Chapter 386 Recognizing Ancestors and Returning to One's Origin
On the day of Master Pei's birthday, Yun Zhaoxue and Madam Yang visited on behalf of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
They brought their two children with them; this was their first visit to Lin'an in several months.
The steward, who was greeting guests at the gate, saw the carriage of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and quickly sent the servant in charge of leading the way to invite the master inside.
Yun Zhaoxue stepped down from the carriage.
Master Pei Yanping and Pei Huaiji came out to greet them. "I, Pei, greet the Princess and the Princess. It is my honor that you two have graced my humble abode with your presence. Please come in!"
Madam Yang nodded slightly. "Master Pei, please!"
Behind him, six guards each carried an exquisite box, handing the congratulatory gifts to a servant of the Pei household.
When Master Pei saw the congratulatory gifts, he didn't even need to look at them; just by looking at the boxes, he could tell they were very valuable.
"Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Princess. I am already very grateful for your visit. Please don't spend too much next time."
The two sides exchanged a few brief pleasantries.
Pei Yanping then personally led them into the house.
There weren't many people invited to this banquet.
They were all old friends of the Pei family, and seats were set up in the hall.
Upon entering the hall, one immediately sees a long, carved rosewood table facing south, with a brocade of fine indigo covering it. On the table are gilded candlesticks and a celadon incense burner, and behind it stands a silk tapestry depicting pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity.
Below, on both sides, are eight dining tables for two people each, also covered with brocade.
Each table contains a pot of warm wine, two dishes of seasonal fruit, and three kinds of candied fruit.
When they arrived, half of the guests were already there. They were all well-known wealthy merchants in Lin'an City, and they were all old acquaintances, talking quietly in the hall.
"Your Highness, Princess, please!"
Pei Huaiji: "Master, look who's here?"
Hua Murong was also there, positioned below Yun Zhaoxue.
He had been traveling all night and was very tired. He was dozing off in his seat when he suddenly heard this voice. He looked up and saw Yun Zhaoxue. "The girl is here?"
He didn't live in the Pei residence, but wandered around Jiangnan at will, and his disciples were everywhere he went.
He had an apprentice who opened the largest clinic in Lin'an City.
Xiao Mingshu was an apprentice to his apprentice, and she learned a lot from different patients every day.
"My two darlings are here too. Come on, let this old man hold them."
"Uncle Hua, it's been a long time. When did you return to Lin'an?"
"Today is a lucky day, as we're going to have a big feast of fish and meat later."
Incidentally, it's a test of the character and medical ethics of my disciples and their descendants, not an expectation that they will use their medical skills to help the world and relieve suffering.
I only hope that the medical skills he taught them will not be used to aid the wicked or to exploit the people.
Anyone who dares to use the name of Medicine Ghost Valley will have their tendons crippled, be expelled from the sect, and be forbidden from practicing medicine for eternity.
I went out for a stroll this time and didn't find any rebellious disciples who violated the sect's rules.
He criticized some of his apprentices for minor issues and promised to correct them.
Hua Murong picked up Da Bao, who was quite heavy in his arms, and rocked him. "My darling, you've grown so much in just a few months. Do you still remember your Grandpa Hua?"
One or two strands of his white beard brushed against Da Bao's cheek, and Da Bao reached out and pushed them away.
Da Bao, "Grandpa Hua, the beard..."
"Oh, it's all because of this beard. I'll trim it a bit after the banquet." Hua Murong moved his beard to one side.
Madam Pei greeted the ladies in the hall. When she saw Madam Yang and Yun Zhaoxue arrive, she told the guests to chat first and then she came over to greet them.
"Your Highness, Princess, I am sorry for not greeting you properly."
"Madam, please rise. Master Pei and Second Young Master Pei greeted us at the door with great courtesy. There is no need for forgiveness."
"Mother, let me introduce you to these two. These are Da Bao and Er Bao, whom your son has mentioned to you."
Holding Erbao in his arms, Pei Huaiji leaned slightly towards Madam Pei so she could get a good look at the babies. "Don't you think they're adorable?"
His biological mother is the elder sister of the woman in front of him, Madam Pei, who raised the two children.
Pei Huaiji also called her mother.
When Madam Pei saw the two children, she smiled and said, "Yes, they are so cute. Their eyebrows and faces are clearly those of outstanding individuals. They are blessed children. They are also handsome, just like their mother. Prince Xiao must be exceptionally good-looking to have such wonderful children."
“Ji’er, Madam He just asked me about your marriage to your elder brother. The He family’s daughter is seventeen years old…”
Madam Pei did not agree to the other party's request, intending to ask for the child's opinion before making a decision.
She used to turn down jobs whenever possible, but now that her children are older, it will be even harder for them to find someone when they get older in a few years.
He was holding the child the whole time, so he seemed to really like children. He often talked about his two kids at home.
She didn't say what came next.
Pei Huaiji understood what she meant and pointed to his elder brother not far away, saying, "Mother, there is an order of seniority. I will wait until my elder brother gets married before it is my turn. I am not in a hurry. You can let him take a look first. You two chat first. I will go and talk to Master."
He knew that the ladies gathered together today would definitely talk about their children's marriages. He and his elder brother were single, and they would inevitably have to go through the process of meeting and getting engaged.
He still prefers being alone and wants to travel around; settling down would be inconvenient.
The guests had almost all arrived, and the banquet began.
After Pei's father took his seat, he introduced Yang Shi, Yun Zhaoxue, and Hua Murong to all the guests.
Although they were renowned merchants in Lin'an City, with countless riches, they were still looked down upon by high-ranking officials and nobles. Now that the Pei family had sent two such important guests, they must want to make acquaintances and expand their network, which would be beneficial for future business.
After Pei's father finished his introduction, they took turns standing up to introduce themselves to Madam Yang and Yun Zhaoxue.
After the banquet, Master Pei invited Yun Zhaoxue to his study.
"Nephew...Princess, please sit down!"
Would you like someone to make tea?
"No need for that, I'm not thirsty."
“Princess, you should know your background, right? I am your uncle, and that is my second brother’s daughter, his own daughter. His lineage has a successor.” Pei’s father looked at Yun Zhaoxue, whose features resembled his second brother’s, with tears welling up in his eyes.
Only when there are successors and someone to carry on the family line can one's life be truly worthwhile.
Although he and his second brother are twins, they have different appearances and temperaments because they have taken different paths in life.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "Uncle, you don't need to call me Princess in private. Just call me by my name. I know about my background, but I can't openly go to the Pei family to acknowledge my ancestors or change my surname to Pei. So I'm very sorry, and I hope you can understand."
The Pei family gave her a lot of help, and they weren't bad people.
She doesn't object to acknowledging the marriage, but she can only do so privately.
"I understand, I understand, we just need to know it ourselves."
They chatted for another quarter of an hour, mostly Pei's father talking about his second brother's life.
He was sent away as a child and suffered a lot. After returning home as an adult, he was murdered and died young.
Yun Zhaoxue opened the box and saw a stack of shop deeds, land deeds, and house deeds.
"Uncle, these are too precious."
Lin'an was the second capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, where land was incredibly valuable. So many shops, located on the most bustling streets, must be very valuable.
Even if the Pei family is wealthy, this is still a significant sum for them; it's a huge financial blow.
“It’s not valuable. Half of the Pei family’s estate belongs to my second brother, and I’ve been holding onto it for him all these years. I owe my second brother a great deal, and I, as his elder brother, owe him even more. You are his only daughter, and his estate should be inherited by your niece. If your niece doesn’t accept it, do you think it’s too little? It’s a bit late now, so I’ll let you…”
"No, no, that's not what I meant. It's just that it's really too valuable."
“Princess, since you call me uncle, we are family. I’ve heard from Ji’er that you are a natural businessman, much better than your eldest cousin. The shops will be able to realize greater value in your hands.”
“If your father could see you doing well, he would be happy. This is the only thing I can do for him.”
After catching up, Pei Yanping took her to the ancestral hall to pay respects.
Inside the ancestral hall, there is a memorial tablet that reads "Tomb of my late brother Pei Yan'an".
"Father, your daughter is unfilial. I only learned about my origins last year and only came to pay my respects today. Please forgive your daughter. I am doing well now, and I hope you will not worry about me."
In her previous life, she was an orphan from a young age, without parents or relatives. She was trained by an assassin organization to become a mercenary assassin. Although the original owner of this body also lost both parents, she still had relatives who treated her as family.
Yun Zhaoxue lit three incense sticks and talked for a while; she had already wasted a lot of time here.
He bid farewell to Pei's father.
Pei's father's second son, who was guarding the door, saw Yun Zhaoxue out.
He would stay, and every year on his brother's birthday, he would drink a couple of cups with him in the ancestral hall, say a few words from the bottom of his heart, and make up for the regret that the two brothers were separated by death back then.
"Second brother, today is also your birthday. We specially chose today to let Zhaoxue recognize her ancestors and return to the family. By the way, I've also met your two nephews. You are very fortunate, much more fortunate than me. My two..."
Pei Huaiji told her, "Every year on this day, my father would spend half a day nagging in front of my second uncle's memorial tablet."
"The two brothers have a very good relationship."
"Twin brothers are all like this, it's the same with my big brother and little brother who don't distinguish between you and me."
"You and your older cousin too."
“I am different from my older brother. He is like my father. He is not talkative, mature beyond his years, and his personality is very different. Every time I see him, it is like seeing my father.”
"Big brother, what are you doing here?"
"Who's your older brother?"
Pei Huaiji awkwardly touched his nose, "...Big brother is really good at joking."
Xu Yao jumped out and shouted, "Second cousin, we all heard it! You said that eldest cousin is your father!"
"Shut up, shut up." Pei Huaiji lunged forward and covered his mouth.
"Ugh, let go..." Xu Yao was suffocating from being covered by him. He swung his hands forward, struggled to break free, and ran towards Yun Zhaoxue. Pointing at himself, he said, "Cousin, do you remember me? We met when we were boating on West Lake that day, probably in early December last year."
"I vaguely remember."
"I knew it. Back then, I still knew you were my cousin."
"It's not too late to know now, but please keep it a secret, Young Master Xu."
"Okay, keep it a secret, definitely keep it a secret."
They escorted Yun Zhaoxue to the door.
Ms. Yang and her two children were already waiting at the door.
The Pei family also prepared a gift for her, even more than what they had brought when they came, and they even used a carriage to transport it back.
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