Chapter 57 Cat Training Master Pei Lang slowly rose, his expression forlorn...
Above the golden palace, Xiao Ting slightly lowered his gaze, his brows filled with a satisfied lack of desire, and even more so with a sense of utter boredom with the world.
"What did Pei Lang summon you for?"
The imperial physician, kneeling and trembling beneath the main hall, was so far away that in Xiao Ting's eyes he was no different from an ant.
"Your Majesty! Chief Minister Pei summoned me to request an abortifacient tonic for his concubine!"
Xiao Ting's dark eyes regained some light upon hearing this, "Abortion?"
The imperial physician hurriedly recounted the whole story of Pei Lang's previous request for contraceptive soup and this time's abortion-inducing soup: "Your Majesty, I thought that Chief Minister Pei was an important minister of His Majesty and should be treated with courtesy."
"That contraceptive soup is the same one used by the empresses in the palace; it's extremely harmful to the body, yet I don't know why Consort Pei became pregnant so quickly..."
The imperial physician dared not guess the rest, fearing he might guess something he shouldn't know.
But Xiao Ting's expression had already changed, slowly turning cold and stern: "How dare you! When did Pei Lang become someone who can be compared to me?"
The emperor's wrath terrified the imperial physician so much that he wanted to prostrate himself on the ground and beg for mercy, but in the end, he was still waved away and dragged away.
"Useless thing..."
After removing the eyesores, Xiao Ting seemed to be deep in thought.
I originally thought Pei Lang's weakness was that little orphan girl, but I never expected that he would be so ruthless to people in private, even more so than me.
At least he was wary of He Luoyun because of her father, but why would Pei Lang treat Lin Zhi, who was already helpless and alone, like this?
Thinking about it this way, Xiao Ting, who already had some reservations about Pei Lang, felt even more uneasy. This man was really too scheming.
If Pei Lang were merely a civil official, that would be one thing, but he was also a scholar-general who understood the art of imperial power.
Whenever Xiao Ting dealt with memorials, the thought would flash through his mind: perhaps Pei Lang would have a better solution.
Even though Pei Lang had never done anything out of line, he was like a thorn deeply embedded in Xiao Ting's heart. Over time, it rotted and festered, becoming the most troublesome boil.
"Your Majesty, someone from Consort Hui's palace has come to ask what you would like for lunch. Consort Hui misses you."
The shrill voice interrupted Xiao Ting's thoughts. He unconsciously frowned, thinking of his extremely ambitious aunt and Prime Minister He. Now, he was constrained and restricted everywhere, while Pei Lang had become the most law-abiding one.
Xiao Ting swept everything in front of him on the floor before catching his breath and heading to Consort Hui's palace.
The cool water slid down her throat, and Lin Zhi finally woke up from her hazy dream, but she was unwilling to open her eyes and face reality.
In her dream, she met a little girl. She couldn't see the girl's face, but she could feel the child's softness and cuteness. However, when she couldn't help but reach out to touch her, the child suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Overwhelmed by immense loss and sorrow, Lin Zhi was moved to tears even in her dreams.
When she slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Pei Lang standing guard beside her, but she felt no emotion at all.
Pei Lang did this simply because he felt he owed himself something.
No matter what he does, she and he will never have children again; they will never be able to get over each other.
Lin Zhi raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye. Her voice was no longer as sweet and soft as before, but rather cold and frosty: "Lord Pei, there is no need to pity me so much. This is my own choice. Whether I regret it or not is none of your business."
Pei Lang, who had stayed up all night, stared at her with a complex and weary look in his eyes. A rare hint of emotion appeared on his usually calm face: "Azhi, you are my mother, but am I not my father as well?"
"This is our first child, and it's also a source of deep sorrow for both of us. Do you really have to hurt me with these words?"
Lin Zhi felt a pang of pain in her heart, but after taking a deep breath, she hardened her heart and said, "Pei Lang, from the day my aunt passed away, we could never go back to the way things were."
"Every day and night I'm with you, I have to guess and gamble, guessing whether what you say is true or false, and gambling whether what you say is sincere."
"Cousin, I'm tired, I'm really tired."
Pei Lang looked quietly at Lin Zhi, who was lost and dejected, like a withered and fragile flower. "Then what you said, that you didn't want this child to stay with me in the future, was also a lie."
It wasn't a questioning tone, but a calm and even statement.
Pei Lang had long understood that Lin Zhi's personality was much tougher than she appeared. Her gentleness was merely a forced disguise and a habit, but when she got stubborn, no one could match her.
"Yes, the child is the bond that binds us for life. Without the child, I will cut ties with you completely. You are not worth my lingering affection."
After uttering those resolute words, Lin Zhi felt no relief, only pain, a deep ache in her heart. She had gained little in her life, but lost far more.
Her aunt and second cousin were like brocade sewn into the first half of her life; tearing them would hurt, but at least no one would immediately notice what was missing.
But Pei Lang was like a flower embroidered into her very bones, every stitch of which she had embroidered herself. Once torn apart, she herself would fall apart and shatter into a tattered rag with holes and gaps.
She was raised and educated by Pei Lang, who had long been an inseparable part of Lin Zhi, more vivid than flesh and blood, and harder to erase than scars.
Lin Zhi was immersed in the exhilarating feeling of venting her pain, but then she saw Pei Lang approaching, so she disregarded their feelings and spoke up in a harsh voice: "Lord Pei, are you perhaps too impatient?"
"Having just lost my child through miscarriage, is my only remaining use to warm the bed?"
Pei Lang's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, trembling slightly.
"Oh......"
Lin Zhi had never seen the proud and aloof Pei Lang show such an embarrassed expression, but she felt that since the two were torturing each other, it would be better to let go sooner rather than later.
But Pei Lang's hand did not reach out and grab Lin Zhi's hand firmly. Instead, he reached under the covers and slowly touched her slightly protruding belly.
At first, Lin Zhi thought it was her imagination, but when she felt the small, pulsating movements still inside her body, she felt like a dying person grabbing a lifeline and suddenly got up to check her stomach.
"I know you're stubborn but soft-hearted, and you love to say one thing but mean another. You clearly can't bear to part with it, and neither can I."
"I've thought about it. If you really don't want to, even if you keep the child, I won't bother you anymore..."
Pei Lang's voice was low and lonely, with a hint of self-mocking laughter: "I'm the kind of person who brings misfortune to my mother when I was young and to my father when I grew up. I'm cold-hearted and have little affection for family."
"I thought your appearance was a blessing from God, granting me a complete family. I thought I could stop falling into hatred for you, but I forgot that you are different from me."
Lin Zhi felt a sudden emptiness in her heart. Just now, when she thought her child was gone, she said so many extremely harsh things that she couldn't even remember them all. But seeing Pei Lang's current reaction, she felt a tightness in her heart.
He hesitated, wanting to speak but unsure where to begin.
Pei Lang slowly stood up, and with a forlorn expression, gently stroked her long hair: "If not seeing me can make you happier, then I am willing."
"As long as you are well and your child is well, I am well."
Watching Pei Lang resolutely turn and leave, Lin Zhi hurriedly got out of bed and chased after him, but was still a step too late. Barefoot on the warm carpet, Lin Zhi looked down and felt the warmth emanating from the underfloor heating.
It was only then that she realized that all these things she took for granted were Pei Lang's doing.
The floor was warm, but the ground was still uncomfortable to walk on, so they found her a fine plush carpet.
The room was hot and dry, and Lin Zhi would feel a dry throat every time she woke up. Pei Lang then had someone place basins of water in secluded spots throughout the room, and the tea was also prepared to soothe her throat and promote saliva production...
Standing in the center of the room, Lin Zhi looked like a helpless child abandoned on the street, clenching her fingers in confusion but not knowing how to react.
Now that the baby was safe, Chun Tao happily took out the little bib that Lin Zhi had embroidered earlier: "Miss's craftsmanship is so good, I couldn't bear to throw it away, so I secretly hid it away."
"Luckily it's still there, so Miss won't have to suffer as much!"
Lin Zhi looked up from her needlework, stared at the unfinished bib she had brought for a long time, and reached out to her: "Let me finish the stitches."
After finishing half of the embroidery on the bib, Lin Zhi noticed that it was getting late and casually asked, "What did you have for dinner tonight, sir?"
Chun Tao reached out and handed her the silk thread, looking at Lin Zhi with a slightly hesitant expression: "Since leaving you, the master has been in the study and doesn't seem to have had dinner."
Lin Zhi paused, frowned and thought for a moment, then stood up, supporting her waist: "My back aches from sitting here for so long today, come with me for a walk."
"yes."
The two, master and servant, carried their things from the small kitchen and strolled to the door of Pei Lang's study. Lin Zhi immediately saw Xing Yun with a bruised and swollen face. When she looked again as it got dark, she was startled.
Hearing the concubine's exclamation, Xingyun struggled to open his swollen eyes and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, madam, I have frightened you with my appearance."
"How did you do this?"
Lin Zhi frowned and thought for a moment. She remembered that Xingyun was perfectly fine when she last saw him.
Xingyun unconsciously touched his face, trembling with lingering fear: "It's my own fault for being so useless. I sparred with you a few times and ended up falling like this."
Although Lin Zhi's eyes clearly showed disbelief, she still had to peek into the tightly closed study: "Are you adults inside?"
"I happened to have brought some sweet soup with me, so I took him a bowl..."
But as soon as Lin Zhi took a step forward, Xingyun carefully stopped her with a bitter face: "Madam, please don't make things difficult for me. The master has given instructions that I will not see anyone today."
Lin Zhi gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, frowning in disbelief: "Even I'm not here?"
Xingyun slowly shook his head.
After Lin Zhi and her entourage left the study, Pei Lang pushed open the door and came out: "They're gone?"
Xingyun immediately knelt on one knee and replied, "My lord, I did everything as you instructed. I'm just afraid that Madam has become angry."
Speaking would trigger a dull pain on her face, and Xingyun didn't want that to happen again.
"But you clearly care about Madam so much, why do you still hurt her feelings?"
Pei Lang withdrew his gaze from the direction Lin Zhi had left and chuckled softly, "If a stray cat is disobedient, just stop feeding it and stop looking at it. Let it fend for itself."
"But not domestic cats. If they sense that they are about to step on their owner's head, they will become even more aggressive and take advantage of their kindness."
"But its methods and abilities are limited, so even if it manages to step on it, it can't sit still."
"Instead of letting her fall hard and learn a lesson, I'd rather teach her."
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