Chapter 16 (Sixteenth Chapter)
Chapter Sixteen
A few days later, before Pei Zan was to go to the capital to report on his duties, trouble broke out in the capital.
Pei Zan's privately-run scout team delivered a secret letter, saying that Emperor Yuanqing was unwell and bedridden, the court situation was turbulent, local rebels were gathering, killing officials and seizing cities, and even vassal kings were seizing power and rebelling against the emperor. Led by the Prince of Qin, they entered the capital without imperial decree, ostensibly out of concern for the emperor's brother, and came to the capital to visit him in his illness.
The King of Qin harbored wolfish ambitions and plotted rebellion.
As the commander-in-chief of the troops in Yuzhou and Jiangzhou, Pei Zan should have led his troops to suppress the rebellious officials and traitors and kill the rebels.
However, he remained very calm and acted as if he were a useless general who "could not command troops without an official seal." Even if Emperor Yuanqing was anxious, he could do nothing about it.
After all, no one knows openly that Pei Zan's military prestige is extremely high; he can command tens of thousands of troops even by issuing orders verbally.
Pei Zan remained a bystander, deliberately ignoring Emperor Yuanqing's urgent crisis, and allowed the Prince of Qin's troops to march north into the capital.
However, the Qin Dynasty extended an olive branch, wanting to discuss a major rebellion with Pei Zan. Pei Zan pretended not to see or hear it, only inspecting the military camp day and night, and keeping his troops inactive.
Seeing this, Deputy General Zheng Zhiming knew in his heart that Emperor Yuanqing was not available to summon Pei Zan to the capital to report on his duties for the time being. The hurdle of "going to the capital to face death" had been overcome by their Grand Commander.
No matter how composed Emperor Yuanqing was, he would not joke about the fate of the country. Since a rebellion had broken out in the region, he would make good use of Pei Zan to quell the unrest.
However, this time, Emperor Yuanqing's intention to send Pei Zan was probably not as simple as just returning the military command seal.
Since Pei Zan had suffered an "injustice," he should seek a reward from the imperial family to erase the injustice in his heart.
Pei Zan's affairs were all matters of military importance, so Lin Rong naturally knew nothing about them.
All she knew was that the young master had been busy with military affairs lately and hadn't returned to Yuchen Courtyard for meals for several days in a row.
It doesn't matter if he doesn't come back. Lin Rong doesn't have to serve her master like a servant and is happy to have some peace and quiet.
Moreover, Pei Zan was not harsh on his subordinates. Knowing that Lin Rong was illiterate but loved to practice calligraphy, he rewarded her with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. He even had Uncle Feng take out several calligraphy practice books that he used when he was a child and give them to Lin Rong.
Although the items weren't particularly valuable, the thought behind them made them stand out. Even Uncle Feng was momentarily surprised and couldn't help but think more highly of Lin Rong.
Lin Rong is truly the first maid who can be so attentive to the young master.
Therefore, Uncle Feng understood his master's meaning and dared not let Lin Rong work too hard. He reduced her daytime chores again and again, and only called Lin Rong to serve him when Pei Zan returned to the mansion.
Lin Rong now has more time to practice calligraphy during her free time in the daytime.
The number of words she knows has expanded from her own name to over a hundred.
Lin Rong could not only read, but also write. She would often break off dry branches and draw on the thin layer of snow.
She still couldn't bear to use those writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Those elegant items were too precious, especially since they were gifts from the young master. Lin Rong wanted to save them carefully.
Occasionally, when Uncle Feng passed by Lin Rong, he would see her staring at the calligraphy practice book, carefully tracing each stroke, and he would smile and praise, "Amazing! Our Jade Dust Academy is about to produce a female scholar!"
-
With the end of January fast approaching and Shen Jia having received no summons from Yu Chen Yuan, and guessing that Pei Zan might be going to the capital to report on his duties soon... rather than waiting to be killed, it would be better to take the initiative.
Shen Jia visited Yuchen Courtyard again.
She had inquired and learned that Pei Zan would definitely return to the mansion for dinner that evening. This time, she had to stay in the hospital no matter what, until she saw her cousin before leaving.
When Shen Jia arrived, Lü Zhu happened to be away, and Uncle Feng had gone out with Pei Zan. Only Lin Rong was practicing calligraphy and guarding the gate in the courtyard.
"Miss Chen, the eldest young master has not yet returned to the manor." Lin Rong remembered that Pei Zan had said not to let anyone in.
She subtly reminded Shen Jia that since the master of the house was not present, it would be inconvenient to let Shen Jia in without proper hospitality, which was actually a gesture of respect for Shen Jia.
But Shen Jia was so eager to see him today that she insisted on going into the courtyard to wait no matter what.
She shoved Lin Rong aside, lifted her skirt, and stepped over the threshold: "It's alright if he's not here, I'll just wait for my cousin in the flower hall!"
Shen Jia knew that Pei Zan would never come to her aunt's courtyard to see her, so she had no choice but to trespass.
They must be cousins who grew up together, so Pei Zan certainly wouldn't blame her for her recklessness.
Shen Jia's audacity and insistence on entering the hospital were so outrageous. If it were Green Pearl in charge, she would definitely have allowed her in. Qing was just waiting for Pei Zan to return to the mansion and get angry, and then severely punish Shen Jia.
But Lin Rong was a kind-hearted person. Since she had received Pei Zan's favor, she would do her best to complete the tasks assigned by Pei Zan.
After all, Lin Rong had been a slave for many years, and only Pei Zan had the leisure to teach her to read and write.
The young master is a very good person, and Lin Rong will help him guard the courtyard.
Thinking of this, Lin Rong stepped forward again, respectfully stopping Shen Jia: "Miss Shen, the master has ordered that no outsiders are allowed to enter the courtyard. If you really have something to say, please leave a message for me, and I will inform the master on your behalf, okay?"
Speaking of this, Shen Jia felt angry.
She glanced at the pretty young maid in front of her and snorted coldly, "Did you keep the letter I sent you last time without showing it to your cousin?"
Otherwise, why wouldn't Pei Zan look for her?
Lin Rong stammered for a moment, then honestly said, "Young Master burned the letter."
"It's burned?!" Shen Jia felt a surge of heat rush to the top of her head, burning her face and earlobes.
She's just a lowly maid from the outer courtyard!
Just a lowly slave!
Overwhelmed with anger and feeling deeply embarrassed, Shen Jia raised her hand and slapped Lin Rong across the face.
A loud bang.
Even though Lin Rong dodged the slap with quick reflexes, she still felt the fierce force of the blow to her neck and jaw.
A patch of red, swollen finger marks instantly spread across the girl's fair skin, causing Lin Rong to wince in pain.
When Green Pearl returned to the courtyard, she saw this from afar, cried out in surprise, and went forward to push Shen Jia away.
"Miss Chen! Have you gone mad?! Rong'er is the young master's maid. Even if someone needs to be punished, they must ask the young master's permission. How can you lay a hand on her and presume to discipline her? Aren't you afraid of angering the young master?!"
Shen Jia felt extremely regretful after slapping him.
Wouldn't it be even worse if Pei Zan were left with the impression of an intolerant and jealous woman?
As if waking from a dream, she took a step back: "I...I..."
Lin Rong didn't want things to escalate, so she gritted her teeth, lowered her eyes, and bowed respectfully: "Please calm down, Miss Chen, and wait quietly in your courtyard. The young master instructed earlier that no one else is allowed to enter the courtyard. If you need to see me, I will inform him on your behalf."
Even though things had escalated to this point, Lin Rong still tried to persuade Shen Jia to leave in a gentle and kind manner.
Upon hearing this, Shen Jia realized she was in the wrong and could only leave with mixed feelings.
As soon as Shen Jia left, Lü Zhu glared at Lin Rong with a mixture of disappointment and anger, scolding her, "Are you stupid? Just standing there and taking a beating?"
Lin Rong covered her face, hissed softly, and laughed, "I tried to dodge, but I couldn't."
"How stupid! No, we have to tell the young master about this. I don't believe it. We are also maids of the main branch. How can we let a freeloading cousin bully us!"
Green Pearl was in a hurry and made to go and report to Uncle Feng, but Lin Rong quickly stopped her and said to her, "Forget it, forget it. It's too much to ask the master to stand up for a little maid like me."
After all, Lin Rong was Pei Zan's maid, and it would be shameful for Shen Jia to beat her up.
Whether Pei Zan takes his anger out on Shen Jia or swallows it, it won't look good for his master. Therefore, it's better for Lin Rong to be sensible and keep her anger to herself, so as not to make things difficult for Pei Zan.
Thinking of this, Lin Rong shook Green Pearl's sleeve again: "Good sister, don't worry about it, it's really nothing. Here, I'll go apply the medicine, and you can help me prepare tonight's meal?"
With such a slap mark on her face, walking right past the young master would be like protesting too much. She should wait until the swelling goes down before going to greet Pei Zan.
Green Pearl had no choice, but considering that Pei Zan's temper had been relatively good recently and he hadn't beaten or killed any servants, she turned a blind eye and accepted the matter.
To everyone's surprise, Green Pearl still displeased Pei Zan when the meal was served that night.
The master, seated upright in the rosewood armchair, glanced over and noticed that the maid serving the meal had changed. His gaze turned unfriendly, and he asked in a cold voice, "Where is Lin Rong?"
Upon hearing this, Green Pearl immediately knelt down. Still fearing Pei Zan's imposing aura, she said tremblingly, "Rong'er is not feeling well. Tonight, please let this servant serve dinner to the young master."
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Green Pearl initially wanted to use some excuse about the water element to brush it off, but when she thought of Shen Jia's arrogant and slapping face, she couldn't help but complain: "It was Miss Shen Jia who trespassed into Yu Chen Courtyard! She insisted on going in to see the young master, and when Rong'er stopped her, she got angry and left that slap mark. Young master, you don't know, Rong'er's cheek was so swollen from that slap, and if it weren't for the ointment, she might have been disfigured."
Pei Zan knew all along that this maid named Lü Zhu was hot-tempered and loved to gossip, but there was one thing: she had a deep friendship with Lin Rong, so she wouldn't make up stories about family matters.
Pei Zan took a sip of tea, thinking of Lin Rong's tearful eyes.
Lin Rong was indeed easy to bully. Even though he was malicious and dug his long fingers deep into her throat, no matter how uncomfortable she was or how much she couldn't swallow, she would try her best to endure it...
Pei Zan lowered his eyes, put down his teacup, and said, "I understand. You may leave."
Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner; the First Madam's actions are certainly presumptuous.
-
Frostfall Courtyard.
Upon hearing that Pei Zan was coming, Madam Shen, the First Madam, hurriedly instructed the servants to prepare a meal in the kitchen.
Not only was crucian carp soup prepared, but chestnut and jujube cakes were also served, and a pot of imperial wine, Hibiscus Liquor, specially made for the palace, was heated up. Shen Jia was even invited to accompany them.
Shen Jia did not tell her aunt about the scene at Yuchen Courtyard today, but she thought that Pei Zan would never come to the main house to stand up for a maid who had been beaten.
Pei Zan visited his stepmother's courtyard, which must have been because he knew that Shen Jia had come to invite people several times, so he came specifically to see her.
The thought of Pei Zan coming all the way to see her filled Shen Jia with sweetness, as if she had drunk honey.
Just as the red silk lanterns were lit in the courtyard, a tall and slender figure gracefully appeared.
Pei Zan was as handsome and refined as Shen Jia remembered, but his eyes and brows were no longer as gentle as they had been in his childhood. Instead, they contained the imposing aura of a superior, making people afraid to look him in the eye.
Pei Zan looked solemn, without wearing a fox fur cloak. He merely nodded to Shen Shi and sat at the head of the table.
Just as Madam Shen was about to personally hand over the hand warmer to her son, Pei Zan asked in a cold voice, "If I remember correctly, is Madam Shen's younger brother the Left Councilor of the Provincial Administration Commission?"
The Shen family was considered a prominent family in Jiangzhou, but their sons were all unambitious. They were all experts in business, but completely clueless when it came to taking the imperial examinations and pursuing official careers. The only one who had climbed high was Shen's younger brother, Shen Tan, who was now a fourth-rank official in the Provincial Administration Commission.
Madam Shen didn't know why Pei Zan brought up his maternal uncle, but she thought the best of it. Perhaps her son had finally realized the benefits of his maternal clan and wanted to be of one mind with the Shen family, so he could help his relatives and cultivate a few trusted officials.
Shen was delighted and said with a smile, "Zan-ge'er has a good memory. Your uncle does indeed work in the Provincial Administration Commission."
Pei Zan slightly curved the corners of his lips, the curve barely visible: "Although my uncle is only a fourth-rank councilor, he has quite the airs when he goes out. Just last year, to cover up the fact that the stone dam was built with inferior materials, causing it to breach and collapse, my uncle deliberately covered up the disaster and secretly changed the news of the victims' deaths to accidental deaths, thus avoiding being blamed by his superiors... However, he didn't do it cleanly enough, leaving some traces. Considering it was his first offense and that he was a relative of mine, I was afraid that things would get out of hand, so the governor specially brought this case to my son's desk."
Upon hearing this, Shen was so terrified that she lost her soul, let alone her smiling face.
Her lips were deathly pale, and she said, her voice a mixture of crying and laughing, "Zan-ge'er, that's your own uncle, you can't abandon him!"
Pei Zan slightly raised his dark eyes, his gaze cold and piercing: "Madam, you're getting senile. Don't you know whether your son crawled out of your womb or not? Since we're not related by blood, how can there be any talk of nephew-uncle kinship?"
Madam Shen was speechless with shock and fear. She didn't know why Pei Zan was making trouble, but she knew that the matter was urgent and could only plead desperately, "The accounts are a mess. I know your uncle; he's timid and cautious. It's probably not just one person's fault. There's something fishy going on, and we need to investigate carefully. I'm begging you, Zan-ge'er, you have to help protect your uncle..."
Pei Zan raised his eyes, his gaze indifferent, glanced at Shen Jia, and then said to Madam Shen, "After all, she is a relative of the Shen family, so my son will naturally take care of her... This debt can be settled."
Ms. Shen breathed a sigh of relief after receiving his affirmative answer.
Before she could feel at ease, Pei Zan added meaningfully, "As long as you are careful with your words and actions in the future and don't send too many people to our son's courtyard, I will naturally consider our past relationship and not cause you any trouble."
After saying that, even the stupidest person in the Shen family would know that Shen Jia must have offended Pei Zan!
Compared to a niece who has married out of the family and divorced, one's own brother, who is responsible for maintaining the family's household, is of course more important.
Madam Shen was furious. She glared fiercely at Shen Jia, making the little girl tremble with fear and lower her head, not daring to speak.
Pei Zan knew perfectly well that he had already made enough noise and that Shen Jia would definitely suffer the consequences this time, so he did not linger in Shuangjiang Courtyard any longer.
"Let's skip dinner tonight. I've already lost my appetite, there's no need to eat anymore." Pei Zan lifted his robe and stood up, leaving behind a sentence before leaving, "Also, my courtesy name is Yuheng, and he is now a grown man. Madam, you must be careful with your words in the future and do not call our son by his childhood name in public."
This means they want to sever all ties with the Shen family. They really are ungrateful wretches!
Madam Shen was so angry that she vomited blood, her blood surging, and the word "unfilial son" stuck in her throat.
But considering that this young man wields immense power and is his younger brother's superior, he can manipulate the Shen family as easily as crushing an ant. With all these charges against them, even several Shen families wouldn't be enough for the soldiers to raid.
Madam Shen swallowed her anger and dared not utter a word, only able to smile apologetically as she saw the person off.
No sooner had Pei Zan left than Madam Shen slapped Shen Jia across the face, angrily yelling, "Stupid woman! I told you to use your charm and seduction to seduce your cousin, why did you have to provoke him?! Now look what's happened, he's held a grudge, your uncle's career is going to be in trouble, he'll probably be in for a few years!"
Shen Jia collapsed to the side, covering her stinging face, not daring to utter a single word.
Shen Jia had no idea that a maid from the outer courtyard possessed such extraordinary abilities, managing to persuade Grand Commander Pei to avenge her!
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