Wrapped In Golden Branch - Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Overflowed
“Yizhi, you hid it so well. I didn’t expect you to be the son of Marquis Huaian!”
A burly man with a noticeable northwestern accent approached him. “Marquis Huaian is the brother-in-law of our Lord Qiao!” he laughed heartily. “No wonder I felt you looked familiar. The nephew looks like the uncle!”
The Lord Qiao he was talking about was Qiao Kaiyuan, the Fuguo general who quelled the Eleuth rebellion while he was one of the fierce generals under Qiao Kaiyuan, Zheng Shengtong. Qiao Kaiyuan was a frontier official who could not leave his fiefdom, so Zheng Shengtong came to Rehe Palace as his representative to receive the reward.
Pei Yizhi shook his head and denied, “Lord Qiao is the elder brother of my late legitimate mother.”
Zheng Shengtong was stunned at first, then smiled awkwardly. That’s right, how could a proper son of a marquis be an unknown person who transports food and gra$s? It seemed that he was an unappreciated bastard.
The next afternoon.
The Emperor personally held a banquet in the Jingcheng Hall to welcome and reward the generals who returned triumphantly. The kings, dukes, marquises, and ministers above the third rank who accompanied the Emperor to Rehe Palace came to the banquet with their families.
Pei Shunqin, Marquis Huai’an, had a gloomy face; his evil bastard son had received the second-rank General of Cavalry t*tle. The founding heroes of this dynasty, four dukes, eight marquises, and sixteen earls, were granted titles that were inherited from generation to generation. Huai’an Marquis was one of them. However, it had tumbled when it came to Pei Shunqin’s generation. Although he inherited the title of marquis, he only held a sinecure of the sixth rank in the Guanglu Temple.
Pei Yujin suppressed his irritability and smiled gently, “Congratulations, Father. Yizhi finally lived up to your cultivation.”
Marquis Huai’an’s face was livid, “Oh, that evil creature must have relied on his status as a son of the Marquis’s mansion to flaunt his military merits!” He spoke loudly, and many people around him heard it.
Some people half believed and whispered, “Perhaps General Qiao only promoted Pei Yizhi because of his in-laws.”
Marquis Huai’an frowned even more as he listened. My Brother-in-law is so confused! If it weren’t for the appearance of Pei Yizhi, how could Shuyun die with hatred?
Thinking of his deceased wife, Qiao Shuyun, his childhood sweetheart, Marquis Huai’an couldn’t help but feel sad. Marquis Huai’an looked at his gentle and humble son beside him, and his expression softened slightly. Fortunately, his and Shuyun’s child, Yujin, was very ambitious. He had already achieved the title of Juren at a young age and was about to marry a princess.
Zheng Shengtong couldn’t help rolling his eyes——
Before Pei Yizhi contributed, no one knew he was from Huai’an Marquis Mansion. He only found out about it when he arrived in Rehe yesterday!
After three rounds of wine, the banquet was coming to an end. The Emperor and Empress left first, but the atmosphere gradually became heated. Everyone toasted each other, chatted, and laughed.
Li Kangning was very curious about Pei Yizhi, who actualized her dream. Before leaving, she couldn’t help but look at him a few times. The tall, straight man wore brocade clothes, with strong and handsome eyebrows and eyes. He stood there, as firm as a mountain. At this moment, he looked over as if he had sensed something.
In a flash, their eyes collided. Li Kangning’s breathing suddenly stagnated. The intensity and heat in the man’s deep black eyes were so strong that they almost overflowed, burning her heartstrings.
Li Kangning felt confused and quickly looked away. Since Pei Yizhi had won the title of General of Cavalry for his military achievements, as in the dream, he would probably die in battle a year later. She couldn’t help but feel sad that such a brave and combative young general was going to die young. After leaving the table, it was still early, and Li Kangning ordered: “Prepare the carriages. I want to go to the Shuxiang Temple in the north of the palace.”
The dream was so strange that she had to pray to get rid of the bad luck and then ask for a peace charm for herself and her mother.
Pei Lan and Zhi Lan looked at each other, “Why did Princess suddenly want to go to the temple?”
Li Kangning only said: “I had nightmares recently, and I feel uneasy.”
When Pei Lan recalled the Princess’s haggard look when she woke up these days, she thought that the Princess should really pray.
The Shuxiang Temple in Rehe imitated the Shuxiang Temple in Wutai Mountain. It was built layer by layer according to the mountain’s terrain and surrounded by trees. Walking into the solemn and quiet Buddhist temple, looking at the awe-inspiring and compassionate golden Buddha statue, Li Kangning’s heart calmed down. Perhaps God sent her a dream only to let her avoid that unprovoked disaster?
Yes, she had to consider a comprehensive way to cancel the marriage.
Li Kangning’s residence in the palace, Yingxin Hall, was in the center. On her way back, she would definitely pass through the Wanshu Garden, which had lush pine trees. As the night deepened, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and the carriage moved forward slowly like a snail. The eunuch holding a lamp in front of the carriage to lead the way suddenly heard a rustling sound. Looking far into the jungle’s depths, he could vaguely see a man and a woman pulling each other. His heart suddenly skipped a beat –
Should I report this to the Princess?