Chapter 240 I Will Accompany You for the Rest of My Life
At the end of September, Da Zhao officially established prefectures and counties in Lu and sent troops to garrison there.
In October, the Dan cavalry that had been circling the border withdrew.
In mid-October, Queen Liang Yixin gave birth to a prince, who was named Crown Prince by Li Jinyu on the same day.
In November, the court awarded rewards according to merit. Li Jinyu appointed Pei Xingju as the Prince's Guardian and gave him the additional title of Marquis of Changxing.
In December, the Marquis of Changxing married Zhuang Wan, the daughter of the Zhuang family.
The Pei family, a newly powerful household in Dazhao, has once again emerged into the public eye after sixteen years of silence. Headed by Pei Xingju, they are leading the Pei family back to prosperity.
This prosperity can be seen from the grand scene of the wedding reception.
There was a lion dancer leading the way, followed by the best men on horseback, flags, gongs, umbrellas and fans, a sedan chair carried by eight people, and the sound of wind and string instruments. The wedding procession stretched from one end of the street to the other, and the scene was as lively as the parade of the top scholar.
On this day, people came out of their homes and stood on the streets to watch. Everyone was amazed by the spectacular wedding ceremony.
Of course, the most eye-catching figure was the groom, dressed in a bright red tuxedo. Standing tall and straight as a pine tree, he rode on a saddled turquoise horse with a golden saddle and a colorful tassel. His face was as white as jade, his eyes as bright as stars, and he exuded a noble and refined air, making everyone feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
At 2:15 PM, the wedding procession arrived at the Zhuang residence, but was stopped at the gate by Zhuang family members. Zhuang Hun, the leader of the procession, lined up with his friends and family at the gate, determined to embarrass the new brother-in-law.
The guests gathered in three layers to watch the fun, wanting to see who would be better, the groom or the brother-in-law.
The noise outside the door came into the house from the courtyard in waves. Zhuang Wan sat on the edge of the bed and listened to it with laughter.
Qiu Tan, with a four-month-old belly, sat beside Xiu Lu, holding her, and told everyone what happened outside.
"You don't know, my brother is so anxious that he's almost fuming. He's sweating in the middle of winter. I guess he's almost run out of knowledge." She laughed and said, "And those talented young men in the clan are usually praised, but they're no match for Lord Pei. They rack their brains, whether it's composing poems or couplets, but Lord Pei can't stump them. He's like a million horses and a million horses."
There's a custom of blocking the door at the current time. The more forceful the woman's family's resistance, the more they value the bride. To prevent Pei Xingju from marrying his sister easily, Zhuang Hun had been diligently preparing for the wedding a month before, even inviting a group of trusted friends to prepare the day before. Now, another round of laughter erupted, and it was unclear who had won or lost.
Zhuang Wan imagined the scene - Pei Xingju standing there calmly, while her brother Zhuang Hun was wiping his sweat while struggling to compose a poem, and she couldn't help laughing.
"I just went to take a look. Master Zhuang's demeanor is quite intimidating. Anyone with a bit of talent is being forced to block the door." Someone else chimed in, "He's being so ruthless. Isn't he afraid that his brother-in-law will give him trouble when he gets married in the future?"
Everyone laughed.
Zhuang Hun became engaged to a young woman from the Wenyuan Marquis's household in October; they were instantly attracted to each other. Zhuang Wan had met the Wenyuan Marquis's daughter before; she was bright, cheerful, kind, and generous. Madam Zhuang was delighted with her future daughter-in-law, and the wedding was set for August of the following year.
There were other ladies in the room. Jiang Baohe sat quietly beside them, smiling with her handkerchief against her back.
Jiang Baohe had come before dawn to add to her makeup. Ever since the fall of the Xiayang Marquisate, she had single-handedly supported the Jiang family. She had reestablished herself in the capital, bought a house and a shop, and was living a stable and respectable life.
After Qiu Tan finished speaking, she said, "The fact that they were blocked at the gate today really put them in a difficult position. In the entire Dazhao, how many people can be a match for Lord Pei?"
After that, the others nodded in agreement.
Indeed, people like Pei Xingju are like fish in water in the court. Even those slippery old loaches may not be able to defeat him. Today's scene is really not good enough.
Sure enough, not long after, a group of people were heard coming in from outside the courtyard, and they all started to clamor for the groom to write a poem to urge him to get ready.
Zhuang Wan hurriedly stood up, and Jiang Baohe pulled her aside: "What are you going to do?"
"Let's go watch the fun."
Jiang Baohe spat at her: "You mischievous girl, how can a bride watch herself having fun? Come back and sit down!"
Pei Xingju clearly heard the low laughter coming from the room. He rolled up his sleeves and stood straight. After pondering for a moment, he composed a poem to urge the girls to get ready.
Rumor has it that the color is pink under the candlelight, so don’t act like a fool in front of the mirror.
There is no need to put too much makeup on your face, just leave your eyebrows to be painted.
After the preparations were over, the matchmaker covered the bride with a veil and helped her into the sedan chair. The wedding procession hurriedly started playing music and entered the mansion in a joyous atmosphere before the ceremony.
At this point, when dusk dyed the branches red, a couple tied the knot holding red silk in the presence of their relatives and friends.
.
At night, the Pei Mansion was decorated with lanterns and lights everywhere. After entertaining the guests, Pei Xingju hurried back to his bridal chamber.
Zhuang Wan had just come out of the bathroom after taking a shower and had only half-dried her hair when she saw him staggering in and hurried forward to help him.
"Why are you back so early?"
After saying this, he was stunned. Pei Xingju, who had been staggering before, slowly stood up straight. Except for the redness on his face from drinking, there was a smile in his eyes without any sign of drunkenness.
Zhuang Wan immediately realized that he was pretending.
"You..." She said with a smile, "You are the Marquis of Changxing after all, aren't you ashamed?"
Pei Xingju remained calm and said, "If not, those people would probably force me to drink until dawn."
Pei Xingju usually acts decisively and sternly in the court, and his colleagues rarely have the opportunity to tease him. Now that they have finally caught him getting married, how could they let him go?
The Minister of Rites, in particular, had long coveted Pei Xingju as his son-in-law, but was deeply disheartened to find such a good son-in-law now belonged to someone else. Tonight, as if he had a grudge against Pei Xingju, he dragged him out for a drink and even when drunk, he insisted on accepting him as his godson, refusing to leave.
This appearance made several court officials burst into laughter, and they all urged that it would be better to hold the wedding today, so that Pei Xingju could be even more happy and have someone become his godparents and ask for a betrothal gift.
Pei Xingju's mouth twitched. He thought that these people usually looked serious and upright, but he never thought that they could be so mischievous in private.
Seeing that they were ready to make a move with their wine glasses in hand, he immediately held his forehead and closed his eyes, pretending to stagger back two steps and leaned on the table.
Someone yelled, "Oh, the groom is drunk. Looks like we can't drink tonight."
Just like that, Pei Xingju was helped back by the servant.
"They're still drinking," Pei Xingju said, "I'll come back for a while."
Zhuang Wan saw that he took off his coat without saying a word, which showed that he was determined to stay. How could he just say "stay away"?
Pei Xingju took off his elaborate groom's suit and wore only a red undershirt. His handsome face was reflected in the candlelight, a rosy red. His breath was slightly drunk, but not unpleasant.
He held Zhuang Wan in his arms and whispered softly in her ear, "Wan Wan, I'm going to take a shower first. Wait for me."
“.......”
Everyone knew his intentions, even the maid couldn't stand it and went out to prepare hot water without waiting for his instructions.
While waiting for the maid to bring water, Pei Xingju held Zhuang Wan tightly in his arms. Perhaps because he had drunk some wine, he became bold and unrestrained.
When the word "dissolute" appeared in Zhuang Wan's mind, she felt it was a little unbelievable, but Pei Xingju's behavior at the moment was indeed like that.
He pushed her against the wardrobe in the room and kissed her. Half a minute ago, Zhuang Wan said she would find him a clean set of clothes to change into, and he followed her in and clung to her.
They became so sticky that Zhuang Wan was pushed against the cabinet and kissed by him.
She endured his passionate and eager kiss, and she didn't know whether it was because she was drunk by the smell of alcohol from his mouth or what, but she felt very uncomfortable all over.
After a while, she heard the footsteps of the maids and pushed him: "Yuzhi, go take a bath quickly."
Pei Xingju said "hmm", but he didn't mean to retreat, still holding her lips.
Naturally, the movements of the two men inside could not be hidden from the ears of the maids. After filling the water, they quietly left the room.
Zhuang Wan waited patiently for Pei Xingju to kiss her for a while, until she felt pain in her back from the copper ring on the wardrobe, and she started pushing him away again.
"If you don't go now, the water will get cold."
As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Xingju suddenly picked her up and held her sideways. She subconsciously clung to his neck and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Stay with me." He said hoarsely.
"?"
Zhuang Wan didn't understand what he meant by "accompany me" at first, but when he carried her into the bathroom and put her in the warm water, she finally understood.
The two of them were naked in the tub, their bodies illuminated by candlelight, revealing the scene in the water. For once, the usually thick-skinned Zhuang Wan felt a touch of shame.
But Pei Xingju was drunk, and drunk men naturally have no shame.
He pulled Zhuang Wan into his arms, nibbled along her neck, and whispered, "Wan Wan, help me wash."
“.......”
Zhuang Wan's heart was a little overwhelmed by the excitement right from the start. But the man opposite her said flatteringly, "Help me quickly, or the water will get cold soon."
"Let it cool down, I don't want it."
Pei Xingju chuckled: "Are you shy?"
"Who, who's shy?" Zhuang Wan's face flushed, and he absolutely refused to admit it. "Isn't it just a bath? What's the big deal?"
In order to prove that he had seen the world, Zhuang Wan immediately turned around and sat astride him.
The mist blurred the figures of the two people.
When it was over, the clean room was soaked to the point of being unbearable to look at. Exhausted, Zhuang Wan was carried back to her bed by Pei Xingju. She had gotten up early for the wedding and hadn't slept well the previous night. She was now drowsy like a kitten, nestling in Pei Xingju's arms, refusing to move.
Pei Xingju let her lean on his chest, and his eyes, which had been hazy and drunken before, were now deep and clear.
He looked quietly at the big red wedding candles, feeling a peace and warmth he had never felt before.
After a long while, he kissed Zhuang Wan's forehead and said, "Wan Wan, I want to resign."
Zhuang Wan's sleepiness faded a little, and she looked up at him: "Why so sudden?"
"It's not sudden. I've wanted to do this for a long time." Pei Xingju said, "Do you remember when I went to my mentor's house at the beginning of the year?"
"Yes, I remember."
"I had this idea back then. I wanted to find a house with you to live out our days in peace. If we..." He pressed his forehead against hers, "If we had two more children, it would be even better. A happy and peaceful life would be even better."
Zhuang Wan remained silent.
"What?" Pei Xingju stepped back and looked at her: "Are you unwilling? If you don't want to, I..."
"It's not that I don't want to," Zhuang Wan shook her head. "I'm just afraid you'll regret it in the future."
"Why?"
"You've worked hard for half your life to achieve this. If you just give it up, what if you regret it?"
Pei Xingju laughed: "What is achievement?"
"If we really want to talk about achievements, nothing can compare to you," he said. "I've spent half my life toiling for revenge. Now that my hatred is over, I no longer have any desire to serve in the court. Compared to fame and glory, compared to these illusory prosperity, I would rather live in seclusion with you in a corner, in peace and quiet."
"Zhuang Wan," he suddenly leaned against her neck like a child and acted like a spoiled child, "I've been filled with hatred for half my life, walking alone. Actually, I'm a little tired."
Zhuang Wan hugged him and caressed his face lovingly: "Okay, rest when you're tired."
She said: "No matter where you go, no matter what you do, I will be with you for the rest of your life."
.
A year later, a simple and clean courtyard.
In the center of the courtyard stood a pear tree, its blossoms white as snow, many of them fallen on the bluestone floor. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the blossoms, reflecting on the ground and interweaving with the petals in a brilliant golden hue.
In the west room, the window lattice was open at this time, and the aroma of rice wafted out from inside.
"Madam, madam," a maid came in with a letter, "a letter from Hezhou."
Zhuang Wan was standing by the stove busy preparing breakfast. Upon hearing this, she covered the pot, wiped her hands, and took the letter.
The letter was from Liu Ningyan in Hezhou. Over the past two years, the two had corresponded frequently regarding business matters. Liu Ningyan was undoubtedly a man of great talent. The seafood snack business at Cang Ji had expanded from Luyang County to several other coastal counties. Most of the people who previously relied on fishing to make a living now had contracts with Cang Ji. With this deal, the fish caught were no longer just for self-sufficiency, but could be exchanged for silver. The seafood business was booming, and the fishermen's lives also became more affluent. Gradually, Liu Ningyan's name was no longer associated with the brothel's top prostitute, but with Cang Ji's second-in-command, Liu Ningyan.
The content of this letter was that Liu Ningyan discussed with her about setting up branches in other states and counties.
Zhuang Wan finished reading the letter with a smile, then folded it and handed it to the maid: "Please leave it in the accounting office for now. I will reply later."
"Yes." The maid took it.
"By the way," she asked again, remembering something, "Did you deliver the things I asked you to deliver?"
"Madam, I have sent it." The maid said, "Miss Lixia sent a message asking me to thank you. She said that the ship will leave tomorrow and she will not be able to come back to see you in time."
"No problem." Zhuang Wan nodded.
After Pei Xingju resigned from his official position, Zhuang Wan followed him back to Anzhou.
Although he was from the capital, he had grown up in Anzhou and had long considered it half his hometown. The customs and people of Anzhou were extremely interesting, and Zhuang Wan loved it.
When leaving the capital, Zhuang Wan gave Lixia his indenture and also gave her some silver.
"You are still young and have martial arts skills. You don't have to be a maid forever." At that time, Zhuang Wan said to her, "You must have your own life. The world is big. Why not go see the scenery you like and do what you like."
"Of course," she added, "if you ever want to come back, just come back. In my eyes, you are my friend."
Lixia cried and laughed, holding the body contract and nodded: "I have always wanted to go back to my hometown. Although I don't remember what it looks like, I want to go and see it. I miss my family. I want to go find them in the future."
In this way, Lixia hired a boat and left the capital.
Before this, Zhuang Wan had also received a letter from Jingzhe.
Jingzhe suffered internal injuries. Although she has recovered a lot, she still needs to continue recuperating. She cannot use martial arts in the short term, so she simply stays in Luzhou.
She still made use of her hobby and potential in real estate speculation and bought many houses there. It is said that she made a lot of money in just one year.
Seeing her growing wealth day by day, Xue Gang was deeply troubled. The reason was simple: Xue Gang had not made much profit from running Xuanzhao Pavilion over the years, and Pei Xingju had to cover Xuanzhao Pavilion's daily expenses. Sadly, Xue Gang didn't even have the money to marry a wife, and the gap between him and Jingzhe was huge. As a result, he still hadn't been able to win Jingzhe's heart.
However, Zhuang Wan discovered a secret in Jingzhe's letter. Jingzhe meant that she planned to live in Luzhou, which is where Xuanzhao Pavilion is located and is also Xue Gang's hometown.
As I recalled all this, steam was already rising from the pot.
Zhuang Wan opened the lid and poured out the cooked fish porridge. She then took off her apron, washed her hands, and went out to call Pei Xingju for breakfast.
Pei Xing lived in the back mountain and planted peach trees.
He said he wanted to plant a peach orchard with his own hands, where people could enjoy the flowers in spring, eat the fruits in summer, and even build a pavilion in the peach orchard to watch the snow in winter.
The ideal is beautiful, but Pei Xingju is not good at planting trees. After half a month, only a dozen peach trees were planted in the peach orchard.
The peach garden was located behind the house, accessible directly by going around the adjacent ridge. Zhuang Wan walked along the ridge and soon saw Pei Xingju, his back drenched in sweat.
"Pei Yan," she called him, "It's time for breakfast."
Pei Xingju turned around, wiped the sweat off his face with the handkerchief on his shoulder, and smiled.
"Okay." He threw the hoe to the servant and went down the path.
When they reached the ridge of the field, he took Zhuang Wan's hand and asked, "I heard there was a letter from Hezhou?"
"Yes, it's from Liu Ningyan, discussing the matter of opening a branch..."
Zhuang Wan told him the contents of the letter in a casual manner.
The two walked hand in hand along the ridge of the field, the morning light falling on them like a golden veil. Their long shadows intertwined, as if telling of a vow to grow old together.
Time stands still at this moment, freezing a picture of peaceful times.
——End of the full text——
Note: The poem urging people to put on makeup is from Xu Anqi of the Tang Dynasty.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
