Return home
After midnight, in the study
The candlelight flickered, and Pei Jue sat at the head of the table, his fingers tapping idly. On the desk in front of him, besides some documents, there was also an unfinished memorial.
He looked down at the memorial in the center, slowly picked it up, examined it for a moment, his expression growing increasingly somber, and remained silent for a long time.
A figure was seen trembling beneath the table, repeatedly raising his wide robe to wipe the fine beads of sweat from his forehead.
The man was overweight, with a round face and a broad forehead. He wore a scarlet official robe with a gold-embroidered pheasant patch. He was about fifty years old. Minister of War Yan Yuan trembled his lips, seemingly ashamed: "This humble official learned that the Governor-General was coming to Yanjing, but failed to go to greet him. I am truly guilty and hope that the Governor-General will punish me."
Upon hearing this, the room fell into a sudden stillness.
Pei Jue responded and waved his hand. Han Zhou, the attendant behind him, moved quickly, took out the ledger containing military supplies from his bosom, walked up to Yan Yuan, and presented it with both hands.
Upon seeing it, Yan Yuan's expression changed drastically, and then, as if waking from a dream, he suddenly knelt down on the ground.
The ledger was placed in front of him, and just then a small breeze came and made it rustle. Several names on the paper appeared and disappeared. After a long time, Yan Yuan lowered his head more and more until it hit the cold marble.
Pei Jue raised his eyelids and glanced at him, his tone extremely calm: "Lord Yan, hesitation will only lead to trouble. Now, I, the governor, have been ordered by the Emperor to return to the capital to thoroughly investigate this matter because of your actions. What do you think?"
Yan Yuan's legs trembled like winnowing baskets, he stammered, his voice pale and his expression gloomy: "This subordinate was promoted to this position by the Governor himself, and the fault lies entirely with me. I beg the Governor to give this subordinate a chance to make amends, and this subordinate will certainly..."
Before he could finish speaking, Pei Jue threw the memorial in his hand onto Yan Yuan's forehead and sneered, "If you knew you could make amends, would I, the governor, have needed to come back here?"
Pei Jue abruptly changed the subject, his voice sharp and piercing, like a knife, aimed directly at the kneeling man.
How much do you know about the assassination attempt?
Yan Yuan suddenly felt an invisible chill wrap around his neck, and a suffocating sensation shot straight to the top of his head. He collapsed to the ground, speechless.
At this moment, without the person below saying anything, Pei Jue already knew. He sighed and said, "I, the governor, have treated you well, and how have you repaid me? Yan Yuan, you have become so blinded by a mere illegitimate son?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Yuan kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy without regard for anything else. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear: "Your Excellency, this matter is entirely my fault. I beg you to spare them."
"The Ministry of War is corrupt and embezzles money, and participated in the murder of a first-rank minister in the court. Which of these crimes can you bear the blame for?" Pei Jue pinched the bridge of his nose and turned his gaze to the flustered man.
Yan Yuan crawled up the steps until Han Zhou blocked his way with a knife, preventing him from taking another step. His heart was ashen, and only desolation remained in his old eyes: "General, please speak plainly!"
After a moment, Pei Jue grasped the seal of the Minister of War, played with it for a while, and smiled gently: "Since you have betrayed us, you know what your fate will be."
"If you reveal who is behind you, that mother and child will live a good life."
A chilling sentence pierced Yan Yuan's heart, and he cried out in despair before closing his eyes.
Pei Jue wiped the blood from his forehead, helped him up, his manner both gentle and ruthless.
"Let's see our family again tonight, Han Zhou, take him there."
Early in the morning, the servant knocked repeatedly on the door of the study, but there was still no sound inside.
He tentatively pushed open the door and entered. A few moments later, he slammed the basin of water in his hand to the ground with a crash, and his scream startled a flock of birds that had stopped to stand there: "Help! Help! The Minister has committed suicide!"
A crimson robe flashed by inside the room; the person had clutched a piece of pastry tightly in their hand before dying.
—
Meanwhile, everyone in the Pei household was busy preparing a banquet to welcome Pei Jue back.
The Pei family had inherited their title for generations, but since Pei Jue's father's generation, they had committed a serious mistake and their title was revoked by the newly appointed emperor, plunging the Pei family into a period of decline.
Fortunately, the Pei family produced a man of exceptional talent, Pei Jue, who became the top scholar in the imperial examination at a young age.
Unfortunately, he later abandoned his literary pursuits for military service. Perhaps Heaven did not want to bury such talent. After gaining fame for winning a battle with fewer troops, he earned the title of young general and began his career guarding Wu County.
He is now a governor-general who holds power.
Grandma Pei's Anhetang
Just past noon, the hall began to bustle with activity. The servants were busy sweeping up fallen leaves and dust from the ground, while the maids were busy moving flowers and wiping the delicate porcelain.
Even the usually plain-looking maids around Old Madam Pei were dressed up in their finest attire, greeting everyone with smiles.
Liu Ying hurried in from outside, followed by a shop assistant carrying a basket of peaches. She first greeted Old Madam Pei upon entering the house, and then personally presented a bowl of washed peaches to the table.
“Grandma, I heard that my cousin loved peaches when he was young, so I searched the whole market and specially picked out the biggest and best peaches.”
The old lady had a kind face, a dark blue headscarf tied around her forehead, and was dressed simply.
Her mind wasn't on that at the moment; she simply praised him, saying, "You're such a grateful child. You've gone to a lot of trouble. Come and rest."
After she finished speaking, Liu Ying pursed her lips shyly, a considerate and gentle smile on her face.
Today she wore a light pink silk dress, the fabric of which was soft and smooth, with a silver sash tied around her waist, which accentuated her slender figure and her face as fresh as a peach blossom.
"The old man's carriage has arrived outside the manor."
At the call of the servant outside the hall, the people inside beamed with joy, waiting for the person to enter the mansion.
Old Madam Pei has been ill these days. The doctor said she must not be exposed to the wind, otherwise she would definitely go out of the mansion to pick up her grandson. She is very anxious.
Outside the Pei residence, a carriage was parked at the vermilion gate.
Before Pei Jue had even completely disembarked from the carriage, Second Master Pei Zhongliang rushed over to greet him, scrutinizing him closely from head to toe.
He was sent out to wait by Old Madam Pei after lunch.
"Was the journey safe and sound?"
Merchants are well-informed. Ever since Pei Zhongliang heard about the assassination attempt yesterday, he had been worried for a long time, but he dared not tell his family. He kept the news a secret, fearing that his mother's health would deteriorate if she heard about it.
At first glance, his nephew, whom he hadn't seen for several years, looked completely different, and he almost didn't recognize him.
He subconsciously withdrew his hand from his shoulder and touched his nose.
Pei Jue got out of the car and replied gently, "Everything is fine. Thank you for waiting, Uncle."
Pei Zhongliang felt even more awkward now. As a businessman, seeing his nephew whom he hadn't seen for several years always left him with an indescribable feeling.
As he turned to leave, he noticed his nephew still standing near the carriage. Just as he was wondering what was going on, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a graceful young woman carrying a bundle stepped off the carriage.
The nephew tossed out a word to follow and then strode off quickly, completely ignoring the girl behind him.
The carriage was led in through a side door by Han Zhou, and in the blink of an eye, he was the only one left there.
"Miss, are you the master's servant?" The gatekeeper's beady eyes darted around, trying to ingratiate himself.
"Maid."
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper looked conflicted and cautious, afraid of angering her: "Miss, as servants, we can only enter through the side door."
Following his pointing finger, the woman did not hesitate at all and went around to enter through a small door in the corner.
The servant breathed a sigh of relief, then greeted the second master with a smile as he entered the house through the main gate, and then closed both doors.
Inside the hall, all the masters and mistresses of the Pei family gathered together and took their seats in turn. Old Madam Pei looked at Pei Jue for a long time, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Grandson, you've lost so much weight. You must have suffered a lot outside."
As she spoke, she became somewhat emotional. Seeing this, Liu Ying quickly took out a handkerchief from her bosom and skillfully wiped away her tears. She then patted her back to comfort her, saying, "Grandma, it's good that my cousin is back. Now that he's been promoted, it's even better. Besides, it's important to keep a cheerful mood while you're sick. If your condition worsens, my cousin will be heartbroken."
Pei Jue also began to comfort her, saying with concern, "Grandmother, I'm doing well outside. But Grandmother, why are you ill again? Have you seen a doctor?"
"Look, the doctor said it was an old ailment, just needing to rest. But as soon as my grandson came back, he was all better. Let's not talk about anything else, come and try this dish. I specially asked the kitchen to make it today; it's all your favorite dishes."
Pei Jue gave a soft "hmm," picked up a piece of shark fin with his chopsticks, took a small bite, and nodded slightly: "It tastes exactly the same as before."
As he reached for some food, a splash of pink and white caught his eye. The peaches were carefully arranged in front of him, their rosy color quite striking. He couldn't help but praise, "The kitchen has done a good job with its purchasing. Han Zhou, go and get some money to reward the kitchen staff."
To everyone's surprise, Old Madam Pei laughed heartily and patted Liu Ying's hand: "This is all thanks to your cousin. She even helped prepare some of the dishes on the table."
"oh?"
Pei Jue casually responded, giving Liu Ying a perfunctory nod: "My cousin is very kind."
Seeing this, Liu Ying, who was expecting praise, looked much dimmer and reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the man.
"Huaiyuan's official airs have certainly grown considerably since his return."
The old man, who was sitting next to Old Madam Pei, was eating and drinking heartily. Suddenly, he looked up, glanced at Pei Jue sideways, and said something sarcastic.
But after just one glance, he couldn't look away; his eyes were completely glued to the girl standing quietly with her head down behind Pei Jue.
"Whose family is this girl next to you?"
Pei Jue obediently put down his chopsticks, slightly raised his eyelids, and leisurely looked back at the person he hadn't seen for many years: "Father, she is my newly acquired personal maid."
Upon hearing this, everyone at the table glanced at Mei Sheng, intentionally or unintentionally, before quickly looking away.
The eldest son of the Pei family had a gleam in his eyes and casually dropped a bombshell: "Father is short of a maid who is literate. I think the maid next to you is quite literate. Why don't you give her to me?"
The second master was drinking when he almost choked. He quickly spoke up for his elder brother, saying, "Your father is drunk, brother. Eat more and talk less."
"What? A maidservant? Isn't it better to be a concubine by my side than a maidservant? Can't you, a businessman, figure this out?"
The eldest master, Pei Zhonghe, slammed down his chopsticks and, in a rather unreasonable tone, began to berate the second master.
The second master shook his head and ignored him, thinking to himself: How can a son just come back and, without saying a few nice words, want his son's maid, let alone his personal maid?
Pei Jue remained noncommittal, his face revealing neither joy nor anger: "Father is right. She's just a maid. How could Father refuse her? Qingrou, what do you say?"
Mei Sheng, who was standing behind, changed his expression upon hearing this.
She looked up at the bloated, red face that was flushed from being drunk, his eyes filled with greed and malice, and felt utterly disgusted.
At this moment, Mei Sheng's regret reached its peak. She must have been out of her mind to believe the nonsense she had told that afternoon.
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