"Husband."
The beaded curtain over the carved gate chimed softly as Yun Lou stepped out, her hair tied up in the style of a married woman.
Today she wore a pale cyan ru skirt, her half-sleeved outer robe revealing wrists as white as jade—like fresh green bamboo shoots swaying in a spring or summer grove, elegant and lively.
All her dark hair was swept up, exposing the snowy, slender curve of her neck, with faint red marks barely visible at her collar. A jade hairpin with dangling tassels swayed gently at her temple. She carried none of a matron's gravity; instead, she held the playful charm of a blushing new bride.
Pei Xu's gaze drifted to her lips before he could stop himself.
She had applied a light layer of tinted balm, and whatever it was made of made her lips gleam like spring peach blossoms—moist, soft, and pink...
He quickly looked away, suppressing his unease, and asked, "Why are you up so early today?"
"The moment you left, I couldn't sleep." It was an ordinary wifely complaint, yet it made Pei Xu's blood run hot. Remembering there were strangers present, he reached out and pulled her close to his side.
Bian Yu, meanwhile, was studying the slender young woman with unconcealed suspicion.
Yun Lou naturally noticed, but she pretended otherwise, casting a curious glance around the room at the assembled company.
Pei Xu said, "Constable Bian, if you have questions, ask them now."
Bian Yu set down his teacup and rose slowly. "Mrs. Pei, forgive the intrusion."
Yun Lou replied in a soft, gentle voice, "No intrusion at all, sir. What would you like to ask?"
Bian Yu's expression turned serious. "Madam, you were unconscious the entire time yesterday, were you not? Did you hear the thieves' voices, or catch any scent?"
Yun Lou shook her head. "I've always been a heavy sleeper. I knew nothing in my dreams. When I woke up, I saw my husband sitting at the bedside."
Bian Yu said, "I heard that the lady is an orphan rescued by Master Pei from Mount Bei Wu." His gaze sharpened. "What was a woman alone doing on Mount Bei Wu?"
This Bian Yu—he wasn't easy to fob off.
Pei Xu's brow furrowed. He stepped forward, placing himself between Yun Lou and the constable. "Constable Bian, that is none of your business."
Bian Yu stared at him flatly. "With a wife of unknown origins, one can never be too careful. Perhaps you've let a wolf into the fold."
"Constable Bian!" Pei Xu's voice turned cold. "Is making baseless accusations your method of investigation? Then let me ask you this—night patrol and city defense are your responsibility, and yet two thieves slipped into the city on your watch. Was it through the convenience of your office that you opened the gates to bandits?"
Bian Yu's face went pale with anger, but before he could retort, Yun Lou suddenly spoke, cutting him off. "Sir, I fled from the capital as a refugee. After arriving in Fengping territory, I lost my way and stumbled into Mount Bei Wu, where my husband saved me."
Bian Yu frowned. "The imperial capital, the seat of the dragon..."
Yun Lou smiled. "Sir means to say that a city of emperors can know no disaster. But besides natural calamities, there are also man-made ones. Who is to say what rot and filth hides beneath that gilded surface?"
She pushed up her sleeve. Above her wrist, pale white skin was crisscrossed with hideous whip scars.
"My identity, indeed, is not fit for the light. I am an escaped bondservant from a marquis's household in the capital. Now that you know, sir, will you drag me back to the capital and present me to your masters as a gift? Perhaps it might fetch you a promotion in officialdom."
This couple! Sharper-tongued than the other!
Bian Yu was a soldier, no match for them in words. He said one last thing—"Thank you for the tea, Master Pei"—and stormed off, sleeves flapping.
Zhao Er observed Pei Xu's cold, furious expression. This was a man whom even Magistrate Cui believed had the potential to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations — not someone to be trifled with. He hurriedly said, "Master Pei, our constable has a blunt tongue and a hard temper. Please don't take his words to heart, madam."
Pei Xu was clearly still angry, and didn't respond. Yun Lou asked pitifully, "Husband, did I say something wrong? Will Constable Bian cause us trouble in the future?"
Zhao Er quickly chimed in, "No, no! Constable Bian handles cases strictly but fairly, with clear lines between public and private matters. You needn't worry, madam!"
Pei Xu issued a dismissal: "Even the yamen requires evidence when investigating a case. Please see yourselves out, gentlemen."
The two constables hurried off.
Suppressing the lingering anger in his eyes, Pei Xu took Yun Lou's wrist and pulled down her bamboo-colored sleeve, covering those startling old scars. "If something like this ever happens again, you don't need to prove yourself. I'll handle it."
He had seen the wounds on her body before, back in the cave. On that stormy, wind-swept night, she had trembled in his arms and told him of the abuse she had suffered in the marquis household of the capital.
What imperial capital? It was merely the most filthy, most corrupt place under heaven. The grander the household, the more foul its stench.
Yun Lou obediently said, "Alright."
Fortunately, Bian Yu hadn't pressed further. Otherwise, she'd have had to spin another story about being a maidservant in the capital's marquis mansion. If it contradicted the tale she'd told in the cave, and Pei Xu spotted the inconsistency, things would get messy.
Pei Xu's face returned to a warm smile. "What would you like for breakfast? Have Aunt Zhou cook, or eat out?"
Yun Lou's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Let's eat out! I've been here so long and still haven't explored the town."
She'd been cooped up in Qinghuai Lane for over a month recovering from her injuries, barely stepping outside. She was practically growing mushrooms.
In her delight, the tasseled hairpins at her temples swayed. Pei Xu laughed softly. "Then let's go to the morning market west of the city. It's quite lively there."
Yun Lou stepped out the door cheerfully. "Let's go!"
Fengping Town couldn't compare to grand cities like Shengjing or Jiangling, but it was home to several thousand households. The people were simple and honest, with a warm, bustling, earthy energy.
Many people saw Yun Lou for the first time that day, and seeing Pei Xu at her side, they knew she was his new wife, the bride known as "Taoyao." They greeted her warmly, calling her "Mrs. Pei," and Yun Lou returned every greeting with a radiant smile.
Everything popular in the big cities was available here too — both food and clothing — though the selection was sparser than in a place like Jiangling. Still, it was enough for the local women to pick and choose from.
Yun Lou sat at a stall in the morning market, savoring a bowl of fragrant wonton soup, and nodded with satisfaction.
This place was truly perfect for a quiet retirement!
No bloody battles or power struggles — pure and peaceful, just the kind of place she'd always dreamed of.
She'd only just gotten married, so she could settle down here for now. If she ever grew bored, or if Pei Xu met a woman he truly loved and regretted marrying her, she'd simply pack up and move somewhere else.
Pei Xu had no idea that the wife sitting across from him, married to him for less than a day, was already contemplating a divorce.
The two finished breakfast and were about to head to the martial arts hall to hire some guards when an old man in a straw rain cloak and bamboo hat cheerfully called out to Pei Xu, "Young master, care to buy some fish? Fresh river fish, caught this morning off the plank bridge at Luye River."
The fish in the basket were lively and kicking. Pei Xu glanced at them and asked in a calm tone, "How much?"
"If you take them all, twenty wen will do."
Pei Xu handed twenty copper coins to the old man, and Le’an quickly took the fish basket. He heard the young master say to his wife, “We’ll make fish soup for you tonight. Later, I’ll have Aunt Zhou go to Xuanji Hall to get some cardamom to add in.”
The martial arts school was located in the northern part of the city, an area full of blacksmith shops, escort agencies, and carriage stables. The clanging of iron mingled with the smell of feed and dung in the air. Most passersby on the street were burly men with bare arms.
Pei Xu, tall and elegant, stood out awkwardly among them, looking even more slender by comparison.
Yun Lou glanced at each of them—those with hard, thick arms and solid, powerful waists and stomachs. They were pleasant to look at, sure, but not her type.
She still preferred someone like Pei Xu, who looked lean but had smooth, taut muscle lines. He felt good to the touch, too. Too bad she hadn’t gotten to feel him up last night...
Suddenly, Pei Xu’s calm voice came from beside her. “Wife, what are you looking at?”
“...Oh, I think that knife the blacksmith is forging looks pretty good. We could buy it and keep it in the house for self-defense.”
Yun Lou averted her gaze and made up an excuse on the spot. Pei Xu furrowed his brow in genuine thought. “Neither of us knows martial arts. Keeping a weapon in the house would actually be unsafe—it would just give a burglar a ready-made weapon.”
Yun Lou said, “Then forget it.”
Still, that knife at the blacksmith’s did look decent. Her own blade had been lost in the river at Bei Wu Mountain. When she got the chance, she’d slip back here without Pei Xu knowing and have a new one forged, just in case.
They walked together to the most remote spot in the northern part of the city. From afar, Yun Lou spotted four large characters carved on the stone pillar beside the door: “Zhen Wei Martial Arts School.”
But these four characters weren’t carved with a knife. The strokes swirled like a dancing dragon, and the shape was bold and imposing. Yun Lou, well-versed in all kinds of techniques, could tell at a glance that this was the work of a master spearman, using his spear as a brush and finishing in one fluid motion.
She hadn’t expected to find any decent bodyguards here, but seeing those characters instantly piqued her interest.
Feng Ping might be small, but it seemed dragons lurked in its depths.
Before they even entered, they could hear the sound of punching from inside.
It was early summer—the sun wasn’t scorching yet, but it was bright. In the spacious front courtyard stood more than a dozen young men stripped to the waist. Their shoulders were broad, their backs thick, and their muscles taut. Sunlight fell on their bronze skin as sweat trickled down the grooves of their spines. Every punch they threw carried a fierce whoosh.
Yun Lou’s inner voice went wow, and she began enjoying the sight with great relish.
Pei Xu suddenly regretted bringing her along.
The head of Zhen Wei Martial Arts School was a man named Luo Batian. In his younger days, he had been a bodyguard for escort convoys. Once, while traveling, he ran into a stroke of luck and saved a man who was about to starve to death on the roadside. Before leaving, the man gifted him a boxing manual.
After mastering the manual, Luo Batian’s martial prowess increased greatly, and he made good money escorting goods. Later, he married and no longer wanted to be on the road, so he opened this martial arts school to teach boxing.
At that moment, he was lying in the shade of a pergola in the courtyard, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, drinking tea, and enjoying the cool. When he saw Pei Xu walk in with a beautiful young woman at his side, he scrambled to his feet, exclaiming “Aiyo aiyo,” and hurried over.
“Master Pei! Your gracious presence truly makes my humble abode shine!”
Luo Batian only knew a few stock phrases, and he used that same greeting for every distinguished guest.
He looked at Yun Lou. “This must be your honorable wife, right? Truly... truly...” He searched for the word. “Truly beautiful!”
Pei Xu didn’t want to exchange pleasantries any longer, because Yun Lou’s eyes had already glued themselves to the dozen shirtless disciples in the yard.
Earlier, she used to warmly greet the neighbors when she ran into them on the street, but now look at her—does she even have the mind to pay Luo Batian any attention?
"Master Luo, I'd like to hire two estate guards—men with strong martial skills, honest character, and a solid, dependable nature. The monthly pay is no object."
"Since Master Pei has come in person, old Luo will definitely pick the best for you! I guarantee not even a fly will get into the Pei residence! Min Kuan! Zhong Shi! Zhao Shitou! Come over here and let Master Pei have a look at you!"
The three men, upon the order, immediately moved to approach, but Pei Xu hurriedly said, "Have them put on their clothes first."
He was genuinely afraid that if they came any closer, his wife would not be able to resist reaching out and touching them.
