Chapter 78 This Young Master Xiaoxiang is really something...
As winter fades and spring arrives, the weather warms up day by day. The red walls and green tiles covered by frost and snow regain their vibrant colors, and even the cracks in the bricks along the roadside are sprouting tenacious wild grasses.
In previous years, families in Beijing would have been eager to travel together, enjoying the spring scenery, or gathering with friends for feasts and merriment, creating a lively atmosphere.
But this year, Beijing is unusually quiet. Especially the more prestigious the family, the more they keep their doors tightly shut and refuse outside visitors, creating an atmosphere of fear among the people.
Because Lu Donglou's purge was not yet over, no one dared to step forward and be the first to cause trouble.
Pei Xian and Pei Jingyi, as the only two working professionals in the Marquis's household, and both working in military departments, felt this particularly deeply.
"Nowadays, when people arrive at the government office, they dare not joke or laugh casually with their colleagues."
At the dinner table, Pei Xian shook his head and sighed, "The clerk who served you tea and water and ran errands for you today may never be seen again tomorrow."
The same was true for Pei Jingyi's Ministry of War. Every day, several seats in the office would mysteriously become empty, and he didn't even remember the names of his colleagues.
This is enough to prove that the number of officials, both high and low, who have been bribed and infiltrated in the court has reached a terrifying level. When Lu Donglou makes a move, it is swift and decisive, almost causing a complete overhaul of the court.
Shen Lingyue whispered to Yan Yi, "What kind of ghost story is this? Even work is turning into a series of bizarre tales..."
Pei Xian asked his son a few questions, but the two of them had nothing to worry about. The Northern Desert royal family must be out of their minds to try to bribe the Pei family; wouldn't that be a gift delivered to their doorstep?
“The Ministry of Personnel will be quite busy from now on,” Pei Xian said with a smile. “And those candidates who took the imperial examinations for observation last year, if they’re lucky enough, they might be able to finish their observations early and take up their posts directly.”
There's a saying, "One radish, one hole," but now that so many holes are empty, the little radishes are being forced to take their places.
Shen Lingyue chewed on her chopsticks and pondered: With Lu Donglou causing such a big commotion, Shen Hang shouldn't be implicated, right?
It's alright, it's alright. Her father is just a clerk in the Ministry of Rites who drafts official documents and imperial edicts. He's timid, so Mobei probably wouldn't think much of him... right?
But Yan Yi's heartless father...
She glanced at Yan Yi, whose brow was slightly furrowed, clearly sharing the same worries.
“My father-in-law came to see me yesterday.”
Pei Jingyi suddenly leaned closer to her and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't worry, he doesn't have the guts to betray his country. He just unknowingly attended a few banquets before and even received some benefits. I advised him to go to Lu Donglou to return the stolen goods and admit his mistakes. I reckon he can just pay a fine and that will be the end of it."
Yan Yi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, quietly settled down. Her feelings were somewhat complicated. "...Thank you."
“We’re husband and wife, there’s no need to be so formal.” Pei Jingyi gently squeezed her fingertips under the table. “But you should be prepared that with this addition to your father-in-law’s resume, he may have no hope of promotion in the future, and his career will come to an end here.”
Yan Yi shook her head, "Even if he becomes a high-ranking official, what benefit can I, an unloved married-out woman, possibly gain? I'm just worried about..."
Yan Ling is still at the border. If she can really make meritorious contributions and be awarded a medal in the future, she should be careful not to be held back by her unreliable father.
What are you worried about?
Yan Yi shook her head. "It's nothing. If he comes to you for a favor again, don't agree if he's unreliable, and definitely don't say it's because of me."
Pei Jingyi agreed and served Yan Yi a small bowl of soup, saying, "Madam, please calm down."
The two inevitably got closer to each other in order to whisper to each other, appearing intimately oblivious to their surroundings.
Pei Yuzhen felt uneasy again. She cleared her throat and was about to speak when the Grand Madam suddenly stuffed a large chicken leg onto the overflowing white rice in her bowl.
"Can't eating meat shut you up?"
The old lady's eyes held a threat, but she turned back to look at her eldest grandson with a smile.
Good, good, that's how much love we need so she can hold her great-grandchild soon.
Enraged, Pei Yuzhen picked up a chicken leg and took a big bite, her mouth glistening with oil.
"Has Aunt stopped dieting lately?" Shen Lingyue asked with concern. "You seem to have gained a lot of weight since last year, and you look more and more like a noble person."
Pei Yuzhen suddenly lost her appetite for the chicken leg, reluctantly put it down, and snorted, "You're the one with the air of a nobleman!"
Isn't it just a roundabout way of criticizing her for being fat?
However, Shen Lingyue didn't take the bait at all, and replied with a smile, "That's right, my mother has always said that I was born with a life of wealth and that I will enjoy happiness for the rest of my life."
Pei Yuzhen: ...I really want to live shamelessly like this just once.
Pei Xian was instructing Pei Jinghuai again: "Now you're the only one with nothing to do at home, so don't go out and fool around too much lately, or you might get targeted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Pei Jinghuai said nonchalantly, "Lu Xilou and I are such good friends, which blind Imperial Guard would dare to touch me?"
Pei Jingyi said calmly, "Father wants to remind you not to fall into Lu Donglou's hands, otherwise even Lu Er won't be able to protect you."
Pei Jinghuai has a wide circle of friends, which is his strength. However, in today's climate of fear and uncertainty, his naivety, naivety, and impulsiveness could easily lead to him being taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives and foolishly standing up for others.
"Father, elder brother, don't worry, I will definitely keep a close eye on my husband and not let him go out and run around alone."
Shen Lingyue took the initiative to assume responsibility, saying that she would definitely leash her dog when walking it in the future.
Pei Xian's eyes showed approval. Since his second son got married, he had indeed become much more stable than before, all thanks to his daughter-in-law.
Pei Jingyi remained silent, thinking to himself that if he knew about Shen Lingyue's "great achievements" outside, he probably wouldn't be laughing anymore.
The topic inevitably turned to Lu Donglou.
Shen Lingyue nudged Pei Jinghuai twice and whispered, "Lu Donglou looks like he's almost thirty, right? Is he married? Does he have children?"
“He doesn’t seem to be married. Anyway, I’ve never heard Lu Er mention it,” Pei Jinghuai replied casually. “Their family is now three single men who are well-fed and worry-free.”
Shen Lingyue hissed, "Lord Lu... is also a widower?"
Pei Jinghuai nodded, "Lu Donglou and Lu Xilou's birth mother passed away when they were just a few years old. After that, Lord Lu never remarried. After all, given his position, it's better for him to remain single."
"Perhaps it's because Lord Lu himself doesn't want to marry her."
Shen Lingyue secretly glanced at Pei Xian.
Pei Xian noticed and asked in a gentle tone, "Why are you looking at me?"
Shen Lingyue quickly changed the subject, "Haha, I just suddenly noticed that Father is wearing new clothes today, and he looks very energetic!"
Pei Xian straightened his back casually, his expression nonchalant. "You have good taste. This is a new one your mother made for me. I also think this pattern suits me very well."
Meng Wanyin, who had been quietly pretending to be invisible: ...Did I make myself stand out?
The old lady looked over and nodded: "Indeed, you are quite handsome, about half as good-looking as your father was in his youth."
Shen Lingyue chimed in, "What a pity! We couldn't see our grandfather's youthful charm in person. He must have captivated countless young women and wives in the capital, right?"
The old lady immediately beamed, and said mysteriously to Shen Lingyue, "Come to my room later, I still have some love poems your grandfather wrote for me. Tsk tsk, a roughneck like you trying to act like a scholar, so cheesy..."
Pei Yuzhen: ...Are you guys ever going to stop? Do you have to gang up on her?
...
Shen Lingyue slumped onto the table, sighing...
“Thirty-six,” Yan Yi said without looking up from her travelogue.
"What thirty-six?"
Yan Yi glanced at her and said, "You've sighed thirty-six times today."
"Sigh!" Shen Lingyue sighed heavily again, "When will this situation of not being able to go out end?!"
Thirty-seven.
Yan Yi silently added, then raised her chin, gesturing for her to look at the large pile of storybooks on the table. "Didn't you used to love reading novels? These are all the latest storybooks on the market. Pick one, you're bound to find one you like." "Things are different now," Shen Lingyue said listlessly. "I used to love reading, but that was in class, during exam week, and whenever I shouldn't have..."
Now that she doesn't have to go to class, take exams, or worry about making money, she just wants to go out shopping, gossip, and watch the excitement, but they insist on keeping her at home. Of course, she's unhappy.
Yan Yi could only advise her to be patient and wait for things to calm down.
Shen Lingyue knew that her temper was unreasonable, so she could only pick up one book after another, quickly browse through them, and then angrily push them aside.
"What is this? It's awful."
Yan Yi was puzzled: "These are already the most popular stories right now, and you still don't like them? Maybe your standards are too high."
"This time it's not that I'm asking for too much."
Shen Lingyue pulled out a book. "This one, 'Jin Yunu Beats the Heartless Lover,' tells the story of a poor scholar who marries into the family of a beggar chief. His wife supports his studies and exams, but after passing with flying colors, he despises her lowly birth and pushes her into the river to kill her! Fortunately, his wife is rescued by a high-ranking official who adopts her as his goddaughter. The poor scholar regrets his actions and begs her for forgiveness..."
Yan Yi's eyes widened slightly: "You can forgive this?"
“That’s right, his wife just beat him up, and then they made up.” Shen Lingyue looked utterly dejected.
"Now look at this one. A courtesan sponsors a scholar to go to the capital for the imperial examinations, promising to return and redeem her if he succeeds. However, the scholar breaks his promise and marries the daughter of a high-ranking official. The courtesan, filled with resentment, commits suicide and becomes a vengeful ghost to seek revenge on the scholar..."
Shen Lingyue rattled off a string of words, "This is even worse than Du Shiniang angrily sinking her treasure chest. How can these courtesans be so stupid? Wouldn't it be better to save up their own money to redeem themselves? Why do they have to rely on these unreliable men?"
“Strictly speaking, Du Shiniang’s angry sinking of the treasure chest is also a tragic story,” Yan Yi added.
She pondered carefully: "Most of these stories were written by unsuccessful scholars, naturally to satisfy their male fantasies. Otherwise, why would there be the so-called three great pleasures of 'getting promoted, making a fortune, and losing one's wife'?"
Seeing that Shen Lingyue was still indignant, Yan Yi changed the subject, "By the way, were any of the stories you mentioned by 'Xiaoxiang Gongzi'? Isn't it said that he is the most popular author on the market recently? Even my cousin loves his books."
"Let me look for it." Shen Lingyue flipped through them one by one again. "Hey, where are his books?"
She summoned Qingchan and asked her to go to the front yard to ask He Rong why he had bought so many books, but none of them contained works by Xiaoxiang Gongzi.
Qingchan returned quickly. "Second Brother He said that all of Xiaoxiang Gongzi's novels are sold out. Bookstores are rushing to print them, but they won't be available for publication for at least half a month."
Is it really that popular?
Shen Lingyue was surprised for a moment, but quickly came up with a new idea: "Go find Miss Biao and ask her if I can borrow her for a few days?"
Qingchan agreed and went out, but when she returned, there was another person with her.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi stood up. "Why did you come in person, cousin?"
Dong Lanyi hadn't set foot in Jiusi Academy for a long time. The unpleasant experience she had last time there seemed to be still fresh in her mind, making her feel somewhat uneasy. She hugged the few hardcover novels in her hands tightly.
She whispered, "I heard you wanted to see Xiao Xiang Gongzi's work, so I brought it over myself. This is a signed copy that I bought at a high price. You can read it here, and I'll take it back after you're done."
"My cousin is amazing! She managed to snag an autographed copy."
Shen Lingyue curiously opened the cover page, where the four characters "Xiaoxiang Gongzi" were written in flowing, vigorous strokes, with a few bamboo stalks drawn beside them.
Yan Yi invited Dong Lanyi to sit down and then ordered a maid to bring tea and snacks.
To show her seriousness, Shen Lingyue washed her hands three times by the basin, scrubbing even her fingernails clean with soap beans. She was practically ready to burn incense, bathe, and change clothes.
She dried her hands and stretched out her hands to Dong Lanyi, "Cousin, please teach me the masterpiece of the Young Master Xiaoxiang!"
Dong Lanyi was amused by her exaggeratedly serious demeanor, but also felt a sense of respect. She nodded gently and handed the storybook to her.
Shen Lingyue immediately flipped through the pages, reading ten lines at a glance.
Dong Lanyi frowned slightly and couldn't help but remind her, "Second sister-in-law, Xiaoxiang Gongzi's writing style is graceful and elegant. You have to read it carefully to appreciate its charm."
Shen Lingyue didn't even look up. "It's nothing. I'm mainly interested in the storyline."
Her reading speed was honed by watching DouX CangQian and QuanX Master back in the day.
Unable to dissuade her, Dong Lanyi muttered under her breath, "It's like a cow chewing on a peony."
"Cousin, could you tell me what makes this story of the Young Master of Xiaoxiang better than other folk tales on the market?"
Not wanting to neglect Dong Lanyi, Yan Yi took the initiative to start a conversation.
Dong Lanyi's eyes lit up with a recommender's light. "Big sister-in-law, are you also interested in the young master's works? Then I recommend you read this book, 'The Story of Qilan.' It tells the story of a young lady from a wealthy family who rebels against her arranged marriage, runs away from home, meets an unnamed old nun who teaches her martial arts, and from then on, she roams the martial arts world, upholding justice."
She found the first volume and handed it to Yan Yi, lavishing praise upon her.
"Young Master... is completely different from those pedantic scholars on the market who only write about poor scholars climbing the social ladder, acting like they're in a hysteria. His stories are full of all kinds of women, some who defy societal norms for love and eventually become husband and wife, and some who pursue freedom and are unburdened..."
Dong Lanyi's face was full of longing, "This is the kind of story that we women should be watching."
Yan Yi became somewhat interested and opened the first volume of "The Story of Qi Lan". After only a few pages, she had the illusion of going back to the past to read martial arts novels, except that the protagonist was a young girl.
She only intended to browse casually, but ended up accidentally looking into it.
"Yan Yan, this Young Master Xiao Xiang is really something."
Shen Lingyue also brought over her autographed copy and muttered softly, "There's no trace of a father figure or author's style in it; in fact, he seems to empathize with the women in the book."
Finally, she concluded: "This young master from Xiaoxiang is wonderful; he possesses truly precious qualities, just like a girl!"
No wonder they're making so much money!
Because of her troubled marriage, Dong Lanyi hadn't gone out to visit friends for a long time. Moreover, she didn't have any close female friends to talk to. She only had her mother and younger sister, Azhi, by her side, and she could only relieve her loneliness by reading books.
Now I've finally found two like-minded people at home, and I can discuss the plot of the book with her and appreciate the gentleman's beautiful writing. I feel much more energetic now.
The three of them chattered away in front of a table full of books, refilling their teacups several times, and even lost track of time. When Pei Jingyi returned from his shift and saw this scene, he couldn't help but rub his eyes.
Did the sun rise in the west today?
"……cousin."
Dong Lanyi turned around casually and saw Pei Jingyi standing at the door. She quickly got up, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Previously, her mother had been nagging her incessantly, telling her to seize the opportunity to win her cousin's favor. If she could become his concubine and bear him a son or daughter, she could stay in the Marquis's mansion for a long time and wouldn't have to marry into an unknown family and suffer mistreatment.
She listened to her mother's words and tried to make an effort several times, but her cousin always remained indifferent and aloof whenever he saw her.
If she showed even the slightest sign of transgression, her cousin's indifferent eyes, which seemed to see through everything, almost pierced through her body, making her feel so ashamed that she could only flee in a sorry state.
Now that my cousin's wife has been married into the family for more than half a year, everyone in the Hou mansion can see how loving she and my cousin are. Not to mention the servants in the mansion, even the dogs in the back alley know that the two of them are a match made in heaven.
She is an educated person who knows honor and shame, so how could she shamelessly keep trying to get close to him and make a fool of herself?
It wasn't until Dong Lanyi read Xiaoxiang Gongzi's stories that she realized how many women with different personalities and colorful appearances were depicted in his works. They all found happiness in marriage, but she never saw any woman who relied on becoming a concubine to advance her career.
She's been completely engrossed in reading "The Story of Qi Lan" lately, her mind filled with thoughts of when the young master Xiao Xiang will write a new chapter and what new adventures the girl Qi Lan will encounter as she rides her donkey through the world.
She had long since forgotten about becoming her cousin's concubine.
But now, when she suddenly sees Pei Jingyi again, she still feels a strange sense of embarrassment and discomfort.
"My cousin is back, so I won't bother you any longer. Goodbye."
Dong Lanyi fled from Pei Jingyi's side as if she were escaping, forgetting even her most treasured autographed copy.
The speed was so fast that Pei Jingyi even had a rare moment of doubt about himself.
He asked Yan Yi, "Is there something dirty on my face?"
"No." Yan Yi was also engrossed in her book. She quickly glanced up and said, "Si Xiang, fetch some water for the young master to wash his face."
Pei Jingyi stood at the door, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Did it exist or not?
...
"Yan Yan, I've made a big decision."
The next day, Shen Lingyue, who had been reading all night, came to see her with dark circles under her eyes, her tone deep and serious.
"I want to write a book."
Yan Yi blinked. "You want to write a story in the style of Xiao Xiang Gong Zi?"
"Pretty much, but I'm sure I can write better than him!"
Shen Lingyue was full of confidence. She was a reader of Xiao Lv Jiang Si Xin's novels and had read countless stories of love, hate, and infatuation. She only needed to make a move to bewitch all the ladies and young women in the capital.
“The main thing is, I’ve discovered that writing books is really lucrative!” Shen Lingyue’s eyes lit up. “I had He Rong go out and inquire. That Young Master Xiaoxiang could only rent a place last year, but he moved into the wealthy Dongcheng commercial district last month, and he even bought the house outright.”
Shen Lingyue painted a rosy picture for Yan Yi: "Once my book becomes a hit, we'll hold book signings, limited edition hardcovers, special autographed editions, customized editions, and even include character cards and blind boxes with the books... Hahaha, I'll be the richest person in the Pei family from now on!"
Yan Yi listened attentively and then spoke gently, "First, you need to finish writing that book."
Shen Lingyue collapsed with a thud, then got up again, clenching her fist in encouragement: "I'll write it today!"
She requisitioned Yan Yi's large painting desk, solemnly laid out a sheet of fine Xuan paper, held a charcoal pencil, and confidently wrote down the title of the book.
Yan Yi leaned closer and read aloud: "After divorcing her scumbag husband, she went crazy and cursed the tyrant for climbing through her window every night..."
His voice trailed off, until finally he seemed to freeze in place, "Are you sure you want to write this?"
"Yes, I definitely can't imitate Xiaoxiang Gongzi's style; I need to have my own."
Shen Lingyue had clearly given this matter considerable thought. "Look at my book title, isn't it quite sensational? Don't you want to open it and take a look right away?"
Yan Yi said sincerely, "Although there is no literary inquisition in Daye, I am really worried that you will be arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Wouldn't this be considered tarnishing the royal family's reputation?
"I'm making this a fictional story, isn't fictional enough?" Shen Lingyue's voice weakened a bit. "How about changing it to a crazy prince? A crazy marquis? It can't be any lower, or it won't be sweet and satisfying enough."
Yan Yi sighed and smiled wryly, "It's alright, you should write first." It wasn't that she didn't trust Xiao Yue Liang, but she really couldn't guarantee that she would live to see this "masterpiece"...
With Yan Yi's support and encouragement, Shen Lingyue began writing with great confidence.
On the first day, she wrote several pages of character biographies, piling all the good things onto her female protagonist: intelligent, brave, and beautiful...
Yan Yi calmly pointed out, "She's so perfect, why would she be deceived by her ex-husband?"
Shen Lingyue: "...Oh right."
The paper ball was crumpled up and thrown into the bamboo basket.
Again!
This time, instead of writing biographical sketches, she started biting her pen and brainstorming the first chapter.
"Should it be about the female protagonist catching her husband cheating on her and deciding to divorce him? Or should it be about her already being divorced and leaving the mansion, only to suddenly feel a strange man next to her in the middle of the night... hehehehe."
Shen Lingyue muttered to herself, "To increase sales, there must be some erotic scenes, all below the neck! It has to be alluring, romantic, and flirtatious without being vulgar..."
The bamboo basket was filled with more and more crumpled paper. When Yan Yi returned from her walk, she saw Shen Lingyue wiping the bookshelf.
Holding a wet rag, she ignored Si Xiang's attempts to stop her and wiped each square with great enthusiasm.
"This bookshelf is covered in dust, it's affecting my inspiration! I'll know what to write after I wipe it clean."
After wiping the bookshelf, Shen Lingyue stood there for a moment, then began wiping the windowsill.
"A good creative environment must be clean and tidy in order to keep people in a good mood!"
Si Xiang was completely at a loss. She leaned over and whispered, "What should we do? The second young mistress insists on doing chores, and I can't stop her."
Yan Yi remained calm. "It's alright, just bring two more basins of water—I bet she'll be mopping the floor soon."
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Author's Note: Here it comes! I've decided to uninstall Little Sweet Potato for a few days. Every time I open it and see anything related to movies, I can't help but want to watch them. Seeing roadshows or videos makes me want to cry TAT. Maybe it's because I lived in Nanjing for eight years, but it's really too hard to get over it all at once [crying][crying]. Tonight I'll try to adjust my sleep schedule; I can't keep working so late!
[Let me see][Let me see] Let's cut some relatively lighthearted gossip: Please enjoy "Rebirth: I Became Rich by Writing Books in Da Ye"! [Go for it][Go for it]
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