After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 80

Li Chanxiu’s mind was in chaos, but he quickly calmed down.

He understood that the reason Pei Er so easily believed him and comforted him like this was because he thought they were truly husband and wife, because he believed they were deeply in love.

Especially now that he had Li Chanxiu’s own words to Gu Heng as proof. Under normal circumstances, Li Chanxiu would have explained.

But now… only by making Pei Er believe him, help him, and not suspect his dealings with Lu Zhi and Xuanping, nor report them to Yang Yuan, could he protect his identity. Otherwise, if Yang Yuan began to suspect him and investigate, it was very likely his secret identity would be exposed.

Moreover, even if he explained again that their marriage was fake, Pei Er would not believe it. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried explaining before, Pei Er was already convinced they were truly married. And now, with what he had said to Gu Heng also overheard, it would be even harder to clarify.

Since that was the case, since it could no longer be explained clearly, then…

Li Chanxiu gritted his teeth, gradually relaxing his stiff back, and simply allowed himself to be tightly held, leaning into Pei Zhen’s embrace.

He slowly opened his eyes. His slender, pale fingers hesitated for a moment before gently clutching a spot on Pei Zhen’s cool armor at his chest. In a soft voice, he said, “Thank you… husband. It’s all thanks to you.”

His clear, falling voice was low, like morning mist in the mountains, soft and drifting.

The strings of Pei Zhen’s heart seemed to be lightly plucked by an invisible hand.

Feeling the body in his arms gradually soften, from tense to pliant, like a startled bird curling up and relying on him, his heart felt filled by something, brimming with a satisfaction he had never known before.

He could not help but take the hand clutching his armor, kiss the top of his head, and gently coax, “Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I will protect you. And there’s no need to thank me, we are husband and wife, we are one.”

Li Chanxiu softly gave an “Mm,” and inwardly said “sorry.”

At most, he would deceive him for these few days. Tomorrow he would find an excuse to go to the county town again to check whether the signal he had left earlier was still there, whether he could find traces of his father’s former subordinates, and why they had still not come.

At most, he would wait until the end of this month’s cold poison episode, that is, three days later. If there was still no news of his father’s former subordinates, then even if he had to rely on Xuanping and the others, he would have to find a way to leave.

If he stayed any longer, he truly feared that one day his identity would suddenly be exposed. Moreover, he could not deceive Pei Er for too long. A few days might be fine, but if it went on, what if Pei Er wanted to consummate the marriage? What excuse could he use to refuse and conceal it?

The more Li Chanxiu thought, the more tangled his mind became. He even somewhat regretted calling him “husband” just now, but at present there really was no other way…

Just as one of them felt warmth while the other’s thoughts were in turmoil, suddenly Zhang Hu passed on a message from outside, saying that Yang Yuan had come to see Commandant Pei.

Li Chanxiu quickly sat up straight, finally having a reason to leave Pei Zhen’s embrace. But upon hearing that Yang Yuan had come, tension inevitably appeared on his face again, and he turned to look at Pei Zhen.

Meeting the unease in his eyes, Pei Zhen thought he had been frightened and reassured him again, “Don’t be afraid, it’s really nothing. Yang Yuan doesn’t know anything, and I won’t tell him either. Besides, we are husband and wife, one body. If you have dealings with Xuanping and the others, how could I not?”

After saying this, he even felt a bit of regret, thinking he should not have asked so directly earlier and had frightened his wife.

Li Chanxiu nodded lightly, his gaze gentle, and saw him out.

But after Pei Zhen left, his expression quickly calmed. He turned and paced, thumb pressed against his lips, frowning in thought.

Outside the pharmacy, when Pei Zhen saw Yang Yuanyi, there was a trace of displeasure in his tone at being disturbed: “What is it that’s so urgent?”

Yang Yuanyi quickly pulled him away. Only after reaching his commandant’s tent did he release his hand and lower his voice: “News came from Bingzhou, something happened in the southwest. That Crown Prince has raised troops in rebellion in the southwest.”

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Pei Zhen’s face, then his expression grew serious as he asked in a deep voice, “Has Luoyang been breached?”

The Crown Prince Yan Yuanyi referred to was the legitimate son of the late emperor and the nephew of the current emperor.

It was said that the late emperor had been seriously wounded during a northern campaign and suddenly passed away. Before his death, fearing his son was still young and far away in the capital region, unable to successfully ascend the throne and stabilize the situation, he issued an edict ordering his third brother, then Chu Wang, now the current emperor, to hastily ascend the throne at the front, thus preserving the stability of Great Zhou.

The current emperor, grateful to the late emperor, still established the late emperor’s legitimate son as Crown Prince after taking the throne, while stabilizing the court and the late emperor’s old ministers. But eighteen years ago, this Crown Prince colluded with foreign tribes and rebelled, greatly saddening the current emperor.

Even so, out of consideration for the late emperor, he could not bear to depose him, and instead confined him in the northern courtyard of the Crown Prince’s residence, ordering him to reflect on his wrongdoing.

In Yang Yuanyi’s view, this was no different from being deposed, being locked in a small courtyard for eighteen years would drive any normal person mad.

Of course, that was not the key point now. The key was that Luoyang was currently surrounded by refugees, yet the Crown Prince, who should have been confined in the Crown Prince’s residence in Luoyang, had suddenly appeared in the southwest to rebel. Pei Zhen’s first thought was that Luoyang had fallen and the Crown Prince had escaped in the chaos, which would be normal.

After all, the current emperor’s guard over the Crown Prince’s residence was extremely strict.

But Yang Yuanyi shook his head and said in a low voice, “Luoyang hasn’t been breached, but this should still be true. The letter from Bingzhou says that as of yesterday, the siege of Chang’an has been lifted. The emperor’s edict has reached Bingzhou, ordering you to immediately lead troops to relieve Luoyang, and then go to the southwest to suppress the rebellion. Also, on the very day the Bingzhou reinforcements set out for Yongzhou, Liang Wang Shizi also arrived in Bingzhou. He must want to see you and have you send troops…”

At this point, he glanced cautiously at Pei Zhen before asking, “Jianzhi, should you return to Bingzhou first? I can stay and continue investigating Lu Gonggong’s case. You can’t keep pretending to be ill and delaying, now that the crisis in Chang’an has been resolved and the emperor has freed his hands, if he finds out you’re not actually in Bingzhou and that this period has been deceiving him…”

Pei Zhen’s gaze darkened. After weighing for a moment, he said, “Wait two more days.”

Then he turned to look at the somewhat disapproving Yang Yuanyi and said in a low voice, “Lu Quan’s case involves Liang Wang. If you stay to investigate, you won’t be able to suppress them, it has to be me. And…”

He paused before continuing, “If they want me to go to Luoyang and the southwest to suppress the rebellion, they should at least show some sincerity. Hasn’t Lu Quan already confessed? Send people immediately to the prefectural city to investigate thoroughly.”

If these parasites were not removed and Yongzhou and Bingzhou properly arranged, he could not leave with peace of mind. And also…

Thinking of Li Chanxiu, and that he had not yet told him his true identity, he fell slightly distracted.

Once everything was arranged, he should tell him. But how to begin, he had not yet decided.

Yang Yuanyi had already guessed he would not agree to leave. Hearing this, he sighed. “Alright, we’ll do as you say for now.”

After a pause, perhaps to ease the atmosphere, he smiled and said, “By the way, guess how I received the message today? My grandfather had Little Black deliver the letter to us, but that fellow flew straight to your little courtyard instead. Luckily your wife wasn’t home, or she would have seen it. I say, this golden eagle really doesn’t recognize you anymore, it only recognizes your wife now?”

Pei Zhen glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.

Yang Yuanyi was already used to it and did not mind. But mentioning Li Chanxiu reminded him of something else, and he asked again, “Right, this morning you said you’d ask your wife about Xuanping when you got back. Did you ask?”

Pei Zhen: “……”

Seeing him silent, Yang Yuanyi was about to press further.

But before he could speak, Pei Zhen calmly asked, “The person you sent to Luoyang to investigate, how is it going?”

Yang Yuanyi was taken aback. “They haven’t returned yet.”

Luoyang was surrounded by refugees, how could it be easy to go in or out?

Pei Zhen fell silent for a moment, then said, “Do you think it’s possible… that she really is Shen Xiu?”

Yang Yuanyi: “?”

Pei Zhen explained, “Her cousin came today.”

“Cousin?” Yang Yuanyi was puzzled.

“Mm.” Pei Zhen nodded, then after a moment added, “Have someone look into this Gu Heng, find out exactly what his background is, and whether he has seen Shen Xiu in recent years.”

If the other party had seen Shen Xiu in recent years, and truly was Shen Xiu’s cousin, would that mean his wife’s identity had no doubts? That she was indeed the granddaughter of Imperial Physician Shen?

After all, Gu Heng didn’t seem to think his wife wasn’t Shen Xiu.

Thinking of this, he tapped the desk beside him in thought.

Yang Yuanyi felt it was unlikely. Although he had never seen the real Shen Xiu, once when he went to Imperial Physician Shen’s residence, he had heard Miss Shen’s voice from behind a curtain, it was not the same as Pei Zhen’s wife’s voice.

The real Shen Xiu, perhaps because she had been ill for years, had a thin and weak voice, somewhat lacking in breath. But Pei Zhen’s wife, although her voice was also gentle, gave people a very steady feeling, like a clear breeze brushing the face, not frail.

However, since Pei Zhen asked him to investigate, he naturally had to check. Perhaps that cousin was an impostor?

He hurriedly nodded and said “Alright,” turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something and came back: “Wait, so did you ask?”

Pei Zhen glanced at him, walked around behind the desk and sat down, and while pouring tea said calmly: “I asked. She said she didn’t know.”

Yang Yuanyi: “…And then?”

Pei Zhen: “Not knowing means not knowing. What ‘then’ is there?”

Yang Yuanyi: “…” How is that any different from not asking?

After pouring the tea, Pei Zhen picked up the teacup and took a light sip before continuing: “She should truly not know. The reason she accepted Xuanping’s money was because her family is poor, and the golden eagle eats a lot. Besides…”

He paused, then continued: “She has things she hides from me, don’t I also have things I hide from her? No matter what, we are already married, husband and wife as one. If she really is involved in these matters, how could I ignore it? Besides, isn’t it still uncertain where Xuanping and the others sold the salt?”

In any case, it wasn’t official salt. As long as it wasn’t sold to the Hu people, it might not be treated too harshly. After all, that was different from embezzling official salt meant for the common people and border troops, then reselling it to the Hu.

Yang Yuanyi: “…” Who was it that said he wouldn’t be swayed by personal feelings before?

His expression was complicated. After thinking, he added: “Then her identity…”

Pei Zhen fell silent again, and after a moment said: “We’ll talk after the people sent to Luoyang return.”

After a pause, he added: “As long as she isn’t some Hu spy, even if she really isn’t Shen Xiu and her identity is questionable, it doesn’t matter. No matter what, we are already husband and wife, this is already a fact. In the end, I can’t just not take responsibility.”

Besides, when his wife married him, he had only been a poor, down-and-out soldier. What kind of spy would deliberately infiltrate his side? Thinking about it, it was impossible, so his wife’s identity shouldn’t be a big problem.

Moreover, husband and wife are one, so even if there really were issues with his wife’s true identity, as long as she hadn’t committed serious crimes like murder or arson, he could help cover for her. And with how gentle and kind she was, it was certain she hadn’t committed any major crime.

According to Pei Zhen’s speculation, she might have simply been bought by someone to take the blame, replacing the real Shen Xiu in exile. This wasn’t impossible, some well-connected people could indeed bribe officials and jailers to have someone else take the place of the one who should be exiled.

After all, Imperial Physician Shen often moved within the palace; it wasn’t impossible that he knew a few people of status willing to help him do this.

Perhaps his wife, because her family was poor, had been sold by her family to replace some noble person in exile. Perhaps she had been arranged by someone powerful and had no choice… in any case, if she had a good background, she certainly wouldn’t have fallen to this point.

Thinking this way, and recalling how his wife, out of fear, had been held in his arms before, he suddenly felt a bit of heartache.

“Oh, right.” Seeing Yang Yuanyi about to leave again, Pei Zhen suddenly considered his words and reminded him, “Recently, try to come to the camp as little as possible.”

Yang Yuanyi was puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Zhen: “…”

He deliberated again and again, then lightly coughed and said: “When my wife sees you, she might be afraid.”

Yang Yuanyi: “…”

Yang Yuanyi: “???”

“No, I shouldn’t be ugly, right?” he said, utterly baffled.

He even said without modesty that he thought he was quite handsome, why would she be afraid of him?

Pei Zhen: “…”

In front of Li Chanxiu, he had thrown all the blame onto Yang Yuanyi, saying it was Yang Yuanyi investigating Xuanping, yet now he said nothing, even lifting his teacup and pretending to drink to cover his guilty conscience.

***

Inside the wounded soldiers’ camp, because Pei Zhen had previously led five hundred men to support Wuding Pass, many more wounded had been added today.

After Pei Zhen left, Li Chanxiu quickly forced himself to calm down. After thinking for a moment, he first carried his medicine box to treat these people’s injuries.

Not long after entering the tent, while helping a wounded soldier stitch up a wound, he suddenly heard something, 

Crown Prince Li Xuan of Luoyang, who had been confined for eighteen years, had escaped from the Crown Prince’s residence and raised troops in the southwest.

In an instant, his mind buzzed, as if his ears suddenly rang, and his fingers nearly couldn’t hold the needle.

His mind seemed to go blank for a moment. After coming back to himself, he hurriedly suppressed his shock and suddenly looked toward the two wounded soldiers who were quietly discussing the matter.

The southwestern rebellion was not a secret, especially since the rebel army was acting in the Crown Prince’s name, widely distributing proclamations claiming that the current emperor had ascended the throne illegitimately.

It was just that Yongfeng was located on the frontier, remote, so news arrived slowly, and everyone had remained unaware.

But by this afternoon, people in the military camp had clearly begun to hear about it.

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