Chapter 45: Unfair Parenting
"No need." Liu Yueli leaned on his shoulder, lowered her eyes to hide the gleam in her eyes, "The root of my illness since that snowy night..." She stopped abruptly here, but her fingertips touched the jade pendant on her waist - that was what Madam Xie had just given her yesterday, saying it was a token of the Xie family's ancestral daughter-in-law.
The sound of the night watchman came from afar. Xie Wuqi looked at the beauty in his arms and suddenly remembered Luo Zhaohan's last look.
She stood under a tree full of red plums and said, "Thank you, sir, please go back." Her tone was exactly the same as when her father ordered the camp to be disbanded.
Xie Wuqi gently stroked Liu Yueli's long hair, which was as smooth as a waterfall, and was determined to tell her everything he saw and heard in the Changning Earl's Mansion without reservation.
When Liu Yueli heard that Xie Wuqi visited Luo Zhaohan again, her eyes dimmed instantly, but soon, a hint of ridicule flashed in her eyes.
Men, they are so contradictory...
In the past, Wuqi had disdained Luo Zhaohan, even sneered at him, but now, everything seemed to have turned upside down. As expected, what you can't get is always the most tempting.
She did not doubt Xie Wuqi's deep affection for her, but it was obvious that there was still room in his heart for someone else.
So, when the passion of love fades, what does she have left?
It's just the status of a co-wife.
For Liu Yueli, she no longer cared about such an identity.
During these days, she lived alone in the villa, thinking deeply about many things.
She discovered that the secret she had tried so hard to hide now seemed to have become a deadly weapon.
Even that person would probably be moved after hearing it!
Hearing Xie Wuqi mention the word "Pei Ji", Liu Yueli hurriedly gathered her thoughts and looked up in surprise: "Pei Ji?"
"Wuqi is saying that godfather and godmother chose Pei Ji for Luo Zhaohan?"
She was naturally well-known for the name of Pei Ji, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple.
He was a man of unwavering integrity, bordering on pedantry. It was rumored that he had once offended the Duke for an old farmer and a village girl. There were so many injustices in the world, how many could Pei Ji really care about? He simply relied on his scholarly arrogance to drag himself and his friends into danger.
In this world, knowing how to protect yourself is the right path, and power and wealth are the most tempting.
Wu Qi said that Luo Zhaohan and Pei Ji were "incompatible", but she felt that the two of them were clearly "oil boiling in a raging fire", and both had a crazy spirit in their bones.
Thinking of this, a hint of amusement flashed across Liu Yueli's eyes.
Pei Ji's temper is destined to lead to a bumpy career. If Luo Zhaohan really marries him, she would be digging her own grave.
However, she still agreed with Xie Wuqi and said, "What should we do? Are they really going to get married?"
Xie Wuqi suddenly remembered something when he heard this, and a gleam flashed in his eyes: "No."
He straightened up: "I'm afraid Luo Zhaohan will soon... give up."
Liu Yueli's face was filled with surprise. These days, Xie Wuqi always spoke prophetically, as if he knew what was going to happen. Just like now.
"Knowing the difficulty and retreating? What do you mean?" She asked with feigned curiosity.
Ever since he confessed his rebirth to Madam Xie and was met with a cold reception, Xie Wuqi had decided to keep this secret deep in his heart, not even mentioning it to Liu Yueli. He no longer wanted to use this matter to test people's hearts and only increase their disappointment.
So he just said vaguely: "I heard some rumors a few days ago. I will tell you in detail after some time." He had just heard that Luo Zhaohan was getting married. He was so upset that he forgot an important matter - Pei Ji's marriage.
In his previous life, he had never heard of Pei Ji getting married until he returned to the capital in triumph, so he had never thought about it. But after Yue Li's question, he remembered that Pei Ji did have a marriage to discuss at the end of this year.
Although he didn't know how Pei Ji would have refused in his previous life, Luo Zhaohan had to give in this time regardless of success or failure - because the one who fell in love with Pei Ji was a most noble princess!
Liu Yueli saw that he was being perfunctory, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly, then relaxed. The information she had received tonight was enough for her to pass on to that person. At this moment, Xie Wuqi suddenly asked about the matter at Xiangguo Temple: "Yueli, what did you say to your mother last month? She's been sending me money these days, thanks to your help."
Liu Yueli smiled. "But I've helped Madam solve a problem, and it seems like it's finally paying off. Wuqi, when Madam pleads for you back at the General's Mansion, please show some mercy to General Xie."
"Just think of it as our future, okay?" She raised her face, her smile as bright as apricot blossoms in March.
Xie Wuqi felt sad: "I'm wronging you so much..."
"With you protecting me, I'm not afraid." Liu Yueli leaned on his shoulder, her voice as sweet as honey.
Xie Wuqi felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He stroked her hair and sighed, "With a wife like this, what else could a husband ask for? I'll do whatever you say."
In the flickering candlelight, the two figures overlapped like mandarin ducks embracing each other.
Liu Yueli's face was tender and affectionate, but her eyes were as cold as a blade.
…
In the Jinghong Garden of Fuyuan General's Mansion, the charcoal fire in the copper basin crackled and exploded into a few sparks.
Chunxi was wiping Luo Zhaohan's hair with a wrung-out cotton handkerchief in her hand when she suddenly noticed her young lady sneeze three times in a row, with the tip of her nose turning red.
“A-choo——”
"Miss!" Chunxi threw her handkerchief onto the copper basin rack in a hurry, "I'll ask the kitchen to make some ginger soup right away..."
Before he finished speaking, Luo Zhaohan stood up suddenly, and the water droplets on his green silk silk splashed on the snow plum painting embroidered on the screen: "Why are you rubbing it? You're warmed up by practicing boxing!"
As he spoke, he really took a horse stance and rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas embroidered with silver butterflies to his elbows.
Chunxi pushed her back onto the huanghuali wood armchair and put on a rare stern face: "Miss, you disguised yourself as a servant to investigate a case with Lord Pei last night. You were frozen in the charity cemetery for half the night, and now you're still trying to be brave!"
As he spoke, he picked up the warm fox fur and wrapped the person up like a dumpling.
Luo Zhaohan looked up at the angry maid and chuckled, "Good Chunxi, I promise to drink the ginger soup till it dries up." He poked Chunxi's waist pouch with his finger and said, "Guess where I saw the earrings from the female corpse in the charity cemetery yesterday?"
Chunxi was about to reply when a maid from outside arrived, carrying a black pottery bowl. Luo Zhaohan took the ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp, his tongue spitting out the spiciness. "These are the filigree gold and jade earrings that Princess Liuyang wore on her autumn hunt last year!"
"Ahem—" Chunxi was startled by these words and choked. Suddenly, she remembered something. "No wonder the Madam said the other day that the Princess's Mansion was going to hold a plum blossom viewing banquet and specially sent an invitation to the young lady."
Before he finished speaking, Luo Zhaohan had already grabbed the ink from the dressing table and started drawing on the rice paper.
Chunxi leaned over to take a look and saw that it was exactly the same style of earrings as the female corpse from last night, with the words "made in-house" marked next to them.
"Chunxi, look," Luo Zhaohan dipped cinnabar and drew a small dot on the inside of the earring. "There should be a seal of the Imperial Household Department here, but it's worn flat." Her fingertips tapped lightly on the table. "I asked my brother to investigate the disappearances in the past six months. Three embroiderers are missing in the suburbs of Beijing alone."
Outside the window, the north wind blew fine snow onto the window paper. Chunxi suddenly shuddered: "Miss, are you saying?"
With a creak, Luo Zhaohan pushed open half of the carved window and looked at the snow-covered weapon rack in the courtyard. "Remember last month when Lord Pei accused the Ministry of Revenue of embezzling military pay at court?" She reached out to catch a snowflake. "Someone's getting restless."
Chunxi was about to ask more when she saw Luo Zhaohan's eyes glistening with tears as he turned around. She asked in surprise, "I added half a can of honey to the ginger soup, how come it still stings my eyes?"
"Silly girl," Luo Zhaohan pressed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, "I was thinking back to last year's winter hunt when I deliberately pushed Pei Ji into a deep pit in the hunting grounds. When he climbed out, his first question was, 'Is Miss Luo hurt?'" She stroked the paperweight on the table, "Such a fool, yet he chose to run into the edge of a knife."
Chunxi watched her young lady reaching for the whip again and stamped her feet anxiously, "Are you going to the charity cemetery again? Master Pei has his own officials to protect him."
"Wrong!" Luo Zhaohan grabbed the silver fox cloak and put it on. "I'm going to meet Princess Liuyang." She suddenly leaned close to Chunxi's ear and whispered, "Guess how the grain merchant who accused Pei Ji of taking bribes died in the Dali Temple this morning?"
As Chunxi shook his head, he heard three very soft words: "Crane's Beak Red."
"During a previous casual conversation, I heard the young master and the cousin mention that Lord Pei was not mentally mature when he was young, and that the Earl of Changning and his wife did not seem to dote on their son. It is amazing that, despite this, Lord Pei was able to cultivate such a unique temperament.
The young lady's praise for Master Pei is like praising him as the stars in the sky and the treasure on earth, and no one can match him. This makes me curious, what kind of lady from a noble family can match him?
Chunxi cleverly mixed a hint of temptation into his words.
After all, the lady had specifically told her that if she got close to the young lady, she should pay more attention to the young lady's feelings towards Pei Ji's daughter.
Luo Zhaohan was slightly stunned after hearing this, and his thoughts immediately drifted back to his previous life.
She seemed to vaguely remember that someone had mentioned that Princess Liuyang was very fond of Lord Pei and seemed to have the intention of marriage.
However, she had forgotten such things after hearing them. Why didn't she see any signs of Lord Pei getting married later?
The twists and turns involved are really intriguing!
The tea in the glass cup was slightly cool, and Luo Zhaohan tapped the table with his fingertips. The Princess of Liuyang was the only daughter of Princess Jieyou, and her status was indescribably noble.
During the years of constant war between the Western Wei and the Eastern Ling, the Southern Tang sat on the sidelines, becoming a popular target for both nations. To strengthen diplomatic ties, the late emperor sent his third princess to the Southern Tang as a peacemaker and bestowed upon her the title "Jieyou".
After marrying far away, Princess Jieyou and the Khan lived in harmony, giving birth to two sons and a daughter. Three years prior, the Khan passed away, and undercurrents swirled in the grassland court. With swift tactics, Princess Jieyou secured her eldest son's place as the new Khan.
Now that the political situation in Southern Tang has been stabilized, the princess has returned to Beijing with her daughter for a temporary stay. Ostensibly, she is homesick, but in reality, she is seeking a husband for the Princess of Liuyang. Luo Zhaohan sneers at the falling ginkgo leaves outside the window—Southern Tang is bitterly cold, how can it compare to the splendor of the capital?
Not to mention that this marriage involves two countries, how can the interests involved be influenced by the feelings of young people?
"According to the date..." She dropped the peeled lotus seeds into the celadon bowl, "The welcoming banquet should be on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month."
In her past life, she was bedridden and missed the grand event. In this life, she must witness this grand spectacle with her own eyes. If the mastermind could set up a trap in the palace, he would definitely show up at such an occasion.
Suddenly, she remembered Xie Wuqi's excited description of the banquet in her previous life. Her fingertips suddenly tightened, and the lotus seed broke into two pieces.
"Miss!" Chunxi came in with ginger soup. Seeing her staring at the crumbs on the floor in a daze, he hurriedly wiped them with a handkerchief: "Be careful with your hands."
Luo Zhaohan came back to his senses and chuckled: "Chunxi looks more and more like Nanny."
"Young lady, you're teasing me again." Chunxi glanced at the spread-out copy of "Nan Tang Fengwu Zhi" on the table and asked tentatively, "You've been staring at the border map these past two days."
"Just flipping through it when I have some free time." Luo Zhaohan smoothed his half-dried black hair and suddenly heard the servants outside the window talking: "I heard that the Ministry of Rites has prepared a hundred dishes for the welcoming banquet."
Chunxi saw her eyes suddenly light up and sighed inwardly. Ever since the Xie family rejected the marriage proposal, the young lady had become increasingly unpredictable.
He was caught red-handed by his wife when he was trying to climb over the wall to leave the house the day before yesterday. Now, after hearing the news about the banquet, he seemed to be planning something again.
…
The Wuwei General's Mansion was shrouded in dark clouds at this moment.
Mrs. Xie got up before dawn to dress up, applying and wiping off her black ink.
Yesterday, Xie Shiliu passed on a message, saying that the master sighed at Wuqi's childhood wooden sword, which made her dry-well heart ripple again.
"Mammy, are the jade shrimp dumplings ready to be steamed?" She lifted the curtain and looked in for the fifth time.
Nanny Chao came in carrying a gilded food box. "Don't worry, Madam. The Eight Treasure Duck has been stewed for two hours. The general loves it the most."
When the sun climbed over the eaves, Mrs. Xie had been wandering in the front yard for half an hour.
The vermilion lacquered door creaked, and General Xie went to Ningxiang Courtyard without taking off his military robe. She hurriedly picked up her skirt and chased after him.
"Master!" Her nail-dyed fingertips grasped the black sleeves.
General Xie paused but didn't turn back. The gold thread on the python-patterned patch pricked Madam Xie's eyes. She forced a smile and said, "The kitchen has just made some crab meat and lion's head."
"I said it's not necessary." The sleeves of his robe were as hard as iron, bringing up a cold wind when he pulled them away.
Madam Xie staggered half a step, and the jade-inlaid armor dug deep into her palm.
The sound of stringed instruments drifted from Ningxiang Courtyard, and Aunt Zhang's delicate "May the General be well" was like salt sprinkled on her heart.
Nanny Chao supported her trembling body and heard her almost inaudible sobs: "For Wuqi... just bear with it a little longer."
In the main room, General Xie stared at the wooden sword on the table in a daze.
Last night, when I stepped into the study, lying in a dusty rattan box was the sword tassel Wuqi had made himself when he hunted a white fox at the age of ten. The red tassel had faded to a dark brown, like dried blood.
"General, Madam has brought some ginseng soup..." Before the servant could finish his words, the porcelain cup was smashed to pieces.
"roll!"
The angry sound startled the sparrows under the eaves.
Xie Shiliu squatted on the veranda roof and smacked his lips: "Madam, I'm afraid this move of yours has gone astray."
In the study of General Fuyuan's mansion, Madam Xie ran to the rosewood desk clutching a handkerchief.
Outside, snow lashed the swastika-patterned window frames. She looked at the unmelted snow on her husband's black battle robe, her voice softening a bit. "Master, I heard that... Wuqi came back last night?"
The bronze paperweight on the desk made a "click" sound.
Xie Anfeng stiffened as he turned his back to his wife, and pressed his black iron wristband heavily on the map, leaving a crack at the location of Hulao Pass.
"I know Wuqi's temper best," Mrs. Xie walked around to the table, her golden hairpin swaying gently in the candlelight. "After all, the child is a deputy commander outside, so he has to consider his reputation." Seeing that her husband did not slam the door and leave, she became bolder. "How about calling him back for dinner after his shift today? Let's..."
"Bang!"
Xie Anfeng suddenly slammed his fist down on the map, causing the celadon vases on the antique shelf to buzz. Only then did Mrs. Xie see clearly that veins bulged on her husband's forehead and his jaw was tense as if it would split.
"Respect?" Xie Anfeng forced a sneer through his teeth. "My respect was trampled into the mud by that rebellious son in the Golden Palace today!" He ripped open his clothes, revealing the crisscrossing scars on his chest. "That old scoundrel, Censor Zhang, accused me of poor parenting and letting my son break his promise in front of all the civil and military officials! When that bastard Luo Dinglian hypocritically pleaded for mercy, I wished I could draw my sword and chop down the dragon pillar!"
Mrs. Xie staggered backward, and her embroidered shoes stepped on the fallen military order.
"Your Majesty... What did Your Majesty say?" Her voice trembled, and the Buddhist beads on her wrist were entangled with the gold thread on her cuffs.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
