Chapter 21 By a Strange Twist, Lord Pei, What Reward Will I Receive? ...
Why save her?
This question was like throwing a stone into water, leaving Pei Xu speechless for a moment.
Mingming had come to offer incense with her grandfather today, knowing that Ci'an Temple was unusual and intending to take the opportunity to investigate. Unexpectedly, she caught a glimpse of that familiar figure in the distance at the temple gate, who dared to walk into a secluded part of the temple with only a maid.
He could have simply ignored it. With a little more effort, he could have just sent a guard along.
Although Miss Meng was the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, she had no connection with him whatsoever. Their official interactions were merely nodding acquaintances. Yet, for some unknown reason, he inexplicably followed her.
She remained as impulsive as ever, insisting on investigating whenever something seemed amiss.
And he seems to be meddling too much.
That's why I've ended up in my current situation.
After a moment of silence, Pei Xu looked away. They were too close, close enough that he could smell the faint fragrance in her hair.
It smells like gardenia.
"It's my duty." That was all he ever said in the end.
This was both an answer to her question and an answer to himself. It was only natural; as an official, he was obligated to protect those in need.
"oh."
Meng Lingyao pressed her lips together slightly and straightened up. She guessed that if the Princess were here, she would definitely click her tongue and say "boring."
If that were the case, she would nod vigorously to show her agreement.
Seeing his appearance, it would be difficult to find out what exactly was wrong with Cixi Temple, and what role Zhou Yizhi played in it.
As she was pondering, the person in front of her made another move. Meng Lingyao saw that his eyelashes were lowered and his lips were tightly pursed, as if he was unwilling but had no choice but to do it.
Pei Xu took something out of his sleeve and handed it to Meng Lingyao. It was a small token with the character "序" engraved on it. It was exquisitely crafted, and the edges had been smoothed and rounded by polishing.
"This is a contact document. If Miss Meng knows anything else in the future, she can take this to Manager Wei at the Linlang Pavilion in the south of the city, or find someone from the Dali Temple." He handed it to Meng Lingyao, "Since you're already involved, I'd appreciate your help."
Meng Lingyao's pupils dilated slightly, never expecting that the largest jewelry shop in the capital was also owned by the Pei family.
What surprised her even more was, "Lord Pei would actually let me participate?"
“It’s not that I want to.” Pei Xu’s voice was calm and even, only his tightly furrowed brows betrayed a hint of his true emotions. “It’s just that Miss Meng is stubborn. If we don’t restrain her, she might take a different path, which would only increase the uncertainty.”
Meng Lingyao couldn't help but chuckle, "Lord Pei seems to know me very well."
Pei Xu glanced at her indifferently, the seriousness between his brows easing slightly. "Miss Meng should know about the third young lady of the Zhou family."
Meng Lingyao nodded, "We have quite a relationship."
“In that case, Miss Meng, please take the opportunity to sound out Miss Zhou and see if she knows about your brother’s dealings with Zhiqing.” Pei Xu paused, “But remember, do not act rashly, and do not come to Ci’an Temple alone.”
"I understand." Meng Lingyao lowered her head and fiddled with the token, seemingly not paying much attention.
Pei Xu added, "Remember, do not take risks."
"Lord Pei, are you worried about me?" Meng Lingyao asked without thinking, only to realize as soon as she finished speaking that the man in front of her was not the young master she had carefully chosen as a potential husband, but Pei Xu.
Pei Xu remained expressionless and said calmly, "This case is of great importance."
"Lord Pei is indeed honest."
At a bend in the mountain road, Meng Lingyao suddenly stopped. "Lord Pei, if this case is solved, what reward will I receive?"
Pei Xu was taken aback.
"What does Miss Meng want?"
"I haven't decided yet, I'll owe you for now."
Her eyes curved slightly at the corners, her smile was sly, and the curve of her lips was just right—it was a pushover, yet somehow not annoying.
Pei Xu thought that she must have been extremely pampered at home, which is why she developed such a stubborn and ambitious nature.
He neither said yes nor no, but kept walking forward without stopping.
Meng Lingyao took this as tacit agreement, and decided to stop while she was ahead and not ask any further questions.
"Miss, Miss, you're finally back." It was Songlan's voice.
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw Songlan with one hand on her hip and the other supporting the stone sculpture, panting heavily, with Cangdian following behind her, also panting heavily.
"The old lady was very worried and was looking for Miss everywhere." When Songlan saw Meng Lingyao, she breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Pei Xu standing to the side with undisguised doubt in her eyes.
"I got lost, but luckily Lord Pei guided me." Meng Lingyao made up a reason on the spot and quietly put the bronze medal into her sleeve.
Pei Xu nodded and bowed, saying, "Now that we have found the person, I should head back."
The two parted ways thereafter, each going their own way along different mountain paths.
When Meng Lingyao found her maternal grandmother, the old lady was anxiously waiting on the stone steps in front of the main hall. Seeing her granddaughter return safely, the old lady took her hand and carefully examined her, asking, "Are you hurt anywhere? Didn't you say you were going to see the Bodhi tree? How did you get lost? You didn't even take anyone with you!"
"Grandmother, don't worry, I'm fine. I was just so engrossed in the scenery that I forgot where I was going," Meng Lingyao reassured her, taking the old lady's arm in the process.
The old man was relieved and took out a small item wrapped in red silk from his bosom. "After listening to the sutra, I asked the master for a marriage charm. This has been blessed. Please keep it safe."
"I knew you loved me the most, even when you came to offer incense you still remembered me. But I don't care about marriage, your good health is the most important thing."
Meng Lingyao smiled and accepted the talisman tied with a red string, showering the old lady with sweet words that made her eyes crinkle with laughter.
She obediently slipped the talisman into her purse, thinking to herself that she dared not trust the talismans from this temple. The thought of Zhiqing and Zhou Yizhi's affair made her feel that the incense of Ci'an Temple was tainted. However, the old man's intentions were precious, so she decided to keep the talisman.
At the same time, Pei Xu also found his grandfather.
Grandpa Pei was enjoying tea in a quiet meditation room when his grandson entered. His nostrils twitched slightly, and a meaningful expression suddenly appeared on his face.
"How can you act recklessly in a Buddhist temple, a place of tranquility? This is outrageous!" The old man reprimanded with a stern face, but a smile was hidden in his eyes.
Pei Xu paused, puzzled by his grandfather's words. It wasn't until he saw his grandfather point to his nose meaningfully that he realized what was going on. He had been too close to Meng Lingyao earlier and must have caught her scent.
“You’ve misunderstood.” He said calmly, “I just met Meng Shaoqing’s daughter who was lost and gave her some pointers.”
Old Master Pei remained noncommittal, his smile undiminished. "If you say so, then so be it."
Since his daughter-in-law passed away and his youngest son has been traveling for many years, he, as the eldest grandson, has taken on the heavy responsibility of the family. He has always been cautious in his words and deeds and has never made a mistake. He grieves for his beloved son and is worried about the future of the family. But how can he not feel sorry for his young son, who is always serious and studies hard every day, practicing riding and archery without a smile on his face?
Today's unusual overstepping of boundaries actually brought comfort to him as the grandfather—at least he was acting like a young man again.
Looking at his grandfather's ever-changing expression, Pei Xu suddenly asked, "Grandfather, have you been drinking? Otherwise, why are you talking nonsense?"
"Nonsense!" Old Master Pei immediately straightened his face. "How could I possibly be drinking wine in a Buddhist temple?"
After speaking, he asked his grandson to check if the carriage was ready, and then stayed alone in the meditation room, gazing at the distant mountains outside the window, lost in thought.
After a long while, he let out a long sigh.
On the way back, Pei Xu sat alone in the carriage. He didn't often use incense, but today he could still smell a faint fragrance. Perhaps because the carriage was free of other scents, that fragrance was particularly noticeable. It was a rich, sweet scent, as if he were in a gardenia bush in early summer, the vibrant and lively fragrance hitting him, asserting its presence with an almost flamboyant attitude.
There seemed to be no room for him in the spacious carriage for a moment.
As night fell, the lights in the Meng residence gradually went out.
Meng Lingyao sat alone by the window, taking out the bronze plaque Pei Xu had given her and examining it closely. In the moonlight, the character "Xu" on the plaque was written with vigorous strokes, just like the man's indifferent and calm temperament.
She sighed softly. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't reveal the details of her premonition, she wouldn't have needed to test the waters with Miss Zhou. She could have directly told Pei Xu that Zhou Yizhi not only had dealings with Zhiqing, but that they were even having an affair.
But how could such a thing be said so easily? Without concrete evidence, it would probably only be regarded as mere fabrication.
However, it wouldn't be difficult to test the waters with Miss Zhou.
Having made up her mind, Meng Lingyao flipped the token over and placed it at the bottom of the dressing table drawer.
The dream from that night remains vivid in my memory. Now, recalling it, the nausea has faded, leaving only disgust and even more anger.
She was determined to find out the truth and send the adulterous couple to the Dali Temple prison.
A few days later, Meng Shaoqing's leave ended, and he reluctantly returned to his official residence. Meng Lingyao accompanied her mother to visit several relatives and friends, but gradually felt bored. She remembered that she had promised her father before the New Year to go to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to help proofread the copied musical scores.
During dinner that evening, she mentioned it to her father, and the next day she took a servant from the manor to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was responsible for matters of rites and music for the imperial court. Its books were vast and numerous, requiring extensive copying and proofreading work every year. Meng Yan, as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, had his own independent official residence to handle his duties.
The place was small, but it was clean, tidy, simple and elegant. The bookshelves on the four walls were piled with various documents and manuscripts, the table was covered with unfinished musical scores, and there was a guqin in one corner. The glaze on the surface of the guqin was smooth and moist, and it was obvious that the owner must have loved it very much and played with it every day.
Meng Lingyao sat at her desk, carefully proofreading the musical score. About half an hour later, a young official came to serve tea. This was perfectly acceptable, but then two more groups of people arrived, all handsome young men, whose words and actions seemed to be trying to curry favor.
Meng Yan initially didn't think much of it, until she realized that these young people were coming far too frequently and their eyes were often lingering on her daughter, and then she suddenly understood.
"Get out! No manners!" Meng Yan said sternly, kicking out all the young people who had entered under various pretexts. He also instructed the gatekeeper not to let anyone in unless it was for official business.
The sudden commotion at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was noticed even by the nearby Court of Judicial Review.
As Yue Meng was scratching his head while writing the case report, he heard an unusual sound. He felt as if he had been saved and left with the words, "I'll go find out what's going on," before dashing off.
He stopped a Taichang Temple official who was taking a shortcut and asked him a question.
The official lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "What else could it be? Lord Meng's darling daughter has arrived! That Miss Meng is indeed as rumored, both beautiful and talented."
After saying that, he recited a few more lines of sour poetry. Yue Meng, uninterested, tossed his hand aside and turned back to the Dali Temple.
"I wondered what was going on. It turns out that it's Meng Shaoqing's daughter. No wonder the Imperial Academy is so festive today."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xu, who was reviewing the case files, paused almost imperceptibly, and the ink smudged slightly on the paper.
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