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

Chapter 178 Will he marry no one but her?
Lu Jiang's words made sense; this was the only option at the moment.

If they continue to confront Pei Yanzhi head-on, the fish may die, but the net may not necessarily break.

Only by avoiding their sharpest attacks can we proceed gradually.

Lu Jiang has never craved power as much as he does today. If he had power, perhaps he wouldn't be in such a passive position.

Two days later, Pei Yanzhi received a letter from Lu Jiang.

The contents of the letter surprised Pei Yanzhi somewhat.

Lu Jiang said that the Lu family's current problems are not yet resolved, and sending Xiang Ning back now would be tantamount to leading her into a fire pit.

He also said that Pei Yanzhi was right, and Xiang Ning was indeed very safe with him by her side.

He will discuss Xiang Ning's future after he has resolved the Lu family's matter.

This means that Lu Jiang will not bother us again for the time being.

Pei Yanzhi held Lu Jiang's letter in his hand, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

Pei Yanzhi didn't know how Lu Jiang had come to his senses in just two days, but it was somewhat unexpected that he wouldn't press the matter.

Could this be a delaying tactic?
"Pei Lang?"

Xiang Ning's voice came from the doorway. Pei Yanzhi looked up at her, then put the letter away.

"Have you finished your medication?"

Pei Yanzhi got up and walked towards her.

For the past two days, Pei Yanzhi has been sending medicine to Xiang Ning every day, claiming it's a health-preserving medicine, but it's actually a forget-me-not.

Xiang Ning's memory would occasionally become confused, so Pei Yanzhi would whisper things in her ear to help her remember them.

Over time, she found that some things became very blurry in her mind.

She remembered Pei Yanzhi's words more and more clearly.

Xiang Ning nodded slightly, her gaze falling on Pei Yanzhi's hand where he had hidden the letter. A hint of curiosity flashed through her mind, but seeing that he didn't want to say more, she didn't press him for details.

"Pei Lang, you've been so busy these past few days, you must take better care of yourself."

She spoke softly, her eyes filled with concern—a feeling he had never experienced before.

Pei Yanzhi looked at the gentle Xiang Ning in front of him, and a complicated emotion rose in his heart.

He knew that using the forget-me-not to control her memories was not a long-term solution, but he was also afraid of losing her.

He was like a scoundrel hiding in the shadows, only daring to use such despicable means to steal her away.

"Don't worry, I have my own sense of discretion."

Pei Yanzhi smiled and comforted her, then reached out and took her hand.

"I don't want to stay here anymore."

Xiang Ning frowned and said what she wanted to say.

This residence is far from the noisy crowds, secluded from the world, and very quiet.

Although such a place can calm the mind, Xiang Ning felt a deathly stillness.

She was here, oblivious to the years and hours, with only time stretching out infinitely.

As time went on, she even began to wonder, who was she, and where was this place?

Because of this, Xiang Ning's dependence on Pei Yanzhi grew stronger and stronger.

Seeing him makes her happy. Her intuition tells her she shouldn't feel this way, but her body's instincts make her crave him.

It's as if they were meant to be this way.

It was an emotion called liking, something she shouldn't have, but now she had it.

Are you unhappy here?

Pei Yanzhi's heart tightened, and he gripped Xiang Ning's hand tightly, asking a question.

The effect of the forget-me-not is simply to make her forget some things; the higher the dosage, the better the effect.

But Physician Chen said that if she used it too much, she would become like a puppet without self-awareness, completely at his mercy.

It would also damage her body, so Pei Yanzhi dared not use too much.

We can only take it slowly, which is why Xiang Ning's memories occasionally become confused and inaccurate. "I don't like it here, it's too quiet."

"Didn't we say before that we'd take you to Yangzhou after we got through this busy period?"

Pei Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Xiang Ning's words. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "How about we wait a little longer?"

The almost coaxing tone made it impossible for Xiang Ning to refuse.

She could only nod and say nothing more.

But deep down, she felt as if she had forgotten something very important.

She has not remembered anything since she fainted that day.

After the New Year, Pei Yanzhi traveled between the suburbs and the city every day to attend court.

Madam Pei vaguely sensed something; Pei Yanzhi could not become the second Pei Feng.

So she sought out the second wife, Dong Yan, and asked her to contact the Lin family, specifically the wife of Grand Tutor Lin, to discuss the marriage between the two families.

The news that Madam Pei was discussing marriage with Dong Yan quickly spread throughout the Pei residence.

Since it was Pei Yanzhi's marriage, Dong Yan naturally wanted to invite Pei Yanzhi back to the mansion to discuss it.

Therefore, after the morning court session that day, Chunlan, who was by Dong Yan's side, waited for Pei Yanzhi at the palace gate to invite him back to his residence.

"It will be Mother's turn to take care of my elder brother's marriage."

Pei Yongcheng, who hadn't been out for a long time, said this with dissatisfaction.

Since the main branch of the family disbanded, all affairs of the Pei family have been handed over to Dong Yan.

With power in her hands, Dong Yan's first target was not her concubine Yu Zhen, but Pei Yongcheng.

She knew her son was a spoiled brat, and he didn't know his own limitations, so she didn't want him to replace Pei Yanzhi.

However, he couldn't be the one to bring shame to the Pei family, so she sent Pei Yongcheng to the military camp for a few days.

Dong Yan had tried to get Pei Yongcheng to study, but he couldn't grasp it, so Dong Yan gave up, knowing he wasn't cut out for studying.

You might as well join the army; that way you won't embarrass yourself at home.

"Didn't you learn to be cautious in your words and actions under General Li?"

Upon hearing Dong Yan's words, Pei Yongcheng silently lowered his head and said no more.

"Now that Mother is in charge of the Pei family, it is natural for Mother to plan my eldest brother's marriage."

"But my elder brother's concubine..."

Pei Yuanrong, who was standing to the side, picked up his teacup and said something, his brows furrowed with worry.

“A concubine is a concubine, and a wife is a wife. Others your elder brother’s age would have been married long ago. It’s too late now.”

Dong Yan had no objections. She and Pei Yanzhi had no conflict of interest, and besides, Pei Yanzhi didn't need the Pei family anymore.

The Pei family needs Pei Yanzhi to uphold the family's authority.

Pei Yanzhi followed Chunlan back to the Pei residence. Upon entering the main hall, he immediately sensed a somewhat somber atmosphere.

Dong Yan sat upright in the main seat, with Pei Yongcheng and Pei Yuanrong sitting on either side. All eyes were on him.

"Yanzhi, you're not getting any younger now, and this marriage can't be delayed any longer. Miss Lin is gentle and virtuous, and she's a good match for you. The old lady's idea is to go and propose marriage in the next few days. What do you think?"

Dong Yan spoke first, smiling gently.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi frowned slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Second Aunt, I have already thought about this matter. The marriage will be put on hold for now."

"Give up? Didn't you say last time that it was all up to the old lady to decide?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Yan was slightly taken aback. Had Pei Yanzhi changed his mind?
"Could it be that my elder brother is unwilling to marry because of Xiang Ning?"

Pei Yongcheng uttered these words with a hint of schadenfreude, but due to Pei Yanzhi's imposing presence, he said no more afterward.

"Xiang Ning? She's just a concubine. How can she be compared to Miss Lin?"

Pei Yuanrong couldn't help but interject, his tone full of disdain.

Pei Yanzhi's eyes turned cold as he looked at Pei Yuanrong: "Xiang Ning is the most important person to me, and her position is irreplaceable."

"Does my brother mean he won't marry anyone but her?"

(End of this chapter)