Chapter 92 Two Families Pei Shaoqing's ability to be jealous and envious, and his investigation...

The Buddhist hall was filled with the fragrant smoke of incense, the sandalwood scent so strong it almost seemed tangible. The Buddha statue seated at the innermost part of the hall was nearly half a person's height, already gilded, its appearance solemn and dignified. Commander Yuan knelt on a prayer mat, chanting incantations.

He originally didn't believe in these things. In his youth, he even scoffed at his wives and concubines burning incense and praying to Buddha every day, thinking it was just a weak trick of women. But over the years, as he became more involved in his affairs, especially those shady dealings, he felt increasingly uneasy and restless, and thus he too became addicted to incense offerings.

Enjoying the riches and honors of this life is not enough; they always hope to be reborn into a better family in the next life.

He devoutly held up three incense sticks, murmuring to the Buddha statue, "Disciple Yuan Chengde, though of humble status, has faithfully fulfilled his duty..."

At this point, he himself felt uneasy. He paused, then changed his words, "Now that the world is at peace, I am merely following the trend and taking what I deserve."

For some reason, his right eyelid had been twitching nonstop since he woke up this morning. He carefully reviewed the events of the past few days in his mind—

At the mines, those who needed to be bribed have been bribed, and those who needed to be killed have been killed. Those left behind are all obedient mountain people, and the guards are all trusted confidants. The capital's backing is as solid as Mount Tai.

Although he was only a fourth-rank garrison commander, he was in charge of the general affairs of the local army. Military pay, military rations, and weapons—everything passed through his hands. There were too many things he could do in the local area. Even a tiny bit of the minerals flowing from the continuous mines would be enough for him to pave the floor of this Buddhist hall with the finest white jade.

Thinking of this, he felt somewhat relieved and continued to murmur to the Buddha statue, "The Second Prince fell from his horse a few days ago, and I heard his injuries are quite serious. As a result, my master is undoubtedly the crown prince. I have climbed up the Cui family's tree and boarded a big ship with the help of the east wind. My future will only be better... When I succeed, I will definitely sculpt a pure gold statue for you!"

He felt more and more at ease as he spoke, his tone becoming increasingly earnest, "I only beg the Buddha's mercy to grant me another son. Such a large family business needs someone to carry on the family line..."

Having said this, he respectfully bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, then rose and placed three incense sticks into the enormous gilded incense burner before him. As soon as the incense sticks were firmly inserted, wisps of smoke rose—

"Bang bang bang!"

A sudden, urgent knocking sound rang out!

Yuan Chengde's hand trembled, and incense ash fell in a flurry, burning the back of his hand. A searing pain instantly shot through him, and several bright red blisters appeared. He gasped, and before he could even check the wound, the servant's voice, distorted, squeezed in from outside the door.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Dali Temple... the people from the Dali Temple are here!"

Commander Yuan's face turned deathly pale instantly. He stood frozen in place, the pain in the back of his hand now seeming insignificant.

The incense smoke in the Buddhist hall seemed to become suffocating, and the benevolent-looking gilded Buddha statue was now coldly looking down at him.

Meng Lingyao couldn't stand staying in the courtyard any longer. This courtyard was nothing like her home in the capital, which was full of charm. After several months, she had long since grown tired of the scenery. So she took Shen Xiaoshan with her to Juxiang Tower, where at least it was more lively and she could relax.

Shopkeeper Qian was behind the counter using an abacus, the beads clicking loudly. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old following the young lady. His frame was as straight as a newly sprouted bamboo, and he walked with an air of unyielding strength. He glanced at him subconsciously for a moment, then quickly looked away and continued working on the abacus.

I've seen it all these days. Capable women, just like men, are always surrounded by admirers.

His master is Miss Meng, not Pei Shaoqing, so why should he care so much?

Meng Lingyao had no idea what he was thinking; she had something important to discuss with him.

Since His Majesty has sent Pei Xu to Jinling to handle the case, he clearly does not intend to tolerate it. Once this matter is resolved, many things will likely be settled, and then the group will return to the capital. Manager Qian's headquarters are in the capital, and he will certainly have to go back as well. After he leaves, it will be necessary to discuss carefully who will be in charge of Juxianglou.

The two went up to a private room on the second floor. Shen Xiaoshan followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Pei Xu had specifically instructed him to protect Meng Lingyao before leaving, so he dared not be negligent.

After consulting with all the shop assistants and roughly finalizing the rules, Manager Qian went downstairs to continue his work.

A short while later, hurried footsteps sounded, the door creaked open, and a small head with hair in two buns peeked in—it was Xie Jingqiu. Her cheeks were flushed, clearly she had rushed over. She went straight to Meng Lingyao, scrutinizing her from head to toe, "Sister Lingyao, I heard there was quite a commotion on Xiuyai Mountain? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, Jingqiu, I'm perfectly fine."

Hearing that she was alright, Xie Jingqiu finally felt relieved, and her gaze fell on Shen Xiaoshan standing to the side. The young man was handsome with delicate features and fair skin. Although he was dressed in men's clothing, his features still exuded a refined elegance.

Her gaze swept over Shen Xiaoshan's face, then she looked at Meng Lingyao, a hint of jealousy in her voice, "And this is...?"

“My younger brother,” Meng Lingyao explained with a smile.

Shen Xiaoshan's face flushed red, and he lowered his head, his ears turning crimson.

Xie Jingqiu's eyes widened. "Younger brother? When did my older sister get a younger brother? What am I then?"

Meng Lingyao chuckled and gently pinched her peach-like cheek. "Of course she's my good little sister, Jingqiu."

Xie Jingqiu was finally satisfied. She pursed her lips and pulled Meng Lingyao to sit down. "I have a lot to tell you!" she said, glancing at Chen Xiaoshan. Her meaning was crystal clear.

Shen Xiaoshan did not move, but clasped his hands and said in a deep voice, "I have been entrusted to protect Miss Meng."

Xie Jingqiu raised an eyebrow. "Oh dear, you're such a grown man, can't you even be separated from your sister for a moment? We're going to talk about some girlish things, and having you here... might be a bit inconvenient, right?"

Shen Xiaoshan blushed, realizing he couldn't possibly talk to such a quick-witted girl, so he could only look at Meng Lingyao.

Meng Lingyao smiled and said, "Xiaoshan, it's alright. You just stay outside and keep watch. I'll call you if anything happens."

Shen Xiaoshan pursed his lips, replied "Yes," and looked back several times before leaving.

As soon as the door closed, Xie Jingqiu immediately leaned closer. "Sister Lingyao, what happened on the mountain? Oh! I should have gone with you. My cousin returned home yesterday in a sorry state, his clothes were torn, and he was completely distraught. When we asked him, he was like a saw-through gourd, refusing to say anything. He even developed a high fever in the middle of the night. The whole Wang family was terrified! My mother and I spent half the day visiting him today, and only now have I had a chance to come see you."

Meng Lingyao pondered for a moment. The matter was not yet resolved, so she could not say more. She only said, "We unexpectedly encountered some troublesome bandits. It was a false alarm. Young Master Wang may have been frightened."

"Bandits? I'm glad you're alright!" Xie Jingqiu patted his chest.

She then showed a look of disgust, "In that case, my cousin is too useless... You, a girl, are perfectly fine, but he, a grown man, has been scared sick! I was hoping he could protect you, but it seems I can't count on him anymore." She frowned, looking like she thought, "This person is unreliable."

After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly grasped Meng Lingyao's hand and said seriously, "No, no! I originally thought my cousin was a decent young man in Jinling City, but now it seems he's not good enough. Don't worry, Lingyao, I'll definitely keep an eye out and find you someone better! A hundred times better than my cousin!"

Meng Lingyao gently tapped her forehead, reminding her, "Jingqiu, I'm already engaged."

"What's wrong with that?" Xie Jingqiu waved his hand, saying matter-of-factly, "You two aren't married yet, are you? Even if you were, Juxianglou is here, and you'd inevitably have to travel to and from Jinling. In my opinion, you could have one home in the capital and another in Jinling! You'd need someone to take care of you in Jinling, wouldn't you?"

She tilted her head, her eyes bright. "Aren't many men like that? If they can do it, why can't we?"

As she spoke with great enthusiasm, her face lit up with joy. "Although I've never met Young Master Pei, I've heard of the reputation of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He's aloof and cold, unapproachable. How boring it would be to spend your whole life with such a cold and unyielding person! It's much better to find someone with a gentle and understanding personality who can make you happy every day. That's what life is all about!"

Xie Jingqiu blinked her big eyes, about to ask Meng Lingyao what she thought, when Shen Xiaoshan's deliberately raised voice suddenly came from outside.

"My lord, you've arrived?"

Xie Jingqiu ignored the commotion outside and was about to ask again, "Sister Lingyao, I still feel—"

Before she could finish speaking, Meng Lingyao reached out and covered her mouth with her soft palm, shaking her head to signal her not to say anything more.

The Xie sisters truly share a common trait of being outspoken. She's speaking her mind now, but if that person outside overhears even a single word, she'll still suffer the consequences.

Pei Shaoqing's ability to be jealous and possessive is just as outstanding as his ability to solve cases.

"Knock knock—"

Three soft knocks sounded from outside the door.

Meng Lingyao released her hand and replied, "Please come in."

The door opened slightly, and a tall figure stepped into the room. Pei Xu was dressed in plain white clothes, with a jade belt around his waist, his posture upright like a lone pine tree standing in the wind. The afterglow of the setting sun washed over his shoulders, as if gilding them with a layer of pale gold.

As he stepped into the private room, his face came into clear view. His skin and bones, as white as snow and as smooth as jade, made his black hair appear even thicker. His eyebrows were like distant, sharp peaks, and his eyes were like deep, cold waters. His extremely refined features combined to create an aloofness and coldness as untouchable as snow-capped peaks in the depths of winter.

Even Xie Jingqiu, a pampered noblewoman from Jinling City who was used to seeing many charming men, was frozen in place for a long time.

The idea that she had been determined to find a better match for her good sister was shattered into dust the moment she saw the figure in front of her.

Those so-called promising young men she had considered now seemed utterly inadequate in comparison.

“Lord Pei,” Meng Lingyao stood up and introduced, “this is my good friend Xie Jingqiu, whom I made in Jinling.” She then turned to the obviously stunned girl, “Jingqiu, this is Lord Pei.”

Pei Xu's gaze shifted slightly to Xie Jingqiu, and he nodded slightly, "Miss Xie." His voice was gentle and polite, unlike the coldness Xie Jingqiu had heard about him.

Xie Jingqiu seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly curtsied in return.

She was torn between two conflicting thoughts—so this was her sister Lingyao's fiancé, and if he were this handsome and refined…

Well, she reluctantly admitted that even if he was a bit cold-hearted and not very tactful, it was... acceptable. After all, just having him sitting in the house day and night was quite a pleasant sight!

Meng Lingyao asked, "Why are you here? Is everything alright?" She had thought he would be busy until late at night.

"It's acceptable." Pei Xu's voice was calm as he looked at her face and said, "It's getting late, I've come to take you back to your residence."

Meng Lingyao looked out the window and noticed that the sun was already setting. She said to Xie Jingqiu, "Jingqiu, it's getting late. You should go back soon and not keep the manor waiting."

Xie Jingqiu nodded, "That's right, I'll go home now."

Pei Xu spoke up at the opportune moment, "Shen Xiaoshan, escort Miss Xie home."

Shen Xiaoshan, who was waiting outside the door, immediately responded and entered, clasping his hands in obedience.

Xie Jingqiu declined, saying, "No need, no need. I've lived in Jinling City for over ten years. I could walk with my eyes closed and still not get lost."

Meng Lingyao advised, "Jingqiu, the days are short these days and it gets dark quickly. Let Xiaoshan take you; that will put my mind at ease."

After hearing her speak, Xie Jingqiu no longer refused. She glanced at the elegant figure again before following Shen Xiaoshan downstairs and leaving.

The private room fell silent instantly, leaving only the two of them.

Looking at Pei Xu, who was as dignified as jade, Meng Lingyao finally realized what he meant and glared at him. "Lord Pei... what eloquent words you have. With just one sentence, you sent both of them away."

Pei Xu remained calm and said indifferently, "It is indeed getting late."