Chapter 12

 Bao Ning heard the commotion and immediately put down what she was doing, standing by the window, gazing outside in confusion.

In the small courtyard stood more than a dozen people, all armed guards, surrounding an oily-faced old eunuch.

The old eunuch looked to be in his forties or fifties, wearing a deep purple robe with a heavily powdered face, emitting a strong fragrance from afar.

Bao Ning recognized the pattern on his robe, embroidered with the unique pattern of the Ministry of Works. Judging from the imposing manner of the old eunuch, his rank should be quite high.

This was strange... The people from the Ministry of Works were usually very calculating. When she returned to her family, none of them bothered to come and arrange things. Now, for no apparent reason, so many of them had come all at once.

Bao Ning's heart tightened. This couldn't be good. She didn't dare to go out recklessly.

"Where are the people? Have they all died?" A guard with a bearded face shouted hoarsely, "If you don't come out, I'll set the house on fire!"

Ah Huang sensed the hostility of the intruders and stood in front of Pei Yuan, emitting a low growl as a warning.

"Where did this stray dog come from?" Chief Huang glanced at it disdainfully, then coldly ordered, "How dare it bark in front of me! Someone, drag it out and kill it!"

As soon as he spoke, the people beside him immediately responded, "Yes!" and drew their swords, ready to stab forward.

Ah Huang turned and ran back, and Bao Ning, feeling both shocked and angry, quickly stepped out, raising her voice, "Do you know where you are? Behaving like this, what do you want!"

"Oh, someone finally came out."

Chief Huang turned to look at her, smiling slyly, his eyes scanning her up and down, "I greet the Princess Consort on behalf of the Fourth Prince."

He said he was greeting her, but he didn't make any moves, standing crookedly with a feather duster in his hand, his gaze insolent and arrogant.

Bao Ning frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

Chief Huang suddenly realized, "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself."

"I am Huang Ji, the current Deputy Chief Supervisor of the Ministry of Works." He bowed slightly and smiled, "Princess Consort, we are old acquaintances. The matter of your marriage with the Fourth Prince was arranged by our ministry. I wonder if you're satisfied?"

His tone was insinuating, not friendly at all.

Bao Ning watched him warily, taking a step back, "Chief Huang, why have you come here?"

Chief Huang said, "I have come on behalf of the Third Prince to visit and bring some things. I also came to see how the Fourth Prince is doing. If he's not doing well, our Ministry of Works needs to prepare early, make a coffin, and collect the body."

Bao Ning's face changed instantly, she was shocked and angry, about to say something, but suddenly heard Pei Yuan's call from behind, his voice steady.

"Bao Ning, come back."

Bao Ning turned to look, and Pei Yuan had somehow appeared at the door, draped in a black coat, waving at her.

He didn't look angry. His expression was calm, supporting himself with a crutch, glancing at Huang Ji with a hint of disdain before turning back to Bao Ning, "Bring your dog."

Pei Yuan rarely addressed her by her name like this. Hearing these two words today, Bao Ning suddenly felt much relieved. She took a few steps towards Pei Yuan, remembering Ah Huang, and hurriedly picked it up, jogging to Pei Yuan's side.

The bearded guard laughed loudly, "So timid, just ran away after a few words. Stay and chat with us for a while, brother..."

Pei Yuan raised his hand to rest on Bao Ning's shoulder, looking coldly over. There was a hint of killing intent in his eyes, making the bearded guard shiver, unable to continue his joke.

He gripped his sword handle and pretended to snort, "Just a cripple, thinking he's still the same as before. I spit on him."

Bao Ning was trembling with fear. She had never seen such a scene before. Those people were full of malice, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

Pei Yuan saw her fear and whispered, "Help me back inside."

"Okay." Bao Ning nodded, her hand holding Pei Yuan's arm as they walked back.

Pei Yuan turned back and said to Huang Ji, "You all come in too."

His tone was light and indifferent, as if he hadn't heard the mocking words just now, still maintaining the demeanor of a superior, giving orders without any sense of inferiority.

Huang Ji was stunned. Pei Yuan was completely different from what he had imagined.

When Pei Yuan had just been released from prison, Huang Ji had seen him, covered in blood, looking like he was about to die. Huang Ji thought that even if Pei Yuan hadn't died, he would still look disheveled. That Princess Consort also should have been furious, either scolding him or leaving him alone, leaving him to fend for himself.

Who would have thought that Pei Yuan would still be alive and well now, looking dignified.

Not seeing the joke he wanted to see, Huang Ji felt displeased, so he said those words just now to provoke Pei Yuan, hoping to see him angry but helpless. The Fourth Prince had always been arrogant and capricious, and Huang Ji expected him to lose his temper.

But Pei Yuan acted as if he were deaf, daring to speak to him in such a commanding tone.

Huang Ji's face darkened. He had come to see Pei Yuan make a fool of himself, not to see him show off.

The bearded guard frowned, leaning close to Huang Ji and asking, "My Lord, are we really going in?"

Huang Ji waved his sleeve, coldly snorting, "Yes! Just a cripple, can't I handle him?"

Bao Ning stood by Pei Yuan's side, listening to the commotion outside, her palms cold.

Pei Yuan took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, "Take Ah Huang back to the room and lock the door. Don't come out unless I call for you."

Bao Ning hesitated, "What about you..."

Pei Yuan snorted, "Just a bunch of eunuchs, what can they do to me?"

Such confidence. Bao Ning pursed her lips and whispered to him, "Don't be impulsive."

Little coward. Pei Yuan smiled, rare patience in his tone as he comforted her, "When I was wielding a knife to kill people, you were still playing shuttlecock in the backyard. Look at you, what are you afraid of."

Bao Ning couldn't laugh. But she couldn't help here, she would only hinder Pei Yuan, so she might as well go back to the room.

She picked up Ah Huang, looked worriedly at Pei Yuan, and returned to the western wing before Huang Ji and the bearded guard came in.

The bearded guard glanced at Bao Ning's back, exchanged a glance with Huang Ji, a hint of lust in his eyes, then quickly withdrew his gaze, striding into the room.

Pei Yuan leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest, waiting.

Huang Ji pulled a sneer, his skin-deep smile disappearing, "Fourth Prince, quite surprising that you're still alive?"

Pei Yuan said, "Even the dog didn't die. How could I, a living person, die?"

Huang Ji's face darkened, "What do you mean by that, Fourth Prince?"

"I'm talking about you." Pei Yuan stared at him, stroking his chin with a smile, "Back then, you were groveling to me, almost kneeling down to lick my shoes. And now you've changed your face, wielding the golden token of Pei Xiao to show off your power. Huang Ji, oh Huang Ji, you're really a good dog who knows which way the wind blows."

"Insolent!" The bearded guard shouted, drawing his sword, "If you dare to speak disrespectfully again, I'll kill you on the spot."

Pei Yuan glanced at him, shaking his head, "Huang Ji, I thought you were a smart person, how come you chose such a fool as your deputy."

"But neither of you should look down on each other." He extended two fingers, wiggling them, "Two stupid dogs."

"You!" Huang Ji couldn't hold back his anger anymore, stepping forward to point at Pei Yuan's nose, about to scold him. But before a word came out of his mouth, Pei Yuan forcefully grabbed his fingers and twisted them.

With a crisp sound, Huang Ji screamed. Pei Yuan grabbed his collar, pulling him over, then twisted his arm around, elbow locking Huang Ji's neck and pressing him face-up onto his own thigh.

He used all his strength, choking Huang Ji so he couldn't breathe, his legs flailing, his face turning red and purple.

The bearded guard was stunned at first, but immediately reacted and shouted, "Guards!"

"Yes!" The guards outside rushed in, a sea of black, all drawing their swords, blades gleaming as they pointed at Pei Yuan's face.

"Do you see? They're urging you to die." Pei Yuan exerted even more force, his face darkening, "Huang Ji, you followed me like a dog for so many years, why haven't you figured it out yet? Don't say I have one leg disabled, even if both my legs were useless, killing you would be as easy as flicking my fingers."

"I, I..." Huang Ji couldn't breathe, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, his face smeared with powder, his left index finger unnaturally bent, as if broken, his eyes red from pain, "I was wrong, Fourth Prince, please, spare me."

Pei Yuan said, "Let them go."

Huang Ji waved his hand weakly, "Get out, all of you!"

The bearded guard looked unwilling, but didn't dare to resist, waving his hand, "Leave!"

The room quickly quieted down.

Pei Yuan slowly released Huang Ji's neck, rinsed his hands with tea water, and said coldly, "Go back and tell Pei Xiao, if he wants to trouble me, let him come in person. Don't just send some cats and dogs to bother me, disturbing my peace."

Huang Ji nodded, coughed a few times, and hurriedly ran off, forgetting even to take the dust with him.

The bearded guard waited anxiously outside, seeing Huang Ji come out, quickly greeted him, "My Lord, are you okay?"

Huang Ji gritted his teeth, "You still have the nerve to ask, can't even deal with a cripple, what use are you to me!"

With that, he raised his hand and slapped him.

The bearded guard's face twisted, bending down in acknowledgment of his mistake, and said, "My Lord, should we just endure this?"

Huang Ji said, "What's the use of enduring? If we don't kill him, what's the point! Even if the Emperor doesn't forgive him verbally, he still cares about him in his heart. If that cripple really dies, both you and I will have to follow Yama!"

He was both angry and resentful, standing at the door and staring at Pei Yuan's window for a long time, gritting his teeth, "Unload the things from the carriage and lift them to the door of that cripple."

The bearded guard agreed and immediately directed the guards to unload several bags from the carriage, quietly placing them at Pei Yuan's door.

One person, bravely knocking on the door, "Fourth Prince, the Ministry of Works has sent you some provisions, they're here."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and ran away.

A smirk appeared on Huang Ji's lips as he muttered, "Let's see how long you can stay arrogant."

"Let's go!"

The carriage rumbled away, and Bao Ning's heart slowly relaxed. She remembered Pei Yuan and opened the door, rushing to the western wing.

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