Chapter 62 The battle is over... The "outer chamber" in the Taoist temple?
Pei Xu's gaze fell on the frozen figure, his expression indifferent, and he nodded slightly, "General Zhao."
He casually rested his left hand on his forearm and gently pressed it.
When we parted just now, Meng Shaoqing's hand, which was holding a pen and practicing calligraphy, was concealed by his wide sleeve, and the "admonition" he left him was quite forceful.
But to Zhao Xu, this scene looked no different from a demonstration.
His throat bobbed, a thousand words stuck in his chest, almost bursting out, "Pei..."
“This place is too busy for people to talk.” Pei Xu lowered his hand, his voice cold, cutting off the other party’s escalating anger. “If the general has important matters to discuss, the Dali Temple is a better place to speak.”
Zhao Xu felt a surge of resentment in his chest, but he could only swallow back the words he wanted to say and nodded stiffly, "Fine."
The vermilion gates of the Dali Temple stood wide open, releasing a chilling atmosphere from within. Zhao Xu followed Pei Xu inside, a sudden shiver running through him. Unlike the military camps or noble residences he was familiar with, this place was eerily quiet.
The clerks and bailiffs moved swiftly and silently through the corridors, occasionally rustling as they turned the pages of documents. When Pei Xuxing passed by, they would merely pause briefly and murmur "Sir," before quickly returning to their duties. Their gazes swept over this unfamiliar military officer as if a gentle breeze were rippling across the water, leaving no ripples.
Pei Xu pushed open a wooden door. "General, please."
The official residence was furnished in a very simple manner, with only a long table, a few bookshelves, and neatly arranged documents piled up like a mountain.
A short while later, someone knocked lightly on the door and entered after receiving permission.
Pei Xu caught a glimpse of the newcomer, and his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Yue Meng bowed his head and served tea with respectful and efficient movements, then silently withdrew and quietly closed the door.
Zhao Xu unconsciously stroked the rough pottery cup with his fingertips, seemingly unaware of its scalding temperature. "Lord Pei is skilled at managing his subordinates, and his rules are strict."
"General, you flatter me." Pei Xu said calmly, "General, you have come despite the summer heat, surely not to inspect the rules of the Dali Temple?"
Zhao Xu took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Miss Meng and I have known each other for many years and have a deep friendship that is incomparable to that of others."
"Have known each other for many years?" Pei Xu gently stroked the rim of his cup. "If deep feelings could truly be measured by time, then there wouldn't be so many unhappy couples in the world."
He took a sip of tea, the warm tea soup sliding down his throat, suppressing the sharp words that he had kept hidden for years due to his self-cultivation and restraint.
The so-called "deep affection" was nothing more than Zhao Xu's wishful thinking. To her, he was probably no different from a stranger.
Zhao Xu's expression darkened slightly. "Why must you resort to sophistry, Shaoqing?"
Whether I am being unreasonable or not, the general should make his own judgment.
Pei Xu's tone was icy: "General, you pride yourself on your deep affection, but have you ever considered whether Miss Meng can truly be carefree after marrying into the Marquis of Wuxing's household?"
"I will do my utmost to ensure she has no worries whatsoever," Zhao Xu said through gritted teeth.
"Is that so?" Pei Xu raised his eyes. "Then, General, are you without any worries in your residence?"
Zhao Xu suddenly froze.
Pei Xu put down his teacup and tapped his fingertips lightly on the stack of papers, tap, tap, tap...
Each sound seemed to strike a taut string in Zhao Xu's heart.
"The general is so enthusiastic in welcoming this marriage, but are the people of the Marquis of Wuxing's mansion truly as overjoyed and delighted as the general? Are the people in your household truly without any reservations and filled with joy about the marriage the general has chosen?"
Zhao Xu seemed to have been struck on the head, standing frozen in place.
He instinctively felt that the answer was within reach, faintly visible behind that thin veil, but he seemed to be bound by an invisible force, unable to see through it or find the key.
His face turned pale, his lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound.
After a long while, Zhao Xu spoke up, "When you asked me, did you think about yourself? The Pei family is a prestigious clan with a hundred-year history. Don't the elders insist that you marry a matriarch from a similarly prominent family?"
Pei Xu raised his eyes, his tone extremely calm, "No one in the Pei family will question my decision."
Zhao Xu opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to utter a word.
He knew that Pei Xuzhi's name had been renowned since his youth.
While he was still playing and frolicking with his classmates at the academy, he had already shouldered the heavy responsibility of his family.
A suffocating silence fell over the official residence, with only the faint chirping of cicadas outside the window, further emphasizing the desolate stillness of this small space.
The sunlight shifted subtly, creeping up Zhao Xu's brow bone and casting dappled lines of light and shadow on his young, handsome, yet already showing signs of weariness.
The outcome is decided.
The ancient trees in the courtyard of Dali Temple provide dense shade, blocking out most of the sun and allowing only sparse golden spots to filter through.
Yue Meng sat on the stone steps, idly peeling a fruit, the peel thin and even. "How many is this? First Lu Heming, then Zhou Yizhi. Are our magistrates going to lock everyone who dares to have improper thoughts about Miss Meng in the Dali Temple dungeon?"
Shen Xiaoshan was carefully wiping his scabbard when he heard this and looked up. "Brother Yue Meng, I think this General Zhao has a clean and honest appearance; he doesn't seem like a bad person."
"You've only handled a few cases. What do you know?"
Yue Meng waved his hand, stuffed the fruit into his mouth and crunched it loudly, "In this world, there are plenty of people who are two-faced and treacherous. Which of these young masters from noble families doesn't look respectable? Who knows what kind of filthy things they are in private. I bet this one is embezzling government funds and misappropriating land."
In short, eight and a half out of ten aristocratic families would be guilty of these crimes.
"Stop talking nonsense," Jian Su said in a deep voice. "Slandering court officials is a crime."
Yue Meng looked at him and said in surprise, "Oh, you used to be much more scathing in your insults than I am, but lately you've become quite composed."
He smacked his lips, "He's becoming more and more like an adult."
Jian Su pursed his lips and remained silent, glancing slightly at the tightly closed door.
Shen Xiaoshan interjected, "General Zhao is perhaps different. I overheard him on the street the day he returned to the city. He said he was a kind man who brought back many wounded soldiers from the northern frontier and was taking care of them on his own estate..."
Yue Meng raised an eyebrow. "Then you decide, is it better for your Miss Meng to marry our lord or General Zhao?"
Shen Xiaoshan blushed and said, "Of course, it's up to Miss Meng to decide who she likes. It's not my place to comment."
Jian Su didn't even lift his eyelids, and coldly scoffed, "The light of a firefly dares to compete with the brilliance of the moon?"
"Listen to this! Listen to this!" Yue Meng exclaimed, laughing loudly as he slapped Jian Su's shoulder forcefully. "The master really didn't spoil you for nothing!"
She reached out and tapped Chen Xiaoshan's head lightly, saying, "I've spoiled you for nothing!"
As the three were talking, the tightly closed door was suddenly pulled open.
Zhao Xu took a step forward, and under the blazing sunlight, his tall body swayed slightly for a moment. His face drained of color, leaving only a blank and stiff expression.
He didn't even glance at the three people in the courtyard before striding away, his retreating figure still showing signs of panic.
Inside the open door, Pei Xu stood quietly, backlit, his figure like a sheathed sword, its brilliance restrained.
-
The incessant chirping of cicadas tore at the sultry afternoon heat.
Meng Lingyao lay on the table, her eyes lowered in concentration, her slender fingers gently twirling the camphor slices, her nostrils slightly flared as she carefully examined their layers.
A dozen or so exquisite glass bottles lay nearby, filled with various kinds of floral perfumes. On the corner of the table was a small bronze balance scale, precisely measuring even the slightest difference.
"Miss, you've been busy for days, take a break." Songlan brought in a glass of plum juice that had just been chilled, and couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement. "In this little courtyard, you can't even find a mosquito now."
Without looking up, Meng Lingyao poured a drop of floral dew into the bottle. "That's perfect, it'll save us from being bitten."
She stirred it gently, and the flower dew blended together, releasing a delicate fragrance. "Go and call Uncle Li and the others over."
Songlan responded with a "Yes." A short while later, a maid led the group inside.
The elderly man at the head of the group was Uncle Li, who was in charge of flowers and plants at the Meng family mansion. Behind him followed Aunt Feng, who was in charge of tending to the nursery and the plants, and Apan, a burly young servant boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, who was responsible for managing the stream in the mansion.
These places are all teeming with mosquitoes.
Meng Lingyao handed over the prepared perfume one by one, saying, "You've all worked hard. Apply these to the back of your ears and wrists, and come back at this time tomorrow to report back and see how it goes."
The group accepted the gifts and respectfully replied, "Yes, Miss."
In this way, over several days, Meng Lingyao tried more than a dozen formulas. Some had too strong a fragrance, some were not effective at repelling insects, and some were not mixed evenly, leaving marks on her skin.
She meticulously recorded and adjusted each step until yesterday, when she finally arrived at a satisfactory recipe—using mint leaves and mugwort as the main ingredients, supplemented with a little sandalwood and borneol, along with a touch of patchouli oil and rose syrup, and then blending them evenly.
It has a delicate fragrance, effectively repels mosquitoes, and is gentle on the skin.
In the morning, Meng Lingyao had just finished writing down the final recipe in detail on paper when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the courtyard. Cang Dian lifted the curtain and came in.
"Miss, someone from Lord Pei's side has come to invite you to his residence for a discussion related to the Dragon Boat Festival."
Meng Lingyao immediately put down her pen and said, "I understand, I'll be right there."
She got up and straightened her clothes, her gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of perfume bottles on the table. She said to Songlan, "It's not appropriate to come empty-handed. Pick a few, pack them up, and take them with you."
Songlan looked around and pointed to the one that had been successfully prepared, asking, "Is this what you're looking for, Miss?"
“Of course we’ll bring them.” Meng Lingyao nodded, then pointed to several exquisitely crafted glass bottles, “We’ll pack those too.”
Some of them may not be as effective, but they smell nice, so I imagine he'll find them useful.
A slight smile played on her lips. Politeness never hurts.
Songlan understood and carefully placed the bottle in several appropriately sized wooden boxes.
The master and servant stepped out of the mansion and saw a blue-curtained carriage waiting outside. The coachman respectfully got out of the carriage to greet them.
Meng Lingyao, supported by Songlan, entered the room. As soon as they sat down, she sensed something different.
This wasn't her first time riding in Pei Xu's carriage. The previous time, she had only felt that it was spacious, orderly, and spotless, much like its owner, who seemed indifferent and detached from worldly desires. But today, she noticed a small, exquisite white jade incense burner quietly added to the corner.
Wisps of smoke curled upwards, carrying a delicate fragrance reminiscent of a snow-covered mountain forest in early winter, a particularly refreshing scent in the sweltering heat. She could discern the notes of borneol and sandalwood, but nothing more.
An ice chest was placed on one side of the carriage, and wisps of cool air rose up, perfectly balancing the stuffy heat.
The couch was covered with thick, soft cushions, and several brightly colored soft pillows with exquisite embroidery were scattered around.
Meng Lingyao picked up a lilac-colored embroidered magnolia flower and gently stroked the gold and silver threads on it. It was hard to imagine that Pei Xu would rely on such a delicate object.
However, she liked it very much and hugged it to her chest.
The carriage moved smoothly forward. Songlan lifted a corner of the curtain to peek out, and exclaimed, "Miss, this direction doesn't seem to be heading towards the Pei residence?"
The coachman's voice came from outside, "Miss, our master doesn't usually stay in the mansion. He has another residence near the Dali Temple."
Meng Lingyao nodded. Her father had mentioned that Pei Xu had set up a quiet courtyard outside, named Jingguan Courtyard.
Meng Shaoqing's original words were: "It's arranged just like a Taoist temple."
The sound of hooves gradually subsided, and the carriage came to a steady stop. Meng Lingyao stepped off the brocade bench and looked up to see a tall, slender figure waiting at the foot of the steps.
He wore a plain robe, with a subtle hint of bamboo green in the moonlight. He stood tall and elegant, his robes rippling slightly in the breeze.
A serene and ethereal figure leans against the door, gazing into the distance…
This scene caught her eye, and a string in Meng Lingyao's mind snapped back to life.
She recalled the description of a heartless man keeping a mistress in a golden house that she had read in a miscellaneous book hidden in the study!
A beautiful guest arrives, and the young man leans against the door, eagerly awaiting her arrival…
As soon as the thought arose, she subconsciously looked up at the plaque hanging above the door—the three large characters “Jingguanyuan”, with strong and vigorous strokes, exuding an aloof and unapproachable air.
It really does look like a Taoist temple.
...The "outer chamber" in a Taoist temple?
Alas.
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Author's Note: Has everyone started school yet? [Panda head][Panda head][Panda head]
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