Chapter 32

After Pei Aosong hit a wall at the Dali Temple, he returned to the Pei Mansion and remained in a depressed state for several days, unable to raise any interest in anything.

Especially when he passed by Jiaohua Garden and saw the fallen leaves on the ground with no one to sweep them, he felt even more heartbroken.

He walked into Jiaohua Garden, where the flowers had already withered, leaving only dry branches and leaves.

Su Wanqiu could not bear to see her husband alone in the empty room of a concubine, so she hurriedly sent someone to call the house physician Liu Shouyi.

Then she pulled Pei Aosong out of Jiaohua Garden and moved him to his study, so that he could change his environment and change his state of mind.

This made Su Wanqiu hurriedly call the house physician Liu Shouyi to take Pei Aosong's pulse and diagnose what was wrong.

After taking the pulse, Liu Shouyi looked at Pei Aosong's dazed appearance and knew that the master had a heart ailment.

A heart ailment requires a heart medicine to cure. He shook his head and could only report truthfully to Su Wanqiu, "Madam, he has a heart ailment."

"A perfectly fine person, how could he have a heart ailment?" Su Wanqiu was very confused.

But she quickly understood the crux of the matter: this must have been caused by that lowly concubine!

Aunt was right; that Lin Jiaojiao must have given him some kind of Southern Border aphrodisiac, otherwise her husband would not be so soul-stirringly distracted.

But no matter how powerful the aphrodisiac was, it had to be cut off, otherwise, how would they live their future days!

Thinking of this, Su Wanqiu could only persuade him generously, "Husband, you don't need to worry. Lin concubine will certainly not be missing arms or legs in the Dali Temple."

"Besides, if no problems are found, she will be able to come home soon. At that time, I will host a welcome banquet for her, and our family will live a harmonious and happy life in the future."

"Wanqiu, you are still the generous one." Pei Aosong was moved and held Su Wanqiu's hand back.

To comfort Pei Aosong, Su Wanqiu ordered the wet nurse to bring the child over and talked about the child's interesting stories.

But the more Pei Aosong looked at the child's apricot eyes, for some reason, the more he missed Lin Jiaojiao in his heart.

Finally, Su Wanqiu had no other way. Coincidentally, the child was sleepy, so she took the child and withdrew.

After Su Wanqiu left, Pei Aosong still sat in the autumn wind, soul-stirringly distracted, not even knowing that rustling yellow leaves were falling on his shoulders.

Liu Shouyi looked at the master's appearance and knew that if this continued, the person would be ruined!

He struggled in his heart for a long time, and finally made up his mind to quietly inform Pei Aosong that Lin Jiaojiao was currently in the General's Mansion.

"Is this true?" Pei Aosong's eyes lit up, and his whole person seemed to have been resurrected on the spot.

"Indeed." As soon as Liu Shouyi finished saying this, he regretted it in his heart.

He had clearly promised Lin Jiaojiao earlier that he would find a way to help her leave the mansion, but now he had leaked her whereabouts. Wasn't that a betrayal of faith?

However, the master could only go over to take a look; he might not be able to bring her back. Thinking of this, his sense of guilt lightened a lot.

Pei Aosong was a man of action. When he learned that Lin Jiaojiao was not in the Dali Temple but in General Lu's Mansion, he immediately got up to prepare his horse, ready to go out.

Su Wanqiu looked at Pei Aosong's back as he left the mansion and sighed helplessly.

She muttered to herself: "Where is my husband going again? The Dali Temple clearly won't release anyone, and I don't know if Lin concubine is dead or alive in the Dali Temple..."

Zhao An, who was on the side, bowed his body. After looking around and finding no one, he said in a low voice, "Madam, the little one heard that Lin Jiaojiao is still alive in the Dali Temple."

Su Wanqiu's face changed slightly, and a trace of disappointment and sorrow appeared in her phoenix eyes: "It is best if the concubine can live, otherwise my husband will be sad..."

"Madam, you think of everything for Young Master Pei, but that Pei family young master does not..."

Su Wanqiu changed the subject and said, "Zhao An, do not be meddlesome. There are still a few days until the child's full-month celebration. At that time, the full-month banquet must be handled well so that my husband can have a good time."

"Yes, the little one understands." After Zhao An responded, he slowly withdrew.

As for Pei Aosong, ever since he learned that Lin Jiaojiao was not in the Dali Temple but in General Lu's Mansion, his mood had become much lighter.

Even when walking on the street, seeing the golden apricot leaves falling from the trees, he recited a few sour poems, and when he saw begging children, he threw a few copper coins to give alms.

When he arrived at the gate of the General's Mansion, he said to the guarding soldiers, "I have come to the General's Mansion to pick up my Lin concubine. Please report to the General."

The guarding soldiers were unmoved, "Who are you? The General is not in the mansion."

"I am Pei Aosong of the Pei Mansion. Please report it." Pei Aosong said while reaching into his sleeve, taking out a tael of silver to bribe the guarding soldiers.

Who knew that they wouldn't even look at the silver, their tone becoming even colder and dissatisfied: "Don't know you. If you have important business, wait at the door until our General returns to the mansion."

But it was a coincidence; at this time, a soldier was carrying the unconscious Bai Zhi into the mansion.

Pei Aosong looked at the soldier and the unconscious woman, feeling more and more that the woman was familiar.

"Zhang Jiao, you are not by the General's side, why did you carry a woman back to the mansion?" The guard looked at his colleague and frowned.

"Don't mention it. Today the General performed a rescue of a beauty and actually bought this woman and told me to bring her back to the mansion."

The soldier carrying Bai Zhi into the mansion waved his hand helplessly and entered the door, "Where is Sister Clove? Quickly call her to come and settle this woman."

"Bai Zhi!" Pei Aosong suddenly remembered who the woman being carried was. He was so surprised he almost couldn't close his mouth. This confirmed even more that Lin Jiaojiao was in the General's Mansion, otherwise why would even Bai Zhi be knocked unconscious and brought over?

Well, you Great General of the Nation, not only did you forcibly seize my concubine, but you even grabbed the maid from the mansion!

Pei Aosong was suddenly angry and shouted toward the door, "Your General is hiding my concubine, he is truly shameless, and he even snatched my maid!"

For a time, people passing by the General's Mansion all looked over, with a gossipy look of watching the excitement without fear of trouble.

"Why are you splashing dirty water here!" The guard pointed and scolded, while calling someone to report to Steward Xu.

After Steward Xu came, he recognized Pei Aosong. He had some disdain for the people of the Pei family.

But an official one rank higher crushes people, and besides, he was just a mere steward, so he could only let him enter the door first and then report to Chen Laofuren.

Inside the room, Lin Jiaojiao was massaging Chen Laofuren's waist and back meridians. Hearing this news, her whole person felt bad.

Pei Aosong actually chased her here!

She looked at the kind-faced old lady, feeling a bit guilty in her heart, thinking that her own messy business would certainly not be seen favorably by this old lady, "Old Madam, I am truly sorry, I still have family matters that have not been dealt with, I will go over to deal with them first."

After speaking, she told Liu Zhongyi to treat the old lady according to her method, then followed behind Steward Xu to meet Pei Aosong.

As soon as she saw Pei Aosong's back, Lin Jiaojiao suddenly remembered all the things in the Pei Mansion, and her heart wanted to retreat.

But coincidentally, the mansion's maid Clove walked by with a straight back, carrying a plate of fragrant pears. For some reason, her heart quickly settled down.

It is better to choose a day than to hit a day; today, let him release her household register from the Pei Mansion!

She straightened her back and walked into the reception hall. Pei Aosong saw her intact appearance, and his whole person relaxed. He opened his arms and was about to go over to embrace Lin Jiaojiao.

Who would have thought that Lin Jiaojiao would nimbly dodge, directly avoiding his embrace, and stand two meters away with detachment, "Magistrate Pei, trust you have been well since we last met."