Chapter 65 Death
Pei Yanzhi, however, never spent time with her again after that incident. Even when the two met while camping in the wild, Ji Shu would ignore them and leave on her own.
Pei Yanzhi was left standing there with a livid face, and finally turned and left without saying a word.
Even Lu Changming, Lu's personal attendant, noticed the unusual atmosphere between the two, wondering what had happened to Lady Ji that had upset their master.
For several days in a row, the lord has lost his appetite and been unable to sleep. His face is covered in dark circles. The strategist below is still praising the lord for working day and night, saying that it is a blessing for Yanzhou!
Even so, he still asked her every day how her meals and sleep were going.
He was the one who had the hardest time to deal with. Whenever he got close, Chunzhi would be on high alert, let alone try to gather information.
Helpless, he had no choice but to find the easy-going Lian'er indirectly, and with a smile, he was able to piece together information about how Madam Ji had been doing these days from a few words.
The day after they left, Jiang Baiyang began to attack Song Zhaonian. He first raided the grain and fodder in the Kangzhou military camp and burned it to the ground.
The fire caused Song Zhaonian heavy losses, and then Jiang proposed to divorce him. Song Zhaonian refused, and Jiang then threatened him with his only son.
Forced to sign and put his fingerprint on the document, Song Zhaonian had no choice but to sign, and Jiang Shi was thus completely free from him.
Within two or three days, Kangzhou and Suizhou briefly clashed, but neither side gained the upper hand.
Until one dark and stormy night, Jiang Baiyang led the assassins left behind by Pei Yanzhi to launch a surprise attack on Kangzhou.
That night, the prefectural governor's mansion was engulfed in flames, and Song Zhaonian died in the fire. From then on, there was no one like him in Kangzhou.
When Empress Dowager Song heard this news, she was shocked and furious. She fell seriously ill due to her anger, and even her hair turned mostly white. But that is another story.
Two days later, Lu Changming found Lian'er: "We will reach Yanzhou in another day. Please tell Madam Ji."
Lian'er was taken aback, then nodded in agreement.
At noon, the cavalrymen rested and ate in the grove, and Lian'er carried the food box and boarded the carriage.
Seeing Ji Shu leaning against the soft couch, resting her head on her hand with her eyes closed, he gently put down the food box.
Ji Shu opened her eyes upon hearing the sound. Her eyes were clear and cool as water. She looked at her and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "What is it?"
Lian'er bowed and approached, saying softly, "Commander Lu just said that we will arrive in Yanzhou in another day."
Ji Shu was stunned. These past few days, she had been traveling non-stop. At first, she needed to wear an outer garment, but now she still felt hot even in a short-sleeved gauze dress. A whole month had passed.
"Hmm, is there anything else?"
Seeing that the young lady's cheeks were flushed from the heat, and there was no ice chest available in the desolate wilderness, Lian'er picked up a round fan and gently fanned herself.
Then he said, "The Lord didn't say anything, I guess he wants the lady to make preparations as soon as possible."
She had noticed these past few days that the lady was angry with the Marquis of Yan. Although she didn't know why, she was quite surprised when she first found out.
Given her status, how dare the lady treat Marquis Yan in such a way? What surprised her even more was that Marquis Yan seemed to have always cared about her.
He would frequently send Lieutenant Lu over to inquire about the lady's condition.
She was unaware that the title "Madam Shu" was merely a temporary measure; in reality, Ji Shu and Pei Yanzhi had never exchanged formalities. If it were anyone else, they would likely have condemned it as an act of illicit union.
Lian'er was unaware of this, and therefore always addressed Ji Shu as Madam.
In fact, Lu Changming had come to see her on the very day she left the post station: "Lady Lian, the lord wants to see you."
Seeing that Chunzhi and the young woman were still in the carriage, he could only follow Lu Changming nervously, thinking to himself: If he wanted to kill her, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths. He could have dealt with her at the post station back then, instead of waiting until now.
Upon arriving at the camp, Lu Changming reported, "My lord, the person has been brought."
A deep response came from inside the tent.
As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Changming lifted the curtain and gestured for her to go in. Lian'er took a deep breath and went inside.
Pei Yanzhi, with his tall figure, sat at the head of the table, handling official business on his desk. When he saw her enter, he merely glanced at her, put down his pen and ink, and moved the memorials to the side.
Leaning back slightly, Lian'er trembled and hurriedly bowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty!"
A deep voice rang out from above, authoritative without being angry: "Do you know why I summoned you here?"
Lian'er first shook her head, then hurriedly nodded and said, "Does Your Excellency have something to instruct me on?"
She's not too stupid, Pei Yanzhi thought to himself. It would be suitable for this woman to stay by Ji Shu's side. Right now, Ji Shu only has Chunzhi by her side. Although she is loyal, she is short-sighted and is not worthy of a high social standing.
But Lian'er, who was able to survive in the palace in Hanzhong, must be quite clever. She will be in Yang County in a few days. I can rest assured that she has someone like her by my side.
However, he couldn't say these things directly to Ji Shu, otherwise she would just think that he wanted to plant a spy next to her to monitor her at any time.
"Your parents have been rescued and have been given a new identity. You should no longer use the name Lian'er. Let your master give you a new name."
Lian'er was kneeling on the ground, stunned by the news. Her emotions, which had been suppressed for many years, burst into tears first.
The shadows of the past few years were finally torn away. She prostrated herself on the ground, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "Thank... thank you, Lord!"
Pei Yanzhi: "You should thank Madam. If it weren't for her pleading with me, you would have lost your life long before you even reached the post station."
His voice was calm and even: "You fought for your own survival."
Lian'er quickly wiped her cheeks: "Yes, yes, this servant will definitely serve Madam wholeheartedly from now on and will never have any disloyal intentions."
Pei Yanzhi stared at her with his hawk-like eyes and said calmly, "If I find out that you have any other thoughts, I believe you know what I can do."
"As long as you serve her well, your father, brothers, and nephews will also have a bright future because of you."
These words were nothing short of reassuring to Lian'er. In the past, in order to control her, Song Zhaonian not only imprisoned her father, brothers, and relatives, but also prevented his nearly ten-year-old nephew from attending school.
Now, not only have my family members been rescued, but they can also live a good life because of me, which finally makes up for what I did for them.
Lian'er kowtowed deeply: "If this servant harbors any disloyalty, may my whole family suffer eternal hell."
"Step down."
Stepping out of the tent, the sunlight after the rain bathed me, and the pain of the past seemed to dissipate in the clear sky with the rain.
Her eyes were glistening with tears, and she smiled slightly.
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