The Dawn of Divorce (Part Two)
Have you thought it through?
“Ah…” she was stunned.
"?" He stared at her, wanting an answer.
She bit her lip. "Then...then Xuan'an...can you please not touch my young lady?" This was ultimately her biggest worry. "If you promise me, I, 'Zhi Qiu,' will marry you..." She blushed and shyly turned her head away. She emphasized the name "Zhi Qiu," clearly making her meaning clear.
Seeing that she smiled and agreed, he excitedly hugged her and stroked the back of her head.
He murmured, "Of course, it's good that you agree."
Then he carefully examined the person in front of him. Her face was fair, a stark contrast to her previous dark complexion. Her bright, piercing eyes reflected his image, and the wispy strands of hair framing her forehead were neatly arranged and beautiful. The more he looked, the more satisfied and fond he became.
He raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear, his fingertips gently stroking her cheek. His eyes were full of tenderness, and his breath brushed against her face. She was startled and looked at him with confusion at his actions.
She wanted to break free from his ambiguous behavior, so she grabbed his hand, looked up at him, and said softly with concern, "Xuan'an...no...what if someone else sees us..."
He looked reluctant, but obediently withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry... I couldn't help but want to touch you when I saw you. Why did you suddenly change your attitude?"
She blinked, touched her cheek, and smiled, her eyes curving like little moons: "Of course I wanted to look good to see you. After arriving in the capital, Miss found several doctors for me to prescribe medicine for my beauty."
"Is that so?" He looked indulgent, as if he no longer harbored such resentment towards that young lady.
"Yes." She nodded her head like a little sparrow, which was quite adorable.
His gaze returned to the pink scar. "How's your injury?" He had a slight urge to reach out and touch it, but he suppressed it.
"It's much better, but the scar will take some time to heal."
He chuckled softly, then suddenly remembered something and looked down at his right thumb. His hands were calloused, mostly from martial arts training, and he wore a white jade thumb ring on his thumb. Without hesitation, he took it off, grabbed her hand, placed the ring in her palm, and held it tightly.
"Take this. Consider it our token of love. When I go to the Pang family to ask for your return, I'll have a reason to marry you."
She stared wide-eyed in disbelief, as if she had been startled.
Before she could speak, Peng Feizhe spoke first, his expression slightly stern: "Don't say anything like 'no.' This is my attitude towards marrying you. We can only become husband and wife after we have a token."
She felt like dying; she never imagined Peng Feizhe would be so serious and affectionate, and that the token he gave her would be so authoritative!
A thumb ring symbolizes military power and social status, and it was given to her. Doesn't this mean she's the most powerful person in the household? She holds the highest position, and the servants and finances of the mansion are all under her management and control.
She was in despair, as if struck by lightning, and was completely stunned.
"Zhi Qiu, listen to me, accept it." Seeing her hesitation, he tightened his grip on her hand. His eyes seemed to hold pleading and hope, truly afraid she would refuse.
She felt a bit of pain from the force of his grip, and quickly pried his hand away with one hand, reluctantly giving in: "Okay, I'll take it back."
"Hmm." He released his grip and chuckled contentedly.
She cursed herself inwardly, thinking she should have known better than to act like this.
Time flies, and the wedding day is fast approaching, but Peng Feizhe has no interest whatsoever.
July 20th, Chen hour (7-9 AM).
In the morning, the Pang family head bestowed a name upon his youngest daughter, Linqiu, and held a grand banquet. Peng Feizhe was the only one who did not attend.
At the hour of You (5-7 PM), the formal procession to the bride begins.
Red silk ribbons billowed, and the sound of suona horns pierced the sky. The ten-mile-long street was covered in rouge-colored silk, and servants of the Peng family scattered wedding candies along the way, while children laughed and chased each other. People from all walks of life came to offer their congratulations, wishing the newlyweds a long and happy life together.
Peng Feizhe was dressed in wedding attire, his ponytail tied high, the flowing hair swaying in the air, a few wisps of hair falling across his forehead, adding a touch of softness to his cool and aloof face. He rode his steed along the wedding street, followed by many servants, some handing out wedding candies, others holding up celebratory signs and leading the procession.
On the other side, at the Pang residence.
Pang Zhichun sat before the bronze mirror, dressed in festive attire, yet she couldn't muster a smile. Instead, she lowered her eyelashes and remained silent, devoid of any joy. A red flower stamen adorned her forehead, and her hair was piled high, decorated with heavy ornaments.
As a final step, the makeup artist applied lipstick to her lips.
Finally, the makeup artist covered her head with a red silk cloth, helped her out of the house and into the sedan chair, and waited for her husband's family to come and fetch her.
She remained quietly in the sedan chair, only hearing the approaching sound of horses' hooves and Peng Feizhe saying a few words. Afterwards, the sedan chair was lifted and the journey back to the mansion was filled with laughter, congratulations, celebrations, and joyful sounds.
The sedan chair stopped, and a large hand appeared in front of her.
"Please alight from the sedan chair, Madam." His voice was calm and even.
She knew he was just putting on an act. So she played along, playing along. They didn't like each other to begin with, and if it weren't for the imperial decree arranging their marriage, she wouldn't have acted out this charade. She wouldn't have followed her mother's instructions or her plans to get close to him in every way possible.
Pang Zhichun still doesn't understand why his mother, Tang Xingni, is like a prophet. She can foresee many things, and why she often talks to herself, with strange words like "Xitong (system)," "Choujiang (lottery)," and "Buff (attribute bonus)" constantly on her lips.
She doesn't care anymore. Anyway, her mother probably doesn't want her to marry him, otherwise why would she leave behind such a thick book? And it's all about plans and stuff.
She placed her hand on Peng Feizhe's hand and slowly stepped out of the sedan chair.
The two, each holding a long red embroidered ball, entered the main hall.
The hall was filled with people, with Mr. and Mrs. Peng sitting in the center. Mrs. Peng's eyes were filled with a mixture of tears and smiles, while Mr. Peng was very satisfied and happy.
The master of ceremonies proclaimed in a long, drawn-out voice, "First bow to Heaven and Earth—"
The two bowed and worshipped together towards the gate.
"Bowing to the parents twice!"
The two did as instructed.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
After the prayers were completed, the hall erupted in cheers; another new couple had been born in Kyoto.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!" The sound of firecrackers echoed throughout the entire mansion.
"Send the bride to the bridal chamber—" the chief officiant drawled.
Pang Zhichun was led to the bridal chamber and sat quietly on the edge of the bed, dignified and elegant as she waited for the night to arrive.
On the other side, Peng Feizhe raised his glass in a toast, accepting all the congratulations with a half-smile. Peng and his wife also happily received the guests.
As dusk fell, the lingering scent of firecrackers still filled the air, and the summer breeze carried a hint of heat.
Night fell, the silver moon rose, and the courtyard was filled with the rustling sounds of insects.
Pang Zhichun sat on the edge of the bed waiting. Many red candles were lit in the room, and a nuptial cup and a scale were placed on the table.
Her skirt trailed on the ground like surging red clouds, while the flickering flames on the candlesticks burned even more intensely.
Suddenly, footsteps approached, and the door creaked open.
Peng Feizhe reeked of alcohol, but showed no signs of drunkenness. He crossed his arms and looked at her with a hint of disgust.
"Marrying you was not my choice. You will spend the wedding night alone." He said this and was about to turn and leave.
Pang Zhichun adjusted his tone, and his clear, cold voice quickly called out to him, "General, please wait."
"What is it?" He turned to look at her.
"General, I know everything about your affair with Zhi Qiu. How about we make a deal?"
Peng Feizhe became interested, found a seat and sat down a few meters away from her. He draped one arm over the edge of the table, his eyes slightly narrowed with curiosity.
"Tell me," he said, wanting to see what kind of deal she was planning.
She said calmly, "General, neither of us is in love with each other. If it weren't for this imperial decree, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Um."
"If the general agrees to divorce me in seven days, I will have my father adopt Zhi Qiu as his goddaughter. That way, she will be worthy of the young general. You can be with your sweetheart, and I can pursue my sweetheart. Why not? This way, the Pang family and the Peng family will have a friendly relationship, and we won't have to worry about being scolded by our elders. What do you think?"
"Okay." He readily agreed, replying simply.
She continued, “But General, you must first tell the world that you already have someone you love and do not like me. You did not touch me at all on our wedding day, and I am still a virgin. Tell them not to gossip.”
He nodded: "Okay, I understand. Where is she?" He asked the question that had been bothering him all day, because he had not seen Zhi Qiu at all.
She remained calm and composed as she said, "She will be in my boudoir. Once things are settled, you will be able to see her every day. Zhi Qiu is a good girl, and I hope the general will not let her down."
“Of course.” He stood up and said to her, “It’s getting late, you should rest first, I’ll come find you when it’s time.”
She nodded gently, and the red cloth on her head moved slightly.
"Bang—" The door closed.
She breathed a sigh of relief, removed the red cloth from her head, and smiled excitedly!
It's done! It's done! It's done!
I'll say it three times because it's important! She's finally freed herself from Peng Feizhe and this engagement!
Even if Peng Feizhe suddenly realizes something is wrong after seven days, it will be too late. This has its pros and cons for her. The good thing is that the divorce is successful! The bad thing is that Peng Feizhe will definitely hold a grudge against her!
She had a pretty good grasp of Peng Feizhe's personality; he was the kind of person who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he held grudges quite a bit.
She removed her wedding crown and threw all the "May you have a son soon" decorations on the bed onto the floor! Then she lay down comfortably on top of them!
"Heaven helps those who help themselves! I'm exhausted!" she muttered to herself with her eyes closed.
It hasn't been easy for her. She's always been the one who humbly pleases him, enduring and swallowing her pride time and time again. From now on, it won't be her anymore! It's time for the real Zhi Qiu to suffer!
OS: Whatever, Zhi Qiu likes him, so she should be willing to accept his temper.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.
I really can't wait for that time to come...
Gradually, she fell asleep...
The dawn of divorce was drawing ever closer to her.
Meanwhile, in the vast study, Peng Feizhe felt a growing unease running through his mind, unsure of why.
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