After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 144 You should beg her husband

After Cheng Hua finished speaking, he deliberately looked up at Pei Yanzhi.

For some reason, he felt that the way his master looked at him was inexplicably sharp.

A chill ran down my back, and I couldn't stop breaking out in a cold sweat.

Pei Yanzhi didn't say anything, but instead looked away and told the coachman to drive the carriage away.

After the carriage had driven far away, Chenghua realized that he hadn't gotten on the carriage yet!

When Pei Yanzhi returned to the Pei residence from the palace, the sun was high in the sky, at noon.

He walked hurriedly, looking slightly tired, wanting only to return to Mosong Garden for a short rest.

As soon as they stepped into the mansion, before even reaching the Ink Pine Garden, they were stopped by Madam Liao, who was already waiting there.

Liao's mother was slightly hunched over, her eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and barely perceptible anxiety.

She hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "This old servant greets the young master."

After a slight pause, she continued, "Young Master, Madam... Madam wants to see you."

Since Xiang Ning left the Pei residence, this huge mansion seemed to hold nothing of value for Pei Yanzhi.

Therefore, he almost never stayed at the Pei residence.

In addition, Pei Yanzhi led his men to break into Qionghua Courtyard late at night, although no one knew what had happened inside the tightly closed courtyard gates.

However, these two events were linked together, with the claim that the First Madam and the Eldest Young Master had completely fallen out.

People in the mansion were gossiping behind her back, saying that it was truly pitiful that the First Madam, Qin Bijun, had lived to such a state.

She has a cold relationship with her husband, who ignores her; and her own son despises her.

Upon hearing Liao's mother's words, Pei Yanzhi frowned slightly, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

He said without any hesitation, "I have nothing to say to the First Madam."

After saying that, he stepped aside and walked past Liao's mother, continuing towards Mosong Garden.

Upon seeing this, Liao's mother became anxious and knelt down with a thud.

Clutching Pei Yanzhi's clothes tightly with both hands, she pleaded, "Young Master, please go see Madam. She knows she made a mistake."

“She has been filled with remorse all this time. She has thought about apologizing to you, but you are never at home, so she has not been able to find a chance to apologize.”

Liao's mother raised her hand and wiped away the tears that kept welling up in the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

"You know the people in the manor; they're used to fawning on the powerful and bullying the weak. Now that Madam has lost power, they've become even more ruthless, and they don't even want to send a servant to Qionghua Courtyard."

"If you don't go and see her soon, I'm afraid Madam will really have no way out but death."

Liao's mother spoke with tears streaming down her face and her words were earnest.

These days, Qionghua Courtyard is indeed deserted and quiet.

Apart from her loyal old servant, there were hardly any other people in sight.

Despite being isolated like this, Qin Bijun still believes that she did not do anything wrong back then.

In her view, everything she did was simply a mother's perspective, making what she believed to be the most correct decision.

She was only thinking about her son's future.

No matter how much Liao's mother tried to persuade Qin Bijun, she wouldn't listen, so she had no choice but to give up.

But after serving her mistress for so long, Liao's mother didn't want to see her really end up alone and helpless.

"She is the old man's wife, not my mother."

"You should beg her husband, not me."

Pei Yanzhi's voice grew colder and colder. After saying this, he ignored Liao's mother and walked straight over.

Qin Bijun slapped her, severing the mother-son bond between her and Pei Yanzhi.

Sending Xiang Ning away severed the last remaining thread of connection between the two.

From then on, Pei Yanzhi no longer needed a mother.

They say they're doing it for his own good, but it's just a pretext to control him. Looking at Pei Yanzhi's retreating figure, Liao's mother felt utterly helpless.

In the tranquil courtyard of Mosong Garden, Xiang Ning held a book in her hand, looking at it with some difficulty.

She had only gotten Pei Yanzhi to agree to let her open an embroidery shop yesterday, so naturally she needed to learn more about accounting.

The shop needs to be opened and money needs to be made. Although Pei Yanzhi can see this, Xiang Ning won't work for him for nothing.

She also had to secretly save up some money without Pei Yanzhi's knowledge.

"When did you start liking to look at ledgers?"

Pei Yanzhi's voice suddenly came from behind, and Xiang Ning couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

"I was bored, so I picked up a book to read."

Before Xiang Ning could turn around, Pei Yanzhi embraced her tightly from behind.

"Do you recognize all the words on this?"

As soon as she said that, Xiang Ning suddenly felt her face getting hot.

"There are some I don't know, but I know most of them."

After saying this, she first lowered her eyes, then looked up at him: "A-Jing, teach me."

These four short words, tinged with a hint of a smile, were delivered to Pei Yanzhi's ear.

His heart stirred, and he softly hummed in agreement before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“Since you are going to charge me tuition, Ah Ning should naturally charge me tuition as well.”

Xiang Ning listened to his words and sensed that he was different today.

Pei Yanzhi embraced Xiang Ning and whispered sweet nothings in her ear for a while before sending Bi Tao outside to deliver the meal.

After the two had lunch together, he asked Xiang Ning to accompany him for a nap.

The weather was sunny today, and the sunlight shone lazily on the two of them.

The room was rather hot, and Pei Yanzhi was even hotter, like a furnace that was about to burn him up.

As Xiang Ning listened to Pei Yanzhi's breathing gradually become steady, she pulled his hand away and quietly got out of bed.

He was very tired and slept soundly.

As Xiang Ning stepped out of the house, she slowly exhaled.

"Why did my sister come out?"

Bitao was a little surprised to see Xiangning, then heard her say, "Master is asleep, I'm not sleepy."

"Would you like to come to my room for a while, sister?"

Hearing Xiang Ning's words, Bi Tao seemed to realize something, so she invited Xiang Ning to sit in her room.

Xiang Ning nodded, and just as the two were about to cross the covered bridge, they heard someone in the outer courtyard call out "Second Miss".

"I came to deliver some things to my older brother. Is he not home?"

Pei Yuanrong's voice was steady and dignified, and to the two of them it sounded like that of a lady from a prominent family.

No one knew what the people outside were saying, but Pei Yuanrong walked towards Qingyi Residence.

Xiang Ning was taken aback when she saw the simply dressed woman, while Pei Yuanrong frowned upon seeing Xiang Ning.

This is the concubine that her elder brother was determined to take, even at the cost of his life.
She certainly has the allure to bewitch people; she is unparalleled in beauty.

"New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and this is something my mother sent to my eldest brother."

Pei Yuanrong stopped at the entrance of Qingyi Residence, had her maid hand over the items to the people of Mosong Garden, and then left.

Although she didn't speak to Xiang Ning, Xiang Ning sensed a hint of hostility in the look Xiang Ning had given her just now.

The second young lady, whom she had only met once, did not seem to like her.

Xiang Ning smiled self-deprecatingly. In aristocratic families, no young lady would like a concubine who only uses her looks to serve others.

(End of this chapter)