She remembered
"How could that be? If we had a child, I would definitely give her everything that was best in the world. However, you've just recovered from your old illness, and I'm worried that your body won't be able to withstand the pain of pregnancy. How could I bear to harm your body for a child that hasn't even appeared yet?"
Xiao Bo came back to his senses and pinched Pei Zhaoying's tendons.
It's getting stronger day by day, which is good.
He suppressed the sweet taste in his throat and spoke in a gentle voice. Under the dim light, the two lovers snuggled up to each other, as perfect as the picture album at the end of the story where lovers finally got married.
With affection in his eyes, Xiao Bo gently lifted Pei Zhaoying's dress to please her and make her happy. Therefore, his low moans and choking were mistakenly taken as signs of passion, rather than the inhuman pain endured by his internal organs and blood.
Pei Zhaoying leaned on his hand, stood up, spun around, and sat down in his arms.
She stroked Xiao Bo's waist inch by inch through his clothes, as if she wanted to imprint his flesh and blood and texture deeply into her mind.
"Dr. Gu Hao said that I'm in good health now... Xiao Caizhen was born after us, but she had the child before us. Xiao Bo, is it because of your poor health? If you tell me the truth, I won't blame you. At worst, we can work together to find a way to raise the child..."
Pei Zhaoying made Xiao Bo's emotions stir, and she became more and more outspoken, trying to make him lose control of himself.
"Okay, I will prove it to you and see if it is really me who is incompetent..." Xiao Bo's mind collapsed, and he lowered his head and bit Pei Zhaoying's earlobe.
He was not sure whether the drug trial would have an impact on the child, and he did not want Pei Zhaoying to get pregnant. After each lovemaking session, he cleaned up the extremely exhausted Pei Zhaoying very carefully.
Pei Zhaoying, however, dreamed of having a child at her lap, letting the life born from her body play and laugh in the courtyard where she was born and raised, waking up to the clear light, and filling in the most cruel chapter of her parents' lives. It seemed that in this way, Pei Zhaoying could cherish herself again after losing her parents at a young age, protecting her from the wind and rain, and wiping out all the pain she had endured in the first half of her life.
Xiao Bo really couldn't bear to shatter her fantasy of a bright future.
He was worried that his body could not support everything Pei Zhaoying wanted.
After the extreme lingering love, Xiao Bo kissed Pei Zhaoying's cheeks and neck over and over again, revealing an unknown reluctance to let go, calling her name in the red silk tent, "A Ying" "A Ying". Her snow-white neck was slender and beautiful, as if it could be broken with a slight bend. Xiao Bo had a crazy idea: if he didn't live long, he would take her away! Anyway, the damned person, under his planning and layout, would sooner or later meet the end of his life. If all the revenge on Pei Zhaoying was avenged, would she be alone in the world? Go with him, okay?
... Xiao Bo's hand slid down from her neck, replaced by gentle lips and tongue. He must be crazy to have such a thought. He had gone through countless hardships to give Pei Zhaoying a normal life, a healthy body. How could he be afraid of being alone in the afterlife and want to destroy her? In that case, what was the difference between him and Xiao Yucheng and his ilk?
"Aying, you promised that you would never leave me..."
At the peak of extreme pleasure, Xiao Bo repeated the oath she had made in Pei Zhaoying's ear.
The powerful minister was unable to cause trouble due to a head illness, the eldest princess ignored worldly affairs, and the prince consort worked hard to govern the country. Through the fair handling of each case, the people's grievances were redressed and the royal heir was continued. Even though the emperor was ill, the Liang Dynasty, due to various unexpected events, showed a prosperity that had not been seen in the past 20 years.
Perhaps, governing by inaction, reducing taxes, and returning wealth to the people, governing a large country like cooking a small fish without causing trouble for the people, is the way to recuperate.
Pei Zhaoying thought that it would be better to wait until the political situation was stabilized soon, and then take Xiao Bo back from Pei Heng, so that he would no longer be assigned tasks that would offend others, and they could live a peaceful life behind closed doors.
Who would have thought that she didn't look for trouble, but trouble would come to her on its own initiative.
The fetus in Xiao Caizhen's belly grew bigger and the pregnancy was stable. She was the most favored concubine in the harem. She held her belly and whispered to Pei Heng:
"I've had nightmares lately, and I've been constantly worried about the safety of the heir. I've been thinking about it, and I'm afraid there's a custom in my hometown that hasn't been fulfilled, which is to pray for the unborn child. It's said... that women from their husband's family with great fortune and blessings should light a bright lantern in a high building, to bless the child's safe birth and a long and healthy life. I've been thinking about asking Her Royal Highness the Princess to pray for the heir, but I'm afraid it's too much trouble for Her Royal Highness..."
"It's just lighting a lamp, what's the difficulty?"
"I have offended Your Highness before, and I didn't expect Your Highness to take it to heart and refuse to pray for my son." Xiao Caizhen spoke timidly, her previous temperament completely gone. She judged the situation and became a completely different person.
"The past was nothing more than a misunderstanding. My royal sister is magnanimous and will certainly not dwell on the past. The dragon heir is the most important, and my royal sister will not refuse."
Pei Heng, lost in his gentle embrace, completely forgot Xiao Caizhen's audacity in poisoning the palace, which had terrified them all. He readily and generously excused Pei Zhaoying. He had always been weak since birth, and a new life, a new hope, hadn't lifted his spirits. Pei Zhaoying's near-death experience was nothing to him. He and his child were safe and sound; the others were merely pawns to be exploited. Serving the emperor with all their heart and soul, until their death, was a subject's duty.
Besides, it was just to let Pei Zhaoying light a lamp and pray for blessings.
It's not like she's going to die.
Pei Zhaoying was speechless after receiving the order.
She was extremely disappointed with Pei Heng. It wasn't that she was sad, but she felt worthless and funny about herself.
Xiao Bo received this news before he went to the Dali Temple to take up his post. He frowned in dissatisfaction:
"The Emperor is truly a forgetful man. Don't try to get too high or too low on Xiao Caizhen's issue. Just brush it off casually."
"I hate her for murdering me, but the child is innocent. A new life seems to have diluted the past hatred. No matter how much resentment I feel, I can never harden my heart towards a child who hasn't even been born yet."
Xiao Bo had a stern face and didn't want Pei Zhaoying to do anything for them anymore.
Pei Zhaoying rubbed his face with her cheek:
"Don't worry, okay? I'm just lighting a lamp and praying for blessings. Nothing will go wrong. I'll just go to Yaoyue Tower and light a few lamps. It's still your territory there. Just consider it a good deed. I hope that the child we're destined to have will find us quickly with the lamp as a guide."
Xiao Bo was really powerless to resist such hopes.
Gu Hao couldn't guarantee that Xiao Bo's body, after taking the drug test, would be able to give birth to a healthy child.
In the beautiful vision described by Pei Zhaoying, a seed of hope was planted. Xiao Bosong was in a trance, and agreed with a trembling voice, and reminded Pei Zhaoying to pay special attention to safety.
In fact, he had never heard of the custom of women from the husband's family lighting lanterns and praying for blessings in his hometown.
Pei Zhaoying chose to hold the ceremony on the top floor of Wanghu Pavilion in Yaoyue Tower. It had a wide view, good ventilation from north to south, and was not disturbed by other guests coming and going. What came into view was the endless green and flourishing lotus leaves of Jinming Pond, swaying slightly in the wind, holding up the gorgeous lotus flowers in full bloom, which made people feel relaxed and happy when they saw it.
Pei Zhaoying was sitting by the window, feeling the breeze, as if he had returned to his free and unrestrained youth.
Dicui picked up a few lotus lanterns and said something nice:
"Master, look at these lotus lanterns. The petals are stacked one on top of the other, and they look just like real lotus flowers! They're so fitting for the occasion. If you hang them up, people outside will be wondering where these real lanterns came from."
"Okay, just hanging lotus lanterns is a bit monotonous. You can all pick some interesting lanterns to enjoy. If you want to take any back, just put them on my account. Don't be shy."
Qiluo was feeling unwell today. She had diarrhea and had been running to the toilet all night. She was almost dehydrated, so she asked the little maid Dicui to take her place.
Dicui initially worked in the outer courtyard, doing menial labor away from her master. One day, Qiluo saw her being obedient, crying in the corner with her hands swollen from working, and she took pity on her and promoted her to the inner courtyard. Dicui lived up to her maid's appreciation, and she was the best at making people laugh.
Dicui held up another goldfish lantern and showed it to Pei Zhaoying:
"This lantern is so vivid. If I put it up, it would look like 'fish playing among lotus leaves'."
"You are a smart person." Pei Zhaoying praised her with a smile.
Pei Zhaoying treated it as a chance to take her companions out for some fresh air and fun. They were all young women, each choosing a style they liked and helping her hang the eaves, chatting and joking with each other. Taking advantage of the beautiful scenery, Pei Zhaoying ordered a table full of fine wine and delicious food. Regardless of distinction between master and servant, they drank and comforted their stomachs. The Yueyue Tower's signature roasted pigeon was so tender it dripped with gravy, its skin brittle and translucent. The chef's craftsmanship was unparalleled anywhere else. The group ate so much they almost wanted to swallow their tongues, washed down with fruit wine, and enjoyed themselves more than gods.
The wine seems to be particularly intoxicating today.
Pei Zhaoying half-closed his eyes and took a nap in the wheelchair. Except to the few people he trusted most, he also remembered to pretend to be unable to move so as not to be targeted by people with bad intentions.
Dicui remained clear-headed and arranged all the matters.
"Sister Lanxiang, I'm worried someone might tamper with the food outside. Would you mind going to the kitchen of Yaoyue Tower and watching the chef make a bowl of thick sobering drink for His Highness?"
"Sister Yulu, please go talk to General Jin who's guarding downstairs and ask them to put a thicker mattress in the carriage. His Highness must be uncomfortable riding back after drinking. It would be best if you could check if the carriage hub is in good working order."
“…”
After sending everyone away, Dicui quietly closed the door, leaving Pei Zhaoying alone in the attic.
The wine makes people dream.
Pei Zhaoying once again dreamed of being pierced by thousands of arrows and dying by the Luo River... However, this time, she heard herself swearing and swearing amidst the river of blood.
"Xiao Yucheng, you are completely devoid of conscience. I regret becoming your husband and wife for life. How could you be so cruel to me!"
"You are such a ruthless person! I curse you! Even if you hold great power, you will not have a good end and will die young!"
"In my next life, forever and ever, I never want to be married to a jackal like you..."
The woman cursed with all her might in her dying moments, tears of blood streaming down her cheeks. Pei Zhaoying was in agony, both physically and mentally. This was who she was, the one murdered by her husband. What a ridiculous past and present life! Her life was like this! It made her life a joke!
Pei Zhaoying opened her eyes in pain, her face unconsciously covered with tears, and she felt like dying.
Someone happened to tiptoe into the attic, and their eyes met. Pei Zhaoying threw the scalding teacup at his face.
"Get out of here!"
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