Chapter 66 Returning to Yang County

The Pei residence in Yang County, Yan Prefecture.

When Madam Pei received the letter from her eldest son, she learned that the group had safely entered Yanzhou. Her anxiety, which had been hanging over her for days, finally subsided.

She gently folded the letter and instructed Granny Chang beside her, "Go and tell the magistrate and the young master that the lord will be returning the day after tomorrow."

Granny Chang smiled and agreed, and was about to turn and leave when she heard Madam Pei sigh.

He said, "Alright, Xingjian has been acting strangely these days. If his father sees him like this when he returns, he'll probably punish him according to family rules. So let's not tell him yet."

She rubbed her temples, her tone tinged with helplessness: "You know, ever since Xingjian came back, he's been depressed all the time. Ask Heng'er, she seems to know something, but she's keeping it from me."

Granny Chang gently comforted him, "This young man is all grown up now. Besides, he went out with the Marquis for three whole months. He must have seen a lot. It's normal for him to have some thoughts."

Madam Pei couldn't help but say, "But the other day I told him that his marriage to the Wei family has been arranged for several years. Taking advantage of his father's triumphant return, we should choose a date to set the wedding date, so that we can have double the joy."

"Guess what he said?"

Granny Chang had already guessed a bit: "Could it be that the young master has refused?" She had also noticed that the young master's behavior had changed from usual these past few days.

He used to go out drinking and horseback riding with Wei Ziming from the Wei family, but these days he not only hasn't gone out, he's been spending almost every day in the military camp.

Madam Pei said, "Yes, he said that he is now focused on going to war with his eldest son, and that the marriage is not in a hurry. If the Wei family cannot wait, he agrees to annul the engagement."

"Tell me, what kind of talk is this? The Wei family has waited for so many years, and it was a marriage agreement made by the Marquis of Yan. How can we just back out like this?"

After calming down and thinking for a moment, Granny Chang said, "Should we wait until Lord Jun returns and ask him? I'm sure only Lord Jun knows the reason."

"Well, that's all we can do."

Suddenly, Granny Chang seemed to remember something and said, "The Lord renovated Shanshui Residence a few days ago. I went in to take a look yesterday, and the furnishings inside are a bit too large."

Madam Pei turned around and said in surprise, "Really? He sent a message back a few days ago, and I thought he was going to pack it up for Xingjian's wedding. It seems that's not the case?"

"The furnishings inside look comparable to those of the Marquis's wife. None of the items in the furnishings seem to come from our mansion. They must have come from the Marquis's private treasury."

This was something she, as a mother, couldn't understand for a moment. This Shanshui Residence had always been the courtyard of the matriarch of the family. If it wasn't for Xingjian's use, she really couldn't think of any other use for it.

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind: Could it be...?

But then he thought he was overthinking it, since Xingjian didn't say anything wrong with his father when he came back.

After thinking it over, he gave up and sighed, "They're all such a handful."

"Madam, with you here, things won't get chaotic."

"I think you're the only one in this whole household who knows how to flatter me."

On the day of the summer solstice, Pei Yanzhi led a small group of people back to Yang County. When they arrived at the city gate, it was Shenshi (3-5 PM).

The setting sun was like blood. The soldiers at the city gate, seeing the "Yan" banner approaching from afar, immediately stood solemnly and shouted, "My lord, return!"

The sound was like a thunderclap.

The people on the street stopped in their tracks without prior arrangement. After a brief silence, they began to cheer and spread the news with joy.

"My lord, return!"

"My lord, return!"

Ji Shu gently lifted the curtain and looked at the city gate not far away. The black city gate was solemn and majestic, like a fierce beast guarding the homeland, making people feel awe.

Pei Yanzhi, on horseback, slowly raised his hand, removed his helmet, revealing a pair of unfathomable eyes, eyes devoid of any ambition, only filled with tranquility.

After a victorious battle, countless people died and countless others lost their homes.

Ji Shu lowered the curtain, and Chunzhi said softly, "Young lady, this is Yang County. Seeing is believing, it's quite lively."

Having lived in the palace for so long, Lian'er had never seen such a grand spectacle before, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

The gates of the Pei residence were opened early in the morning, and Madam Pei, the matriarch, led a group of female relatives to greet the guests at the gate.

Before long, someone called out, "Coming!"

Sure enough, a heavy rumble of thunder rose from the ground, causing the ground to tremble slightly and stirring up clouds of dust.

Madam Pei helped Granny Chang stand on tiptoe and look back. She saw a large cavalry force rushing towards them.

The thunderous sound of hooves, seemingly capable of shaking the ground, rolled in and soon arrived. Upon seeing his mother, Pei Yanzhi immediately dismounted and casually tossed the reins to Lu Changming.

"Mother, your son is back!"

Madam Pei stepped forward and examined him closely. Seeing that there were no signs of injury on his body, she nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good, good, good. As expected of a descendant of the Pei family, you have captured two cities in one fell swoop."

Pei Song led Song forward: "Brother, you must be tired from your journey. Are you alright?"

Pei Yanzhi nodded slightly, patted his younger brother's shoulder, and smiled, "Not bad. I've been away from Yanzhou these past few days, and you've had a hard time."

Pei Song, who always treated his elder brother with utmost respect, quickly declined, saying, "It is all thanks to your excellent governance, elder brother. I have only done my bit of effort."

Looking behind the cavalry, Song saw a large carriage standing out conspicuously among the troops. The curtain moved slightly, indicating that there seemed to be someone inside.

She blinked and asked Pei Yanzhi, "Brother, is there anyone else in the carriage?"

Hearing the voice, Madam Pei looked up from behind Pei Yanzhi. She had been so focused on her eldest son that she hadn't paid much attention, and said, "If there are guests, why aren't they coming down?"

Pei Yanzhi paused slightly, leaned close to Madam Pei's ear and whispered a few words. Madam Pei's eyes lit up, and she looked at the carriage with burning eyes.

"Alright, make sure you're settled in first, we'll talk about it tonight." After saying that, he instructed Lu Changming, "Bring the carriage in through the side gate."

Lu Changming accepted the order.

Inside the carriage at this moment.

When Lian'er saw the carriage stop, she quietly lifted the curtain a crack and looked outside. She saw that in front of the majestic Pei Mansion gate, there was a large crowd of people.

Although the elderly lady at the head of the group was obscured and her face was not clearly visible, her dignified demeanor was extraordinary.

I dared not look any longer, lest I cause trouble for the young lady.

"Ladies, we've arrived." But no one came to invite them down, and they didn't know what the arrangements were.

Ji Shu sat upright in the carriage and vaguely heard the man's voice. After a while, Lu Changming got into the carriage and said respectfully, "Madam Ji, the lord has ordered me to escort you to settle down first. We need to enter the mansion through the side gate."

Chunzhi was furious when she heard this. Everyone knew that if a young lady entered through the side door, she would be considered a concubine. The young lady had not yet been given a title, and she was being treated like this. What would happen to her if something really happened in the future?

"What does Lord Yan mean by this? Why did my young lady have to enter through the side gate? Now that we're in front of the mansion, why won't you let her go down?"

"This...this subordinate does not know..."

Lu Changming looked troubled. He didn't know why things were like this, but he figured that since his lord wanted to do it this way, there must be a reason. As his subordinate, he could only obey.