Chapter 310 She's really bold
Dou Wenyi had no choice but to stop, turn around and go inside. She placed the food box on the table, saying, "I saw you were discussing matters, so I didn't want to disturb you."
Grandpa Anxi was very perceptive; he had already opened the food box and taken out a plate of crispy yellow dumplings.
Pei Siyan casually picked up a piece and took a bite. "Did you make this yourself?"
Dou Wenyi's eyes softened, and the corners of her lips curved slightly upward. "How is it? How does it taste?"
Pei Siyan took a few more bites. "Delicious! Did you make this especially for me? I had no idea you were such a good cook!"
Dou Wenyi is actually very good at making pills. The process is more complicated than making these snacks. She rarely did it before because she didn't have the leisure to do it. Today, Shen Lishu came to the East Palace to talk and chat with her. The two of them had nothing to do, so they decided to give it a try.
Actually, they burned the first batch, so this is the second batch.
Dou Wenyi smiled faintly, "I had nothing to do this afternoon, so Li Shu and I made it together."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Pei Siyan's eyes. So this was clearly the extra portion they had prepared, and the leftovers were brought to him.
That's incredibly bold!
Yin Congjian, who was standing to the side, swallowed hard, glanced longingly at the crispy yellow pastry on the plate, pursed his lips, and remained silent.
"Lord Yin, would you like to try some?" Dou Wenyi offered to hand over the plate.
Upon hearing her say this, Yin Congjian unceremoniously took a piece, tasted it carefully, and praised it repeatedly.
Pei Siyan glared at Yin Congjian, who immediately fell silent, and the unfinished pastry became hot to the touch.
After Dou Wenyi left, Pei Siyan snorted coldly, "Weren't you full from dinner? If you want more, have your wife cook for you next time!"
"Your Highness, I have no wife!" Yin Congjian said with a resentful look. He knew that his family was already pressuring him to get married, but did he have to get involved?
Pei Siyan looked disgusted and snorted, "Useless. At your age, don't you even have someone you want to marry?"
Suddenly, a sweet, innocent face with dimples flashed through Yin Congjian's mind. Marrying her wouldn't be so bad...
His expression suddenly turned serious. "Your Highness, I do indeed have someone I admire and wish to marry. If her family also agrees, could Your Highness grant me this marriage?"
Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow, suddenly becoming interested. After all, Yin Congjian had always considered himself extraordinary, and any woman he took a liking to must have something special about her.
"Oh? Whose daughter is she?"
Yin Congjian suddenly laughed and said frankly, "She is Shen Lishu, the beloved daughter of Minister of Justice Shen."
Pei Siyan paused for a moment. Zhang Chengxian and Shen Lishu were already engaged, although it was fake. However, the engagement had not been called off yet.
A marriage alliance strengthens the bond between two families, and an imperial marriage is an added bonus; it's nothing like Emperor Muzong's arbitrary matchmaking. Both Zhang Chengxian and Yin Congjian are his right-hand men, and he couldn't possibly favor one over the other.
Shen Lishu is simple-minded and naive, while Yin Congjian is extremely shrewd, cunning, and driven by self-interest. The two are complete opposites.
He never expected that the person he admired would be her.
Pei Siyan remained silent for a moment before finally managing to utter a question, "How did you come to fall for her?"
Yin Congjian had only recently come to understand his own feelings. “Your Highness, you are in love with the Crown Princess. You must understand the feelings more deeply than I do. There is no reason to love someone.”
If it were in the past, Pei Siyan would not have been able to understand, but when he thought of Dou Wenyi, he realized that there was no reason for feelings. Even reasons such as "lust at first sight" or "saving a life" did not count as reasons.
Everyone has their own obsessions.
People can fall in love with someone for no reason, and once they do, all of her qualities become reasons for their affection.
Pei Siyan picked up another pastry, put it in his mouth, swallowed it, and then said, "Wait until you win her over before you come begging to me!"
When Pei Siyan returned to Wutong Garden late at night, Dou Wenyi was already asleep.
He tiptoed to the bathroom, careful not to wake her. After she finished washing up, he lifted the bed curtains, crept onto the bed, pulled back the covers, and scooped her into his arms.
A familiar, cool fragrance mixed with the scent of soap enveloped her. Dou Wenyi's long eyelashes trembled, and she knew without even opening her eyes that the person holding her was her husband.
Pei Siyan subconsciously caressed her waist and then followed her smooth, bare back to undo her bodice.
"Stop fooling around!"
Pei Siyan's hot breath brushed against her neck. "Not pretending anymore? You're clearly awake, don't you want to talk to me for a bit?"
Dou Wenyi was exhausted and really admired Pei Siyan for his energy. He was busy with state affairs all day long and had to review hundreds of memorials each time. How could he still have the energy to bother her when he came back at night?
"I'm so sleepy, what do you want to say?"
Pei Siyan told her about Yin Congjian's matter.
"What? Yin Congjian also admires Li Shu? He can't be joking, can he?" Dou Wenyi suddenly opened her eyes, her sleepy eyes filled with astonishment.
She couldn't help but feel worried for Zhang Chengxian; his competitors were increasing!
Not only is there Gu Yufeng, but now another one, Yin Congjian, has emerged.
But Zhang Chengxian doesn't seem to have woken up yet, which is very disadvantageous for him.
Pei Siyan directly denied it, saying, "How could someone like Yin Congjian joke about such an important matter as marriage? I can tell he's truly in love."
Dou Wenyi seemed to be deep in thought, and suddenly remembered that at the Princess's auction, Shen Lishu's painting "Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow" was bought by Gu Yufeng, while the Buddhist scriptures she had copied by hand were bought by Yin Congjian.
Therefore, their actions towards her were not impulsive; they had been planning it for a long time.
"Zhang Chengxian is also tempted!"
Pei Siyan stared intently at her features. "You always thought of Zhang Chengxian? It's not because you regret not marrying him, is it?"
Dou Wenyi frowned, pretending to be angry, and slapped his chest, scolding, "Your Highness, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you up."
Pei Siyan grasped her wrist; she was the only one in the world who could be so 'unrestrained' in front of him.
He smiled indulgently, "Hmm, I haven't even talked to you about it yet. From now on, when you cook for me, you can't give the food to anyone else."
"I'm not going to do it!" Dou Wenyi deliberately provoked him.
"Really? Yi'er, you did this on purpose, didn't you? Then tonight, I'll have to punish you properly!"
As he spoke, he slapped her round buttocks.
Dou Wenyi was in excruciating pain. "Pei Siyan, you bastard! If you bully me again, go back to your Chaohua Palace and sleep."
In the dimly lit tent, Pei Siyan looked like a child who had made a mistake, a fleeting look of panic in his eyes. He was truly spoiled.
"Okay, I was wrong. I won't use that much force next time, okay?"
——
Within days, battle reports arrived: Gu Yufeng had transferred troops from Dingzhou and Tongzhou garrisons, and the Princess's elite forces were caught in a pincer attack, suffering heavy casualties and collapsing in disarray. They quickly surrendered. Prince Duan was captured alive by Gu Yufeng and was being escorted back to the capital, while the Princess fell off a cliff and her whereabouts remained unknown.
Dou Wenyi received news of Lin Zhiyi's safety before they did.
Zhang Chengxian was rushing day and night to bring her back.
She breathed a sigh of relief. The Lin family kept quiet about the matter, only saying to the public that Lin Zhiyi had gone to her maternal grandparents' house. If no one brought this up again, her future wouldn't be too bad.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
On this day, the Sixth Princess, Pei Zhirou, arrived at the door dressed in mourning clothes...
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