After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 34 Teaching her to read and write
Pei Yanzhi released his grip on the hem of the new dress, leaned back, and looked up at Xiang Ning, asking her a question.

“Look at you, Master. I have never seen anyone as handsome as you.”

She lowered her head, revealing just the right amount of shyness.

I was careless; I was so focused on thinking that I forgot how perceptive Pei Yanzhi is.

Pei Yanzhi's gaze lingered on Xiang Ning for a moment before shifting away, it was unclear what he had been thinking.

When Xiang Ning looked up again, she saw Pei Yanzhi stand up: "Help me change."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning stepped forward, unbuttoned his outer garment, and helped him put on the new clothes.

Pei Yanzhi's appearance goes without saying; this color makes him look even more handsome.

"The waist seems a bit too big, let me adjust it again."

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist to undo his belt, but Pei Yanzhi pulled her into his embrace.

"Xiang Ning, I can protect you and give you what you want, but you know I don't like being lied to."

"What I dislike even more is that my partner is hiding things from me."

Pei Yanzhi wasn't stupid; he noticed it the moment Xiang Ning's gaze fell on his face.

"This servant does indeed have something I've kept from you, sir."

Xiang Ning nestled her face against his chest and said in a muffled voice, "That night at Lan Hui Pavilion, I had nowhere to escape. The Fourth Young Master was chasing me closely, so I had no choice but to push open the door of Lan Hui Pavilion."

Of course she was hiding something from Pei Yanzhi; they weren't exactly inseparable.

Bringing this up now is just an attempt to dissuade him from his idea.

In Pei Yanzhi's heart, Xiang Ning must be the one who loves him without any other thoughts.

She was just a little curious as to why Pei Yanzhi cared about the embroidery technique. Could it be that those people had come looking for her again?

Unexpectedly, Pei Yanzhi noticed.

"This is it?"

Pei Yanzhi reached out and pinched Xiang Ning's chin, asking her a question.

She was forced to look up at him and nodded in agreement: "Just this one, but I know that's where you are, Master. I guessed right."

Xiang Ning's misty eyes, when she smiled, her eyebrows curved, beautiful like a pool of moonlight.

"Oh, I see."

He unconsciously curved his lips into a smile and released the person.

"No need to alter it, the clothes fit perfectly."

After saying this, Pei Yanzhi sat back down and beckoned Xiang Ning to come over.

Have you been to school?

He asked a question, and Xiang Ning gently shook her head: "No."

Reading and writing were things that only wealthy families could afford. She only learned a few words during the three years she spent in the Pei household, occasionally reading with the accountant.

"I teach you."

Pei Yanzhi grasped the brush and wrote two characters on the Xuan paper.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, like a general commanding the battlefield.

"Xiang Ning, your name."

He reached out his hand, and Xiang Ning placed her hand in his palm. Pei Yanzhi then let her sit on his lap.

The wolf-hair brush was handed to Xiang Ning, and Pei Yanzhi guided her to rewrite the two characters on Xuan paper.

This time, however, the handwriting was crooked and messy, and next to the two words he had just written, it looked like a soldier who couldn't stand still.

Xiang Ning blushed instantly when she heard Pei Yanzhi chuckle.

This time, I blushed because I was a little embarrassed.

She said she couldn't read, but she wasn't lying to Pei Yanzhi. It's just that her handwriting was worse than that of a three-year-old child.

"When you have free time, you can practice calligraphy by copying model texts. You need to learn to write your own name eventually." "Got it?"

Pei Yanzhi pointed to the two characters, and Xiang Ning nodded. This calligraphy copybook should be similar to copying embroidery patterns.

Having Pei Yanzhi, a top scholar in the imperial examination, to teach her to read and write was something that no one else could ask for.

Xiang Ning was naturally pleased.

The two sat together, and Pei Yanzhi looked at her handwriting, which looked like it was covered in worms, and rubbed his head helplessly.

On a whim, I wanted to teach her to read and write, but I never expected that even someone as eager to teach as me would eventually be defeated by his student.

At this moment, in Qionghua Courtyard, after Liao Mama brought Pei Yanzhi's words, her face was somewhat unpleasant. If it weren't for the fact that there were still guests present, she would have gone to Mosong Courtyard long ago.

I wanted to invite Ms. Cheng to lunch, but she declined, saying she had something to do at home and left early.

Qin Bijun was displeased and got up to go to Mosong Garden, but was stopped by Kang Mama as soon as she left Qionghua Courtyard.

"Madam, the old lady requests your presence at Ningfu Residence."

Upon hearing this, Qin Bijun frowned and had no choice but to change course and head towards Ningfu Residence.

Madam Pei was a devout Buddhist and spent most of her day in the Buddhist hall.

After Qin Bijun was taken to the Buddhist hall by Madam Kang, she heard Old Madam Pei, who was kneeling in front of her, say "Kneel down".

"Mother?"

"I'm telling you to kneel down."

Madam Pei's voice was sharp and angry, so Qin Bijun had no choice but to kneel on the prayer mat.

"I don't know what my daughter-in-law did wrong to make my mother so furious."

Qin Bijun asked a question with dissatisfaction, and then heard Old Madam Pei say, "Are you only satisfied when you've destroyed the Pei family?"

Inside the Buddhist hall, only Madam Pei and Qin Bijun were present.

Madam Pei spared Qin Bijun's face and did not reprimand her in front of the servants.

What does Mother mean by that?

"Let me tell you, the bride I'm interested in is the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. And today you've invited the daughter of a Hanlin Academician into your residence. Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking?"

Madam Pei stood up and twirled the prayer beads in her hand: "I know you are dissatisfied with Feng'er. He wronged you back then."

“But noble families, who doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? He has been married to you for many years, and there has never been a single concubine in his house. He is clean and pure. But he made a big mistake when he was drunk once, and you are so relentless.”

Upon hearing Madam Pei mention this matter, a hint of hatred flashed in Qin Bijun's eyes.

"The daughter-in-law has no complaints about the old man."

Even if she was dissatisfied, she couldn't divorce Pei Feng.

“I know what you’re thinking. Over the years, you’ve barely cared about Yan Zhi. In your heart, is he the child you carried for ten months and gave birth to, or just an object you use to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy?”

Madam Pei's words made Qin Bijun's eyes widen. She lowered her head and said, "Yanzhi is naturally my daughter-in-law's child."

Seeing her stubbornness, Old Madam Pei closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"You are not allowed to interfere in Yanzhi's marriage anymore, and I will not allow you to do anything related to Yanzhi in the future."

"Qin Bijun, this is my last warning to you. If you continue to be stubborn, I will have no choice but to issue you a divorce letter and send you back to the Qin family."

Pei Yanzhi is the hope of the entire Pei family, the future of the Pei family, and the second half of Pei Yanzhi's life. Old Madam Pei absolutely cannot allow Qin Bijun to ruin it.

"Yan Zhi is my child!"

Qin Bijun suddenly looked up at Madam Pei: "Is this how the Pei family humiliates me? Can't I even interfere in my own child's marriage?"

"If you still consider him your child, then do nothing."

Madam Pei held her Buddhist prayer beads in her hand as she watched Qin Bijun utter these words.

What mother in the world doesn't love her child? Yet, she placed all her resentment and expectations towards Pei Feng onto Pei Yanzhi.

Over the years, if it weren't for her care, Pei Yanzhi would have grown up to be who he is today.

(End of this chapter)