The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Chapter 153: Buying insurance

Ji Man returned to Feiwan Courtyard and changed into a simple robe embroidered with plum flowers and a grayish silver sash. When it was about time for Pengyue to arrive, she went over to the entrance to wait.

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A carriage stopped at the entrance. Pengyue was wearing a fiery red dress with a red cloak that was embroidered with golden birds today. And so, when she hurriedly disembarked from the carriage, it was like seeing a ball of fire coming down. With a bright and cheerful smile, she stopped in front of Nie Sangyu and greeted, "Long time no see, Marchioness Moyu."

Ji Man slightly smiled in response. She wasn't especially close with this princess that she happened to have met only a few times before. She saluted her and said, "It's very thoughtful of you to come here to my humble home to pay respects during the vigil."

There was a radiant smile on Pengyue's face. Unlike what others had predicted, this princess hadn't become broken-hearted and sad after marrying a prince that was crippled since birth. Looking at Pengyu's complexion, Ji Man thought she looked even better now than before she got married.

"There's not much to do in the prince's estate anyways, and you're the only person I've somewhat interacted with in the capital. Hearing that something like that happen in your household, it's only natural that I would want to pay a visit." Pengyue followed her inside.

Ji Man briefly turned her head to the side to glance at her. From top to bottom, Pengyue was wearing red clothing. If she was coming here for the express purpose of paying respect to Yun-er's mourning period, why was she dressed so jubilantly?

As expected, when they arrived at the hall, as soon as Wen Wan saw that Princess Pengyue was wearing all red, her face changed colors. Because of Pengyue's status, Wen Wan couldn't say any word of complaint. Instead, she only stayed kneeling on the ground instead of getting up and saluting.

Pengyue only perfunctorily added a few sticks of incense to the incense burner, then she pulled Nie Sangyu out of the hall and said, "I haven't come to this estate before. Sangyu, could you show me around?"

"Sure." Ji Man guided her towards Feiwan Courtyard's direction, and they slowly walked.

Pengyu asked, "Aren't you curious about how I'm doing after marrying Ah Li?"

Ji Man pursed her lips. It seemed that her master for today had a lot of words that she wanted to say. Still, she didn't know why Pengyue wanted to talk to her.

"I can tell that you're doing well just from looking at your expression."

Smiling, Pengyue looked at her in askance for a moment before shaking her head. "Ah Li's life has been full of torment. Even though he's also a prince, there's a enormous difference in how he's treated compared to the first prince and third prince. It's only after I married him that he was able to leave the palace and establish his own estate. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but when his clothes were removed, I saw that his body was full of scars.

Ji Man paused. She was a bit surprised.

Pengyue continued to smile as she said, "On my wedding night, I counted all of the scars on his body from knife wounds to burns to bruises. In total, there were over eighty."

"I would have never thought a prince's life would be like this. When I asked him who did this, he said the scars were from a long time ago. I thought, it definitely has to be from those wicked servants that attend to him."

Ji Man patiently listened.

"He asked me if I felt disdainful of him. I said that I didn't." Pengyue clenched her fist. "He's already given me everything that he has. He shapes my eyebrows with makeup and grows flowers for me. Whatever I want, as long as he can do it, he'll do it. He clearly doesn't even live the life a human should live himself, but he's always worried about letting me suffer."