Chapter 13 Pei Yu's younger brother, Pei Yan. ...
The next morning, Huiyin had a good night's sleep, something she hadn't done in a long time. If she hadn't dreamt of Pei Yu the night before, she probably would have slept even more soundly.
She dozed off for a while in the soft quilt, then got up, got out of bed, and opened the wooden window. The weather was getting warmer, and the warm sunlight filled the entire room.
Yan Niang brought over hot water, and Huiyin washed her hands in the copper basin. From the ready-made clothes delivered yesterday, she chose a lotus root pink curved skirt. The vine pattern was elegant, and the skirt was layered, with the cloud-like hem moving slowly as she walked.
After breakfast, Huiyin took Yanniang to Zhengyang Courtyard. He Jiaying's facial injuries were quite severe, and she hid in her room, refusing to see anyone. Huiyin explained her purpose to Madam Pei: she wanted to go back to see the Song family, whose property had been confiscated.
Madam Pei readily complied, and even carefully instructed her to bring more guards to avoid any disturbance.
The Pei family's carriages were luxurious, spacious, and imposing. Huiyin, not wanting to attract attention, only brought two guards and chose an ordinary wooden carriage with a green canopy, heading southwest.
The carriage circled the Song residence once. The Song residence had now been bestowed upon someone else by His Majesty, and the wooden plaque in front of the gate read "Fan Residence".
Huiyin gazed intently at the mansion that held her joys and sorrows. The outer courtyard had been demolished and renovated by the Fan family, leaving only the pavilion in the northeast corner intact, which used to be her favorite place.
After a long while, Huiyin lowered the carriage curtain and instructed the coachman to drive the carriage around to Shifang Street in the East Market. The East and West Markets are close to Hengmen and Yongmen, and are the most prosperous areas in Chang'an City.
As noon approached, they found a restaurant near the river to eat. Huiyin asked for a room on the second floor and secretly led Yanniang out through the back door, shaking off the Pei family guards.
Her destination today was Spring Lane, the largest brothel and entertainment district in the city, where almost all the notorious dens of iniquity were located. It was always bustling with people, even during the day.
Huiyin and Muli waited at the teahouse outside the Qunfang Flower Pavilion. As usual, today was a day off for the Imperial Academy, and given that person's nature, he would definitely come here to seek pleasure.
They weren't kept waiting long; in less than a quarter of an hour, a young man summoned the courtesans from the building to come out. He walked unsteadily and mumbled something incomprehensible.
The servants who had been waiting for a long time rushed forward when they saw him, but he slapped them away and chased them away while cursing.
He was left alone, mingling in the crowd as he headed east, with Huiyin and the other two lagging far behind him, following his footsteps as they turned into a quiet alley.
The boy stopped in front of a low-ceilinged courtyard. Although he was drunk, he remained vigilant and looked back to see if anyone was following him.
The sinister face was revealed; it was none other than Su Xin, the one who had intercepted Huiyin outside the city that day, causing Song Jingchuan to fall off the cliff. Su Xin did not notice anything amiss and with a whistle, he flipped and jumped into the low-ceilinged courtyard.
Not far behind him, at a sachet stall, Huiyin lifted the curtain and looked around at the streets and alleys in front of her. The roads were paved with cobblestones, and the surroundings were clean and tidy.
Nestled in a small alley in the bustling city, this place is a cluster of courtyards, each containing three or four rooms. Unlike the rammed earth houses of Xuanping Gate, these houses are built with blue bricks and ceramic tiles, and the beams are made of high-quality wood. They are not places that ordinary people can afford to live in; they must be the residences of minor officials in the city.
She led Yan Niang forward, and once inside the alley, it was quiet. Only a few shouts from the market could be heard, but there were no pedestrians in sight.
Huiyin crouched in the corner of the tightly sealed earthen wall, straining to listen. Yanniang nervously stood in front of Huiyin, fearing someone might pass by and discover their thieving act.
Too far away, Huiyin could only hear some faint moans. She pressed her face against the earthen wall and heard the woman's sorrowful weeping and the man's heavy breathing from inside.
The sound from behind the wall was not very clear, so Huiyin stood up and measured the height of the yellow wall, which was about one and a half people high.
She turned her head and looked around, and found a few scattered blue bricks at the foot of the neighbor's wall.
The two ran back and forth several times, neatly stacking the blue bricks in the corner of the wall. Huiyin stood on the blue bricks, tiptoeing, and could just see into the courtyard.
The noise inside the house was much louder than what she had heard from outside the wall. After concentrating for a moment, Huiyin finally heard it clearly. It was undoubtedly Su Xin's voice. His voice was hoarse, and his breathing was mixed with a few lewd words.
The woman's voice was very soft, and Huiyin couldn't hear her speak; she only heard her crying.
The sound of a carriage clattering came from the street corner. Huiyin stood up and pulled Yanniang out of the alley. It was getting late, and if they lingered any longer, the guards would probably become suspicious. Fortunately, they had made some progress today.
On the way back to the manor, Yan Niang wiped the dust off Huiyin's face with a handkerchief and asked Huiyin what she had heard.
Huiyin took the handkerchief from Yanniang's hand and covered her face with it, her voice muffled: "Indecent acts between men and women."
Yan Niang looked disdainful, not wanting such sordid matters to offend Huiyin's ears, and asked no more questions.
Huiyin leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes for a short rest. After a while, something seemed to flash through her mind. She grabbed Yanniang and asked, "Just now, through that courtyard wall, I seemed to see a lot of men's robes hanging down. Could that woman be a married woman?"
Yan Niang was taken aback at first, then her expression became excited. "My lady, adultery is a crime that can be serious or minor. At best, it can result in exile and ruin of one's reputation; at worst, it can lead to the death penalty! We can avenge our young master!"
Huiyin leaned over and covered Yanniang's mouth, gently shaking her head to indicate that she should look at the guards outside the carriage. She could not completely trust the people of the Pei family.
She clutched her pounding chest and whispered, "We can't rush things. The Su family is powerful; we can't act without a foolproof plan. The most urgent thing is to find out the woman's identity and who her husband is."
After calming down, the two returned to the Pei residence. As soon as they entered the gate, they saw Chunfen, who had been waiting for them. She immediately greeted Huiyin with a look of urgency: "Madam Song, you're back! The Lady requests your presence. Please come with me."
Huiyin asked, "What happened?"
Chunfen replied, "Today, the Lady summoned the Imperial Physician to examine Miss He's injury. The Imperial Physician said there might be a scar on her face, so Miss He then..."
Huiyin could guess what she was going to say next: He Jiaying was going to make a scene, cry, and threaten suicide. Madam Pei had no other choice but to ask Tao Ao for help.
Before even reaching Zhengyang Courtyard, Huiyin heard He Jiaying's crying and fussing pierce through the clouds. She rubbed her ears, feeling annoyed.
When she pushed the door open, He Jiaying was lying on the ground, wailing and crying her heart out. Madam Pei was pacing around anxiously like an ant on a hot pan, and several maids were kneeling on the ground trying to persuade her.
Huiyin coldly observed the chaotic inner room, her hands tucked into her sleeves, and quietly stood at the door watching the show.
Shuying couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she knelt down in front of Huiyin and begged, "Madam Song, please persuade my lady. What happened yesterday was all my fault. I kowtow to you and apologize. Please forgive me!"
She slammed her head on the ground several times with a series of crisp sounds, and her forehead quickly became red and swollen. Huiyin couldn't stop her in time, so she could only grab her hand and drag her up, saying in a calm tone, "Get up first, I have a way."
Huiyin walked into the inner room, passed He Jiaying, and sat on the brocade mat in front of her. She looked at He Jiaying's tearful face with amusement and said with a smile, "Cousin, what are you up to today?"
He Jiaying fell silent instantly, scrambled to her feet, and glared at Huiyin with resentment, her words dripping with anguish: "Did you come here to laugh at me?"
Huiyin gave Madam Pei a reassuring look and slowly adjusted her skirt. "If you don't give me a chance, how can I expect to see you make a fool of yourself?"
He Jiaying pointed at Huiyin and sobbed uncontrollably: "It's all because of you. Now I'm going to be disfigured. Are you satisfied? I'll never be beautiful again..."
Huiyin asked in confusion, "You weren't as beautiful as me even before you got injured?"
This is the essence of killing someone by destroying their spirit.
He Jiaying's face contorted in pain, her chest heaving. She pointed at Huiyin, speechless, "You...you..."
She was so angry that her whole body went limp, and she staggered back a few steps, unable to understand why Huiyin had changed her gentle temperament and was now speaking with barbs in every word.
Huiyin changed her posture, propping her head up with one hand, and said regretfully, "Why don't you stop crying? Your face is already like this, if you let the tears upset it, it will only get worse."
He Jiaying stood there, stunned. She forced back the tears that had just welled up in her eyes. She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped away the tears in front of the bronze mirror, saying as she did so, "I won't let you have your way!"
Seeing this, Madam Pei glanced at Huiyin gratefully, picked up the finest medicine and leaned forward, tenderly applying it to her face and comforting her, "The Imperial Physician said that as long as you take good care of yourself, the scars will definitely fade away. If that doesn't work, your aunt will risk her reputation to go to the palace and beg for you some Snow Skin Jade Cream."
He Jiaying's lips twitched, and she was about to cry again.
Huiyin added unhurriedly, "Still crying?"
He Jiaying knelt on the brocade mat, trembling, and glared at Huiyin with resentment, no longer daring to cry.
The two words were enough to frighten people. The servants in the room looked at each other in disbelief. Was this still the arrogant and domineering Lady He from before?
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Huiyin did not want to linger any longer. She quietly left the courtyard and took Yanniang with her.
As Huiyin and Yanniang reached the end of the corridor, Huiyin lifted her skirt to descend the stairs when a sharp sound rang out. A small pebble struck her knee, causing a sharp pain.
Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, her palm scraping hard against the gravel beside the road, drawing blood.
Yan Niang helped Huiyin to her feet and saw that her palm was covered in blood and flesh, with pebbles embedded in the wound. She couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
"Hahahaha!" A figure emerged from the artificial hill, with a face remarkably similar to Pei Yu's, strikingly beautiful and with outstanding features. He leaned on his arm, pointed at Huiyin, and laughed wildly.
Yan Niang was furious: "Where did this brat come from, daring to cause trouble in the Pei residence!"
"Hmph!" The young man moved nimbly, using one hand to brace himself against the artificial rock, he flipped over and landed on the ground. He held a pebble in his right hand, and with his left hand, he forcefully drew back the bow, aimed it at Huiyin's head, and sneered: "This is my home, I can do whatever I want. And who are you, old woman, you don't even recognize me!"
"you……"
Huiyin grabbed Yanniang. Her right leg was in excruciating pain, making it difficult for her to stand. Her palms were burning, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Judging from the young man's attire and words, she had already guessed who he was.
Pei Yu's younger brother, Pei Yan.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Thank you to readers "", for the 1 bottle of nutrient solution they provided; "39558517", for the 1 bottle of nutrient solution they provided; "ovo", for the 5 bottles of nutrient solution they provided; and "a salted fish who's just eating and drinking and waiting to die", for the 1 bottle of nutrient solution they provided.
I've seen everyone's comments. The male lead will be back in one more chapter. Thank you all for reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
