Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Indeed, Li Zhu's concerns were well-founded.

Not only did these young gentlemen from the prefectural school harbor class prejudices, even ordinary commoners in the marketplace would stratify people—whose relatives held official positions, whose fathers or brothers had been imprisoned.

If it were merely a displaced person like Wu Yan, the students might have shown compassion and refrained from making things difficult.

But Pei Zhaoye hailed from a background as a mountain bandit and salt smuggler.

He was an outlaw!

Engaging in robbery, bullying the weak, trafficking illegal salt to compete with the state for profit—how could these scions of noble families possibly study under the same roof as a bandit?

However, before anyone had the chance to ostracize him, their attention was drawn to another person.

"Watch it! Who do you think you're bumping into!"

Xue Huaifang had just been snubbed by Xie Ji.

As luck would have it, as he turned a corner, a boy scrambling blindly barreled into him, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

Pei Zhaoye narrowed his eyes at the sight of Xue Huaifang.

The one who had done the bumping was the same boy with the cracking voice from earlier.

He seemed genuinely convinced of the power of witchcraft; Pei Zhaoye's tongue had given him such a fright that he immediately cried about going home to ward off evil and rushed out.

Unfortunately, he ran into Xue Huaifang and was kicked hard in the chest by one of Xue Huaifang's attendants.

The students in the hall fell dead silent.

Xue Huaifang’s expression was grim.

Not only had he been physically bumped, but he had been struck in a rather... sensitive area.

Ever since New Year's Day, when he had nearly frozen to death, Xue Huaifang had been experiencing some physical issues.

For someone like Xue Huaifang, who was fond of wine and women, this problem was practically a living nightmare.

He'd sought out every physician in Jiangzhou, and only in the past few days had there been slight improvement—but it was still nowhere near normal.

Those around him dared not risk upsetting him.

Yet, this young man had the misfortune of hitting exactly the wrong spot.

The young man under Xue Huaifang’s gaze felt his scalp crawl—

He wants to kill me! That look in Xue Huaifang’s eyes—he’s definitely considering whether he can kill me!

That man’s tongue really is hexed! Just looking at it brings bad luck!

Xue Huaifang’s expression darkened as he moved his lips.

"You…"

"—Isn’t this Second Young Master Xue? I’ve heard a lot about you."

Pei Zhaoye stepped over the young man on the ground and walked straight toward Xue Huaifang.

Xue Huaifang initially had no intention of engaging.

However, the man approaching him was tall with powerful shoulders and a lean waist, with a seemingly casual smile that carried a roguish charm—utterly different from these docile, sheep-like nobles.

"Who are you?"

"Pei Zhaoye of Yiling, currently under Princess Qinghe’s command, serving as a Refugee Commander—"

Pei Zhaoye glanced at the dazed young man sitting on the ground.

"Mindless idiot, why don’t you apologize to the Second Young Master and scram?"

Xue Huaifang was about to say who gave him permission to leave, but Pei Zhaoye slung a long arm around his neck and steered him away.

The students behind them could only watch as Pei Zhaoye chatted briefly with Xue Huaifang, though they couldn’t make out what was said.

At first, Xue Huaifang looked wary, but gradually his expression softened. By the end, both were grinning, seeming to get along quite well.

The students exchanged bewildered glances.

This is bad.

Princess Qinghe has truly let a wolf into the fold.

-

By the time Li Zhu arrived, they were having a polo class by the stream.

The prefectural school’s curriculum included both academic and martial classes. The academic classes were a given, while the martial classes involved polo and hunting. Today, it was polo.

"Thwack—!"

The students, holding mallets and riding charging horses, filled the field with the sounds of hooves and striking balls.

Li Zhu had no interest in playing polo herself, but watching it was quite entertaining.

Men and women were mixed on the field, engaged in a fierce game, but Li Zhu’s eyes immediately found the most dazzling figure among them.

"Greetings, Princess Qinghe."

Xie Junzhu, who had just finished the previous polo match, was resting. Seeing Li Zhu approach, she and several other female students nearby rose to pay their respects.

Li Zhu happily gathered her skirts and hurried over.

"Junzhu! So you’re also studying at the prefectural school?"

Xie Junzhu smiled. "Indeed, Princess. I still have half a year until my coming-of-age rite, so for now, I can still attend the prefectural school... What brings you here, Princess?"

When Li Zhu mentioned she had come with several generals and commanders from the Refugee Army, Xie Junzhu and the other female students exchanged uneasy glances.

"Princess."

Xie Junzhu suddenly took Li Zhu’s hand solemnly, her gentle gaze turning resolute:

"If you are truly under someone's thumb, our families may not be able to do much else, but we could attempt to secretly escort you back to Luoyang!"

Li Zhu stared in shock.

When she pressed for details, she learned what had happened in the school that day.

The Princess was indeed furious, and everyone felt it was expected.

Xue Xiwen is always at odds with the princess—how could that Refugee Commander address Xue Xiwen’s brother like brothers?

“—Who said that! Who claimed he has a cursed tongue? That’s total nonsense!”

Several schoolmates stared blankly at the furious princess.

“Princess… is that what you’re angry about?”

“Of course I’m angry! I hate all that witchcraft talk the most!”

Just like when Xue Daorong said she was the death of her mother and Pei Zhaoye.

Now, hearing others claim that Pei Zhaoye’s tongue was also a form of evil power, how could Li Zhu not be furious?

Xie Junzhu jumped in, “We don’t believe such things either… but, Princess, is that the only thing you’re angry about?”

Still fuming, Li Zhu asked in confusion, “What else should I be angry about? Xue Huaifang? He must have been just stringing Xue Huaifang along to help that young man escape.”

“…”

Meeting Li Zhu’s trusting eyes, the others felt nothing but bad for her.

She’s being played.

That man on the field, whose strikes could gouge holes in the grass, practically had the word “schemer” written on his face—how could he possibly be that nice?

Unable to speak plainly, they could only hint and advise Li Zhu indirectly.

She must watch her back.

Never trust the smooth talk from guys.

Li Zhu propped her chin on her hand, listening with a smile.

“You guys are so sweet.”

Xie Junzhu and the others were stunned.

“Doesn’t Xue Xiwen tell you not to hang out with me? Why are you taking a chance talking to me?”

They exchanged glances, and finally, Xie Junzhu spoke up, “In principle, you’re the princess—you outrank us, and we should respect you. How could we avoid you simply because the Xue family holds power? On a personal note, if not for His Majesty setting the precedent of allowing you to attend the Orchid Terrace, the Imperial Academy and prefectural schools would not have begun admitting female students.”

“Although we must get married after we turn fifteen, these years spent at the prefectural school are precious to us. How could we not be grateful to you, Princess?”

Hearing Xie Junzhu’s words, Li Zhu felt as if her heart felt light.

She recalled her dealing with the Xie men.

To be fair, the Xie men were plenty respectful.

At least they didn’t turn her away like other noble clans in Jiangzhou, who feared the Xue family.

Yet, they still treated her with just polite and distant reverence, never stepped out of line or listened to what she truly wanted to say.

Xie Junzhu and these female students, however, didn’t keep their distance with her.

It was as if they naturally had her back.

Li Zhu looked at Xie Junzhu and said, “A few days ago, I wrote my dad using the yellow paper you gave me. After reading it, my father and several high-ranking ministers were really impressed in their reply—Junzhu, I want to get you a title. I wonder if you’d be willing.”

The group was speechless.

They could hardly believe what they were hearing!

Xie Junzhu herself was even more lost, unable to grasp why the topic had took such a sharp turn.

“P-Princess… why…?”

“In the previous dynasty, eunuchs were given titles for making paper better. Now, you’ve gone even further by fixing the bug problem. From now on, important documents across the land can gradually abandon heavy bamboo slips in favor of light paper. This benefits the nation and its people, and it’s something for the history books. You deserve this title.”

“B-but…”

“But you’re a woman, and with the country’s a mess and the treasury’s empty, right?”

Xie Junzhu nodded with difficulty. Even in peaceful times, such a thing would be hard to achieve.

Li Zhu smiled at her, “It’s alright. I’ll tell my father to allocate it from my own lands.”

The group was even more astonished than before.

That’s unheard of!

Since when has a princess ever used her own estate to give someone else a title?

Yet the princess before them spoke calmly, as if she had long considered it: “I have two commanderies and one county as my fief in Jiangzhou. I know the Xue family has taken people’s farms and lied about how many people live there, so the actual tax revenue collected is less than half.”

“But if you’re ennobled, you can start your own household as a woman, enjoy tax revenues from the fief, receive legal protection, and have your own branch in the ancestral temple—”

One of the female students beside them couldn’t help but let out a wow.

Li Zhu turned to her, “Do you also wish to be ennobled?”

The student quickly waved her hands, “I don’t have Junzhu’s talents…”

“You could also buy it.”

Li Zhu dropped this shocking statement calmly.

“…What?” Xie Junzhu stared in disbelief. “Buy what?”

“Buy a title—give a thousand shi of grain, move up a rank of nobility, and a fief of a thousand households. This is only for women.”

Over the past few days, Li Zhu had considered every possible way to scrape together money and supplies.

With war looming, all reasonable and legal methods were useless, leaving only drastic steps.

When this idea first occurred to her, even Li Zhu herself was startled.

How could anyone sell official posts?

As a child, listening to the Grand Tutor's lectures, she'd been deeply ashamed of such practices, believing that government posts should go to those with real ability and titles through achievements.

All forms of nepotism, corruption, and shady dealings should be thoroughly eradicated.

However, Li Zhu recently learned that her mother’s memorial day was approaching, and her father the Emperor was planning to hold lavish ceremonies again—lasting three consecutive days, with expenses costing hundreds of thousands of coins daily.

Li Zhu was absolutely fuming.

She didn’t know where her father’s money came from, but she could easily guess it was not from legitimate sources.

While she was living frugally in Jiangzhou, mending her clothes, her father was spending as if there were no tomorrow.

If that’s the case, then let's all get in on the selling!

He sells official positions, she sells titles—when this is written in the history books, people will blame her while dragging him down too, saying she’s just following her father’s example!

Li Zhu said to them:

"Of course, if you truly donate grain to me, you will inevitably make enemies of the Xue clan. But if—I mean if—the Xue family falls, the unregistered households will be registered and taxed, and the revenues from the marches will also double."

The several female students were not sheltered maidens who had long stayed in the women's quarters; they understood the risks and benefits clearly.

Where would the grain and money for the contribution come from?

Only from their dowries.

Coming from prominent families, their dowries included substantial landholdings and shops.

This was the only property they could control—to risk it for a Marchioness title or to marry securely with their dowries intact was not an easy decision.

Li Zhu was well aware of this.

So, she wasn't pressing for an answer.

Thump—!

With the crisp sound of Dan Zhu’s ball striking down a student, the polo game ended.

"Who won? Which side won?"

Li Zhu shook Xie Junzhu’s arm and asked.

Xie Junzhu looked into her bright, clear eyes and found it hard to connect her with the person who had just spoken about selling titles.

She replied, "Your Highness, your side won."

Li Zhu immediately beamed, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and lifted her skirts to run toward the field.

The figure in pale yellow fluttered over like a bright jasmine-like flower against the gloomy sky.

Everyone watched enviously as the jasmine-like beauty walked toward Pei Zhaoye, their expressions full of longing to trade places with him.

Morning classes concluded.

The field was crowded and full of prying eyes, so Li Zhu, under the pretext of wanting to learn horseback riding, followed Pei Zhaoye along the stream to a quieter spot.

"...Xie Ji still wanted to teach our Refugee Army a lesson, but today we showed him who’s really giving whom a lesson."

Li Zhu watched Pei Zhaoye tethering the horse and said lightly:

"I can’t help but feel that Mr. Xie was just using the opportunity to assess each of your personalities and abilities?"

Pei Zhaoye glanced at her: "Maybe. But then again, your Mr. Xie always seems brilliantly shrewd in your eyes."

Li Zhu didn’t argue.

He washed his hands by the stream, and she crouched beside him, briefly explaining the plan to sell titles to him.

"You came up with this? You actually thought of something like this?"

Hearing his incredulous question asked twice, Li Zhu met his astonished gaze and felt inexplicably ashamed.

"...I didn’t want to resort to this, but I really couldn’t think of any other way..."

Li Zhu lowered her head and plucked at the withered grass by the stream.

"Do you think the Grand Tutor will be angry if he finds out? Will he feel he taught a bad student? He even praised me to Mr. Xie, but in the end, I could only come up with such a rotten idea..."

She remained crouching with her arms around her knees, but a pair of long arms reached out and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight.

"If this is a rotten idea, then what about the ideas I come up with? Those aren’t just rotten—they’re probably downright..."

Li Zhu covered his mouth, not wanting to hear any crude language.

Pei Zhaoye didn’t speak, just smiled and kissed her palm.

Li Zhu’s palm tickled by his kissing, and she had to let go.

Suddenly, Li Zhu thought of something: "What did you say to Xue Huaifang? Why did he leave so easily without taking his anger out on you?"

"What else would men talk about to have a good time?"

Pei Zhaoye chuckled:

"I told him I have a family secret recipe that can boost masculinity, guaranteed to restore his vigor and make him unstoppable—"

Xue Huaifang still had no idea that Pei Zhaoye was the one who had hung him up overnight, the culprit behind his condition.

Li Zhu wrinkled her nose: "And that made him happy?"

"More than happy. He even said he’d invite me for drinks next time and introduce me to some friends—to share the 'good stuff' together."

"...Such a crude way to make friends."

"I told you, that’s just how men are."

He looked at Li Zhu’s disgusted expression and chuckled, his chest rumbling.

But Li Zhu couldn’t laugh, instead looking at him with concern:

"But you’re not like that. You helped that young man at the prefectural school, but he may not appreciate it and might even think you’re trying to curry favor with Xue Huaifang."

Pei Zhaoye shrugged it off:

"I’m here to learn from Xie Ji, not to make friends. I don’t care what they think."

"But I care."

Her thumb pressed against his lips.

"This isn't some evil sorcery—it's the wounds you've suffered."

He stared intently at her slightly furrowed fine brows.

He said nothing, only parting his lips slightly to gently take her fingertip into his mouth.

The wetness of his tongue and the hardness of the silver ring sent two distinct sensations through her finger.

Li Zhu felt a shiver run down her spine. Even though it was her finger invading his mouth, his dark, intense eyes never left hers, as though trying to pierce through to her heart.

"...Doesn't it hurt?" she asked.

Li Zhu was afraid her finger might be causing him pain.

"It doesn't hurt," he kissed the back of her hand, "it just feels amazing."

"..."

"Don't worry, these young masters are like pampered lambs from wealthy families. They might hold some resentment toward me now, but in a few days, I'll lead them around like dogs."

Pei Zhaoye picked up the hair crown that had been set aside.

"Will you help me put it on, My Princess?"

He had taken off the crown earlier while horseback riding when he got too hot, leaving his hair loose.

Li Zhu, her cheeks flushed, washed her hands in the nearby stream, dried them, and then reached out to tie up his hair and place the crown.

She did it with practiced ease.

Even more skillfully than when she did her own hair.

And all the while, she kept sneaking nervous glances at him, as though looking at him after he wore the crown made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Pei Zhaoye watched her with an intense, searching gaze.

Li Zhu did indeed feel a little guilty.

Because once his hair was tied and the crown was on, she found it hard not to see him through her memories of Pei Yinzhi from a previous life.

Yet he was younger, more boyish.

Making the feeling that "they were two people from different times" even stronger, she thought.

Just as Li Zhu was wondering whether this meant she was loving two people simultaneously, the moment she finished tying the knot under his chin, his lips pressed against hers.

Li Zhu drew a slow breath.

Seeing that familiar face so close, her heart clenched with sudden sorrow, and she did not close her eyes.

But Pei Zhaoye could clearly feel how soft the hands resting on his shoulders were, and how tightly their bodies pressed together.

He tilted his head,一遍又一遍地吻.

...Fine, if it helped calm her anger, maybe next time he could wear these clothes again.