Chapter 59: No Su Yueying in the Prince’s Mansion

“Madam.”

Inside the secluded window on the second floor of the inn, Liu Fuying lay reclined on a lounge chair under the moonlight, with Jin Li fanning her by her side.

“According to what you said, Madam, you and Marquis Pei performed the wedding ceremony and became husband and wife, and Marquis Pei is a deeply loyal and righteous man. If he can’t wait for you to return, might he anxiously go down the mountain to look for you?”

“He won’t,” Liu Fuying replied without hesitation.

“That’s good. If Marquis Pei were to come out at this time, it would be defying the imperial decree and fleeing, which is a crime. Only after the truth is investigated and the Emperor issues an edict permitting him to leave would it be legitimate. Otherwise, that letter framing him might even become useless evidence; even if exposed, it could be dismissed as fabricated evidence to exonerate him.”

“Hmm.”

Liu Fuying appeared absent-minded, her gaze lingering on the moon without shifting.

“If even you understand this reasoning, how could he not? He is someone who would rather sacrifice himself to protect his family. He would not do anything to implicate his family for the sake of a woman. I believe he cares for me, but he is also a sincere man, so his heart does not belong to me alone.”

In the end, she simply did not believe that Pei Zhouwu would escape from Xiangshan for her.

Or perhaps she dared not even think about it.

From the very beginning, she knew the outcome would be leaving him, so she never bothered to think more deeply about it, never pondered to what lengths Pei Zhouwu would go for her.

What was the point of thinking so much? It only added unnecessary worries.

She was unwilling to think about it, and she dared not.

“From now on, don’t mention him again, and don’t pay attention to any news from Shangjing City. Once we reach the Southern Frontier, focus on giving birth to the child safely. By then, it will be a whole new world. Besides, if the child turns out to be a girl, that branch of the family will surely criticize, saying she cannot inherit the family business, and there will be endless trouble. We’ll have to make other plans then. When the pregnancy is further along, we’ll invite a physician to examine it. Some highly skilled physicians can determine the gender of the fetus.”

“Even if it’s a girl, it doesn’t matter. I will spare no effort to ensure she is not treated harshly.”

“At worst, we can bribe the physician to say it’s a twin pregnancy, and then…”

“Conceiving through borrowed seed is already a gamble. It’s just that this world is unfair to women, and only a male child counts as winning the bet. So, Jin Li, we still have our own trials to overcome. We can’t afford to worry about anything else.”

…

Shangjing, Xiangshan.

Pei Zhouwu returned to the bamboo courtyard and retrieved the Soul-Devouring Incense from under the bed.

Originally, this incense was meant to be used on the day of his escape, but without A Ying, all plans would be meaningless.

But just as he lit the incense and took it to hide behind the bamboo grove, he suddenly realized the futility of this move.

The wind direction tonight was unfavorable; the smoke from the incense was blowing toward the pond behind him, unable to reach the guard camp ahead.

Moreover, even if he managed to incapacitate the guards, entering the city and forcing his way into the Qi Prince’s Mansion would likely not go unnoticed. If the commotion grew too loud, he would be recognized.

A Ying no longer had time to wait.

It had already been nearly two days—it was too late!

He discarded the Soul-Devouring Incense, stomping it into the mud and sand.

At the fence, he lightly leaped over with just a tap of his toes.

“Pei—”

A guard had barely uttered a sound before being knocked unconscious. Pei Zhouwu picked up the sword that had fallen from the guard, turned, and struck another guard stationed to the left. The hilt of the sword struck the neck, easily incapacitating another man.

“Hurry, go ring the bell, sound the alarm!”

The guards farther ahead shouted urgently. Once the large bell at the mountain gate was struck, its toll would echo throughout all of Shangjing City.

That bell was enormous, requiring four or five people working together to ring it.

The guards who ran toward the sound fell one after another within just a few steps. Stones and sword hilts flew in succession, each striking their backs with unerring accuracy. As martial artists, they knew best where the body’s weak points were, which spots could fell a person with a single blow.

Pei Zhouwu had confined himself here voluntarily. If he wished, this cage, these guards—none could hold him.

After everyone had fallen, he found the guard captain, took the keys, and unlocked the shackles on his hands and feet.

While here it was manageable, if he wanted to take Su Yueying out of Shangjing City, these chains would be an absolute hindrance.

He then picked up a dark-colored robe from a tent, draped it over himself, casually grabbed a straw hat, and finally led a swift horse from the stable at the mountain’s front. Mounting it, he rode straight down the mountain.

Over half a year had passed. He had finally left the mountain gate and descended, yet never imagined it would be in this manner, with such a state of mind.

It was not yet curfew, so the city gates remained open.

But with his peculiar attire, he would likely be stopped—especially since, to avoid exposure, he had torn a strip of cloth to cover his face earlier.

Sure enough, before he could even approach, the city guards had already surrounded him, raising their hands to signal him to halt.

But the charging horse showed no intention of stopping, its momentum fierce; instead, it accelerated further. Everything happened quickly. The guards instinctively scattered, and by the time they thought to give chase, they could only watch helplessly as the horse’s rear disappeared down the long street.

Once inside the city, pursuit would be far more difficult.

The horse stopped at the side gate of the Qi Prince’s Mansion. Pei Zhouwu stood outside the wall, listening carefully for a while to confirm no one was nearby. Then, with a leap, he stepped onto the horse’s back for leverage and vaulted onto the high eaves of the Prince’s Mansion.

Entering from here led directly to the mansion’s rear garden.

But the Prince’s Mansion was vast. Searching room by room was simply not feasible.

Hidden in the shadows along a secluded wall, Pei Zhouwu unexpectedly reached out and snatched a servant carrying an empty bowl.

The bowl nearly crashed to the ground, but Pei Zhouwu acted swiftly.

With one hand, he gripped the servant’s neck; with the other, he caught the empty bowl and placed it back on the round tray in the servant’s hands.

A servant tasked with delivering food to the masters was certainly not one doing menial labor in the front courtyards. Being allowed into the rear courtyards meant they would have greater familiarity with the people there.

“Hold it steady.”

Pei Zhouwu whispered the reminder while tightening his grip on the servant’s neck.

“I ask you, is there a maidservant in the Qi Prince’s Mansion named Su Yueying?”

The servant, dragged into the shadows, was already too terrified to breathe, his mind blank. He couldn’t react, unable to utter a single word.

Only when Pei Zhouwu tightened his grip again, the pain of nearly being choked bringing him back to his senses.

“The… the Prince’s Mansion has t-too many maidservants. Which area do you mean? Serving in the front courtyards, the rear courtyards, or in the young masters’ or young ladies’ courtyards, or perhaps…”

“She is a maidservant by Consort Qi’s side, named Su Yueying!”

The servant’s eyes darted rapidly as he thought carefully before replying, “There is no maidservant by that name serving Consort Qi. Recently, no new maidservants have been recruited into the mansion either. You… you might be…”

“Lying!” Pei Zhouwu did not believe him.

“Your old prince is so licentious and lustful that he wouldn’t even spare the maids in his own mother’s courtyard. Did something happen because Su Yueying resisted to the death? And fearing it would sound bad if word got out, he ordered that no one in the mansion is allowed to mention anything related to Su Yueying ever again?”

“You… this young master, our prince is indeed somewhat of a libertine, but he holds the dowager consort in the highest respect. Are you perhaps mistaken about something?”