Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Death Escape in Progress...
It's cold and snowy, all the birds have died, and it's birthday.
Everything should have been quiet, but the Pei Mansion was bustling with activity. Distinguished guests arrived through the snow, bearing gifts and congratulating the old lady on her birthday, muttering, "Spring is almost here, but today's snow is still falling. This is truly a very good omen."
The wine utensils in the hall are all made of gold, while those in the corridor are made of silver. Fine wine is poured, and cups are served in boats to celebrate the feast and wish a thousand years of longevity.
All this excitement had nothing to do with Lu Suizhu. She had been feeling uneasy since last night, frequently squatting outside the window to watch the heavy snow slowly overturn the courtyard.
Sure enough, the snow showed no sign of stopping today. It was falling heavily, white like fog, and clear like water. The huge snowflakes fell and hit my face, causing pain.
Lu Suizhu paced back and forth in the yard anxiously. No matter how she looked at it, the snow didn't seem to be stopping. As it fell, it turned into snow water and melted away in an instant.
Even if there was a fire in the yard, how could it catch fire?
Fang Dian had been waiting outside the Pei Mansion for a long time, and Shen Guyan was also waiting to meet them in the west of the city. She had sent Zhao Ma and Qiu Zhu to the front yard to help last night.
Everything was ready, but it was disrupted by the sudden heavy snow.
Not only that, when the sky just turned pale, Nanny Yun came uninvited and arrogantly locked the door of her courtyard, saying that she did so on the orders of the old lady. There were so many distinguished guests today and she was afraid that Lu Suizhu did not know the rules and would go out and cause trouble.
Now I'm afraid I'm not sure I can fake my death and get away with it.
The lock was difficult to open and the courtyard wall was a little high, so Lu Suizhu put a few stools under it and prepared to climb out.
At least she had to tell Fang Dian, who was still waiting outside the door, that today's plan was temporarily cancelled, and then let her inform Shen Guyan.
All the servants and maids in the backyard were transferred away, and Pei Zhiji went to Huichun Hall to receive guests early in the morning. In a corner where no one paid attention, Lu Suizhu nimbly climbed over the wall and her ankle felt a little painful when she landed.
She lowered her head and closed her eyes as she walked through the winding corridor. Everywhere she went was vast and boundless. Soon her long black hair was wet with snow.
The closer we got to Chunhui Hall, the quietness that was unique to snowy days disappeared, replaced by a bustling atmosphere with voices rising and falling one after another, including those of high-ranking officials in the court, families of nobles, and even royal relatives.
"I'm afraid this is the last snow of this winter. What a coincidence for the old lady's birthday!"
"The Crown Princess is about to give birth, right? The Pei family is blessed with great fortune, this is double happiness."
He walked in the dark like a whirlwind, and his shoes were covered with snow that was difficult to shake off. Fortunately, everyone's attention was on the owner and guests of Pei Mansion.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the banquet and an inappropriate voice was heard.
"Pei Gou, I'm going to kill you, old thief, today—"
The bowls and plates in his hands fell to the ground, and assassins dressed as servants swarmed out, all holding sharp blades and stabbing towards Pei Xiang with fierce eyes.
Immediately, sparks flew everywhere, and the scene became chaotic and restless.
Many guests were in a panic and frantically looked for shelter under the protection of Pei's servants, such as tables, chairs and benches.
Lu Suizhu also hid behind the square pillar, her mind becoming active. Such a chaotic scene might be an opportunity for her.
Those thieves were agile and ruthless. Their attacks were clean and efficient, and every move was deadly.
Pei Xiang's eyes widened, his beard stood up, and his face was wrinkled. He kept shouting: "Come here, come here quickly——"
When he was forced to fall to the ground in a mess, he dodged sideways, completely exposing Pei Zhiji who was hiding from the killer behind him.
The flashing of swords and the dancing of snow covered everything in white.
Suddenly a pink figure broke in.
Pretty and resolute.
The moment the dagger penetrated her body, she felt a sharp pain and bright red blood gushed out, staining the bright snow-white surface red. As Pei Zhiji looked back in shock, Lu Suizhu fell heavily to the ground.
At this moment, a team of guards suddenly appeared from nowhere in Pei Mansion. They were very skilled and had sharp scimitars on their waists. They had already captured all the thieves.
"Keep alive."
When Pei Zhiji shouted this, the thieves saw that there was no turning back, so they immediately bit their tongues and died, their bodies falling on the snow.
It really hurts! Lu Suizhu couldn't help but scream. At this moment, she was half-hugged in Pei Zhiji's arms.
There was still shock and confusion in his eyes. His bony hand was trembling slightly on the sheath of the dagger, not knowing where to touch.
He called out softly and hesitantly, "Suizhu."
It was rare to see him so flustered, so Lu Suizhu forced a smile and inexplicably placed her blood-stained hand on Pei Zhiji's neat and steady profile. His straight nose was just against the tip of her little finger, and she could touch it with a little force.
"This is the first time that Lord Pei called me by my name. Suizhu has no regrets in this life." Her voice was weak and her hands were unsteady.
Someone came jogging to report.
"Oh no! The Crown Princess is having a difficult labor. The East Palace says the situation is very critical."
Upon hearing the news, the old lady and Chen felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Adding to the shock they had just received, they fainted. The others were also in shock and were still lost in fear.
After hesitating for a moment, Pei Zhiji placed Lu Suizhu on the ground.
He immediately stood up and rode his horse to the East Palace. As he mounted his horse, he instructed his servants, "Miss Lu's wound is not a vital one. Call a doctor for her immediately."
After saying that, he walked away.
His dark brown robe fluttered in the wind, and his body was covered in snow and mud. When he entered the palace, he took out the token from his bosom without delay.
The East Palace was already shrouded in rain, with dark clouds looming overhead. The air was heavy and stuffy. The imperial physician knelt on the ground, trembling with fear and sweating profusely. Xiao Mao also looked pale, and kept turning the agarwood beads in his hands.
When he first arrived at the palace, Pei Zhiji could still hear his elder sister's painful cries, but when he got off the horse, all he could hear were the faint sobs of the crowd. He took a deep breath, each step becoming heavier, and he walked past everyone to enter the delivery room.
The midwife, whose hands were still bloody and unwashed, hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Sir, the delivery room is filthy, and men are not allowed to go in and out casually."
"Don't stop him, let him in." Xiao Mao said, and the midwife retreated angrily.
There was a lingering smell of blood in the bedroom. The woman on the bed stared blankly at the carved and painted ceiling, until she heard the familiar man's voice, her eyes flickered slightly.
"Princess."
The empty eyes regained some spirit, and the Crown Princess struggled to get up. When Pei Zhiji approached, she grabbed his coat tightly with both hands, and her voice was miserable and sad. In this huge bedroom, there was an empty silence.
"Where's the child? Where's my child?"
"There will be a child... there will be one." Pei Zhiji comforted her with a sad heart: "Crown Princess, please take care of yourself."
Then came another heart-wrenching sob. It was clearly stuck in her throat, but she couldn't scream at all. As the Crown Princess cried silently, her forehead rested on Pei Zhiji's shoulder, and her hair, wet and cold from the sweat during childbirth, could be seen.
Xiao Mao had already sent the servants away, and there were only the two siblings in the entire bedroom.
"Zhiji, I'm not the Crown Princess, I'm your sister. Tell me, where is my child?" She said weakly.
It was already an unrealistic request, and Pei Zhiji didn't know how to respond.
"The imperial physician always said when he took my pulse that he was a lively and active child. He had been growing so healthily in my belly. How could he suddenly become stillborn?"
After comforting the Crown Princess for a long time, Pei Zhiji came out and saw Xiao Mao standing outside the bedroom, feeling the cold wind. At this time, he was leaning on the railing with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance, as if he was looking at the prosperous scene outside the palace. Maybe it was because of the strong wind, but his back was slightly hunched.
"Is she...better?"
"What do you think, Your Highness?"
There were only a few words, and no one said or asked anything more.
In the inky night, there is only a blurry bright moon hanging in the sky, neither high nor low.
Pei Zhiji walked out of the palace gate slowly, his outer coat was already wet. Xiao Feng immediately stepped forward and put the cloak in his hand on him. Pei Zhiji coughed several times, his face was frighteningly pale, and his hands were icy cold to the bone.
"We must find out how the Crown Princess lost her child."
"My Lord, you suspect something is fishy."
He himself didn't want to believe the speculation in his heart. Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Could it be just because he had half of the Pei family's blood in his body? Pei Zhiji closed his eyes gently, with sorrow in his eyes.
When he returned to Pei's house at night, the mess caused by the assassination had not yet been restored to its original state. Blood was flowing freely on the ground and eventually solidified into a purple color.
I guess the news that the Crown Princess gave birth to a stillborn baby has already arrived.
This is particularly lonely and desolate.
Not wanting to deal with the trivial matters of comforting his elders, Pei Zhi returned to his room and leaned back in his chair. Thinking of what happened today, he felt a splitting headache.
The eyes of the always gentle and polite eldest sister were full of self-destruction and sorrow, as if she was dead and could never be revived.
What should he do to save his elder sister and the Pei family?
Under the dim light, a young man walked slowly towards us, his eyes red from obviously crying.
Pei Zhiji let out a sigh and waved to him, indicating that he could come over.
When he got closer, Pei Ren was still cautious, and his young and hoarse voice was filled with hesitation and fear.
"Is the eldest sister okay?"
"Sit down."
Pei Zhiji was exhausted, but he forced himself to stand up straight in front of his brother. "It was a boy, but he didn't survive. The Crown Princess is very sad."
His eyes instantly flushed red, and Pei Zhiji reached out and patted his brother's thin shoulder. His voice was low and earnest, containing countless emotions.
"Aren, you've grown up and should know a lot of things. The recent incidents are probably not as simple as you think. Even the assassins today are all well-trained assassins. There must be someone behind the scenes manipulating them."
"Father had no choice but to summon the Pei family's long-trained assassins to capture the thief. You know that raising assassins is a taboo for emperors of all dynasties. I'm afraid the assassination attempt is fake, and the real purpose is to explore the strength of my Pei family."
"The Pei family may suffer a great blow in the future—" Pei Zhiji tried to keep his voice gentle for fear of scaring his younger brother.
"But you don't have to worry. As long as my brother is here, he will protect the Pei family."
Pei Zhiji said too much in one breath and coughed a few times. His lips were pale and colorless. Pei Ren handed him a glass of water with a nervous look on his face.
"Aren, you saw... it too." His voice became intermittent, and the veins on the back of his hands emerged, showing a look of forbearance: "There will be a day when my body can no longer hold on. When that happens, you and Huai Shen will have to be together..."
"Brother, stop talking... I... I don't understand."
Too many things were given to him at once. Pei Zhiji didn't expect the playful and cheerful boy to grow up overnight, so he had to let him accept it slowly.
There is still time. He is the eldest son of the Pei family and should pave the way for his younger brothers. He should drag this broken body to support them until they grow up and are able to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the family.
He can rest assured...
Looking at the traces of snow outside the window, as if through a layer of ice chips, Pei Zhiji suddenly remembered: "How is Miss Lu? Is her injury serious?"
"She's dead."
He stood up suddenly, his expression instantly flustered. He grabbed Pei Ren's hand and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again?"
Pei Ren had never seen his elder brother, who was known for his self-discipline and upright conduct, behave in such a way that made him lose his composure. Even when he was recounting those terrible things just now, he was so calm and composed. He was also a little frightened. He swallowed his saliva and spoke haltingly.
"Not long after my eldest brother rode to the Eastern Palace, she died. She didn't even make it until the doctor arrived."
His body staggered slightly, his eyes went dark for a moment, and Pei Zhiji was unsteady on his feet. He turned around and put his hands on the table to support the weight of his body and thoughts.
Pei Ren stood behind him, not daring to step forward easily. "Brother, Miss Lu is just a concubine of Second Brother. If she dies, she dies. When the time comes, we can just give her family some money as compensation."
As if he had lost all his strength, Pei Zhiji's ears were buzzing and he could hardly hear anything. He spoke with some difficulty.
"Where's the body? I want to see it with my own eyes."
"It was taken away a long time ago. The old lady said it was bad luck, so she took it away along with the bodies of the thieves. Who would have thought that a fire would suddenly break out during transportation, and in an instant, everything was gone."
After hearing this, Pei Zhiji's back slumped even more, and he raised his trembling hand behind his back.
He should have left immediately, but Pei Ren was a little worried and asked again, "Brother, are you okay?"
"You're right, she's just a concubine at best..."
After Pei Ren went out, the surging blood in his chest could no longer be suppressed. A fishy and sweet taste came from his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The ground was stained with red dots, like stars scattered by the blood moon in the sky.
The tall figure fell to the ground in an instant.
The scene of today was still vivid in his mind, and he recalled Lu Suizhu's last words to him: "This is the first time Lord Pei has called me by my name. Suizhu has no regrets in this life."
At that time, the woman's slender fingers were slowly touching his skin, and her eyes were filled with tenderness as if filled with tears. The strange feeling startled him.
The night gradually deepened, and the pitch black was tinged with an icy dark blue. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like a man-eating beast with a bloody mouth.
Pei Zhiji regained consciousness and looked at the blood he had vomited on the ground. He breathed heavily as he looked up and down. A curve slowly formed above the bloodstain at the corner of his lips. "Aren is right. She is at most a concubine of Huai Shen."
That's all.
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