Chapter 48 I think I saw Miss Pearl.

The shadows of the trees turned red, wild geese cried out, chrysanthemums bloomed, and the weather was slightly cool. A night passed in the blink of an eye, and Nanjing was once again bathed in a refreshing, overcast light.

Because she was preoccupied with making gold jewelry for Chuntang, Qian Yingyi chased Qin Lizheng away in the middle of the night and slept soundly and peacefully.

When I woke up this time, I felt refreshed. After breakfast, when I came out of the main room, I saw her wearing a reddish-gold iris-patterned brocade skirt and a moon-dew yellow stand-up collar and diagonal-front long coat.

Over it she wore a long, dark blue vest embroidered with yellowish-brown leaves and a red-eyed rabbit on her chest. With her red lips and white teeth, her jade-like face and flower-like features, she was like a flower blooming from the lush green grass in autumn, bright and dazzling.

Those bright eyes glanced at Chuntang in her pale white dress, and she frowned slightly, pointing and saying, "Oh dear, Chuntang, why are you wearing such a plain color? I'm going to help you choose jewelry today. Listen to me, go change your clothes."

Chuntang smiled shyly and replied, "Miss, you seem more excited than anyone else. This color suits you very well. Xia Ling is waiting outside."

Qian Yingyi pursed her lips, and seeing that she couldn't persuade her, she had no choice but to give up. She then beckoned to Xiao Daimao, grabbed Chuntang's arm with one hand, and headed outside.

Leaving at this time wasn't too early, but it wasn't too late either. As soon as she stepped onto the stone steps at the main entrance, Qian Yingyi suddenly turned her head to look next door. The Pei family, which had been quiet for a long time, had its vermilion gates wide open today, and several servants were carrying heavy chests and boxes out, looking like they were moving.

Thinking of Pei Ji's earlier attempt to get close to her, Qian Yingyi turned her face away unhappily, intending to ignore it.

Unexpectedly, after boarding the carriage with the two maids, and just as the carriage axle rolled past the Pei family's gate, a soft, melodious voice called out from outside the light yellow curtain, "Miss Qian?"

Qian Yingyi lifted the curtain to peek, and seeing it was Yingniang, she smiled slightly, "Long time no see, Yingniang, you..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she glanced at the Pei family and was just thinking of subtly persuading Yingniang to stop having any involvement with Pei Ji when Yingniang shyly spoke up, "Yes, I came to see Master Pei about something. Before... I misunderstood him. He wasn't feeling well and had fallen ill. He was afraid I would worry about him, so he avoided seeing me."

Qian Yingyi could easily guess why she had come to see Pei Ji, but now was not the time to ask. She pursed her lips, and seeing that Yingniang had been easily fooled by Pei Ji's few words, she couldn't help but ask, "Yingniang, do you really like this Pei Ji? Actually, he..."

"Yingniang".

Pei Ji appeared at the door at some point, beckoning to Yingniang with a gentle smile, interrupting Qian Yingyi's words.

Qian Yingyi paused, giving him a scrutinizing look. Seeing Yingniang happily going to greet him, she finally sighed and decisively lowered the carriage curtain, saying, "Let's go."

Yingniang happily lifted her skirt and ran to Pei Ji, standing on a stone step, looking up at him with affection in her eyes, "Where are you going to move the house?"

Pei Ji lazily held her hand, his posture relaxed, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "You can't run away, so you're still in Jinling City. I'll let you know when things are settled. Have you had breakfast yet?"

He had shed his previous somewhat distant politeness, and this time his warmth was tinged with tenderness and affection. Yingniang felt as if she had a piece of honey in her mouth, sweet and delightful. She glanced at the house behind him, then shook her head, her voice softening further, "No, I came out early this morning to see you. My godmother called me from behind, but I didn't answer."

Pei Ji smiled, "Then let's go in and have breakfast first. I'll keep an eye on them until they finish moving their things, then I'll come in and keep you company."

Yingniang was overjoyed. She looked up and planted a kiss on his chin, then twirled into the house like a butterfly.

Once her figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Pei Ji withdrew his cold gaze, glanced around discreetly, and beckoned the steward to follow him into the nearest dimly lit room.

Knowing that the Imperial Guards were watching him, he was much more cautious this time. The two hid in a corner of the room, speaking so softly that they could hardly hear themselves.

“This Yingniang is really easy to fool. Humph, I see that her relationship with Qian Yingyi is still the same,” Pei Ji sneered. “When the time comes, we will find an opportunity to hide that colorless and odorless poison on her body. As long as she talks to Qian Yingyi again, the poison will be transferred to Qian Yingyi silently.”

"Isn't Qin Lizheng the one who cares about her the most? I will use this to destroy his heart."

"Have you found the person who made the poison?"

Pei Ji spoke several words in succession, but the butler seemed lost in thought, deep in contemplation. Pei Ji frowned in displeasure, nudging the butler with his elbow, "What are you daydreaming about?"

The butler shuddered slightly, raising his slightly astonished eyes in the dimly lit room. He lowered his voice to a whisper, almost inaudible to Pei Ji, "Young Master, I... I think I saw the Second Miss."

Pei Ji didn't hear clearly at first, "What?"

The butler forced himself to remain calm and spoke clearly, "Second Miss, Miss Pearl, I just saw her. She has a birthmark the size of a fingernail behind her right earlobe. Do you remember?"

"...Pearl?" Pei Ji was also taken aback, as memories buried for many years and long since blurred suddenly surfaced. He hurriedly grabbed the butler's arm tightly, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Strangely enough, Pei Ji, as the only son of the Pei family in Huai'an Prefecture, has grown up to be in his twenties and can be described as having a smooth life. What could possibly frighten him about Miss Pearl?

It turned out that after Pei Ji's mother passed away, some of the servants in the mansion began to gossip about him. At that time, Pei Ji was only four years old.

The servants said that Master Pei would soon take a second wife, who would give birth to a second and third son. With that second wife in charge of the household, the amount of property that Pei Ji would receive after Master Pei's death would likely be substantial.

At that time, Pei Ji was young and only half-understood the matter of fighting for the family property. He found these words less interesting than the newly acquired crickets.

Coincidentally, the second concubine whom Master Pei cherished at that time was Pei Ji's maternal aunt. She had no children of her own, and because she was close to Pei Ji's mother as a sister, she loved Pei Ji because of her mother. So she paid attention to these words and secretly began to make plans.

Later, his second wife came into the family, and the following year she gave birth to a daughter. Master Pei loved her very much and named her Pearl, intending for her to be the apple of the Pei family's eye for the rest of her life.

Upon seeing that it was a daughter, the second concubine's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally calmed down, and she temporarily put aside her thoughts of fighting for the family property.

Although the brother and sister were not born to the same mother, since there were only two children in the family, they often played together, and the Pei family was filled with laughter.

Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred. When Pei Zhenzhu was six years old, her eleven-year-old brother Pei Ji was too mischievous. He made a bet with a group of friends and jumped into the Huai River in the dead of winter. He acted impulsively and did not care about anything. This jump led to an accident.

Pei Ji developed a high fever and was on the verge of death. The Pei family was in chaos. Seeing that none of the doctors they had invited could cure him, Master Pei paced anxiously all over the house.

Even more anxious than Master Pei was the second concubine. She was already heartbroken that her cousin had died so young, and now that Pei Ji had suffered this calamity, she wished she could take his place.

He lay on the table crying for half a day when he suddenly heard people talking outside. It was the second wife talking to the old woman beside her.

"Madam, look at the young master now... I'm afraid he won't make it. Shouldn't we prepare some things in advance?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense. Brother Ji is a lucky man and the heavens will always protect him. This hurdle is difficult to overcome. Let's go to the temple and pray to the Bodhisattva for him. He will get through it eventually."

Instead of being grateful for these words, the second concubine was stunned for a long time. Gradually, a somewhat eerie smile appeared on her face as she sat in the room.

She pondered that if Pei Ji were to perish on this trip, wouldn't all the family fortunes eventually belong to Pei Zhenzhu? Feeling sorry for her cousin, she decided to take a gamble for Pei Ji. If it worked and Pei Ji was still alive, he would become the sole heir of the Pei family.

Therefore, when the entire Pei family was in chaos, the second concubine approached the steward who was then working as a servant guarding the courtyard for Pei Ji. Coincidentally, this steward had received favors from Pei Ji's mother. Upon hearing the second concubine's plan, although he was afraid, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

So, on a day when snow covered the entire city of Huai'an, while the second wife led her maids and servants out to pray for Pei Ji, and the Pei family was preoccupied with Pei Ji's affairs, the second concubine tricked the six-year-old Pei Zhenzhu into going to a secluded side gate.

They said they were going to sneak away from their mother when she went out, avoiding everyone, and secretly take her to buy candy.

Pei Zhenzhu was losing her baby teeth at that time and was also a bit mischievous. Her mother usually forced her not to eat sweets, and during that period she was also confined because her brother was sick and she was not allowed to move around at home and disturb him.

Upon hearing that she could go out and have fun, and even get candy, Pei Zhenzhu naturally followed along hesitantly.

The kidnapper the steward had secretly found was already waiting outside. The second concubine led Pei Zhenzhu to the secluded side door. When the door opened, Pei Zhenzhu was overjoyed to see a vast expanse of white and rushed out.

Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, the kidnapper covered her mouth and nose, and gradually, a small figure disappeared outside the side gate.

All traces of struggle were soon covered by a large blanket of snow. When the second wife returned, she couldn't find Pei Zhenzhu anywhere in the house, and she began to panic. She and Master Pei tied up the servants and interrogated them. The servants had all been paying attention to Pei Ji, and they really knew nothing about it.

The second wife was so anxious that she immediately went to report to the authorities, but it was too late. The kidnapper had already taken the money given to him by the second wife and had already taken Pei Zhenzhu out of Huai'an City in just a few hours. The world was vast, where could she possibly find her?

The second wife was so anxious that she collapsed the next day. Coincidentally, on the same day, Pei Ji's condition gradually improved.

The entire Pei family was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to be happy or sad. At first, Master Pei patiently coaxed his second wife's crying and fussing, but as time went on, he began to feel powerless. Although he still sent people outside to inquire about Pei Zhenzhu's whereabouts, the couple gradually drifted apart.

Year after year passed, but Pei Zhenzhu remained missing. Only her second wife persisted in the search, while the others watched indifferently, powerless to help.

The steward hissed softly as Pei Ji pinched him, his eyes widening in shock. He slammed his jaw down repeatedly. "I didn't see wrong. Just now, Miss Qian was sitting in the carriage with two maids beside her. You've seen the one with the double buns before. Didn't you play drinking games with her during the spring outing?"

"The other maid rarely goes out with Miss Qian. No matter how much we planned, how could we have guessed that she was actually the second young lady?"

The butler said decisively, "She was sitting next to Miss Qian with her head down just now. She has changed a lot and I can't recognize her at first glance, but I remember that birthmark clearly. Now that I think about it carefully, there are actually some traces of her childhood in her eyebrows!"

“Young Master, you haven’t met the Second Miss yet. She was six years old... She would have been able to remember things by then. If she remembers, and with the Qian family protecting her, what if she goes to the authorities to expose what happened back then? Wouldn’t we be in trouble again?”

"Let me think about it carefully." Pei Ji composed himself and stood quietly in the dark room for a while, until he heard Yingniang muttering to herself outside, as if she was looking for him everywhere.

He then raised his face and ordered, "Go back to Huai'an yourself and ask Second Sister to confirm whether she is Zhenzhu or not. If she is, then put the matter of poisoning aside. As her brother, I have not seen my sister for a long time, so I should catch up with her privately."

"I need to change my mind... No rush... No rush..."

Pei Ji never forgot the grudge of his broken leg. Perhaps knowing that he couldn't confront Qin Lizheng directly, he let out a sinister sneer, "If she is Pearl... then by all accounts, I'm back in the shadows. Hmph, one of her, and one of Qian Yingyi, I'll take care of them both at the same time."

After the steward solemnly agreed, Pei Jifu put on a slightly perfunctory smile, left the dark room, and turned to greet Yingniang.

The banks of the Huai River were bustling with activity, and the market was noisy. Qian Yingyi arrived at He's blacksmith shop and, smiling, took Chuntang's arm as they entered. The shop assistant recognized her and hurriedly greeted her with a smile, "Oh, Grandma, you're a rare guest."

Qian Yingyi felt a little embarrassed by being called "Grandma," but then she thought that she would marry Qin Lizheng sooner or later, so it wouldn't hurt to hear it in advance.

So she smiled and pulled Chuntang forward, saying, "My sister is getting married soon, so please take a look and tell me what kind of gold jewelry would be suitable to match her? Orchids, bracelets, hair ornaments... bring me a few styles to compare. I don't care about the price, I only have one requirement: it has to suit her."

The waiter exclaimed "Oh my!" in his heart, naturally admiring Qian Yingyi's generosity. His eyes swept over Chuntang's face, and he immediately praised her as being as beautiful as a fairy in the moon palace.

Chuntang couldn't hear him, but she could tell from his expression that he was praising her, so she quickly and properly curtsied to him.

After comparing several options, they decided on a gold-inlaid gemstone phoenix pendant, a gold-inlaid lotus pendant, two gold pendants, and a pair of gold rings with lingzhi patterns.

When Qian Yingyi took out her money pouch to pay the deposit, Xiao Daimao hurriedly stepped forward to pay, but Qian Yingyi slapped her hand away and scolded, "Isn't all your money Chuntang's? How can you use your own money to prepare your dowry? Keep it for now, and remember to treat her well in the future, and cherish her in the palm of your hand. Only then will you not have let me down. Do you understand?"

The little hawksbill turtle was extremely grateful and quickly tapped its chin gently.

Xia Ling, beaming with delight, held up some silver ornaments from the shop to Chun Tang's head. Taking advantage of the fact that Chun Tang couldn't hear what she was saying, she pondered, "Miss, look, these silver hairpins suit Chun Tang very well. I'll buy them secretly later, and you can take her out first."

"When I first told her I wanted to give her a wedding gift, she kept waving her hands and refusing. Hehe, I'll just keep it from her knowing and stuff it into her trunk later."

Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "You're so thoughtful. Tell me how much silver you spent, and I'll make it up to you with monthly allowances."

Xia Ling was surprised and declined, "That won't do!"

After a brief delay, the shop assistant came out again, handed Qian Yingyi a slip of paper, and said with a smile, "Just bring this when Grandma sends someone to pick it up."

Qian Yingyi nodded. Seeing Xia Ling wink at her, she led Chuntang out first and looked around the doorway. When Xia Ling came out again, Qin Lizheng's figure appeared at the alley entrance at the same time.

Xia Ling glanced at the two couples, then chuckled and slapped her fist against her palm. "What a coincidence! Little Tortoiseshell is taking Chuntang out to play, and Miss is going to Jinghai Temple with Commander Qin. I'm free today, so I have plenty of time to play by the river!"

"You're here!" Qian Yingyi waved to Qin Lizheng from afar, her eyes even brighter than before. Although winter had not yet arrived, they seemed to be looking at a pair of flawless, translucent ice beads. "Come here! Come here! Let's go out the other way!"

Qin Lizheng walked up to her with a smile. He was wearing an indigo blue round-necked robe with grape patterns and his hair was neatly combed. As he got closer, he smelled the minty scent again, which brought Qian Yingyi back to the lingering charm of summer.

After greeting Xiao Daimao and the others, Qin Lizheng didn't linger. He immediately took Qian Yingyi's hand and walked to the other side. In a short while, they turned out of the alley and sent Qian Yingyi into a dark carriage.

Qian Yingyi sat down with a grin, lifting her eyelids to see him sitting upright beside her, and couldn't help but tease him again, "Why doesn't Commander Qin ride the horse himself?"

Qin Lizheng turned his face away, lowered his eyes and carefully examined her for a moment, then silently tickled the soft flesh on her waist. "What did you call me?"

Qian Yingyi giggled as she was tickled. Half a beam of light shone into the carriage, and her smiling face, suspended in front of Qin Lizheng, was more dazzling than the begonias on both sides of the Huai River. "Oh, stop tickling me, it tickles! Stop it, it's not good if someone hears us!"

With a quick dodge, her thin shoulders leaned against the car wall, facing Qin Lizheng's still burning gaze.

Qian Yingyi scrutinized him for a moment, examining his eyes, eyebrows, and entire face. Then, she lightly hooked his chin with her fingertip, lifting it slightly, a hint of provocation flashing in her eyes. "Everyone says that Commander Qin, who serves the Emperor, is ruthless, killing officials without batting an eye. If he were to add a wolfish ambition to his name, he might climb even higher. Let me see, where is his ruthlessness..."

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and as she pulled away, she caught a glimpse of the smile on his lips. She chuckled and said, "Which ruthless and powerful minister is smiling like that?"

Qin Lizheng chuckled. "What kind of powerful minister would I need to be with you? I'm not teasing you anymore. Tell me, what kind of jewelry did you pick out for Chuntang?"

He never liked to pry into anything other than her affairs. Qian Yingyi glanced at him suspiciously, then her smile widened. "Are you trying to trick me? Trying to figure out my preferences so you can try to win me over later, is that it?"

She sat swaying precariously, and just as the carriage passed a slightly bumpy section of road, she simply leaned lazily against the carriage wall, stretched her legs between his calves and swung them lightly, letting out a sigh, "That's such a pity, I didn't choose it myself, I asked the shop assistant to pick one out for Chuntang."

Caught off guard, Qin Lizheng wasn't ashamed. Her feet numb his calves from bumping against him, so he simply lifted her feet and placed them on his lap, moving closer to her and wrapping one arm around her waist. "Is this more comfortable?"

Qian Yingyi sighed, feeling him gently massaging her ankle. She comfortably half-closed her eyes and was about to lean her head against him when she suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Oh right, I forgot to tell you, I saw Pei Ji this morning when I went out!"

"It looks like they're moving."

Qin Lizheng was startled by her sudden movement. He pressed down on her ankle to stop her from moving, lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before asking, "Have you seen that actress named Yingniang?"

Qian Yingyi was surprised, "You could guess that?"

Qin Lizheng nodded. "I've been having people secretly monitor him. He knows that his account book has been switched, but he hasn't done anything. Suddenly he wants to move... and he's even contacted that Yingniang. I suppose he wants to report back to me through you."

"...Why is he so annoying? Why can't we just arrest him?"

Qian Yingyi clicked her tongue in annoyance. As soon as she asked the question, she quickly came to her senses. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard had great power, it was limited to the officialdom. Pei Ji was just an ordinary citizen. Yan Lin's faction had not yet arrested him, but they arrested him first. It was unreasonable no matter what.

Qian Yingyi understood that Qin Lizheng was also waiting, waiting for the right moment. She pursed her lips, gritted her teeth, and let out a voice through her teeth, "What kind of skill is it for a grown man to cower in the shadows and only dare to work on women!"

"Now we're just one step away. Yan Yu is already on the same boat as that Lord Fan. We're just waiting for Lord Fan to make a move. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will immediately arrest them all. At that time, all the evidence will be there, and Pei Ji will naturally be caught out as well."

Qian Yingyi snorted, feeling furious that Pei Ji was targeting her again. She wished she could go back in time, drag him out, and give him a good beating!

“From today onwards, you will sleep at my place at night,” Qin Lizheng said abruptly. “During the day, I will send a few more people to guard you. Don’t be afraid, he won’t have a chance to make a move.”

"I'm not afraid, I'm angry that he's so persistent!" Qian Yingyi swung her leg haphazardly. When she heard him use this as an excuse to make her go to his house every night, she felt a momentary flutter in her heart. She chuckled softly and nudged him with her knee. "You're up to no good again."

Qin Lizheng lowered his eyes slightly, staring at her, then slowly leaned closer, giving her a shameless smile, "Haven't you always known what I'm thinking?"

The two talked non-stop the whole way, but it was mostly Qian Yingyi chattering away. When Qin Lizheng heard something he agreed with, he would nod slightly and chime in with a couple of words.

After a moment of silence in the carriage, the driver, a boy of about eighteen or nineteen, listened suspiciously for a while, muttering to himself, and concluded that they had finished talking and were probably resting.

After a long and winding journey of more than half an hour, the carriage finally arrived at the gate of Jinghai Temple. The high eaves, painted red, exuded a serene atmosphere.

Qin Lizheng first lifted the curtain and then went to greet Qian Yingyi. The girl still had that pretty face, but there was a faint blush on her cheeks, and a light pink mark could be vaguely seen under her collar.

Qian Yingyi raised her eyes and glared at him. After standing still, she turned around and stared at the gate of Jinghai Temple. She sighed, "I heard from my grandfather that this was a royal temple. Later, the system was changed, and ordinary people were allowed to enter and exit. This is my first time here. It doesn't look any different from other temples."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Yingyi noticed that there weren't many worshippers in the temple at that time, so she walked into the temple. Unfortunately, her eyes swept around and she spotted Yan Ruheng and Fan Baozhu not far away.

Qian Yingyi was taken aback, then turned to look at Qin Lizheng. "They're here too. What a coincidence."

Yan Ruheng also saw the two of them. He said something to Fan Baozhu, and Fan Baozhu smiled and let go of his arm. She then twirled her skirt and led her maid to the other side.

Yan Ruheng then slowly walked over, seemingly having something to say to Qian Yingyi.

Qian Yingyi fanned her two eyelashes and noticed that Qin Lizheng had moved aside, but another thought arose in her mind.

From the moment she first saw Yan Ruheng, she found his face exceptionally handsome and couldn't help but admire him. Gradually, she became "friends" with him, saying things that sounded a little strange at the time. Then, he suddenly distanced himself from her, until Qin Lizheng revealed the truth...

Qian Yingyi was always open and honest, so she naturally understood that Yan Ruheng might have initially approached her because of his family's arrangements, but later distanced himself from her... it was probably his own decision.

Since they had run into each other, she wanted to have a frank conversation with Yan Ruheng, so she said to Qin Lizheng, "Wait for me, I have something to say to him."

Just as he was about to head that way, his wrist was suddenly grabbed. Turning his head, he saw Qin Lizheng's unhappy face.

Qian Yingyi suddenly laughed, "Why are you jealous? If you don't like me talking to him, at least let me make things clear. I don't like dragging things out."

Qin Lizheng silently lowered his head and thought about it, and it did make sense. However, he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he pulled her closer, leaned down and kissed her cheek heavily, then his gaze seemed to casually wander over the mark under her collar.

After watching quietly for a moment, he chuckled, "Go ahead, and tell me what happened later."

Qian Yingyi found it hard to believe that he was acting like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy. She couldn't help but compare him to Xiao Daimao, who was probably more mature than him at that moment.

Seeing Yan Ruheng getting closer, Qian Yingyi secretly rolled her eyes and threw a punch, "Go wait for me over there, you stingy person!"

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

Author's Note: Pei Ji, just wait a little longer, I'm on my way to killing you off [pats head]

Qin Lizheng: I'm jealous, but I won't say it. I'll just give him a sudden kiss and make a loud, loud smack.

Qian Yingyi: ...You're really frighteningly stingy.

Chuntang's true identity has been revealed—