Chapter 69

Pei Yuan brushed off the dust from his coat, threw it over his shoulder, and stepped out. Ah Huang followed, bouncing around, while Ah Mian, feeling sleepy, hid in a corner to rest.

Outside the door, Wei Meng had been waiting for him for quite some time.

The soldiers had dispersed, and the rooms in the manor, about seven or eight, had been tidied up by the servants and were now filled with deep sleepers. Wei Meng didn’t dare leave because he feared that if Pei Yuan and Bao Ning hadn't reached an agreement and Bao Ning decided to leave in displeasure, Pei Yuan would kill him.

Moreover, he had suddenly recalled something important that he was eager to share with Pei Yuan.

The night wind was chilly outside, blowing Wei Meng’s beard into a tangled mess. Upon seeing Pei Yuan emerge, he immediately stepped forward.

Pei Yuan, with the dog, brushed past him, in a good mood, as if reborn, and advised him, "You should shave your beard. Don’t let it grow so long; it looks untidy."

"..." Wei Meng was thrown off and momentarily forgot what he wanted to say. Seeing Pei Yuan heading towards the kitchen, he quickly followed, "Have you reconciled with the young madam?"

Pei Yuan glanced at him indifferently, not mentioning his embarrassing past, and raised an eyebrow, "When I step in, how could she not listen?"

Wei Meng didn’t know what to say, only thinking that Pei Yuan was exceptionally confident.

Pei Yuan fetched a bucket and carried it to the stove, lifting the lid to scoop out hot water. "Why are you still here? If you're hungry, find someone to cook for you. There’s no food here for you."

"..." Wei Meng suppressed his irritation, "I don’t need your food."

"That's the best." Pei Yuan waved his hand, "Ah Huang, see the guest out."

Wei Meng glanced at the small yellow dog squatting by Pei Yuan’s feet, warming itself by the fire, and felt utterly helpless. He grabbed Pei Yuan's busy wrist, "I wanted to tell you about the map I saw in Pei Xiao’s study the other day. Do you remember it? The Emperor is going to leave the palace soon to escape the summer heat. He will go to the summer palace in De’an, passing by Li Lake. The terrain around Yandang Mountain is treacherous, easy to attack and hard to defend. We’ve just arrived, and you should be able to guess what Pei Xiao has in mind. This is an incredible opportunity!"

Pei Yuan’s expression turned serious, "I remember."

Wei Meng breathed a sigh of relief, "So, what do you plan to do? We need to plan carefully."

"Not tonight." Pei Yuan broke free from his grasp and continued scooping water into the bucket, "We’ll discuss it tomorrow."

"Young General, you need to stay vigilant!" Wei Meng urged, "You agreed to assist General Qiu to uncover the truth behind Consort Xian’s murder. But General Qiu's goal is the throne. Your political views differ, and you will eventually become adversaries. He commands hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers and controls the northern border. We only have a few hundred men with us now, and you’re still bearing a crime. Seize this opportunity. If you can eliminate Pei Xiao, great. If not, at least regain the Emperor’s favor and clear your name of regicide."

Pei Yuan paused his movements.

Wei Meng continued, "Also, Young General, I must remind you, getting too close to General Qiu isn’t beneficial for someone of your status."

Pei Yuan replied, "I know."

"Then you..."

"We’ll talk tomorrow." Pei Yuan scooped some cold water into the bucket, "Don’t worry, I know what I want. But things must be done step by step. I was too hasty before. Now, facing such matters, I must be more cautious."

Pei Yuan looked up at him, "Don’t rush."

Wei Meng fell silent. He felt that after tonight, Pei Yuan seemed to have changed, becoming more composed and no longer showing his sharp edges, possibly tempered by Bao Ning.

Pei Yuan said, "I will stay here from now on. Go back tomorrow and bring everything we need."

Wei Meng asked, "What about the brothers?"

"They can’t stay in this manor, it’s too conspicuous. Leave half of them in town, give them some money, and let them stay wherever they want. The rest will remain at the General’s Mansion. We can’t break with Qiu Mingshan yet, or he’ll become suspicious of me." Pei Yuan pressed his lips together, "We are still in the same boat for now."

Wei Meng suddenly remembered Qiu Mingshan’s two daughters. He didn’t know what Pei Yuan planned to do and was about to ask, "What about the sixth girl..."

Pei Yuan anticipated his thoughts, his expression turning cold, and said viciously, "Kill her for me!"

Wei Meng was troubled, "She is to be the future second prince’s consort..."

"Exactly," Pei Yuan gritted his teeth, "She can’t die so easily. Since she likes those filthy schemes, let’s turn her plans against her. Bring that man she arranged into her boudoir, gather everyone in the manor to witness it, and then publicize the scandal throughout the capital, exposing that Qiu’s daughter is so shameless!"

Wei Meng commented, "That would be quite satisfying!"

Pei Yuan continued, "Once she loses her influence and no one cares about her fate, cut off her nose. Bring her seventh sister to witness the punishment. If Qiu Mingshan can't teach his daughters, I will! Tell Qiu Lingyan that if she doesn't change her malicious ways, this will be her fate."

Wei Meng clicked his tongue, "Young General, you’re being too ruthless."

"If I were too kind, I wouldn’t be me." Pei Yuan glanced at him, shook the water off the bottom of the bowl, and used chopsticks to take the sugar cakes out of the pot and put them into a bowl.

As he did this, he appeared relaxed and natural, like an ordinary man, as if he hadn’t just issued such ruthless orders.

Wei Meng thought for a moment and said, "Young General, aren't you afraid that if the young madam finds out about how you treat that girl, she’ll be upset with you?"

"Then keep your mouth shut." Pei Yuan squinted and threatened, "If she finds out anything she shouldn’t, I’ll cut off your tongue."

Wei Meng left reluctantly.

Pei Yuan quickly finished tidying up in the kitchen. He first brought the water back, then the food. Ah Huang followed him, wagging its tail, running back and forth behind him.

Bao Ning was inside cutting fabric. Curious, Pei Yuan asked her, "What are you busy with?"

Bao Ning replied, "I was angry and didn't bring back any of your clothes. Now you have nothing to wear, so I'm making you something simple."

She put the scissors aside and then noticed what Pei Yuan had done. She was momentarily speechless. "How silly of you."

Pei Yuan sat on a small stool, taking off his shoes and pants. Feeling unjustly scolded, he said, "What did I do?"

Bao Ning said, "I asked you to watch the fire, not to take everything out of the pot. You brought both the bathwater and the food. So, will you bathe first or eat first?"

Pei Yuan knocked the dirt off his shoes and said, "What's the difference?"

"If you bathe first, you'll be eating cold food. If you eat first, you'll be bathing in cold water," Bao Ning covered her nose, "Stop knocking! The room is full of dust. Just throw it away. I'll make you new ones."

Pei Yuan, listening to her, grabbed his boots and tossed them towards the door. They hit it with a loud bang.

The lamb was startled awake, bleating as it ran towards Bao Ning.

Bao Ning petted the lamb's head and angrily said to Pei Yuan, "I shouldn't have let you in. You've caused trouble ever since you came in. It's the middle of the night, and you won't let anyone sleep, not even the lamb."

Pei Yuan looked at her innocently, "I didn't mean to."

He stood up, wandering around the room in just his shorts, and looked around Bao Ning's new place, "Besides, that lamb isn't a baby anymore. It's getting old; in a few months, it could be eaten."

Ah Mian, frightened by his tone, bleated loudly.

Bao Ning comforted it, "It's okay, no one is going to eat you."

Pei Yuan laughed, his tendency to forget his past mistakes showing. He provocatively said to Ah Mian, "That might not be certain."

"Are you going to eat, bathe, or sleep?" Bao Ning pointed to the door, her face serious, "If you keep talking nonsense, get out."

"I won't say anything more," Pei Yuan stopped smiling and touched his nose.

"If the soup gets cold, it'll taste bad. Drink it quickly," Bao Ning stood up reluctantly. She thought of a good idea and placed a board over the bathtub, setting the food on top so Pei Yuan could eat while bathing. Realizing it would be dawn soon if they didn't sleep, she personally took the soap to wash Pei Yuan's hair.

Pei Yuan soaked in the hot water, sighing comfortably. With his left hand resting on the edge of the tub and his right hand holding a sweet pastry, he felt this was a blessing in disguise, living like a deity.

Bao Ning asked, "Do your legs hurt?"

"Not yet," Pei Yuan broke off a piece of pastry and turned to feed it to Bao Ning, "Try it, it's sweet."

"Stop moving! Your dirty hair is getting on my clothes," Bao Ning dodged, disgusted, wiping her chest with a cloth.

Pei Yuan insisted, "I'll wash it for you tomorrow. Just try a bite. I saved all the filling for you."

Bao Ning said, "You don't like sweets."

"Just eat it. The syrup is going to spill out," Pei Yuan grabbed Bao Ning's arm and stuffed a big piece into her mouth, proudly asking, "Isn't it good?"

With her mouth full, Bao Ning bit his fingertip hard, "I made it, of course, it's good. Why are you showing off?"

"What my wife makes is the same as what I make," Pei Yuan rested his arm on the tub, smiling at Bao Ning. He was handsome, with a rugged appearance, but when he smiled, he looked mischievous, with a roguish air around his eyes and eyebrows.

Bao Ning couldn't argue with him. She tugged at his hair, "Stop fooling around. I'm tired. Finish your bath and go to bed!"

When everything was finally settled, dawn was already breaking, and the candle had burned down. The two lay in bed, each under their own blanket.

Bao Ning refused to let him get close, placing two pillows between them as a barrier.

Once Bao Ning was asleep, Pei Yuan tossed the pillows to the floor and scooted closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. Bao Ning's body was warm, like a little heater. Outside, it seemed to be drizzling. The sound made Pei Yuan's bones ache. He had walked too much yesterday, aggravating his not-yet-healed leg, but the pain was bearable.

Feeling Bao Ning's warmth, Pei Yuan sighed in comfort and held her tighter.

They slept for who knows how long. When they woke, it was still gloomy outside, probably afternoon, and there was a commotion in the courtyard.

Ji Yun was brandishing a silver spear, shouting angrily, "You blue-eyed thief! This is my territory. What gives you the courage to block the yard? How is my sister? I want to see her. Let me in, or don’t blame me for being impolite!"

Wei Meng, unable to fight back, barely defended himself. His attention was entirely focused on the mastiff dog running around Ji Yun's feet.

Wei Meng shouted, "What is this ugly little creature? Get it away, get it away!"

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