Chapter 58 I Don't Want a Divorce
Passing through the archway into the front yard, Xie Yushu saw dozens of tall, burly men in black standing coldly under the corridor. Although they were not wearing armor, each of them carried a knife, exuding an imposing aura.
Pei Shilin lowered his eyes, not daring to meet the gazes of those people, and led Xie Yushu into the brightly lit main hall.
There were only two people in the main hall, but the atmosphere was very heavy.
One of them was Pei Heng, who was sitting to the side, while Pei's mother, Li Huixian, was sitting on the other side. Li Huixian, who was usually eloquent, did not dare to breathe loudly at this moment. When she saw Xie Yushu come in, she subconsciously raised her chin, as if to say: The person who was going to deal with you is back.
It seemed like they wanted to avenge their previous humiliation.
Pei Shilin respectfully bowed to Pei Heng and addressed him as "Uncle".
Li Huixian immediately pointed at Xie Yushu and said, "This is your uncle, Pei Heng, a Grand General personally appointed by the Emperor. Shouldn't you pay your respects?"
Xie Yushu stood still, his eyes fixed on Pei Heng. Pei Heng was dressed in a black, narrow-sleeved night suit, and there was still some dampness on his temples and shoulders, suggesting that he had just left the palace in the rain and returned to the Pei residence. "I wonder what brings General Pei here so late?"
Her behavior infuriated Lin Huixian, who was about to stand up and scold her again, but Xie Yushu gave her a cold glare and she shut her mouth. However, she was still very angry. She was used to Xie Yushu riding on her head and defecating on her head, and she was afraid of her from the bottom of her heart. She was about to wipe away her tears and complain to Pei Heng.
Pei Heng waved his hand, telling Li Huixian and Pei Shilin to go out first.
Li Huixian was stunned, and Pei Shilin also looked up at Pei Heng in surprise, wondering what Pei Heng could possibly need to talk to Xie Yushu alone? He then recalled the time that Pei Heng secretly returned to the mansion late at night and asked him to go to Yuqing Temple to pick up Xie Yushu. Could it be that Pei Heng met Xie Yushu that time, and what happened between them?
He felt very uncomfortable, but still led his mother out of the main hall.
Li Huixian looked puzzled, wanting to ask something, but seeing so many tall men in black outside, she didn't dare to speak rashly. She just asked her son in a low voice, "Do the two of them know each other?"
Pei Shilin remained silent with a cold face, only to hear Pei Heng order the door behind him to be closed. His heart felt even more heavy. Pei Heng, as an uncle, should have been more aware of avoiding suspicion.
The door shut out the sound of the rain, and the candlelight inside flickered.
Pei Heng was also looking at Xie Yushu. Tonight, she looked very different from the day she shivered in the rain. Her black hair was loosely tied up, and she was calm and composed. She was neither afraid of him nor did she seem to take him seriously.
He simply turned and sat down in the chair, asking lazily, "What is it?"
It was as if she didn't want to say another word to him.
Pei Heng didn't have time to waste, so he got straight to the point: "I heard about your matter from Xiao Dao."
What is it? Which matter?
Before Xie Yushu could ask, he said, "The Pei family wronged you first and then humiliated you. How do you expect Pei Shilin to make amends to you?"
Xie Yushu then realized that he already knew about how the Pei family had sent him to the Prime Minister's residence to save someone.
"What's the use of making amends? I've already suffered those sins." Xie Yushu sneered. "Besides, what can Pei Shilin possibly offer me in return?"
Pei Heng did not deny it, but said, "I will make it up to you on behalf of Pei Shilin and the Pei family."
Xie Yushu looked at him. His expression was unwavering and serious in the candlelight. He said as if making a promise, "I promised Xiaodao I would give you justice, and I will do my best to do so. You can come to me for anything in the future."
He stated calmly, as if giving Xie Yushu an explanation: "Pei Shibin's case will be reopened, and the collusion between Pei Shilin and Song Jie will also be thoroughly investigated. The Ministry of Justice will begin its investigation tomorrow. So I came back tonight to ask you, do you want a divorce?"
Xie Yushu was slightly taken aback when he heard him say, "If you want a divorce, I will order Pei Shilin to write a divorce agreement tonight. Before you are implicated by Pei Shilin, you can leave the Pei residence and start your life anew."
He didn't come back in the rain tonight to cause her trouble, but to give her a divorce agreement.
“After the divorce, I will personally go to the Yong’an Marquis’s residence to make things clear. The fault lies entirely with Pei Shilin.” Pei Heng seemed to have planned everything. “If you do not want to return to the Yong’an Marquis’s residence, the Pei family can transfer another house in Bianjing to you. You can live there with your mother. The Pei family will also try their best to compensate you for expenses and money. You don’t need to worry.”
Xie Yushu looked at him quietly, trying to discern any semblance of righteousness on his face, but to no avail.
This was so different from the men she had dealt with before that she didn't know what to say or what to fight for; he had already provided all the solutions and cleanup.
Divorce, house, money, investigation of Pei Shilin... He gave the female supporting character Yu Shu justice and the most perfect divorce settlement.
But it was too late. The female supporting character, Yu Shu, was already dead. Justice came too late; one act of retribution was not enough.
Is being reborn just to make the scumbag realize his mistakes, divorce, and admit wrongdoing? Will the female supporting character, Yu Shu, finally feel happy? Will that make her life complete?
Of course not. Pei Shilin wasn't the only one who killed the female supporting character Yu Shu; Song Jie, Xiao Zhen, and Xie Jianing were also involved. So, in this second life, these people should be Yu Shu's stepping stones, lifting her up to a higher position and letting her experience a more enjoyable life. That would be a perfect life.
A muffled rumble of thunder could be heard faintly.
Xie Yushu looked at him and said in a soft but firm voice, "I don't want a divorce."
Pei Heng paused slightly under the candlelight, as if he hadn't expected her to say she didn't want a divorce, so he asked again, "You don't want a divorce?"
"Yes, I don't want a divorce." Xie Yushu stood up and said to him, "If you want to make amends to me for Pei Shilin and your Pei family, then find another way. I'm doing a very good job as Mrs. Pei now."
Pei Heng looked at her with suspicion, "I thought you had someone else in mind."
"You mean Xiaodao?" Xie Yushu asked directly, "So you want to make Xiaodao and me get together?"
Pei Heng tacitly agreed without saying a word, assuming that she and Xiao Dao were in love.
But she simply said calmly, "I appreciate General Pei's kindness, but I don't need to oblige."
She will fight for what she wants herself.
The room fell silent for a moment. Xie Yushu thought for a moment and realized that now was not the time to make amends to Pei Heng, so he said, "General Pei, is there anything else? If not, I'll go back to rest."
Pei Heng looked at her but still couldn't see through her: "There's one more thing." He asked, "I saw Song Jie's carriage parked at the alley entrance. Did he come to bother you?"
Xie Yushu's heart skipped a beat, but he still answered calmly, "No."
Pei Heng gazed at her silently for a moment, as if he had guessed something, but in the end he simply said, "That's good."
Xie Yushu left the main hall and saw Pei Shilin and his mother still waiting outside. He had no intention of wasting words with them and left with Jin Ye by his side.
Pei Heng watched her departing figure, his brows furrowing slightly. He knew she was lying, but he didn't understand why she chose not to divorce.
She was clearly so close to both Song Jie and Xiao Dao. She took in Xiao Dao and let Song Jie stay in her room... It seemed she had feelings for both of them, yet she was unwilling to divorce Pei Shilin, whom she disliked.
Why?
Pei Heng sat in the main hall, puzzled. Pei Shilin and his mother came in again, and Li Huixian couldn't help but say to him, "Aheng, did you see how arrogant she was? You have no idea what kind of life I'm living! Now that you're finally back, you must stand up for me and Shilin and set a good example for the family!"
Pei Heng looked at her and nodded, saying, "We need to rectify this, starting with Pei Shibin forcing innocent people to their deaths."
Li Huixian choked for a moment.
Pei Heng then looked at Pei Shilin, his voice icy cold: "Kneel down."
Pei Shilin glanced at him, knowing that he could no longer hide his secret, and knelt down.
"Tomorrow you will resign and go to the Ministry of Justice for trial." Pei Heng looked down at him, utterly disappointed: "You've read all the classics but forgotten them."
Li Huixian never expected that Pei Heng would not stand up for his family but instead punish them. She was both angry and scared. She immediately tried to kneel down to beg for mercy, but Pei Heng kicked a chair over and blocked her knees.
“If you wish to apologize, sister-in-law, go to the ancestral hall and kneel there. There’s no need for you to kneel before me; I cannot accept that.” Pei Heng’s expression remained cold. “Sister-in-law should really think about how her two sons ended up in such a state.”
After he finished speaking, he got up and left, and the entire courtyard of men in black followed him as they left the Pei residence in a grand procession.
Li Huixian burst into tears in anger, scolding Pei Heng for showing no mercy. What good could Pei Heng, a member of the Pei family, possibly do for her son when he was in trouble?
On the other hand, she regretted not having sent Pei Heng to Xie Yushu's courtyard to catch them in the act of adultery.
Pei Shilin, kneeling on the ground, finally couldn't hold back any longer and roared, "Enough!"
That's enough! Did she really think that someone as powerful and influential as Pei Heng wouldn't have seen Song Jie's carriage at the alley entrance? Wouldn't he know that Song Jie was in the Pei residence? He simply chose to indulge Xie Yushu!
Pei Shilin now understands that his uncle and his wife have a close relationship.
※
A rumble of thunder passed by, and although the rain had clearly subsided, the thunder grew louder and louder.
Xie Yushu had just stepped back into his courtyard when he heard the system notification.
Pei Shilin hasn't had any green hat points for a long time, so why did it suddenly increase by 1 point?
Even the main quest rewards have increased. Is it because she refused to divorce?
She didn't understand, but then she heard the system analysis say, "Perhaps the female supporting character also wants to take control of her own life."
Lightning struck silently, illuminating the pond, rockery, and narrow corridor in the courtyard.
As Xie Yushu stepped onto the damp corridor, for a moment she seemed to see the Yushu of the past walking back and forth along this corridor, as if her life consisted only of this small space, and there was very little she could fight for.
But now, the door to her bedroom was pushed open, and the thin and pale Song Jie, supporting Cang Shu, walked out unsteadily. When he saw her, his dull eyes slowly brightened.
She approached him and heard him weakly ask, "Did Pei Heng make things difficult for you?"
She didn't answer immediately. She knew how to get Song Jie to deal with Pei Heng, and she also knew how to get Song Jie and Pei Heng to help her support Xiao Dao to become a prince, a crown prince, and an emperor.
She certainly favored Xiao Dao, but she didn't want to be with the deputy general Xiao Dao for life; she wanted to be Emperor Xiao Dao's empress, and have them rule together as a couple.
"Let's go inside, it's so cold outside." She reached out and took Song Jie's arm. "I finally managed to save you."
He visibly trembled, letting her lead him wherever she wanted.
He really wanted to say something to her, to ask if she was no longer angry with him, and if they could still see each other every night like before.
But what I really want to ask is whether Pei Heng caused her any trouble or upset her because of him?
She seemed quiet and in a bad mood. She let go of his arm, leaned on the table for a while, and stood there as if she was thinking about something.
Song Jie's heart clenched: "Did Pei Heng say something unpleasant to you?"
She said no, but she still looked unhappy.
Song Jie walked up to her and looked at her face. His chest felt cold and he wanted to cough. He asked her cautiously, "Really not?"
Xie Yushu finally looked up at him and waved for Jin Ye and Yin Ya to leave.
Cangshu tactfully left the room, leaving only the Prime Minister and Miss Yushu behind.
After the door closed, Song Jie tentatively reached out and squeezed her fingers.
She didn't pull her hand away, but simply asked him, "Did you know that Pei Heng brought the knife into the palace?"
Song Jie paused for a moment, then heard her ask again, "Xiao Dao is a prince, right? Song Jie, don't lie to me."
How could he lie to her? She saved him time and time again, took care of him, and warmed his cold body. He couldn't lie to her anymore.
So he said, "It should be."
Xie Yushu gripped his hand tightly. "What do you mean by 'should be'? You saw Prince Song in the palace tonight, didn't you? Prince Song is Xiaodao's master. Couldn't he prove Xiaodao's background?"
"How do you know all this?" Song Jie took her hand back, moved closer to her, and asked softly, "Did Pei Heng tell you this?" Why would Pei Heng tell her these things that should never be revealed?
"Don't worry about who told me." Xie Yushu looked into his eyes and asked, "What happened tonight when you were urgently summoned to the palace? Prince Song is also your master, isn't he?"
Song Jie's gaze froze for a few seconds, then he heard her say, "When you were unconscious, you called out 'Master Song Wang' and cried as if you were having a nightmare."
She cupped his face in her hands, her voice softening: "Song Jie, tell me, what happened to you?"
It seems like she cares about him and is sad for him.
Song Jie's throat tightened, and he reached out to hug her, pressing his cold face against the crook of her neck as if letting down his guard. He said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, Prince Song is my master. He saved me back then... Tonight, His Majesty orders me to interrogate him with extreme torture about Xiao Dao's background..."
His icy fingertips seemed to still feel the warmth of the blood, and the lingering sensation of the flesh throbbing.
Xie Yushu hugged him tightly and asked again, "Did the Prince of Song confess?"
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Author's note: Xie Yushu: I don't want to know what suffering you've endured, I just want to know if the King of Song has confessed.
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