Chapter 71 Expelled from the Mansion "So that's how it is. I never expected Lin Zhi to actually..."
Even her closest friends, Chun Tao and Xia Ying, were unaware that Pei Mingli was still alive. The feeling of carrying this secret alone was truly unsettling for Lin Zhi.
After kicking Pei Lang out of the room and failing to eat the poisoned pastries, she knew that Pei Mingli might no longer care about her.
Half a month has passed, and he hasn't sent a single word or message. He must be disappointed in himself.
Lin Zhi wandered aimlessly through the pond garden, her heart feeling empty.
She couldn't bring herself to lay a hand on Pei Lang, but she also felt sorry for her second cousin. From their respective perspectives, no one was wrong, yet they were all entangled because of her.
Seeing that Lin Zhi couldn't muster any enthusiasm for anything, Chun Tao was also a little worried. "Miss, I've heard that there are quite a few pleasure boats and painted barges in the capital recently. Why don't we accompany you on a boat trip?"
"Or perhaps we should go and choose some more fabrics and jewelry?"
Lin Zhi sat by the pavilion, her eyes filled with sorrow, and shook her head: "I don't want to go."
She opened her mouth to ask about Pei Lang, but she had also heard that Marquis Lu had been restless these days, and there were always important matters at the border. Without Pei Mingli and the Pei family, the Emperor had no choice but to send him there.
However, now that the border war has gradually subsided, Marquis Lu is unwilling to relinquish his military power.
She didn't want Pei Lang to be bothered by her affairs, and she also didn't want to face him.
She believed she understood Pei Lang. How could he not blame her for embarrassing him in front of everyone last time?
Could she use the child to blackmail him into coming back for a meeting? That's feasible, but Lin Zhi wouldn't do it.
Seeing that Lin Zhi was listless and lacked enthusiasm, Xia Ying's eyes lit up: "I saw yesterday that all the craftsmen had left the manor, so the embroidery workshop must have been repaired!"
"The concubine has been afraid of being reminded of the past and has never gone to see it. Why don't we accompany you to take a look? The newly built embroidery workshop will need to be equipped with some things."
Hearing this, Lin Zhi hesitated. Chun Tao also gently comforted her, "Xia Ying is right. Even if the concubine is unhappy now, she should find something to do. She can't just let herself suffer like this, can she?"
Turning her head to see the two people looking at her with concern, Lin Zhi sighed softly and forced a smile, not wanting those who cared about her to worry.
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
However, when the three of them strolled to the vicinity of the embroidery workshop, they saw servants and young men bustling in and out, carrying flowerpots in their hands, their faces covered in sweat.
Before Lin Zhi could even ask questions, the energetic Xia Ying stepped forward and grabbed one of them: "What are you doing? Why are you moving flowers?"
Upon seeing that the visitor was the concubine, the servant quickly put down the flowerpot he was holding and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Concubine. This is what the lady instructed us to do to move here. She said that this will be her flower room for growing peonies from now on."
Lin Zhi felt a buzzing in her ears and looked up in disbelief. Sure enough, she saw that the layout of the embroidery workshop had changed. The windows were larger and the room was filled with flower stands.
Chun Tao gasped, quickly helping the staggering Lin Zhi to her feet, and frowned: "How could this be! This used to be our concubine's embroidery workshop!"
The servant was sweating profusely and dared not speak easily. He picked up the flowerpot and tried to leave.
Xia Ying, however, wouldn't let go, saying, "There's no such logic in this world! How can you be so domineering after occupying someone else's territory!"
As the two pushed each other, a loud cracking sound followed, and the blooming peony fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Chun Tao shielded Lin Zhi from being splashed by the broken flowerpot shards, but the servant was so frightened that his face turned pale.
"Who dares to make such a racket here! How dare you behave so disrespectfully in front of Madam!"
When Ziyu came over with her tray, she went straight to the flowerpot that had fallen to the ground, pretending not to see Lin Zhi who had already seen it.
Her eyebrows shot up, and she reached out to pinch the servant's ear and kick him in the knee: "How dare you! This is Madam's favorite pot of peonies, and you dare to break it?"
"Can you afford to pay for this worthless life of yours!"
The servant knelt on the broken flowerpot, crying in pain, "Sister Ziyu, spare me! This...this wasn't my fault!"
Ziyu then turned her gaze to Xia Ying, who was puffing up her cheeks: "Oh? Did someone pull you and cause you to drop the flowers?"
"Miss Xia Ying, you certainly have quite a temper!"
Ziyu approached slowly with a half-smile on her face, then raised her hand and slapped Xia Ying hard across the face. "How dare you! How dare a servant like you touch the Madam's beloved possessions!"
Lin Zhi's anger surged, and as Zi Yu raised her hand again, she grabbed her wrist and yanked it away: "Zi Yu! Who is the one who is disrespecting me in front of me?"
Ziyu was almost pushed and fell on the broken flowerpot. She took two steps back with lingering fear and stood behind He Luochen with resentment in her eyes.
Why did my sister throw such a tantrum?
He Luochen reached out and pulled Ziyu to his side, his protectiveness undisguised. He couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Lin Zhi's concern for the slap mark on Xia Ying's face.
“The servants are ignorant, so as their elder sister, I naturally have to discipline them. Why don’t you appreciate it?”
Hearing such arrogant words, Lin Zhi's face turned cold as she withdrew her hand from Xia Ying's face, her eyes sweeping over the embroidery workshop, which was now unrecognizable. "My own people don't need to be bothered by you, Madam."
Lin Zhi gently freed Chun Tao's hand, supporting her lower back with one hand, and slowly walked to He Luochen: "Doesn't Madam just like other people's things? I don't care about people or houses."
"Madam is quite adept at putting others' ideas into practice."
Seeing Lin Zhi flash a smug smile in front of him, He Luochen's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he clenched his fists.
"Lin Zhi, how dare you speak to me like that?"
Lin Zhi tilted her head: "Isn't Madam always talking about my sister and younger sister? Why are you too lazy to keep up the act now that Pei Lang isn't here?"
"I didn't miss the little tricks you used to do in front of me, but I just didn't bother arguing with you."
"I don't care anymore. Since you like taking what I have, then you can look at these things that I left my mark on every day. These are all things I used to like. Do you need me to tell you what I will like in the future?"
Seeing He Luochen speechless with anger, Lin Zhi forced herself to turn around, but was stopped by someone calling from behind: "Does little sister think that not caring means she's won?"
"But if I told you that this wasn't my idea, and that turning the embroidery workshop into a flower shop was your husband's idea, what would you say then?"
Lin Zhi stopped walking, but she didn't turn around. He Luochen didn't mind. He stepped on the broken pieces of the flowerpot and walked up to her, speaking softly, "Actually, I didn't want to either, but my husband said that my sister is no longer to his liking."
“This embroidery workshop used to please you, but now my husband doesn’t want it anymore. He said I could burn it down or demolish it as I pleased. I’m kind-hearted and didn’t want to trouble the craftsmen, so I turned it into a flower room.”
"But I never expected my sister to be so ungrateful and even misunderstand me."
Seeing He Luochen's affected manner in his speech, Lin Zhi's hands, hanging at her sides, trembled slightly involuntarily: "Do you think I'd believe your nonsense?"
"Sister, you may not believe me, but I have a piece of advice: no matter how much a woman is favored, she should not go too far. If she hurts her husband's face, that is no small matter."
He Luochen chuckled as he approached her: "You used to rely on your youth and beauty to act coquettishly and infatuated with your husband. He was blinded by your childhood sweetheart relationship."
"When he only had you by his side, he naturally didn't know what was good. But now that he has me, he's probably realized that you... are nothing special."
"In the future, this child will probably become a means for you to keep your husband. Rather than being used like this, it would be better not to give birth."
The disparaging and contemptuous words left Lin Zhi's mind blank, and He Luochen's curse on the child further drove her to the brink of madness. She raised her hand and delivered a crisp slap, knocking He Luochen to the ground.
He Luochen screamed and then pulled Lin Zhi down with him, and the two of them fell onto the broken flowerpot.
"lady!"
"Concubine!"
He Luochen simply collapsed to the ground, covering her face and crying out, but Lin Zhi was pulled down onto the broken pieces. To protect her stomach, Lin Zhi braced herself with her hands, and her palms were cut by the broken porcelain shards.
Chun Tao was terrified. When she tried to help Lin Zhi up, she saw Lin Zhi staring at her skirt with a deathly pale face: "...blood!"
When Pei Lang rushed back to the mansion, he happened to meet the doctor coming out of the inner room with a solemn expression.
"Doctor, how are the concubine and the child?"
The doctor quickly said, "Don't worry, sir. The concubine only had some spotting due to shock and anger, but fortunately it's nothing serious. She just needs to drink a few more bowls of medicine to prevent miscarriage and rest well."
"only......"
Seeing the doctor hesitate, Pei Lang's deep eyes narrowed: "But what is it!"
"However, the concubine's palm was cut by a shard of porcelain, which not only drew blood but also severed the tendons in her fingers. Although it can be healed, I'm afraid it will not be as agile as before."
Pei Lang's face stiffened; he never expected to be injured like this!
Lin Zhi loves embroidery, but if she hurts her finger, how will she ever be able to pick up an embroidery needle again?
Pei Lang hurried over to see her, but Zi Yu stopped him: "My lord, our lady has suffered a great injustice today! Please come and see her!"
Just two steps away, Pei Lang's steps were abruptly halted before the inner room by those words. His eyes flickered, and he clenched his fists before forcing himself to turn around and walk towards He Luochen.
Looking at the bright handprint on her cheek, Pei Lang's expression was unusually calm: "What exactly happened today?"
He Luochen sobbed and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, her face streaked with tears: "I went to see the flower room today. It was my husband who said that I could turn a room into a flower room. I never imagined that it used to be Sister Lin Zhi's embroidery workshop."
"My younger sister caught me in the act today. In a fit of anger, she not only smashed my flowers but also started hitting me. However, after hitting me, she lost her balance and fell, which also aggravated her pregnancy..."
She was initially confident that Pei Lang would stand by her side, but as she spoke, seeing Pei Lang's indifferent expression, she became somewhat uncertain.
Then, deliberately, she said, "My shoulder injury hasn't fully healed yet, I never imagined my sister would be this kind of person..."
Pei Lang looked up at her, and although his face was expressionless, it sent a chill down He Luochen's spine.
"So that's how it is. I never expected Lin Zhi to be so ungrateful, arrogant and domineering."
"In that case, why not strip her of her status as a concubine and demote her to a lowly maidservant? Once she gives birth, we can expel her from the household."
Pei Lang spoke calmly, as if he were merely discussing what to have for dinner, not at all like someone mentioning their lover.
He Luochen never expected things to go so smoothly. Originally, she wanted to proceed slowly, but she didn't expect Pei Lang to agree so readily to kick her out of the mansion!
She forcibly suppressed the smile on her lips, but frowned and pretended to be serious: "After all, my sister is the mother of my husband's eldest son. Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
But Pei Lang reached out and patted her shoulder: "What's so difficult about that? Just register the child in your name after it's born."
"A newborn child will only remember the kindness of whoever raises him."
Pei Lang and the other man spoke at a moderate volume, just enough to reach Lin Zhi's ears as she awoke.
She lay on her back on the couch, a single tear slowly streaming down her pale face. She felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen and palm, but at that moment, she felt an even greater pain in her heart.
The physical pain is inflicted by enemies, but the emotional pain is inflicted by lovers.
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