Chapter 97

 Baoning squatted in front of the brazier, burning spirit money together with Pei Yuan.

She never dreamed that one day she’d be doing such a thing with Pei Yuan. Back when she lived at home, they also held ancestral rites. The Duke’s Mansion had been an established noble family for a century; the Ji family had its own ancestral temple. Around Qingming Festival, everyone in the mansion would wear mourning clothes and eat vegetarian food. The Duke himself would lead the women and children to pay tribute before the ancestral tablets and light incense. But since she was married now, she had missed this year’s ritual.

Baoning turned her head slightly to look at Pei Yuan, mentally sketching out his facial features and imagining what Consort Xian might have looked like.

“What are you thinking about?” Pei Yuan looked back at her and gently touched her face—it was a bit cool from the wind. He frowned. “Are you cold?”

“I’m not.” Baoning shook her head and rested her chin in her hand, speaking softly, “I was just wondering what Consort Xian looked like.”

“She gave birth to someone as handsome as me—how could she be ugly?” Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow and replied. Before Baoning could call him out for bragging, he added, “You’ll need to change the way you address her—from now on, call her 'Mother Consort.'”

Baoning obediently called out, “Mother Consort.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her hands together before her lips, and whispered, “Mother Consort, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Pei Yuan. We’ll live well together and won’t fight. If I get the chance, I’ll visit your resting place personally to pay my respects…”

Then Baoning suddenly remembered that older generations usually loved grandchildren. She sneaked a glance at Pei Yuan. Seeing that he wasn’t paying attention, she quickly added in a murmur, “In a couple of years, we’ll have a few kids. When we get old, they’ll keep each other company, and we’ll have company too. You don’t have to worry!”

It was quite shameless of her to say such a thing, but just this once—for the sake of making Pei Yuan and his mother happy—it was worth it.

Baoning stared intently at the fire, unaware of the complicated look in Pei Yuan’s eyes.

Pei Yuan couldn’t describe what he felt inside—it made him want to laugh, but also left a heavy feeling in his chest.

He used to feel like fate was always unfair to him, that misfortune always found its way to his doorstep. But then he met Baoning and began to wonder if all that misery was just the universe saving up luck for him—he had spent half a lifetime of good fortune just to get this precious girl. She was soft and silly at times, yet clever when it counted. She was so light, not even worth two sacks of millet, and he wished he could hang her on his belt and carry her everywhere just to keep her safe—safe from being tricked, or stolen away. If he ever lost her, there would be nothing left to live for.

Maybe it was the peculiarity of the night, but Pei Yuan’s throat felt dry. He pressed a fist to his lips, gave a small cough, and asked hoarsely, “How many kids?”

Baoning was stunned, then blushed as she realized what he meant.

She blinked and asked in a hopeful, shy voice, “Three… is that enough?”

Pei Yuan replied, “How could that be enough? If we’re having kids, might as well have more. When they’re grown, they can form a cuju (ancient football) team. When we’re bored, we’ll whip them a bit and have them play for our amusement.”

Baoning giggled. “You’re so improper, talking nonsense.”

Pei Yuan lowered his head and didn’t say more. His ears were still tuned to the outside, and besides the crackling fire, he picked up on faint footsteps.

He knew—it was that person.

“I’m going out for a bit,” Pei Yuan stood up and whispered to Baoning. “Someone will be coming soon—someone you don’t like. Get ready to scare them.”

Seeing the amused glint in Pei Yuan’s eyes, Baoning immediately knew who he meant: “My sister-in-law or that maid from the other day?”

“Probably that 'other one.'” Pei Yuan nodded. “Chen Jia said she’s been wandering near the courtyard around this time for the past two nights. I bet she’ll show up tonight too—and here she is.”

“Oh heavens, am I supposed to pretend to be a ghost to scare her?” Baoning flailed a bit, both nervous and excited. “I’ve never done this before. What should I say?”

“Say whatever you like.” Pei Yuan reached out to adjust her hairpin and mess up her hair. “I suspect she’s connected to Pei Xiao, probably a spy. Even if she’s not, she’s no good. Don’t hold back—if you dislike her, let it out. We’ve barely had time to go out and have fun. Think of tonight as playing dress-up—let loose and enjoy yourself. Kill two birds with one stone.”

Baoning nodded eagerly. “Got it!”

Pei Yuan pulled out a rouge case he had hidden in his sleeve, tapped her chin with it, and smiled. “Let’s see how well you perform tonight.”

…

Zhao Qian had just heard whispering behind the courtyard wall, but when he mustered up the courage to go around and look—nothing was there.

The yard was empty, surrounded by tall, eerie trees. The moon was dark, the wind howled, and a lone brazier sat in the open, emitting a strange greenish smoke. Zhao Qian had been sweating with excitement, but seeing such a spooky scene made his heart lurch. He turned to leave, but then hesitated—after all his preparations, could he back out now?

What was going on?

A guilty conscience sees ghosts everywhere. Zhao Qian frowned and stepped forward slowly, staring at the brazier. The more he looked, the more it resembled the one he and his mother had used when burning paper offerings for his father. But this was the Fourth Prince’s residence—who dared burn such things in the dead of night? Had he stumbled upon something unholy?

A chill ran down his spine. Just as he turned to leave, a soft voice whispered behind him:

“Are you here to find me?”

“Ah!” Zhao Qian jumped in fright. His long robe tangled around his feet, and he stumbled to the ground. Looking back in terror, he shouted, “Who are you?!”

Baoning squatted on the ground, hugging her knees. Her long hair covered half her face as she chuckled, “Weren’t you looking for me?”

“No, no, I wasn’t!” Zhao Qian scrambled backwards, pale as a ghost. “I was just out for a walk… Are you a ghost? Or a fox spirit? You do your thing, I’ll leave now… Please, don’t mind me…”

“Why do you come here every night, specifically around my courtyard?” Baoning said coldly. “You’ve disturbed my peace—I must punish you.”

Zhao Qian’s mind was in chaos, haunted by all the terrible things he’d done. He swallowed hard, then fell to his knees with a thud and trembled, “I was wrong—I’m sorry! You’re already dead, please stay dead! Don’t come for me! I’ll leave right now and never come back, I swear! I’ll burn offerings for you—just send me a dream with how much you want, and I’ll burn ten times that!”

Baoning hesitated. She had only found the maid suspicious, never suspected any real wrongdoing—until now.

She asked, “Who am I?”

“How should I know?!” Zhao Qian was on the verge of fainting, panting and sweating. Just as he was about to beg again, he paused—something was odd.

This ghost was too gentle. Not at all like the ferocious spirits described in books. And that sharp jawline… looked familiar.

Zhao Qian squinted at Baoning, studying her carefully. When he saw the pink tips of her shoes, it dawned on him: “Fourth Prince’s Consort!”

Baoning gave a soft “Mhm.” “It’s me.”

Zhao Qian almost passed out. He slammed the ground in frustration. What was this?! The consort of the Fourth Prince running around in the middle of the night scaring people—was she crazy?

Baoning asked, “If you’ve done nothing wrong, why are you afraid of ghosts? And what exactly were you planning in my courtyard?”

“I wasn’t!” Zhao Qian denied it quickly, soaked in sweat as he forced himself to stand. “I was just… walking. I take care of Madam Su during the day—it’s exhausting. So I take evening strolls. The woodbine near your yard is blooming—it’s quite a sight.”

Baoning replied, “Well, aren’t you in a good mood?”

“…What about you, Your Highness? What are you doing out here?”

Baoning answered coolly, “What I do—do you think that’s any of your business?”

Zhao Qian gritted his teeth and dropped to his knees again. “I’ve overstepped. Please forgive me.”

It was already late. Baoning had had her fun and couldn’t find any concrete fault with him, so she waved him away.

Zhao Qian clenched his fists, bowed, and left.

Once he was gone, Pei Yuan strolled out from behind, watching the direction Zhao Qian had disappeared into, deep in thought.

Baoning gathered her hair and asked with a smile, “Did I do well?”

“Not bad,” Pei Yuan praised, gently pinching her cheek. “That maid was scared half to death—she’ll probably come down with a fever.”

Baoning beamed. “If she gets sick, all the better. I’ll throw her out immediately.”

Pei Yuan smothered the brazier with dirt and pulled Baoning back inside.

…

Dinner had only been one duck—it wasn’t nearly enough. After all the fuss, they were both hungry again. Baoning had Wei Meng bring over some flatbreads to roast on the fire, and stuffed them with donkey meat to make delicious sandwiches. The crust was crispy, the inside soft, and the combination of hot bread and cold meat was irresistible.

Baoning sat on the edge of the couch. After two bites, she was full again. With nothing to do, she thought back on earlier and began to feel a little guilty.

“Wasn’t I too undignified earlier? Playing such a childish prank—on a servant, no less.”

“Who are you trying to act dignified for?” Pei Yuan leaned back, munching on his sandwich while brushing crumbs off his knees. “I’m not some proper prince—you don’t need to act like a proper princess. That’s why we’re a good match. If you were stiff and serious all day, like some statue chanting scriptures, I’d look like a brute next to you.”

Baoning laughed. “But you are a brute.”

“Oh, and you’re just perfect?” Pei Yuan rolled his eyes and tapped her forehead. “I’ve wanted to scold you for ages—what a coward you are. That Su Mingyou stayed in your house, and you, the hostess, still took all her crap. Isn’t that pathetic? If it were me and she tried to sass me, I’d spit in her face. You’ve got a mouth—use it. Stop hiding behind etiquette.”

Baoning pouted, unsure how to argue. Talking etiquette with him never worked, so she fired back, “And what’s your mouth for?”

“Two things. Eating, and swearing at people.” Pei Yuan looked smug. “Whoever crosses me, I curse them. Ask anyone in the barracks—nobody dares mess with me, not even Wei Meng. Why? Because I curse and I fight. Show a little kindness to good people—but for the nasty ones? Don’t bother with ten lines of reasoning. A kick to the face works better. If that doesn’t do the trick—just kill them. Why do so many want to be emperor? So they can kill whoever they want without getting killed themselves.”

“You’re so savage. What kind of nonsense is that? No manners at all.” Baoning giggled and stepped on his foot with her bare toes. “Don’t corrupt me.”

“I’m teaching you how to survive.” Pei Yuan grunted and pulled her onto his lap, locking her in with his legs. “At home, in bed, being soft is fine. Outside? You’ve got to be like Jixiang the cat—show your claws. Forget etiquette. Long as your sister-in-law acts like a mother-in-law? You pull a knife on the Minister of Rites, see if he dares lecture you about manners. He’ll be on his knees, calling you ‘Mother.’”

Baoning burst into laughter and pinched his nose. “Stop it already!”

“Hey, I’m teaching here. Remember: kindness gets you trampled.” Pei Yuan pinched her cheeks until her mouth opened a little, then blew into it. “Anyway, forget all that—do you smell meat?”

“We just ate donkey sandwiches—of course I smell meat!” Baoning dodged away. “What are you doing? Don’t mess around—”

Pei Yuan scooped her up and strode to the bed, yanking the curtains down. “Just reminding you—your man’s craving meat tonight.”

…

The maid truly did fall ill after returning. In just one night, her cheeks sank in, and her face turned waxy pale.

Su Mingyou was frantic, summoned doctors, and force-fed her decoctions. After another day, the fever finally broke.

Baoning spent the day indoors, sent Liu Mama out to see a play, and felt quite pleased to hear about the chaos over there. She originally planned to visit Su Mingyou’s place the next day—partly to see how ill the maid really was—but as soon as she got up in the morning, she received a letter from her eldest sister at the Marquis of Chongyuan’s estate.

The letter was stained with tears and urged her and Pei Yuan to come quickly—something urgent had happened.

By now, there were only four days left before the Emperor would depart for the summer palace.

Since that last meeting at the Ruyi Pavilion, Baoning had been anxiously awaiting this letter. Finally, Ji Xiangzhen had come around. With her help, dismantling Pei Xiao’s scheme would be much smoother—they had no time to waste.

Baoning’s heart lifted. She immediately sent Chen Jia to ready the horses and called for Pei Yuan so they could hurry to the Marquis's residence.

Zhao Qian, hearing the horses neighing in the front yard, dragged his fevered body to the window and asked Su Mingyou with a frown, “Where are they going?”

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