Chapter 125:
The Great Khan never emphasized gender segregation, with no rules stipulating that women must stay obediently in the inner residence after marriage.
From the imperial family down to commoners, there was no notion that women could not appear in public.
At every palace banquet, the Emperor and Empress would host the ministers together, with high-ranking palace concubines attending at their side.
Married women among the common folk could still go out to socialize and chat freely.
Couples divorcing, widows remarrying, or women recruiting a son-in-law to establish an independent household—such cases were never rare.
Imperial princesses and commandery princesses openly kept male companions.
She had only run into Ji Chengfeng by chance and chatted with him a few words.
It was in the open outdoors, not alone in a room.
Was such a trivial matter really worth his lingering annoyance?
She could tolerate him occasionally getting jealous as a bit of flirtation, but wasn’t this going too far?
“Who would have thought you’re even more stubborn than my elder brother.” Xie Wanning felt some annoyance in her heart. She looked at the person opposite her for a moment and frowned, saying: “You’re not one of those who admire the previous dynasty’s rules, are you?”
In the previous dynasty, a woman’s reputation was everything; they wished to veil even their faces so no outside man could see.
Over two hundred years since the dynasty changed, many scholars and officials still advocated the previous dynasty’s rites, prattling on about restoring the old system. If this man thought the same…
Xie Wanning’s brows furrowed even deeper.
If that were the case…
Her gaze suddenly changed. Pei Yuqing helplessly tightened his grip on her hand. “Don’t randomly pin labels on me.”
“…I’m not like that.” If the topic continued unchecked, they would quarrel again. He said good-naturedly: “Forget it, let’s not talk about that.”
What could he say? That seeing her attention on another man made his heart unbearably restless?
But his forbearing demeanor only made Xie Wanning feel worse.
As if she had committed some grave wrong, and he was just too magnanimous to argue with her.
Infuriatingly awkward.
She didn’t think she had done anything wrong to warrant his sulking all day.
The carriage suddenly fell inexplicably quiet.
Sensing her displeasure, Pei Yuqing pondered for a moment, intending to say something to coax her, but Xie Wanning had already turned her head away, refusing to look at him, and even pulled her hand free so he couldn’t touch it.
At that moment, the carriage abruptly stopped, and the clamor of street crowds rose from outside.
Chaotic yet clearly voices of joyful excitement.
She didn’t know what good deed had happened.
Xie Wanning grew curious and was about to lift the carriage curtain for a look when Pei Er’s voice came from outside.
“Young Lord, Lu Ziyan has led troops back to the capital.”
At the same moment, on the long Zhuque Street avenue in the capital, Lu Ziyan reined in his horse at the front, his gaze turning to the clan emblem of the Pei family on the opposite carriage, his eyes cold.
Ming Jian spurred his horse forward to ride beside him, saying in a low voice: “Today, Qu Cheng Marquis’s Estate is hosting a banquet. Miss Xie went with that person and is in the carriage right now.”
Lu Ziyan lowered his eyes and let out an extremely faint ‘heh’.
“I’ll go make them yield the way.” Ming Jian said.
His master had been charging into battle outside, outwitting those old foxes, cracking a corruption case that shocked the court, single-handedly stripping over a dozen officials of their official hats before returning to the capital. Such merit meant they certainly wouldn’t yield to these pampered young lords lounging in the capital’s wealthy nests.
But before he could act, the opposite carriage had already pulled aside to the road’s edge.
“They’re sensible enough.” Ming Jian sneered coldly.
Lu Ziyan glanced at him, his gaze extremely indifferent, instantly silencing Ming Jian who had wanted to say more.
As they passed the carriage, Lu Ziyan’s gaze suddenly turned that way, his cold stare seeming to pierce through the curtain to see what was happening inside.
What were those two doing in there right now.
The image of the little lady’s tender lips flashed in his mind, making his throat tighten faintly. “Go issue an invitation to Pei Yuqing, inviting him to Cuiyun Pavilion at noon three days from now.”
After months without seeing her, Lu Ziyan had long regretted it.
He regretted not holding her tightly in his arms that day in the separate courtyard to stake his claim.
No matter who came, he should have kept her.
Hesitating and shrinking back wasn’t his style.
He could never be a gentleman who restrained himself and upheld propriety. If he didn’t seize her, she wouldn’t come back.
That lady was ruthlessly heartless. The more thoroughly he revealed his feelings, letting her know how important she was, the more boldly she would trample his affection without looking back.
Ming Jian acknowledged in a low voice.
In that instant, as if possessed, he somewhat understood why his master had gone to such lengths to bring that woman back from afar.
………..
In the carriage, the already quiet atmosphere grew even more silent upon hearing Lu Ziyan’s name.
Pei Yuqing instructed the coachman to pull aside and let Lu Ziyan’s group pass first.
Only after the orderly hoofbeats gradually faded did the wheels start turning again.
All the way back to the estate, neither spoke.
Xie Wanning returned to Xuan Hua Courtyard, while Pei Yuqing went to the outer courtyard study.
That evening, a servant from the outer courtyard came to relay that the Young Lord was busy with official duties and would stay in the study tonight.
Such situations had happened before, but today they had just quarreled a bit, and he was staying in the study—Xie Wanning felt a stifled breath in her chest.
Moreover, with the year-end approaching, the Emperor would soon seal the inks and brushes in a few days. What official business could the ministers possibly have to busy themselves with?
It was nothing more than still brooding over that morning’s incident.
Perhaps also Lu Ziyan’s return to the capital.
He seemed so mild-tempered, but was actually incredibly petty.
Xie Wanning fumed all night. The next morning, when the culprit came to wake her, she rolled over, facing inward, ignoring him completely.
Her petulant little demeanor left Pei Yuqing’s outstretched hand frozen in midair. After a moment, he withdrew it, awkwardly rubbing his nose.
“It’s time to get up and eat,” he sat at the edge of the couch and tugged at the little lady’s quilt. “After eating, go to Mother’s place and play leaf cards with her for a while.”
Lately, Princess Duanyang had been obsessed with leaf cards and loved gathering people to play. Sure enough, early this morning Granny Zhou had come to summon her.
She could quarrel with her husband, but she couldn’t ignore an invitation from the princess mother-in-law.
She yanked her quilt back, saying without turning her head: “You go out first.”
“……Alright.” Pei Yuqing sighed and turned to leave the room.
Only then did Xie Wanning get up from the couch and, served by Er Qing, dress properly.
At breakfast in the side hall, the sulky lady ate with her head down, occasionally shoving aside the dishes the person beside her had served her, refusing to touch a single bite.
This series of actions left Pei Yuqing utterly at a loss.
As she stood to leave, he couldn’t hold back and grabbed her wrist.
“Good lady, can you stop being angry with me?”
The servants attending in the side hall lowered their heads and quickly left.
The moment the door closed, Pei Yuqing pulled her into his arms.
The delicate and soft lady—he feared even a little force might hurt her, yet her temper was fiercer than anyone’s, tormenting him to death without a word.
“I’m not a stubborn person,” he thought for a moment and still explained himself: “Nor am I bothered that you spoke a few extra words to another man. I just…”
Xie Wanning: “Just what?”
“……I,” Pei Yuqing hesitated for a long time before managing: “Wanwan, ……I just like you too much.”
Ji Chengfeng was dashing and talented, young and promising. He worried this lady might seek novelty and look favorably on someone else.
Such an embarrassing thought—revealing even a bit would invite ridicule.
How could he say it aloud?
If Xie Wanning knew his real thoughts, she would probably make him look in a mirror.
But she didn’t know, so her brows furrowed tighter. “In the end, you’re still stubborn, using ‘liking me’ as an excuse not to let me do this or that.”
She had married him as a wife, not sold herself to him as a maidservant. Where was there such a thing?
“Ji Chengfeng is my aunt’s son. We happened to meet on the road, so I chatted with him a bit—not even touching a corner of his clothes. It was the most normal social interaction, and it’s worth you…”
Xie Wanning couldn’t continue. She pulled away his hand at her waist and said in a low voice: “Think it over yourself.”
With that, she hurried away.
Pei Yuqing pressed his lips together, quietly watching her leave.
He knew she was right.
He also believed she had no other thoughts about Ji Chengfeng, whom she had only met twice.
And Ji Chengfeng was a true gentleman who would never covet another man’s wife.
This matter was purely his overthinking.
But he couldn’t control such overthinking.
The person he had schemed so hard to obtain— even though he could now hold her in his arms anytime— he still couldn’t relax.
Instead, the longer they spent together, the more insecure he grew.
He could scheme to take others’, so of course others could scheme to take his.
Standing still for a long time, Pei Yuqing slowly exhaled and stepped out of the side hall.
Pei Er, who had been waiting outside for a while, hurried forward two steps at a time upon seeing him emerge. He took a gold-embossed invitation from his sleeve and said in a low voice: “Personally delivered by Ming Feng from Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate.”
Ming Feng was a retainer of Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate, Lu Ziyan’s right-hand man, well-known in the capital. Such a task as delivering a letter shouldn’t fall to him.
Having Ming Feng come personally wasn’t to show solemnity, but to let those with intentions see if he dared attend the banquet.
Pei Yuqing knew it like the back of his hand. He took the invitation with one hand, opened it, glanced down, and his brow slightly raised at the words ‘Cuiyun Pavilion’.
The capital had plenty of brothels; the most famous three were under his name alone two of them, yet Lu Ziyan chose this other one, Cuiyun Pavilion.
If he weren’t confident no one could know the extent of his hidden properties, Pei Yuqing might suspect whether the ownership of those two brothels had leaked.
Pei Er also saw ‘Cuiyun Pavilion’ and wondered: “Why choose there?”
What a coincidence—or had Lu Ziyan already learned the other two were Pei family industries?
Pei Yuqing folded the invitation and said: “Is the person still here?”
“Yes, waiting for your reply.” Pei Er hesitated: “Will you attend the banquet?”
“Of course,” Pei Yuqing smiled faintly. “Tell Ming Feng I’ll be there on time.”
Pei Er stood still, his face extremely grim.
Lu Ziyan was no pushover. Not yet of age, yet his killing intent was heavier than border generals’, and he bore a hatred of wife-snatching against their young lord. This banquet surely boded no good.
It might even end in killing to vent anger.
Seeing his subordinate frozen, Pei Yuqing tapped his shoulder with the invitation and smiled: “Don’t worry, your master won’t die. Lu Ziyan isn’t a brute; he’s smart and won’t harbor killing intent toward me.”
At least, not at this moment.
Just as he had never harbored killing intent toward the other.
In fact, with Lu Ziyan constantly away from the capital on campaigns, for Pei Yuqing who held the latest military intelligence, opportunities to take his life abounded if he wished.
A casual delay of a few messages could make his life difficult.
But Pei Yuqing had never done so. A single delayed dispatch could cost thousands of lives; he wouldn’t let innocent lives sacrifice for his private affections.
The already precarious Great Khan couldn’t withstand the slightest turmoil.
He could distinguish between romantic love and family and country; he hoped Lu Ziyan could too.
………..
Three days later, Pei Yuqing entered Cuiyun Pavilion alone.
Brothels didn’t open during the day. The vast first-floor hall was empty and quiet. Ming Feng and Ming Jian had been waiting. Seeing him, Ming Feng extended a long arm toward the stairs.
“Lord Pei, please upstairs.”
Pei Yuqing nodded slightly and ascended the steps.
On the second floor, Lu Ziyan stood with hands behind his back by the window, everything in his view a blanket of white snow.
The capital had snowed heavily for days and finally stopped today.
Hearing the door open behind him, he didn’t turn, lightly tapping the window sill with his finger, saying indifferently: “That year, how did you coax her?”
The same snowy day, same biting cold—how did he coax that little lady who once had eyes only for him into caring for him?
Utterly disregarding his feelings, even after he got angry, that lady paid no mind and would turn the world upside down to find him.
Find him to do what?
Pei Yuqing casually undid his cloak. Hearing this, his gaze softened, as if seeing that year the little lady squatting in the snow, her eyes blindfolded with white silk.
After thinking, he said: “That year, she suffered an eye illness, suddenly losing her sight. Her heart was panicked and uneasy, yet she didn’t want to worry her parents, elder brother, or maidservants. Even crying, she hid away to do it alone. I happened upon her several times.”
The little lady’s pitiful, adorable voice, choked with sobs, was so sweet and obedient, incredibly heart-melting.
Even a cold person like him could overlook it once or twice, pretending not to see.
But later, he couldn’t help taking her pulse himself. Learning it was just snow blindness, he gently persuaded her.
An eye illness that could heal—if worsened by too many tears into true blindness, what then?
“That year she was fourteen, you twenty-five. Harboring thoughts about a little girl who could almost be your daughter—don’t you find yourself shameless?” Lu Ziyan slowly turned, his gaze on his face sharp as a knife.
This man before him had used that hypocritical face to coax away his Wanwan.
In three months, she had hastily married.
Every time he thought of it, Lu Ziyan itched to dice him into pieces.
Such questioning didn’t embarrass Pei Yuqing at all.
Combined as one~~~
