Page 3

He was the fool.

Chapter 2 Lady Li

After such an incident, Chunyue no longer dared to leave Pei Yuanxi's side for even a moment. She coaxed her young miss like she would a three-year-old, and finally managed to coax her back to their courtyard.

Over the years, Concubine Lady Li had been diligent in serving Lady Hou Shen. As a result, none of the servants dared to bully her and her daughter, and the steward didn't dare to cut their allowances.

Two ice basins were placed inside the room, making it much cooler than outside.

Facing the entrance was an ornate folding screen carved with flowers and plants. The furniture was simple yet elegant, all made of tung oil wood, exuding the wealth and status of the noble family.

Pei Yuanxi kicked off her embroidered shoes and rolled onto the bed without any care for her image. "So comfortable, I'm going to sleep."

Chunyue picked up the shoes she had kicked off. She originally wanted to make her change into another set of clothes before sleeping, but seeing how tired she was, she couldn't bear to trouble her further.

Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be truly asleep.

Half an hour later, she was awakened by Chunyue. Chunyue looked troubled as she told her that Old Mother Lao was asking for her presence at the Xuan Courtyard. The Xuan Courtyard was the main courtyard where Lord Xuaping Hou Pei Jing and Lady Hou Shen resided.

Old Mother Lao was one of Lady Shen's people. Because Concubine Lady Li was favored by Lady Shen, Old Mother Lao felt some sympathy for Pei Yuanxi. Also, since Pei Yuanxi was a fool, there was no need to seriously reprimand her.

Lady Shen summoned Pei Yuanxi because of the incident at the Chengming Pond.

It was also unfortunate for Zhou San. He had originally failed to complete his errand and was deliberately avoiding others when he ran into Old Mother Liu halfway. Old Mother Liu was one of the women who had been chatting under the tree earlier, known for being fast-talking throughout the manor.

With her loud voice and quick mouth, Old Mother Liu could tell from Zhou San's appearance that he had fallen into water. The only place in the manor with water was the Chengming Pond. The lotus seeds in the pond could only be picked by the masters; the servants weren't allowed to do so.

Zhou San argued desperately that he hadn't gone to pick lotus seeds, but had accidentally fallen in. However, his defense was feeble, and Old Mother Liu was cunning. With just a few words, she managed to extract the truth from him: he had been coerced by Third Miss to go there.

He pretended to beg Old Mother Liu to keep it a secret for him. She agreed on the spot, but then quickly spread the news around. Before long, everyone knew about it, and it soon reached Auntie Zhao's ears.

Auntie Zhao was the mother of the eldest son and had also given birth to Eldest Miss Pei Yuanruo.

When Lady Hou Shen was unable to conceive after three years of marriage, Old Lady Hou promoted her younger sister's illegitimate daughter to become a high-ranking concubine. Auntie Zhao gave birth to her first son Pei Ji in the second year after entering the house, and in the third year, she gave birth to her first daughter Pei Yuanruo.

The character 'Yuan' was precious and generally used for legitimate daughters.

Not long after Pei Yuanruo was born, Lady Shen also gave birth to a daughter, Second Miss Pei Yuanjun. Third Miss Pei Yuanxi was also born on the same day, while Concubine Lady Qiu's daughter Pei Yuanhua was three years younger than Pei Yuanxi.

Old Lady Hou loved Auntie Zhao the most, not only because Auntie Zhao was her niece from her maternal family, but more importantly, because Auntie Zhao bore the only male heir in the Hou manor. But Old Lady Hou was someone who valued rules. No matter how much Auntie Zhao had a son by her side, she didn't dare to overshadow Lady Shen.

Auntie Zhao was a smart woman; otherwise, she wouldn't have been chosen by Old Lady Hou back then. She knew that even if she didn't fight or compete, she would never lack anything because she bore the only offspring in the Hou manor.

Zhou San was one of her servants. Regardless of whether he was coerced by Third Miss to go to the Chengming Pond, he had taken Third Miss there in the end. Not only did they go, but he also fell into the pond and was caught by others.

Concubine Lady Li was one of Lady Shen's dowry maids. Everyone knew that Concubine Lady Li was Lady Shen's person. Concubine Lady Li only had Pei Yuanxi as her daughter, and she watched her like the apple of her eye.

The Chengming Pond was a place that Concubine Lady Li had repeatedly forbidden Third Miss from visiting, and everyone in the manor knew this. Today, Zhou San had exceptionally taken Third Miss there. Regardless of whether anything happened to Third Miss, Auntie Zhao had to go to Concubine Lady Li to apologize.

Auntie Zhao immediately ordered her people to bind Zhou San and escort him to the Xuan Courtyard. When Concubine Lady Li heard that Zhou San had taken Pei Yuanxi to the Chengming Pond, she was so shocked that she nearly fainted.

As the main lady of the Hou manor, Lady Shen's allowances were naturally the highest. Ice basins were placed in every corner of her room. A qilin patterned gilded incense burner with two ears, a four-sided folding screen inlaid with coral and carved with auspicious patterns, and a plethora of intricately carved cloud-patterned cabinets filled with treasures.

Pei Yuanxi had just stepped into Lady Shen's room when she felt a refreshing coolness all over her body. Before she could steady herself, Concubine Lady Li rushed over and hugged her.

"Didn't I tell you not to play by the pond? Why didn't you listen? If something happened to you, how could I live on!" Concubine Lady Li raised her hand, her eyes filled with tears. That slap lingered in the air, and finally landed on herself. "It's my fault, I didn't watch over you properly..."

Those who heard her couldn't help but be moved, praising Concubine Lady Li's heartfelt concern.

Concubine Lady Li cried with lingering fear, while Pei Yuanxi looked bewildered.

Lady Shen was slim and frail, with a detached demeanor that was cold yet clear. Her gaze was full of compassion and pity, and she said, "Third Miss is fine, Rulan, there's no need for you to blame yourself."

Concubine Lady Li's name was Rulan.

"Lady, Third Miss is my life. I'm afraid she'll run around recklessly, so I've repeatedly warned her not to go near the Chengming Pond. If anything happens to her, what's the point of me living?" Her face was sorrowful as she looked at her naive daughter with grief. "Third Miss, promise Auntie that you won't run around recklessly anymore, okay?"

Pei Yuanxi remained unmoved. "I didn't run around recklessly, he was the one who said he'd take me there."

Zhou San kept kowtowing. "Lady, please judge clearly. I really had no choice but to give in to Third Miss. If I didn't go, she threatened to throw pebbles at me..."

A large bruise had formed around his eye, indicating that he had indeed been hit.

Auntie Zhao said, "Zhou San has never made any mistakes in his duties. Although it was true that Third Miss coerced him, he was still in the wrong. Whatever punishment you decide to mete out, Lady, he should accept it."

Her words were well-spoken, and Lady Shen usually gave her face. After all, she had given birth to the only male heir in the Hou manor. To put it bluntly, Lady Shen would rely on her son for her old age. Even the married daughters, including Pei Yuanjun who was born to Lady Shen, would also have to rely on their brothers from the natal family.