Chapter 27 Why did the assassin try to kill me?
Over the years, countless people have wanted to kill him.
During his seven long years of wandering, he was constantly surrounded by war and turmoil.
But anyone in this world can kill him, except her.
Thinking back to when she first followed him, she was thin and timid, not daring to even lift her head. He provided her with food and clothing, protecting her from the hardships outside. Every smile, every gesture of hers was sculpted by him at will.
It's like a flower he personally nurtured; if it grows thorns and he's not allowed to touch it, that's alright, he can simply break them off one by one.
But he never expected that the thorn would pierce him so deeply.
From the moment he stepped into the room until he saw her serving him, he was testing and on guard. When he saw the silver hairpin being swung at him, it finally confirmed that she wanted to kill him.
He once said that if someone can't kill him, he will make them die.
His hand gradually tightened its grip, staring intently at Mingying's bluish-purple face, his gaze sinister and icy, like a hawk pecking at flesh and blood.
A vein bulged on Mingying's thin neck, and tears streamed down her face like broken beads. If the pressure on her neck tightened even slightly, she would suffocate.
She did not struggle.
She vaguely caught a glimpse of the silver hairpin on the ground, and regretted that she hadn't been careful enough to let him discover it.
Pei Xiaoyun was still furious. Looking into her wet and unfocused eyes, he felt that strangling her would be easy, but he didn't want her to die like that, so he suddenly loosened his grip.
Mingying lost her strength and rolled off the bed, her knees hitting the cold, hard wooden couch, panting heavily.
Pei Xiaoyun sat on the couch, leaned down, and roughly grabbed her chin, as if to crush her teeth. His scarlet eyes were terrifying: "Why do you want to kill me? Haven't I been good to you?"
She betrayed him and ran away. If it were anyone else, he would have torn that person to pieces long ago.
He had exhausted all his patience with her, willing to take care of her and forgive her past mistakes, but she recklessly came to kill him.
Mingying coughed violently, her throat feeling like it was blocked with a handful of rough sand and gravel. As she spoke, a metallic taste rose in her throat: "You forced me to do this. You lied to me and humiliated me. You killed Lin Xian. I'm going to kill you to avenge him!"
Upon hearing her words, Pei Xiaoyun immediately lowered her head, subtly shrugging in the shadows as if she were sneering.
Lin Xian.
It's Lin Xian again. She's actually going to kill him for Lin Xian's sake?
"Mian'er, you have truly impressed me."
He had a treacherous wolf by his side, who would bite him hard if he wasn't careful. He shook off her chin, his dark eyes churning.
"Who told you Lin Xian is dead?" He took the initiative, seizing her weakness, his eyes full of mockery and indifference.
Lin Xian was skilled at drawing topographical maps, which greatly aided in military strategy and deployment. That's why Shen Chun and his group were also looking for Lin Xian.
He had just released the news of Lin Xian's death to cover up the truth, and it immediately reached her ears. Did she really care that much?
Mingying's heart skipped a beat, her stiff fingertips trembled suddenly, she looked up abruptly, and then a hint of mockery appeared on her face.
He didn't tell her a single truth; he was lying to her again.
Seeing the excitement in her eyes fade away, Pei Xiaoyun looked away and stood up to leave: "I originally wanted to keep him, but it seems that I shouldn't now."
His confident words threw Mingying into a moment of panic.
She grabbed the hem of his robe: "Stop! Explain yourself! He's really not dead?"
"You're not dead yet, but you should die now. This is your punishment."
Mingying's heart sank, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching his clothes tightly: "It was my fault, it was my fault, punish me if you must."
She dared not gamble; she didn't want anyone else to be hurt because of her.
Pei Xiaoyun stopped in his tracks, his face full of cold amusement. He pulled her up and pinned her against the wall, his fingers tracing her face.
Aside from slightly flinching, Mingying showed no signs of struggling.
Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were like still water in a well, without any waves or ripples.
For her, innocence was the least valuable thing.
Only by using this could she keep Pei Xiaoyun from harming others.
Looking at her ashen and resigned face, Pei Xiaoyun suddenly let out a sneer: "You look just like a slut, willing to give your body to another man for the man you love. Tell me, if Lin Xian knew, would he still want you?"
Mingying felt as if a bucket of water had been poured over her head, making her feel cold all over.
His words put her on the hot seat of adversity, burning away her stubbornness and revealing the last shred of shame, which he then crushed mercilessly.
She didn't care what Lin Xian thought of her; all she wanted was for him to live safely.
She kept her lips tightly closed, unmoved by Pei Xiaoyun's deliberate provocations and teasing.
Pei Xiaoyun was furious at the sight of Pei Xiaoyun enduring such humiliation.
He wanted a docile canary, not a puppet to be manipulated. His fingers left her skin, and he coldly uttered three words to her: "Get out."
Mingying felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and she threw on her clothes and fled in panic.
Pei Xiaoyun kept his word. Without his favoritism, Mingying would have been just an ordinary servant, living in a cold and damp servant's room.
In the dead of winter, rain falls at night, and the cold air freezes into ice.
There was no charcoal in the room, and the bedding was as cold and hard as iron. After a terrifying night, a near-death experience, Mingying was utterly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep as soon as she lay down.
After she left, the main courtyard was brightly lit, and people were scattered about.
Pei Xiaoyun's poison has flared up again.
After He Lianqing gave him the newly prepared medicine, he rested his forehead on his hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, and his expression calmed down.
"I'm fine now, I'll be going now." In this cold weather, and in the middle of the night, He Lianqing was shaken awake from her bed by a servant.
"stop."
Pei Xiaoyun opened his eyes, his voice cold and stern.
The maids around Mingying were all his people, and they couldn't possibly tell her about Lin Xian. Apart from those maids, the only person who had seen Mingying in the past few days was He Lianqing.
He has some nerve to betray him behind his back.
"Men, give him twenty lashes." He pointed at He Lianqing and ordered his men to come forward.
He Lianqing was shocked. This sudden twenty lashes were truly an undeserved disaster. "You are ungrateful. I gave you the antidote in the middle of the night, and you still hit me."
Pei Xiaoyun frowned: "If you act on your own again, don't think I wouldn't dare to kill you."
He tolerated He Lianqing only because of his medical skills, which he could use to his advantage, and it would be a pity to kill him. Otherwise, given that He Lianqing had repeatedly defied him and even dared to communicate with Ming Ying behind his back, he would have dealt with this person long ago!
He Lianqing realized that it was because she had relayed a message to Mingying that he had angered him.
He felt that the person in front of him was unreasonable; although he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, he was a madman at heart.
He was taken to the courtyard, pressed onto the torture bench, and the servants carrying out the punishment lifted the board to bring it down.
"Stop!" A woman's voice shouted from afar.
The executioner stopped and watched as Xing Wei walked towards him into the night.
“Miss Xing!” He Lianqing recognized her as Pei Xiaoyun’s bodyguard and looked up. “But he had a change of heart and won’t beat me, his benefactor!”
Xingwei ignored him, only glancing at him indifferently, and said to the person beside him, "Ten strokes of the cane are enough. Master was just saying that in anger."
If someone is really killed, who will prepare the master's medicine in the future?
Those people all listened to her and gave her ten lashes, neither too hard nor too soft. After the ten lashes, He Lianqing was still able to get out of bed with a limp, and she would recover in about ten days to half a month.
If Xingwei hadn't come out, who knows how long he would have been lying there after those twenty blows.
He wanted to say thank you, but the person had already turned and left.
She came and went without a trace, her black clothes blending into the night like a blob of ink.
He recalled that Xingwei, like him, had been captured by the Wuhuan people at the border and taken hostage, but was fortunate enough to survive.
He had little contact with her, only knowing that she was taciturn and highly skilled in martial arts. Given her past, she must have been a pitiful person whose family was destroyed and whose life was ruined.
The noise in the courtyard subsided.
Pei Xiaoyun found that her ears were much quieter, and the cold light reflected from the silver hairpin on the ground was particularly dazzling.
His eyes flickered, as if he had thought of something, and he called out loudly to the maid: "Where is she?"
He told her to go outside and stand there, but he disappeared.
The maid replied, "Miss Mian'er went to the servants' quarters and has already gone to sleep."
Pei Xiaoyun's expression turned cold.
They are truly heartless and ungrateful.
He turned off the light, feeling restless and unable to sleep. The thought of her wanting to kill him fueled his anger.
It seems he really treated her too well, spoiling her to the point of being oblivious to her own limitations.
The next day, after a rain, the ground was wet and muddy, and the sound of servants harnessing their carts shook the raindrops off the branches.
Pei Xiaoyun was going to the Governor's Mansion to celebrate his birthday today. In order not to arouse Shen Chun's suspicion, he sent someone early in the morning to summon the woman who lived in the West Courtyard to go with him.
His gaze was fixed on the duty room. The servants in the courtyard had all come out to tend to the flowers and plants, and to sweep and do their duties, but Mingying was still nowhere to be seen.
"Go and call her over," he ordered coldly.
Mingying woke up late today.
Even though the bed and blankets weren't comfortable without him by my side, it was still the most peaceful sleep I'd had in days.
When Yuechan entered, she saw dust flying around in the duty room and instinctively covered her nose. As a first-class maid, she had never slept in this cramped duty room before.
He thought to himself: This girl is really something. So many women want to get close to this man, but he doesn't even give them a second glance. She has such a high status and yet she doesn't know how lucky she is. She has to anger him and be sent to a place like this.
Although he was thinking about it, he dared not be disrespectful and shook Mingying's arm: "Miss, Miss, it's time to wake up. Master is taking you to a banquet."
Mingying was shaken awake and her mind went blank when she heard about the banquet.
She didn't know how Pei Xiaoyun would torment her next. She thought she could finally have some peace today, but she still couldn't escape it.
Having no clothes to wear, she could only change into a blue dress worn by servants. Urged by Yuechan, she quickly washed and dressed, and went out to see two carriages parked outside the mansion gate.
The woman in purple was sitting in the next carriage; she was Pei Xiaoyun's beloved concubine.
The person in the first carriage was Pei Xiaoyun, and he looked impatient, as if he was waiting for something.
Yuechan said to Mingying, "Miss, the master is waiting for you."
Pei Xiaoyun wanted to torture her, and Mingying had no way to resist. She decisively lifted her skirt, sat on the cot, and leaned half of her body into the carriage.
Pei Xiaoyun leaned against the carriage, reading a military book, when a slender hand lifted the curtain from the outside, revealing her face.
She was wearing faded old clothes with a plain hairpin in her hair, and her face was rosy. She looked much better than she had been treated to fine clothes and delicacies for the past few days. After sleeping in the duty room for one night, her illness was completely cured.
Pei Xiaoyun threw the book away and scolded her, "Who told you to come up here? Go down and get in the car."
She preferred being with men, even finding it more comfortable to stay in the guardhouse than to be with him, so he indulged her. He knew that when she couldn't take it anymore, she would naturally beg for mercy.
Mingying had no idea what was wrong with him. She was happy to stay out of the carriage and got off without saying a word.
Nowadays, when people encounter their master traveling, accompanying him in the carriage is the most basic duty.
If the carriage travels slowly, you can rest your feet for a while. If the carriage travels fast, you have to jog all the way. Usually, after one or two trips, the soles of your shoes will be worn out.
Mingying had served before, but back then Pei Xiaoyun treated her as an ordinary servant and never made things difficult for her. Nor had he ever done anything like today, as if he were deliberately ordering the carriage to go faster.
She struggled to keep up, stepping into a puddle, mud staining her skirt and wetting her shoes and socks.
She loathed how he treated her, how he treated her like a plaything to be summoned and dismissed at will, but he threatened her with Lin Xian, and if she didn't comply, she couldn't guarantee what he would do.
She had thoroughly enraged him because of the failed assassination attempt the previous night.
Therefore, the days that followed were not going to be easy for her.
The woman in purple in the next carriage saw Mingying struggling to walk, lowered the curtain, and sneered, "Did that woman anger the master?"
The maid Dujuan inside the carriage also gloated, saying, "Miss Lüqi, I heard..."
After learning the whole story from Dujuan, Lüqi's eyes revealed a hint of smugness.
She came from the Governor's Mansion and was given to Lord Pei as a concubine by Governor Shen. Lord Pei accepted her and treated her to a life of luxury every day, but he just wouldn't come to her room.
That woman angered the master and lost his favor, so the master is taking her to a banquet today.
Clearly, it's all that woman's fault for seducing him.
She glared resentfully at Mingying's retreating figure, clutching the handkerchief in her hand.
The Governor's Mansion was bustling with activity, with guests arriving in droves.
Now, Shen Chun is the only high-ranking official in the court, and many people in the localities come to curry favor with him. People who come to offer their birthday wishes are so numerous that they are practically wearing down the threshold of the governor's mansion.
Pei Xiaoyun's carriage stopped at the governor's mansion, and many officials came to pay their respects, but Shen Chun himself was nowhere to be seen.
"This Shen Chun, he doesn't even come out to greet the guests."
After Kong Qing finished speaking, she met the gloomy gaze of her master beside her and immediately stopped talking.
Pei Xiaoyun got out of the car with a relaxed air. He had come here today for another matter, which was to capture the Kongchan Sect members who were hiding in the mansion.
He discovered early on that Shen Chun was involved with members of the Kongchan Sect who had fled from Suzhou.
Fearing trouble, Shen Chun had the man pose as an antique dealer and approach the Lin family under the pretext of discussing business. This allowed the Lin family to take him in and secure a safe place in their villa.
The Lin family was merely a smokescreen; the one truly colluding with the corrupt officials in the imperial court was Shen Chun.
The woman from the Shenchun faction was by his side only to gather information about his movements.
He then turned the tables on her, deliberately revealing his whereabouts to the woman so that she could pass it on to Shen Chun. He also intentionally spread the word that he had already captured a member of the Kongchan Sect at the ferry, so that Shen Chun would lower her guard and he could capture the person today.
"You're too kind, please come in."
A young man emerged from the Shen residence. He had clear features and a tall stature. His skin was darker than that of an average person, as if he had been exposed to the elements for many years.
Shen Chun had no children of his own, so this man was his adopted son, Shen Mingshu.
Three years ago, he fought against a hundred enemy soldiers in the Northwest while fighting against the remnants of Prince Yi's army. Pei Xiaoyun praised his bravery. Back then, he was just a minor garrison commander in Shaanxi Prefecture. Now, he has risen through the ranks to become a deputy commander.
On his father's birthday, he made a special trip back to Hangzhou to celebrate. As Shen Chun's only son, he naturally had to go out and greet the guests on his father's behalf.
"Greetings, Lord Pei." Shen Mingshu walked to Pei Xiaoyun's side.
His promotion to the rank of Commander-in-Chief was also due to Pei Xiaoyun's promotion during that battle.
Pei Xiaoyun smiled faintly: "No need for formalities."
Although Shen Mingshu is Shen Chun's adopted son, he has been in the Northwest for many years and has not colluded with the Kongchan Sect like his father. He may be completely unaware that there are thieves in his household.
Shen Mingshu cupped his hands in greeting: "My father is entertaining guests in the courtyard. Please, Lord Pei."
Pei Xiaoyun wasn't in a hurry to go inside. She glanced at Mingying, who was standing by the carriage with her head down, and said, "Mian'er, go and help the servants unload the gifts from the carriage."
Mingying knew he was deliberately making things difficult for her, so she remained expressionless, turned around, and left with the two servants.
Seeing that Pei Xiaoyun hadn't brought many servants but instead had a frail woman carry the gifts, Shen Mingshu wanted to ask the people behind him to help carry them, but Pei Xiaoyun refused.
"Such a trivial matter is not worth troubling your family. Prefect Shen, please speak with me in private."
Since he said so, Shen Mingshu had no choice but to go in with him. However, when he caught a glimpse of the maid named Mian'er out of the corner of his eye, his pupils suddenly dilated, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
"Commander Shen, let's go." Pei Xiaoyun's tone turned cold as he noticed Shen staring intently at Ming Ying.
Shen Mingshu followed Pei Xiaoyun to a secluded, warm pavilion.
Pei Xiaoyun dismissed everyone and spoke to him.
Upon hearing his words, Shen Mingshu was deeply shocked: "How is this possible? How could members of the Kongchan Cult have infiltrated our household? My father could not possibly have any connection with those people!"
Pei Xiaoyun knew he didn't believe her, so she calmly drank her tea: "As long as Magistrate Shen secretly sends people to surround the mansion, whether you believe it or not, just wait and see."
Although Shen Mingshu did not believe that his adoptive father would be involved with the Kongchan Sect, after much deliberation and under Pei Xiaoyun's guidance, he did as he was told.
If this is false, there are many people in the manor today, so it's always good to send more people to set up defenses, just in case.
Mingying followed the servant carrying two light boxes, and immediately a servant came to greet Pei Xiaoyun's beloved concubine, Lüqi.
With nowhere else to go, she followed Lüqi to the pavilion where the women were resting.
Among the guests, two strange-looking long-bearded men stared intently at them as they stepped off the carriage from the Pei residence.
The pavilion was full of women, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and every step revealed a new and beautiful scene.
Luqi sat in an empty pavilion drinking tea. She boasted that she was favored by Pei Xiaoyun, and she wouldn't even glance at ordinary women or wives who came up to befriend her.
In the center of the pavilion is a crystal-clear lake, where a few koi carp can be seen swimming at this time of year.
Mingying didn't want to be with Lüqi, so she leaned against the wooden railing and watched the fish.
The cold wind of December blew in, and she, wearing only a thin garment, shivered as her teeth chattered.
"Mian'er, come and pour me a cup of tea."
Green Qi called out to her from inside the pavilion, her voice loud and clear, clearly wanting everyone in the pavilion to hear.
Mingying blinked lightly, her face expressionless, as if she hadn't heard her words.
She submitted to Pei Xiaoyun and let him torment her; she had no other choice. But why should she serve his concubines?
Ignored by her, and feeling embarrassed by the stares coming from all around, Lü Qi gritted her teeth and said, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me?!"
A lowly servant girl who has fallen out of favor still dares to give her attitude.
“I am also a servant. You and I are no different,” Mingying said with her back to her.
When Pei Xiaoyun said she wanted to make her a concubine, she only wanted her to serve her as a servant for a long time.
Why do some people like to follow the crowd?
This remark caused the other women in the pavilion to whisper among themselves.
Green Qi's face flushed red and then turned pale. She ordered the maid beside her, "Dujuan, go and grab her and slap her!"
Du Juan was caught in a dilemma. Although she had been assigned to serve Lü Qi, she was still a member of the household, and how could she dare to treat Ming Ying arbitrarily? "Miss, please calm down..."
Lüqi pushed Dujuan away and angrily grabbed Mingying. Mingying raised her hand to resist, and the two began to fight.
Mingying had her hair pulled out, and a long scratch was left on her face by her fingernails. Lüqi was also slapped by her and looked disheveled.
Because the two people fighting were brought by Pei Xiaoyun, the other women were afraid of offending them and could only watch timidly, not daring to go up and break up the fight.
The two were locked in a fierce battle.
Suddenly, two men with long beards darted out from the small west garden. They looked anxious, as if they were being chased by someone.
Immediately afterwards, the courtyard wall was surrounded by guards in black, along with the governor's mansion's guards, forming a dense, dark mass. They raised their bows and arrows high, aiming at the two men who were fleeing in all directions.
The women looked panicked and huddled together shouting. Mingying noticed that something was wrong and stopped what she was doing. Then she saw Pei Xiaoyun leading a group of people slowly walking over.
Seeing that they had nowhere to turn, the two men cursed twice, looked around, recognized Mingying and Lüqi as the women Pei Xiaoyun had brought, grabbed the two of them, and roughly dragged them over.
A chill ran through Mingying as she was pushed and stumbled.
Lü Qi screamed and was slapped twice by the man.
Upon seeing this, Pei Xiaoyun's eyes seemed to freeze, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his face turned ugly.
He noticed something amiss and led his men to chase after them from the front yard, only to find two thugs there.
He raised his hand, signaling the guards on the wall not to make any rash moves.
"Listen up, you surnamed Pei!" The brown-clad man who had grabbed Mingying pulled a snow-white knife from his sleeve, threw his head back, and laughed maniacally. "You've been making trouble for us at every turn. If you don't let us go today, we'll die by your blade, and then your two women will go down and be buried with me!"
With nowhere to retreat and unable to kill Pei Xiaoyun, they killed these two young women before they died, which could be considered as quelling their hatred.
With a cold blade pressed against her neck, Mingying dared not move or utter a sound, her eyes filled with tears of terror.
Pei Xiaoyun hated her to death, so why would he let those two go for her sake? Even for Lu Qi's sake, it was impossible.
She knew he was cold-hearted and knew what kind of person he was.
The gleaming blade rubbed against her neck, drawing out traces of blood.
She slowly closed her eyes, feeling that she was going to die here today.
"My lord! My lord! Please save me!" Green Qi was so frightened that her legs went weak, and she shouted at Pei Xiaoyun.
The man in black who had captured Lü Qi saw that she was adorned with gold and silver. Compared to the poorly dressed woman next to her, this woman was clearly more valued by Pei Xiaoyun. Therefore, he tightened the knife pressed against her neck.
Pei Xiaoyun frowned, his expression shifting slightly. He pointed at Lü Qi and exclaimed, "This is my beloved concubine. Don't hurt her, and everything will be fine."
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Author's Note: Since yesterday's chapter and chapter 24 were both locked, if any readers felt the plot was disjointed, please check if you missed subscribing. I'll consider changing the update time to 6 PM in the future. If it's confirmed, I'll announce it in the announcement. Please try to read it as early as possible, otherwise... [doge]
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