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  But in a few days, the emperor appointed Pei Jingchen as the King of Anping, and the news that he was granted a national surname had already spread throughout Shengjing.

  Since the founding of the country, there has never been a case where a person with a different surname inherited the royal title of the imperial family. At that time, the wine houses and tea shops were full of discussions and debates. However, although this kind of royal affair was novel and unusual, it was still too far away from the lives of ordinary people. At first, some people argued that this matter violated the ancestral system, but later on, no one made any further comments, and it seemed as if Pei Jingchen being enfeoffed as a king was a matter of course.

  Pei Xiang heard the news, and after a brief silence and gloom, his eldest son had taken his surname, even if he became a king, it was a joy mixed with sorrow for the Pei family. Having experienced many storms through several dynasties, he could naturally see the deeper meaning behind this, and his heart felt even more unpalatable. However, after feeling sour and worried, he calmed down again.

  He smiled wryly at Shi Zeng and said, "Zhen Ge has never thought of himself as a member of the Pei family. This time, he can follow his mother's surname with a clear conscience. He must be happy in his heart too. Alas, it is I who have wronged them, mother and son. Now, these are what I must endure!"

  Shi Zeng is the leader of Pei Xiang's personal bodyguards and has been his loyal companion for decades.

  As the master's life was slipping away like flowing water, he would soon reach his end. No one was more anxious than him. He thought for a moment and said, "The task you entrusted to me has been ongoing, but it seems that the young master has discovered our intentions. Every time, he manages to shake off our people at the right moment. The deadline of one month is approaching soon, I am incompetent, I don't know if I can...

  His face had a blush, as if it was very difficult to speak, "Under my command, I am ashamed to say that I didn't know when the young master gathered these capable experts around him. Their ability to stir up trouble is quite outstanding, and our people were led into dangerous situations several times by them."

  These years of pursuit have made Shi Zeng not dare to underestimate Crown Prince Pei Xiaoan. Even so, he was still shocked by those powerful enemies. He felt a little ashamed, but more fearful, because the crown prince's strength was so strong that it was beyond his estimation. Seeing that Pei Xiang's days were numbered, if the matter of the crown prince was not handled properly before then, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  Pei Shangshi was not surprised. He shook his head slightly, "Dalu is talented and has received guidance and praise from many great scholars. If he hadn't been misled by the Han family, how could he have ended up like this?"

  His eyes sank deep, as if immersed in past events, with a painful and suspicious gaze, "Shi Zeng, you've been through all these things with me, tell me. Was I too biased back then, which led to Da Lang's current situation? Maybe... I not only harmed Da Lang but also harmed the princess and Chen Ge!"

  Shi Zeng's face suddenly changed, and he hastily said in a loud voice, "Lord, the young master is obstinate and unenlightened. How many chances have you given him? Even when he committed such...such a heinous crime of killing his wife and child. You, for the sake of familial ties, have also covered up for him. Even when Yu Zhen Shitai rebuked him so severely, you still wanted to cover it up for him. As a father, I think, Lord, that you have already done enough."

  He paused for a moment, his face showing a few points of anger, "After all, Han's cunning led to the young master being like this, what does it have to do with Master Xiang?"

  Pei Xiang sighed, "The Han family in Xining is also a well-known and respected family. Although this Miss Han's parents passed away early, she was raised by the clan leader's wife, and her talent and appearance are both top-notch. When my eldest brother mentioned this marriage to me earlier, I didn't object either. Our Pei family has already become prominent, and we don't necessarily need a daughter of a meritorious official as our main daughter-in-law. But who would have thought that the Liang family would intervene..."

  His face grew increasingly desolate and forlorn, "It's all a miserable fate..."

  When Mrs. Liang married over, the original madam had already given birth to three sons for Commander Pei. Even though she later gave birth to two more sons and a daughter, the title of heir apparent was still out of reach for her own children. Madam Liang was far-sighted and thought that if the future wife of the heir apparent did not get along with her, after Commander Pei passed away, she would inevitably be in an awkward position as the dowager madam. Therefore, she made great efforts to arrange a marriage between her niece from her own family and the heir apparent, Pei Xiao'an.

  Li's family secretly sent a fast horse to Xining, and in Pei Shang's name, refused the marriage proposal. She ordered her servant to humiliate Han Shi's daughter, saying many harsh words with threatening intentions. Han Shi's daughter had a strong sense of dignity, but couldn't afford to provoke the powerful Town Country Public House, so she could only agree to cut off all contact with the young master.

  Not long after, Han's daughter married a son of a local squire in Xining.

  Bae Hyo-an was heartbroken and had no choice but to interrupt his studies in Xining and return to Shengjing.

  Bai Xiang was quite dissatisfied with what the Liang family had done, but since it was already a fait accompli, there was no use in saying more. He himself never put romantic love in his heart and treated both of his wives as responsibilities. He thought that as the eldest son, he would also do the same, and after some time had passed, he would be able to forget about Han Shi. That's why he actively asked for a matchmaker to propose a marriage between the eldest son and Yongjia County Princess.

  At the beginning of the engagement, the young master was also willing.

  The Yongjia County Princess, Jin Zun Yu Gui, had a noble and precious status, but her personality was famously gentle and elegant. She was born beautiful, and at that time, the Xiang Chu King's flourishing reputation made many young nobles in Shengjing City want to marry her. The crown prince won the top spot, which made people envy him, and it also satisfied his wounded self-esteem, so this marriage went very smoothly, without much effort.

  But one day, the crown prince received a letter from Xining and rushed out on horseback. Half a month later, he brought back Han Shi to the Town Country Public House together.

  What exactly happened during that time, the crown prince refused to say, only tearfully begging Marquis Pei to let him keep Han Shi. He promised that he would never cause trouble again and said many words of determination to reform. Later, Marquis Pei sent someone to Xining to investigate and found out that the son of the local gentry whom Han Shi had married had died suddenly from illness, and Han Shi's daughter had also passed away due to excessive grief. But with Han Shi kneeling in front of him, how could Marquis Pei not guess the reason?

  But at that time, the marriage with Yongjia County's daughter had already been settled, and it was only a matter of waiting for the astrologer to calculate the auspicious day. The young master used this as leverage, and Han Shi only said she was willing to be a concubine. In the end, Pei Xiang still relented and agreed. Who knew that this one concession would lead to Han Shi becoming pregnant with the young master's child...

  Pei Xiang extracted himself from his memories and asked with a serious face, "Is there any new development in the Xining case?"

  Shi Zeng's face showed hesitation, and after a long time, he gritted his teeth and replied, "Years ago, Madame Han indeed returned to Xining. She gave birth to a baby boy and raised him until he was five or six years old. Then she fell ill and passed away. After that, the boy was sent to General Han Bingcheng's mansion in Weiguo. It is likely that the boy is now Ping Zhangshi, the Minister of State Affairs, Han Xiu."

  He paused for a moment, "If it's as expected, then Han Xiuzi should also be the grandson of General..."

  Bai Xiang's eyes were deep and calm, but his face didn't show any surprise, as if he had expected this all along. "It's been years since I've seen Han Shi, I don't even remember what she looks like anymore," he said, "but Da Lang has always thought about her day and night. Five years ago, when Da Lang first saw Han Xiu, the look on his face was like he had seen a ghost - it was an expression that was both crazy and not crazy at the same time. I still remember it vividly to this day. At the time, I already had a vague guess that things would turn out like this."

  He shook his head, "But Han Xiuzi hid too deeply, and later I was busy with many things, so I didn't continue to investigate this matter thoroughly. It wasn't until you mentioned it last time that I remembered again. If Han Xiuzi is indeed the son of Dalang and Han Shi, then it would be a case of injustice."

  Shi Zeng hurriedly said, "The young master must have known long ago. Every time I follow the clues to investigate in Xining, I will encounter numerous obstacles. Now that I think about it, it should be the young master's doing. The young master doesn't want Master Xiang to know about Han Xiuzhi's affair!"

  Pae Soang's eyes flickered, and after a long time, he said in a low voice, "Nowadays, the only thing that Dae Lang cares about is Han Xiu. He uses this weakness to think of ways to capture him. His resentment is too deep, and even I dare to poison his hand. If we don't stop him, who knows what other things he will do? This time, I can no longer take risks."

  His face was bitter and defeated, but his eyes were exceptionally clear and deep, "Move me to the villa on Dongtishan, I want to lure him here and kill me."

  Seiin Temple

  Ming Xuan supported her forehead and asked, "Does Aunt want to see me?"

  Madam Yan nodded, "Since Madame Hou moved out of the Hou Mansion to a separate villa last time, she has been recuperating there. At the beginning of the year, there were rumors that her illness was critical and she didn't even return home for the New Year's Eve dinner. It seems that Madame Hou's condition is not optimistic. This time, wanting to see Eldest Madam, perhaps she has some last words to entrust."

  She also looked puzzled, "But logically speaking, Mrs. Hou and the eldest lady are not close, at this time sending someone to invite you over, it feels a bit strange. However, the one who came to deliver the message was Rui Ayi, she is the most trusted person by Mrs. Hou's side, so this matter should be true."

  Dan Hong sneered, "What's wrong with Madame Hou? I heard from the stewardess that day at the Hou Mansion banquet that Madame Hou had a heart problem. She and Master Hou had a falling out and were both too proud to apologize first, so one pretended to be ill and wouldn't return home, exaggerating her condition, while the other didn't send anyone to fetch her either. That's how they ended up at odds with each other. What nonsense are you talking about?"

  She paused, "Tell me, Madame Hou is the most powerful one. In the past, when the first lady was in a difficult situation in this mansion, why didn't she send someone to ask about it? Now that our first lady is going to be a princess, she suddenly asks for an audience with you through Rui's nanny? Could it be that she wants something from you?"

  Ming Xuan's eyes drooped, and after a moment of contemplation, she said, "Regardless of why Aunt wants to see me, it just so happens that I also have something to ask her. The blue sapphire earring hidden in Xiaosu's box, now that we've figured out its origin is the same as Eldest Sister-in-law's hairpin, rather than chasing after clues from the jade shop all those years ago, why not directly ask Aunt? After all, I heard that my mother's last visitor before she passed away was indeed Aunt..."

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