Chapter 128: Tipsy

When the red sun filled the windows, Pei Yuan went to Lady Xu’s courtyard to pick up Bao Ning.

Ji Yun walked alongside him; the two remained silent throughout the journey. Pei Yuan was not the type of person to grab someone’s sleeve and offer frantic explanations after being misunderstood, and besides, this matter was truly difficult to bring up. He avoided Ji Yun’s probing gaze, staring straight ahead with a solemn and dignified expression. Upon reaching the courtyard gate, he had a maid go inside to announce them.

Bao Ning was very happy today. She had drunk a few cups of green plum wine; though it wasn’t strong, she was still a bit tipsy, lunging toward Pei Yuan as if she were stepping on cotton.

Lady Xu called out “Careful, careful!” from behind as Pei Yuan quickly reached out to catch her. “Don’t run around.”

Bao Ning steadied herself, stood on her tiptoes to lean against his ear, and whispered, “I heard you have a son?”

Pei Yuan’s face darkened instantly.

Lady Xu stood not far away, clutching her handkerchief and looking at them with a hint of embarrassment. Bao Ning burst into laughter and stood up straight.

She saw her own reflection in Pei Yuan’s pupils and realized her expression wasn’t dignified enough. She suppressed her smile, waved at Lady Xu, and then at Ji Yun. “Auntie, brother, I’m going home.”

Pei Yuan grabbed her arm and nodded to Lady Xu. Once granted permission, he hurried away with Bao Ning.

Bao Ning fell asleep as soon as she drank, napping throughout the carriage ride. By the time they reached home, she had cleared up a bit. She sat on the couch, propping her chin in her hands and smiling at Pei Yuan. Pei Yuan originally had matters to attend to outside that evening, but because of Bao Ning, he couldn’t leave. Frowning, he brought water to wash her feet.

Bao Ning said, “What are you doing with the basin? I want to take a bath.”

“Settle down,” Pei Yuan said, grabbing her ankle and shoving it into the water. “What bath? You can’t even speak clearly, and you want a bath? Who’s going to save you if you drown in the water?”

Bao Ning replied, “I have a husband. My husband will save me.”

Pei Yuan found her chatter annoying. Troubled by his own thoughts, he didn’t want to hear her nonsense and scolded her, “Your husband won’t save you.”

“Why?” Bao Ning asked in confusion, but she quickly reacted, laughing and clapping her hands. “I know! My husband ran away with another man!”

She seemed quite proud of herself, showing off like it was a prize. That expression made the veins on Pei Yuan’s forehead throb. He tapped her forehead with his finger and cursed, “Are you crazy?”

Bao Ning asked him mysteriously, “Do you know my husband?”

Pei Yuan’s lips were tightly pressed. He really wanted to teach Bao Ning a lesson right then and there, but there was no reasoning with a rambling drunk, and he couldn’t hit her. He was fuming with rage. He pulled Bao Ning’s feet out of the water, dried them haphazardly, and stuffed them under the covers. He then tucked her in completely. “Go to sleep.”

Bao Ning was unwilling. “I’m not sleepy…”

“You are exhausted. You’re so tired you’re about to die,” Pei Yuan interrupted her. “Ji Bao Ning, let me tell you: if you say one more word right now, a pockmark will grow on your face when you wake up tomorrow morning. If you dare speak, just try it. Also, I’m going to take a bath now. By the time I come out, you’d better be asleep. If you’re still jumping around, I’ll hit your dog.”

Bao Ning immediately closed her eyes.

Pei Yuan sat down beside her, watching her. Bao Ning’s mind wasn’t clear right now. Although he knew it was unlikely, Pei Yuan was still worried—if she suddenly woke up and ran outside to shout nonsense about her husband running away with a man, he wouldn’t be able to live it down.

Bao Ning did indeed nap for a short while. Pei Yuan lit a small lamp and flipped through the military training journals that had just been submitted, thinking about the Queen’s illness that Pei Yang had mentioned.

Pei Yang said the Queen’s condition had worsened, and the Emperor seemed intent on sending her to a villa to recuperate. Consort Gao was already poised for action, aiming for the position of Empress.

Consort Gao, like Pei Xiao, was kind-faced but black-hearted, unscrupulous and devoid of any moral compass, capable of using the most low-handed tactics.

Pei Yuan’s eyes half-closed as his thumb rubbed the corner of a page, pondering the scenes that might unfold at the palace banquet. He didn’t notice when Bao Ning crawled up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his hip. He opened his eyes to see Bao Ning sitting cross-legged with a small rattle drum. Seeing him notice, she tapped his butt again. Then, with a pleasing smile, she leaned in to give him a hug, then retreated and hit his head with the drum.

Pei Yuan helplessly snatched the drum away and tossed it aside. “Not sober yet?”

Bao Ning didn’t speak. Pei Yuan said, “Speak then. You won’t get pockmarks.”

Bao Ning said slowly, “I feel like I’m awake now. I put my hand on my chest and felt my heart beating. My mind is also very clear. Just now when I hit you, I felt a bit of heartache too.”

Pei Yuan asked, “You felt heartache yet you still hit me?”

Bao Ning laughed. “But it felt very good!”

Pei Yuan saw that her complexion had returned to normal. He sat up, took Bao Ning’s hand in his, and said to her earnestly, “The Mid-Autumn Festival is in three days. We need to go to the palace for a banquet. The banquet is not a place for you to just eat and drink; there are things I need to tell you in advance.”

Bao Ning solemnly gripped his hand back. “I know. I won’t cause trouble for you.”

Pei Yuan felt relieved. He touched her face and said softly, “Just be good and don’t let yourself get hurt.”

Bao Ning nodded obediently and leaned her head against his chest.

Pei Yuan said gently, “Before the banquet officially begins, you must go and pay your respects to the Queen. Not just you, but all the titled ladies, the wives, the young misses, including the Crown Princess—everyone must go. I haven’t been into the palace for a long time, so this time, I will accompany you. Just stay by my side. But be careful; the Queen’s temperament is unstable.”

Bao Ning asked, “What do you mean?”

Pei Yuan said, “The Queen used to be a very gentle and generous person, but for some reason, she suddenly fell ill with madness a few years ago. She is usually fine, but you never know when she might have a violent outburst. Remember to be careful with your words and keep your distance so she doesn’t hurt you.”

Bao Ning said, “I understand.”

Pei Yuan continued, “Second point. When I was young, I acted arrogantly and made many enemies. When I fell from power, countless people were waiting to mock me. Now that I’ve risen again, there are many who target me in secret…”

Bao Ning smiled. “So you do have some self-awareness.”

Pei Yuan suppressed his temper. “Are you going to listen or not?”

Bao Ning closed her mouth. Pei Yuan tapped her nose with his finger. “So, you must be doubly cautious. Do not eat what others give you, do not drink their water, and consult me before accepting any gifts. Do you understand?”

Bao Ning said, “But if someone shoves a banknote into my hand and insists I take it, it wouldn’t be polite to refuse.”

“What beautiful dream are you having? No one is going to shove a banknote at you; no one is so crude as to give money in public.” Pei Yuan felt a headache coming on. Bao Ning’s tolerance for alcohol was too low; she was probably still half-dreaming. He shouldn’t have chosen this time to talk about serious business with her.

But having reached the halfway point, he had to continue. “It’s best not to speak with people you don’t know well. If you meet someone of lower status than you, just smile. There are too many people with a ‘smile that hides a dagger’—too many people waiting to find a loophole in your words. I’m afraid you won’t be able to tell.”

Bao Ning said, “Okay, I’ll only chat with people I know. I’ve already made friends: the third daughter of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and the second wife of the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture, Lady Ma. Lady Ma is a young and beautiful woman, but unfortunately married to a crusty old man. She is very warm and even gave me pickled horse meat and black garlic… Her family is from Yanzhou, and her second grandfather’s family originally relied on selling black garlic to support her third uncle through the imperial examinations. Her father and third uncle are cousins and are also very successful…”

Pei Yuan interrupted her. “Do not have too much contact with Gao Feihe. She might die that night. If you see her alive and then she dies, you’ll be scared.”

“…” Bao Ning was silent for a long while. Pei Yuan frowned, thinking she was frightened and was about to comfort her, but then she seemed to come back to life. “Where did I put that jar of black garlic? I need to go look for it later. Remember to remind me—don’t let anyone throw it out as swill. That stuff stinks like crazy!”

Pei Yuan couldn’t take it anymore and barked at her, “Has the wine gone to your brain?”

Bao Ning quieted down and shook her head. “Probably not.”

She could tell Pei Yuan was angry. Her mind was a mess, but she tried her best to cooperate and follow what he was saying. “Don’t worry, Gao Feihe won’t approach me. She doesn’t like me—Ji Jiaying told me so. Gao Feihe even mocks us behind our backs, saying so what if we are influential now? Once the Emperor passes away, we’ll definitely be purged, and we’ll be written into the history books as rebellious ministers and treacherous sons…”

Pei Yuan rubbed her head. “It’s fine. Let her talk nonsense. We will win a beautiful battle to turn the tide. Those who used to look down on you will one day kneel at your feet.”

“That’s not really necessary…” Bao Ning looked up and asked, “Do you want to be the Emperor?”

Pei Yuan asked back, “Do you want to be the Queen?”

Bao Ning pondered for a moment. “Can you raise ducks in the Imperial Palace?”

What kind of question was that? Pei Yuan hesitated.

Bao Ning said, “Then I don’t want to be the Queen.”

With that, she lay down, let out a yawn, and quickly fell asleep.

…

Pei Yuan felt like he was practically insane—talking to a dead-drunk person for so long, how much could she actually take in? All she knew was black garlic, black garlic.

He settled Bao Ning, blew out the lamp, and went outside where Wei Meng was already waiting for him. Perhaps because of those unreliable rumors, Pei Yuan felt a bit of discomfort looking at Wei Meng now.

Wei Meng was completely oblivious, excitedly clasping his hands. “Young General, don’t worry. The trap is set, and we’re just waiting for the turtle to enter the jar.”

Pei Yuan gave a faint nod. Wei Meng, caught up in his own emotions, continued talking to himself, “It’s just that Pei Xiao is cold-hearted and best at cutting off his tail like a lizard. I don’t know if he will also treat his mother as a rotten tail and cut her off when the time comes. But regardless, the Gao family will no longer be Pei Xiao’s support from now on. First losing Tao Maobing, then the Gao family—he’ll be like a cicada with broken wings, unable to survive this autumn.”

Pei Yuan stood on the stone steps looking at him, his mind elsewhere, secretly thinking about the marketplace’s evaluation of him. A green-eyed beauty?

Wei Meng grew more excited as he spoke, his eyes lighting up. “If the Emperor finds out the old case was a miscarriage of justice, he will surely be filled with guilt. The father-son bond between you can also be restored.”

Pei Yuan snapped out of it and paused for a moment. “I’m not lacking that little bit of affection.”

Wei Meng was stunned for a moment but quickly understood what he meant, and a sour feeling rose in his heart.

True. The man had a family and spent every day in warmth, as if soaked in a jar of honey. He even had someone deliver his lunch. Unlike him, a lonely man, the Prince certainly didn’t lack love.

Pei Yuan said, “There is one thing you need to handle as soon as possible. Lately, rumors have been cropping up in the marketplace. I suspect it’s Pei Xiao’s doing. That man has the mouth of a gossip—he dares to make up anything, probably to ruin my reputation.”

Wei Meng didn’t understand. Pei Yuan didn’t bother to say more and just told him the solution directly: “You just need to go to the largest teahouse in the capital using your own name and have a cup of tea. There’s no need to hide your true appearance; that will be enough.”

A green-eyed beauty? Just a black-faced, burly man. Once they see him in person, the rumors will naturally fall apart.

Pei Yuan finished speaking and went back into the house, leaving Wei Meng standing blankly in front of the door. With a heart full of complex emotions, he dazedly went off to carry out his orders.

…

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Bao Ning woke up early to wash and dress. She put on the formal court robes, which were a somewhat old-fashioned indigo color—ten percent darker than standard indigo. Nurse Liu straightened her collar and cuffs. Once everything was in order, she brought a mirror to her.

Bao Ning examined herself for a while, feeling that the style of these court robes really didn’t have anything worth praising. But she was nervous and anxious to build up her confidence, so after a long pause, she managed to say, “It’s quite nice. This color makes me look fair.”

She tilted her head and asked Pei Yuan, “Right?”

Pei Yuan and Nurse Liu both laughed and said it was.

Bao Ning was satisfied. She walked around the room a few times, practicing the palace etiquette she had learned, and then confidently took Pei Yuan’s arm. “Let’s go!”

From the Prince’s estate to the Imperial Palace was only a fifteen-minute journey. Bao Ning sat upright in the carriage, her stiff posture making Pei Yuan chuckle. After passing the guards’ inspection at the gate, the carriage stopped under a section of palace wall. Pei Yuan helped Bao Ning down. The sight of the black high walls, about three feet high, cutting the sky into square grids, made Bao Ning feel an even greater sense of oppression just by looking up.

An older palace maid led the way, first bowing and then smiling as she reached out her hand. “Prince and Princess, please follow me. Her Majesty the Queen has been waiting for a long time.”

Underneath his wide sleeves, Pei Yuan gave Bao Ning’s hand a squeeze. “Give me a smile.”

Bao Ning frowned. “I can’t.”

Pei Yuan taught her, “Just show your teeth, and you’re smiling.”

Bao Ning did as he taught. Pei Yuan glanced at her and pressed his lips together. “Forget it. Just keep a long face; at least it looks natural.”

Bao Ning snorted.

Pei Yuan looked at the palace walls ahead. “We’re here.”

…

For some reason, she had been so nervous before entering the Palace of Constant Autumn that she couldn’t even walk straight. But the moment she stepped through those large doors and saw the many grandly dressed ladies, Bao Ning actually became natural.

She was young and beautiful, with a gentle and appropriate smile, and stood beside a tall man with a cold, stern face. From the moment they entered, they were a striking presence. Not everyone had seen Pei Yuan, and Bao Ning didn’t like to socialize widely, so many people were whispering and asking who these two were. When they learned that this was the King of Jibei and his Princess, everyone showed inscrutable expressions.

After a long silence, someone said sourly, “Look at her fortune; even many legitimate daughters can’t compare.”

No one dared to answer. After another moment of silence, people began to talk again, and the atmosphere became lively once more, as if nothing had happened.

Bao Ning followed the nurse over the threshold of the main hall. At a single glance, she saw Gao Feihe standing by the Queen’s side serving her, and sitting nervously to the side, picking at her fingers… Yuanzi?

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