Chapter 129: The Grace of Husband and Wife

Yuanzi saw her at once and grinned excitedly.

Bao Ning suddenly remembered—of course, Yuanzi should be present on such an occasion; after all, he was currently the only imperial grandson of the Zhou Dynasty.

Recalling what Mo Nanshu had said about Yuanzi’s blood being able to neutralize a hundred toxins, Bao Ning’s heart skipped a few beats. She had long thought about taking Yuanzi back, but she simply hadn’t had the opportunity to meet him… clearly, now was not the time either.

Pei Yuan led Bao Ning to pay respects to the Queen seated above. They were quickly told to rise, and they stood up, approaching with smiles.

Seeing that Bao Ning had no intention of coming over to speak with him, Yuanzi’s smile froze for a moment before sagging dejectedly.

In her large throne-like chair, the Queen was dressed in magnificent court robes. She asked gently, “I know of you. Your name is Bao Ning, right?”

Perhaps because she had been ill for so long, Bao Ning noticed the Queen’s voice was somewhat raspy. Her face lacked the firmness and fullness expected of someone living in luxury; the lines at the corners of her eyes were deep, making her look exhausted. Yet, her aura remained that of a Queen—stately, generous, and approachable.

Bao Ning curtsied and answered. The Queen beckoned her over and gave a look to the elderly nurse standing nearby.

As Bao Ning sat down, the nurse understood the signal and addressed the titled ladies in the hall: “Her Majesty is tired. Everyone may withdraw for now. The flowers in the back garden are blooming beautifully; palace attendants will lead the way shortly. Please enjoy yourselves and have some tea; there is no need for formality.”

Several ladies thanked her and departed. Gao Feihe, who had been standing behind the Queen, also stepped forward, bowed, and said, “This daughter-in-law also takes her leave.”

Hearing her voice, Bao Ning looked over curiously.

This was the first time she had seen Pei Xiao’s primary wife. She was glamorous and beautiful, possessing a distinct poise—truly fitting for someone from a century-old noble family. An innate arrogance and nobility radiated from her bones. However, much like her name suggested, she seemed slightly domineering.

To be fair, Bao Ning thought that if Pei Xiao truly ascended the throne, Gao Feihe could certainly carry the weight of the Empress’s phoenix crown—judging by looks alone.

Their eyes met for a fleeting second. A flash of disdain flickered in Gao Feihe’s eyes before she turned and left.

Bao Ning wasn’t used to such looks originally, but she had seen plenty since marrying Pei Yuan. The noble daughters of high-ranking families always disdained her company. At first, it was because Pei Yuan had lost power, and they looked down on her by association. Later, when Pei Yuan’s title was restored, those who had once been cold and cynical swarmed over with sweet words, though they still looked down on her in their hearts, hoping she would make a fool of herself. Bao Ning could roughly understand this mindset—when someone you never respected suddenly rises to a position higher than yours, resentment, jealousy, and even anger are natural reactions.

But she no longer cared, nor did she feel anxious when others subtly mocked her for being a lowly concubine’s daughter. So what if her birth wasn’t ideal? Her husband was capable, she was young and beautiful, she had a good brother, and she had her own shops. She wasn’t lacking at all; in fact, she was far better off than them.

With this thought, Bao Ning straightened her back. The trace of timidity she felt upon first entering the palace vanished, replaced by a poised and appropriate smile.

Standing behind her, Pei Yuan lowered his eyes and saw through her little thoughts. He found it both touching and amusing.

His Bao Ning was maturing bit by bit.

…

The Queen was not a talkative person; she remained mostly silent. In the fifteen minutes since Bao Ning entered, the Queen had only spoken to her that first time. After that, she simply smiled with a kind attitude, personally pouring tea for her and leading her to the window to look at the flowers in the small garden.

The old nurse whispered in Bao Ning’s ear, “Since her illness, Her Majesty’s voice has become hoarse, and she has been like this ever since. Please do not take it to heart, Princess.”

Bao Ning nodded, saying she understood.

Pei Yuan sat by Bao Ning’s side, his shoulder leaning against hers, lazily watching the autumn chrysanthemums outside, which were as large as plates.

For some reason, after being in this room for only a short while, Bao Ning felt incredibly tired. Her nose was filled with the scent of incense—high-quality sandalwood, very rich and mellow. Bao Ning figured her nerves were simply too taut, and smelling this Buddhist incense made her feel drowsy.

Taking advantage of a moment when neither the Queen nor the nurse was looking, Bao Ning rested her forehead against Pei Yuan’s shoulder. Pei Yuan immediately understood her little gesture and whispered in her ear, “Tired?”

Bao Ning gave a hum of assent.

Her nose rubbed against the fabric of Pei Yuan’s clothes, making it itch, and she felt a sneeze coming on.

Unaware of what they were doing behind her, the Queen stroked the leaves of a chrysanthemum and said with some worry, “These leaves are getting darker, especially the new small leaves. They’re so tiny. I wonder why?”

Hearing her voice, Bao Ning quickly sat up straight and forced herself to be alert. “Perhaps the soil isn’t fertile enough. There’s a simple way: take some sulfur powder from the Imperial Academy of Medicine and mix it into the soil. The flowers will grow strong in a few days.”

The Queen turned back in surprise. “Bao Ning even knows how to grow flowers.”

Bao Ning smiled shyly. Her nose felt even itchier, and finally unable to hold it back, she covered her hand and let out a sneeze.

The Queen asked anxiously, “What is it? Have you caught a cold?”

Bao Ning waved her hand to say no. Pei Yuan took her hand and stood up. “Mother, Bao Ning likely didn’t sleep well last night and is feeling drowsy. The sun isn’t too strong this afternoon, so I’ll take her for a stroll in the Imperial Garden to wake her up. It’s also near the Imperial Academy of Medicine; if she’s still not feeling well, we’ll find a physician. Don’t worry.”

The Queen nodded. “Very well.”

She looked at Bao Ning with concern and, after a thought, asked tentatively, “Bao Ning, Mother likes you very much. It has been a long time since anyone has come to chat with me. If it’s convenient, could you come back and stay with me for a while after the evening banquet? Mother has many rare seeds for flowers and plants that I can give to you.”

The old nurse behind her bit her lip in slight disapproval, likely fearing a sudden outburst of the Queen’s illness at night. But in the end, she said nothing.

Bao Ning originally wanted to decline politely, but looking into the Queen’s eyes, she suddenly thought of her aunt, Lady Xu.

The Queen and Lady Xu were similar in temperament—both gentle and somewhat cautious. Lady Xu’s caution was due to her status; what about the Queen? Perhaps it was due to the disappointments in her life. Even the most noble woman in the world, living in the inner palace, would have many things that didn’t go her way.

Her heart softened at an inopportune moment, and she curtsied, agreeing.

The Queen saw them to the door with great happiness.

Stepping out of the Palace of Constant Autumn, the bright sun made the white floor tiles dazzle. Bao Ning blinked, finding the itch in her nose even more intense. Embarrassed to sneeze in public, she quickly buried her face in Pei Yuan’s chest and let it out.

Pei Yuan had already guessed what she was up to. He felt both exasperated and protective, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her face. “What is wrong with you? Does your head hurt? Are you really coming down with a fever?”

Bao Ning asked muffledly, “Don’t you think the incense in the Queen’s palace is too pungent?”

Pei Yuan recalled for a moment. “I didn’t think so.”

He gave Bao Ning’s nose a firm squeeze to make sure she didn’t need to sneeze again, then crumpled the dirty handkerchief into a ball, planning to find a latrine to throw it in later.

Pei Yuan thought Bao Ning was just sleepy and took her to see the Imperial Garden. Bao Ning didn’t want to walk at all. Left with no choice, Pei Yuan pulled her to a shaded stone step to sit, where she stared blankly at the cracks between the bricks. Seeing no one around, Pei Yuan pulled Bao Ning’s legs onto his lap and began to massage them rhythmically, scolding her as he did:

“Have you forgotten what I told you? Stay away from the Queen. She looks fine now, but what if she has a fit and hurts you?”

Bao Ning said aggrievedly, “You saw the situation then; I couldn’t say no. I just felt… Her Majesty seems so pitiful. She is ill herself, her biological son is who-knows-where, the Emperor has countless new favorites and can’t spare any concern for her, and Consort Gao is watching her like a hawk… This life is truly hard to endure.”

Pei Yuan moved her left leg aside and switched to the right. “It’s fine if you stay in the Queen’s hall in the evening; it might save you from other troubles. Just wait quietly for me to come get you.”

Bao Ning looked at him and asked, “Are you nervous?”

Pei Yuan glanced at her. “Nervous about what?”

Bao Ning scooted over and put her arm around his shoulder. “A-Yuan, you don’t need to be afraid. It’s not like we haven’t lived through hard times. I think having power and having none each have their own merits. At worst, we’ll go back to the countryside. I’ll raise chickens, and I can support you by selling eggs…”

Pei Yuan was so annoyed he pinched her nose with one hand. “What nonsense are you talking about? Since when did I need a woman to support me?”

“I’m serious.” Bao Ning looked up at him. “I know what you’ve been doing lately, but I’m not worried at all. Because I keep thinking, what’s the worst possible outcome? At most, we just leave everything in the capital behind. Just like in the beginning, living the simplest, most rustic life. I don’t find that kind of hard work difficult at all. Don’t carry a burden. If we have good luck and can rise like dragons to live as superiors, we’ll be wealthy together. If we don’t have that luck, we can still be like an ordinary couple, tending a vegetable patch and raising chickens and ducks. That would be very nice too. I don’t think the former is much happier than the latter.”

He had been setting this trap for so long, waiting for tonight’s opportunity. How could he not be nervous or anxious?

But now, looking into Bao Ning’s eyes, Pei Yuan’s heart suddenly turned calm.

Bao Ning propped her chin on her hand and smiled at him. “The ‘scattered flowers’ of the world can easily dazzle one’s eyes; I’m afraid you might lose your original heart by focusing only on the hunt, losing your happiness in the process. I can never be like General Wei, planning strategies for you or riding alongside you, but I am very important, Pei Yuan. I am truly important. I am the person you can always trust, your foundation. Even if one day you have not a single soldier left, and everyone in the world is accusing and cursing you, as long as you reach out your hand to me and say, ‘Bao Ning, come with me,’ I will go with you without hesitation. See, that’s how important I am—as long as I am here, you have a home. A-Yuan, do you remember?”

Pei Yuan said seriously, “I have always remembered.”

“Don’t blame me for nagging.” Bao Ning let out a soft breath. “It’s just that after seeing the Queen, I was afraid. I thought, if I were in her situation, I couldn’t survive even a single day. I heard that long, long ago, the Emperor and the Queen were childhood sweethearts, a deeply devoted couple…”

Pei Yuan interrupted her. “We are different.”

Bao Ning asked, “Why?”

Pei Yuan said, “Because you are not like the Queen, and I am not like the Emperor. In my heart, I love you—only you. What you give me is not just the love of a husband and wife, but the grace of a husband and wife. This love and grace are fused into my very bones. Even a hundred years from now, when I have turned to dust, I will not forget, nor will I betray you.”

Bao Ning suddenly felt her eyes grow moist. She turned her face away so as not to look at Pei Yuan, secretly wiping the corner of her eye with her finger.

She didn’t know how they had started talking about this, or how it had made her cry.

Her kindness to Pei Yuan had originally sprung from a sincere heart and a sense of duty. Later, it was also from a sincere heart and out of love and protection. She never intended to use it to demand anything from him; it was all her own doing. But hearing him say that today, a strange feeling suddenly welled up—sour, yet sweet.

So he knew all the things she had silently given, and he kept them in his heart.

“What are you crying for?” Pei Yuan opened his arms to pull her into his embrace, smiling as he rubbed beneath her eyes with his thumb. “Look at you, aren’t you useless?”

Bao Ning sniffled. “I just saw the Queen and thought she was pitiful.”

Pei Yuan kissed her lips. “I haven’t seen you overthink this much before, or love to cry so much.”

“That’s because you didn’t care about me…” Bao Ning’s voice was thick with a nasal tone as she looked at him askance. “A while ago when Ah-Huang ate something wrong and didn’t go to the bathroom for two days, I thought he was going to die. I cried for a long time then, too.”

Pei Yuan patted her back soothingly and asked softly, “Did he go to the bathroom eventually?”

Bao Ning nodded, recalling the past. “It seems Jixiang gave him a beating, and he was so angry he ran all over the yard. Perhaps because he ran so much, he got better that very night.”

Pei Yuan hummed. “Then let them all run more in the future. When I’m home, I’ll supervise them too.”

Bao Ning said okay.

…

In the Palace of Prolonged Happiness, Gao Feihe was sitting below Consort Gao, massaging her legs while telling her everything she had seen and heard just now.

Consort Gao fanned herself with closed eyes. Upon hearing the end, she let out a laugh—her voice was so charming it didn’t seem to belong to someone her age. She opened her eyes and said, “It seems Xiao-er was right. If this Wangfei of the fourth child stays by his side, she will definitely be a source of trouble later. Moreover, I heard this Bao Ning has some skill in making weapons? The failure of the Lihu incident was largely thanks to her.”

Gao Feihe said in confusion, “She is merely a female relative; what great power could she have? Could she really block the Crown Prince’s great cause?”

Consort Gao said, “In any case, her death is more beneficial than her life. Feihe, you are still too young; you don’t understand the strategy of a flanking maneuver, only how to confront the enemy head-on. Xiao-er is also soft-hearted, using low-ranking tactics, only knowing how to sow discord between husband and wife—that treats the symptoms but not the root. Have you ever thought: the fourth child and his Wangfei have such a deep relationship; if his Wangfei dies, will he be completely devastated?”

Gao Feihe stopped her movements, still hesitant. “But this is the palace. Killing a Wangfei carries far too much risk.”

Consort Gao gave her hand a playful smack with a smile. “Who said I was going to do it myself? Have you forgotten? Isn’t there a lunatic in the Palace of Constant Autumn? A lunatic killing someone… that’s hardly a strange occurrence, is it?”

Sansukini: So scary to transmigrate into ancient times, no matter where, China or wherever.

P.S.:

I have a new novel up. Please check it out and bookmark it. It’s a story about a mom who died and is transported 13 years into the future where her children became cannon fodders. It’s a comedy/family/healing drama, no romance drama,

Reborn Mother: Turning the Tide for My Cannon Fodder Children

After her death, Shu Shu discovered that she was merely the “White Moonlight” in a novel—the male lead’s long-lost first love who ran away while pregnant and died young.

Her children were destined to be the “cannon fodder foils” to the female lead’s children:

Her son was a street thug living adrift. He fought the female lead’s genius son over a girl, became a laughingstock, and eventually took a wrong turn that landed him in prison.

Her daughter, starved of maternal love since childhood, grew up dull and unlikable. She struggled with binge eating and obesity. While competing with the female lead’s “ethereal” daughter for the position of lead violinist, an accident ruined her hand, causing her to lose her mind and be abandoned by the family.

The story ended with the female lead replacing the “White Moonlight” in the male lead’s heart. Along with their brilliant children, the new family earned the recognition of the patriarch’s clan and lived happily ever after.

The good news: Shu Shu has been reborn.

The bad news: Her 18-year-old self has been reborn into the time when her son is already 17.

Shu Shu: …… (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

-This is adapted to vertical drama. One of the less toxic/stressful story lines. Chapters will be posted 4 times a week, Tuesdays-Fridays.

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