Tumor Sword Immortal

Chapter 23 Where will I be when I wake up from my drunken stupor tonight?

Pei Xia shook her head and opened the envelope.

Erkui glanced at him: "Aren't you even trying to avoid people?"

"If he needs to avoid it, he won't hand it over to you."

Pei Xia took out a folded piece of paper from the envelope; it contained only two sentences.

The first sentence is: "I have left you three paths: Yang Xu, Ye Lu, and Xu Shangxin. You can choose for yourself."

The second sentence is much shorter, consisting of only four characters: "Do not worry about me after I die."

Lu Li climbed up Pei Xia's arm, peeked out, and whispered, "What three paths? Why didn't you explain it clearly?"

Pei Xia crumpled the letter into a ball: "That's just how he is, he hates stupidity. If I don't understand what he's saying by now, then I deserve to die."

However, this does explain why, given Pei Xi's experience, he would leave behind such a mess in his mansion after his death.

He must have seen through Pei Yu's insatiable greed and Yang Xu's ruthless nature long ago.

But from another perspective, Pei Yu is insatiable, indicating that as long as you are willing to raise her, she will be an obedient dog.

Over the past decade or so, Old Pei had long since tamed her.

Yang Xu may be a terrible person, but he is good at scheming, which is exactly the kind of channel Pei Xia needs to adapt to officialdom and build connections.

The only expense required is to share some of his fame and prestige.

If Pei Xia is determined to enter the court as an official, he has Pei Yu to help him make connections with relatives and friends, and Yang Xu to pave the way for him. It should be a smooth path for him.

If Pei Xia truly finds these two scoundrels repulsive and cannot tolerate this filth, then in Pei Xi's view, it precisely proves that he is not suited to navigating the treacherous officialdom of Da Ling.

He can choose two other paths.

Pei Xia still doesn't understand what "Ye Lu" means.

But the meaning behind choosing Xu Shangxin is quite clear.

My eldest brother came from a poor background, with no connections or support, so he had to rely on his husband.

Pei Xi clearly took her upbringing very seriously. Xu Shangxin was intelligent, quick-witted, patient, hardworking, kind, upright, and grateful.

Whether you take a woman like this to live a secluded life in the mountains, venture into the world, or start a small business, it will be the best solution in life.

With the Prime Minister's mansion's vast wealth as a foundation, they will never have to eat coarse food.

To be fair, although Yang Xu and Pei Yu were not good people, from another perspective, they were just pawns that Pei Xi used to arrange a way out for his son.

Looking down on others and manipulating their lives, this Prime Minister of Daling Kingdom is still the same as when Pei Xia left Beishi back then.

He lived life with such profound understanding.

Erkui watched him crumple the paper and asked, "What did you write?"

"Some final arrangements, such as entering the court as an official."

Erkui took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and said, "His health has always been poor. He probably knew more than half a year ago that he wouldn't live much longer."

Pei Xia glanced back at the silent coffin: "Then why didn't you call me back sooner?"

"Will you come back if I call you?"

"..."

Pei Xia tightened her grip on the letter.

If Pei Xia had read the letter first and realized that even the cold and ruthless Prime Minister of the Great Ling Kingdom could plan far ahead for his son, then he might have been somewhat moved.

Regardless of whether he approves of the father-son relationship in his heart, he wouldn't mind returning to Beishi City to comfort an old man on his deathbed.

But the problem is, you have to come back first before you can see this letter.

Pei Xia chuckled self-deprecatingly: "He seems to know his son quite well."

Er Baiyi, carrying a wine jug, reclined again on the waterside terrace, muttering, "That's fine too. You can still do something to make amends for him now, so it's fair."

He was referring, of course, to Pei Xi's unnatural death.

This drunkard from the Holy Palace has twice said that Pei Xi's death was truly a good thing—are you really the old man's friend?

"Second brother—second brother—"

A clear, melodious female voice called out from outside the waterside residence; this address clearly belonged to Xu Shangxin.

Pei Xia politely bid farewell to her elders, and as she passed the coffin, she took one last deep look at Pei Xi lying inside before leaving the pond-front waterside residence.

Outside, Xu Shangxin was being stopped by two incorruptible officials in black from the Holy Palace.

Pei Xia waved to her: "Why are you still calling me 'Second Brother'?" "Th-that..." Xu Shangxin stammered, then her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Then what should I call you?"

"Call out their names!"

Hearing that her name was being called, Xu Shangxin breathed a sigh of relief, then patted her chest and said confidently, "No, I'm nervous."

Pei Xia thought for a moment and nodded: "I understand."

For Xu Shangxin, although her marriage to Pei Xia had been arranged many years ago.

In real life, however, the name "Pei Xia" was nothing more than a distant legend to her; she had heard of it but never seen it.

She needs some time.

The two walked out of the waterside residence side by side, attracting frequent glances from many servants and attendants along the way.

This is the Prime Minister's residence of the Great Ling Kingdom, right?
Why are these two people, one wearing a patched scholar's robe and the other in burlap sacks stained with dirt?

Lu Li rode on Pei Xia's neck, stretching out her little arms, and kept trying to pry open the cloud patterns on the roof of the covered bridge.

Pei Xia impatiently told her to stop, and asked Xu Shangxin beside her, "Have Yang Xu and Pei Yu both gotten out?"

"Mm." Xu Shangxin nodded.

After all, the eldest princess had spoken, and Yang Xu, having lost the support of the Prime Minister's mansion, dared not disobey Luo Xian's orders again.

“And there are also some scattered household items and servants in their own yards, you see…”

"Leave your things, and get out of here."

Xu Shangxin stuck out her tongue. This young master Pei is nothing like the old prime minister. He does things too decisively and efficiently, as if he doesn't think things through at all.

“There are many other things…” Xu Shangxin stretched out her fingers and counted them one by one.

“Yang Xu used to control the family businesses; you’ll need to take over.”

"Many people in the manor are still unaware of Yang Xu's matter and your return."

“Now that you have just returned from your long journey, you should pay a visit to many elders in the inner city.”

"Of course, the most important thing is the master's funeral. Although it's blessed by the magical artifacts of the Holy Palace, it's been a month after all..."

Pei Xia reached out to interrupt her: "I think there's something more important."

Xu Shangxin tilted her head back and blinked her clear eyes: "What?"

"dinner."

Lu Li's stomach stopped growling, probably because Ye Lu had fed her on the way.

But Pei Xia hasn't eaten anything yet.

He rubbed his stomach and said, "And what about my accommodation? Have you arranged where I'll sleep tonight?"

Eating is easy to solve.

However, Pei Xia returned in such a hurry that his room was not yet ready.

Xu Shangxin raised her eyes and tentatively asked, "How about we sleep in the master's old room?"

"No, it's too gloomy."

"How about we squeeze in with Ye Lu?"

"Oh? He's a guard and he even has his own courtyard?"

"Oh no, he slept on a shared bed..."

"That's going too far. I'm a young master, after all."

Pei Xia scratched her head: "How about I sleep at your place?"

"Where...are you going to sleep?!"

Xu Shangxin's voice suddenly became high-pitched: "No way!"

Lu Li gave him a timely twist on the neck and then tapped his head with her small hand: "You forgot?"

Pei Xia tapped her head: "Oh, right, there's this thing too."

Xu Shangxin, unaware of the situation, remained wary: "If you really want to sleep, that's fine. I'll go and squeeze in with the maids."

"No need, that..."

Pei Xia asked seriously, "Are there any brothels in the inner city? Could you help me book a room?"

(End of this chapter)