6 Chapter 6
◎A sudden cut◎
When they arrived at the entrance of Yuguan Temple, Master Xue did not leave; it seemed he had been waiting there specifically.
Upon seeing Jiang Qiye approach, he stepped forward and bowed to bid her farewell, saying, "Young Master Jiang, thank you for your company today. It's getting late, so my daughter and I will head back to our residence now."
Jiang Qiye was very polite and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Master Xue, you are too kind. It is fate that we can travel together with Miss today."
As they spoke, Pei Xueyan stepped forward from behind her father, bowed slightly in accordance with proper etiquette for young ladies, her movements gentle and graceful, without uttering a word.
Jiang Qiye looked at her indifferently, nodded slightly, and said in a deliberately gentle voice, "Miss Xue, goodbye."
She replied softly, "Goodbye, Young Master Jiang."
When it was time to part, Pei Xueyan covered herself with her clothes and quickly handed the small floral print she was holding to Jiang Qiye. Her fingertips lightly touched his palm before she immediately withdrew her hand.
Afraid of being seen by her father and others, she got into the carriage without looking back.
After the Xue family had gone far away, Jiang Qiye looked down at the small, pale purple flower in his palm and realized that it was indeed a young lady's little thought.
This Miss Xue appears to be a dignified and well-mannered young lady from a secluded family, but she is actually quite bold at heart.
Because of this, Jiang Qiye roughly figured out Miss Xue's temperament.
She is well-read, meticulous, imaginative, and naive in her youth. She yearns for love while harboring a rebellious streak.
He then wrote two letters to reinforce the agreement.
One letter praised her figure and appearance.
One letter expressed his eagerness to be with her.
For example, "How could there be such a graceful and beautiful woman in the world? Whenever I think of her after we parted, my heart is still uneasy, and I only hope to see her beautiful face again."
For example, "My heart is so eager to be with you, I can't wait even a moment longer. I long to be by your side right now, to be with you day and night, and to live up to this wish."
Pei Xueyan had never seen anything like this before. From then on, she held the letter every day, feeling her heart race, and she had already secretly fallen for him.
Her affection for Jiang Qiye was not merely based on his appearance; she genuinely admired every glance and gesture he made.
Jiang Qiye had been studying extensively at the Qingzong Sect since childhood, but he had little interest in romantic relationships and focused solely on his cultivation. However, he was surprisingly engrossed in studying the female demon's thoughts.
He wrote seven or eight love letters in one go, and finally selected three or four to send out.
Finally, the fish took the bait.
Pei Xueyan replied to the letter.
Her handwriting is delicate, truly beautiful and gentle.
Jiang Qiye picked up the letter and read it aloud softly:
"To Young Master Jiang:"
I am fully aware of your intentions, my lord. Though we have only met twice, I am moved by your sincerity, and my heart is naturally inclined towards you.
However, given the many eyes and ears of others, and since I am not yet married, I must adhere to proper conduct befitting a lady. I hope you, sir, will be careful with your words and refrain from uttering anything ungentlemanly, lest you invite gossip. We can discuss other matters another time.
Best wishes for your health and well-being.
Xue Lian bowed deeply.
Jiang Qi finished reading it at night without any particular emotional ups and downs.
He has his own professional ethics and the basic qualities of a Taoist priest. He will never be deceived by this false illusion. He still has this much self-control.
However, he knew in his heart that this female demon's mind was probably completely disordered, and her heart elixir had probably been condensed to about eight or nine-tenths of its potential, requiring only one final strike.
Although the illusion is illusory, the process of getting married within it is still complicated, just like the real experience.
Although Jiang Qiye had studied and learned etiquette since childhood, he had never liked formalities, which is why he wanted this "Miss Xue" to devote her heart to him before marriage.
To avoid trouble.
After exchanging several more letters, Jiang Qiye felt the time was right and decided to arrange a private meeting with Pei Xueyan.
He wanted to expose her outward appearance of propriety, to seduce this scheming and cunning woman, causing her to lose her composure and become disoriented.
In his letter, he specified the time and place of their meeting, and even took a pearl from his hair ornament and sent it along as a token.
When the appointed time arrived, Pei Xueyan not only failed to keep her promise, but also disappeared without a trace. The maid who sent the message also vanished, as if all contact had been suddenly severed.
Jiang Qiye still doesn't know that Master Xue had seen Pei Xueyan's reply to him earlier.
After reading the letter, Master Xue flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Pei Xueyan and berating her for being shameless and disregarding propriety and morality.
Previously, Pei Xueyan had someone smuggle the letter out, which was then found by the housekeeper. Upon opening the envelope, the contents were found to be completely normal.
Firstly, Master Xue had previously valued Jiang Qiye highly and had been trying his best to facilitate their marriage.
Secondly, everyone in the household already knew that the two were going to get married, so such a letter from a young woman expressing her feelings was really not out of line.
Several days later, the contents of the letter were relayed to Master Xue. The master immediately smashed his teacup, furious and enraged.
Master Xue was naturally satisfied with the marriage, but all of this was before Minister Chen arrived.
Compared to the Jiang family's scholarly background, which produced a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, Young Master Chen's sister was a concubine in the palace, making her a true member of the imperial family.
Although he is 31 years old this year, his first wife has passed away, and he has three or four concubines, it is already a great honor for the Xue family that Young Master Chen has taken the initiative to agree to let Pei Xueyan marry him as his second wife.
Such a marriage opportunity is not something you can come up with every day.
That day at Yuguan Temple, I originally intended to facilitate the marriage between Young Master Jiang and Miss Xue, but I never expected that Young Master Chen from the capital, who was praying for blessings, would fall in love with Pei Xueyan at first sight.
She was praised in public as "a fairy descended to earth, captivating all who see her."
Now that Young Master Chen has sent someone to the Xue family to discuss this matter indirectly, the marriage is basically a done deal.
Besides, Master Xue was a hundred times, a thousand times willing.
For the Xue family, this was an incredible opportunity to rise to prominence; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they struck gold.
Therefore, when the butler read out Miss Xue's love letter to Young Master Jiang, which implied that he should quickly propose marriage, Master Xue felt so ashamed that he wanted to disappear!
She had been strict with her daughter since she was a child, hoping that she would grow up to be a respectable young lady from a respectable family, but she never expected that her daughter would do such a thing as "secretly exchanging gifts"!
If the Chen family finds out, even if our daughter marries into the family, won't she be constantly talked about behind her back?
Wealthy families have more rules and higher requirements.
The more I think about it, the more I feel that this daughter has gone too far.
In a fit of rage, Master Xue slapped Pei Xueyan across the face.
Although Pei Xueyan was strictly disciplined since childhood, she was always spoiled and pampered. She had never been beaten like this before.
How could such a frail body withstand such a beating? It knocked her down, and she remained red and swollen for a long time.
Seeing this, Madam Xue felt both distressed and anxious, and kept wiping away her tears.
She knew her daughter had fallen for Jiang Qiye and was about to marry the young master Chen from the capital. How could she not be heartbroken to suffer such a slap?
After venting his anger, Master Xue couldn't help but sigh after calming down.
Although he was vain and wanted to curry favor with a powerful family like the Chen family, if his daughter really didn't like Young Master Chen and was unhappy for the rest of her life, he would rather let his daughter marry Jiang Qiye.
But now that things have come to this, it's too late to say anything.
Pei Xueyan lay in bed crying for two days.
She wasn't crying because of the pain on her face, but because of her father's cruel words, "From now on, if she dares to see Jiang Qiye, I'll break her legs!"
What did my father mean by those words?
Could it be that her marriage to Jiang Qiye has been delayed?
Or has her father changed his mind and no longer wants her to marry Jiang Qiye?
I panicked for a moment and had no idea what was going on.
Later, she received another letter from Jiang Qiye, in which he asked her to meet.
After watching it, I felt both afraid and hopeful. I was afraid of being discovered and punished by my father, but I also hoped to see Jiang Qiye again.
She knew she had no chance of seeing him.
Because the letter had only been in his hands for a short time when his father searched it and confiscated it, he was "imprisoned".
Four or five burly servants stood guard at the door, making it impossible for her to get out no matter how much she struggled.
Young Master Jiang was originally a weak scholar, too frail to even kill a chicken. Now that she was being watched so closely by her family, it seemed unlikely that she would have any more chances to speak to him.
Thinking about it, I started to cry again.
Pei Xueyan knew that she was now under strict surveillance, and it would be difficult for anything she wrote or sent to Jiang Qiye.
She gradually stopped crying, with only one thought in her mind: she had to find a way to let him know her situation.
Regardless of whether her father agrees to their being together, Pei Xueyan is determined to be with him. Her heart has long been connected to his, and this confinement will only make her resistance even stronger.
She secretly left behind several buckets of cold water for bathing.
When midnight came, while everyone was asleep, he would secretly soak in cold water.
As expected, he developed a high fever early the next morning and even had difficulty getting out of bed.
Even though Master Xue was still angry, he panicked immediately upon hearing that his daughter was ill and hurriedly sent someone to fetch a doctor.
Pei Xueyan finally got her chance. When her childhood friend's personal maid came to serve her, she secretly slipped her a note and instructed her to deliver it to Jiang Qiye.
Young Master Jiang was already outstanding in appearance, and his accent was from out of town, making him stand out in this place. He could be found with just a little inquiry.
Pei Xueyan was certain that he was not the kind of person who would give up easily, nor would he be indifferent to her current situation.
Jiang Qiye did indeed receive the note very quickly.
The handwriting on the paper was indeed that of the female demon, but instead of taking immediate action, he pondered how to deal with it.
In fact, whether Pei Xueyan ultimately marries Young Master Chen is completely irrelevant to Jiang Qiye.
These rebellious young women, perhaps the more they are imprisoned and forced, the stronger their will to resist becomes, and they may develop an inappropriate obsession with a imagined ideal man.
And this kind of emotion, filled with struggle and passion, is most likely to solidify into a deep-seated resolve.
Even so, Jiang Qiye still had to show his utmost concern.
He said earnestly to the maid who delivered the message, "Go back and tell Miss Xue that no matter what her current situation is, she is the only one I can have in my heart for the rest of my life."
After hearing this, Pei Xueyan's illness was almost completely cured.
Previously, when she was seriously ill, her mother had secretly told her about Mr. Chen's marriage proposal, and at that time she gritted her teeth and said that she would rather die than marry him.
Now that I have received Young Master Jiang's "determination", I am even more determined to do so.
It's been over ten days, and she really misses him.
I want to, I want to so much.
I want to see him, even just a glimpse.
She wanted to tell him that no matter what happened, he should wait for her, and that she would never marry anyone else in this life.
After only two meetings and a little over a month of correspondence, she decided that this was the one she wanted to spend her life with.
Even Xue Lian herself couldn't explain where this unwavering belief came from.
Soon, Young Master Chen, along with his cousin and several distant relatives, personally visited to discuss the marriage and set a wedding date.
Just fifteen days later.
For wealthy and influential families, the second wife doesn't need to be a grand affair; something decent is enough.
For a small family, "almost" was already a great courtesy in the capital.
Their marriage was always arranged by the palace.
It takes about four or five days to get from here to the capital. The remaining ten days will be used to rush to prepare the dowry.
The wedding dress was a gift from Young Master Chen's sister, so there was no need to rush to make it.
Fortunately, Madam Xue had been preparing her dowry since Pei Xueyan's coming-of-age ceremony, so there was no need to worry too much about this matter.
However, Madam Xue was heartbroken because her daughter had been crying all day and had lost her appetite.
This marriage cannot be changed; there is no other way.
Before leaving, Young Master Chen insisted on seeing "Xue Lian" one last time.
Pei Xueyan was very stubborn and refused to comb her hair or dress up, staying in her room with her sickly body and refusing to come out.
Young Master Chen was already blinded by lust. Even though he only caught a glimpse of her haggard appearance from afar, he still praised her, saying, "Miss Xue is so beautiful, she is even more beautiful than Xi Shi!"
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