After finishing his shift, Lu Xiuyuan did not go home, but instead stayed outside the palace gate.
Lu Xiuyuan didn't appear until he saw his brother Huai emerge from the palace gates and mount his horse.
"Excuse me, sir, who was that person just now?"
Lu Xiuyuan stopped the palace servants who were escorting Shang Huai out.
The palace servants looked Lu Xiuyuan up and down, but seeing that he was wearing an official robe, they didn't suspect anything.
"Shang Huai, General Shang, you haven't heard of him?"
Lu Xiuyuan feigned sudden realization, "Oh, it was him."
"General Shang is the Empress's nephew and the only son of the General Who Guards the North. However, it's not surprising that you don't know this, as the general rarely returns to the capital."
Lu Xiuyuan bowed to his father-in-law, thanked him, and then left.
On the way back, Lu Xiuyuan was somewhat lost and dejected.
If he guessed correctly, Aya should be Pei Zhi.
There were some things that Lu Xiuyuan only learned after he became an official.
Pei Zhi was betrothed to Shang Huai by the Empress, but she "died of illness" not long after.
But why did Aya come back to life? And why did she choose to marry him?
There have been rumors for a while that General Shang is plotting a rebellion.
Why was Aya so frightened?
Aya was determined to go north, and then news came that the matter of General Shang's rebellion was a misunderstanding.
Is Aya involved in this?
Lu Xiuyuan was so dizzy from the fog in front of him that he felt completely disoriented.
What Lu Xiuyuan was most curious about was why Pei Zhi didn't want the status of the eldest daughter of the Duke's family.
She was unwilling to marry someone as powerful and influential as Shang Huai.
And the choice was made by someone who was penniless?
When Lu Xiuyuan returned home, he was still somewhat absent-minded.
Pei Zhi called out to Lu Xiuyuan several times before Lu Xiuyuan finally responded.
Pei Zhi asked with concern, "I said, were you tired from your shift today? You don't look too well."
"It's nothing. Even though I'm busy today, I'm still thinking about official business."
Pei Zhi asked, "Would you like me to make you a cup of tea?"
Lu Xiuyuan refused, "No need, if I drink tea I won't be able to sleep later."
Pei Zhi remained silent, lowering her head to fold the clothes.
"Aya, did Mother give you any trouble today?"
While packing her clothes, Pei Zhi replied, "No, Mother was frightened by your suggestion to separate the family, and she hasn't dared to speak to me for the past few days."
Lu Xiuyuan asked casually, as if chatting about everyday things: "So, Aya, what did you have for lunch today?"
"The aunt next door brought over a piece of tofu. I made some pork stew with tofu for lunch, and added some cabbage."
“Aya.”
"Um?"
Lu Xiuyuan continued calling, "Aya."
Pei Zhi said irritably, "What?"
Lu Xiuyuan replied with a smile, "It's nothing, I just wanted to call out to you."
Pei Zhi could only shake her head and smile helplessly.
“Aya.”
"Why."
“Aya.”
"Um."
"Pei Zhi".
"do what?"
After Pei Zhi responded, she realized what Lu Xiuyuan had called out.
Lu Xiuyuan stared at Pei Zhi, his eyes clear, without a trace of surprise.
On his way back from the government office, Lu Xiuyuan was already certain that Liu Ya must be Pei Zhi.
Therefore, when Aya accepted Pei Zhi's name, Lu Xiuyuan felt a great weight lifted from his heart.
Pei Zhi clutched the clothes. "When did you start to suspect anything?"
Pei Zhi believed that she had hidden it quite well.
“I have had some doubts since the day you brought General Shang back.”
Shang Huai doesn't seem like an ordinary military general at all.
Shang Huai's clothes, the jade pendant he carried, and the sword he wore were enough to show that Shang Huai was of noble status.
"Only today have I confirmed your identity."
Pei Zhi sighed inwardly, "Just as I thought."
After Pei Minxue came to her home, Pei Zhi felt that she was about to be exposed.
"You must have many questions, go ahead and ask."
Lu Xiuyuan did have many questions, but when asked to ask them all at once, he didn't know where to begin.
"Have you ever regretted choosing to marry me?" Lu Xiuyuan didn't ask why Pei Zhi chose to marry him.
Pei Zhi shook her head: "Not at the moment."
Lu Xiuyuan's tense expression relaxed. "So, do you still intend to continue living with me?"
"Why not?" Pei Zhi asked matter-of-factly. "I really like my life now."
Lu Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief. As far as Lu Xiuyuan was concerned, he didn't care what Aya's identity was.
He didn't care why Aya wanted to marry him.
As long as Aya doesn't regret it and is willing to continue living with him, that's fine.
Lu Xiuyuan said repeatedly, "That's good, that's good."
Pei Zhi probed, "Besides these, don't you have any other questions?"
Lu Xiuyuan said frankly, "I'm not curious about your past. To me, you are just Aya, and that's enough."
Pei Zhi tried to remind Lu Xiuyuan, "Actually, you could ask a few more questions, so you won't... "
Pei Zhi wanted Lu Xiuyuan to know about her past affairs.
For example, how did she get involved with His Highness the Crown Prince, and how did she have an unclear relationship with Shang Huai in private?
"Today, Lord Pei said he would give us a house as your dowry. I don't know whether I should accept it."
Pei Zhi had no reason to be embarrassed to accept the gift from Pei Minxue, especially since it was already considered part of her dowry.
Pei Zhi accepted it without a second thought: "Then you can take it. Let him find a bigger place and bring Mother to live with him. That way, we won't have to rent a place."
"Let's forget about it. Let Mother stay in this house. I'll come here every day to see her more often."
Pei Zhi shook her head, saying that Lu Xiuyuan's mother was his only living relative.
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