Chapter 1 First Encounter
[This chapter starts with the if line]
In the 20th year of Xuanyuan, on the outskirts of Qingshi Town.
There is a thin mist in the mountains and the paths in the suburbs are quiet.
Song Lingyi was crouching in the bushes when she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves approaching from afar. She looked up and saw...
Several tall horses came, and the man in the lead was wearing brocade clothes and carrying a sword. He had a gentle temperament and should be the son of an official or a wealthy family.
After calming down a little, Song Lingyi crawled out from the bushes, rushed to the group of people, and waved her hand to stop them.
The young man in brocade clothes held the reins in his hand, sat upright on the horse, and cast a quiet gaze on the delicate lotus-colored figure.
In the cool air of late spring, our eyes met, one was quiet, the other was startled.
Swish——
The accompanying guard reacted, drew his sword and shouted, "Who is coming?"
The young man in brocade clothes raised his hand, tilted his head slightly, and said calmly: "Don't be rude."
The gentle, soft voice fell into Song Lingyi's ears, causing her eyelids to flutter slightly. The bandits had just passed through this road and could attack at any time. The man before her was well-spoken and had a noble temperament. Perhaps he was trustworthy.
Thinking of this, Song Lingyi knelt down and kowtowed.
"Sir, I am a cousin of the Duke of Jin in the capital. I was robbed on the road and had to spend all my wealth to escape. I beg you to lend me a horse. If I can reach the capital safely, I will repay your kindness with a gift of grass and a ring."
"What?"
"Which family's cousin do you say you are?"
The person who spoke was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and a headband decorated with rubies. When he heard her story, he looked slightly excited.
Song Lingyi raised her head, her eyes calm, "Kyoto, Duke Jin's Mansion."
Pei Zhao lowered his eyes to look at the girl with messy black hair. Her fair cheeks were stained with a little dust and mud, but the pair of black eyes that were fixed on him were full of light, so delicate and pitiful.
"Since you are the cousin of the Duke of Jin, what is your name, where do you live, and who are your parents?" he asked.
Song Lingyi swallowed hard and spoke slowly, "My name is Song Lingyi. I live in Huaizhou City. My mother is the younger sister of the Duke of Jin. My father was a lieutenant in Huaizhou City. Last year, he led his troops to aid Danyang County but was killed in battle. My mother died of illness earlier this year. Before she died, she told me to go to the capital to seek refuge with my maternal grandfather."
Lian He rode his horse to Pei Zhao's side and leaned over to whisper, "Cousin, everything matches up, right? We've been circling Xuancheng for a long time, but I didn't expect them to be in Qingshi Town!"
Pei Zhao's eyes darkened, and he asked again, "Do you have any proof of your identity?"
Hearing this, Song Lingyi hesitated for a moment.
Judging from the two people whispering to each other, it seemed that they knew about the Duke of Jin's Mansion. If they were friends, it would be fine. But if they were enemies, wouldn't she be walking into a trap if she took out the token of recognition?
Just when Song Lingyi regretted her impulsiveness and was about to back out, Pei Zhao seemed to read her doubts, dismounted swiftly, walked slowly to her, bent down and helped her up.
"Don't be nervous, young lady. My surname is Pei. My second uncle is a cabinet minister and has a very good relationship with the Jin State."
"After hearing the tragic news about the Song family, the Duke's Mansion sent people everywhere to gather information. I was entrusted by the Duke of Jin to come to Xuancheng to search for the Song family's daughter."
He then took out the warrant given by the Duke of Jin from his sleeve pocket to prove that what he said was true.
Song Lingyi frowned slightly, and a trace of melancholy and complexity flashed in her eyes.
After wandering for so long, she was not only worried about her own safety, but also worried that if she went to Beijing to live with her relatives, she would be looked down upon by her maternal grandparents. However, she didn't expect that her maternal grandparents would ask people to look for her.
After pondering for a few moments, she pulled out a jade pendant with a phoenix pattern from her purse. "This is the token of recognition my mother gave me before she died."
Seeing the jade pendant in the girl's hand, Pei Zhao's eyes flashed with surprise, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Instead, Lian He behind him excitedly squeezed over, picked up the jade pendant and looked at it again and again.
"This jade pendant looks so familiar. Oh~ I remember Lord Pei also had one, but it was engraved with a dragon pattern. I heard that the Lu and Pei families once used this jade pendant as a token of love. The marriage didn't take place, but the jade pendant is still there."
Lian He smiled meaningfully, turned his head to look at his cousin's slightly serious expression, and immediately fell silent.
Pei Zhao took the jade pendant from his hand and returned it to Song Lingyi. His voice was gentle and calm, "Lian He is young and naive. Please don't blame me, Miss Song."
The mountain mist dissipated.
The first ray of sunlight in the early morning fell on Pei Zhao, as if coating his entire body with a layer of light golden light, making him look elegant and extraordinary.
Song Lingyi looked up, her heart beating faster, but when she thought of her current miserable appearance, she felt a little inferior for no reason. Her thick and long eyelashes drooped, casting a light shadow under her eyes.
Seeing that the girl didn't respond, Pei Zhao didn't get angry. He turned around and ordered the guards to send out a horse. His attitude remained gentle, "Young lady, please."
Song Lingyi nodded gently: "Thank you, sir."
…
It takes six or seven days to ride from Xuancheng to Kyoto on horseback.
Pei Zhao had sent a message to the Duke's Mansion in advance. When the team arrived in Kyoto, Old Lady Lu and the Duke and his wife calculated the time and waited at the gate.
Old Mrs. Lu was still ill a few days ago. After hearing that Pei Zhao had found his granddaughter, her condition gradually improved. Now seeing the face that was very similar to her daughter, the old lady burst into tears. She took Song Lingyi's hand and asked about her well-being. The atmosphere was tear-jerking.
"Erlang, there is a banquet at the mansion. You can stay at the Duke's Mansion for dinner tonight." Wang said.
Pei Zhao bowed to the scholar and said, "It would be disrespectful to refuse."
In order to welcome Song Lingyi, the Duke's Mansion held a grand banquet.
After three rounds of drinks, all the guests were in great joy.
Song Lingyi left the table to change her clothes. On her way back, she passed by the corridor outside the garden and happened to meet Pei Zhao, who was sitting alone in the garden pavilion to sober up after drinking a few too many cups.
Under the bright moonlight, the evening breeze suddenly rises, rippling the spring water in the pond.
The man lazily leaned back in the gooseneck chair, raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows. It was obviously a very casual and leisurely action, but it revealed a sense of romantic charm.
Since traveling through time and space to this strange dynasty, Song Lingyi has seen many monsters and demons, but this is the first time she has seen someone as special as Pei Erlang. He is like the flower of Gaoling in the storybooks. He is calm and composed in the world, never over-courtesy to others, and neither cold nor indifferent to everyone.
His demeanor was also very gentle, unlike Shen Wuhui who was filled with a fierce sense of oppression.
Song Lingyi looked up at the lanterns hanging at the four corners of the pavilion.
After pondering for a moment, he walked towards the pavilion.
"Mr. Pei is drunk. Do you need me to find someone to help you back home?"
The closer he got, the stronger the smell of alcohol on Pei Zhao became; even the breeze blowing through the branches and leaves carried a hint of the rich aroma of wine.
He raised his chin slightly, his eyes fixed on the purple, a faint smile on his lips: "It's okay, thank you Miss Song for your concern."
Their eyes met.
A few steps away, Song Lingyi clenched her hands tightly under her sleeves, "Mr. Pei, you are so polite. I should be the one to thank you for letting me come to Kyoto safely."
Pei Zhao chuckled. "The Lu and Pei families are close friends. I took the initiative to find you this job, so why should I thank you? If you don't mind, you can call me 'brother.'"
The chuckle fell into Song Lingyi's ears, as sweet as a clear mountain stream. Her eyelashes trembled and she said, "...Then can I call you Brother Jianzhi?"
Hearing this name, Pei Zhao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
Seeing that he was not opposed to it, Song Lingyi walked over to the gooseneck chair and sat down, her dark eyes shining like stars: "I heard from my cousin Ayu that brother Jianzhi is a famous talent in Kyoto. At such a young age, he can debate on behalf of the teacher."
Although I don’t know what it means to debate on behalf of a teacher, it should be very powerful.
"I don't dare to call myself a talented scholar. I just read a few more years of books by sages." Pei Zhao has always been humble and never reveals his ambitious side in front of others.
"Scholars are always modest when speaking." Song Lingyi tilted her head slightly, "But Brother Jianzhi is different from others."
"What's the difference?"
Song Lingyi thought for a moment and said, "You are very insightful, modest but not hypocritical, and you get along well with everyone. I noticed that everyone at the banquet today liked you very much, and your uncle also thinks highly of you..."
Unlike her, she lives under someone else's roof and doesn't know what her future fate will be.
Pei Zhao smiled faintly and shook his head.
"In my opinion, Miss Song is optimistic and kind, with a sharp mind, and she gets along well with others."
Song Lingyi's eyes were half closed.
In fact, this was not the case. On her way to Beijing, she told a lot of lies and even caused a death.
Perhaps sensing her concerns, Pei Zhao said calmly, "Heaven won't send down sweet dew or thunderbolts just because we're selfish; the earth won't abandon its kindness and support for all things just because we're short-sighted. So just do what you should do. The elders of the Lu family are kind and benevolent. Miss Song, don't worry too much about your future."
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