Chapter 129 The Battleground Has Arrived!
As the sun began to set, pale gold light gently fell upon the red gauze curtains, casting a hazy glow.
Pei Yanzhi stepped into the inner room, loosening his slightly tight collar as he walked, his gold and jade belt falling silently onto the carpet without making a sound.
He lifted the curtain and saw his wife fast asleep, clutching a brocade quilt.
His heart softened, and he did whatever came to mind. He sat on the edge of the bed, took off his shoes, and then lay down under the covers.
He caught a whiff of her scent, sighed contentedly, and slowly closed his eyes.
At this moment, at the gate of Yangjun City, Pei Xingjian, weary from his journey, reined in his horse and looked at the city gate, his eyes bloodshot like a spider web.
We've finally arrived.
They had been riding at breakneck speed and couldn't wait a moment longer. Before Lu Changfeng could even react, the person had already disappeared from the gate.
Half an hour later, he tossed the reins to the guards and entered the mansion. He then grabbed a maid and asked, "Where is the Lord?"
The maidservant hurriedly tried to curtsy, but he interrupted her loudly: "Where is the Lord?"
The maidservant replied in a trembling voice, "My lord, the Marquis is in the Wenxin Pavilion—"
"He's with the lady!" Before the last few words had even finished, Pei Xingjian had already walked through the corridor and headed towards Wenxin Pavilion.
Along the way, lanterns and colorful decorations were everywhere, both at the entrance and inside, with bright red silk hanging all around – things only used on joyous occasions.
Even if he didn't want to think about it, the images of what happened would involuntarily surface in his mind.
The afterglow of the setting sun still shone on him, but instead of feeling warm, it made the chill in his body and heart seep into his bones.
That unease, that feeling of not being able to grasp or touch, silently spread and tightened.
Since the Duke's wedding, Lu Changming has been staying at the mansion. On this day, he wanted to have a drink with Wu Yang, but he didn't expect to run into the young master's back on the road.
His heart skipped a beat. Others might not know about the past between the mistress and the crown prince, but he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
He immediately realized something was wrong, turned around, took a shortcut, and ran back to report to his lord.
According to the timeline, the Crown Prince should have returned in two days, but unexpectedly he arrived this afternoon. Changfeng didn't even mention sending a message on the way.
He rushed to Wenxin Pavilion through the side door and happened to run into Wu Yang coming out of the study. He hurriedly called out, "Wu Yang!"
When Wu Yang saw it was him, he looked surprised: "Why are you here at this hour? Do you have something to discuss with the lord?"
Seeing him panting, she couldn't help but wink and say, "Unfortunately, you're too late. The master is with the mistress right now."
After saying that, he was told to look towards the West Garden.
After catching his breath, Lu Changming said urgently, "Hurry up, go wait at the front gate... The young master is back, we absolutely cannot let him barge in..."
Wu Yang was confused and, in a daze, saw that he had already run towards the West Garden.
"Hey, explain yourself clearly! Why did you stop the prince?"
Lu Changming waved his hand at him, "I don't have time to explain in detail. Remember, you must stop the young master and not let him break in."
On the other side, Pei Xingjian walked all the way to the front of Wenxin Pavilion and, without thinking, tried to barge in, completely forgetting that Wenxin Pavilion was no ordinary place.
Anyone entering must be announced.
Just as he was about to force his way in, Wu Yang appeared in time, bowed and stopped him, saying, "Your Highness!"
Pei Xingjian gave him a cold glance and asked in a deep voice, "What, is Lord Wu planning to stop this young master?"
Although Wenxin Pavilion was the residence of successive rulers, Pei Xingjian, as the next ruler, was entitled to enter. If he wanted to force his way in, no one could criticize him.
Wu Yang was naturally aware of this, and smiled with his eyes lowered: "How could I dare to stop the young master? It's just that my lord is resting at the moment. If we disturb him, I'm afraid my lord will punish me."
Pei Xingjian's eyes were bloodshot as he drew his sword, but Wu Yang seemed unaware of what the prince had done and remained standing in his place.
He sneered, placed the knife against the man's neck, and said coldly, "I see that you don't know the difference between superior and inferior, and you are committing insubordination!"
Chunzhi and Lian'er were packing up their dowry when they heard a commotion in the front yard. The servants under the eaves were whispering that the young master was trying to break into Wenxin Pavilion, and that Master Wu was trying to stop him, and that a fight was about to break out.
Chunzhi was startled, realizing that the young lady from the West Garden was still asleep, and she had to quickly inform her of this news.
Seeing Chunzhi's pale face, Lian'er asked worriedly, "Chunzhi, what's wrong with you?"
Chunzhi put down her things and hurriedly ran out.
At this moment, all the guards under Wu Yang's command obeyed their lord, and seeing their superior being threatened, they all drew their swords.
Some of the more timid maids were so frightened that they retreated in fear, but Wu Yang remained motionless with his eyes lowered.
He simply said softly, "Your Highness, the Lord will be awake soon. Even if you have something of utmost importance to discuss, you must wait until the Lord is awake before you can see him."
"If you draw your sword now, it might be inappropriate if our lord finds out!"
Pei Xingjian then took a good look at his father's loyal servant, and said with a gloomy expression, "Good, he really is a good dog raised by my father, loyal enough!"
"My life and death are entirely in your hands, Your Highness. If the sovereign commands me to die, I shall die. But... without the lord's order, no one may enter this gate!"
These words enraged Pei Xingjian, who sneered repeatedly. What harm would it do to kill such a lackey?
Thinking it over, he raised his hand, and just then—
"What are you doing?" A cold, deep voice rang out from the right.
Pei Xingjian looked up and turned to look at him. Dusk had fallen, and the lanterns at the door were lit, casting flickering candlelight on Pei Yanzhi's profile.
This made his deep, pool-like eyes appear even more unfathomable.
Behind him, on the window frame, there were still exquisite paper-cut window decorations with the eye-catching character "囍" (double happiness).
The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the Wenxin Pavilion was adorned with the character for "happiness," while the servants wore exceptionally bright clothes.
All these events indicate that a wedding banquet had just been held in the mansion, and who else could the groom be but the owner of Wenxin Pavilion?
Pei Xingjian's long sword clattered to the ground. Looking at the unfamiliar and dazzling celebration in the courtyard, he felt like an abrupt outsider who had broken the silence.
He rushed to Yanzhou day and night, not believing his father wouldn't know why. At this moment, all his urgency and longing had become a joke.
Two years ago, his grandmother personally promised that no one would dare to challenge his position as heir. If his father were to ascend to that position and take concubines, he would already have power in his hands, so what was there to fear?
But what he never expected was that his father would forcibly take away the person he loved, even though he knew in his heart that he had been thinking about that person day and night these past few days.
But he still took it!
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