Denghuangtai

At Xuandu Temple, Yun Zheng stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance. The lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed in the wind, and his cold and fierce eyes were hidden in the flickering candlelight.

The chief secretary walked into the courtyard from outside, and upon seeing Yun Zheng, he lowered his head and walked forward meekly.

"My lord." The chief clerk bowed.

"How is he?"

"He hasn't woken up yet..." The chief clerk carefully chose his words and slowly said, "The old physician said that General Pei seems to have taken some kind of potent medicine..."

"A potent, dangerous medicine?"

Before he could finish speaking, Yun Zheng interrupted and asked.

"Yes." Under Yun Zheng's cold and fierce gaze, the chief clerk said cautiously, "The old doctor said that this item can stimulate energy by overdrawing one's own resources, so that the injured person can return to normal."

"Will it harm your health?" Yun Zheng had barely finished speaking when, without waiting for the chief clerk's reply, he waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I'll go ask the doctor myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Zheng descended the steps and strode towards the courtyard gate. He walked hurriedly and arrived at the villa where Pei Qingyan was staying in no time. The plaque above the gate read "Hanxu Courtyard".

Besides Pei Qingyan, there was also an old doctor and a female slave who were there to take care of her. Yun Zheng stepped into the courtyard and walked easily to the east wing, where she found the old doctor who was decocting medicine in front of the stove.

"Could the potent drugs she took be harmful to her health?" Yun Zheng asked bluntly.

The old doctor was looking down at the fire when he suddenly heard a noise and was startled. He shuddered, clutched his chest, and looked at Yun Zheng, complaining, "Oh dear, esteemed gentleman, you walk so quietly! You scared this old man to death!"

The old doctor clutched his chest and groaned for a long time, only to find Yun Zheng still standing coldly at the door, unmoved, and even showing signs of anger.

Over the past few days, the old doctor gradually learned Yun Zheng's identity. When he learned that Yun Zheng was the famous "Living Yama" in the capital, he turned pale with fright and his legs trembled.

After a while, he recovered and felt fortunate that when he pleaded for Pei Qingyan, he hadn't really angered this "living devil" and implicated Pei Qingyan.

"Hmm?" Seeing the old doctor remain silent for a long time, Yun Zheng frowned, his eyes revealing impatience. "Will it harm her body?"

Upon hearing this, the old doctor snapped out of his reverie and sighed, "This substance is far too potent. Even ordinary people would suffer harm from it. Taking too much would weaken its effects and shorten the duration of its effects. For example, someone who has never used this substance before might only need one pill for several hours. But someone who uses it regularly might need to take several pills to achieve the same effect."

"An ordinary person?" Yun Zheng immediately grasped the key point in the old doctor's words. "You mean, she's different from ordinary people?"

The old physician shook his head and sighed repeatedly, "The general's body is like a leaky bottle, gradually depleting. Using these potent medicines..."

The old doctor thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with a more tactful way of saying it, so he simply said bluntly, "If you continue to use this, you may be going to see the King of Hell in less than two or three years."

Yun Zheng was alarmed. He steadied himself and pressed for an answer: "Is there any way to treat it?"

"Rest and gentle treatment with mild medicine might be helpful. But..." The old doctor frowned, somewhat troubled, "But the general is a martial artist and may not be willing to be confined to a small space for rest."

"It's my business to get her to willingly and peacefully recuperate," Yun Zheng said confidently, as if he had a plan. "You just need to find ways to help her recover; leave everything else to me."

True to his word, Yun Zheng ordered his men to secretly set up numerous traps in the courtyard that very night. The old doctor, passing by, glanced at them and belatedly realized that Yun Zheng's words, "to make her willingly and peacefully recuperate," were not as calm as they appeared...

In broad daylight, a loud bang suddenly erupted at Xuandu Temple.

The incident alerted the female slaves who were sweeping outside Hanxu Courtyard. The slaves rushed into the house in a hurry and found a large pit on the floor in the middle of the main room.

At the bottom of the pit, there seemed to be cotton quilts or furs. Pei Qingyan sat on them, looking up at the sky with a helpless expression.

She woke up this morning to find it already bright daylight and she was back in the meditation hall of Xuandu Temple. The pill had a strong aftereffect; although she was awake, her head was still dizzy. It took a while for her mind to gradually clear.

Having not eaten all day, her stomach felt empty. She slowly got up, intending to find something to eat.

But after taking only two steps, she suddenly lost her footing and fell into a large pit that was as deep as a person.

As the female slave looked down in terror, Pei Qingyan was yelling at the top of her lungs, "That damned bastard, digging a pit in someone's house! If I catch you, I'll tear you to pieces!"

"General Pei, are you hurt? Please wait a moment, I'll call someone over right away," the female slave said timidly.

Hearing the unfamiliar woman in front of him about to call for help, Pei Qingyan quickly stopped her, saying, "Don't call! I'll come up myself."

Falling off the roof was embarrassing enough; she didn't want to be watched as she crawled out of the pit.

"Are you sure you can manage alone?" The female slave hesitated. She squatted down and looked at Pei Qingyan at the bottom of the pit. "General, this pit looks to be over seven feet deep. Are you really a young lady who can climb out by yourself?"

Pei Qingyan, hands on his hips, exuded confidence: "The word 'no' doesn't exist here! Lady, please move aside a bit, in case I bump into you when I climb up."

"I dare not accept the title of 'Madam' from the General; I am but a humble servant."

"A beggar?" Pei Qingyan frowned. "Who gave you that name?"

The beggar gave a bitter smile. "A lowly person, without father or mother, this name was just something the slave trader who sold me gave me for convenience."

Her tone was tinged with regret, which made Pei Qingyan feel very uncomfortable.

Pei Qingyan pondered for a while, then suggested, "How about I teach you to read and write, and you can choose a name you like later? What do you think?"

The beggar's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with delight, "Really? Can I have my own surname?"

Upon hearing this, the light in the beggar's eyes vanished instantly. She had no father, no mother, and no relatives, so how could she have her own surname? Besides, how could someone like her possibly have a name and surname like high-ranking officials and nobles?

As she was secretly grieving, she heard Pei Qingyan at the bottom of the pit say, "If you don't mind, you can share my surname, Pei."

"Is it alright?" the beggar asked with some worry. "I've heard that the Pei family produced three marquises, all exceptionally powerful generals. Can I really take the surname Pei?"

"Three marquises from one family are all old stags now," Pei Qingyan said wistfully. These three marquises were her father, Marquis Changping Pei Xuan, her elder brother, Marquis Yichun, and herself, Marquis Yin'an.

In the past, how glorious was this family that produced three marquises? They were practically unparalleled in Chang'an. But now... some are dead, and others are crippled.

"If you're willing, I'll help you get your name written into the Pei family genealogy later. Now that I'm the only one left in my Pei family, it saves me the trouble of consulting the elders."

"Thank you, General." The beggar was overjoyed and laughed for a while, but then she suddenly remembered that Pei Qingyan was still at the bottom of the pit. She stopped smiling embarrassedly. "How about I find a rope and pull you up?"

Before Pei Qingyan could answer, a cold and sarcastic voice suddenly rang out.