38. Chapter 38 Fracture

For several days, Xiaoxiao stayed in Suyuexuan. She copied two rare books, and together with the ones in February, she had accumulated several books in total. Thinking that her brother would arrive in the capital in April, Xiaoxiao planned to go to the bookstore in the afternoon and then look for a suitable courtyard.

This time when she went to the bookstore, she exchanged a total of 120 taels of silver. This amount of silver was a huge sum of money for Xiaoxiao. She had handled a lot of silver recently, and Xiaoxiao no longer had the initial excitement.

She went to look nearby to see if there was any yard for rent, and she actually found a suitable place. This small yard was located on Zhuque Street, not too far from the palace. It had three main rooms and a kitchen. Although the area was not large, it was enough for her and her brother to live in.

The key is that the rent is within Xiaoxiao's affordability. The rent for a single month is two taels of silver. If you can rent it for a year, you only need to pay fifteen taels of silver, which is nearly half the price.

Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied. When she was about to pay the deposit, Luzhu stopped her and said, "Girl, please wait a few more days. You may find someone more suitable."

Xiaoxiao thought about it and nodded obediently.

That night, after Xiaoxiao went to bed, Luzhu went to Wuya Hall. The envoys would enter the capital the next day. Pei Xiuhan often stayed in the palace for the whole day recently. When he came back, it was already very dark.

When Lu Zhu came over, he had just arrived at Wuya Hall. He was wearing a prince's robe, and the python on it was extremely ferocious, which made him look taller and more powerful. "What's the matter?"

Lu Zhu told her about Xiao Xiao's visit to the courtyard. "She was quite satisfied with the courtyard on Zhuque Street, but I remember there was a murder on the street next door. Xiao Xiao is so beautiful, she might be targeted by bad guys."

Pei Xiu Han turned the jade ring on his hand, and his brows unconsciously frowned. Zhang Li came back soon, and it was natural for him to take Xiao Xiao away. Thinking of his messy dreams, Pei Xiu Han felt that he should not stop her from leaving.

The little girl was still young, but he had let his lust lead him to desecrate her in his dream. This was truly wrong. Pei Xiuhan pondered for a moment and said, "Doesn't Yang Hao's brother live on Guxing Street? Try to buy the house next door and sell it to her at a low price."

Yang Hao's younger brother is now serving in the military camp and has become a young general. His martial arts skills are not inferior to Yang Hao's. Because of his presence, the security of Guxing Street has improved a lot. Xiaoxiao lives next door to him and can scare away many ruffians.

After Lu Zhu left, Pei Xiu Han still did not rest. Ever since he had that dream, every time he thought of Xiao Xiao, Pei Xiu Han felt uncomfortable. The little girl regarded him as a brother and trusted him wholeheartedly, but he treated her like that because of his bad nature as a man.

Just thinking of her clear eyes, Pei Xiu Han felt that he was really not a human being. If it was another woman, if he had desire for her, the worst that could happen was that he would just accept her. But he just couldn't treat Xiaoxiao like this.

Back in Zhangjia Village, she was willing to sacrifice her life for him. This sincerity alone was enough to move Pei Xiuhan. These past few days, every time he dreamed of Xiaoxiao, his remaining conscience reminded him not to cross the line.

Even in his dreams, he never touched her, and it was extremely difficult to endure. Pei Xiuhan even wondered if he started to dream about her so frequently because he was short of women?

Xiaoxiao didn't know that he was trying hard to be a good brother. If she knew, she would definitely muster up the courage to tell him that he didn't have to try so hard.

The next day, she and Luzhu went to look at houses for rent. They looked at houses on several streets, and the monthly rent was basically around two taels, which basically cost twenty taels a year.

Lu Zhu said, "Twenty taels a year, ten years is two hundred taels. The rent for ten years is enough to buy a house. Why don't we look at the houses for sale? There are many houses for only two hundred taels. If we buy a small one with only two rooms, maybe one hundred and twenty taels will be enough."

Xiaoxiao happened to have 120 taels of silver in her hand, and she was somewhat tempted by what Luzhu said. When her grandmother was still alive in Zhangjia Village, their family only had three rooms. Now there were only her and her brother left, so one room each would be enough.

Xiaoxiao nodded and said, "Let's take a look."

If you can buy it, you won’t have to pay rent every month, and you will save money in the long run.

There are several houses for sale nearby.

There is a two-story house for sale on Kangle Street. The house is quite large and there are many flowers planted in the yard. In addition, there is a grape vine with a very large rack. It is said that every summer, the grape vine is full of grapes.

Unfortunately, this house is too expensive, requiring five hundred taels to buy it. Xiaoxiao simply doesn't have that much money. Even though the seller talked about it in a very exaggerated way, Xiaoxiao is not tempted at all.

They went to Guxing Street again, and there was a house for sale there. The house had five rooms in total, three main rooms, two side rooms, and an extra small kitchen.

The yard was very clean. Although it was half the size of the two-story house, it was not small for Xiaoxiao.

Originally, the house was sold for three hundred taels, but because the owner was in urgent need of money, it was sold for one hundred and eighty taels.

When Xiaoxiao saw this house, she felt attracted to it. With five rooms, it would be enough for them to live in even if they got married in the future. Unfortunately, Xiaoxiao only had 120 taels of silver, which was 60 taels short.

After Xiaoxiao finished reading, she pulled Luzhu's sleeve and said, "Let's go and take a look at other houses. The house is nice, but it's still too expensive."

The homeowner's mouth twitched involuntarily. People were scrambling to buy this house even though it was priced at three hundred taels, but she still thought it was too expensive at one hundred and eighty. This girl was too frugal!

He glanced at Lu Zhu calmly, then quickly stopped Xiao Xiao and said, "Little girl, the price can be negotiated. How about this: if you really want to buy it, you can offer 170 taels, and I'll give you another 10 taels. If you're not in urgent need of money, I won't sell it cheap. A house in this area would be impossible to buy for less than 300 taels on a normal day."

The more he said this, the more Xiaoxiao was moved. However, she still didn't have enough money. She bit her lip and finally shook her head. "No, thank you."

Lu Zhu knew her temper well and said simply, "Buy it. I have quite a bit of silver. I'll lend you fifty taels first. If you work hard copying the rare copy, you'll earn it back soon. If you're embarrassed, you can pay me back five taels more later. My money is just sitting there anyway, so I might as well lend it to you to make some pocket money."

Xiaoxiao thought about it, gritted her teeth and nodded.

When Xiaoxiao returned to Prince Yan's Mansion with the house deed, she still felt it was a little unreal that she actually had a house now.

Xiaoxiao should have been happy, but when she thought about leaving the palace after her brother came back, she felt indescribable loss in her heart.

Her loss did not last long, as she was shocked by an incident. On March 15th, Li Sisi from the Li Mansion was raped. Several strong men appeared out of nowhere and abducted her. The servants of the Li Mansion searched for the whole afternoon before they found her.

She was found in a dilapidated temple.

She was naked and covered in dirt. When someone approached her, she screamed desperately. She pushed the guards away and ran out, so that many people saw her miserable appearance.

In the end, it was Li's mother who had her knocked unconscious and brought her back home. Li's mother had been looking for a marriage partner for her, but she didn't expect such a thing to happen. The family that had originally proposed marriage to her also dispersed all at once.

Li's mother almost cried her eyes out, and Li Ge Lao finally went to the palace and begged the emperor to send troops to suppress the bandits.

The emperor naturally agreed. The generals had returned one after another, and the matter of leading troops to suppress the bandits could be put on the agenda. Pei Jing handed the matter over to General Lu, intending to let him lead the troops to suppress the bandits after the envoys left.

Li Sisi's story has really made people sigh for a long time. Everyone sympathizes with her experience, but no one knows that she reaped what she sowed. In order to protect the reputation of other girls in the mansion, the Li family announced her sudden death on the third day, but in fact they secretly sent her to the farm.

Her matter was soon overshadowed by the arrival of a delegation of envoys in Beijing. A total of six countries came this time, and the delegation of envoys from the Great Jin had arrived yesterday. Pei Xiuhan handed the matter over to Li Bing and asked him to be responsible for the accommodation of the envoys.

The envoys from the Great Jin Dynasty also included a princess. This Princess Yuyang was said to be the most beautiful woman in the Great Jin Dynasty. She had just reached the age of marriage this year. Countless young men in the Great Jin Dynasty were crazy about her. The monarch of the Great Jin Dynasty originally wanted to marry her to the Great Jin Dynasty's top general, but because the Great Jin Dynasty was defeated, she was sent to the Great Zhou Dynasty with the intention of marrying her.

Since Pei Jing was still young, everyone speculated that the monarch of Dajin actually wanted her to marry Pei Xiuhan, but they didn't know whether the most beautiful woman in Dajin would make an exception and accept her.

Xiaoxiao also knew about this and was even a little curious about what Princess Yuyang looked like. Fortunately, there would be a palace banquet tomorrow night to welcome the envoys, and Xiaoxiao would be able to enter the palace tomorrow night to find out more.

Before tomorrow night, Xiaoxiao met the princess.

It's a coincidence.

Xiaoxiao had just finished breakfast when Mu Xi came over. They had made an appointment in advance to go strolling on the street today. March 28th was not only Pei Xiuhan's birthday, but also Mu Wen's birthday. The two planned to stroll around the street to see if there were any suitable gifts.

They went directly to the store they frequented most, but when they were about to go in, they were stopped by two tall men who would not let them in. After asking, they learned that Princess Yuyang was inside, and her guards were afraid that she would be in danger, so they blocked the door and would not let anyone else in.

If it were an ordinary person, seeing Princess Yuyang inside, they would probably retreat. However, Mu Xi was no ordinary person. After being stopped by the guards, Mu Xi's face turned cold. "This shop is not owned by your Da Jin. You come to our territory to shop, but you don't allow our people to enter. You Da Jin are really arrogant. I must go in today. Do you think you will draw your swords?"

There is a huge difference in language between the Great Jin and the Great Zhou. Even though the two guards had learned the language of the Great Zhou, they only understood a few words. Seeing that Mu Xi was trying to force her way in, they were at a loss for a moment. The girl was dressed in luxurious clothes and was surrounded by many guards. It was obvious that she was not an ordinary person. They were new here, so it was naturally not appropriate to offend anyone. However, they did not dare to disobey Princess Yuyang's order.

Yuyang has been spoiled since she was a child. It is no exaggeration to say that she is the darling of the monarch of Dajin. Whenever she went shopping in Dajin, the streets would be cleared of people. Now that she has come to Dazhou, she has been low-key enough and only asked to clear the people in the shops.

In the end, the guard was more afraid of Princess Yuyang, so he gritted his teeth and stopped Mu Xi.

Mu Xi was also very tough. He waved his hand at the guards and said, "Beat them up! Beat them until they get out of the way!"

After she finished speaking, she pulled Xiaoxiao aside and waited to watch the show.

Xiaoxiao has always disliked the people of Dajin. If Dajin had not provoked the war, so many people would not have died in Dazhou, and Brother Pei and her brother would not have been injured. Seeing that Princess Yuyang was just shopping and did not allow others to enter, she felt a little annoyed and felt that the people of Dajin were really domineering.

She didn't try to persuade Mu Xi and just watched the show obediently.

The two guards brought by Princess Yuyang were actually quite skilled, but they were no match for the large number of people brought by Mu Xi, and they were pinned down in a short while.

Princess Yuyang finally came out.

When Xiaoxiao and Muxi saw her, their faces flushed unconsciously. It was really because Princess Yuyang was dressed too revealingly.

It was mid-March and the weather wasn't that hot, but she was wearing a belly-baring outfit. The golden top was so small that it barely covered her lower body, revealing a large area of ​​her snow-white waist. She was wearing a culottes that reached her calves, leaving her lower body exposed.

The shoes on her feet were also strange, revealing her white toes and insteps, and there was a red rope wrapped around her ankles.

Women in the Great Zhou Dynasty have always been conservative. A girl's body can only be seen by her future husband. If any girl dares to dress as revealingly as she does, she will definitely be thrown into a pig cage and will not be able to escape the charge of being immoral.

All the parts of her body that shouldn't be exposed were exposed, but her face was covered with a thin veil. Xiaoxiao could vaguely make out her appearance. Her beauty was slightly different from that of the women in the Central Plains.

The girl was born with a pair of fox eyes with slightly upturned corners, her skin was very fair, and her facial features were not too delicate, but there was a hint of charm in her every move.

In Xiaoxiao's opinion, she looked very much like the fox spirit in the storybooks who would suck the blood and flesh of scholars.

Seeing her guards being captured, Princess Yuyang's eyes flashed with a dangerous light, "How dare you capture even my people? Little girls, do you know who I am?"

She spoke the official language of the Great Zhou Dynasty quite fluently, but her accent was a little strange.

While Xiaoxiao and Muxi were looking at her, Princess Yuyang was also looking at them. Before coming here, she had heard her father say that there were beauties everywhere in the Great Zhou. She didn't believe it at the time, but when she saw the two girls in front of her, each more beautiful than the other, she finally began to believe it.

Mu Xi snorted coldly, "I don't care who you are. In our Great Zhou, even if the emperor comes, he has no right to close the store."

Princess Yuyang had never been spoken to like this in her life. Thinking that today was different from the past, she suppressed her anger, narrowed her eyes, and said, "Even if the Regent Princess comes, she doesn't have the right to do so?"

Mu Xi and Xiao Xiao were both stunned.

Thinking that the two of them were finally scared, Princess Yuyang sneered, "Little girl, open your eyes and look carefully. I will be the future Regent Princess. If you don't want to offend the Regent, stay away from me when you see me in the future. Let's go."

There was really nothing to see in this shabby shop. There were a lot of such shops in the Jin Dynasty. Princess Yuyang walked away, and her two guards hurriedly chased after her.

Xiaoxiao and Muxi were still bewildered. It wasn't until her figure disappeared around the corner that Muxi muttered, "How shameless! My cousin would never look down on a woman like that!"

Xiaoxiao thought she was so brave. Such a unique girl might really attract Brother Pei's attention, right?

Xiaoxiao felt a little depressed when she thought that Brother Pei might really marry her. This bad mood did not go away until she returned to Prince Yan's Mansion.

Xiaoxiao originally wanted to copy the unique copy. After taking out the rice paper, she unknowingly wrote a sentence on it, saying that she didn't want her brother to marry her, but wanted to marry her brother.

Xiaoxiao stared at it for a while before realizing what was written.

Her face flushed instantly. How could she have such thoughts? Brother Pei always treated her as his sister. If he knew that she had such terrible thoughts, he would definitely distance himself from her, right?

Xiaoxiao was panicked and at a loss. She quickly tore up the rice paper and threw it into the trash can. She was still worried, so she picked up a tinderbox and burned the rice paper.

When the sparks started, Xiaoxiao couldn't help but be a little absent-minded. Only then did she realize that, unknowingly, her feelings for Brother Pei were no longer just about liking him. She actually desired more and more.

She wanted to stay with him for the rest of her life, and even wanted to marry him. But in Brother Pei's heart, she was just a child. Thinking of the tone in his voice when he called her a child, Xiaoxiao felt a little depressed.

She has grown up a long time ago.

At the age of fourteen, one is already old enough to discuss marriage.

Xiaoxiao was unwilling to be a child. She felt uncomfortable when she thought that he might fall in love with Princess Yuyang at first sight when attending the palace banquet tomorrow night.

Xiaoxiao couldn't help but take out a stack of letter paper and wrote a line on the first page: From today on, don't be a child anymore.

Xiaoxiao decided to take action, at least to let Brother Pei see that she was no longer a child! She could be very beautiful, even more beautiful than Princess Yuyang, so that he would not be amazed when he saw Princess Yuyang tomorrow night.

Xiaoxiao does what she says.

She took out all the jewelry Brother Pei had given her and carefully selected a very beautiful dress.

This dress was made for her by an embroiderer, specifically for her to wear to banquets. It is a very popular ruqun style at the time.

Xiaoxiao was always embarrassed to wear this skirt because it makes her breasts look bigger even though her breasts are not big.

Xiaoxiao had seen Mu Wen and Mu Xi wearing it before, and she blushed inexplicably when she saw it.

Xiaoxiao put on the dress with a blushing face. She couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror, feeling inexplicably ashamed.

Her cheeks turned red so much that she couldn't help but cover her face. After a long while, she put on her jewelry one by one.

Xiaoxiao kept encouraging herself. In fact, after all the trouble, she just changed into new clothes and put on earrings and a hairpin.

She was born beautiful, and even when she was dressed simply, she was still very beautiful. But now, after a little dressing up, her temperament has completely changed.

When Lian Qiao came in and saw Xiao Xiao, she immediately covered her mouth and said, "Young lady, you are so beautiful! With this dress, I'm afraid all the young men in the capital will be attracted to you."

Xiaoxiao was already feeling ashamed, and after being praised like that, her face flushed red, almost bleeding. She stammered, "I, I was just wearing it casually."

She completely lost the courage to look for Brother Pei.

Wow, I’m still too cowardly.

Just as Xiaoxiao was about to change her clothes, she heard Pei Xiuhan's voice, "What do you mean by just wearing something casual?"

Xiaoxiao's heart almost stopped beating.

Her face flushed and she wanted to hide, but Pei Xiuhan had already walked in. He had just returned from the palace and heard the guards talk about what happened on the street.

Pei Xiuhan had heard something about Princess Yuyang. She was always unreasonable and overbearing. She had no idea what humility was. He came to see her because he was afraid that Xiaoxiao might be frightened.

Actually, he hadn't seen her for several days. One reason was that he was too busy, and the other was that he was afraid that he might be affected by the dream and have bad thoughts about her.

He hasn't set foot in Su Yuexuan recently. In the past few days, Pei Xiu Han has finally adjusted himself and no longer dreams of her so often. When he thinks of her, he no longer thinks of her wet body.

What he remembered most was the little girl's clear eyes and her lovely smile.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he came in, he saw her in a different appearance.

The girl was wearing a high-waisted skirt in the color of a crabapple. She had a tall, snow-white chest, a slender waist, and beautiful eyes and eyebrows, which showed her charm that could not be concealed. It was as if all her youthfulness had faded away overnight.

With just one glance, Pei Xiuhan's eyes darkened, and the image of the half-undressed girl unconsciously emerged in his mind.

A string in Pei Xiuhan's brain suddenly snapped.