Chapter 28 questions: Who gave you permission to end things with me?

Mingying was suffocated by the entanglement, and upon hearing these words, a sour feeling welled up in her throat.

Is he so concerned that he's thrown himself into a panic?

She was wrong; his feelings for Lü Qi were deeper and more profound than she had imagined.

One can not necessarily have to have both a career and personal relationships; it depends on whether the person facing the choice is willing to do so.

Just like her, and the child she was carrying back then, he didn't care and could discard them like trash.

But it's not necessarily the same when it comes to other people.

As Pei Xiaoyun spoke, she observed the expressions of the two men opposite her, noticing that their resentful and angry gazes were clearly directed at Lü Qi.

A twisted smile appeared on the man in black's face. "You think we'd believe your nonsense? I'll kill your concubine first, then the other one."

After speaking, the snow-white blade plunged down towards Lü Qi's neck, and blood splattered instantly.

Crimson blood splattered on Mingying's face. She saw that the man holding the knife had a ferocious and crazed expression, his hands covered in blood. Luqi, who had been struggling just moments before, collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

It's not like killing someone, it's like slaughtering an animal.

Her neck was tightened, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably; she was almost scared to death.

Luqi is dead, and it's her turn next. The group of people opposite her are blurry and unreal in her eyes. She can only see Pei Xiaoyun's cold and indifferent expression.

Pei Xiaoyun remained expressionless. Through the artificial rock formations, she drew a hidden arrow from her sleeve and fired two arrows at each of the men in black and the brown-clad man who was holding Mingying hostage.

The man in black was shot in the heart and immediately collapsed.

The man in brown tried to block the shot but was hit in the right chest. He clutched his wound in pain, and the knife in his hand fell to the ground. He realized he had been tricked; the woman in his hand was Pei Xiaoyun's weakness.

Mingying noticed that the man's grip had loosened. She tightened her grip on the hairpin she had pulled from Lüqi's head during the earlier struggle and stabbed it back at the man's chest. The man was furious and dragged her into the lake, intending to die with her.

In an instant, the lake water splashed like a white rainbow.

A hint of panic could be seen in Pei Xiao's eyes, and his dark robes fluttered rapidly as he rushed forward.

The koi carp scattered in all directions, instantly turning the lake into a pool of blood.

...

After Mingying was pulled out of the water, she was unconscious, her body cold from being swept away by the icy lake water.

Pei Xiaoyun was soaking wet. He picked her up and carried her horizontally, taking off his thick outer coat to wrap around her, leaving only her wet eyes exposed.

After Shen Mingshu and his men finished cleaning up the corpses and checked all the guests inside and out, he rushed over with a look of remorse on his face: "Lord Pei, please forgive me. I was careless and allowed the people of the Kongchan Sect to infiltrate and kill innocent people."

He hadn't believed that bad guys had infiltrated his mansion, but now that he saw it for himself, he was filled with dread. Fortunately, the two men hadn't seriously harmed the guests, and it was also fortunate that they had taken precautions beforehand.

He saw that Pei Xiaoyun was holding someone in his arms. The woman's petite figure was covered by a large, dark robe. He could only see the woman's tightly closed eyes, and he was suddenly startled.

He couldn't help but move a little closer: "We are deeply sorry for injuring your family. We have prepared a warm room and a doctor in the side courtyard. Please take this young lady to receive treatment first."

With water droplets clinging to his brow, Pei Xiaoyun gave him a cold, unapproachable look, saying, "My family is none of your concern, Magistrate Shen. As for how those people managed to sneak in, I hope Magistrate Shen will not forget my words."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he carried Mingying away.

—

The Governor's Tea Room.

The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood when a sudden, loud bang shattered the tranquility.

The staff members sitting below shrank back like quails, not daring to utter a single word.

"You treacherous scoundrel, what a brilliant scheme to use someone else to do your dirty work!"

Shen Chun angrily smashed a cup of tea, his face dark, and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

Now everyone knows that the young emperor has been drugged, is mentally unstable, and is merely a puppet.

In the court, only he and Pei Xiaoyun held significant military power. The two secretly competed with each other, but outwardly they were wary of each other and never openly broke off relations.

The two members of the Empty Cicada Sect were cornered by Pei Xiaoyun's men. He had planned to use the birthday banquet to sneak them into his residence and then secretly send them out, but his plan failed and he almost got exposed.

He reluctantly parted with her, going to great lengths to send Lüqi over to gather information. Pei Xiaoyun, out of consideration for his reputation, could not kill her, but unexpectedly, she was gone just like that.

It's a complete loss!

He couldn't pursue the matter of Lü Qi's death yet. If he did, Pei Xiaoyun would inevitably implicate him by claiming that the Governor's Mansion had infiltrated the Kong Chan Sect, thus ruining his grand plan.

Thankfully, those two people are dead.

The best outcome is that the dead cannot testify.

"It seems we are at a disadvantage on all sides now, and we must strike first." He felt the crisis was profound and stroked his beard with a long sigh.

If Pei Xiaoyun doesn't fall, Shen Chun will only be able to rule a region for the rest of his life, serving as the Governor of Zhejiang, or he may be swallowed up and purged by Pei Xiaoyun in the future.

They are both traitors and rebels; if Pei Xiaoyun can do it, why can't he?

Pei Xiaoyun wanted to eradicate the Kongchan Sect, so they decided to lure him into a trap.

Once the topographical map of Clearwater Bay was drawn, troops were deployed and a trap was set, ensuring that he would never return.

The advisors sitting below looked troubled: "Sir, the terrain of Clearwater Bay is winding and complex, and even the best painters I've consulted are at a loss."

Shen Chunhou said in a deep voice, "Then find a way to contact the eldest son of the Lin family. No matter what, you must rescue him for me!"

Throughout the world, no one but Lin Xian could draw a topographical map of Clearwater Bay.

Pei Xiaoyun, that scoundrel, imprisoned Lin Xian and forcibly took his cousin's newlywed wife. He is despicable and keeps calling others rebels against the court, but little does he know how innocent he himself is.

"My lord, I'm afraid it's too late. Our scouts have reported that Lin Xian has been tortured to death."

"What did you say?" Shen Chun leaned on the table, coughed up a few breaths, and glared angrily.

Is Lin Xian really dead?

Pei Xiaoyun actually killed her own cousin?

The overwhelming arrogance was disrupted by a clear male voice from outside the door.

"Godfather, I have safely escorted the guests back to their residence. Are you feeling well? Were you frightened?"

Upon hearing Shen Mingshu's voice, Shen Chun regained some composure and waved his hand to dismiss the advisors.

"Not a single word about what happened today shall be revealed."

"yes."

After the staff left one by one, Shen Chun sat up straight, took a sip of tea, and watched Shen Mingshu walk in.

After Shen Mingshu entered, the father and son exchanged pleasantries for a while before he got straight to the point: "Father, I am completely baffled as to why the Kongchan Sect has infiltrated our household."

His eyes were pure and clear, and when he looked at people, he stared intently, as if he could see into their hearts, making those with guilty consciences feel a chill.

Shen Chun was initially intimidated by his gaze and looked away, her expression also filled with anger: "It's all my fault for being negligent. As the Governor-General of Zhejiang, I allowed that scoundrel to infiltrate my residence and injure people. It's a disgrace. It's thanks to your advance precautions that the scoundrel didn't harm more people."

His adopted son is simple-minded and full of righteous indignation.

There are some things he will never know, and he will never need to know.

Shen Mingshu met his slightly aged and cloudy eyes, and thinking of Pei Xiaoyun's words, he hesitated for a moment, and moved his lips: "Godfather, is that really so?"

His adoptive father treated him well, raising him for ten years. Without his adoptive father, he would have been dead long ago. Therefore, he still cannot fully believe the claim that the adoptive father deliberately colluded with heretics.

Shen Chun seemed utterly exhausted, and shook his head with a sigh.

“Ashu, you’ve been calling me ‘godfather’ for about ten years now.”

Shen Mingshu seemed to be thinking of something sad, and his eyes showed sorrow: "I was grateful for my adoptive father's kindness in raising me. Back then, I suffered that undeserved disaster, which caused my family to be destroyed and my parents to die tragically before my eyes. I was also separated from my only sister, and it has been exactly ten years since then."

Ten years have passed. If my sister were still alive, she would probably be married and have children by now.

Even after so many years, he still can't forget his home in Yangzhou, nor can he forget the endless flow of blood that night.

He remembered his mother holding off the pursuers so he could take his sister with him. When they were blocked by pursuers, his sister accidentally fell into the river. He jumped in to save her, but he didn't see her.

When he swam ashore again, he was found by servants of the Shen family and taken back to the mansion. From then on, he changed his surname and name and settled down in the Shen family.

His adoptive father taught him martial arts, and he became famous on the battlefield.

Shen Chun noticed that he was stuck in the past and couldn't get out of it, so she showed a loving expression: "I have no children in my life, only you, my adopted son. Over the years, I have treated you as my own son."

“I will always remember my godfather’s love and care.”

Shen Mingshu nodded emphatically.

Shen Chun continued, "I'm almost seventy years old, and I've spent almost my entire life in Zhejiang. All I want is to stay in Jiangnan and enjoy my old age. If I were to collude with the Kongchan Sect, wouldn't that be harming myself and you as well?"

As he spoke, he rubbed his forehead, his tone extremely weary, his temples streaked with gray, which temporarily eased Shen Mingshu's doubts.

He felt that his godfather's words made sense; colluding with the Void Cicada Cult was a serious crime and would bring no benefit whatsoever.

My godfather couldn't possibly be that confused.

“A-Shu.” Shen Chun looked at him. “Your godfather won’t harm you, but Pei Xiaoyun is a cunning man. You can’t believe everything he says. There are some things you don’t know. Before, bandits were rampant in Qingshui Bay, plundering the people’s wealth. I wanted to ask Lin Xian, the eldest son of the Lin family, to draw up a map for me to strengthen the defenses of Qingshui Bay. But as soon as Pei Xiaoyun arrived in Hangzhou, he went straight to the Lin residence and kidnapped Lin Xian’s newlywed wife without any reason. He also imprisoned the entire Lin family on trumped-up charges.”

"Is this really true?" Shen Mingshu was utterly incredulous.

Despite being the regent, Pei Xiaoyun actually committed acts of seizing another man's wife and bending the law for personal gain.

Shen Chun followed his words and said, "He is a close relative of the Lin family, yet he could do such a despicable thing. I pity Lin Xian's talent and wanted to plead for him, which displeased Pei Xiaoyun. Perhaps it was because of this that he falsely accused my father of colluding with the Kongchan Sect."

His earnest words stirred up even more complicated emotions in Shen Mingshu.

He didn't know Pei Xiaoyun's character. If he really was that kind of person, how was he any different from a villain!

"Don't worry, Godfather. If that's really the case, then Young Master Lin is far too innocent. I will go and find out what's going on with him."

Shen Chun nodded solemnly and patted his shoulder. "Over the years, I've also been investigating your sister's whereabouts."

Shen Mingshu's eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat.

He has been searching for his sister's whereabouts for years, but without any success, yet he has never given up.

"Is there any news about her from Godfather's side?"

Shen Chun's face was obscured by the lamplight. He said, "Not yet. My men said they saw a woman in Jiangnan and other places who looked very much like your sister. I have sent more people to investigate so that you two can be reunited as soon as possible."

Finding someone was just a pretext.

He's been sharpening his knife for so many years that it's become somewhat out of his control; only his family can keep him in check.

Shen Mingshu's eyes blazed with passion.

"I will never forget my godfather's great kindness."

—

The dark leaves lay layer upon layer, and the light in the room remained on until midnight.

Mingying's eyelids were tightly closed, showing no sign of waking up.

Her face had been washed clean, and a deep nail mark was visible on her fair skin.

Yuechan was about to apply the medicine to her, but Pei Xiaoyun, who was sitting in front of the bed, stopped her: "I'll do it, you can go down."

He took the porcelain bottle and stared at her peaceful sleeping face. Seeing that the few traces of rosy color that had just returned to her face were replaced by paleness, a slight pang of sadness rose in his heart.

He was unusually attentive, gently applying the ointment to her face.

He didn't want her to have that ugly scar.

"When will she wake up?" he asked He Lianqing in a deep voice.

He Lianqing was preparing medicine and couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she said to him, "You know the Governor's Mansion is dangerous, why did you take her there?"

Ever since Mingying was brought back by this man, she has been sick every single day. She gets sick and then gets better, then gets sick again. It makes him feel terrible.

Pei Xiaoyun did not answer him, but stared intently at Mingying's face, her madness growing wildly in her eyes.

Because he wanted to smooth out a crumpled piece of paper and remove the sharp, thorny barbs from a flower.

He didn't intend to kill her, nor did he want her to die; those things were truly unexpected for him.

"Is this my fault?" Pei Xiaoyun looked at her, as if asking her.

It's because she's disobedient and always stubborn with him.

Who told her to come and kill him? Who told her to keep rejecting him?

He Lianqing was speechless for a moment, and then silently withdrew.

Pei Xiaoyun sat up all night, watching Mingying's face shift between clear and dim light, as several candles were replaced.

At dawn, the sound of a gong rang out, and the first light of day appeared.

As the scenery outside the window gradually came into view, Mingying finally woke up.

She slowly opened her eyes and met Pei Xiaoyun's dark gaze.

The two stared at each other without saying a word. Their unwavering resolve collided silently, creating a spark that shattered them into pieces.

Finally, Mingying turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Pei Xiaoyun seemed to have anticipated her reaction. Looking at the face she turned away, he said, "The situation was urgent at the time. If I had said I would save you, you would have been the first to die."

Having survived another brush with death, Mingying had no energy left to dwell on these matters. Her gaze was indifferent, her eyelashes bent under the weight of her sorrow, blinking gently.

So he took her to the governor's mansion and humiliated her in front of outsiders, almost killing her, without saying a word about it.

In fact, she understood as early as when Lüqi died in front of her and her blood splattered on her.

He was cold-blooded and ruthless, treating everyone the same, no different from those executioners who killed without hesitation.

So, other people wanted to be his canary, but she refused.

Because she saw him for who he truly was, the pain was already etched into her heart.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Pei Xiaoyun waited for her answer.

He hoped that after hearing these words, she would no longer misunderstand him or hold a grudge against him.

Even a simple "I understand" would have given him a clue to her thoughts. Instead, she remained silent, as if his efforts to save her were in vain, and she showed no gratitude.

Why did you do this to me?

After a long while, Mingying finally managed to utter these words weakly.

The faint fire in Pei Xiaoyun's eyes suddenly shot up as if doused with oil, scorching her intensely.

She did something to wrong him first, so how can she blame him?

It all started three years ago when she deceived him and tricked him into running away while he was away.

He sneered, glancing at her: "Who told you not to stay obediently by my side? Who told you to run away from me?"

If these things hadn't happened, they wouldn't have ended up like this.

Even without these things, she would still be his Mian'er, she would stay by his side, he would still dote on her as always, and they would raise their child together.

Mentioning these things brought back painful memories that came like a sudden storm, relentlessly pounding and pounding at Mingying's heart.

A series of unbearable memories flashed before her eyes.

First, he forced her to drink an abortifacient, then she watched Ling Shuang die in front of her, and finally, as she lay on the verge of death in the delivery room, she heard the cry of "Sacrifice the mother to save the child."

Then, she was nearly buried alive, and after fleeing all the way, she crawled out of the mass grave and stole a sliver of life, surviving to this day.

Whenever she thought of these things in the dead of night, she would shiver with cold, as if she were suffocating and drowning in the past.

Her tears flowed like a flood as she questioned him, "Why are you killing me? What did I ever do to wrong you back then? Is my life so cheap that you want to kill me, and I'm supposed to just obediently offer my neck for slaughter?"

What he meant was that if he wanted to kill her, she could only wait to die; if he wanted to torture her, she had to endure it; if he wanted to humiliate her, she had to pretend to be obedient and smile.

"What are you talking about?" Pei Xiaoyun's bright eyes were only a slit apart from her face as he lowered his voice, "When did I ever think of killing you? I saved you, fed you well, and took good care of you. Was that what I wanted to do to kill you?"

Mingying was thoroughly tired of his rhetoric.

He turned his face away, unwilling to say more.

"Speak." Pei Xiaoyun turned her face towards him, but her body remained as still as a rock, silent and unmoved.

With nowhere to vent his anger, he coldly left the house.

What a heartless bastard! He treated her so well, and she actually said he wanted to kill her?

He hurried to the study and calmed his temper with a cup of cold tea. Then Yuechan came to report that Ying had woken up and didn't want to stay in the room, so she went to the duty room to rest.

He shouted, "She can go wherever she wants. Even if she freezes to death, it's none of my business."

Then, he summoned Kong Qing and asked him to return to the capital to investigate something at his residence.

—

In the following days, Mingying dutifully performed her duties.

These were all tasks she was used to doing; at least she didn't have to sleep with her master like a maidservant.

For her, she would do anything as long as she wasn't by his side serving him.

Pei Xiaoyun hadn't returned to the manor for several days. She hoped he would never come back, and that she would find an opportunity to escape eventually.

She didn't use the scar removal medicine that He Lianqing gave her.

She didn't care about her appearance; whether or not she had a scar on her face wouldn't make much of a difference. On the contrary, if Pei Xiaoyun disliked her because of that scar and kicked her out, she would be thankful.

As she drifted off to sleep at night, she suddenly felt a weight on the bed. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Pei Xiaoyun sitting in front of the bed, looking at her coldly.

She looked as if she had seen a ghost, and curled up in the blanket to shrink further inside.

Seeing her like this, Pei Xiaoyun couldn't help but tease, "What? You refuse to take the medicine? You think I'll kick you out if you leave that scar? Don't dream. I've said it before, as long as I live, as long as you have a breath left, you have to serve me for the rest of your life. When I die, I'll take you with me."

When he arrived, he had already driven all the other servants out of the duty room. His cold words echoed in the empty room, clearly striking Mingying's ears.

Mingying clenched her fist in anger and retorted, "The duty room is a place for servants. You are a noble and precious person, so don't sully your body."

"What did you call me?" Pei Xiaoyun stared wide-eyed, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

"My lord, you should leave. I have to get up early for my duty tomorrow." Mingying merely raised her eyes.

The next moment, she felt light as a pair of large hands lifted her up around the waist and carried her back to the main room against the biting cold wind.

"Let me go!" Mingying refused to obey, twisting her body and struggling a few times, but the more she was entangled, the tighter the grip became.

Once inside the room, Pei Xiaoyun, having reached his limit of patience, slammed her onto the soft embroidered mattress, grabbed the red rope binding the curtains, and tightly tied her hands.

Mingying thought he was going to force himself on her again, so she kicked the bed and yelled at him, "Pei Xiaoyun, you're a bastard, you'll get your comeuppance!"

Pei Xiaoyun's jaw loosened, and he sneered as he panted, "Don't worry, the day I die from retribution, I'll immediately drag you to keep me company."

Mingying was trembling with anger, still cursing him, each curse louder than the last.

The servant on night watch heard this and hurried away from under the window, wishing he could cut off his own ear.

Pei Xiaoyun's large, rough hand tightly covered Mingying's mouth, almost suffocating her. A few tears streamed down her reddened eyes before he whispered a warning in her ear.

"In that case, one sentence is enough; don't forget your place."

Mingying's hands were tightly bound, unable to move or struggle. She saw him take out the bottle of scar removal ointment, dip his fingertips in the ointment, and apply it to her face.

“Starting tomorrow, apply the medicine yourself. If you don’t, and it leaves a scar, I will cut ten scars on Lin Xian’s body.”

Upon hearing Lin Xian's name, Ming Ying's last shred of resistance vanished, and she fell silent.

The face, after the ointment was applied, felt cool, with a hint of rosy hue amidst its fair complexion.

After applying the medicine, Pei Xiaoyun did not untie the red string on her hands. Instead, he lit a lamp, pulled the blanket over her, and lay down beside her.

He didn't like her being too boisterous, and he disliked her being unwilling even more.

Only in this way can I get her to behave.

In the dim light, Mingying looked at the lone tassel on the tent above her head, and the tassel cast a shadow in her eyes.

In the darkness, unaware of the time, she thought the person beside her was asleep and tried to turn over with difficulty, but her waist was suddenly gripped tightly.

Pei Xiaoyun suddenly said, "I never gave the order to sacrifice the mother to save the child. It was the Lan family who deliberately caused trouble while I was away."

He sent Kong Qing back to the manor to investigate, and he found out.

That year, when she gave birth, Madam Lan did indeed send a maid to his courtyard, falsely conveying his order to kill her.

That's why she said he was going to kill her, and that's why she ran away.

Even if Mingying heard the truth now, she wouldn't feel much of a stir in her heart.

She asked herself honestly, even without that initial promise to "sacrifice her mother to save her son," she would have left him given the chance; she had long harbored this thought.

It started much earlier.

He is not a trustworthy person; he will never treat her like a human being.

All of this proves she was right.

Pei Xiaoyun waited for her reply, but there was no response. He patiently suppressed his displeasure and took another step back: "After I finish dealing with things in Hangzhou, I will take you back to the capital. An'an is three years old and has never seen her mother. Do you miss her?"

Upon hearing her daughter's voice, Mingying finally spoke: "My lord, you flatter me. I am but a lowly servant and am unworthy to be the mother of a young lady."

Hearing that he had named his daughter, she figured he hadn't treated her badly, and she had nothing left to worry about.

Pei Xiaoyun thought she was still angry, so he softened his hand on her waist: "I promise you, the child will be raised by you, and if we have any more children in the future, they will all be registered in your name. Even if I marry a legal wife, I will never let her bully you."

A chill ran through Mingying's heart, her palms felt cold, and she rejected his advances, saying indifferently, "My lord, please don't joke, I am just a..."

"You don't even care about our children anymore?"

Pei Xiaoyun, seeing that she was unmoved by his words, interrupted her with a dark expression, suddenly turned over, and grabbed her chin.

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and touched her flat stomach, questioning her word by word: "Did you plan to have a child with Lin Xian all along?"

That's why they don't care about him, or their former children.

Mingying gave an irrelevant answer, her eyelashes drooping as if weighed down by endless heaviness, and sighed, "We ended things a long time ago."

Who she chooses to marry and have children with is her business.

Pei Xiaoyun ripped off her collar, revealing the camellia on her chest, which stood out starkly. He uttered each word clearly: "Who gave you permission to end things with me?"

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

Author's Note: A man whose defenses have crumbled [doge emoji]

Also, has anyone taken a look at my pre-order novel, "The Prisoner of the Swallow"?