Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Lady Pei hesitated.
Princess Jin’an ordered coldly, “Send her away at once.”
Then she turned to the two elderly palace matrons. “Do it! Did I tell you to stop?”
Now that she had resolved to kill Xing Shuwei, how could she allow someone to interrupt her so easily?
Let them batter the door. By the time those outside broke it down, the person who deserved to die would already be dead.
Unexpectedly, the servants Lady Yu had brought were trained fighters. They broke the door open in only two blows.
Lady Yu strode inside and naturally caught sight of Princess Jin’an.
But the princess wore the ordinary clothes of an official’s female relative, so Lady Yu simply pretended not to recognize her and headed straight for Xing Shuwei with Matron Yu.
Matron Yu coldly pushed the two elderly palace matrons aside.
Xing Shuwei immediately rose from the long bench.
Without even pausing to thank Lady Yu, she turned and ran.
At the sight, Princess Jin’an hurriedly rose and left.
She wanted to avoid truly running into Pei Xianjing when he came to rescue the beauty and embarrassing them both.
Her mother had repeatedly warned her that she must not truly break with Pei Xianjing.
She still had to heed the Empress’s words.
The imperial physicians and palace maids followed close behind her and quickly departed.
Lady Pei watched them leave the courtyard before withdrawing her gaze.
She said to Lady Yu, “You rarely leave your courtyard, and no family banquet can persuade you to attend.
“Yet today you hurried here so eagerly to offend Princess Jin’an.
“If she demands an explanation in the future, you can apologize to her on behalf of the Duke’s estate.”
Lady Yu knowingly pretended ignorance. “Offend Princess Jin’an? Where is the princess? Don’t joke with me, Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Lady Pei snorted. “Do you think pretending ignorance will save you from disaster?”
Lady Yu’s smile faded. “I hurried here for your own good, Eldest Sister-in-law. You mustn’t twist my intentions.
“Neither Eldest Brother nor Jing’er has declared whether the family will support the Empress, yet you secretly draw so close to Princess Jin’an.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, you are using the future of the entire Duke’s estate to satisfy your private desires.”
“Nonsense!” Lady Pei erupted in anger. “Such a lack of manners! Is this how the Yu family’s upbringing taught you to slander the mistress of a household?”
Seeing that reason could not penetrate her, Lady Yu spoke plainly. “If the Eldest Young Master were your own son, you could oppose him however you pleased, and I would say nothing.
“But you did not give birth to him, and you forced his birth mother to her death.
“Even Eldest Brother does not stand with you. Why keep inviting humiliation? As mistress of this family, what reason do you have to side with outsiders?
“I will never trouble myself over you again. We shall see whether you drag the Duke’s estate down with you first or Eldest Brother deals with you first.”
With that, she turned and left, indifferent to whether Lady Pei was half dead with fury.
* * *
In blind panic, Xing Shuwei ran through the darkness toward Qiansheng Pavilion.
On the cobblestone path, she charged headlong into someone’s arms.
“Let go of me! Let go!” Thinking it was someone sent by Princess Jin’an, Xing Shuwei struggled and screamed in terror.
Pei Xianjing caught her arms and pulled her into his embrace. “Weiwei, it’s me.”
At the sound of his voice, Xing Shuwei’s tears burst forth.
She clutched Pei Xianjing’s sleeve tightly and called from the bottom of her heart, “Brother Jing.”
Pei Xianjing swept her into his arms, turned, and carried her back toward Qiansheng Pavilion.
Yonghong, Lady Yu’s senior maid, had silently followed Xing Shuwei from the moment she left Panlin Court.
Seeing this, she hurriedly turned to find Lady Yu.
She met Lady Yu halfway back to her courtyard. Yonghong leaned close and whispered, “This servant believes Miss Xing will not dare tell the Eldest Young Master the truth about what happened at Panlin Court.”
Lady Yu considered this. “She is a pitiful person, accustomed to surviving by reading others’ expressions for four years.
“She believes Lady Gao and the Eldest Young Master are mother and son by blood, so she has swallowed every hardship Lady Gao inflicted on her.”
“Come. We’ll go to Qiansheng Pavilion. There are things Shuwei finds difficult to say, but as his second aunt, I can say them easily.”
The mistress and servant headed to Qiansheng Pavilion.
They arrived before long.
After telling Pei Xianjing everything, Lady Yu added, “Lady Pei was acting for your good as well. Her methods were simply too extreme.”
Pei Xianjing’s ink-black eyes were as deep as an abyss.
“Thank you for telling me, Second Aunt.”
His hands had long since clenched into fists.
Lady Yu did not linger. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she left.
Pei Xianjing ordered Gao Li and Qiutong to attend Xing Shuwei carefully as she bathed, then went to Panlin Court himself.
Lady Pei was not surprised. After suffering a grievance, it was only natural that Xing Shuwei would exaggerate matters when complaining to him.
She sat in the seat of honor. Ever since Pei Congxian had beaten her because of Pei Xianjing, she had come to despise him even more.
“What? Have you come to demand an accounting from me over a concubine who has not even entered your household?” Lady Pei glanced at Pei Xianjing.
Pei Xianjing stood before her, his gaze cold. “If Mother cannot manage this household properly, then surrender control of its affairs.
“You allowed outsiders to create chaos inside our home and attempt to murder your son’s woman.
“If word spreads, the entire Duke’s estate will lose face alongside you.”
Lady Pei was shocked. “It is not yet your turn to rule the Pei family.
“Even after your father is gone, Feng’er will inherit the noble title. Whether I manage the household is not for you to decide.”
Pei Xianjing stepped forward.
An oppressive force bore down upon her.
Lady Pei instinctively retreated a step.
“Mother is welcome to test whether your son has the authority to decide,” he said calmly.
“You…” Lady Pei was furious, yet she did not dare curse him.
For more than twenty years, she had never dared truly provoke Pei Xianjing.
In the past, the master protected him. Whenever he fell ill or cried, she was blamed and rebuked.
Now his wings had hardened and he shone brilliantly at court. He had forgotten the kindness with which she raised him and constantly angered her instead.
“Do you think I enjoy meddling in your private affairs? This happened because you acted without considering the consequences and enraged Princess Jin’an.
“Who dares offend her? If she wanted to see Xing Shuwei, could I stop her? They merely examined whether her body was pure. Was that worth such a commotion from you?”
Pei Xianjing frowned. “How did I never realize before that Mother was so cold and ruthless?”
Lady Pei had no answer.
The doubt in Pei Xianjing’s eyes gradually gave way to indifference. “My affairs need not trouble Mother in the future.
“The princess will not trouble you again either. As for the people in my courtyard, Mother should keep her distance from now on.”
What was the meaning of that?
Had the world fallen so far that a son’s concubine could flaunt her power over the mistress of the household?
“Which of us is truly muddled? For Xing Shuwei, you have abandoned all moral order.
“How are your younger brothers and sisters supposed to arrange their marriages in the future?
“It is utterly absurd!
“Can a mere concubine rule this enormous Duke’s estate?
“What respectable young lady would dare marry into such a family?”
Lady Pei was so angry that her breath came in uneven gasps.
“Your son will establish a household of his own. What I do afterward will not affect anyone else in the Duke’s estate.
“If Mother still remembers any affection between us as mother and son, do not do anything that forces my hand.
“If you do not wish me to sacrifice family for justice when the time comes, then behave yourself.”
“Your son takes his leave.”
Pei Xianjing delivered those cold words, turned, and left without looking back.
Lady Pei stood frozen in place. What had he meant by that?