I don't want to put you in a difficult position.
The man nodded in acknowledgment: "Madam, you remember correctly. I am He Junyi."
"Please don't be angry with Zhibai, everyone. She was just too heartbroken and that's why she said such hurtful things." As she spoke, Qin Yanzhen walked forward with her basket, but Xie An stopped her outside as she was about to enter the mourning hall.
“Miss Wen, it’s one thing for you to treat us coldly, but do you also have to make things difficult for your stepmother?” He Junyi said.
“If Young Master He wants to preach, he can go back to his He residence to do so.” Wen Zhibai met the mocking gazes of the crowd below the steps. In front of her mother’s mourning hall, she did not want to start any more disputes, so she took a deep breath and said, “I, Wen Zhibai, will not accept any preaching. If you have anything else to say, take it with you.”
Qin Yanzhen's eyes darted around, and she quickly said, "Zhibai, you don't have to say that. Everyone means well. Here, you take this basket of paper money, and I'll take them over first." With that, Qin Yanzhen handed the basket to Wen Zhibai.
Before Wen Zhibai could make a move, Xie An overturned the basket.
White paper money floated between the two of them.
Qin Yanzhen remained silent, suppressing the anger in her chest. Then, she gave a cold laugh, turned around, and led everyone to the front yard for tea.
Wen Zhibai ignored him and turned his gaze to Xie An, asking indifferently, "Why did you do that?"
“Sister Wen, the master said that whether he is here or not, there is nothing that can trouble you. If there is, he will do it. Since the master is not here now, I will do it for you, Miss.”
Seeing that Wen Zhibai was not easy to please, the "guest" who knew when to stop made an excuse and left first.
Qin Yanzhen and He Junyi remained in the front hall.
"As the mistress of the house, I must apologize to Young Master He for what happened today. Zhi Bai has been spoiled since childhood, so he doesn't know much about etiquette."
Qin Yanzhen invited He Junyi to sit down, her tone full of self-reproach, making her seem genuinely kind and understanding.
He Junyi took a sip of tea and then said, "You are now her mother, yet she is still so disrespectful. She truly lacks discipline."
“This child has lacked your guidance since childhood, so he's inevitably become a bit wild. Now that he's grown up, he doesn't listen to anyone, and I don't know whether to ask you to discipline him or not…”
"What? Doesn't Lord Wen care?"
"After all, the bond between father and daughter is deep, and with her mother passing away, I, an outsider, truly have no way to express my suffering... Recently, her affair with Pei has become the talk of the town, even implicating the Crown Prince." Qin Yanzhen paused for a moment, then continued, "Young Master He, your daughter is of marriageable age, isn't she?"
The moment the words "Crown Prince" were mentioned, the air froze for a second, and their ulterior motives became clear on their faces.
The teacup was steaming. He Junyi paused for a moment, holding the lid, before suppressing the rising steam: "Thank you for your concern, Madam. It is indeed true."
Qin Yanzhen nodded thoughtfully, waiting for He Junyi to speak first.
"There are some things I don't know how to say, but today I have seen that Madam is kind and compassionate, and I think she is an easy person to talk to."
"Young Master He, please speak freely."
“…I originally wanted to congratulate you on your daughter’s marriage into the Gao family, but I recently heard about the affair between Pei Qinzhou and your son…” As he spoke, He Junyi looked up to observe Qin Yanzhen’s expression. Seeing that she seemed displeased, he stopped talking.
Qin Yanzhen knew this was his test, and suppressing her resentment, she replied, "Young Master He is a smart man. Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. You should know what to do. Water flows downhill, but people strive to rise higher. Although I am just a woman, I understand this principle well."
"As expected of the Madam, what a magnificent presence! Then let's speak frankly... The position of Crown Prince belongs to the capable. The He family simply doesn't want to see the future Empress... whose surname is Wen." He Junyi stood up: "When would you like to meet, Madam...?"
"Once Wen Xian successfully marries into the Gao family, everything will be over..."
———
Hidden Feather Palace
The rolling wheels kicked up dust beneath the stopped horses' hooves.
The two large, golden characters "Cang Yu" were prominently displayed on the plaque above Pei Qinzhou's head. This was Xia Chengen's residence, and also the place where the two often discussed matters. It was located in a remote mountain area on the outskirts of the capital, so very few people came here.
Upon entering the palace, one sees servants carrying food and clothing into wooden crates scattered across the floor.
Suddenly, Xia Chengen appeared behind Pei Qinzhou: "Pei Qinzhou."
Pei Qinzhou looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Xia Chengen had dark circles under his eyes and looked exhausted: "Your Highness summoned me so urgently, what happened?"
"Let's go inside and talk."
The two walked side by side until they reached an empty palace, where Xia Chengen took out a small scroll of imperial edict from his sleeve and handed it to Pei Qinzhou.
Pei Qinzhou flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing slightly: "Does His Majesty intend for Your Highness to depart for Liangchuan immediately?"
“Liangchuan is located on the frontier, with a treacherous terrain, and it borders Naqi. After three years of severe drought, the people are already suffering. Naqi is ambitious and knows that Daxia is severely weakened by the previous war and that the emperor is in poor health. So they are trying to take this opportunity to annex the Liangchuan area. As the crown prince of Daxia, even if the emperor does not grant me the order, I will go for the people and the country.”
Seeing that Pei Qinzhou remained silent, Xia Chengen narrowed his eyes. In the past, if there were a chance to make a contribution, Pei Qinzhou would have gone with him without hesitation. But now, he could see some hesitation on the face of this advisor.
"Pei Qinzhou, I require you to accompany me on this journey. Do you have any objections?"
"Your Highness, you know I'm not alone anymore." His tone was as cold as ever, but somehow, a hint of softness crept into his voice at the end.
Upon hearing this, Xia Chengen also recalled the past.
When they first met Pei Qinzhou, it was in a military camp stationed in the desert. Everyone saw that Pei Qinzhou was thin and weak, so they surrounded him and bullied him. He often had bruises on his body.
Pei Qinzhou was usually silent and never fought back when beaten. One day, he was sent on an inspection tour and ran into Xia Chengen, whose sword was about to fall on his neck.
The tip of the knife was only an inch away from Xia Chengen's eyes.
Upon seeing the imperial edict that Xia Chengen had dropped, Pei Qinzhou leaped off his horse and stood in front of Xia Chengen, his blade piercing Xia Chengen's chest.
Xia Chengen's eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground in shock.
He let out a muffled cry of pain, then turned around and slit the man's throat, coldly telling Xia Chengen behind him, "Run."
When Xia Chengen came to his senses, he looked around and saw that the assassins had already surrounded them. He simply wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his finger, picked up his longsword, and stood back to back with Pei Qinzhou: "We can't escape... Either we fight our way out and go together, or we'll be buried together at the foot of the green hills."
Amidst the flashing blades, Pei Qinzhou slew dozens of assassins to the ground, leaving Xia Chengen looking at him with astonishment.
"With such high martial arts skills, why do you still have to swallow your pride in the military camp?"
"..." Pei Qinzhou remained silent. He was a man of no origin, without a registered residence, and was not supposed to join the army. It was not easy for him to infiltrate the military camp, so he had to swallow his pride and wait for the day when he could make a contribution.
"Alright." Xia Chengen didn't ask any more questions: "You saved me, what's your name?"
"Pei Qinzhou".
"Pei Qinzhou, how do you want me to repay you?"
"..." He raised his eyes, considered for a moment, and said, "My fighting qualification has been revoked, and I want to regain it."
Xia Chengen showed an expression that said it was nothing serious, but the people participating in the fight were all quite strong. Although Pei Qinzhou was not bad either, he could not easily save his life, let alone win, against those strong men.
"Fighting is not child's play; one wrong move and you could lose your life."
“Your Highness,” Pei Qinzhou interrupted, “life and death are my business.”
"...Fine, I can help you, but you have to tell me why you're willing to risk your life to participate in the fight?"
"I want to make a name for myself. Only by winning against everyone fairly and squarely will I have a chance to stand out."
Three days of fighting, thirty-seven matches, old injuries not yet healed, new injuries frequently added.
Finally, his name resounded throughout the military camp.
Three years on the frontier, years of war, supporting Xia Chengen to rise to power, seizing wealth and power, finally returning to Shangjing, settling down and waiting for someone to come home.
Pei Qinzhou, who always rushed to the forefront of the battle, fought with bloodlust and disregarded life and death, seemed to have changed.
He began to have concerns and worries, and was no longer fearless.
“I admit, this journey is fraught with peril, and the road will undoubtedly be fraught with danger. Naqi is skilled in mountain warfare, while you and I have only fought on plains, making it even more difficult.” Xia Chengen took the imperial edict from Pei Qinzhou’s hand, walked to a rosewood table, opened a gold-carved box, and placed the secret edict inside: “Although I am now the Crown Prince, my foundation is unstable. You should understand that I have no one to rely on. Originally, General Qi was supposed to accompany me, but he was seriously wounded at the front and secretly returned to the capital half a month ago. He will arrive soon.”
“Pei Qinzhou, as your friend, I am truly ashamed. But I have also reached a point of no return, and can only… beg you, help me one more time, help the people of Liangchuan one more time. I promise you, after conquering Liangchuan, I will ask the Emperor to grant you and Miss Wen a marriage.” Xia Chengen’s hands clenched tightly under the table, awaiting Pei Qinzhou’s answer.
Xia Chengen understood that if Pei Qinzhou wasn't willing to do it, even the emperor couldn't do anything to him.
Perhaps he should retreat to his familiar territory and use the only methods he knows to fight for a "future" for her.
A future that could be personally bestowed upon her by the Crown Prince, a future that would prevent the world from criticizing her.
At the same time, Pei Qinzhou also needed this brief separation to figure out whether his obsession with her was a snake spirit's instinctive possessiveness or a genuine wish as a "human".
The battlefield, where life and death hang in the balance, is where the answers are truly forged.
A thousand thoughts ultimately coalesced into a single, compromising question.
A trip to Liangchuan wouldn't be a bad idea.
He raised his eyes to look at Xia Chengen, his voice regaining its usual calmness: "When do we depart?"
"Tonight at midnight, the sooner the better." Xia Chengen finally breathed a sigh of relief: "You definitely can't go back to say goodbye to her now, so how about I ask Guangxi to send her a message by carrier pigeon?"
"No need."
Wen Zhibai also has his own things to do, and he will be understanding and not bother him.
——
The day Jiang Xuwan was buried.
At the Wen clan mausoleum, thick mounds of loess surrounded a huge black pit. The coffin bearers parked the coffin to one side, awaiting Wen Zhibai's instructions.
Most of the people present were strangers to Jiang Xuwan; she had no family members from her own family, let alone her husband's family.
She kept her thin lips tightly closed, turned around and looked at the twilight on the horizon. She waited and waited, but still could not see Wen Lingchen's figure.
He didn't even show up on the day of his mother's burial.
Although it was within Wen Zhibai's expectations, the years of friendship inevitably brought a touch of sadness and regret.
One of the coffin bearers stepped forward and said to Wen Zhibai, "Miss Wen, the time is almost up; it's time to bury Madam."
Wen Zhibai felt a lump in his throat, walked to the coffin, gently stroked the coffin, and after a long while, finally said, "Let's bury him."
One handful of yellow earth after another covered the coffin. Wen Zhibai squatted down on one side of the grave, pulling out clumps of weeds, his fingernails covered in dirt. Xie An was beside him, about to say something to comfort him, when suddenly a sharp arrow shot out from nowhere and went straight for Wen Zhibai.
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