Chapter 78 The Culprit "That day, Lin Zhi was in the side hall, it was..."

There are many inns and post stations outside the city, bustling with people, and the tea stalls and snack stalls nearby are also thriving.

Pei Mingli left the few copper coins used to disguise the carriage at the post station, rode to a secluded and quiet inn, and upon entering, said that he would stay there for a long time, throwing a silver ingot to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper, quickly stuffing the silver into his pocket, led the woman upstairs and lowered his voice, "Sir, this young lady came with our carriage. If you could give us a little more money, we'd be more willing to help you in the future..."

The shopkeeper didn't say the rest explicitly, but Pei Mingli understood that this was because the shopkeeper wanted to ask for more. He wasn't a stingy person, so he placed another heavy silver ingot in the shopkeeper's hand.

As the shopkeeper happily tucked the silver into his pocket, a gleaming blade was pressed against his neck. The cold, sharp tip of the blade had already drawn a line of blood, startling him so much that he dropped the silver.

But the dashing man in front of him caught it quickly and then slowly placed it in his hand.

"If the shopkeeper reveals even a single word about what happened today, don't blame me for being impolite."

He tried to appease them first, but now that he had the money and his life was in their hands, the shopkeeper's shrewd face was filled with fear. He hurriedly pushed away the blade, trembling slightly, and said, "...Great hero, spare my life! I dare not do it again."

"Go find a doctor, and get out of here!"

Pei Mingli shoved the man, who then tumbled and crawled downstairs to find a doctor.

After cautiously looking around, Pei Mingli gently knocked on the door and slipped inside.

"Ah Zhi! Are you alright?"

Looking at the petite figure on the rough bed, Pei Mingli frowned, feeling that he had really wronged her.

She had just given birth and yet she was expected to follow him through such a tumultuous journey.

Lin Zhi took a short, restless nap to calm herself, but her face was still pale and bloodless.

"Don't be afraid, your cousin has already sent someone to find a doctor. You'll be fine!"

Lin Zhi bit her lower lip, turning it white, but shook her head forcefully: "No, we can't wait."

"We're leaving right away."

“Pei Lang is so intelligent that he’s almost supernatural. And you just happened to appear at this time. He will definitely suspect that my death is not real.”

"Cousin, we can't trust anyone anymore, we have to leave immediately!"

Pei Mingli frowned deeply. "Alright, I see a caravan leaving. They're in the business of fabric pillows and blankets. Let's go with them!"

Before the two left, Lin Zhi did not forget to leave a few pieces of burned paper money in the room.

"Sir, this is the place. The man brought over a sickly girl who looked like she was barely clinging to life. We are just small, honest business people, how could we dare to take in someone like that!"

Pei Lang's eyes were bloodshot as he walked to the room the innkeeper had led him to, and kicked the door open with a swift motion.

The sun rises in the east, illuminating the room's furnishings, yet there is no one there.

Pei Lang clenched his fist, but his sharp eyes caught a piece of white paper shaped like a copper coin on the ground...

Where are they?

A sinister voice came from his mouth, which frightened the shopkeeper so much that he almost fell to the ground. How come these two are all like jade-faced demons!

"My lord, spare my life! This woman fell into a coma yesterday, and it seems that the man has killed her to cover his tracks and left!"

"No wonder he told me to go see a doctor yesterday..."

"Shopkeeper, yesterday when I was feeding the hay in the stable, I seemed to see a man carrying a limp woman and leaving with a cloth caravan."

"The woman's face was deathly pale; she was probably dead..."

Before Xiao Er could finish speaking, his breath was suddenly cut off, and his fragile neck fell into Pei Lang's hands. He struggled and looked at the majestic man in front of him with a sinister expression.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"...This is not nonsense, that woman...cough cough cough! She was completely still, her face was deathly pale, and her whole body was burned like that, how could she possibly be alive!"

As Xiao Er lay dying, he couldn't care less about anything else. He even let out a scream, but all he felt was a loosening of his neck. He knelt on the ground, his vision blurring as he gasped for breath.

Pei Lang's hand trembled as he released him. He had been clinging to a sliver of hope that Pei Mingli might have rescued the person.

But according to these people, Pei Mingli might have only taken Lin Zhi's body...

corpse......

But whenever Pei Lang thought of Lin Zhi becoming a lifeless dead person, he wished he could tear the servants in the mansion that day to pieces!

But no matter what, Lin Zhi can never come back.

Ignoring the shopkeeper and waiter kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, he ordered with a stern face, "Go and bring that person back immediately!"

"The rest of you, come with me and continue the search. Don't overlook even the smallest clue!"

Even if Lin Zhi is dead, she is still Pei Lang's wife and should be enshrined in the Pei family ancestral hall.

Just as Pei Lang was about to search the guest room thoroughly, Xingyun, who had stumbled over, stopped him: "My lord, something terrible has happened!"

"The young lady has suddenly developed a high fever and convulsions. The physicians in the manor are helpless. Please, we beg you, to summon the imperial physician from the palace to save her life!"

"How are the servants taken care of!"

Upon hearing that his daughter had fallen ill, Pei Lang was even more furious.

All of Lin Zhi's belongings were burned to ashes, leaving only her daughter. She couldn't afford to die!

Without bothering to search, Pei Lang hurriedly ordered his men to chase after the caravan and Pei Mingli, while he himself quickly mounted his horse and rushed to the palace.

After the noise subsided, the room returned to silence. Lin Zhi heard the innkeeper and waiter saying they were going to seal off the room, and then she struggled to crawl out of the box next to her.

The most dangerous place is the safest place.

They had considered leaving with the caravan, but that would likely implicate innocent people.

But the thought of her little, soft daughter having a high fever and seizures made Lin Zhi's heart feel like it was being torn apart. She even bit her lips until they bled and tasted a metallic sweetness.

She was so young and fragile, and without her mother by her side, she was probably crying herself to death from the pain.

But it was also she who, unintentionally, saved her own mother once.

Lin Zhi's eyes were slightly red and moist, but she was helped up by Pei Mingli who had rushed over.

"Azhi, I once asked you if you were willing to part with this child. If you said you were not, then I will go to the Pei residence to snatch the child back for you!"

Lin Zhi suppressed her sobs, gripped Pei Mingli's arm tightly, and shook her head firmly: "I... can't even take care of myself. If my daughter comes with me, I'm afraid she will suffer greatly."

"She's also ill now; if we delay treatment... the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Besides, I come from a humble background and have no maternal family to protect me. I'm afraid I'll only be a burden to her. It would be better if..." In the future, Pei Lang found a wife of noble birth to be her mother.

But just thinking about how her daughter, whom she had risked her life to give birth to, called someone else "mother," and how Pei Lang was by someone else's side, made Lin Zhi feel like she could hardly breathe.

Hesitation and struggle flashed in her eyes, but she ultimately dispelled them.

"Cousin, let's go. Anywhere is fine, as long as we get away from here."

Seeing her so stubborn, Pei Mingli lost the will to persuade her. "Alright, I've prepared a new carriage. I'll take you away."

“I was once rescued by a farming family. The village was far from Beijing and remote, but the neighbors were harmonious, simple and honest.”

“When we go there, they recognize me. You are my sister. I will only say that you came to live with me after your parents died.”

Lin Zhi had exhausted all her strength to avoid Pei Lang, and without a care in the world, she fell asleep again as soon as she got into the carriage.

After Pei Lang brought the imperial physician back to the Pei residence, it took a day and a night for the child's high fever to subside. He didn't even dare to close his eyes, staring at his daughter who looked like a little dumpling, afraid that something might happen to her if he closed his eyes.

Only when the baby's cries were loud and the baby was nursing with more strength did Pei Lang personally send the baby back to the palace with the imperial physician to express his gratitude to Xiao Ting.

Seeing his meritorious minister looking so haggard, Xiao Ting couldn't help but frown: "Minister Pei, you have now taken down the He and Lu families for me and resolved the princess's attempt to usurp the throne and install her own child. Why are you so distressed now?"

"Don't you feel that the current position of Grand Secretary is not good enough for you?"

Pei Lang was seated in the main hall, his cold face showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Your Majesty misunderstands. I am now completely content and have no other desires."

Xiao Ting chuckled and propped himself up on his arm as he looked at him: "Is that really true? But I think Minister Pei should want more."

"Alright, I will grant you a favor: you may make one reasonable request of me in the future, and I will grant it if you can do it."

Pei Lang could have asked for more power, but at this moment he found it all utterly boring.

After hastily kowtowing in gratitude, he left the Golden Hall.

"Lord Pei."

Upon hearing the Empress's voice calling his name, Pei Lang paused, turned around, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Lord Pei, please excuse the formalities. I have heard about the matter of the concubine and I feel sorry for her. But I would like to ask you to take care of yourself, since you are now a powerful right-hand man to His Majesty."

"And Yu'er is about to begin his studies. If possible, I would like you to be Yu'er's tutor."

Pei Lang's eyes remained unmoved; to him, such matters were no different from drinking water or eating a meal.

"I have too much blood on my hands, and I'm afraid it might frighten Your Highness. Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I would like to ask someone else for help."

Just as Pei Lang was about to turn and leave, the Empress lowered her voice and said, "Doesn't Lord Pei want to know why your concubine died in premature labor?"

"If Lord Pei agrees, I can tell you everything that happened that day, without missing a single detail."

Pei Lang's feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move. When he turned around, the surging emotions in his eyes startled the Empress.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this? Are you threatening me?"

Even though Pei Lang was like this, the Empress still maintained her dignity and faced him directly for the sake of her son: "Lord Pei is wrong."

"Do you think this is a natural disaster? Or are you holding a grudge against the Emperor for being unreasonable and punishing her by making her kneel in the rain?"

"But when I rescued Lin Zhi, the imperial physician said it was just a fetal disturbance, and there were no signs of premature birth or difficult labor."

Pei Lang, who indeed hated Xiao Ting and disliked Xiao Yuze, never expected the Empress to say such a thing.

His hand slowly clenched at his side. "Your Majesty, please speak freely."

"That day, Lin Zhi was in the side hall. She left heartbroken after hearing Lord Pei's resolute words, which led to her difficult childbirth."