Marrying a treacherous official

Yunji knew Cui Zemin well; he was always sure of success and would never easily alert the enemy.

Since he asked, he must have thoroughly investigated her background.

Her tender feelings for Pei Yun had been completely destroyed in the fire of her previous life.

When the fire started to spread, Pei Yun did not rush in to save her. Later, no matter how he explained himself, she could not convince herself to let go of the guilt.

The chasm between them was the charred skin and flesh of Cui Zeming's body as he carried her out of the fire. It was because she was saved in this way that she could never forget and could never let go of this grudge.

In her previous life, she did not meet Pei Yun at the court banquet, nor did she know that he would present the Prince of Qian to Emperor Chenghe in the main hall to surrender.

"My father was a censor in Qianzhou in the past. He was on good terms with Pei Gong, who was the prefect at the time. I once met General Pei at a family banquet."

"How many times have we met?"

Cui Zemin stared intently at her, his cold eyes filled with mockery.

Logically, since she had been so honest, he should have magnanimously let it go and not asked any more questions. But he didn't give in to her wishes and insisted on digging deeper to find out the truth.

Meeting his mocking gaze, Yunji gave a faint smile and said, "Three or four times, I guess."

"I've heard that the Gu and Pei families are old friends with a long-standing relationship. Given this close personal connection, haven't the two families ever considered forming a marriage alliance?"

"Yes, I have."

Yunji avoided the sharp edge of his words, "It was just that my grandfather's generation verbally agreed to a marriage alliance. As for which younger generation would be married to the Pei family, since no formal agreement was ever made, I cannot say anything more. My husband should not ask any further questions."

As the palace banquet began, maids filed in carrying delicacies and dishes, placing silverware dishes on the banquet table.

The dancers entered gracefully to the beat of the drums, their waists as slender as willow branches, their swirling skirts rippling like waves. Their elegant dance drew the eager attention of the courtiers.

Cui Zemin remained unmoved by the song and dance performance before him. He casually moved his chopsticks a few times and then suddenly said, "Watching again."

Yunji suddenly felt a chill run through her body, and her fingers, hidden under her wide sleeves, twisted together.

Following Pei Yun's gaze, Cui Zemin's eyes fell on her lowered eyelids, and he said with a mischievous grin:

"General Pei is staring intently at the lady."

"How does my husband know he wasn't looking at a dancer but at me?"

"The dancers have left; Madam, you can tell just by looking over."

Cui Zemin picked up a wine cup from the banquet table, swirled the fragrant wine inside, and drank it all in one gulp.

Yunji put down her chopsticks, took the wine pot and filled his cup with imperial wine. "What does it matter if he looks at me or not? They're all irrelevant people anyway. My eyes can only hold my husband."

Cui Zemin stared intently at him, and in those clear, watery eyes, he could only see him calmly.

As the singing and dancing ended and the drumbeats ceased, a sharp sound of shattering porcelain suddenly came from the opposite seat. Yun Ji looked up abruptly and saw Pei Yun crush the wine cup in his hand, with a few drops of blood falling onto the white carpet.

The Empress asked with concern, "How is General Pei's injury? Should we summon the imperial physician?"

Pei Yun rose from his seat, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, this humble general is unharmed."

The Empress looked at his bloodstained hands and said in protest:

"Someone, summon the imperial physician to bandage General Pei's wounds. He seems like someone who doesn't care about his own health, and he's not young anymore. I wonder if you've married and had children while stationed in the Northwest?"

"This humble general has never married."

Pei Yun reported the truth to his superiors.

The Empress looked at him with slight surprise. It was just a casual question, but she hadn't expected that he was still unmarried even after reaching adulthood. Glancing at the noble ladies whispering in the hall, she couldn't help but smile and speak:

Why is General Pei still not married?

"Without the fall of Northern Yan, my achievements will not be complete, and I will have no way to establish a family."

Pei Yun's sincere words filled all the ministers in the hall with respect.

The Emperor nodded repeatedly to him with satisfaction:

"General Pei is responsible for guarding the border and is often away leading troops, which has delayed his marriage. As a relative of General Pei, it is a rare opportunity for the Empress to take him back to the capital to report on his duties. With General Pei away, the Empress should choose a virtuous and noble lady from a prominent family to marry him and make this a good match."

"What Your Majesty says is very true."

The Empress had been thinking the same thing, and with the Emperor's permission, she agreed with an even greater smile.

Pei Yun, however, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the emperor and empress on the throne.

"I am deeply grateful for the Emperor and Empress's kindness, but I am unworthy to accept it. It is because I am engaged in Qianzhou and will marry my beloved after the three-year mourning period for my mother is over. I humbly request the Emperor and Empress to grant my request."

The Empress suddenly realized and asked, "That's a noble lady from the He family, who has caught General Pei's eye so much?"

Pei Yun stated frankly: "Her parents passed away in her early years, and she lived with her maternal grandparents. She was not the daughter of an official, but merely a merchant's daughter."

His words startled the entire hall, drawing gazes that were filled with disdain, shame, and absurdity.

The Empress noticed the Emperor's solemn expression and coldly rebuked him:

"That marriage agreement is null and void. Lord Pei will not agree to it, and your clan will absolutely not allow you to marry a merchant's daughter. This matter should not be mentioned again. Get out of here."

Pei Yun stepped forward this time to express his feelings to that person in the main hall. Now that he had achieved his goal, what did it matter if he was ridiculed?

Yunji lowered her eyes, looking at the sandalwood grain on the banquet table, which resembled rings of age.

Every word that man said sent shivers down her spine.

She was afraid to listen to his voice, and even more afraid to think deeply about the meaning he was implying.

But Cui Zemin was unwilling to let her go easily.

"How many years did you live in Qianzhou before, Madam?"

"Six years."

"After your father-in-law passed away, did your wife also stay at your maternal grandparents' house?"

"What exactly does my husband mean by asking that?"

Yunji glared at him, her slender fingers twisting together once more.

Cui Zemin took this as an admission of everything and continued, "Could it be that Madam's maternal grandparents' family were also in business?"

Yunji told him directly and clearly, "Husband, you can send someone to inquire about the Li family in Qianzhou and see if they are merchants."

"Why is my wife angry with me?"

Seeing that she was provoked, Cui Zemin lunged at him and bit her, throwing cold water on her with a single sentence.

"I just couldn't understand what General Pei was saying. It just so happens that you and General Pei are old friends, so I thought I'd ask you."

He deliberately paused, and her fingertips trembled slightly, her body going numb all over.

Cui Zemin leaned closer, whispered in her ear, pinched her round, pearl-like earlobe, and asked her in a chilling tone:

"How could General Pei, after observing three years of mourning, possibly marry the woman he loves? Who gave him the audacity to disregard ethics and morals and dare to steal another man's wife?"

He brought up all the things that Yunji dared not think about too deeply.

She felt his deep malice; the calluses on his earlobe rubbed against her earlobe, as if he could crush her earlobe with a single squeeze!