Chapter 161 The Army Sets Off
She naturally knew that Pei Xingjian was not his biological son. In fact, the book detailed that during his short forty-odd years, he had no other children, only Pei Xingjian.
Pei Xingjian, on the other hand, was much more capable than his father in taking in a large harem after marrying Wei Heng, all for the sake of having children.
Wei Heng, meanwhile, rose and fell amidst the endless struggles of the harem, ultimately emerging as the victor.
The candlelight cast flickering shadows beneath the curtains. Pei Yanzhi gently stroked her back, his voice deep and slow: "If you are carrying our child, even if it is just a daughter, I will cherish her as a treasure."
Ji Shu suddenly looked up at him, slightly pulling away and propping herself up, saying, "What if it's a boy?"
Seeing her serious expression, Pei Yanzhi looked at her rosy cheeks with amusement and couldn't help but pinch them.
He then asked, "What do you want me to say?"
Ji Shu lay back in his arms, still in the same position, and murmured, "Nothing, just curious."
"If you give birth to a daughter, she will be the apple of my eye; but if you give birth to a son—"
"Xingjian is, after all, the heir of Yanzhou, and has never made any mistakes. Although his temperament is not quite resilient enough, I am still quite satisfied with him."
“I did not intend to abolish him.”
Sure enough, men with such power are always so clear-headed that they are almost heartless. They have their own way of weighing everything, and she didn't expect any promises from him.
It's just pure curiosity: if he really had blood relatives, what would he choose?
This answer was expected.
Pei Yanzhi lowered his eyelids. Seeing that she didn't speak, he assumed she was dissatisfied. After all, she was still young, and given their frequent sexual activity, it was perfectly normal for her to have her own offspring.
But ultimately, one thing is one thing, unless Xingjian has committed an unforgivable mistake.
"You are Xingjian's stepmother. I know you don't want to see him, and you would feel uncomfortable if you did. This time, you should stay in the manor and wait for my return. Don't run around or leave the manor. Wait for me to come and get you, okay?"
Pei Yanzhi lifted her chin, looking directly into the depths of her eyes. Ji Shu suddenly smiled and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Don't worry, I won't go anywhere. I'll just stay here and wait for you to come back."
Perhaps it was because of the imminent parting that I felt most reluctant to leave her, and I was afraid that she might be depressed or have some unresolved issues.
That's why he told her about the secrets of the manor, simply to put her mind at ease, nothing more.
As autumn deepened and the dew grew heavy, just past the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), before dawn, faint sounds could be heard coming from outside.
Ji Shu barely opened her eyes, and when she lifted the curtain, she saw that candles had been lit inside the room, and Pei Yanzhi was standing in front of the mirror, putting on his armor.
Seeing his tall figure standing in front of the mirror, Wu Yang was behind him holding the wrist guards, belt and other items that needed to be worn.
Ji Shu was stunned, only then realizing that today was the day he was going to war. She lay on her side on the bed and watched him get dressed, piece by piece.
An inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart; she knew it was the bitterness of parting.
She turned her back and refused to look anymore.
At this moment, Pei Yanzhi was unaware that she had already woken up. Seeing that she was dressed properly, he glanced at the bed and instructed Wu Yang, "You go out first, I will be there in a moment."
"yes."
Pei Yanzhi walked heavily to the bedside, but seeing that she was still fast asleep, he did not want to wake her.
He bent down and kissed the top of her head, giving her one last deep look.
Even if it's hard to leave, it's time to go.
After confirming that he had left, Ji Shu looked at the empty room and felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
She touched her arm and suddenly noticed that he was wearing the jade thumb ring that he always wore.
The size was much larger than expected. Ji Shu lifted it up to examine it closely. The texture on it was warm and delicate, definitely not an ordinary item.
He wanted to think about him all the time, and he didn't know how to express his emotions.
It's only been one night, she thought to herself.
After some time, they heard the voice of a maid outside the door.
"Did you see that just now, my lord? You were truly awe-inspiring!"
"That's right, the old lady even went to deliver it herself. After this battle, we might not be able to address you as Lord anymore."
"That's right, that's right."
Ji Shu lay on the bed in a daze, then suddenly got up, wearing only her undergarments. She pulled a cloak from the screen, wrapped it tightly around herself, and pushed open the door to go out.
The maid sweeping at the door was startled and cried out. Upon seeing that it was the lady, she hurriedly tried to bow.
When I got up, the person had already disappeared.
Ji Shu strode quickly through the corridor, walking faster and faster until her tightly wrapped cloak billowed in the wind.
She knew that most people had already left by then, so she hurriedly ran from the library in the East Garden, where she could see the army passing through the city from the upper floor.
He rushed upstairs and looked out. He saw carriages and horses gradually moving, and a hundred thousand troops waiting outside the city.
In the dim light before dawn, Pei Yanzhi could only be vaguely seen in front of him, his tall and imposing figure extremely conspicuous.
Watching his armored figure disappear into the distance, Ji Shu clutched the ring in her hand tightly, feeling as if something was missing from her heart, and the autumn wind blowing in made her feel empty and cold.
She raised her hand to touch her cheek, and before she knew it, tears were already streaming down her face.
...Is she sad?
Why? She asked herself again and again.
...
Seven days later, Ji Shu lay by the bedside, and Chunzhi gently patted her back.
He said anxiously, "Madam, what should we do? This constant vomiting can't go on. We should ask the doctor to come and take a look."
Ji Shu stood up and raised her hand to stop her from saying what she was about to say, after the nausea that was rising in her chest subsided.
"No, it hasn't been that long. If we invite the doctor into the manor again, even if you think it's nothing, the old lady will definitely find out!"
“But… ever since you left, you’ve been vomiting more and more these past few days, almost everything you’ve eaten has come back up.”
She took the water Chunzhi poured for her, leaned back on the soft couch, her brows furrowed with dejection; this couldn't go on.
Pei Yanzhi has been gone for seven days and has not yet reached Hanzhong. Now is the best time to leave. She held the dangling ring in her hand.
"Zhi'er, pack your things, you'll be coming with me to Fushou Garden later."
Inside Fushou Garden.
At this moment, Madam Pei had just woken up from her nap and was having her afternoon snack.
When she heard that Ji Shu was requesting an audience, her mother-in-law showed a look of surprise. She had never set any rules for Ji Shu, nor did she have any of the custom of paying respects to her mother-in-law morning and evening.
He then instructed Shutong, "Quickly, invite her in."
When Madam Pei saw her enter, she looked her over and noticed that her face was pale, as if she was unwell.
He frowned and said, "Why did you come here today? It's getting chilly; you should wear a cloak when you go out."
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