Chapter 149: Minmin

Both Bao Ning and Pei Yuan stared at him in absolute disbelief.

The couple exchanged a bewildered look before Bao Ning asked, “Are you entirely certain she came looking for General Wei, and not some other man with the surname Wei in our manor? If I recall correctly, there’s a gardener in the back courtyard named Wei…” Granted, Old Man Wei was already well into his sixties, but Bao Ning honestly felt the odds of Old Man Wei conceiving a child out of wedlock were far higher than Wei Meng’s.

“It is an absolute certainty, it’s General Wei!” Chen Jia cried. “That Lady Minmin is holding a length of rope right now, throwing a massive fit and threatening to hang herself!”

Pei Yuan immediately stood up and began helping Bao Ning into her heavy cloak. “Let’s skip the rest of the meal for now. I’ll have someone deliver it back to the manor later. Let’s head back and see what’s going on.”

Bao Ning nodded in agreement.

Having delivered his message and received their response, Chen Jia hurriedly spun around and sprinted out of the shop to report back.

Ah Chou was still sitting flat on the ground. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, and her clothing was ragged and worn, making her look precisely like a common street beggar at first glance. Chen Jia had already completely forgotten about knocking her down moments earlier; he simply moved to dart right past her to make his exit. Ah Chou’s eyes tracked his legs from the shadows. The exact moment Chen Jia finished stepping with his left leg and began swinging his right, she swiftly extended her foot, tripping him completely.

Chen Jia let out a sharp “Yowch!” as he went flying, landing heavily right beside the wooden doorstep.

The thud of a fully grown, physically built military man hitting the floor was no small matter. The shopkeeper rushed out in an absolute panic to see what happened, genuinely suspecting an earthquake had hit the street.

Bao Ning’s jaw dropped in sheer shock.

“You tripped me.” Dizzy and disoriented, Chen Jia scrambled to his feet and slowly tilted his head toward Ah Chou. “Are you out of your mind?”

Ah Chou let out a couple of pathetic sobs and looked up tearfully. “Young Master, my legs and feet are clumsy. When I tried to stand up just now, I accidentally blocked your path. I beg of you, please look upon my frail, impoverished, and wretched state and grant me your forgiveness.”

Her calculated move hadn’t been entirely about petty revenge. She simply lacked a swift, reliable method to test whether Pei Yuan was truly a man worthy of her trust.

As an unarmed, helpless beggar girl, it would be all too easy for Pei Yuan to make her life a living hell if he chose to take offense. He wouldn’t even need to utter a command; if he simply looked the other way, this dark-skinned lad standing before her possessed more than enough power to make her suffer, even if it was just a retaliatory kick.

Conversely, if he was willing to speak up on her behalf, she would walk away completely unscathed. That would be enough to prove that Pei Yuan was not a cold-hearted, unfeeling tyrant. It would mean she could afford to take the gamble and seek his aid for her master.

Of course, getting a bit of revenge along the way made it a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone scenario.

“Stop beating around the bush and playing dumb,” Chen Jia barked, thoroughly infuriated. “I saw you crystal clear just now! You deliberately stuck your foot out to trip me! Have the decency to admit what you did instead of pretending to be a cripple!”

Ah Chou feigned a fresh wave of tears. “I am nothing but a common street beggar who never knows where her next meal is coming from. How could I ever dare to intentionally offend an esteemed gentleman like yourself?”

Chen Jia yelled, “Don’t play the pity card with me! I saw it with my own two eyes, you absolutely tripped me on purpose—”

“That’s enough.” Bao Ning, now fully dressed, stepped forward. Pei Yuan shot a disapproving frown at Chen Jia. “What are you doing bickering endlessly with a young girl? It was just a minor tumble, did you lose a patch of skin or something? Absolute blockhead. No wonder you’re well into your twenties and still can’t find a woman to look at you.”

Hearing his words, Ah Chou’s eyelids flickered slightly.

Muttering under his breath, Chen Jia sheepishly clamped his mouth shut and followed behind Pei Yuan as they silently exited the shop.

As they reached the entrance, Bao Ning suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to Pei Yuan. “I feel we ought to summon the county magistrate. We should have someone escort this girl back to her home, inspect her family’s living conditions, and leave her with some funds. Feng County falls under your jurisdiction now; under ideal circumstances, the citizens should be prosperous and the streets safe. Seeing a starving beggar girl huddled on the roadside like this… technically speaking, it reflects a lapse in your governance.”

Pei Yuan pondered her words for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “You’re right, I haven’t been thorough enough.”

He turned to deliver an order to Chen Jia: “You stay behind for now. Take this girl over to the government magistrate’s office and handle it precisely as the Wangfei suggested.”

Chen Jia gave a thoroughly reluctant nod. He watched as Bao Ning and Pei Yuan walked away into the distance, then whirled around, tossing his chin toward Ah Chou. “Let’s go.”

Ah Chou pulled her gaze away from Bao Ning’s retreating figure. Patting the dust off her backside, she jumped to her feet with a smirk.

Chen Jia narrowed his eyes at her. “So you were faking that limp earlier, weren’t you?”

Ah Chou let out a sharp scoff, completely ignoring him as she sprinted past his shoulder like a gust of wind. She sped away into the distance, leaving an exasperated Chen Jia standing completely alone at the shop entrance, cursing furiously into the empty air: “Ugly brat, you’re as wicked as you are deceitful! Just you wait—you’re going to stay single for the rest of your miserable life! Whoever ends up marrying you must be a literal pig drowning in a cesspool!”

…

By the time Bao Ning and Pei Yuan arrived back at the manor entrance, a massive crowd of onlookers had already gathered. The moment the guards spotted the royal couple, they hurriedly pushed through the throngs of people to clear a path.

Wei Meng sat flat on the stone steps, his face pale as ash, while Lady Minmin continued her tearful, loud lamentations: “Men are truly the most cold-hearted, fickle creatures under heaven! It was a mere month ago that we shared a night of passion, yet here you are, turning your back and refusing to recognize me! You even have the audacity to claim I have the wrong man, that you’ve never laid eyes on me before. If things are truly as you say, then whose child am I carrying in my womb? If his own father refuses to acknowledge his existence, what point is there for me to keep living? Everyone will point fingers and mock me until the end of my days… It’s better if my child and I just hang ourselves right here and end it all!”

As she spoke, she raised the length of rope toward the overhead beams once more, prompting a wave of gasps and frantic cries of intervention from the surrounding citizens.

Wei Meng looked utterly miserable. “My good lady, I swear to you I truly do not recognize you! A month ago, I went to Lige Pavilion simply to unwind after a long day. I had a single cup of wine, slept through the night by myself, and rode back the very next morning. I truly never saw you there!”

Minmin wept, “I don’t want to live anymore…”

The onlookers let out another collective gasp, continuing to shout words of restraint while pointing accusatory fingers and muttering criticisms at Wei Meng.

Bao Ning studied Lady Minmin carefully. She was quite delicate and beautiful, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years old—precisely the type of woman Wei Meng favored. Wei Meng undoubtedly harbored some level of attraction toward her, largely due to her stunning looks. Seeing such a pretty woman weeping and declaring her desperation to marry him had clearly caused him to soften. Otherwise, given his usual blunt temperament, how could he possibly tolerate a woman throwing such an embarrassing, public tantrum right outside his doorstep? He would have had his guards drive her away with clubs long ago.

She nudged Pei Yuan’s arm with her elbow. Catching her drift, Pei Yuan cleared his throat and announced loudly, “Since that is the case, let us take this discussion inside the manor first.”

Seeing him arrive, Wei Meng scrambled to his feet. Hearing the instruction, he cried out defensively, “Young General, I swear to you I have truly never laid eyes on this Minmin—”

“Whether you have seen her or not is something we will determine once we are inside. It is entirely possible you were simply too drunk and forgot her. A young woman’s virtue and reputation are far too precious to be casually stained; we must ensure Lady Minmin receives a just and fair resolution.” Pei Yuan motioned for the guards to fling the heavy gates wide open, stepping through alongside Bao Ning. Bao Ning offered a gentle, welcoming smile, gesturing for Minmin to follow them inside.

As Pei Yuan brushed past a thoroughly reluctant Wei Meng, his steps slowed for a brief second. He lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper: “Unless you want your foul reputation to spread across every corner of Feng County, stop standing out here like a frozen statue. Move your backside inside right this instant!”

…

Bright candlelight illuminated the formal parlor. Bao Ning and Pei Yuan sat side by side in the seats of honor, while an expressionless Wei Meng stood off to the side. Kneeling flat on the floor before them was Minmin, her frame trembling with heavy, breathless sobs.

Bao Ning said softly, “Please, recount the events of that evening for us once more.”

Wiping her tears with a silken cloth, Minmin spoke through her whimpers: “…I offered a toast of wine to General Wei, and once he became heavily intoxicated, I helped support him back to his bedchamber. The moment he hit the bed, he fell fast asleep. I proceeded to help loosen his robes and wash his body. Minmin possesses a wretched, lowly body, born into the entertainment quarters; I knew that a day would inevitably come when I could no longer preserve my innocence. My lifelong wish was simply to give myself to a man I deeply admired… General Wei’s glorious reputation is known far and wide, and Minmin had long harbored a secret affection for him. Facing such an intimate situation, I simply couldn’t restrain myself… General Wei did not despise my lowly background, and we shared a night of passion. The following morning, when I awoke, the natural shame of a woman caught up to me. Desiring only to lock this precious memory deep within my heart to cherish in secret, I slipped away quietly. But how could I have known that I would end up conceiving his child? It is only out of absolute desperation that I have presumed to show up at your gates… The madame of Lige Pavilion is entirely aware of these matters, as are my sisters within the house. Your Highness is more than welcome to dispatch men to verify my words!”

The expression in Wei Meng’s eyes shifted subtly.

He realized that Minmin had altered her narrative significantly. When she had first arrived at the gates, she hadn’t mentioned a single word about offering him a toast, nor had she spoken of any secret admiration. The way she framed it now felt entirely like a fabricated tale engineered on the fly to patch up the holes in her previous story. Yet, she delivered the words with absolute conviction.

The knot of suspicion in his chest tightened further.

Pei Yuan turned his gaze to Wei Meng. “Is what this young lady says true?”

Wei Meng remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking: “Perhaps I truly was so blind-drunk that the memory completely slipped my mind. Tomorrow morning, I will personally visit Lige Pavilion to investigate this matter thoroughly. If the truth aligns with her words, I will take responsibility and marry you. For tonight, you may take up residence in a side room within my courtyard.”

A look of pure delight washed over Minmin’s face. She bowed low, her forehead pressing against the floor. “Minmin offers her deepest gratitude to the Prince, the Wangfei, and General Wei.”

Bao Ning gestured for her to rise, instructing Nanny Liu to arrange for servants to prepare a comfortable room for her, while also thoughtfully ordering the kitchen to whip up a fresh, hot dinner.

Wei Meng shot a sharp look toward Pei Yuan, and the two men silently made their way toward the private study, leaving guards posted at a secure distance outside.

Pei Yuan sank back into his heavy wooden armchair, resting his chin in his hand as he asked lazily, “What is it you wish to discuss? To go through the trouble of creating such a massive scene.”

Wei Meng replied grimly, “I harbor deep suspicions regarding this Minmin.” He shook his head in deep frustration. “Then again, perhaps I am merely being overly paranoid. But I cannot shake the feeling that someone is pulling the strings from the shadows—that they spent an entire month carefully setting this trap, just to lure me right into it.”

“Old Wei, you are being entirely too insecure.” Pei Yuan stood up, stepping forward to deliver a reassuring pat to his shoulder. “It is my fault; I used to criticize and mock you far too much in the past. I take back all my previous insults. You’re actually a decent fellow—while you might be getting up there in years, you are highly successful in your career, and your looks aren’t half bad. It is entirely plausible for a woman to fall for you in secret. There is absolutely no need to be this hyper-sensitive, suspecting a grand conspiracy the moment a woman confesses her love to you…”

“I think this way because I received this letter,” Wei Meng interrupted, pulling a small bamboo cylinder from his sleeve and placing it directly into Pei Yuan’s hand. “This marks the third time this month that I have received an invitation from Nazhu. The first two times, he dispatched his personal elite guards to contact me in secret, both of which I flatly refused. This time, he penned a letter to me in his own handwriting.”

The moment the name Nazhu left Wei Meng’s lips, Pei Yuan’s head snapped up, his casual demeanor instantly vanishing into a deadly seriousness.

Chanyu Nazhu was the current absolute ruler of the Xiongnu royal court. Having ascended the throne at the tender age of sixteen, he had held the reins of power for over forty years, driven by a lifelong, burning ambition to swallow the Central Plains and conquer the entire empire. In the early years of his reign, the nomadic lands of the Xiongnu were barren and their military strength lacked foundation, forcing Nazhu to pursue a strategic marriage alliance with the Great Zhou dynasty. He had wed a Zhou princess, maintaining a facade of absolute submission for decades. However, once the Xiongnu migrated to the fertile, resource-rich Hetao region, their national strength swelled exponentially. With their newfound power, Nazhu’s grand ambitions were laid bare; the alliance shattered, and a catastrophic war erupted between the two empires.

That war had concluded in a crushing defeat for the Great Zhou, resulting in the slaughter of over two hundred thousand Zhou soldiers and the tragic suicide of the Zhou princess.

Even so, Nazhu’s forces at the time lacked the sheer numbers required to fully conquer the Central Plains. The two sides ultimately reached a tentative peace treaty, withdrawing to rebuild their respective strengths. Over the years, skirmishes and minor battles had broken out continuously, but none had resulted in a blow severe enough to shatter the delicate stalemate that kept the two rival powers balanced.

The ambitions of both empires had been quietly simmering and accumulating for decades, resembling a fish bladder filled to the absolute absolute brink with air. While the surface currently appeared perfectly calm and undisturbed, there was no telling at what exact second it might suddenly and violently rupture.

Wei Meng continued, “Nazhu wants to induce my surrender. But he knows full well that my absolute loyalty lies with you; a mere verbal promise or the temptation of gold and treasures would never be enough to shake my resolve. If I were in Nazhu’s position, I would undoubtedly orchestrate a completely different chessboard. And the primary, essential objective of that strategy would be to drive a wedge of distrust directly between you and me.”

Pei Yuan asked, “You suspect Minmin is a chess piece sent by Nazhu?”

Wei Meng pressed his lips together. “I don’t know.”

The truth was, he had genuinely felt a flutter of attraction toward Minmin. If her presence truly had nothing to do with Nazhu’s grand schemes, Wei Meng knew he would be overjoyed.

“Back during the Mid-Autumn palace banquet, when you produced that vial of Carmine Powder, I asked you where on earth you had managed to obtain a forbidden drug unique to the Xiongnu royal court. You refused to answer me then.” Pei Yuan stared directly into his eyes, speaking with a slow, deliberate weight: “Can you tell me the truth now?”

“I have accepted Nazhu’s invitation,” Wei Meng revealed. “Tonight at the hour of the rat, in the horsetail pine forest thirty li outside the city gates… you may accompany me to meet him.”

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