Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 41
Grandmother Pei looks at the two of them and sneers, “If the title of Duke Zhongguo’s Residence is to be inherited by you, then so be it, but the Crimson Letter of Pardon will not be kept. Your reckless behavior will only tarnish the reputation of our ancestors and ruin the family legacy. It’s better to decline from this moment onward.”
Pei Shiyuan’s face sinks, and he no longer cares about anything else: “Mother, I am the head of the Duke’s Mansion now. Who dares to open the ancestral hall and take out the Crimson Letter of Pardon without my permission?”
“Good, finally revealing your wolfish ambition!” Grandmother Pei stands up, “How did you become Duke Zhongguo? Do you still remember? What did you say in front of our ancestors and Che’er’s parents’ spirits? You may have forgotten, but I remember well, and the elders of the Pei family are still alive!”
“…” Pei Shiyuan is silent for a while. “Anyway, the Crimson Letter of Pardon cannot be brought out, and the elders of the clan will not agree. If you can ask the Emperor to withdraw his decree, and not marry the princess, I can petition for Pei Che as the heir.”
Grandmother Pei is so angry that she almost falls back, but Pei Che supports her just in time.
“Second Uncle, are you serious about what you just said?” Pei Che looks at Pei Shiyuan with a deep gaze, suspecting that his second uncle has already guessed that the Emperor would not withdraw his decree.
“A man’s word is as weighty as Mount Tai, but on condition that you do not marry the princess.”
“Then, Second Uncle, please go back and prepare the petition.”
Pei Shiyuan, seeing him so confident, has a moment of suspicion, but no matter how he thinks about it, he feels that the Emperor will not withdraw the decree.
“Uncle, I’ll wait for your good news.” He smiles with a hint of sarcasm as Pei Shiyuan walks out with Li Yijia.
“Grandmother, are you alright? Should we call Doctor Li to come and see you?” Pei Che watches them leave, then turns to his grandmother sitting on the small couch, with High Consort Gao massaging her temples beside her.
“No need, Che’er. Did you just think of a solution?” Grandmother Pei looks hopefully at Pei Che. Bringing out the Crimson Letter of Pardon is the last resort. She knows the elders of the clan will not agree, but if that brute really forces them into a corner, it would be better to destroy everything than to let him get away with it.
“Grandmother, the late Emperor’s decree states that those who marry a princess cannot inherit the family title, right? Is there a rule that says those who marry a man cannot inherit the title?” Pei Che has never cared much about titles, but now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to fight for it.
“Wait… Wait, Che’er, are you saying you intend to receive a second imperial decree?” Grandmother Pei reacts with shock and dismay.
Pei Che nods, “Exactly. Uncle is pressuring me like this, and I do not wish to comply with their wishes. Although I don’t understand why the Emperor reacted this way to the matter, he has given me another option. This shouldn’t be considered disobedience, right?”
“No! How could you marry a man? If that’s the case, Grandmother would rather see you lose this title!” Grandmother Pei sobs bitterly.
“Grandmother, my mind is made up. Uncle and Aunt have shown their true colors. If I go to the princess’s residence, you and Mu’er will become targets in their eyes. How can I be at ease? However, the other person’s agreement is needed for this matter. If he doesn’t agree, I cannot force it.”
With that, Pei Che walks away. Grandmother Pei watches his departing figure with deep regret.
“Tell me, should I not have pushed so hard? Otherwise, that brute wouldn’t have been driven to desperate measures to plot against Che’er!”
“Miss, you did nothing wrong. They are just too cunning, making it hard to guard against. It’s good that the Young Master recognizes their true nature sooner rather than later.”
Grandmother Pei sighs, and her whole person suddenly seems to be a few years older.
After Pei Che leaves, he rides his horse to Yifeng Street and stops at the entrance of the Bai family’s courtyard. Along the way, he has pondered many things, including various coercive and persuasive methods. Now that he is here, however, he finds himself lacking even the courage to knock on the door.
He hesitates at the gate, raising his hand but then lowering it again. This peculiar behavior piques the curiosity of Aunt Liu, who has just returned from visiting neighbors. Upon seeing him clearly, Aunt Liu perks up immediately.
“Young man, whom are you looking for?”
Pei Che is startled by the voice coming from behind him. He turns around and sees that it is an old woman smiling warmly at him.
“Auntie, I’m here to see Jiang Miao.” Pei Che feels a little uncomfortable when she looks at him.
“Jiang Miao?” Aunt Liu mutters to herself, then claps her hands together, delighted. “You mean Brother Jiang? At this hour, he might not be back yet. Even if he’s back, he usually goes in and out through the side door, rarely using the main entrance. Come inside and have a look. If he’s not back, you can wait here at my place.” With that, she pushes open the gate and gestures for Pei Che to follow her inside.
Pei Che has never interacted with such a warm-hearted elderly person before. Thanking her, he follows somewhat awkwardly behind her.
Aunt Liu calls out as she enters the courtyard. Seeing Jiang Miao’s door open, she shouts a few times. Jiang Miao, who is inside the room applying medicine, hears her and responds while walking out.
“Aunt Liu, what do you need from me?” Jiang Miao turns his face slightly, trying not to reveal his face to Aunt Liu.
“This handsome young man came looking for you, standing at the main gate. I brought him in. Luckily, you’re home now. He’s probably here to discuss business with you,” Aunt Liu whispers the last sentence.
“Alright, thank you, Aunt Liu. Please carry on with your business.” Jiang Miao maintains his smile until Aunt Liu walks away, then immediately drops it.
“Master Pei, do you need something? I’m busy!” Jiang Miao has just had trouble with his stall earlier today and is feeling irritated, which shows in his slightly curt tone.
Pei Che notices his unfriendly attitude and scratches his nose awkwardly before asking, “Jiang Miao, can I come in and talk to you?”
Seeing the handsome man looking somewhat troubled, Jiang Miao softens a bit. “Come in.”
Inside the hall, the scent of medicinal herbs wafts out. Pei Che recognizes the smell of bruise ointment, something he often smells around Su Jin.
“Is that ointment? Are you injured?” he asks with concern.
Jiang Miao looks down, mumbling vaguely, “No, just bumped into something. So, what brings you here?”
Pei Che doesn’t know how to start, so he shifts the topic. “Did you move to a new room? It doesn’t look like the one I visited last time.”
“You came just to ask that?” Jiang Miao turns his head to look at him.
“No, of course not… Actually, I’ve come to apologize to you,” Pei Che says, looking ashamed. “Last time, I spoke out of turn due to urgent circumstances. I hope you can forgive me.”
“What are you really here for?” Jiang Miao teases, looking at Pei Che’s empty hands. “Apologies need some substance, don’t they?”
Pei Che feels embarrassed under Jiang Miao’s gaze. He had only intended to discuss business, but he forgets to bring the items he had prepared that morning.
Seeing Pei Che’s embarrassed expression, Jiang Miao feels somewhat relieved. Thinking that Pei Che is not a bad person after all, he decides not to make things difficult for him.
“I accept your apology. Just try not to speak recklessly in arguments from now on. By the way, was what you said that day true? Is that girl really a princess?” Jiang Miao’s curiosity peaks once his irritation fades.
“As true as can be.”
“What about you? Who are you exactly?” Jiang Miao vaguely remembers he might have mentioned his name that day, but what happened afterward was too absurd for him to recall what was said earlier.
“I am Pei Che, from the Duke Zhongguo’s household.”
So he is indeed the eldest son of that Fourth Young Master Liangjing. Jiang Miao looks at his face and suddenly asks, “Do you have a younger sister?” He remembers the uncle mentioning that Miss Pei from the Duke Zhongguo’s Residence was the most beautiful woman in Liangjing. While he has seen Pei Che, he isn’t sure if his sister could live up to that title.
“I only have one younger brother, Mu’er, whom you’ve met before. I do have several cousins, though. Why do you ask?” Pei Che can’t follow Jiang Miao’s train of thought and feels quite puzzled.
“I knew that uncle wasn’t reliable!” Jiang Miao mutters to himself, feeling annoyed that he had believed him. If they aren’t even blood-related, what value does Pei Che’s face hold?
Turning his head slightly, Jiang Miao sees Pei Che looking at him with confusion. He waves his hand dismissively, “I was just talking to myself. Master Pei, apology accepted, and I forgive you. You can leave now.”
“Wait,” Pei Che sees Jiang Miao is ready to escort him out and can’t hold back any longer, “I actually come here today to ask for a favor. I wonder if you could agree?”
“Go ahead.” Buy longevity peaches? He could spare some time for that; it’s profitable. Besides, both his carts had been smashed, and he hadn’t had time to fix them.
“Could you… marry me?” Pei Che blurts out uncomfortably.
“What?” Jiang Miao is so shocked that he momentarily forgets to cover up. He turns his head suddenly, revealing his whole face. He can’t help but pick his ears, thinking that he just had auditory hallucinations.
“What’s wrong with your face?!” Pei Che steps forward, lifting Jiang Miao’s chin and seeing the bruises and swelling on the side of his face, clearly from being hit.
Jiang Miao pushes his hand away, realizing he can’t hide it anymore, and has to tell the truth: “Some people came to cause trouble at my stall, and we got into a fight. I got hit a few times by accident. It’s nothing. By the way, clarify what you just said earlier. Did I hear it wrong?”
Since he has already spoken, Pei Che no longer beats around the bush. He looks at Jiang Miao and says seriously. “You didn’t hear wrong. I came here precisely for this matter.”
Jiang Miao raises his hand and feels Pei Che’s forehead, then places his hand on his head: “No fever, so why are you talking nonsense?”
Although Pei Che doesn’t understand his strange actions, he knows exactly what “talking nonsense” means.
“I’m not talking nonsense.”
“Alright, let’s assume you’re not talking nonsense. You know I’m a man, right? A real man, not like your cross-dressing little princess. What makes you think two men can get married?” Even in modern times, this isn’t allowed, let alone in ancient times.
“But the law never explicitly states that two men can’t get married.”
“…”
Well, he has a point.
While Jiang Miao is momentarily stunned, Pei Che follows the scent of the medicine and finds the bruise ointment. He takes out the ointment and says, “The urgent matter is to apply the medicine to your injuries first!”
“No need, I can do it myself.” Jiang Miao feels a bit uncomfortable being close to someone who just proposed to him.
“You can’t do it yourself, do you want Xiao Shitou to do it for you?” Pei Che’s words stop Jiang Miao from retreating further. If Xiao Shitou saw him covered in injuries, he would be terrified.
Pei Che picks up a small stick from the jar and applies some ointment to Jiang Miao’s wounds. After finishing with his face, he asks, “Do you have any other injuries?”
“…I can handle the rest myself.” Jiang Miao takes back the ointment. “So, what do you mean by what you just said? You’re not a homosexual, are you? Why suddenly say you want to marry me?”
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Pei Che sighs and explains the situation in detail.
“You’re saying the Emperor is forcing you to marry the princess, or you have to marry me?” Jiang Miao finds it absurd. “Marrying the princess means you can’t inherit the family title. What kind of rule is that? Anyone can see it’s just a threat. How can the Emperor be so unreasonable? It would be better to just beat you a few times.”
“The Emperor’s words are law. Regardless of his reasons, I only have these two options. But don’t worry, if you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.”
“What will you do then?” Jiang Miao is certain he doesn’t want to get involved.
“I will accept the decree and then find another street vendor willing to play along and pretend to marry me. I think it won’t be long before the Emperor loses interest in the matter. At that time, I’ll find an excuse to annul the marriage. Any damage to their reputation will be compensated as best as I can.”
Pei Che had considered this plan before, but finding the right person was difficult. Ordinary people often feel intimidated by officials, and a few simple questions might expose the ruse. Jiang Miao, however, seems to have a natural boldness and wouldn’t likely give anything away under pressure. If not for the fear that the Emperor might investigate the person’s background, he could have used one of his own men to play the part.
“What do you mean by ‘compensation’?” Jiang Miao’s eyes dart around, thinking about something.
“Of course, it is compensation in terms of money. After the matter is done, whether it’s money or a shop, I will provide it generously. The amount will be satisfactory,” Pei Che says, sensing potential agreement, and increases his offer.
“You’re really not a homosexual, right?” Jiang Miao scrutinizes him, seemingly looking for any signs.
“Of course I’m not.”
“Alright, better to work with someone familiar than a stranger. I’ll help you out,” Jiang Miao says, pretending to be reluctant. “But I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing it as a friend, so you won’t be too troubled.”
“Of course, you’re an honest person, so you won’t let me suffer a loss, right?”
Pei Che holds back his smile and nods seriously: “Naturally. We can sign a contract. If I fail to keep my word, you can go to the government to sue me.”
Storyteller Valeraverucaviolet's Words
For translation errors, violent reactions or just wanting to comment, you can reach me at https://discord.com/channels/990965509317083176/1268154102718922782/threads/1268364699549044827
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