♂?，，

  The storm in the imperial court was not within Ming Xuan's concerns, and she only coldly observed the rise and fall of the Yang family. After the autumn crab banquet, the entire Shengjing City was bustling with excitement, but she and Pei Jingzhen lived an exceptionally peaceful and comfortable life. Not only did they jointly complete the portrait of the Yongjia County Princess and send it to the Shangwen Bureau for framing, but they also took time out to paint a small portrait for Yu Zhen Shitai.

  It didn't cost much, just some ink and paper, but the gift was very dear to Yu Zhen Shitai's heart. Perhaps in order to comfort this poor couple, she ordered a Bhikkhuni under her seat to personally run an errand to Town National Gongfu, without avoiding identity, sending a peace symbol and several Buddhist scriptures to Pei Jingzong and Ming Xuan, to show her affection for these two young people.

  Although the Shifu's status is extremely noble, she has been far away from the secular world for a long time and never intervenes in complicated interpersonal relationships. This time, her kindness not only dispelled the ripples on the hearts of the Pei family members but also had an extraordinary significance among the high-ranking nobles in Shengjing City.

  Others may have thought about it in their hearts, but only the second lady, Mrs. Pang, truly put her mind to it. Since that day when the second master gave her a stern warning, she really didn't follow closely behind Lady Yang, the wife of the eldest son. At the autumn crab feast, she excused herself due to illness and avoided being gossiped about once again, which proved the second master's words were not in vain and further solidified her good intentions towards Ming Xuan.

  Mrs. Pang is an elder, and it's not good for her to always run to her nephew's wife. However, whenever the second master brings back something good from the government office, she suddenly becomes enthusiastic about sending some to Qingyi Courtyard. In just over ten days, she has sent things seven or eight times. The third mistress, Mrs. Bian, found out and couldn't help but mock her in veiled terms. However, Mrs. Pang didn't take offense at all, using the excuse that Pei Jingzhen was unwell to lecture Mrs. Bian on the principle of being kind to younger generations. Every word and sentence still pointed to Mrs. Bian's lack of kindness.

  Madam Bai was furious, but there was nothing she could do. She had to go back and fetch some fine goods from her private storage to make up for it.

  Mrs. Pang's sudden kindness left Ming Xuan somewhat bewildered, as she didn't lack money and the Jingyi Temple had become wealthy after the last incident, so no one dared to make a fuss about material things in public again. Originally, the several branches of the Pei family kept a cool and polite distance from each other, which she thought was fine, but Mrs. Pang's sudden move made her feel uneasy.

  Dan Hong was straightforward, and when faced with these somewhat inexplicable favors and gifts, she bluntly said, "No matter how hard you try to curry favor, it's either deceitful or thieving. The two madams are clever, I suppose they think the young master's wife has a bad reputation lately, and the Yang family is afraid of a big change, so they're turning to the eldest lady instead. If the young master's wife loses her qualifications as the mistress of the house, you'll be the legitimate and rightful eldest daughter-in-law!"

  It's beneficial to get along with the mistress of the house, who is also the wife of the eldest son. In the past, the second mistress followed behind the first mistress for a reason. Now, the second mistress is showing kindness to the eldest lady for another reason.

  Dan Hong didn't know about those private matters inside, and she thought this way wasn't wrong either.

  But Ming Xuan didn't think so, the prince's wife Yang had already married out, and as long as Yang You Cheng hadn't committed treason, his children wouldn't be affected. And it definitely wouldn't affect his daughter who was already married out.

  Not to mention that the current Empress Pei is from the Yang family, even if it's not for the sake of appearances, for the dignity of the Zhou Dynasty and the Empress, the Emperor cannot let anything happen to Lady Yang. As long as she remains the wife of the Crown Prince, Preceptor Pei will not take away her power to manage the household.

  Pei Jingchen just smiled faintly, "Perhaps Second Uncle heard some rumors, that's why Second Aunt can't hold back."

  He suddenly rubbed his temples painfully and said with a bitter tone, "Second Aunt is a very stubborn person. Just you wait, she will definitely try every means to come and get close to us in the next few days. When she comes, Third Brother and Sixth Sister will also have to come. Third Aunt has always loved to fight with Second Aunt, so she'll probably come too. At that time, Jingyi Temple's peaceful days will be over."

  Although there was no feeling, after all, he was still a nominal elder. He didn't want to shut the door and refuse guests. Moreover, if he really inhumanly drove people away and had nothing to do with any of the Pei family, the only one who would be affected by the bad reputation would be Ming Xuan. Although he didn't care about these things, he also didn't want the person he cared about to get hurt because of this.

  Ming Xuan's heart moved slightly, thinking of the rumors she had heard before. Did Mrs. Pang also hear that Pei Jingchen might inherit his grandfather's title as king? The Pei family, being a royal clan, could request another earldom, making it two titles in one family. If Pei Jingchen didn't participate in the competition, then aside from Pei Jingxiao, there would still be one more spot available. The second branch was also born to the first wife, and Third Master Jingrong was only a few months younger than Second Master Jingxiao. In terms of both emotion and reason, the second branch should also get a share.

  Since there is no conflict of interest with Pei Jingchen, he may still be crowned king in the future. The second house near the water tower will not let go of this ready-made reliance. It's actually consistent with the impression that Mrs. Pang gave her before.

  After Dan Hong went out, Ming Xuan asked in a low voice, "Is that thing true?"

  Heart understanding, Pei Jingchen now has a tacit understanding with her, and had long understood what she meant. Smiling, he shook his head, "The previous emperor indeed made a promise, and at the time also decreed that I enter the palace to discuss this matter. However, at that time I was still young, and my heart was set on only being in the Pei household could I investigate clearly the cause of my mother's death, so I didn't immediately agree."

  He gently stroked Ming Xuan's cheek and said with a smile, "Now that I think about it, I'm a bit regretful. I should have agreed to the previous emperor's proposal earlier, so my Ah Xuan could be a princess."

  The words are clear, such a thing has happened before. The previous emperor is gone, and the new emperor is on the throne, but this new emperor did not come to power through normal succession, rather he seized the throne with the support of Pei Xiang after a fierce struggle. As for the emperor, the previous emperor's edict was unavoidable, even if it was just for the sake of filial piety, he would follow it. But those verbal promises, however, are not necessarily kept, and can be scattered like wind.

  Ming Xuan smiled and shook her head, "Whether as the princess or as the wife of a national duke, even if I have no official position or title in the future, I'll wander through mountains and waters, my only wish is that we can live peacefully, grow old together, and never abandon each other."

  These words were spoken sincerely, without a hint of hesitation, and indeed came from her heart.

  She comes from a later generation, although she deeply understands the importance of power in the current dynasty, what she yearns for in her heart is another kind of life. If her husband were to be enfeoffed as a king, although it sounds majestic and powerful, everything has two sides, with wealth and glory, there will inevitably be responsibilities and obligations that come with it. The emperor would sacrifice even his own wife for the sake of power, so how could he grant a royal title without making any demands?

  Struggling is a tiring thing. If one can withdraw from the situation and stay away from disputes, why must they stand at the forefront of the storm?

  The deep feelings in Pei Jingxuan's eyes were so thick that they couldn't be dispersed, and the tightly clasped hands represented his intentions at this moment.

  He spoke in a soft voice, whispering, "We will grow old together, I promise."

  Madam Pang indeed came to Jingyi Courtyard as expected, but Ming Xuan did not expect that she would ask to be a matchmaker for Gu Yuanjing the moment she opened her mouth.

  After a round of polite small talk, Mrs. Pang pointed to Pei Shuyun sitting quietly beside her and said with a smile, "Sixth sister's birthday is on the eighth of March, and when spring arrives next year, she will be a big girl. Zhen's wife is Shuyun's elder sister-in-law, I won't hide it from you, these days there have been many people who want to marry her off, but my husband and I only have one daughter, our precious child, we can't bear to let her go to just any ordinary family, I often think that if we could find a family that knows us well and is suitable for her, that would be the best."

  She had a smile all over her face, but her words suddenly took a sharp turn, "Princess, does the Fourth Master of your esteemed household have any plans for marriage?"

  Ming Xuan covered her mouth, looking surprised and delighted. "My fourth brother has never been engaged before," she said with a smile. "However, marriage is a major event that requires parental orders and matchmaker's words. Although my parents are no longer around, my grandmother and eldest uncle will definitely consider my fourth brother's marriage. He's also getting older, so I'm sure they've already made arrangements for him."

  As she spoke, her gaze flickered slightly towards Miss Pae Soo-young, who was sitting upright, and saw that although her face was somewhat flushed, her eyes were very clear, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, as if she had some plan to counter her mother's suddenness. Despite this, her face still managed to maintain a calm demeanor, looking not at all like an ordinary young lady from a respectable family.

  Even if Pei Shuyun was as good as a heavenly being, she would still be absolutely mismatched with her brother-in-law Gu Yuanjing.

  The grievances of the parents back then, although no longer mentioned, perhaps this situation is something that nobody wants to see, but the Pei family can't shirk their responsibility. Ming Xuan married Pei Jing Chen, it's clear that Gu Yuan Jing was initially unwilling, but he was away at the time and couldn't make a decision. Later, seeing that Pei Jing Chen was a good person, he finally let go of his concerns. But this is probably already his limit, how could he possibly marry another woman with the surname Pei?

  It's absolutely impossible.

  Mrs. Pang heard the estrangement in Ming Xuan's words, but still smiled and said, "I heard from Second Uncle that Gu's fourth master is brave and resourceful, with a handsome face, and will surely be a pillar of the imperial court in the future. Such a talented man should be matched with a noble lady, I wonder what kind of woman would have the fate to marry such a husband."

  She glanced at her daughter beside her and sighed, "If only our family's Shu Yu could have this good fortune."

  Although Gu Yuanjing has a promising future and is the sole support of his family, he is after all just a concubine's son. In terms of birth and bloodline, he doesn't count as noble. If it were ordinary times, Madam Pang would probably look down on him, and his name wouldn't appear on the list of potential husbands for a noble family's daughter. However, since the previous time when Duke Lin Nan wanted to propose this son-in-law for the county master, he became one of the most prominent eligible bachelors in Shengjing City. Madam Pang wanting to ask for him for her daughter doesn't seem like an unusual thing anymore.

  It was just this matchmaker who said she should go to Yongning Marquis's residence, but instead she mentioned Jingyi Temple...

  Ming Xuan looked at Pei Shu Yun, who was still sitting upright, and saw that her face had become even redder. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, as if she hadn't heard the explicit words of Pang Shi. Ming Xuan couldn't help but take another look at her, and Pei Shu Yun seemed to sense something, turning her head to gaze back at her with a calm yet desolate expression in her eyes.

  Complete works txt download, full text free, e-book, remember 77 reading books