Chapter 48 A Grand Drama

Chapter 48 A Grand Drama

In his dream, she was different.

She was more slender, preferring simple, elegant green dresses that were clean and refreshing.

She did not like to wear makeup, as she was naturally beautiful and did not need such superficial adornments.

Her hair was a glossy jet black, often styled with a jade or simple hairpin. He had learned many ways to do her hair.

Her fingers were pale and slender, with nails that were rounded and full, showing a soft pink tint, like the fresh, unspoiled cherry blossoms of early spring.

Her large, black, and shiny eyes were more dazzling than the stars in the sky.

...

Though her face was the same, she seemed like a completely different person.

She was more curvaceous than the "her" in the dream, with snow-white skin, dressed in a radiant satin gown, her hair adorned with swaying gold hairpins that sparkled with jewels.

Her face, powdered like a peach blossom, featured painted eyebrows and red lips, giving off a subtle floral scent, sweet, almost overpowering.

Her fingers were smooth and soft, like mutton-fat jade, with a dazzling gold nail guard on her little finger, inlaid with red and blue gemstones that reflected a blinding light.

She stood before him with downcast eyes, calling him "Lord Pei," courteous yet aloof.

Pei Zhang closed his eyes and took a step back, saying, "Just two copper coins, no need to bother."

"Lord Pei, there's no need for formalities."

Jiang Wanrou, having just drunk wine, had cheeks flushed, more intoxicating than rouge. "If it's something you came looking for, it must be something special. You honored us with your presence at my children's full moon celebration, how could we let you lose anything?"

"Someone, come here—"

"No need!"

Pei Zhang suddenly raised his voice, stepping back several times.

"Perhaps I was mistaken, I... I apologize, my alcohol tolerance is low, I was out of sorts."

It was different. In the dream, they had two sons together, but now, aside from her eldest son, she had given birth to twins.

Could it be that they were husband and wife in a past life, and in this life, their fate had ended?

A look of pain flashed across Pei Zhang's face, quickly concealed.

He said softly, "Madam, your son and I are friends despite the age difference."

Jiang Wanrou nodded, a grateful smile on her lips. "I know, and I haven't formally thanked you yet. Huai Yi is a stubborn child, but with your guidance, he has become much more cheerful."

Pei Zhang lowered his gaze, no longer looking at Jiang Wanrou.

"Your son and I are fated. If in the future he... or you, Madam, encounter any difficulties, you can come to me."

"I will do my utmost to help, without hesitation."

Jiang Wanrou was even more surprised, feeling that Lord Pei was truly warm-hearted. She bowed slightly and said, "I thank you on behalf of my son, Lord Pei."

Pei Zhang said, "I see a servant over to the east, I'll have him guide me."

Having said that, he suddenly lifted his head to look at Jiang Wanrou. She was startled; his gaze was dark and complex, filled with too many emotions she couldn't understand.

Pei Zhang said, "Madam, take care."

By the time Jiang Wanrou regained her senses, all she could see was Pei Zhang's retreating back. The man in white, tall and graceful, seemed to be fleeing in defeat.

She stood there for a long while. The autumn wind blew past, scattering the petals of a few chrysanthemums on the ground.

She called two young maids and had them find two copper coins in the courtyard.

...

A trivial interlude, Jiang Wanrou returned to the banquet with a smile, chatting with the other ladies for a while. The wet nurse whispered in her ear that the little master had slept well, and only then did she have the child brought over.

Though just a month old, the twins were already as lovely as jade and snow. Jiang Wanrou removed her armor and cradled the boy in her arms, soothing him for a moment before doing the same with the girl.

Perhaps sensing their mother's fragrance, both children were very well-behaved, their eyes half-closed, not crying or fussing. Jiang Wanrou and the wet nurse each held one, showing them off to everyone, receiving numerous compliments.

Whether sincere or not, Jiang Wanrou heard nothing but praise. She smiled and accepted it all, wishing her children good fortune. It was now past the End of Heat, and the weather had turned cool. Despite being wrapped in thick swaddling clothes lined with soft silk, Jiang Wanrou was still worried about the cold and had the wet nurse take them away after a short while.

With so many people around, she didn't feel comfortable exposing her children to public view.

The sun quietly shifted westward, and the banquet was halfway through. Graceful dancers in splendid costumes twirled elegantly. Taking advantage of the guests' attention on the performance, Jiang Wanrou quickly ate a few bites, had a piece of flaky pastry, and a bowl of milk curd, occasionally raising her head to say a few words to keep the atmosphere lively.

Jiang Wanrou's face showed signs of fatigue, but fortunately, the time was almost up. All she needed to do was see the guests off, and the day would be perfect. Suddenly, Jin Tao hurried over and whispered in her ear:

"Madam, Lady Pei has arrived."

Lady Pei Ying?

Jiang Wanrou slightly furrowed her brows. She had initially thought she wouldn’t come. She had just seen Pei Zhang in the small garden, which meant he had arrived on time for the banquet. Yet, she chose to come at this moment—were the couple not arriving together?

Since the guest had arrived, she couldn’t possibly turn her away.

She had someone seat Jiang Wanying in the spot she had specially chosen. Her unexpected arrival made Jiang Wanrou suspect she might stir up trouble, so she specifically sent someone to keep an eye on her. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wanying entered without a word and didn’t touch any of the dishes at the banquet.

She quietly drank several cups of wine, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Wanrou at the head of the table.

Her gaze clung like a persistent fly, making Jiang Wanrou feel a lump in her throat. Fortunately, having experienced many such situations, she wouldn’t lose her composure over such a small matter. Jiang Wanrou acted as if she didn’t notice, maintaining her usual demeanor as she saw off the other ladies. When the hall was finally empty except for the two of them, she suddenly let her smile fade.

She said, "Madam Pei, you’ve been watching me. Do you have something to say?"

Jiang Wanying’s face was pale, her thick powder failing to mask her weariness. She didn’t rise, tilting her head to look at the woman at the head of the table. Her gaze was filled with hatred, mixed with a trace of resentment and jealousy.

Jiang Wanrou nearly laughed out of anger. After all the harm she had caused, Jiang Wanrou hadn’t sought revenge. How dare she harbor hatred?

After a while, Jiang Wanying spoke in a low, eerie voice, "You must be feeling pretty smug, aren’t you?"

"The mistress of the Duke's mansion, bestowed with the first-rank title, a loving husband, and both a son and daughter... Hahaha, Sixth Sister, oh Sixth Sister, you’ve kept me in the dark for so long!"

"You’ve also been reborn, haven’t you?"

Jiang Wanrou looked at Jiang Wanying, who seemed to be in a state of madness, and thought to herself that she had only served fruit wine at the banquet. Could Jiang Wanying’s tolerance for alcohol be so poor?

She had no patience to deal with a drunk and said indifferently, "Jintao, see the guest out."

"Are you feeling guilty?"

Jiang Wanying chuckled foolishly. She had lost weight recently, her cheeks sunken and cheekbones protruding. To hide her exhaustion, she had applied a thick layer of powder and painted her lips red, making her look quite ghastly at first glance.

She said fiercely, "How foolish of me! I should have seen it coming! Ying'er is dead, yet you live more and more prosperously. Do you know how many prayer mats I’ve ruined from kneeling? I recited scroll after scroll of scriptures, endured so much suffering, just to gain the chance of rebirth. Why do you deserve this?"

"The heavens are unjust, utterly unjust!"

The woman's shrill voice echoed through the hall. Jiang Wanrou frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and said, "You... haven’t been faring well, have you?"

From the earlier gossip, it was clear Jiang Wanying’s life was in shambles. Previously, she had heard Cuizhu rambling about a madwoman in the streets who, due to her own poverty and hardship, would daily curse her parents, her husband, her children, and even the heavens for being blind.

Who knew the heavens would take notice? One day, during a heavy downpour, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky and killed the woman.

Jiang Wanrou had initially thought Cuizhu was just amusing her, but now it seemed there might be some truth to it.

With a troubled look, she warned, "Madame Pei, you must respect the heavens. Some words should not be spoken carelessly."

"It’s just the two of us here—stop pretending!"

Jiang Wanying staggered to her feet, step by step approaching Jiang Wanrou.

"Had enough of being the Chief Minister’s wife? Now you’re aiming for Empress? Sixth sister, I never realized you had such ambitions."

"You managed to win over that person, that’s your skill, I admit it! You take your path, I’ll take mine—we’ll stay out of each other’s way. You become the Empress, I won’t envy you."

"But you’re already thriving—why must you steal my Pei Lang from me! I want nothing else, just Pei Lang! Can’t you stand to see me happy?"

Jiang Wanying’s eyes were filled with venom. The pressure from her mother-in-law, her husband’s indifference, and that bitch Ruan Zheng’s taunts, along with the pointing fingers of others, seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

When Pei Zhang returned from the south, she eagerly welcomed him, preparing a table of his favorite dishes. Yet, the first thing he said upon returning was to question her:

"You, a Marquis’s daughter—what were you doing at Hengtai?"

She had met Pei Zhang at the largest pawnshop in the capital, Hengtai.

In her past life, Pei Zhang was famous for two things: his devotion to his wife and his sense of loyalty.

His devotion to his wife was legendary, with countless tales, and his sense of loyalty referred to his remembrance of old ties. Back when Pei Zhang was in humble circumstances, he came to the capital to take the imperial exams, living in poverty. He pawned his family’s heirloom jade pendant to rent a small courtyard in the expensive capital, where he and his widowed mother temporarily resided.

Later, when he passed the exams with high honors, the first thing he did was to redeem the family heirloom. The shopkeeper returned it, saying he’d noticed the young man’s noble bearing and believed his hardship was temporary. The pendant had never been put up for sale, waiting for the young man to redeem it.

Pei Zhang and the shopkeeper grew close. Later, when the shopkeeper offended a powerful official and the shop could no longer operate in the capital, Pei Zhang risked offending the official to mediate. Upon hearing their story, the official was deeply moved, and the three reconciled, creating a beautiful tale.

Jiang Wanying, having heard countless stories of Pei Zhang in her past life, never forgot the name Hengtai. After dealing with the troublesome sixth sister, she used her foreknowledge to please her stepmother Madame Qin. She finally lived like a lady, sneaking out daily to wait at Hengtai, where she met the desperate Pei Zhang.

He needed money, and as luck would have it, Madame Qin had been kind lately, so she’d saved some pocket money.

...

Jiang Wanying had never seen Pei Zhang look so grim. She stammered, fabricating a story about a porcelain cup. She said her stepmother was unkind, and she had stolen a porcelain cup from the household to sell. He then pressed for details about the cup’s color and style, leaving no stone unturned. Her lies couldn’t hold up, and Pei Zhang’s sharp eyes saw right through them. After the incident with the cup, he questioned her about how she knew of the dangers in the south.

Pei Zhang, wise and meticulous, uncovered the link between the river pirates and Prince Gong’s case, earning the admiration of both the Emperor and Lu Feng. How could a housewife like her endure such questioning? She grew increasingly guilty, eventually not even remembering what she had said.

Pei Zhang’s forehead veins bulged, his entire body exuding a cold aura. Jiang Wanying dared not approach, nor did she dare to look up at his face. After a long while, Pei Zhang said hoarsely, "I will get to the bottom of this."

He left without a word, and for the next two weeks, she didn’t see him. As the days passed, her panic grew, feeling as if a guillotine hung over her head, not knowing when it would fall. Her mother-in-law pressured her more, Ruan Zheng openly competed with her, and finally, upon discovering that the fertility medicine Jiang Wanrou had given her was actually a contraceptive, anger, jealousy, panic, and resentment all flooded in.

So that’s it! Why is this life so different from the last? Why had Pei Lang suddenly become cold to her? It must be her!

In this life, she enjoys wealth and honor, yet she still clings to the tenderness of her previous husband. She envies me, envies that I am Pei Zhang’s rightful wife. She doesn’t want me to have children, it must be so!

Jiang Wanying, filled with resentment, blurted out everything. Jiang Wanrou was so shocked that her mouth fell open and her eyes widened in alarm. She quickly looked around to make sure they were alone.

Her fifth sister had truly gone mad, every word she spoke was potentially fatal!

The treasonous "Empress" aside, which could lead to exile or even the annihilation of the entire clan. And then there was her... and Pei Zhang, she was yearning for Pei Zhang? Utter nonsense! Since she married, she had been cautious and dutiful, even with Dr. Luo who treated Lu Feng's leg, she never met him alone, fearing any rumors.

Lu Feng couldn't tolerate any sign of impropriety. Once, when the nanny was pressing her stomach, he misunderstood and with one strike, shattered the heavy rosewood screen. He didn't apologize, but the next day, a replica screen appeared in the same spot.

Lu Feng was now mild-tempered, but she wouldn't forget the situation when she first married. She was a person of integrity, yet with a few words from Jiang Wanying, she couldn't clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River!

What a curse.

Jiang Wanrou cursed silently but dared not provoke her, fearing Jiang Wanying would say something outrageous again. She tried to maintain her composure and feigned calmness, "Is this all you came to say today, Mrs. Pei?"

"Sixth sister, you've triumphed once more in this life, aren't you proud?"

Jiang Wanying walked up to Jiang Wanrou, her previous madness gone, her eyes icy and venomous as she stared at her.

"My dear sister, I came today to congratulate you, to congratulate you on the one-month celebration of your twins."

"Three children, no one can shake your position now. Wealth and glory are within your grasp, it seems you have a natural talent for seducing men, just like your mother, the whore!"

Mentioning Aunt Li, Jiang Wanrou's expression turned cold, and she stood up as well, her gaze sharp, "Jiang Wanying, some words should not be uttered lightly."

"If you're delusional, go get treatment! I told you last time, if you provoke me again, I won't hold back."

Jiang Wanying suddenly burst into laughter, "Alright, alright, sixth sister is generous, spare me this once."

"Just return Pei Zhang to me, and I'll kneel before you."

Jiang Wanrou, annoyed by her persistence, snapped, "I've told you, I am... blameless, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"How could that be? Pei Zhang is a man of exceptional grace and gentleness, don't tell me you've fallen for Commander Lu?"

Jiang Wanying gave her a strange look, puzzled, "It's just the two of us here, don't conceal anything from me. You married Commander Lu, put up with it for years, wasn't it for his status and position?"

"Don't tell me you've grown genuine affection for him? Hahaha, sixth sister, you don't need to pretend with me, after all these years, aren't you tired?"

Jiang Wanrou vaguely felt something was off, Jiang Wanying spoke with certainty, asserting that she had no genuine feelings for Lu Feng, only a deceptive facade.

Jiang Wanying was half right, she had indeed been insincere at first, but after years of marriage, even pretense had become reality. And they lived their lives behind closed doors, what was Jiang Wanying so obsessed about?

She didn't have the habit of sharing her intricate emotions, especially not to an eccentric madwoman.

She said, "I don't understand what you're saying, as for what you just said... absurd, I've been married to my husband for five years, we have three children, how could it be fake?"

She looked into Jiang Wanying's eyes, her expression sincere, "My relationship with my husband is as genuine as it gets. There's a saying, 'Unless the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth merge, I will never be parted from you.' That's exactly how it is between me and my husband!"

She had her own man, and certainly wasn't desiring someone else's.

Her intention was to calm her down, to stop her from continuing her madness, but Jiang Wanying stared blankly for a long time, then screamed, "Impossible, impossible! You're lying to me!"

They were very close, and Jiang Wanying suddenly reached out, but before she could touch Jiang Wanrou's face, in a flash, a woman's scream echoed through the empty hall, accompanied by the sound of shattering cups.

Jiang Wanrou looked closely, Lu Feng had appeared out of nowhere, his tall figure backlit, playing with a porcelain cup in his hand.

She hurried over to him, still shaken, "Husband, when did you arrive? What... what's going on?"

Lu Feng raised his hand, brushing a strand of hair from Jiang Wanrou's ear, his tone unreadable, "I don't know either."

His gaze turned to Jiang Wanying, who was sprawled on the ground, and he said slowly, "This... Mrs. Pei, sent someone to invite me to watch a spectacular performance."

Jiang Wanrou was shocked, finally understanding Jiang Wanying's odd behavior. They had already fallen out last time, yet she came to her children's one-month celebration to "talk"? How strange.

She had been flustered by her madness earlier, but upon reflection, Jiang Wanying spoke clearly and fluently, how could someone truly drunk or mad do that? If she hadn't been cautious, she might have been led astray.

Fortunately, she was wary and hadn't misspoken earlier.