Chapter 104: The Troublemaker

Bao Ning watched Wei Meng’s hulking back with total confusion. Why had he suddenly become so hostile toward her?

Was it because Pei Yuan missed their appointment yesterday, and then insisted on eating breakfast with her today while Wei Meng waited in frustration? That seemed plausible. They had indeed been excessive; Bao Ning felt a twinge of guilt.

The grape trellis was located on the east side of the small courtyard, about four or five zhang ¹ roughly 13-16 meters away from the main door. Sitting at the door, one couldn’t hear the conversation over there, but silhouettes were visible. The sky had been overcast since morning; worried about Pei Yuan’s health, Bao Ning pulled up a small stool and sat at the doorway to grind soy milk while keeping an eye on the situation.

The medicine Pei Yuan had applied last night was very effective. Although there was still some swelling, she no longer felt any pain.

Bao Ning called over A-Mian. The goat was now fully grown, and because it was well-fed, it was quite sturdy. Bao Ning tied a rope to its horns and the other end to the stone mill’s lever, watching A-Mian pull the mill in circles.

The beans had been soaked by Mama Liu last night, the lilies before breakfast, and the red dates were already pitted and chopped. Bao Ning held these three ingredients and slowly added them into the small hole of the stone mill. Before long, a fragrant liquid began to flow from the spout. Because of the red dates, it was a pale pink—very pretty. Looking at the color, Bao Ning thought to herself that it should taste delicious.

On the other side, Wei Meng spread the topographical map of Yandang Mountain across the table. Pointing his brush at a spot circled in red ink, he said to Pei Yuan: “We scouted the mountain a few days ago and analyzed it. Based on the slope of the peaks and the density of the trees, if Pei Xiao chooses a spot for an ambush, it would be roughly here. There are many jagged rocks near the road and dense foliage, perfect for hiding. But when I returned from the capital last night and passed that spot, I noticed those rocks were gone. It wasn’t convenient to stop—I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me—so after reaching Lihu, I went back to check.”

Pei Yuan looked up at him. “And?”

“Those massive rocks used for cover have definitely been moved. The original spots still have wet prints and moss left by the stones. I led some men to search and found that the rocks were moved about a li away, deep into the canyon, right here.” Wei Meng pointed to a location circled in black, stroking his chin with a furrowed brow. “Pei Xiao is a cautious man. It’s understandable if he wanted to change the ambush site at the last minute. But I’m worried—did he discover something? Is that why he moved?”

“Impossible,” Pei Yuan said immediately. “If he truly suspected anything or heard rumors, he wouldn’t just change locations. If we knew his plan, he would assume we knew his new plan too. Based on my knowledge of Pei Xiao, he would have prepared a second group of men to slaughter our hidden reinforcements before we could act. His moving the rocks yesterday was likely just a precautionary measure for peace of mind.”

“Then I’m relieved.” Wei Meng pondered for a moment and found Pei Yuan’s reasoning sound. He nodded. “It’s good that we noticed. Our plan hasn’t been affected; we just need to shift our position accordingly.”

Despite saying this, Pei Yuan’s heart sank slightly. He felt Pei Xiao wouldn’t choose a new location so flippantly. Such a move might hide a deeper mystery; they shouldn’t underestimate the enemy.

He held a fine wolf-hair brush, not yet dipped in ink, and carefully traced the terrain of the new location, trying to see if he had missed anything.

Wei Meng continued: “The men are ready—eleven in total, all elite warriors, especially skilled with the bow. We shouldn’t bring too many people this time. Your title has been stripped; technically, you shouldn’t have private soldiers. If we rush out with a large army to save the Emperor, even if we succeed, we’ll be suspected. Pei Xiao might even use that to pin the assassination attempt on us. I’ve designated another two hundred men to lie in wait higher up the mountain, to be used only as a last resort to save our lives.”

This plan had been finalized many times already. For safety, Wei Meng went over it with Pei Yuan once more from the beginning. Long-range crossbows, the best archers hidden in trees, overwhelming the enemy with a rain of arrows. The Emperor would be in the third carriage, while the information leaked to Pei Xiao said the target was the thirteenth. With five zhang between the carriages, there was little risk of accidental injury.

But the more Pei Yuan thought about it, the more something felt wrong. It seemed too easy. How could it be this easy?

Why exactly did Pei Xiao change the ambush location?

Pei Yuan visualized the Yandang Mountain canyon, which he had traversed in his mind a hundred times. Suddenly, it clicked. The new location Pei Xiao chose was lined on both sides with dense, wild sweet osmanthus trees!

Wei Meng, thinking the business was concluded for the day, stood up and patted his robes to leave. Suddenly, Pei Yuan spoke through gritted teeth: “We’ve made a mistake!”

Wei Meng turned back in shock. “What do you mean?”

Pei Yuan asked, “Do you remember what kind of trees grow on the slopes of Yandang Mountain?”

Wei Meng recalled, “Mostly poplars or ginkgo trees.”

Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes. “Those trees are planted sparsely, and their foliage isn’t that dense. That’s why we tested it before—shooting arrows from a distance, six out of ten can reach the road.”

Wei Meng asked, confused, “Then how did we fail?”

“But the new location Pei Xiao chose is flanked by wild osmanthus. Osmanthus trees have broad, dense canopies that can intercept arrows. An arrow shot from a distance travels in an arc, and those tall osmanthus trees will block most of the stray arrows. He likely chose this spot specifically for that reason—to guard against snipers.” Pei Yuan tapped the map. “During the Emperor’s trip, Tao Maobing is the commander. He is of the Crown Prince’s faction. Knowing the plan, he will definitely guard the roadside strictly. If our men are positioned too close to the road, they’ll be slaughtered.”

Wei Meng finally realized the gravity of the situation, breaking into a cold sweat. “Then what do we do? If we can’t use arrows, we can only fight man-to-man in close quarters. If we can’t ambush them from nearby, by the time our men rush from their cover to the convoy… to put it bluntly, the Emperor’s carriage will be chopped into a coffin by the time we arrive!”

Pei Yuan twirled the brush in his fingers, his brow furrowed. “There are only three days left. We must come up with a foolproof plan, or all our efforts will be in vain.”

Wei Meng began to pace frantically like a headless fly, his face turning pale. If this failed, it would be due to his negligence. He had been too arrogant, treating Pei Xiao like a fool and failing to anticipate a countermove.

They had been talking for over an hour. Bao Ning had finished grinding and heating the soy milk. With no servants in the courtyard, she was worried Pei Yuan might be hungry, so she brought over a bowl of the liquid to tide him over. She brought a bowl for Wei Meng as well.

The lily and red date soy milk had the mellow sweetness of the dates and the fresh fragrance of the lilies. Served in delicate blue-and-white porcelain bowls, it was a treat.

“Am I disturbing you?” Bao Ning placed the food box on the table and asked Pei Yuan carefully. “I just finished grinding this. I’ve had some myself, and it’s quite good. If you’re tired, have a bowl. I can brew more if it’s not enough.”

She took out the two small bowls and placed one in front of each of them.

Pei Yuan looked at her slender, fair hands gripping the edge of the bowl. Suddenly, something clicked. The clouds in his mind parted, his previous irritation vanished, and his mood brightened instantly.

He took Bao Ning’s hand and asked softly, “Are you tired? Go take a nap. You don’t need to worry about us here. Go rest; I’ll bring you lunch.”

Bao Ning, feeling quite embarrassed, pulled her hand away. Pei Yuan was shameless and could be intimate even in front of outsiders, but she didn’t have that kind of fortitude.

“Then… I’ll be going?”

Pei Yuan said, “Go back and sleep. When you wake up, I have something to tell you.”

Wei Meng stared at them with wide eyes. He couldn’t understand why Pei Yuan was smiling, or how he had the heart to hold a beauty’s hand and say such mushy things. In Wei Meng’s eyes, Pei Yuan was a “faint-hearted ruler” distracted by lust.

Bao Ning straightened up and was about to leave when she noticed Wei Meng’s expression. She stopped and asked with concern, “General Wei, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

Wei Meng said gruffly, “I’m perfectly fine. No need for the ‘Little Madame’ to worry. Hurry back to your nap!”

His tone displeased Pei Yuan. Pei Yuan’s brow furrowed, and he wanted to reprimand him, but after a thought, he held back. Let him be arrogant for now. Soon enough, he’ll be the one begging for forgiveness.

Pei Yuan gave Bao Ning a look, telling her not to mind this mad dog. Bao Ning pursed her lips, picked up the food box, and left.

Wei Meng huffed. Seeing that Pei Yuan wasn’t getting angry, he assumed Pei Yuan felt guilty about being distracted by a woman. He became even more brazen, muttering to himself but in a voice loud enough for Bao Ning to hear: “Women are hard to please, delicate, and utterly useless. Aside from causing trouble, what use are they? Weak bodies that tire easily—they shouldn’t be wandering around. Go lie down in bed and save us the eyesore.”

In his anger, he spoke harshly. Bao Ning looked back at him; though she told herself not to care, she still felt a bit slighted. She said nothing and went straight to the house.

Pei Yuan hadn’t expected Wei Meng to be so rude. He kicked him hard in a fit of rage. “What kind of nonsense are you spewing?”

Wei Meng sat back in his chair, unrepentant. “Am I wrong?”

“Fine, fine.” Pei Yuan laughed out of sheer anger. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t be too arrogant. Every word you just spat out, you’re going to have to eat back later!”

Wei Meng huffed and hung his head, neither believing nor speaking.

“Regarding what we just discussed—we can’t use bows for long-range attacks.” Pei Yuan leaned in close to him and asked with a smirk, “Perhaps you’ve heard of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow?”

Wei Meng’s body jolted, his eyes lighting up. “Of course! Master Zhuge was a man of staggering genius; he created a crossbow that could be held for close-range combat. A single quiver could hold ten iron bolts—incredibly powerful and could be fired while running.”

Then he hesitated. “But that thing… I hear the construction is extremely complex and precise. These days, very few people can build a Zhuge Repeating Crossbow. In such a short time, where are we going to find such a genius?”

Pei Yuan sat back, took a sip of the soy milk—warm, fragrant, rich, and mellow. Perfect. Pei Yuan couldn’t help but admire Bao Ning’s skill.

Wei Meng said anxiously, “It’s this late already, why are you still eating!”

Pei Yuan finished the milk unhurriedly, stood up, and said to Wei Meng, “I’ll take you somewhere.”

He looked mysterious. Wei Meng stood dazed for a moment before following with a frown. They reached a small side room with a closed door. It wasn’t very large and had originally been used for firewood, but Bao Ning had since repurposed it. Wei Meng knew of it but had never been inside. The door wasn’t locked; it opened easily. Pei Yuan lit a candle and said to Wei Meng, “Take a look around.”

Wei Meng looked in astonishment at the rows of cabinets. Neatly arranged on them were gadgets he had seen, hadn’t seen, and some he had never even heard of. They were all small toys Bao Ning had tinkered with.

Wei Meng picked up a seemingly ordinary wooden horse. He fiddled with it and found that the tail actually moved. He gave it a twist, and it started to creak and groan inside. When he placed the horse on the floor, Wei Meng watched in amazement as it began to walk on its own.

Pei Yuan explained: “It has a reed inside—a type of hard but flexible small iron plate… well, you wouldn’t understand.”

Wei Meng then looked at a tiny catapult. A catapult wasn’t hard to make, but one this small—half the size of a palm—required extremely fine craftsmanship. It required immense patience and meticulousness to polish each tiny component and assemble them. Wei Meng asked in disbelief, “The Little Madame made all of these?”

“Of course,” Pei Yuan said coolly. “She even opened a toy shop called Ruyi Pavilion. Didn’t you know? Oh, I hear Ruyi Pavilion has become a craze in the capital. Many noble ladies want to buy things there. Bao Ning is planning to open a branch, but unfortunately, she hasn’t had the time lately.”

His expression was neutral, but Wei Meng could clearly see the pride in Pei Yuan’s eyes—it was as if he were the one who had made these exquisite items.

Wei Meng said sourly, “What are you so proud of?”

“I have a discerning eye.” Pei Yuan pointed to his own eyes, then swept a disdainful glance over Wei Meng. “But you don’t.”

Pei Yuan blew out the candle and walked out. Wei Meng followed hurriedly, whispering, “In that case, Little General, go persuade the Madame and see if she can try to make one?”

“You made her unhappy with what you said. If she doesn’t want to help, how can I force her?” Pei Yuan put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. “He who tied the bell must untie it. The problem lies with you, so you’d better think about what to do. Will you be a beast of burden, or crawl on the ground?”

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