see through
The Pei residence is located on the main street of the inner city of Yanjing. The inner city has always been a gathering place for high-ranking officials, while the outer city is mostly a residential area for wealthy merchants and minor officials. It is bustling with people and noisier than the inner city, and it is also very easy to find a secluded place.
On a narrow alley outside the city, Mei Sheng, carrying a small bundle and wearing a gray-blue headscarf, took advantage of the bustling crowd to blend in.
Stepping onto the bluestone path, Mei Sheng looked around carefully, searching for a place to meet him.
Upon seeing a long wooden stick with a short red linen tied to it at the entrance of an alley, she smiled and slowly walked to the alley entrance to untie the red linen.
At the entrance of the alley, there were vendors hawking their wares and chatting about everyday things, occasionally accompanied by the barking of dogs. No one paid any attention to this place. Mei Sheng took a deep breath and stepped into the somewhat quiet alley.
As they walked further in, they found an oxcart parked there, with an old man lying on it. Hearing the noise, the old man looked up, took off his tattered straw hat, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "Is that Aunt Mei?"
Mei Sheng nodded in agreement, and the two chatted briefly for a few more minutes.
This was the identity she had fabricated for herself: a widow who had lost her husband in Yanjing. Her elderly mother had fallen ill, and she was being told to return to her hometown in the countryside to take care of her. That's why she sought Mei Sheng's help to obtain a travel permit.
Six months ago, a severe drought struck a county in the north, and many refugees fled south in search of a way to survive. Meanwhile, there were also many unregistered people in Yanjing who made a living by begging.
Therefore, obtaining a travel permit only requires a definite route and some leniency from the government. However, the amount of money required for such bribing is quite substantial.
Mei Sheng always repaid kindness with kindness, so he wrote a letter with some ideas on keeping the goods fresh in exchange for the travel permit.
At the old man's shout, the oxcart started moving, and Mei Sheng quickly grabbed the straw beneath her to steady herself.
As the faint glow of the sunset faded, an extremely ordinary face was revealed, with flat features, a sallow complexion, and small spots visible even without getting close.
Dressed in patchwork of dark blue coarse cotton, her clothes were rough and worn. Underneath the cloth, her hair was styled in a mourning bun with a thorn hairpin. It was obvious that she came from a poor family and was struggling to make ends meet. She was no different from the women on the street who carried vegetables and washed dishes.
The oxcart bumped along, passing food stalls selling porridge and rice, wine shops hawking loose liquor, and ceramic shops. Only then did the old man realize something, pat his head, and pull out a cloth bag, handing it to Mei Sheng: "Team Leader Su said to make sure this is given to you." He also said that if she couldn't understand it, he could read it to her.
I've been here for almost a year now. Although I've gone out a few times, the time and my mindset have always been different. Aside from comparing the routes to my memories and looking at the outlines of the houses along the street, the rest of the time I've just wanted to experience something new.
Mei Sheng was surprised as she took the cloth bag. The travel permit had already been given, so what else needed to be specially sent?
Upon opening it, he discovered it was a guide to a relatively safe and smooth route to Anhe County. Knowing that Aunt Mei hadn't returned for many years, he thoughtfully wrote this letter to inform her.
The city of Yanjing was large, and the outer city was quite a distance from the city gate. It took quite a while to get there after many twists and turns.
The city gate was just a stone's throw away, heavily guarded. Several soldiers in armor, armed with blades, were conducting routine checks, checking whether it was a travel permit or a household registration. The crowd was very long.
"Come down, for the routine check."
A dark-faced young man at the city gate lifted the straw to examine the items, then checked them against the exit permit. Seeing that the old man's appearance and age matched, he secretly accepted the few silver coins the old man had given him, weighed them in his hand, and waved for the two of them to leave.
The city of Yanjing was large, and the city gates should have been thoroughly inspected as usual. None of the unexpected events that Mei Sheng had predicted occurred. After leaving the city, Mei Sheng was still not fully recovered from the shock.
They just left the city like that?
Mei Sheng nodded secretly. It seems that money is extremely important in any dynasty. As the saying goes, money can make the devil turn the millstone.
As soon as she stepped out of the city gate, Mei Sheng spoke in a low voice, but she was overjoyed. However, she had to go home to take care of her sick mother, so she didn't dare to show too much happiness.
After she climbed out of the lotus pond, changed her clothes and hairstyle, disguised herself as a maid going out, and then found a dark alley, changed her clothes and skirt again, changed her makeup, and thus cast the faint gazes behind her into the distance.
Nowadays, it's truly a case of everyone going their own way.
The Pei family, the maids, and so on... were all no longer relevant to her.
The old man hurried as fast as he could and managed to catch the last ferry at the ferry crossing. The ferry crossing was bustling with activity and crowds of people, but Mei Sheng wasn't afraid at all.
After getting off the oxcart, the old man took the money Mei Sheng handed him, grinned, stepped on the edge of the cart and cracked his whip. Before leaving, he kindly reminded Mei Sheng, "You have to keep a close eye on your luggage. It's dark here, and it wouldn't be good if you ran into a pickpocket."
Mei Sheng nodded and thanked him.
This ferry crossing was the closest to Yanjing, but not as good as the small ferry crossing she had searched for last time. The journey was arduous. Thinking of this, her face stiffened slightly, and she gritted her teeth and cursed, "A tragic fate."
As night fell and the afterglow faded, only a few scattered glimpses could be seen under the old locust tree at the ferry crossing, where a tall, thin young man stood, shouting loudly, "Hurry up, hurry up, it's almost time!"
Mei Sheng quickened her pace, gripped her bundle tightly, and rushed toward the tall merchant ship.
Avenue near the ferry crossing
"A letter from Han Changsui."
A man galloped up, holding a letter in his hand, and stood bowing beside the carriage. The person inside the carriage reached out and snatched the letter away with one hand.
"Go down," Pei Jue said calmly, but the man stood there as if he had something else to say.
Pei Jue: "Is there anything else?"
"Han Changsui told me to inform Master that Miss Qingrou has disappeared from the manor, and it is likely the work of someone close to the Old Madam." The guard hesitated for a moment before explaining the situation.
Pei Jue gripped the letter tightly, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression changing: "Pass on my order, have him search the entire manor, and arrest anyone found acting suspiciously."
He then added, "Don't disturb Grandmother." Though his words were simple, they concealed a storm brewing.
Upon hearing this, the guard felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly rode away.
"Go into the city and return home."
The night was as dark as ink. A gust of wind blew across the ferry crossing towards the carriage. Pei Jue looked up and saw merchant ships in the distance taking advantage of the darkness to sail towards the unknown sea, their return date unknown.
The curtains swayed in the wind, but Pei Jue had no other thoughts at that moment.
Pei Mansion
Nighttime is a time when everyone should be sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, the wooden door was flung open, and several servants, bewildered, were led into the empty courtyard. Candles were lit around them, and the kneeling servants fell silent.
They had no idea why such a large-scale mobilization was being carried out, or what the purpose was.
"Han Changsui, the old lady urgently needs my personal care. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now." An old maid stood there with her back straight, her words arrogant, showing no regard for the person in front of her. Usually, she was by the old lady's side, and none of the servants below her were disrespectful to her.
The candlelight illuminated the hibiscus flowers in the courtyard, making them appear bright and vibrant, with a pinkish-red hue.
Before Han Zhou could speak, he saw the hem of the master's robe flash past at the corner, and then he lowered his head to wait for the master.
Seeing that the man remained silent, the old servant became even more arbitrary, not even noticing when Pei Jue had arrived. Once inside the courtyard, Pei Jue's face showed no emotion whatsoever; he simply ordered, "Slap him."
The guards came out from behind, one of them restraining the old servant, while the other swung his large, fan-like hand, making the old woman scream and wail. The kneeling servants trembled in fear and fell silent.
After establishing his authority, Pei Jue surveyed the group of people on the ground and asked, "Who saw Qing Rou today?"
After thinking it over, the servants in the kitchen whispered that Qingrou had come to fetch some food today. The other servants looked confused and remained silent.
Upon hearing that they had come looking for someone, Ping'er, who often served by the old lady's side, broke out in a cold sweat. She closed her eyes tightly in the shadows, determined not to utter a word.
Seeing that no one knew Wan'er's whereabouts and remained silent, unable to offer any explanation, Pei Jue smiled faintly: "Beat her."
The guards, with broken blades at their waists and short sticks in their hands, struck the servants' backs with their clubs, causing them to cry out in agony. Some of them couldn't withstand the blows and made up stories, but one person's account was accurate.
"I...I don't know if I saw it, it seemed...it seemed to be Sister Ping'er from the old lady's side..." A little maid, unable to bear the pain, gasped for breath and wiped her nose as she cried.
While sweeping today, she accidentally damaged a pot of fine chrysanthemums. In a moment of fear, she wanted to replant them, but through the gaps in the leaves, she vaguely saw two people. The flowers were precious, and she would never have said anything without this beating.
Flowers are more valuable than people. If she didn't speak up, she might be beaten to death. If she did speak up, she would at most be sold off. The little maid was in so much pain that she felt dizzy and begged for mercy.
Upon hearing this, Ping'er was greatly shocked, her pupils shrinking slightly: "Master, I didn't!"
A maid who lived in the same room also identified her on the spot, saying that she looked terrified at night. If she hadn't done something wrong, why would she be afraid at night?
Pei Jue gave a signal with his eyes, and the guards drew their swords from their waists. The cold, piercing blades were held against Ping'er's hand, as if to cut off her hand on the spot!
The wound on her wrist immediately became so deep that bone was visible. Ping'er was in excruciating pain, her face contorted in agony. Seeing that she still wouldn't speak, the guard had a hundred ways to torture her. After trying several methods, the person on the ground, whose breath was fading, finally spoke up: "It's the master!"
At this moment, Ping'er seemed to regain her senses for a moment and cried out in a shrill voice, "Master, don't be fooled by her, she is not a girl from the Zhou family at all!"
The servants were overcome with pain and their consciousness was clouded. They could only vaguely hear what Qingrou and the others had. They didn't see Qingrou often, but what was her relationship with the Zhou family?
Only two people present understood it.
Han Zhou's hands trembled slightly, and for a moment he didn't dare to look at his master's face.
As the night deepened, Pei Jue awoke as if from a dream, a faint smile appearing on his face, his gaze icy and steely: As expected.
The bloodstains splattered on the surrounding hibiscus flowers, making their colors appear even sharper and more glaring, unlike their usual endearing appearance.
After hearing this, Pei Jue waved his hand, and Han Zhou responded by leading several people outside to fetch the servant boy who often accompanied the master outside the mansion.
This is why, upon returning, Pei Jue did not heed Tang Yun's advice to directly ask Old Madam Pei for the person. After all, how could suspicion be placed on his grandmother based solely on the maid's speculation?
In the dead of night, when Han Zhou brought the people here, they all had pale faces and were trembling with fear.
"It was only because the lord was lustful that the girl committed suicide by jumping into the river! Please spare her life, sir!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Jue was filled with rage. He kicked the servant, sending him flying backward. The servant coughed up blood and fell unconscious.
"Lead the way!" The other person was terrified and was thus escorted by the guards to give directions, explaining the events of that time bit by bit.
By the lotus pond, Pei Jue's face was gloomy and his mood was complicated. One moment he thought of the woman's feelings for him, that she would rather die than be with another man, and the next he hated her for deceiving him for so long and not revealing her identity to him.
The lotus pond was pitch black in the night. Several guards searched inside, and after a while, they emerged from the water covered in black mud. They all shook their heads and said they had not found anyone.
Pei Jue finally loosened his clenched hands, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He knew it; how could someone as clever as her be driven to jump into the river...?
"Follow the hidden channels of the pond's flowing water to search."
After all that fuss, quite a few old items that had fallen into the river were recovered. Among the debris, one item caught Pei Jue's attention. Ignoring the mud, he carefully picked it up and wiped the mud off with his sleeve.
She didn't even use the handkerchief that Han Zhou handed her.
The jade pendant was the one she usually wore, shaped like a plum blossom. He had commented that the jade was of ordinary quality. Now that he is gone, he has left behind this jade pendant that she cherished.
Pei Jue paused slightly, the bitterness in his heart dissipating. It was only at this moment that he realized this person had some skill, managing to keep him up all night.
Under the bright moonlight and the glow of the celadon lamp, his gaze fell on the end of the red rope, where a small character was inlaid: Plum.
The jade pendant was engraved with a surname or given name, which explains why she didn't let him examine it closely last time.
She seemed to value this jade pendant highly. What did the character "Mei" have to do with her? Was her surname Mei? After the guards finished searching, they all said there was no one there. An experienced veteran said that the girl was definitely not dead; perhaps she had escaped by sheer luck.
He stopped abruptly after speaking, not daring to look at the expressions of those above him. If they had escaped danger, why were they still nowhere to be seen?
Pei Jue's face was half hidden in the shadows. He was not surprised to hear this. After this ordeal, he had already made up his mind.
Pei Jue laughed in anger, gripping the jade pendant tightly. The gatekeeper said he hadn't seen her leave the manor today, but there was no one in the manor, and no one had left. Could she just vanish into thin air?
He seemed to recall the day they first met, the woman's deceptive attire, and a thought, teetering on the edge, seemed about to break through the soil.
"Send men to search secretly inside and outside the city, but do not make a sound."
After a moment's thought, he added, "Also, take my seal and go to the government office to ask if any unfamiliar faces have recently been applying for travel permits. Inquire carefully."
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