Chapter 56 The abortion medicine tasted bitter... I wondered if it was just my imagination.
When Pei Lang led his men out of the city, they hadn't gone far when they saw Fang Shiyun's caravan.
Fang Shiyun was the most calculating and pretentious person, with the temperament of a young master, yet he was unsuccessful on the road of business, always riding a fine horse ahead alone.
Pei Lang suppressed his anger and had no time for pleasantries. Upon hearing Xing Yun say that Lin Zhi had left home, he punished Xing Yun. Lin Zhi was still pregnant, and he had long ago instructed the servants to take her seriously, but Xing Yun ignored his words.
Pei Lang's anger reached its peak when he bumped into Chun Tao, who was fleeing back in a disheveled state, on his way out of the search.
The Emperor had just said he would bestow a marriage upon him and He Luochen, and now Lin Zhi was being implicated by thieves, how could he not overthink it?
The horse he was riding was also restless, raising its front hooves and snorting incessantly.
Pei Lang intended to bypass Fang Shiyun's caravan, but he saw Fang waving at him from afar, and it seemed that there was someone in his arms...?
"Pei Lang! We saw your carriage on the trade route back. Who are these people in your family? If I hadn't intervened, they would probably have been smashed to pieces along with the carriage..."
Fang Shiyun had just spurred his horse to Pei Lang's feet when, before he could finish speaking, his arms were suddenly empty. The woman who had been wrapped in his cloak was swept away by Pei Lang's long arm.
The warm, soft body in his arms suddenly vanished. Fang Shiyun belatedly rubbed the lingering warmth between his fingertips, his expression somewhat frozen.
"What's wrong with her?!"
Pei Lang held Lin Zhi in his arms, staring at her lifeless, pale face. He quickly reached out to check her breathing, and while he breathed a sigh of relief, he found his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Fang Shiyun had never seen his friend react so strongly. A bad thought flashed through his mind: "She hit her head and passed out... Could she be your concubine?"
Pei Lang nodded silently, but then felt that this was not the right place to talk, so he asked Fang Shiyun to go back to his residence with him first.
Sitting on his horse, Fang Shiyun watched Pei Lang tear off the cloak that belonged to him from Lin Zhi and pull her tightly into his arms. For a moment, he felt a strange, indescribable tightness in his throat.
"Madam is only still unconscious because she was frightened and inhaled a small amount of sleeping powder. Please rest assured, sir."
"The baby in her womb is fine. It's just that the fetus has been a little disturbed."
Pei Lang stood to the side with a somber expression, yet his voice remained steady: "Thank you for your trouble, Doctor. Someone, escort him out of the mansion."
After all the servants in the room had left, Pei Lang slowly walked to Lin Zhi's side, staring at her pale face, her hands and body covered in small scratches, and a swollen lump on the back of her head.
Fortunately, nothing serious happened.
Pei Lang gently unfolded her hand that was tightly clutching the mint sachet, only to see that the nail marks she had made on her palm were already red, swollen, and purple, showing how much force she had used and how scared she was.
After frowning slightly and personally applying ointment to her wounds, Pei Lang then arranged for someone to go to the front hall.
Seeing Fang Shiyun sitting thoughtfully in his seat, Pei Lang frowned and tapped his hand in front of him: "What exactly happened today?"
Fang Shiyun curled his lip and placed what he was carrying in front of Pei Lang: "This was taken from that thief."
"I was leading a caravan back to the capital when I unexpectedly encountered your carriage on the road. The carriage was being driven very fast and was about to crash into the mountainside. I shot an arrow at the horse and managed to stop it."
"The thief tried to run away, but I shot him in the leg with an arrow and he was caught. Unfortunately, he had poison in his mouth and took his own life before I could interrogate him."
Pei Lang frowned as he examined the waist token in his hand; it was an extremely intricately carved peony flower.
"They're the princess's people..."
Pei Lang rubbed the object in his hand, his long, slender fingers squeezing it so hard they turned white.
"Princess? Why is she getting involved? She has no grudge against you..."
Fang Shiyun stopped talking as he spoke. He had overheard Xie Zheng and the other man talking about how the princess and Prime Minister He might have a close relationship.
Even though he didn't enter the court, he knew that Pei Lang and Prime Minister He had been fighting for several years. From the very beginning, when Pei Lang was the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, Prime Minister He disliked him and suppressed him in every way.
Pei Lang only suffered two setbacks in his youth. After that, he and Prime Minister He kept each other in check and balance, and neither of them ever gained any advantage.
Pei Lang stared intently at the peony waist tag, a wave of shock surging within him. However, he didn't believe it could be the princess's work, given how clumsy it was.
He wasn't so quick to assume someone was stupid just because he saw the waist tag, but the timing was too coincidental, especially since no one else besides the Emperor and Consort Hui knew about the arranged marriage.
Just thinking about Lin Zhi's pitiful and miserable appearance made Pei Lang feel a lump in his throat, unable to breathe.
Fang Shiyun, however, was completely focused on another matter: "Is that really your concubine?"
"Didn't you say the concubine was pregnant? That woman doesn't look like it at all..."
Pei Lang snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at him coldly. "You've met Lin Zhi before, so why don't you recognize her now?"
Fang Shiyun pursed his lips, intimidated by his gaze, and reluctantly suppressed his curiosity: "That was so long ago, and besides, I didn't look closely back then. I didn't even see his face clearly, so how could I remember it?"
"What kind of attitude is this? I saved your wife and child's lives! If you hadn't met me, you'd be crying your eyes out by now!"
That's true, but Pei Lang only gave a perfunctory reply: "Thank you, thank you so much. I have no way to repay you, so I can only put in a good word for you with Uncle Fang."
Upon hearing that he was going to put in a good word for him with his father, Fang Shiyun hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "There's no need for that!"
"Back then, you only said a few nice words to me, and my dad beat my backside so badly. If you had said a few more, I wouldn't be alive now."
"Forget it, I don't care about your thanks!"
As he watched Fang Shiyun flee in disarray, Pei Lang's smile gradually faded. He ordered his servants, "Burn Fang Shiyun's cloak and send him two new ones instead."
Heaven knows that when he saw the other man's clothes on Lin Zhi, he was filled with murderous intent.
Only he can touch his things; even if he doesn't want them anymore, no one else can pick them up.
With a gloomy face, he hurriedly returned to the bedroom, only to see Lin Zhi wake up in a panic, looking flustered and pitiful.
"How is my child! Is my child alright!"
Upon seeing Pei Lang, Lin Zhi slumped to her knees, gripping his large hand as if she had found her pillar of support: "Has the doctor been here? I think I inhaled some kind of sleeping potion, could it have harmed the child?"
Seeing Lin Zhi's red and wet eyes, Pei Lang quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, the doctor said you're fine, and so is I."
"It's just that the pregnancy has been disturbed, but things will be fine once things settle down these days."
Hearing that the child was alright, Lin Zhi felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, murmuring, "It's good that he's alright, it's good that he's alright..."
Staring at Lin Zhi's panicked and reluctant expression, Pei Lang didn't say anything but pulled her into his arms. Lin Zhi initially tried to struggle, but eventually leaned on his shoulder and began to sob softly.
Pei Lang patted her gently to comfort her, his voice tender yet his words cruel, "Azhi, there are still six days left. I've asked the imperial physician; he won't let you be in too much pain."
Lin Zhi stiffened, her forehead resting on Pei Lang's firm shoulder, hesitating for a long time but unable to utter a word.
She slowly raised her head to look at Pei Lang, her tearful eyes seeming to have something to say, but Pei Lang gently cupped her cheeks with his warm hand, his deep eyes full of encouragement and understanding.
“Ah Zhi, I couldn’t understand it before, I just thought you hated me.”
"But now I understand why you don't want this child; you're afraid."
"It was my fault for making you a mother so early. Thank you for giving me a chance to make amends. We can have more children when you've thought it through."
Pei Lang's decisive words silenced Lin Zhi, who had originally wanted to keep the child, but Pei Lang's words stopped her.
Today, having nearly lost this child, she realized that she loved him more than she had imagined. Nearly a hundred days of living and breathing together had already instilled in her an indescribable affection for this child.
But she had to take responsibility for her decision, otherwise all her past hysteria would have become a joke.
Lin Zhi silently lay back down, rubbing her lower abdomen with lingering fear. Now, all she wanted to do was cherish this precious remaining connection.
Pei Lang spent a few more days at home with her during his leave, but Lin Zhi gradually became more and more silent, and Pei Lang would occasionally notice her secretly wiping away tears.
Pei Lang waited and waited, but Lin Zhi never came to find him.
It wasn't until the imperial physician delivered the medicine packet from the palace and carefully inquired about Lin Zhi and the other person's thoughts that the packet was handed to Pei Lang.
"Although this medicine will not be too harmful to the body, you should not get pregnant again within a year, as it will be extremely bad for your health."
"This medicine is very mild, and it contains a calming herb. Once you drink it, you'll wake up after a good night's sleep and everything will be settled. You won't be in much pain."
Hearing the imperial physician's words, Lin Zhi could no longer bear it and quickly got up to leave, leaning against the wall and sobbing uncontrollably.
The two people inside the room heard it clearly, and even the imperial physician showed a look of pity on his face, but Pei Lang remained calm, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Lin Zhi's eyes were swollen and red from crying. Someone gently patted her shoulder from behind, just like when Lin Zhi saw her favorite cat.
"Azhi, let's go."
Lin Zhi reached out and grabbed Pei Lang's sleeve, standing still and refusing to move. Her originally full, red lips were bitten until they turned white as if she had been abused.
Lin Zhi was waiting, and Pei Lang was also waiting.
Wait for the other party to relent, wait for them to show that they care about you more.
Lin Zhi was by nature resilient. She didn't want many things growing up, but she never got them.
She now wants to keep the child, but her pride, her current situation, and the grudge between her aunt and Pei Lang all prevent her from doing so.
Keeping the child would only become a burden for the two of them in the future.
Lin Zhi remained expressionless, but in her heart, a raging storm had erupted, slamming the very person who most wanted to speak into the sea.
Pei Lang waited for a long time but she didn't agree.
The two remained locked in this stalemate for almost an incense stick's time before Lin Zhi finally took a heavy step.
Because miscarriage would cause bleeding, Lin Zhi simply took off all her clothes except for her undergarments.
Pei Lang dismissed Chun Tao and the other woman, and personally helped Lin Zhi take off her clothes one by one.
His long, slender hands deftly moved through the ties of her clothes, making Lin Zhi feel increasingly heartbroken. It wasn't until she was gently lifted up and placed on the bed that she couldn't help but grasp Pei Lang's hand.
She looked pitiful, like a fragile kitten that had fallen into the water, but Pei Lang misunderstood her meaning and held her hand back to comfort her: "Don't worry, I will stay here with you. The medicine has been prepared."
His gentle words were like countless fine needles, piercing Lin Zhi's heart, leaving it riddled with holes, the wounds invisible yet causing excruciating pain.
She slowly released Pei Lang's hand, but ultimately didn't say a word.
The two, one lying down and the other sitting, were clearly the closest of people, yet each harbored their own thoughts.
When Chun Tao brought the medicine over with trembling hands, she held back her tears and dared not say anything more.
Pei Lang lifted his wide sleeves and took the medicine soup with one hand. He let it cool slightly until it was drinkable. He had also taken a porcelain spoon, but Lin Zhi snatched it away and drank it all in one gulp!
"Miss!"
Whether it was her imagination or not, Lin Zhi felt a phantom pain in her lower abdomen as soon as the bitter medicine went down her throat.
Her slender hands gripped the blanket tightly as she slowly drifted off to sleep under Pei Lang's complex gaze.
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Author's Note: Thank you all for your subscriptions and support!
Buckle up, the wife-chasing train is about to depart! Driver Songsong is about to take everyone to the heart-wrenching transfer station!
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