Zhao Pei followed Yuwen Tai through the long dark passage. The narrow stone path seemed to stretch endlessly. Zhao Pei carefully walked down the steps, holding onto the uneven wall. The musty smell in the damp air became increasingly gloomy and strange. Yuwen Tai lit a fire stick, which flickered a few times, and the room gradually became much brighter.
Only then did she see clearly where she was. There were cold iron bars and mottled walls everywhere. Zhao Pei's heart sank, and she asked angrily, "You actually locked him up here?"
The lights flickered, and Yuwen Tai smiled and said, "This is the safest place." He pointed to the light at the end of the passage, "It's right there, Madam, go by yourself. I'll wait for you here."
Zhao Pei glared at him with hatred, and walked away with big strides, waving her sleeves. Yuwen Tai stood behind her without moving, but his eyes followed the back of the figure who left angrily.
She approached the room at the end step by step. The guard standing at the door looked at her and silently opened the iron lock on the door. Zhao Pei stood at the door for a long time before slowly pushing the door open. The room was quite tidy, and the light was dim, illuminating the corners of the table. A man in a plain white monk's robe sat cross-legged, with his eyes closed, as if he was chanting. There was a calm and clear look in his brows, as if he was in a noble palace, without any embarrassment.
He opened his eyes when he heard the sound, only to see it was Zhao Pei. He was surprised and smiled faintly: "Pepe, why are you here?"
Zhao Pei's nose suddenly felt sore at his indifferent smile. She took a few steps forward and sat down in front of him. She held the edge of the couch with both hands and lowered her head. Finally, she couldn't hold back her sobs and kept saying, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry." He had long since broken away from the ties of this world, but now she was back in the center of the storm. She hated him and the pain he brought to her, but she never thought about the pain she gave him that he couldn't avoid, couldn't resist, and couldn't do anything about.
A pair of warm hands passed under her arms and pulled her up from the ground. The light thought made Zhao Pei feel a little relieved, and without thinking, she took advantage of the situation and put her arms around his thin waist, unwilling to let go.
"You have never done anything wrong to me." She spoke softly, his chest trembling slightly, but Zhao Pei heard it clearly, "It's not your fault. What is coming will come eventually, it's just a matter of time." Then she chuckled and said self-deprecatingly, "I have escaped for half my life but in the end I couldn't escape." He did not escape fate, nor did he escape the affectionate eyes of this woman. The only thing he escaped was time.
Zhao Pei slowly withdrew from his arms, suppressed the pain on her face, and told him solemnly: "Don't worry, I will take you out. I won't let you get hurt."
After hearing this, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he said in a deep voice: "Don't promise him to do anything for me. I'm not worth it..."
Zhao Pei understood his worries and concerns, so she forced a smile as a way of comforting him and did not answer.
She looked up and gazed deeply into his eyes once more, then stood up and prepared to leave without any regrets. The back of her figure was full of determination, and his heart tightened, and he called out, "Pepe, don't do anything for me. Just consider it... as my last request."
Zhao Pei didn't look at him, she resolutely opened the door and walked out. As if she didn't hear him, she had made up her mind and didn't dare to look into his eyes again.
》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》
"What are your conditions?" After leaving the secret room, Zhao Pei was taken to the study by Yuwen Tai. Zhao Pei did not beat around the bush and asked directly.
Yuwen Tai sat down on the couch and poured her a cup of tea with a smile: "I just want to exchange one life for another."
Zhao Pei was slightly stunned, and then immediately said, "I stay, and he leaves."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tai burst into laughter. He looked at the serious Zhao Pei with a playful look and said, "Why would I want your life, Madam? It would be a pity for such a beauty to die. What I want is Xiao Yi's life."
Xiao Yi. As soon as Yuwen Tai finished speaking, Zhao Pei trembled all over. She forced herself to remain calm and looked up at the man with an unpredictable expression under the light, but she was speechless and could not say a word.
Yuwen Tai took out a small golden jade bottle from his sleeve and placed it in front of Zhao Pei's desk, saying calmly, "This thing is colorless and tasteless, but it can kill people in one move." After that, he stared at Zhao Pei's hesitant eyes and said, "I keep my word, one life for another. It all depends on what you choose, Madam. Will you choose that monk or your husband?"
"Why me?" Zhao Pei panicked for a moment, looking back at him blankly, "I think you have planted a lot of people in the palace. Why do you want me to take action?"
"Haha. What if I just want to see what choice Madam will make?" Yuwen Tai laughed indifferently. This cold-hearted man regarded this expedient as a game, and they were just his toys and pawns. "To be honest, I am very interested in your choice, Madam."
Zhao Pei lowered her eyes and stared blankly at the phoenix pattern on her cuffs. There was silence for a moment. Yuwen Tai was not in a hurry. He leisurely drank the green tea in his hand and looked at the thoughtful and hesitant eyebrows of the woman in front of him. Zhao Pei slowly closed her eyes. She saw the high-spirited Xiao Yi, who stood proudly at the highest point and looked down on everything. He was cold and resolute, but sometimes he was gentle and tender. She couldn't figure out his ambivalence, but she couldn't let go. And Xiao Tong... How could she abandon him? How could she bear to throw him into the dungeon of the Wei Kingdom
Taking a deep breath, she looked at the jade bottle on the table. The crystal clear jade bottle contained the most sinister scheme. Zhao Pei was silent for a while, then slowly reached out and held it in her palm, and then raised her head to meet his light brown eyes, making a choice.
Yuwen Tai chuckled, his narrow eyes flashing with a strange luster: "Is this your choice, Madam?"
"But you must first let him come out from what you call the safest place." Zhao Pei said coldly.
"Of course, treat him as a distinguished guest." Yuwen Tai nodded and smiled, "To be honest, I thought Madam would choose Xiao Yi. After all, he is Madam's husband."
Zhao Pei sneered, "If I had chosen him, I probably wouldn't have been able to leave myself."
After hearing this, he clapped his hands and laughed, praising her: "As expected of you, Madam."
She rubbed the jade bottle in her hand with her fingers and asked, "What if I fail?"
Yuwen Tai's eyes dimmed, and he put away a little smile on his face and said coldly: "Of course, it will be in exchange for Xiao Tong's life." Zhao Pei didn't want to look at that strange look anymore, and just nodded quietly.
"Madam, do you want to go see him again?"
"No, let's leave immediately." Zhao Pei stood up and straightened her skirt to leave. She didn't want Xiao Tong to stay here any longer. Or maybe... she was afraid that he would change his mind.
Yuwen Tai was stunned, and said with a smile: "Madam is really..." He stopped talking and stood up. Zhao Pei walked in front quickly, wishing to cut the man behind her into pieces. She held the jade bottle tightly in her hand and stood at the door of the palace facing the wind. The two lines of tears that slid down her cheeks fell into the inky night, and no one saw it. (To be continued)