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  The grand Rong An Hall looked even more desolate in the cold winter, and the warmth from the charcoal fire burning in the stove could not drive away the frost in his heart. Pei Xiang stroked his chest and paced back and forth, finally revealing a determined expression on his face. He walked up to the desk with big strides, dipped the wolf hair brush in ink, and wrote a ruthless character for "kill" on the snow-white rice paper.

  The hand holding the pen trembled, causing the black ink to splatter chaotically on the paper, making the cold and ruthless word appear eerie. He let out a long sigh, rolled up the paper into a ball and put it in a bamboo tube, sealed with wax. He waved his hand at his loyal attendant standing beside him and said, "Give this to Shi Zeng, one month of danger, be careful."

  Staring at the receding back, Pei Xiang slumped down in the taishi chair, his complexion dull and lifeless, as if he had aged ten years in an instant, his entire body exuding a desolate dirge.

  The greatest cruelty in this world is the mutual slaughter of one's own flesh and blood. In the past, it was precisely because of his intolerance that so many tragic events occurred. Now that he is about to die, all the grudges should be reduced to nothing along with him. He will take on all these sins alone, even if it means falling into the eighteen layers of hell to suffer the torments of boiling oil and fierce flames, rather than leaving that person behind to bring shame to the family gate!

  From that day on, Pei Xiang claimed illness and did not go out, but he treated the Crown Prince's wife exceptionally well, treating her like a superior guest with yellow clothes.

  The young lady was dull and had not yet realized the deep meaning, although she was somewhat dissatisfied in her heart. Since Pei Xiang was the actual person in power in the mansion, she could only obey once he spoke. Besides, during the New Year's festival, the aristocratic families were the busiest. Although her natal family had declined, there was still a daughter who was the Empress Dowager in the palace, and with all the comings and goings during the holidays, she was busy to the point of not having time to think about these things.

  The other rooms in the Ka family are all sharp and formidable masters. If you say that before, there were only a few suspicious worries, after leaving Huang Yi with the noble treatment of a distinguished guest, what else is not clear? The old master indeed poisoned, according to the words at the family banquet that day, it's likely that his days are really numbered.

  According to the current unwritten rules, if Pei Xiang dies, this title will naturally be inherited by the eldest son. Once Pei Xiao'an becomes the next Zhen Guo Gong, it is reasonable to say that they should quickly divide the family property and move out of the Gong Fu within half a year. The other four houses of the Pei family will then move out one after another and live their separate lives.

  Although it is said that there will be such a day, the sudden arrival is always difficult to accept. Moreover, among the other rooms, there are still unmarried children who have not been betrothed, and if Pei Xiang were still alive, they would be the young masters and misses of the Duke's Manor, with an identity that is noble by several degrees. But once they move out and establish their own household, they will only be Miss Pei, without a title, and will inevitably be inferior in some ways.

  For a time, people's hearts were in a state of panic, although on the surface they could still maintain calmness, but privately they were each making their own plans.

  Pei Xiang shut himself indoors and never came out, only occasionally calling his son over to talk to him separately. After the son left, the masters of the other rooms only knew about their own part of the conversation, but they never mentioned it to each other. The atmosphere was as if he was giving his last words, making everything so mysterious yet terrifying.

  This year's festival was spent in anxiety and unease, with all kinds of unpleasant tastes.

  But they had nothing to do with Jingyi Temple's unease.

  On the fifth day of the New Year, early in the morning, two horse-drawn carriages stopped at the entrance of Jingyi Courtyard. Inside the room, Ming Xuan helped Pei Jingchen put on a thick fox fur cloak, wrapping him tightly and said, "Today, Grandfather is hosting a family banquet, all the sisters will return home, I must stay by Grandma's side, remember to let Changgeng follow closely behind you, his leg has just recovered, outside it's cold, and there was snow last night, if they want to go out to admire the plum blossoms in the snow, just stay inside the house and don't go anywhere."

  She helped him sit down in the wheelchair, and deliberately took a woolen blanket to put on his legs, smiling and saying "There are many mouths that speak carelessly, it's inevitable that someone will say something unpleasant, don't take it to heart, and also don't pretend to be strong just to save face for me, knowing I don't mind those things."

  Pei Jingchen nodded slightly, his eyes gentle "Mm."

  They arrived at the main hall, and Chang Geng had been waiting there for a long time. When he saw Ming Xuan pushing Pei Jingyun out, he quickly took over, smiling and saying: "The gifts are all ready, but Sheng's nanny has a cold and is afraid of catching it from others, so she said she wouldn't go. Su Wan and the others will guard the house, and Dan Hong will follow on this side to take care of Master. If there's nothing else to instruct, I'll push Master to the sedan chair first?"

  Ming Xuan thought for a moment and asked, "Where is the girl in yellow?"

  The heavy warm curtain was lifted, and a clear voice rang out "Xuan sister, I'm here!"

  She was wearing a half-new orange satin dress, with a simple hair bun, and smiled as she walked in. She turned her body to face Ming Xuan and said, "This dress is what I asked Dan Hong for, doesn't it fit me well? Although I promised to take you to the Gu's house today, but thinking about it, if I wear my own clothes, how would I explain my identity later? It's better for me to follow Dan Hong together, and just be a little maid for a day."

  Her face was filled with excitement and a hint of eager anticipation. "Will I really get to see Brother Jing today?"

  Ming Xuan's heart was slightly aching, but she felt that Huang Yi's love for Gao Jing was so pure and deep. It seemed like a predictable tragedy, and Huang Yi must have had some awareness of it in her heart. However, she still threw herself into this seemingly hopeless emotion, unwilling to compromise or retreat. Such emotions, even if they don't have a perfect ending, are always moving.

  She nodded involuntarily and said "En, we'll meet again."

  Last night, it snowed all night. The courtyard of the Jingyi Temple looked fine, but unexpectedly, the snow on the street was particularly deep. The horse-drawn carriage had a hard time moving forward, but fortunately, they still arrived at the Yongning Marquis's residence before noon. Because Pei Jingxun had difficulty walking, the carriage drove directly to Zhu Laofu's Antai Temple. After paying their respects and sitting for a while, a young servant from the Yongning Marquis's household came over to invite Seventh Master to go sit elsewhere.

  As soon as Pei Jingchen left, Old Lady Zhu held Ming Xuan in her arms, tears streaming down her face. She didn't care that there were still others present and sobbed uncontrollably, "Child, I'm sorry."

  Pei Jingchen was not the most recognized son-in-law in Madam Zhu's heart, and at that time, it was a choice that had to be made under such circumstances. Fortunately, her son-in-law was of good character and seemed to have the ability to protect his wife and children. After Xuan sister married him, although there were crises all around, they were still harmonious as husband and wife, so she slightly put her mind at ease.

  But who would have thought that it wasn't long after that Pei Jingchen broke his leg.

  What it means to have a broken leg, Old Lady Zhu understood better than anyone. The inconvenience in daily life is not worth mentioning, an ordinary man who loses the ability to walk normally will become irritable, and these are still minor issues, but seeing that this leg won't recover, even the title of nobility will be lost, at that time, life will become even more difficult.

  This marriage was her choice, now that Xiang sister is having a hard time, she always thinks it's her fault.

  Ming Xuan hurriedly used a handkerchief to wipe away Old Lady Zhu's tears. "Granddaughter isn't feeling wronged, she really isn't feeling wronged. If you, Grandmother, continue like this, it will be a huge blow to her. Come on, today is such a good day and it's rare that all the sisters are together. If you're not happy, everyone else will feel uncomfortable too."

  Gu Niang saw the situation and hurriedly came forward to support Zhu Lao Furen, smiling as she changed the subject "I just went out and heard that the people in Er Furen's courtyard said that our family's Junwang Shizi Fei has arrived at Liu Xiang, it will only take a moment for her to arrive. Old Madame, you should wipe your face quickly, Shizi Fei rarely comes back, seeing you happy makes her even happier."

  As soon as the words fell, a little girl brought over warm water and the nanny quickly wrung out a towel to attend to the old lady's needs before quietly retreating to the back.

  Actually, Ming Xuan didn't feel any resentment about marrying Pei Jingchen. Instead, she often felt grateful that she had married such a deep and responsible man. He might be in a difficult situation, or he might be in danger, or he might be seen as an invalid by the world, but to her, he was a reliable husband who promised her what she truly wanted. They shared common interests, loved and respected each other, not just as lovers but also as friends. She didn't feel any resentment at all; on the contrary, she was living very well.

  Her grandmother's true feelings were all because she loved her so much, and she was deeply moved in her heart.

  Before long, the second and fourth madams led Shixia Minglian to arrive, followed by Jiemiao Mingyu and Simei Minghe who had married into the Jian'an Bo Mansion. After a while, Liuhu Minghe, the princess of Qingping Junwang, arrived with several wet nurses supporting her slightly bulging belly. Everyone exchanged greetings, then held hands and chatted, laughing together. The spacious Antai Courtyard hadn't been so lively in a long time. Old Lady Zhu finally put aside her previous worries and fixed her gaze on Minghe.

  She said somewhat disapprovingly, "Hua Jie has become pregnant and didn't send word, on such a cold and slippery road, coming all this way, if she's overexerted herself how can that be?"

  Minghe busily smiled and said, "It's not that I deliberately wanted to hide it from you, Grandma. It's just the rules of the Duke's mansion. They say it's afraid of scaring the child, so before three months of pregnancy, it's not good to tell outsiders. Just a few days ago, it was only after the three-month period had passed that my daughter thought she would come to pay her respects in person anyway, and writing letters was too much trouble, so I didn't say anything. You can just consider it a surprise, okay?"

  She paused for a moment, "On the fifteenth day of the first month, the emperor will host a banquet for his relatives, and naturally, the Qingping Junwangfu will also attend. My mother-in-law is no longer around, and now that I'm in charge of the household, it's only natural that I would come. So, it doesn't count as a special trip back to my maiden home. The young master is cautious in his actions, and he was afraid that I would be too tired, so we set out several days in advance. We arrived at the Wangfu in Shengjing City yesterday and rested for a night. We didn't rush on the road, so it wasn't tiring."

  As soon as the words fell, the door curtain moved slightly, and Madame Cai, the wife of the young master, came in. She exchanged greetings with everyone in a dignified manner, then turned to Old Lady Zhu and said, "The weather is cold, I think it would be better to set up the banquet in the An Tai courtyard, so that everyone won't have to go out and suffer from the cold wind. What do you think, Grandmother?"

  She stood with a gentle and elegant demeanor, her blue sapphire hairpin shining brightly on her coiffure.

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