Chapter 21 My deepest condolences to Uncle Sanhe, Miss Ming has passed away!

Mingying felt the world turn upside down before her eyes.

I don't know if she was stunned by the pain or by those words.

Even the blood that flowed out was cold, congealing into a glaring red as it dripped onto the ground.

"Is this order really issued?" The doctor, with a compassionate heart, couldn't help but gasp as he looked at the frail woman on the bed.

"Absolutely true!" the maid urged. "Hurry up, just focus on saving the child. The master will reward you handsomely when he returns."

Every word the maid spoke was like a sharp needle, piercing Mingying's heart and sucking at her marrow.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, and her hands were covered in blood.

Until this moment, she seemed to awaken from a dream, her beautiful, watery eyes turning crimson from the torment and pain she had endured.

turn out to be……

So this is what he was waiting for – to keep this child by his side and keep her trapped.

He felt sorry for the county princess's inability to have children and wanted to give her child to raise, while everyone else disregarded her life or death.

Perhaps he had already planned to dispose of her properly after she gave birth, so now he doesn't need to do it himself.

She was in so much pain that her whole body was numb and stiff, and she let out a miserable "hoarse" laugh, as if in protest or pleading for help.

But she was like a fish on a knife's edge, unable to resist, with no one to turn to, and the only person who cared about her, Ling Shuang, was gone.

Thinking of Ling Shuang, she suddenly realized something.

It turns out that he ordered the maids who were familiar with her to be driven away and Ling Shuang to be beaten to death, so that she would be isolated and helpless and be killed in the delivery room.

A hoarse sound kept escaping from her throat, scraping against the eardrums, causing excruciating pain, a mixture of desolation and resentment.

Pei Xiaoyun, why are you so heartless?

I was once so devoted to you.

Why did you disregard my life and forcibly take my child away?

Why won't you give me a way out? Why won't you let me live?

A surge of intense hatred ignited her scattered mind. A ray of light pierced her eyes, and she took a few breaths of fresh air. Several words clearly entered her ears.

"Ah Ying, come with your brother quickly, you two must live well!"

"Mother! Mother!"

In the dead of night, she ran wildly in the cold wind, only to hear her mother say to her, "Live well."

She was being chased and lost her footing, falling into the river. A pair of icy hands grabbed her feet and kept dragging her down into the water.

She spread her arms wide, and even though she had little strength, she held her breath and swam upwards inch by inch until she broke free of those hands and glimpsed a sliver of light.

"It's born! It's born!" the midwife exclaimed, cradling the baby. "It's a little princess!"

It wasn't until she heard the baby's loud cry that Mingying shed warm tears; she had survived once again.

The sunlight streaming through the window fell on her pale face, and she suddenly realized that it had been a long time since she had seen such beautiful sunshine.

Many servants rushed into the delivery room. Mingying was in a daze and could not see their faces clearly. She could only reach out her trembling fingertips to touch the baby's soft cheeks.

"Hurry up and take her out!" the maid who had just delivered the message scolded the midwife.

The midwife dared not disobey and quickly took the child out.

As Mingying watched the child being carried away, she sat up abruptly, crying out, "My child, my child, please let me see her one last time..."

The child she gave birth to with such difficulty was taken away before she could even see her eyes, nose, and mouth clearly.

Although the maid was trying to comfort her, her words were unusually sharp: "Miss, the child was premature. We've sent him to be raised by a wet nurse. You don't need to worry about him. The county princess will not mistreat your child in the future. Having a mother of your status would only bring shame to the child."

Mingying watched her departing figure, then sat alone on the messy tatami mat, lost in thought.

Shame on her? But that's her child, her bloodline!

Having narrowly escaped death, her hair was soaked and her face was deathly pale. If it weren't for the fact that she could still breathe, she wouldn't look like a living person at all.

Go to the mother to protect the son.

She was lucky to survive, but Pei Xiaoyun will not let her go.

They might force-feed her a bowl of poison right away, or beat her to death like Ling Shuang did.

She couldn't just sit and wait to die; even if she was barely clinging to life, she had to fight for a sliver of hope.

The child is, after all, his own flesh and blood. Since he wants this child, he will probably not mistreat her because of his reputation. Staying in the Duke's mansion will ensure that she has no worries about food and clothing, which is much better than staying by her side.

She took out the bib she had sewn for the child, gently stroking the fabric as if touching the child's face, whispering a message.

"Don't blame your mother for being heartless. You should live well in this mansion."

—

The moonlight hung high in the sky, and the chirping of insects penetrated the window screen.

Lady Lan instructed her servants to lift the beaded curtain. Just as she was about to close her eyes and go to sleep, she heard hurried footsteps outside.

"Madam, Mingying from the master's room says she wants to see you; she's outside."

Madam Lan was particularly puzzled, and frowned: "Granny Tian, ​​are you getting senile? You're bringing all sorts of filthy, lowly maids into my courtyard."

Hearing from the servants that the mother and daughter were safe, she had just thought that the woman was lucky to be alive and wondered why she had come looking for her out of the blue.

"Get out of here, don't dirty my place."

Granny Tian looked troubled, pinched her handkerchief, and leaned over to whisper a few words to Madam Lan.

Lan Shi's expression changed drastically, a dark glint flashing in her eyes: "Let her in."

Mingying wore a blood-stained outer garment and knelt outside for a long time.

Having just given birth, even in the sweltering summer heat, her body couldn't withstand the slightest breeze; her hands and feet were as cold as iron.

Half an hour later, Granny Tian came out and led her inside.

She followed behind and entered the house. There was not a single maid in the house, only Madam Lan sitting alone at the head of the table, her face unfriendly.

"How dare you!" Madam Lan stared at her fiercely, as if she wanted to break her bones.

If I had known this would happen, I should have given her a strong dose of medicine during childbirth.

"Please forgive me, Madam."

Mingying spoke slowly, even taking a breath to say a single sentence, "I originally intended to keep your affair with the Second Master a secret, but now I am desperate and can only beg Madam to have mercy and grant me a way out."

After she finished speaking, she knelt down and kowtowed several times.

She was used to kowtowing to people anyway.

She was well aware of her situation; after giving birth, her life could be in danger at any moment.

It was only at the moment she gave birth that she truly realized how wonderful it is to be alive, but she had barely seen the clear sky and bright sunshine, the mountains and flowing water outside for more than a few days.

She never imagined that something she had witnessed long ago would become her only hope now.

What do you want me to help you with?

Lan looked down at her from her high position.

Mingying slightly raised her head, from only being able to see a pair of shoes inlaid with pearls, to gradually straightening up and looking at Madam Lan: "I don't need Madam to do anything, just let me go. This matter is as difficult as climbing to the sky for me, but it is nothing more than a flick of the finger for Madam. Once I leave, no one will know about Madam's matter."

"What if I refuse?" Lan Shi said leisurely, "Only the dead are the best at keeping secrets."

Mingying's expression changed slightly, then returned to calm: "Master has spoiled me for so long, I have some connections. If I die, Madam's secret will probably be known to everyone in the manor. My intention is not to make things difficult for Madam. I only ask for a way out. Madam can just chase me away like a cat or a dog."

She clenched her cold fingertips in her sleeve, ready to fight this one battle.

If the lady agrees, she will have a chance to live; if she does not agree, she will fly into a rage and kill her, which is no different from waiting to be executed by Pei Xiaoyun's men.

Their eyes met silently, tense and unyielding.

Finally, Lan Shi chuckled and said, "Fine, I agree."

At the very least, we can't let her die in the mansion.

If even a word or two were to slip out...

Mingying's eyes stung, and a few tears fell onto the back of her hand.

“However, you have to leave tonight,” Lan said.

"Thank you, Madam!" Mingying's palms were warm as she knelt down and kowtowed several times.

After everyone left, Madam Lan smashed things in the room like a madwoman. She thought of Mingying's face and wished she could strangle her right then and there.

"Dare to threaten me?" After a moment of silence, she revealed a ruthless smile and gave Granny Tian a wink.

Granny Tian immediately accepted the order.

Mingying returned to Lanqingzhuo Courtyard, took the basket of sachets she had embroidered during her pregnancy, and then went to Ling Shuang's room to retrieve the bundle that Ling Shuang had entrusted to her.

After coming out, I saw a pipa lying horizontally outside the room.

That day, they forced her to move out of the house, throwing all her belongings, including the pipa, out.

The pipa had always been left outside the door, and she hadn't bothered to bring it in. Now that she saw it, a surge of hatred welled up inside her, and she grabbed the tuning pegs and smashed them to the ground.

The tuning pegs were shattered to pieces, the strings were broken apart, and the past was reduced to dust and vanished into nothingness.

Fearing she might do something, Madam Lan sent Granny Tian to keep an eye on her, constantly urging her: "Hurry up and go, the side gate is open, Madam is only giving you a quarter of an hour."

Even though she lowered her voice, she still alerted the maids in the courtyard. One of them came out with a lantern to look, but as soon as she poked her head out, she was glared at by Granny Tian: "You lowly servant, what are you looking at!"

The man immediately turned his head away.

Mingying didn't dare to delay. Negotiating with the Lan family was like licking blood off a knife's edge. Having finally managed to fight her way out, she hurriedly picked up her bundle and followed Granny Tian out through the side gate.

Once outside the mansion, the night was eerily quiet.

The lantern that lit the way was blown out by the wind, and all around was dark, with the sound of unfamiliar footsteps rising up.

Mingying's hair stood on end, as if she had realized something. Before she could turn around, she was struck on the back of the head and passed out.

...

At midnight, a flatbed cart was traveling on the mountain outside the city. The wheels rolled over stones, causing the cart to shake violently.

Mingying was jolted awake, feeling like her bones were about to fall apart, and experiencing a sharp pain in the back of her head.

She was in a daze, and just as she was about to turn over, she heard the voices of several men.

"It's pitch black here, it's like a ghost story. Can't we just kill him and dump him on the roadside?"

Another person chimed in, "No, the lady said she wants to bury him alive! We can't let anyone see the body and cause trouble."

Mingying's pupils contracted sharply, and she covered her mouth and nose, not daring to make a sound.

As she regained consciousness, she remembered that she had been knocked unconscious as soon as she left the manor. It turned out that the madam wanted to kill her to silence her.

She dared not breathe loudly.

I finally got out.

She wanted to live.

The flatbed cart was pulled to the foot of a tree on the mountaintop. The men took shovels and dug a hole under the tree, paying no attention to the person lying on the cart.

"Hurry up, give it your all, it's creepy!"

Taking advantage of their momentary lapse in attention, Mingying rolled to the side and into the deep bushes. Her body was light and she didn't make much noise.

There was no path at the top of the mountain, so she supported her weak body and ran down the mountain in the dark.

The leaves rustled, startling the crows into flapping their wings and taking flight.

Behind me were the sounds of hurried footsteps, mixed with a man's curses.

They've caught up with us.

Mingying was holding on by sheer willpower. She ran too fast and tripped over a rock. Even though she was bleeding from her head, she had to grit her teeth and get up.

Hang in there a little longer, don't stop.

She had used all her strength to run out; she couldn't just die here.

She was unwilling to accept it!

There was no path ahead, only a slope. She suddenly stopped and kicked out a few flying rocks.

It was too dark at night to see how high or deep the slope was, or if I would be smashed to pieces if I fell down.

Sensing that the person behind her was getting closer, her breathing became erratic, as if she were about to suffocate and drown.

In any case, every step she took was a struggle between life and death.

What if I survive? A glimmer of hope is better than being buried alive.

She closed her eyes and rolled forward.

Then, the men chased after them to this spot. Some tried to give chase, but were stopped: "Are you crazy? That's a mass grave down there!"

"But Madam said..."

A few wolf howls echoed through the empty valley, their fierce and mournful cries sending chills down one's spine.

"There are wolves down there. Do you think that little wench can survive? She'll be eaten to a skeleton by tomorrow morning."

After a brief argument, the men sounded the retreat and returned to report.

Mingying fell with a dull ache, but fortunately she landed on something soft and didn't break her legs.

She struggled to her feet, and though she couldn't see, she seemed to touch a person's face, which was cold, sticky, and emitted a foul stench.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she realized she was in a mass grave.

However, it was a blessing in disguise, as she is still alive.

She crawled through the pile of corpses for a long time before finally emerging from the mass grave. She walked along the road for an unknown amount of time until dawn, and finally reached the foot of the mountain.

As the sun rose and the first rays of warm light shone on her, she truly came back to life.

The streets were filled with the smoke of cooking fires and bustling with traffic in the early morning.

She took out a pile of embroidery pieces from her bundle and walked into an embroidery shop: "Boss, would you accept these things from me?"

The man glanced at her, noticing her filthy clothes and impoverished appearance, though the embroidery was decent. He casually handed her a hundred copper coins: "One hundred coins. Leave the stuff if you want it."

"I want it." Mingying was overjoyed, put down her things, and took the hundred copper coins.

These 100 coins can save her life.

She was so hungry and tired that she took the money and ate a full meal, then rested anxiously for two days in a simple inn.

After regaining some energy, I realized that this couldn't go on.

If the Duke's mansion discovers she's not dead...

She is leaving Beijing.

Without enough money and travel permits, one cannot travel without the capital, whether by land or water.

The full moon hung high in the sky; it was the fifteenth of June. She still remembered that today was Ling Shuang's birthday.

She never imagined that she would be the one to leave the manor in the end.

She was all alone.

Even when she was desperate, she used the only money she had to buy a stack of paper money. She lit a match and burned the paper one by one, her tears falling into the flames and instantly swallowed by the orange glow.

The fire burned fiercely, drying the tears on her face.

She knelt down solemnly and kowtowed deeply to Ling Shuang in front of the pile of ashes.

As I got up, I bumped into the brown bundle on the table.

This was Ling Shuang's baggage. She was planning to go to Suzhou and then entrust Ling Shuang's belongings to her cousin.

The bundle fell to the ground, the tightly tied knot came undone, and a travel permit landed heavily on her shoes. Along with it rolled out a string of coins and two pieces of silver.

Tears blurred her vision again. She took Ling Shuang's travel permit and money and went to Suzhou to take a look for her.

The next morning, the sun rose over the river, and people came and went at the ferry crossing.

A passenger ship bound for Suzhou was full of travelers. After checking her travel permit, Mingying boarded the ship as she wished. The moment she stepped onto the deck, the huge weight in her heart finally lifted.

The boatman dropped the anchor, the sails, full of wind, billowed high, and the boat slowly drifted away from the shore onto the river.

Mingying sat on the edge of the cabin, opened the window, and the mighty river wind blew open her clothes, making her hair dance wildly.

At that moment, all she could hear was the rushing of the river.

...

End of July.

Pei Xiaoyun was still in Jinan Prefecture dealing with the case of embezzling disaster relief funds.

The case was even more complicated, and he was delayed in Jinan for more than a month.

News of the emperor's death and the crown prince's assassination spread throughout the capital, followed by Prince Yi's rebellion and seizure of the royal family.

The Prince of Yi's rebellious intentions are obvious, and it is only a matter of time before he raises an army.

He originally intended to form a marriage alliance with the Prince Yi's family, first rebelling against Xiao Lang, and then turning around to gnaw on the tough nut of Prince Yi.

Unexpectedly, the old emperor died prematurely, and the situation in the capital changed dramatically.

Jinan is close to the capital, and letters can be delivered in just three days. This means that the rebellion has been underway for no more than five days, and the troops that Prince Yi has been lying in ambush in the northwest have not yet had time to act.

If this powerful support force is eliminated, Prince Yi will be unable to pose a threat.

"Take my order and go to the Commandery to fetch General Liang." Now that he had no one else to rely on in the provinces, he had no choice but to take this desperate gamble.

Liang Feitong was a man of unwavering loyalty. Sure enough, upon hearing that the Prince of Yi was plotting to usurp the throne, he immediately volunteered to lead troops with him to the northwest to capture the traitor.

They traveled day and night to reach Shaanxi. Fortunately, Pei Xiaoyun had a map of the Northwest terrain that Lin Xian had drawn for him earlier that day. Using this map, they figured out where the troops might be hiding.

The military commanderies of the three prefectures in the northwest all sent troops up the mountain. Pei Xiaoyun blocked the road out of the mountain and deployed troops overnight to encircle and annihilate them from both flanks.

Caught off guard, Pei Xiaoyun, clad in armor, announced, "Prince Yi has rebelled and has been captured. His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered me to eliminate the rebel's accomplices. If you cease your resistance, you may be spared."

With no leader, the enemy had no choice but to throw down their weapons and surrender.

The battle was well prepared, and in less than a month, tens of thousands of troops were wiped out. Among them, the commander of a small prefecture in Shaanxi Province emerged out of nowhere, killing hundreds of enemies and deserves the greatest credit.

Pei Xiaoyun admired this man somewhat and wanted to invite him to meet him, but he heard that the man had already left. When he asked about his identity, he learned that he was the adopted son of the Governor-General of Zhejiang, Shen.

Without giving it much thought, he realized that with this victory, it was time to return to the capital and deal with the mess.

—

Dark clouds loomed over the capital.

After the Crown Prince's blood was spilled at the palace gates, Prince Yi sealed off the city gates early on and took control of the Imperial Guards to control the royal family.

He feared that troops from Huguang might attack, so a month ago he sent a secret letter to dispatch troops from the Northwest to Beijing at full speed, but now he hasn't even seen a single hoofprint.

"Your Highness!!" the lieutenant rushed in to report.

Prince Yi's eyes snapped open: "Have the troops from the Northwest arrived?!"

"The troops in the Northwest have been wiped out by Duke Anguo and his men! He... he's leading his troops to the capital to defend the emperor!"

An Guogong was actually Pei Xiaoyun, who changed his title to An after inheriting the title.

Prince Yi's vision went black, and he coughed up blood before realizing, "I've been tricked by that brat!"

The loyalist troops stormed through the city gates and swept through the enemy lines, capturing Prince Yi that very night.

The dark clouds that had covered the imperial city for months finally dissipated.

After a night of tidying up the aftermath, Pei Xiaoyun was exhausted. The sight of the deep red stains flowing on the palace steps gave her a splitting headache, the veins on her forehead throbbed, and her whole body felt like it was being gnawed by insects.

He realized that the poison had taken effect and wanted to return to his residence as soon as he left the palace.

I thought of Mingying; it had been so long since I'd seen her.

I've calculated that my baby is already three months old.

On the carriage, he was tormented by pain and could not sit or stand still, as if a hand was constantly stirring his thoughts.

He desperately wanted to see Mingying.

Waiting for her to find him the antidote, and gently pressing his forehead with her soft hands, he could almost smell her sweet fragrance, which calmed him down considerably.

The carriage was stopped when it encountered an obstacle.

A disheveled woman in dirty clothes blocked the road in front of the carriage. The guard thought she was a beggar who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and kicked her away.

"Brother Ayun!" The woman climbed out of the mud and pounded on the side of the cart, shouting hysterically.

Who would recognize this as Xiao Fuying, the once high and mighty Princess of Jianing?

She is no longer the noble and privileged county princess; overnight, she has become the daughter of a disgraced official.

Kong Qing said to the carriage, "Sir, it's Princess Jianing."

Pei Xiaoyun waved her hand impatiently: "Get rid of him."

Hearing his indifferent tone, Xiao Fuying's heart sank. She grabbed the carriage curtain and shouted, "Brother Yun, it's me! Don't you recognize me? I've been waiting for you to come back and get married..."

Hearing her commotion, Pei Xiaoyun became increasingly agitated. Thinking of Xiao Fuying's past coercion of him, bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes.

He said he wouldn't let these people get away with it.

"Kong Qing, don't let her speak again."

—

Upon returning to the manor, he went straight to Lanqingzhuo Courtyard. His steps were unsteady, as the poison had thrown him into a state of utter chaos.

When the servants in the courtyard saw him return, they lined up and bowed.

Pei Xiaoyun didn't even look, and went to her room first. Not seeing Mingying, she felt an unprecedented emptiness in her heart.

Then she remembered that she was still angry when he left. Could it be that he hasn't gotten over his anger even after he's been gone for so long?

He hurried to her room, calling out, "Mian'er, Mian'er?"

Pushing open the door, there was nothing inside; all the furnishings had been moved out, leaving only an empty bed.

His wrist trembled as he swept his fierce gaze across the row of servants.

My condolences, sir!

The maids knelt and wept, saying, "Miss Ming was unlucky; she died in childbirth!"

Pei Xiaoyun felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind, leaving him feeling cold all over. He could only see the maids' lips moving rapidly, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.

The empty room was dark and cold, as if it were about to collapse. The cold air seeped into his bones and mingled with the pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he bent over and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

When Pei Xiaoyun woke up, the night outside the window was as dark as ink, and the rain was as fine as threads.

He took medicine when he fainted, and the poison had worn off, but his mind was still foggy. He grabbed a handful of something and waved it away, which finally cleared his head a little.

The words of those people when I fainted suddenly echoed in my ears.

But how could he believe it? He scoffed and said, "Go and call Mingying over here. If she dares to get angry again, I'll send her back to Yangzhou, back to Mianyue Tower."

She was just angry with him, wasn't she?

Growing bolder, they even dared to avoid him.

Kong Qing pursed his lips and forced a smile, saying, "Sir, please accept my condolences. They all said that just a few days after you set off, Miss Ming went into premature labor, leaving only the child behind. Her remains have already been buried!"

As Pei Xiaoyun listened to Kong Qing's words, she looked down at the shadows swaying on the ground. Her complex emotions flickered, and her heart pounded with unease. For some reason, she felt a little flustered.

How is that possible?

Every time he went on a business trip, she would wait for him at home, greet him with a smile, and ask him if he was thirsty or tired.

How could she be dead!

How could that be?

The words "difficult birth" pierced his heart like claws scratching at his skin.

He thought of her, who had always been in poor health. She would lie in bed for two or three days after catching a cold, and had even taken abortifacients. Although she received timely treatment, she looked more haggard than before.

He wasn't afraid of the cold, but he genuinely felt a chill creeping into his heart.

The few maids and servants in the courtyard who knew the inside story were all held in Lan Shi's hands, their lives completely controlled, and they dared not utter a single word.

Pei Xiaoyun summoned these people in, and they all knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, all saying that the woman had died in childbirth.

He sat up all night, keeping his eyes open until dawn.

He had originally planned that since the Crown Prince and his associates were pressuring him so much, he would send Mingying to a secluded place and fake her death to appease them once he returned.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hold out against those people for long; once the situation was settled, he would bring her back.

He had thought everything through.

But everything was different from what he had imagined.

Those things happened ahead of schedule, and she...

His head was still throbbing, and he felt that her figure was everywhere in the room and the yard.

She came up with a cup of Osmanthus Dew tea, her steps graceful, the fragrance carried on the breeze, and she smiled sweetly as she asked him, "Young master, this is freshly brewed tea, cooked to perfection, and I've added a touch of honey."

As if possessed, he reached out and touched the warm teacup. His gaze followed the hand and slowly moved upwards. Suddenly, her features vanished, replaced by the face of a strange woman.

"Sir, would you like a cup of tea?"

Bihe, relying on her good looks, made everyone else avoid her when they saw Pei Xiaoyun looking distressed. She, however, saw this as an opportunity.

The last vestiges of Pei Xiaoyun's beautiful dream were shattered by her. She grabbed the teacup and smashed it on the ground, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.

Bihe knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face, when she heard a cold voice hanging above her head.

"Who gave you permission to take her things away?"

There was no trace of her in her room; it was as if she had vanished without a trace.

It's as if this person doesn't exist.

Bihe naturally dared not respond and quickly shifted the blame: "Sir, you are wise, we dare not! It was the nanny from the county princess's side who came and said that the young lady's room would be given to the county princess's dowry maid in the future, and forced us to take our things away."

Pei Xiaoyun sneered in anger, staring at her menacingly: "You traitors, whose people are you working for? Whose orders do you take?"

When did it become anyone else's place to manage his yard?

"Sir, spare me! Sir, spare me!"

Pei Xiaoyun felt dizzy and disoriented. She closed her eyes, but all she could see was Mingying's figure. However, she was inevitably pulled back to reality by the constant noise.

He severely punished those who had failed in their duties.

Bihe was crippled in one leg and immediately fainted and was dragged away. Several of the men died on the spot, and the courtyard was covered in blood.

He ordered his men to rearrange the room back to its original state, and the glaring red silk in the courtyard was also covered up and torn off one by one.

The servant brought the baby in to show him. The baby in swaddling clothes was fast asleep with his eyes closed, his little hands clenched into fists.

He looked at his daughter carefully for a few moments.

Perhaps it was exposed to the sun when it was brought here, because its skin still had a light pink tinge. Its small mouth and nose, and even with its eyes closed, one could imagine how big and round they would be when they opened.

Like her, just like her.

Wasn't this child the one she cared about most? How could she bear to abandon her child and die?

She once said she was willing to stay by his side for the rest of her life to repay his kindness, and this is how she repays him?

"Sir, please give the young lady a name."

"Take him away first and take good care of him."

Pei Xiaoyun was in no mood for anything at the moment. He was immersed in the news of Ming Ying's death, sometimes sneering, sometimes silent, touching the knot she had made for him, lost in thought.

Kong Qing came in: "Sir, several senior officials from the cabinet have come to invite you to a meeting."

Pei Xiaoyun remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, before finally speaking slowly.

Where is she buried?

He shrugged and sneered.

When he left, he was still a living, breathing person who could talk and argue with him; when he came back, he was just a handful of dust.

He wants to see the person alive or dead!

“He was buried in Qingmeng Mountain on the outskirts of the city.”

—

Qingmeng Mountain on the outskirts of the city is a good burial ground.

Most of those buried were concubines of powerful and wealthy families who had not yet been included in the family genealogy.

Being buried here is actually a way of elevating her status.

Pei Xiaoyun stepped off the carriage, a cold wind blowing from the hem of her lake-blue dress. Before her stood a pile of yellow earth and an empty tombstone.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. After all, she was just a servant who had been with him for many years and whom he had some affection for.

But for the first time, he felt a vague emptiness in his heart that he could never fill.

She was buried here, lying coldly in that mound of yellow earth.

If we hadn't forced her to drink that abortifacient...

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

She died without warning. Ever since she came to the capital, she had become increasingly audacious, daring to sing along with Lin Xian right under his nose and even daring to get angry with him. How could he be sure that this time she wasn't lying to him?

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, he wants to see her face with his own eyes.

Raindrops fell, pattering down on Pei Xiaoyun. He walked over step by step, his voice calm: "Someone, dig up the grave."

Kong Qing initially thought he was going to mourn Miss Ming, but was startled when he heard that he was going to dig up her grave.

"Sir, the dead cannot be brought back to life, this is unacceptable!"

“I said, dig up the grave,” Pei Xiaoyun said again.

The rain was pouring down, the mountains and forests were quiet, and several shovels went deep into the soil, constantly shoveling out yellow mud, and the flat loess gradually collapsed.

With each step the collapse occurred, Pei Xiaoyun's eyes darkened further.

He was actually a little scared; it really was her face.

Finally, a pink hem of a skirt was unearthed, along with a red coral hairpin.

Those were the clothes he gave her, and the hairpins he gifted her.

His eyes were bloodshot, as if these things were sharp thorns piercing deep into his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot and churning, and his forehead was throbbing with pain again.

His poisoning flared up so frequently.

The dress, stained with mud, resembled a withered flower, yet it seemed to bloom ever larger before his eyes.

He seemed to see her wearing this dress and that hairpin, walking back and forth in front of him, looking both radiant and shy.

Kong Qing couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned her head away: "Sir, Miss Ming is also a pitiful person. She doesn't have the fortune to be with you. Please let her rest in peace."

Pei Xiaoyun felt dizzy and lightheaded. He leaned on the carriage and breathed heavily. Blood rushed from his chest to his throat, and it seemed that if he looked at it any longer, he would vomit blood again, just like yesterday.

"Stop! Stop!" he shouted.

The loess was buried back up, as if nothing had ever happened.

He thought that she was afraid of the cold, and if he had returned a few days earlier, he could have prepared a coffin for her. Now, her remains were probably already rotten, and moving the coffin would only disturb her.

"Clean up the surrounding area and build a mausoleum."

For the next two months, Pei Xiaoyun threw herself into piles of political affairs in order to avoid thinking about Mingying.

He was credited with exonerating the wronged, and many people followed his lead. With the crown prince dead, the only legitimate successor was the five-year-old imperial grandson.

Pei Xiaoyun, under the title of Imperial Tutor, assisted the young emperor in governing the country. He made an example of a few to deter others, using both kindness and severity. He first eliminated a group of powerful families with swift and decisive measures, then reorganized the imperial examination system and won over the hearts of the people.

No one in the court dared to utter a word of complaint, and many officials even tried to curry favor with him, sending him gold, silver, jewels, and beautiful concubines.

He confiscated neither money nor women, and made a note of the names of these sycophants for future investigation.

After a long day, I finally returned home.

The Lanqing Zhuoyuan was deathly silent.

Since Mingying's death, he has disliked returning to the mansion. Every time he comes back, it feels like he is being choked by two hands, making it hard to breathe.

I finally had some free time, so I went to the room to check on my daughter. It was late at night, and I couldn't tell if the little one in the cradle was awake or still awake.

When he came in, she just stared at him with her big eyes, neither crying nor making a fuss, being exceptionally well-behaved.

Pei Xiaoyun just looked at it and felt a sense of loneliness in her heart.

The child looks about 80% like her.

Thinking that the child didn't have a name yet, he quickly walked to the table, laid out paper, picked up a pen, and wrote two characters in a flourish.

Yu An.

Her nickname was An'an.

—

Suzhou.

Swallows arrive at the New Year's Eve celebration, pear blossoms fall at Qingming Festival.

In late spring, the courtyard wall of the last house in Xinghua Lane was covered with potted plants, among which the white camellias were in the best bloom.

The family's surname is Shen. Their elders have passed away, and only Shen's daughter lives there. Not long ago, a distant relative named Shen Ying came to visit.

From then on, the two women from the Shen family lived together.

“Aying, since you came, my family’s shop has really come back to life.” Shen Yao looked at the two plates of meat on the table, her eyes shining. “Life is getting better now.”

Mingying half-combed her hair into a bun, her complexion was rosy, and she seemed much more cheerful than a few months ago. She counted out a few strings of cash and gave it to her: "This is the profit from the spice shop this month, it's all yours."

It has been almost half a year since she first came to Suzhou.

When she arrived in Suzhou that day, she fainted at the ferry crossing, and it was Shen Yao who saved her.

Because she didn't receive proper care after childbirth, her body couldn't withstand the strain and she fell ill from overwork. During the months she recuperated at the Shen family's house, Shen Yao was the one who paid for her medicine.

Shen Yao was an orphan who had lost both her parents. The family intended to keep her at home for company, but fearing complications, she changed her surname to Shen.

After recovering, she suggested to Shen Yao that they convert the vacant shop in their home into a spice shop.

She had previously learned incense making, and since her shop was located opposite the largest music hall in the area, Bailiqing, women flocked to buy incense every day, making her business increasingly prosperous.

Giving all the profits to Shen Yao was also to repay her favor.

"We can enjoy so much good food thanks to you. Before you came, my family's shop was almost taken over by our relatives." Shen Yao didn't take all of it, pushing half of it back. "These are yours, you can keep them."

Ah Ying is so capable, treating her to the best of everything and freeing her from having to be subservient to others. She is already extremely grateful, and this kindness cannot be measured by money.

Unable to resist her refusal, Mingying left the money behind, saying, "Alright then, I'll cook you a few more meals with meat."

The clinking of bowls and plates was crisp and pleasant, and a breeze swept through the room, lifting the curtain and bringing a delicate floral fragrance.

She looked back at the camellias planted in the small courtyard. They never grew well in the Duke's mansion, but here they bloomed so beautifully.

From giving birth to escaping death, she was like someone who had died once before.

Looking back now, it feels like a dream.

Fortunately, it's all in the past now.

No matter how unbearable or turbulent the past may be, we now have a home.

"Ah Ying, a new musician is coming to Baili Qing tonight to compose music. Whoever can play his piece and wins will become Baili Qing's favorite." Shen Yao was eager to try her hand at tonight's competition.

Shen Yao's mother was Baili Qing's qin player before her death, so she also loves all kinds of qin. After learning that Ming Ying can also play the pipa, the two found common ground.

The spice shop is closed at night. Mingying and Shen Yao would go to Baili Qing to play the pipa at night, and occasionally they would dance to new songs that required accompaniment. They would get paid on the spot for each performance.

In the evenings when I have nothing to do, I can earn some extra money.

Mingying asked, "Is it that musician Xu from last time?"

Shen Yao shook her head: "I heard that this person is much more capable than Xu Leshi. I don't know him either. I'll find out when I go and take a look."

After having their meal, the two went to Baili Qing.

Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, and tea—these have always been considered refined pursuits. It is said that there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below, and Suzhou's arts and crafts are undoubtedly first-rate.

Therefore, Suzhou's Baili Light Bridge can be compared with the Fuguang Tower in the capital.

Today, a musician composed a new piece, and the number of people in Bailiqing is twice as many as usual. The first floor is packed with men, women, young and old.

After Mingying and Shen Yao changed clothes and took the pipa, they received a new piece of music.

The music was composed on the spot by the musicians. Each person was given only fifteen minutes to draw lots to go on stage and play. The audience would then choose the best performer, who would become Baili Qing's musician.

Mingying glanced at the piece of music, remaining calm and composed.

Although complex, it is an excellent piece of music, and it also shows the composer's superb and profound skills.

There are five contestants tonight, all of whom were selected through a rigorous process.

Shen Yao drew a lot and played first. She was so nervous that she missed a beat. Realizing her mistake, she blushed and hurriedly left the stage after finishing.

"That's great, you played the upper string really well." Mingying patiently comforted her, and then it was her turn.

She thought this piece should be a slow one, with her delicate hands gently plucking the strings, the sound like a clear, flowing stream, soothing and pleasant to the ear, or like jade striking each other, clear and bright.

The tempo was just right, without a single pause or panic. After the piece ended, she bowed gracefully.

Then, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, like waves crashing one after another.

In a private room on the second floor, a pair of gentle eyes were also watching her.

Shen Yao patted her chest and guaranteed that she would be the champion tonight.

Mingying remained silent. She wasn't trying to compete for anything, and it wouldn't matter if she lost.

She simply felt that she should play such a wonderful piece for her guests with all her heart, so as not to disappoint their visit.

After the four performers finished, the audience used bamboo sticks as votes to elect the champion.

Mingying waited quietly as the waiter counted the bamboo branches.

After the votes were tallied, the winner was Hua Rao.

"Why is it her? She played so many wrong notes, didn't they notice?" Shen Yao had already heard that Hua Rao had secretly invited many people to cheer her on in order to win the championship. "These people are like cattle chewing on peonies, wild boars can't eat fine chaff!"

Mingying swept her long eyelashes lightly, remained silent for a moment, and then suppressed Shen Yao's indignation on her behalf: "The best music is the kind that the guests like to hear."

"They don't just like hearing that, they clearly just..."

"I think this vote count is biased."

A clear, melodious male voice came from the second floor, interrupting Shen Yao's words and stopping the applause.

Following the gazes of the crowd, Mingying looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome man in white robes walking towards her with his hands behind his back.

Her pupils dilated, and her heart skipped a beat.

As she got closer, the features of the person opposite her became clearer, and she recognized Lin Xian, filled with surprise.

Mr. Lin is someone I knew from the past.

So that's why he composed this piece.

Lin Xian met her gaze and nodded slightly. Out of courtesy, she nodded in acknowledgment, but then, as if remembering something, a sense of unease gripped her heart, and she hurriedly lowered her head.

Someone in the audience asked, "Mr. Lin, what makes you say that?"

"I am not very talented, but the piece you just played was actually composed by me. The inspiration for this piece came from my trip to Qingxi Mountain, where I saw many beautiful things in the mountains and felt particularly relaxed and carefree. The piece by the girl with the painted boat is urgent and unrestrained. Although the rhythm is clear, it goes against my original intention."

Lin Xian looked at Ming Ying: "And this girl's melody is soothing and beautiful, as gentle as a spring breeze and rain. When I listened to it, it was as if the scenery of Qingxi Mountain was vividly displayed before my eyes. Therefore, I think this girl deserves the title of champion."

The crowd below the stage whispered among themselves and nodded in agreement.

Hua Rao glared at Ming Ying, feeling both ashamed and angry, and gritted her teeth.

Mingying's face burned, and she didn't dare to look up at Lin Xian.

She twisted her clothes between her fingers, feeling incredibly embarrassed, a shadow cast over her past.

She thought she and Mr. Lin were just strangers who would never meet again, but she never expected to meet him again in this kind of situation.

Lin Xian walked to her side and handed her the flower-patterned note that symbolized the champion: "Tonight's champion should be you."

He was deeply shocked when he saw her in Bailiqing tonight.

He knew what kind of person Pei Xiaoyun was, and he could also see that Pei Xiaoyun treated her very badly.

She was clearly a flower that grew towards the sun, yet he broke off her branches and leaves, and crushed her into the soil.

In the days immediately following his departure from Beijing, her image would occasionally flash through his mind, evoking both sorrow and regret.

When we met again, after the initial surprise, I felt that she had undergone a complete transformation, completely different from the thin and timid woman she used to be.

Half a year is a long time, but half a year is also a short time.

He was still unaware of what had happened, but was thankful to see her like this.

Finally, Mingying slowly raised her head, looked at him, and then at the crowd below the stage, and accepted the floral note.

"Thank you, Mr. Lin."

She held the letter tightly in her hand; it belonged to her.

It's all in the past, what's there to hold onto?

—

A year after the new emperor ascended the throne, he re-established the imperial examination system to select talents from humble backgrounds, and several powerful aristocratic families fell from power.

The young emperor, who was only six years old, was still learning the characters in the "Essentials of Politics" with his tutor. Those ruthless methods were naturally the work of Duke Pei Xiaoyun of Anguo.

During that year, he made all the decisions and his word was law.

When he reaches the position of regent, people will inevitably accuse him of being a traitor and a villain, and assassins will try to kill him in droves.

But the emperor was mediocre, and the court was in dire need of rebuilding; no one could kill him.

The imperial family has dwindled in number, and there are many ambitious ministers below them, all of whom want to use the emperor to command the feudal lords, but not everyone has the ability to do so.

Since Mingying's death, Pei Xiaoyun's poisoning flared up more and more frequently, causing her more pain and suffering than ever before. She often couldn't sleep at night, and her image was always on her mind when she closed her eyes.

That morning, he woke up from a light dream, his forehead still throbbing with pain. He hadn't slept for half an hour when the sky outside the window was already bright.

He suddenly remembered that November 9th was Mingying's birthday.

Kong Qing knocked on the door and brought over something he had asked for: "Sir, Lord Xu from the Ministry of Justice has brought the boarding list for ships traveling from the capital to Suzhou, which was recorded by the Shipping Bureau a year ago."

"Put it in the study, I'll come back to check it this afternoon." Pei Xiaoyun rubbed her forehead, her vision finally clearing a bit.

He wanted to take some time to visit the White Horse Temple first.

She kept appearing in his dreams, disturbing his sleep. Was she still blaming him for forcing her to drink that bowl of medicine?

He gave a helpless, cold laugh, changed his clothes, and set off for the ancient temple.

The incense at Baima Temple burns brightly, and countless people travel from the south and northwest to pay homage to their deceased loved ones.

He had never come to this place before; he didn't believe in gods or Buddhas.

Since she was a devout believer during her lifetime, he lit a lamp for her, hoping she could see it.

He wanted to tell her that he never intended to kill her, and that even if he forced her to have an abortion, it was only a temporary measure for her own good.

Stop resenting him and make him suffer without a moment's peace.

"Are you lighting lamps for an old friend, benefactor?" The old monk, dressed in a kasaya, noticed his distinguished attire and asked a few more questions. "May I ask which old friend you are mourning?"

Pei Xiaoyun didn't answer, but looked at the bright lights and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Light one."

The young novice monk took out a new lamp, affixed a blessed Buddha seal to it, poured in wax, and lit it.

"Who lit the lamp? Please indicate your name."

Pei Xiaoyun dipped his brush in ink, but hesitated to write on the lamplight. Finally, with a sudden swift movement, he wrote four characters:

His beloved concubine, Mingying.

—

Upon returning to his residence, Pei Xiaoyun went to his study to handle state affairs.

The boarding list sent by the Ministry of Justice in the morning was placed in the most conspicuous position on the table.

With the country in turmoil, the Kongchan Sect of the previous dynasty has become increasingly rampant. This group has spread to various places, even having connections with many local officials, extorting money from the people, inciting public sentiment, and plotting rebellion.

He led his men to investigate for several months and discovered that a year earlier, the leader of the Kongchan Sect had infiltrated the capital under an assumed name and obtained a fake travel permit, boarding a ship bound for Suzhou at the capital's ferry.

However, this person may have disembarked in other states along the way, making the search as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Fortunately, whether it is a passenger ship or a merchant ship, as long as the ship has departed from the ferry terminals of various provinces in the past three years, the boarding list can be found at the shipping company.

By simply following the register to find this person and determining where he boarded the ship, we can basically determine his whereabouts.

A year ago, this ship bound for Suzhou carried a total of thirty-one people.

He opened the roster, and one name after another came into view.

The man, surnamed Hu, had used a fake travel permit to evade investigation in a case.

He looked down at each name and indeed found a person with the surname Hu in the register.

He called Kong Qing in, pointed to the suspicious name, and told him to submit it to the Ministry of Justice for investigation.

Kong Qing noted it down and prepared to close the door and leave.

"etc."

Pei Xiaoyun suddenly called out to him, her deep eyes lingering on another name, lost in thought.

The name looks familiar, but its appearance here is rather unusual.

"Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"Come here." Pei Xiaoyun waved her hand, picked up a pen and circled the three words. "Take this name to Steward Feng, who goes to the manor to purchase servants. Ask the maid named Ling Shuang from the front courtyard if this is her real name."

For some reason, something was always tugging at his heart, making him extremely uneasy, and he unconsciously wanted to delve deeper into this point.

An hour later, Kong Qing returned.

“Sir, Steward Feng checked the purchasing list, and it is indeed Ling Shuang’s real name, which is the same as recorded on this travel permit. Her ancestral home and age also match.”

Pei Xiaoyun's thoughts froze for a moment, and he sat heavily back in his armchair, as if he wanted to stare a hole through that name.

Ling Shuang betrayed him, and he had long ago ordered that she not be allowed to live.

Why would a travel permit for someone who has been dead for a long time appear on a ship bound for Suzhou?

And Mingying spends all her time with her...

He kept coming up with more and more absurd ideas, which made him doubt something.

"Go and find all the maids who served Mingying in the courtyard when she gave birth."

He wanted to ask her carefully and in detail how she died. If she really died, he wanted to hear about her life from the moment she was conceived to the moment she breathed her last.

He had beaten a number of his former maids to death, leaving only two old women. When questioned, they actually described the difficult childbirth process in great detail.

Pei Xiaoyun's suspicion was like a fuse; even after the flame was extinguished, a few sparks still flickered.

"Isn't anyone else here?"

Kong Qing: "There's also Bi He, who has a limp and works as a handyman in the storeroom."

Pei Xiaoyun suddenly remembered this person: "Bring her here with me."

—

Lan was holding and teasing a white raccoon when the raccoon suddenly extended its sharp claws and scratched a red mark on her wrist.

"Hiss, you damned beast!" She threw the cat to the ground and was about to order someone to deal with it when Granny Tian came in a panic and almost tripped.

"Madam, something terrible has happened! The master is questioning you again about that former concubine!"

Madam Lan gripped her handkerchief tightly, a flicker of panic crossing her mind. She suddenly looked at her and asked, "How did you handle things?"

Those were all servants in Pei Xiaoyun's courtyard. If they had all been killed then, it would have made him suspicious.

She could only hold onto those people's dirt. She thought the storm had passed, but unexpectedly he started investigating again. He really was deeply in love with a lowly servant girl!

“Those two old women have sons and daughters, so they won’t say anything,” Granny Tian said anxiously. “There’s also a maid named Bihe, whose only sister outside the mansion died of illness not long ago.”

"We can't keep him any longer, go and take care of it quickly," Madam Lan hurriedly instructed.

The night was cool and still.

Bihe limped back from the gatehouse and sat alone on the steps, a deep hatred flashing in her eyes.

She also had a seriously ill younger sister. The lady promised her that if she kept the matter to herself, she would treat her sister's illness.

But Gui Zi, the gatekeeper, sent her a message saying that her sister had died at home for half a month because she couldn't afford medicine and no one knew.

She even ended up with a limp, but if she had told me back then, she wouldn't be in this state now!

The door to the duty room was kicked open, and she saw Granny Tian barging in aggressively with two old women.

In a panic, she hid behind a pillar in the corridor, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside the room.

Where is Bihe?

The servant in the same room replied, "He was just here; he probably went to relieve himself."

Granny Tian anxiously ordered, "Go find it quickly."

Bihe's heart sank, and cold sweat broke out on her palms. She struggled to walk out of the courtyard, sneering as she went. Her sister was dead, and now the madam wanted to kill her to silence her.

She carried a lamp and walked with difficulty toward Lanqingzhuo Courtyard.

If she confesses, the old man might spare her life.

She bumped into the people Pei Xiaoyun had sent to find her, and as if grasping at a straw, she shouted, "I want to see the master! I have something to say to the master!"

Pei Xiaoyun sat in the armchair with his legs spread wide, his eyes closed as if he were dozing, while a bunch of absurd and bizarre thoughts kept popping into his mind.

He was restless, and suddenly opened his eyes, hearing a deep sound.

"Sir, the person has arrived."

Bihe knelt in the courtyard, and before he could speak, she kowtowed repeatedly: "Master, I am guilty, I concealed the truth from you."

“Miss Ming is not dead at all! I saw her with my own eyes that night. She was carrying a bundle and followed Granny Tian, ​​who was by Madam's side, out through the side gate!”

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

Author's Note: This is now a paid subscription!! [Starry eyes][Starry eyes]