"If the Chu family hadn't encountered trouble, the young lady would have been married to Young Master Chu by now!"
Cui Jintang cast a quick glance.
An autumn outing in the suburbs?
Zhu San let out a soft exclamation. "This is an invitation to the autumn outing. I bumped into Prince Xue pestering His Highness for one in the palace for foreign princes today!"
"Prince Xue?" Cui Jintang thought for a moment. "The fourth prince of the Shu Kingdom, Xue Wuyou?"
She remembered that Xue Wuyou had been groomed by the emperor of the Shu Kingdom as the next heir to the throne since childhood.
Cui Jintang became a bit interested and took the invitation. "Go tell that servant that I'll attend the banquet on that day."
The servant at the gate bowed and retreated.
---
At the Pei Mansion.
Doctor Wu brought over the newly boiled medicine and repeatedly cautioned, "This medicine is quite potent, my lord. Please don't bear the pain on your own!"
Pei Zhaolin was in a foul mood. Without a word, he reached out and took the medicine.
As the medicine slid down his throat, Pei Zhaolin felt as if he had swallowed a red - hot coal.
The moment he swallowed the medicine, Pei Zhaolin frowned slightly.
Intense pain surged through every part of his body.
It felt as if all his bones were being slowly split by a rusty and blunt knife, and his tendons and veins were being picked apart one by one.
He was in so much pain that even his fingertips twitched.
Pei Zhaolin gritted his teeth tightly. Soon, he tasted a faint hint of blood on his tongue.
He leaned back against the soft couch.
After a long while, he opened his lips and let out a muffled groan of pain.
Doctor Wu beside him watched anxiously.
The candle flame in the room suddenly flickered.
The scene in front of Pei Zhaolin's eyes began to change slowly—
It seemed to be a rainy night two years ago.
Whenever Pei Zhaolin closed his eyes, the bright smile of Cui Jintang when she came to the Censorate to bring him food today would appear in his mind.
She seemed unaware of how charming she was.
Each call of "Pei Zhaolin" made his heart flutter.
Pei Zhaolin rubbed his temples and put down the book he had been reviewing.
He got up, took an umbrella.
Before he realized it, he had arrived at the Qiushui Courtyard where Cui Jintang lived.
Pei Zhaolin looked down at his robe soaked by the rain. He thought that if Cui Jintang saw him like this, she would probably tilt her head triumphantly.
Then, she would raise her head proudly and say in a coquettish tone, "Didn't Lord Pei tell his colleagues during the day that you're just friends with me?"
Pei Zhaolin nervously tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, thinking about how to confess his feelings to her later.
The moment she left after putting down the food box today, he had already regretted it.
--- "We both had our own hardships in the past."
Suddenly, a sigh came from inside the room.
Pei Zhaolin's train of thought halted. He couldn't help but look up.
Through the bright yellow candlelight, he saw her sighing and gently caressing the paper with her fingertips.
He couldn't see Cui Jintang's expression as she had her back to him, but he could vaguely see that there was a young man painted on the picture.
Zhu Er beside her carefully put the picture away, looking a bit regretful.
"If the Chu family hadn't encountered trouble, the young lady would have been married to Young Master Chu by now!"
Pei Zhaolin's steps froze.
The action of his hand about to knock on the door suddenly stopped.
His pupils trembled violently. The rainwater dripping from the eaves onto his neck was as cold as his heart at this moment.
Zhu Er's words stirred up a storm in his heart.
Just as he was about to push open the door—
Pei Zhaolin suddenly opened his eyes.
Doctor Wu immediately leaned in and asked with concern, "My lord, how do you feel? Have you remembered anything?"
But for a long while, Doctor Wu didn't receive a single response from Pei Zhaolin.
With red - rimmed eyes, Pei Zhaolin slowly clenched his fists.
The image of Cui Jintang in a red wedding dress, marrying someone else, flashed through his mind. It felt as if a big hand was squeezing his heart tightly, making it hard for him to breathe.
He closed his eyes tightly and tried to recall the appearance of the person in the painting.
Suddenly, Pei Zhaolin opened his eyes wide, scaring Doctor Wu, who was about to get closer to observe him.
"My lord... What's wrong with you?"
There was a hint of hostility in Pei Zhaolin's eyes. "Send a message to the vice - general and ask him to investigate someone."
Doctor Wu immediately looked serious. "Who does my lord want to investigate?"
"Chu Yingfeng."
He almost gritted out these three words.
---
After several days of recuperation, the red rashes on Cui Jintang's body had all disappeared.
Unable to resist A Xun's pleading, Cui Jintang finally agreed to go on the autumn outing in the suburbs with her today.
As soon as they reached the mansion gate, the carriage from the Princess Mansion was already waiting outside.
The eight - seat carriage pulled by two black horses attracted a lot of attention just by standing there.
Cui Jintang was quite calm, but A Xun quickly hid in the carriage, avoiding the curious looks from the common people.
The butler from the Princess Mansion brought her a list of guests.
"This is the list of the young masters from noble families who will attend the banquet today. Her Highness said that she needs Miss Cui's help today so that she can get away as soon as possible."
After saying that, the butler pointed to the jewelry and cosmetics placed beside them.
There was also an old maid standing behind the butler.
Cui Jintang twitched the corners of her mouth.
After all, the princess was her only close female friend.
"I'll only cooperate for half an incense stick's time."
The old maid beside her showed a confident smile. "Miss is extremely beautiful. Half an incense stick's time is enough to showcase your beauty to the fullest."
Cui Jintang frowned deeply.
---
At the racecourse in the suburbs.
Qi Xutao was on horseback, drawing her bow and aiming at a sika deer grazing in the grass.
"Whoosh—"
The arrow missed and stuck into a tree stump beside. The sika deer was startled and jumped into the grass, disappearing in an instant.
The young military officers accompanying her all sighed in regret. "It was so close. What a pity!"
Luo Xiang asked with concern, "I saw Your Highness's wrist tremble a bit when you drew the bow. Do you have an injury on your hand, Your Highness?"
As soon as she finished speaking, all the young men who had been following Qi Xutao thought their chance to shine had come.
They all voiced their concern one by one.
"I have some excellent wound medicine. Please do me the honor of accepting it, Your Highness!"
"If Your Highness doesn't mind, I'd like to hunt with you, Your Highness!"
"Your Highness..."
Qi Xutao was extremely annoyed.
She turned around and glared at Luo Xiang. "Why did you have to say so much?"
Luo Xiang's face turned pale. She shed tears aggrievedly. "I was just concerned about Your Highness the Princess. I'm sorry..."
Qi Xutao rolled her eyes.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large group of men. Her head started to ache.
Not only the young masters from military families had come today, but also the top debaters from several major academies in the capital during the autumn classes of recent days had been invited.
Qi Xutao had never seen such talkative men.
If they were in her military camp, they would have been punished with fifty strokes of the rod long ago!
"Whoa—"
The black horse let out a loud neigh.
Qi Xutao's eyes lit up. She spurred her horse and galloped over. "Tangtang!"
Not far away, Pei Zhaolin, who was talking to Xue Wuyou, paused.
He turned around and was completely stunned at the sight!