Chapter 5: Gu Ci's Sweetheart

Pei Jian still stole the show at the discussion forum like he did in his previous life.

As a matter of course, he got to know His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and was appreciated by him.

Whether classmates or teachers, they all looked at him with approval and even admiration.

Everyone knows that Pei Jian, Pei Shizhang, has a bright future.

This is certainly a good thing.

But in Pei Jian's heart, there was always an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

In fact, he had long forgotten how full of ambition and high spirits he had been in those days. After all the ups and downs in his career, this little achievement did not even cause the slightest ripple for him.

As for the slight sense of loss in my heart, it was probably because I would no longer be able to find a pair of clear and bright almond-shaped eyes among that group of cheering people.

I'm just not used to it anymore.

Pei Jian told himself.

But after leaving Chongming Building, he belatedly remembered his past life - Wen Qingheng's "younger brother" admired his talent very much, and Wen Qingheng invited him to his house to have a talk.

Unable to refuse the kind invitation, he followed the two "brothers" to the Wen Mansion.

Frankly speaking, my mother-in-law is not a good-tempered wife, but my father-in-law is a rare good husband. He is always patient and never says a word even when his wife scolds him.

That was the first time Pei Jian felt such a lively and loving family atmosphere.

By the way, his father-in-law and mother-in-law have always treated him very well since the first time they met.

Until they got married, until Nianxi lost the child.

Pei Jian suddenly felt uninterested.

In this life, without Nian Xi, Wen Qingheng no longer invited him to the Wen Mansion.

Pei Jian turned down the invitation to a banquet from his classmates and walked back alone.

The school building was quiet. Today was a day off and most of the students had gone home.

Pei Jian sat alone waiting for Gu Ci to come back.

In the past, he held a high position and was busy with official duties. He only regretted that he did not have enough time and could not split himself into two parts. Now that he has some free time, he realizes how long and hard time is.

Somehow, Pei Jian thought of Nian Xi again.

Thoughts from the previous life.

He didn't know how he spent the long and lonely time thinking about Xi during his busy days and nights.

Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a slight, lingering discomfort in my chest that kept spreading.

He refused to think any further and stood up and walked out of the Imperial College.

…

Zhenguogong Mansion

Mrs. Wang was very happy to see him coming. "Is Shizhang ready to eat? He has just returned from the Confucian Classics Conference, right? Xiaoliu went to Qushui, and I don't know if he has gone crazy. He hasn't come back yet."

As he spoke, he called the maid to serve the meal.

"Why do you seem to have lost a few points? Studying is important, but your health is even more important. Don't take advantage of your youth and eat well every day."

Duke Zhenguo and Dalang and Erlang were guarding the border. Gu Ci's three sisters were married and Gu Ci was going to study in the Imperial College. So, in the huge Duke's Mansion, only Lady Wang was left.

Therefore, every time she saw him, Mrs. Wang always had a lot of caring things to say.

I used to think it was normal, but today I couldn't help but ask, "Madam, were you listening to an opera just now?"

When Pei Jian arrived, Madam Wang sent the troupe away.

"There's nothing to do in town today, so I'm just killing time."

Mrs. Wang laughed and said, "When I was young, I couldn't bear to listen to operas. I always thought that an opera could be sung forever. Later, when the children grew up and the Duke was not around, I gradually felt the taste of listening to operas."

"Look at me, why am I telling you all this? Shi Zhang, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Nothing."

When Pei Jian heard what Madam Wang said just now, he felt a moment of panic.

When did Nianxi start listening to opera?

He doesn't remember.

Pei Jian's parents passed away when he was very young. For the sake of the family, his grandfather passed his father's title of Duke of Zheng to the second branch of the family.

His grandparents passed away one after another, and he was driven out of the main courtyard.

His second aunt was mean, and although he was the eldest son of the Pei family, he was bullied. It was from that time that Mrs. Wang began to take care of him.

He knew from a young age that he had no way out.

If he doesn't make progress, when he gets older, his second uncle will just marry him off to a random woman, and his family will have to rely on the second wife for their livelihood for the rest of their lives.

The eldest branch of the Pei family will never have a chance to rise again.

Therefore, he did not dare to slack off for a moment. He had no other choice to change his destiny: study or become an official.

Fortunately, he still did well.

Later, he met Nianxi, his wife.

Too much time has passed, and he has forgotten why he fell in love with Nian Xi in the first place.

I only remember that he went from being alone to having a home. He had an extra pair of chopsticks to eat with and an extra quilt to sleep with…

It was not until this moment that Pei Jian remembered that he and Nian Xi had not had dinner together for a long, long time.

When did it all start?

Nian Xi said that she didn't love him anymore.

When Pei Jian first heard the word "love", he just thought it was ridiculous.

Who is he?

The youngest prime minister in the history of Daxia is about to take over as the right prime minister and hold all the power.

He has to deal with countless national affairs every day. His words and attitude can change the fate of a person, a family or even a country.

The word "love" is too light for a man over thirty.

The frivolous cannot carry the experience, and the frivolous cannot hold back the time.

But now, Pei Jian knows that Nian Xi really doesn't love him anymore.

Pei Jian swallowed the bitter melon in his mouth and felt bitterness in his heart.

That's it, he told himself.

He has a set path to follow.

And she will also have a more considerate husband to take care of and love her.

In this life, he chose not to have her.

Let her go.

"Has Uncle Gu received any letters recently? Is he going back to Beijing soon?"

This is Pei Zhen’s main purpose for coming here today.

Just half a year later, Duke Gu and his son were negligent in their defense, which led to a sudden attack from Northern Liang. The Northern Liang cavalry advanced southward at a rapid speed, capturing dozens of cities in succession.

The people were displaced, it was a tragic sight.

The three members of the Gu family, father and son, died for their country in the siege.

When the news reached Kyoto, Mrs. Wang fell ill and never recovered.

The court wanted to punish the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion for its negligence, and Gu Ci took the responsibility alone. He went to the border to fight against the Northern Army and never returned to the Central Plains in his life.

Later, Pei Jian was appointed as the left prime minister. He had read the files of that year many times, but he missed the incident because of Gu Chengye's negligence. Now that he has been reborn, he naturally wants to avoid this terrible disaster.

Speaking of her husband, Mrs. Wang's smile deepened. "The Duke will be back at the end of November at the latest. When he comes back this time, he will ask His Majesty to retire and stay in Kyoto."

As they were talking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.

Mrs. Wang stopped talking and laughed at the person outside the door, "You are so old, but you don't know how to be steady."

"When my mother saw Shi Zhang, she naturally disliked her son."

While they were talking, Gu Ci came in from outside.

There was a smile on his eyes and eyebrows, which made his already outstanding and handsome features look even more vigorous. Anyone who saw him could tell that he was in a very good mood.

"What good news is this?"

Mrs. Wang joked, "Could it be that you have met your sweetheart?"

For the first time ever, just one sentence made Gu Ci blush.

Mrs. Wang was even more delighted and asked hurriedly, "Whose girl is she? Have I seen her before?"

Gu Ci felt uncomfortable and turned to Pei Jian and said, "I heard it on the way back. At today's discussion, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince praised you highly. This is my brother!"

He gave Pei Jianshu a thumbs up.

Gu Ci has always been open-minded and knows that Pei Jian has had a hard time. He is really happy to see Pei Jian succeed.

Pei Jian didn't think there was anything to brag about.

But seeing that both Mrs. Wang and Gu Ci were in high spirits, he stopped talking.

He has decided to let go of his thoughts and move forward towards his future. He has also decided that he will never give his true heart to someone again in this life. But he wholeheartedly wishes Gu Ci to find the love of her life.

So he asked, "You came back so late, could it be that you went to the girl's house for dinner?"