Chapter 46: Appeasement

Meng Fan laughed too. “Such a big mouth for someone so young. Do you even know who I am?”

The man in front of her looked to be around twenty-four or twenty-five. He had a proper, handsome face. Perhaps because he had spent years working with fire, his skin had a bronze tone, and there was a hint of arrogance in his eyes.

Bao Ning thought, This must be a common affliction of successful men—they think the world revolves around them.

She asked, “And who are you?”

Meng Fan narrowed his eyes and said, “Ever heard of Lian Heng Xuan in the capital? The largest gold shop in the entire dynasty. Many of the empresses’ hairpins and jewelry come from us—designed and crafted by me. I’ve worked with gold since I was six. Became a master at fifteen. I’ve been in this trade for nineteen years. In all of Great Zhou, if you can find someone better than me, I’ll call you ‘Grandmother’ right here.”

Bao Ning smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid you won’t find anyone like that.”

Meng Fan raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Pei Yuan couldn’t sit still anymore. He felt like he had lost his mind—why was he even letting this turn into a competition with Bao Ning?

She’d been upset last night and thrown a fit—he should’ve just let her. She’d get over it eventually. So why did he actually bring her to make the tiger tally? He knew it was impossible from the start, and now she had to endure this humiliation in front of others.

Pei Yuan stood up, grabbed her wrist, and tried to pull her out. He lowered his voice and said, “Let’s forget this, go home. I’ll take you out for something nice to eat.”

But Bao Ning didn’t move. She turned and asked, “What exactly is a tiger tally used for?”

Meng Fan burst out laughing. “Just like a clueless woman! It’s for military command! The tiger tally was originally a single piece—split into two with a clean cut. One half is kept by the emperor, the other by the general. If there’s a military emergency, the two halves are joined together to mobilize tens of thousands of troops.”

He continued, “To prevent forgery, the crafting of tiger tallies has always been intricate. The raw material is a mix of gold and bronze—any slight variation in the ratio makes the coloration very different. Add in the symbols and intentional wear marks, and each tally is truly unique. If it’s lost, reproducing the original is almost impossible.”

Meng Fan frowned. “I’ve used everything I know, but a replica is still a fake in the end.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Then Bao Ning suddenly spoke: “So…”

She asked, “Since each tally is unique, and no one actually remembers what the original looks like, why do we have to recreate the missing half to match it?”

Meng Fan froze.

Pei Yuan froze too, looking at her.

Bao Ning said, “Why don’t we just hide the half that the emperor gave us, and create an entirely new matching set? That way, they’ll match perfectly. You could make it in two days, right?”

After she spoke, Meng Fan looked absolutely stunned.

Pei Yuan’s eyes suddenly lit up, staring at Bao Ning like she had just solved a riddle.

All this time, they’d been trying to replicate the existing half of the tally—trapped in a cycle of chasing perfection. They had exhausted every possible method. But it had never occurred to them to just step outside of the problem. Bao Ning did it in the blink of an eye.

Everyone had struggled with this for over half a month, but in the end, it was Bao Ning who broke through—just like that.

Pei Yuan was still holding her wrist. Bao Ning hesitated and asked, “This simple solution… none of you ever thought of it?”

Pei Yuan looked over at Meng Fan, whose face was now flushed red—not the same cocky man from earlier. He looked extremely awkward.

Pei Yuan suddenly laughed.

He stepped forward and punched Meng Fan hard on the shoulder. In a cold voice, he said, “Say it.”

Meng Fan grunted, “Say what?”

Pei Yuan didn’t respond.

And then Meng Fan realized—Pei Yuan meant the thing he’d boasted earlier: if someone proved better than him, he’d call Bao Ning “grandmother.”

Meng Fan was only slightly shorter than Pei Yuan. He stood tall like a mountain, and Bao Ning had to tilt her head up to look at him.

“Gra…” Meng Fan gritted his teeth, utterly unwilling, and after a long struggle, finally squeezed it out: “Grandmother. I was wrong.”

Bao Ning laughed. The anger she had built up from Pei Yuan the night before finally dissipated. She felt much better.

Pei Yuan looked at her with gentle eyes, lowering his gaze as he reached out to touch her cheek—but Bao Ning noticed and dodged.

She muttered a quiet threat, “I’ll deal with you when we get home.”

Pei Yuan was speechless.

…

Bao Ning stayed at the small workshop until evening. Meng Fan was skilled enough that she was no longer needed. Her mind wandered back to the creatures she was raising at home, and after night fell, she returned.

Pei Yuan didn’t leave her side the entire time.

Bao Ning had never stayed angry at him for so long. At first, Pei Yuan had been composed, but now that she still wasn’t speaking to him, he was genuinely starting to panic.

The carriage waited outside. Bao Ning grabbed the side rail to climb up, but she was tired from the day, her arms a little weak, and she almost slipped.

Pei Yuan caught her waist from behind. “Careful.”

Bao Ning squirmed. “Don’t touch me.”

“You can’t get up on your own,” Pei Yuan coaxed her. “Let me carry you.”

“No need,” Bao Ning grumbled. “I used to get on carriages just fine by myself.”

Pei Yuan said nothing.

After a while, he quietly replied, “You’re right. I’ve failed to take proper care of you.”

Bao Ning was a bit surprised. Her comment had nothing to do with him—she just meant that back at the Duke’s manor, she always boarded carriages alone.

But now it felt like Pei Yuan was overly sensitive—interpreting everything as a personal failing, going out of his way to appease her.

Bao Ning smiled faintly. This is good. Men really shouldn’t be too spoiled.

“Alright, no carrying,” Pei Yuan said. He crouched down, grabbing her ankle and placing her foot on his shoulder. “Use me as a step. Let’s try this.”

Bao Ning looked down at him, feeling something stir in her heart.

She steeled herself and stepped up. Once inside the carriage, she sat down steadily. Pei Yuan climbed in after her and sat at her side.

Inside, it was pitch dark. Bao Ning leaned against the corner and closed her eyes to rest. She could hear Pei Yuan breathing—he was probably watching her.

Bao Ning had made up her mind. It was time to teach him a lesson.

“Ning Ning.” Pei Yuan spoke softly, calling her name in a tentative tone. He reached out his hand to pull her closer by the neck. “Don’t lean over there. It’s tiring. Lean on me instead.”

Bao Ning opened her eyes. Pei Yuan’s hand froze midair.

He retracted it and touched his nose awkwardly.

After a while, he realized this skittishness wasn’t like him at all. She’s my wife—what’s the big deal about holding her?

Gritting his teeth, he dropped the pretense and boldly pulled Bao Ning into his arms.

Bao Ning turned her head and bit down hard on his shoulder. Pei Yuan endured it, refusing to let go.

She bit down with real force. She was angry that Pei Yuan always thought only of himself, never considering her opinions. His temper was stubborn and hard—like a rock that stank. Bao Ning had tolerated him long enough. Now she finally had the chance to give him a proper lesson.

She didn’t let go. Her sharp canine teeth broke his skin, and she even tasted a faint trace of blood before she finally lifted her head.

“Does it hurt?”

Pei Yuan stared forward expressionlessly, one hand still resting on the back of her head. His tone was indifferent: “No.”

Bao Ning ground her teeth, and the brief pity she’d felt for him vanished. She considered biting again, but Pei Yuan caught her chin.

“You’re the first person in the world who’s dared to bite me.”

“And then?” Bao Ning asked.

Pei Yuan looked into her eyes—clear and bright like water. His own tiny reflection shone in her pupils.

He softened and said, “Forget it.”

He slipped his arm under her knees and shifted her from his left side to his right, offering his other shoulder. “If you like, bite this side instead.”

Bao Ning was speechless.

As a husband, Pei Yuan had plenty of flaws. He wasn’t considerate enough, had a quick temper, rarely showed tenderness. And when he was angry, he scolded her like he did his soldiers.

But his strengths were also obvious. Within his circle of protection, she was allowed to act however she pleased. He was even willing to humble himself—though only in his actions. His words remained stubborn, holding fiercely to his pride as a man.

All Bao Ning wanted was a few sweet words that girls liked to hear.

Pei Yuan looked at her, saw her hanging her head in silence, and grew even more panicked than when she bit him earlier. “You don’t want to bite my shoulder anymore?”

He leaned in—an unusually shameful act for him—and suggested, “How about biting somewhere else?”

Pei Yuan kissed the corner of her lips. “This spot is soft, you won’t have to use much strength.”

Bao Ning shoved his face away, blushing with anger. “Now you’re not embarrassed to be close to me, huh? But yesterday in the study, didn’t you deliberately keep your distance from me?”

“You’ve punished me already,” Pei Yuan said, rubbing his cheek against hers like a shameless dog. “You’ve ignored me this whole time. It broke my heart.”

“I just didn’t want you to forget your lesson,” Bao Ning said sternly.

“I’ve learned it. I won’t do it again.” Pei Yuan pleaded. “Give me another chance.”

Bao Ning, small and curled in his arms, was being held tightly. He was determined to coax her—kissing her nonstop, starting from her chin, moving up along her nose to her eyelids. His lips were rough; her skin was delicate. It stung. But she couldn’t push him away. In a panic, she reached around and started tickling his waist.

Pei Yuan’s body instantly froze. He stopped what he was doing. Bao Ning, her face now covered in his saliva, jumped away and wiped her face with her sleeve.

“You’re so annoying!”

“I’m annoying again,” Pei Yuan repeated, agitated and at a loss.

In front of Bao Ning, he had no idea what to do anymore. He gently asked, “Then what should I do to make things right?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how much they damaged his dignity as a man. His expression darkened as he tried a different approach—using intimidation. His tone turned stern: “Be good and stop making a fuss.”

Bao Ning widened her eyes. “And you say you’ve learned your lesson? Did you already forget our agreement this morning?”

Pei Yuan shut his mouth.

Bao Ning mimicked his scolding voice and snapped: “Stop acting so annoying. From now on, in this household, I’m the boss. You have to listen to me—unconditionally!”

Pei Yuan looked stunned.

The carriage came to a stop. The driver had heard the commotion inside and, knowing Pei Yuan’s temper, didn’t dare to open the door and witness his embarrassment. He simply knocked. “Fourth Prince, Princess Consort, we’ve arrived.”

Bao Ning pointed at the door and commanded Pei Yuan, “Open the door. Help me back to the house. Then go cook. I’m hungry. Ah Huang’s hungry. The little lamb is hungry too. I want vegetable-filled buns and crystal shrimp dumplings. Ah Huang wants chicken liver porridge. The lamb wants milk with added bone powder. Oh, and the little leeches in the porcelain jar—they need snails. Before bed, I want to eat one hundred melon seeds—you’ll shell them. I also want to rinse my mouth, wash my face, and soak my feet. The foot bath needs rose petals and jasmine essential oil. Mm, making the bed is your job too. Don’t forget to sweep the floor before bed. I don’t like people entering my room, so that’s your responsibility.”

Pei Yuan’s hand, resting on his knee, clenched into a fist.

Bao Ning’s eyes curved into a smile. “Well? What are you waiting for—go!”

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here