Breaking a promise
After packing everything, we were able to take a car and leave Kyoto.
For the next period of time, Pang Linqiu continued to focus on business. Then, the most frustrating thing happened: she sat at her desk, rubbing her forehead in annoyance as she looked at the documents and messages on the table.
A sudden increase in autumn rains in the south caused floods and landslides, destroying many shops. Many people were displaced, and the harvest failed.
Pang Linqiu grew increasingly frustrated. She had lost several thousand taels of silver in this single act. Although almost all her shops had been handed over to the imperial court, leaving her only a few to generate profit, she still felt a headache coming on. After all, these were the result of five years of hard work and dedication! And now, they were gone!
"Lanmo!" she called out.
Lan Mo pushed open the door and entered, asking, "Miss, what do you need me for?"
"Have Aunt Lu and the others go south and give some white porridge to the starving people. Then find a dry place to set up shelters for them to stay overnight." After saying that, he took out a jade token. "Take this token to the bank to withdraw money, and then give it to Aunt Lu and the others."
Lanmo stepped forward and took the cards with both hands, saying, "Yes." Then she took the cards and left.
Pang Linqiu rested her head on her hand, sensing that she was feeling increasingly unwell. She glanced at the Chinese almanac on the table.
Today is November 25th. The latitude of Beicang is higher, and it's already snowing lightly. She wondered if she should go back and talk. Then she suddenly remembered the promise she had made with him.
"If one party fails to appear during the monthly meetings at the end of the month, the other party may dispose of the matter as they see fit."
Not wanting to be punished, she decided to go back.
Prepare the carriage for the return journey in advance and think of a plan.
On November 27th, she took a carriage back to the capital.
She inexplicably felt unwell during her journey, so she stayed at an inn to rest and called an old Chinese medicine doctor to take her pulse.
Lanmo stood beside him, watching the old Chinese medicine doctor take her pulse with concern. After he finished, she hurriedly asked him questions.
"Doctor, is my young lady ill?"
The old Chinese medicine doctor calmly said, "Young lady, don't be anxious. Judging from your pulse, your young lady seems to be pregnant."
Pang Linqiu was stunned for a moment, while Lan Mo was filled with shock.
"Yes...yes? Pregnant?!" Lanmo's mouth trembled in surprise.
"Miss is over a month pregnant."
She glanced at her, then at the traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. She was the only one in the room who was surprised; she was stunned. How could Pang Linqiu be so calm? Shouldn't she be either disgusted or happy?
The old Chinese medicine doctor asked, "Miss, would you like to stay? If so, I will prescribe some medicine to prevent miscarriage; if not..."
"Keep it."
Lanmo, unaware of her thoughts, could only wait for the old Chinese medicine doctor to finish writing the prescription before seeing him off, then took the prescription to the pharmacy to get the medicine. Upon returning, she became puzzled.
"Miss, why do you want to keep this child?" She clearly remembered that she disliked Peng Xuan'an very much, let alone want to keep his child.
After becoming her personal maid, everyone else addressed her as Madam, but she insisted that Lanmo call her Miss. This was simply because Lanmo was her person, while everyone else belonged to Peng Xuan'an.
"Retirement." Calm and composed.
"?" He was even more confused.
Pang Linqiu glanced at the bewildered girl and found her quite adorable, then smiled and said, "I reckon Peng Xuan'an will be making a scene about divorce when we get back. Well, it's good to end this ill-fated relationship sooner rather than later, isn't it?" She took a sip of tea. "It'll save me the trouble of finding someone else to conceive with."
Lanmo's lips twitched; perhaps the powerful maternal hormones made her forget her hatred.
The two chatted for a while, then extinguished the candles and went to sleep early, heading to the capital the next day.
After a three-day journey, we finally arrived in Kyoto.
By the time they entered the capital, it was already dark. Pang Linqiu returned to the Minister's residence, where her parents hurriedly found her, anxiously asking why she had left without saying goodbye all these days. Xi Shuang was also worried and asked her why she hadn't taken her with her. Everyone in the residence had seen her, but Peng Xuan'an was nowhere to be seen.
On November 30th, at night, Pang Linqiu was alone in the master bedroom, Peng Xuan'an had not returned.
As night faded, it was gradually replaced by the warm sun. Candles had been lit all night in the main courtyard, and the bleak autumn wind blew into the room. She sat alone at the table, watching the candlelight slowly disappear, which added to her loneliness.
The rooster crowed, and she, having stayed up all night, was feeling rather tired.
As dawn broke, Peng Xuan'an had not returned home all night. She felt agitated, as if she had been stood up. She got up and pushed open the door, but as soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she heard staggering footsteps outside. She looked up at the gate.
Peng Xuan'an looked haggard and was completely drunk, carrying a jug of wine. Pang Linqiu frowned, looking at him with disdain as he leaned against the door. His hair was disheveled, and it was unclear whether he had been drunk and acting recklessly the night before.
Peng Xuan'an leaned against the door, blocking Pang Linqiu's exit. He brushed aside the stray hairs falling across his forehead. Looking up and seeing the person in front of him, he instantly sobered up a bit. He slapped his head a few times to clear his head.
"You...how...you're back?" he asked vaguely.
"Peng Xuan'an, you broke your promise." Pang Linqiu tried to walk out, but Peng Xuan'an raised his hand to stop her.
"Madam..." Her voice sounded a little aggrieved, "Where...are you going again?" She shook her head and looked up at her with a pitiful expression.
She looked at him coldly: "I have the right to ignore you for two months."
"What...what did I do wrong again?" Her eyebrows furrowed, looking extremely aggrieved.
Pang Linqiu raised her hand to cover her nose. Peng Xuan'an reeked of alcohol, making her feel nauseous: "You stood me up."
"I... am... sorry."
Pang Linqiu frowned and said unhappily, "Move aside."
Peng Xuan'an threw the wine jug on the ground and placed his hands firmly on Pang Linqiu's shoulders, forcing her to look directly at him.
Where are you going again?
"It's none of your business." She turned her head away, trying to avoid the smell of alcohol on him.
"I know I was wrong, Madam..."
Pang Linqiu saw Luo Pu passing by and, as if seeing a savior, hurriedly called out to him, "Luo Pu! Help your master into the house!"
Luo Pu was startled when he saw the person calling him. "Madam, when did you return?"
"Hurry up and help him up!" Pang Linqiu struggled to break free from his hands.
Luo Pu quickly stepped forward, helped the drunken Peng Xuan into the house, and after settling him in, he wanted to ask Pang Linqiu why she had left. But when he went outside, she was nowhere to be seen.
Pang Linqiu just wanted to leave quickly. When the servants saw her rushing out of the mansion, they stepped forward to stop her and ask where she was going.
"Madam, where are you going?"
Pang Linqiu felt annoyed and made up a reason, "I'm going to the palace to find the princess."
The servants dared not stop her any longer and let her leave. But after watching her get into the carriage, they realized that the carriage seemed to be heading in the wrong direction from the palace, but it was too late.
After another three-day drive, we returned to Beicang.
A few nights later, a candle was lit in the room and placed on the desk. Pang Linqiu, wearing a fur coat, tidied up the account books. After finishing, she got up to extinguish the candle and felt a cold draft coming in through the window, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She turned to close the window, a bad feeling creeping over her. She sensed someone watching her from outside. Goosebumps instantly rose on her skin; she feared it was a thief or Peng Xuan'an. But then she thought, given the secluded location she'd chosen and the fact that she hadn't brought any of Peng Xuan'an's men, they shouldn't be able to find her.
She lay in bed, feeling drowsy after her busy work, and fell asleep instantly.
One hour later.
"Squeak—" The window was pushed open, and the person, with remarkable agility, quickly entered the room and gently closed the window. He tiptoed to the bedside, and could only make out her in the dim light.
Peng Xuan'an sighed softly, unsure of what to say. She was clearly angry, but the thought of breaking her promise only fueled her guilt and self-loathing. It was she who didn't want to see her, yet she couldn't help but think of her. So she climbed through the window to check on her, to see if she was doing well.
He stood by the bed and glanced around. Looking down, he saw a jar beside the bed. He didn't know what to do with it, and wondered what would happen if she tripped over it while still half asleep the next morning. So, he decided to play the good guy and moved the jar to the corner at the foot of the bed.
His ears twitched, sensing something was amiss, and he quickly looked over alertly.
Seeing Pang Linqiu suddenly get up, cover her mouth, throw off the covers, and hurriedly get out of bed, he darted behind the curtain to observe her actions.
Pang Linqiu, covering her mouth, searched frantically, finally finding her savior in the corner at the foot of the bed! A jar!
They spat it directly into the jar.
Seeing this, Peng Xuan'an, who was hiding in the shadows, became even more worried about her condition.
After vomiting, Pang Linqiu took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and frowned as she looked at the spot where the jar was.
She clearly remembered putting the jar next to her bed, which would have saved her a few steps.
She was so sleepy that she stopped thinking about it, turned over, and went back to bed to continue sleeping.
Seeing that she had lain down again, Peng Xuan'an cautiously walked out. He looked at the jar, then at Pang Linqiu curled up on the bed, and frowned in thought.
Pang Linqiu felt a churning in her stomach. She threw back the covers, turned to get out of bed, and opened her eyes to see a dark figure standing there. Startled, she screamed, "Ah!" Peng Xuan'an then came to her senses; she hadn't been fully asleep…
Pang Linqiu recognized the newcomer and instantly put on a fighting face, coldly scoffing and saying sarcastically, "I never thought that the Minister would have a habit of spying on others sleeping in the middle of the night."
Peng Xuan'an scratched his head sheepishly and replied awkwardly, "Haha... Madam, uh... well..."
"What are you doing here?" Pang Linqiu lit a candle in the room and scrutinized him.
"I...want to...talk to you."
She pointed at the door, clearly annoyed: "We'll talk about it at the end of the month. Get out now."
He clasped his hands together and admitted his mistake: "I'm sorry, madam, I know I was wrong."
"What wrong has the Minister done?"
He particularly disliked hearing her refer to him as "Minister," but he usually only did so when he was angry.
"I shouldn't have lost my temper with you, and I shouldn't have... broken my promise."
Pang Linqiu, wearing a white fur coat and with her hair down, sat at her desk scrutinizing Peng Xuan'an.
She tapped the table with her index finger: "It's normal for adults to have tempers, and I was also in the wrong first, so it's not your fault. But you know how I handle broken promises, so what are you doing here before the appointed time?"
"I admit my mistake and wish to ask that you return to the manor to spend your days in peace."
"..."
Peng Xuan'an leaned closer and said, "Madam, I know I was wrong. I promise I will never do it again. I only ask that you give me another chance."
"No need." He took out a piece of paper. "You've come at the perfect time. I have something I'd like to talk to you about."
Peng Xuan'an's eyes lit up, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Please speak freely, Madam. I will listen attentively."
"I've thought about what you said, and I do regret it. I should have chosen to divorce a year ago. It's not too late for us to divorce now."
Peng Xuan'an was stunned when she heard the word "divorce." She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. "You...you..." she stammered, her panic evident. "I...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was my fault, Madam. I know I was wrong. You can hit me or scold me, it's fine, but please don't do this."
Her face was serious. "I'm not that kind of person. Peng Xuan'an, what you're saying doesn't matter to you, it's up to me. I've thought it through, rather than..."
He gritted his teeth: "No! I... don't want to leave! Linqiu! Haven't you understood my feelings from the beginning?"
"I don't want to understand your feelings. I've spent enough time with you, Peng Xuan'an. Is there anything else you're dissatisfied with?"
Peng Xuan'an walked to her side. He had calmed down from his initial sadness, leaned close to Pang Linqiu's face, and said gently, "Madam, what you said was... said in anger, right? Is it because I disturbed your sleep that... you said that, right?" He wanted to suppress his fear, but he couldn't.
Peng Xuan'an gently brushed his nose against her cheek a few times. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." His voice grew softer and softer, filled with increasing fear.
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