Chapter 59 Chapter 59 It would be better to choose a marriage for Master Xiao Pei...
Grayish-white clouds were floating heavily, and the autumn flowers at the corner gate of the Duke's Mansion looked so bleak that they seemed about to fall at any moment.
While the mourning hall was bustling with wailing cries, Yuanyuan sneaked out and talked to Lu Suizhu at the corner gate.
It is said that she married Xue Jun, the youngest son of the Duke's Mansion, as a concubine, but died within two months. It was truly fate that could bring disaster or fortune to people.
Yuanyuan deliberately painted her lips white and wrapped herself in a white linen dress. She avoided the guests who came to greet and see off the mourners, and quietly took out two tangerines from her wide sleeves.
He handed one to Lu Suizhu and ate the other one himself.
Lu Suizhu smiled helplessly, still as carefree as ever. "What's going on? Is Xue Jun's death really related to Second Master Pei?"
"Who knows?" Yuanyuan had been kneeling with everyone in the Duke's Mansion all day and was exhausted, hungry and thirsty. She stuffed the orange into her mouth, with the plump and crystal juice still hanging at the corner of her lips, and spoke in a vague voice.
"That little bully Xue Jun has offended so many people. The day the news came back, I was still dreaming about Zhou Gong. I was hurriedly woken up, and when I arrived at the main hall, I saw a coffin. It was said that Xue Jun had been beaten so badly that he couldn't be carried back."
"So you didn't even see the body?" Lu Suizhu's tone was obviously confused.
"Yeah, that's perfect. Who wants to watch it?"
The young master of the Duke's family was buried directly. It sounded too hasty and absurd. Lu Suizhu nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that this was all that Yuanyuan, a concubine, could know.
The servants were busy shopping and setting up the house, and had no time to pay attention to them. Lu Suizhu asked, "So what are you going to do next? Why don't you ask the Duke's wife for a marriage contract and live your own life from now on?"
Yuanyuan smiled knowingly, her hand rubbing against her still-flat belly. "I'm pregnant now. The food and accommodation here are good, the Duke's wife treats me well, and most importantly, that annoying Xue Jun is dead."
"Sister Suizhu, I think it's fine to leave it like this from now on." She took Lu Suizhu's hand and placed it on her belly, showing her relaxation and comfort, which showed her satisfaction with her current life.
The sky had been covered with dark clouds for days, with cold white, black and blue colors changing in depth. Layers of water curtains fell from the surroundings, pouring down on Shangjing's head like a vat.
At the same time, a sedan chair landed smoothly at the side door of the East Palace. A servant placed a footstool and held an umbrella for Madam Pei, but the cold rain still splashed on her dark jade hairpin.
Although it was still early, it was dark outside because of the rain. Pei Lanying was bored and knitted a slipper in front of an oil lamp. Only the tail of the pair of lovebirds was left unstitched. She prayed in her heart that she could use it to gain some mercy from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
When she heard Mrs. Pei come in, she quickly put down her needlework and asked someone to bring her some tea.
"No need. What did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince say? Is he willing to help with Huai Shen's matter?" The rain splattered Mrs. Pei's face, and her makeup formed wet clumps and fell down in clumps. Even the smell of incense ash from worshiping Buddha was washed away by the rain.
"Uncle..." The word "mother" blocked Pei Lanying's throat. She took a deep breath and asked everyone around her to leave.
"I did want to ask His Highness to save my second brother, but he never comes to my side. I... really can't see him."
She felt regretful within two days of entering the Eastern Palace. At first, Xiao Mao was cold to her. She thought he was blaming her for her scheme, but after a long time, she gradually realized that he was not cold to her at all, but had no emotions towards her at all.
Her Zifang Palace was no different from the cold palace. She lived here even worse than a dog serving the prince.
Pei Lanying looked at Madam Pei for help, like duckweed seeing a sacred tree. She begged her, "Aunt, please take me away. I beg you. I really don't want to waste my whole life in pain in the East Palace."
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't express all the grievances I felt.
Pei Lanying raised her head while crying, and was slapped in the face. Her face turned from pale to red in an instant, her head tilted to the side, and her breathing was disordered.
Her fingers trembled as she lightly touched her painful cheek. She had never expected that her kind and loving aunt would hit her.
"Useless thing. I finally sent you here so that you could cling to the Eastern Palace and help your second brother in his official career. If I had known you were so unworthy, I wouldn't have wasted my time on you."
Mrs. Pei gritted her teeth and immediately went to the Jiang Mansion.
Lan Ying still didn't give up and said to her back: "Aunt, that's not what you said before. Take me away..." She muttered a few words in a low voice, sat back with a hoarse voice, and looked at the pair of bird heads on the insole and smiled bitterly.
Only then did she realize that she had trusted the wrong person. She was still in shock and dazed. Suddenly, something came to her mind and she muttered, "Brother, brother."
Yes, Big Brother can definitely save her! The night before she arrived at the Eastern Palace, Big Brother came to talk to her and said he wanted to find her a marriage. If only she had listened at that time.
"Quickly bring me paper and pen. I want to write a letter to my brother."
The maid spread out the paper and pen. Pei Lanying was thinking about how to start writing, and she kept crumpling the paper until it became a ball.
After tearing the paper several times, he spread out a new piece of paper, which began with: Dear Sister Suizhu—
The Jiang Mansion, once a place of noble birth, is now deserted, with its red rattan-stick-shaped gate tightly closed.
The heavy rain was divided into several sections vertically, falling down heavily, like a vine whipping people and causing pain.
Mrs. Pei returned home disappointed from Lan Ying's visit and was on the verge of mental collapse. The Jiang family was her last hope. She knocked on the door regardless of anything and was about to throw away her dignity and respectability.
Duke Xue refused to give up and wrote letters every day requesting His Majesty to execute Pei Huaishen. He seemed to be determined to fight to the death with the Pei family. He believed that killing someone should be punished by death, and even the rumors were biased towards the elderly Duke Xue.
At the critical moment of his life, Pei Zhongke suffered a stroke and collapsed on the bed.
Mrs. Pei only wanted to save her son. Huai Shen was her only hope. Raindrops and knocks hit the door together, and her palms were red, swollen and broken.
She was extremely disappointed, because behind the closed door was her good mother's family and her good brother.
After a long time, a figure in smoky blue clothes came into her sight, and Jiang Xiu Luo was holding an umbrella over her head.
"Aunt, my father said you should go back. The Jiang family is no longer as prosperous as it used to be. Over the years, my eldest cousin has been helping to take care of all the Jiang family's affairs. If he wasn't there to support the future of the Jiang family's children, I'm afraid the Jiang family would have collapsed long ago."
Are they all relying on Pei Zhiji's cane?
Jiang Manrui felt so cold that she wanted to laugh, but when she thought of these three words, her body twisted in hatred like a coiled dragon.
The purple city walls are connected to the boundless light blue sky, and everything in sight is clean as new after being washed by rain.
In the Qinzheng Hall, Su Pingshun had just helped the emperor take a pill and was rinsing his mouth with a spittoon.
He had just summoned Pei Zhiji and found that this young minister was far more aware of current affairs and far-sighted than he had imagined, and was more to his liking than those in the court who were always studying the crown prince.
"I only confined Prime Minister Pei for a few days, and he's already gotten so seriously ill." The emperor took a sip of his strong tea and called to Su Pingshun, "Send the two wild ginsengs that Xichi Kingdom presented as tribute at the beginning of the year to Prime Minister Pei. He has served the country so loyally for so many years, and now he's ill and can't move. I miss him so much."
Pei Zhiji knelt on the ground and kowtowed to express his gratitude, immediately showing his loyalty.
"From now on, I will officially take over the Pei family. I will always be your Majesty's subject, and the Pei family will also be your Majesty's Pei family."
The emperor and his ministers' eyes met in the hall. Su Pingshun observed their expressions and waved his sleeves gently.
There were only three people left in the hall.
The person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. In the game between imperial power and aristocratic families, the emperor is the absolute breakthrough point.
"Our family has survived for a century and has come this far thanks to the emperor's grace. We, the Pei family, are deeply grateful for this favor and are willing to be forever loyal to His Majesty."
"I am the third place scholar chosen by Your Majesty. If Your Majesty will not abandon me, I am willing to lead the charge and help Your Majesty eliminate the remaining evils within the aristocratic families."
Pei Zhiji is willing to be a lone minister and help Your Majesty eliminate the remaining evils.
The emperor raised an eyebrow. "You are different from your father, but I am curious about what you want."
"I want power, but I only need the power to be loyal to Your Majesty."
The autumn scenery was bleak and desolate, and a strand of black hair stained Pei Zhuanji's pale lips.
The emperor pursed his lips and smiled. He was more effective at using ambitious people, but it would be difficult to use those who were indifferent to fame and fortune.
Since the new head of the Pei family is so sensible, he might consider keeping the Pei family, which is a huge and deeply rooted entity.
Su Pingshun trotted over to personally support Pei Zhiji. He stood up and said, "Your Majesty, my younger brother Huai Shen is young and ignorant of the ways of the world. Could you please show some mercy and spare his life?"
"Oh..." the emperor stretched out his tone and said nonchalantly, "Duke Xue's youngest son is a troublemaker. Perhaps he was persuaded to drink too much by his enemies and happened to be encountered by Master Pei. After the seventh day of Duke Xue's death, you can take him away."
His fingers clenched until they cracked, and his anger spread to his lips, leaving only one sentence: "I thank the Lord for his grace."
Since it is a favor, it has conditions. Now the Jiang family is not worth mentioning in the eyes of His Majesty. The rest of the Wang and Xie families must be turned upside down like the Pei family today, and then he will be satisfied.
After leaving the palace gate, Pei Zhiji went straight to the Dali Temple.
Passing through the dark and filthy corridor, I saw Pei Huaishen leaning against the iron railing. His cheeks were dark and thin, and he looked much more haggard. Next to him was a half-eaten cold steamed bun.
"Just give him this to eat." Pei Zhiji looked dissatisfied and scolded the jailer.
"Brother, I'm fine. Listen to me, I really didn't kill Xue Jun. From the time I was imprisoned until now, no one believed me or listened to me. I've explained it a thousand times. That day, a friend invited me over, and Xue Jun teased a singing girl. I was so angry that I punched him twice. Later, I heard he was dead, and I was inexplicably labeled a murderer."
He said this anxiously, waiting for Pei Zhiji's reaction.
"Brother believes in you." Pei Zhiji put his hand on his shoulder through the iron bars and patted him like he did when they were children.
During the years he studied in the mountains, the Pei family had completely forgotten him. They would only symbolically ask the steward to pick him up from the mountain during the New Year. On ordinary days, only his eldest sister and Huai Shen missed him and would occasionally visit him with delicious food.
"Huai Shen, you can hate me, but I'm not a good brother."
After saying this inexplicable sentence, Pei Zhiji turned around and left, unable to bear to look at his brother's confused eyes behind him.
The past grudges had nothing to do with the brothers, but if they drew their swords, blood would be shed. He wanted to use Huai Shen to drag down Jiang Manrui bit by bit, so that she could also taste the heart-wrenching pain.
Today in the Qinzheng Palace, he could almost confirm that His Majesty had made a shameful private deal with Duke Xue.
According to historical precedent, a title can only be inherited for three generations. Duke Xue was the last generation of the Xue family. In order to pass on the title, he used an unpromising younger son in exchange for His Majesty's warning against the Pei family.
This deal is worth it.
Pei Yanke meditated quietly in prison for two days. This morning, the prison door was wide open, revealing the daylight. He then returned home covered in dust and dirt. He also learned about the dirty things that had happened in the mansion recently. No matter how stupid he was, he realized that this was a warning from the higher-ups to their Pei family.
It seems that the days of the phoenix and the dragon covering the sky are finally coming to an end. The power transition is turbulent, and those who are at the forefront of the silence can only survive for a day.
Chen happily used a feather duster on him to remove the bad luck of the prison cell. "Zhiji really keeps his word. I thought you would stay in the cell for a few more days."
Pei Yanke laughed. Anyway, the Pei family had smart people, so he could go traveling again.
As soon as Pei Zhiji left the Qinzheng Hall, the emperor sat down and practiced calligraphy quietly.
"If you don't abandon me, I won't be estranged from you."
He wrote these eight words many times but was still not satisfied. A small pile of paper balls had piled up on the ground. The eunuch who was grinding the paper became more and more nervous and did not dare to breathe loudly.
Su Pingshun smiled and handed over the Rain-Previous Longjing tea soaked in old year's water. "Your Majesty, it would be a shame to throw away such a beautiful calligraphy. Why don't you show mercy and let your servants pick it up and hang it above the bed, so that they can absorb your dragon energy and blessings."
A piece of ink duster was thrown on him, and the emperor smiled and put down his pen.
"Do you think I can trust him? His last name is Pei after all."
"Your Majesty, why are you so worried? Prime Minister Pei has fallen, and the Crown Princess has no children. If Your Majesty is still worried, you can choose a marriage for little Master Pei."
Choosing an unimportant marriage and completely cutting off his wings is a good idea.
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