[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers":3,"chapter-the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers-the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-107":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Mountains and Rivers of the Imperial Granary",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2231523,4184,"Chapter 107","the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-107",107,"\u003Cp>That day, Pei Chuyun went wild outside for an entire afternoon, and Lu Xingzhou accompanied her with a smile the whole time, looking exactly like an old father doting on two children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't until the sun began to set that Pei Chuyun remembered the Pei family was hosting a banquet that night, and that this was the main event of her trip to the capital. Only then did she reluctantly return to Lu Xingzhou's side: \"Um, I was the one who dragged you out shopping, but you just followed behind watching for the whole afternoon. Do you feel bored?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't that what it's like when someone accompanies you shopping?\" Lu Xingzhou smiled: \"I'm luckier than many men because I get to sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun felt like something was a bit different, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, right. Other men shopping with their lovers are all lovey-dovey, whispering intimate things; none of them just follow along with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun felt a bit embarrassed and whispered into his ear: \"I'll make it up to you tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lu.\" Pei Yu's voice rang out not far away, and Pei Chuyun stood up straight in a flash, like a startled little rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yu strolled over with a half-smile: \"I heard Brother Lu spent the day shopping with a maid and a child, so I came to find you... It seems I've come at a bad time, interrupting your romantic outing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun's pretty face was flushed red, and she stood shyly beside Lu Xingzhou with her head lowered, perfectly playing the part of a little maid caught doing something she shouldn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou said with a straight face: \"No, you've come at exactly the right time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't that he wanted to put his arm around Pei Yu, but rather that if Pei Chuyun really were Pei Yu's sister, then this \"incestuous\" situation would be quite stimulating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yu didn't understand the joke and just smiled: \"Shall we go? It's about time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands: \"Brother Pei is very thoughtful... Please, lead the way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them followed Pei Yu toward the Pei residence, and Pei Yu asked casually: \"What do you think of the capital's atmosphere?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou smiled: \"The atmosphere of the capital is not something the wilderness of Xiazhou can compare to. Not to mention anything else, the people are much stronger... There are many among the passersby who are stronger than me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha...\" Pei Yu laughed: \"Truly worthy of a cultivator's perspective. However, those people may look strong, but it's not necessarily true that they are stronger than Brother Lu. Huo Jin looked stronger than Brother Lu, but he still fell in one move. Most people aren't even as good as Huo Jin; the majority just used elixirs to boost their cultivation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, this wasn't a cultivator's perspective, but a cautious perspective born of fear of assassination. Lu Xingzhou's own perspective was more focused on the humanities, but the capital was too large; strolling for a mere afternoon didn't even count as a drop in the bucket, and it wasn't representative of anything, so it was better not to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The majority using elixirs to boost their cultivation was a common state of affairs in the world of cultivation. After all, the vast majority of people lacked the aptitude for cultivation, but increasing their rank could cure illnesses and prolong life, so whether they could fight was secondary. It was just that while this was universally true, there were still more powerful people in the capital than elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lu Xingzhou smile without answering, Pei Yu continued on his own: \"The Huo family hasn't bothered you, have they, Brother Lu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou smiled: \"I heard Huo Lu is about to be brought in under guard. They should be busy making connections everywhere right now, so they're probably not in the mood to create extra trouble. At the very least, they wouldn't dare use violent means in public. I had considered that if the Huo family still wanted to find me, it might be Huo Xingyuan himself coming to kindly promise some conditions... but that hasn't happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It might happen tomorrow,\" Pei Yu said pointedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is Brother Pei afraid I won't be able to withstand the pressure?\" Lu Xingzhou said leisurely: \"Aren't you all giving me the confidence right now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yu laughed and didn't answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true that if the Pei family wanted to invite Lu Xingzhou, they could have just picked any restaurant. Inviting him to their home was meant to be a direct counter to the Huo family's \"coming home for dinner\" yesterday, at least to show the sincerity of their stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they were talking, they arrived at the Pei residence. The Pei residence had thrown open its main gate to welcome guests, making a grand gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun looked up at the \"Prime Minister's Mansion\" plaque, pursed her lips, and felt a bit dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been feeling anxious about gains and losses while entering the Pei family, but now that it was actually happening, it was just like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, no one along the way had any special reaction to her appearance; it was no different from being a guest anywhere else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the living room, there wasn't a gathering of important Pei family figures. Only Pei Yu's father, the current Prime Minister Pei Qingyan, was seated there, and his eyes were also fixed on Lu Xingzhou, not the maid behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've long heard that you are a man of impressive appearance, and seeing you today, it is indeed true.\" Pei Qingyan stroked his beard and smiled: \"You are actually better looking than the few from the Huo family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implication was: are you Huo Shang or not? Can you give me a straight answer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou didn't take the bait and just smiled: \"In terms of appearance, the Pei family is truly a standout, while the Huo family is average. Compared to Prime Minister Pei, Huo Xingyuan is like a crude martial artist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan almost couldn't keep his composure: \"The Marquis of Zhenyuan is a martial cultivator, after all, and a commanding general.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Huo family held such power in the imperial court wasn't just because of luck. In the world of cultivation, flattery wasn't enough; even your subordinates wouldn't be convinced, so you had to prove yourself. Lu Xingzhou had long held a high position in the Yama Hall with only a seventh or eighth-grade cultivation, which was why he provoked so many jealous and competitive idiots. If he had been a first-grade, everything would have been calm and peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the strength of the Huo family lay in the fact that Grand Tutor Huo and the Marquis of Zhenyuan were both first-grade cultivators, father and son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that the eldest son, Huo Qi, was already a third-grade cultivator, having crossed the great hurdle of the upper three grades. Given time, it wouldn't be impossible for three generations of the family to all be first-grade, which would be a fine tale indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou, however, felt that the Huo family hadn't had so many high-grade cultivators in the early years, and in recent years, it probably had something to do with alchemy furnaces; they were likely refining more than just life-saving elixirs. It was a pity that the younger ones weren't very capable, otherwise, a family of elites would be truly hard to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pei family had far fewer descendants than the Huo family. At least here in the capital, the generation above Pei Qingyan didn't seem to be present, and he didn't know how many cousins were around. As for Pei Qingyan's own branch, Pei Yu was an only child, and he was born when Pei Qingyan was middle-aged, so he was treasured immensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, an only child, and Pei Yu was at least three years older than Pei Chuyun, so there was no possibility of a swap. If there were a swap, it could only be from a cousin's branch, and Pei Chuyun had never expected Pei Qingyan to be her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Pei Qingyan hadn't lost any children or had any die young in his early years; this was something one could find out by asking a few old servants, without needing to specifically enter the Pei residence to learn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan smiled: \"Let's eat first. It's just some home-cooked food; let's just eat casually.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone took their seats, and Pei Chuyun stood honestly behind Lu Xingzhou. Only then did Pei Qingyan finally glance at her, but he was slightly startled: \"This is... Young Master Lu's maid?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my maid, A'lv.\" Lu Xingzhou observed Pei Qingyan's expression: \"What's wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, nothing. Guests are guests; Miss A'lv, please take a seat as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such noble families had the most rules, and there was never any reason for a maid to sit with her master... Lu Xingzhou and Pei Chuyun exchanged a glance and smiled: \"Why don't you thank the Prime Minister?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun bowed: \"Many thanks, Prime Minister Pei.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan said: \"Where is Miss A'lv from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun shook her head: \"I don't know. I've been wandering since I was a child, trafficked by many, and was only bought by the Young Master not long ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, even Pei Yu couldn't help but say: \"With such beauty, how could you have been passed around to so many places?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implication was that anyone else who bought her would have taken her as a concubine long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan waved his hand: \"Asking about someone's privacy is very rude.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Yu hurriedly apologized: \"I spoke out of turn, Miss, please don't take offense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou said at this moment: \"Are all the brothers in Prime Minister Pei's family in Hedong? I see the Huo family dragging their whole family to the capital, wishing they could even bring their dogs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan laughed: \"We are different from the Huo family... The Pei clan has been rooted in Hedong for hundreds of years, with branches spreading far and wide; even if we wanted to move, we couldn't. In our main branch, I am the eldest son, and below me are two younger brothers, one serving as an official elsewhere and one focusing on cultivation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou's heart stirred slightly. Of course, he didn't know much about the Pei family's internal affairs, but the one serving as an official elsewhere must have been investigated by Pei Chuyun herself, and the one focusing on cultivation might have something worth finding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it turned out, there was no need to look; Pei Qingyan's next sentence was: \"Miss A'lv looks very much like an old friend of mine... It's a pity that she passed away long ago; seeing you, Miss, I can't help but sigh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun couldn't hide the slight change in her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had thought this matter would require all sorts of probing, but she didn't expect that just after the banquet started and they hadn't chatted much, there would already be a direct result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took a deep breath and said cautiously: \"To be honest with you, Prime Minister, I also very much want to know about my own background. I wonder who this old friend of yours is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan said: \"She was a confidante I met in the martial arts world years ago, but she passed away a long time ago... Your appearance is somewhat similar to hers, perhaps you are related, but it's a pity that I don't know where she was from either. So much time has passed, I'm afraid it's hard to help you. To be honest, when I asked about your origin just now, I was actually hoping to use that to visit the hometown of my old friend...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, even Lu Xingzhou's heart stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't right; it was very likely that there was no need to look for anyone else in the Pei family—it was you, damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun was very likely the child of that \"old friend,\" and Pei Qingyan might not even know he had gotten someone pregnant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Pei Chuyun was surnamed Pei, yet the Pei family didn't know about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Joyous Union Sect likely knew, and precisely because they knew, they didn't want Pei Chuyun to be too conspicuous and attract Pei Qingyan's attention, especially with things like being a talented woman or writing poetry; that would make it too easy for the Pei family to take notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, some in the upper echelons likely worried that Pei Chuyun would still be taken back by the Pei family, so they were temporarily watching and didn't want to give her sect authority; but others had the opposite opinion, feeling that such talent should be cultivated, and perhaps even thinking they should use this background to infiltrate the Pei family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the controversy unresolved, it led to Pei Chuyun's strange situation in the sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once analyzed this way, it was almost all clear, and everything was explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem now was how to confirm it. Should he just ask Pei Qingyan directly: \"Did you sleep with her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xingzhou pondered for a long time and suddenly asked: \"Was this old friend of yours buried by yourself, Prime Minister? If she is related to A'lv, perhaps A'lv could go pay her respects.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Qingyan shook his head: \"No. Eighteen years ago, she died at the hands of the Joyous Union Sect... By the time I arrived, more than half a month had passed, and the local government had already buried her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Chuyun's expression finally changed.\u003C\u002Fp>",2287,"2026-06-18T01:46:09.112Z","2026-06-18T03:18:02.290Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","e76d933d4f86e1d343f0e155c6e6713ad780591ecfa6b34bff0f76c8dddcf0ba","the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-108","the-grain-of-mountains-and-rivers-chapter-106",325,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmountains-and-rivers-of-the-imperial-granary-cover.jpg"]