Zhou family's cargo ships frequently used Qiuniang Ferry, stopping briefly, but their drafts noticeably decreased after they left. This indicated that a large amount of cargo was unloaded at Qiuniang Ferry.

Qiu Niang Ferry had always been under the control of the Lu family of Wu County, and even the local officials were unaware of the goods traded there.

The source of the clues is now unknown, and the informant who provided the information never reappeared.

Pei Xu felt something was amiss, but lacked any evidence. Until that day—

He interrogated Lu Heming in the Dali Temple dungeon as a test. Lu Heming's instantaneous change in expression confirmed the news was true; the Zhou family did indeed collude with the Lu family.

However, during the trial of the Lu family, despite the clear opportunity to redeem themselves through leniency, no one stepped forward to claim responsibility for this lead. If it wasn't leaked by the Lu family, then the other source of the information was most likely within the Zhou family.

Someone wants to use him to get rid of the Lu family, or... someone has already sensed the danger and wants to back out.

Pei Xu was pondering when the wooden door was gently pushed open again. Meng Lingyao's steps were light, but the person behind her seemed much heavier.

Zhou Xiwen remained calm, his face devoid of its usual smile.

The moment she saw Pei Xu, her brow twitched violently, but she quickly regained her composure, her lips pressed tightly together as if she were silently biting down on something.

Taking a silent breath, Zhou Xiwen stepped forward, knelt down with a resolute posture, and said, word by word.

"This humble woman begs Lord Pei to save the lives of my Zhou family."

Meng Lingyao's pupils trembled, startled by her sudden action, and she subconsciously turned her gaze to another person in the room.

Pei Xu's expression remained unchanged. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze and nodded slightly.

Meng Lingyao couldn't explain why, but she understood his meaning almost instantly. She quickly helped Zhou Xiwen up, saying, "Xiwen, what are you doing? Lord Pei holds an official position and will naturally stand up for the people."

Pei Xu glanced at her and asked calmly, "What do you mean, Miss Zhou?"

Zhou Xiwen helped Meng Lingyao to her feet, saying, "Lord Pei is discerning and surely understands what I mean."

Pei Xu looked at her and said incisively, "Smuggling salt and iron is a capital offense."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the private room instantly became heavy. Meng Lingyao was somewhat prepared, but she was still surprised. She knew that the goods mentioned by the people from Cixi Temple were not simple, but she never expected that they would be salt and iron.

The Zhou family is already incredibly wealthy, yet they still want to get involved with them.

Truly... insatiable desires.

Zhou Xiwen smiled wryly, and after a long while said, "What you say is absolutely right, sir."

Over the years, she had worked tirelessly to finally gain her father's approval and access to the family's core business. She initially thought it was a tremendous opportunity, but unexpectedly discovered that her father and older brother were involved in extremely dangerous dealings.

Her voice carried an indescribable helplessness, "Although this move has yielded enormous profits, it is undoubtedly licking blood from a knife's edge. One wrong move, and the entire Zhou family will be doomed. But they are blinded by profit, thinking they can deceive everyone forever..."

Those few words seemed to drain all her strength, and Zhou Xiwen leaned against Meng Lingyao. Meng Lingyao supported her and gently patted her forearm.

Zhou Xiwen looked up at her, and Meng Lingyao returned a faint smile, her eyes soft and full of admiration, as if she were some great hero who was not afraid of power or wealth.

But she is afraid of death and all she is doing now is trying to find a way to survive.

Pei Xu stood up, the spring sunlight streaming through the carved window lattice onto him, his expression as cold as ice.

"Miss Zhou, are you here today to report your father and brothers?"

“Yes.” Zhou Xiwen said in a low voice, “The truth will eventually come out. The Lu family has been exposed. With Lord Pei’s abilities, he will find out about the Zhou family sooner or later. Rather than waiting to die, we should take the initiative to surrender. Perhaps we can still give the Zhou family a chance to survive.”

"Lord Pei, the Zhou family is not my father's or brothers' Zhou family. It is the Zhou family that our ancestors have built up over nearly a century. I cannot let them destroy all of this."

Zhou Xiwen slowly released his grip on Meng Lingyao's hand and bowed down again.

"I beg Lord Pei to consider my merit in exposing this and show leniency."

Meng Lingyao did not stop her.

Pei Xu turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, showing no emotion whatsoever. "Miss Zhou, do you know what it means for the law to be merciless? According to the laws of this dynasty, anyone who sells smuggled salt will be beheaded, their property confiscated, and their family members exiled three thousand miles away. The exorbitant profits the Zhou family has made over the years are enough to wipe out nine generations of their family."

Every word was like an icicle, piercing Zhou Xiwen's heart. She couldn't answer Pei Xu's question; her face turned deathly pale, her body trembled violently, her forehead pressed against the floor tiles, and even breathing became difficult.

Nine generations... that means her proud family, her father, uncles, brothers, sisters... all those connected by blood will fall into an abyss because of her, no, because of the greed of those few people.

For a moment, the room was deathly silent, as if it were in an ice cellar.

"Lord Pei." Meng Lingyao suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a gentle urgency, like a warm breeze gently brushing away the tense atmosphere.

I have something to say.