Chapter 119 All for One's Life
The night was as dark as ink, and the lanterns under the eaves lit up one after another, their shadows swaying in the wind, casting flickering light on the bluestone path.
Pei Yuanzheng had just finished dinner, but almost none of the dishes on the table had been touched, with only half a cup of cold osmanthus wine remaining.
His brows were furrowed, and the pain and helplessness he felt when he saw Lu Zhaoxing during the day still lingered in his eyes.
As he got up, Pei Yuanzheng raised his hand and pressed his brow, intending to go to the Moon-Viewing Pavilion in the backyard to borrow some moonlight to calm the restlessness in his heart.
Before he could even step out of the room, he heard a loud bang as the sliding door was violently pushed open from the outside.
Princess Jinde stormed in, her gold and kingfisher feather hairpin swaying violently in her hair, the clinking of the pearls and jade filled with her anger.
Her eyebrows furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her gaze was like a poisonous needle, piercing straight at Pei Yuanzheng:
"Pei Yuanzheng! Where have you been all day?!"
She turned the entire mansion upside down today, but there was no trace of Pei Yuanzheng.
Princess Jinde knew perfectly well that he had gone to find Lu Zhaoxing! But she insisted on coming here to question him, just to embarrass him!
Pei Yuanzheng merely glanced at Princess Jinde indifferently, his gaze as cold and detached as if he were looking at a complete stranger or a madman, devoid of any warmth.
It seemed that Princess Jinde's anger had nothing to do with Pei Yuanzheng.
Pei Yuanzheng's blatant disregard for her infuriated Jin De more than any words he uttered!
Pei Yuanzheng was too lazy to argue with her and turned to walk out, not wanting to waste a single word on Princess Jinde.
"Stop right there!" Jin De strode forward and grabbed Pei Yuanzheng's arm tightly, the armor almost digging into his flesh.
"Are you mute? I'm asking you a question! Did you go to see that Lu Zhaoxing again? Do you even respect me as a princess anymore?!"
Before she could finish speaking, Pei Yuanzheng suddenly exerted his strength and forcefully shook off Princess Jinde's hand.
At this moment, Pei Yuanzheng's mind was filled with the image of Lu Zhaoxing and Shen Minghe leaving hand in hand, and her words, "Between you and me, it's already completely over."
His frustration and anger had nowhere to go, and Princess Jinde's entanglement at this moment was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire!
The force of the swing was immense. Princess Jinde was caught off guard and stumbled, falling heavily to the ground.
With a "thud," her lower back slammed against the purple nanmu wooden table behind her, causing Jinde to gasp in pain.
She looked utterly disheveled, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the rage in her heart. Jin De propped herself up, pointed at Pei Yuanzheng's back, her voice trembling with anger.
She practically screamed, "Pei Yuanzheng! Are you out of your mind! How dare you treat me like this for that Lu Zhaoxing!"
"Have you forgotten? When you ran away from your arranged marriage, it was who knelt before my brother and begged for your life to be spared?!"
Tears welled up in Princess Jinde's eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Without me, you would have been killed by my imperial brother long ago! Your Pei family would not have fared well either, and this is how you repay me?!"
Pei Yuanzheng slowly turned around, his eyes cold and indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever towards her words.
He walked step by step to Jinde and looked down at her.
Pei Yuanzheng's tone was calm and even, but every word was like a knife: "Then have you forgotten who was it that cried and begged His Majesty back then, insisting that the Pei family break off the engagement with the Lu family and forcing me to marry you!"
"I, Pei Yuanzheng, ask myself, have I been tolerant and yielding to you all this time? It's not that I'm afraid of you, but for the sake of the Pei family's peace!"
Pei Yuanzheng's voice suddenly rose, filled with long-suppressed anger and despair.
"If it weren't for the Pei family, I would have perished with you long ago, and neither of us would have gotten away with it!"
He slowly leaned down, his eyes sharp as knives, carrying a strong warning:
"Jinde, I advise you to behave yourself and not provoke me again, and especially not to lay a finger on Zhaoxing!"
"Otherwise, even if it means betraying the Pei family and ruining my reputation, I, Pei Yuanzheng, will risk my life to make you pay!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yuanzheng suddenly stood up, flung his sleeves, and stormed off.
Pei Yuanzheng slammed the door shut behind him with a heavy thud, completely shutting out Jin De's cries from inside the room.
Mo Lan, the maid who had been waiting outside, was so frightened by the commotion inside that her heart was in her throat.
Seeing Pei Yuanzheng storm out, his aura so intense it was frightening, Mo Lan was too scared to even breathe.
After Pei Yuanzheng walked away, Princess Jinde's mournful cries came from inside the house. The maid Mo Lan had a bad feeling and quickly pushed the door open to enter.
Jin De was slumped on the ground, her hair disheveled, her hair ornaments lying to the side, and her face covered in tears.
The pride and dignity of the past have vanished, leaving only humiliation and despair.
"Princess!" Mo Lan rushed forward, wanting to help her up.
"Get out of my way!" Jin De abruptly shook off Mo Lan's hand, shouting hoarsely:
"Why does Pei Yuanzheng treat me like this! What do I lack compared to Lu Zhaoxing?! I am a princess of noble birth, while she is just the daughter of a disgraced official. How dare she steal Pei Yuanzheng's heart!"
The maid Mo Lan trembled at her shout and quickly lowered her head, not daring to say another word.
She had served Princess Jinde for many years and naturally knew about Princess Jinde's obsession with Pei Yuanzheng, but Pei Yuanzheng's heart had never been with the princess!
Jin De cried for a while, then suddenly stopped crying, and his eyes turned fierce.
She gritted her teeth and said, "I'm going to tell the Empress Dowager! I'll make sure she punishes Pei Yuanzheng severely! How dare he treat me like this, I won't let him get away with it!"
"Princess, you mustn't!" The maid Mo Lan slowly raised her head, carefully observing Jin De's expression.
Mo Lan spoke very softly: "It's not that I meant to criticize you, but... the more you press the prince consort, the more resentful he will become, and the less he will care about you."
Upon hearing the maid Mo Lan's words, Jin De was slightly taken aback, then looked at her with teary eyes and said, "Then tell me, what should I do?"
"In my humble opinion, Princess, you might as well try being a little gentler," Mo Lan patiently advised.
"What man in the world doesn't like a wife who is gentle, considerate, and understanding? Forgive my impertinence, but wasn't it precisely because of this gentleness and virtue that your mother won the late emperor's favor?"
"Your Highness, why don't you learn from the Empress Dowager and show more tolerance and consideration to your husband? Perhaps he will change his mind."
Upon hearing this, Princess Jinde's fierceness gradually dissipated, and her expression slowly improved.
She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, as if she had suddenly figured something out, and her voice even carried a hint of joy:
“You’re right! I was so foolish before. I always tried to use my status to pressure him and argue with him. That only made Pei Yuanzheng resent me more.”
"I have to treat him well, show him care and concern, and let him know that only I am truly good to him!"
Only in this way can I truly win his heart back from Lu Zhaoxing!
After saying that, Jinde raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and her eyes became firm.
"Your Highness is wise!" the maid Mo Lan quickly echoed, a relieved smile appearing on her face, and then reached out to help Jin De up.
"This servant will help you back to your room to wash up and rest. We can make plans for tomorrow."
Princess Jinde nodded and let Mo Lan help her up. Although she was still a little uneasy, a new hope ignited in her eyes.
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