Chapter 134

Upon realizing her own change, Qu Shi's heart also gave a start!

This change……when did it appear?

Li Chao Jing suddenly flared up: "Madam! What are you thinking? I've been calling you for a long while, and you haven't responded at all!"

Qu Shi quickly lowered her head and replied: "Yes, yes, sir. I'm listening."

Li Chao Jing snorted: "Zhu'er today caused such a great disaster at the princess's residence, making Prince Yun's consort miscarry… That is an imperial heir! If His Majesty investigates further, I fear our whole household will suffer!"

Upon hearing this, Qu Shi was greatly startled.

"So, let her be mute—just consider it our explanation to His Majesty… In that case, I hope His Majesty will spare us this once!"

After saying that, Li Chao Jing turned and left; Qu Shi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

That's right.

She couldn't keep thinking about these useless things; Zhu'er this time really did make a mistake, and her being poisoned mute was a twist of fate—let's just… consider it retribution!

"It's my poor Zhu'er… Zhu'er, Mother has come!"

Qu Shi truly loved Li Qingzhu.

She stayed up all night accompanying Li Qingzhu, and it was said she never left the bedside even half a step.

The next day, upon hearing that Li Qingzhu had become mute from then on, Li Qingluo only said: "Li Kechuan actually wanted to poison me into muteness. It seems he now dislikes the words that come from my mouth."

Just thinking about it, Li Qingluo found it somewhat amusing.

Li Qingluo even thought Li Kechuan dared to kill someone in the princess's residence.

Unexpectedly, he was nothing but a coward.

She shook her head, knowing this was their retribution, so she felt no guilt at all—on the contrary, she felt quite pleased.

Que'er: "This morning, Granny came to deliver the message. Granny said, the Old Lady said, if the young lady feels worried, she can stay here a few more days before returning."

Li Qingluo: "Is there no one in the manor going to Hongfenguan to cause trouble?"

Que'er laughed: "Granny said, the madam's usual attendant went to Hongfenguan to look for you. But Jingci Tang got the news first and sent someone to the main residence to say that you had been invited by the Pei family to stay a couple of days, so the madam and master shouldn't bother you unless they really wanted to, in which case they should first inquire at Jingci Tang."

Who would dare go then?

Nowadays, throughout the manor, who isn't afraid of Pei Lao Furen's dignity?

As for Deng the old concubine, who kept kneeling and chanting sutras in the Buddha hall, it's said she emerged as if she'd shed a layer of skin, instantly looking ten years older overnight.

Thus, the second and third branches have been outwardly very honest these past few days.

However, with the Jiangjun Fu encountering successive incidents, upon hearing that Li Qingluo had been invited by the Pei family, Li Chao Jing was actually still quite pleased.

The Pei State Duke's Manor is his maternal grandparents' home.

Because of his relationship with his mother in childhood, his contacts with the Pei family were also few.

Upon growing up and understanding the ties of aristocratic families, understanding power and status, and realizing that legitimate offspring would look down on those raised as concubines' children, it was already too late for everything.

By the time he woke up, the Pei and Li families had already completely severed ties.

Naturally, he could no longer gain any advantage in front of the Pei family.

But Luo'er actually managed to get along with the Pei family—what a good thing!

Since Zhu'er's self-immolation, their Jiangjun Fu has been continuously unlucky, hitting walls everywhere; now Luo'er is becoming increasingly outstanding, and we hope she too can find her own path…

Unexpectedly, it is still one's own flesh and blood that possesses the vigor of the Jiangjun Fu!

After breakfast, Pei Nan Jia came to see Li Qingluo and invited her to stay a few days in the Si Garden.

Li Qingluo readily agreed.

Since returning to Jinling, she has been constantly tense; let's take this opportunity to relax a few days.

The days in the Si Garden really passed leisurely.

Pei Nan Jia also didn't return to the Pei State Duke's Manor, spending the whole day in the Si Garden accompanying Li Qingluo, eating, drinking, and having fun.

Even on the second day, she moved into Li Qingluo's courtyard and lived together with her.

Pei Nan Jia's needlework was not bad; she even pulled Li Qingluo along to embroider handkerchiefs.

Unfortunately, Li Qingluo's fingers were about to be poked raw, and she still hadn't embroidered a single one properly.

So, Pei Nan Jia then took Li Qingluo to do flower arranging.

The bouquets Pei Nan Jia arranged were big and beautiful.

Li Qingluo's arrangements looked like a bunch of weeds, everywhere broken and bruised; the contrast made Pei Nan Jia laugh till she clutched her stomach.

Then she also pulled Li Qingluo to play chess.

Unfortunately, Li Qingluo's chess skills were not refined, so she lost every game.

Pei Nan Jia also didn't mock Li Qingluo.

Instead, she asked her: "What are you good at?"

Li Qingluo: "Washing clothes, cooking, taking care of children and serving elders, cutting fodder for pigs, plowing fields, fermenting fertilizer, picking wild vegetables, hunting rabbits…"

Li Qingluo counted on her fingers, while Pei Nan Jia's eyes welled up.

She grabbed Li Qingluo's hand in one grip, not letting her continue counting.

"You're truly amazing! If I were you, upon learning the truth of my origins, I would have gone mad long ago. Yet you manage to live this well."

Li Qingluo stared at Pei Nan Jia, "Actually, I also find it very hard."

In my previous life, I went through so many detours, trampled like a dog, and even died once.

Only in this life can I appear to live like a human being.

Pei Nan Jia's eyes truly held no trace of disdain or mockery.

She told Li Qingluo about her own background: "My father is the legitimate second son of the second branch; do you know that?"

Li Qingluo shook her head: "The Pei State Duke's Manor is a high-ranking noble household; I really don't know your family's situation."

Pei Nan Jia moved closer to her again and said: "Then let me tell you. My father and my mother… right, I told you before, I am a concubine's daughter—do you still remember?"

Li Qingluo nodded: "Yes."

In Li Qingluo's eyes, there was no difference between a concubine-born daughter and a legitimate daughter.

Pei Nan Jia: "My grandfather was the first to die in battle in the Pei State Duke's mansion. My father lost his father when he was young, so he grew up in his maternal grandfather's home."

My mother, meanwhile, was then staying at my father's maternal grandfather's house—a distant paternal cousin by marriage so far removed that not even an eight‑foot pole could reach her.

Both of them were living under others' roofs, so they grew up together from childhood, childhood sweethearts, supporting each other, and when they grew up they developed the deepest affection in the world.

Unfortunately, my mother's background was humble, so she could not become my father's principal wife.

They struggled for years, one unwilling to take another wife, the other unwilling to be a concubine; in the end it almost caused my father and grandmother to turn against each other as mother and son, and only then was my mother brought into the mansion.

Although my mother and father never performed the rites of a principal wife, my father has never taken another nominal wife to this day, so he has not bullied my mother.

Not only did he have no principal wife, there was not even a concubine in our household; my father lived a pure life, with only my mother as his wife.

So, although I am a concubine‑born daughter, I am the only daughter in our second branch and second household.

As she spoke, a look of supreme happiness appeared on Pei Nan Jia's face.

My father dotes on me. However, when I was young, because of my background, I was excluded and bullied by the sisters in the household.

They made me bark like a dog, splashed filthy water on me, forced me to drink sewage, and even threw me into a cellar where I saw no light for three whole days.

That time, if it hadn't been for my father and third brother finally finding me together, I might have already died.