Chapter 50: "I want you to stay with me for one night."
Ling Zhenli's biological mother was a renowned beauty in the surrounding villages. Although her family was extremely poor, she was beautiful and proud, and determined to marry into a higher social class. Fate gave her an opportunity. When the county magistrate visited the village, she seized the moment, became pregnant with her daughter, and became the county magistrate's wife.
Because she had married into a wealthy family, she cared deeply for her husband after marriage, even neglecting her children and focusing all her attention on him. When her husband died, her world collapsed, and she followed him without hesitation, without considering what would happen to her daughter living alone in the world.
"Yes, when I was young, my father was always busy with work, and I rarely saw my mother. Only you... only you were there for me back then. You're right, I'm the kind of person who loves whoever loves me."
Ling Zhenli looked sorrowful. It was precisely because of the lack of maternal love that she was moved by the Prime Minister's wife's unreserved doting on her and easily forgave the Xue family for what they had done to her in the past.
"It was my fault for saying that. I just wanted to say that as long as I'm by your side from now on, you'll love me again and be devoted to me. I know Pei Xuanlin is good to you, and I understand that you can't forget him right now..."
Xie Daojian hoped that Ling Zhenli would change her mind, but Ling Zhenli's heart had already become fickle.
“I don’t know if I can forget him, Ayu, and I don’t want to forget him. He loved me so much, how could I dare to forget him? But I…” Ling Zhenli said, grabbing Xie Daojian’s hand with a solemn expression, “I can’t abandon him. I’m telling you, if your positions were reversed today, I would also beg him to let you go.”
Xie Daojian smiled slightly after hearing this.
Sure enough, we can't let Ling Zhenli, this bird that yearns for freedom, out of the cage. Once she's wild, how can she ever think about going home again?
"Alright, Ah Li, you bad woman, you're such a womanizer." Xie Daojian smiled and flicked Ling Zhenli's nose, at his wit's end.
What else could he do with Ling Zhenli besides forgiveness and acceptance?
"I can't help it, you're all too good to me." Ling Zhenli leaned on Xie Daojian's shoulder and whimpered softly, "Ayu, it's all my fault. I'm sorry to Pei Xuanlin. I'm already married to him, but my heart is still wandering outside and having affairs everywhere."
"There are plenty of men in the world with three wives and four concubines, so I won't be harsh on you. Blame it on my lack of ability before, that I didn't marry you in time, which led you to meet Pei Xuanlin."
Xie Daojian shook his head wearily. There were still too many good men in the world; he had to be even better to stand out.
“…I really miss Pei Xuanlin. I’m so worried that something has happened to him. Can you tell me how Pei Xuanlin is doing now?” Ling Zhenli asked quickly when Xie Daojian’s attitude softened.
Xie Daojian lowered his eyes, a dark undercurrent surging within them, as somber as dusk pressing down on a city, and finally, it turned into a barely audible sigh.
"There is no war in the Northwest."
Ling Zhenli's mind went blank for a moment. She stared at Xie Daojian in disbelief, still thinking.
"There's no war in the Northwest... Then, what is Pei Xuanlin doing on his expedition? It's been so many days. If it's not a battle with the Northern Barbarians, could it be...?"
Thinking of this, Ling Zhenli's eyes widened in horror.
“He will be ambushed and die on his way to the Northwest. So, Ah Li, whether you accept it or not, he is going to die. You will see his head in a few days,” Xie Daojian said calmly.
"No! No!" Ling Zhenli became agitated after hearing this, struggling to get out of bed and stumbling off the bed. "No, he can't die! I have to find Prime Minister Xue. He's my father now, he won't abandon me. Xie Daojian, listen to me, if Pei Xuanlin dies, I won't let you get away with this."
That resentful yet powerless look in his eyes.
His voice was hoarse and trembling.
Everything pierced Xie Daojian's heart.
Ling Zhen's hair was disheveled, her hairpins were askew, and she didn't even care that one of her shoes wasn't on properly. She just picked up the hem of her skirt and stumbled toward the door.
"Don't go! Ahri!"
Xie Daojian panicked and quickly went over to grab Ling Zhenli, preventing her from leaving.
"He's not dead, he's still alive, Ahri, he's still alive!"
Hearing Xie Daojian loudly proclaim that Pei Xuanlin was still alive, Ling Zhenli gradually calmed down.
Xie Daojian was completely devastated. The person Ling Zhenli cared about most was no longer him, but Pei Xuanlin.
“Pei Xuanlin is not dead. He hasn’t gone far. He heard about what happened in Chang’an and about Pei Chang’er becoming the Crown Princess. He is currently in the Jiangnan area, which is some distance from the capital. He holds half of the Tiger Tally and can command the troops there. The two sides are fighting back and forth, but they are keeping the news from the people in Chang’an.”
Ling Zhenli fell silent after hearing this.
Just being alive is enough.
As long as you're alive, there's hope.
If Pei Xuanlin is alive, then it is possible for him to fight his way back and reclaim the throne that belongs to him.
She still has a chance to become empress.
"Ayu, do you think that crazy woman Pei Chanlian might reveal my true identity?" Ling Zhenli's face instantly darkened.
"Ah Li, why are you suddenly bringing this up? Are you going to get rid of Pei Chanlian?"
Xie Daojian thought to himself that Pei Chanlian was easy to deal with, but her brother Pei Jinliang was not. Pei Jinliang knew a lot of evil deeds committed by aristocratic families, and each and every one of them was a handle. If he killed both of them, he was afraid that Pei Jinliang would use some method to expose the handle he held. Aristocratic families would not let the person who killed Pei Jinliang off easily.
“She hates me to the core, so there’s no need for me to leave her any way out. I’ll cut ties decisively.”
At this moment, Xie Daojian remembered that Pei Chanlian had drugged Ling Zhenli and Yang Chengxiu, and found a solution: "Pei Shang'er also wants to kill Pei Chanlian, but she lacks an excuse. Go ask her. Her coronation ceremony is tomorrow. Killing Pei Chanlian is just a matter of a word."
*
Taiji Palace
Ling Zhenli, dressed in a plain white dress, poured tea for Pei Shang'er in the pavilion.
"You're quite an interesting woman, you know how to bend and stretch."
Pei Chang'er played with the nail guards, her gaze falling on Ling Zhenli's face.
Ling Zhenli presented the teacup with both hands: "I know what is important and what is not. My Xue family only serves the emperor. After your enthronement ceremony tomorrow, you will be the rightful emperor."
Pei Shang'er raised an eyebrow and took the tea from Ling Zhenli's hand: "I'm not used to you being so meek and submissive. You'd better get up quickly."
Ling Zhenli stood up without any politeness, looked directly at Pei Shang'er, and said, "I've thought it through. Rather than staying with someone whose fate is unknown, I'd rather seek refuge with a wise ruler."
“You need something from me, don’t you?” Pei Shang’er saw through her and said directly, “Just say what you want to say, don’t beat around the bush, it makes me want to vomit.”
"I want Pei Chanlian to never be able to speak again."
"You want her dead?" Pei Chang'er laughed.
"Anything is fine, just make her disappear." Ling Zhenli's eyes were indifferent, as if she were talking about a trivial matter. "Even if you don't help, I have plenty of ways."
"You are a cold-blooded and ruthless woman, Xue Yingyue. I admire you a little. Is this your true nature or just a good actress? You don't seem like an imposter, but rather like their own daughter, just as ruthless and vicious as the Prime Minister and his wife."
Ling Zhenli sneered: "Thank you for your praise. Before Yang Chengxiu died, he asked me to keep you company for him after his death. If Pei Xuanlin were in power, he would ask me to help you live on. But he is overthinking it. You are in power now."
“…He really said that.” Pei Shang’er softened instantly.
"Yes, he loves you very much."
Pei Shang'er smiled and said to Ling Zhenli meaningfully, "Such a good man, if you marry him, he will treat you well too."
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenli simply smiled, sat down, lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of pity was hidden in her eyes.
"You seem to mind my relationship with Yang Chengxiu, is it because I was his fiancée before?" Ling Zhenli's voice was gentle as she poured Pei Shang'er another cup of tea.
"Yeah, I'm annoyed by you."
“You are a noble princess, and no matter how illustrious my family background is, I am nothing more than a subject to you. Why do you hate me?”
Ling Zhenli weighed the pros and cons. She needed to make Pei Shang'er happy and build a good relationship with her. Maybe she could even get some useful information out of her and secretly pass it on to Pei Xuanlin.
“Hate? I wouldn’t say that. At most, I’m just… a little annoyed by you. I don’t like Pei Xuanlin, so it’s just a case of disliking someone because of their family.”
Pei Shang'er wasn't gloomy. Seeing Ling Zhenli's sincere attitude, she lowered her guard. She leaned back, her red lips slightly curved, her eyes slightly raised, her fingertips twirling the ends of her hair, glancing at Ling Zhenli with a half-smile, like a lazy yet dangerous cat.
"Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, let's not waste any more words and cooperate. You shouldn't have forgotten how Pei Chanlian harmed me and Yang Chengxiu back then, and how she poisoned Yang Chengxiu with love potion. At the time, there were many obstacles that prevented us from killing her, but tomorrow you will ascend the throne as emperor. Are you going to let her continue to live a carefree life?"
Pei Shang'er would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted after hearing this, but she couldn't be the only one to play the villain. She had to get Xue Yingyue on her side as well. Xue Yingyue had the Prime Minister's Mansion backing her, so this was the best opportunity to win over powerful families.
"Alright, Xue Yingyue, I can give you a chance. Tonight I will summon Pei Chanlian to the palace wall and I want you to kill her with your own hands. If you can do it, I will appoint you as a female official, allowing you to freely enter and leave the palace, and your treatment will be the same as when you were the Crown Princess."
...
As dusk fell like blood, the setting sun dyed the city walls a dark red.
Pei Chanlian lifted her skirt and climbed the narrow steps. The palace maid leading the way stopped at the corner and whispered, "Princess, we've arrived."
Pei Chanlian snorted coldly and walked forward with a flick of her sleeve.
The late autumn evening was already cold, and the wind on the city wall was stronger than below, making the skirt flutter.
She thought Pei Shang'er would be waiting for her upstairs, but when she arrived, she found Ling Zhenli instead.
"How could it be you?!" Pei Chanlian exclaimed in disbelief.
Ling Zhenli slowly turned around, her snow-white dress fluttering like a butterfly in the wind, holding a celadon teacup in her hands, the steam quickly dissipating in the cold wind.
"Pei Chanlian, shouldn't you be happy to see me?"
Pei Chanlian subconsciously took a half step back, glaring fiercely at Ling Zhenli: "What am I happy about? Why are you here? Wasn't it the Crown Princess who summoned me? Where did Pei Shang'er go?!"
"The Crown Princess will not be coming."
After Ling Zhenli finished speaking, she pointed to the teapot on the stone table, "It's getting cold. Why don't you sit down and we can have some hot tea and have a good chat?"
Pei Chanlian's gaze swept back and forth between the teapot and Ling Zhenli, and she let out a cold snort: "Tch, I won't sit down. I have to be wary of you poisoning me if I drink tea with someone like you!"
Ling Zhenli sighed softly.
This was a calming tea she had specially prepared, hoping it would help Pei Chanlian pass away peacefully. But now, tsk tsk.
"I called you here to tell you about my relationship with Xiao Chongheng."
Pei Chanlian's pupils contracted slightly: "Your affair with him? So, you're admitting that you're that annoying prostitute?"
Pei Chanlian's words were still as annoying as ever, but it didn't matter. He was going to die anyway, so let him say whatever he wanted.
Let me tell you a story.
Ling Zhenli slowly got up, walked to the edge of the city wall, her fingers tracing the cold bricks, and began to tell Pei Chanlian.
“That’s right, you’re right. I am that woman. My real name is Ling Zhenli. A year ago, the Prime Minister pushed the mess of the court onto my father, causing my family to be destroyed. Xiao Chongheng was the murderer who was ordered to kill my whole family.”
As she spoke, Ling Zhenli smiled bitterly. "But at the time, I didn't know that the man who destroyed my whole family was Xiao Chongheng. I only thought of him as a great hero who saved me from dire straits. If it weren't for him, I would have really become a prostitute who was ridden by thousands and slept with by thousands. He took me in at Zuixianlou. He doted on me and gave me gold and silver jewelry and exquisite clothes. Although it was a brothel, my food, clothing and accommodation were no less than those of a noble lady. They were even better than what I used when I was the daughter of the prime minister."
Pei Chanlian's face turned deathly pale, but she couldn't utter a complete sentence: "You...you bitch, are you showing off to me?!"
Ling Zhenli's face was full of sorrow. The more she looked at Pei Chanlian, the more she thought she was incredibly stupid. Pei Chanlian actually thought she was showing off. What was so great about being a prostitute? If Pei Chanlian thought it was good, why didn't she do it herself?
However, in order to let Pei Chanlian die knowing the truth, Ling Zhenli continued to explain to her.
"Xiao Chongheng was good to me and handsome. I had never seen a man more handsome than him, so I fell in love with him, hopelessly in love. I wanted to be with him, even if I could only be his concubine. I didn't care. I just wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. When I had this thought, I became pregnant. I was pregnant with his child when I loved him the most. I was extremely happy at that time and hoped that he would redeem me from the brothel..."
Pei Chanlian dug her nails into her palm: "Redeem you? You still want to be with Chongheng for the rest of your life? How disgusting! You're really just dreaming, always coveting my husband!"
As Ling Zhenli listened to her words, her eyes gradually turned cold: "He didn't redeem me because you appeared. You are a high and mighty princess, and I am a lowly prostitute. He wanted to marry you, but he didn't want me anymore. I was heartbroken and had a miscarriage. He abandoned me without mercy, and my daughter's body was never found. You and he are having your wedding night. Do you think you hate me more, or I hate you more?"
After Ling Zhenli finished speaking, she suddenly turned around, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Pei Chanlian was so frightened by this that she retreated repeatedly.
"This...this has nothing to do with me. Xiao Chongheng is my husband. He only cares about you all day long. I was just teaching you a lesson. Who told you to seduce my husband!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenli's attitude changed instantly. She became nonchalant and casual, straightened her sleeves, and walked to the other side of the city wall.
"Pei Chanlian, aren't you coming to take a look?"
Ling Zhenli pointed to the lights of thousands of homes gradually lighting up in the distance. Night had fallen, and this was quite a beautiful sight.
Pei Chanlian stared warily at Ling Zhenli's back, hesitating to go forward.
The moonlight gilded the woman with a silvery edge, making her seem like an immortal being. But Pei Chanlian felt that Ling Zhenli's beautiful appearance concealed a vicious heart, and she could not go to her.
"What a beautiful view it is from a high vantage point! I used to love watching the night view from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, especially when I was with Xiao Chongheng."
Ling Zhenli looked up at the rising moon and chuckled softly, "Back then, I only hoped that one day I could stand tall in the sunlight and start a new life. It's just a pity..."
Upon hearing these words, Pei Chanlian moved forward a few steps as if possessed, standing next to Ling Zhenli. From this angle, one could indeed see most of Chang'an City.
The lights of the imperial city were like a cascading galaxy, and the lanterns in the market formed winding ribbons of light. This was where Pei Chanlian had grown up, but she had never seen it from this height before.
"What do you regret?" Pei Chanlian asked involuntarily.
Ling Zhenli turned her face to the side, the moonlight casting shadows on her delicate features.
"Unfortunately, ever since I became the Prime Minister's daughter and successfully stood in the sunlight, in order to conceal my past, I have had to endure Xiao Chongheng's threats and your repeated provocations. Every day is... too hard. But what about you? Just because Xiao Chongheng glanced at me a few more times, you drugged me, hoping I would die. When Pei Xuanlin comes back, will you tell him my true identity? So... you bitch, go to hell."
Before Pei Chanlian could react, she felt a tremendous force coming from her back.
She stared wide-eyed in terror, seeing the chilling murderous intent in Ling Zhenli's eyes, seeing her outstretched hands grasp nothing, seeing the torchlight on the city wall rapidly receding into the distance...
The wind swallowed her last words.
Ling Zhenli looked down at the falling figure until a muffled thud came from below the city wall.
She straightened her wind-blown sleeves, calmly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, and wiped her hands.
The handkerchief drifted away in the wind, following Pei Chanlian's departed soul.
"Blame it on knowing too much," Ling Zhenli said softly to the void, her eyes icy.
A cold wind blew through the night, and it was pitch black all around.
After finishing tidying up, Ling Zhenli was about to turn around and leave when a sudden burst of applause rang out from the city wall.
The applause was neither too fast nor too slow, but each clap felt like a blow to Ling Zhenli's heart. Humans are far more terrifying than ghosts, and the applause echoing in her ears made her tremble with fear.
"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic!"
A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows.
The moonlight outlined his sharp features, his thin lips that seemed to be smiling, and a small mole on the right side of his high nose bridge, giving him a uniquely sexy look. He wore a brocade robe and a jade pendant hung at his waist.
Ling Zhenli's pupils contracted slightly. This was Fang Wenzhou, the second young master of the Fang family, and the current deputy commander of the palace guards.
The reason she was able to recognize Fang Wenzhou was thanks to her good brother Xue Haoting, who told her that there were four most famous young men in the capital. Besides Xue Haoting and Cui Haoxu, the noble young men of the Xue and Cui families, Xiao Chongheng, who was as handsome as a dragon and as elegant as a phoenix, was the second young man of the Fang family, Fang Wenzhou, who was standing in front of her.
Among the young masters of the capital, he was the only one whose appearance could be compared to Xiao Chongheng's.
Now that I see it, it's indeed true.
"Lord Fang," Ling Zhenli said, as if nothing had happened, "what a coincidence that you're also admiring the moon from the city wall."
Fang Wenzhou walked to a stop three steps away from her, a distance that was neither offensive nor too intrusive, yet allowed him to see all her little movements.
He had been hiding in the shadows, eavesdropping and watching everything that was happening. Fang Wenzhou knew everything Ling Zhenli had said and done, and now he was ready to play a trick on her.
"The moonlight is nothing compared to you," Fang Wenzhou tilted his head, a playful smile on his face, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "I came here specifically to see you, but I accidentally overheard what you said and then accidentally witnessed you committing murder."
The night wind became biting.
Ling Zhenli showed no outward sign, but cold sweat had already seeped out from her back. Fang Wenzhou's teasing words had become a threat to her ears.
Unlike Pei Chanlian, who had no one to rely on, Fang Wenzhou was backed by the Fang family, descendants of founding fathers with deep-rooted influence in the military. Even Chen Rao had to be wary of them, so she couldn't easily deal with them.
“Young Master Fang,” Ling Zhenli said, trying to calm herself down, “eavesdropping is not the act of a gentleman.”
Fang Wenzhou chuckled and took a step forward. Ling Zhenli could even smell the faint scent of pine wood emanating from him, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.
He was more than half a head taller than her, and at that moment he leaned down slightly, his breath almost hitting her face.
"When did I ever say I was a gentleman?"
He pressed on and on, and Ling Zhenli took a half step back, her back hitting the cold city wall.
She quickly scanned her surroundings; there was no one there, only the faint light of palace lanterns flickering in the night in the distance. In other words, as long as Fang Wenzhou was dealt with, there would be no more threats.
We need to think of a way to make Fang Wenzhou fall off the city wall as well.
"What are you looking at?" Fang Wenzhou was amused by her self-righteous little actions, saw through her thoughts, and found it funny.
Ling Zhenli looked at his amused expression, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, but she quickly calmed down and threatened with a cold smile: "If I can kill Pei Chanlian, I can kill you too."
Fang Wenzhou's smile deepened. He instantly moved closer to Ling Zhenli, pinned her hands behind her back, and pressed her against the city wall.
Ling Zhenli struggled, but was horrified to find that this seemingly carefree young master was incredibly strong and she couldn't break free at all. Instead, she twisted her wrist and felt a burning pain.
"Can you still kill me now?"
His lips almost touched her earlobe, and his warm breath sent a shiver through her body.
"Let me go! How dare you be so disrespectful to me!" Ling Zhenli gritted her teeth. "I am the Crown Princess!"
“She’s the former Crown Princess,” Fang Wenzhou corrected, his tone flippant. “Pei Xuanlin has been deposed, and your current identity is Miss Xue. Oh no, judging from what you just said, Miss Ling would be more accurate, wouldn’t you?”
"You! Shut up! Let me go right now!"
After she finished speaking, Fang Wenzhou actually let go of her hand.
Ling Zhenli lost her balance and stumbled, almost falling into his arms. She quickly pulled away, rubbing her aching wrist. In the moonlight, faint red marks had appeared on her fair skin.
"What exactly do you want?" she stared at him warily, glaring angrily.
Fang Wenzhou leaned against the city wall, his posture languid, but his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's: "To tell you the truth, I am Pei Xuanlin's friend. He knows that I work in the palace and that Pei Chang'er is in danger and might make a move against you, so he specifically asked me to keep an eye on you when you enter the palace, in case something happens to you."
He paused, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "I never expected to witness such a good show."
Ling Zhenli's heart sank instantly.
Oh no, he's Pei Xuanlin's friend? Does that mean he'll tell Pei Xuanlin soon?
Does that mean she's not far from death?
Ling Zhenli suppressed her inner fear and unease and asked, "Since that's the case, name your terms. What will you give in exchange for keeping this secret?"
Fang Wenzhou did not answer immediately, but instead slowly and deliberately looked her over.
The moonlight bathed the woman before him in a silvery glow. Today, she wore a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light blue silk sash tied around her waist, making her waist appear incredibly slender.
The pallor of murder on her delicate face only added to her captivating charm.
"You're quite clever, knowing that keeping secrets comes at a price." Fang Wenzhou moved closer, lifting Ling Zhenli's chin to examine her closely.
Ling Zhenli dared not make any rash moves and could only glance at him, saying, "Enough with the nonsense, just state your conditions."
He spoke, his voice low and deep: "I want you to stay with me for one night."
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