Mountains and rivers are waiting for you to return

Chapter 55 Reward
Having said this, the matchmaker felt more confident.

"It's all over the place. Someone heard you say with their own ears that you had a deceased fiancé and you are now a widow!"

Penel thought for a moment.

She said this at the time in order to get rid of Daxian who was pestering her.

But it was definitely not him who spread this news.

Their conversation had been overheard by someone at that time. Da Xian judged from the sound of footsteps that the people who eavesdropped were two girls of the same age as her, so who could it be?
As she was thinking, someone else spoke up, in an extremely unpleasant tone: "Ms. Tang, you are suspected of being a husband-killer, but you have been teasing the man's family here for so long. The man's family is very upset. It's not too much to ask for an explanation, right?"

Pei Nai did not give in either. "What do you want to say? I have never lied to you, and I have never agreed to discuss marriage with any man's family."

Someone interrupted her, "Ms. Tang's reputation has been completely ruined, but have you ever thought that the family of the man who came to propose marriage yesterday will inevitably be criticized in the future because of you?"

This person speaks with confidence and righteousness.

Many passers-by outside the Ju Mansion were also pointing and looking at Pei Nai with contempt, not knowing what to say.

Just in time.

A huge carriage with luxurious carvings stopped at the gate.

The person who got off the carriage was none other than the chief eunuch, Eunuch Zhang, whom Pei Nai had met in the palace yesterday.

The people watching outside made way for him.

Chief Steward Zhang walked in leisurely. "Oh, I haven't seen the Ju residence so lively for a long time. What happened?"

Seeing this, the servants around Madam Ju and the matchmakers around her all bowed their heads.

"Eunuch Zhang? What brings you here?" Madam Ju spoke first.

"Madam Ju still remembers me. It is my honor. I am here to announce the decree on behalf of His Majesty." As he said this, he looked at Pei Nai with a kind face and a flattering smile on his lips, and said, "Miss Tang, please accept the decree."

A bright yellow sacred edict was stretched out between his palms.

Seeing this, everyone knelt down.

Pei Nai was a little confused. What did Xiao Mingyi want to do?
But there were countless outsiders present at the moment, so Pei Nai did not show it and just knelt down to accept the order.

"The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Tang's eldest daughter Mingzhi is of a righteous character, endowed with the five essences and outstanding, upright and harmonious, friendly and benevolent, and has made contributions to the national prestige of Tianyao at the Dengyun Heroes Conference and protected the Wanyue Blood Whip. She should be a role model for our Tianyao, and I highly commend her. I grant her a mansion, a thousand taels of gold, a set of Jiaolong Shangming silver armor, ten pieces of Tiansi snow satin, three West Sea night-shining pearls, and a box of jade jewelry. I decree this."

Eunuch Zhang read out the rewards in one breath, and the matchmakers' eyes widened.

Pei Nai only thought that the phrase "upright and harmonious, harmonious and benevolent" was deliberately said by Xiao Mingyi to mock her, but she still kowtowed with Madam Ju, "Thank you for your grace, long live the emperor."

Although Madam Ju was a little confused, she just thought that she had forgotten something. She stood up, took out the jade pendant she was carrying and was about to give it to Eunuch Zhang.

"I hope you will accept this small gift, sir."

Eunuch Zhang made a few polite remarks but did not accept the gift. He kept smiling and said, "I have been with His Majesty for ten years, and I have never seen him care so much about anyone. Many of Miss Tang's affairs were arranged by His Majesty himself. Even the ladies in the palace do not receive such treatment."

Pei Nai felt that they seemed to have misunderstood something, but there seemed to be no way to explain it.

how to explain?

Are you saying that Your Majesty has no other thoughts and is just deeply filial?

Not quite suitable.
She pondered for a moment, and Eunuch Zhang said, "Miss Tang, His Majesty's reward has been sent to the new house, and Lord Tang should have returned by now, but I still have to obey His Majesty's order and take you to the palace."

Eunuch Zhang did not say it explicitly, but Pei Nai understood that this meant that Tang's father had been absolved of the crime, so he nodded, said a few words to Madam Ju, and left with him.

Everyone watched the carriage start in silence.

Mrs. Ju finally spoke, with a rare hint of coldness in her voice.

"Did you all hear that? Please take the betrothal gifts away on behalf of the man's family as soon as possible. You can't even stand being talked about. Don't cause any more trouble that will harm your family." The matchmakers looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

They had previously thought that Tang Mingzhi's reputation had been ruined and that she would have no future in Chaoyang City, but suddenly she gained the favor of His Majesty.

Today, relying on the support of other noble families, they have targeted her many times.

If she becomes successful someday.
The matchmakers in the capital city all come into contact with prominent families and are used to changing their attitudes according to the situation. However, they never expected that they would fall into trouble today. The more they thought about it, the more scared they became, and many of them turned pale.

Before they could say anything.

Madam Ju said, "Butler, take out all the gifts we received yesterday and let them take them away." Then she turned and left.

After leaving everyone's sight, Madam Ju cautiously asked her maid, "When did Mingzhi catch your majesty's eye?"

The maid also said she didn't know, and just recounted to her what happened at the Dengyun Heroes Conference the day before.

Mrs. Ju was a little confused.

"No, when did Mingzhi learn martial arts?"

She was so busy talking to the servants that she didn't notice a figure crouching on the roof behind her.

Xiao Mingyi summoned Pei Nai to the palace just because he had nothing to do and wanted to invite her to play chess.

By the way, she asked the palace maids to tailor a few sets of clothes for her, and the silver armor bestowed by the emperor also needed to be modified according to her body shape.

It was dusk when we left the palace.

Hearing that the house Xiao Mingyi gave her had already been decorated, she planned to move in today. She would go back to the Ju Mansion at dawn tomorrow to pack up other things and bring Bei Ju and Qing Zhu with her.

This house has five entrances and five exits and is as big as the Ju Mansion.

The courtyard was lined with paths and filled with lush trees. She and her father Tang lived there with some servants, but it seemed a little too empty.

She was stopped by Tang's father on her way to her yard.

"Mingzhi, kneel down!"

Pei Nai turned around and saw Tang's father standing not far away with an unhappy look on his face.

"How can you ruin your reputation by saying that you have a deceased fiancé?!"

"I just"

Father Tang was furious. "Don't try to argue! Kneel down!"

Pei Nai thought about the obligations he had to fulfill for Mingzhi, closed his eyes, and knelt down.

Tang's father came over and said angrily: "Do you know what impact those words you said will have on your future life?!"

"Lord Duan Ding has been deceased for ten years, and no one has said much about it." Pei Nai still felt angry in his heart.

Tang's father hit her hard on the back with a board, expressing his disapproval.

"How dare you talk back! How can you criticize Duke Duan Ding? You still don't know you are wrong?!"

Pei Nai was beaten hard, but he didn't even groan, "I don't know what I did wrong."

Tang's father was so angry that he hit him hard with the board again.

Pei Nai continued, "I don't understand why the prejudices of the world are so different between men and women? Why do women have to swallow their anger? Why do lovers betray each other? People always subconsciously think that women are at a disadvantage and look at them with strange eyes. Why does a girl lose her virginity and her life is ruined if she is not married by someone who defiles her?"

It was almost dark, and Pei Nai's words echoed in the pavilion, "It is normal for men to have three wives and four concubines, but it is unforgivable for a woman to lose her virginity? I just want to know, why?"

(End of this chapter)