Chapter 45 Lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own foot
Would I so easily submit? And then become one of Cao's many wives and concubines, then die a miserable death... then complete my time-travel journey... then... die in another time and space, turning into a handful of dust...
And then... everything was GAME OVER...
Will it?
The answer is: NO! (b5)
Who am I? I am Pei Xiao. From childhood to adulthood, who have I relied on? Who have I relied on? I've survived even the hardest times, so why would I capsize in this ditch?
And the dog, what happened to that child? Why doesn't he recognize me?
Two burly guards stood outside the door. I sat inside the room looking dejected, while Tuanzi sat at the doorway, listlessly eating snacks.
"Tuanzi, who are you?" I suddenly asked, looking at her.
Tuanzi gave me a lazy look, as if I were an idiot, swallowed the snack in her mouth, and slowly replied, "Tuanzi."
I was utterly speechless, but then I suddenly remembered that day when Guo Jia warned me to be careful of Tuanzi, but in the end, even Guo Jia lied to me. Who should I believe?
However, as long as I leave the Prime Minister's residence and Cao Cao's sphere of influence, all the conspiracies will be irrelevant to me.
Alas, it's easy to get in but hard to get out; one wrong step can lead to eternal regret... Don't let it be too late to mend your ways after you've lived a long life... It's never too late to mend your ways...
"Sister." Just then, a fragrant breeze wafted through the doorway, and a beautiful figure appeared. Madam Ding stood gracefully at the door, followed by several beautiful women.
I have met all of these people; they were all part of Cao Cao's vast army of female admirers and great participants in the Anruo puzzle.
I neither got up nor answered. It would be best if I angered the first wife and was kicked out of the house; that would be truly satisfying.
"As the weather gets colder, the Prime Minister noticed that my sister was dressed too lightly, so he instructed me to prepare some clothes for her." Madam Ding was not offended and still smiled gently, displaying the demeanor of a virtuous wife to the fullest.
I glanced at her sideways. Could Cao Cao have sent her as an envoy? Feudal ethics are a killer; she's actually helping her husband please another woman… (Young man: Huh? You've already labeled yourself "another woman"? Pei Xiao: Don't mess with me, don't force me to slap you. The young man sneaks away, scared.)
"Since the Prime Minister is so devoted to my sister, in my opinion, why not choose an auspicious day and let the Prime Minister grant her a title and consummate the marriage? Wouldn't that make everyone happy?" A beautiful woman nearby covered her mouth and laughed.
These words elicited a burst of silvery laughter.
A black line appeared on my forehead. Their husbands were going to take concubines, and they could still laugh so happily? Lord Cao really knows how to manage his wives...
"Okay." I nodded with a smile, but inwardly I sneered. With heart? Whether it's even with heart is still unknown, and even if it is, it's only a fraction of heart. Like a diamond, the smaller it's cut, the cheaper it becomes. What's even more outrageous is that the diamond isn't pure enough; it's very likely just fragments of pearl. Forget it, pearls are fine, but what's worse is the deception of the genuine article. Clearly thinking of someone, yet clinging to someone else as a substitute.
Madam Ding was slightly taken aback. It seemed she had long been prepared for a protracted war of resistance and had not expected me to answer so readily.
"Sister, what's wrong? Are you surprised?" I asked, feigning surprise. "No, marrying into the Prime Minister's mansion is the dream of so many women. You'll live a life of luxury, unlike when I was a little beggar, barely scraping by," I said, leaning closer to Madam Ding with a drooling smile.
“But the Prime Minister said…” Madam Ding looked at me hesitantly.
"What did the Prime Minister say? That I'm not happy? That he wants my sister to persuade me?" I moved even closer to her, laughing to myself, "Sister, this is called playing hard to get."
Madam Ding frowned slightly, quietly took a step back, and moved a little further away from me.
I secretly raised an eyebrow. Madam Ding must hate shameless women like this the most.
Hehe, the First Madam doesn't like me. How much of a headache Lord Cao must be having! From now on, the ladies' quarters will be in turmoil...
"Playing hard to get?" Cao Cao's voice suddenly rang out from behind, laced with a deep smile.
I froze. Oh well, this is a case of shooting myself in the foot.
"Thank you for your trouble, Xiaoxiao. There's no need for such trouble," Cao Cao said slowly as he walked up to me. "There's no better time than tomorrow. Let's do it today."
"Tomorrow?" I stared blankly. "What about tomorrow?"
A smile played on his lips as he calmly uttered two words: "Consummate the marriage."
a bolt from the blue!
I froze.
"From now on, I'll take care of all the good food and drinks." He said, his thin lips curving slightly.
This is called taking advantage of someone's misfortune, this is called climbing on someone's leash!
I gritted my teeth and swallowed the blood.
With my eyes slightly lowered, I saw the group off.
Looking up, it was already noon.
Escape! There's no time to lose!
There are three key elements to escaping: First, the route. The route out of the mansion is not a problem, as He Yan's secret passage can be used again. Second, the funding. I need enough money to buy a carriage to escape Xuchang City as soon as possible, otherwise, even if I escape the Prime Minister's mansion, it will be too late. Third, and most importantly, the enemy needs to lower their guard.
I changed into the new clothes that Madam Ding had sent me, sat up straight and ate lunch, racking my brains for a way to escape. Time was running out, otherwise I would really be a sucker if Cao took advantage of me tomorrow.
Before long, the beauties took turns to offer their congratulations, and for a moment, the atmosphere was filled with joy and harmony. In a daze, I felt as if I had traveled back to the era of Ehuang and Nüying, where many women served one husband—what a wonderful thing!
Of course, there were gifts to celebrate. Exhausted from seeing off the group of beauties, I turned around to sort through the gifts. When I saw them, my dull eyes suddenly shone with a bright light.
A pair of pearl earrings, three jade pendants, and a jade belt...
I finally understand the benefits of having many wives... I receive so many gifts that my hands are sore from carrying them...
The funds for our escape... are in!
It was already evening. I looked at Tuanzi, who was still eating snacks, and finally couldn't hold back any longer. I cleared my throat and coughed lightly. "Tuanzi, I have something to discuss with Guo Jia. Could you go find him for me? Because I can't go out right now..." I gestured with my eyes to the two strong and powerful guards outside the door.
To my surprise, before I could even finish speaking, Tuanzi immediately jumped up and said, "Okay, I'll go." Then she disappeared in a flash.
I was dumbfounded; I had never seen her agree so readily. Then I chuckled to myself, realizing that sending her to find Guo Jia was the wisest decision. If I had asked her to do anything else, she would have completely ignored me.
While Tuanzi was away, I quickly sorted out some of the more valuable gifts, packed them up, and hid them under the covers as funds for my escape.
Then I cautiously looked up at the door, but the two guards remained unmoved. I couldn't help but feel annoyed. I had the funds, and the target route was the secret passage in the garden. But the problem was... how could I get to the garden safely without these two guys noticing?
I paced back and forth restlessly, feeling utterly depressed. Was fate about to destroy me?!
"Woman." He Yan's voice suddenly came from the doorway.
I ignored him and continued pacing back and forth in a somewhat neurotic manner.
"Woman, are you really going to be Daddy's new favorite?" He walked into the room, looked at me, and said.
I turned to look at him, but I didn't say anything. I was momentarily lost in thought. He was still wearing a magnificent brocade robe, his black hair was combed high, and his eyes were full of charm. His fair skin, with a slight rosy glow, was extremely alluring.
"Have you seen enough?" he asked, frowning unhappily.
Suddenly enlightened, I stepped forward and grinned from ear to ear.
He Yan instinctively took a step back, his face full of vigilance. "What are you going to do?"
I grinned broadly, approaching him with a lewd expression, "Little beauty, don't be afraid, come on..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com