Pei Zhi barely ate dinner, constantly pondering how to break the deadlock.
She can't afford to offend either of these two people.
Reject Shang Huai?
She was afraid that the Empress would summon her, and then Xiao Chengci would have no choice but to know about her affair with Shang Huai.
She needed to convince Xiao Chengci that she was innocent, that Shang Huai had taken the initiative to marry her, and that it had nothing to do with her.
Given Xiao Chengci's temperament, it's likely he'll go directly to Shang Huai and tell him that they've already made their relationship public.
[Host, I've fixed it.]
Pei Zhi's eyes lit up: [System?]
Quickly, give me the memories from last time.
Pei Zhi urgently needs to confirm whether her previous calculations were correct.
Pei Zhi felt a wave of dizziness, followed by the appearance of a new memory.
Last time, Pei Zhi was also unaware of Xiao Chengci and Shang Huai's identities.
In the previous episode, Pei Zhi agreed to marry Shang Huai without knowing Xiao Chengci's identity.
By the time Pei Zhi learned of Xiao Chengci's identity, it was too late.
Xiao Chengci severely humiliated Pei Zhi, but for some reason, he did not stop Pei Zhi from marrying Shang Huai.
Shang Huai was going back to the north, so the two of them had to rush to arrange their marriage.
From the time the engagement was arranged to the time of the wedding, it took no more than three months.
After their marriage, Pei Zhi followed Shang Huai to the north, and the two of them lived a sweet married life.
Until Xiao Chengci ascended the throne.
When the late emperor passed away, Xiao Chengci summoned Shang Huai and Pei Zhi to return to the capital to pay their respects.
Now that Xiao Chengci has become emperor, he can have whatever he wants.
Pei Zhi knew that Xiao Chengci would definitely come after her, so she left at that point.
Pei Zhi believed that since she had trained Shang Huai for several years, and Shang Huai was so devoted to her, he would not take a concubine.
Pei Zhi suddenly disappeared. Xiao Chengci thought that Shang Huai had guessed about his relationship with Pei Zhi and had hidden her away.
Xiao Chengci then came to settle accounts with Shang Huai, and only then did Shang Huai realize that his cousin Xiao Chengci had been harboring feelings for his wife all along.
Enraged, Shang Huai grabbed a knife and tried to kill Xiao Chengci, but Shang Huai was arrested instead.
The late Empress Dowager threatened to kill herself before Xiao Chengci finally released Shang Huai.
Pei Zhi, however, has disappeared, and no matter how hard Shang Huai searches, he cannot find her.
Shang Huai then concluded that Pei Zhi had been brought into the palace by Xiao Chengci.
The General of the North's Mansion has been guarding the north for generations for over a hundred years.
He commanded an army of over a million men.
After returning to the north, Shang Huai led his troops back to attack, killed the emperor, and rescued his beloved wife.
Pei Zhi suddenly opened her eyes; it was almost exactly what she had expected.
She must not follow that old path.
Marrying Shang Huai would be repeating the same mistake.
She needs to escape!
Yes, get away.
If she dies, won't Shang Huai and Xiao Chengci stop fighting?
Xiao Chengci's feelings for her now are nothing more than novelty.
She died, and Xiao Chengci would only feel sorry for her for a while.
Even if Xiao Chengci finds out about her relationship with Shang Huai, he doesn't need to reveal it and disgust everyone.
[If the host doesn't marry Shang Huai, she'll need to choose someone else to avoid being discovered when the main system checks the list.]
Okay, I understand.
Anyway, Pei Zhi couldn't stand life in the Duke's mansion.
Every time I see someone, I have to bow to them.
Elders have to be greeted, and peers also have to exchange greetings, which is incredibly tedious.
She could find a chance to die, live in a remote village, marry an honest man, and live a simple life for a couple of years. Wouldn't that be enough?
Pei Zhi is a woman of action, and besides, the current situation doesn't allow her to delay any longer.
Pei Zhi remembered that to go to the temple in the capital to offer incense, one had to cross a mountain road.
Then, pretend the horses are startled and fall off the cliff.
The system is back too. Ask the system to help her get a fake corpse that looks almost exactly like her. No problem.
This is ancient times, and there are no surveillance cameras. Who knows she's not dead?
Besides, everyone knows she's dead, so who would bother looking for her?
After finalizing her plan, Pei Zhi went to her mother's courtyard for breakfast early the next morning and told her that she had a nightmare the night before.
I want to go to a temple to burn incense and calm my mind.
Pei's mother readily agreed, allowing Pei Zhi to bring two more servants and giving him a sum of money.
Let Pei Zhi donate it to the temple later, to gain good karma.
Pei Zhi had only been to the temple once, when her mother took her there to fulfill a vow after she was found.
Of course, Pei Zhi hadn't carefully observed the road conditions beforehand; today, she went to scout the area in advance.
"Go tell the coachman that I'm feeling a little unwell and ask him to slow down."
Afu responded and hurriedly went to greet the groom outside.
Pei Zhi opened the carriage window and stared at the mountain road outside.
Although it was a mountain road, many dignitaries from the capital came to the temple to offer incense.
This road has long been repaired and is a very smooth official road.
As long as the horse doesn't go mad, it won't fall off the mountainside.
Moreover, Pei Zhi observed that there were quite a few carriages coming and going on this mountain road.
If the carriage goes crazy and crashes into someone else's carriage, it could cause trouble for innocent people.
With her mind preoccupied, Pei Zhi went to the temple to burn incense.
Having donated money for incense, Pei Zhi was rather uninterested and was about to leave.
"Hey, young lady, isn't that a young woman?"
Pei Zhi followed Afu's gaze and saw that it really was Pei Yin.
Pei Yin should have just finished burning incense in the main hall and was heading towards the back of the temple.
There are quite a few side rooms in the backyard of the temple.
It serves as a resting place for guests who come up the mountain to burn incense, or a place to stay overnight if it rains and it's inconvenient to go down the mountain.
"Miss, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't we go find the eldest young lady, have lunch, and then go down the mountain together?"
Pei Zhi was also a little hungry, and since she had nothing else to do when she got back, she agreed.
The two followed Pei Yin into the backyard and saw her heading to the innermost part of the backyard.
Pei Zhi was about to follow when Afu blocked her way.
“Miss, that’s royal territory. Nobody else is allowed to go in.”
Pei Zhi didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"
"His Majesty and the Empress would come here to burn incense and stay for a day every year. The temple specially renovated a place for the royal family to rest, and that is it."
Pei Zhi frowned, "Then why did she..."
Pei Zhi witnessed Pei Yin take out something that looked like a token and then be allowed to pass.
Afu hesitated and said, "Perhaps the eldest young lady has been summoned by a noble person in the palace, who knows?"
"Miss, should we report this to Madam?"
Pei Zhi clutched her handkerchief; she really didn't want to meddle, but she just happened to stumble upon it.
She has too many worries of her own right now, how could she have time to care about Pei Yin's affairs?
Pei Zhi thought for a moment and said, "After we go back, we should report to Mother and let her handle it."
Pei Zhi wasn't curious about who Pei Yin had come here to see.
But since she had witnessed it, she was worried that Pei Yin's actions might harm the interests of the Duke's Mansion.
After informing Pei's mother, Pei Zhi stopped asking about it.
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