Chapter 42
In Yuecheng, Pei Du lay listlessly in bed, half of his arm wrapped in thick gauze, and even his face was covered with gauze, from which a few drops of blood seeped. Princess Nan was heartbroken and almost cried. She watched the physician treat his wounds while clutching her handkerchief, but the wounds on his body were somewhat gruesome, and she dared not look closely. Eventually, Prince Nan coaxed her out of the room.
When the Prince of Nan returned and saw his son so sickly, his loving fatherly heart softened again, but he still stubbornly scolded him: "I always told you that you were reckless, but you didn't believe me and insisted on risking your life. If something really happened, what would your mother and I do? You must remember this lesson well, or you will really think that you are invincible."
Pei Du had his eyes closed due to a headache, and he didn't open them when he heard this, but his tone was unusually submissive: "It's my fault for causing Father and Mother so much worry."
After a brief moment of tenderness between father and son, a servant entered the room to report a letter from Wangjing. The Prince of Nan paused, silently swallowing his words, and suddenly said with a hint of guilt, "I'll go see; I'm afraid it's something important."
Although Pei Du had his eyes closed, he was not asleep. He felt that he had forgotten something, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that apart from the group of refugees and pirates, there had been nothing else of importance recently. He had been confined to bed and recuperating for several days, and there had been no urgent matters to attend to.
But recalling his father's tone just now, he felt as if his father was hiding something from him. What could it be?
As he pondered, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head again. Helpless, he calmed himself down and told himself to rest for a couple of days until his injuries healed before going to the secret room to settle accounts with those bandits.
When the Prince of the South arrived at the study, he learned that it was indeed Xie Wen who had sent the letter and a box full of books. He opened it and saw that the top one was a test paper, and the handwriting was actually Xie Wen's own.
The Prince of the South then looked at the books that had been put down. He was amazed when he flipped through them. They contained both classical and vernacular texts, and were full of classics and treatises. He was truly worthy of being the Grand Secretary. Among them were two rare copies, which he casually took out.
He rarely read anything other than military books, and the sight of a box full of books made him dizzy, so he quickly threw the ones he had taken out back. Then he read Xie Wen's letter, filled with earnest encouragement for his studies, and urging Pei Du to write the exam questions as soon as possible and send them back for his review.
The Prince of Nan couldn't help but gasp, thinking to himself, no wonder the Xie family members were so famous. With such a strict father, how could they possibly have any worries about their studies? Thinking of this, he wondered if the youngest daughter of the Xie family was actually a bookworm, which was why she was so easily swayed by his son? Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.
He calmly stuffed the letter back and ordered someone to put the book box and test questions in the prince's study. He planned to let Pei Du go to the study to study in peace and quiet when he was a little better the next day, so as not to add to his depression after the injury. He just wondered if the head injury would affect his studies.
Pei Du lay in bed all night, and felt much better the next morning. Finding the gauze on his face bothersome, he simply removed it, revealing the red, swollen wound. He applied some medicine and left the room. When the Prince of Nan saw him that morning, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.
Pei Du asked, puzzled, "Father, what do you mean? Are you still afraid of my wound?"
The Prince of Nan was filled with mixed emotions, hesitant to speak, but unable to stop himself: "You, your wound, your face, do you want nothing anymore?" His son was already at a disadvantage in terms of temperament, and now he couldn't even maintain his dignity. How could he possibly win over the Xie family's daughter? Was he really going to be abandoned?
Since he made his feelings for Xie's daughter clear, my son has always been concerned about his reputation. Why is he being so unrestrained this time?
The Prince of the South was puzzled and confused, and Pei Du was even more puzzled: "It's just a small wound, how did it come to such a shameless act? Father's words are incomprehensible to his son."
"Alright then." The Prince of Nan hesitated, then, seeing that Pei Du didn't seem to care at all, he realized that this seemed to be a ploy. With such a serious wound, if he talked to the Xie family girl and played the victim, wouldn't that girl be heartbroken? Brilliant, truly brilliant. I've learned something. It has to be said that Pei Du's mind is indeed more capable than his own as a father.
He suddenly realized, cleared his throat, and told him, "Master Xie sent you some books to encourage you to study. I think those books are all good. Since you've been injured these past few days, don't think about going anywhere. Just stay in your study and read. There's also a test paper that he wrote himself. Answer it as soon as possible and send it back so as not to disappoint his good intentions."
Pei Du asked, "Why did Lord Xie send me a letter?"
The Prince of Nan immediately felt guilty and scolded in a gruff voice, "Isn't that because you don't behave like a prince of the palace and have no scholarly air? If Lord Xie were here, he would have skinned you alive for what you did last time. Now I'm just telling you to read a few books in peace, what's wrong with that?"
After saying this, he immediately made an excuse to leave, only instructing his subordinates to keep watch and make sure the prince went to the study to read, and not to let him into the dark room.
Pei Du frowned for a while before relaxing, wondering what riddle his father was playing, what he had done, and what his connection was with Xie Gong. He decided to go to the study to find out. When he arrived, he saw a large book chest in the middle, with attendants struggling to carry books out and placing them on the desk. The chest was already almost as tall as a person.
He waved his hand, and the attendant immediately stepped aside, saying, "Your Highness, the test questions are already on your desk. The Prince said he would like you to look at this letter first; it's from Lord Xie."
Pei Du took the letter and unfolded it. At first glance, he was puzzled; at second glance, he was confused; at third glance, he was incredulous; at fourth glance, he wondered if the person in question had gone mad. He had never had any dealings with the Xie family before, so why did Xie Gong's letter have such a didactic tone, as if he were treating him as a junior and speaking earnestly as an elder?
Looking at the test questions again, he hadn't seen any like them since he started leading troops. The handwriting was good, and the questions were good too. He could probably answer them all after a quick glance, but—why did he need to read so many books to answer this question?
Seeing him casually put the test questions aside, the attendant reminded him, "Your Highness, you haven't written a letter these past few days because of your injury. Would you like to write one now and I'll send it to Huaizhou so that Miss Xie won't worry?"
Pei Du paused, finally realizing something was amiss. "Master Xie" and "Miss Xie"—when did he have so much contact with the Xie family? Could it be… that he really forgot something after hitting his head?
Recalling his father's hesitant words and cryptic admonitions that morning, he sat down in silence and picked up the letter again, carefully studying each word. Clearly, Xie Gong regarded him as a junior, someone who could be freely admonished.
Lord Xie was known for his integrity and humility, always treating scholars with respect despite his high position; he was never one to be ignorant of propriety. Therefore, his attitude already revealed something, and considering the Miss Xie mentioned by his attendant earlier, he had a vague idea of what was going on.
He asked calmly, "I've been injured these past few days. When was the last time I delivered a message?"
The attendant replied, "It's been about half a month. You previously instructed us to wait for a few clerks to be sent from the south, and then send them to Huaizhou along with the letter. However, you were injured and did not write a letter. We dare not overstep our bounds, so the clerks are still here."
Pei Du then asked, "Has Miss Xie replied? Bring it here so I can see it."
The attendant asked in surprise, "Your Highness, Miss Xie's letters are all received by you personally. I don't know where they are."
Pei Du lowered his eyelids, feeling as if needles were pricking his brain again. He pressed his index finger lightly against his temple, waved for his attendant to leave the study, and tentatively searched the drawer on the right side of the desk, but found nothing.
He usually keeps the letters he receives in this drawer, leaving them there casually if he doesn't think they're very important. So it seems that Miss Xie's letters must be quite important to him. He tried to analyze the situation. If the Southern Prince's Mansion were to form a marriage alliance with the Xie family, it would be considered a union between two prominent families. However, the two families lived far apart, and the entire Pei family had moved to the south. How could they possibly contact the Xie family in Wangjing?
I have heard that my father and Xie Gong were old friends and would write to each other from time to time to say hello. There is no contact between the younger generation. Could it be my father's order?
Thinking about this, he felt a little irritated. He didn't understand why his father wanted to interfere in his marriage. He was very decisive when he was young and would never back down once he set his mind on his mother. How come he doesn't care whether his son has his own ideas now?
Pei Du searched through several places where important documents were usually kept but couldn't find the letter signed "Miss Xie." He began to wonder if he had burned Miss Xie's letter. Otherwise, how could he have searched the entire study without finding it?
Pei Du clicked his tongue, deciding to re-examine his own feelings. Since it was an arranged marriage, the two of them probably didn't have any real feelings for each other. Writing letters and sending fruits was just a formality. Oh well, since they were going to be husband and wife, they had to maintain the facade of affection.
I don't know how he used to write letters, but given his personality, he probably wouldn't write long letters. He spread out the letter paper and confidently began to write: It's hot in summer, so I'm sending you some wormwood with this letter. I hope you are well.
After finishing writing, he stuffed the letter into an envelope, called his attendant in, and instructed him to take it to Miss Xie in Huaizhou along with Xu Xie. The attendant put the letter away and then asked, "Should we also tell Miss Xie that your injury has almost healed, so that she won't worry?"
Pei Du was taken aback and secretly made a mental note of it. So this is what it means to have a fiancée. Not only do you have to write letters from time to time, but you also have to inform her of every little detail of her daily life.
He nodded, feigning casualness, and said, "Just say it verbally, it's not a big deal." If he were to open the letter and insert it later, his attendants would become suspicious.
The attendant, understanding the implication, was immediately filled with confidence. He was determined to exaggerate the prince's injuries to Miss Xie. However, he hesitated slightly about the prince's facial injury. Then he thought, they would have to meet eventually, and he couldn't keep it a secret forever. He might as well take this opportunity to gain some sympathy. Perhaps Miss Xie would feel sorry for him and tell the prince to read less.
Those who serve as attendants must understand the superior's intentions in this way.
After the attendants left, Pei Du was stumped by the books and test questions on the table. If Xie Gong was his future father-in-law and even his father approved, wouldn't he really have to read all these books and do the test questions?
He felt a surge of irritation again. Getting engaged was such a hassle, and he was so annoyed that he wanted to go to a Buddhist temple to chant sutras and calm his mind.
He casually rolled the exam paper into a tube and tossed it into the long-necked jade vase on his desk, only to find several scrolls of paintings inside. This was strange, as he was not good at painting and had only painted a few clumsy works when he first started learning in his childhood; he hadn't picked up a brush in all these years.
Pei Du pulled out a painting and unfolded it. He was first stunned by the painting's skill; it was clearly his own work, and no one else's painting could be so ugly. The painting depicted a girl wearing a flower crown, but the crown was so out of place and ugly that it was almost unrecognizable. The girl's face was also round and without any features, and her appearance was somewhat sloppy.
He had a bad feeling and looked to the lower right corner. The words "Xie Ayao's portrait" caught his eye, and his small seal was imprinted below.
Pei Du fell into deep thought: Under what emotional circumstances would he pick up a paintbrush to paint a portrait?
A gentle breeze blew in from outside the window, and the bells hanging below the window jingled crisply. Pei Du was startled awake by the sound. He looked up and was even more puzzled. Why would such a string of things hang in his study? It looked flashy but impractical, and did nothing to enhance the tranquility of the study.
He simply took out the other scrolls from the jade bottle and unfolded them. They were all portraits of Xie Ayao. He silently murmured, "Ayao, Ayao," and the sound of it was strangely tender.
He couldn't dwell on it. He carefully rolled up the scrolls and put them back in the jade vase, finally taking the name Xie Ayao to heart. He had forgotten their engagement, but every corner of this study bore traces of her.
How do you view this marriage arrangement? Is it merely a matter of parental obligation and matchmaker's words, or something deeper than that?
Pei Du couldn't understand it. He scoffed lightly, seemingly mocking himself, but not in a way. He was quite self-aware, knowing that he was cold-hearted and full of malice, and could never show a gentle demeanor to outsiders.
If someone truly has the outward appearance of a refined gentleman, it's most likely an act.
He lowered his eyelashes in annoyance. The Xie family was a prestigious one, and if he had to cater to them, he would have to keep pretending even after marriage. He was utterly fed up with this stagnant and uneventful life that seemed to stretch on forever.
The wind howled louder and louder, and the ringing of the bells gave him a headache. He felt as if the sound was piercing his eardrums, accompanied by a sharp, stabbing pain that tormented his nerves. He suddenly stood up, walked to the window, reached out and tore the wind chimes down, then casually tossed them into the drawer on the right side of his desk.
The ringing finally stopped, and a damp breeze brushed against his face. In his daze, a picture suddenly flashed through his mind: he was holding a folding fan, unfolding it to shield a girl's head.
Just as I was hesitating, my cousin Zhou Yujin arrived, waving a folding fan in his hand. He sauntered over from the courtyard gate, and only became more serious when he reached the study. He called out, "Adu, I heard you're feeling better, so I came to see you."
Pei Du turned around, gave him a cold glance, and commanded forcefully, "Throw away the fan, it annoys me."
Zhou Yujin's smile froze slightly. He didn't know whether to move his fan or not. However, seeing the cold look in his ancestor's eyes, he didn't dare to delay. He quickly put away the folding fan and threw it on the bluestone floor. He didn't care that the fan ribs were made of fine black jade. The fan cracked when it hit the bluestone.
"Throw it away, throw it away." Zhou Yujin went in silently, and immediately felt something was wrong. This ancestor was in a bad mood today, and he had just arrived and bumped into him. What bad luck.
Pei Du sat back down at his desk, his attitude devoid of any brotherly affection: "What brings you here?"
Zhou Yujin thought to himself, "If my father hadn't said that you were seriously injured this time and could only stay at home to recover, and that I should come over to chat with you and keep you company whenever I had time, would I have been so bored as to come looking for you, my ancestor?"
He chuckled dryly, "Nothing much, just checking on you."
Pei Du raised his eyes and gave him another cold glance: "Now that you've seen it, what else is there to say?"
Zhou Yujin was furious. He couldn't understand how someone with such a despicable personality could find a wife before him. It would be too embarrassing for her to leave so soon after coming in. He tried to make conversation: "Hey, where did the wind chimes under your window go? I asked you for them last time, but you wouldn't give them to me."
Speaking of that wind chime, Zhou Yujin was also filled with tears. He found it novel when he came last time. After all, Pei Du was not fond of noise. The wind chime jingled when the wind blew. He guessed that Pei Du must not have hung it himself. Perhaps he had to hang it because it was a gift from an elder. He immediately thought of relieving Pei Du's worries and asked if he could give it to him.
Zhou Yujin said with a clear conscience that it was absolutely a matter of pure good intentions.
Unfortunately, Pei Du was ungrateful and said with a mouth full of poison, "This is mine, and no one can covet it, not even if I die."
Zhou Yujin gasped twice, feeling wronged and thinking how ruthless this guy was, so ruthless that he even cursed himself.
Pei Du's mouth must have just tasted poison: "Throw it away, I won't give it to you even if I throw it away."
Zhou Yujin immediately fell silent. No wonder he was so fiery today; it turned out he had quarreled with the Xie family's daughter. He tried to hold back but couldn't, a hint of schadenfreude creeping onto his pursed lips.
He later learned through various inquiries that the wind chime was related to his fiancée. He had heard that the Xie family's daughter was renowned for her beauty and talent, captivating Pei Du's heart. Although he found it unbelievable, he didn't care. Having a fiancée should at least make him seem more like a person.
Then I discovered that Pei Du is a scoundrel who doesn't deserve to be called a human being, and he's even less human now that he has a fiancée! Haha, it's good that they had a fight. It must have been his mouth that angered Miss Xie. He deserved it.
Pei Du coldly interrupted his fantasy: "What are you laughing at?"
Zhou Yujin's smile faltered, realizing that he had been laughing a bit too wildly. He quickly corrected his attitude and said with concern, "Your injury looks quite serious. Why don't you rest for a couple more days? And your face, you should wrap it with gauze. It would be unsightly if it left a scar."
Pei Du waved his hand, but since both of them thought his face injury was bad, he was also inexplicably concerned. Did people who were engaged have to be so careful about their appearance? Usually, when he was fighting amidst the flashing swords, as long as the swords didn't cut off his limbs or pierce his throat, the wounds were all just flesh wounds. This time, the wound on his face was from falling into the sea and hitting the rocks. It should heal in a few days.
He scoffed, "It's just a minor injury. Why should a man be afraid of scarring?"
Zhou Yujin didn't try to persuade him anymore. He silently imagined the scene of Pei Du arguing with Miss Xie. He hoped that Miss Xie would slap him twice to barely quell his anger.
The two sat facing each other in silence for a moment. Pei Du casually picked up the test question and began to write, producing a lengthy and eloquent essay without much thought. Zhou Yujin glanced at it, utterly puzzled. Was Pei Du really so bored that he was writing a test question?
He stared at it silently for a while, until he was about to yawn. Pei Du gave him a sharp look and said, "Go back to your place and sleep."
Zhou Yujin perked up and chuckled twice: "Haha, summer is a good time to sleep. Since you're alright, I'll head back now. If you need anything to amuse yourself, just tell me, and your cousin will find it for you."
Pei Du said, "Wait a minute."
Zhou Yujin hadn't even taken a proper step when he heard him pleading for her to stay, and she almost fell to the ground.
Do you know the Xie family's daughter?
Now that he was really going to fall, Zhou Yujin hurriedly said, "How could I possibly know her? Adu, you're overthinking it. I've never been to Wangjing or Huaizhou. If you ask me, a quarrel between two people isn't a big deal. Perhaps it's because you haven't written to me for several days that Miss Xie has misunderstood. If she knew you were injured while fighting bandits, Miss Xie is understanding and would only feel sorry for you. How could there be any misunderstanding? Don't you think so?"
After a long, rambling monologue, Pei Du felt a headache coming on again. He waved his hand to tell him to shut up, thinking to himself that his cousin was actually quite useful. It turned out that the argument between him and Miss Xie was probably because he hadn't been very warm towards her and hadn't been writing to her often enough. The young lady was short-tempered, and he had been too lazy to defend her; perhaps she had complained to Xie Gong about it.
That explained his father's words, "If Xie Gong were here, he would skin you alive for what you did." It turned out it was just an argument. He sneered inwardly. Such a troublesome marriage, requiring him to study and take exams, was better off just getting rid of it.
The logic was sound and the narrative clear; this was the truth behind his lost memories. Pei Du put down his pen, somewhat amused that his past self before amnesia had been so repressed.
Zhou Yujin secretly observed his expression, making sure he hadn't said anything wrong. This living ancestor even had a smile on his face, as if he had been enlightened and the problem was solved. He immediately realized that his words had hit the nail on the head, and his heroic spirit soared to the clouds. Everything was understood without words: "Adu, listen to me, you're absolutely right."
——
In Huaizhou, Xie Qinghong heard that someone from Yuecheng had brought a basket of Xu Xie (a type of wild fruit). The attendant from the Prince of Nan's mansion also said that he had something to tell her in person, so she went out into the hall. The attendant was the same one who had brought the melons and fruits earlier. When he saw her, he handed her a letter, saying that it was written in the prince's own handwriting.
Xie Qinghong took the paper and set it aside, then asked, "I heard that the young master has recently gone to sea?"
The attendant's expression changed, and his voice became so sorrowful that he was almost in tears: "Miss, you don't know, the young master hasn't written for the past half month because he's too weak to do anything. The people of the south are all on your shoulders. There were pirates causing trouble at sea, and the young master volunteered to go to war. But those pirates were cunning, and the young master was tricked and fell into the sea, where he was injured. He's only just started to recover. But even after he recovered, his face was still scratched. The young master was afraid that you would worry, so he asked me to tell you that it wasn't a big deal."
Xie Qinghong was startled: "Are you injured that badly? Can you even get up?"
Realizing he might have overacted, the attendant paused and quickly tried to smooth things over: "After resting for a few days, the young master is much better. However, he doesn't seem to care about his injuries and went to read books before he was fully healed. We can only hope that you will write back to him and tell him to rest for a few more days before reading."
Xie Qinghong felt that this attendant was strange, but she was distracted by Pei Du's injury and didn't think about it too much. She just asked nervously, "Is his face injured too? Is it serious? Will it leave a scar?"
The attendant glanced discreetly at Madam Xie in the main seat, who was gentle and beautiful; then at Miss Xie, who was incomparably beautiful; then at the maids serving in the hall, who were all pretty and delicate. The servants and attendants he had met when he entered the mansion were also all good-looking, and none of them had any scars on their faces.
His heart sank. He felt that the young master was in trouble. Did the Xie family only care about appearances? If they knew about the wound on the young master's face, why weren't they properly applying medicine? No, he would protect the young master's reputation!
The attendant's mind raced, and a new excuse came to mind: "The renowned physician examined him and said that as long as he rests properly, he will be fine. However, the young master is not one to rest quietly. As soon as his injury healed, he got out of bed, accepted the book sent by Xie Gong, and went to study diligently in his study the next day."
Xie Qinghong felt as if he had misheard something. What Lord Xie? "A book sent by Lord Xie? My father sent him a book?"
The attendant, without batting an eye, fabricated: "Yes, the young master treasured those books as if they were precious treasures, and immediately began to read them. Master Xie even set a test question, which the young master answered immediately. He just doesn't care about his health."
Liang Yu couldn't help but rub her forehead. What was wrong with Xie Wen? She quickly answered for her daughter, "The young master's health is the most important thing. Reading and answering questions can wait."
Xie Qinghong forced herself to calm down and promised to write a letter to persuade her. After the attendants took their leave, she said goodbye to her mother and hurriedly returned to her room. She took out the mysterious and strange book and was so shocked that she was speechless. Was the saying about gods and Buddhas too accurate?
Pei Du has really become ugly!
She just said it casually, wishing Pei Du would become half a bit uglier, but in exchange for his safety, how could he still be so badly injured?!
Gods and Buddhas don't keep their promises!
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