Yao Zhijie's buttocks have been in great pain lately, and he can no longer ride a horse, so he can only ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
The carriage arrived at the Marquis's residence quickly. Yao Zhijie was a frequent visitor to the Marquis's residence, and without waiting for the servants to announce his arrival, he went straight inside.
"Young Master, take it easy, you're still injured."
Yao Zhijie ignored the servant's words, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, and hurried inside.
Upon entering Pei Yanzhi's courtyard, one finds a winding path paved with bluestone leading to the main house.
Along the path, several magnolia trees stood bare, their trunks barely supporting the ground. Snowflakes fell heavily, and the entire courtyard was quiet and peaceful.
On the west side of the courtyard is a two-story study building, and below the study building is a bamboo grove.
The emerald green bamboo stands tall in the snow, its leaves piled high with snowflakes that flutter down in the wind.
After passing through the bamboo grove, you will reach the main house.
The building was exquisite and meticulously designed, and Yao Zhijie could smell a medicinal odor even before he entered.
As soon as he entered, he saw Yin Quan applying medicine to Pei Yan, with Liu Yunyan standing to the side through a screen.
She looked at Pei Yanzhi behind the screen, clutching a handkerchief in her hand, sobbing uncontrollably, her clothes soaked with tears.
"Miss, please don't cry. If you start crying as soon as you get back, people will think our young master is going to die."
"..."
With a resentful glare at Xiao Wu, who was lighting incense and talking indiscreetly beside her, Liu Yunyan stopped crying and started talking about the banquet again.
Finally, she showed an expression of utter grievance and guilt.
"Cousin, it's all my fault. I can't compare to Jiang Yao. I'm afraid the old lady won't agree to let me into the family."
After she finished speaking, sobbing, she saw that Pei Yanzhi behind the screen was as still as a statue, only vaguely able to see his handsome and unparalleled profile through the white cloth on the screen. She then lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
“The Fourth Prince sent me a letter yesterday, saying that if I cannot enter the palace before the end of the month, he will not give me the antidote for this month.”
"I am now under his control, and that poison is so potent that even my cousin can't concoct an antidote. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid that after I die, my cousin will have to face not only the First Prince and the Crown Prince, but also the Fourth Prince. He'll be caught between two sides, what will he do..."
"It's alright, I'll figure out a way to get you in."
She looked down and saw that her wounds were almost completely bandaged, but Pei Yanzhi interrupted her.
My cousin couldn't bear to see me die.
My cousin really cares about me.
A smile played on her lips as Liu Yunyan stared at the layers of people getting dressed inside, her eyes glistening with tears.
In truth, she couldn't see anything through the screen, but just staring at his reflection on it was enough to make her heart race and her eyes fill with adoration.
"Cousin, actually I..."
Just as she was about to pour out her heart, heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside.
Turning around, I saw Yao Zhijie covered in snow.
"..."
Isn't this the young master of the Yao family?
He is now a colleague of his cousin, and his elder sister has a good relationship with Jiang Shuwan. Today, she has been helping Jiang Shuwan the whole time, but he has remained silent and unperturbed.
As Liu Yunyan pondered this question, Pei Yanzhi, behind the screen, reached up to put the clothes that had fallen onto his shoulder back on and spoke.
"You go back first, I have something to say to Master Yao."
"..."
Ugh, how annoying. I wanted to spend more time with my cousin.
Liu Yunyan got up from the cushion in a huff, not forgetting to give Yao Zhijie a glare as she left.
Yao Zhijie: "..."
He chuckled and, while taking off his cloak, stared at Pei Yanzhi who emerged from behind the screen.
"Your little cousin is really something. She's all delicate and charming in front of you, but behind your back, she can kill you with her eyes."
With his plain white belt tied in the middle, Pei Yanzhi was dressed neatly enough to enter the palace and meet the emperor.
He stared at the heavy snow outside the window, then turned back to look at Yao Zhijie.
"You came here just to say this?"
"..."
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because what he said almost made Yao Zhijie die of anger.
"How dare you say that! What do you mean by this! I was trying to help you out, and you're spreading rumors that you're the one who started this commercial tax. How clever of you! You're trying to be a hero and take the blame for your Miss Jiang. If you miss, just say so. Why drag me into this commercial tax thing?"
He was filled with resentment and anger, pointing angrily at Pei Yanzhi, especially at the injuries on his body.
"Just you wait, plenty of people will want to kill you tomorrow!"
Staring at him, Pei Yanzhi didn't speak, but his eyes were terrifying. Yao Zhijie's heart skipped a beat when he saw his sharp and cold gaze, and he took two steps back.
What are you doing?
He didn't dare to look him in the eye for a moment.
“Planning? I should have said that I have my own ideas about the Crown Prince and the First Prince’s investigation into the origin of the merchant position.”
"Your stance? What stance do you have? You're such a big man, so indecisive and hesitant. She's just a woman; there are plenty of women in the world. What's wrong with abandoning her?"
“Even Liu Yunyan knows that you are now going to deal with the First Prince, and the Crown Prince is also watching you like a hawk. I don’t believe you don’t understand your current situation.”
He didn't argue with him about the issue, but stared at him intently.
“You shouldn’t have joined forces with Princess Nan’an.”
"..."
Yao Zhijie's hand tightened, and he suddenly felt a sense of absurdity.
He stared at Pei Yanzhi, his eyes filled with surprise.
"You weren't planning to take the blame for her all along, were you?"
"..."
The Imperial Palace.
As soon as Eunuch Su entered the palace, he saw the old emperor staring blankly at the snow outside.
"Your Majesty, it's cold. Shall I help you inside?"
Upon hearing his voice, the old emperor turned to look at him, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
What do you think?
"..."
Eunuch Su was stunned for a moment before he remembered what he had asked.
"Your Majesty is referring to the matter of the Crown Prince helping his wife bear the commercial taxes? I heard that the Crown Prince and the First Prince have been investigating this matter these days, and many noble families are saying that they want to find the person who first mentioned the commercial taxes and tear him to pieces. The Crown Prince's actions are to protect his wife."
Upon hearing this, the old emperor nodded.
"The couple were of one mind and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to serving me."
"Once the commercial tax revenue is collected, they should be rewarded."
Eunuch Su was immediately overjoyed, but he suppressed his feelings and handed the old emperor a robe while whispering something.
“It is a subject’s duty to share His Majesty’s burdens. Besides, the Crown Prince has been granted an official position by His Majesty’s grace and will be able to participate in the imperial examination in February. His Majesty’s grace is boundless. If we were to bestow any more rewards, it would be too much, and the court officials would probably not agree.”
"Ha, do you think I need to be mindful of their opinions? Look at them, they actually attempted assassination in the street. They simply don't respect me at all."
"The more they oppose me, the more I will rely on them."
As he spoke, the old emperor's gaze into the snow grew even more profound.
After Eunuch Su draped an outer robe over him, the old emperor leaned against the wooden railing and gazed at the snow-covered landscape of the Imperial Garden.
He then asked another question out of the blue.
"Tell me, was it the Crown Prince or the eldest son who assassinated Pei Yanzhi..."
"..."
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