Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The Pei Mansion is in chaos...
Shoukang Palace was completely silent except for the rubbing sound of boots as people knelt and stood up. Tihuo was sweating profusely. Something big had happened in front of the palace and he had no time to slow down.
He didn't dare to delay for a moment and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, the second son of Prime Minister Pei accidentally beat the youngest son of the Duke to death. Duke Xue and Prime Minister Pei are now arguing fiercely in front of the palace, threatening to kill the second son. Their faces were red with anger, and Your Majesty has placed them under house arrest in their respective residences for this inappropriate behavior in front of the palace."
The hands that were pinching the empress dowager's shoulders and neck paused slightly, and Lu Suizhu's heart beat faster and faster as she spoke in a rhythmic and confusing manner.
How could he beat someone to death? Pei Huaishen was not a tyrannical person.
"What about the Crown Princess? Her cousin, didn't she come to plead for mercy? The blue silk lotus-patterned pillow cushioned the Empress Dowager's stiff waist. She was almost exhausted after saying a few words.
"The Eastern Palace said that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had a disagreement. The Crown Princess threatened to become a nun on Mount Qingcheng. The Crown Prince, enraged, imprisoned her in the Jiaolan Palace and forbade anyone to visit her."
The Queen Mother frowned. After all, this was her grandchildren's business, and it was not convenient for her to interfere.
Now that the emperor was getting better, he was more energetic in handling government affairs. However, her old bones were useless. Even though she knew what the emperor was thinking, she had to pretend to be deaf and dumb. She only casually asked, "Where is Minister Pei?"
"Minister Pei has been in the Qinzheng Hall discussing matters since this morning and hasn't come out yet."
Lu Suizhu played a song that could soothe the mind and help one sleep. The tune was two minutes faster than usual. Seeing the empress dowager close her eyes sleepily, her breathing became long and regular.
She let out a breath, informed Tihuo, and hurried out of the palace with her skirt lifted, feeling a little uneasy.
The Pei Mansion was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere, and the air was heavy. The masters all had gloomy faces, and the servants did not dare to raise their heads while doing their work.
Chunhui Hall is as sticky and dense as wet soil, with the old lady clinging to the first place, silent as a needle prick.
Only Chen couldn't sit still. She paced back and forth on the ground, sighing from time to time. It was really a bit frustrating. She was not doing this for Pei Huaishen from the first wife.
It was said that her master was accused by a commoner of raping a girl and was taken away for questioning. She hurriedly asked someone to go to the Eastern Palace to deliver a letter to the Crown Princess, but the letter was returned to her intact, and it also brought the news that the Crown Princess was under house arrest.
She was extremely anxious at the moment, her tongue was burning with blisters, and she stole a glance at Madam Pei's expression. After all, the matter of the first wife was more serious.
When Prime Minister Pei came back just now, he was so angry that he went straight into the study and ignored everyone's questions. He just asked the servant and found out that not only was Huai Shen's matter not handled properly, but he was "invited" back for misbehaving in front of the palace.
The women were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and ignored each other. The only sound in the entire Chunhui Hall was the residual sound of water leaking from the jade basin.
Then the Bodhi beads wrapped around her wrist collided with each other, making a dull sound. The old lady closed her eyes, but wrinkles were still visible on her forehead.
After a while of silence, he suddenly heard the servant crawling over and announcing, "Master, Master is back!"
The strings of the Bodhi beads broke, and the beads scatter on the red carpet with a crackling sound. The old lady stood up.
Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Pei Zhiji was calm and composed, no different from usual.
It was Chen who lost her temper first. The shark handkerchief in her hand was soaked with sweat and weighed heavily on her palm. "How is it? How is your second uncle?"
After asking the question, Chen felt a chill on her head, and the gazes above her were fixed on her fiercely. She quickly changed the subject and added, "And what about Huai Shen? Don't be silent. We are getting so anxious waiting here."
"Second Aunt, please send Pei Ren out to study for a while."
Hearing the thump of a cane on the ground, the old lady said anxiously, "What do you mean by this? Why did you let your second aunt send Ah Ren away? The Huai Shen matter is difficult to mediate, but as the Shangshu, how can you not do anything about it?"
"Duke Xue was a minister for three dynasties, and his son is no ordinary person."
In short, it cannot be saved.
The old lady collapsed backwards from exhaustion, feeling dizzy, breathless, and weak. Huaishen was her favorite grandson, so Nanny Yun supported him and knelt down crying, begging, "Young Master, please think of a way. If this really means sending your son away, it will cost the old lady his life!"
Pei Zhiji felt extremely bitter in his heart, as if someone was strangling him with a rope. He gradually felt suffocated and needed to exert force to straighten his back and leave this noisy place.
Madam Pei blocked his way and gently pulled the sleeve of his official robe.
It was difficult to hide his disgust when he was feeling irritated. Pei Zhiji looked at him coldly, and his distant eyes seemed to be hiding a barren mountain.
There was clearly hatred in his eyes when he looked at her.
Thousands of thoughts were about to burst out, but were clamped down by Mrs. Pei.
No, no, what happened back then was so secretive, and all these years have passed without incident. If he knew the truth, he wouldn't have kept it secret.
She tried her best to control her panic, but still left bloody marks from pinching two fingers together, and pretended to be calm.
"Zhiji, Huaishen and you have always had a deep brotherly bond, and he loves and respects you as his elder brother the most. You will definitely be able to save him, right?"
She looked like a kind-hearted bodhisattva in her plain clothes and jade hairpins, and even with her trembling voice, she still maintained the dignity of a lady from a noble family.
In such a serious occasion, Pei Zhiji laughed out loud. It was not a happy smile, but a surging wave beneath his calm face.
Everyone's eyes fell on the mother and son.
Pei Zhiji didn't even bother to say politely: "You and your father have a deep love for each other, why don't you go and ask him to save your precious son."
Deep love
Mrs. Pei's heart sank, her face turned green like duckweed in dirty water, and she let go of the hand that was holding his sleeve.
Years of dust were released, spreading into the cramped air, along with a rotten and musty smell.
The unconscious old lady slowly regained consciousness and was so angry that she wanted to pick up her cane and hit Pei Zhiji: "How can you say such outrageous words? Are you crazy? Your mother is begging you, what's your attitude? If you don't save her, I will wear the imperial edict and go to the palace to beg His Majesty at the risk of my old bones!"
Coughing and wheezing sounds were heard one after another in Chunhui Hall, and everyone was busy patting people on the back and passing them water.
The crutch didn't fall on him. When she dodged sideways, the old lady fell straight down, gritting her teeth and screaming in pain. Pei Zhiji's hand that was stretched in the air also stopped.
The maids all lowered their heads and dared not look around. Chen was also astonished as if she had seen a ghost. Could it be that the eldest son of the Pei family, who was sensible and ambitious, had gone crazy?
A bunch of people surrounded the old lady and asked about her well-being. Pei Zhiji didn't want to go and cause trouble, so he said, "Grandma, please do as you please."
As he crossed the threshold, he thought about it for a few rounds, then suddenly stopped and called out, "Second Aunt."
"Hey - Second Aunt is here!" Chen was startled when she was called. Her mouth and legs reacted faster than her brain, and she had already trotted to Pei Zhiji.
Now she finally figured out who the most arrogant person in the family was.
"Grandma is overly sad and mentally unstable. It would be best if she were sent to the farm to recuperate. If Second Aunt is worried about Grandma, she can stay with her."
"No, no, no, my dear nephew, the old lady is not in good spirits, but I am still fine. Second Aunt will not go for now." Chen smiled apologetically.
What a joke! She had just been brought back from the farm after eating plain porridge and steamed buns for two months. She didn't want to suffer any more even if it meant offending others.
"Ms. Chen, you..." The old lady almost fell over in anger.
Chen lowered her head and didn't glance at her.
"Second Aunt is so sensible. Second Uncle will suffer less. I will rescue him as soon as possible. Jiang is worried and has little energy, so please take charge of the household affairs."
Jiang? She glanced at her pale sister-in-law and almost laughed out loud. The old lady and sister-in-law always suppressed her, but now someone was there to discipline them.
His gaze swept over like a blade, but Chen refused to accept it. The power of housekeeper was handed over to her by their eldest son's family personally, so she couldn't be blamed.
Chen quickly arranged all the matters related to sending the old lady away. Pei Zhiji gave her a deadline of five days, and she said she would get the job done no matter what.
Amidst the shouts of "rebellion against heaven, rebellious son, unfilial descendants," Chen consoled him, "Don't be angry, old lady. Zhiji even said he would rescue his second uncle. Isn't he a good person?"
The incessant chattering and sobbing continued in Chunhui Hall.
Mrs. Pei, dressed in plain brown clothes, was very cautious and avoided people all the way. When she reached an empty pond, she finally stopped pretending. Jiang Manrui stared at the scheming stepson in front of her.
"What do you want me to do in order to save Huai Shen?"
"Aunt, you're joking. I don't understand what you mean." Pei Zhiji wanted her to say it herself and break her hypocritical mask with her own hands.
Jiang Manrui never mentioned his mother. He knew that she was not over the weighing of considerations in her mind, and she would never put herself in a desperate situation until she was at her wit's end. This was also her cleverness.
The one who has thunder in his heart but a calm face can be promoted to general. Let's see if she can win back this battle.
The clouds on the northwest side gathered together in clusters. Pei Zhiji stared at them for a long time. That direction was the Pei family's cemetery. There was a complex sense of guilt in his eyes as he looked at it.
He tried again and again, but he couldn't forgive his mother, his dear sister.
Someone reported that the house was in chaos. Pei Zhongke, who had been sulking in his room all morning, came over upon hearing the news.
He slapped the desk with his hand, and the papers fell to the ground. Some of the papers were particularly thin and soft, covering Pei Zhiji's feet.
"You rebellious son, you dare to contradict the old lady. Do you still have me as your father in your eyes?"
Pei Zhiji bent down and picked up a piece of paper from his feet. He always neatly clipped the yellowed and beautiful handwriting between the pages of the book.
Today he came, but it flew out by itself. Pei Zhiji felt deeply saddened by this inappropriate lingering affection. He raised his lips to blow away the dust on it and carefully put it back on the sandalwood table.
Looking up at this father who always gets angry when something happens, I feel that the resentment in his heart is even greater.
Pei Zhongke was completely unaware of this. Seeing that he had become silent, he thought that he had regained the dignity of a father. He didn't want to have a bad relationship with his son, so he softened his tone and began to give orders.
"It's not very convenient for me to go out recently. Please find a way to mediate Huai Shen's matter."
"Also, I went to the Eastern Palace today to ask for help, but the Crown Prince refused to see me. Thinking about it, I think you must have offended him. The Pei family and the Eastern Palace are inseparable. Your father knows you are concerned, so he usually goes with you. But now that the Pei family is in dire straits, you must not create any more enmity with the Eastern Palace."
"When the lips and teeth are gone, they are interdependent." Pei Zhiji almost wanted to applaud his father, who held the position of Prime Minister. "Father, if the Eastern Palace were truly on the same page with us, how could the Crown Princess's son die? Have you ever thought about this?"
Pei Zhongke curled his beard in denial and could only suppress his unruly eldest son with a roar.
But Pei Zhiji didn't even think about giving him any face.
"My father was cowardly, incompetent, and self-willed. Despite being a civil official, he allowed his younger brother to become a military commander. Not only did he send his eldest sister to the palace, he also allowed Jiang to scheme to send Lan Ying there as well. On the surface, my father appeared to be indifferent to fame and fortune, but behind the scenes, he did so many filthy things."
Pei Zhiji's face turned a little red because of the loud voice, and even though he was extremely angry, he resisted the urge to put his finger on his father's nose.
The arms in his sleeves were curled up like worms, and his heart was numb. Every word he said pierced the lungs of the person opposite him.
Pei Zhongke felt as if he had never known this son.
He shook his head and looked around. There was only the wind brought by the approaching heavy rain. No one could speak for him. He stared at Pei Zhiji and said, "Crazy, crazy, absolutely crazy."
After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and was about to leave this shameful place.
Pei Zhiji cherished this belated father-son heart-to-heart talk so much that he couldn't let him go so easily.
The door outside creaked with a clang and could not be closed or opened due to the whistling wind. Xiao Fengsuo was guarding the door like a gate god at night.
Pei Zhongke instantly regretted stepping into this door, his hair wet with sweat.
The beautiful handwriting fell back into his palm. Pei Zhongke frowned and examined it carefully. Countless images flashed through his mind, trying to grasp something. After racking his brains, he finally snatched a trace of long-simmering honey from the endless buzzing sound. "Is it... your mother?"
Jiang Zhihe, this beautiful name has not appeared in his life for a long time. He subconsciously avoided it, but her son stood in front of him and forced him.
"Mother loved you so much when she was young that she almost lost herself in love. Jiang repeatedly murdered you, but you stood by and watched coldly, seeking only to keep the peace. You clearly knew everything. Am I right?"
Pei Zhongke suddenly fell onto the chair, his eyes filled with fear as he shook his head like a broken drum: "I don't know, I have no idea what you are talking about. Your mother died of illness, and even you are in poor health because of premature birth caused by maternal weakness."
"Stop pretending, there are no outsiders here." Pei Zhiji uttered a few broken tones through his clenched teeth to piece together a sentence.
"The toxins accumulated in my body are destroying me day by day. Have you ever experienced the feeling of being chilled to the bone? Have you ever experienced the feeling of emptiness after spitting out mouthfuls of blood? Have you ever experienced the helplessness of being unable to wake up while your beloved woman cries on your chest?
"After I came of age, Jiang Manrui sent me bowls of Aconitum carmichaelii, all in an attempt to kill me. What else do you have to say, father?"
He wanted to hear the answer in person.
Pei Zhongke's lips trembled and turned purple: "I thought she had changed. I didn't know she poisoned you."
He wanted to escape, but found that half of his body was paralyzed. He fell off the chair and couldn't even crawl out. He could only lie on the ground with his mouth twisted, pointing at Pei Zhiji with difficulty, and uttering a few broken words.
"You want to kill your father?"
He finally admitted that he knew all this.
Pei Zhiji's chest rose and fell strangely, and he felt that the dust had settled. He finally did not wrongly accuse his father in vain.
Patricide? How ridiculous! How could he kill his father?
"I am His Majesty's most valued minister. How could I do something so self-destructive? My father is ill, so he should just stay in bed and rest. From now on, I, Pei Zhiji, will be in charge of the Pei family."
The man on the ground spat out a mouthful of black blood, his head drooping lifelessly, unable to support himself.
There was a slight noise coming from the window; it must be that the window drawer was not fastened properly and had fallen down, bent or hanging down.
Xiao Feng heard the noise and came in to check. He lifted the curtain beside the window drawer and saw Lu Suizhu walking out slowly with her fingers clenched.
She looked at the mess in the room in a daze.
Pei Zhongke was paralyzed on one side of his body, staring at them with his eyes wide open, wanting to speak but unable to. Xiao Feng knelt on one knee, positioned him, and carried him out against the slanting wind.
It was raining heavily outside. Pei Zhiji turned his back to the wind and rain, trying his best to maintain a decent posture in front of her.
Lu Suizhu walked cautiously and hesitantly. She had witnessed the bloody storm in Pei Mansion with her own eyes, and her knees were somehow difficult to bend.
The eyes on the opposite side were looking at her, sizing her up, waiting for her to speak first.
The rain is pouring down, and my heart is beating fast.
The sluggish footsteps stepped on Pei Zhiji's lukewarm heart.
She was afraid of him.
Pei Zhiji watched silently, without urging him.
He crept around to open the door, then took a hanging blue silk umbrella from the study and placed it by the door. He did all this in a chaotic and slow manner, his low voice filled with endless fatigue. "If you're scared, then leave."
The blood on the ground was glaring, and he closed his eyes and frowned in pain.
The overwhelming coldness on his body was tightly wrapped by someone. Lu Suizhu hugged him from behind and put her head on his already bent back.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
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