Chapter 108 The Wedding Night
Jiang Ru herself had said it, but now she felt guilty, especially after Pei Wu asked her. She whispered, "The situation was urgent just now, and I couldn't think of any other way."
The moment he thought about it, he came up with such an earth-shattering statement. If they hadn't never done that, Pei Wu would have thought she was really pregnant.
Pei Wu didn't mean to say she wasn't; he just found Jiang Ru's reaction amusing and smiled slightly.
With this fabricated child appearing, Pei Wu was completely bewildered by Jiang Ru's flattery and had no time to investigate anything else.
Now that he was a little more sober, he had no time to care about Jiang Ru's nonsense. He asked the question on impulse and had no other intention. He said, "I have no intention of accusing you."
Jiang Ru said "Oh," and looked up at Pei Wu: "Did it hurt when I pulled your ear and grabbed your hair?"
Jiang Ru didn't use much force, but in order to make it seem exaggerated, she might have accidentally hurt Pei Wu when she struck.
Pei Wu shook his head: "No."
Only then did Jiang Ru feel relieved, and she asked again, "When the Prince of Taiping patted you, were you faking it?"
Pei Wu swayed a couple of times and coughed for a long time after being slapped. Jiang Ru was afraid that Pei Wu would really have a problem from the slap, since the Prince of Taiping should be very strong.
Pei Wu shook his head again: "It's an act, I'm fine."
After recounting what happened tonight, the two remained silent. Jiang Ru had overacted; the moment she uttered the word "child," a slight awkwardness arose between them, as they were alone in the room. They hadn't done anything; how could there be a child?
They were both exceptionally innocent and rarely did anything that crossed the line, even though they were husband and wife and could have marital relations.
Noticing Pei Wu's direct gaze, and seeing him standing there with a dignified and composed demeanor, Jiang Ru, driven by a sudden surge of malice, took a step forward and almost jumped onto Pei Wu. Pei Wu was nearly knocked back by her sudden movement, but fortunately, he managed to steady himself and catch Jiang Ru in his arms.
Jiang Ru wrapped her arms around his neck, and Pei Wu reached out to embrace her. Jiang Ru could have kissed Pei Wu by turning her head, but she didn't move. Instead, she stared at Pei Wu and suddenly said, "Pei Wu, we've been married for over three months."
Pei Wu nodded, patiently waiting for her to continue.
Actually, we had thought about this before. The two of us had feelings for each other when we were close, but we never took it to the next level.
At first, Jiang Ru was afraid, and later Pei Wu felt that the preparations were insufficient, and the things that should have been done on their wedding night have been delayed until now.
Jiang Ru knew that Pei Wu often took cold showers. She couldn't keep teasing Pei Wu by making him take cold showers every time; it would be bad for him to suffer from this in the long run.
It was indeed a little embarrassing to bring this up, but there was no turning back now. Anyway, that day would come sooner or later. Jiang Ru whispered in Pei Wu's ear, "Let's do what we should do on our wedding night."
If it weren't for what happened today, they might have dragged it out for a long time. Now that it's been brought up, Jiang Ru suddenly has an idea.
Besides, she wasn't so afraid anymore.
As she said this, Jiang Ru noticed that Pei Wu's ears turned red. He tensed his jaw, as if afraid of breaking his composure. He even loosened his grip on Jiang Ru involuntarily, but quickly hugged her even tighter again.
Jiang Ru shook him urgingly: "Do you want to?"
Of course I've thought about it; I've been thinking about it for a long time.
However, the current situation is not suitable. They are in Hongzhou now, and in a restaurant, which is inconvenient.
Pei Wu pondered for a long time, then said, "I want to, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ru had already sealed his lips with hers. The soft touch made Pei Wu momentarily lose his composure and unable to utter a word.
I don't know when I fell onto the bed. It was getting dark, and the time and place were perfect. It was time to turn off the lights and go to sleep. The night is too short to refuse.
This kiss was more intense than any before. Jiang Ru mustered her courage and bit Pei Wu's lips. She sat on Pei Wu's waist and could feel that Pei Wu initially tried to resist, but he gave in after only a short time.
Her clothes were torn and disheveled, with Jiang Ru's skirt draped over Pei Wu's robe. Pei Wu suddenly grabbed her slender waist, and Jiang Ru frowned in annoyance. Pei Wu, barely managing to calm his breathing, said, "Take a bath first."
Having been to the prison, Jiang Ru inevitably picked up its chilling atmosphere. She sniffed her sleeves; they didn't smell bad, but she couldn't get over the urge. So she could only nod and say, "Okay."
Jiang Ru felt disheartened as the courage she had finally mustered was abruptly cut short. She bent down and bit Pei Wu hard, leaving a slight mark on his Adam's apple, before reluctantly getting up.
Pei Wu went out to fetch water, while Jiang Ru sat listlessly on the small couch, watching Pei Wu bustling around, changing the bedding to new ones and even finding the undergarments the two of them would wear after their baths. It was as if keeping busy now would dispel the awkwardness caused by what was to come later.
Before long, the bath tubs were ready. Although they slept together, Pei Wu still asked the waiter to prepare two sets, and a bath tub was also placed in the next room.
Jiang Ru was quite resentful. Seeing that Pei Wu was going to wash next door, she couldn't help but say, "Let's wash together."
Pei Wu was carrying his clothes and was about to go next door when he heard this, so he stopped in his tracks. He hesitated for a moment, and seeing that Jiang Ru was not joking, he could only say, "Okay."
He had rejected Jiang Ru too many times today, and he was afraid that if he rejected her again now, she would get angry with him, so after thinking it over again and again, he finally agreed.
Jiang Ru was surprised that he agreed. She had originally planned to take this opportunity to torment Pei Wu if he refused, but Pei Wu agreed instead.
Jiang Ru could talk big, and Pei Wuzhen agreed. But then she felt embarrassed, especially when she saw that Pei Wuzhen seemed interested and was even carrying her clothes and walking back. Jiang Ru panicked.
She pointed to the bathtub, racking her brains for a reason: "Isn't this bathtub too small? I don't think it can fit two people."
Pei Wu also walked to the bathtub, which was steaming. The soapberries were neatly arranged on the side. The bathtub was only meant to hold one person, so naturally it couldn't fit two people.
Since it was Jiang Ru who made the request, Pei Wu naturally had to find a way to fulfill it: "You take a bath first, and I will take a bath after you."
Jiang Ru's eyes widened: "How can this be?" Wouldn't that mean Pei Wu would have to wash in her bathwater? Pei Wu really doesn't mind.
So Pei Wu was at a loss, and not daring to go next door, he asked Jiang Ru, "Then what do you think..."
Jiang Ru quickly pushed him out: "Let's wash separately, it'll be faster that way."
Pei Wu was pushed to the doorway and realized that Jiang Ru was shy again. He thought Jiang Ru was really cute and tried to suppress his smile: "In that case, alright then."
Pei Wu was pushed out of the room, and the door behind him slammed shut, as if Jiang Ru was angry. Pei Wu looked at the tightly closed wooden door and thought about what was about to happen. Even though the night wind was blowing, his body was still hot.
Once Pei Wu had walked away, Jiang Ru finally breathed a sigh of relief. She calmed her breathing, took off her clothes, and stepped into the bathtub.
The water was hot, so Jiang Ru quickly washed herself clean, changed her clothes, and her long hair, still slightly damp, dried herself with a cloth before opening the door with her hair down.
As if it had been expected, Pei Wu from next door opened his door at the same time. He put on an outer robe, tied his hair up casually, and walked slowly toward Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru panicked for no reason. She didn't dare to look at Pei Wu and hurriedly hid inside the room. Not knowing whether to turn her back to Pei Wu or face him, Jiang Ru hurriedly ran to the bedside and sat down.
She looked nervously at the door. Footsteps approached, and Pei Wu stepped into the room.
The candlelight seemed to dim slightly as Pei Wu approached. When Pei Wu stood tall and elegant, and looked up at her, Jiang Ru felt even more uncomfortable.
She sat on the bed waiting, as if she were in a hurry.
She tried to stand up, but it was too late. Pei Wu approached, looking down at Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru nervously swallowed and reached out to grab Pei Wu's hand hanging by his side.
Both of them smelled exactly like soapberry. The scent of books and ink on Pei Wu and the light fragrance on Jiang Ru were mostly covered by the soapberry scent. When Jiang Ru looked up at Pei Wu with her hair down, her dark hair made her face look particularly small. Pei Wu reached out and touched Jiang Ru's cheek with his fingers.
This time, he took the initiative to lean down and kiss Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru held Pei Wu's hand with one hand and gripped the hem of her robe with the other. Her outer robe was just casually draped over her shoulders and could be easily taken off, but Pei Wu's clothes were meticulously worn. Jiang Ru tried to untie his belt, but after trying for a long time, she couldn't manage to untie it.
Their movements were clumsy and awkward. Pei Wu grabbed her hand and took off his own clothes, leaving them scattered on the floor. No one paid any attention to them.
In a completely opposite posture to before, both of them were only wearing undergarments, their black hair tangled together, like ink spilled on the bed, soft as clouds. Jiang Ru lay on the bed, not daring to look anywhere, and could only hold Pei Wu tightly.
Fearing that Pei Wu would be as polite as usual in bed, she asked him, "You should know how to do it by now, right?"
She knew that Pei Wu had read the book after their marriage.
Pei Wu let out a soft "hmm," and Jiang Ru said, "Then you..."
Without her saying a word, Pei Wu had already pulled open her clothes.
Jiang Ru's words were stuck in her throat; she couldn't say anything more.
The spring night wasn't too cold, but it was still a bit chilly after taking off her clothes. Pei Wu's body was several degrees warmer than hers, so Jiang Ru, feeling cold, huddled into his arms.
Pei Wu covered the two of them with the blanket. He originally wanted to tell Jiang Ru that he himself was not sure, after all, he had read too much in books, but the actual practice was likely to be completely different.
But Jiang Ru was afraid, so he could only swallow all the words he wanted to say. He leaned close to Jiang Ru's ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'll listen to you."
Jiang Ru couldn't hear what he was saying. She just looked up and kissed Pei Wu's chin. Although she was uneasy, she still let Pei Wu do whatever he wanted: "Come on."
It was their first time together, and they were both flustered. Pei Wu was older than Jiang Ru, so he couldn't show his fear. Jiang Ru closed her eyes, not daring to look at him, shrinking back and trembling. Pei Wu hardened his heart and suppressed his fear.
Jiang Ru gripped the bed beneath her, her breathing quickened, tears welled in her eyes, and her red lips parted slightly, as if asking for a kiss.
Pei Wu lowered his head and kissed her again.
Like a sudden downpour, it rained down relentlessly, driven entirely by instinct. The fierce wind and torrential rain drenched Jiang Ru, leaving her no way to escape. She clung to Pei Wu, her eyelashes trembling, her breath melting into the kiss. She couldn't hear Pei Wu's words, but she seemed to hear him asking if she was feeling unwell. She just shook her head.
Pei Wu was not as well-behaved as Jiang Ru had imagined; he had abandoned everything and returned to his most primal instincts.
Jiang Ru bit her lip, trying not to make a sound, but she couldn't help but breathe softly. Then she seemed to cry, and Pei Wu immediately stopped and gently comforted her.
Jiang Ru reached up to kiss Pei Wu, her voice rising with the kiss: "I'm fine. I was just lying to you when I said I didn't want to."
Only after confirming that she was alright did Pei Wu agree to continue.
The rain lasted for a very long time. The eaves outside the window were pounded by the heavy rain, and the wind blew against the windowsill. The wind surged forward like the tide, lapping against the stones and sand on the shore. The candlelight flickered, and the curtains swayed in the wind. In this small world, Jiang Ru had Pei Wu, and Pei Wu also had Jiang Ru.
As the rain subsided, Jiang Ru nestled in Pei Wu's arms, her eyes slightly red from crying because she couldn't bear it any longer. She was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, and all she knew was to cling to Pei Wu.
Later, Pei Wu seemed to have wiped her body, but Jiang Ru was sleeping too soundly to feel embarrassed.
We used to say we should shower separately, but now it's completely unnecessary. We've seen everything we needed to see and touched everything.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a slight movement from the bed beside her. Pei Wu had already tidied everything up, and Jiang Ru skillfully nestled into Pei Wu's arms.
Pei Wu was always meticulous in his work, and he even helped the drowsy Jiang Ru put on her clothes. Jiang Ru seemed to struggle, but Pei Wu whispered a few words in her ear, and Jiang Ru let him continue. If she were awake, Jiang Ru would have insisted on dressing herself. Pei Wu only did these things without restraint because she was asleep.
Perhaps because she was too tired last night, Jiang Ru slept until the sun was high in the sky. As soon as she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Pei Wu's chin.
She leaned against Pei Wu's chest, having to lift her head to see his face. Pei Wu's eyes were open, and he looked at her calmly.
The sun had already shone into the room, and warm light streamed through the window cracks, casting a golden ray of light on the window. Jiang Ru slowly raised her eyes to look at Pei Wu, then glanced at the bed curtains. Pei Wu had gotten up earlier than her, but he hadn't gotten up.
He still held Jiang Ru's waist, and when he saw that Jiang Ru in his arms was moving, he lowered his head and touched Jiang Ru's forehead.
They were the same age, and Pei Wu had been a vegetarian for several years, yet he was so much taller than her. Jiang Ru looked much smaller in his arms.
Jiang Ru's back ached and she was tired. She had no intention of getting up. Instead, she buried herself even closer in Pei Wu's arms, inhaling his pleasant scent.
Jiang Ru was too tired to speak. She and Pei Wu were entangled, their bodies even closer than before.
She squirmed in Pei Wu's arms. Perhaps because they hadn't spoken all night, Pei Wu's voice was a little hoarse: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Jiang Ru shook her head: "I don't feel uncomfortable."
She slowly reached out and hugged Pei Wu's waist, finding a comfortable position in his arms. Perhaps because she had slept for too long, her back and waist ached, and she felt uncomfortable being so close to Pei Wu as she had been the night before.
Pei Wu got up earlier than her. Usually, whether he was reading or practicing martial arts, he could always find something to do. But today, he and Jiang Ru stayed in bed together.
The sun outside was getting stronger and stronger. Jiang Ru had been held by Pei Wu all night, and their body temperatures were mingling, making every part of her body warm. She looked at Pei Wu, feeling both shy and satisfied.
This time, she could truly call Pei Wu "husband".
Jiang Ru pointed to her throat, saying that she had talked too much last night and her throat was dry and sore. Pei Wu then let go of her and got out of bed to pour her a glass of water.
Jiang Ru drank a cup of warm water in one gulp. When Pei Wu asked her if she wanted more, Jiang Ru shook her head and said, "No, I don't want any more."
Jiang Ru's lips glistened with moisture, and Pei Wu poured himself a glass and drank it all in one gulp.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he drank water, and Jiang Ru stared at it intently.
Pei Wu was only wearing undergarments, the close-fitting clothes perfectly showing off his figure. Pei Wu was a scholar, but he was really powerful. Jiang Ru could still recall last night, as if she could not escape the memory of being firmly imprisoned by Pei Wu no matter what.
Jiang Ru lowered her eyelashes, her gaze falling to Pei Wu's long legs. Pei Wu approached her, crouched down, and asked gently, "I'll go fetch some water, and then have someone bring lunch to my room, okay?"
Jiang Ru nodded, and Pei Wu put on his clothes and went out.
After Pei Wu left, Jiang Ru rubbed her ears. She felt that Pei Wu was unusually gentle today. His voice was deep and his ears felt numb and tingly, and she couldn't resist it.
Before long, Pei Wu brought in the water himself, followed by a servant. However, Pei Wu did not let the servant enter. He put the water down first before turning around to receive the lunch.
He placed his lunch on the low table on the small couch, then walked to Jiang Ru's bedside and asked, "Shall I carry you over?"
It didn't come to that extent. Although Pei Wu had a natural advantage, he was still quite restrained. He would stop when he saw that Jiang Ru was tired, so Jiang Ru was fine except for a sore back.
Feeling annoyed that Pei Wu treated her like a fragile object, Jiang Ru said, "Don't underestimate me."
As she spoke, Jiang Ru slowly got off the bed. Actually, her legs were weak when she got off the bed. Not wanting Pei Wu to look down on her, Jiang Ru tried her best to drag her heavy steps out.
Midway through, Pei Wu draped an outer robe over her shoulders and carefully tucked it in as if afraid she would get cold, and Jiang Ru did not refuse.
After they both washed up, Jiang Ru sat on the small couch, and Pei Wu sat opposite her. Jiang Ru, who had missed breakfast, was alright, since she had woken up late and wasn't too hungry.
Pei Wu is different. No matter how late he goes to bed the night before, he always wakes up at the same time. He has never been late. He probably really did go to bed hungry this morning and hugged Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru glanced at him casually, feeling a little sorry for this blockhead who didn't realize she should have breakfast first. Pei Wu, however, misunderstood: "Don't you like it?"
Hongzhou was in the midst of a disaster, so even though they were guests, the dishes on the table were just simple porridge and side dishes.
Jiang Ru had eaten even worse food than this, so she shouldn't be unable to eat this. Jiang Ru felt that Pei Wu was making a mountain out of a molehill and couldn't stand it: "Don't treat me like a precious person, okay? Do you expect me to be this careful every time we do this in the future?"
It was as if Jiang Ru couldn't bear any hardship after waking up and needed to be cherished.
Pei Wu knew he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he just couldn't control himself and wanted to treat Jiang Ru even better. Hearing this, he said, "It's not impossible."
Jiang Ruhan scolded him resentfully, and only then did he restrain himself slightly.
According to the established procedure, last night was their actual wedding night, so it's not surprising that Pei Wu did such a thing. Jiang Ru didn't hold it against him, since they had just gone through that, it was normal for Pei Wu to feel such tenderness towards her.
After the two finished their lunch, Pei Wu said, "I will deliver the grain to the government office this afternoon. If all goes well, we will return to Tanzhou tomorrow."
They had a frank talk with Prince Taiping last night, and he probably won't stop them too much. Hongzhou is not a place to stay now, so they should leave as soon as possible.
Jiang Ru nodded. Since it was just delivering grain, she wouldn't go along; it would be tiring.
However, she still had doubts, so she asked, "If they really conquer all the southern prefectures, will it affect us?"
Hongzhou is not too far from Tanzhou. It takes a week to get there by carriage, and only a few days longer on foot. Since the Taiping King was able to rebel, he could not possibly only occupy Hongzhou. He also wanted to attack Xinzhou. After attacking Xinzhou, he would most likely attack Tanzhou.
After all, Tanzhou's geographical location is crucial; if Tanzhou is captured, the other prefectures will be easy to take as well.
Pei Wu pondered for a moment and said, "Before coming to Hongzhou, I asked Wu Changzhi to recruit soldiers."
The conscription means that he had already considered this possibility. Pei Wu is the prefect of Tanzhou. If the Taiping Army really attacks, Pei Wu will have to make preparations.
If we take another step back...
If the Northern Qi were to invade the Great Xia, Pei Wu's troops would be of use, but at that time, they would inevitably have to clash with the imperial court.
These were all precautionary measures, and Pei Wu had to plan ahead.
Not wanting to think too much about it, especially since they were still in Hongzhou, Jiang Ru stopped there, making a sealing gesture with her lips to indicate that she would not say anything more.
Pei Wu said, "It can be said that there are no Taiping Army soldiers around here."
Pei Wu had already had people investigate beforehand, but Jiang Ru still didn't plan to go into too much detail. After all, it was better to talk about such treasonous things back in Tanzhou, behind closed doors, when they were on someone else's turf.
Seeing that she really wasn't going to say anything more, Pei Wu didn't press her. He tidied up the room simply, and after Jiang Ru had rested on the couch and was reading a book, Pei Wu was finally at ease and left.
In the afternoon, Pei Wu led his men to deliver the grain to the government office. Although the Taiping army was composed of disaster victims, the Taiping King's rule was good, and the disaster victims were very disciplined.
Pei Wu didn't care much. After delivering the grain and obtaining the Taiping Army's token, he hurried back to the restaurant.
The Taiping army occupied Hongzhou, but did not restrict entry and exit. Many people from nearby areas also joined the Taiping army, so they were not stopped when they wanted to leave.
Before leaving, King Taiping did not show up; they only met with King Xi once.
The Western King was the man who distributed porridge when they first arrived. After the Taiping King became king, he first appointed his good brother as the Western King, and there was also a Southern King.
Leaving Hongzhou went extremely smoothly. Once the carriage was out of sight and the city gates had completely disappeared from view, Jiang Ru finally breathed a sigh of relief. She moved into Pei Wu's lap and, holding him tightly, asked in a low voice, "Will you report the Taiping Rebellion to the imperial court?"
Pei Wu shook his head: "Even if I didn't report it, the news about the Taiping Army should have already been sent to Bianjing."
Jiang Ru didn't know what to say. The appearance of the Taiping Army stirred something within her, even a little impulsiveness.
She whispered in Pei Wu's ear, "Do you think we'll really have a change of dynasty? If so, who could it be?"
The current court is in too much chaos; it's only a matter of time before it collapses. It's not surprising that Jiang Ru asked this question.
Pei Wu was silent for a moment, then said, "I hope to be a ruler who cares about the people."
If not, he wouldn't mind doing it himself.
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