Chapter 36 Slapping Wei Heng

"Smack—!"

The crisp sound of a slap broke the silence.

Clear finger marks quickly appeared on Wei Heng's cheek, and a burning pain shot straight to the top of her head.

She covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief: "You...you dared to hit me!"

"If he saw this slap, do you think Pei Xingjian would believe you or me?"

Ji Shu leaned down slightly, her gaze piercing her like an icy blade. "Or perhaps, you haven't had enough of that show yet?"

Her voice was extremely low, each word dripping with coldness: "Look carefully, this palm strike is far less than half of what you once inflicted on me."

"Aren't you curious why I summoned you here? I'll tell you today that the position of Crown Princess that you've been so eagerly pursuing is something that's within my grasp. As for you, you'll only be trapped in the inner quarters, spending your days playing those underhanded tricks."

"You must have heard it... I've asked Pei Xingjian to make you his secondary wife, is that alright?"

Ji Shu's lips curled into a cold smile. "At that time, you will be right under my nose. When he goes to your room and whether you can have your own children will all depend on whether I am happy or not."

"Mrs. Wei, what do you think of this...? Is it alright?"

She looked at Wei Heng's flushed cheeks and the messy tear stains, but felt nothing.

With no one around and no one to turn to for help, it was time for her to experience this taste of her own medicine.

Wei Heng's pupils contracted sharply, completely losing her composure at these words.

Especially seeing those rosy lips uttering such vicious words, it felt utterly absurd—this was the person my brother and Xingjian had been longing for.

Such behavior is hardly worthy of even a fraction of Pei Xingjian's sincerity!

"You...you can forget about it!" Her voice trembled as she shook her head desperately. "I could never be a concubine to someone like you! Brother Xingjian would never treat me like that...and Father and my brother would never agree to it either!"

"It's all your fault, you bitch! I'm going to tell them, and show them your true colors!"

Wei Heng lost control of her emotions and shouted hoarsely, "You're a vicious woman!"

She thought that exposing the truth would turn everything around, and excitedly tried to get up, but she staggered backward because she was exhausted.

With no one to support her, she suddenly overturned the tablecloth, shattering the wine pot and cups, spilling wine all over her, her hair disheveled and stuck to her cheeks, looking utterly pathetic.

Ji Shu stopped looking at her.

She calmly straightened her slightly wrinkled cuffs, glanced indifferently at Wei Heng who was slumped on the ground, and then turned and pushed open the door to leave.

Wei Heng was the only one left in the side room.

When Yinzi arrived at the scene, he found the place in complete disarray, with his young lady sitting amidst broken porcelain and wine stains, looking dazed and disoriented, as if her soul had left her body.

On the top floor of Furong Pavilion, Madam Rui leaned against the railing, watching the Wei family's carriage disappear at the end of the long street.

She turned to look at Ji Shu beside her, a playful smile on her lips: "You usually hate the fighting between wives and concubines, but today you actually put on such a show, even borrowing my secret room. I have to believe that you really want to compete for the position of the Crown Prince's consort. What, could it be that you've really taken a liking to it?"

Ji Shu withdrew her gaze and smiled faintly: "Do you think a man like that is worth entrusting your life to? He may have some redeeming qualities, but I wouldn't dare to take a man like that."

"Moreover, after this incident, Wei Heng will definitely do everything in her power to stop this marriage. It would be perfect if she could start it and it would end it. In this way, I can be free from any worries before they leave Chongzhou."

Lady Rui raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you afraid she'll retaliate in the future? A woman's jealousy is the most terrifying thing. I think Wei Heng is no pushover. If Yanzhou has such a princess consort... I'm afraid there will be no peace in the future."

Ji Shu was well aware of all this.

In those vaguely known "books," Wei Heng was originally the winner in the palace intrigue.

She was merely a passerby who glimpsed only a corner of the ending.

"By the time she really wants to settle scores, I will have already flown far away." Ji Shu looked at the distant green mountains, her tone calm. "Chongzhou is nothing more than a temporary place for me."

First Pei Xingjian, then Wei Heng, and now Pei Yanzhi has joined the fray; this place is no longer safe to stay.

The only course of action now is to wait for them to return to Yanzhou. Then she will leave, hiding her identity and disappearing into the distance.

The world is so vast, where can't one find refuge?

Mid-April is the perfect time for spring outings.

In previous years, the original owner would always stay at the manor outside the city during the winter.

This habit also carried over to Ji Shu. Now, in these turbulent times, she no longer wanted to stay in Chongzhou City, so she simply went out of the city to find some peace and quiet.

The carriage swayed and rattled as it left the city gate and headed towards Yunqi Garden on the outskirts of the city.

It was nearly dusk when they arrived, and not only Ji Shu, but even Chun Zhi looked tired.

Yunqi Garden was the dowry left to her by her mother. It is nestled against the mountains and by the water, covering an area of ​​more than 200 acres.

Surrounded by bamboo groves and tranquil springs, it offers a secluded and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Even after her mother's death, dozens of loyal servants continued to meticulously care for the place. The turmoil of war in Chongzhou seemed to have never affected this mountain retreat.

Here, it seems that all worries can be temporarily forgotten.

Ji Shu brought all her incense-making tools, intending to stay here for a month.

After washing up, a wave of weariness washed over me.

She covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

For the next few days, she almost completely relaxed. She ate two meals and had tea and snacks a day, occasionally going out for a stroll in the garden. Although she couldn't do as she pleased as she did in Chongzhou, these simple and peaceful days gradually calmed her anxious heart.

She thought, surely that Marquis of Yan wouldn't make things difficult for a mere woman like her.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), in a dense forest ten miles outside Yunqi Garden.

Pei Yanzhi had just returned from a secret meeting with Jiang Congwen of Jiangzhou and led a light cavalry force to travel swiftly along the border between Chongzhou and Suizhou.

Lu Changming suddenly turned his horse around and galloped back: "My lord, there is something strange ahead."

The forest was eerily quiet; not even the buzzing of mosquitoes could be heard.

Pei Yanzhi's face darkened: "Everyone dismount and retreat."

More than a hundred elite soldiers silently reined in their horses, their blades unsheathed, and retreated.

One step, five steps, ten steps—

"call out--!"

A cold arrow ripped through the air, carrying a gust of wind straight to the throat of the soldier holding a torch!

The crossbow bolts were incredibly powerful; some even embedded men and horses into tree trunks behind them!

The first volley of arrows came from the front, the second surged from the woods on either side. The darkness provided the best cover; assassination was far more deadly than open attack.

This was a long-planned ambush.

Dark figures emerged from the shadows.

Pei Yanzhi gazed at the unfathomable depths of the forest, his eyes as dark as the night: "Follow me to kill—leave no survivors."

Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn his sword and leaped into the battle!

With a lithe and agile physique like a cheetah, he instantly closed in on the nearest man in black, his white blade flashing like lightning across the man's neck, blood splattering everywhere as he withdrew his sword.

A sudden clap of thunder followed, and a torrential downpour ensued.

The scent of mud and blood mingled in the rain.