My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Wen Zhuxi was pampered and spoiled growing up. After suffering such hardship, and then being seen in such a sorry state by the person she liked, how could she possibly stay there any longer?

Just then, Xu Yanxiu noticed that the atmosphere was not right and quickly helped his cousin and the two servants away from the trouble.

After everyone left, only the two of them remained, standing facing each other.

What logic could make people turn on each other and collapse in shame and indignation?

Such words are so deceptive that they wouldn't even fool a three-year-old. Even if Wei Nanxun trusted Pei Ji's character, she simply couldn't believe this nonsense.

But there was no one else here, so how did he manage to injure these people like this? Or was he hiding something from her, lying about his background?

Wei Nanxun is not good at hiding her feelings, especially when facing those close to her; she is even less adept at lying or concealing her thoughts.

"Ji Shouzhou, are you hiding something from me?"

Pei Ji wasn't bad at lying; he simply disdained it. He almost blurted out what had just happened, but swallowed it back down at the last second.

At first, he didn't reveal his identity because he suspected Wei Nanxun, a woman who had tried to get into his bed and had a relationship with Pei Yuyan. Her sudden appearance to save him was suspicious in every way.

Furthermore, he was seriously injured and still being hunted down, and he was afraid of getting involved in too much unnecessary trouble. Perhaps an ordinary scholar would be more likely to conceal himself.

Once a lie is told, it can only be covered up with one lie after another.

He couldn't explain why he continued to lie to her; he only knew that when he looked into her eyes, he couldn't say that he was Pei Ji.

He was the one who had once detoxified her and shared intimate moments with her.

Pei Jiyou stared at her intently without speaking, until a few discordant voices broke out.

"Sir, did those men hurt you?"

Two tall men suddenly rushed over, pushing Wei Nanxun aside and standing in front of Pei Ji, examining him from head to toe.

His expression was as if he had found his ancestor.

The two men rushed out suddenly and spoke loudly. Wei Nanxun couldn't hear what they said at first, but he vaguely heard something about "master" and "those people from earlier".

Could it be that these two people protected Ji Shouzhuo? But who are they?

Pei Ji, separated from them, saw Wei Nanxun retreating step by step, knowing that her suspicions had deepened. Suddenly remembering something, he coldly slapped away the two hands that were trying to hold his, and coughed lightly a few times.

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me at home? How did you end up here?"

The two looked at each other, somewhat confused about what their lord was talking about, what "family" and what "chasing after" were they talking about. But they had been by the lord's side for many years and were obedient enough to be quick-witted, so neither of them said anything to contradict him.

They watched as the prince turned to the exceptionally beautiful young woman beside him and said, "These two are orphans I took in back in my hometown. They are naturally tall, strong, and powerful, but they have been mentally challenged since childhood. They learn and react more slowly than others, and they are very stubborn. They were only seven or eight years old when I rescued them, and they insisted on becoming my servants. Since I had limited funds for my journey to the capital for the imperial examinations, I left them at my home. I suppose they have been following me to the capital."

"It was those two who came to my rescue just now."

This was the first time Ji Shouzhou had ever spoken such a long string of words since she met him. She didn't react for a moment and it took her a while to process what he had said.

defect?

Looking at the two people in front of him again, Wei Nanxun saw that they were dressed simply and their shoes were covered in mud and sand, making them look like people who had traveled a long way.

For some reason, even though she had never seen these two people before, she had a feeling of familiarity with them.

The other person seemed to sense her gaze. One of them grinned at her and called her, "Fairy Sister."

Wei Nanxun: ...

She must have misremembered. Someone as tall and strong as her should have an impression of her if she had actually seen her before.

This matter seems a bit off, strange, and somewhat coincidental and unbelievable, but there's no such thing as pretending to be stupid, only pretending to be clever.

Besides, there was no reason for him to pretend to be a fool and lie to deceive her, and she still wanted to believe Pei Ji.

Wei Nanxun then believed the two people's identities to some extent: "If they are family, why did they hide just now?"

Pei Ji gently rubbed his fingers behind his back, and said without changing his expression, "It's already hard enough that you took me in. Now there are two more people. I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

This must be the first time Wei Nanxun has ever spoken such tender and considerate words to him in all the time they've known each other.

She was slightly taken aback, remembering the money in her pocket; raising two more wouldn't be enough.

But they were Pei Ji's friends, and their minds were impaired, like those of children. Just now, they had mentioned that she had driven away the Wen group. If she abandoned them, her conscience wouldn't allow it.

Remembering the copper coins she had received from Manager Qiu earlier that day, she made up her mind and said, "If it's just about filling our stomachs, it's just a matter of adding two more sets of bowls and chopsticks. In any case, let's settle them down first and then make further plans."

"There aren't any extra rooms in the yard, so let my sister stay with me, and let them squeeze into her room for now."

She went inside to make arrangements, leaving the three of them to catch up.

Once Wei Nanxun's figure had completely disappeared, the two men put away their silly smiles and their expressions became serious. After Pei Ji arrived at the second room and closed the door, he knelt down, clasped his hands, and kowtowed, saying, "Master, this servant failed to protect you properly, causing you to be so seriously injured. Please punish me, Master."

Pei Ji's words just now were true, except for the fact that he was mentally impaired.

These two men had no surnames; their names were Ji Feng and Ji Yun. They were brothers who had lost both parents and their entire family; he had picked them up from a pile of corpses, and they had been with him since childhood. Not long ago, he had sent them out on an errand without taking them with him, which was why they had taken advantage of his weakness.

"This is an accident, and it has nothing to do with you."

They were still filled with self-blame and remained kneeling, only standing up after Pei Ji gave them a cold glare.

“This servant followed the code you left behind and tracked you here; no one else knew about it.”

Pei Ji nodded: "How was the situation in the capital while I was away?"

"My lord, the Crown Prince recently encouraged the Heir Apparent to go hunting in the outskirts of the capital, where they encountered a garrison of 10,000 cavalrymen from Lingnan, whom His Majesty had secretly recalled. His Majesty suffered a loss in this matter. If the generals of Lingnan were to say that His Majesty had recalled them, wouldn't that expose their suspicion of the Crown Prince? But if they didn't say so, it would be tantamount to entering the capital without being summoned, which is equivalent to treason. General Geng is now in prison, and those 10,000 cavalrymen are still stationed in the outskirts of the capital."

Pei Ji stood by the window with his hands behind his back, and chuckled softly upon hearing this: "Tell me, if my whereabouts were exposed, how would my fate compare to this person's?"

The two brothers exchanged a glance, then suddenly lowered their heads, neither daring to speak.

They all knew that if Prince Su, who commanded an army of 100,000, were to enter the capital without being summoned, he would truly be aiming for the throne.

No wonder the emperor suddenly summoned the prince back to the capital, saying he wanted to investigate the crown prince's alleged rebellion. The emperor was trying to kill two birds with one stone, wanting the prince to restrain the crown prince. After the crown prince was captured, the prince would also be accused of treason.

They eliminated two major threats without lifting a finger; it has to be said, that's brilliant.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the prince's abilities.

"What's the Crown Prince doing?"

"Our spies in the palace have reported that the Crown Prince has sent a beautiful woman into the palace, and she has recently gained the Emperor's favor. His Majesty has not held morning court for several days in a row. My lord, should we take action?"

Pei Ji looked at the busy figures in the courtyard and smiled noncommittally: "No need."

"Given His Majesty's health, I'm afraid he won't last much longer."

"It doesn't matter. Who becomes emperor is none of my business."

"But Prince..."

Before that slender figure stepped into the house, the two heard him say calmly but with an air of domineering authority, "Even his father can't do anything to me, so what can he do to me?"