Chapter 59 Five Elements Herb Sowing Poison
Mingying went to the greenhouse and asked for several kinds of flowers, including daisies, pansies, and magnolias, as well as several kinds of grass plants, such as clover, orioles, violets, and five-element grass.
The servants in the greenhouse couldn't help but feel strange.
The flowers that sprouted were all different colors, a riot of colors, perfect for planting in spring.
But those common herbs, such as the five-element herb, are just wild vegetables that can be found everywhere in the countryside. The mansion would never transplant such lowly plants to cultivate.
However, Pei Xiaoyun now dotes on Mingying and has absolute authority over her, so the servants in the mansion naturally dare not neglect her.
She said she wanted something, and they immediately went to find it, and soon they brought it all back.
After receiving the items, Mingying immediately took Pei Yu'an and sowed all the seeds, deliberately placing the seeds of the Five-Directional Grass in an inconspicuous corner of the wall next to the flower bed.
She had seen this kind of grass before; it was extremely resilient and could sprout stems and leaves in less than half a month after being planted. It was indeed an edible wild vegetable.
When we were young, our family was poor, and my mother would take us siblings to the hillside to dig up this wild vegetable. We would pickle it with salt and eat it with porridge.
It tastes good, but it's cold in nature, so you shouldn't eat too much of it.
She clearly remembers that a pregnant woman living next door also used the Five Elements Herb picked from the mountain for several days, which eventually led to a miscarriage.
Her mother took her to visit that woman. The woman was lying on the bed, wailing in pain, with bright red blood all over her body. It terrified her at the time, and she still remembers it vividly to this day.
She knelt down, took the shovel, cleared away the pile of soil, and sowed the seeds of the Five Elements Herb.
As the sunlight grew stronger, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead—a cold sweat rising from the depths of her heart.
She was personally planting the seeds of poison that would harm her own child.
Will someone as heartless as her go to hell after she dies?
"Mother, I'm tired. Let's rest in the pavilion."
Pei Yu'an had somehow gotten behind her, startling Mingying.
She clutched her chest, breathing lightly, swallowed the pounding in her throat, and then got up with her: "You go ahead first, Mother will go wash her hands."
Pei Yu'an nodded and jogged over, her skirt shimmering in the light, fluttering freely in the air.
She gazed at her daughter's graceful back, her muddy fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
If An'an knew that she could have had a younger brother or sister, but that her sister would kill it with her own hands, would she resent her?
The soil was coarse, so she rubbed it between her fingertips until her fingers turned red, turning all the soil into powder.
In the distant pavilion, a servant brought over a plate of delicate pastries, bowing and asking, "Miss, would you like some?"
Pei Yu'an glanced at it, then shook his head and sat alone on the round stool without saying a word.
Mingying suddenly felt a lump in her throat, but a gentle breeze prevented her from bursting into tears.
An'an becomes lively and talkative when she's with Pei Xiaoyun, but otherwise she's quiet and doesn't talk much to Pei Xiaoyun, let alone the other servants.
She kept asking herself, "Can I stay with her forever?"
She doesn't seem to be able to do it.
Pei Xiaoyun now hopes that she can let go of past grievances for the sake of the child, start over with him, stay in the backyard to be a good wife and mother, and be a virtuous wife.
But she couldn't forget the past, couldn't forget her hatred for him, and didn't want to live a life of isolation in the backyard, where she could see the end from the beginning.
She just wanted to leave him, to be free from all constraints, and to live a free life.
Pei Xiaoyun is such a cold-hearted person. He doesn't necessarily like children that much. Children are just tools he uses to control her and pawns to achieve his goals.
As parents, they couldn't provide adequate care.
Therefore, she has no need to have another child, leaving that child to live without a father's love or a mother's affection.
Perhaps this is what truly makes a child cruel.
She washed her hands, composed herself, and then walked toward the pavilion.
The soil, which had just been watered, shimmered with a glistening sheen when the sunlight shone on it.
—
In the evening, when Pei Xiaoyun returned to the mansion, she saw that several flower beds under the flower corridor had been cultivated. After asking the servants, she learned that Mingying had spent the whole day with her daughter in the flower corridor, sowing the newly arrived flower seeds.
The evening breeze carried the fresh scent of damp earth, and he caught a whiff of the sweet fragrance of magnolia blossoms, which was no different from the scent emanating from her.
He was in a good mood and strode into the house. He heard the sound of bowls and plates clattering inside, probably because they were setting out a meal.
Lifting the beaded curtain, a full array of dishes was laid out. The maidservant set the meal, bowed, and withdrew.
Pei Yu'an rushed out, smiling sweetly, "Father, you're finally back! Mother and I are waiting for you to have your meal."
Pei Xiaoyun patted her head, picked her up, and walked into the inner room. There she saw Mingying sitting sideways in the warm yellow light, as if waiting for her.
The beauty's face was like an iceberg, her eyes lowered and her brows furrowed, yet she somehow added a touch of life to the dim light in the room.
She seemed a little less angry, but not completely.
I've figured some things out, but I haven't completely figured them out yet.
But it doesn't matter. Seeing even the slightest change in her is like the tip of an iceberg slowly melting, which is extremely rare.
After a tiring day, he would return home to a hot meal and soup, with his wife and daughters waiting for him, which brought him great comfort.
"Didn't you used to love white camellias the most? Why don't I see you planting them anymore?"
He spoke first, trying to steer the conversation towards topics that interested her, in order to keep talking to her.
He knew perfectly well that if he didn't speak, the atmosphere would remain cold.
"I'll plant whatever I want." Mingying didn't even glance at him, casually picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of food.
She had tried before, but the flower couldn't survive in wealthy households, so she didn't want to bother again and waste the seeds.
Pei Xiaoyun was speechless, so she humbled herself and served each of the mother and daughter a bowl of soup.
Pei Yu'an finished his drink in one gulp, while Ming Ying didn't even lift her eyelids, ignoring his attentiveness. After a few more bites, she put down her chopsticks.
Pei Xiaoyun saw that she had used very little and wanted to ask her to use more, but she couldn't persuade her. Seeing that the atmosphere was suddenly turning cold, Pei Yu'an suddenly said, "Father, I want my uncle to teach me how to make a kite. When will you let my uncle come again?"
Pei Xiaoyun was slightly taken aback.
Shen Mingshu had indeed not come for some time. It was because Mingying's attitude had been cold that he was wary of what she might do, which was why he did not allow Shen Mingshu to come.
Now it seems she has come to some understanding and is no longer so stubborn.
"Let him come tomorrow." He drawled, both in response to his daughter and to curry favor with Mingying.
After finishing his meal, Pei Yu'an was taken back to his room by the servants as usual.
The bowls and chopsticks on the table were cleared away, and a bowl of yellowish-brown herbal soup was placed on top, which was the medicine to be taken daily to prevent miscarriage.
Pei Xiaoyun pointed and said to her, "You can drink it yourself. I don't want to force you like that."
He made her take the medicine for her own good. Although he wasn't there when she gave birth to her first child, the thought that she suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and had a difficult labor, which gave the Lan family an opportunity to take her life, made him feel a wave of fear.
While the pregnancy is still in its early stages, I should take good care of my health so that I will suffer less during childbirth.
She couldn't understand his good intentions, and drinking the medicine felt like drinking poison; she struggled incessantly.
Mingying was holding back her anger, but she couldn't reveal it to him at this moment. Without saying a word, she brought out the bowl of medicine and drank it all in front of him.
The slightly bitter medicinal juice suppressed the stagnation of qi, and it took a long time for the astringent feeling at the root of the tongue to dissipate.
This is a very good tonic, and drinking it will not do any harm.
Pei Xiaoyun was extremely satisfied; this iceberg was finally slowly melting.
He knew she was soft-hearted; with a little persuasion, she would eventually become obedient.
After all, how could she bear to abandon her two children?
The hurtful things she said were just things she said in anger.
The bright moonlight shone through the window lattice, casting a silent shadow.
In late spring, the chirping of insects newly penetrates the green window screen.
Mingying bathed and styled her hair, then went to bed first, monopolizing the brocade quilt and small pillow; the meaning behind this was self-evident.
She sought peace and quiet and did not want to sleep in the same bed with him.
Pei Xiaoyun saw through her intentions and was not about to give up. She lifted her legs, rolled up half of the quilt, and easily moved her inside.
Mingying couldn't resist his strength and tried to kick him back, but he grabbed her ankle and his rough fingertips rubbed against the sole of her foot.
She shuddered, turned around, and slapped him across the face.
Pei Xiaoyun was stunned, her mind buzzing. She gripped her wrist, her voice trembling slightly: "How many times do you want to hit me before you calm down?"
In the darkness, two pairs of bright eyes stared intently at each other, one sharp, the other deep, neither willing to yield.
Sharpness can pierce through the depths, but depths cannot contain sharpness.
Mingying tried to break free of his wrist, but found she couldn't. Her hot breath fell on his face: "Every day when you come back to the manor, the first thing you do is come over and let me slap you. If you do this for three or five years, maybe you'll get over it."
Pei Xiaoyun's first reaction was to feel a surge of anger rising in her chest.
Her breath brushed against his cheek, as if sweeping away the restlessness that was about to ignite.
Three to five years?
He thought of her words.
It seems she still wants to spend her life with him.
Ignoring her struggles, he forcefully pulled her into his arms, pressed his lips against her warm face, and chuckled coldly, "Who am I to let you hit me like this?"
He had already given her enough leeway, releasing her hand and saying in a low voice, "Alright, this is the last time. I have something important to tell you."
Mingying vigorously wiped her face, cursing repeatedly in her heart, when she heard his voice again: "I want to hold a grand wedding banquet. If you are willing, I can also send someone to bring your old friends from Suzhou over to make it more lively."
Pei Xiaoyun thought that this move would surely please her.
Mingying, however, was unimpressed and retorted curtly, "What's the point of inviting so many people? Is it just to embarrass us?"
Pei Xiaoyun's eyelids twitched instantly. He gently pinched her chin, his voice turning cold: "Say it again?"
Is marrying him shameful?
Mingying shook her head with difficulty and retorted, "Who do you think you are? Marrying someone like me, isn't that shameful in the eyes of outsiders?"
“What’s there to be afraid of? No one dares to say anything.” Pei Xiaoyun didn’t expect her to be worried about this, and her anger dissipated. “Your brother is now the Marquis of Jing’an, and you are his sister. You and I are now considered a good match.”
A chill ran down Mingying's spine.
It turns out that the reason he went to great lengths to grant his brother a title was for this.
He even had the nerve to boast and make disgusting vows in her ear.
She turned away, not wanting to hear any more.
—
The following day, Pei Xiaoyun kept his promise and allowed Shen Mingshu to come and visit after the morning court session.
When he arrived, besides Mingying, Pei Yu'an was also overjoyed, pestering him to teach her how to make a kite.
Pei Xiaoyun is meticulous and incredibly intelligent. Having suffered two losses at Ming Ying's hands, she will not let her guard down just because Ming Ying has changed her attitude slightly.
Wherever she goes, a group of servants follow her closely, and every word she says is overheard.
The sky was cloudless, and the sunlight was abundant, making people feel dizzy.
Mingying only said that she felt unwell and a little sleepy, and went back to her room to rest.
She was pregnant and inevitably felt lethargic. Her personal maids didn't notice anything amiss and followed her out, standing guard outside the room.
Pei Yu'an and Shen Mingshu continued to sit in the pavilion, whittling wooden strips to make kite frames.
Pei Xiaoyun only instructed the servants in the mansion to take good care of Mingying. Therefore, after Mingying returned to her room, the number of servants at the pavilion suddenly decreased.
Shen Mingshu held Pei Yu'an's hand and used an ink brush to sketch on the paper, drawing an eagle with outstretched wings.
"How beautiful!" Pei Yu'an's eyes lit up. "I want to take it to show my mother."
"Go ahead." Shen Mingshu watched her leave.
Mingying did not go to sleep. She leaned against the chaise lounge and sat in the room idly flipping through a book. When she heard the sound of the beaded curtain opening and closing, Pei Yu'an ran in with a sketch of a kite.
When Pei Yu'an entered, the servants naturally felt at ease and did not follow him closely.
“Mother, look, isn’t it beautiful? Uncle taught me to draw this.” Pei Yu’an’s voice was loud and clear. The servants guarding the gate outside assumed that the young lady and her mother were having a heart-to-heart talk and laughing together, so they didn’t come in to disturb them or spoil their fun.
"It's beautiful." Mingying's voice was slightly deep as she looked at the kite drawing. "It's drawn so realistically. Bring it here, let me take a closer look."
...
As dusk fell, fearing he might run into Pei Xiaoyun, Shen Mingshu left first.
The kite is not yet finished; only a rough sketch of its shape has been drawn, and two frames have been nailed together.
He made a promise with Pei Yu'an that he would come often in the future until he taught her how to make the kite.
When Pei Xiaoyun returned, Mingying had just come out of her room. She had spent the afternoon reading in her room, and her vision was becoming blurry. Now she was sitting on the small couch drinking tea.
Pei Xiaoyun took off his robes, and a maid brought him a clean outer garment to change into, but he waved her away and casually put it on himself. Looking at the person on the small couch, he said, "If you're not feeling well, why aren't you lying down and resting? What are you reading?"
He inquired about her condition and learned that she had stayed in her room all afternoon.
Mingying placed the teacup on the table, splashing a few water stains: "I can't sleep, I can't bear to look at anything, I feel uncomfortable all over."
"Then what do you want to do?" Pei Xiaoyun came over after changing his clothes, seemingly having seen through her thoughts, and probed, "Leaving the manor, you can forget about it."
Mingying sighed, gazing at the bleak night scene outside the window, and murmured to herself, "I have no relatives or friends, only an older brother. I can forget about leaving the manor. I only beg you to have mercy and let me spend more time with my family. When prisoners are imprisoned, please allow people to visit them."
Pei Xiaoyun thought that she was obedient and did not make a fuss about leaving the manor. Seeing that she had lowered her starry eyes and frowned, looking so pitiful, he sat down next to her and said, "I promise you, next time he wants to come, I will let him come."
She gradually came to terms with it, and he realized he couldn't push her too hard.
If he is prevented from seeing his family, he fears it will only increase the hatred between him and her.
He added, "Don't overthink it. Nobody treats you like a criminal. As long as you stay here with peace of mind, I won't send anyone to keep an eye on you like this anymore."
Mingying snorted, glanced at him, and then coldly looked away.
That one glance made Pei Xiaoyun wonder whether she had agreed or not.
However, given her stubborn nature, if she were unwilling, she would immediately resort to cold words. Her silence suggests that she has agreed.
The steam from the meal wafted into the room.
Seeing that she wasn't wearing shoes, Pei Xiaoyun bent down, his hem pressing against her skirt, intending to carry her to the dining table for a meal.
Mingying pushed his chest away and bent down to put on her shoes: "I can walk by myself."
Pei Xiaoyun, feeling the cold wind, stood there stunned for a moment before walking over and finding her already eating with chopsticks.
As the three ate, the only sound they could hear was the clear, cold tinkling of jade ornaments colliding with white porcelain tiles.
Pei Xiaoyun suddenly looked at Pei Yu'an and said, "What kind of kite did you make today? Let me see it."
Mingying's eyes darkened, her chopsticks stopped moving, and her heart leaped into her throat.
Pei Yu'an said in a childish voice, "I won't show you, I'll show you after it's finished!"
Pei Xiaoyun remained silent for a few moments before nodding in resignation, a sense of unease rising within her.
His daughter wasn't close to him; instead, she spent all her time with her uncle, whom she had only met a few times.
If that night at Cuikong Manor hadn't been a setup, would she really have gone with them?
He looked into his daughter's bright eyes and smiled slowly, "An'an, now that your mother is back, I will never leave you again. You, your mother, and I are the closest people to you. Your mother will give you a younger brother or sister in the future, and then you won't be lonely."
Mingying's mind, which had just begun to calm down, was once again thrown into turmoil by surprise. She glared at him and asked, "Why did you tell her all this?"
She felt guilty and restless. She didn't want her daughter to know that she was pregnant, but he bluntly revealed it to her.
A hint of displeasure rose on her face, like a faint blush on her cheeks.
Seeing her so agitated, Pei Xiaoyun asked her in return, "This matter is perfectly aboveboard, why are you hiding it like this? You'll have to let her know sooner or later, don't you want that?"
Pei Yu'an always felt that her mother didn't seem to like her father very much, but she really didn't know what to say.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, she kicked off the round stool and, claiming she was full, followed the servants back to her room.
Only the two of them remained in the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, their breaths rising and falling in unison.
Mingying nearly broke the chopsticks in her hand, almost grinding her teeth to powder.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Pei Xiaoyun casually took a sip of soup, put down the bowl, and looked at her. "An'an has been without her mother for three years. I saw that she gets along well with you, so I said this so that she wouldn't feel lonely anymore."
Mingying thought to herself: What a high-sounding excuse! He's clearly being selfish and trying to use his daughter to blackmail her!
“If you care about her, you shouldn’t be saying these things to her.” Mingying’s voice trembled as she put down her chopsticks and sat down to the side.
Because it's impossible for her not to leave.
She is unlikely to give birth to the child in her womb.
Pei Xiaoyun instilled in An'an the idea that hope would eventually be lost, which was undoubtedly coercion and harm to An'an.
He hasn't changed at all.
They remain as arrogant and ruthless as ever.
Pei Xiaoyun didn't know why, but when he said something that was a sure thing, it made her so angry.
She just hasn't fully figured it out yet.
However, he also had time to spend with her.
He did not stay in her room tonight.
Mingying was carefree and slept soundly until dawn.
The two remained deadlocked for some time because of this statement.
That morning, a thin mist hung over the courtyard. As the sunlight shone through, the mist dissipated, and the flowers in the flowerbed, glistening with dew, looked exquisite and vibrant.
Mingying sat by the window and looked out. The balsam flowers were blooming gracefully, and the five-element grass next to them had also sprouted stems and leaves.
These past few days, my brother has probably been busy with matters at court and hasn't been able to come to the mansion.
She then took Pei Yu'an and personally picked a few petals of balsam, pounded and crushed them into a purplish-red paste.
These flowers are brightly colored and can be used to dye nails.
She carefully applied the purplish-red paste to Pei Yun'an's fingernails, then wrapped them with gauze and secured them with string.
"After two hours, untie the thread, and you will have nails of this color."
Pei Yu'an found it very novel and silently counted the hours, waiting to untie the thread.
Mingying and her daughter were in the room, and the servants were unlikely to come in and disturb them. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she took out a book to teach An'an to read, and then took out a few bunches of Five Elements Grass that she had picked while picking balsam flowers.
Fearing suspicion, she didn't plant too many Five Elements Herbs, nor did she dare to pick too many at once. If Pei Xiaoyun discovered this, there would be no chance at all.
She pinched this clump of Five Elements Grass in her palm, rubbed it repeatedly, and squeezed out a few drops of fresh green juice, which she dripped into the cup. The grass juice dyed the colorless warm water a bit green.
As she watched Pei Yu'an carefully studying the characters, her wrist trembled slightly. She picked up the cup and brought it closer to her nose, where she could smell a refreshing, slightly bitter licorice aroma.
Then, with a determined look in his eyes, he tilted his head back and drank the tea in one gulp without hesitation.
-----------------------
Author's Note: After checking the information, I found that the herb in the Five Elements herb is purslane. I originally wanted to use purslane directly, but it felt a bit out of place, so I looked up another name for it. [doge]
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