Chapter 310: Chapter 124 Lantern Festival_3
Pei Di didn’t say a word, just glanced indifferently at Mei Yinang. Taken aback, she immediately fell silent and bowed her head, daring not to speak anymore.
Pei Yunshu felt inexplicably suffocated and quickly finished her meal, saying, "I’m going to check on Treasure Bead." She left the banquet.
Once she exited the hall, the cold wind from outside the corridor hit her face, seemingly blowing away some of the stuffiness from the banquet.
"Madam," Fangzi said softly, "if it’s not necessary, you really shouldn’t eat with them in the future."
Even her maid could see through the Pei Family’s hidden schemes, let alone anyone else.
Sighing, Pei Yunshu said, "It’s alright, after all, I won’t be here for much longer."
She was already a married daughter, and even before her marriage, from the time Jiang Wan entered the door, the Pei Family had no place for her. Now, even after her separation from Prince Wen, she had not returned home but was living in a house bought by Pei Yunmeng.
A divorced woman not returning to her parents’ house but setting up her own residence was indeed unprecedented in Shengjing. But with so many unconventional things already done, one more hardly mattered. Moreover, the residence was next to Pei Yunmeng’s, which also made it convenient for her to visit Pei Yunmeng.
Had it not been for burning incense for her mother, she would not have come back.
As she pondered, Fangzi looked forward and called out, "Princely Heir!"
Pei Yunshu raised her eyes and saw Pei Yunmeng walking over from the other end of the corridor.
"Why have you come back?" Pei Yunshu asked, startled and delighted, "Didn’t you say you were on duty today?"
"I have the night shift; I’ve finished my earlier tasks and came back to offer incense to mother," he explained.
Pei Yunshu smiled, "That’s perfect; I’ll join you."
The ancestral hall was located at the very end of the corridor. New paintings and peach charms were hung outside the door, and inside, candles shone brightly, honoring the ancestors of the Pei Family.
Pei Yunshu and Pei Yunmeng entered the ancestral hall to find it empty. Pei Yunshu took some incense sticks with the intention to honor the ancestors from the right side, but when she turned her head, she saw Pei Yunmeng had already lit the incense sticks and walked straight to their mother’s spirit tablet.
He had no intention of offering sacrifices to anyone other than their mother.
Pei Yunshu’s lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she said nothing at all.
Pei Yunmeng stood before his mother’s spirit tablet, bowed deeply, and offered the incense. His expression was calm, and he uttered no words of homage. He silently inserted the incense candles in front of his mother’s tablet and then stepped back, staring at the hazy tablet enveloped by blue smoke, revealing a smile as usual.
"Mother," he smiled and said, "happy New Year."
Watching his actions, Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but feel a stab of sorrow in her heart. Turning away to compose herself, she then joined Pei Yunmeng in offering incense.
The main hall had lavish curtains hanging high, and after standing there for a while, the siblings started to walk out slowly.
Pei Yunmeng inquired, "How long do you plan to stay here with Treasure Bead?"
"We’ll leave in a couple of days."
Pei Yunmeng remained silent.
She smiled, "Don’t worry, I usually stay in my own courtyard with Treasure Bead. No one bothers me, and it’s peaceful. As for you, if you’re unhappy, don’t come back. As for mother..." She looked back at the ancestral hall, "I’ll speak on your behalf."
No sooner had she spoken than another person approached. It was already evening and growing dark, when that person stopped before them, his scholar’s garment elegant, his demeanor serene. The lantern hanging on the wall under the eaves illuminated half of his shadow, making his originally handsome face reveal a hint of cool indifference.
Pei Yunshu hastily greeted, "Father."
Pei Di nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Pei Yunmeng standing next to her.
"You’re home; why didn’t you let anyone know?"
His tone was naturally gentle, like a loving father scolding a son who’d come home late, filled with concern.
Pei Yunmeng didn’t respond.
"Ah Ying!" Pei Yunshu was extremely nervous.
Everyone in Shengjing knew that Lord Zhao Ning, Pei Di, and his son, the Princely Heir, Pei Yunmeng, did not have a cordial relationship. Outsiders just said that Pei Yunmeng was rebellious in his youth, hence repeatedly defying his father. Moreover, Lord Zhao Ning was known to be mild-mannered and tolerant, indulging his eldest legitimate son’s wild behavior.
Only Pei Yunshu knew that the truth was not so simple.
"Sister," Pei Yunmeng said to her with a smile, "Treasure Bead is waiting for you in the room; go back to her quickly."
"You..."
She was still worried, but Pei Yunmeng’s gaze was insistent. After a moment of standoff, Pei Yunshu admitted defeat. Suppressing her unease, she cast a concerned look at Pei Yunmeng before leaving with a heavy heart.
The colorful tassel lamps under the eaves, exquisite and lavish, cast vibrant light onto the people beneath them. The young man stood proud like an eaglet; the middle-aged man, deep as a wolf or tiger. Father and son, though bound by thick blood, were divided into two by the shadow and light beneath a palace lamp.
As clear as day and night.
The wind started to pick up, and Pei Di spoke, as kindly as ever, "I heard the Qi Family sought you out."
The young man only responded with a smile and said nothing.
"The Qi Family are people of the Crown Prince."
Pei Yunmeng let out an "oh," his tone half mocking, half smiling, "But I have no intention of boarding their boat."
Pei Di did not speak, silently observing the man before him. The young man was tall, already towering a head above him, and when he smiled, a dimple appeared on his lip, inherited from his mother. Yet, his gaze was fierce, as chilling as the silver longsword hanging at his side.
It seemed that without anyone noticing, perhaps during some unrecognized night, the boy who once trailed after his father to watch the lanterns had grown up all of a sudden.
Pei Di stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "The Pei Family stands with the Crown Prince."
"So?" the young man said with a faint smile, "If what I do is detrimental to the Pei Family’s interests, what does Lord Pei intend to do?"
Pei Di remained silent.
"Perhaps for the sake of righteousness over family, you’d poison me to death..."
He took a step forward, bent down slightly, and whispered in the man’s ear: "Just like how you poisoned my horse back then."
Pei Di’s gaze shifted slightly, but Pei Yunmeng had already straightened up.
He looked at Pei Di, his eyes as estranged as if he were looking at a stranger, and spoke very calmly.
"If there’s nothing else, I won’t disturb Lord Pei from enjoying his family happiness."
After speaking, he walked past the man before him and strode away.
The palace lantern swayed in the wind brought by his departure, its tassels like flowers of various colors.
As Pei Yunmeng rounded the corridor, Qiong Ying, summoned by Pei Yunshu’s order, caught up with him and anxiously asked, "My lord, where are you going?"
The young man paused for a moment, glanced at the brightly colored tassels under the flowery lanterns, and smiled nonchalantly.
"It’s the fifteenth tonight; the lantern festival is lively."
"I suddenly feel like going to Jingde Gate to watch the lanterns," he declared.