"Sir, you are back! Old Master Feng has been waiting in the hall for a long time."
Before Pei Che entered the room, the butler came to greet him. He looked anxious, and he must have been waiting here for a long time.
"Grandfather?" Pei Che paused. He had originally planned to go to his grandfather's house early tomorrow morning to explain the whole thing, but he didn't expect his grandfather to come to see him. He must have heard the news and came here.
He didn't dare to delay any longer and walked in with big strides. Then he found that there were quite a few people sitting in the main hall.
His grandfather sat at the top, and several uncles sat below. Among them, his second uncle had the ugliest look, his face turning pale and blue. It was unclear whether he had not yet digested the fact that Pei Che was named the Crown Prince, or if he had been affected by what Old Master Feng had said.
"Che'er greets grandpa and uncles." Pei Che knocked on the door, and after receiving a response, he went in to pay his respects. When Mr. Feng saw him coming back, his expression finally softened a little.
"Che'er, Grandpa heard that your family received two imperial edicts. What's going on? Maybe a villain has framed you. If that's the case, Grandpa will bring the villain to justice even at the cost of his life!" Old Master Feng was a man of few words. When he first heard that Pei Che was being married to a man, he wanted to go to the palace to find out the truth.
He had been in the officialdom for most of his life, and he had never done anything against his conscience. But he lost his daughter in his old age, and then he had to witness the fate of his eldest grandson without any descendants? His daughter's affair was God's will, but his eldest grandson was a man-made disaster. Even if he had to give up his official position, he would ask the emperor to revoke his decision!
The Feng family members hurriedly stopped him, saying that the truth of the matter was not clear yet, and if he rashly entered the palace he might be at a disadvantage, so it would be better to go to the Duke's Mansion first to find out the whole thing before making a decision.
Old Master Feng was too excited just now. Now he calmed down and thought carefully, this matter was indeed strange. As far as he knew, Pei Shiyuan did not submit a memorial to request a title. Why did the emperor suddenly appoint Che'er as the prince and marry him to a man
He immediately asked someone to prepare a car to go to the Duke's Mansion to find out what was going on. When the people inside heard that he was coming, they immediately went to the door to greet him. Old Master Feng was a veteran of three dynasties, with a complex network of power in the court, and he was also related to the mansion by marriage. He was an elder, so how could he be neglected
After entering, Old Master Feng realized that Pei Che had gone out after receiving the imperial edict and had not returned yet. He had no choice but to vent his anger on Pei Che's three uncles. The sharpness of the literati's tongue was comparable to that of a sword, which stabbed the three people sitting below so much that their faces turned pale and they wished they could find a crack to crawl into. Even Pei Shiyuan, the Duke of the State, had to listen to the lecture obediently.
Pei Che came back at this moment. While asking questions, he kept scanning the three people with his sharp eyes, as if he was hinting at something.
"Grandfather, it is Che'er who is unfilial and made you travel so far to come to your house to ask in person. Since you are asking now, Che'er will tell you the truth. Those two imperial edicts were both requested by me personally."
Pei Shiyuan had said this before, but Old Master Feng refused to believe it. Now that Pei Che had said it himself, he still didn't quite believe it. He knew his grandson well. Che'er had never been too concerned about fame, wealth and power. In the past two years, he had often expressed in a tactful way that he had no desire to be the crown prince. How could such a person suddenly come to the palace to ask for help? There must be a hidden reason behind this.
He looked at the three of them, guessing that Pei Che was unwilling to tell the truth because of them, so he said, "Since you asked for it yourself, Grandfather won't say anything. I've been here for a long time, and I haven't seen Mu'er yet. Ask someone to bring Mu'er to your yard. I want to see him."
Pei Mu lived in the yard next to Pei's grandmother, which was part of the inner courtyard. Although he was old, he had to avoid suspicion when necessary.
"Yes, Che'er, let them go right away." Pei Che stepped forward and supported Old Man Feng as he walked towards his own yard.
When they arrived in the yard, Pei Che immediately dismissed his attendants and knelt in front of Old Man Feng.
"Please forgive me, Grandfather. I did ask for those two imperial edicts myself, but I can't tell others about the hidden secrets."
Old Master Feng naturally understood that the others he was referring to were the people in the Duke's Mansion. He said, "You should get up and sit over here first. There is no one else here. You can talk to Grandpa slowly."
Pei Che stood up and slowly told the whole story to Old Master Feng. After listening, Old Master Feng was furious: "This is simply too much. He actually used such a despicable method to force you. Che'er, you are confused. You should have told your grandfather about this matter earlier, and you don't have to make this choice."
Pei Che said, "Of course I know that my grandfather can ask the emperor to take back his order, but this will definitely come at a price. You are now at the center of the storm, and it is because you are honest and upright and never show favoritism that those villains have no way to start. If you ask the emperor for my matter, it will be said that you are relying on favors and favors, threatening the emperor with your merits, and even interfering in other people's family affairs at will. Even if you don't mean to do so, how can you stop the dirty water from being thrown at you? You can't ruin your reputation in my hands. Otherwise, my mother will never forgive me in her grave."
Mr. Feng was stunned by his words. He didn't know that this kid could think so clearly. He shook his head, full of sorrow: "Those are just external things. What does it matter if people say a few words about them? I have fought for half my life, but I couldn't protect you. What's the point of having these things?"
"But you have not only me, but also the entire Feng family. If you are criticized because of me, how can I have the face to see my uncles in the future? Now that things have come to this, Che'er has no other request. I just hope that you can relax and not worry about this matter anymore." Pei Che said, his eyes full of determination. His grandfather must not interfere in this matter.
"How can I not be sad? Do you want me to watch you die without any descendants?" Old Master Feng felt very uncomfortable. He never expected that the good reputation he had been proud of all his life would eventually become a shackle that restricted him.
"Some ordinary women are infertile. Whether it's through adoption or foster care, we can always find someone to carry on the family line. If that doesn't work, there's still Mu'er." The fewer people who know about the agreement with Jiang Miao, the better.
"Hey, what kind of person is the one you are engaged to?" Old Master Feng looked at Pei Che. His grandson was handsome and had the demeanor of a gentleman, but now he was going to be married to a man who was said to be just an ordinary vendor.
"He is handsome and cute, articulate, and quick-witted. He often comes up with unusual ideas. Besides that, he is also a good cook..." Pei Che said only the good things, trying to comfort the old man so that he wouldn't be even more sad.
The more Mr. Feng listened, the more he felt something was wrong. If the marriage was granted out of necessity, then what was the reason for this smiling face? He had seen countless people and could tell their true emotions at a glance. His grandson was really happy when he mentioned that person.
"We met at the Buddhist conference last year," Pei Che recalled, "It's been more than four months." He didn't expect that the accidental meeting at the time would lead to such a connection.
In just four months, he was able to make a marriage alliance with him. Mr. Feng fell into deep thought at this time. Did Ah Che ask for the imperial decree because he didn't want to marry the princess, or did he do it because he wanted to marry that man? Although the results were the same, the starting points were completely different.
"Sir, the young master is here."
The sound outside the door interrupted Mr. Feng's thoughts. Pei Che stood up, opened the door, and walked in with Pei Mu. Pei Mu still didn't call for anyone, and didn't even raise his head, just playing with the things in his hands.
Every time he saw him, Old Master Feng felt sad. The child looked more like his mother, a cute ball of jade-like skin, and looked very much like his daughter when she was a child.
"Mu'er, I'm your grandpa. Your grandpa is here to see you." He held Pei Mu on his lap. "Can you call me grandpa? No, just nod. Your grandpa will be satisfied if you nod."
Pei Mu was immersed in his own world and did not respond to Mr. Feng's voice at all.
Old Master Feng sighed, looked at Pei Che who was standing aside and staring at Pei Mu with sorrowful eyes, and asked, "Your grandmother, is she still reluctant to see Mu'er?"
"About... I meet her twice a month." Pei Che said, "She rarely goes out."
"If you want to see him, why do you have to wait until you go out? She still blames him for the death of your parents." Although Mr. Feng was also heartbroken by the untimely death of his daughter and son-in-law, he would not put the blame on Mu'er. After all, he was only one year old at the time.
Before Pei Mu was born, Feng Anxue and Pei Shijie went out to travel and passed by a somewhat dilapidated mountain temple. The temple enshrined the Goddess of Childbearing, and the people around said it was very effective. After the two gave birth to Pei Che, there was no movement for many years. After hearing about this, they wanted to go in and worship. At that time, Feng Anxue knelt on the futon, bowed sincerely, and promised that if she could really get pregnant, she would come back to fulfill her wish when the child was one year old and stand up, and pay for the reconstruction of the mountain temple.
Perhaps her sincerity moved the heavens, but after returning home, she suddenly became pregnant after years of infertility. After the doctor felt her pulse, he congratulated her. When Grandmother Pei heard the news, she was so excited that she gave three months' salary to everyone in the mansion.
After that, Feng Anxue gave birth to Pei Mu safely. Seeing Pei Mu grow up to be more and more lovely, it was clear when he was less than a year old. Everyone said that he was a rare smart child. Feng Anxue thought it was time to fulfill her wish. After Pei Mu was a week old, she went out with Pei Shijie. Pei Che also wanted to go at that time, but he caught a cold a few days before leaving, so his grandmother did not let him go.
They went to the mountain temple to fulfill their vows and donated enough money to rebuild the temple, then set out on their return journey. On the way, a sudden rainstorm broke out. There were mountain roads all around, so there was no escape. The guards could only ride horses in front to clear the way, and the coachman followed behind with the carriage. When passing a mountain road, just as the guards passed by, a big tree suddenly fell from above, pushing the entire carriage down the mountain.
The guards were terrified and tried to find a way down to rescue them, but the rain was so heavy that they could hardly open their eyes. After much hardship, they finally found the carriage that had fallen off the cliff and the bodies of the coachman and the maid not far away after the rain stopped.
The guards stood in front of the broken carriage, hesitant to lift the curtain. The chances of surviving a fall from a cliff of more than 20 meters were too small.
At this time, a hoarse and weak childish cry came from the carriage. The guards were very excited. They lifted the curtain and found that the young master was protected in the middle by two people in an embrace, wrapped tightly in a quilt. Only then did he escape. However, the prince and his wife could not open their eyes to see him again.
The guards carried the young master out and found that the quilt wrapped around him had been soaked by the rain. His face was flushed, his whole body was hot, and he could hardly cry.
When the news reached the Duke's Mansion, Grandmother Pei fainted immediately. When she woke up, she heard the whole story and pointed at Pei Mu and said it was an injustice. If it wasn't for him, Shijie and Anxue wouldn't have died. The one who was begged from the mountain temple was not an immortal child at all, but a mountain spirit who came to collect debts.
She lost her son in her old age, so naturally no one would care about these things. But after Pei Mu recovered from his illness, he did become stupid and dull from a smart child. He could not speak or shout. Every day he just played with the jade fish his parents gave him, and he looked as if he had lost his soul.
This made Grandmother Pei think that these mountain spirits and ghosts had borrowed human bodies to collect debts, and disappeared after collecting the debts, leaving only this body behind. In the first few years, she never saw Pei Mu, and only asked someone to look after him in the small courtyard next door. In the past two years, she gradually asked people to bring him over to see him, but they were not very close.
"My parents' affairs have nothing to do with Mu'er. He is not a mountain spirit or a ghost. He is just sick and will be well soon! I believe that grandma will figure it out one day." Pei Che said. On one side was his grandmother who had poured all her care and love on him, and on the other side was his beloved brother. He hoped more than anyone else that the relationship between the two could be improved.
"I hope so. By the way, have you told that person about Mu'er's situation?" Old Master Feng was afraid that the man Pei Che married would not like Pei Mu.
"I've already told him that both his parents are dead and he only has one younger brother by his side. He asked me to spend more time with Mu'er, saying that heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine. I plan to take Mu'er there more often. With children of the same age around him, maybe Mu'er will feel better." These children in the mansion never wanted to get close to Mu'er.
Old Master Feng finally felt relieved. Family background, status, high position and generous salary were all external things. Being a good person was the key.
"Find a free day and bring him to me." He had to take a good look at Che'er to see what kind of person he was.
(End of this chapter)