Chapter 85: Strapped for Means

It was morning when they arrived, and the Duke’s Mansion had been teeming with guests. Now that the crowds had mostly dispersed, the quiet had returned to the front of the vermillion gates, guarded only by a few servants. Seeing Pei Yuan and Bao Ning coming out, the servants hurried to offer their greetings and farewells.

With no trees to provide shade at the entrance, the midday sun was bright and parching, making one’s eyes ache from the glare. Pei Yuan shook out his sleeve to shield Bao Ning’s forehead as they walked toward the carriage at the corner. Sensing someone following behind, Pei Yuan had a good guess as to who it was. He didn’t look back, maintaining his lazy stride while sucking on a plum candy he had taken from Madame Xu’s room.

At the carriage, Pei Yuan helped Bao Ning up. Once she was settled, he lowered the curtain and leaned against the frame, looking toward Chen Jia. “I say, what were you doing standing there like a fool just now?”

Pei Yuan’s eyes flickered with displeasure. “If I hadn’t spoken up, were you just going to stand there with your eyes wide open watching that crazy woman throw a tantrum?”

Chen Jia froze for a moment and shook his head quickly. “No…”

“Looking for a beating, are you?” Pei Yuan interrupted his explanation, tapping his shoulder. “I think you’ve been living too comfortably lately and want to loosen your skin, eh?”

Chen Jia felt extremely aggrieved. “The Crown Prince’s Side Consort, she…”

“Are you afraid the Crown Prince will blame you later?” Pei Yuan flipped the candy on the tip of his tongue and suddenly snapped, “Don’t forget who’s paying your wages!”

Chen Jia trembled at the scolding. Combined with the heat, his face was drenched in sweat. Born with a dark complexion, the sweat made his skin practically glisten.

“Don’t let there be a next time. Otherwise, there’s no place for you here, and don’t bother going back to the barracks either. Pack your bags and go herd horses in Shanyang for me!”

Chen Jia immediately stood straight. “Yes, sir!”

Seeing his panicked state, Pei Yuan’s voice softened slightly. “I gave you a job, so do it well. Serving the Madam isn’t me wasting your talents; it’s because I value you. If you do well, I guarantee you’ll rise much faster than your peers. When we return to the Northern Border, you will be my confidant, and I will groom you to be the next general. Do you understand?”

Chen Jia’s eyes lit up. He was someone who could follow orders without hesitation, but the transition from the barracks to a lady’s backyard had caused him some internal struggle—though he never said it, he felt awkward. Bao Ning treated him well, and he was willing to protect her, but Pei Yuan’s words undoubtedly gave him a sense of security and honor.

Fired up, Chen Jia shouted, “Yes, sir!”

“And one more thing.” Pei Yuan lowered his eyes and straightened Chen Jia’s collar, saying coolly, “Don’t worry about the Crown Prince’s status. He’s the Crown Prince now, but that might not be the case later. If anyone threatens the Madam, even if the King of Heaven himself shows up, you twist his head off for me. Otherwise, I’ll twist off yours. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

Pei Yuan gave him a satisfied look and boarded the carriage.

Though he had been scolded at first, Chen Jia could hardly hide his excitement. He had received validation and been given a more arduous mission, which was enough to make any soldier’s blood boil. Sitting on the driver’s bench, he suddenly felt a wave of annoyance at the reason he had been scolded!

He hadn’t hesitated because of Ji Jiaying’s status; the `truth was, he couldn’t touch a woman’s scented powder—he broke out in hives whenever he did. Ji Jiaying smelled far too fragrant, and his subconscious fear of the scent had caused him to miss the initial window of action.

Chen Jia looked down at the hand that had touched Ji Jiaying’s ankle; it was already swollen quite high. A look of panic crossed his face—do women even put powder on their feet? He then wondered if she had been rescued yet; if she was still soaking in the water, she might be dead. If she died, would he be arrested and thrown into a dungeon?

…

Pei Xiao and Chang Xi stood by the stone lions in front of the Duke’s Mansion, watching Chen Jia drive the carriage westward until it disappeared. After a while, several men in black civilian clothes quietly followed.

Chang Xi whispered, “Your Highness, I suspect they are returning to the manor at Lihu. We’ve had people watching that area; we know a pregnant woman and a child moved in about half a month ago. But I heard the child is extremely lively, completely different from the little Imperial Grandson’s temperament, so I didn’t think in that direction. That’s why we were delayed all these days…”

Inside the manor, Pei Yuan was holding a brush, making marks on a register with Wei Meng. “The Rossiya State has traded with us for thirty years, been a vassal for fifteen, and sent tribute fourteen times. They’ve sent fifty bear skins in total: twenty brown, five white, and the rest black. The Emperor gifted three black skins to the inner palace and fifteen to officials; the rest are in the treasury. Of those given to officials, twelve remain intact in their respective storehouses. Of the remaining three, one is with the Young Madam’s aunt, and two are in the hands of Crown Prince Pei Xiao.”

Pei Yuan’s eyes flickered. “Who do you suspect?”

Wei Meng said, “Pei Xiao, naturally!”

Pei Yuan threw his brush onto the table and snorted. “I figured as much. His expression when he saw that small drum at the mansion today was definitely off!” He paced the room, getting angrier the more he thought about it. “I feel like I’ve been cheated. Raising a son for someone else, keeping him happy and plump—what was I thinking!”

Wei Meng chimed in, “It’s a disastrous fate!”

Bao Ning paused. “When Yuanzi called you ‘Daddy,’ didn’t you look quite happy? And General Wei, when you were helping Yuanzi feed salt to A-Mian, your smile was very bright too.”

Wei Meng stopped in his tracks awkwardly.

The veins on Pei Yuan’s forehead throbbed. He wanted to argue with Bao Ning but couldn’t find the words. Initially, he did think Yuanzi was great, liking him more the more he looked at him. He had even thought that if he could never return home, he’d just stay here and raise the boy. But now, finding out it was Pei Xiao’s seed, Pei Yuan even felt a surge of murderous intent. Was it necessary to return this child to Pei Xiao in one piece?

In the past, he certainly wouldn’t have—he’d either kill the boy or break a leg. But now, Pei Yuan realized he had softened considerably. He couldn’t bring himself to strike a child he had known for only a few days.

Bao Ning suddenly remembered: “Then what about the scars on Yuanzi’s arms? Was it Pei Xiao who abused him, or the Crown Princess?”

Wei Meng hesitated. “Likely the Crown Princess. After all, he’s the son of a bedchamber maid; it’s natural she wouldn’t tolerate him.”

Bao Ning thought that made sense, but after a moment of reflection, she shook her head. “Yuanzi’s birth is very strange. Why would Pei Xiao allow a maid to have a child before the Crown Princess even entered the household?”

Pei Yuan frowned in thought, but after a while, he still couldn’t untangle the threads. He felt it was strange, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the problem lay. Regardless, the child could no longer stay at the manor. Pei Xiao knew, and there was no telling when he would come to take him back.

After lingering in the study a bit longer, Pei Yuan and Bao Ning walked toward the courtyard. Yuanzi was sitting under the wood-incense tree, playing with the dogs and feeding them soft beans. Watching his small shadow, Bao Ning felt a pang of sadness and regret. Why did Yuanzi have to be Pei Xiao’s son? They could have been so close, but now they were destined to be enemies.

Pei Yuan took Bao Ning’s hand and walked over, patting the dog’s rear to make space so they could sit on the stone bench under the tree.

“Yuanzi.” Pei Yuan hooked his chin, teasing him. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking to me?”

“I am going to talk.” Yuanzi fumbled in his sleeve. “Momo bought candy. I hid a few pieces for you. I’m looking for them.” He pulled out a small handful of exquisite round beans wrapped individually in oil paper. He looked at them expectantly. “Peanut, milk, and sweet pear flavors. They’re all delicious.”

Bao Ning’s nose felt a bit prickly. She managed a smile as she took them, stroking his hair and thanking him.

Yuanzi tilted his head. “Auntie, are you unhappy? You were out for the whole day, why are you unhappy now that you’re back?”

Pei Yuan spoke before Bao Ning could. “Yuanzi, you’re going home soon.”

Yuanzi was shocked. “Why? I don’t want to go back. I’m happy here, I don’t want to go back!”

Pei Yuan picked up a candy and rolled it between his fingers. “Your father is coming to get you. It’s not up to you.”

Remembering Pei Xiao’s cold face, Yuanzi slowly closed his mouth, though his expression remained gloomy.

“After you go home, you must never tell your father what happened at this manor, do you understand?” Pei Yuan leaned forward and pinched Yuanzi’s nose, threatening him with a half-smile. “If you dare say a single word to him, I’ll beat your bottom until it’s swollen!”

“I won’t say…” Yuanzi said slowly, his head dropping. “I don’t talk anyway. No one there wants to talk to me. Only the little spiders and little snakes are willing…”

The second half of his sentence was very quiet. Pei Yuan didn’t hear it clearly and asked, “Who talks to you?”

Yuanzi snapped out of it and immediately shook his head. “No one, no one.”

Pei Yuan was used to his occasionally abnormal behavior and didn’t take it to heart. He exchanged a look with Bao Ning and said to Yuanzi, “But don’t be too sad. This place will always be your home. If you ever want to come back, just come. But you must think it through—once you come to me next time, you can never go back for the rest of your life. Do you understand?”

Pei Yuan said this partly out of affection for Yuanzi and partly out of self-interest. Controlling someone important to Pei Xiao was very beneficial; much like hostages sent by enemy states in the past, Yuanzi would be his hostage against Pei Xiao.

“I will set up a candied hawthorn stall near your home in the future,” Pei Yuan said slowly, looking at Yuanzi. “Whenever you want to come back to me, go tell the uncle selling the hawthorns. Sneak out at midnight; he will be waiting at the back door for you to bring you back.”

Yuanzi nodded heavily, looking a bit more cheerful. “Mmh!”

…

Back in the room, the half-finished small garment Bao Ning was making for Yuanzi still lay on the soft couch. Her mood had just started to improve, but seeing these things made the heartache resurface.

Pei Yuan sat at the table pouring tea. He poured a cup and beckoned her over to drink. “No matter how good someone else’s son is, he belongs to someone else. If you like kids, we’ll have our own.”

Bao Ning took the cup and took a slow sip. “It’s not like you can just have one whenever you want.”

“We’ll work hard then. Heaven rewards the diligent.” Pei Yuan wanted to cheer her up. He placed his large hand on her waist, slowly moving it upward. “Come here, my treasure. Let Brother see if the little peaches have grown a bit today?”

Bao Ning nearly choked. Pei Yuan snatched the cup from her hand, pulled her onto his lap, and asked suggestively, “Will you untie it yourself, or shall I do it?”

Bao Ning’s face turned red. “Untie what?”

Pei Yuan tapped her back. “The ribbons of your undergarment.”

“…” Bao Ning pushed him. “It’s broad daylight. Don’t say such things. Can’t you wait until the moon comes out?”

“What is there to fear? No one is coming.”

“What if someone does?”

Pei Yuan said, “They won’t…”

Just as his hand was reaching inside, he heard a thunderous voice from outside: “Your Highness! The little eunuch by the Crown Prince’s side has come to deliver things! So many boxes!”

Pei Yuan forbade Chen Jia from coming within thirty feet of the room, so the man stood far off, shouting with all his might. It made one’s ears ache and set the dogs barking.

Pei Yuan’s face darkened instantly. Before he could scold the man, he processed the meaning of the words.

“What on earth is Pei Xiao sending me?”

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