Chapter 72: Wicked

Pei Yuan cursed Wei Meng a hundred times over in his heart.

How would he dare tell the truth? If he actually told Bao Ning that the place was a brothel—housing fifty or sixty “Yangzhou Slender Horses” [concubines/courtesans trained for sale]—Bao Ning would likely throw him and his luggage out of the house immediately.

In fact, Pei Yuan had only gotten into this business because of Wei Meng. Wei Meng was greedy and lustful, with no wife at home. Life in the Northern border military camp was lonely, so whenever he returned to the capital, he would stir up trouble everywhere. He would complain that other houses’ top beauties didn’t have thin enough waists or sweet enough voices, and that they charged too much. Eventually, he egged Pei Yuan into opening a place of his own.

When the Emperor found out about this back then, he nearly beat Pei Yuan to death.

Initially, Pei Yuan felt the business was disgraceful. But after being punished, a sense of rebellion took hold; he instead put effort into it and truly made it flourish. Of all the pleasure houses in the capital, Qingluo Workshop could break into the top three. Its patrons were all high-ranking officials and nobles, and its monthly ledger saw millions of taels flowing through.

He had never touched those women, but if he told Bao Ning that, would she believe him?

“Why have you stopped talking?” Bao Ning looked at him with confusion. “Is this question very difficult to answer?”

“I just forgot for a moment,” Pei Yuan said solemnly. Taking advantage of the fact that Bao Ning had been raised in the inner chambers and rarely went out, he made up a lie to deceive her. “I remember now. It’s a clothing shop.”

Bao Ning nodded. “The name sounds quite lovely.”

She believed him. Dropping the subject, she happily tucked away the stack of deeds and turned to wrap her arms around Pei Yuan’s neck. Nanny Liu had been sent away, and there were no servants around. Feeling blissful, Bao Ning found Pei Yuan more pleasing to the eye the more she looked at him. Her actions grew bolder as she pressed her face against his shoulder and said sweetly, “A-Yuan, you are so good, so capable.”

Pei Yuan knew in his heart that this was the effect of the money, but he still felt a bit lightheaded from the praise.

“Was I not good before?” He looped his arms around Bao Ning’s waist, pulling her onto his lap and whispering into her ear.

“You’re especially good today; even your nose looks more handsome.” Bao Ning’s mouth was like it was coated in honey. Hearing her sweet words, Pei Yuan instantly forgot the spark of trouble ignited by Qingluo Workshop. He looked down at Bao Ning and thought: How can she be so beautiful? Her eyes, her small mouth, and especially her dimples were incredibly sweet. Every frown and smile of hers tugged at his heartstrings.

Pei Yuan’s eyes crinkled with a smile. He took Bao Ning’s small hand in his large palm, gently kneading it. “Our Ningning is good, too.”

Bao Ning asked, “Do you have other matters to attend to this morning?”

Pei Yuan answered, “No.” Actually, he did, but seeing her in such high spirits, he couldn’t bear to spoil her mood. Besides, he really wanted to stay with her a while longer.

Bao Ning obediently tidied his collar. In Pei Yuan’s eyes, she looked exceptionally virtuous.

Her voice was soft and gentle: “A-Yuan, is there anything you’d like to eat? I noticed you barely ate a few bites this morning. Are you hungry now? Just say the word and I’ll make it for you.”

Pei Yuan pushed his luck: “I’d like to have a bit of wine.”

Bao Ning hesitated for a moment but still replied with a beaming smile, “Alright, I’ll go warm some for you.”

Pei Yuan thought to himself: How can she be so gentle, so wonderful? She was beautiful, skilled, and had a lovely voice—like a fairy descended to earth.

Accordingly, his own voice softened significantly. He cupped Bao Ning’s cheeks, gave her a kiss, and ruffled her hair. “Go on, then. I’ll wait for you here. Oh, you wanted Tanghulu [candied haws], right? I’ll dip them for you. When you’re finished, come back and we’ll eat them together.”

Bao Ning agreed. She was meticulous and caring; as Pei Yuan sat in the chair, she worried the wind would be cold on his legs, so she went inside to get a thin blanket and gently draped it over him. She also called Nanny Liu over to warm a pot of milk tea for him and set out a plate of fragrant melon seeds.

Pei Yuan was being served like a pampered lord. Bao Ning tucked in his collar, gave him a few more instructions, and only then did she leave.

Nanny Liu stayed behind a moment longer. A-Mian [the sheep] was hungry, so she fetched some fodder. Seeing Pei Yuan resting with his eyes closed, she couldn’t help but praise: “The Fourth Prince and the Princess Consort are truly in perfect harmony.”

Pei Yuan loved hearing that. Though he knew Bao Ning’s attentiveness today was largely due to the money.

After a while, Nanny Liu also left, leaving only him, one sheep, and two dogs under the grape trellis.

The sun was nice today—warm but not scorching—with a slight breeze that felt very comfortable against the face. A-Huang [the dog] was running all over the courtyard, while Jixiang [the Tibetan Mastiff] was tied to a wooden post, sitting steadily and scanning the surroundings. Pei Yuan glanced at it and felt annoyed.

Spoiled by Bao Ning, Pei Yuan had lost track of his own status. He leaned back against the chair, pointing a finger at Jixiang. “Why are you so ugly?”

Jixiang looked over.

Pei Yuan continued, “I’ve never seen a dog as ugly as you. Do you think, with a face like that, you have the nerve to stay in our house?”

He crossed his legs and tossed two melon seeds into his mouth. “The heat of midsummer is coming. That thick, dirty coat of yours must be miserable. And those jowls—they must hang down in three layers, don’t they? I really can’t understand it; aren’t you only two months old? How can you look two hundred? Or is your breed just naturally like this—fat, old, and with eyes buried so deep in fur you can’t even see them…”

Jixiang began to bark wildly.

The Mastiff was powerful, and its bark was exceptionally loud. It seemed to understand what Pei Yuan was saying, barking so hard that saliva flew everywhere.

“Calm down a bit.” Pei Yuan remained composed, sipping his tea and advising the dog amiably. “It’s not that I look down on you; I just dislike you very much. I don’t think you have a great impression of me either, right? Why bother? If you stay here, you’ll disgust me, and I’ll disgust you.”

Pei Yuan paused, then added, “Actually, I don’t blame you. The main responsibility lies with my brother-in-law, the one who sent you here—Ji Yun, remember? But regardless of who is to blame, the problem must be solved. Being kind-hearted, I’ve thought of a way for you.”

“Do you see that?” Pei Yuan sat up straight and pointed toward the east, where distant mountains overlapped. He said, “That is Yandang Mountain.”

“When you grow a few months older and can survive on your own, go to those mountains. I hear you can hunt wolves and are very brave; hunting a few wild chickens or rabbits shouldn’t be a problem, so you won’t starve, right?” Pei Yuan stood up and walked over, intending to pat its head. “Life in the mountains is better than here…”

“Awooo!” Jixiang bared its sharp white teeth and snapped its jaws suddenly, nearly biting off Pei Yuan’s finger.

Pei Yuan flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly, “Ungrateful creature!”

A-Huang crouched nearby, watching him in a daze, not knowing what Pei Yuan was prattling on about.

Pei Yuan sat back down. In hindsight, he realized he was being ridiculous—bickering with a dog. If anyone saw him, they’d laugh themselves to death.

In the past, Pei Yuan would never have done such a thing. But after being with Bao Ning for so long, he slowly felt that life was becoming interesting. Every flower and blade of grass seemed to have a life of its own. He could settle his heart and experience those trivial things he used to ignore.

It shouldn’t be a bad thing; he was enjoying it.

But it was still a bit embarrassing.

Pei Yuan tucked away his emotions and remembered his promise to Bao Ning. He leaned over to light the stove and continued boiling the syrup. He had no idea what kind of syrup was best; he stuck a skewer of jujubes into the pot to test it, and with a flick of his hand, the thin syrup flew out and splattered on the ground. Jixiang hadn’t stopped barking since the insults started; seeing Pei Yuan make a fool of himself, the dog barked even louder.

Irritated, Pei Yuan pointed at it: “Bark again and I’ll throw you out!”

Jixiang didn’t listen. Pei Yuan was still holding that skewer of undried Tanghulu; whether intentional or not, he swung his hand, and the Tanghulu flew through the air, sticking right onto Jixiang’s thick fur.

The syrup and fur became a matted mess. Jixiang twisted its body, trying desperately to shake it off, but it wouldn’t budge. The barking became truly tragic.

From not far away came the sounds of Bao Ning and Nanny Liu chatting about household matters.

Bao Ning asked, “Where did you buy those chili peppers? The flavor is so authentic; the smell hit my nose the moment they were cut. These braised duck webs will definitely be delicious.”

Nanny Liu said, “Old Zhang from the kitchen bought them. He said they’re dried chilis shipped from the Bashu region—quite expensive. But they’re perfect for making chili oil; chop them up, put them in a bowl, and pour a spoonful of hot oil over them—it’s incredibly fragrant. However, Madam, it’s best if you eat less of them. I recall your ‘monthly days’ are coming up, so pay attention during this time…”

Bao Ning agreed, but as they drew closer, she noticed Jixiang’s abnormal barking and frowned. “Let’s go take a look.”

Pei Yuan stood up nonchalantly and left a step ahead of Bao Ning, pretending he hadn’t been there at all. Before leaving, he scooped up A-Huang and placed it on the chair he had just been sitting in.

After about half an incense stick’s time, he returned. Bao Ning was squatting on the ground with a large pair of shears, anxiously trimming Jixiang’s fur. After several days together, Jixiang had grown close to Bao Ning; now, feeling helpless, it lunged into her arms. The Tanghulu couldn’t be pulled off, so the long patch of fur had to be cut away.

Jixiang was already ugly, and with a missing patch of fur, it looked even worse.

Pei Yuan let out a laugh.

Just as he had expected, Nanny Liu indeed thought A-Huang was the culprit. She scolded it softly: “How can you be so mischievous? Don’t do this again. Think about it—if you hadn’t escaped just now and the syrup had stuck the two of you together, wouldn’t you have been bitten to death?”

Pei Yuan looked perfectly composed. Ignoring the chaos, he sat down comfortably, picked up a braised duck web with his chopsticks, chewed it, and took a sip of the warmed wine.

This was truly a divine life.

He squinted at the flowers Bao Ning had planted at the base of the wall yesterday; they were exactly the same as the ones at the General’s Mansion. While Jixiang was still howling tragically, Pei Yuan was wondering why Bao Ning loved planting flowers under the windows so much. When the bees came out in the summer and the windows were opened, wouldn’t they all fly into the room? When she got scared then, he’d be the one who had to deal with it.

Pei Yuan thought further: he should remember to get some men to check the courtyard tonight to see if there were any hidden beehives in the nooks and crannies.

By the time Wei Meng arrived, patting his stomach, Bao Ning had just finished her task.

Jixiang had almost cried itself hoarse. Since its appearance was now so unsightly, Bao Ning contemplated shaving all its fur off in a few days. The Mastiff had long fur because it was born in Tibet, where it was freezing; now that it was in the Central Plains and summer was approaching, the long coat was likely uncomfortable anyway. But not today—the dog needed time to recover.

Bao Ning and Nanny Liu took Jixiang away and put A-Huang in “solitary confinement” as punishment.

Pei Yuan continued to sit there, happily drinking, without a shred of guilt.

Wei Meng had just returned from the capital. Having traveled the mountain roads for two hours, he was covered in dust. He seemed to have drunk quite a bit before returning; even his burps smelled of alcohol.

He sat down across from Pei Yuan with a swagger and craned his neck. “Oh, eating?”

Pei Yuan kept the tip of his chopsticks in his mouth. “Are you blind? Can’t you see?”

Wei Meng chuckled and reached for some chopsticks. “I’ll have some too.”

Pei Yuan asked, “How is the investigation into Pei Xiao’s secret letter going?”

“That’s exactly what I came to tell you.” Wei Meng ate a duck web—boneless, with smooth tendons and skin. He swallowed it in two bites and praised, “So fragrant.”

Pei Yuan thought his eating manners were hideous and looked away with a frown. Suddenly, he noticed a small red mark on Wei Meng’s neck. His gaze shifted back, looking at it with confusion.

Wei Meng said, “We’ve found out. The letter was sent to Jia Ling, the heir of the Marquis of Chongyuan. You should be familiar with him—the eldest brother-in-law of the Young Madam. However, they likely haven’t met and don’t know each other. As for the rest, we’ll discuss it when General Qiu arrives. I saw him in the capital; he looked preoccupied and asked where you were, sounding like he had a lot to say to you.”

“We don’t talk about such troubling matters during a meal.” Pei Yuan lowered his head for a sip of wine, pointing his chopsticks at Wei Meng’s neck. “How did you get that? A red patch—did a mosquito bite you?”

Wei Meng grinned and lowered his voice. “Little General, you haven’t experienced this pleasure yet? You’d better work harder!”

“I don’t understand.” Pei Yuan shook his head and asked, “Is it serious? Don’t scratch if it itches. If it’s bad, I’ll ask Bao Ning for some ointment for you to apply.”

Wei Meng tutted. “This red mark was brought out from Qingluo Workshop. It’s worth a thousand pieces of gold—a gift from a beauty. I must cherish it!”

Bao Ning had been listening to them for a while, but it was all a blur to her. She tilted her head and asked Nanny Liu in a whisper: “Why are the mosquitoes in a clothing shop so expensive?”

Sansukini: I have a feeling he’ll be kicked out again once she finds out that the workshop is actually a brothrel. But I kinda like the feeling of this chapter, it’s a peaceful reprieve.

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