Denghuaxiao

Chapter 213 Use me

Lu Zhen left Taishi's Mansion and did not go back to West Street directly. He turned around and went to Guanxiang.

The medical clinic was short of hollyhock medicinal materials. Miao Liangfang was in a hurry to use it and asked the medical clinic to grind it into powder. When Lu Zhuo returned to West Street from the Taishi Mansion, he would pass by Guanxiang. Before leaving, he said that he would get it together when he went back.

 When he arrived at the medical clinic, he got a small bag of yellow hollyhock powder, paid the money, and walked back with the bag in his arms.

It was still early, and there were crowds of people everywhere. She walked absentmindedly along with the flow of people. As she walked, the people around her were running away in a hurry. Lu Shu paused and felt a few drops of coolness on her body. When she raised her head, she saw thick clouds. , the long rain came suddenly.

I don’t know when, it started to rain.

She didn't bring an umbrella when she went out, and the place was far away from West Street. The drizzling rain instantly made her whole body wet.

The rain was splashing with ink, the falling rain was boundless, and pedestrians were hurriedly taking shelter. She stared blankly in the direction of the imperial city shrouded in drizzle. Suddenly, someone behind her pulled her, and a paper umbrella suddenly covered her head. There was something familiar. The voice rang in my ears: "What are you doing standing there in the rain?"

 Lu Zhuo raised his head.

Pei Yunying stood in front of her.

 He appeared so suddenly that Lu Yan couldn't help but be in a trance for a moment.

The young man must have just gotten off work and was still wearing his official uniform. When he saw that she was silent, he stretched out his hand to touch her forehead.

That cool hand fell on his forehead, like a snowflake about to melt, but it gradually made Lu Zhen wake up from his previous confusion.

 “Why are you here?” she asked.

"I'm looking for you. I heard that you went to Guanxiang, so I came here to try my luck. I didn't expect to see you standing in the rain as soon as I arrived." He took back his hand and stared at Lu Huan with a frown: "It's not burned out."

Lu Zhen was silent. He glanced at Lu Zhen's soaked long skirt again, took off his outer robe and put it on her shoulders.

"Your clothes are wet. This is close to the Palace Commander's Mansion, so go and take shelter from the rain first."

After saying this, Lu Zhuo couldn't help but pull her into the carriage without waiting for her refusal.

 …

Lu Zhuo followed Pei Yunying to the Palace Commander's Mansion.

There is no one in the Palace Commander's Mansion, only two guards on duty are guarding the door.

Seeing Lu Yun, the guards immediately smiled and were about to say hello, but Pei Yunying glanced at him and then retracted, concentrating on guarding.

Pei Yunying took Lu Zhuo to the small room of the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion and said, "There are new guard uniforms on the table. You can make do with them first, and I will have someone dry them for you." He then explained: "The Commander-in-Chief's Mansion has no women's clothing. "

 Lu Tong responded.

"You change," he said, "I'll guard the door."

 Lu Zhu closed the door.

The small room is not big, with a wooden couch placed against the wall, and a wooden barrel half a person's height separated by a hibiscus screen. There was a black ruffled silver cloak on the screen, which looked familiar.

As she looked at it, Lu Zhuo remembered that she had seen this cloak before when she met Pei Yunying in Yuxian Tower.

This seems to be a place where Pei Yunying rests occasionally.

She glanced in the direction of the door, and without any further hesitation, she took off her soaked dress and put on clean clothes.

After changing, Lu Yan opened the door, and Pei Yunying turned around, looked at her, frowned and said, "Has the hospital abused you? You're so thin."

She didn't need to wear the armor of the guards, so she only wore the innermost layer of cloth. She was already thin, and the guards' uniforms covered her body, making her feel more and more empty. The bun was also removed, and it lay slightly damp on her shoulders. Her face was pitifully pale.

Lu Zhen went out and said, "Your clothes are too big."

He smiled, said nothing, picked up the black cloak on the screen and covered her body, and then ordered people to bake Lu Yan's wet dress.

 After doing all this, Lu Zhu followed him into the study.

Xiao Zhufeng is not here today, but the desk is still piled with official documents. Pei Yunying poured her a cup of tea. The tea was hot and felt very warm in the palm of her hand.

At this time of year, it would be too late to light a fire in the house. Lu Meng was wearing a guard uniform and Pei Yunying's cloak. He took a small sip of the tea in his hand. As soon as he took it in, he was startled, "Sweet syrup?"

 “Ginger honey water.”

Pei Yunying said: "You have been caught in the rain. Drink **** water to keep away the cold."

Lu Zhen said nothing more.

The rain was pouring outside the window, hitting the sycamore tree in front of the door and making a rustling sound.

 They were both very quiet.

 She was more silent today than before, always seeming to be a little distracted.

Pei Yunying glanced at her and suddenly said, "I heard that Qi Yutai touched you today."

 Lu Zong's movement of drinking tea was paused.

In the Taishi Mansion, the guard who interrupted Qi Yutai and lured her away because Qi Huaying was looking for her had a red birthmark in the corner of his eye.

Pei Yunying once said that that was the person he arranged for in the Taishi Mansion.

 The other party came in time.

Lu Huo said: "Your Excellency is very considerate, but I haven't thanked you yet."

Pei Yunying heard the alienation in her words, and looked a little strange. After thinking about it, he added: "It is still too dangerous for you to stay in the Taishi Mansion. Even if you find someone to look after you in the dark, it is not foolproof." He said: " Now that the Qi family is in trouble, why not wait until after the festival and I will help you..."

"Master Pei," Lu Zhu interrupted him, "Revenge will only stop the coffin. If I were afraid of death, I would not have come to Shengjing in the first place."

 He frowned: "What if the guard doesn't show up today? What if he treats you..."

 “I will take revenge in any way.”

 Her tone was very strong.

It was windy and rainy outside the window, and the rainwater hit the eaves of the window, blurring the outside into a white mist.

Pei Yunying stared at her and said after a moment: "If your family were here..."

 “Don’t mention them.”

As if a taboo had been touched, she suddenly became excited.

Pei Yunying was startled.

She was rarely angry, her dark eyes were burning bright, and her tone was sharp and mean.

"What does this mean? Master Pei, didn't your guard tell you about the time I was in the Grand Master's Mansion?"

"I have to bend down to them more than ten times a day to serve the enemy who killed my whole family. I have to be respectful to them and call them adults. No matter how disgusting I feel, I have to bow my head, because this allows the other party to take off their guard and make it easier. Take action."

She looked at Pei Yunying: "I will do anything for revenge. I have no self-esteem, no future, and no favors. Master Pei, this is who I am, and this is the most important thing to me."

Pei Yunying frowned.

She calmed down and said, "Master Pei, thank you very much at Huangmaogang, but I was too naive at that time, and I thought everything too simply. Now, I don't think that kneeling is inferior to others, let alone him. I use my hands and feet, even if I become his slave, I still know what I am doing. As long as I don't underestimate myself, others will never underestimate me. "

 “Stop talking.” He said suddenly, with anger hidden in his tone.

I don’t know if it’s because of her deep self-deprecation or because of her clear and deliberate distance.

Lu Zhen looked at him. His eyes, which were always calm and unruffled, were not as deserted as before. They were chaotic, like sullenness, but also deeper sadness.

He suddenly softened his heart and his tone slowed down.

 “I told you I would help you.”

Lu Zhen's heart trembled, and the fingertips hidden in her sleeves clenched deeply into her palms. The pain suddenly made her wake up.

 “What on earth is the commander-in-chief doing?”

She said coldly: "Sunan's old debt has been paid off long ago. Can't you see that I have been using you?"

 “I didn’t say I wouldn’t let you take advantage of it.” He suddenly interrupted Lu Yan.

　　　 Lu Tong.

Pei Yunying stared at her steadily.

 “Lu Huan, you can use me.”

 The rain outside the window became more rapid and the sound was sad. The coldness also entered the room through the window. The young man sat opposite her, his eyes that were always smiling no longer smiled, and their expression was unclear.

She suddenly shuddered and subconsciously wanted to tighten her robe, but stopped suddenly when she was within reach.

This dress, this Pei Yunying's dress, is made of fine materials, and the silk and satin are luxurious and weighty. When it falls on her body, it feels like a warm cloud. The cloud and mist wrap around her, and even the cold wind blowing in her face when the horse-drawn carriage gallops through the showery afternoon does not feel cold. cold.

 But the cool summer nights will pass, the wind will leave no trace, and the beautiful and warm coat will one day be draped on the shoulders of others.

 For a story without an ending, it is better not to start it.

Lu Zhen lowered his head, put the hot tea back on the table, and stood up.

"I want to go back."

 She avoided his gaze.

Pei Yunying paused and wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He stood up and said, "I'll see you off."

 “No need.” She replied firmly.

Pei Yunying frowned, and after a moment, he finally compromised: "I'll let Qing Feng see you off."

This time Lu Zhuo did not refuse.

Qingfeng took Lu Zhu out, and there was only one person left in the huge study.

There was still half a cup of **** honey water left by her on the table. Pei Yunying rubbed her forehead and looked distressed.

 Lu Huan today is very unusual.

She is always calm. Since Huang Maogang met, this is the first time she has spoken to him so coldly, as if she has suddenly wrapped herself in a coat, clearly isolating herself from others.

 There is no room for comment.

The spies from Taishi Mansion reported back that Qi Yutai behaved frivolously towards Lu Zong today, but this alone did not make Lu Zong react like this. It seemed like he deliberately distanced himself from him. What happened?

He was sitting on a chair, his brows furrowed, and while he was thinking, Red Arrow walked in from outside.

“Sir,” Chi Jian said, “Someone from Duke Zhaoning’s residence is here.”

"It is said that there was a fire in the ancestral hall and my wife's tablet was damaged. Please return home immediately."

Before he finished speaking, Pei Yunying suddenly raised his head: "What?"

 …

In the ancestral hall of Duke Zhaoning's mansion, the memorial tablets are densely packed and cold.

There is a man in brocade clothing standing in front of the memorial tablet, holding a long incense and worshiping one by one.

There was a crisp sound of "bang" behind me, the door was pushed open, and someone walked in from the outside.

As soon as Pei Yunying entered the ancestral hall, he immediately looked in a certain direction of the ancestral hall. When he saw the neatly arranged memorial tablets and intact wooden beams, his face suddenly darkened.

"You lied to me?"

 “Otherwise, how could you come back?”

The speaker put on the last stick of incense and turned around, revealing a face that was more or less similar to that of the young man.

 It is Pei Di, Duke of Zhaoning.

“Since the New Year, you haven’t been home for more than half a year.” Pei Di looked at the person in front of him.

Pei Yunying smiled: "You seem to have forgotten that this place is not my home."

He hurried back from outside. His clothes were soaked by the rain for a while, and the tips of his hair were also wet. He knew he had heard the news and hurried back immediately.

Pei Di lowered his eyes.

This son has always been like this, and there is nothing worthy of nostalgia in the Pei family, except for his mother.

 Even if his mother is no longer here.

Pei Yunying glanced at him and raised her lips sarcastically: "If there's nothing else, I'll leave first." After saying that, he turned around and left.

"etc."

The smile on the young man's lips grew thicker, and he turned to look at him: "Sir, if you have something to say, speak directly, so don't waste our time."

Pei Di looked at him.

The young man has a smile on his face, but he cannot hide the surliness and indifference in his eyes.

 He is completely different from his mother and from anyone else in Zhaoning Palace.

 Sometimes affectionate, sometimes ruthless.

After a long time, Pei Di said: "The prince has been grounded."

 “What does it have to do with me?”

 “Are you going to do something for the third prince?”

 “What does it have to do with you?”

He was so unruly, Pei Di was slightly angry and his tone became darker.

"This is what your Majesty did. Your Majesty wanted to change the throne to the crown prince, but you should know that the Pei family has already become one with the prince."

Hearing this, Pei Yunying laughed.

As if he heard something extremely ridiculous, he laughed so hard that his whole body trembled, and he couldn't stop laughing. Finally, he spoke coldly.

"Your Majesty is afraid that the prince will be disadvantageous to the third prince, so he takes the first step. Putting the prince under house arrest is the first step. But why does he put the prince under house arrest? Is it because he is afraid that what happened back then will happen again?"

“Because he killed his own brother to ascend to the throne, is he worried that the prince will kill his third, more beloved son and repeat the same mistake?”

Pei Di's pupils shrank: "How did you..."

Pei Yunying sneered, and his tone became more aggressive: "Why did the late prince die in that autumn flood? Why did the late emperor die of a serious illness soon? Doesn't Duke Zhaoning know better than anyone else?"

"He killed his father and brother, and showed no regard for human relations. And you, in order to sell yourself to him and preserve your glory and wealth, took your wife as a surrender gift, and did not save her, but watched her die in the rebellion!"

 The deathly silence in the ancestral hall.

Pei Yunying looked at the person in front of him, his eyes full of hatred and hatred.

At that time, he only knew the tip of the iceberg. He didn't know why his father didn't save his mother who was being coerced. He was only disappointed with his cowardice. After a big fight with his father in the ancestral hall, he left home angrily and vowed to find justice for his mother. .

 It wasn’t until later that everything was known.

 It turns out that the truth is more disgusting than what the world sees.

And his father is just a shameless villain who rose to power by stepping on the blood and tears of the person next to him.

 “Yunying.”

Pei Di looked at him. After a brief shock, Duke Zhaoning regained his composure. His tone was still gentle, as if a father was carefully explaining to an ignorant child.

"The general trend is that the former crown prince has passed away, and only your majesty can take on the great responsibility in the court. Your majesty is suspicious. Your maternal ancestors' family had close contacts with the late crown prince. If not, how could the Pei family be preserved, and how could you be preserved?"

"Even if your mother were alive, she would want me to do this."

"shut up!"

Pei Yunying said angrily: "Don't mention my mother."

He took two steps back, glanced across the neat memorial tablets in the room, and spoke sarcastically.

“Master Pei, you placed my mother’s memorial tablet in the ancestral hall and worshiped her all the time. Have you never felt guilty for a moment?”

 “I forgot,” he laughed, “that you have no heart at all.”

Pei Di paused: "No matter what you think, I do it for the Pei family."

"Over the years, I know you blame me and hate me, but you have always shed the blood of the Pei family. If the third prince ascends to the throne in the future, he will not be able to tolerate the Pei family, and he may not be able to tolerate you. In the royal family, there is no way to tolerate it. Haven’t you heard about donkey killing?”

He reminded: "Your surname is always Pei. If the Pei family falls, you will not be able to escape."

Pei Yunying chuckled: "I don't care."

Pei Di was stunned.

"I don't care whether others can tolerate me or not. Even if I die, it will be in the future. I have sworn from the first day I entered the palace that I will have nothing to do with the Pei family."

He stared at Pei Di with a contemptuous smile on his lips, "Master Pei, now that you have made a choice, you must be able to afford to lose."

“You made a choice back then and were rich and prosperous for twenty years. Now you find that you made the wrong choice. Don’t jump over the wall in a hurry. That will only make people look down on you.”

 “I’m willing to admit defeat, you taught me.”

Pei Di stared at him blankly.

It seemed that at this moment, he clearly realized that this son was completely out of his control, and with the death of his mother and the separation of Pei Yunshu, there was no one in the world who could hold him back.

 He had no scruples at all.

“Do you know that when His Majesty ascended the throne, someone once signaled not to spare your life?”

 After a long time, Pei Di spoke.

“His Majesty is suspicious of you after all. It’s me who will vouch for your life. Otherwise, you would no longer exist in the world today.”

Pei Yunying pretended to be surprised: "Really?"

“Then it’s rare that I have gained His Majesty’s trust now.” He smiled nonchalantly, “Besides, how does Mr. Pei know that no one wanted my life back then?”

“Your concubine, your concubine, your stepmother, your enemy…”

"I live because of my hard work, not because of your incompetent blessing, Mr. Pei."

Pei Di frowned: "What did you say?"

Pei Yunying said calmly: "My blood relationship with the Pei family has completely disappeared after my mother's death. Lord Pei does not need to tie me up with this, it is useless."

“As for what will happen in the future, Mr. Pei can save himself.”

“After all,” he twitched the corners of his lips, “that’s what I did back then.”

After finishing speaking, he nodded, turned around and left the ancestral hall. As soon as he left the ancestral hall door, he bumped into someone, his concubine Pei Yunxiao.

Pei Yunxiao didn't know what was going on. He only saw that Pei Di's face was ugly, and he had vaguely heard about Qianyuan, so he gave gentle advice.

“Brother, you and dad are biological father and son. Now that the Pei family is in trouble, we should join hands..."

“Second Young Master Pei,” Pei Yunying interrupted, “Now you have something to ask for. Instead of teaching me a lesson here, you should read more and gain more skills.”

Pei Yunying gave him a mocking look: "After all, without the Pei family, you, the Second Young Master Pei, are nothing. But without the Pei family, Pei Yunying is still Pei Yunying."

Pei Yunxiao froze in place, while Pei Yunying turned around and left.

He left without any regrets. In the courtyard, the palace lanterns under the eaves were blown by the wind and rain, and the colorful fringes attached to them were soaked by the rain and no longer fluttered, sticking to one place.

The young man glanced at it, his expression suddenly startled.

 He still remembered that when he was a child, he was very popular with his father. He is the eldest son and the firstborn. Pei Yunxiao is taciturn and cowardly. He loves to smile and is cheerful. His father likes him the most.

The lantern festival in Jingdemen is always lively. His mother was afraid of the danger due to the crowds outside and refused to let him go with her, but Aunt Mei agreed to let Pei Yunxiao go. In the evening, he looked at the lantern held in Pei Yunxiao's hand when he returned home. He was so angry that he refused to eat, and shed tears of grievance alone at night.

Pei Di came in from outside the door, handed him a rabbit lantern, held him on his knees, and said to him: "Shh, next time dad takes you there, don't tell your mother."

Young Pei Yunying held a rabbit lantern and laughed through tears.

 The rain was hazy, the palace lantern was wet, and the patterns on it gradually became blurred.

Pei Yunying didn't look at the palace lantern again and walked by indifferently.

 After all, that was a long, long time ago.

 (End of this chapter)