Chapter 85

 When they arrived, it was morning, and the Duke's residence was bustling with guests. Now, most had dispersed, and the mansion's front gates had returned to their usual quietness, with only a few servants standing guard.

Seeing Pei Yuan and Bao Ning come out, the servants hurriedly greeted and bid farewell to them.

There were no trees to block the sun at the entrance, and it was noon, with the sunlight both bright and scorching, making their eyes ache. Pei Yuan shook out his sleeve and shielded Bao Ning's forehead as they walked toward the carriage at the end of the street. He sensed someone was following them, and guessing who it was, he didn’t turn around. He walked lazily, sucking on a sour plum candy he had brought from the Xu family's residence.

When they reached the carriage, Pei Yuan helped Bao Ning get in. After making sure she was seated properly, he dropped the curtain, leaned against the doorframe, and looked at Chen Jia, "Tell me, just now, what were you standing there foolishly for?"

Pei Yuan's gaze turned displeased, "If I hadn’t spoken up, would you have just stood there watching that madwoman cause trouble?"

Chen Jia was momentarily stunned, then quickly shook his head, "No..."

"Your skin’s itching for a beating?" Pei Yuan interrupted his explanation, tapping his shoulder with a finger, "I think you’ve been living too comfortably lately, wanting to slack off, huh?"

Chen Jia, feeling wronged, said, "But the Crown Prince's consort—"

"Are you afraid the Crown Prince will blame you later?" Pei Yuan rolled the candy in his mouth before suddenly raising his voice, "Don’t forget who’s paying your salary!"

Chen Jia shuddered from the scolding. With the hot weather, his face was already covered in sweat. His dark complexion, now drenched in sweat, practically glistened.

"No more of this next time. Otherwise, I won’t keep you here, and you won’t be able to go back to the barracks either. You can pack up and go tend horses in Shanyang!"

Chen Jia immediately stood up straight, "Yes, sir!"

Seeing his panicked expression, Pei Yuan softened his tone slightly, "Since I’ve given you a task, you better do it well. Serving the lady isn’t me wasting your talent; it’s because I trust you. If you do well, I promise you'll rise faster than your peers. When we return to Beijiang in the future, you’ll be my confidant. I'll groom you to be the next general. Understood?"

A spark lit in Chen Jia’s eyes.

He was someone who could follow orders without hesitation, but the transition from the barracks to the women's quarters had been difficult for him. Though he didn't say it out loud, it bothered him. Bao Ning treated him well, and he was willing to do his duty for her, but Pei Yuan’s words today undeniably gave him more of a sense of security and honor.

Chen Jia’s resolve strengthened, and he replied loudly, "Yes, sir!"

"And one more thing," Pei Yuan adjusted Chen Jia’s collar and said calmly, "There’s no need to be overly concerned about the Crown Prince’s status. He’s the Crown Prince now, but that might not always be the case. If anyone threatens the lady, even if it’s the King of Heaven, you make sure to take their head off for me. If not, I’ll take yours. Understood?"

Chen Jia replied, "Yes, sir!"

Satisfied, Pei Yuan gave him a glance and turned to get into the carriage.

Although he had been scolded earlier, Chen Jia was still elated. He had been affirmed and given a more critical mission, which was enough to stir any soldier’s blood. Sitting at the front of the carriage, he recalled the reason for his earlier reprimand and suddenly felt a wave of regret.

It wasn’t because of Ji Jiaying’s status that he hesitated. It was actually because he was allergic to women's perfumes—if he touched them, he would break out in a rash.

Ji Jiaying’s scent had been too strong, and just smelling it made him recoil instinctively, which caused him to miss the initial opportunity!

Chen Jia looked down at his hand, which had touched Ji Jiaying’s ankle, and saw it had swollen up, puffed high. His face showed shock and panic—did women really apply perfume to their feet as well? He suddenly wondered whether Ji Jiaying had been saved yet; if she was still soaking in the water, she was probably dead by now, right?

If she died, would he be arrested and sent to prison?

...

Pei Xiao and Chang Xi stood by the stone lion in front of the Duke's mansion, watching as Chen Jia drove the carriage westward, gradually disappearing into the distance.

After a while, a few men in plain clothes quietly followed.

Chang Xi said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I guess they’re heading back to the estate at Lihu. There have been people watching that place, and we learned that a pregnant woman moved in more than half a month ago, along with a child. But I’ve heard the child is very lively and completely different from the temperament of the little prince, so I didn’t think much of it, which delayed us these days..."

As he spoke, Chang Xi was about to kneel, "It was my failure, Your Highness. Please punish me."

"No need."

Pei Xiao’s mind flashed with the image of Bao Ning’s face and the little drum that had fallen to the ground, making his head throb painfully.

He turned his head and coughed heavily a few times before asking, "Have you managed to plant a spy yet?"

Chang Xi straightened up with a trace of embarrassment on his face, "We’re still looking for an opportunity. The Fourth Princess Consort guards the estate like a fortress; we haven’t been able to get anyone in yet."

Pei Xiao frowned, "What’s going on?"

"Your Highness, you don’t know." Chang Xi said with a pained expression, "The Fourth Princess Consort is extremely meticulous. The people in her estate are all accounted for, and she hasn’t added a single extra person. I even arranged for someone to stage a scene of selling himself to bury his father at the estate's entrance, hoping to gain her sympathy and insert someone inside. But the Fourth Princess Consort just gave two silver coins and sent him away, saying her estate didn’t need more people and even complained about the cost of hiring servants."

Chang Xi didn’t dare to tell Pei Xiao that, some time ago, Bao Ning had actually recruited a maid, seemingly to care for the pregnant woman at her estate.

After learning this, he hurriedly prepared seven or eight beautiful young maids, each more lovely than the last, thinking one would surely be selected. But the old nanny who came to choose was just as stingy, and after much deliberation, she picked the ugliest one—thin and dry. All his efforts that day were in vain.

Pei Xiao misunderstood Chang Xi’s words and asked in a solemn voice, "Is her life that difficult?"

Chang Xi didn’t know the answer. His people hadn’t infiltrated the estate yet, so he wasn’t sure how Bao Ning was living, but he couldn’t say that outright.

Recalling what he had heard, he replied to Pei Xiao, "Perhaps not very well. Every day, the Fourth Princess Consort sends out an old woman to buy vegetables, but she buys very little. They’ve even planted a plot of land in the backyard, growing a lot of food, possibly to save money. The estate has very few servants. There’s only an old nanny by the Fourth Princess Consort’s side, and their lifestyle is nowhere near as refined as that of the Crown Princess."

Pei Xiao felt a pang of heartache.

He hadn’t imagined Bao Ning was living such a life.

And besides the financial hardship, Pei Xiao thought, with Pei Yuan’s temperament, her life surely couldn’t be easy.

He knew Pei Yuan too well—someone so unpredictable and ruthless. At the age of twelve, he had dared to carry a knife and kill the family of a palace maid rumored to have harmed his mother. He slaughtered all nine members of the Luo family, their blood staining the streets, yet he showed no fear. It was at that moment Pei Xiao resolved that this younger brother was someone he had to guard against.

He had used every means to eliminate Pei Yuan, thinking the task was complete, but to his surprise, Pei Yuan had risen again...

Pei Xiao closed his eyes, remembering Bao Ning’s delicate face. Would Pei Yuan hurt her when he got angry?

Chang Xi carefully watched Pei Xiao’s expression. Seeing that he had fallen silent, he tentatively asked, "Your Highness?"

Pei Xiao said, "Chang Xi, go back to the mansion immediately and prepare a large amount of jewelry—hairpins, pearls, as many as you can find. Send them to the Fourth Princess Consort’s estate."

Chang Xi was surprised, "This..." He didn’t understand the reason behind it, but knowing Pei Xiao’s usual tactics, he guessed it was likely an attempt at bribery, hoping to win over the Fourth Princess Consort. After all, what woman doesn’t love jewelry? With her current financial situation, she surely wouldn’t have anything precious, and this would undoubtedly please her. A brilliant plan!

"I’ll get on it right away!" Chang Xi, thinking he understood Pei Xiao’s intentions, eagerly accepted the order.

Pei Xiao asked, "I heard she liked raising fish when she lived in the General's residence?"

"Yes."

Pei Xiao waved his hand, "Then send her some fish as well. Whatever she likes, send it all. Do it quickly!"

Chang Xi left to carry out the orders.

...

Chen Jia drove the horse quickly, faster than the wind. They set off at noon and returned to Lihu in just two hours. It was still daylight as summer days were long.

Wei Meng had been waiting for a long time. When he saw them get out of the carriage, he quickly led them to the study. After closing the door, he opened the roster he had checked, saying, "I have roughly figured out the origin of the bear skins."

Pei Yuan held a brush in hand and was writing and drawing alongside Wei Meng on the roster. "The Kingdom of Luosha has been in contact with us for thirty years, subject to us for fifteen years, and has sent tribute fourteen times. A total of fifty bear skins were delivered, including twenty brown bear skins, five white bear skins, and the rest black bear skins. His Majesty rewarded the harem with three black bear skins, fifteen were given to ministers, and the rest are stored in the national treasury. Of the bear skins given to ministers, twelve are still intact in their respective estates, unused. Of the remaining three, one is with the little madam's aunt, and two are in the possession of the Crown Prince, Pei Xiao."

Pei Yuan's eyes flickered. "Who do you suspect?"

Wei Meng replied, "Naturally, Pei Xiao!"

Pei Yuan tossed the wolf-hair brush onto the table with a cold snort. "I thought it was him too. Today at the Duke's residence, his reaction when he saw that little drum was obviously strange!"

Pei Yuan paced around the room, getting angrier the more he thought about it. "I feel like such a fool, raising someone else's child, feeding him so well that he's all happy and plump. What do I gain from this?"

Wei Meng chimed in, "It's truly a cursed fate!"

Bao Ning hesitated. "When Yuanzi calls you 'father,' aren't you quite happy? And General Wei, weren't you smiling brightly when you were feeding A Mian salt with Yuanzi?"

Wei Meng awkwardly stopped in his tracks.

The veins on Pei Yuan's forehead bulged. He wanted to argue with Bao Ning but couldn't find the words. Initially, he did think Yuanzi was wonderful. The more he looked at him, the more he liked him, even thinking that if he couldn’t return home, he'd just keep raising the boy. But now, knowing that Yuanzi was Pei Xiao's son, Pei Yuan even felt a murderous urge. Did he really need to return this child safely to Pei Xiao?

In the past, he wouldn't have. He would have either killed Yuanzi or broken his leg.

But now, Pei Yuan thought, he had truly softened. Faced with a child he had only known for a few days, he couldn't bring himself to harm him.

Bao Ning suddenly remembered. "What about the injuries on Yuanzi’s arm? Were they caused by Pei Xiao or the Crown Princess?"

Wei Meng hesitated. "Perhaps the Crown Princess. After all, Yuanzi is the son of a concubine. It’s understandable if the Crown Princess couldn’t tolerate him."

Bao Ning agreed that this seemed reasonable, but after thinking it over, she shook her head. "Yuanzi's birth is already strange. Why would Pei Xiao allow a concubine to give birth to a child before the Crown Princess entered the palace?"

Pei Yuan frowned in deep thought for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. He felt that something was strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

Regardless, the child couldn’t stay on the estate any longer. Pei Xiao already knew, and it was only a matter of time before he would come to take him back.

After lingering in the study for a while, Pei Yuan and Bao Ning left and walked toward the courtyard.

Yuanzi was sitting under a wooden fragrant tree, playing with the dogs. He was holding soft beans in his hand, feeding them. Bao Ning looked at his small figure, feeling both heartache and regret.

Why did Yuanzi have to be Pei Xiao's son? They could have had such a close relationship, but now they had to become enemies.

Pei Yuan took Bao Ning's hand and walked over. He patted Ah Huang's rear to make space, and they sat side by side on the stone bench under the tree.

"Yuanzi," Pei Yuan teased, lifting his chin. "What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking when you see me?"

"I was going to say something," Yuanzi mumbled as he rummaged through his sleeves. "The nanny bought candy, and I hid a few pieces to give you. I’m looking for them now."

He pulled out a small handful of delicate candies, each wrapped in oil paper like little beans.

Yuanzi looked at them eagerly. "Peanut flavor, milk flavor, and sweet pear flavor. They’re all tasty."

Bao Ning's nose tingled with emotion, and she forced a smile as she took the candies, patting his head and thanking him.

Yuanzi tilted his head and asked, "Auntie, are you unhappy? You were out all day. Why are you unhappy now that you're back?"

Pei Yuan spoke before Bao Ning could. "Yuanzi, you’re going home soon."

Yuanzi was shocked. "Why? I don’t want to go home. I’m doing just fine here. I don’t want to go back!"

Pei Yuan picked up one of the candies and rolled it between his fingers. "Your father is coming to take you. You have no choice in the matter."

Yuanzi thought of Pei Xiao's cold expression and slowly closed his mouth, but his face still showed unhappiness.

"When you go home, you must never tell your father what happened here. Do you understand?" Pei Yuan leaned forward, pinching Yuanzi’s nose as he half-joked, half-threatened, "If you dare tell him anything, I’ll spank you until your bottom swells!"

"I won’t say anything..." Yuanzi murmured, lowering his head. "I never talk anyway. No one there likes talking to me. Only the little spiders and snakes talk to me..."

His voice became so soft that Pei Yuan didn’t catch the last part. "Who talks to you?" he asked.

Yuanzi snapped out of it and immediately shook his head. "No one. No one."

Pei Yuan was used to his occasional strange behavior and didn’t pay much attention. He exchanged a glance with Bao Ning and then said to Yuanzi, "But don’t feel too bad. This place will always be your home. If you ever want to come back, you can. But remember, once you return, you won’t be able to leave again for the rest of your life. Understand?"

Pei Yuan said this partly out of affection for Yuanzi, but also out of selfishness. Controlling someone who was important to Pei Xiao could be advantageous, like taking a hostage from an enemy nation. Yuanzi would be his leverage against Pei Xiao.

"I’ll set up a sugar-coated hawthorn stand near your home," Pei Yuan said slowly. "Whenever you want to come back, just tell the man selling hawthorn. Sneak out at midnight, and he’ll be waiting at the back gate to bring you here."

Yuanzi nodded enthusiastically. He seemed a little happier. "Okay!"

...

Back inside, a half-finished set of children's clothes that Bao Ning had made for Yuanzi was still lying on the couch.

Bao Ning’s mood had just improved, but now, seeing those clothes, the feeling of sadness and sorrow washed over her again.

Pei Yuan sat at the table, pouring tea. He filled a cup and waved her over. "No matter how good someone else’s child is, they’re still someone else’s. If you like, we can have one of our own."

Bao Ning took the cup and sipped slowly. "It’s not like we can have one just by wanting to."

"Just try harder. Effort pays off." Pei Yuan, trying to cheer her up, placed his large hand on her waist and slowly moved upward. "Come here, let me see. Has our little peach grown a bit today?"

Bao Ning almost choked. Pei Yuan took the cup from her hand and pulled her into his lap, teasingly asking, "Are you going to undo it yourself, or should I do it for you?"

Bao Ning blushed. "Undo what?"

Pei Yuan tapped her back. "The tie on your clothes."

"..."

Bao Ning pushed him. "It's broad daylight. Can’t you wait until the moon comes out?"

"What’s there to be afraid of? No one’s coming."

"What if someone does?"

"No one will..."

Just as his hand was about to slip inside her clothes, they heard a loud voice outside. "Your Highness! The little eunuch from the Crown Prince's side has come to deliver something! Several boxes of them!"

Pei Yuan never let Chen Jia get within thirty feet of him, so Chen Jia had to shout louder, causing everyone’s ears to ring, and even the dogs started barking.

Pei Yuan’s face darkened immediately. He didn’t have time to curse him before realizing what Chen Jia’s words meant.

"What is Pei Xiao sending me now?"

---

The author has something to say:
Pei Xiao: The kind me, rushing to the scene.

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