Chapter 64 Why did she fall in love with Pei Xuan so easily...?
When Pei Xuanlin returned to his bedchamber under the moonlight, Ling Zhenli was leaning against the window reading a book. It was a copy of "Zuo Zhuan" that Xue Wenmian had asked Xue Haoting to bring to her, saying that he would test her when he got back, so Ling Zhenli had no choice but to read it.
The candlelight cast a soft silhouette on her profile, and the gold hairpin in her hair swayed gently as she turned the pages of her book.
Pei Xuanlin gently walked behind her and leaned down to place a kiss on her hair.
Ling Zhenli turned around, closed the book, and a smile naturally appeared on her lips: "Why are you back so late today? Is it raining outside again?"
Pei Xuanlin did not answer, but simply pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips deeply.
This kiss was different from the usual gentle one; it carried a hint of urgency and unease.
Ling Zhenli keenly noticed his abnormality, gently pushed him away, and cupped his face to examine him closely.
"What's wrong?" Her fingertips traced his slightly furrowed brow. "You look so sad. Did you get caught in the rain? What happened?"
Pei Xuanlin took her hand and buried his face in her palm.
"Ah Li".
His voice was muffled, "Would you look down on me because my mother is Turkic?"
Ling Zhenli was slightly taken aback, then said softly, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking this?"
She tried to see his expression, but he insisted on keeping his head down.
"Answer me first, okay?" His voice held an unusual vulnerability.
How strange, Pei Xuanlin rarely has such a vulnerable moment.
Ling Zhenli's heart softened. She gently rubbed his cheek and said firmly, "Of course I won't mind."
She cupped his face in her hands, making him look at her, and smiled gently at him, "Your mother gave birth to you so well, I'm so grateful to her."
Pei Xuanlin smiled wearily: "You're just extending your affection to everything related to the house."
Ling Zhenli ran her fingertips along the bridge of his high nose: "Hmm... then let's say that."
She knew Pei Xuanlin wouldn't ask her such a strange question for no reason, so her smile gradually faded, and she said seriously.
"Now you can tell me, what's wrong with you?"
Pei Xuanlin was silent for a moment before finally speaking: "My brother-in-law told me that there have been many rumors circulating in the capital recently, saying that I was born of a foreign race and that the throne should be inherited by someone of pure blood."
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhenli's face instantly darkened.
"Who said that?"
"There are quite a few people, aren't there?" Pei Xuanlin smiled faintly.
Even she couldn't bear to speak harshly to Pei Xuanlin, yet some fool dared to gossip about the current emperor behind his back.
"Our ancestors still have Xianbei blood in their veins! Are you going to kill me just because your mother was Turkic?"
“Pei Cong, the son of Emperor You, has pure blood and is capable of undertaking great responsibilities.” Pei Xuanlin said, shaking his head and smiling.
She turned to look at Pei Xuanlin, her eyes burning with anger: "This is outrageous! Who is it that dares to utter such disobedient words!"
"Ah Li, are you angry?"
Pei Xuanlin felt inexplicably happy when he saw her angry about him.
Ling Zhenli held his hand, her voice soft: "I'm angry because you've been wronged. If anyone dares to say such things again, I'll make sure they never see the sun tomorrow."
Pei Xuanlin looked up at her, the gloom in his eyes gradually dissipating.
It's okay, the real Pei Cong will never appear.
Pei Xuanlin didn't want Xue Yingyue to think he was a beast who could even kill an infant, so he chose to keep the matter a secret and didn't reveal that Pei Cong was dead.
Pei Xuanlin reached out and pulled Ling Zhenli back into his arms, holding her tightly: "Ali, I don't care what others say, I only care about you, having you is enough."
Ling Zhenli nestled in his arms, feeling his strong heartbeat.
Her fingertips gently traced his back, her tone firm: "You are the ruler of the world. If anyone dares to question your legitimacy, they are questioning the entire Tang Dynasty and me."
She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes: "Let's go back to Beijing in a few days, to clear up these rumors and get rid of those ignorant fools."
Pei Xuanlin stared at her, then suddenly smiled.
That smile was like the moon breaking through the clouds, dispelling all the gloom.
"Your Majesty's decisiveness is beyond my ability." He gently kissed her forehead. "I will listen to you."
***
Both were meritorious officials who rose to power, but the Fang family received far less reward than the Xue family, which sowed the seeds of resentment in their hearts.
Seeing Pei Xuanlin's doting affection for Xue Yingyue, the Fang family concluded that the emperor had been bewitched by the empress and was gradually losing his virtue as a wise ruler.
Driven by resentment and ambition, the Fang family and Princess Wuyang, who also harbored resentment, hit it off. Meanwhile, Pei Shen'ai, grieving the loss of her husband and son, blamed everything on Xue Yingyue and the emperor, vowing to overthrow Pei Xuanlin's throne, destroy the Xue family, and reshape the court.
Moreover, since Princess Roujia's death, many noble ladies have been eyeing Xiao Chongheng, attracted by his noble status and outstanding appearance, and wanting to marry him.
This includes the Fang family.
Fang Wenzhou's cousin, Fang Yuxian, had long admired Xiao Chongheng. She asked Fang Wenzhou to find out what Xiao Chongheng thought. Fang Wenzhou happened to have something to discuss with Xiao Chongheng, so he agreed.
The Duke of Yan's Mansion in the Capital
“I’m glad she was able to kill Roujia; it means she cares about me.”
"madman."
"You were also won over by her, weren't you?"
"..."
The night was deep, and only a dim oil lamp was lit in the study of the Duke of Yan's mansion.
Fang Wenzhou and Xiao Chongheng sat facing each other, separated by a rosewood tea table with two cups of tea that had long since gone cold.
Seeing Fang Wenzhou speechless, Xiao Chongheng sneered, picked up his cold tea, and took a sip.
“I killed her father with my own hands, and I also killed her mother. She killed my father and brother. Perhaps this is our fateful entanglement. We will continue to hate each other, which is fine.”
He put down his teacup, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "Hate lasts much longer than love."
Fang Wenzhou laughed after hearing this, and his laughter sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.
"You're fooling yourself. Do you know she spent the entire winter last year with the Duke of Bao? She's long forgotten about you."
Xiao Chongheng toyed with the teacup in his hand, his expression unchanged: "I don't care about that damn thing called chastity. As long as she doesn't hang out with rotten people and harm her body, I won't stop her. Of course, I have no right to stop her."
"I'm talking about time and companionship, not physical intimacy."
Fang Wenzhou looked at him calmly, "She gave all of these to Xue Haoting and Pei Xuanlin, and all you have is her unbearable past."
Xiao Chongheng's expression finally turned cold.
He put down his teacup, making a crisp clinking sound: "So what? I was the first man she loved so deeply. We had a past, and that's enough."
Fang Wenzhou scoffed: "Sometimes I really envy you guys. You both have an advantage over me. Even though your relationship with Ling Zhenli is on the verge of collapse, you still have the past to reminisce about. Only I can do without her."
Xiao Chongheng curled his lips in a mocking smile: "You're quite self-aware."
Instead of getting angry, Fang Wenzhou smiled and changed the subject: "But now, Ling Zhenli likes me a little more than you."
Seeing Xiao Chongheng's face turn cold instantly, he continued with satisfaction, "At least she'll still come to me when she's lonely."
Xiao Chongheng's fingers tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white: "She's just playing around with you to relieve her loneliness. Don't take yourself too seriously."
Fang Wenzhou shrugged indifferently: "I admit that she only cares about me when she's infatuated, but she would never like a man who plots against her for the throne. You and I both know that."
"Do you think the Fang family's current actions aren't plotting against her for the throne? Pei Xuanlin is willing to give her half of the country and be on equal footing with her. Can you do that? Besides, you don't understand her at all. You don't know her as a person. She loves whoever is by her side, whoever takes care of her. Otherwise, what do you think Pei Xuanlin has that can compare to me? Not to mention Xue Haoting, he's nothing."
She just said she wouldn't stop Ling Zhenli from being with other men, but now she's constantly cursing the men she's with.
Fang Wenzhou laughed uncontrollably upon hearing this: "You keep saying you're not jealous or envious, but you're probably furious inside."
Xiao Chongheng stood up and said impatiently, "Enough nonsense. If there's nothing important, I'll have to see you out. I don't have time to talk to the Empress's new lover for so long."
Now it was Fang Wenzhou's turn to be unhurried. He played with the teacup in his hand, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face.
Fang Wenzhou looked up at Xiao Chongheng, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "Don't be in such a hurry to see your guest off. You're not satisfied with the Xiangcheng County Princess your mother found for you. What, you're not planning to remarry and strengthen your power?"
Xiao Chongheng chuckled and said casually, "I haven't fallen so low that I need to use marriage to win over other forces."
His gaze swept over Fang Wenzhou, tinged with sarcasm. "I know the Fang family sent you here to recommend your cousin to me. It's just the two of us here, so I'll be clear from the start: I don't want her."
Fang Wenzhou smiled instead of getting angry: "Before I left, my father said that if my cousin Yuxian could be given to you, she would be willing to be your concubine."
Then, he lowered his voice and reminded Xiao Chongheng, "Moreover, Princess Wuyang has also spoken, and for the sake of the alliance between the two families, you must accept Fang Yuxian."
Xiao Chongheng's eyes suddenly turned cold.
He slowly stood up, walked to Fang Wenzhou, looked down at him, and said with a mocking tone, "You wouldn't want to see Ling Zhenli sad either, would you? If I take Fang Yuxian as my concubine, she will definitely make a scene."
Fang Wenzhou raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his face: "Right now, she only has eyes for Pei Xuanlin. Why would she care whether you take a concubine or not?"
These words were like a needle, precisely piercing Xiao Chongheng's most painful spot.
His eyes dimmed for a moment, then ignited with an almost obsessive light: "If you don't believe me, let's try it."
Soon, a bitter smile appeared on Xiao Chongheng's lips. "Actually, I also really want to see if she still cares about me."
Fang Wenzhou stared at him, then suddenly laughed: "Xiao Chongheng, you're pathetic. You actually have to test her heart in this way."
He stood up and looked Xiao Chongheng in the eye.
"You know that even if she really cares, it's not because she still loves you."
Xiao Chongheng's hand clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white: "So what? As long as she's still angry and sad for me, that's enough."
"Are you crazy?" Fang Wenzhou shook his head and chuckled.
Xiao Chongheng's voice carried a kind of crazy obsession: "Whether she hates me or loves me, all I want is for her to never forget me in this lifetime."
"Looks like you've really gone mad."
Fang Wenzhou turned and walked towards the door, but stopped before pushing it open.
"Let's take a gamble and see if she cares about you."
Fang Wenzhou also wanted to know whether Ling Zhenli was...
It doesn't matter. Whether she cares or not, he's not her husband, so what right does he have to be jealous?
Fang Wenzhou left, and the door closed gently. Xiao Chongheng finally loosened his clenched fist, revealing four deep nail marks on his palm.
He walked slowly to the window, gazing at the deep night outside, but the image of Ling Zhenli appeared before his eyes, and he couldn't help but start to have wild thoughts.
Lingzhenli...
fickle.
Why did you fall for Pei Xuanlin so easily? Is he good to you?
Do you really love Pei Xuanlin?
I don't think so.
Anyway, I know you definitely wouldn't die for him. For you, nothing is more important than survival.
You don't love him.
A night breeze swept through the corridor, and rain began to fall outside the window, pattering softly against the eaves.
Xiao Chongheng recalled a rainy night a year ago. Ling Zhenli was most afraid of thunder and lightning. On the bed, she hugged him tightly and said that she was not afraid when he was there.
Now, they've come to this.
Does hate last longer than love?
Xiao Chongheng recalled his words, a hint of wavering flashing in his eyes.
If there is only hatred, why would you care whether she cares or not? If there is only hatred, why would you test her in this way?
Even he himself couldn't answer these questions.
That night, Xiao Chongheng went directly to the Princess's residence and agreed to Pei Shen'ai's marriage proposal.
Pei Shen'ai was overjoyed and quickly asked him, "You've finally figured it out."
Xiao Chongheng ignored his mother's words and said with a dark look in his eyes, "If they are willing to live as widows to marry me, then Mother, make the arrangements. It doesn't matter what they do."
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