Confess honestly
Peng Fei lowered his eyes, his deep black gaze lost in thought. He felt something was amiss, eight parts of it was wrong! Two parts felt like he'd been played. If it were her, would she still have this uneasy, unsettling feeling?
He glanced sideways at Pang Linqiu, then at Zhi Qiu in front of him. One was cold and aloof with a beautiful face, the other was simple and innocent; the two were worlds apart. He had noticed the light pink scar on Zhi Qiu's face long ago.
It's only been seven days since I last saw her, why does she seem so different?
He became worried.
He said calmly, "You are not her." He turned to look at Pang Linqiu, who was standing beside the family head, and said sternly, "Miss Pang, you have broken your promise."
Zhi Qiu's eyes widened in disbelief. She forced a smile and leaned closer to him, her voice soft and delicate, as if afraid of losing a precious treasure: "General... what are you saying? Zhi Qiu doesn't understand... isn't Zhi Qiu right here?" She was so afraid, so afraid that her beloved would reject her. Her pitiful eyes looked up at his face, as if pleading for his trust.
Pang Linqiu scoffed lightly, raising her eyebrows slightly and emphasizing her words: "General, don't talk nonsense, the person is right here! What evidence do you have to say she isn't her?" She was flustered, but she calmed herself down and looked at him seriously.
Their eyes met, and Peng Xuan'an observed her expression, trying to glean some clues or weaknesses.
He wanted to take a gamble, to gamble on his gut feeling.
Peng Xuan'an had no intention of paying attention to Zhi Qiu. His expression darkened slightly. "Miss Pang, I have no evidence at the moment. But I am certain that either you are Zhi Qiu, or you have hidden her away."
Upon hearing "either you are Zhi Qiu," Pang Linqiu's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she couldn't catch her breath. She swallowed hard and calmly said, "Me? How could the general possibly think I am her without any evidence? Do you think I would disguise myself as her to get close to you?" Then she crossed her arms, her face showing contempt, finding it absurd and laughable, and shook her head.
"General, why don't you think about it? What benefit would it bring me if I disguised myself as Zhi Qiu to find you? What advantage would it bring to the Peng and Pang families?"
He observed her expression and could vaguely sense that she was somewhat guilty, so he boldly guessed, "Indeed, it's useless. Did Miss Pang hide her away?"
The Pang family head watched the two argue back and forth, completely bewildered, unable to discern the truth from falsehood on either side. The servants in the hall also watched with wide-eyed amusement, listening to their young mistress arguing incessantly with a renowned major general!
"It's me again?" She was a little angry and scoffed, "General! If you're going to speak well, then speak with evidence. Why should I hide her? It's no good for you, me, or the Peng-Pang family!"
Peng Xuan'an narrowed his eyes slightly, his pupils shifting as if he were recalling something.
He recalled the time he spent with Zhi Qiu; over the months, they had come to understand each other quite well. Her every word, her actions, her eyes, her smile…
He's now certain: Pang Linqiu is indeed a suspect, and although Zhi Qiu beside her looks similar, she isn't her.
"There's no benefit to it, but does Miss Pang really not agree?"
His words left Pang Linqiu completely stunned. She looked at him blankly, puzzled and confused by his words.
What do you mean? Are you directly convicting her of the crime?
She retorted firmly, "I, Pang Linqiu, did neither do nor commit any of these acts! Why should I admit to something that was fabricated?"
The head of the Pang family glanced back and forth between the two of them, still puzzled, and asked his daughter, "Chun'er, what happened between you and Xuan'an?"
"Dad! What else could it be?! He's accusing me of something out of thin air!" She pointed angrily at Peng Xuan'an, pouting and turning her head away in grievance.
Seeing that his daughter was angry, the head of the Pang family turned his gaze to Peng Xuan'an, only to find him staring straight at his daughter.
"Xuan'an, tell me in detail, what exactly happened?"
Peng Xuan'an shifted his gaze, "That depends on whether Miss Pang is willing to tell me."
"?"
Peng Xuan'an smiled faintly again, "Miss Peng, do you really not admit it?" He emphasized the word "not admit it," as if he were interrogating a criminal, as if to say that if you really don't confess and get leniency, then don't blame him for being strict.
"I don't accept it!" My stance remains firm! I'm resolute!
Pang Linqiu wanted to see what Peng Xuan'an would do to her. Even if he guessed that she was the humble Qiu who had tried to please him, been repeatedly suspected, and had her life in danger several times, what could he do to her? As long as she insisted that she hadn't done it! Her father would side with her, and even if he didn't, it wouldn't matter.
As long as I get the divorce papers! All my efforts weren't in vain. It's good that we can get a divorce. It's just a matter of losing some "face" in his eyes... I just hope I don't lose "face" all over the capital...
This isn't just about saving face; it's about her reputation! It's a disgrace!
He sighed and recounted, "Senior Pang truly doesn't know what happened before. Miss Pang approached me disguised as a man, and then, due to some 'trivial matters,' her true identity as a woman was exposed..."
Isn't this "trivial matter" just about pinning her down in the water tank? To put it bluntly, it was mutual fighting; to put it nicely, it was just a trivial matter.
Seeing that he dared to speak so boldly, Pang Linqiu quickly interrupted, "General, that person is Zhi Qiu. I ordered Zhi Qiu to do this. If you don't believe me, you can ask her." She pointed to Zhi Qiu standing next to him, inwardly groaning.
Fortunately, she told Zhi Qiu about what happened between them early on.
Now all he needs to do is ask Zhi Qiu, and she will tell him those things, no matter how detailed or incomplete. As long as he believes her, she will be fine!
Peng Xuan'an laughed, "Miss Pang, are you in such a hurry to interrupt because you feel guilty?"
Pang Linqiu's almond-shaped eyes flashed with anger, but she suppressed it and said unhappily, "I was merely correcting the general's words." She tilted her head slightly and sneered, "To have my good intentions misunderstood by the general like this is truly disheartening."
"Is that so?" he asked gently, almost teasingly.
The head of the Pang family frowned, his face tense, as he looked at Lin Qiu, who wanted to continue arguing with Peng Xuan'an. He knew her temperament; judging from Xuan'an's words and considering his own daughter's personality, she was indeed capable of doing it.
In most cases, the daughter is involved in the divorce proceedings.
The thought of all his meticulously planned arrangements, thankful that they hadn't been disrupted by anyone else, and instead being turned upside down by his own daughter, filled him with anger. His face darkened, and he looked frightening. His expression was gloomy, and his eyes blazed with rage. He slammed his hand on the table.
"Smack—"
Pang Linqiu stood there, stunned, looking at her father's behavior with confusion.
"Linqiu, kneel down!" he said in a low, serious voice.
Pang Linqiu was stunned. He told her to kneel down right off the bat?!
Is there no justice left?
Even if geography were to come, it would be unreasonable.
Pang Linqiu bit her lip in resentment, but still obediently lifted her skirt and knelt before the Pang family head.
He lowered his head and sulked.
"Linqiu, tell me the truth, did you do it?"
Pang Linqiu knew that lying wouldn't help! She knew her father's temperament. If she didn't confess honestly, he might break the family rules.
She looked reluctant, glanced up at her father, and then scanned her surroundings. The hall was fairly crowded, with some servants eating melons, making her even less inclined to speak.
Following her gaze, the head of the Pang family glanced around and understood her concerns.
He raised his voice, "All servants, get out!" Then, with a grim face, he threatened, "If even a single word of what happened today leaks out, you're all dead! Get out of here!"
The servants, their usual gossipy expressions gone, reluctantly retreated, intimidated by their master's imposing presence.
The hall was now quiet, with only four people remaining.
Everyone left, and Pang Linqiu sighed, "Yes!" She reluctantly admitted it, muttering softly.
"What?" The patriarch didn't hear clearly. Zhi Qiu's heart was in her throat. Peng Xuan'an watched silently.
"Yes! I did it!" She raised her voice, her usually cold voice becoming a bit rougher, and she lowered her head as if she had been forced into it.
After hearing this, the head of the Pang family got a headache and raised his hand to rub his temples.
Absurd! Utterly absurd!
He wanted to curse inwardly! He was angry but didn't know what to do.
"You unfilial daughter! You're truly unruly!" he glared at her.
"Senior Pang, please calm down," he said, looking directly at her and speaking up for her. "Miss Pang may have some unspeakable difficulties, otherwise she wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure."
"..." She endured her father's anger, wanting to speak up in her defense, but she couldn't utter a word, and felt so wronged that she wanted to cry.
The head of the Pang family was furious and had a headache. He smiled apologetically at Peng Xuan'an, "Xuan'an, I'm truly sorry. It's because I didn't discipline you properly that things have turned out this way..." He then turned his gaze to the divorce letter, clenched it in his palm, and said solemnly, "Xuan'an, don't worry, this divorce is hereby nullified! You are still husband and wife, from now on..."
"No! I don't want to!" she protested loudly, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, making her look incredibly pitiful.
"You're still not satisfied? I ask you, who taught you to do this?" he asked angrily.
“My mother taught me!” she said.
"Nonsense! How could your mother have taught you this?" She softened her tone, but then angrily pounded her palms: "As a woman, instead of thinking about how to serve your husband well, you're thinking about how to get a divorce. What kind of behavior is this!"
He rose and walked towards Peng Xuan'an, sighing, "Xuan'an, let me handle this matter. I've spoiled her too much. Let her stay in the manor for a few days, and I'll discipline her..."
“No need,” he declined, and said to Pang Linqiu, “Madam, let’s go back to the manor and have a proper talk.”
"Since Xuan'an has said so, then I..."
Pang Linqiu held back her tears of grievance and turned to look at him. "General! You promised that once we signed the document, we would not interfere with each other afterward. Were you lying to me?"
He crossed his arms over his chest and said calmly, "Madam, you lied to me first."
"So you think I want to marry you?"
He fell silent. Indeed, she didn't want to marry him, but the imperial decree had arranged it, and the marriage contract had been made.
The head of the Pang family frowned, "She has no choice but to marry him!"
“Father! If you hadn’t gone to ask for permission, would I have ended up like this? When Mother was alive, did you think she would have let me marry someone I didn’t love?” She looked up at him and retorted.
"Then who is Miss Pang's lover?" The young man's voice turned cold as he changed his address from "Madam" to "Miss."
She replied, "Brother Mohe."
After hearing this, the Pang family head was both angry and helpless: "The Crown Prince married two years ago, Chun'er, why are you so persistent?"
Qin Mohe is the current crown prince, and he and Peng Xuan'an are good brothers.
She said innocently, "Father, if I can't be the eldest, I can be the youngest."
“…Ha…” He laughed in anger.
She had asked the head of the family about this matter several times, but in the end, she did not receive his approval.
"Miss Pang, instead of pursuing a high position, chooses to become the Crown Prince's concubine. Does Miss Pang have a strong objection to my position as his wife?"
"If I didn't have a problem with it, would I have done it?" she said irritably.
"Chun'er, when did your mother teach you to do this?" the Pang family head asked.
"It was my mother's dying wish; she wanted me to do this," she answered honestly.
"Father! I was only trying to fulfill Mother's last wish. What did I do wrong?"
"Even if it was your mother's dying wish, you can't treat the general like this..."
...
The father and daughter started arguing, leaving Zhi Qiu standing to the side, while Peng Xuan'an hesitated.
Seeing how unwilling she was to marry him, he didn't want to force her, and though he felt reluctant, he didn't want her to be so sad. He had no choice but to let go and let her go.
“Since it is Madam Tang’s last wish, then I won’t insist too much. Senior Pang, if you wish to divorce, then so be it. I will take care of things with His Majesty…” He looked at Pang Linqiu, his eyes filled with undisguised longing, “Miss Pang, our fate has come to an end, so… let it be.”
He turned and left the Pang residence.
The carriage traveled through the bustling streets, yet he felt lonely.
The sky was clearly clear, yet he felt a sense of desolation.
A gentle breeze caressed him as his fingertips rubbed against the white jade thumb ring. He lowered his eyes, a strange pang of pain gripping his heart.
He asked: "Has our fate run its course? ...Perhaps..."
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