Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The Old Lady is Back

Lu Suizhu was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice that the servants looked at her differently than usual when she returned home. As she walked towards the room, she heard Madam Zhao's hurried footsteps as if she was scolding the servants.

"Madam Zhao, what happened?"

Madam Zhao hesitated to speak, and Lu Suizhu looked at Qiuzhu who was standing beside her. "Qiuzhu, you go ahead and speak."

"Miss, these are just some rumors. Some people say that you have a shady background and that you serve men in Louyue Pavilion..." Qiu Zhu's voice became smaller and smaller, and she carefully looked at Lu Suizhu's face when she spoke.

"Miss, the old lady will be back in two days, so you must be more careful."

Lu Suizhu's face looked a little unhappy. These words must have come from Louyue Pavilion. Hua Wu was really going to cause trouble for her. She frowned slightly to suppress her panic and put on her usual smile.

"Thank you, Aunt Zhao, for the reminder."

Seeing that Lu Suizhu was still smiling, Nanny Zhao didn't say much, but just reminded her to be well-behaved and obedient at that time. Although she didn't show it on her face, she was unsure in her heart. She was an elder in the mansion, and she knew very well what kind of person the old lady was.

I can only hope that this girl is a lucky one.

The next day, the Pei Mansion was indeed crowded with people. This time the Buddha worship was grand. In order to pray for Pei Huaishen, all the important elders in the family went, and now that they had returned home, the atmosphere was even more impressive.

Pei Zhiji had just come down from court and hadn't had time to take off his official uniform when he was already standing at the door, followed by Pei Ren, a young man from the second branch of the Pei family.

Several sedan chairs landed on the ground, and the sedan chair bearers moved quietly without making any sound. After the carriages were stable, Pei Zhiji took a few steps forward and stopped at the sedan chair in front.

An old hand with clear veins slowly stretched out and placed it on Pei Zhiji's official robe. On her left hand was a sapphire green jade ring, which was translucent and extremely rare.

She smiled at her eldest grandson who came to greet her. Her face was rosy and she was in excellent condition. The Pei family had produced many generals and ministers. Her son was appointed prime minister and was already in a high position of power. The next generation of children would also be outstanding people. She had lived up to the ancestors of the Pei family in this life.

The old lady got out of the sedan chair, followed by Prime Minister Pei, Madam Pei, and the second wife and her husband.

The current Madam Pei was born into the Longyuan Jiang clan and was the cousin of Pei Zhiji's biological mother. If she had not been born out of wedlock, she would not have married Prime Minister Pei as his second wife.

Perhaps because of worshiping Buddha, she had a faint fragrance on her body, and her clothes were simple and elegant, with a temperament that was very consistent with that of a lady of a noble family.

She smiled kindly and took Pei Zhiji's hand, frowning a little in anger. "Why are your hands so cold? Don't you think of putting on more clothes before going out?"

"Yes, thank you for your concern, mother." The moment she relaxed, Pei Zhiji withdrew his hand without a trace, his voice still faint.

"You are such a well-behaved kid."

Mrs. Pei sighed softly and patted Pei Zhiji's arm gently.

"Father, Mother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, you've had a hard time on this trip. Please go back to your room and rest early."

"It's not hard, it's not hard. This mountain is quiet. If I hadn't come back to see Huai Shen off, I would have wanted to stay here for a few days." Pei Yanke waved his hand casually, as if he was in a very good mood. His elder brother, who held such a high position as prime minister, could ask for such a long leave from the emperor, so he, a small official of the fourth rank, would not care at all.

Now the only legitimate sons born to the old lady are the eldest son Pei Zhongke and the second son Pei Yanke. The former is the head of the Pei family and serves as the prime minister, while the latter works in the Privy Council and is also a fourth-rank official in the court.

The second wife has a daughter named Lan Yi, who is beautiful and kind. She was selected into the Eastern Palace a few years ago and became the Crown Princess. Now she is pregnant.

The third son was a concubine's son. He was sent to work as an official in a remote place many years ago and occasionally exchanged letters with his family.

The Pei Mansion is extremely glorious, and no one can match it among many aristocratic families.

Hearing her husband's blunt words, Chen couldn't help but nudge him gently. "We went to the temple to pray for blessings. How could you, as an uncle, indulge in some fun?"

Then Chen looked around and said, "Where's Huai Shen? Why can't I see him?"

Everyone's eyes fell on Pei Zhiji. He coughed lightly and explained, "The border war was intense, so His Majesty sent Huai Shen to leave early. He didn't have time to inform you, so he asked me, your brother, to convey your gratitude to all the elders."

"He actually passed away so early that I couldn't even give away the amulet I bought for him at the temple."

Mrs. Pei had a trace of worry on her face. On the battlefield, swords and knives were ruthless and people could die on the battlefield at any time. She was always worried.

Seeing Madam Pei's solemn expression, Chen quickly stepped forward to comfort her: "Don't worry, sister-in-law. Huaishen has practiced martial arts since he was a child and has been to the battlefield several times. He will definitely make military achievements and return safely."

The second wife has always respected the first wife. If the first wife had not had a legitimate daughter, the position of Crown Princess would have been her daughter's turn. Chen was quite clear about this.

After all, his son's future career will depend a lot on the eldest wife.

"Don't worry, Auntie. Even if my second brother is still thinking about that beautiful lady, he will come back as soon as possible."

As soon as Pei Ren said this, the scene suddenly became silent and frozen. Everyone had different expressions, but the only thing they all knew was that many pairs of eyes were staring at Pei Ren. He felt that he had said something out of turn, and he retreated behind Pei Zhiji with a guilty look on his face.

"What beautiful lady?"

Prime Minister Pei and Madam Pei opened their mouths first, with doubtful expressions on their faces.

"Don't talk nonsense - what are you saying, kid?" Chen quickly stopped her son from speaking without restraint. If there weren't so many people around, she would have wanted to shut his mouth.

"Let him speak."

At the old lady's command, no one dared to stop her. Pei Ren had no choice but to step forward from behind his cousin and speak haltingly. "Grandmother, my second brother brought back a girl before he left for the war. I heard... she's from Louyue Pavilion. Everyone in the mansion knows about it, and it's spread all over the capital. I'm not just making it up."

The voice became smaller and smaller, and finally it was almost inaudible. After saying that, Pei Ren hid behind Pei Zhiji again.

"Well, people from our Pei family are actually following that amorous scholar's example and visiting those brothels." The old lady knocked her cane to the ground. From the sound of it hitting the ground, it seemed that she used quite a lot of force, as if she was very angry. Everyone present fell silent.

Seeing the awkward situation, Prime Minister Pei gave Madam Pei a look. As they had been married for many years, she naturally understood and immediately came forward to admit her mistake.

"Mother, Huaishen has always been a chaste child. You watched him grow up. It must be that girl from Louyue Pavilion who tricked him into committing a sin."

Jiang has always been a good daughter-in-law of the Pei family. She is well-organized in dealing with people and has never made any mistakes. She is a role model among the wives of the clan. Who can really blame her for speaking so softly at this time?

"Yes, mother, it's not a good idea to convict Huai Shen directly. We have to send someone to question him thoroughly." Seeing the stalemate, Chen quickly came forward to help.

"Alright, stop talking." The old lady looked quite impatient, but their words did calm her down, and when she spoke again, her voice was a little calmer.

"What Chen said is true. We should send that girl to ask questions. The upright reputation of our Pei family cannot be ruined by a maid from Louyue Pavilion. It will only make people laugh."

As soon as the master returned home, the mansion became much more lively. The maids seemed to be in high spirits. Those who had nothing to do would walk around with buckets in their hands. Even the snow in the corner of the yard was cleared away.

Lu Suizhu was completely oblivious to all this until an unfamiliar maid came to call her, saying that the old lady of the mansion had returned and wanted to see her immediately.

She had known that this day would come, so she was not too panicked. She quickly put on some makeup and followed the maid.

Huichun Hall is the main courtyard of Pei Mansion, not far from the entrance. The interior is decorated in a grand and heavy manner with an overall rosewood color scheme. The old lady sits facing the door in the south, with Jiang and Chen sitting on chairs on both sides respectively.

It is not convenient for men to interfere in the affairs of the inner house, so Pei Xiang and Pei Yanke were not there.

The scent of agarwood filled the room, and the coolness of the wood seemed to be mixed with the fragrance of locust flowers. The door curtains rustled sparsely, breaking the silence.

Beside the window stands a pot of octagonal exquisite tree, which was a birthday gift given to the old lady by the Crown Princess last year. It was blessed by Master Pansu from the Western Regions after chanting sutras and praying for 49 days. The gift is believed to bring long life and good fortune, and the old lady likes it very much.

Lu Suizhu followed the maid who led the way and slowly crossed the threshold. She felt her steps becoming heavier and a sense of pressure was overwhelming her, just like the first time Lu Suizhu stood in front of Pei's house.

Obviously, this noble lady did not wear any jewels or gold or silver, but she felt that she was more terrifying than those officials' wives she had met before.

She walked forward slowly and calmly, with excellent manners.

The servants were trimming the extra branches, and their movements were very careful. Mrs. Pei and Chen were standing around and praising the potted plants for their good growth. At this time, Lu Suizhu arrived.

In an instant, everyone's eyes in the room shifted from the potted plant to her face.

Until the old lady at the head spoke, her voice full of majesty: "Are you the girl Huai Shen brought back?"

Facing everyone's gaze, Lu Suizhu slowly raised her head to reveal her beautiful face. Her face was slender, with skin tightly attached to her bones, making her look a little thin. Her eyes under her curved eyebrows were relatively long, with thick eyelashes, and they were extremely beautiful when half-folded.

"She is truly a beauty. No wonder Huai Shen likes her."

Chen spoke first. As she grew older, she became a little plumper and spoke in a kind manner. Lu Suizhu stepped forward and bowed.

"Meet Madam Pei Er."

Lu Suizhu greeted each of the noble ladies in the mansion. Although it was their first meeting, she made no mistakes. Madam Pei raised her eyebrows calmly, then glanced at the old lady before speaking. "You've put a lot of thought into this."

Most of the incense on the table had burned out, and the broken part was hanging loosely. A small handful of ash had already accumulated under the carved metal incense holder.

With the help of the nanny, the old lady took a sip of tea and calmed down the breath she had just taken outside the Pei Mansion.

"Since you are a smart person, I will not beat around the bush with you. You should know Huai Shen's status. Not everyone can enter a house like our Pei family."