That me, which me

The atmosphere in the main hall was somber.

Holding his official tablet, Wen Lingchen knelt before the emperor with a thud, tears streaming down his face, and cried out, "Your Majesty! That Pei Qinzhou, relying on the power of the Crown Prince, has no regard for the law and has trespassed into my residence, seriously injuring my son! If this trend continues, won't all of us court officials live in fear? I beg Your Majesty to do justice for this old minister!"

This caused a great stir, with officials who were on good terms with the Wen family stepping forward to echo their sentiments.

"This is blatant disregard for the law; their intentions are despicable!"

"Your Majesty, we beg you to severely punish Pei Qinzhou to set an example!"

The emperor on the dragon throne had a gloomy face and his piercing gaze swept over the crown prince: "Xia Chengen, Pei Qinzhou is a man of your Eastern Palace. What is your explanation?"

Crown Prince Xia Chengen stepped forward calmly to pay his respects, his tone composed: "Your Majesty, I have ascertained that Lord Wen's first wife has recently passed away, her body still warm. His second wife, Lady Qin, led more than ten households to force his eldest daughter, Wen Zhibai, to choose a husband on the spot in the mourning hall."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Wen Lingchen, whose expression had drastically changed. His voice was clear and resonant throughout the hall: "Lord Wen, may I ask, is it in accordance with the fundamental principles of our Great Xia Dynasty—ruling the world with filial piety and establishing social order with propriety—that one should force the legitimate wife to marry a concubine before the spirit of one's deceased wife? Pei Qinzhou and Miss Wen are old friends. Seeing this injustice, he acted out of anger. Although his actions were excessive, they are understandable. If we are to truly determine guilt, shouldn't we first consider the crime of favoring a concubine over one's wife and forcing the legitimate daughter into marriage?!"

"You—!" Wen Lingchen trembled with rage, unable to refute. His scandalous affair with Lady Qin, and the fact that Lady Qin's children were older than the legitimate daughter, were open secrets. To have them exposed by the Crown Prince before the Emperor was tantamount to trampling his dignity underfoot.

The emperor's face grew increasingly grim; he naturally knew the sordid nature of the situation. He had personally issued the decree for Wen Lingchen's marriage to Jiang Xuwan, and now that the crown prince had publicly exposed this scandal, it was tantamount to a slap in the face to the imperial family.

"Enough!" he interrupted sharply. "Since the Eastern Palace has intervened in this matter, the Crown Prince shall have full authority to handle it. Court adjourned!"

This verdict left Wen Lingchen ashen-faced and also created a deep rift between him and the emperor.

As dusk settled, the gates of the Pei residence were tightly shut, unlike the day I first arrived. Guards were stationed in every corner of the residence.

Inside the study, Pei Qinzhou was writing with his head down, while Wen Zhibai stood between the bookshelves, pretending to select ancient books, but his eyes were actually peering at Pei Qinzhou through the gaps in the bookshelves.

This can't go on any longer; she needs to find a way to gather information from the outside world.

I have no connection with him, so why am I confined to my quarters?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but pout.

But in that instant, he met Pei Qinzhou's gaze.

“Miss Wen’s eyes have been fixed on me ever since she entered the study.” He smiled, rose from his chair, and forced her into a small space. His right hand rested on the bookshelf, his shoe toe touching hers, their breaths almost touching. “Could it be that you’ve thought it through and want to marry me right away?”

Wen Zhibai wanted to avoid his gaze, but he lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Look at me, don't hide." His tone was gentle, yet tinged with seriousness.

Wen Zhibai trembled unconsciously: "I didn't... you."

"Oh?" Pei Qinzhou raised an eyebrow, teasingly asking, "That 'me'? Which 'me'? Do you mean... this 'me' who secretly watches me, or—" His voice deepened, becoming seductive, "...like this 'me'?"

Wen Zhibai's cheeks burned: "None of them!!"

He chuckled softly, "It's alright, it's enough that I meant it."

A white dove flew across the four corners of the sky. Xie An walked to the eaves and stretched out his hand, waiting for the dove to land.

Xie An removed the letter tied to the white dove's leg and saw that it read in black ink: "Tomorrow, the Crown Prince will host a banquet and invite Lord Pei to join us."

Xie An knocked on the door of the study.

"What is it?" Pei Qinzhou's tone turned cold.

"My lord, a message has arrived from the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince is hosting a banquet tomorrow and has invited you to attend."

Pei Qinzhou didn't respond for the moment. Turning back to look at the person in front of him, Wen Zhibai's face was filled with undisguised joy and excitement.

“I won’t go. I’ll just say I caught a cold.”

"Why?!" Wen Zhibai was stunned and grabbed his sleeve: "The Crown Prince is hosting a banquet. How can you not go? Do you want to live?"

"Are you worried that I'll be punished by the Crown Prince, or are you planning to sneak away while I'm gone?"

"Of course—I'm afraid Lord Pei will be punished by the Crown Prince." Wen Zhibai softened instantly, adopting a coquettish expression, and tugged at his sleeve: "Lord Pei, I'm really worried about you. After all, without you, who would be willing to feed and treat me so well? Go ahead, okay..."

He took advantage of the situation, pleading, "Please, beg me."

They're really taking advantage of kindness; they become arrogant with just a little kindness.

"...Please."

"Hmm, who am I?"

"Lord Pei?"

"I don't like it when you call me that, it's so distant."

"What should we call him? Apei? Xiaozhou? Qinzhou?"

A faint smile played on his lips: "It seems I have no way to resist Miss Wen." Pei Qinzhou's eyes gleamed with a hidden current, clearly pleased with himself.

He straightened up and said coldly to Xie An outside the door, "Report to the Crown Prince that I, Pei, will be at the banquet on time tomorrow."

Wen Zhibai was overjoyed, thinking his plan had succeeded.

But Pei Qinzhou turned around, his fingertips lightly brushing against her reddened earlobe, his tone gentle yet unquestionable: "However... you have to come with me."

"What?!" Wen Zhibai's smile froze instantly. "What...what am I supposed to do?"

He gazed at her. "To hide away the person I cherish like a treasure, isn't that... like a pearl being smeared with dust?"

Then, Pei Qinzhou walked to the study door, pushed it open, and saw Xie An with a sly smile on his face.

"Is it funny?"

Xie An immediately stood up straight and lowered his head: "It's not funny."

"It seems you're quite free today, probably because you're not in the mood to practice. Go to the backyard and practice your swordsmanship five more times. I'll check on you tomorrow morning."

"My lord, I—"

"Ten times." Without room for argument, Xie An could only secretly give Wen Zhibai behind him a pleading look.

"What are you looking at? Is it not enough?"

Xie An immediately looked away and quickly shook his head.

In the Eastern Palace, a man dressed in a purple robe with gold thread and auspicious clouds was playing chess alone. His long hair was like a tree crown, and his phoenix eyes were slightly upturned. His noble temperament was also a bit more romantic. The man was twenty-one years old. He was Xia Chengen, the newly established crown prince of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The guard Guangxi strode in and presented the note he had just received: "Your Highness, the Pei family has replied. Lord Pei will be attending the banquet on time tomorrow, and... he will be bringing along that young lady from the Wen family."

Xia Chengen, dressed in a purple robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and gold thread, was playing chess alone. Upon hearing this, his hand holding the white piece paused slightly. He raised a brow with his phoenix eyes and a playful smile appeared on his lips: "Oh? He actually went out with it. I'm getting more and more curious about who this Miss Wen really is."

"Your Highness, are you really going to all this trouble just to see Miss Wen?"

Xia Chengen placed his white piece, and the game instantly became fraught with danger. "This advisor of mine is like the moon in the sky, visible but unfathomable. Now, a star has suddenly appeared beside this moon... Tell me, is this his weakness, or a flaw he deliberately revealed?" He sharply swept his gaze over Guangxi: "Tomorrow's banquet is a test, and also a trap. Proceed according to plan."

"But what if Lord Pei..."

"He will understand my good intentions."

"yes."

As night deepened, the same moonlight could not penetrate the oppressive study of the Wen family mansion.

After returning from the morning court session, Wen Lingchen stayed in his study without going out and instructed that no one should disturb him.

As night fell, an elderly man with a full head of white hair gently knocked on his door: "Lingchen, it's me."

Wen Lingchen looked up from the mess of ancient books, rubbed his blurry eyes, and only after seeing the hunched figure behind the door did he hurriedly open it.

"Second Uncle...please come in quickly." Wen Lingchen stepped aside and gestured for him to come in.

The two sat facing each other, sighing.

The old man spoke first: "No one expected Fu Shi to suffer such a calamity. It's just that fate is cruel, causing the Wen family to lose a son."

The old man took out a small booklet from his chest: "These are the people that your second uncle, fourth uncle, and I selected overnight. Take a look."

He let out a long sigh before accepting the booklet with a hint of resignation.

What do you think?

Wen Lingchen closed the booklet that detailed the life of another boy surnamed Wen and fell into deep thought, constantly fiddling with the thumb ring on his hand.

"Over the years, I have wronged Yanzhen and the two children far too much..."

"Foolish!" The old man suddenly stood up, leaning on his cane. "You are the head of the Wen family, not just Wen Fushi's father! How could you be completely unaware of when Pei Qinzhou colluded with Wen Zhibai! Criticism is already rising in the clan. Don't forget, Jiang Xuwan has the Jiang family behind her! What will you do if the Jiang family comes to question you after her burial, or if Wen Zhibai runs away to seek help?!"

The wind blew through the curtains, causing the candlelight by the bed to flicker and the room to become dim and dark, casting long shadows of the two figures on the wall.

Qin Yanzhen's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her lips were drooping.

Since Wen Lingchen's complaint to the emperor at court this morning went unanswered, Wen Fushi's father has not visited his own son again.

“Mother…Mother…” Wen Fushi’s eyes were wide open as he stared blankly at the roof. Every time he called out “Mother,” Qin Yanzhen’s heart ached.

"Mother is here, son..." She could only manage a few words before the pain in her throat prevented her from speaking.

"Will Father still acknowledge me?" Wen Fushi's biggest worry was that his hand was already beyond saving. His mother's biggest worry right now was whether Wen Lingchen would still acknowledge Wen Fushi as the eldest son of the Wen family.

Who doesn't want power and status? Who wouldn't fight tooth and nail for it?

"Don't be afraid, you have the blood of the Wen family flowing in your veins, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"But...what if—"

Before Wen Fushi could finish speaking, Qin Yanzhen suddenly stood up, bumping into the medicine bowl on the wooden table beside her. Along with the clattering sound came her shouts.

"There's no 'what if'!!" The woman's bright red fingernails gripped the bed curtains tighter and tighter, her breathing becoming heavier: "You're the master's own son. Even if you die, you'll still be a son of the Wen family. What are you afraid of?!"

She regained some composure only after hearing sobbing from the bed again.

“Fu Shi…” As a mother, she knelt down again in front of Wen Fu Shi’s bed, stroking his forehead which was covered in cold sweat: “You just need to take good care of your injuries and wait for the right time.”