Chapter 6: "Just a favorite toy."...
The rain continued for more than ten days.
As winter deepens, it grows even colder.
Mingying knew that Pei Xiaoyun wouldn't ask her to serve him because she had angered him, and the angrier he was, the longer he would ignore her.
She counted down the days, spending her days embroidering in her room.
The fire inside was made of ordinary charcoal. If too much charcoal was burned, smoke would billow in and make her cough. But she was afraid of the cold, so how could she keep warm without burning more charcoal?
Given her status, if her master didn't want to favor her, she would just be an ordinary servant.
So when she was neglected, the two little maids who liked to play with her stopped coming to see her, because she couldn't get into her master's room and get any delicious snacks.
Only Ling Shuang would talk to her.
She already regarded Ling Shuang as an older sister.
But today, Ling Shuang is also going home to visit her family.
"I'm going home now and won't be back for four or five days. Remember to take your medicine on time, and apply ointment to your wounds before they scab over. If there's any work to be done, just ask them to do it."
"I understand, Sister Ling Shuang." Ming Ying held an umbrella and saw her off through the back door. She saw that her family had come to pick her up in a car and said that she had lost weight again.
As she watched them leave, her eyes welled up with tears.
She originally had parents and an older brother, and a family.
It was the most inconspicuous one hidden deep in the alley.
My mother loves to grow flowers, and the air is always filled with their fragrance when you enter the house.
My father wasn't a scholar, and he wasn't very learned, but he was a master at making musical instruments. He could make all sorts of beautiful instruments, and wood chips often flew around the yard, making it look like you were stepping into snow.
She and her brother, being playful, gathered up snow-white wood shavings and tossed them into the air, like a flurry of goose feathers falling in the snow.
My mother was gentle and beautiful, and I rarely saw her lose her temper, except when they got very dirty, with sawdust all over their hair and clothes.
They are so naughty.
The following year, Father and Mother found an old gentleman from their hometown to teach them to write.
My brother said he doesn't like writing; he wants to learn to ride horses so he can go to the battlefield and become a great general.
As she drew on the paper, she muttered to herself, "How can he be a great general when he's so weak?"
To prove his strength, the older brother secretly carried her over the wall to go out and play, but accidentally knocked over a wall full of flowers...
If only they were still alive.
After seeing Ling Shuang off, there was truly no one left to talk to.
When I came back through the back door, the yard was noisy.
Yu Zhong dressed herself up in a flamboyant manner, swaying her waist and tilting her little face up, looking even more smug than usual.
Seeing Mingying approach, she reached out to stop her. "Second Master has taken a liking to me and asked First Master for me to come over. From now on, I will be different from you. You are just a concubine, while I will be a mistress."
After a moment of surprise, Mingying pursed her lips and smiled faintly, "Then congratulations."
Ever since she came to Lanqingzhuoyuan, Yuzhong has held a grudge against her for causing the death of Zhuier in the other courtyard, and has been going against her at every turn.
I never expected that Yu Zhong would also be leaving; it was so sudden.
"Are you being sincere? Your smile is uglier than a cry!" Yu Zhong stepped forward unhappily, her eyebrows dancing with delight. "You look so unlucky! In my opinion, the master has long forgotten about you. In a few days, he will marry you off to a servant or give you away to someone else. Don't try to kill yourself then."
Mingying entered the house with a pale face.
The most boisterous Yu Zhong left, and the courtyard was completely silent, but her words before she left still echoed deeply in my mind.
Forgotten by their masters, assigned to servants, or given away to others—is this their fate as servants?
Will he give her away one day when he grows tired of her? Or perhaps he won't even have to wait until then; does he even remember her now?
She patted her cheeks, trying to regain some strength.
It seems we can't continue like this.
If he doesn't behave, he really will forget about her.
—
The Eastern Palace.
Pei Xiaoyun was waiting for Crown Prince Xiao Lang, who had not yet returned from court.
He was highly regarded by the Crown Prince, and the servants in the Eastern Palace treated him as an outsider. When he arrived, they would offer him a seat of honor and serve him tea, treating him with great courtesy.
The aroma of tea wafts through the air.
A draft document proposing the reopening of the imperial examinations was openly displayed on the desk. Pei Xiaoyun approached to examine it closely, and the more he looked, the deeper his gaze became.
Since the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Great Jing Dynasty, the path to the imperial examinations had been monopolized by aristocratic families.
Those who passed the imperial examination were all sons, nephews, or students of prominent families. Most of these people were just hawkers or hounds, while the truly talented but poor students were nowhere to be found on the list.
During the reign of the late emperor, powerful aristocratic families wielded immense power, even abolishing the imperial examination system.
Therefore, he once suggested to the Crown Prince that if the imperial examinations were to be reopened to select virtuous officials for the country and give all scholars the opportunity to enter officialdom, then officials from aristocratic families should not be appointed from the ranks of those grading papers to those conducting the examinations.
But Xiao Lang didn't listen to what he said.
Judging from the document on the table, the examiner and the examiner were still the Crown Princess's father—the Minister of Rites.
The Crown Princess's maternal family was a prominent and powerful clan.
In this way, reopening the imperial examinations is nothing more than a game played by Xiao Lang to win over the hearts of the people in order to succeed to the throne, and it is meaningless.
Powerful families held sway, and rulers and ministers ceased to be rulers or ministers.
How long can such an absurd court survive?
As the beaded curtain opened and closed, a corner of a bright yellow robe came into view.
Xiao Lang smiled and patted his shoulder: "Ling Yuan, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. My Crown Princess caught a cold, so I went to keep her company, which took a long time."
"Greetings, Your Highness." Pei Xiaoyun bowed slightly.
He had long heard that Xiao Lang was absolutely adamant with the Crown Princess.
A fool who's obsessed with women.
For a woman, would you even give up your empire?
"Why are you being so polite with me? Sit down."
Xiao Lang sat down first, lifting his robe. "By the way, Fu Ying's birthday is in a few days. As her fiancé, you can't neglect her."
Pei Xiaoyun remained calm and composed: "I have prepared gifts early on and will personally visit the Prince Yi's residence to offer my congratulations."
Xiao Lang continued, "Ling Yuan, Fu Ying truly loves you. She is the only daughter of Uncle Yi. If you treat her well, Uncle Yi will also wholeheartedly assist me. When I ascend the throne, you will be my right and left arms, and I will never mistreat you."
Pei Xiaoyun's expression shifted slightly, the meaning of which was unfathomable.
Xiao Lang hoped that he would marry Xiao Fuying so that he could gain the strong support of Prince Yi and thus secure his throne.
Treat him like a chess piece that can be molded and manipulated at will?
He sneered.
It's still uncertain who the pawns are.
He wasn't particularly interested in women; he'd pamper them a little, tease them behind closed doors, and that was it.
He had no expectations about getting married; he was going to get married sooner or later anyway, and if he didn't marry Xiao Fuying, he would marry someone else.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly satisfy you," he said.
Xiao Lang raised an eyebrow: "I heard you've been keeping a mistress in a golden house, and now you've moved her to the backyard?"
Pei Xiaoyun didn't mince words, speaking as if it were a joke: "Your Highness is too kind. It's just a nice little toy."
"Ling Yuan, let me tell you something," Xiao Lang said, pointing at him with a smile, "It's fine for you to keep him around for fun, but you're getting married after the New Year, so you can't offend Fu Ying. As for the one at home, you should take care of her as soon as possible."
Pei Xiaoyun glanced up casually, "No need for Your Highness to worry, I have my own plans."
—
Pei Xiaoyun emerged from the East Palace with a somber face, her head throbbing slightly.
He originally intended to go directly back to Lanqingzhuoyuan to rest, but as soon as he entered the courtyard, he was summoned by the servants of Rongxitang.
As soon as he entered Rongxi Hall, he knew that they were still talking about his father, Duke Qu.
He has not been released since he was imprisoned in Dali Temple that day.
Only the old lady in the family was anxious.
The old lady's face turned cold when she saw him come in.
She knew he was still holding a grudge and would definitely not help her, so she sighed and said, "The only thing we can do now is to ask His Majesty to revoke the title and see if we can exchange it for a life."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xiaoyun dismissed it and continued to play with the tassels on her clothes.
"No way!" Madam Lan slammed her hand on the table and stood up, a far cry from her meek and submissive demeanor of a few days ago, when she cried for her husband's innocence.
Pei Xiaoyun leaned back in her chair, raised her eyes, and glanced over lightly.
A twisted expression appeared on Lan Shi's beautiful face: "Why should the family bear the burden of his evil deeds? The title is passed down through generations. To take it back for the sake of one sinner, what will future generations do?"
The old woman realized that this was her plan. No wonder she hadn't shown any anxiety these past few days. Pointing at her, she said, "You wicked woman! That's your husband in prison. Are you just hoping he dies so your second son can inherit the title sooner?"
Lan sneered, "I'm making this clear: anyone who dares to covet the title will face my wrath!"
Husband? What kind of husband is he!
She fell in love with Pei Erlang at first sight, but her family disliked him for being a mere scholar and forced her to marry his elder brother—the current Duke of Qu.
The two families, bound by marriage, disliked each other and were forced into a bitter and resentful couple.
How could she possibly like the eldest son born to a man she despised? The sight of him reminded her of the disgusting man beside her.
They ruined her life, so she retaliated fiercely against them.
So, she had a second son with her brother-in-law, with whom she was already in love. This child was the treasure she cherished most, and the title had to belong to her Jing'er!
Pei Xiaoyun looked at her indifferently.
His mother could send him to his death with her own hands, yet she could also do her best to secure a future for her second brother.
He remembered when he was a child, he had only pestered her for a piece of pastry, and she had ordered him locked in the dark library...
She hugged her second brother affectionately, but then left him with the servants.
Gradually, he stopped being close to her, and the two became like strangers. All notions of kinship and blood ties became things he scorned.
She wants a title; does she think she can get it?
The Lan family and the old lady are still arguing.
“Mother, in my opinion, there’s no need to save a cripple. He’s done so many bad things and deserves his fate!”
"you……"
The old lady clutched her chest and fainted.
"Quick! Call a doctor!"
Boring and noisy.
Pei Xiaoyun got up, left Rongxi Hall without looking back, and returned to her own courtyard.
His head was throbbing more and more, and a sense of irritation rose in his eyes.
Upon entering the room, a candlestick was lit, and a sweet, delicate fragrance wafted out.
That was her fragrance.
It was so captivating that it instantly calmed his raging pain.
Mingying had already brewed tea for him and even made several plates of his favorite snacks.
She wore no makeup, simply tied her hair up, and put on the dress he had praised as beautiful. She rolled up her sleeves to grind ink for him, waiting for his return.
The beaded curtains clattered, producing a clear and pleasant sound.
Hearing his footsteps, she put down the ink stick in her hand and stood quietly to the side.
Little did she know that her uninvited intrusion might displease him.
Pei Xiaoyun looked her over; this was the first time he had seen her since she was punished last time.
She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, her eyes blinking rapidly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
She remains as delicate and lovely as ever; she is a natural beauty.
"What are you standing there for? Come and help me change." He stood there, arms outstretched, waiting for her to come over.
Mingying's heart tightened, and she went to meet her.
He lowered his head, and she easily took off his clothes and helped him change into a sky-blue casual outfit.
His slender waist, strong chest, and the warm breath emanating from him made her cheeks flush.
"You've applied perfume?" Pei Xiaoyun suddenly grabbed her hand and teased.
Mingying shook her head slightly: "This servant did not use incense."
He led her to the sandalwood table, where he sat with his legs spread wide on the round-backed chair, closing his eyes as if dozing.
"Come and give me a massage."
Mingying finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was neither angry nor... disgusted with her for taking matters into her own hands.
She moved closer to him and gently stroked his forehead.
She had seen him look somewhat tired many times; perhaps he was troubled by official duties again.
"Is the young master tired? If you are, please rest for a while."
Pei Xiaoyun suddenly opened her eyes.
Her voice was like a clear spring, washing away the things that were bothering him.
Some people see him as a pawn, while others see him as a burden.
It seems only she, in her ignorance, would ask such a meaningless question.
"What, you want to share my burdens?" He smiled in a half-smile.
Mingying was at a loss for words.
He never liked her interfering too much.
Shouldn't I have said that?
Her fingertips froze slightly.
Pei Xiaoyun didn't take it to heart, but instead grasped her hand, pulled her soft body into his arms, and stared at her: "Why did you come here by yourself today?"
Under his blazing gaze, Mingying felt her ears practically burn.
She could tell he wasn't angry; his tone was one that allowed her to be affectionate. So she buried her head in his chest and said, "I missed you."
Pei Xiaoyun seemed quite satisfied with her answer, lowered his head and kissed her lips, savoring all the sweetness he hadn't tasted in all these days.
I parted the green leaves and stroked the flowers with my hand.
Mingying raised her slender neck, trembling uncontrollably.
He chuckled, "How about I take you to the lantern festival tomorrow?"
Mingying was speechless, her eyes brimming with tears, and could only nod.
“Speak,” he commanded.
She was somewhat shy.
She bit her lip, then released it, uttering a single word: "Okay."
A note from the author:
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The paragraph comments are now open [doge emoji]
Let's slap Pei Gou first. [Waving hand]
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