Chapter 53
Xie Qinghong eventually learned that Pei Du was going to lead troops out to sea. She was no longer afraid of crossing rivers, but she still felt a slight fear of the vast and mysterious sea. In addition, given that Pei Du had been seriously injured during his last expedition to suppress bandits at sea, she had a complicated feeling about Pei Du going to sea.
Pei Du was unaware of this, but the Princess Consort of the South already knew. Taking advantage of Pei Du leaving the house, she said to Xie Qinghong, "Adu is always running around outside. He has spent less than half of his life at home. When he was young, I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at night. I was afraid that he would get hurt outside and no one would take care of him. I was afraid that something would really happen to him. I was afraid of everything. But his father only said that he needed to exercise and didn't ask him to come home."
Xie Qinghong's heart clenched. He recalled how Pei Du could kill a guard when he was ten and rescue people in a remote mountain village when he was fourteen. He was like a lonely knight-errant, traveling the world alone with his sword, seemingly without any need for meaningless worries.
She lowered her head, looking somewhat listless. Even though Pei Du was still in Yuecheng, she was already very worried.
Princess Nan patted her head, sat closer, and said gently, "Later, seeing him become more and more independent, like an eagle soaring in the sky, I was afraid that he would fly away and never come back."
Xie Qinghong was somewhat puzzled. During her time at the Prince's residence, she could sense that the family had a very good relationship. Although the Prince of Nan and Pei Du often clashed, they were clear-cut on many matters. Not to mention the Princess Consort of Nan, the Prince of Nan loved her and Pei Du respected her as well.
How could Pei Du fly away and never come back?
Princess Nan's gaze fell on the osmanthus tree outside the window, as if lost in memories: "Back then, he was just a young man, and he told me so firmly that he didn't want to stay at home forever. So from then on, I knew that this palace couldn't hold him back, and I could only keep my worries to myself. But things are different now. With you here, he would crawl back even if he had to."
Xie Qinghong was amused by the description. How could Pei Du have crawled back? But she did feel much more relieved. Pei Du had led troops in battle for many years, and his injury at sea last time was an accident. If she kept worrying, it would only distract him.
Princess Nan was indeed gentle yet strong; no wonder she could suppress Prince Nan's domineering nature. She had seen Prince Nan suffer setbacks in front of her many times, yet she never uttered a harsh word, indulging her temper tantrums.
Such a deep and loving relationship is quite unlike the rumors circulating in Wangjing that the Prince of the South used his power to steal his lover.
Xie Qinghong was unaware that the Pei family's bullying behavior had a long history. However, the bully she encountered was a product of the ancestors' ways, knowing how to feign restraint and weakness, and also knowing how to ignore the situation and pretend to be innocent.
"I've never been to sea before, Mother. Did Pei Du often go to sea before?"
Princess Nan said, "It's not that often. In the past, there were many dangerous places in the south, so there was no need to go to sea." In other words, the south was enough for Pei Du to handle, and there was no need for him to stir up trouble at sea.
Since both Prince Nan and Pei Du were out on business and wouldn't be dining at the residence at noon, Xie Qinghong ate with Princess Nan. She then discovered that their tastes were indeed very compatible—both preferred a sweet and sour flavor with a light touch. Watching the beautiful women dine was truly a pleasure. After the meal, Xie Qinghong was about to take her leave to go for a walk to digest.
Princess Nan stopped her and said, "The clothes I had made for you are ready. Come and try them on."
Unable to refuse such hospitality, Xie Qinghong followed the Princess Consort into the fitting room with anticipation, and then didn't emerge for the entire afternoon. So long that A-Yue secretly wondered, "Is Madam being punished by the Princess Consort?"
She wasn't quite used to calling her young lady "Lady of the Heir Apparent." Ah Xing glared at her with exasperation and told her to be careful with her words: "Don't you know whether you should say this or not? The Princess Consort is always kind, and the Lady of the Heir Apparent has done nothing wrong, so why would she be punished? Don't talk nonsense."
A-Yue felt embarrassed. She had become quite familiar with the Prince's residence these past few days, learning most of the old stories. The Princess Consort seemed gentle, but she never showed weakness in front of the Prince of Nan, never backing down even in arguments. She wasn't intimidated by the Prince of Nan, and she was truly worried about the young lady who had just married into the Prince's household.
Xie Qinghong, who was in the room, felt that this was almost like being punished. She changed five or six sets of clothes in one afternoon, each with a different combination from the inside out, as well as different hairpins and ornaments.
At first, the Princess Consort of the South was very dignified, only telling her to try on the clothes. She obediently changed into two outfits and thought they were both very beautiful, even more so than the novel styles that Zheng Yingluo had created after her rebirth and was leading the trend.
Then the Princess Consort couldn't resist changing her jewelry, and after that, she felt her makeup was too light, so she started to do her hair and apply floral decorations. Xie Qinghong felt as if the Princess Consort had received a doll and was having a great time playing with it.
The last outfit Xie Qinghong changed into was a scholar's robe. The white robe shimmered with light, and there were two layers of gauze over it. A belt four fingers wide cinched her slender waist, and her long black hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin and a headband of the same material as the gauze. After washing off her heavy makeup, she was a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth, both elegant and graceful.
Princess Nan felt her heart melt, and finally couldn't resist the urge she'd been harboring all afternoon. She reached out and touched the soft cheek she had long coveted, praising without reservation, "Qinghong is so beautiful, so well-behaved and beautiful. She looks good no matter how she's dressed. How did your mother give birth to such a wonderful child? I have many more beautiful clothes here. How about we come over tomorrow to try them on? Oh, and there are winter clothes too. I just got a few rabbit fur collars today; they're so fluffy and warm."
Faced with the expectant gaze of the Princess Consort of the South, Xie Qinghong pursed her lips, finding it truly difficult to refuse.
However, changing clothes was too tiring for an entire afternoon, so she was too lazy to change again. She returned to her room in her scholar's robes and slumped onto the couch after eating only half a bowl of rice for dinner.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she was startled awake from her light sleep. It was completely dark outside, and there were lights in the courtyard, but the night was windy, and a light drizzle was falling. The window wasn't closed tightly, and some cold air was letting in.
She yawned and got up. A-Yue immediately came in and lit the candle. Xie Qinghong pulled the thin blanket around herself and was about to ask if Pei Du had returned when she glanced at him and saw Pei Du standing outside the door closing his umbrella. In the warm light of the lantern, his fingers, as smooth as jade, looked exceptionally handsome as he slowly and methodically closed the umbrella.
Xie Qinghong stared for a while. Pei Du put away his umbrella and entered the room. The rain had just gotten heavier, wetting his hem. The maids in this room always knew their place and never got close to the young master. Xie Qinghong got off the bed and turned to get Pei Du's clothes.
She had only taken two steps when Pei Du caught up behind her, asking with a hint of curiosity, "Whose young master is this?"
Xie Qinghong said, "The Xie family... and the Pei family."
Gazing at her slender waist, which seemed so delicate it could be grasped in one hand, Pei Du's expression subtly darkened, becoming as indistinguishable from the inky darkness of the night. He reached out and placed his right hand on her waist, the dark cuff contrasting sharply with the almost pure white belt, the black and white clearly defined.
"Why are you dressed like this all of a sudden? Are you planning to study at the academy?" Pei Du's hand was outstretched, but he didn't actually touch her. Xie Qinghong felt as if a fire had been set on her waist, burning from the outside to the inside.
She composed herself before saying, "Mother thinks I look good like this, what do you think?" She found her clothes, looked up at him, her eyes still shrouded in a hazy sleepiness and a little watery, with a purity untouched by the world, like a student on a spring outing, clear-headed... with a touch of naivety.
Pei Du couldn't help but press his forehead, feeling that he really was somewhat like a beast, able to think of other things even when facing such an innocent Xie Qinghong. He restrained himself and withdrew his hand, taking the clothes from her hands, and then took off his outer robe and changed into loose everyday clothes.
Xie Qinghong sat at the table, cupping her face in her hands, and watched him change his clothes the whole time. After watching, she was a little disappointed: "Why didn't you change your clothes underneath?"
Pei Du's restrained desire resurfaced, and after a moment's hesitation, he turned his back to her, straightened his collar, and said, "I won't bother you tonight."
Xie Qinghong found it strange. The young man, having tasted the sweetness of success, found it somewhat acceptable to be led astray. As far as she knew, Pei Du was far from a paragon of virtue. His various acts of pushing his luck had already added thirty-three grudges to her list.
The sheer number of these points demonstrates that Pei Du is truly unreasonable.
Xie Qinghong couldn't help but think whenever she looked through the pages that if Pei Du went any further, she would surely assassinate him.
However, Xie Qinghong had no objection to being able to sleep peacefully for the night. She happily instructed someone to prepare water for her bath, humming an unknown southern tune as she entered the bathhouse. Pei Du paused, realizing with surprise that his wife's linguistic talent was truly exceptional. Southern dialects were notoriously difficult, often resulting in people from different towns not being able to understand each other.
Pei Du had lived in the south for so many years, yet he had only ever learned Mandarin, and was not as familiar with the local dialect as Xie Qinghong was when he first arrived. Therefore, after listening to the folk song for a while, he only felt that it was familiar, but did not think about it in depth.
Having agreed not to cause trouble tonight, Pei Du sat obediently in the outer room, casually picking up a book from the table to read. Xie Qinghong had been reading agricultural books lately, which were relevant to the seasons in the south. However, these books were written in a simple style, so he made some annotations for her based on his own experience.
He noticed the book was rather thin as soon as he held it in his hands, unlike ordinary books. He turned to the cover, which read "Xie Family Notes." Judging from the title alone, it should be a classic text kept secret by the Xie family. The Xie family was a scholarly family with a history of over a hundred years, and their classic texts were indeed precious.
Pei Du became interested and sat under the lamp, casually flipping to the last page. The elegant and beautiful handwriting caught his eye: Article 33: Pei Du is greedy, insatiable, and greedy. He keeps going even after everyone says he can't do it anymore. He is unreasonable and extremely hateful!
He raised his sword-like eyebrows and slowly scrolled forward, listing Pei Du's name one by one, each word dripping with blood and venom, hurling insults at him mercilessly. A few minor offenses were followed by notes, indicating they were offset by other matters.
Finally, turning to the first page, there were three familiar yet unfamiliar names, each with a serious charge, but I only remembered one charge against each of them, which was quite brief compared to the dense text that followed.
Pei Du pursed his lips. After Xie Qinghong finished bathing and started humming a different tune, he silently closed the notebook and asked her, "Why do you only remember one grudge against others, but thirty-three against me?"
Xie Qinghong was taken aback, her gaze immediately falling on the table by the window, where she noticed that her grudge notebook, which she had casually placed there, was nowhere to be found. She thought to herself, "Oh no! Pei Du always takes advantage of me even when he's in the wrong. If he gets the upper hand, won't I have to be subservient?"
She looked so soft after her bath; a few strands of hair, damp with water, clung to her forehead, making her appear both pitiful and adorable. She pouted and said earnestly, "Because I like you so much, that's why I remember everything you do. How can anyone else compare to you?"
Her natural beauty made her words seem especially believable, and Pei Du's heart fluttered. Xie Qinghong had never expressed her affection for him so directly before; it was sincere and passionate, so sweet it made his teeth ache.
A faint blush crept onto his cheeks, and his hands unconsciously relaxed, but he still said, "Then why do you only remember my bad points and not my good ones? You even said I'm unreasonable..." Even the strong-willed Prince Pei was slightly hurt.
But before he could loosen his grip even slightly, Xie Qinghong snatched the thin booklet away. The young lady, who had been holding her face and saying she liked it, coldly wrote: "Now there's the thirty-fourth article. Pei Du actually yelled at me. Unforgivable!"
Standing on his moral high ground, Xie Qinghong pointed fingers at him.
Pei Du: "..."
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