Chapter 94 Protect the Pei Family
Reaching the center of the ancestral hall, Pei Zhixian lit three incense sticks, placed them in the incense burner, and bowed deeply three times before the memorial tablet. Then he turned around, took Ye Wanning's hand, looked directly at her, and then slowly turned to the memorial tablet, his voice low and firm:
"Ancestors above, your grandson Pei Zhi, today I swear to heaven and earth: I will love only Ye Wanning in this life, cherish her as a treasure, and respect her as a goddess. From now on, whether in poverty or wealth, in health or sickness, in good times or bad, I will share her joys and sorrows, and never leave her. If I dare to utter a single lie, or dare to harm her in the slightest, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed throughout the ancestral hall, each word striking a chord in Ye Wanning's heart. Looking at his devout expression and the vows brimming in his eyes, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Reborn, she endured too much betrayal and hurt: Ye Lingwei's刁难 (difficulties/challenges), the First Madam's scheming, and Shen Wenxuan's entanglement, making her wary of relationships. But Pei Zhi gradually melted the ice in her heart—his gentleness, steadfastness, and protection finally made her dare to believe in love again.
“Pei Zhi…” she choked, wanting to say something, but found her throat tight and unable to utter a single word.
Pei Zhi reached out, his fingertips warm, and gently wiped away her tears. Ye Wanning felt the warmth of his fingertips and looked at the certainty in his eyes. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him: the past suffering is over. With him by her side, no one can bully her anymore.
She nodded vigorously, then suddenly remembered something, took out a small brocade pouch from her bosom, and opened it—inside was half a bronze token, half of the national token, left to her by her mother, who said it could save her life in times of crisis, and was also a token that the Ye family had guarded for generations.
She raised the token and loudly swore an oath before the ancestral tablet: "Ancestors above, Ye Wanning hereby swears, with the token of the State Guardian, that I will stand with Pei Zhi through thick and thin, through life and death. When he goes to war, I will guard the home; when he is in trouble, I will save him; when he betrays the world, I will betray the world with him. In this life, I will never betray him."
Pei Zhi looked at the token in her hand, then at her resolute eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew what this token meant to her—it was her mother's heirloom, her very root. Her willingness to swear an oath with the token meant she had given him her whole heart, was willing to be bound to him, and spend her life with him.
“Wan Ning…” He couldn’t help but pick her up and hug her tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. “Thank you, thank you for believing in me.”
"It's not that I believe in you, it's that I believe in us." Ye Wanning leaned against him, smelling the faint scent of incense, feeling exceptionally at peace. "Pei Zhi, we'll be together forever, right?"
“Yes, we will be together forever.” Pei Zhi lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “For all eternity, we will be together.”
The flickering candlelight in the ancestral hall illuminated the figures of the two embracing, and also the silent ancestral tablets, as if the ancestors were quietly blessing them. Incense rose slowly from the incense burner, the wisps of smoke swirling around the two, drifting towards the sky with their vows.
After an unknown amount of time, Pei Zhi finally released Ye Wanning and led her out of the ancestral hall. The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling, and Ye Wanning subconsciously squinted. Pei Zhi immediately shielded her eyes from the light with his hand.
“From now on, this will be your home too,” he said with a smile. “My mother’s memorial tablet is inside. I’ll take you there to kowtow later and tell her that her daughter-in-law has come to visit her.”
Ye Wanning nodded, her heart filled with emotion. Gazing at Pei Zhi's gentle profile, she suddenly felt that all the waiting and torment, all the suffering and pain, had been worthwhile. Finally, someone was willing to make a vow for her, willing to stand by her through thick and thin, and she had finally found her own happiness.
Back in the courtyard, the old general was sitting under the crabapple tree drinking tea. Seeing them come out, he smiled and waved, "How was it? Have you met all the ancestors?"
“We’ve met them. Our ancestors must have really liked Wan Ning.” Pei Zhi smiled and pulled Ye Wan Ning in front of him. “Father, Wan Ning just made a vow to stand with me through thick and thin.”
The old general was very satisfied, looking at Ye Wanning with eyes full of approval: "Good, good, what a good child. From now on, the Pei family is in your hands. Live a good life and don't let your mother and me down."
"Yes, please rest assured, General, Wan Ning will definitely live a good life with Pei Zhi and protect the Pei family." Ye Wan Ning quickly curtsied in response.
On his first day off after returning to the capital, Pei Zhi specially removed his armor and changed into a moon-white long robe, which made him look less sharp and more like a gentle young master.
"I'll take you to a nice place today." He took Ye Wanning's hand and walked out of the general's mansion, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Where are we going?" Ye Wanning asked curiously, her fingertips feeling warm from his grip.
"You'll know when we get there," Pei Zhi said mysteriously, leading her towards the West Market.
Upon arriving at the West Market, Ye Wanning was already overwhelmed. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling, and children laughing and crying mingled together, along with the steam from the steamed bun shops, the perfume from the silk shops, and the exotic aromas from the spice shops… making her feel as if she had returned to the days when she was a child and would go shopping with her mother.
“When I was little, my mother often brought me to the West Market to buy rouge and medicinal herbs.” Ye Wanning pointed to an old shop in the distance, “For example, that shop’s rose rouge was my mother’s favorite.”
"Then let's go buy a box later," Pei Zhi said with a smile, his tone tinged with affection, "It's for you to use."
"I don't need it." Ye Wanning's face flushed red, and she turned her head away. "I don't use rouge."
"Buy it and keep it as a keepsake for your mother." Pei Zhi didn't let go; instead, he gripped it even tighter.
The two walked side by side, and when they passed a sugar painting stall, Ye Wanning suddenly stopped. She saw the old man quickly sketching on the iron plate with a spoon, the syrup flowing down, and soon he had drawn a majestic dragon.
"This is what I wanted to eat most when I was little." There was a hint of regret in her voice.
Pei Zhi understood her thoughts and his heart clenched. He let go of her hand and strode to the stall: "Boss, draw me a tiger."
"Alright!" the old man replied, picking up a spoon and beginning to draw. Before long, a round little tiger was complete, and the stall owner stuck a bamboo skewer in it and handed it to Pei Zhi.
Pei Zhi walked up to Ye Wanning with the sugar painting and held it to her lips: "Take a bite, is it sweet?"
Ye Wanning looked at the sugar painting in his hand, and then at his warm eyes, and her nose suddenly felt a little sore. She opened her mouth and took a bite. The sweet syrup melted in her mouth, carrying childhood memories and Pei Zhi's gentleness.
"Sweet, so sweet," she said with a smile, but tears kept falling.
"Why are you crying? I'll buy you more if you like." Pei Zhi reached out and wiped away her tears, his voice so soft it could melt water. "I didn't spend enough time with you before, but I'll make it up to you from now on. I'll buy you everything you wanted to eat or have when you were little."
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