Chapter 83

Pei Jian handed over the box in his hand with a delighted tone, “A gift for you.”

Nianxi glanced down at it but didn’t take it. She calmly said, “Gu Ci has given me plenty. I don’t need it.”

The smile on Pei Jian’s face disappeared as he withdrew his outstretched hand. After a long pause, he asked, “Did you come to see me just to say this?”

Nianxi looked at the distant wind lantern. The night wind had picked up, causing the lantern to sway continuously, and even the faint light it emitted wavered. She tucked her stray hair behind her ear and gently asked, “I wanted to ask you about Duke Zhen’s residence. Gu Ci hasn’t been in a good mood these past two days, and I’m a bit worried.”

Pei Jian’s expression stiffened momentarily; he stood frozen, almost thinking he had misheard. His heart ached like it was being churned with a sharp blade, leaving him breathless from the pain. The wind whistled past his ears. Though it was merely an autumn breeze, it chilled his limbs and bones to the core.

For a moment, his trampled pride took the form of an angry candle dragon, nearly driving him out of control. Veins bulged on his hand as he held onto the earring, wishing he could throw it away and storm off without looking back.

Pride fueled his anger, yet something in his heart held him back. It kept him from taking a step forward and made him unwilling to discard the earring he had intended as a gift for Nianxi.

What difference does it make if he leaves?

Pei Jian thought with a hint of sadness that it was unlikely to stir her heartstrings in the slightest. And it wouldn’t ease her worries, the ones that leave her restless day and night.

Pei Jian took a few steps back, retreating into the shadow of the wind lantern. The dim light blurred his figure; he wouldn’t let her see the pain on his face. In a low voice, he asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

Nianxi pretended not to notice his loss of composure. “Since Duke Zhen returned, he has been very busy. Even for promises he made, he hasn’t shown up. This is unlike him—”

“Wen Nianxi,” Pei Jian, hidden entirely in the darkness, interrupted her coldly, “there’s no need to tell me the details of your relationship.”

He continued, “Don’t make me look too pitiful.”

Nianxi paused, then softly said, “Sorry.”

“Is there something going on with the Duke’s residence? What happened in the past? Gu Ci always seems confident whenever he talks about the northern frontier and his father and brothers. But things feel different now.”

She softly said, “Of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too.”

Perhaps out of reverence for fate, even though everyone in the capital firmly believed that Great Jing was about to achieve a resounding victory, she still harbored a sense of foreboding. She feared that the trajectory of fate from her past and present life might align and that Gu Ci would still be unable to escape his destiny.

Since their encounter by the meandering stream during the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third month, she had known Gu Ci for more than half a year, and these days had brought her genuine happiness. She had done many things that the Nianxi of her past life had never dared to do.

She had learned to ride horses, galloping freely on horseback. She had opened a tea shop, staying busy each day and no longer feeling lonely. She had even kissed Gu Ci passionately in a theater packed with spectators.

She was living freely. It was Gu Ci’s warmth and love that healed her broken heart, causing the withered branches of her soul to bloom once more. No matter what, she hoped that Gu Ci would always be happy.

Nianxi didn’t know whether her unease stemmed from caring too much, which made her anxious to question Pei Jian and learn more.

In her past life, it was as if she lived within a bubble, full of narrow-mindedness and ignorance.

Pei Jian gazed at Nianxi, who was standing in the light. On her beautiful face, the visible worry was evident. He restrained himself repeatedly before saying calmly: “The Gu family is doing fine for now; nothing will happen temporarily.”

“As for the events of the previous life, to put it simply, the eunuch supervisor dispatched by His Majesty craved merit, Duke Zhen was reckless, and the two young Gu generals underestimated the enemy. They fell into an ambush while intercepting outside the pass, and ten thousand cavalry were annihilated. This destabilized the army’s morale, forcing the troops to retreat to Wei Chi City. Duke Zhen died in a fierce battle to protect the city, sacrificing his life for the country.”

“Enraged, the emperor imprisoned the entire Duke’s household. Thanks to the pleas of senior officials in the court, the Gu family members were spared, but their title and rank were stripped, reducing them to commoners, scorned by the public.”

“Gu Ci requested permission to go to the northern border. His Majesty agreed and ordered him to guard the northern border for life, never to return to the capital.”

“Gu Ci lived up to the Gu family’s bloodline and responsibility, truly becoming the new ruler of the northern border. He never allowed the Northern Liang cavalry to invade the Central Plains again.”

Pei Jian paused. “When we got married, there was a Liuli jade Bodhi that you loved very much; it was Gu Ci’s wedding gift.”

Nianxi quietly listened, wanting to say something, only to find her throat blocked, unable to utter a word. It was lamentable how the Gu family’s current glorious power had such a tragic fate in the previous life.

“This can be avoided, can’t it? Didn’t we already gather intelligence on this?”

Pei Jian glanced at her, answering indirectly, “His Majesty shouldn’t have summoned Duke Zhen back to the capital at this time.”

“Wasn’t it Duke Zhen who voluntarily requested to return to the capital?” Nianxi’s heart chilled. “Are you saying——”

“Imperial favor is unpredictable. Duke Zhen holds command over three hundred thousand soldiers.”

Pei Jian did not conceal anything and solemnly said, “Everyone assumed this would be an unquestionably victorious battle, yet Duke Zhen had already been rewarded to the greatest extent. Any further promotion would make him a king.”

“The Jing Dynasty was overly arrogant, underestimating that brave and fierce nation fighting for survival. The entire Duke Zhen’s household paid the price for this arrogance.”

Nianxi was so shaken that she could barely stand. Pei Jian reached out to support her but then dejectedly withdrew his hand.

She was shedding tears for another man. And yet, it still caused him immense pain.

“Things are not entirely dire now; everything remains uncertain. The Northern Liang’s ambitions have been uncovered, and the Gu family has managed the northern border for years—it won’t fall so easily.”

Listening to Pei Jian’s unflinching and calm tone, Nianxi felt heartbroken over Gu Ci’s past fate and blurted out anxiously, “Aren’t you going to do something?”

Pei Jian suddenly looked up at her. After ten years of marriage, he understood her implication—she blamed him for not saving Gu Ci.

“The incident happened so abruptly. Our forces were utterly defeated, morale collapsed, and no one could reverse the situation. At that time, I was so insignificant that I didn’t even have the right to plead with His Majesty.” He gazed at her deeply, his dark, jet-black eyes emitting a radiance more profound than the night itself, even in the shadows. He said: “Nianxi, don’t think so little of me.”