57 Delicate and tender
◎Do you really think Pei Yue wants anyone?◎
In Pei Mansion.
Mrs. Huang was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the main hall of the front yard, and occasionally standing on tiptoe in front of the door to look around.
Minister Pei, seated in his armchair, saw this and put down his teacup. He said helplessly, "Madam, please be patient. Ah Yue has returned to the capital and settled military affairs. He will come to visit you as soon as possible."
Madam Huang rolled her eyes at him and said angrily, "The child has been away from home for two months, and I haven't been able to let go of my worries. Why don't you allow me to be anxious?"
Minister Pei was choked for a moment, shut his mouth tactfully, and picked up the teacup again, but his eyes involuntarily drifted towards the door.
The sun gradually rose higher, its rays reaching the tops of the old trees in front of the courtyard. Just as Madam Huang was getting impatient, a little maid came running in from outside, panting, announcing, "Master! Madam! The young master is back!"
The couple both stood up and walked quickly to the front of the hall.
Suddenly, a tall figure crossed the courtyard and strode towards the front hall. As he approached, Mrs. Huang's eyes became slightly hot. She pulled at her handkerchief and complained, "You child! The army entered the city two hours ago. Why are you still dawdling until now... You've lost weight!"
Pei Yue was dressed in a dark suit, with his long jet-black hair tied behind his head with a dark red hairband, revealing his handsome eyebrows and eyes. Although he looked tired, his sharp and fierce spirit could not be concealed.
He stopped at the steps, clasped his hands together, and saluted crisply. His voice was deep, "Uncle, Aunt, I'm back."
Minister Pei strode forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!" As he spoke, he took him in his arms and walked into the hall.
The three of them entered the hall and sat down. After the maid served them new tea and left, Pei Yue looked up at his uncle. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "Uncle, this time I went north, I have personally settled my father's blood feud."
Minister Pei's hand, gripping the teacup, trembled, and his eyes instantly turned red. He raised his hand and pinched his brow, then calmed down for a moment before saying, "I've heard in the capital that your parents, if they are still alive, will rest in peace. My child, from now on, you should let it go and look forward."
Mrs. Huang's eyes also turned red. She gently patted her husband's arm as a gesture of comfort. Then she looked at Pei Yue and said with relief, "You are more capable and strategic than your father. Your uncle and I were worried before, fearing that you would be so impulsive and eager to seek revenge on that slave assassin that you would disobey military orders and take risks alone. Who would have thought that it would go much more smoothly than expected."
Minister Pei nodded and continued, "I heard that you were ambushed by the Turks in Baihujian this time..."
When Mrs. Huang saw him pulling Pei Yue aside to ask about the details of the war, she had no way to get a word in, so she simply got up and walked towards the small kitchen outside the yard to see how the nourishing soup she had specially prepared was cooked.
Just as she walked out of the main courtyard, she saw Pei Yue's personal servant directing someone to carry a camphorwood box toward the second gate. She called out to him, "Qi'an."
Qi An turned around when he heard the voice and saw that it was his mistress. He quickly bowed and said, "Madam."
Mrs. Huang pointed at the box and asked curiously, "What's this box? Where should we carry it to?"
Qi An smiled and said, "Madam, these are the fine furs that the young master brought back from Lingzhou. There are fire fox fur, ermine fur, and a sable fur. He is preparing to send them to Miss Chu Er."
Mrs. Huang was stunned and very surprised.
How come this boy of hers, who had always been unromantic, had become so considerate after going out? Then she slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Ouch!" Then she realized that she had been so happy that she had forgotten something extremely important!
After she told Qi An not to rush to send it to Chu's house, she didn't even bother to check on the soup and hurried back to the main hall in the front yard.
Minister Pei was talking excitedly with Pei Yue when he saw his wife return so quickly. He was about to ask what happened when she said, "You can talk about military affairs later. I have something more important to tell you."
"What's more important?" Minister Pei wondered.
Mrs. Huang walked over to sit beside him and said, "What else could it be? It's about Ah Yue's marriage, of course."
As soon as the word "marriage" was mentioned, Pei Yue, who was originally leaning casually on the chair, straightened his back slightly and looked at Mrs. Huang intently.
Mrs. Huang didn't keep anyone in suspense and told them the news she had just learned yesterday: "A few days ago, I heard the news that Ah Yue was safe, so I thought about putting the wedding on the agenda. I sent someone to send a detailed invitation to the Chu family according to the rules. But who would have thought that after waiting for a long time, the Chu family still didn't return the gift. I was puzzled, so I sent someone to inquire."
"How?" Pei Yue opened his thin lips slightly and uttered two words, but his emotion could not be heard.
Madam Huang raised her eyebrows slightly, glanced at him, and said with a hint of subtlety, "According to the information I heard, it was the wife of the Chu family who took your and the second Miss Chu's birth dates to Xuanmiao Temple for a marriage compatibility test. The result was an ominous omen of conflict and punishment."
She glanced at her nephew's instantly tense jawline. "Later, she compared your horoscope with that of Miss Chu. This one turned out great. She said it was a match made in heaven. Once you're married, it can guarantee you safety and success."
"Is everything going well?" Minister Pei's face twitched when he heard that, and he seemed to be tempted.
Pei Yue's face turned cold, and a clear sneer escaped his lips. He lowered his eyelids to hide the cold light in his eyes: "Humph, the marriage proposal was going smoothly before, but as soon as the news of my meritorious service arrived, it became a 'negation'. Ridiculous."
I don’t know what the Chu family is thinking. Do they really think that Pei Yue wants anyone?
Madam Huang clapped her hands and agreed, "That's exactly what I mean!"
After years of immersion in the inner world of aristocratic families, who wouldn't know the intricacies of the inner court like a mirror? This trick is a bit too superficial. Miss Chu has been unmarried for a long time, so why didn't she mention meeting Ah Yue earlier? Now, they seem like a match made in heaven!
Thinking of Wu's smiling face in the past, Mrs. Huang's good impression of her immediately disappeared.
She looked at Pei Yue and said, "Auntie shares your thoughts, but I think you have to make the decision yourself."
Then he turned to the hesitant Minister Pei and said, "How can you take those promises of safety seriously? I'd rather demolish ten temples than ruin a marriage. How could a Taoist priest really say that? It's just some inner-house magic trick."
She paused, the faces of the two sisters of the Chu family appearing before her eyes, and she frowned. "Besides, I've met both the eldest and second Miss Chu. I still prefer the second Miss. She has sweet eyes and a gentle personality, which is perfect for our Ah Yue's cold and hard personality. As for the eldest Miss..."
She shook her head slightly. "Although she looks good, she seems too cold and arrogant. Ah Yue and she are like two pieces of ice. When they collide, I think they really don't match!"
Pei Yue remained silent, but when Madam Huang mentioned a gentle temperament, he moved his index finger slightly and tapped the chair. Gentle, indeed, but not necessarily soft.
Mrs. Huang's words made perfect sense. Minister Pei's brows relaxed and he nodded, saying, "Madam, you are right. I will do as you say."
Madam Huang's face showed satisfaction. She picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip of the tea, took a deep breath, and said jokingly with a smile, "Come to think of it, just now I saw Qi An carrying a box out of the door, and I realized that our A Yue has finally figured out how to please girls! He even brought in the finest furs from Lingzhou."
Pei Yue pursed his lips into a line: "That was the thank-you gift that the eldest prince asked me to give to Miss Chu Er."
"A thank you gift?" the two exclaimed, staring at each other in surprise. Second Miss Chu and the First Prince? What kind of connection was this?
"At the polo match, Miss Chu Er gave me three bottles of medicine." Pei Yue explained with a deep look in his eyes.
"That medicine came in handy when we were ambushed in Baihu Gorge. The eldest prince suffered an unbearable arrow wound, and he survived thanks to her anesthetic." He paused.
In reality, the eldest prince's gift was more of a thank you. Without his bloody victory at Yemachuan, the outcome at Baihu Gorge would have been a crushing defeat, and word of it would have shocked the court and the nation. The emperor had already promoted him, and the eldest prince knew he had no shortage of gold, silver, or other common goods. Remembering the embroidered medicine purse, he chose a fine fur to suit his taste and gift it to his "sweetheart."
His gaze fell on his right leg, and his voice lowered a bit. "Later, when I led the light cavalry in a surprise attack on Yemachuan, my old wound on my right leg kept tearing open. It was only with the help of that anesthetic that I managed to hold on until I completed the encirclement. Otherwise... I'm afraid it would have been delayed for at least three days."
The situation on the battlefield is unpredictable. If it is delayed for three days, who knows what the situation will be like.
The couple was horrified when they heard this, and Mrs. Huang clutched her chest, "It's all thanks to this girl! What's with the incompatibility? That's all nonsense! In my opinion, you and the second girl are clearly destined to be together. You're a perfect match!"
Minister Pei also nodded repeatedly, no longer having any doubts.
After lunch, Pei Yue went to the courtyard.
Qi An stepped forward quietly and whispered, "Sir, the things have been loaded onto the truck. Shall we send them over now?"
Pei Yue turned and walked into the house, taking out a nanmu brocade box. He opened the clasp with his fingertips, and on the brocade lining lay a hairpin and a jade pendant.
The hairpin is made of finely forged pure silver, which is flexible and shiny, and is engraved with intricate curling grass patterns. On the top is a hibiscus flower carved from a whole piece of light pink tourmaline. The petals are thin, delicate, translucent, and fresh, as if they are still covered with morning dew.
The jade pendant is a medicinal gourd carved from Zhengyang Green Jadeite. It is like a pool of solidified green water, warm and shining, calm and restrained.
"Send this along." He handed over the box.
Qi An bowed and took it, his eyes sweeping over the jewelry in the box, and asked, "Would you please tell me that it was a gift from you, young master, specifically for me?"
Pei Yue came across these two items by chance in the largest jewelry shop in Lingzhou after returning victoriously.
The pink hibiscus was so tender and juicy that it instantly reminded him of the first time he saw her, when she was dressed all in pink… He had to admit, although it looked a bit gaudy and stupid, it set her off strangely. He had never seen anyone wear pink so beautifully.
The jade gourd reminded him of the small medicine bottle she had handed him at the polo match, and her talent for healing the world...
The thought flashed through his mind, and Pei Yue shook his head: "No need, no need to mention my name specifically."
His voice was calm, but with a hint of coldness: "But please make sure to inform the Chu family that the gift we give today is specifically for Miss Chu."
In his words, he deliberately emphasized the word "two".
Qi An responded, "Yes, sir."
【Author’s words】
Lao Pei: [Spreading his hands] I won’t accept any gifts this year, and if I do, I’ll only accept one from the second girl.
Recommend the same type of pre-collection, "The Young Lady Is As Gentle As A Chrysanthemum"
After learning that she was the female supporting character in the control group who was used as a stepping stone for her younger sister in the domestic fighting novel, Qiao Youwei realized:
——Playing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Flower arranging or needlework? What are you scrolling for? Even if you break your hands, you can’t compare to your naturally gifted half-sister Qiao Youshi!
The harder you work, the more frustrated you become. It’s better to just lie down and go with the flow! The main theme is “live casually”!
The concubine's sister stole the limelight and her dance captivated the whole city.
She: Very good, very good, 6, one more.
Her mother thinks she is not ambitious?
She: Yes, yes, mom, I’m just like this. Can you give me a cup of chrysanthemum tea to cool down?
What she never expected was that after she became as gentle as a chrysanthemum, everyone in the world kissed her!
The noble and aloof prince thinks she is "fresh, unworldly and unpretentious"?
The picky Empress Dowager praised her for being "indifferent and blessed"?
Even the unruly young master of Anguo came to propose marriage and asked to marry her?
Later, Qiao Youwei, who became the adopted daughter of the Empress Dowager and the wife of the Duke, heard people comment on her:
Miss Qiao, those tactics are truly brilliant! It's like saying—not fighting is the true way to fight!
Qiao Youwei pointed at her nose, looking confused: Huh? No, I really didn't argue!
[Buddha-like real salted fish x unruly and imaginative young master who dotes on his wife]
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