Chapter 110 (Chapter 110) (Won't be pregnant)
Thinking about what would happen if Pei Wu led his troops to Bianjing, Jiang Ru couldn't help but feel uneasy, since Pei Wu's actions could very well be considered a provocation.
Before she could voice her concerns, Pei Wu said, "I will submit a petition to go to the capital to protect the emperor; it will be perfectly legitimate."
Even though Pei Wu had already planned to lead his troops into Bianjing, he still had to go through the proper procedures, and whether the emperor would agree was another matter entirely.
Jiang Ru had always supported Pei Wu. She stepped forward and buried herself in Pei Wu's arms, saying, "I believe in you."
It was an embrace of complete dependence; no matter how outrageous Pei Wu's actions were, Jiang Ru believed in him wholeheartedly.
Jiang Ru looked up at Pei Wu and said seriously, "I've always wondered why you would rebel. I even blamed you. But now, even if you don't want to rebel, I'm going to make you rebel."
Even if Pei Wu hadn't rebelled, they might not have been able to continue living peacefully in Tanzhou. Just like now, they were doing well in Tanzhou, but the emperor still issued an edict ordering Pei Wu to return.
Jiang Ru, nestled in his arms, opened her watery eyes, which seemed to hold the light of a clear spring. Pei Wu lowered his head and kissed Jiang Ru's forehead, without any romantic intentions, just a quick kiss. Pei Wu said, "I'm going to make you suffer with me again. I clearly promised you that."
This was nothing to Jiang Ru. She shook her head and said, "I don't think this is suffering. It's not hard being with you."
Pei Wu could try to keep Jiang Ru in Tanzhou. With the Duke's mansion protecting her, Jiang Ru could live a peaceful life. However, Jiang Ru would not agree to such a thing. She was determined to live and die with Pei Wu.
Pei Wu always felt guilty towards Jiang Ru. He felt sorry for her if she suffered even the slightest hardship. But Jiang Ru thought that she would do anything to be with Pei Wu.
There were no other words to express Pei Wu's emotions, so he could only hold Jiang Ru even tighter.
That night, Pei Wu submitted a memorial requesting to go to the capital to provide protection, and an urgent letter was sent to Bianjing.
Pei Wu didn't know much about the situation in Bianjing, but Xie Jun was guarding Zhen Ding Prefecture in the north. This place bordered Yanshan Prefecture, so even if the Great Xia's offensive was defeated, there wouldn't be any problems in the short term.
Northern Qi is preoccupied with its own problems and will not take the initiative to attack Great Xia unless Great Xia surrenders without a fight, or Northern Qi takes another route and attacks Great Xia by bypassing Zhen Ding Prefecture.
If that's the case, then there's something fishy about summoning Pei Wu to the capital. What exactly is the emperor up to? Is he sending Pei Wu to his death, or is he trying to make Pei Wu take the blame?
Unable to disobey the imperial decree, Pei Wu still had to protect himself, so he had to lead troops there. Pei Wu also issued an order that the number of soldiers in Tanzhou was insufficient and that recruitment efforts should be increased.
As darkness fell, Jiang Ru stayed by Pei Wu's side the entire time. She had read every word Pei Wu had written and knew that the situation was truly critical.
The common people knew little about the war; the only information they could hear came from the imperial court. In her previous life, Jiang Ru didn't like gossip and only knew how to guard her own little plot of land, so she knew very little about the war.
Jiang Ru said regretfully, "If I had inquired more in my past life, would it have been of any help to you?"
Pei Wu paused slightly with his pen, and said, "You've already told me a lot."
Without Jiang Ru, he would have repeated the same mistake and been assassinated by the emperor. Jiang Ru had already saved him from danger.
Pei Wu finished writing the remaining words and finally put down his pen. He turned to the side and leaned in to hug Jiang Ru. His embrace was as warm and broad as ever. Jiang Ru just wanted to hold him forever and smell the pleasant scent of ink on his body.
Jiang Ru felt a lump in her throat, and Pei Wu comforted her, saying, "Things changed a lot in the past life, and I am not the regent now, so it doesn't matter if you didn't know in advance. After all, this life is different from the past life."
He had already finished writing, so he simply picked up Jiang Ru and carried her. When it was just the two of them in private, Pei Wu liked to carry Jiang Ru like this. Jiang Ru could only hug him, and all her weight depended on Pei Wu.
Jiang Ru clung completely to Pei Wu. Pei Wu placed her on the bed, and after sitting down, Jiang Ru rolled over a bit. Seeing that Pei Wu didn't seem inclined to get on top of her, she reached out and tugged at Pei Wu's belt.
Since that time in Hongzhou, they had not crossed the line. Now, perhaps feeling a little down, and thinking about the unknown future of Bianjing, Jiang Ru felt slightly uneasy and wanted to prove Pei Wu's existence.
Pei Wu's gaze fell to Jiang Ru, who was reaching out to him. She readily took off her outer robe, which made things convenient for them since she had already washed up. Pei Wu's hand moved up along the hem of Jiang Ru's skirt.
Just as Jiang Ru's skirt was lifted to her knees, she suddenly grabbed his hand, abruptly stopping her movement. Pei Wu raised his eyes, his clear gaze now tinged with desire. Jiang Ru had never seen such a look before, and felt as if Pei Wu wanted to devour her, which made her move back uncomfortably.
Pei Wu thought he had misunderstood, so he withdrew his hand and gathered his clothes. But at this moment, Jiang Ru moved a little closer to him. She pressed against Pei Wu, their body heat mingling. Pei Wu's body was like a furnace, and Jiang Ru, who liked warmth, leaned closer into his arms.
Sometimes her actions are simply malicious. For example, her usual intimate gestures towards Pei Wu, even though she didn't mean anything by it, would still entice him to take a cold shower.
Even so, Pei Wu was happy to do it.
Jiang Ru's behavior just now indicated that she was unwilling, but now she is clinging to Pei Wu. Pei Wu was only a moment slow, and just as Jiang Ru wished, he let her lean against his arms.
Jiang Ru hugged Pei Wu's waist. Pei Wu's waist and abdomen were very taut. She knew without touching him that he was as hard as ever. Jiang Ru looked up and said in a breathy voice, "It's not that I don't want to."
She first gave Pei Wu the illusion that he should take the initiative, then suddenly stopped him, and now she says that she is not unwilling.
Pei Wu didn't ask why, but simply lowered his gaze and straightened Jiang Ru's clothes.
Jiang Ru leaned against Pei Wu and whispered, "Pei Wu, could I get pregnant?"
Last time in Hongzhou, in the heat of the moment, she made no preparations. Ancient contraceptive methods were not as comprehensive, but they didn't even take precautions. Pei Wu was young and strong, so the chances of her getting pregnant were very, very high.
It's not that she doesn't want to, it's just that Jiang Ru hasn't thought that far ahead yet, and the timing isn't right.
Jiang Ru's question was so direct that Pei Wu froze for a moment. He tried to read her meaning from her eyes, but he couldn't seem to.
Jiang Ru's eyes were bright, filled with curious inquiry, a glimmer in them. Pei Wu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I've taken the medicine, so you won't get pregnant right now."
Jiang Ru froze, her almond-shaped eyes widening: "When did you eat this?"
Shocked, she straightened up from Pei Wu's embrace, her voice rising, but she didn't seem to intend to blame him.
Pei Wu replied, "On the day in Hongzhou, I took the medicine when I went back to my room to bathe."
This medicine was a prescription that Pei Wu specially asked the imperial physician to prescribe after their marriage. This was bound to happen sooner or later, so it was only right to prepare it in advance. He had thought that as long as Jiang Ru was unwilling, he would take the medicine every time.
He didn't tell Jiang Ru about this in Hongzhou because he didn't want her to worry about it. He knew Jiang Ru was afraid of such things, so he thought of things for her in advance so she wouldn't worry.
She felt a little regretful, but at the same time, Jiang Ru breathed a sigh of relief. The timing was indeed not right. Jiang Ru stepped forward a little and asked Pei Wu, "Have you eaten tonight?"
Pei Wu nodded: "I eat it every day."
Jiang Ru was surprised. She moved closer to Pei Wu, her warm breath brushing against his ear, and said in a slightly smug voice, "So you think about this every day."
This time it was a complete flirtation. Pei Wu knew she was teasing him, so he grabbed Jiang Ru as he pleased.
This time, Jiang Ru didn't stop her. Instead, she moved closer and touched Pei Wu's leg.
Jiang Ru, who had fallen onto the bed at some point, wrapped her arms around Pei Wu's neck and said in a complaining tone, "Why didn't you say so sooner? I've been thinking about it for days."
She had been so reckless in Hongzhou, and for the next few days her legs went weak. She often wondered if she might cause someone's death, but Pei Wu had already thought of that.
Jiang Ru bit Pei Wu's lip resentfully: "Just keep it to yourself. You drink your medicine every day, but you won't tell us."
Pei Wu said in a low voice, "I'm afraid I'll scare you."
Fearing that Jiang Ru would discover that her handsome and refined cousin thought about her every day and wanted to bully her, he dared not say it out loud, even though he really wanted to.
Jiang Ru let out a muffled, broken sound as she hugged Pei Wu: "I'll like whatever you do. You can be bolder in the future."
Once that concern disappeared, Jiang Ru became quite unrestrained. She was afraid of scaring Pei Wu, but now that she knew Pei Wu was thinking about her every day, she felt that she was alright, just like Pei Wu, both lecherous wolves.
The boudoir was warm, the firelight flickered, and Jiang Ru seemed to flash with white light. She hugged Pei Wu tightly, her body trembling slightly, and her voice was sticky: "Don't take medicine every day from now on. All medicine has some side effects. Take it when you want to, and take it when I want to. What do you think?"
Pei Wu hummed in agreement and hugged Jiang Ru tightly.
The two leaned close together, and Jiang Ru kissed Pei Wu, weakly praising, "Cousin is so fierce."
Pei Wu ignored her teasing. Perhaps because he was still thinking about Jiang Ru, he had no intention of letting go of the matter.
Jiang Ru struggled to her feet and sat on Pei Wu's lap. She helped Pei Wu sit up and said, "Don't hold it in anymore. I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself."
Pei Wu's voice tightened, and he suppressed his voice, saying in a low voice, "Okay."
She slept until late morning again. When she got up, Xia was peeking in from the doorway. As soon as she saw Jiang Ru get up, she rushed into the house.
Jiang Ru was sitting on the bed, looking down at the bedding with an unclear expression. Thinking of Pei Wu's instructions earlier that day, Xia hurriedly went over and touched Jiang Ru's forehead. It was fine; her temperature was normal.
However, Jiang Ru did not react to her actions. She kept her head down, her face tense, as if she was angry.
Xia thought to herself that Lord Pei was incredibly insightful and knew that Jiang Ru would be angry when she got up, so she quickly explained, "Lord Pei asked me to tell you that he is really busy today and cannot accompany you. He will apologize when he returns tonight."
After speaking, Jiang Ru looked up, her face cold and indifferent. Of course she knew that Pei Wu had already left. Last night, because she wanted to leave first, Pei Wu had coaxed her for a long time, even though she repeatedly emphasized that she was fine on her own.
Jiang Ru wasn't the petty type. She knew Pei Wu was busy, so she was understanding. Pei Wu was being too dramatic, treating her like a fragile object, as if she would break without him.
All of that could be ignored. Jiang Ru held up the wad of blanket in her hand, her face cold, and showed it to Xia Xia: "Don't you think this is scary?"
Xia looked closely and saw that Jiang Ru was holding a bundle of blankets. Jiang Ru had been looking down at this just now, but this bundle of blankets...
It really can't be called a quilt.
Wrapped in a bright red quilt was a doll, a cute little lamb with a nose and eyes, ugly-cute but very ugly.
After all, this was in ancient times, and the craftsmanship wasn't that advanced. However, this doll was much more exquisite than any Jiang Ru had seen on the market. It must have been specially bought by Pei Wu, and could be described as ugly-cute.
This morning, she stayed in bed and clung to Pei Wu, refusing to let go. Later, Pei Wu slipped something into her arms—this doll.
If she woke up to find no one beside her, that would be fine; even if she got up and found herself wrapped in a blanket, that would be fine too. But instead, there was a strangely dressed sheep stuffed in the blanket. When she opened her eyes, she saw a deathly pale sheep face, which almost scared her out of her wits.
Cute, but eerie.
Jiang Ru pulled the lamb out of the blanket, raised her hand as if to throw it away, but then couldn't bear to, and sheepishly stuffed the lamb back into the blanket.
She gritted her teeth: "Pei Wu is sick."
Xia didn't dare to speak. Jiang Ru, not wanting to see or hear anything, stuffed the doll into the blanket, got out of bed aggressively, and even though her legs were so weak she almost fell, she still went out the door with unwavering determination.
Pei Wu was busy today. Jiang Ru asked around and found out that he was not at the government office and was exhausted, so she decided not to go looking for him and wait for him to come back on his own before questioning him.
It was early spring, and the spring breeze carried the fragrance of flowers throughout the courtyard. Peach blossoms outside the courtyard drifted into the yard on the wind and twirled around Jiang Ru's feet. The fragrance was intoxicating. Jiang Ru sat in a recliner in the yard, and the soft light shone through the shade of the trees, making her cheeks blush pink.
As the sun set, Pei Wu finally returned from outside the courtyard. Perhaps having received the news, he headed straight for the backyard as soon as he entered. His footsteps echoed from the corridor. Jiang Ru looked in the direction of the sound and saw Pei Wu dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with an outstanding figure. His face was still Jiang Ru's favorite handsome face. Jiang Ru suddenly forgot that she was going to confront him.
While she was still in a daze, Pei Wu had already walked to her side. He had washed his hands, and his slightly cool fingertips touched Jiang Ru's warm cheek. The sun had already set, and Jiang Ru, having basked in the sun all day, carried the pleasant scent of the rising sun. Pei Wu leaned down to shield Jiang Ru from the side sunlight and asked, "Why don't you come inside?"
Jiang Ru swallowed back all the words she wanted to say to him. Pei Wu was so gentle and considerate, she couldn't bring herself to be fierce to him.
Jiang Ru held her breath, and when she looked up, she could see Pei Wu's concerned eyes. His phoenix eyes were slightly raised, subtly alluring.
Jiang Ru stammered, "Waiting for you."
Jiang Ru shamelessly reached out to Pei Wu, wanting him to lean down and kiss her again. After basking in the sun for so long, she felt warm and cozy all over. As Pei Wu leaned down to kiss her, Jiang Ru gripped his sleeve tightly and said breathlessly, "I've learned how to breathe."
Pei Wu hummed in agreement, and Jiang Ru continued to pull him down, saying, "I'll teach you."
Pei Wu was like a studious student eager for knowledge, and he kissed her for a long time.
As the sun completely set, Jiang Ru finally nudged Pei Wu: "No more kissing, come with me."
Beauty can be a curse, and Jiang Ru could not afford to fall into depravity any further. She reached out and grabbed Pei Wu's belt.
The belt wasn't easy to pull off, but if he kept holding it like that, it seemed to carry a certain deeper meaning. However, just as Pei Wu was about to push Jiang Ru's hand away, Jiang Ru turned around and glared at him, so Pei Wu had no choice but to follow her lead.
Fortunately, everyone in the manor knew they were there, so no one would disturb them. Jiang Ru successfully led Pei Wu back to their room.
Once back in the room, Jiang Ru finally had a moment to herself. Having kissed enough, she pointed at the little lamb on the bed and asked, "What do you mean?"
The little lamb lay alone to one side. Pei Wu picked it up and said sincerely, "The sheep is your zodiac animal. Don't you like it?"
Jiang Ru was taken aback.
She and Pei Wu were born in the same year and shared the same zodiac sign, yet Pei Wu thought of her first.
Jiang Ru could only swallow her words back: "I like it, but..."
Pei Wu listened to her with his head slightly lowered. He looked unusually obedient. He was so much taller than Jiang Ru, so he always looked down when listening to her. Jiang Ru couldn't scold him anymore, so she muttered, "Don't put it on the bed next time. It almost scared me this morning."
When he woke up, his cousin had turned into a lamb. If it were someone with a bad temper, Pei Wu would have given him a good beating long ago.
Pei Wu naturally listened to Jiang Ru in everything, and repeatedly admitted his mistake: "It was my fault for handling it improperly and frightening Madam."
The moment the word "Madam" was uttered, Jiang Ru felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't remember anything. She stared helplessly at Pei Wu, but ultimately couldn't resist him. She took a step forward and leaned into his arms.
Unable to speak ill of Pei Wu, Jiang Ru decided to try and get closer to him. She asked, "You said you were going to recruit soldiers, was it going smoothly?"
The imperial court ordered Pei Wu to come to the capital immediately, but conscription would take some time, and Pei Wu was busy with this matter today.
Pei Wu nodded: "It went smoothly. This conscription is for guarding the capital. Many people responded. I recruited more people to spread the word, and even several nearby prefectures responded. There are also many people in the countryside who are willing to support us."
He spoke as if it were nothing, but in reality he had been to many places today and had only eaten a quick bite for lunch. Jiang Ru felt sorry for him and could only take his hand and lead him to the main hall: "I'm not going to talk about it anymore. Are you hungry? I asked them to make you a lot of meat. Eat more."
After expending a lot of energy, you need to eat meat to replenish your body.
At the dinner table, Pei Wu ate several bowls of food. Jiang Ru knew he was tired, so she served him a lot more dishes.
For several days in a row, Pei Wu was busy recruiting soldiers. If he did nothing the day before, Jiang Ru would go with him. This time, the soldiers were recruited to form a righteous army. All the officials in Tanzhou were summoned by Pei Wu. Even Cheng Hao helped Pei Wu find helpers. Almost everyone who could be mobilized was mobilized.
The Northern Qi and the Great Xia had a long-standing feud. As soon as news of war with Qi was released, countless people responded. In just ten days, they had already gathered more than 50,000 people.
However, although the soldiers had been summoned, they needed food to support them. Pei Wu then raised grain from the people, and several wealthy merchants in the south donated some grain and silver, but it was only a drop in the bucket.
It was at this moment that Jiang Ru pulled Pei Wu into the storeroom, where all their family's assets were stored. Jiang Ru simply said, "Take it."
Pei Wu had considered touching the silver these past few days, but the silver belonged to the two of them and was their joint property.
Before Pei Wu could speak, Jiang Ru continued, "You are the prefect of Tanzhou. If you yourself are not willing to contribute money, how can you expect others to do so? Take all of these; we won't need them anymore anyway."
If successful, food and lodging will naturally not be a problem; if unsuccessful, these things will become external possessions.
Pei Wu gazed at Jiang Ru quietly for a long time before saying, "With music played and lutes played, all is peaceful and serene."
He was confessing his feelings to Jiang Ru, but Jiang Ru, not one to mince words, tapped him and said, "Don't say such mushy things."
On that day, Pei Wu gathered everyone together and donated all the property in his family to the righteous army.
This move had a tremendous impact, with righteous people donating their family fortunes. Within a few days, tens of thousands of taels of silver and thousands of bushels of rice had been raised, ensuring that the rebel army's food supply was no longer a problem.
The departure date was set for three days later. Before setting off, Pei Wu visited Cheng Hao at the Duke's Mansion. Pei Wu felt that he was young and had little experience, and knew very little about warfare. However, Northern Qi and Yan were eyeing Da Xia with covetous intent, and he also wanted to ask Cheng Hao for some guidance.
When he arrived, Cheng Hao was already waiting at home.
He wore a purple robe, which he hadn't worn in a long time. The purple robe looked very much like the official robes of the Great Xia Dynasty. The moment he stepped through the door, Pei Wu already knew what Cheng Hao meant.
Pei Wu bowed and simply said, "Lord Cheng."
In the past, he would have called Cheng Hao "father-in-law," but today, he used this title instead.
Cheng Hao knew he understood, and he looked at Pei Wu with satisfaction: "Your actions this time are quite impressive. Although I have been retired for many years, I have been thinking about whether there is anything I can still do."
Cheng Hao is over fifty years old. His health was ruined by years of wandering around. Now he is actually willing to go north with Pei Wu.
Pei Wu looked up, his eyes already bloodshot. He should have advised Cheng Hao not to go, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Cheng Hao sighed: "Li Zhi is going with you too, and I'm worried about her."
They all understood this reason tacitly. They said they were worried about Jiang Ru, but in reality, they were worried about the Great Xia. They were afraid that Emperor Yuan Tai would lead the Great Xia to its complete demise, and even more afraid that Emperor Yuan Tai would be defeated without a fight.
The veteran ministers of two dynasties finally stepped forward when the Great Xia Dynasty was in crisis.
Pei Wu moved his lips, but Cheng Hao waved his hand and said, "No need to say more, I have made up my mind."
The army would take several months to march from Tanzhou to Bianjing, and Pei Wu was worried that Cheng Hao's health would suffer. However, Cheng Hao did not care and said, "I have enjoyed so many years of good fortune, it's time for me to get some exercise."
Pei Wu finally agreed, set a time with Cheng Hao, and turned to return to his residence.
Jiang Ru knew that he was going to see Cheng Hao today. Given their relationship, it was inappropriate for Jiang Ru to go, so she waited for Pei Wu at home. When Pei Wu returned, Jiang Ru learned that Cheng Hao was also going to Bianjing.
As expected, a virtuous minister like Cheng Hao would not stand idly by during a time of national crisis.
Because they were worried they might not be able to return to Tanzhou, their house had been almost emptied out in the past few days. Everything that could be sold had been sold, except for the things in the bedroom, which remained exactly as they were. They were truly penniless and destitute.
Jiang Ru took Pei Wu's hand and whispered, "Our trip will definitely go smoothly."
Pei Wu gripped her hand tightly: "It will definitely happen."
Three days later, the army from Tanzhou was fully prepared and marched towards Bianjing.
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