Chapter 87 Pei Duo: Sorry to have kept Sui Sui waiting.
Pei Duo raised his hand, tapping his knuckles lightly. The Minister of Rites understood and bowed respectfully to the heavens: "Young Master Pei's uncle is the current sage; how dare you presume to speak of him?!"
Although the answer was within Zhao Zhixue's expectations, he was still shocked to hear the Minister of Rites say it himself.
Pei Duo was born at the pinnacle of power and wealth.
That was the power he could only dream of but never attain in his entire life.
No wonder the Pei family receives several elegantly dressed nobles every year, accompanied by guards unlike those in ordinary guardhouses; they are from the palace. Aunt Xie is not a fallen heiress, but a member of the imperial family.
How could someone as esteemed as Aunt Xie possibly be interested in someone as illiterate and uncouth as Uncle Pei?
Why would she give up a life of luxury and settle down in Xiping Village?
If the Pei family hadn't settled here, how would he have met Pei Duo, grown up with him, and gotten to where he is today!
Zhao Zhixue was jealous!
I hate it!
He was unwilling to accept it!
Pei Duo, being the nephew of the current sage, why should he participate in the imperial examinations like them?
Even if he did not participate in the scientific expeditions, he still enjoyed wealth, power, and official rank.
Zhao Zhixue wished he were Pei Duo!
He regretted not being born into a powerful and wealthy family.
In that case, he wouldn't be in this predicament today.
Minister of Rites: "Young Master Pei, may I have a few words with Zhao Zhixue?"
The young man's voice was extremely calm: "Okay."
The Minister of Rites waved for the two jailers to leave, then he went over, grabbed Zhao Zhixue by the collar, and began to punch and kick him. The nearly fifty-year-old man was surprisingly vigorous when he started beating people.
"A useless talent like you, who is greedy for power and wealth, ungrateful, and cheated on the imperial examinations, dares to covet my niece! I've wanted to deal with you for a long time! If I wasn't afraid of ruining Master Pei's plans, I would have chopped you up and fed you to the dogs long ago. My niece has been so disgusted by you that she hasn't been able to eat for several days!"
"I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"
"This punch was delivered because you took advantage of my niece!"
"That kick was from my niece who keeps pestering me to kick you!"
"And this kick!"
Zhao Zhixue was beaten so badly by the Minister of Rites that he screamed in pain and covered his head. In no time, he had many injuries on his body.
The Minister of Rites, exhausted from the beating, stepped aside to catch his breath.
The two left only after Pei Duo told them to wait outside.
However, as he was leaving, the Minister of Rites was still not satisfied and kicked Zhao Zhixue again.
After everyone left, Zhao Zhixue lay flat on the ground like a lump of mud. He was in pain all over, and his face was swollen from being punched several times. He stared blankly at Pei Duo, who was looking down at him.
The young man before me had a handsome face and an air of nobility and extraordinary bearing.
His background and status were so powerful that a single sentence could determine his fate.
Zhao Zhixue didn't want to die.
I don't want to at all.
He studied for nearly twenty years, all for this day of success and fame.
He didn't want everything to become a mere illusion.
Zhao Zhixue struggled to his feet, prostrated himself at Pei Duo's feet, and kowtowed, pleading, "Brother Pei, I was blind and it was all my fault. I beg you, Brother Pei, not to hold a grudge against someone as lowly as me. If you had told me you loved Jiang Ninghui earlier, I would have divorced her and given her to you—ah!!"
Zhao Zhixue's body instantly hunched over and curled up. His right hand was crushed under Pei Duo's foot, and intense pain surged from his hand.
He could even hear the sound of his hand bones cracking.
Pei Duo looked down at him condescendingly: "Sui Sui has never been an object, much less a woman to be trampled on at will."
Do you know why I went to such lengths to set up this scheme?
Before Zhao Zhixue could reply, he continued, "I want to make Sui Sui leave you willingly, make her hate you, and make her feel disgusted whenever she thinks of you in the future. I want Sui Sui to have only me in her heart and soul from now on, and only me."
Pei Duo lifted his foot and watched Zhao Zhixue pull back the hand that he had crushed the bone with.
The young man stared indifferently at his screams, at him fainting several times only to be kicked awake.
He kicked Zhao Zhixue again, then stomped on his kneecap. Zhao Zhixue's body twisted in pain, howling in agony. Veins bulged from his forehead to his neck, and in his delirious state of intense pain, he heard Pei Duo say, "Do you know why all sorts of accidents happen every time you touch Sui Sui?"
Zhao Zhixue's eyes were bloodshot.
He stared intently at Pei Duo, clenching his teeth in hatred.
He heard him say, "It was Pei who did it."
He then heard Pei Duo say, "It was also my doing that your two old folks were captured by bandits, and it was also my doing that snakes entered your house."
Staring at Zhao Zhixue's incredulous eyes, the young man's thin lips curled into a cold sneer: "However you bullied Sui Sui, I, Pei, will repay you tenfold or a hundredfold."
Zhao Zhixue recalled that when he shared a room with Jiang Ninghui in Qingping Town, Pei Duo knocked on his door.
The second time, he twisted his back; the third time, the fourth time...
And at home, a bolted window suddenly burst open from the inside, and he twisted his back...
Zhao Zhixue stared in disbelief: "You...you've had feelings for Jiang Ninghui since Qingping Town?"
Pei Duo raised his foot and stomped on Zhao Zhixue's left kneecap, crushing it.
Amid Zhao Zhixue's screams, the young man said, "Fool, you only just realized that?"
"When we went hunting in the mountains, if I hadn't been afraid that Sui Sui would become a widow for you, or that she would suffer, those two arrows would have pierced your skull."
"You should thank Sui Sui for letting you live an extra year."
Zhao Zhixue thought back to the day of the hunt two years ago.
It turns out that Pei Duo had harbored feelings for Jiang Ninghui so early on.
The young man coldly glanced at Zhao Zhixue, who looked like a dead man, and a sneer appeared on his thin lips: "I think that fortune teller was quite accurate. If it weren't for Sui Sui, why would I have helped you pass the imperial examination?"
Zhao Zhixue was in so much pain that he was panting heavily.
Those bloodshot, hate-filled eyes stared intently at Pei Duo.
Pei Duo was the one who sent him a secret letter and introduced him to the Minister of Rites.
I met Li Fu at the residence of the Minister of Rites; it was also Pei Duo's doing.
Everything was a trap set by Pei Duo to get Jiang Ninghui.
Zhao Zhixue laughed out loud, his chest trembling slightly with the sound.
After he finished laughing, he looked at Pei Duo with a gaze that was almost filled with vengeful pleasure: "Although I, Zhao Zhixue, am inferior to you in every way, there is only one thing in which I have the upper hand. The person you, Pei Duo, like is a slut who was abandoned and slept with by me, Zhao Zhixue!"
Pei Duo simply looked down at him condescendingly.
Those dark, terrifying eyes exuded a chilling, sinister aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
The young man raised his foot and stepped on Zhao Zhixue's intact hand, crushing the bones little by little.
Amid Zhao Zhixue's piercing screams, Pei Duo coldly said, "Only incompetent people seek a sense of superiority from women."
"I will let you see with your own eyes how Sui Sui will be married into my family in a grand and glorious way."
"I will make you wish you were dead for the rest of your life, and make you spend the rest of your life in pain to pay for the harm you caused to Sui Sui."
Zhao Zhixue watched in horror as Pei Duo summoned the jailer, and he heard him instruct the jailer: "Cut off his hands and feet, pull out his tongue, throw him into the street, and have someone watch him at all times to prevent him from trying to kill himself."
"No! No! Pei Duo, you can't do this to me! We've been neighbors for over ten years, Pei Duo!"
“Pei Duo—”
As Zhao Zhixue watched Pei Duo leave indifferently, he wanted to crawl over and grab him, hoping he would show leniency.
Tell him not to be so heartless.
But he was held down by the jailer and couldn't move. He stared wide-eyed in fear as the jailer held down his arm and chopped down his wrist with a cleaver.
Zhao Zhixue's screams echoed throughout the prison, filling the Zhao couple, who were imprisoned in their cell, with panic and fear.
Minister of Justice: "Young Master Pei, what should be done with Zhao Zhixue's parents?"
Pei Duo: "Kill him."
The bright sunshine outside only made the prison in the Ministry of Justice seem even more gloomy.
Pei Duo had just been released from prison when he was informed that the Emperor wanted him to come to the palace to discuss something.
Pei Duo got into the carriage and went to the palace.
I wonder what Sui Sui has been doing for the past half hour?
Does she miss him?
After being apart for more than half an hour, he missed Sui Sui very much.
At this moment, Jiang Ninghui was practicing calligraphy at her desk. Although she had been practicing for a long time, she always felt that her handwriting was a bit crooked and not very good-looking.
Having seen Pei Duo parade through the streets on horseback today, it's time for her to leave.
Before leaving, she wanted to leave a letter for Pei Duo, telling him not to look for her and to just forget about her.
But no matter how Jiang Ninghui wrote, she felt that her handwriting was very ugly.
"Jiang Niangzi?"
Is Lady Jiang here?
A deep, powerful voice came from outside; the person sounded to be around forty years old.
Jiang Ninghui put down her brush and went outside. She saw two servants hurriedly following a burly man, with a woman who looked to be about the same age as Aunt Xie beside him.
The servants hurriedly introduced the two men to Jiang Ninghui, saying that they were the General of Chariots and Cavalry and his wife.
Jiang Ninghui suddenly felt somewhat at a loss. She didn't even know how to greet the General of Chariots and Cavalry, so she stood there awkwardly and uneasy, her mind blank. The older woman noticed Jiang Ninghui's unease and took her hand, gently patting it.
Her hands, like Aunt Xie's, were soft, warm, slender, and fair.
Jiang Ninghui said, "Madam Jiang, there's no need to be nervous. My husband and I came here just to see you and ask how He Niang and Da Zhao are doing in Xiping Village. Madam Jiang, you can just call me Aunt Qin."
She pointed to the man beside her: "Just call him Uncle Zhang."
Jiang Ninghui summoned the two as instructed.
Uncle Zhang laughed and said, "That boy Duo'er has really protected you well. Your Aunt Qin and I have wanted to come and see you for a long time, but Duo'er said the time was not right and he was afraid of scaring you. I think now is the best time."
Jiang Ninghui recalled that Pei Duo had previously said that he had shown her portrait to others, and that if others saw her, they could simply call her Lady Jiang.
It's likely that Aunt Qin and Uncle Zhang have also seen her portrait.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ninghui felt rather embarrassed, and the servants led them to sit in the front hall.
Jiang Ninghui picked up her teacup with a reserved air and listened to the couple chatting.
Aunt Qin asked, "How have He Niang and Da Zhao been this past year?"
After asking, she realized that Jiang Ninghui might not know their names, so she asked again, "How have your Aunt Xie and Uncle Pei been this year?"
Jiang Ninghui nodded gently: "They are all doing well."
Aunt Qin smiled and said, "Speaking of which, it's been a year since we last visited them."
Uncle Zhang smiled and said, "Once I finish what I'm doing, I'll take you to Xiping Village to see Dazhao and the Princess."
Aunt Qin smiled and said, "Then I'll wait."
Jiang Ninghui's hand holding the teacup suddenly froze. She raised her eyelashes and looked at Uncle Zhang: "Aunt Xie is... is she the Princess?"
Uncle Zhang: "Of course."
Aunt Qin realized: "Didn't Duo'er tell you?"
Jiang Ninghui shook her head gently, but felt as if a heavy stone had been placed in her heart.
Aunt Xie was actually a princess.
Pei Duo's uncle...
Jiang Ninghui's eyelashes fluttered, and she looked at Uncle Zhang with her bright, watery eyes: "Uncle Zhang, is Pei Duo's uncle the current sage?"
Uncle Zhang bowed respectfully to the heavens, saying, "Of course."
Aunt Qin realized something was wrong, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jiang Ninghui's hands, and said gently, "Duo'er hasn't told you yet, probably because he feels the time isn't right and he's afraid of scaring you. Don't overthink it. Since Duo'er has decided on you, he will tell you everything when the time is right."
Pei Duo and Jiang Ninghui's matter was told to them by Duo Ge'er as soon as they entered the capital.
They all knew Jiang Ninghui's identity and also knew her personality; she was an honest and timid woman.
As outsiders, they have no right to say whether they are suitable or not. This matter has been decided by the Emperor's own approval. Even if He Niang and Da Zhao are unwilling, they cannot influence Duo Ge'er. Even the current Emperor probably cannot influence Duo Ge'er's wishes.
The couple chatted with Jiang Ninghui for a while before heading back.
Jiang Ninghui escorted them to the outside of the mansion, then turned back to her room. She stood absentmindedly in front of the table, staring at the two characters "Pei Duo" on the Xuan paper, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
She recalled that when she first arrived in the capital, her uncle Pei Duo invited her to a private room in a restaurant.
At that time, she thought he was a high-ranking official.
I never imagined it would be a sage of our time!
Uncle Pei was once a great general by the side of the late emperor, and Aunt Xie is the elder sister of the current emperor, and is the eldest princess.
Pei Duo was not only the top scholar in the imperial examination, but also a member of the imperial family.
Pei Duo was perfect in every way, both in terms of his status and his character, and he and she were never on the same path.
There was never any possibility between them.
This is especially true now.
Jiang Ninghui put down her pen and went out to ask the servants where the kitchen was, as she wanted to make meat soup dumplings for Pei Duo again by herself.
Pei Duo didn't return from the palace until almost dusk.
As soon as the young man entered the room, he saw Jiang Ninghui lying face down on the table, asleep at some point.
He stepped forward, his long arm slipping under the woman's legs to gently lift her up. Even though the young man's movements were extremely light, Jiang Ninghui, who was not fast asleep, still felt her body lift into the air. She opened her eyes, looked at Pei Duo's sharp jawline, and said in a soft voice, still groggy from just waking up, "You're back."
Pei Duo picked her up, lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers: "Yes, I've kept Sui Sui waiting."
As soon as Pei Duo got close to Jiang Ninghui, he wanted to get more.
He captured her lips with his, his tongue parting her teeth, murmuring repeatedly, "Sui Sui, Sui Sui..."
Jiang Ninghui climbed onto his shoulders with both hands, tilting her head back obediently, letting him do as he pleased.
Upon noticing Jiang Ninghui's agreement, Pei Duo's pupils suddenly lit up.
He took Jiang Ninghui's pink tongue into his mouth, his tongue tip lingering on hers, sucking and licking.
The young man's wet lips left marks on Jiang Ninghui's lips and face.
Finally, his lips landed on her raised, snowy neck.
The young man bit open her clothes with his teeth.
His wet tongue roamed over her collarbone and the hollow of her shoulder.
He then took her earlobe into his mouth, squeezing, licking, and biting it.
He said, "Sui Sui, I asked my uncle to choose an auspicious day for us."
Jiang Ninghui couldn't stand his licking and biting, so she kept burrowing into his arms.
She had no choice but to hunch her shoulders and raise her hand to try and push away the young man's tongue that kept pressing against her ear.
She asked, "What auspicious day?"
Pei Duo: "A good day for marriage."
Jiang Ninghui froze, her moist almond-shaped eyes looking at Pei Duo.
Pei Duo gently kissed her lips: "Sui Sui, will you marry me?"
Jiang Ninghui bit her lip and shook her head.
Pei Duo seemed not to see her shaking her head, and just smiled and said, "Since Sui Sui doesn't say anything, I'll take it as Sui Sui agreeing."
Jiang Ninghui hurriedly said, "No—"
The moment she uttered a sound, her lips were sealed shut by the young man.
Jiang Ninghui was kissed by Pei Duo and couldn't utter a word. She heard him say, "This mouth doesn't have the final say."
"I want to hear Sui Sui's other mouth agree to me."
"That mouth doesn't lie."
"Does Sui Sui think what I said is right?"
Although he asked her, he didn't give her a chance to speak at all.
Jiang Ninghui was placed on a round table covered with a velvet carpet by Pei Duo.
She was forced to lie prone on top.
The gorgeous skirt gradually gathered at the waist.
Jiang Ninghui tried to dodge, but a strong hand pressed down on her waist, rendering her unable to move.
The doors and windows were closed at some point, and the room was dark.
Jiang Ninghui pressed half of her cheek against the blanket.
She bit her lower lip in shame, her eyelashes quickly becoming damp.
She saw her underwear lying on the chair.
She felt Pei Duo squat down.
She even felt—
I felt a wave of scorching heat erupting from here.
Jiang Ninghui covered her face in shame, but Pei Duo's deep, hoarse voice kept coming to her ears.
"Will you marry me, Sui Sui?"
Jiang Ninghui felt the young man's knuckles probing into her soft spot.
Then, he got up, put his arms around her waist, and showed her his wet knuckles.
“Look, Sui Sui, she agreed to my request.”
She said—
"good."
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Author's note: Update before 7 PM tomorrow night~ [Sprinkling flowers]
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