Chapter 26 An Encounter by the River: "Zhao Xu is coming back."...
Meng Lingyao often stayed at her maternal grandparents' house when she was young. She and her cousins explored the entire Yongfeng River. She knew exactly where the riverbank was quiet, secluded, and beautiful.
The most wonderful thing in this area is a row of ancient willows, with beautiful shapes and vigorous branches. The second to last one on the innermost side is the best. Five or six feet from the ground, a thick branch winds out, forming a wonderful arc, like a natural chair, just right for people to sit on and appreciate the mighty river flowing into the distance.
Meng Lingyao was sitting on it at the moment. This was not a difficult task, even though the willow branches were smooth and hard in winter.
When she was little, she was more agile than her cousins and could climb up the trees the fastest. As she grew up, she always felt that climbing trees and catching cicadas was too unrefined. At most, she could only pretend to catch butterflies with the young ladies. In reality, everyone knew that with just a small fan, how could she possibly catch such nimble butterflies?
Today, she was able to rekindle her childlike spirit and successfully climb up. She even remarked to herself that her skills were as good as ever.
Holding onto the tree trunk, she looked up slightly into the distance. A bright moon hung in the sky, and the river rippled, shimmering in the sunlight, as if she were in a painting.
In this rare moment of tranquility, someone has disrupted the peace.
Footsteps approached, the person moving very lightly, but the place was so quiet that even the sound of footsteps on dry grass was unusually clear.
Meng Lingyao frowned, turned her head and looked up, her gaze meeting Pei Xu's eyes through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
Both of them were taken aback.
Perhaps because such opportunities to look down on the eldest son of the Pei family were rare, Meng Lingyao glanced at him several times, her gaze sweeping from his prominent brow bone, down his straight nose, and finally to his lips, which always seemed to be slightly pursed.
She only slowly looked away when she caught a glimpse of his blushing earlobes.
Despite not liking him, she never denied his good looks.
For a fleeting moment, Pei Xu felt as if he had stumbled into some otherworldly paradise. The winter in the north was cold and desolate, and along the way, the willow leaves had long since fallen, leaving only empty branches swaying in the wind.
Until he reached this tree, he saw a thin red tassel hanging from its branches, the hem of a skirt cascading down like fireworks bursting from the branches. The person brushed aside the willow branches, peeked out, and stared straight at him. The next instant, a clear, crisp sound drifted down from the branches.
"Why is Lord Pei here?"
Pei Xu lowered his eyes. "I should be asking Miss Meng that question. This place is secluded, and it's not safe for someone to be here alone."
Meng Lingyao slightly pursed her lips.
Eight out of ten sentences this person uttered were warnings to her to be careful, as if she were some ignorant child.
She swung her leg lightly, her skirt tracing an arc in the air, and said lazily, "Next time I meet Miss Xu, I will tell her that Lord Pei has some reservations about her father's work."
Pei Xu knew that she was deliberately exaggerating his words, so he didn't respond. Instead, he said, "Tonight, Miss Zhou's pleasure boat was leaking and tilted at one point. The situation was critical."
"Is anything wrong with the people on the boat?" Meng Lingyao immediately asked.
Fortunately, the damage to the hull was not serious and there is no major problem.
Meng Lingyao breathed a sigh of relief, and then heard Pei Xu say calmly from under the tree, "Fortunately, Miss Meng left in time and was spared a fright."
Before she even realized it, Meng Lingyao's lips had already unconsciously curled up. "This is all thanks to Lord Pei's instructions, which reminded me of the dangers of waterways."
Pei Xu couldn't discern how much genuine gratitude was in the words, but surprisingly, this fact didn't cause him the slightest displeasure.
He gave a very soft "hmm".
Meng Lingyao glanced at him, and based on Pei Shaoqing's usual style, she thought he would humbly say, "It's my duty."
"How could a perfectly good pleasure boat be leaking?" Meng Lingyao murmured to herself.
Zhou Xiwen is meticulous despite her rough exterior. On an occasion like today, she would have checked the condition of the pleasure boat repeatedly. How could such a big oversight have occurred?
"What does Miss Meng think?"
The Lantern Festival banquet on the painted boat not only helped Zhou Xiwen make connections with the noble families of the capital, but also enhanced her reputation. It had been held for several years in a row, so there was no reason for her to suddenly ruin her reputation at such a critical time when she was vying for power with her brother.
Thinking back to when they first boarded the ship, Zhou Yizhi appeared with expensive Persian rose perfume, ostensibly as a gift, but in reality, it was undoubtedly a show of defiance against his sister.
After they returned from changing, Zhou Yizhi disappeared without a trace.
Who else but him could have caused the current predicament of the pleasure boat?
“Whoever benefits the most will be the one,” Meng Lingyao replied.
Pei Xu did not respond.
At this point, silence itself becomes a form of affirmation.
While adjusting her cuffs, Meng Lingyao touched a familiar hard lump. She tightened her grip, then loosened it, and called out, "Lord Pei."
Pei Xu looked up at her.
“I almost forgot to tell you.” She tilted her head, her eyes shining, and began to boast, “I did not fail you today. When I spoke with Miss Zhou, I learned from her that Zhou Yizhi and Zhiqing do have an unusual relationship, and she finds it extremely distasteful.”
Pei Xu avoided her gaze and nodded.
"There is one more important matter." Meng Lingyao told him in detail about Zhou Xiwen's objection to Pei Xu's meeting.
"Why does Miss Zhou make this request?" Pei Xu asked.
The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review truly lived up to his title, hitting the nail on the head immediately.
Perhaps the fruit she ate tonight was too sweet, because Meng Lingyao felt a toothache.
How could she explain that she had inadvertently revealed his token, that she had made a lot of boasts in front of Zhou Xiwen, and that Pei Xu was truly devoted to her?
No, she would rather jump into the Yongfeng River than utter a word about it.
But then again, is Pei Xu completely without fault?
Why give him a token engraved with his name? Isn't that just giving away a clueless secret?
How could a high-ranking official like the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review act so carelessly!
Having figured out the key to it, Meng Lingyao immediately felt no more guilty.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the tree trunk, saying confidently, "It is the duty of the Dali Temple to investigate the cause."
Pei Xu was speechless for a moment, then replied, "Miss Meng is absolutely right."
"In that case, Lord Pei, please remember my reward." Meng Lingyao nodded in satisfaction. "I've already thought of it."
Pei Xu looked up. "What is it?"
"It's too early to say now," Meng Lingyao said with a smile. "I'll tell you in detail when the Shangsi Festival comes in March."
Pei Xu considered himself to have a decent memory. The files of the Dali Temple were vast, and while he couldn't recall every single word, he could usually remember some of them. Therefore, he easily recalled his previous encounters with Meng Lingyao.
She always had a smile on her face, and without a doubt, she was very good at smiling. Her eyes often curved into a crescent moon, and the corners of her lips turned up into a waning crescent. Thus, like the moonlight today, it was a perfect circle, which was probably what ancient books described as bright and beautiful eyes, radiant with joy.
At the same time, Pei Xu was also very clear that there was not much genuine smile in it.
Just like her oft-repeated phrase, "Thank you, sir."
But the smile at this moment was different; it was probably the most genuine smile he had ever seen since they met.
The Shangsi Festival... matters here should be settled by now.
Pei Xu was slightly lost in thought. He could ask the Emperor for a few days' leave then. Whatever her request, he would do his utmost to fulfill it.
"good."
The words had barely left his lips when a sharp bang rang out in the distance, and a beam of golden light shot straight into the night sky, exploding with a "bang" at its highest point, cascading down like a shower of golden rain. Immediately afterward, a second and a third bloomed in succession, dazzling as rosy clouds, illuminating the entire imperial city as if it were daytime. The painted boats on the river had all returned to their course, leaving only a dazzling reflection on the water's surface, shattering into countless starlight points with the ripples.
"It's a deal!"
After watching the fireworks, Meng Lingyao braced herself against a tree branch and, with a little effort, jumped down from the tree.
Pei Xu subconsciously reached out his hand, the crimson sleeve lightly brushing against his fingertips, leaving only a faint fragrance.
The last firework of the night has fallen.
Meng Lingyao's gaze swept over his hand. "My lord, you underestimate me."
Seeing Pei Xu's actions, she was not surprised at all.
He always had many worries about her.
Perhaps it's just "my duty."
The thought flashed through her mind, and Meng Lingyao tried her best to hide the smile that was about to spill from her lips.
Pei Xucai was the unexpected one. He was not the kind of person who meddled in other people's business. His grandfather taught him from a young age to "plan before you act." Without thorough consideration, many cases in the Dali Temple would be impossible to solve.
He has always done a good job.
However, lately, it has repeatedly failed.
Before he could ponder the reason, Pei Xu keenly noticed that she seemed to be in a better mood.
So the reason didn't seem so important anymore. He sighed silently, "Now that the fireworks are over, Miss Meng should go home as soon as possible."
Meng Lingyao bowed respectfully, saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Farewell, sir."
She took a few steps forward, then suddenly turned her head. "Oh, right, Lord Pei. I forgot to tell you, although this place looks remote, it's actually only a few steps away from my maternal grandfather's house."
She raised her hand, her fingertips pointing deep into the rows of willow trees, where, upon closer inspection, one could see green bricks and blue tiles hidden among them.
"You're overthinking it," Meng Lingyao said, drawing out her words as if she had won a battle, before leaving with an air of nonchalance.
Pei Xu lowered his eyelashes, his mind rapidly sketching out a map of the capital. Indeed, on the west side of the Yongfeng River was Commander Zhong's residence.
Why didn't I remember anything just now?
-
It was late at night when Meng Lingyao returned to her maternal grandparents' house. Zhong Dingming was squatting at the door, yawning. "If you hadn't come back, I would have gone out to look for you."
“I was right by the old willow tree, I didn’t go far.”
Zhong Dingming nodded vaguely, stood up and stretched, looking like a big cat just waking up, his bones making cracking sounds like bamboo shoots growing. "Get some rest."
Meng Lingyao nodded and turned back to her usual courtyard.
Zhong Dingming watched her leave before returning to his own residence. The twins lived together in Zhenliu Pavilion. When he returned, Zhong Dingyao was still not resting and practiced a set of spear techniques in the courtyard.
Zhong Dingming watched him quietly finish practicing and begin to regulate his breathing, then suddenly asked, "You've taken a liking to my cousin?"
Zhong Dingyao was choked by the cold wind. After a violent coughing fit, he managed to say with difficulty, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Lust at first sight," Zhong Dingming commented seriously. "It's quite normal."
"That's not true!"
"Then why are you acting so strangely today?"
Zhong Dingyao fell silent and did not answer.
Zhong Dingming gave him a look that said, "I knew it, but you're still being stubborn."
Zhong Dingyao pressed his brow hard and finally spoke.
"Zhao Xu is coming back."
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