Chapter 13

 Pei Yuan sat quietly in the room, his head lowered, lost in thought.

Bao Ning had heard the commotion from the eastern wing just now, but seeing Pei Yuan's neat appearance, he didn't seem like he had been bullied, which put her at ease.

Huang Ji's feather duster was twisted and dropped on the ground. Bao Ning used her toe to kick it outside, where a group of chickens and ducks immediately swarmed over, pecking at it.

Bao Ning then noticed the two bags placed at the door.

She walked over to take a look. They were both bulging, one of them slightly open, revealing something that looked like radishes and cabbage, while the other was tightly tied, its contents unknown.

Feeling curious, Bao Ning reached out to touch the unopened bag. The contents inside felt smooth and thick, cylindrical in shape, sending a chilling sensation through her fingertips.

Bao Ning shivered and quickly withdrew her hand, wiping it on her skirt.

Turning back to Pei Yuan, she asked, "Fourth Prince, what did they send?"

"I don't know," Pei Yuan didn't look up, his voice hoarse, "It's definitely not something good. We'll throw it out later, don't touch it."

"Oh," Bao Ning responded, moving away from the two bags and sitting beside Pei Yuan. She wanted to ask him something, but looking at his expression, she hesitated.

She couldn't understand why the Ministry of Works had come all this way to cause trouble for Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan's past was something Bao Ning didn't fully understand.

She only knew he was the Fourth Prince, his birth mother had passed away early, and he had been raised under the Empress's care since childhood. He was very close to the Crown Prince, Pei Che, who was seven years his senior. Pei Yuan's birth mother was said to be an exceptionally beautiful woman, greatly favored by the Emperor, who doted on Pei Yuan immensely. He was titled the Prince of Jibei at a very young age.

From a young age, Pei Yuan was unruly, and his reputation inside and outside the palace was not very good. In order to temper his character, the Emperor sent him to the military camp at the age of seven or eight, under the supervision of General Qiu Mingshan.

Over time, Pei Yuan became skilled in martial arts, but his temperament remained the same. He was wild and reckless, wielding swords in the streets and causing trouble. The Emperor eventually stopped bothering with him.

There were rumors in the capital that the Fourth Prince, Pei Yuan, was someone not to be messed with. He was said to be a madman who dared to do anything, including murder and arson. His archery skills were particularly outstanding; he could shoot an arrow through a heart from a hundred paces away.

But these were all hearsay, and Bao Ning didn't know if they were true or not.

She only knew that later, there was a major incident during the New Year's banquet. The Crown Prince, Pei Che, and the Fourth Prince, Pei Yuan, conspired together to assassinate the Emperor and seize the throne.

The Crown Prince, Pei Che, was a gentle person, adopting a policy of appeasement in his military and political affairs, which sharply contrasted with the Emperor's bold and daring nature. Father and son quarreled many times over this matter. In the most recent dispute, the Emperor even contemplated deposing the Crown Prince.

It was said that the Crown Prince, feeling pressured, attempted to poison the Emperor. The poison was colorless and tasteless, nearly succeeding, but it was the Third Prince, Pei Xiao, who discovered the anomaly and risked his life to test the poison, averting a disaster.

Afterwards, Pei Xiao fell seriously ill and remained unconscious for a month before finally waking up, greatly moving the Emperor.

Following that incident, both Pei Che and Pei Yuan were imprisoned. Shortly afterward, Pei Che disappeared due to severe illness, and the Emperor, feeling merciful, pardoned Pei Yuan and moved him to this small courtyard for recuperation, where Bao Ning was married into.

Logically, even if Pei Xiao were to contend for the throne, Pei Yuan wouldn't have any influence on him. So why did he go to such lengths to send people from the Ministry of Works?

Resting her chin on her hand, Bao Ning gazed blankly out the window, lost in thought, unaware that Pei Yuan had been watching her for a while.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her forehead, snapping her out of her reverie. She met Pei Yuan's eyes, which held a hint of amusement. "What are you thinking about?"

Of course, she couldn't voice her thoughts. Blinking, she smiled at Pei Yuan and said, "I'll go make dinner. Since it's the Spring Equinox, we should have spring pancakes with rolled bean sprouts."

Pei Yuan said, "No hurry, stay with me for a while."

Bao Ning sat back down.

Pei Yuan beckoned to her with a crooked finger. "Come here."

Bao Ning was puzzled but moved closer to him. "What's wrong?"

As spring arrived and the weather warmed up, Bao Ning wore a dress the color of begonias, which made her fair and rosy cheeks even more prominent, her long lashes fluttering like a butterfly.

Pei Yuan said, "Closer."

Bao Ning obediently leaned forward. "What is it?"

With her movement, her snow-white delicate collarbones were exposed. Pei Yuan noticed a pink mole just above her left collarbone.

Pei Yuan's gaze darkened.

Bao Ning's eyes sparkled with anger as she muttered softly, "Shameless." With that, she jumped down and walked around Pei Yuan to leave.

"Bao Ning," Pei Yuan suddenly called out from behind her. Bao Ning hesitated for a moment, not wanting to acknowledge him, but after some thought, she stopped in her tracks, leaning against the door frame and turning back to look at him. "What is it?"

Pei Yuan had stopped smiling and resumed his usual demeanor, his fingers resting on his forehead as his dark eyes met hers. He spoke in a deep voice, "You stood up for me just now, and I'm grateful."

Bao Ning didn't know how to respond. This man was so strange, always saying peculiar things that she couldn't quite grasp.

Feeling awkward, Bao Ning nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Uh, I'll go make some pancakes for you." With that, she hurried away.

Pei Yuan watched her retreating figure, a faint smile playing on his lips.

...

Spring pancakes were supposed to be breakfast but ended up being lunch due to Huang Ji's disturbance. After finishing the meal, it was already midday, with the sun shining brightly, marking the hottest time of the day.

Bao Ning washed the dishes and then bathed Ah Huang, sitting under the eaves to bask in the sun while also drying the dog's fur.

The chickens and ducks also took a nap, gathering in groups of three or five, snuggling together and sleeping soundly.

Pei Yuan lay on his side in the room, reading a book with one hand supporting his head, occasionally glancing out through the open door.

He could see Bao Ning's figure, slender and delicate, as if it could be snapped with a single grasp.

Pei Yuan thought again of the pink mole on her collarbone, rubbing his hand over the page of the book impatiently.

Bao Ning's shoulder twitched, and she put Ah Huang down on the ground, standing up.

Pei Yuan withdrew his gaze, focusing on the book in his hand, but he couldn't concentrate on a single word.

Bao Ning came in quietly, and Pei Yuan caught a glimpse of her cautious appearance, feeling like laughing.

Suppressing the urge to laugh, he placed his fist under his lips and coughed lightly. Bao Ning jumped in surprise, standing there stiffly.

Pei Yuan put down the book and looked at her with a half-smile. "What are you doing? Trying to steal something from me?"

"Beggars can't be choosers. What is there to steal?" Bao Ning muttered under her breath, taking a few steps forward and squatting down in front of Pei Yuan, hesitantly saying, "Um, Fourth Prince..."

Pei Yuan nodded. "Yes?"

Bao Ning continued, "Fourth Prince, your legs..."

Pei Yuan's expression darkened in an instant.

Bao Ning dared not speak any further.

After a long silence, Pei Yuan raised his hand to massage his temples, saying in a low voice, "Let's not mention this again."

Worried, Bao Ning propped herself up on the edge of the kang, "Why? You're still young, there are so many years ahead of you. You can't continue like this. Fourth Prince, I'll stay with you, and we'll work hard together. There will be a better future..."

Pei Yuan interrupted her. "It won't get better."

Bao Ning froze. She looked at Pei Yuan, who seemed serious, and her heart began to panic.

A guess flashed through her mind. What was the matter with the injuries on Pei Yuan's body? He was a prince after all. Even if he was imprisoned, he shouldn't have been bullied to such an extent, covered in wounds with no place spared.

Bao Ning didn't dare to think further.

Pei Yuan's eyes tightly grasped hers, trying to capture every expression on her face. He casually said, "If things really don't get better, what will you do?"

Without waiting for Bao Ning's answer, Pei Yuan gave a cold laugh and lowered his eyelids. "If you find me too crippled and want to remarry, you better do it soon."

"I don't find you crippled. Whether you're good or bad, I won't leave." Bao Ning bit her lip, tucking the blanket around him, "But, I still hope you can get better."

Hearing her response, Pei Yuan suddenly relaxed his clenched fist. He felt a slight soreness in his eyes, perhaps from reading too much.

Adjusting his posture, Pei Yuan lay back, closing his eyes. "You can go out now. I'll take a nap."

Disappointed, Bao Ning softly said, "Okay," and slowly stood up to leave.

Ah Huang was tearing at the two cloth bags by the wall.

One of them had already been torn open, scattering cabbage and radishes all over the place in a mess.

It was now tugging at the other bag, tied with a rope.

Ah Huang's movements were hesitant, showing signs of fear as it bit a few times before letting go, then backing away, watching cautiously.

"Ah Huang, you're too naughty!" Bao Ning went over to pick it up, patting off the rotten vegetable leaves stuck to its body with a frown. "Just had a bath, and you've messed it up. What a waste."

Ah Huang blinked its eyes, staring fixedly at the bag, then suddenly struggled violently, barking, "Woof!"

"Shh, he's sleeping. Don't bark." Bao Ning gestured to it, "Alright, I'll take you back inside, and we'll take a nap too."

Ah Huang refused, still struggling and barking louder, "Woof! Woof!"

Bao Ning finally realized something was wrong and looked down at the ground, only to discover that the seemingly lifeless cloth bag was wriggling!

Bao Ning took a step back, thinking she was seeing things, but upon closer inspection, she saw the bag moving more and more vigorously, rolling on the ground and tearing a hole in the weak corner, scraping against the stones with a crack.

In the next moment, a pointed snake head emerged from inside the bag, sticking out its forked tongue.

.....................................................................................................

Previous                                                                           Next