The Way of Husband and Wife
Did Pei Yuanli know that she was coming to assassinate him tonight? That was clearly impossible. If he had known, he wouldn't have left them on the beam to hear his last words; after all, they were not relatives or friends.
Pei Yuanli pondered for a moment, then said, "His Majesty has always valued the friendship between you two. Yu'er is now a member of the Flying Phoenix Guard, so no one in the court will make things difficult for you and your daughter. I... have no worries about this."
With a clang, the white porcelain lotus cup that Mu Huaying was holding was slammed heavily onto the table.
She had already stood up, and the imposing presence she exuded, even before Marquis Dongguang, Pei Yuanli, was in no way inferior.
Her long, narrow phoenix eyes stared coldly at Pei Yuanli as she said, "What do you have to be at ease with? And what do you not trust? Why don't you make things clear?"
Pei Yuanli was forced to move back slightly, his hand holding the scroll, but he had nowhere to place it.
Pei Yuanli, the dignified Marquis of Dongguang and Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief, finally revealed the dejected state of a middle-aged man who had once held immense power but whose influence had waned.
He was so forced to the point of being hoarse and breathless that he had never been seen like this, not even when Pei Yu led the Divine Hound Camp to commit a nighttime raid on the long street, and Lie Changkong, on Gu Yizhi's orders, forcibly took him into the palace and placed him under house arrest.
Even though his eyes darted away, he still calmly finished speaking: "Don't worry, because of His Majesty's connection, you and Yu'er won't be implicated by me. What I'm worried about is that the Pei family's five generations of military prowess will end with me. If I die, Gu Yi will definitely take the opportunity to dismantle the Jianzhang Army. Yu'er is too young to fight back, and I'm afraid she will never be able to reach the status I have now, or the status that the Pei family has had throughout the generations."
Mu Huaying coldly replied, “You don’t need to worry about that. In the capital, besides Gu Yi himself, the only one who can lead troops and has His Majesty’s trust is A Zhao, who is the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard. The Jianzhang Army is in A Zhao’s hands, which is no different from being in my hands. Moreover, with Li Chongyu’s arrival, Gu Yi will definitely establish an alliance with him for the Northern Expedition. As long as the war starts, Yu’er will not have to worry about not having the opportunity to make military achievements and consolidate military power.”
A moment later, she parted her lips again and uttered a piece of news that would make Pei Yuanli smile in his grave: "Shangguan has no intention of becoming the Crown Princess. Regardless of what the Crown Prince himself, or even His Majesty's, original intentions were, the Crown Princess could only be Yu'er in the end."
If Pei Yu were to become the future empress, the Pei clan would undoubtedly become one of the top powerful families in the Southern Dynasty. After all, she would be the first official empress of the Dayan Dynasty.
Even the current number one concubine in the six palaces, Consort Chen, known as "Golden Goblet Moonfall," has never been officially appointed as the Empress.
As A-Qiu listened, Pei Yu's future was decided by them in just a few words, but she couldn't help but recall that night when they crossed the Imperial River in a small boat. Pei Yu jumped off the boat, looked up at the starry river, and chatted with Xiao Chang'an, asking about the situation in his hometown.
That was actually the last and most daring act of indulgence by a young lady from a high-ranking family.
If what the couple said is true, once Pei Yuanli leaves, Pei Yu will immediately have to take on the responsibility of restoring the family's reputation, marching north to defeat the enemy, reclaim lost territory, and fight for military power, and then she will marry into the Eastern Palace.
Pei Yu wouldn't object, because this was the path she wanted to take.
Therefore, Xiao Chang'an's choice at that time was also very wise.
Pei Yuanli looked at Mu Huaying, his originally solemn expression gradually relaxing, and a smile appeared on his lips. He said hesitantly, "Then, thank you very much."
Even though Ah Qiu was originally an enemy, he felt that at this moment, having a wife to entrust with his legacy and to revitalize his family was indeed the greatest fortune of a man's life.
Mu Huaying retorted sarcastically, "Thank me for what? If I were to say thank you, shouldn't I first thank you for taking me in all these years?"
Pei Yuanli was over fifty years old, but at this moment a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face. He awkwardly turned his head and said, "I did it willingly back then. I don't blame you... as long as you don't take advantage of me."
The tassels on Mu Huaying's gold hairpin trembled as she coldly said, "Who can coerce Mu Huaying! Back then, the world had just been pacified, and I wanted to retire, but because of my ruthless and cruel punishments while serving as the Minister of Justice, I implicated many people and made countless enemies. The only safe place in the world, besides entering the palace, is this Dongguang Marquis's residence!"
Pei Yuanli said, his expression unreadable, "But you still want to serve His Majesty to the fullest extent, so you chose to marry into the Dongguang Marquis's household as his second wife."
Mu Huaying laughed and said, "Uncle, you didn't refuse either, did you? You gained the Emperor's sworn sister, the daughter of the Mu family, a family of criminal law experts and former Minister of Justice, who married into your household with the honors due to a princess. As a result, you gained His Majesty's trust and the Grand Tutor's tolerance of the Pei family. Have you suffered a lot these years?"
Ah Qiu was surprised to hear Mu Huaying address Pei Yuanli as "Uncle" even though she was quite worldly-wise. No wonder Pei Yuanli looked much older than Mu Huaying; they weren't even from the same generation.
It's not surprising that aristocratic families often have long-standing relationships with each other, so it wouldn't be surprising if Mu Huaying addressed Pei Yuanli as her uncle before her marriage. Pei Yuanli likely had a wife who either died of illness or was divorced. Mu Huaying married into the family as his second wife, but this makes many things more plausible.
Because she was an older man with a younger wife, and was a second wife, Pei Yuanli was extremely tolerant of her.
Even though Pei Yuanli was shrewd and calculating, he was still rendered speechless by her words.
After a moment, he calmed himself down and slowly said, "So, with you here, can Xie Lang finally be a little more at ease about military matters these past few years?"
The fact that he addressed Xie Lang by his given name instead of His Majesty revealed that, although he appeared calm and composed, he was actually showing his emotions.
Mu Huaying naturally understood the implication in his words, and laughed angrily, "So all these years, you've harbored this suspicion? You think I only married into the Pei family to form a sworn brotherhood with His Majesty, and that I've been scheming to monitor you?"
Pei Yuanli did not answer, but looked out the window.
At this moment, the night was dark and the stars were few, with a cool breeze rustling, so he couldn't see anything at all.
After a long pause, he said, “Our Pei family, the Xie family from which His Majesty is from, and your Mu family of criminal law are all families of high-ranking officials and scholars, and are also old friends. As you said, I am still considered half an elder in front of you and His Majesty. Since I did not insist on understanding some things back then, I naturally do not intend to be fussy about them now.”
A spark seemed to fall from Mu Huaying's eyes, but she only let out a heavy hum.
Pei Yuanli simply placed the account book quietly beside her and said, "I'm going to sleep."
He didn't greet Mu Huaying, but got up on his own.
From this moment's perspective, although the two shared a room and a bed, it was not uncommon for them to sleep separately.
Seeing how her parents interacted, A Qiu suddenly understood why Pei Yu was so arrogant yet sensitive.
Mu Huaying remained silent and did not touch the booklets beside her.
Only when Pei Yuanli walked behind her did she say coldly, "I have already made an appointment with the Hidden Moon Clan assassins in Jianzhang. The moment Li Chongyu arrives in Jianzhang will be the day of his death."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu was suddenly startled.
She had heard the same thing from Princess Wansui. But back then, the person Princess Wansui said entrusted to her was Pei Yuanli.
Pei Yuanli was taken aback at first, but then smiled bitterly and said, "You went, so why did you have to use my identity and hide your appearance to see her?"
A Qiu was initially taken aback, but then immediately remembered something: Princess Wansui had told the clan leader that she had tried to seduce Pei Yuanli, but Pei Yuanli remained unmoved. The clan leader replied that it was only because she could not win his heart.
It now seems that Princess Wansui was wronged, because the person who went there disguised as Pei Yuanli was actually Mu Huaying.
"The Delicate-Handed Yama" is cold and elegant, with an iron face and a cold heart. How could she possibly take a rootless and wandering assassin like Princess Wansui seriously?
Mu Huaying paused for a moment, then said, "If Li Chongyu dies, and Gu Yi follows the clues to find us, it would be better to exonerate me than for my husband and I to be hated by His Majesty together."
From the perspective of the Pei family's interests, this is indeed the case. Li Chongyu is irreconcilably enmityful because of the murder of his father, and he has come here vowing to take Pei Yuanli's head. Therefore, Pei Yuanli has ample reason to ensure that he can never return.
If the matter comes to light, Mu Huaying can simply pretend to know nothing. Emperor Xie Lang, out of consideration for his sworn sister, will not harm Pei Yu and Mu Huaying even if Pei Yuanli is imprisoned, thus preserving the future of the Pei family.
However, if the Pei couple were both criminals, Pei Yu would have no future.
Pei Yuanli, who had remained calm until now, suddenly seemed to have aged ten years. He gripped the back of Mu Huaying's chair and sighed, "If Li Chongyu dies, the northern walls of Dayan will cease to exist. Our Southern Dynasty will immediately face the situation of the Hu horses moving south."
He continued, "Hasn't the Flying Phoenix Guard always considered His Majesty and the nation their primary loyalty? Why would you make such a self-destructive decision?"
His tone seemed like a sigh, but there was a subtle hint of relief in it.
Mu Huaying said in a voice as cold as ice, "The Flying Phoenix Guard prioritizes His Majesty, but the Mu family's rules of criminal law emphasize repaying all debts of gratitude and avenging all wrongs."
She stood up from her chair, turned around, and looked directly at Pei Yuanli, saying, "It was Li Chongyu who insisted on having your head, otherwise he would not cooperate with our dynasty." She emphasized her words and coldly concluded, "He brought it upon himself by choosing to oppose the Pei family."
Pei Yuanli seemed extremely pleased, yet he also sighed helplessly and said tactfully, "Others won't think that way. After all, everyone knows that I am to blame for the death of Li Chongyu's father, Duke Mingyuan."
As an allied force, deliberately delaying rescue efforts when friendly troops are surrounded is undoubtedly a betrayal of the alliance on the battlefield and should be punished by execution according to military law.
Mu Huaying suddenly said, "You are to blame, but who could have been? Could the incompetent and debauched deposed emperor Sima Yan have been blamed? Could the commander-in-chief Shangguan You have been blamed? When the decision not to send reinforcements was made, even the famous and loyal Fan Ying, who was listening nearby, did not utter a single word of objection!"
As Qiu, who was lying on the beam, listened, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his spine.
She had heard about Li Mingyuan's death from Gu Yi and others many times, but she never imagined that the people involved would be so complicated.
Not only was the last emperor of the Former Huan Dynasty involved, but Shangguan Yuqi's uncle, Shangguan Jin, the Grand Secretary of the Great Huan Dynasty, who was known as "a recluse in green robes, whose sword could sway the Jiangnan region," was also among them.
Neither Fan Liancheng nor Shangguan Yuqi were disloyal or unjust people. Therefore, A Qiu found it hard to imagine that their ancestors had participated in making the decision not to save them.
Pei Yuanli looked at Mu Huaying, and for the first time in his life, he felt a great sense of relief. He let out a long breath and said, "You were still young at the time and were not present, yet you witnessed everything as if you had seen it with your own eyes. The title of the number one criminal investigator in the Southern Dynasty is well-deserved!"
Mu Huaying said coldly, "I wasn't there, but I heard my father relay a few words. He only said that the decision made by the Golden Palace would drastically change the situation. The Southern Dynasty urgently needs a complete victory to deter the enemy, even if the cost is the sacrifice of an important figure."
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