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

Chapter 74 Xiang Ning, You Can't Escape
Pei Yanzhi withdrew his gaze, rewrapped the glutinous rice ball, and Xu Mama quickly came over to clean up the sesame filling that had spilled out.

Xiang Ning kept her head down, busy with her work, and didn't say anything more to Pei Yanzhi.

After the dumplings were wrapped, Pei Yanzhi pestered Xiang Ning to make persimmon cakes. These cakes needed to be stored for a while and couldn't be eaten immediately.

Xiang Ning then taught him to make a persimmon cake out of dough and put it in a steamer.

It's like coaxing a child.

After the two of them busied themselves in the kitchen for a while, it was time for dinner.

"Let's cook two bowls of meat broth noodles."

He wiped his hands, pulled Xiang Ning up, and prepared to leave.

Mrs. Xu was taken aback, but she had no choice but to do as she was told.

Before long, a basket of steamed buns and two bowls of meat soup noodles were served.

"Actually, I've always been curious about what ordinary people eat."

Pei Yanzhi looked at the steaming food and gestured for Xiang Ning to sit down. After speaking, he raised his hand and wiped the flour off Xiang Ning's face.

Xiang Ning felt somewhat uncomfortable with Pei Yanzhi's current demeanor, as if his gentleness was a little too much, making her feel as if something big was about to happen.

"Sit down and eat with us."

Pei Yanzhi slightly bent his fingers and withdrew them.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning obediently sat down, and the two sat together, enjoying the meat soup noodles and steamed buns.

Pei Yanzhi ate with relish and didn't find anything wrong with this ordinary food.

This reminded Xiang Ning of what Cheng Hua had told her when she first arrived at Mo Song Yuan.

It is said that Pei Yanzhi is an extremely difficult person to please, as he refuses to eat this or that.

After dinner, Xiang Ning was about to get up when she heard Bi Tao say that Liao's mother had arrived.

Pei Yanzhi gestured for Liao's mother to come in.

"This servant greets the young master. This is a nourishing soup that the madam brought for you."

Liao's mother had a smile on her face, but when she saw Xiang Ning sitting next to Pei Yanzhi, she was startled.

I never expected that Xiang Ning would be so favored by the young master that she could even dine with him.

"Tell the First Madam that I don't need these things and that you shouldn't send them anymore."

Pei Yanzhi didn't even glance at Liao's mother, and only said this.

Mrs. Liao looked somewhat troubled and couldn't help but look at Xiang Ning, hoping that Xiang Ning could persuade Pei Yanzhi.

"Looking at anyone won't help, let's go back."

Pei Yanzhi noticed Liao's mother's gaze and said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Liao's mother had no choice but to take the food box and leave.

Do you think I'm too frivolous?

Pei Yanzhi's hand landed on Xiang Ning's back and he reached out to touch her.

"No, I'm fine."

Xiang Ning's body trembled slightly, feeling as if something was constantly sliding down and rising up along her spine.

The pressure he applied with his fingers varied, sometimes heavy, sometimes light.

"Xiang Ning, you were the one who said you loved me, were willing to follow me, and didn't want to go to Pei Yongcheng's place."

"You can't just kick someone away after you've got them; there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Pei Yanzhi moved closer to her and withdrew his hand.

She looked up and met Pei Yanzhi's gaze.

"I know."

Xiang Ning now regrets it a little. If she had known that Pei Yanzhi was so hard to get rid of, she would rather die than beg him.

But this man, ironically, was able to sense all her emotions.

She could only tell one lie after another, and now she can't keep up the lie anymore.

"good."

Pei Yanzhi didn't intend to push her too far, so after saying those two sentences, he added a reassuring remark.

He still preferred the way she seduced him when she had ulterior motives. That night, Pei Yanzhi didn't keep Xiang Ning on watch. She returned to her room, recounted the money again, and found herself in a dilemma.

I did consider running away, but if the slaves caught me, they would only beat me to death with sticks.

Xiang Ning wasn't looking to die. If she wanted to die, she wouldn't have entered the Pei residence in the first place.

But if he wanted to get his indenture back openly and honestly, he was afraid that the old lady or the first lady would come and ask Pei Yanzhi.

By then, she won't be able to leave at all.

Pei Yanzhi dotes on her, but if he knew that her goal from the beginning was to leave him, he probably wouldn't let her go.

Anyone who dares to betray him will come to a bad end.

She had to come up with a foolproof way to make the person holding her indenture let go.

That night, Xiang Ning had a dream in which she dreamed that after she left the Pei family mansion as she wished, Pei Yanzhi brought her back to the Pei family mansion.

He also said that since she had confessed her love for him and asked for his protection, she would belong to him for life.

In the dream, the man's face was gloomy, a far cry from his usual cool demeanor, replaced by a furious rage like a storm.

'Xiang Ning, you can't escape.'

Suddenly, a flash of white light streaked across the sky, and Xiang Ning abruptly opened her eyes, gasping for breath.

A layer of cold sweat covered her forehead as she propped herself up to sit up.

It must have been something she thought about during the day that made her dream about it at night.

But in the dream, Pei Yanzhi's reaction sent a chill down Xiang Ning's spine.

No wonder my mother said that one should avoid making mistakes in speech during one's life, because these mistakes will have to be repaid in the future.

Xiang Ning is now in a situation where she can't pay back the money, but in order to appease Pei Yanzhi, she has to continue telling these lies.

If she had known, she would never have provoked him in the first place.

The next morning, when Xiang Ning woke up, Pei Yanzhi had already gone to the morning court session.

Autumn mornings are always shrouded in a layer of white mist, the mist spreading out and making it difficult to see people clearly.

As Xiang Ning stepped outside, she felt some water vapor condensing on her hair.

"Is my sister awake?"

"When did you leave, sir?"

Xiang Ning felt that she was becoming less and less competent as a head maid; her mistress was awake, but she was still asleep.

He left at 1:15 AM, saying he was urgently summoned by the palace.

Bitao spoke up in response, and Xiangning nodded knowingly.

Normally, they would not leave until the end of the Yin hour (3-5 AM). The fact that they went so early means that something must have happened in the palace.

"Before he left, he said that two of his clothes were torn and asked his sister to mend them when she had time."

Bitao smiled and walked up to Xiangning, saying something. Upon hearing this, Xiangning nodded in agreement and headed towards Pei Yanzhi's house.

At this moment in the Cining Palace, Pei Yanzhi knelt on one side, while Marquis Anping, Wei Ziqian, knelt on the other.

The water cup that Empress Dowager Feng threw landed in front of Pei Yanzhi, spilling scalding tea that soaked his clothes.

"Pei Yanzhi, Pei Yanzhi, I trusted you so much, and you've managed to handle this task so poorly!"

After saying this, Empress Dowager Feng rubbed her head in pain, while Pei Yanzhi, kneeling on the ground, did not reply.

"You said you would close the case, and I agreed. Now tell me, did the fire at Zhenyufang force anyone out?"

Upon hearing Empress Dowager Feng's words, Pei Yanzhi finally spoke, saying, "It is my fault."

"If it's your fault, or if it's not your fault, then I won't let you come."

"All leads have gone cold. Even if you wanted to investigate further, you wouldn't be able to find anything. I have no choice but to punish you."

Empress Dowager Feng opened her eyes and looked at the eunuch beside her: "Twenty strokes of the cane."

Wei Ziqian, who was standing to the side, smiled slightly upon hearing this.

Pei Yan's actions have cut off their only lead, so what good would it do to go to Ling'an in person?

This time, the Empress Dowager will certainly not rely on him as much.

(End of this chapter)