Chapter 33 "Isn't there something more important than sleeping..."

Early in the morning, the Crown Prince's entourage was already waiting in front of the Prime Minister's residence.

The steward of the Prime Minister's residence welcomed Pei Xuanlin into the mansion. Xue Wenmian invited Pei Xuanlin to have tea in the hall. Pei Xuanlin asked a maid where the Crown Princess was, and the maid replied that the Crown Princess was still getting ready.

Xue Wenmian smiled and said, "I thought Your Highness would arrive at 9:00 AM, but I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

Pei Xuanlin nodded: "The Crown Princess was frightened last night, and I was really worried about her, so I wanted to come and check on her as soon as possible."

"There were many suspicious things that happened last night. Has the real culprit been found?" Xue Wenmian took a sip of tea and waited for Pei Xuanlin's answer.

"The Cui family has stated that it will never tolerate evil. Considering the Cui family's hard work and great contributions, and my mother-in-law's ancestry, I will only pursue Miss Cui in this matter. She was cut in half at the waist last night, and her maid committed suicide by biting her tongue. Before she died, Miss Cui said that this matter was instigated by Princess Roujia... The royal family is involved, so I have to ask His Majesty to make a decision."

Xue Wenmian frowned. Princess Roujia? A mere princess with no real title dares to bully the Crown Princess without considering the Crown Princess's family background.

Bullying the Crown Princess is tantamount to disrespecting him, which is intolerable.

“The Cui family will never tolerate evil, and the Xue family will not be bullied. The ancestors of the Xue family fought alongside the founding emperor, and even Your Highness once fought alongside my brother, the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor. Now, my youngest daughter has been secretly murdered by the princess. If I do not report this to the emperor, my ancestors’ spirits will not be at peace.”

Xue Wenmian's blatant warnings and threats seemed to indicate his intention to kill Pei Chanlian.

It seems that Xue Wenmian still loves Xue Yingyue very much and takes good care of her when things happen.

Pei Xuanlin chuckled with satisfaction: "With your words of comfort, Father-in-law, I am at ease."

In reality, Xue Wenmian had heard about Ling Zhenli and Xiao Chongheng's past and wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of Pei Chanlian, who was in the way.

Furthermore, there was also the imperial son-in-law, Yang Chengxiu.

"Does Your Highness know that last night the Princess sent someone to the former Crown Prince Yang Xiande to inform him of the murder of his husband?"

Pei Xuanlin's eyes brightened slightly as he looked intently at Xue Wenmian: "Oh? Yang Xiande is the prince consort's father. It seems reasonable for the princess to inform him. What are your thoughts on this matter, father-in-law?"

"Now that my daughter has married Your Highness, she will be following Your Highness closely with both the Xue and Cui families. Therefore, I dare to suggest that we take this opportunity to send Yang Xiande to the capital, host a banquet to entertain him, and then wipe out his followers in one fell swoop."

Pei Xuanlin instantly perked up. He never expected that Xue Wenmian, that cunning old fox, would one day openly plot against him, especially in the struggle for the throne.

"I'm afraid this matter will be difficult for me to handle. When His Majesty was a prince, he was suppressed and targeted by Yang Xiande at every turn. Therefore, he hates Yang Xiande to the extreme and does not want to see him again. How can we allow him to enter the capital?"

Pei Xuanlin deliberately asked the question, wanting to see what tricks Xue Wenmian had up his sleeve. Xue Wenmian was an old hand who had served under several emperors, including Taizong, Gaozong, and Shizong, and had risen step by step to the position of prime minister. Naturally, he had his own strength and methods.

"Your Highness need not trouble yourself with granting him permission to enter the capital. I will personally persuade His Majesty to agree. Your Highness may await news. My only concern is for my daughter. Although she is gentle and virtuous, I am always afraid that she may have inadvertently displeased Your Highness..."

Xue Wenmian's implication was clear: he could help Pei Xuanlin ascend the throne securely, but he couldn't mistreat his daughter, Xue Yingyue.

"It's so easy," Pei Xuanlin thought to himself with delight. He already adored Xue Yingyue.

"The Crown Princess is excellent. It is my greatest fortune to marry her. I dare not neglect her. Father-in-law, you can rest assured."

After exchanging a few polite words, Pei Xuanlin couldn't wait to go find the person, and Xue Wenmian was finally relieved about Ling Zhenli's position in the Eastern Palace.

*

The Prime Minister's residence features pavilions and towers arranged in a harmonious and orderly manner, winding paths leading to secluded spots, exquisite rockeries, babbling streams, and koi carp swimming leisurely in the clear water.

"Why did you arrive so early, Sanlang?"

Ling Zhenli lifted her skirt and hurried down the steps. The golden hairpin with begonia flowers in her hair shone in the morning sun. Although she didn't sleep much last night, she had a good night's sleep and felt quite energetic this morning.

She was dressed exceptionally beautifully, wearing a sky-blue, wide-sleeved outer robe paired with a flowing skirt, a jeweled hairpin and floral crown on her head, and a gold lock necklace around her neck, adding a touch of playfulness.

Pei Xuanlin reached out and hugged her, his fingertips brushing against the faint dark circles under her eyes: "Did you sleep well last night?" He suddenly leaned close to her ear, "Did you miss me so much that you couldn't sleep?"

The morning breeze carried the scent of sandalwood from him. Ling Zhenli's earlobes turned slightly red. She caught sight of a maidservant sweeping and smiling in the corridor and quickly buried her face in his shoulder: "Oh dear, what are you saying so early in the morning?"

"But I can't sleep because I miss you so much. It's the first night after we got married that you're not by my side. You, on the other hand, are sleeping soundly. You have no idea how much I'm suffering."

Ling Zhenli leaned against Pei Xuanlin's chest and chuckled, "Did you eat honey this morning? Your mouth is so sweet."

Pei Xuanlin lowered his head, his nose barely brushing against her earlobe: "No, I was just speaking from the heart. You'll have to make it up to me properly when we get back to the palace..."

"You weren't asleep, were you? Why don't you hurry up and get some sleep after you get back to the palace?" Ling Zhenli pouted.

Pei Xuanlin couldn't help but laugh: "Isn't there something more important than sleeping?"

They dragged and pulled each other along the way, taking half an hour to walk a distance that should have taken less than fifteen minutes.

Xue Wenmian and Cui Yuerong saw them off at the door. Seeing the close relationship between the two, they were relieved. At least it proved that if a new person came to the Eastern Palace in the future and Ling Zhenli lost her favor, Pei Xuanlin would treat her well.

As soon as he got into the sedan chair, Pei Xuanlin went to pull the curtain closed.

As soon as the sedan curtain fell, Pei Xuanlin magically produced an oil paper package from his bosom, and Ling Zhenli leaned over to examine it.

"Liu's plum blossom pastries?" Ling Zhenli's eyes lit up. "They open at dawn..."

"To make Ah Li smile, I sent someone to wait for her at dawn." Pei Xuanlin rubbed her smooth cheek with his fingertips and kissed her. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

The sedan chair was cramped, and his warm breath clung to her collar.

Ling Zhenli was about to dodge, but he grabbed her soft hand: "I was so scared last night, thankfully you're alright."

Ling Zhenli's heart skipped a beat, then she said coquettishly, "I was scared to death last night too. Luckily, the prince consort was chaste and brave, and he would rather hurt himself than hurt me. Otherwise, I would never have seen Sanlang again."

Pei Xuanlin sighed: "Although the love poison is dangerous, it is fortunate that it is not fatal. If the villain had poisoned you to death, that would have been the real death of me."

Ling Zhenli pondered. Pei Xuanlin said those words because she had not lost her virginity. If she had truly been defiled by someone else, she would probably face a white silk noose and poison.

But she still smiled broadly, looking happy: "I knew His Highness loved me the most."

Pei Xuanlin saw through her little scheme: "I can see your thoughts are written all over your face, Ali. We are husband and wife, nothing can separate us."

In an instant, Ling Zhenli's peach blossom eyes were covered with a layer of mist, like frozen water, all the shimmering beauty vanished, leaving only a cold and hard shell.

A moment later, Ling Zhenli's gaze was fixed on Pei Xuanlin like a nail, staring at him blankly, her eyes devoid of joy or sorrow.

"What if I can't bear the humiliation and kill myself?"

"I will die with you, sharing the same bed in life and the same lungs in death."

Pei Xuanlin's firm gaze made Ling Zhenli, as if possessed, briefly believe his words.

The next second, Ling Zhenli nestled into Pei Xuanlin's arms and silently rested her head on his chest.

"I won't die, and neither should you."

Ling Zhenli was calm and clear-headed. She knew that once someone died, they were dead. There was no soul to wander, no reincarnation. This body would eventually decay into mud, merge into the roots of plants, or scatter as dust and be swept away by the wind. The so-called next life was nothing but a self-deceiving delusion of the living.

***

When the emperor awoke, he learned that the murder of the Crown Princess and her husband was related to Princess Roujia. He immediately summoned Princess Roujia, but Prince Gao'an, Yang Chongzheng, took the blame for her.

With her second daughter-in-law and eldest son in trouble, Pei Shen'ai could no longer sit still in the Princess's residence. She rushed into the palace and pleaded with Pei She for mercy.

“Your Majesty, Chongzheng is someone you watched grow up. He would never do such a thing. There must be more to this than meets the eye. I beg you to investigate this matter thoroughly.”

Sitting next to Pei She, Pei Shang'er's phoenix eyes were narrowed, with a hint of mockery at the corners, and a smile appeared on her lips before she even opened them.

She had never seen Pei Shen'ai in such a sorry state before. When she was being abused by Yang Mingkong in the past, Pei Shen'ai had also helped him. Now, it was time for revenge.

“Your Majesty, the Prince of Gao’an has already admitted that he instructed the palace servants to do this. Are you pleading for him here because you want my father to punish you as well?”

Pei Shang'er's sarcastic words infuriated Pei Shen'ai. How dare that lowly girl openly despise her now!

But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Yang Chongzheng was still locked up in prison, so Pei Shen'ai dared not make any rash moves.

"Jin'an, Chongzheng is your cousin, and also Chengxiu's cousin! How can you say such a thing!"

In front of Pei Lian, Pei Shen'ai did not dare to reprimand Pei Shang'er, but could only condemn her.

To everyone's surprise, Pei Chang'er wasn't buying it at all. She snorted coldly and gritted her teeth: "So you only remember now that Chengxiu is his cousin? Why didn't you remember when Prince Gao'an harmed Chengxiu! Chengxiu was seriously injured and is still resting in the palace. Shouldn't Prince Gao'an feel the same way? It wasn't Prince Gao'an who was injured, it was Chengxiu. Chengxiu was so badly injured, how dare you mention Chengxiu here, Your Highness!"

"You!" Pei Shen'ai was furious, but couldn't find a reason to argue.

Pei Shen'ai knew it definitely wasn't Yang Chongzheng who did it. Yang Chongzheng wouldn't have harmed the Crown Princess and the Prince Consort for no reason. He must have taken the blame for Pei Chanlian, but she didn't dare to say it.

Pei Lian, who had been sitting in his high seat without saying a word for a long time, finally spoke up: "Wuyang, I know you think the Prince of Gao'an is innocent, but he has confessed to murdering the royal family, a crime that is unforgivable. You should go back to your princess residence and settle down. We still need to discuss and decide on this matter with the Crown Prince. I am tired, you may all leave."

Despite her resentment, Pei Shen'ai had no choice but to swallow her anger for the time being. After all, Yang Chongzheng was a member of the imperial family and wouldn't be punished anytime soon. She needed to go back and think of a good way to deal with him, so she bowed and took her leave.