Chapter 158: Will You Come Back to Beijing with Me? (Two Updates in One)
At dawn, Liang Yixin was sent back home. She locked herself in the house and did not allow anyone to visit her.
In the bathtub, the expression on her face was numb and dull, and she kept rubbing her body with one hand, as if she wanted to rub off the skin.
The maid saw the red marks on her body and burst into tears: "How could she be so cruel? How could she be so cruel? The young lady is her most beloved niece."
Liang Yixin remained indifferent, her hands moving non-stop.
Outside, the Duke's wife heard the news and came over, knocking on the door: "Xin'er, open the door, open the door quickly and let Mother in. Mother knows you've been wronged, please let Mother in to see, not alone, okay?"
She acted like a loving daughter outside: "Xin'er, don't scare me. It makes me sad when you do this. Isn't this like cutting my flesh?"
Liang Yixin sneered, her smile was sad and resentful.
Cut her flesh? She didn't believe she didn't know what happened last night.
The wife of the Duke had always hoped that her daughter would enter the palace and become the Queen, but the Emperor had been slow to express his intention to make her the Queen, and Liang Yixin also deliberately avoided the Emperor, so no matter how they tried to match them up, they were unable to succeed.
Duke Xin said that today's tactics were the Queen Mother's idea to ensure that Liang Yixin would not be harmed, and the Duke's wife agreed. She never expected that her daughter would return from the palace and lock herself in the room without saying a word. She was so frightened that she could not sit still and immediately ran to see.
In the room, Liang Yixin let her knock on the door. After a long while, she got up and got dressed.
Wearing a clean and simple plain dress and with wet hair, she went to open the door herself.
She smiled gently: "Mother, I'm fine, I'm just too happy."
The Duke's wife was stunned. She realized that something was wrong with her daughter, but she couldn't figure out what it was. "Xin'er, are you really okay? Last night..."
Liang Yixin said, "If it weren't for the emperor last night, Xin'er might not have survived until dawn. Mother, tell me, isn't your daughter very lucky?"
The Duke's wife was completely bewildered by her attitude. But no matter what, Liang Yixin's silence was beyond her expectations, but it was also the result she wanted.
This was the best way. If the two of them had physical contact, the Emperor would definitely be held responsible. And since she was a girl from the Duke of Xin's mansion, she could only sit in the position of Empress.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile, saying, "I'm very pleased to see you so open-minded and sensible. Xin'er, don't be afraid. Mother and father will take care of everything for you. Just wait. Your good days will soon be here."
Liang Yixin smiled: "Thank you, mother."
After seeing off the Duke's wife, she ate, read, and played the piano as usual. Finally, she burned incense, washed her hands, and put on beautiful makeup.
At noon, the maidservant came into the room and suddenly screamed.
I saw a person hanging under the beam of the house.
She was so frightened that she crawled out of the house: "Someone come! The young lady has hanged herself!"
.
Liang Yixin attempted suicide, but unfortunately, she did not die. Her suicide was originally her complaint against the world and her parents' indifference, but it became a weapon for Duke Xin to cause chaos in the palace.
Duke Xin made a scene in the Emperor's Qinzheng Palace, demanding an explanation from the Emperor.
When the emperor learned that Liang Yixin had committed suicide, he was stunned for a long time.
"Why are you doing this, cousin?" He smiled bitterly.
After a moment of silence, he raised his eyes and said, "Uncle, please don't say anything. I will marry my cousin into the palace."
Duke Jingguo was stunned. He didn't expect things to go so smoothly.
Then I heard the emperor say, "Before that, I want to see my cousin alone."
There were some questions he wanted to ask her in person.
.
The news that the emperor wanted to marry Liang Yixin as his queen soon spread throughout the court and even Pei Xingju, who was far away in Hezhou, learned the news.
"What's going on?" In the study, Xue Gang's face was filled with disbelief. "What exactly does the emperor mean? On the one hand, he wants you to thoroughly investigate Hezhou, and on the other hand, he wants you to marry the daughter of the Liang family."
"Now," he said, "the Liang family is on the verge of being overthrown, and the Liang family's daughter has become their lifeline. So, what's the point of investigating the Hezhou incident further?"
Pei Xingju was sitting at the table reading official documents when he suddenly coughed for a long time.
"I didn't expect the Hezhou incident to bring down the Liang family," he said slowly, "but if it doesn't, it will at least damage the Liang family's foundation. I didn't expect the emperor to marry a Liang girl at this critical juncture."
Seeing his expression, Xue Gang asked, "Do you know something?"
Pei Xingju nodded. "Actually, I was already worried before I came here. The Liang family has always wanted to have their daughter enter the palace as empress, but the emperor has been hesitant to agree. Do you know why?"
"What else can we do? Of course, the power of the maternal relatives is too great, so we can't marry the daughter of the Liang family."
"Then do you know why the emperor has relented now?"
"Could it be that Duke Xin used some means to force the Emperor to agree?"
Pei Xingju smiled and said, "The emperor is the emperor, no one in the world can force him."
"Why is that?" Xue Gang said anxiously, "Don't try to confuse me. I'm not from the imperial court and I don't understand your tricks."
Pei Xingju put down his pen. "You just said that the daughter of the Liang family cannot be married, not that the Emperor doesn't want to marry her. Your Majesty... I was his tutor for three years, so how could I not know his character? He is a member of the imperial family, but he values friendship. But he doesn't know that a true emperor must be ruthless and unrighteous."
Xue Gang understood something: "Could it be that the Emperor is actually interested in the daughter of the Liang family?"
Pei Xingju nodded: "Duke Xin is certainly capable of using tricks, but if the emperor doesn't want to, naturally no one can force him."
When Xue Gang heard this, he stopped talking.
He angrily sipped his tea and asked, "So what should we do next? Should we continue investigating Hezhou? If we continue investigating the Hezhou matter, you will offend more than just Duke Xin. Then you will be isolated and helpless in the court, and you will become a target of public criticism."
After pondering for a moment, Pei Xingju picked up his pen and continued to annotate the official document: "The Hezhou incident must be investigated, and it must be thoroughly investigated. Even if I am isolated and helpless, so what? I, Pei Xingju, have come this far and there is no turning back."
After he finished speaking, he put his hand to his lips and coughed violently again.
"Your fever is getting worse. Why don't you call a doctor?" Xue Gang couldn't stand it anymore and turned to ask Guard Lu at the door, "Lu Huai, have you called a doctor for him?"
Guard Lu looked helpless and silently mouthed: Please.
"Why do I have to invite you and still--" Thinking of something, Xue Gang shut up speechlessly again.
It was no use asking for help, Pei Xingju refused to take the medicine and would rather endure it than drink it.
After thinking for a moment, he stood up and walked out the door, quietly asking Guard Lu, "Where's Miss Zhuang? Didn't she come?"
Guard Lu shook his head: "Miss Zhuang has been busy with the shop these past two days and has rarely come here."
"Oh." Xue Gang glanced at Pei Xingju, whose face was red from coughing, and suddenly had an idea.
.
On this side, when Zhuang Wan came back from the shop, he weighed a pound of meat at the vegetable market.
As soon as she returned to her yard, she saw two people fighting on her roof, while Lixia was standing under the porch, eating a sweet potato and watching the fun.
Zhuang Wan walked over and asked in confusion, "Why did Master Xue and Jingzhe start fighting?"
"You don't understand. This is called flirting."
"?"
Zhuang Wan had an expression as if she had smelled a big melon. What did she miss?
Lixia said, "Jingzhe is usually very quiet and aloof. If Pavilion Master Xue wants to have a word with her, he can only pick a fight with her."
"...Why does Master Xue want to talk to her?"
Lixia turned around with a look of "don't you know?" and said, "Didn't you realize that Pavilion Master Xue actually likes Jingzhe?"
Zhuang Wan was shocked!
How did she know that? She really didn't notice!
"Oh, but the young lady probably doesn't know much about it." Lixia continued, "Since the two of us left Xuanzhao Pavilion, we haven't been in contact much. Since we don't see each other often on weekdays, the young lady naturally doesn't know much about it. But I tell you..."
Lixia leaned closer and said, "When we were in Xuanzhao Pavilion, Pavilion Master Xue often invited Jingzhe to spar under the moon."
“…”
If you like someone, you invite her to fight. What kind of weird pursuit method is this for you martial artists?
Zhuang Wan couldn't help but glance toward the rooftop. She saw the two men moving swiftly, each blow a real blow. Xue Gang thrust his sword forward without blinking, and Jingzhe met the blow with a blank expression. Then, spinning around, Jingzhe launched another kick at Xue Gang. The kick was brutal and ruthless. Xue Gang took a step back, then caught him off guard and struck him in the back of the neck...
Well, it doesn't look like flirting at all, but rather like enemies meeting and becoming extremely jealous of each other.
Zhuang Wan really didn't understand and was too lazy to look at it anymore, so she simply carried the meat she had just bought into the kitchen.
However, not long after, when she was cooking the meat in the pan, she saw Xue Gang coming to her kitchen door.
Xue Gang, like Chen Yi, always had a somewhat unconventional aura about him. He stretched his muscles while peering into her pot.
"Is Miss Zhuang cooking?"
Zhuang Wan nodded: "It's almost noon, let's prepare lunch."
"Oh," Xue Gang said, trying to make conversation: "It smells good. Is it for you alone?"
?
Does he still want to eat for free?
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Wan casually invited him, "If Master Xue doesn't mind, you can have lunch here."
"Okay." Xue Gang immediately said without hesitation, "Do you mind if I bring a friend with me?"
Haha, she only bought a pound of meat in total. Lately, because of running the shop, money has been stretched thin, and even meat has been eaten sparingly. He actually wanted to bring someone else with him.
But what else could Zhuang Wan do? She could only smile.
But unexpectedly, the friend Xue Gang mentioned was Pei Xingju.
When she had lunch ready, the two men came in with a swagger, without even a token of courtesy in their hands, and sat at the table like masters.
Zhuang Wan prepared three dishes and a soup and set them on the table, preparing bowls and chopsticks for the two of them. When she sat down, she happened to be facing Pei Xingju, so she could see him immediately.
Perhaps in order to deal with the Hezhou affairs as quickly as possible, Pei Xingju has been very busy these past two days. Zhuang Wanruo tried not to disturb him unless it was necessary.
Of course, Zhuang Wan herself was also busy. The shop was already open, and she had been contacting fishermen over the past two days, agreeing on the types and quantities of seafood to be delivered daily. She also needed to find a few trustworthy people to teach her the craft. Producing seafood snacks on a large scale required a standardized format, and she couldn't rely on her own efforts.
So, before I knew it, I hadn't seen Pei Xingju for several days.
During the meal, Pei Xingju started coughing again. Zhuang Wan put down her chopsticks and asked, "Is Master Pei ill?"
Before Pei Xingju could say anything, Xue Gang was surprised: "Ah! Miss Zhuang didn't even know that Master Pei was sick?"
Zhuang Wan pursed her lips, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
Xue Gang continued, "That's perfect, Miss Zhuang, please help me talk to him. He's been sick for several days and refused to take medicine. Last night he was busy all night and didn't sleep. If he continues like this, he will kill himself sooner or later. It doesn't matter if he dies, but I still have many brothers under me who need to eat. Who can I ask for money then?"
“.......”
After saying that, Xue Gang smiled, then used his two chopsticks to scoop up the rice, and in a few moments he had finished the whole bowl of rice.
"I'm going to be busy. Um..." He stood up and said, "Miss Zhuang, please help me talk to him. Whether my brothers can survive depends on you."
“........”
After Xue Gang finished speaking, he left, leaving only Zhuang Wan and Pei Xingju in the main hall.
The air was quiet for a while, and Zhuang Wan said, "I didn't know you were sick. Are you okay?"
Pei Xingju continued to eat slowly and calmly: "It's okay, you'll be fine in a few days."
"Why... don't you want to take the medicine?"
Pei Xingju looked uneasy. He certainly wouldn't admit that he was afraid of suffering. He simply said, "I know a little bit about medicine. I know there's nothing wrong with me. I don't need to take medicine."
Zhuang Wan curled her lips secretly, thinking that men just like to talk tough.
She said "Oh" and continued eating.
After a while, Pei Xingju suddenly said, "We're almost done with the Hezhou affairs."
Zhuang Wan nodded.
"Next month, I will be returning to Beijing. You..." he asked hesitantly, "Will you come back with me?"
Zhuang Wan paused for a moment, then pretended to be calm and continued eating.
"The shop's business is picking up. If I go back to Beijing, there will be no one to take care of the shop. Wouldn't our business be wasted?" she said.
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Pei Xingju out of the corner of her eye, but saw that he paused for a moment and then continued to eat.
Pei Xingju remained silent, and the quiet atmosphere was filled with an inexplicable awkwardness.
Little Wangcai was completely unaware and was happily wagging his tail while spinning around under the table. When he saw no food being thrown down, he anxiously tugged at Zhuang Wan's legs.
"Be good, I'll get you something to eat later." Zhuang Wan said.
She bit her chopsticks and thought for a moment, then changed the subject to break the cold silence.
"I heard that Shen Yi and Princess Wu Jing got married last month."
Pei Xingju: “Yeah.”
Zhuang Wan asked, "Why so soon? Wasn't the marriage granted in July?"
"The emperor asked the Imperial Observatory to calculate the date, and he might think October is suitable." Pei Xingju had changed his expression to a normal one.
Thinking of the situation of Chen Yi and Wu Jing, Zhuang Wanmo sighed.
Pei Xingju raised his eyes and asked, "Why are you sighing?"
"Nothing..." Zhuang Wan smiled faintly: "Actually, I think Chen Yi and Princess Wu Jing are quite a good match, but..."
It's a pity that Princess Wu Jing is innocent and lovely, but Shen Yi already has a girl he likes in his heart.
She added, "If possible, please help me deliver a gift to Princess Wu Jing and Shen Yi when you return to the capital."
Wu Jing treated her as a friend, and when she learned that she was getting married, Zhuang Wan had to send her a gift.
However, Pei Xingju did not respond.
Zhuang Wan asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is this going to be difficult?"
"It's not difficult, what do you want to give?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll go out for a walk tomorrow."
"Um."
The two of them sat in the main room, dining at the same table, but each of them pretended to be himself and talked dryly about other people's affairs.
Zhuang Wan knew that it would be difficult for her and Pei Xingju to get along the same way as before.
I feel a little regretful and inexplicably depressed.
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