Chapter 48: Disguise (1)

Chapter 48: Disguise (1)

The Welcome Guest Tower had hired a brewmaster specializing in baijiu, quite strong, which paired well with the roast lamb.

Le Wuya himself couldn't drink, so he asked Pei Mingqi, "How does it taste?"

Pei Mingqi, who had grown up in the capital, had a rather discerning palate and could judge the quality of fine liquor.

At this, he nodded with reserve: "Not bad. Would you like some?"

Le Wuya nodded in satisfaction.

For Pei Mingqi, "not bad" was high praise.

Le Wuya poured himself a cup of liquor and poured it out on the ground as a libation.

Seeing Pei Mingqi’s puzzled look, Le Wuya explained, "A relative of mine passed away young. I heard he liked to drink, so whenever I come across good liquor these years, I always want to let him have a taste."

Wen Renyue’s heart stirred.

If it was a relative and someone worthy of offering liquor to, why say "I heard he liked to drink"?

Pei Mingqi didn’t notice this.

He focused on the word "liquor."

He called over the brewmaster and whispered a few words.

When the meal ended and the group went downstairs, Le Wuya noticed that two large jars of baijiu sealed with red paper had been tied to his horse.

Le Wuya shamelessly cupped his hands in thanks: "Many thanks to General Pei."

Pei Mingqi disliked formalities, so he mounted his horse and cracked his whip: "I’ll see you back to Nanting, and also check on Er Ya."

When his eyes met Le Wuya’s, his ears reddened, and he added, "It’s not for your sake, don’t flatter yourself. I’m just afraid you’ll starve that dog to death."

Deputy General An kept his face blank, pretending not to hear that blatantly transparent excuse.

Le Wuya also pretended not to hear it, but Wen Renyue chuckled softly beside him, which only made Pei Mingqi more irritated.

All the way, Pei Mingqi brooded over the fact that he fed his own "Little Red Sandalwood Burner" (Le Wuya) only the best, yet that Scholar Ming had managed to mooch a few bites—truly infuriating.

With a grudge in his heart, he’d ride ahead and then turn back to check on the two of them. Whenever he saw them talking, he would slow down and circle around them to make his presence known.

Deputy General An watched this the whole way, his heart already as calm as still water.

He vaguely recalled that when Er Ya used to be kept by the Junior General, she also liked to circle people like that, as if marking her own territory.

With food in their bellies and the horses well-fed and watered during the roast lamb meal, they picked up speed. Taking a few shortcuts, they reached Nanting County as dusk fell.

The clerk guarding Nanting, having received word of the Magistrate's return, came bustling out, only to unexpectedly run into Pei Mingqi. Startled, he hurried to arrange a welcome banquet.

Pei Mingqi declined and instead turned to Le Wuya, directly demanding, "I treated you to roast lamb. Where’s my plain noodle soup?"

Even though Deputy General An had watched his general lose face the whole way and was used to it, seeing this still made him want to cover his forehead.

The plain noodle soup promise could have been saved for next time.

Why was the Junior General so impatient, insisting on doing everything at once? What excuse would he have to come to Nanting next time?

Unable to bear it any longer, he decided to overstep his bounds, just this once, relying on the fact that he was a few years older, to teach him a bit about social interactions.

To his surprise, after hearing his advice, Pei Mingqi was utterly unreceptive.

"Need an excuse to see him?" Pei Mingqi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I just come straight here. Could he really kick me out?"

As Deputy General An stood dumbfounded, Pei Mingqi remembered something else and raised his whip, pointing it at Wen Renyue beside Le Wuya, declaring domineeringly, "When I go out tonight, you’re not bringing him!"

At dusk, Pei Mingqi and Le Wuya sat together at a street noodle shop in Nanting. Beneath the table, Er Ya lay crouched, out for some fresh air, wagging her tail contentedly.

Pei Mingqi was easy to please—roast lamb was fine, and a simple, light plain noodle soup was also delicious.

Le Wuya, on the other hand, couldn’t swallow even half a bite of food that didn’t suit his taste.

After a quarter of an hour, Pei Mingqi’s bowl was empty, while the scallion garnish on Le Wuya’s soup surface hadn’t even sunk to the bottom.

Thinking back on his brief military career, Le Wuya found it quite strange.

He remembered that back then, he could swallow any coarse food without complaint—eating in a hurry before riding out with Little Phoenix or drilling his Tianlang Camp.

Le Wuya bit his chopsticks, tracing back to when he had turned so picky.

Oh, it was after Helian Che’s arrow had pierced his stomach, and the doctor had told him to eat small meals frequently and take good care of himself.

Having confirmed it wasn’t that he was just being fussy, Le Wuya suddenly felt justified in his pickiness, even puffing out his chest.

The plain noodle soup was too small a portion. Pei Mingqi was only half full. He looked up and saw that Le Wuya’s bowl was still eight-tenths full.

"Not hungry?" he asked, puzzled.

Le Wuya said, "Thanks to you, General Pei, I ate too much at noon."

Pei Mingqi frowned: "You didn’t eat much at noon. What thanks? Are you blaming me for letting you go hungry? Insulting me, are you?"

Scolding Le Wuya, Pei Mingqi swapped their bowls.

Le Wuya: "Hey, hey, hey!"

Pei Mingqi cut him off, "Stop wasting it! Finish it, and I’ll take you back to the yamen. You can buy whatever you want on the way—I don’t care!"

He kept saying he didn’t care, but on the way, the little wontons, dragon’s beard candy, and drunken dates that Le Wuya casually bought—Pei Mingqi paid for all of them.

Le Wuya eagerly told him about his plans for fixing up the road, planting trees, and bringing merchants to settle in Nanting.

Pei Mingqi didn’t really get it. After listening in a daze, he asked bluntly, "You need me to do anything?"

Le Wuya waved his hand: "No need to bother General Pei. Just keep the borders safe and don’t ruin the people’s chances to make a living, and I’ll be grateful."

Pei Mingqi said glumly, "Oh."

They walked and talked, arriving at the yamen gate, only to find Deputy General An waiting with the guards, having been eagerly watching for Pei Mingqi to return for some time.

Last time, the prince had been on a tour of inspection, ordering them to maintain order in Nanting, which let Pei Mingqi stay for ten days.

They couldn’t leave the camp without orders for too long, so they had to go back that night.

Seeing them about to leave, Le Wuya called out, "General Pei, wait a moment!"

He grabbed the extra snacks he’d bought and dashed into the yamen.

When he came out again, the snacks in his hands were gone, replaced by a bright horse lantern: "One more lantern to light the night road!"

General Pei Mingqi took the lantern, examined it for a moment, then his face fell and he said bitterly, "You're just hoping I'll leave soon, aren't you?"

Le Wuya: "..."

Stumble and fall, break your neck.

Le Wuya stepped forward and grabbed the lantern frame: "Since General Pei doesn't need it, please return it."

Seeing that Le Wuya's face had also darkened, Pei Mingqi instantly regretted his words.

Clearly, he had meant well—why did he always twist things?

He quickly tightened his grip on the lantern handle, afraid that Le Wuya would take it back.

Unexpectedly, Le Wuya, now annoyed, held firmly onto the frame, engaging in a tug-of-war with him.

Pei Mingqi wasn't afraid that Le Wuya would snatch the lantern away, but when he caught sight of the exposed arm—pale and slender—he knew it belonged to a scholar's frame. If he used too much force and sprained or hurt him, what would he do?

Pei Mingqi threatened him: "If you don't let go, I'll take you and the lantern—ah!"

Before Pei Mingqi could finish his sentence, Le Wuya suddenly released his grip.

If not for his rock-solid core and steady stance, he would have nearly tumbled off the horse along with the lantern.

After letting go, Le Wuya stepped back gracefully and bowed respectfully: "See you, General Pei."

Pei Mingqi steadied himself, and now that he had the lantern in hand, he couldn't muster any anger. He snorted, "Magistrate Wenren, the night is deep and the dew is heavy. Don't see me off anymore—go back inside!"

Le Wuya, who had already grown tired of excessive formalities in his past life, unceremoniously bowed once more and turned to re-enter the yamen.

Watching his retreating figure, Pei Mingqi suddenly called out without warning: "...Little Crow!"

Le Wuya seemed startled. He slowly turned around, looked left and right in confusion, and asked, "General Pei, who are you calling?"

He pointed at the empty nest on the old tree beside the yamen: "In spring, the crows haven't returned to their nests yet."

Pei Mingqi, holding the horse lantern Le Wuya had given him, fixed his gaze on him.

Magistrate Wenren had strikingly sharp features.

His skin was pale, and his raven-black hair was like ink.

But his eyes were the line where black met white—radiant, cunning, holding the shadow of an old friend.

Pei Mingqi smiled wryly to himself. He was daydreaming again.

Still, Wen Ren truly seemed too delicate and refined.

He would have to get some wild ginseng when he got back and fatten up his little stove—toughen him up a little, so he wouldn't shatter like porcelain in the wind.

And as for the little magistrate's father...

His precious child had become my little stove—he certainly hadn't meant for that to happen.

But since things had come to this, he should also send someone to check on the father.

Realizing there was so much to do, Pei Mingqi decided not to linger in Nanting any longer. Just as he was about to raise his whip, Le Wuya warned him, "Don't gallop through Nanting. If you hurt anyone here, you won't get out of town."

Pei Mingqi: "...Oh."

After seeing off the oddly well-behaved Pei Mingqi, Le Wuya had a late-night snack but didn't hurry to bed. Instead, he strolled to the inn where Jiang He was staying.

When Le Wuya arrived, Jiang He hadn't yet retired.

They met without issue.

"No gifts this time, Lord Jiang. I'll ask you to pass along a message," Le Wuya said directly. "I'd like a portrait of your master. Recent, if possible."

Jiang He looked up at him.

His expression stayed neutral, but surprise flickered in his eyes.

Seeing that Le Wuya had no other messages to convey, Jiang He cupped his hands and replied, "Very well. I'll head back now."

Le Wuya said gently, "Must be tough, running back and forth like this."

Jiang He replied, "Not at all."

He meant every word.

Jiang He actually liked running errands.

He didn't like the capital.

He came from a poor borderland family, and the capital's blinding splendor, lively as it was, wasn't his world.

What he really treasured was the time he'd spent under Young General Yue.

The sights and sounds of Nanting brought back old memories.

This was his true home.

Especially seeing Magistrate Wenren, who resembled Young General Yue in temperament. It made him feel even more at home.

It was like coming home to family.

Jiang He wasn't one for small talk, so after Le Wuya gave his instructions, he left.

A night breeze hit Le Wuya as he left the inn, and he sneezed softly.

Rubbing his nose, he decided to start training in martial arts again.

After this long trip, Le Wuya had a stark realization.

Skipping meals, overworking, and slacking off on training—none of this could last.

Riding too long gave him a backache, and he couldn't even out-tug Pei Mingqi—the thought alone ticked him off.

On the third morning after Le Wuya began practicing with his spear, the stone he'd been waiting for finally arrived in Nanting.

Meanwhile, Jiang He's fast horse had already made it to the capital.

As he walked the long streets, dust-covered, he felt someone's eyes on him.

Jiang He shot his head up and spotted the Sixth Prince, dressed in a simple robe and a scholar's headband with its side straps covering his ears, sitting alone on the second floor of a teahouse.

All alone, he looked bored out of his mind, mindlessly twisting the left strap of his headband.

Noticing the gaze from downstairs, their eyes met. The Sixth Prince lowered his head, lowered his hand, and gave him a gentle smile.

Jiang He, upon seeing his master, hurried upstairs and bowed in greeting.

The Sixth Prince handed him a cup of tea: "You've worked hard."

Since his master offered it, Jiang He accepted and drank it.

His voice was gentle and refined, as always: "Any message?"

Jiang He truthfully relayed Le Wuya's message: "Nothing from Le Wuya. However, Magistrate Wenren asked me to deliver a message, saying he wishes to request a portrait of Your Highness."

"A portrait?" The Sixth Prince's eyelashes fluttered. "For what purpose?"

Jiang He answered honestly: "I don't know."

The Sixth Prince pondered for a moment, then smiled at him: "Alright. I understand. You must be weary from the journey. Return to the residence quickly and rest well for a few days."

Jiang He gave a respectful bow, observing all the formalities, and then departed.

The moment Jiang He turned around, the smile receded from the "Sixth Prince's" face like a tide.

When Jiang He's figure leading his horse vanished at the end of the long street, he lifted the right side of the scholar's headwrap, revealing the right ear adorned with a purple cat's-eye gem.

The Seventh Prince habitually caressed his earlobe, with a wry smile, murmuring to himself:

"...Since when did they get so close?"