Chapter 34 Lord Pei, can you please let me go?
Pei Xu had a refined and handsome appearance. His black robes were damp with the morning dew from the mountains, and he carried no trace of blood. The sounds of battle from just moments before seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Her spring dress was thin and light, and his palms were warm, almost burning her skin through the thin fabric.
Meng Lingyao should have been embarrassed. She didn't care about those formalities, but it was the first time in her life that she had been so close to a young man.
Until I heard the sound of my own heartbeat beside my ear, like the urging of war drums, like birds colliding with their cages.
It's not just hers.
Pei Xu was aloof and disliked getting close to people, especially women, since childhood.
He had never known that women were like this.
Soft and warm.
It was like a handful of snow, as if it were about to melt in his palm. The scent of gardenias, which had lingered in his carriage for so long, making him almost feel like he had nowhere to stand, now filled his nose. Even the mountains and forests seemed crowded.
“Miss Meng, you shouldn’t be here alone.”
He began with a cold and hard statement, his eyes deep and intimidating.
Meng Lingyao was never afraid of him, but this time she didn't immediately confront him as usual. Beneath Pei Xu's unyielding exterior, she glimpsed something else. She tilted her head slightly, meeting Pei Xu's eyes directly, and asked, "Is Lord Pei going to interfere with me again?"
Pei Xu tilted his head to avoid her gaze, "The mountain path is rugged and difficult to traverse, with deep forests and ravines, where villains and wild beasts often roam."
"Oh." Meng Lingyao nodded obediently, but what she said next was, "Then can you let go of me now?"
The word "you" was pronounced with extra emphasis, as if it had rolled over the tip of the tongue.
Pei Xu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly let go of his hand.
Meng Lingyao swayed before regaining her balance. Her attention was drawn to the wrinkled clothes and disheveled hair, and she didn't notice that the person in front of her had moved his fingers uneasily twice, raised his arm a little over an inch, and then abruptly lowered it.
She lowered her head and smoothed out the wrinkles on her shoulders, raising her hand to arrange her hair strand by strand, like a sparrow preening its feathers on a treetop.
Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Meng Lingyao looked at Pei Xu, "My lord, my clothes are disheveled and quite indecent, may I...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Pei Xu had already turned his back.
A soft laugh came from behind him, and Pei Xu's eyelashes trembled violently for a moment.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard a woman's gentle voice, "Sir, could you please take a look and see if there's anything wrong with me right now?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xu paused for a moment, then slowly turned around.
"Do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper, do not speak what is improper, do not do what is improper." Pei Xu had already memorized the principle of self-discipline and following the rules of propriety when he was three years old.
A young man staring intently at a young woman certainly violated the first rule. Yet, he couldn't muster the strength to refuse, as if a higher command had descended, shattering all the principles he had upheld throughout his life.
"Um?"
Pei Xu did not respond, and Meng Lingyao tilted her head slightly. The hair ornament in her hair, which was not worn straight to begin with, became even more crooked.
Before he could react, Pei Xu had already raised his hand and steadied the swaying tassel hairpin. The smooth pearls rolled across his palm, feeling slightly rough.
Meng Lingyao was taken aback, then glanced down at the ground without making it obvious. If it weren't for the fact that there was indeed a shadow under his feet, and that his cold expression was no different from usual, Meng Lingyao would have really suspected that the person in front of her was not the incorruptible Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but some kind of mountain spirit.
“There is nothing wrong with it.” Pei Xu lowered his eyes, withdrew his hand, and his face remained expressionless.
"That's good then." Meng Lingyao consciously took a step back, only then noticing that the painting she had been clutching tightly while running had somehow ended up in Pei Xu's hands.
That's still a half-finished product!
"Thank you for your help today, sir." She stretched out her hand, as if to draw. "I hope you will forgive my clumsy work."
"Miss Meng's painting skills are excellent; few in the capital can match her."
His words were very pleasing to the ear, but his hands remained as steady as a mountain, without making the slightest movement.
“My lord,” Meng Lingyao frowned, unable to help but remind him, “that is my painting.”
“Miss Meng has made arrangements for the Shangsi Festival, but I have never collected any of your paintings before. I cannot fully understand their exquisite details,” Pei Xu said unhurriedly. “I fear I will fail to live up to your expectations.”
“But the painting isn’t finished yet,” Meng Lingyao argued.
"It's alright."
She was about to say something more when Songlan's voice suddenly came from not far away, "Miss! Miss, where are you?"
Then came several hurried footsteps, thumping loudly on the stone steps.
"Miss!" Songlan ran breathlessly and rushed over to Meng Lingyao as soon as she saw her, her eyes red. "Miss, are you alright? I've been looking for you for so long, I was so scared."
"I'm fine, everything's alright," Meng Lingyao quickly reassured her.
Song Lan was followed by several young men, led by Zhao Xu, along with Pei Xu's pale-faced subordinate and several unfamiliar young men. These men were all tall and had a steady gait, unlike ordinary scholars and literati.
Meng Lingyao's gaze fell on Zhao Xu and the person behind him. Both of their robes were covered in dust, and their cuffs were somewhat torn. Zhao Xu's hair was also a little messy. She recalled the sound of weapons clashing that she had just heard, and a guess formed in her mind.
Judging from their expressions and the distance between them, they were clearly not enemies; in fact, they could be considered acquaintances. Meng Lingyao frowned slightly.
Jian Su walked up to Pei Xu, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "My lord."
Pei Xu glanced at him indifferently, his gaze lingering on the man's tattered cuff for a moment.
Jian Su's face showed a rare hint of unease, but he still kept a straight face. "Just now, I saw the students competing with each other at the academy's martial arts training ground. I was itching to show my skills and had a match with General Zhao."
He had previously led his men to pursue the Zhou family fugitives outside the city, but Zhao Xu, who was returning to the capital, intercepted them. He had been thinking about it ever since, and now that he had the chance, how could he not seize it? Both of them were experienced in real combat, so their fighting style was naturally different from that of ordinary students. Finding the academy's training ground insufficient, they went outside to practice.
As for startling the birds in the mountains, it was truly an unintentional mistake.
"Minister Jian's skills are exceptional, and I have benefited greatly from them," Zhao Xu immediately spoke up, speaking up for his old friend. "Several years have passed since we last met, and Brother Jian has improved even further. This must be due to the excellent guidance you have given me, Junior Minister."
Meng Lingyao was speechless. It was just a friendly sparring match, yet it caused such a commotion. Could these men really bring themselves to hurt even their closest friends?
"I was just admiring the scenery and wandered a bit too far, and happened to run into Lord Pei," she continued to reassure Songlan, adding an explanation as she went.
Zhao Xu then walked up to her side and stopped a few steps away. "It's good that Miss Meng is alright. Your maid was looking for us everywhere and was quite startled when she found us."
"Thank you for your concern, General Zhao." Meng Lingyao thanked him politely, and then asked, "General, are you also here to enjoy the scenery?"
"I came with General Xie and Minister Pei to inspect the martial arts courses at the academy." Zhao Xu became reserved again and stammered as he explained, "I also studied at this academy when I was young, so I came along."
"What a coincidence," Meng Lingyao said casually. "My cousin also studied here before."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Zhao Xu's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. His thoughts were written all over his face; his eyes were clear, revealing his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
It's rare to see someone like this in Beijing. The last one, it seems, was his younger sister, Zhao Ruxuan.
They really are a family. Meng Lingyao glanced at them a few more times.
A mountain breeze wafted by, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees. A wave of fatigue washed over me; I had been frightened today and had walked such a long distance, I was truly exhausted.
"It's getting late, I should go back." She curtsied to everyone and took her leave.
"How about I offer Miss Meng a ride?" Zhao Xu said, mustering his courage. "I was just about to head back to the city myself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jian Su tightened his grip on his sword, his brow twitched, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. His gaze towards Meng Lingyao also took on a somewhat inscrutable quality.
Meng Lingyao keenly caught that gaze and raised an eyebrow slightly. Looking at her like that, could it be—
Admiring General Zhao?
Then she'll have to agree to his request to take her home.
“General Zhao,” Pei Xu suddenly spoke, saying calmly, “General Xie and the Chancellor had previously instructed that they would seek your help if they had something to discuss.”
Zhao Xu was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "May I ask, Shaoqing, what is the matter?"
Pei Xu remained calm and said, "Perhaps it's related to martial arts courses."
Zhao Xu could not hide his disappointment, but he still nodded. "Thank you for informing me, Shaoqing. I will go to find the General. Miss Meng, see you another day."
Meng Lingyao smiled and nodded. Seeing that Pei Xu had no intention of returning the painting, she could only say, "Thank you for your help today, Lord Pei. This humble work is a token of my gratitude. I hope you will not find it offensive."
Since this is her gift of gratitude, you must keep it safe! Don't let anyone else see it, lest it tarnish her good reputation.
"Miss Meng, you are too kind. I will certainly cherish it."
Once she was certain that Pei Xu understood her meaning, Meng Lingyao felt a little relieved and took Songlan home.
Only after the two figures disappeared from sight did Zhao Xu reluctantly turn his gaze away, his attention immediately shifting to the painting in Pei Xu's hand.
"Young Master Pei, is that a painting by Miss Meng?" Zhao Xu asked eagerly. "Miss Meng is extremely skilled at painting. I have long admired her. May I have the honor of seeing it?"
Pei Xu tucked the scroll into his robes, his expression indifferent. "This is Miss Meng's gift; I cannot show it to anyone."
The light on Zhao Xu's face dimmed instantly, but he quickly forced a smile and said, "I was being presumptuous."
Jian Su watched coldly, his fist hardening. He had known Zhao Xu's feelings for a long time, for years. When Zhao Xu was in the northern frontier, he would occasionally ask about Miss Meng in the letters he sent back. Now that he had returned, the admiration in his eyes was even more undisguised.
Jian Su felt resentful—he had personally witnessed Meng Lingyao walking side by side with other men, chatting and laughing happily. First there was Lu Heming, then Zhou Yizhi. Now she was even showing favor to the adults.
Naturally, he trusted the adults completely. He also knew that Miss Meng was exceptionally clever and not a bad person.
But such a woman is not a good match for Zhao Xu.
He grabbed Zhao Xu by the back of his neck by the collar.
Zhao Xu was puzzled. "Brother Jian?"
“I haven’t seen some of the moves in your marksmanship before. Show them to me again.”
"But... General?"
“General Xie should still be talking with the Chief Priest,” Pei Xu replied.
Jian Su exchanged a glance with him, then pulled Zhao Xu and headed back towards the academy's martial arts arena.
Meanwhile, the master and servant walked down the mountain path, with Songlan following behind, glancing back from time to time, still feeling lingering fear.
After walking for a while, Meng Lingyao suddenly stopped. She frowned slightly, as if remembering something. "Songlan, do you remember who your cousins often mentioned when they were studying at Chongwen Academy—who was the top student?"
Songlan thought for a moment, "It seems to be a young master surnamed Zhao, who is said to be both scholarly and martial. Why did you suddenly think of this, Miss?"
"It's nothing," Meng Lingyao said, a slight thought crossing her mind. "I just suddenly remembered."
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