The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family-Chapter 1207 - 279: Xie Yi Escapes_2

Only two maids would come over every day to take care of her needs, which was nothing more than a half-hearted gesture.

Soon, the Lantern Festival arrived, and after selling the last batch of New Year fireworks, the Manufacturing Bureau finally had a brief respite. Pei Qin gave them a five-day long holiday — eat as you please, sleep as you please, play as you please!

Pei Wendong and Chang Yonglin also packed up and left the city, heading to Daxing to visit Master Ouyang and prepare for the spring imperial examinations.

Xie Yi and Xie Ze were both taken out of Capital Jingcheng at the same time and sent directly away from Daxing.

Magistrate Xie, after serving as a county official for many years, had saved up some money. However, the County Government Office was the first to be plundered during the day of the incident, so when the two fled for their lives, they only brought some silver and valuables. When Pei Wendong learned they had over one hundred taels of silver, he did not offer further help and directly sent them away.

As the carriage gradually moved away from Capital Jingcheng, Xie Ze really started to feel more and more frightened and desperate, "Sister! What should we do?"

Xie Yi, with one hand severed and her injury still unhealed, pale-faced and with a lifeless gaze, said, "I also don’t know." Pei Wendong clearly liked her so much, yet he was so ruthless and merciless. She was filled with hatred! Truly, deeply, filled with hatred! She was now crippled because of them, and Pei Wendong cruelly sent them away, casting them off to fend for themselves where they had been rescued!? How were they, as siblings, supposed to survive under such circumstances?

It wasn’t long before news came back that Xie Yi and Xie Ze had escaped during an overnight stay.

When Pei Wendong heard that the two had escaped, he immediately was enraged, "What happened? You couldn’t even keep an eye on them!?"

"Young master! It’s not that we weren’t watching them. You could say they escaped, but it might as well be a disappearance! Because no one saw any trace of the two, we searched for two days and found no clues!" the subordinate responsible for escorting them replied.

Pei Wendong furrowed his brows, "You continue to search." Mysteriously vanishing, he feared it was again targeting his eldest sister and brother-in-law.

Upon receiving the news, Mo Heng instructed them not to bother with the matter and to focus on preparing for the exams. freēnovelkiss.com

Pei Qin received another invitation from Wei Shu, who had copied a portrait of An Zhouyuan and sought Pei Qin’s advice on painting techniques.

Xiao Chonghua was at Tiance Mansion visiting Pei Qin, learning arithmetic with her.

"My painting skills aren’t to be passed down!" Pei Qin was in a temper, that stupid kid was driving her insane! A function so simple, and she had to teach it three times over!

Xiao Chonghua felt so wronged. He had just barely grasped the "Three-Character Classic" and then she started teaching him "The Doctrine of the Mean." How could he understand it!? Although he knew Pei Qin looked down on him and was deliberately making things difficult, he worked hard and diligently. When he heard from Jun Suxue that Wei Shu wanted to meet her, a glint flickered in his eyes.

Wei Shu, having been sent away, still didn’t give up. Pei Qin was not long for this world, although she probably didn’t know it herself... still taking medicine, hoping to recuperate and conceive again, how laughably ridiculous!

Just as she was planning to go out to pay respects to An Zhouyuan and coincidentally met Mo Heng, the Grand Empress Dowager sent an edict, summoning Madam Wei and Wei Shu to the palace.

Pei Qin raised an eyebrow, "Could it be that Wei Shu has also caught the eye of the Grand Empress Dowager?"

However, the Grand Empress Dowager wanted to arrange a marriage for Wei Shu, mentioning relatives of the royal family. Although it would be as a secondary wife, marrying into the family would mean she would become the principal wife, and it wouldn’t be considered a disgrace to her.

But the news from the palace leaked quickly; both Madam Wei and Wei Shu declined because of their strict family reputation and stringent rules. Wei Shu’s divorce with a great departure was already improper, but it would abide by the wishes of the An family and An Zhouyuan. Wei Shu would not remarry! Wei Shu also decided to remain a widow for her deceased husband.

Pei Qian immediately instructed her people to actively publicize and praise Wei Shu’s virtuous and chaste nature, spreading the idea that a Chastity Arch should be erected in her honor.

Angered, Wei Shu smashed a set of teaware at home. Everything from the desk used for study was destroyed, and she collapsed onto the bed, sobbing in agony. Jiu Heng belonged to her! Pei Qin was nothing but a wretched woman! She lived the life that was meant for her, seized the happiness that was hers to have! Now, wielding the power in her hands, she was attacking her, forcing her towards a dead end! She was already so miserable, how could that wretched woman be so cruel, insistent on tormenting her step by step!?

As Wei Shu was filled with hatred for Pei Qin, Pei Qin had already immersed herself in the new round of firearms manufacturing.

Xiao Guangzhao’s forces were not insignificant, and Mo Heng’s ability to win against the greater numbers and successfully storm the palace was all due to the rapid-fire long guns. The old firearms fired a single bullet and had to be reloaded each time. The new firearms could fire continuously, significantly faster by several times over.

At home, she also had to teach Jiujiu and even took the time to teach Xiao Chonghua, this half-baked newcomer. She was so busy she hardly had time to pay any mind to whatever Wei Shu was thinking.

Gradually, rumors began to circulate that Xiao Chonghua and Jiujiu had a secret engagement. Since the Grand Empress Dowager summoned Pei Qin and her two daughters on the second day of the lunar month, and after the fifteenth, Xiao Chonghua started to frequently visit Tiance Mansion, learning alongside her and Mo Heng. If it wasn’t cultivating a son-in-law, then what? Surely they weren’t adopting a son? Not to mention they wouldn’t adopt someone so grown-up, Xiao Chonghua was the late emperor’s youngest son, of royal lineage, and he certainly wasn’t going to be anyone’s adopted child. There could only be one explanation, Prince Xi’an and Jiujiu must have an engagement.