Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The caged charcoal fire crackled softly.

His long arm, bound with a wrist guard, naturally embraced her, neither too tight nor too loose, his hand hovering just above her waist as it dropped.

The faint scent of ink filled her nostrils, and beneath the soft, smooth fabric, the gentle warmth of the young woman’s body could be felt.

His hand remained still, but his mind wandered—

*I wonder how it would feel to knead her waist.*

"...You have some misunderstandings about me."

Pei Zhaoye fell silent for a moment, speaking with rare sincerity.

Li Zhu stared at him, then smiled after a while. "A little, indeed."

Compared to the him from her past life, her misunderstandings were far more than just "a little."

Yet the trust and affection in her smile remained unchanged.

*She’s really easy to fool,* Pei Zhaoye thought.

He didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing, but whenever she wore that expression and spoke those mushy words, he didn’t feel relieved—instead, he felt...

*Like slaughtering anyone who dares bully her.*

Otherwise, what would happen to her when he wasn’t around?

The thought surfaced, and a faint, inexplicable irritation stirred in Pei Zhaoye’s heart. But he was never one to worry unnecessarily, so he quickly brushed it aside.

"Have you found anything noteworthy in Cui Shiyong’s records?"

The delicate silk slipped through his fingertips as Li Zhu pulled away from his embrace.

Her desk was cluttered, filled with the Pei family’s secrets she had previously uncovered, as well as half-written bamboo slips.

Li Zhu rummaged through them and unrolled one.

"He comes from the Cui clan of Liyang, a family of esteemed lineage. He entered officialdom early, but... judging from his records, his political achievements seem rather lackluster."

"It’d be strange if he had any achievements."

Pei Zhaoye toyed with the bamboo pen on the desk.

"A few years ago, the flood in Yiling Commandery was indeed caused by that Inspector named Shi Zhao embezzling the funds for the river embankment. But instead of prioritizing disaster relief and distributing food, he was busy trying to bring down Shi Zhao—he succeeded in ousting him, but who’s to blame for the additional famine deaths?"

Li Zhu pondered. "How do the common people view him?"

"Opinions vary," he said carelessly. "Some see him as the only honest official in Yiling Commandery, hoping he’ll purge corrupt officials. But most commoners don’t really care about whether an official is honest or not."

This was rather novel to Li Zhu, as in her understanding, everyone should favor honest officials.

"Explain in detail," she said, sitting cross-legged and listening attentively.

"If it’s a choice between an incorruptible, shrewd and capable official and one who abuses power for personal gain and is incompetent, of course the people would prefer the former. But such saints are as rare as a thousand-year-old iron tree blooming."

Li Zhu fiddled with the bamboo slips, her delicate, pink-tipped fingers tracing the inked characters unconsciously.

Pei Zhaoye’s gaze flickered over them subtly before he continued, "The majority are either clever but greedy and lustful, or upright but inflexible. Coincidentally, the Governor of Yiling falls into the latter category."

"Sounds like you somewhat admire those corrupt officials?"

"No," Pei Zhaoye laughed. "I dislike both. One is a parasite sucking the blood of commoners like us, and the other is a pretentious, useless fool. They’re both irritating. If officials don’t serve the people, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes. The commoners don’t care about honesty or corruption—they only care about whether their lives are better."

"..."

Li Zhu was momentarily speechless at his sharp critique.

She glanced at him and muttered, "It’s not that rare. If you were an official, you’d definitely be an honest and capable one."

"Definitely not, don’t even think about it."

Pei Zhaoye’s expression was unperturbed. "That’s a judgment of others. If I were an official, the first thing I’d do is forget my roots, and the second would be to embezzle and commit all sorts of crimes."

He expected her to be angry, but the young woman before him merely looked at him and chuckled.

"You wouldn’t."

"I definitely would."

"You just wouldn’t."

Her tone was soft, with a hint of pride, though it was unclear what she was proud of.

"If you became a civil official, you’d reward and punish justly, enforce the law strictly, promote capable ministers, and purge corrupt officials."

Li Zhu murmured softly, her gaze distant and nostalgic.

Pei Zhaoye felt nothing inside.

But the next moment, she lifted her eyes in the candlelight, looking toward the clumsily inscribed calligraphy beside the bed, her gaze tender.

"If you became a military official—"

His long eyelashes trembled slightly.

"You’d surely be a great general whose spirit towers over the heavens," she said with a smile.

Pei Zhaoye’s breath hitched.

A steady knocking sounded at the door.

"Princess? Are you asleep? I have something I’d like to ask for your help with." It was Dan Zhu’s voice.

Li Zhu quickly replied, "No, come in."

The door creaked open a crack, letting in the chill of the autumn night. Perhaps cooled by the breeze, Pei Zhaoye’s mind finally cleared.

*...What great general.*

*Fighting on the battlefield for that damn emperor? What a pipe dream.*

"Chief!?" Dan Zhu had just closed the door and turned around, jumping when she saw Pei Zhaoye standing there. "Why are you here? What are you two...?"

She glanced around and chuckled, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

A pink flush spread across Li Zhu's cheeks, and she quickly shook her head.

Pei Zhaoye shot a glance toward the door.

He had thought the female official was truly at ease leaving him alone with the princess late at night, but it seemed she couldn't resist sending someone in to interrupt after all.

"What brings you here, Sister Dan Zhu?"

After sitting down opposite the two, Dan Zhu finally spoke up.

It turned out her sister had been sick for ages without getting better, and her in-laws had hired many physicians with no luck.

Dan Zhu had seen Changjun bring a group of women into the Pei residence yesterday and learned they were originally the princess's attendants, including a palace medical officer. That gave her the idea to ask Li Zhu for help.

"Of course, I'll have her go with you first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Zhu was taken aback.

"Does your sister live in Xiang City? I thought your family had all joined Red Leaf Village together."

Dan Zhu smiled cheerfully:

"My sister is different from me. She's sweet-natured and very pretty. She married a man with a bright future. Once my brother-in-law gets promoted, she'll be the wife of a high official. Usually, she's afraid her in-laws will find out she has a sister like me, so we don't associate."

Her tone was light, but Li Zhu wasn't sure how to respond.

Pei Zhaoye watched her quietly.

"It's getting late. Time to go."

Dan Zhu stood up as well, thanked Li Zhu once more, and before leaving, asked if Changjun could accompany her tomorrow.

Then Pei Zhaoye gave her a light shove on the shoulder.

He said, "Ignore her. Can you just order the princess's guard around as you please? Keep your hormones in check."

Dan Zhu rested her hands behind her head, grumbling, "What do you mean 'my lustful thoughts'? Look who's talking. I think you're not much better."

After the two had left, Li Zhu called Changjun over for details:

"Are you and Sister Dan Zhu... pretty tight?"

Changjun took in the curious looks on Li Zhu and Xuan Ying's faces and frowned.

"We're cool. She talks a lot, always making rounds to chat people up every day."

Xuan Ying smiled faintly, and Li Zhu also let out a meaningful "oh."

"Then do you know what's the story with Dan Zhu's family? How did she become an outlaw while her sister married an official?"

Changjun replied, "I'm not too sure... Her family seems to be tenant farmers from the county. Both sisters were quite famous there—the elder sister for her beauty, and Dan Zhu for her incredible strength since childhood. Her father arranged a marriage for her, but she wasn't willing. Then, during that year's flood, she became an outlaw to support her family."

"Later, their family's situation improved, but she still didn't want to go back home. So she followed that Chief Pei and gradually made a name for herself in the underworld. She even has a nickname, 'Cloud-Piercing Tiger,' praising her archery skills. And her archery really is excellent, better than most trained fighters..."

At this point, Changjun noticed the teasing smiles on the faces of the two across from him.

Xuan Ying: "And this counts as 'not too sure'? I think you’ve almost figured out her family tree."

Changjun blushed instantly: "She never stops chattering at me... If you keep laughing, I won't say anymore."

Li Zhu hurriedly said, "Good Changjun, I won't laugh. Please continue."

"...Anyway, she and her sister are very close. She even put together her sister's dowry herself. A few years ago, her sister married a Scribe under the Prefect. They're said to be a loving couple, and she's two months pregnant."

In the middle of hearing this, the smile on Li Zhu's lips suddenly froze.

A Scribe under the Prefect?

Perhaps because she had been paying extra attention to this Prefect lately, Li Zhu felt a sudden unease in her heart upon learning that Dan Zhu's brother-in-law was actually an official under the Prefect.

But upon second thought, it wasn't really surprising.

Red Leaf Village was established relying on Yiling Prefecture, and most of the outlaws were originally commoners from Yiling. It was normal for there to be complicated ties.

On this side, Li Zhu and the others gave the young guard a hard time a bit more before preparing to bathe and rest.

On the other side, Dan Zhu and Pei Zhaoye walked along the pond toward their respective rooms.

"...If the princess really plans to purge our Yiling officialdom later, could you whisper in her ear and spare my brother-in-law? He's quite decent and law-abiding. My sister wrote to me saying he never engages in bribery."

"She knows what she's doing," Pei Zhaoye glanced at her again, frowning. "What 'whispering in her ear'? Stop talking nonsense."

Dan Zhu grinned: "Don't you want to share a bed with the princess?"

"...You really need to read more books."

As they walked, Dan Zhu looked up. It was almost the sixteenth of the month, and the moon was nearly full.

"Such a white moon." Just like that young guard's complexion.

Dan Zhu suddenly turned her head and said, "What if we started a rebellion, Chief?"

Pei Zhaoye almost tripped.

"I'm serious."

Meeting Pei Zhaoye's look that said she was crazy, Dan Zhu continued:

"The unrest in Yanshan is getting worse. I heard they even got their hands on some illegal iron shipments. At first, I thought they wouldn't amount to much, but now their numbers keep growing—"

Pei Zhaoye: "Rebellion isn't just about numbers."

"No, of course they won't succeed. But we're different. Our Red Leaf Village is well-trained, disciplined, with people, money, and connections. Even those high officials have to show us some respect."

Dan Zhu plucked a willow leaf and casually used it like a throwing knife to slice off a few wild flowers by the roadside.

"If we rise up, we’d definitely have widespread support. Heroes from all over would flock to join us—"

"And then what?"

Pei Zhaoye said coldly:

"First, the various heroes would fight among themselves for leadership. Then the scum mixed in among the ranks would cause trouble. A motley crew is useless—they wouldn't even make it across the Yanshui River. The last powerful minister who rebelled fell within a generation—how long ago was that? He controlled the court and held heavy troops, yet still got overthrown by the powerful clans. Do you really think rebelling and becoming emperor is that simple?"

Dan Zhu was stumped for a long moment, unable to refute, and finally blurted out:

"You say it's impossible, but I can see you've thought it through pretty carefully."

And he hadn't even mentioned the details.

The Yong Dynasty lasted two hundred years, and the Shen family had accumulated two hundred years of prestige, with deep foundations. The common people had long grown accustomed to having an emperor surnamed Shen.

Although the people of Nan Yong now complained about the court, many still held deep affection for the Southern Yong region.

It was just that the southerners resented the court's incompetence and their territory being lost.

The northerners resented the moon that waxed full year after year, while the people remained separated by north and south, gazing at the rushing river waters before the Divine Maiden's Tower, unable to return home.

Under the bright moon hanging high in the sky, Pei Zhaoye looked up at the deep blue heavens.

The black eaves in all directions were no different than the view he had seen in his childhood.

Back then, sitting on the steps, he would listen to his mother sing. Whenever she reached the line, "Marching out at dawn, not returning by night," he always felt the melody was too bleak and tragic.

So what if one did not return by night?

With the northern lands lost, Nan Yong's brave men ought to die in the north.

"However..."

As they approached the courtyard where they were staying, Danzhu suddenly said:

"What a pity. I really think that little princess likes you. If we don’t rebel, wouldn’t you two be fated to have no chance in this life?"

"Are you stupid?" he said flatly. "If we really rebel, that would be the true end of our fate in this life."

Her country overthrown by him, her royal family killed by his hand, the loyal ministers of the Yong court would curse her for letting the wolf in through the door. In future historical records, she would be branded with infamy.

How much would he have to hate her to do such a thing?

Pei Zhaoye added, "Besides, I don’t like her enough to go that far."

Danzhu tilted her head and studied him for a moment.

"Really or not?"

"It’s just a matter of being attracted to her looks—a common human tendency. Would I really go through hell and high water for her?"

Danzhu wasn't fully convinced.

When they reached the courtyard, the light in Gu Bing’an’s room was out. The two prepared to return to their respective rooms. Pei Zhaoye pushed the door open and, before even lighting the lamp, could tell someone was there.

"—Gu Bing’an! What's Gu Bing’an up to?"

With a dark expression, Pei Zhaoye kicked open Gu Bing’an’s door and yanked him from his bed.

"Get up! Why is there a woman in my room?"

Gu Bing’an blinked drowsily:

"Huh? She got in again? No, it’s not my fault! So many singers and dancers are stuck in this mansion with nothing to do. We can’t just keep them locked in their rooms all day like prisoners—they’d go stir-crazy... Danzhu! Danzhu, take her back!"

"Oh, right!"

Danzhu hurried into the inner chamber.

A moment later, an exclamation drifted out:

"Oh my god, she’s stark naked."

Gu Bing’an couldn’t help but his ears turn red, then heard the man beside him say grimly:

"Keep your mouth shut, especially around Princess Qinghe. If even half a word leaks out, I'll castrate you."

"..."

After all the commotion and having the bedding replaced, Pei Zhaoye finally lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

A faint, cloyingly sweet fragrance still lingered in the inner chamber.

The scent triggered memories, almost instantly evoking disturbing recollections from his childhood.

Pale, bronzed, entwined arms and legs, wanton laughter and moans, indistinguishable from pain or pleasure, sounds as if rising from the flames of hell.

A sharp pain twisted in his stomach.

He wanted to vomit.

He couldn’t tell whether it was a physical or psychological reaction.

Pei Zhaoye broke out in a cold sweat, his eyelids trembling. A bone-deep revulsion rooted in his bones surged up, almost compelling him to flee.

Suddenly, in the darkness, his eyes snapped open. He rose and walked to a desk in the room.

The unused writing materials lay nearby. He poured remaining tea into the inkstone, picked up the inkstick, and ground it without a word until a faint ink fragrance spread through the room.

His large-knuckled fingers grabbed the inkstone and placed it beside the bed.

Pei Zhaoye lay back down, closed his eyes, and the subtle scent of ink soon overpowered the lingering perfume.

His churning stomach calmed, and his stiff, cold limbs warmed.

His dreams were filled with a tranquil atmosphere. Pei Zhaoye touched soft, smooth silk and, beneath it, a slender waist as delicate as jade.

The woman he had glimpsed behind the curtain was replaced by a face like morning light and spring dew.

Her dimpled smile, her angry glare, and the way her lips reddened when he kissed her, turning away, pressed against the wall about to cry.

"Pei Zhaoye..."

She whispered his name, embracing him with fragmented sobs, her gaze full of attachment and intense trust.

"..."

In his panting breath, he cleansed away the strange fragments of old dreams.