Nanxing left the palace and walked calmly and fearlessly south along the road.
After crossing two streets and turning left and right, she arrived at a house.
The wide, vermilion-lacquered gate with its gold pillars, topped with gleaming brass beast heads that reflect light, and surrounded by neatly arranged bronze nails, all proclaim the extraordinary status of the homeowner.
Nanxing looked up and saw four large, bold characters painted in gold on the black plaque above the door: "Marquis Champion".
Nanxing stood still, looking up and gazing intently for a long time.
The two guards at the gate initially thought she was just passing by and wanted to broaden her horizons, so they didn't pay her any attention.
But when they saw Nanxing standing still, holding a long sword, they exchanged glances, and one of the guards stepped forward to drive her away.
"Let's go, let's go, this is the Marquis's residence, don't linger."
Nanxing remained motionless, his thin lips parted slightly. "I'm looking for... Pei Shen."
This name, just as its name suggests, was deeply, deeply etched into her heart; the wound had turned into a festering sore, never to be touched again.
On the day they parted, she said, "Pei Shen, I regret my actions so much."
Where is that man?
He stood under the hibiscus tree, gently plucking a pink umbrella flower with his fingertips, and looked at her with a smile.
He said, "Vermilion Bird, you will repeat the same mistake."
He was calm and confident, a smile playing on his lips.
At that moment, Nanxing hated him to the core.
Even if he felt the slightest bit of regret, Nanxing was deeply entangled in the situation, could find countless excuses to comfort him.
However, that didn't happen.
As the wind blew and petals fell, amidst a shower of blossoms, Nanxing, carrying her sword, left without looking back.
Pei Shen did not try to stop him.
Nanxing followed him all this way, betraying the Xiao Family for him and wandering with him through thick and thin, only to discover in the end that it was all just a one-sided dream.
Pei Shen, even if mountains are high and rivers are long, we will never meet again.
After they broke up, she didn't contact Pei Shen, and Pei Shen didn't contact her either.
They completely disappeared from each other's lives.
But in the end, she turned back first.
Six years have passed. The world hasn't changed, but things have changed and people are no longer the same.
Pei Shen, I'm here.
As you wish.
That man who loves to scheme and manipulate people, as if he has everything under control, should be proud, because just as he predicted, she has slunk back to her old ways.
Seeing Nanxing's demeanor and hearing her address her master by his given name, the guard hesitated.
Another, younger guard couldn't contain himself and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you address the Marquis by his given name!"
Nanxing said coldly, "Tell him that Vermilion Bird has arrived."
The two guards whispered to each other for a moment, and one of them went in to report.
Of course, he didn't tell the Marquis Champion directly, but instead told his close follower Mo Ting, about it in a flattering way.
Mo Ting's expression suddenly changed. "Say it again? What did that girl say her name was?"
"Vermilion Bird, it seems so," the guard said somewhat uncertainly.
Then he saw Mo Ting hurriedly enter the courtyard and knock on the door.
The guard wiped his sweat, feeling uneasy and unsure whether coming today was the right or wrong decision.
A moment later, Mo Ting came out.
The guard hurriedly stepped forward with a smile, "Would you like to invite her in—"
Before he could finish speaking, the guard noticed that his ethereal, otherworldly lord had come out of the house and was staring straight at him.
The guards panicked.
Pei Shen ignored him and walked straight out. Although his steps seemed calm, those who knew him well would know that he was in a hurry.
Nanxing waited Jingjing at the door, his back straight, standing as still as a wooden stake.
The guard who remained behind glanced at her furtively, somewhat inquisitively.
What is the relationship between this woman and the Marquis?
If she hadn't been dressed as a woman, the guards said they wouldn't have been able to tell she was a woman at all.
He looks like he's a trained fighter.
"You've come."
A melodious sound, like shattered jade, rang out, and Pei Shen, dressed in white, appeared at the gate, looking at Nanxing with a smile.
The voice was calm, as if there was no hatred from back then between them, nor the six-year gap in time.
Compared to six years ago, he seemed unchanged, still as elegant, noble, calm and composed as ever. Even the upward curve of his eyes and the starlight shimmering in his deep gaze remained the same.
"Yes." Nanxing was sparing with his words.
"Come in and talk?" Pei Shen said with a smile, as if exchanging pleasantries with an old friend, his tone intimate and friendly.
Nanxing walked inside expressionlessly.
Pei Shen waited for her to go in first, then turned around and followed her in.
The gates of the Marquis's mansion opened and closed again, and the area in front of the gate returned to its previous tranquility.
The two guards both saw gossip in each other's eyes.
"The main gate is just opened like this?"
"Aside from the Emperor's visit, this is the first time the main gate of the Marquis's residence has been opened."
"Yes, I originally thought the main gate wouldn't be opened until the Marquis's wedding!"
Visitors to the mansion would normally enter through the side gate; this was a customary rule.
So when they saw Nanxing heading straight for the main entrance, the two of them became suspicious.
Unexpectedly, the two women, whom the Marquis addressed by their given names, were actually welcomed into the main gate by him.
Good heavens! It turns out the Marquis has been without a woman by his side for so many years, and this is the type he actually likes!
As expected of a marquis, his tastes are quite different.
They've become vulgar.
Pei Shen led Nanxing to his study and instructed Mo Ting, "Bring a cup of honey water, made with boxwood honey, at the perfect temperature."
Mo Ting accepted the order and left.
Boxwood honey is not common, and it is not favored by the nobility in Beijing.
After his master went on a long trip, he suddenly developed a liking for boxwood honey.
It turns out that the girl he liked was the one who liked boxwood honey.
Mo Ting had never seen Nanxing, but the name "Vermilion Bird" was very familiar to him.
Countless midnights, the Marquis drew her portrait and wrote her name again and again...
So when Mo Ting saw Nanxing today, she felt especially close to him.
--Finally, it has moved from the paper to reality.
Please, this is the Marquis's medicine.
Pei Shen invited Nanxing to sit on the couch, then sat opposite her across a small table, saying, "You've been in the capital for so long, you must be used to it now."
He knew all along that she was in the capital.
Yes, that's the real him; it would be strange not to know.
Nanxing's lips moved slightly, "Save me."
"Take your time, don't panic, I'm here." Pei Shen showed no surprise, his tone was calm, as if everything was under control.
Nanxing looked down at his hands resting on the small table; they were still long, slender, and fair with distinct knuckles.
Those were hands that held a pen.
Pei Shen had participated in the imperial examinations and stood out from the crowd.
In the final imperial examination, he met Tang Baixin narrowly lost, becoming the runner-up in that year's examination.
But originally, he didn't need it.
He was granted the title of Marquis Champion at birth because his mother was the emperor's younger sister, Princess Ci'an, who died young.
His parents died for the emperor.
The emperor took pity on him and had him brought to the palace to be raised. Although he was not a prince, his affection for the emperor surpassed that of a prince.
It was also he who, back then, inspected the border defenses on behalf of the emperor, secretly searching for evidence of the Xiao Family's rebellion.
(I had a rough day today, just got home and started working. It'll be past midnight no matter how late it is, so wait for me~ Thank you all for the recent requests for updates, tips, comments, and everything else, love you all~)