「Thirty minutes later, in the inner residence of the Pei Mansion.」
"Husband, who is she?"
Xie Qingwu tilted her head back to stare at Ye Hanshuang. It was a good thing there was some distance between them. If she were any closer, she wouldn't have been able to see Ye Hanshuang's face from her angle—only a pair of towering peaks.
"My younger sister," Pei Shaoqing said succinctly.
Xie Qingwu understood. 'A female bandit,' she thought. On the surface, however, her face bloomed into a radiant smile as she offered a warm welcome. "Oh, so you're his sister! I don't believe I've caught your name. You are truly a natural beauty with such a remarkable presence. Please, come inside and have a seat."
SLAP! The cold-faced, cold-eyed Ye Hanshuang raised a single eyebrow, then swung her hand in a vicious slap.
"Agh!" Caught completely off guard, Xie Qingwu cried out in pain and was knocked to the ground. She clutched her face, glaring at Ye Hanshuang with a mixture of shock and fury. "You… you dare strike me?"
"And who are you to call me sister?" Ye Hanshuang took a step forward. Her tall frame bent down, blocking the sun and casting a shadow over Xie Qingwu. She reached out and easily pinched Xie Qingwu's smooth cheek, her voice cold. "You bitch. Get one thing straight: you're nothing but a captive my big brother dragged back. Did you really think you could play the part of my sister-in-law?"
"Let go of me!" Xie Qingwu jerked her head free and stared back defiantly, her body trembling with rage. She gritted her teeth. "Your brother and I have a cooperative relationship! I am not a captive!"
"Fine, let's say you have a point. But if you do anything else to displease me, I'll still beat you," Ye Hanshuang said, crossing her arms with a cold expression on her pretty face.
"You!" Seeing that the other woman was completely unreasonable, an exasperated Xie Qingwu turned to Pei Shaoqing for help.
Pei Shaoqing let out a soft chuckle. "She's the sister who has been through life and death with me, who would take a blade for me. You are merely my wife in name only. Did you expect me to speak up for you?"
In fact, he had been the one to order Ye Hanshuang to strike her.
"You… You people…" Feeling both furious and wronged, Xie Qingwu's eyes instantly reddened, and tears streamed down her face like rain.
"Alright, alright, you're crying your makeup off." Pei Shaoqing's demeanor shifted completely. He stepped forward, crouched down, and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before pulling her into his arms. Looking at Ye Hanshuang, he gave a mild reprimand. "You too. A young lady shouldn't resort to violence so quickly. No matter what, she is still your sister-in-law in name. Aren't you going to apologize?"
"My apologies, Sister-in-law. I was rude," Ye Hanshuang said, her lips tightening into a thin line, her tone stiff.
Pei Shaoqing then looked down at Xie Qingwu, stroking her swollen cheek with a look of tender pity. "I was just teasing you earlier. After all, even though we are not yet truly husband and wife, our fates are intertwined. We share life and death. How could I not be on your side?"
Conditioning. Push and pull. Emotional manipulation.
Sometimes he was cruel to her, other times kind. He had the person beside him play the bad cop while he played the good cop, forcing her to recognize her predicament and become more and more reliant on him. Step by step, he was gaining complete control.
"You're all bullying me!" In the end, she was only a nineteen-year-old girl who had never traveled far from home. Subjected to such hot-and-cold treatment, Xie Qingwu, who had already been feeling wronged and suppressed for the past two days, finally lost control of her emotions. She clung tightly to Pei Shaoqing, her temporary pillar of support, and began to wail.
Feeling the soft, warm, fragrant woman in his arms, Pei Shaoqing gently patted her back to comfort her. He shot a look at Ye Hanshuang, signaling for her to leave quickly.
Watching the two of them in their tight embrace, Ye Hanshuang felt a pang of unease in her heart, but she could only close the door and leave.
General Li leaped nimbly to the ground and followed her.
"Is the General of Cavalry feeling jealous?"
It trotted to Ye Hanshuang's feet and asked cheekily.
"Aiya, the pain! It's killing me!"
The next second, it was sent flying by a kick, splatting against the courtyard wall like a cat-pancake before slowly sliding down. Lying on the ground, it flailed its limbs and shrieked, "Assaulting a superior officer! This is insubordination! Rank insubordination! A capital offense! A capital offense, meow!"
Inside the room, having cried her heart out, Xie Qingwu's emotions were spent, and she calmed down. Only then did she belatedly realize she was still in Pei Shaoqing's embrace and tried to struggle free.
"Let me go."
But Pei Shaoqing didn't let go. Instead, he held her even tighter, a playful grin on his face. "I didn't shy away when you were hugging me just now. We have to be fair, don't we?"
"Then… then how long are you going to hold me for?" Recalling how she had actively hugged Pei Shaoqing and received his gentle comfort, Xie Qingwu felt a little embarrassed.
The key thing was, if this scoundrel refused to let go, there was nothing she could do.
That slap from Ye Hanshuang had made her realize that she could only rely on Pei Shaoqing for now. As long as he didn't cross her boundaries, she had no intention of turning against him.
But she didn't know that a bottom line was just like one's underwear.
The moment you gave an inch, it would be stripped away completely.
Pei Shaoqing pulled her tighter, rested his head on her fragrant shoulder, and closed his eyes, inhaling the faint scent of her hair. "Why don't you tell your husband about his family situation? I'll let my dear wife go once you're done."
"Fine. But you can't trick me." Xie Qingwu gave him a distrustful look before she slowly began to speak. "Pei Shaoqing's mother passed away from illness when he was three. His father, Marquis Weiyuan, is now forty-five and has never remarried… He has an older brother named Shaotang, who is twenty-seven and already married. He serves in the army and is stationed at the Northern Border with their father year-round… Ah!"
She suddenly cried out in alarm. Her delicate body went rigid, her toes pointing straight, because something hard was pressing against a very sensitive spot, startling her so much she didn't dare move. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she glared at Pei Shaoqing. "You…"
She couldn't help but recall the shadow play she had seen on the screen yesterday, and her heart pounded with fear.
"Holding a beauty like my dear wife in my arms, it would be strange if I didn't have a reaction, wouldn't it? Keep going. Don't worry, I promised I wouldn't touch you, so I won't do anything untoward." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly. Ignoring the facts of the situation, he almost looked like a perfect gentleman.
Perhaps because she was at home and dressed for comfort, Xie Qingwu was only wearing a thin layer of Ice Silk beneath her skirt, as fine as a cicada's wing. The cool, slick material combined with the warm, supple feel of her skin was an irresistible sensation, and he couldn't help but nuzzle against her.
Xie Qingwu bit her lip, shooting him a look of shame and anger. All she wanted was to finish her story and escape his demonic clutches. In a trembling voice, she continued, "His eldest sister-in-law, Nalan Yujin, is twenty-five. She and his brother live apart, with her remaining in the Capital City to manage the household affairs… Ah! D-don't move! Because of Pei Shaoqing's outrageous behavior, his relationship with his brother and sister-in-law is strained… Stop…"
Xie Qingwu couldn't continue. To prevent herself from being further humiliated, she pushed Pei Shaoqing away with all her might.
With one hand braced shakily on the floor to keep her strengthless, trembling body from collapsing, she gasped for breath, her eyes glazed over. Still, she forced herself to appear calm. "Let's… let's stop here for today."
"Then my dear wife should rest well. I'll go have someone heat water for your bath." Pei Shaoqing leaned in and whispered considerately in her ear before getting up, leaving, and closing the door behind him.
'Although I promised not to touch Xie Qingwu, that was just to placate her. To secure my identity as Pei Shaoqing, I have to conquer her and bind her to my side. If I can't win her over… then I'll have to resort to force.'
After the door closed, Xie Qingwu could no longer support herself and collapsed to the floor. Biting her lip, she lay there, wanting to die from shame and indignation. 'How could I have been so humiliated in front of that scoundrel!'
For the rest of the afternoon, Pei Shaoqing considerately stayed away from Xie Qingwu. That evening, he took Ye Hanshuang to Hongbin Tower. After all, his current persona was that of a man unskilled in martial arts. When situations arose where he couldn't get his own hands dirty, Ye Hanshuang would have to step in, so he needed to keep her close.
"My lord, you've arrived! Please, take the seat of honor!"
In the private room, Sun Youliang and Song Youcai, who had changed into civilian clothes and been waiting for a long time, saw Pei Shaoqing push the door open and immediately rose to greet him with utmost respect.
"I left a bit late. Sorry to keep you waiting," Pei Shaoqing said nonchalantly as he walked toward the head of the table.
Sun Youliang smiled and poured him a cup of wine. "Not at all, not at all. We were just early."
"Yes, yes, exactly," Song Youcai chimed in.
"Please, have a seat," Pei Shaoqing gestured.
After some simple pleasantries and a few cups of wine to warm up the atmosphere, the conversation began to flow. Pei Shaoqing turned to Sun Youliang with a curious expression. "Mingde, you passed the Scholar's examination at such a young age. Why didn't you continue your studies?"
Mingde was Sun Youliang's courtesy name.
"It's truly too shameful to speak of!" Sun Youliang downed a cup of wine and set it down heavily. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "Though I have practiced martial arts since I was young, I never intended to make a living from it. I followed my late father's wishes, studying diligently in hopes of passing the highest imperial examination. But harsh reality forced me to abandon my literary pursuits for a martial career."
He once had a fiancée, his childhood sweetheart. But she was spotted by a passing nobleman, who forcibly took her as a concubine. That same nobleman then framed him and pulled strings to have him stripped of his scholarly title. To save his own life and preserve any hope of revenge, his only choice was to join the Jing'an Guard.
Unfortunately, despite working hard, striving for advancement, and even sucking up to his superiors after joining the Jing'an Guard, several years had passed in the blink of an eye, and he remained stuck in the same position, having achieved nothing.
"How outrageous! For such a thing to happen?" Pei Shaoqing looked righteously indignant as he listened. Toying with his wine cup, he said to Sun Youliang, "You know, you're skilled in both literary and martial arts, and you know how to get things done. But in the end, your foundation is shallow. Without a powerful patron, it's impossible to advance in the official world. However, if you were to meet the right benefactor, soaring to the top wouldn't be out of the question."
The meaning behind his words was already crystal clear.
"I know you are from the Capital City, my lord, a great figure far beyond my reach. I only ask that you give me a chance to avenge my shame. I am willing to go through fire and water for you!" Sun Youliang immediately kowtowed on the spot.
"Me too!" Song Youcai immediately dropped his cup, knelt, and declared with conviction, "I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, my lord! I would not shrink even from ten thousand deaths!"
"Enough talk of death. I see you both living to rise through the ranks and achieve great success." Pei Shaoqing laughed and set down his cup. "Both of you, get up."
"Thank you, my lord!" they said in unison.
Pei Shaoqing picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said casually, "I'm new here and know very little about the people and affairs of Tongzhou. Why don't you tell me about them? Let's start with Hundred Households Commander Zheng, County Magistrate Wang, and Standard-Bearer Chen."
"Yes, my lord!"