Chapter 46
Xi Xiao shook her head and walked out with light steps, saying, "The breakfast in the palace is the same every day, what's so interesting about it? I know a wonton stall in the market, the old man's skills are superb, the soup is fresh and the filling is delicious, Your Majesty, shall we go there and try it?"
"Alright, alright, whatever you say." Pei Yun chuckled and sighed, his tone full of doting affection. "Wherever you want to go, we'll go. But... you should at least allow me to change out of this court robe and put on some casual clothes before we go, right?"
"Then Your Majesty must hurry," Xi Xiao urged, her figure seemingly drifting unintentionally to the dressing table, her fingertips lightly brushing the smooth surface. "If you're late, the best spot will be taken, and I won't wait for anyone."
Pei Yun was so focused on her rare liveliness and intimacy that he didn't notice her subtle movement at all. He only felt that their relationship was getting warmer and warmer, like ordinary lovers going on a trip together. He even temporarily put aside the fact that they were going to the Marquis's mansion today and that he might see Xi Yu, which was the thing that bothered him the most.
He quickly changed into a moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns. Pei Yun was already incomparably handsome, and without his imposing court robes, dressed in casual clothes, he appeared even more tall and elegant, with a refined and graceful demeanor, like a banished immortal descending to earth, noble and unparalleled. Today, he had even specially worn a jade crown, adding to his refined and handsome appearance. The two stood side by side, one bright and dashing, the other aloof and noble, it was impossible to tell who was more eye-catching, they simply seemed like a match made in heaven.
Xi Xiao glanced at him quickly before urging him on.
A seemingly simple blue-canopied carriage was already waiting outside the palace gates. The two boarded the carriage, and with the sound of wheels, it drove out of the palace complex. Outside the carriage, the winter sun was slowly rising, and its golden rays, like a warm veil, gently enveloped the carriage, following it like a shadow, as if it were the only warm footnote to their journey.
*
Xi Xiao wiped her lips with a handkerchief. Seeing that Pei Yun's wontons were barely touched and he was just staring at her, she didn't care much. She simply raised her chin slightly, signaling him to pay the bill.
With a gentle smile on his lips, Pei Yun took out a bright gold leaf from his sleeve without even looking at it, and gently placed it on the rough wooden table. Then, he naturally took Xi Xiao's hand and walked towards the carriage parked not far away.
Xi Xiao lowered her gaze, which fell on the two people's clasped hands. Her eyes flickered with complex emotions, but in the end, she did not let go.
As they walked, she spoke very softly beside him, her voice barely audible, carrying a hint of wistful melancholy: "This is the second time I've come to this stall to eat wontons... It's a pity that the old man seems to have no recollection of me at all."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yun gently squeezed her slightly cool fingertips and comforted her with a smile: "It's a small shop in the city, with customers coming and going like fish crossing a river. The shopkeeper welcomes and sees off customers every day, so why would he remember one customer?"
Xi Xiao gave a vague, ambiguous smile, tinged with self-deprecation: "Perhaps... it's because last time I complained that his cooking wasn't juicy enough, and I scolded him a bit, so he got angry and pretended not to recognize me..."
Hearing her downcast tone, which seemed to imply something, Pei Yun felt a sudden tightness in his chest. A sense of unease crept over him, but he didn't want to dwell on it at this moment and only add to his troubles. He simply gripped her hand tighter and almost forcefully led her back into the carriage.
Before long, the deafening sounds of gongs, drums, and suonas filled the air outside the carriage, accompanied by a cacophony of voices, cheers, and laughter—clearly, a grand wedding procession was passing by. Hearing this, Xi Xiao's face lit up with a bright smile again. She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to look outside, her tone brimming with just the right amount of joy: "With all this excitement ahead, it must be the Marquis's wedding procession!"
Pei Yunyi smiled at her and said, "I didn't know you were such a lively person. But the streets are crowded and there might be some collisions. It's better to wait until we get to the Marquis's residence before going down to watch the ceremony."
Xi Xiao nodded obediently, said nothing more, and sat quietly, her gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over the bustling crowd outside the window.
The area in front of the Marquis of Wenyuan's mansion was already packed with people. The bride's brothers were doing everything they could to keep the groom, Pei Qie, dressed in a bright red wedding gown and beaming with joy, from outside the gate, creating all sorts of problems that drew laughter from the onlookers.
The servants of the Marquis's mansion carried out baskets of copper coins and walnuts, red dates, and other items symbolizing "harmony and beauty," and tossed them into the crowd, causing the children to cheer and scramble for them, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Soon, the old steward of the Marquis's mansion spotted Pei Yun's carriage and hurriedly pushed through the crowd to respectfully lead the two into the mansion, heading straight to the main courtyard where distinguished guests were received. Thus, Xi Xiao only caught a few quick glances at the commotion at the entrance before following Pei Yun into the mansion.
Upon entering the Marquis's residence, the scene was vastly different from the previous refined elegance. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and red silks hung high, creating a vibrant and festive atmosphere. The Marquis and his wife moved among the guests, their faces beaming with smiles, and the air was filled with the sounds of greetings and congratulations, a scene of joyful harmony.
Xi Xiao's gaze swept across the room seemingly casually, but she did not find the figure she longed for. She lowered her eyelashes slightly, quietly concealing the fleeting disappointment in her eyes.
Pei Yun seemed to keenly sense the subtle change in her emotions and was about to reach out to take her hand when, at that moment, Marquis Wenyuan saw the imperial carriage and hurriedly stepped forward to bow and pay his respects. In the blink of an eye, when Pei Yun turned back, Xi Xiao beside him had already quietly turned away and disappeared into the bustling crowd of guests.
A sudden surge of anxiety rose in Pei Yun's heart. He hastily replied to Marquis Wenyuan with a few perfunctory words, his eyes anxiously searching through the crowd. However, more and more court officials recognized his identity and stepped forward to bow and kneel, quickly surrounding him and making it impossible for him to escape. His expression darkened slightly, and he subtly gave a wink to those behind him. The guards hidden in the shadows immediately understood, silently dispersing and quickly searching towards the backyard.
Time passed, and as the auspicious hour arrived, the boisterous sounds of the newlyweds' wedding ceremony filled the air. Pei Yun's unease intensified, and he almost couldn't resist leaving. Just then, his gaze suddenly fixed on one spot.
Xi Xiao was carefully helping someone slowly walk out of the inner hall. The person was as pale as paper and thin, barely able to stand by leaning on her. It was none other than Xi Yu.
Pei Yun's brows furrowed instantly, his face clouded with anger, and he was about to burst out of his body.
Seeing this, a courtier familiar with Marquis Wenyuan took the lead in speaking, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for many people around to hear: "My lord, isn't this the eldest son of your household? Why... does he look even weaker than usual?"
These words immediately drew a chorus of agreement and sighs.
"Sigh, you look really unwell..."
"No wonder he has this title..."
"The young marquis is already married, but the eldest son... sigh..."
The crowd whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with pity, inquiry, and even a hint of disdain. They quickly turned the conversation back to the groom, as if Xi Yu were an insignificant figure.
Xi Xiao supported Xi Yu, but her eyes quickly searched among the guests. Soon, she locked onto a figure dressed in an extremely flashy outfit, yet trying to make a low profile.
Yin Huaisi noticed her gaze and instinctively looked away, but under her cold and persistent stare, he gritted his teeth in compromise and winked at a group of young students gathered not far away.
Those students were clearly newly appointed officials who, due to their admiration for Grand Secretary Qin, had recently become quite close to Yin Huaisi. They had heard of His Majesty's recent swift and decisive elimination of the vassal kings and were filled with admiration and a desire to curry favor. Now, with a little encouragement from Yin Huaisi, they saw this as a good opportunity to show off.
A scholar with noticeably dark circles under his eyes stepped forward first, bowed towards Pei Yun, and said, "Your Majesty, I am a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Recently, I have heard that the vassal kings of various regions, due to their blind faith in the rumors of immortality, acted perversely and ultimately suffered divine retribution, reaping the consequences of their evil deeds. This is truly gratifying, for it is a blessing from Heaven upon our Yuan Chu, and the Mandate of Heaven has been restored. Your Majesty is a true dragon in the world, and your civil and military achievements are a blessing to all the people!"
Another official, who had always disliked such flattery, immediately retorted coldly: "Absurd! The talk of immortality was originally spread 'unintentionally' by Prince Qin. Doesn't your statement imply that the court plotted against the prince, leading to his downfall?"
Upon hearing this, the student turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow: "Your Majesty, please understand, I had no such intention, I would never dare, I just... just..." He was so anxious that he was incoherent, and the sound of his kowtowing was particularly jarring and abrupt in this festive occasion.
Just then, Xi Xiao, having settled Xi Yu, calmly stepped forward from behind. She first gave Pei Yun a deep bow, then turned to the official who had raised the issue. Her voice was clear and calm, instantly drawing everyone's attention: "This official speaks too harshly. The regional princes, with their armies and ambitions, no longer respect the authority of the court. Their downfall stems from their own insatiable greed, their attempt to defy fate with evil arts, and their pursuit of the elixir of immortality. They have brought this upon themselves and deserve to die! What does this have to do with Yuan Chu? What does it have to do with His Majesty?"
The official, having been publicly refuted by a strange woman, felt utterly humiliated and angrily retorted, "Who are you? What right do you, a mere woman, have to interrupt here? You have no manners whatsoever!"
Xi Xiao didn't even glance at Pei Yun's now extremely ugly face. She stood up straight, her gaze calmly sweeping over the astonished and uncertain faces of everyone present, and said loudly, "I am the one who was mistaken by the various vassal kings as having the bloodline of the witch clan and being able to understand the secret of immortality, and thus they tried every means to capture me alive."
She paused, then her voice suddenly rose, carrying a strange undertone: "The talk of immortality is pure fabrication. They are merely finding a high-sounding excuse for their own greed, ultimately trapping themselves and bringing about their own destruction. It is truly the cycle of karma!"
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly turned to Pei Yun, her gaze intense, her voice abruptly becoming incredibly loyal and impassioned, as if she were a devoted and devoted minister: "Your Majesty, you once promised me that if I ever had any requests in the future, you would grant them! Does that promise still stand? Can you fulfill it today?"
Pei Yun felt a sudden, intense throbbing pain in his heart, as if countless needles were piercing it simultaneously. The familiar, agitated energy of the love potion surged wildly in his chest and abdomen, almost bursting out of his body! At the same time, a severe headache struck like a tidal wave, and everything before his eyes began to blur and sway. He couldn't even see what kind of expression Xi Xiao had on her face.
He opened his mouth, trying several times to interrupt her and stop the words that were about to come out, but his chest felt as if it were being pressed down by a boulder, and he couldn't make a sound.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me a marriage with Pei Yun, the eldest son of the Marquis's family!" Xi Xiao's voice was clear and firm, piercing through the noise of the scene. She bowed deeply in Pei Yun's direction, her forehead lightly touching the cold ground. "I have fallen in love with him at first sight, and I will marry no one else in this life!"
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