Chapter 22: We need to discuss marriage with him.
This statement is like a boulder thrown into a lake.
Pei Xiaoyun's eyes, which were already slightly rippled, suddenly surged with a turbulent wave.
He stared intently at Bihe, his eyes burning with a fierce, crimson fire, filled with hatred and rage for the other person, as if he wanted to throw that person into the flames, to burn and torment them until not a trace remained.
A night breeze swept by, and he sat in the shadows, head bowed, chuckling softly.
The laughter was short and muffled, sending chills down the spines of outsiders, as if their flesh were being torn apart by a dull knife.
Bihe felt a chill run down her spine and trembled all over, feeling as if she was about to be skinned alive and have her bones pulled out at any moment.
Pei Xiaoyun, carrying a sword, arrived alone in the main courtyard, exuding a chilling aura.
The maid outside the courtyard said in a trembling voice, "Master, Madam... Madam has gone to sleep."
Pei Xiaoyun's face was fierce. He kicked the man away, and the maid rolled down the steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood. When the other servants saw him holding a sword, they dared not stop him. Their faces turned pale, and they knelt down and kowtowed one after another.
Startled by the commotion outside the courtyard, Lan got up and put on her clothes to investigate. Just as she reached the flower bed, she saw a sword light cleave the beaded curtain in two.
She was so frightened that she fell to the ground and shuffled backward, watching as Pei Xiaoyun stepped forward.
"What...what are you going to do? You unfilial son!"
Pei Xiaoyun twisted his wrist, the sword pressed against her chest, his voice hoarse and filled with danger: "Where did she go?"
Lan's face flushed and paled in turns; he had still discovered it. Since that was the case, there was no need to hide it anymore.
Her hair was disheveled, and she laughed maniacally, not forgetting to stab him in the heart: "What are you pretending to be affectionate for now? You murdered your father and brother, and now you're pointing your sword at your own mother. You're such a cold-blooded madman, do you really think she wants to be with you?"
When she heard from a servant that he had gone to Qingmeng Mountain to pay respects to a handful of yellow earth, and even more ridiculously, to the White Horse Temple to light lamps, she was overjoyed to see his distraught appearance!
Pei Xiaoyun's strong, bony hands were about to crush the sword hilt.
"She came to beg me that day, and she even kowtowed until her head was bleeding." Looking at his increasingly crazed eyes, Madam Lan felt a joy of revenge and said slowly, "She said she didn't want to be with you, and she knelt outside the door, begging me to spare her life."
As the words entered his ears, Pei Xiaoyun felt a surge of blood rush to his throat, and he raised his sword to smash the antique shelf behind the Lan family.
Lan screamed, covering her ears, but her eyes gleamed with barely suppressed light. She stretched her neck and raised her voice, "My people say she fell into a mass grave and was devoured by wolves until not even bones were left! Hahahaha!"
Lan Shi's mouth opened and closed, still saying something.
Pei Xiaoyun was plunged into darkness, and a searing pain surged through his body. He cried out, "Someone come here!"
He staggered out the door and down the steps, pointing behind him and saying, "Report that she has gone mad and doesn't have much time left. Send her to the estate immediately."
Even after taking the medicine, Pei Xiaoyun still felt a splitting headache. When he closed his eyes, the image of her keeping him company as he read at night, adding fragrance to his writing, floated into his mind.
He stood up and overturned all the writing implements on the table to the ground, his eyes filled with winding red veins.
Okay, very good.
She dared to play such a cruel joke on him, making him spend the past year ridiculously mourning her death, so absurd that he couldn't sleep at night.
Eaten by wolves?
He sneered. He wished she would be devoured by wolves, but how could someone who should be dead appear on a ship to Suzhou?
What a brilliant scheme! It fooled so many people.
Unwilling to be with him? What an ungrateful wretch! If it weren't for him, she would have died long ago, or become a prostitute in the Mianyue Tower, a Yangzhou "thin horse" for everyone to play with.
Whenever he thought about how her obedient demeanor when she was by his side was all an act, how she lay beside him while plotting her escape, he felt an urge to strangle her.
"Someone come here!"
"Grandpa." Kong Qing had also heard that Ming Ying was actually alive, and was afraid that Pei Xiaoyun, who was in a fit of anger, would take his anger out on her.
"Send someone to Suzhou to search high and low for her. If you find her, break her legs and bring her back."
This was the first time in his life he had been so fooled.
He vowed that once he found her, he would not let her go. He would make her taste the bitterness he had suffered over the past year and repay her a thousandfold.
She left quietly and decisively, and the men he sent could only start their investigation by following the travel permit she had used.
But Mingying had long since stopped using that travel permit.
—
Suzhou.
As dusk fell and the government offices closed, Mingying was finally released.
She descended the steps and saw a carriage parked by the roadside not far away, with a familiar-looking man standing beside it.
Recognizing that it was Lin Xian, she unconsciously raised her hand to wipe the dust off her face and walked towards him.
"What brings Mr. Lin here?"
She was taken in for questioning by the authorities because she had neither a ceremonial pass nor a travel permit. The authorities considered her an unregistered person and suspected she was a fugitive from somewhere.
She was originally a slave and did not have the ivory token that only free people had. After using Ling Shuang's travel pass to board the ship once, she was afraid of causing trouble, so she never used it again. She had already found her cousin and returned all her belongings.
That year, she lived in Shen Yao's house, and the neighbors all believed that she was a distant relative of the Shen family.
Last month, the imperial court suddenly issued a new law to re-compile the household registration of the population in each prefecture. The government's clerks went door to door. She hid for a few days, but was eventually found and imprisoned for three days.
For some reason, they politely let her out.
Lin Xian turned around, her gaze sweeping over her several times before she asked, "They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
Mingying shook her head, a slight warmth rising in her palm: "No."
She is now a musician in Bailiqing, and Lin Xian also resides in Bailiqing. She sees him almost every day, and she is deeply grateful for his care for her.
"Take this." Lin Xian took out two items and gave them to her. "These are the new ivory tag and travel permit that I made for you in your identity as Chen Ying. If anyone questions you again, you won't be troubled if you have these."
His voice sounded clear and gentle in the biting night wind.
The warmth from Mingying's palm spread to her heart, and she instantly understood that he had arranged for no one to touch her in prison long ago. He had arranged for her travel permit and even came to pick her up.
That year, he took great care of her. She thanked him so many times that the word "thank you" sounded weak and powerless when she said it again.
"Get in the car, it's windy outside," Lin Xian said first.
Mingying followed him into the car, and in the cramped space, she could clearly hear two breathing sounds.
He had driven her home many times, but at first she politely declined and didn't dare to openly accept his care.
Lin Xian didn't know why she was being distant. He told her that although he was a distant relative of the Pei family, they hadn't been in contact for a long time, and that the past was the past, so she didn't need to avoid him.
With more talk and more action, Mingying gradually stopped feeling uneasy.
She smelled a faint scent of bamboo spreading in the car. Unlike the strong and overpowering sandalwood scent, the delicate bamboo fragrance calmed her mind and made her feel very comfortable.
She gripped the two items tightly in her hands, her head bowed low.
The carriage stopped in an alley, and as soon as the curtain was lifted, a delicate fragrance of flowers could be smelled.
Mingying no longer lives with Shen Yao. Shen Yao has someone she likes, and that man often comes to see her. It's no longer convenient for her to live with her, so she moved out.
"Are you settling in well here?" Lin Xian asked, looking at her.
Mingying got out of the car, lowered her eyes and smiled faintly: "I'm used to it. It's spacious and clean here. I can grow a lot of flowers and plants. It's also very close to the shop and Baili Qing."
She had just moved out and couldn't find a suitable place to live right away. The room she was currently staying in was found for her by someone Lin Xian asked.
To express her gratitude, she gave him some gifts, but he refused to accept them, only taking the sachet she had made herself.
She had guessed his thoughts more than once, but she quickly dismissed them.
But thinking about all these things, she couldn't deny it. A light, lingering sorrow always clung to her heart, along with a slight unease.
Lin Xian escorted her home, gave her a few words of advice, and then turned to leave.
Mingying felt the object in her hand burning her palm, and suddenly called out to him, "Mr. Lin, please wait, let me treat you to dinner."
—
Spring goes and autumn comes, and two more years have passed in the blink of an eye.
That winter, the Wuhuan tribe, which had risen in the northwest border region, launched several invasions of the six northwestern tribes. Pei Xiaoyun led his troops to fight them off and repelled the invaders, temporarily securing the border.
During this expedition, two people were rescued.
One is a female assassin who has been poisoned by the Wuhuan people and lost all her emotions and desires. She is highly skilled in martial arts, and Pei Xiaoyun keeps her by his side as a secret guard.
The other person was a young itinerant doctor named He Lianqing, who was highly skilled in medicine and could develop pills that could effectively suppress the effects of the poison.
Since Mingying "died," the poison in his body has shown signs of becoming uncontrollable. The previous medicines were only a temporary fix, and only the pills in He Lianqing's hands were effective.
Pei Xiaoyun had just returned to his residence after removing his armor when the spies he had sent to Suzhou to search for him returned with a report.
The spy shook his head; he hadn't found it again.
"Keep searching."
Pei Xiaoyun stared at the orange-red embers in the charcoal brazier, the light reflecting a fierce glint in his eyes.
For some reason, even though he knew she wasn't dead, she still frequently appeared in his dreams these past two years.
He sent people not only to Suzhou, but also to Yangzhou, Hangzhou, and other places in Jiangnan, and even to the north, but to no avail.
Every year on a cold winter day, he would wonder if she had died somewhere.
It's better that she's dead; it would be better if she were dead.
She abandoned her child, betrayed her master, and fled. Did she really intend to hide somewhere and live a peaceful life, or perhaps she found a husband...?
If she really dares, he will strangle her with his own hands.
The next day at court, a memorial from the Suzhou Prefecture arrived before the Emperor.
According to the memorial, since the leader of the Kongchan Sect was eliminated two years ago, last month, a large number of Kongchan Sect members have sprung up again in the area, even sneaking into the residence of the Suzhou Prefect and killing his family members. They are extremely rampant.
Pei Xiaoyun originally sent people from the Ministry of Justice and several censors to Suzhou to investigate and arrest members of the Kongchan Sect, but he called them back just before they were about to depart.
He silently repeated the word "Suzhou" for a long time before saying, "I will go there myself this time."
Suzhou.
The sound of flutes drifted through the air for miles at night, accompanied by songs and dances.
When Mingying finished her song, the applause from the audience was thunderous, and the cheers were so loud they almost overturned the red silk.
This piece was specially composed by Lin Xian for her, and it was also a birthday gift for her. She amazed everyone with this piece and became famous. Many women who loved the zither came to Baili Qing to learn the zither from her.
"Instructor Shen, please teach me first. I've been waiting for three days."
"I was here first! Are you going to admit it or not? Go to the back!"
Mingying smiled and said, "You guys are already quite skilled, so I'll teach you this song too. But I'll be leaving in an hour."
Today is her birthday, and Lin Xian has booked a private room at Tianxiangzhai to invite her to dinner. She has made time to come to Baili Qing's place tonight.
The woman in red who came to learn the piano joked with her, "Is Instructor Shen in a hurry to have dinner with Mr. Lin?"
Nowadays, everyone knows that Coach Shen and Mr. Lin have become increasingly affectionate over the past two years, and it seems they are about to reach the point of discussing marriage.
"Oh dear, I'm not feeling well. Can't I just go back to sleep?" Mingying blushed and scolded them, then added, "I won't be here tonight. You can go find Huarao."
"I won't go to her. She plays terribly. All the votes she gets are from her cronies," the woman in red muttered.
Hua Rao walked past alone from behind, listening to these words, staring intently at Ming Ying's back, the fan handle in his hand snapping in two with a snap.
Mingying straightened her face and shook her head: "Don't talk nonsense if you haven't seen it with your own eyes."
After correcting the two men's finger techniques, she left Baili Qing and went to Tianxiangzhai.
Lin Xian had been waiting inside for a long time and poured her a cup of hot tea: "Aying, why are you so late? I was thinking of picking you up."
Mingying looked at the table full of her favorite dishes and smiled: "The music you wrote for me was so good that the guests didn't want to leave and wanted to hear it a second time, so we were a little late."
“I also wrote three poems for you.” Lin Xian served her some food, her gaze fixed on her.
Mingying's face was made even more flushed by the candlelight as she buried her head in the food he picked for her.
Halfway through the meal, his gentle voice rang out above her head: "Aying, how about setting the wedding date for next month?"
Mingying choked a little, her ear tips turning red: "Whatever you say."
It really has come to this.
When Lin Xian said he wanted to marry her, she found it unbelievable.
Two years ago, when she hadn't fully emerged from the shadows of her past, she rejected him and didn't dare to accept him, but he silently stayed by her side all along.
Three years should have softened even the hardest heart, let alone her; she is a person of flesh and blood.
She no longer thinks about the past; at most, she might occasionally think of that child she never really looked at closely when the night is quiet.
But all of that is no longer relevant to her. People should move on, and she should also have her own new life.
More than half a month passed like this, and she and Lin Xian agreed to get married in Suzhou. The wedding date was not far away.
That night, she had just returned home from Bailiqing when Shen Yao knocked on her door, looking sickly.
"What's wrong?" Mingying looked at her listless appearance and was a little worried, so she welcomed her in.
Shen Yao looked unwell and cut to the chase: "Aying, I suddenly caught a cold and feel weak all over. I forced myself to come to you, and I'm afraid I won't get better for a day or two. Could you cover for me for that dance tomorrow night?"
Mingying hadn't danced for a while and was afraid that her poor skills would implicate others, so she didn't dare to take on the task easily. "But I've been busy teaching piano lately and haven't practiced dancing. What if I don't dance well? You can take a day off. It shouldn't be a problem if you're not here."
"No, not a single one can be missing!"
Shen Yao shook her hand. She was truly ill, and her voice was weak and feeble: "Steward Liu said that a high-ranking official from the capital is coming tomorrow night, and this dance is for him. We must not neglect it. Don't worry, you can easily outshine everyone else with your dance."
Unable to resist her nagging, Mingying nodded: "Alright, I'll give it a try. You should go back and rest to recover."
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Author's Note: This story is a tale of forced marriage followed by a desperate attempt to win back the wife [doge emoji].
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