Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The wheels of the carriage rolled on.

Pei Jing noticed Yu Qizhi's occasional glances from within the carriage. Whenever he looked over, she would quickly drop the curtain as if she were doing something sneaky, acting like a shy and timid girl.

He remained expressionless and shifted his gaze away.

The carriages of the Marquis Mansion stopped at the residence of Dali Temple’s Deputy Minister, Lu Songnian, who greeted them along with his wife.

Lu Songnian wanted to discuss with Pei Jing how to present the memorial to the Emperor. Earlier, when he mentioned that his wife wished to meet Yu Qizhi, it was merely an excuse they both understood.

In this world, anything done would inevitably leave traces.

As Lu Songnian served in the Dali Temple, he had already vaguely uncovered some clues. Pei Jing, under the Emperor's orders, had been collaborating with the Dali Temple on this case, and the records of the Dali Temple had been sent to the North Yard.

Lu Songnian knew that Pei Jing must have some understanding of the situation.

The case of framing the Crown Prince for treason was undoubtedly orchestrated by the Fourth Prince.

However, the Fourth Prince was also the Emperor's own son. How could the Emperor be unaware of what the Fourth Prince was doing?

With the Emperor in good health, the struggle between the princes and the crown prince was brewing beneath the surface. For officials like them, who were ordered to handle matters, getting involved rashly could lead to trouble.

After many years, Lu Songnian still believed in the principle of fair judgment. If he were still a young and inexperienced man, he wouldn't have so many concerns. But now, with a family to care for, he was more cautious and considerate.

"Let's wrap it up here," Pei Jing said.

Whether to delve deeper, uncover those behind the scenes, and how to make decisions—after weighing the options, the Emperor would have his own conclusions.

The sounds of music easily drowned out their conversation.

Pei Jing glanced at the dancers and musicians called by Lu Songnian, then his gaze drifted across the lake to land on Yu Qizhi's cherry-colored figure.

Today, Yu Qizhi had dressed herself up a bit, no longer wearing the bulky clothes she usually wore at home. She wore a light cherry-colored brocade dress, covered with a white rabbit fur coat, revealing her slender and bright figure.

She didn't notice Pei Jing's gaze. Her face turned slightly, her beautiful red lips moving as she spoke to Lu Songnian's wife.

"Since that's the case," Lu Songnian understood Pei Jing's meaning and said, "I know how to proceed with the memorial."

...

"Madam Yu, don't worry."

Lu Songnian's wife, Zhou Wanniang, noticed Yu Qizhi frequently looking across the lake, seeming very attached to Pei Jing. She assumed Yu Qizhi was concerned about the dancers at the mansion.

"Songnian is probably just discussing official business," Zhou Wanniang reassured Yu Qizhi.

She winked at Yu Qizhi: "I know my husband well. I've known Lu Songnian since we were children. If he ever dared to fool around, I'd be the first one to object."

Hearing this, Yu Qizhi lightly clenched her fingers and nodded with a smile:

"Childhood sweethearts? That's wonderful."

"Madam Zhou, you can call me Ao Ying. Those close to me all call me that." She rarely socialized and wasn't used to being called Madam Yu.

Zhou Wanniang was a straightforward person and immediately agreed: "Then Ao Ying can call me Wanniang."

Seeing that Yu Qizhi wasn't someone who liked to put on airs, Zhou Wanniang became more relaxed. She glanced at her husband in the distance and chatted with Yu Qizhi:

"Lately, Songnian has really been busy. Old cases are being reopened."

Yu Qizhi felt a sense of foreboding. She thought of the Feng family's case in Pei Jing's study and asked casually: "What old case?"

"Have you heard of the Feng family case in Luo County?"

Zhou Wanniang continued: "The local county office couldn't find evidence, so they temporarily shelved it. Now it's been handed over to the court, and naturally, the Dali Temple is responsible for reopening it."

"Really reopening it?" Yu Qizhi's breathing quickened.

Her suspicions were confirmed, and she felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen.

"Songnian hasn't mentioned any specifics."

Noticing Yu Qizhi's unusual expression, Zhou Wanniang was puzzled: "This matter should be known to Commander Pei. Why hasn't he mentioned it to you?"

"Him? Mention it to me?"

Yu Qizhi was surprised and shook her head.

Pei Jing never talked about his official business with her.

If they truly counted, their most frequent interaction was in bed.

Zhou Wanniang, clear-minded and not prone to overthinking, simply said: "The Commander must be worried you'd be scared. After all, it was quite a serious crime back then."

Yu Qizhi nodded slightly, but her face remained pale.

Just then, it seemed Pei Jing and Lu Songnian had finished their discussion. Someone from Pei Jing's side came to invite her to the warm pavilion. Yu Qizhi stood up, indicated to Zhou Wanniang, and prepared to follow.

Zhou Wanniang, with sharp eyes, noticed the dark red stain on Yu Qizhi's light-colored skirt.

"Madam Yu, please wait," Zhou Wanniang addressed her formally and said, "Let me help you change your skirt?"

Yu Qizhi had already felt a dull ache in her lower abdomen and immediately understood what Zhou Wanniang meant.

She turned to look at her skirt and saw the dark red bloodstain. The light color of the skirt made it particularly noticeable.

Yu Qizhi felt her cheeks flush. She had already put on her menstrual belt, but she hadn't expected to still stain her skirt.

Fortunately, it didn't get on the chair.

"Excuse me," Yu Qizhi said, embarrassed. "Thank you, Lady Zhou."

"It's no trouble at all," Zhou Wanniang stepped forward and affectionately took Yu Qizhi's arm, covering the stain for her. "We're all women; I understand."

Seeing Yu Qizhi's pale face flush with a thin layer of red, Zhou Wanniang gave her a friendly smile.

Now there was an explanation for Yu Qizhi's unusual behavior during their conversation earlier—it must have been due to discomfort.

...

At the Lu Mansion gate, Yu Qizhi and Pei Jing were preparing to leave for home.

As Yu Qizhi climbed into the carriage, a faint scent of blood mixed with the fragrance of red plum blossoms wafted through the air.

Pei Jing glanced at Yu Qizhi's newly changed skirt but said nothing.

On the way back, the snow on the ground was deep. Not long after Yu Qizhi's carriage started moving, its wheels sank into the snow, bringing it to a halt.

Pei Jing stopped and saw the carriage curtain being lifted.

The snow outside reflected Yu Qizhi's excessively pale face as she looked up at him, her almond eyes filled with tears.

Pei Jing frowned. He got into the carriage and reached for her hand, asking:

"What's wrong? Are you cold?"

Pei Jing's hand was warm and strong, with distinct knuckles that weren't overly slender.

Yu Qizhi's fingers were loosely held in Pei Jing's palm, but she could only see the white snow blending with the dark red blood from the scene at the Feng family's door.

Feng Qingling's youngest sister was about the same age as Pei Youning.

Realizing her hand was still trembling slightly, Yu Qizhi nestled closer into Pei Jing's embrace.

She tried to steady herself.

"The wife of the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple told me about the news that the case in Luo County involving the Feng family would be retried." Yu Qizhi looked at Pei Jing and couldn't help but ask: "Is that true?"

Pei Jing paused.

"Not necessarily," he said calmly. "Whether or not it will be investigated depends on the Emperor's decision."

His gaze swept over her face, remembering that Yu Qizhi had also lived in Luo County before and must have heard about this incident.

Given Yu Qizhi's timid nature, it was normal for her to feel scared upon hearing this news again.

"Don't worry too much," he gently touched her pale, cold cheek.

Yu Qizhi was slightly taken aback, then obediently nodded, holding his hand even tighter.

"My Lord, the snow is thick, making it difficult for the carriage to proceed. The carriage's wheel track has been damaged, and we can only fix it when the snowfall lessens. It might take another half an hour," the coachman from the Marquis Mansion apologized from outside the carriage.

The warmth from the stove inside the carriage was nearly gone, and Pei Jing's brow furrowed slightly.

"Get out of the carriage; I'll take you back."

He lifted Yu Qizhi onto the horse.

Pei Jing took off his cloak and wrapped her tightly in it, leaving only a small part of her face exposed.

Yu Qizhi couldn't help but look back at him.

She saw Pei Jing wearing only a narrow-sleeved fur-lined robe, looking particularly neat and thin in the snowy landscape.

"Pei Jing, aren't you cold?" she asked.

Outside the carriage, Yu Qizhi's breath immediately turned into white vapor.

"Do you think everyone is as weak as you?" Pei Jing chuckled lightly.

After speaking, he spurred the horse, which galloped forward swiftly, its hooves kicking up scattered snow.

There were few people on the streets, and Yu Qizhi felt the scenery rushing past her eyes.

The crisp scent of pine from Pei Jing lingered around her nose. Through several layers of clothing, the warmth from his body continuously transferred to her back.

The large cloak protected her from most of the cold, but the biting wind still stung her cheeks and nostrils.

Yet, the tightness in Yu Qizhi's chest mysteriously eased.

It felt as if galloping forward could leave behind all worries, and perhaps temporarily forget some old acquaintances and past events.

...

In the blink of an eye, New Year's Day approached, and the fierce winds and snowstorms of winter gradually subsided.

The streets of Chang'an were filled with festive joy, but in the Crown Prince's courtyard of the Marquis Mansion, everything remained as usual.

The matter of overturning the Crown Prince's case had concluded, and on this day, Pei Jing returned home earlier than usual.

Surprisingly, Yu Qizhi, who usually waited eagerly for his return, did not come to find him this time.

As the sky began to darken, from the study, one could see the candlelight illuminating Yu Qizhi's room.

Pei Jing's lips tightened slightly, and he felt inexplicably irritable.

"Madam isn't feeling well today. She didn't have dinner and went to bed early. I think she's unwell..."

Outside the chamber, it happened to be Yu Qizhi's personal maid, Fang'er, on night duty. She had been feeling drowsy, but suddenly seeing Pei Jing, she immediately woke up in fright.

She was still afraid of Pei Jing, trembling, terrified that she might slip up in front of the Crown Prince.

She knew the truth—

Today was the anniversary of the death of Miss's childhood friend, the young master of the Feng family.