Chapter 117 The Passerby Returns (End of Main Text) Pei Xu's Note...
“Lingyao,” Consort Jing’s voice was gentle, but her eyes were already frosty, “you just said that the Third Prince’s wife told you that the Third Prince had dealings with the women in the palace.”
"Exactly."
Meng Lingyao presented the account book with both hands, her expression sincere. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am timid and I am in the business of cosmetics. I know that these things are used on the body and face, and cannot be taken lightly. When noble people make purchases, they will have a special mark engraved on the bottom of the box and recorded in detail."
She paused, exhaled deeply, and spoke in a softer voice, “The Third Prince’s Consort once told me that the Third Prince had purchased a batch of rouge and face powder, but instead of giving it to her, he… sent it to the palace. Moreover, he did so very secretly, which shows that the person was not his birth mother, Consort Rou, but someone else.”
Consort Jing, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately understood the deeper meaning behind these words. She took the account book and examined it carefully. It was meticulously recorded—dates, quantities, styles, special markings—everything was detailed. Each box of rouge and face powder had a unique identifier, serving as irrefutable evidence.
Her gaze lingered on that page for a long time before she finally said, "I see."
She grasped Meng Lingyao's hand, her eyes filled with both gratitude and murderous intent. "Lingyao, you are my and my child's benefactor. I will remember this kindness forever. As for whoever dared to lay a hand on my child, whoever it is, I will make them pay the price!"
Meng Lingyao quickly rose and curtsied, "Your Majesty is too kind. I have known Chengyu for many years, and I also have a deep friendship with Jingqiu, like sisters. To me, Your Majesty is no different from an elder sister, and this is all I should do."
Consort Jing was deeply moved. She pulled Meng Lingyao to sit down again and inquired in detail about the source of the account books and the details of the Third Prince's purchases. After everything was clarified, she had the account books carefully stored away and then bestowed upon Meng Lingyao many palace treasures. The finest bird's nest, thousand-year-old ginseng, and various silks were several times more lavish than the gifts Meng Lingyao had brought.
Back at the mansion, Meng Lingyao smiled and said to Pei Xu, "This business deal is quite profitable."
Pei Xu gently reached out and flicked the tip of her nose. "Money-grubber."
Meng Lingyao shook her head, "I hope that money will also be something I'm obsessed with."
Consort Jing's current status in the palace is extraordinary, and with the Empress's assistance, she uncovered the truth within a few days. The eunuchs found several boxes of rouge and face powder with special markings in Consort Wen's palace, which matched the records in Meng Lingyao's account book exactly.
Consort Wen tried to argue, "Your Majesty, please understand! I am an old acquaintance of the Third Prince's wife. These rouge and powder were actually given to me by her through the Third Prince. I was completely unaware of it!"
"No need for Consort Wen to say more. I will find out who gave it to you with a simple investigation."
Consort Jing raised her hand and immediately ordered her to be imprisoned.
Pei Xu silently presented new evidence. He had thoroughly investigated the background of the young eunuch Deshun—his uncle's family had received favors from Minister Lin, the father of Consort Wen. After Deshun was executed, Minister Lin's household secretly sent several dozen taels of silver to Deshun's uncle's family, ostensibly as a form of compensation.
Thus, the truth about the poisoned bird's nest soup came to light. De Shun, entrusted by Minister Lin, was working for his only daughter, Consort Wen. The poison did indeed come from the Third Prince, but it was Consort Wen who instructed De Shun to carry it out. He was instructed to implicate the Third Prince if the matter came to light, and never mention Consort Wen.
When the emperor learned of this, he didn't even see Consort Wen. He casually ordered the eunuch to convey the decree, "Give this lowly woman a cup of poisoned wine."
Consort Wen slumped to the cold floor of the dungeon, her face ashen. She wanted to plead for mercy, to defend herself, but she didn't even have the chance to see the emperor one last time. When the cup of poisoned wine was served, she stared at the dark red liquid in the cup and suddenly remembered the words her father had taught her when she was a child: "Fortune and honor are found in danger."
Now, all the glory and wealth have vanished like a bubble.
When the news reached the Minister's residence, Minister Lin still wanted to plead for his daughter, but the Court of Judicial Review uncovered numerous pieces of evidence of his years of corruption. He himself instantly became a prisoner, and had no right to plead for his daughter anymore.
Songlan brought news of Consort Wen's death. Meng Lingyao was reading in the courtyard. She suddenly realized that the whispers she had overheard by the artificial hill during last year's New Year's banquet were those of Consort Wen and her father. At that time, Minister Lin had sternly reprimanded his daughter for speaking out of turn. But in the end, greed prevailed.
She said nothing, but slowly drank a cup of tea.
The days grew hotter, and the heat of midsummer was unbearable. Because Meng Lingyao was frail and couldn't tolerate the cold, ice was never used in the mansion, even during the hottest times. She herself was drenched in sweat, her clothes almost soaked through, and she assumed Pei Xu would be the same. He was always like a warm stove, extremely comforting to hold in winter.
She lay on the desk as if boneless, looked up at Pei Xu who was sitting upright in front of her reviewing documents, and couldn't help but reach out and touch his arm.
His eyes lit up, and he sat up straight in an instant.
It was warm, with a jade-like smoothness, and not at all sweaty. She was surprised and couldn't resist touching his face, neck, and then her hand traveled down...
Pei Xu pressed down on her restless hands, "What is Madam doing?"
Meng Lingyao blinked. "How come you're not hot at all?"
Pei Xu put down his pen and pulled the person into his arms, saying, "Those who practice martial arts have their own methods of regulating their breathing."
Meng Lingyao pressed her face against his neck, absorbing some of the coolness, and exhaled a fragrant breath, "Is it that amazing? Shaoqing, could you teach me?"
"A skill I've practiced since childhood," Pei Xu said casually. "I get up at dawn every day, without fail, regardless of the weather."
“It’s so hard,” Meng Lingyao frowned, “then I won’t learn it.”
As she spoke, she pressed herself even closer to him, nuzzling against him like a lazy cat. Pei Xu understood, and lowered his head to kiss her forehead: "Is Madam trying to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?"
Meng Lingyao raised her eyes, "Since you have already mastered it, why should I suffer that pain again?"
Previously, out of consideration for Meng Lingyao's health, they hadn't been intimate for some time, a brief separation that felt like a honeymoon. This night, their love was exceptionally passionate. Pei Xu's movements were gentler than usual, yet filled with an irrepressible fervor. Only when he heard the soft sobs of the person in his arms did he manage to maintain his last shred of reason, remembering her recent recovery from a serious illness, and refrain from going too far.
Meng Lingyao nestled in his arms, breathing heavily, as if she had just been pulled from the water. Pei Xu gently stroked her back, slowly calming her rapid breathing.
Once everything had calmed down, he got up and ordered hot water. The maid on night duty outside, keeping her eyes downcast, silently brought the hot water. She glanced up occasionally and caught sight of two figures huddled together behind the screen; her face flushed instantly, and she lowered her head and quickly retreated.
After Pei Xu finished helping Meng Lingyao bathe, he carried her back to bed and held her as she fell asleep peacefully. In the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up with a start. The person in his arms was trembling slightly, with fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead and pale lips.
"Yaoyao?" he called softly, his hand touching her cheek, which was icy cold to the touch.
Meng Lingyao curled up, her voice trembling, "My period has started..."
That accidental ingestion of poison did leave an impact on her health. Her periods used to be very regular, with only slight abdominal pain on the first day, followed by a period of normalcy. After that incident, however, they became extremely irregular, and each period was excruciatingly painful, like being stabbed with a knife.
Pei Xu immediately stood up, not even having time to put on his outer robe, his hair disheveled, "Quickly go and fetch a doctor to brew a decoction to warm the meridians and relieve pain."
After the medicine was prepared, he carefully fed it to her. Meng Lingyao curled up on the bed, her brows furrowed and her face pale, clearly not sleeping soundly. Pei Xu sat by the bed, holding her hand, his fingertips caressing her cold palm.
He pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then got up and went to his study. In the flickering candlelight, he picked up his pen and wrote a letter, which he then handed to Qingzhou to be delivered by fast horse overnight.
That day, Meng Lingyao was discussing the opening of a branch in Suzhou with Manager Qian at Juxianglou. Sunlight streamed in through the carved wooden window, casting dappled patterns of light on her focused profile.
"We've already found a shop in Suzhou," Manager Qian reported respectfully, "but there are several established brands there, and since we're new here, I'm afraid..."
Before she could finish speaking, a waiter outside announced that someone was looking for her.
"Who is it?" Meng Lingyao put down her teacup.
The waiter looked at him strangely. "He said... he's your father-in-law."
Father-in-law?
Everyone in the capital knows that Pei Shaoqing's biological father left the capital to travel many years ago, and did not even return for his only son's wedding.
Meng Lingyao was astonished. She hurried downstairs and saw the person who had come.
The man was dressed in tattered clothes, his hair disheveled, but because of his handsome features, he didn't look like a madman despite his disheveled appearance; instead, he exuded a certain scholarly elegance. He scrutinized Meng Lingyao's face and said coldly, "Your body is cold and damp, and your qi and blood are deficient. Is this how Pei Xu takes care of you?"
Meng Lingyao then realized what was happening and quickly invited the person into a private room on the second floor, explaining the reason in detail.
Pei Zan's expression softened slightly after hearing this. "Extend your hand, let me take your pulse."
Without the slightest hesitation, Meng Lingyao extended her hand and said, "The head of the Imperial Medical Academy will regularly administer acupuncture to me. Each time I receive acupuncture, I will feel comfortable for a day or two, and then I will return to normal."
Pei Zan chuckled, "The Imperial Medical Academy has been around for so many years, and still no one knows how to set up a forest fire." He took out his silver needles, "I'll give you acupuncture."
Meng Lingyao was taken aback for a moment, then politely declined, saying, "You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go back to your residence and rest for a while?"
Just as Pei Zan was about to speak, the door opened from the outside, and Pei Xu stepped in.
The father and son met again after many years, but there was no warmth whatsoever, not even a flicker of emotion on their faces. Pei Xu glanced at the silver needles in his hand, stepped in front of Meng Lingyao, and said bluntly, "I still don't know how skilled you are in medicine."
Pei Zan looked up at him, a half-smile on his face, "Since you don't believe me, why did you ask me to come back?"
Meng Lingyao's eyes widened slightly; it was Pei Xu who had called her back.
The father and son stared at each other for a long time, and finally the father took the first step back. Pei Zan put down the silver needles and said calmly, "You'll know once you find a few people to try it."
The steward found several women in the Pei household who were physically weak and prone to cold, and Pei Zan performed acupuncture on them one by one. His movements were fluid and graceful, unlike the exhausted appearance of the head of the Imperial Medical Academy after each acupuncture session. The silver needles seemed to come alive at his fingertips; with a slight turn of his wrist, the needles precisely pierced the acupoints, to the perfect depth. The women's complexions visibly regained their rosy hue.
After ten days of moxibustion and another month, several women came to report that the effects were remarkable, and their long-standing cold symptoms had improved significantly.
"Is it believable now?" Pei Zan looked at his son.
Pei Xu nodded slowly.
When it was Meng Lingyao's turn to receive acupuncture, she immediately noticed the difference from the Imperial Hospital. The acupuncture technique was called "Burning Mountain Fire," and while the head physician's needles were like a lukewarm bonfire, Pei Zan's were like a raging wildfire. With one needle, a warm current instantly flowed through her limbs and bones, as if ice and snow were melting and all things were reviving.
After the acupuncture, Meng Lingyao was covered in sweat, but felt refreshed all over, and even her breathing became much easier.
She was young and had always been healthy. Pei Zan gave her acupuncture for over half a month, along with various herbal decoctions, and the effects were remarkable. Meng Lingyao no longer felt cold in her hands and feet all day, and she no longer experienced severe pain during her menstrual period.
Pei Xu's complexion improved considerably. After Pei Zan said that he no longer needed acupuncture and only needed to eat some medicinal food to recuperate, he said for the first time, "Thank you, Father."
Pei Zan was slightly taken aback, then quickly lowered his eyelids and wiped the silver needles in his hand. "You're too kind, Lord Shaoqing."
No one knows when he left. One morning, the servants found several medicinal recipes in his room; the ink had long since dried, and he was no longer there.
The Pei family grandfather and grandson accepted this well, probably because they had long been accustomed to his life of wandering.
Meng Lingyao sighed, a hint of regret in her heart. Pei Zan had wandered for many years, and was well-traveled and knowledgeable. Even when he occasionally mentioned his travel experiences while administering acupuncture, they were far more thrilling and interesting than any travelogue carefully selected on the market. She especially remembered his story about gathering herbs on a snow-capped mountain peak, nearly falling off a cliff, only to unexpectedly discover several even more aged herbs on the cliff face. At the time, she was both terrified and extremely excited listening to him.
However, Meng Lingyao soon had no time for anything else. Pei Xu seemed to want to make up for all the restraint he had shown in the past few days, and they were intimate every night, with contraceptive soup almost becoming a daily drink.
After each encounter, Meng Lingyao would admonish herself not to indulge in beauty again, and she would always be defeated by Pei Xu, utterly defeated.
Waking up again late in the morning, she clutched her aching back, and after much agonizing thought, finally made up her mind...
As night fell, Pei Xu returned from the Dali Temple, the moonlight casting a long shadow over him. He sensed something amiss as soon as he entered Jingguan Courtyard.
On the stone table in the courtyard lay the storybook Meng Lingyao hadn't finished reading, its pages turning gently in the night breeze. The orchid on the windowsill had just been watered, its leaves still glistening with dewdrops.
Everything was in perfect order, but, no—
"Where is Madam?"
The pale moon bowed its head.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Madam has already set off for Suzhou."
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Author's Note: Finally! The main story is finally finished! I deliberately scheduled this post at this time to wish all the young couples—no, I mean married couples—a long and happy life together! [cheering emojis]
I started writing this book in March, and it's been over seven months! This is my first time writing historical romance. At first, I couldn't even write 500 words an hour, but my speed more than doubled later. I think I've made some progress, but there are still many shortcomings. At one point, I deviated from the original outline, and even I felt it wasn't well written. I'm so grateful to all the little angels who have read this far; without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to persevere until now. [dog head with rose][dog head with rose][dog head with rose]
I'll probably take a couple of days off, then I'll slowly start updating the side stories again. Thank you all again! [roses][roses][roses]
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