Chapter 135: Breaking off the Engagement 2.0
last night.
The entire Pei residence seemed shrouded in a dark cloud. The servants secretly glanced at the young man kneeling in the mourning hall, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
It was clearly said that the carriage fell off a cliff, but the body transported back to Kyoto was incomplete. The eldest son was an honest and upright official, but he ended up like this. It is really sad.
It wasn't until the moon was mid-rise and the sudden snow had stopped that the moon-white figure began to move. A more alert servant stepped forward and helped Pei Zhao up. "Second Young Master, let me help you back to your room to rest."
Suddenly, a muffled cough was heard in the corridor. The master and servant turned around and saw Pei Tingyou, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, standing quietly by the railing. The dim candlelight reflected on his face, and there were clear wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He seemed to have aged a lot overnight.
The servant bowed and left, leaving the uncle and nephew to talk in the corridor.
Seeing the fatigue between his nephew's handsome brows, Pei Tingyou sighed and said, "We just asked the imperial physician to give her acupuncture. Your mother's condition has stabilized. Aling and your second aunt are taking care of her, so there's no need to worry too much."
"Thank you, Second Uncle."
Pei Zhao lowered his brows, pondered for a moment, and then said in a hoarse voice, "Second Uncle, has the Crown Prince decided on the Supervisory Censor to be sent to Qizhou?"
Pei Tingyou pondered for a moment and knew what his nephew was thinking. He shook his head silently, "Jianzhi, you have to calm down. Second Uncle knows you are capable, but Second Uncle is old, and the Pei family will have to be handed over to you in the future. Qizhou is dangerous, and you are putting yourself in danger. If something goes wrong, have you thought about the future of your mother and the Pei family?"
Compared with the resolute denial of the previous two days, the tone of these words was obviously much softer, but it was not enough to persuade Pei Zhao who had made up his mind.
"Second uncle, there's no need to persuade me any further. I won't be at peace until the truth behind my brother's death is revealed." He tightened his jaw slightly and said sternly, "I will go to the Eastern Palace to recommend myself tomorrow."
"But this..."
"Let him go."
Before Pei Tingyou could utter any words of advice, he heard Xiang's voice behind him.
The uncle and nephew looked in the direction of the sound together, and saw Xiang holding a handkerchief and standing a few steps away with a gloomy face. She must have been crying, her eyes were red and swollen, and she spoke with a heavy nasal tone.
"The cause of You's death remains a mystery. How many people in the court are willing to take on this hot potato? Even if they do, they won't seriously investigate. The Xiang family has some connections in Yuncheng. I will write a letter to Yuncheng tomorrow, and they will do their best to help you."
In fact, she didn't want to get involved in this matter at first. After all, Pei Shu was not her child, and the situation in Qizhou was complicated. It was too troublesome for the court to deal with it, and there was no need for the Pei family to get involved.
But when she saw Si Fu's grief-stricken look, she felt only infinite sadness in her heart.
Pei Zhao said nothing, but solemnly bowed like a scholar.
The corridor was quiet. Just as the couple was about to return to the backyard, Pei Zhao suddenly called out to them, his eyes half closed, and he pinched his palms and said:
"There is one more matter that I need to ask my second uncle and aunt to decide."
"What's the matter?" Pei Tingyou asked.
"Please go to the Duke's Mansion tomorrow to discuss the cancellation of the engagement."
Hearing this, the couple was shocked and confused.
The mourning period only needs one year, and the transfer to Qizhou will be a year and a half at most. Once the mourning period is over, you can return to the capital to get married. Why bother to cancel the engagement? Is it possible that you are afraid that Lingyi will become an unmarried widow before you leave?
But Pei Zhao's eyes were firm. He knew very well that if he wanted to recommend himself, he would have to cancel the engagement first.
Firstly, going to Qizhou for inspection is risky. As the second uncle thought, if something goes wrong, the marriage will be cancelled and it will not delay Lingyi from finding another good husband. Secondly, the prince sent him to Qizhou, which seemed to be an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, but as long as Lingyi was still engaged, the prince would not be able to marry her into the palace. Instead of waiting for the prince to use the marriage as a bargaining chip, it is better to cancel the engagement on his own initiative.
…
The sky cleared up after the snow.
It was a sunny day and the halls of the Duke's Mansion were bright and magnificent, but the atmosphere was particularly depressing and heavy.
The Duke and his wife sat at the head of the table, while the second wife and her husband sat on the right side, facing Pei Tingyou and Xiang Shi in silence. All three sat in a state of solemn dismay.
On the table in the middle, there were two documents of annulment of engagement that had been prepared in advance, with pen and ink beside them, waiting for the two engaged parties to sign and seal.
The Lu and Pei families had always been on good terms, but the situation had never been so tense. Even when Lu Yanxian and Pei Tingyou broke off their engagement, the Lu family was in the wrong, but the elders of both families had maintained their composure and remained amicable. It was nothing like today, when Lu Tanwei's glare was piercing.
"I just don't understand. This kid has always been steady. Youzhi just passed away, and the court is not without people. Why would he still go to Qizhou when he knew it was dangerous?!" Lu Tanwei said solemnly.
Pei Tingyou looked embarrassed, but his tone was very polite: "Jianzhi is determined to go to Qizhou to investigate the cause of Youzhi's death. As his uncle, I can't persuade him too much. Besides, it was his own decision to break off the engagement. Inspections are risky, and he doesn't want to delay Lingyi."
Lu Hanzhi raised his eyelids slightly, his tone calm yet dignified, "What do you mean by not wanting to delay? If he really cared about the Pei family and Lingyi, he should have stayed in Kyoto and gotten married! The situation in Qizhou is complicated, and the court has its own considerations. Why should he be the first to do so?"
At this point, he paused deliberately, "Besides, how could he not be present when the engagement was broken off? Is it easier for him to be Lingyi or the Duke's Mansion?!"
"No, no," Pei Tingyou explained quickly, "Today is the seventh day of the lunar month. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must appoint the Supervisory Censor to be transferred to Qizhou by today at the latest. Jianzhi has already entered the palace."
"Confused!"
Lu Hanzhi's face flushed red as he sternly said, "Everyone in the capital sees this Supervisor as a hot potato, yet he's such a man of high moral character and loyalty, yet he's rushing to recommend himself!"
The words were a bit harsh, and Mrs. Wen next to him poked his arm in disapproval, signaling him to control his temper. There was room for negotiation on breaking off the engagement, so there was no need to make things so tense.
"Last night, when the coffin was brought back to the palace, Si Fu almost vomited blood and fainted after seeing Youzhi's body. The child was still alive and well when he left the capital, but now he can't even find his body. The capable officials in the capital look down on this small position of Supervisory Censor, and the incompetent officials dare not wade into this muddy water."
Xiang's expression was calm as she scanned the Lu family members one by one. Her voice was gentle but powerful, "I didn't want Jianzhi to go to Qizhou at first, but it was his own choice. His brother's body is still warm. As his younger brother, wouldn't it be too cold-blooded if he didn't react at all?"
"The Pei family wants him to stay in Kyoto, get married, raise children, and advance to a higher position, more than anyone else. But have you ever considered that if he accepts these arrangements now, he will live in regret for the rest of his life?"
The hall fell into silence.
After all, they had watched their younger generation grow up, and the Lu family felt sorry for Pei Zhao and were deeply saddened by Pei Shu's death. Lu Hanzhi's words weren't simply meant to accuse him, but rather to hope that Pei Zhao could assess the situation and protect himself.
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