Madam Shi now enjoyed the honor and prestige of being the wife of a marquis, but she knew that her true foundation and future support still lay in her son.
She might act one way toward outsiders, but when it came to protecting her son, her instincts as a mother were unmistakable.
Raising her voice, she said, “What betrothal? What reputation? What does any of this have to do with my Ling’er? Young Lord, you mustn’t make reckless accusations.”
She immediately turned to Marquis Shi and began to complain. “People always say Ling’er is ambitious, but in truth, the child is merely slow-witted. He’ll accept anything, whether it’s sweet-smelling or foul. Though it is said that an elder brother should act as a father, your father and I are still alive. Feiyu, why must you humiliate your younger brother like this?”
A trace of mockery flashed through Shi Feiyu’s eyes. This was the irony of allowing fools to occupy high positions and wield authority.
With power behind them, even a pig could influence the fates of countless people. It gave such fools the illusion that they were brilliant strategists who could plan and scheme with ease.
If not for the fact that these fools occupied positions of equal rank—or possessed the advantage of propriety and ritual—Shi Feiyu would have considered them too filthy to look at.
However, Shi Feiyu knew that his leave would soon end and that he would have to return to the military camp. Given Madam Shi’s habit of sticking her hands into everything and making inquiries, he feared that Pei Liang would come under her notice and be troubled by her.
Before leaving, he still had to clear away a few obstacles.
Ignoring Madam Shi’s theatrics, he cast a commanding gaze at her and Marquis Shi alike.
“What a joke. In a marquis’s residence, whenever such filthy affairs arise, they must be dragged into the sunlight and thoroughly investigated. The truth, the mastermind, the motive, which household rules were violated, what disgrace the matter has brought upon the family, and what punishment should be imposed—all of it must be made clear.
“Only by investigating every detail can we ensure the purity of our family’s traditions and prevent our descendants from learning such crooked ways. That is the true foundation on which the Shi family has stood for a hundred years.
“Though Mother was born into a family with an impure family style, you have spent most of your life as a member of the Shi family. By rights, you should have long since abandoned those filthy habits. Since you now dispute the conclusion I reached from irrefutable evidence, you ought to offer a proper explanation. Why would an upright and dignified noblewoman act like a shrewish hooligan, evading the issue and throwing a tantrum?”
“Who are you calling a shrew? Whose family style is impure?” Madam Shi’s eyes reddened. “You insult me if you wish, but why drag my family into it as well? Young Marquis, people’s words can be terrifying. With a single sentence, you could ruin my maternal family’s reputation. How are my nieces and daughters supposed to marry in the future?”
Shi Feiyu, however, wore an expression suggesting that nothing was amiss. “A family that bullies men and women, covets wealth without restraint, and shamelessly uses its connections to seek advancement does not feel ashamed to go on living. Instead, it blames others for exposing what it has done?”
He let out another cold laugh. “Speaking of the Chai family, I heard that the second mistress of the household colluded with local thugs to run predatory lending schemes, seize people’s land, wives, and daughters, and drive entire families to ruin. Someone risked his life to report the matter to the Shuntian Prefecture.”
“There has been suspiciously little movement these past two days.” Shi Feiyu’s sharp gaze settled on Madam Shi. “Could it be that someone used their influence to suppress the matter and protect the family’s reputation, thereby concealing that vile misconduct?”
Madam Shi’s face went white, and cold sweat broke out across her skin. She remembered the tens of thousands of taels in banknotes her niece-in-law from her maternal family had sent her, still hidden in her chest.
Her tongue began to stumble. “N-no, nothing of the sort. I’ve been busy finding a match for Ling’er lately. I haven’t heard anything about this.”
Shi Feiyu nodded. “Good. Since you say there was no such thing, then it should be fine. Because the Chai family is related to the Shi family, I specifically instructed the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture to investigate the matter thoroughly, in order to avoid any suspicion of favoritism. A mere woman could not possibly have managed the entire operation of this loan-sharking scheme herself. I told them not to let the matter go lightly for the sake of the Shi family’s reputation. Doing so would only put our family in an impossible position.
“It is good that Mother understands the greater good. Otherwise, if the clan elders were to learn of this, it would be grounds for divorce. Even Father would have nothing to say against it.”
As he spoke, he even turned to ask Marquis Shi, “Father, would you not agree?”
Marquis Shi was not entirely ignorant of his wife’s character. From her expression alone, he knew that she was lying.
But the balance of power had shifted: the son was strong, while the father was weak. With his eldest son invoking the righteousness of protecting the clan’s reputation, even as a father, he had no choice but to yield.
Marquis Shi’s face darkened as he said, “Yes. Feiyu is right.”
Then he lowered his voice and warned Madam Shi, “When you return to your room, think carefully about whether you have ever, even unintentionally, become involved in any of your maternal family’s sordid affairs.”
In the end, he had still left her a little dignity.
Madam Shi nodded repeatedly, her heart bleeding at the thought of the money. She would have to return it. Otherwise, if she accepted the money without accomplishing anything and her maternal family exposed the matter and implicated her, Shi Feiyu would have the perfect opportunity to seize her weakness.
She thought the matter was finally over, but Shi Feiyu remained relentless.
“If that is settled, then let us return to the matter within our own household.”
He raised a hand. Madam Shi’s wet nurse, along with several maids and matrons, was brought forward under guard.
After years of following Shi Feiyu through battles and honing their understanding of one another amid life and death, his guards needed only a glance from him. They had gone down and retraced every step from when Wei Yingshu had changed clothes in the washroom, as well as everything that had happened to the jug of wine from the moment it was opened.
Madam Shi’s lips turned white as she stared at her wet nurse, who had been forced to the floor and was shouting that she was innocent.
She said harshly, “Shi Feiyu, what do you think you’re doing? She nursed me from childhood and is practically my own mother. If you had even the slightest respect for me as your mother, you would at least leave her some dignity.”
“Practically your own mother?” Shi Feiyu replied loudly. “Then when the mother makes a mistake, it is only right that the one who raised her should bear the consequences. She failed to teach you proper conduct, and she did not stop you when you went astray. She is a sinister wretch who has disrupted the morals of our household. What dignity does she deserve?”
Marquis Shi did not want the matter to become any uglier. He said sternly, “Enough, Feiyu. Today is your birthday. Do not ruin your own mood. Whatever this is, deal with it later.”
Shi Er hurriedly added, “Yes, exactly.”
Shi Feiyu looked at Marquis Shi without yielding an inch.
The others did not understand what was happening, but Marquis Shi did. This was a clash of power between two men. His eldest son stood as immovable as a mountain, while he himself was no longer capable of resisting him.
Marquis Shi awkwardly withdrew his gaze. Shi Er was even less able to withstand it.
The icy murderous aura forged through countless battles and the deaths of innumerable enemies made Shi Er want to wet himself whenever he met his elder brother’s eyes.
Shi Feiyu’s personal guards placed the incense used to fumigate Wei Yingshu’s clothes, along with the medicinal residue remaining from the sachet that had contained it, before the kneeling suspects.
They also brought out a recently slaughtered stag. Since blood coagulated easily, deer-blood wine had to be made with fresh blood drawn immediately after the animal was killed, while it was still warm.
Therefore, the stag must have been slaughtered around the time the wine was served. The carcass had not even had time to be butchered.
Madam Shi had grown complacent. After Shi Feiyu’s influence and power had fully matured, he had focused only on strengthening his own residence and had never bothered to take control of the Shi household as a whole.
She had assumed that the inner residence was entirely under her command, so her people had acted without the slightest caution. As a result, Shi Feiyu had caught them one after another.
The old physician of the Shi residence examined the ashes in the incense burner and the sachet, then nodded. “The Young Lord’s judgment is correct. This is a secret aphrodisiac incense specially concocted by women of southern Xinjiang.”
Wei Yingshu had already been utterly embarrassed when Shi Feiyu began his assault. Now her face was so red it seemed as though blood might drip from it.
She felt humiliated beyond words, yet also faintly disappointed.
Though Madam Shi’s methods had been vile, if it had truly succeeded—
Before she could let her imagination run any further, she heard Shi Feiyu say, “Mother, the evidence is now conclusive. You attempted to violate Miss Wei through despicable means. The Shi family absolutely cannot tolerate conduct more shameless than that of a brothel woman.”
“This is all the fault of you and Second Brother. If we walk out of this room today as though nothing happened, it will still damage Miss Wei’s reputation, and she may suffer humiliation and scorn because of it in the future.
“So Mother and Second Brother must take responsibility for this matter. Second Brother should marry Miss Wei with all the rites due to a principal wife.”
At these words, all three members of the Shi family, along with Wei Yingshu, abruptly looked up at Shi Feiyu.
It was as though they could hardly believe those words had come from his mouth.
“With the rites due to a principal wife?” Madam Shi shot to her feet. “She is worthy of that?”
Wei Yingshu herself was unwilling. Shi Er was a lecherous, pleasure-seeking man with neither talent nor virtue. Despite his age, he was not remotely comparable to the Young Lord, who wielded power throughout the court. He could not even read properly, much less achieve anything.
Only Madam Shi regarded him as a treasure. Although Wei Yingshu’s birth was humble, if she truly had a choice, Shi Er—with his lack of talent, virtue, and learning—would be a terrible match. Once his parents died and the brothers divided the family estate, he would be nothing more than a disgraced branch of the family, living idly off whatever remained.
Among her admirers, which son of a high-ranking official was not better than him? Compared to the Young Lord, Shi Er was practically heaven and earth apart.
It was only because Madam Shi had always supported Wei Yingshu’s feelings for Shi Feiyu that Wei Yingshu had assumed that, despite the woman’s strict rules, she at least held her in some esteem.
She had never expected Madam Shi to look down on her so thoroughly.
Wei Yingshu’s lips turned pale, and she began to tremble faintly.
Shi Er, however, did not seem to care. Seeing that his elder brother refused to let the matter go and realizing that there was no way out of it today, he simply spoke up. In any case, he had long been fond of Wei Yingshu.
“Mother, please stop. I am willing to marry Yingshu as my wife.”
“Since when does your willingness matter?” Madam Shi wished she could strangle the fool. “This Wei girl was born to merchants. Apart from slaves and servants, merchants are the lowest class of people. How is she fit to become the principal wife of a marquis’s son?”
Wei Yingshu’s eyes reddened. She lowered her head so that no one would see the emotions in them. At that moment, she became painfully aware that, even while being humiliated here, she had no right to lose her temper—not even the right to show her displeasure.
Madam Shi’s shrill voice continued. “You are no longer young. Why do you still not understand such a simple principle?”
“A merchant’s daughter would be lucky even to become your concubine. Those wealthy merchants in Jiangnan offer dowries worth millions merely to send their legitimate daughters to become concubines of princes and nobles. And you want to marry her with the rites due to a principal wife? Are you trying to make yourself the laughingstock of the capital?”
Shi Er had always been a spineless mama’s boy. Under Madam Shi’s scolding, he retreated step by step.
Wei Yingshu wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
Yet Shi Feiyu said, “What of her being a merchant’s daughter? A virtuous, pure woman of exceptional beauty and ability who has earned everything through her own efforts is far superior to an incompetent and immoral man who relies entirely on his luck and the protection of his ancestors.”
Wei Yingshu raised her head. Tears hung from her eyes as she gazed at Shi Feiyu with wounded reproach.
Her heart was filled with the sweetness of having the man she loved defend and respect her. She had known it—Young Master Shi was not only extraordinarily elegant and talented, but also upright and honorable, unlike those ordinary men.
Yet she was also heartsick and confused. If he truly thought so highly of her, why was he pushing her toward Second Young Master?
Shi Feiyu continued, “Although Second Brother’s birth is superior to that of ordinary people, his abilities are mediocre and his conduct is questionable. A few years ago, he frivolously harassed a maid, causing her to throw herself into a well and die. Last year, at a banquet, he tried to seduce Prince Yu’s concubine and had his leg broken. Those matters are still fresh in everyone’s minds.
“He has accomplished nothing in his studies. As an official, he would only bring disaster upon the people. He is extravagant and wasteful, and utterly incapable of managing finances or running a household. Now that Prince Yu has barred him from respectable banquets and gatherings, he can be considered nothing more than a social outcast.
“With such a character, and with the present matter being your own fault, it certainly cannot be considered an insult for Second Brother to marry a girl of Miss Wei’s clean family background.”
“You—you—” Madam Shi was so enraged that she could barely catch her breath.
Shi Feiyu continued, “Mother naturally has another choice. However, my Shi family is an honest one. We would never deceive an innocent family that knows nothing of the circumstances. When you find a girl for Second Brother, I will have people send her family a full account of everything he has done from childhood to adulthood. Once they have seen the truth, they may decide for themselves. If they are still willing to marry into the Shi family without being deceived, I will have no objection.”
Madam Shi’s vision swam. If that truly happened, what respectable family would still dare marry into theirs?
Even families that cared nothing for their daughters and only wanted to use them to climb the social ladder would understand exactly what Shi Feiyu’s attitude meant.
A useless son from a powerful family, openly loathed by the pillar who held that family’s power—if he could not use marriage to win the Shi family an alliance or support, then what value did he have?
By then, Madam Shi had lost all reason. With the evidence against her undeniable and Shi Feiyu now holding the upper hand, she feared that the clan elders—who currently obeyed Shi Feiyu without question—would join forces to pressure her and force her son to marry a mere merchant’s daughter.
Her only thought was to obstruct the marriage at all costs, and so she blurted out whatever came to mind.
“That Wei Yingshu is a shameless, promiscuous slut too.”
“She has behaved intimately with several men and become entangled with them. Who knows whether she has already lost her virginity? You cannot allow such a woman to marry into the Shi family.”
Wei Yingshu’s eyes widened in fury. She could no longer remain silent, even if it meant offending the wife of a marquis.
She hurriedly said, “I have not! I have never had any improper relationship with another man. I swear on my life that I am still pure and chaste. Madam, you think I am unworthy of Second Young Master, and I would not dare argue with you over that—but a woman’s reputation is more precious than her life. You cannot slander me like this.”
“Besides, I have no intention of marrying Second Young Master. Even if the Shi family agreed, I absolutely would not.”
Madam Shi was instantly consumed by rage. It was one thing for Shi Feiyu to disparage her son and call him worthless; given the circumstances, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.
But who did a lowly merchant’s daughter think she was? How dare she look down on her son?
She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Pure and chaste? Who in the capital does not know your name, Wei girl?”
“You are supposedly less than a courtesan in name only, yet better than one in reputation, making countless men dream of you day and night. At least courtesans openly put up their signs and sell themselves. You, on the other hand, became a prostitute while still trying to erect a memorial arch to chastity. Your Tianxiang Pavilion only serves the powerful, and every day you are summoned into the residences of countless gentlemen.”
“You are worse than the cheapest whore, and you still dare put on an act in front of me?”
Tears streamed down Wei Yingshu’s face. It felt as though she could never wash away the stain, even if she threw herself into the Yellow River. She looked toward Shi Feiyu and shook her head desperately, wanting only for the man she loved not to misunderstand her.
Shi Feiyu did not even look at her.
He merely raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent and bored. He did not know how Wei Yingshu and his stepmother had formed their alliance, but the goodwill he had extended over the past several years, along with the contingencies he had arranged, had all been destroyed by a few careless words. It was almost amusing.
At present, the two women probably hated each other so much that they wished the other dead. There was certainly no longer any talk of an alliance.
Shi Feiyu said expressionlessly, “Mother, watch your words. How are you any different from one of those vulgar, foul-mouthed shrews in the streets?”
Madam Shi’s voice abruptly fell silent. She nearly choked to death on her own breath.
She hurriedly turned to look at Marquis Shi and, sure enough, found his brows tightly furrowed and displeasure written across his face.
Madam Shi panicked. She knew her husband well: he was cold and ungrateful by nature. He had not truly been on bad terms with his first wife. He simply thought only of himself in all things and had no patience for even the slightest inconvenience.
As for Madam Shi, she had always been gentle and attentive, managing everything with care. Thus, he left her to handle everything and could not even be bothered to concern himself with his legitimate eldest son.
Madam Shi had never dared show any vulgarity in front of her husband. She was always refined and considerate in every way, because she knew exactly what would happen if she ever incurred this man’s disgust.
Now that Shi Feiyu had pushed her until she had completely lost all decorum, how could she not vomit blood?
Yet the bastard still was not finished. He nodded thoughtfully and said, “Since Mother has so gravely misunderstood Miss Wei, and since she is acting out of maternal concern, surely she would never force her to settle for Second Brother.”
“Then whom was today’s arrangement prepared for?”
He knew the answer perfectly well, yet deliberately asked, “Could it be for Father?”
“Cough!”
Marquis Shi choked and glanced at Wei Yingshu. The girl was indeed quite beautiful.
Wei Yingshu’s scalp went numb, while Madam Shi’s alarm bells rang. “No, your father has no shortage of unmarried women to take as concubines. As the principal wife of this household, why would I need to—”
She had not finished speaking when her heart lurched. She looked up at Shi Feiyu.
The way he was looking at her now was the way one looked at a corpse.
So that was where he had been leading her. This was an interrogation from the very beginning.
Sure enough, Shi Feiyu no longer looked at her. Instead, he said to Marquis Shi, “Father, if Mother did not do this for Second Brother or for you, then she must have been targeting me.”
“Several years ago, I refrained from pursuing the matter out of consideration for Father and the family’s reputation. At the time, you repeatedly promised that you would discipline her strictly and ensure she never did it again. Yet today, Lady Chai used such underhanded means to drug me and attempt to ruin my reputation.”
“Father, the punishment she deserved back then has still not been carried out. With today’s crimes added to it, you have no objections, do you?”
How could Marquis Shi not know that his eldest son was openly punishing his stepmother but was actually targeting him?
He had failed to act time and time again in the past. Now, there was nothing left for him to do.
Having let her off once already, even the pressure of familial ethics and established principles could no longer force his eldest son to yield.
Marquis Shi sighed and looked at his eldest son with a complicated expression. “You truly intend to make an issue of such a minor matter?”
Shi Feiyu replied, “Lady Chai dared to use deer-blood wine to harm me today. Tomorrow, the deer blood in that wine could be replaced with something else.”
“Father, the empire is unstable, and battles are raging everywhere. My life concerns the fate of the realm. For her crime today, Lady Chai deserves death.”
Indeed, an undefeated general such as Shi Feiyu had every right to say such a thing. If the matter reached the emperor’s ears, and given the eldest son’s attitude, his wife would likely meet a tragic end.
Marquis Shi was unwilling to let his wife’s life be controlled by his eldest son—for that would amount to his own authority being controlled as well.
But he could only swallow the bitter fruit. “What do you intend to do?”
By the time Madam Shi heard the words “deserves death,” her eyes had already rolled back, and she fainted.
One of Shi Feiyu’s guards brought over a bucket of water and poured it over her, jolting her awake.
Only then did Shi Feiyu say, “Father, write the divorce edict. A woman capable of bringing such disaster upon the family cannot remain in the Shi residence. She will hinder both my future and yours.”
“As for Second Brother, to prevent her from using him to hold the Shi family hostage, he is to enter the military camp tonight. His spoiled habits and wayward nature are in desperate need of discipline.”
Shi Er had grown accustomed to a life of extravagance and dissipation. How could he possibly endure such hardship?
The moment he heard this, he tried to run, but he was pinned down like a chick.
Madam Shi wailed, “Don’t ruin my son! My lord, he clearly wants to harm our son!”
She could not understand it. Why had one small scheme—something that should have been a trivial matter of household intrigue, something she had been confident would not amount to much even if discovered—resulted in her being cast out after a single dinner, while her son was sent to the military camp to be broken in?
As Madam Shi was dragged away, she had already gone mad. “Ha ha… It’s over. It’s over!”
“It’s all over!”
Wei Yingshu, who had witnessed everything from beginning to end, was now as silent as a cicada in winter.
She had never imagined that someone as esteemed as a marquis’s wife could be cast out so easily.
And she had once naively believed that Madam Shi could influence the Young Marquis’s decisions. She had thought that although they were not mother and son by blood, they were still members of the same family who treated one another with propriety. She had believed that, as his stepmother, Madam Shi had some say in the Young Marquis’s marriage.
Now it seemed that the years she had spent currying favor with her had been nothing but a joke.
Young Master Shi despised her to the very core. And that foolish, vicious woman had never admired her talents or wished to grant her desires out of appreciation for her abilities.
She had clearly looked down on her inwardly and regarded her as no better than a woman of lowly birth. The only reason she had helped her was to use her to restrain the Young Marquis.
And with the Young Marquis’s intelligence, had he already—
Wei Yingshu felt a chill spread through her heart and could not help glancing at Shi Feiyu.
Forcing his own father to divorce his wife was, to him, apparently a trivial matter. He simply sat down, ate the dishes that had been reheated, and did not spare her another glance.
Wei Yingshu’s heart filled with panic and disappointment. Yet she became even more captivated by the power he displayed—by the way he could decide the fate of someone who, in her eyes, was impossibly exalted, with only a few words.
Naturally, Wei Yingshu could no longer remain there.
Shi Feiyu was considerate enough to have someone escort her home.
Over the next two days, he thoroughly purged the residence. He drove out all of Madam Shi’s dowry servants and trusted retainers, then promoted the longtime servants of the Shi household whom she had suppressed over the years.
The steward of the Shi household was expelled as well. Before sending him away, however, Shi Feiyu had several of the estate’s brutal servants investigated and their homes seized, gaining another considerable fortune in the process.
The Chai family tried to come to the residence and demand an explanation, but they were already entangled in lawsuits. Once Madam Shi had been cast out, the families that had associated with them because of the Shi household immediately turned their backs on them. Besides, their opponent was Shi Feiyu, who wielded enormous power.
How could a fallen clan that had lost its influential connections possibly shake him?
They had no choice but to fend for themselves. Before long, more and more of their household scandals came to light, their list of crimes grew longer and longer, and eventually the entire family was stripped of its possessions. The Chai family fell into complete ruin.
The capital buzzed with excitement over the matter, and everyone marveled at Shi Feiyu’s ruthlessness and decisiveness.
Even those who had guessed at Madam Shi’s petty schemes had never imagined that she would be cast out after only one night.
Beyond the gossip, however, the incident sent an important message.
The Shi family now belonged entirely to Shi Feiyu.
And the head of the household, Shi Feiyu, was due to return to the military camp that day.
With the large quantity of military supplies Pei Liang had provided, he no longer needed to waste energy arguing with the emperor and the ministers who believed the Northern Barbarians had no strength left to invade the south. He had to return as soon as possible and make all the necessary arrangements for the coming battle.
Before leaving, he made a point of visiting First Pavilion to bid Pei Liang farewell.
This time, he passed openly through the main entrance. For one thing, although the two of them could not marry openly and legitimately, he still secretly wanted others to know that they belonged together. For another, the capital’s power structure was far more complicated than Jiangnan’s.
First Pavilion was currently enjoying unrivaled prominence and was bound to attract jealousy. His appearance there would also serve as a warning to anyone who might harbor ill intentions.
As a result, quite a few customers passing by saw the two of them chatting happily not far from the entrance. They could not help speculating about the influence and backing behind Owner Pei.
Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji, who happened to be standing nearby, heard their entire conversation clearly. By now, they were both so jealous that their teeth ached.
It was their Young Lord who spoke first.
His face was full of reluctance and his mood deeply melancholy. He was nothing like the usual him—whenever he left the Shi residence, he had always seemed eager to fly straight back to the military camp.
He said, “I’m leaving. I’ll come back to see you on my next leave.”
Then a flush crossed his face. “I—I’ll go straight to your house.”
Pei Liang was busy at the moment, so he nodded. “Yes, yes, all right. Take care on the road. Call me when you arrive—see you next time.”
Shi Feiyu was displeased. His brows drew together as he looked at Pei Liang. “Are you really that eager to send me off? Even if you’re busy, must you brush me off in the little time we have?”
Pei Liang grew impatient the moment she heard that. It had always been like this with these people. They were clearly devoted to their careers—if not for that all-consuming ambition and dedication to their dreams, Pei Liang would never have taken a liking to them in the first place.
And yet they were always pulling this sort of stunt before leaving for a shoot, a meeting, or a competition. If she didn’t soothe them properly, she would have no peace for a long while.
Although she could take advantage of the poor communications of this ancient era for now, she had yet to get him into bed. Naturally, she still had to coax him.
Pei Liang ran a hand over her face, instantly transforming her expression into one of deep affection and reluctance. “No, that’s not it. The moment I think of you leaving, I can’t bear to even watch your back disappear. I’m afraid I’ll miss you so much that I won’t be able to sleep.”
“If I truly had my way, I’d hope you wouldn’t go anywhere at all, but stay by my side. Yet you aren’t the sort of man who spends his days circling a woman’s skirts, are you? I know your heart is set on the world, and that you’re worried about the people’s safety. There’s no use saying more empty words. It’s better to make a clean break and look forward to the next time we meet.”
Seeing Shi Feiyu’s expression soften, Pei Liang pressed on, teasing him. “But if you really can’t bear to leave me, then stay home?”
Whenever she got to this point, they were more or less placated. After all, he couldn’t really abandon important matters. What about his dreams?
Shi Feiyu let out a peal of laughter and cast Pei Liang a haughty sidelong glance. “If I don’t go out, will you support me?”
“I will!” Pei Liang answered without hesitation. “With my current wealth, supporting you would be no problem. I may not be able to match the one in the palace, but among all the nobles in the capital, anything others can have, I can give you too—and things they don’t have, you can have as well.”
She truly wasn’t exaggerating. In times of peace, with strict controls in place, rare treasures were monopolized by the imperial and aristocratic classes. No matter how wealthy an ordinary merchant was, they might not be able to acquire them.
But the world was in chaos now, and when the waters were muddied, it was naturally easier to fish. Pei Liang had quite a few treasures in her possession that even the emperor did not have.
She continued, “Take that moon-white brocade, for instance. It’s said that when the Eighth Prince had a robe made from it and attended the autumn banquet, he looked like an immortal descended from the moon.”
“And then there’s the Jade Crown of Frozen Emerald. It was carved from a massive piece of flawless jade, as translucent as ice formed from emerald waves. When the Third Prince Consort wore it out last month, it made his handsome face look even more like fine jade, his beauty resembling—”
Before she could finish, she saw Shi Feiyu staring at her with frost in his eyes.
“How do you know what those men look like? Have you seen them? You say you’re busy, yet you still have time to pay such close attention to other men’s ornaments?”
Pei Liang wanted to slap herself. Why did she always let her guard down at moments like this? She would be soothing him, only to end up provoking a fit of jealousy.
Fortunately, she was highly experienced at handling such situations.
She took his hand and smiled. “Why else would I have asked about them? So that I could find those treasures and present them to you with both hands.”
“And what of the Eighth Prince and the Third Prince Consort? In terms of looks and bearing, how could either of them compare to even one of your fingers? Fine clothes belong on beautiful people, and fine jade should be given to a gentleman. Those treasures should be worn by you, or their existence would be wasted.”
As she spoke, she scratched his palm.
“Don’t worry. By the time you return next time, I’ll have them ready. Then you can put them on for me to see.”
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, “And take them off for me to see as well.”
“You—you…”
Shi Feiyu reacted as though she had stepped on his tail, his entire face flushing red. Yet a ticklish anticipation stirred in his heart.
Remembering that his subordinates were still behind him, he quickly concealed his embarrassment and forced himself to put on an arrogant, disdainful expression.
“Don’t make it sound as though I’m after your trinkets.”
Pei Liang naturally smiled sweetly. “Yes, yes, of course you aren’t. I’m the one who wants to give them to you.”
At the end, she added, “Remember to miss me~”
Only then did Shi Feiyu’s lips curve upward. Looking pleased and triumphant, he turned and walked away.
Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji followed behind him, their mouths hanging open the entire way. Both of them wore blank expressions.
They first glanced at their Young Lord’s increasingly smug figure, then turned back to look at Miss Pei, who was waving goodbye to them.
They had followed their Young Lord for so many years, yet it seemed they had never truly known him at all.
After they had gone a considerable distance—until First Pavilion was completely out of sight—Ying Siji finally gathered the courage to speak to the Young Lord.
“Young Lord… don’t you think there’s something a little strange about the way you speak with Owner Pei?”
Shi Feiyu was feeling far too pleased with himself to allow anyone to question him. Every recollection of their conversation was sweet.
He shook his head. “You’re still young. You wouldn’t understand.”
“When a woman has only you in her heart and mind, and you’re the first person she thinks of whenever she finds something good, what else could it mean except that she’s hopelessly in love with you?”
Right. We’re children, so don’t try to fool us. What woman repeatedly gives expensive gifts while the man accepts them so naturally?
When they were little, their mothers had pointed out people like that as examples of those they must never become—men who lived off women.
But they didn’t dare say any of that aloud.
At the same time, in Fragrant Heaven Pavilion, Wei Yingshu’s eyes were red, and she was twisting her handkerchief to shreds.
The Fragrant Heaven Pavilion was not busy today. Only a few tables occupied the main hall, while a distinguished group of guests had taken a private room by the window on the second floor.
After finishing the dishes, Wei Yingshu naturally went over to attend to them, as was customary.
They were in the middle of speaking when someone suddenly said, “Isn’t that the Young Marquis down there across the street?”
Everyone at the table rose to take a look. The recent scandal surrounding Madam Shi being divorced had caused quite a stir. Anyone with eyes could tell that Shi Feiyu had been the one behind it, and this was his first public appearance since then. Naturally, everyone was curious.
Wei Yingshu followed their gazes and saw the Young Marquis she had been longing for standing with Pei Liang. The two of them were speaking with affection in their eyes, laughing and chatting together.
When First Pavilion had opened, their familiar manner toward each other had still allowed Wei Yingshu to convince herself that she was imagining things.
But now, if she still failed to understand what was happening, she would have to be blind.
She had never once seen such an expression on the Young Marquis’s face. Normally, no matter the occasion, he was stern and imposing, never showing the slightest smile.
Yet before Pei Liang, he could be happy or angry, coy or lovestruck.
So it turned out that all along, she had merely been indulging in wishful thinking.
Tears spilled down Wei Yingshu’s face, while the people beside her seemed determined to make her pain worse.
One of them asked in confusion, “Who’s that woman with the Young Marquis?”
“The Young Mistress of Pei, from the building across the street.”
“What are those two—”
“Are you blind? Isn’t it obvious?”
“So the Young Mistress of Pei has the Young Marquis backing her. No wonder she causes trouble and picks fights every day without the slightest fear.”
“Ah, then we’d better stop thinking about getting even with her.”
“What else can we do? She has the Young Marquis, a man even His Majesty treats with considerable respect.”
Wei Yingshu covered her face and ran out of the private room. She left the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion and returned home, where she burst into tears.
After she had cried herself dry, she stared blankly at the ceiling. It felt as though something that should have belonged to her had been forcibly torn away. Her entire life seemed bleak and meaningless, and she even felt that there was no point in going on living.
Just then, a hand reached out and wiped the tears from her face.
Wei Yingshu opened her eyes. It was Li Shen.
His eyes were filled with concern. “I heard from the people below that you ran home from the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion in tears. What happened?”
The moment he thought of someone daring to make Wei Yingshu cry, a savage killing intent flashed in his eyes.
“Tell me who bullied you.”
Wei Yingshu stared blankly at him for a long while before throwing herself into Li Shen’s arms.
“Pei Liang. That woman—I truly hate her.”
“Why did she have to come back? Hadn’t she already left the capital back then? She humiliated me in public and made me bear the disgrace for all these years, yet I never held it against her. Why does she insist on forcing me into a corner? She even took away the person I care about most.”
Li Shen’s expression darkened. He knew all too well that, as someone wallowing in filth and mud, he was unworthy of Wei Yingshu.
So long as he could protect her silently for the rest of his life, he would be content. With a deep voice, he said, “Since you want her to disappear, then let her disappear.”
A flicker of light passed through Wei Yingshu’s eyes. She knew that Li Shen would accomplish anything she wished, no matter the cost.
The Young Master Shi was a ruthless and decisive man. If anything suddenly happened to Pei Liang, he would surely turn the capital upside down and tear the culprit to pieces.
But if she could remain entirely uninvolved and sacrifice only Li Shen…
She was still somewhat reluctant. After all, Li Shen was simply too useful.
Thus, she said worriedly, “Don’t do anything foolish and ruin yourself for my sake. She now has the Young Master Shi’s favor, and it seems she has some connections of her own as well. The people around her are always protecting her. If you act rashly, you may be the one implicated while she remains unharmed.”
Li Shen merely smiled.
“You’re still too innocent. Who says you have to destroy someone with your own hands?”
Seeing Wei Yingshu’s confusion, Li Shen said mysteriously, “What if she commits an unforgivable crime and finds herself condemned by everyone?”
He did not elaborate further and simply left.
Wei Yingshu had always trusted Li Shen’s methods. There were things that made her shudder with fear merely from hearing a rough outline.
Pei Liang was, at most, quick-witted and meticulous. There was no way she could outmaneuver the seasoned Li Shen.
After several days of preparation, First Pavilion was getting ready to receive customers at noon one day.
Then, a group of people arrived outside the restaurant carrying a chopping board, along with countless ingredients and seasonings. They beat gongs and drums as they came.
Their purpose was unmistakable: they had come to challenge the restaurant.
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of those nearby. Customers preparing to dine at First Pavilion, as well as neighboring shopkeepers, passersby, and pedestrians, all stopped to watch.
The leader of the challengers shouted toward the entrance, “The signboard bearing the name ‘Number One Restaurant Under Heaven’ was bestowed upon the Pei family by the late emperor. We have no objection to your Pei family using it to open a restaurant.”
“But you’re just a junior who returned to the capital a few days ago, yet you’re already taking advantage of that signboard’s reputation and calling yourself the best in the world. We refuse to accept that.”
“We of the Drunken Sun Restaurant in the western part of the city are dissatisfied. That’s why we’ve come today to challenge Owner Pei. Owner Pei, do you dare accept?”
The surrounding spectators immediately grew interested.
Although a culinary competition might delay their meals, watching master chefs display their finest skills was usually an eye-opening experience.
Food connoisseurs in particular could never tear themselves away from such a spectacle.
Among them was Gu Xiu, who had happened to come to First Pavilion that day and witnessed the scene.
Pei Liang had already come outside. She glanced at the team that had come to challenge her and smiled.
“Drunken Sun Restaurant, is it?”
“That’s right!” the challengers replied arrogantly.
A spark of interest flashed in Pei Liang’s eyes. She did not refuse and answered directly, “Very well.”
