Chapter 57 Blood Feud, the Lives of Closest Family! You…

Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in the blink of an eye. The Southern Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles. Empress Pei had been unable to eat due to the marriage alliance of Princess Suiyang and had been ill for several days. Therefore, Consort Zheng was in charge of organizing the palace banquet, which was kept simple and only invited members of the imperial family and a few important officials.

Huiyin was still ill, and Pei Yu did not send anyone to inform her to come to the palace. After she finished getting ready, she waited outside the gate of the Pei residence and watched Pei Yu and Madam Pei arrive together.

As they got closer, Pei Yu saw her and went up to her, asking, "Why aren't you resting? What are you doing here?"

Huiyin said softly, "I wish to enter the palace to visit His Highness Suiyang."

Pei Yu stepped forward, his gaze falling on her thin dress, and he frowned almost imperceptibly. "It's windy, get in the car first."

Huiyin and Pei Yu rode in the same carriage, while Madam Pei was in the carriage in front. Pei Yu had originally intended to ride into the palace, but upon seeing Huiyin, he changed his mind. He looked at Huiyin across from him, who was wearing lipstick, and noticed that she seemed a little unwell.

"There's no need to go to the palace today. Once you've recovered, I'll personally take you there."

Huiyin coughed lightly twice, unable to suppress it, and shook her head. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a night for family reunion. It's a good omen."

Pei Yu asked again, "Did you take your medicine?"

Huiyin nodded, closed her eyes to rest, and Pei Yu shut his mouth when he saw this. He looked Huiyin up and down with his eyes. He wanted to explain about Liu Tan's matter, but Huiyin did not talk to him about avoiding having a child, so he opened his mouth but said nothing.

Because the arrangements were kept simple, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was held on a secluded terrace in Weiyang Palace. It was mid-autumn, the night was cool and still, and the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus and early chrysanthemums.

Several bamboo mats were laid out on the terrace, and sixteen low lacquered wooden tables with black backgrounds and red patterns were placed from top to bottom. Palace servants held incense lamps to repel mosquitoes, and the floor candlesticks were covered with a layer of silk gauze to keep out the wind.

Huiyin followed behind Pei Yu and Madam Pei. The women attending the banquet today were all dressed simply, after all, who would not want to offend His Majesty at this critical juncture?

Even Madam Pei wore only a pair of jade hairpins in her hair. Huiyin's hairstyle was even simpler: a pair of plain silver butterfly hairpins paired with a jade comb, and a plain double-curved skirt.

They took their seats behind the Crown Prince. To her left, a gaze fell upon Huiyin. She looked up and saw Su Jinghao. She was also present at the palace banquet today, dressed simply and modestly, sitting quietly behind the Crown Prince, appearing virtuous and gentle. However, the look in her eyes as she glanced at Huiyin carried a hint of gloating.

Huiyin withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the others. Among those present today were the King of Wu, the Marquis of Pingyang, and several members of the royal family, as well as two unfamiliar faces. One was about forty years old, with a dignified face and sharp eyes. The other sat beside him, looking about twenty years younger, with a dull gaze, staring blankly at the jade plate in front of him.

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Su Jinghao leaned closer to Huiyin with a smile and said, "Those are the Prince of Zhennan and his heir. They have come to Chang'an to fulfill their marriage agreement with Princess Guangling. Speaking of which, you have put a lot of effort into this marriage."

Huiyin stepped back without making a sound, glanced at Su Jinghao lightly, and did not reply.

Su Jinghao wasn't angry. She put her arm around Huiyin's shoulder, and from the side, their actions looked extremely intimate. She stroked Huiyin's left shoulder all the way to her right shoulder and lowered her voice, "I heard that Pei Yu and Liu Tan are getting married soon. What are you going to do in the future?"

His tone was one of extreme concern, but it would have been better if the gloating smile in his eyes had been less pronounced.

Huiyin picked up a cup and poured two cups of berry drink, pushing the other one to Su Jinghao. She sipped the drink and said calmly, "It's just about trying to be humble and ingratiate myself with the master and mistress so that life will be easier in the future. What else can I do?"

Su Jinghao was taken aback, staring at Huiyin's resigned profile, a chill running down her spine. She knew Huiyin well; she would never easily accept her fate, and she understood even more clearly that Huiyin would never become someone's concubine, even if that person was Pei Yu, the person she loved.

Back at the Ganquan Palace, Su Jinghao had already discerned that Pei Yu loved Huiyin, and Huiyin had also fallen for Pei Yu. Huiyin stayed by Pei Yu's side to gather evidence to bring down the Su family, and now, despite the rampant rumors, she showed no sign of worry. Was she confident of victory and certain Pei Yu wouldn't marry anyone else, or something else?

After finishing her fruit drink, Huiyin turned to look at Su Jinghao, her eyes sparkling, "It's delicious, would you like to try some?"

Su Jinghao's heart skipped a beat. She put down her cup and left without a word. She felt uneasy. Huiyin's attitude was really strange. She was not the kind of person who would place all her hopes on someone else, let alone an unreliable man.

She clenched her fists to calm herself, then looked up at Pei Yu, who was talking to the Crown Prince. He looked exactly the same as usual, except his expression was colder. It seemed that Pei Yu was still unaware of the feud between the Su and Song families. If he knew, he would definitely tell the Crown Prince.

So, Huiyin was truly fearless. Had she found some evidence that could bring down the Su family? That's why she didn't care whether Pei Yu was going to marry someone else, and that's why she was so calm. Because she had already made up her mind to leave Pei Yu.

Su Jinghao turned to look at Huiyin. Huiyin had her head down, and the light from a bronze goose-fish lamp on the corner of the table illuminated half of her face, softening her features.

Huiyin noticed her gaze, turned her head to look at her, and smiled calmly.

Su Jinghao was drenched in cold sweat. She was certain that Huiyin had found enough evidence to bring down the Su family. No, she was about to marry the Crown Prince and become his consort. She absolutely could not allow anyone to ruin her marriage. Su Jinghao stared at Pei Yu and the Crown Prince, gritting her teeth and making up her mind.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), His Majesty and the Empress, both dressed in plain white robes, arrived together. Behind them followed Princess Suiyang and the newly appointed Princess Jiuzhen, Zhao Dong. Everyone looked over with curiosity, scrutinizing the new prince.

The Empress brought the princess back and bestowed a title upon her. Everyone present knew that she wanted Jiuzhen to marry into the Suiyang family in place of Suiyang. However, for some reason, the marriage did not go through, and in the end, Suiyang was the one who was married off.

Looking at Princess Suiyang's somewhat thin face, everyone felt a mix of emotions. The little princess, who had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, was betrothed to a member of the Langya Wang clan. Everyone in Chang'an knew that the two were deeply in love. But fate had played a cruel trick on them.

Huiyin's gaze followed Suiyang. Apart from looking thinner, Suiyang was in good spirits, with a faint smile on her face. She wondered if the smile was genuine. After sitting down, Suiyang gave her a reassuring look.

Huiyin breathed a slight sigh of relief, lowered her head to eat, and listened attentively to His Majesty's high-sounding words.

The food on the table was simple: a pottery bowl of freshly steamed wheat porridge, emitting a faint warmth; a plate of sweet and soft taro; and a dish of plump chestnuts and deep red dates. In the center was a small pot of mutton soup, the broth light in color.

The musician below the terrace began to play, his head bowed and his hands casually plucking the strings. The music was sparse yet grand in tone, opening the heart to a sense of vastness.

Huiyin counted the beats, her hand trembling as she held the wine cup, spilling the entire cup of wine onto Pei Yu's robe. She quickly took out a handkerchief and stepped forward to wipe it off for Pei Yu. Pei Yu was wearing a light-colored, wide-sleeved, curved-hem robe when he entered the palace today, and the stain was exceptionally noticeable on the robe.

Huiyin knelt down and wiped the stains a few times, but instead of cleaning them, she made the stains bigger. Pei Yu couldn't bear to watch, so he helped her up and sat her down, covering her dirty robes with them, saying, "It's dirty, it's alright."

Huiyin bit her lip, looking troubled: "We must not be disrespectful in front of the palace. The King of Wu and the Marquis of Pingyang are also here today. If they catch us, it will inevitably become a handle against us. I brought a change of clothes, which are in the hall behind us. I will accompany you to change."

Pei Yu wanted to say no, but his heart warmed by Huiyin's concern, so he silently stopped talking and followed her to get up and leave the main hall.

In the past, to prevent any unforeseen events, people attending banquets in the palace would prepare two outfits of the same color, so that they could change them secretly without anyone noticing. Huiyin untied Pei Yu's belt and helped him change out of his dirty outer robe, her gaze subtly falling on the waist tag pinned to his waist.

Pei Yu was tall, and even when Huiyin stood on tiptoe, she only reached his chin. When she dressed Pei Yu, she had to put the sash through his lower back, so she could only wrap her arms around him, getting very close to him.

Huiyin could even hear the pounding of his chest, each beat striking her ear. She calmed herself and quickened her pace.

Pei Yu could see Huiyin's pert nose, her delicate eyelashes, and the faint fragrance surrounding her as he looked down. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he couldn't resist pulling her into his arms from behind and kissing her.

Huiyin's hand had just touched his waist badge when Pei Yu suddenly pulled her into his arms, startling her so much that her heart almost jumped out of her throat. Thinking that Pei Yu had discovered her little action, she quickly withdrew her hand and put it behind her back.

As a result, Pei Yu simply lowered his head and lightly kissed the corner of her lips.

Huiyin's heart stirred, and when he kissed her again, she turned her head and kissed his lips in return. Pei Yu was taken aback at first, then immediately hugged Huiyin tighter and deepened the kiss, gently prying open her lips and tongue, savoring the sweetness in her mouth.

Huiyin's hand slowly climbed to Pei Yu's waist, quickly unfastening the token from his waist and stuffing it into her sleeve. Having obtained the token, Huiyin immediately pushed Pei Yu away, ending the kiss.

She took a step back, slightly out of breath, "You go back to the banquet first, I'll tidy myself up."

Pei Yu answered in a low voice and left without noticing anything.

Huiyin calmed herself down, clutching her pounding heart, gripped the token tightly, and quickly left the room, heading towards Tianlu Book Pavilion.

Pei Yu walked alone toward the main hall, recalling Huiyin's proactive kiss just now, and unconsciously touched his lips, feeling a little flutter in his heart.

This was the first time Huiyin had shown him kindness since their argument. Pei Yu thought of Huiyin's soft expression as she nestled in his arms with her eyes closed, and his heart softened. He wished he could go back right now and have an open and honest talk with Huiyin so they wouldn't argue anymore.

He misses Huiyin very much.

Pei Yu stopped at the corner, where two figures were waiting: the Crown Prince and Su Jinghao.

The Crown Prince pulled Su Jinghao forward hesitantly, "Cousin, I have something I want to say to you."

Pei Yu's gaze shifted from the Crown Prince's face to Su Jinghao, who was looking down. He thought he probably knew what the secret Huiyin had been hiding all along was.

After listening to the conversation between the Crown Prince and Su Jinghao, he couldn't help but find it amusing. He felt a surge of anger and resentment, unsure whether he was angry at the Su family for mistreating her or at her for refusing to tell him anything.

For such a big problem, she didn't come to him for help, but instead went to that idiot Feng Cheng, and just trusted Feng Cheng so much.

The Crown Prince watched as Pei Yu's face turned pale and then red, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke, "Cousin, I know that the Su family wronged the Song family, but Jinghao will soon be my wife. The mistakes her family made are the mistakes I made. I and the Su family will do our best to make amends to Song Huiyin in the future. Can you ask her to give up the matter of revenge?"

Pei Yu's dark eyes darted around, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "What did you say?"

He said again, "Your Highness, do you know what you're saying?"

The Crown Prince, somewhat ashamed, avoided Pei Yu's gaze, but Su Jinghao tugged at his sleeve, looking at him with a pleading expression. He couldn't help but feel a surge of courage and said firmly, "Cousin, Jinghao is my Crown Princess. I will not allow anyone to harm her. You and I are brothers, and I would never allow a woman to cause discord between us, right?"

Pei Yu was losing control of his anger. He stared at Su Jinghao in front of him, and for the first time, he felt an irresistible urge to kill.

He suppressed his anger, "Your Highness knows the Su family is wrong, yet you still insist on going your own way? The Su family deserves to die, and Su Jinghao deserves to die even more!"

Su Jinghao was startled by the angry shout. She hid behind the Crown Prince and looked at Pei Yu's furious gaze. She seemed to have underestimated how much Pei Yu cared about Song Huiyin.

The crown prince gritted his teeth, "I know, but I love her, so naturally I will protect her."

Pei Yu was struck dumb by those words. In that instant, he finally understood why Huiyin refused to tell him the truth. She was afraid. If it were the old him, he would have stood by the Crown Prince's side when the Crown Prince said those words to him.

He recalled Huiyin's repeated hesitations, and the question she asked on the night Pingrong died: "What about the Su family?"

How did he reply then? He replied that the Su family's fate was now entirely in the hands of the Crown Prince and could not be touched.

Pei Yu's chest shattered, all the blood in his body rushed to his head, and his eyes turned uncontrollably red. He had to go back to find Huiyin.

As he turned around, he suddenly noticed something amiss at his waist. The waist tag he always carried was gone; only Huiyin had been near him that day when she helped him change his clothes.

Pei Yu paused, then strode outside. He knew where she had gone.

Seeing that things had gone wrong, Su Jinghao shouted at Pei Yu's figure, "Do you think Song Huiyin likes you? No! She's only staying by your side to use you and collect evidence of the Su family's crimes. She's never been sincere with you; she's been deceiving you all along!"

"She told me herself that she wanted to marry Wang Huan!"

Pei Yu ignored the madness of the person behind him; he only wanted to return to the palace and confirm whether Huiyin was still there.

Doesn't he know whether Huiyin likes him or not, whether she has genuine feelings for him? Huiyin does like him; she wouldn't deceive him.

Pei Yu stopped outside the hall, hesitant to push the door open and go in. He clenched his fists, his throat dry. "Huiyin, are you there?"

There was no movement.

Pei Yu, unwilling to give up, raised his voice, "Huiyin!"

There was still no movement. Pei Yu strode forward and pushed open the door. The hall was empty except for his dirty clothes, which had fallen to the ground, just like his heart, which sank to the bottom.

He gritted his teeth and walked toward the Tianlu Book Pavilion, constantly reassuring himself that perhaps Huiyin had already returned to the banquet. In truth, he knew that there was only one way back to the banquet: the one he had taken.

Pei Yu stood outside the Tianlu Book Pavilion, gazing at the brightly lit three-story ancient building, but dared not approach.

The guards spotted Pei Yu and approached him, asking, "General Pei, why have you come in person?"

Did anyone come here with my token just now?

The guard replied, "There is a very beautiful young lady who said she came to find you a military manual."

Seeing that Pei Yu's expression was unusual, the guard quickly asked, "Did your token get stolen? Was it that lady?"

Pei Yu: "No, I sent her. I only came because she hadn't returned for a long time."

The guard breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

Pei Yu stepped into the library. He knew Huiyin's destination; the case files of Song Wei's case were all stored here. Huiyin wanted to overturn her father's case, so she would definitely come to check the files.

He recalled Su Jinghao's words, "Do you think Song Huiyin likes you? No! She stays by your side only to use you and collect evidence of the Su family's crimes. She has never been sincere towards you; she has always been deceiving you!"

Was Huiyin really lying to him all along? He slowly walked towards the second floor.

——

Huiyin quickly flipped through the bamboo slips. It was her first time entering this library. Although there was a notice board, there were so many books in the library that she couldn't find what she was looking for right away.

She was anxious; time was running out. Pei Yu was alert; she had to find the files before he discovered them, or everything would be for naught.

She was rummaging through things haphazardly when she accidentally bumped into a stack of bamboo slips. Huiyin squatted down and hurriedly tidied them up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of feet standing at the top of the stairs. Startled, she screamed and leaned against the bookcase, her heart pounding.

She waited for a long time before she slowly came to her senses and realized that the shoes looked familiar, and the robe was one she had personally put on Pei Yu.

Huiyin froze, afraid to move, lest Pei Yu grab her and drag her away.

But Pei Yu remained motionless; he stood there like a statue.

Huiyin didn't have time to think. Without even picking up the fallen bamboo slips, she hurriedly got up to search through the files. Finally, at the very back of the third floor, she saw her father's name.

Huiyin opened the file and began to read it with great concentration. For a moment, the only sound in the Tianlu Library was the sound of her turning the bamboo slips, which could be clearly heard in the quiet night.

After a long while, Huiyin put the bamboo slips back in their places one by one and slowly walked out. Pei Yu stood at the top of the stairs, quietly waiting for her.

Huiyin walked over and returned the token to its rightful owner.

Pei Yu accepted the token without a word, leading Huiyin out of the Tianlu Academy. He did not take Huiyin back to the banquet, but instead headed towards the palace gate, beckoning a palace servant along the way and instructing the servant to apologize to His Majesty on his behalf.

The journey back to the manor was silent. Pei Yu did not take a carriage, but rode a horse all the way back to the Pei residence.

Upon arriving at the Linshui Pavilion, he dismissed everyone and pulled Huiyin up to the second floor. Neither of them uttered a sound, and they faced each other in silence.

There wasn't time to turn on the lights in the house, but today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon is full and bright, so we can see each other clearly without turning on the lights.

Pei Yu's voice was hoarse, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Huiyin's expression was calm, showing no sign of the urgency that came after the truth was revealed. "Su Jinghao should have already told you the truth, right? I have nothing to say."

“She said a lot.” Pei Yu moved closer to Huiyin, grabbed her chin, and lifted her head to look at him. He gritted his teeth. “I want to hear what you have to say.”

Huiyin countered, "What do you want to hear me say?"

Pei Yu's voice suddenly deflated, and Huiyin seemed to hear a plea in his voice, "Say that you have always been sincere towards me."

When Huiyin laughed, she rarely laughed so heartily. Her eyes and eyebrows were all turned up. She usually smiled with her lips pursed, like a noble lady from a wealthy family who didn't show her teeth when she laughed.

After laughing, Huiyin lowered her eyes to hide the expression in them, her tone calm yet extremely hurtful.

"Pei Yu, how long are you going to keep deceiving yourself?"

"I've always used you; I never had any genuine feelings for you."

Pei Yu's hand, which was holding Huiyin's chin, trembled uncontrollably. He cupped Huiyin's face in his hands and asked in disbelief, "I don't believe you. Don't lie, okay?"

Huiyin smiled and said, "I'm not lying. Everything I said is true. At first, I offered myself to you as a bedmate in order to use you to return to Chang'an. Later, I was kind and gentle to you and repeatedly showed you goodwill in order to gain your trust and steal your waist token to enter Tianlu Library."

Pei Yu released Huiyin, turned his back to her, clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and shouted in a very low voice, "I don't believe you, you're lying to me, are you still bothered by this..."

"Then why do you think I need to take contraceptives?"

Huiyin watched Pei Yu's retreating figure and interrupted him without hesitation. She knew better than anyone that stabbing Pei Yu in the back would hurt the most, just like how he had once done to her.

Huiyin saw Pei Yu's body tremble slightly, but he didn't turn around, so Huiyin couldn't see his expression.

The moon seemed to be shrouded in mist, and the surroundings were clearly audible. Huiyin could almost hear the sound of mist droplets falling to the ground.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Pei Yu's figure and said, word by word, "I hate you, I hate your mother, I hate the Pei family, I hate the name 'Madam Song,' I hate everything here!"

Huiyin wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes. She was extremely grateful that Pei Yu was facing away from her and could not see the disheveled look in her eyes.

Her voice remained calm, unaffected by her tears, "Pei Yu, I have never loved you. All this time, I've only considered our relationship a transaction. I deceived your feelings and paid the price. Let's call it even, and go our separate ways."

After she finished speaking, she wiped away her tears and waited for Pei Yu's reply.

After an unknown amount of time, Huiyin finally heard Pei Yu's deep voice. He still didn't turn around, standing there with his tall and straight posture. He said, "Song Huiyin, give up your revenge. As compensation, I will marry you."

Huiyin had been longing for these words, "I'll marry you," for so long that she even dreamt of Pei Yu saying he wanted to marry her. But hearing them now, she felt no joy at all. She had never imagined that Pei Yu would say such a thing to her.

Huiyin repeated Pei Yu's words, "Give up revenge, and as compensation, I will marry you."

Her carefully constructed facade of composure crumbled at that moment, and Huiyin glared hatefully at Pei Yu, "I don't care about your position as my wife!"

At that moment, she truly hated him, hated that he could say such things, that he could humiliate her with such words.

“A blood feud, the lives of my loved ones! You want me to give up! Perhaps everyone is proud to be Pei Yu’s wife, but I, Song Huiyin, am not. In my eyes, you are not even worth a hair on my parents’ head.”

Pei Yu turned around with bloodshot eyes. He looked at Huiyin and uttered chilling words, "You can refuse, but you will never be able to leave this place again."

"What do you mean! You're going to put me under house arrest!"

Pei Yu did not reply.

Huiyin watched him walk away, her face filled with despair. Just as Pei Yu was about to step out the door, she called out to him, setting aside her pride and abandoning her feelings to seek a way out, "I loved you, Pei Yu."

She saw Pei Yu stop in his tracks. She should have been happy, but instead, an overwhelming sadness welled up in her heart. The everyday memories of the past pierced her heart like fine needles.

“I remember everything that happened between us. The first time I changed my opinion of you here was because I schemed against Su Xin, which caused trouble for the Crown Prince’s officials. That day, I thought you would punish me severely or even fire me. But you didn’t. Instead, you told me I was right.”

“During and night in Ganquan Palace, you helped me save my mother, taught me to ride a horse, and took me to the flower field. You said you would never… betray me. You told me what rumors you heard outside and that you wanted to ask me in person. I remember it all, and everything I said to you was sincere.”

“At first, I did come to you with the intention of using you, but later, I really fell in love with you. I told Fu’s mother that if Pei Yu is sincere to me, then I am willing to be sincere to him as well. You always ask me what Feng Cheng and I are plotting. What plot? My father died unjustly in prison, my mother died without medicine, and my younger brother’s fate is unknown.”

"Pei Yu, what do you think I'm plotting? I've lived this long, and the only thought that sustains me is to clear my father's name. I don't want future generations to condemn him as a corrupt official! I want to preserve his reputation after death. I want revenge. I want the Su family to suffer the same fate as my Song family—utter destruction and death!"

"You told me not to rely on Feng Cheng for everything, and to depend on you. I didn't dare. I was always worried that one day you would find out the truth and not stand on my side. Now that day has really come. When Suiyang was going to be the site of the marriage alliance, you were in a bad mood. At that time, I thought that I shouldn't lie to you anymore. You helped me kill Ping Rong, so will you help me after you find out the truth?"

"I was so looking forward to it, I wanted to tell you everything, I wanted a future with you. But what did I get in return? I got you to go to Qingzhou and bring Liu Tan back to Chang'an, causing a huge uproar in the city. Everyone was saying you were going to marry her. When I asked you, you looked so impatient. I said I would believe you if you explained. But you said you couldn't tell me."

"I'm like a fool. Sometimes I really can't tell whether I'm the one playing you or you're the one playing me. Pei Yu, I did love you."

"Now, are you still going to lock me up here and prevent me from reporting the Su family?"

Pei Yu could barely hear his own voice; he heard his own extremely hoarse voice say, "If you sue an official, you will die."

“I have long since disregarded my life, so you can kill me now.”

Pei Yu silently took a step back, revealing the doorway, and said in a voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out between his teeth, "You can leave now."