Тhis was an еvеn mоrе diffiсult and awkward quеstiоn than forbidding him frоm taking a wifе.
Реi Wеnхuаn fell silent, рondering in his heart how to еlеgantlу and grасеfullу eхрlаin his intеntiоn to dеlay reраying thе debt.
The wоman watсhed him, a smilе hаnging оn hеr fасе, but her eуеs held а hint оf mоckеry, аs if wаiting to seе а goоd show.
After а moment, Pеi Wеnхuan finаlly found somе соmpоsurе. Just аs hе wаs аbout tо sрeаk, he hеard an urgеnt shout frоm оutsidе: "Eldеst Yоung Маster! Eldest Yоung Master!"
Everуone turned thеir heads. Рei Wеnхuan sаw that the one running over was the gatekeeper. After a brief thought, he realized it was likely that the imperial edict of betrothal had arrived.
The servant gasped for breath, stopping in front of Pei Wenxuan and stammering, "The imperial edict... Eldest Young Master... at the gate..."
Pei Wenxuan didn't wait for him to finish before breaking into a smile. He turned and walked straight out the door.
Only then did the maid who had come to collect the money react. She hurried forward and asked the gatekeeper, "What imperial edict?"
"People from the palace have arrived outside," the gatekeeper caught his breath and explained, "They are here to proclaim an imperial edict. All the masters, madams, and young masters of the household must go. It seems something major is about to happen."
Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and quickly ran to the front courtyard, wanting to witness firsthand what was happening.
By the time Pei Wenxuan reached the entrance, the Pei family members had already gathered. Pei Wende, the eldest son of Pei Lixian, sneered as he saw Pei Wenxuan approach and mocked, "I always knew Eldest Brother puts on great airs, but I didn't expect he'd still put on such airs even when officials from the palace have arrived."
"Wende," Pei Lixian stood at the front with his hands tucked into his sleeves, slowly opening his eyes and reprimanding, "Be quiet."
Pei Wenxuan walked up to Pei Lixian and Pei Liwen, bowing respectfully: "Second Uncle, Third Uncle."
He then turned to look at his mother, Madam Wen, whom he hadn't seen in a long time: "Mother."
Madam Wen nodded slightly at him, her expression carrying some weariness. After all members of the Pei household had arrived, Pei Lixian stepped forward and said to the eunuch holding the imperial edict, "Esteemed Eunuch, all members of the Pei household are present. Please proceed."
The eunuch smiled and nodded. Pei Lixian stepped back, and then they heard the eunuch's powerful and resonant call: "Kneel—"
Everyone knelt collectively. The eunuch began reading the edict, first lavishing praise upon Pei Wenxuan. Hearing these extravagant words of flattery, everyone secretly glanced at Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan remained calm. Then, when the words "The Empress Dowager has heard of this with great pleasure and hereby specially decrees the betrothal to Princess Ping Le" were read, everyone suddenly understood. The servants hiding in the distance widened their eyes in astonishment, feeling somewhat bewildered.
Pei Wenxuan calmly received the edict. The eunuch looked him up and down and then said, "Princess Ping Le has always been the most beloved by His Majesty. Lord Pei, you are truly fortunate."
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Esteemed Eunuch."
Pei Wenxuan bowed, his demeanor proper and humble.
After the edict was proclaimed, the people from the palace withdrew. Having seen them off, Pei Wenxuan turned around holding the edict and looked up at Pei Lixian.
Pei Lixian kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, his expression placid: "Receiving an imperial betrothal from His Majesty is your good fortune. In the future, serve the princess well and do not neglect the etiquette of the Pei family."
Pei Wenxuan: "..."
He had originally intended to bow, but hearing these words, he felt something was slightly off, as if he were the bride-to-be...
After saying this, Pei Lixian turned to the others and said, "Disperse."Pei Lixian was accustomed to having the final say at home. Upon hearing his words, no one dared to linger, and they all dispersed. Only Pei Wende, before leaving, couldn't resist a few jabs at Pei Wenxuan: "Elder brother, what good fortune you have! From now on, you'll be able to rely on the princess for your livelihood."
"Indeed," Pei Wenxuan brushed his sleeves lightly, his expression calm. "Second brother, are you jealous? What a pity." Without waiting for Pei Wende to respond, Pei Wenxuan gave a light laugh. "With second brother's character and appearance, I'm afraid there's no chance for you to marry a princess. In this lifetime, aside from relying on Father, you won't be able to depend on anything else."
"You—!"
"Wenxuan." Before Pei Wende's anger could erupt, Madam Wen hurried over, her face filled with anxiety. She glanced at Pei Wende, who, seeing her arrival, could no longer continue arguing with Pei Wenxuan. After all, she was an elder, so he could only bow and retreat.
Once Pei Wende had left, Madam Wen grabbed Pei Wenxuan's hand and urged anxiously, "Come with me."
With that, she dragged him to her own courtyard.
Pei Wenxuan knew what Madam Wen wanted to say and felt rather helpless, but he still followed her into her courtyard. As soon as they entered the room, Madam Wen dismissed the servants and immediately pressed him: "Did you know about this marriage decree in advance?"
Pei Wenxuan calmly found a place to sit. He was well aware that given his recent attendance at the spring banquet and his joint investigation with Li Rong, his early contact with Li Rong could no longer be concealed.
Thus, he admitted frankly, "I knew."
"You knew, and yet you didn't inform me about such a major matter?"
Upon hearing Pei Wenxuan's response, Madam Wen immediately raised her voice sharply: "Do you still have me, your mother, in your heart?!"
"I did inform you, Mother," Pei Wenxuan poured himself some tea, speaking calmly. "Could you have defied the imperial decree, or argued with His Majesty about it?"
Madam Wen was taken aback. After a moment, she sank down weakly, tears immediately rolling down her cheeks. "It's my fault for letting you suffer this grievance. If your father were still here, you certainly wouldn't have encountered such a thing... Marrying a princess is no easy task. Which princess has a good temper?"
Listening to Madam Wen's tearful lament, Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "In this matter, I am willing."
Madam Wen looked up in disbelief. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, then raised his eyes to meet hers, speaking gently, "Mother, this young lady is someone I sought out myself."
"You sought her out?"
Madam Wen was utterly astonished. "Why on earth would you seek to bring a princess into the family?"
"Isn't a princess quite good?" Pei Wenxuan smiled. "A princess is also an ordinary young lady. She's a very good person; you'll understand once you meet her."
"What kind of bewitching potion have you drunk?" Madam Wen began crying again. "I know you're just comforting me. Since you were young, you've always liked Zhenzhen. Your temper is just like your father's—how could you so easily fall for someone else?"
"Mother," Pei Wenxuan said, both amused and exasperated, "please don't talk nonsense like this in the future."
"You are my son, the apple of my eye," Madam Wen sobbed, gasping for breath. Pei Wenxuan quickly patted her back as she continued, "How could I not know your heart? I couldn't stop your second uncle from spreading nonsense at the Qin family, nor did I expect that Qin Lin from the Qin family, after hearing your second uncle's words, would directly say that his sister couldn't enter such a den as the Pei family and immediately came to break off the engagement. It's all my fault for harming you, and now you even have to comfort me...""Mother," Pei Wenxuan couldn't withstand Madam Wen's bout of crying; his whole head was aching. But he knew his mother had always been this temperamental and could only coax her patiently, "She really is wonderful; I truly like her. I went through great trouble to marry her. Please, in the future, never speak nonsense in front of her. If you really care for me and truly wish for me to have a good marriage, I beg you not to mention Qin Zhenzhen again. Get along well with the princess, alright?"
Hearing Pei Wenxuan's soothing words, Madam Wen looked up, half-convinced and half-doubtful. "You're not fooling me?"
"How could I fool you?" Pei Wenxuan sighed. "I genuinely like her."
"What about Qin Zhenzhen then?"
Madam Wen looked utterly bewildered.
Pei Wenxuan raised a hand to his forehead. "I wasn't thinking clearly back then. I was so young—what did I know about liking or not liking someone?"
"This..." Madam Wen hesitated for a moment, actually persuaded by his words, and said slowly, "That's true, I suppose."
Pei Wenxuan looked up, somewhat puzzled. "You think I didn't like Qin Zhenzhen?"
"That was just childishness," Madam Wen said gently. "True feelings should be like what I had with your father—missing each other when apart, hearts fluttering when together, feeling time fly when with each other. Even when your father just teased me casually, I found it delightful."
As she spoke, a touch of nostalgia appeared on Madam Wen's face. Pei Wenxuan knew she was thinking of his father again. He remained silent. Madam Wen also knew she shouldn't indulge in reminiscing about the past in front of others. After a moment, she sighed and said, "During those years in Luzhou, you never sent letters to Zhenzhen out of longing. When you saw her, you were always proper—no different from how you were in front of others. How could that be called liking?"
"According to what you say," Pei Wenxuan laughed, "I should find someone I like to tease, and that would be liking?"
"Whether you'd tease her or not, I don't know," Madam Wen also laughed, "but in front of that person, you would definitely be different from how you are with others. In front of that person, you'd be a child your whole life."
Pei Wenxuan was taken aback. After a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Was Father like that too?"
"Yes," Madam Wen loved talking about Pei Lizhi. Hearing Pei Wenxuan bring him up, her eyes softened. "Don't be fooled by how strict he was with you—he was actually a child who never grew up. Remember how he always bought toys for you, but ended up playing with them himself? I used to tell him, 'Who are you buying toys for? Clearly, you're the one itching to play.'"
"Yes," Pei Wenxuan accompanied Madam Wen in conversation, "I remember."
Pei Wenxuan stayed with Madam Wen, talking about Pei Lizhi. Madam Wen was in poor health and grew tired after speaking for a while. Seeing her fatigue, Pei Wenxuan attended to her until she rested, then left the room.
Once outside, he stood at the doorway. Tong Ye followed behind him, somewhat puzzled. "Young Master, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking," Pei Wenxuan sighed, "it's a good thing Her Highness doesn't cry easily."
Tong Ye looked bewildered. "Huh?"
Pei Wenxuan lowered his head with a light chuckle and walked away.
While speaking with Madam Wen earlier, he had been thinking of Li Rong all along.
In his past life, he often said Li Rong was too rigid. Whenever they argued over political disagreements, he would wonder how a woman could be so unyielding.
But just now, looking at Madam Wen, he suddenly felt that Li Rong's way was just fine.No one can hide behind another person for their entire life. One day, they must step forward to face the raging storms and the cruel world.
His mother was not a bad person—she was gentle and kind-hearted. His father had protected her all his life, allowing her to live like a canary, spending the greater part of her life in happiness.
Yet every gift comes with a price. His father probably never imagined that he would pass away so early.
The more he had protected this person, the more fragile she became after he was gone.
Before his father’s death, he had arranged for many people to protect his mother and him. But at the time, he was only seventeen and was sent away to Luzhou under the pretext of observing mourning, leaving his mother behind in the Pei residence.
His mother was soft-hearted and easily gave in, always afraid of conflict and always yielding. No matter how much his father had left behind, by the time he returned three years later, his mother had squandered it all.
In his youth, he had envied his parents. Unlike most aristocratic couples, they truly loved each other, their relationship was harmonious and fulfilling, and they taught Pei Wenxuan the meaning of steadfastness and hope in a relationship.
He had fantasized countless times that if he ever had a wife, he would live such a life as well. He would follow his father’s example, protecting and loving that person with everything he had.
But when he looked at his mother, he suddenly realized that doting on a woman too much, giving her everything without teaching her to fly—how was that any different from clipping her wings?
Still, it was all right—
Thinking of Li Rong, Pei Wenxuan felt a sense of relief.
No matter how much you pampered this woman, she could soar ninety thousand miles into the sky. The only worry was that, in a moment of carelessness, she might ascend to a place beyond your sight, leaving you to gaze up at her for the rest of your life, never able to reach her again.
As soon as Pei Wenxuan became aware of this thought, he immediately found himself somewhat ridiculous.
They were merely making do in this life, and in a few years, they would divorce and go their separate ways. What was he doing, daydreaming about the ways of a married couple?
Yet strangely, the thought brought him a certain joy.
With light steps, he returned to his courtyard and saw the maid who had earlier demanded money standing nervously at his door. His expression darkened as he stared at her. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly spoke, “That carriage…”
“Take your time!” the maid immediately exclaimed. “Imperial Son-in-Law… oh no, Young Master,” she said with a pitiful expression, “this servant has come to apologize. This servant was blind and failed to recognize your stature. I hope Young Master will not hold it against me. You can return the carriage slowly, anytime is fine!”
Pei Wenxuan was amused by the maid’s words. He suddenly understood what it meant to rely on someone else’s power.
Unwilling to bother with such trivial matters, he waved his hand and said, “It’s fine. You may leave.”
The maid hurried away, and Pei Wenxuan returned to his courtyard. That night, he pondered the key figures in the covert network. The next day, he went to the Princess’s Manor, withdrew funds, sought out people, and began establishing everything in an orderly manner.
When he returned to the residence that evening, he saw the Princess’s Manor’s steward standing at the gate as soon as he arrived. Pei Wenxuan was taken aback and quickly stepped down from the carriage to greet him. “Minister Lu, what brings you here?”
“The Princess has a letter for you,” Lu Minzhi handed an envelope to Pei Wenxuan. “I was passing by, so I came to deliver it.”
“You are most thoughtful.”Pei Wenxuan took the letter, exchanged a few pleasantries with Lu Minzhi, and after Lu Minzhi bid farewell and left, he hesitated for a moment without opening the letter. He returned to his room and placed it by the bedside.
When evening came, after finishing all his official duties, he lay in bed and opened the letter, only to see Li Rong’s handwriting.
Li Rong succinctly mentioned three things: first, she gave him two wedding dress designs for his reference.
Second, she asked about the progress of the covert network’s construction.
Third, she included a banknote, telling him to throw it in the slave girl’s face.
Lying in bed, reading Li Rong’s letter, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but recall the way she raised her eyebrows while speaking, and he let out a soft laugh.
He carefully examined the two wedding dress designs, marked one of them, then set the letter aside and settled down to sleep.
That night, he dreamed. In his dream, Li Rong was wearing the wedding dress he had chosen, twirling before him as she asked, “Pei Wenxuan, do you think it looks good?”
For some reason, he couldn’t help but smile.
When he woke up laughing from the dream, he lay quietly for a while.
Only then did he realize that, in his memory, after an immeasurably long stretch of time, this was the first time he had ever woken up laughing from a dream.
After his youth, there had been no more beautiful dreams.
Only by returning to his youth did a beloved enter his dreams.
Author’s Note: I suddenly realized that Pei Wenxuan is holding the script for a female protagonist in a domestic drama…
A legitimate daughter who has been robbed of her family’s wealth and bullied relentlessly, with a brainless cousin who constantly argues with her, one day catches the eye of a tall, rich, and handsome man, and an imperial decree of marriage shocks his entire family…
Oh, what a golden finger!
Oh, how enviable is the female protagonist with a tall, rich, and handsome man.
【Mini Theater】
(Before Marriage)
Li Rong: “What kind of daydreams do you have every day that make you wake up laughing?”
Pei Wenxuan: “I dreamed you married me.”
Li Rong: “Oh, that’s not really a daydream.”
(After Marriage)
Li Rong: “What kind of nightmares do you have every day that make you wake up crying?”
Pei Wenxuan: “I dreamed you married me.”
Li Rong: “Hah, men. But there’s one thing—”
Pei Wenxuan: “What?”
Li Rong: “Seeing you unhappy, I know I must be very happy.”
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