Chapter 93 The Cold War
Jiang Ru's blatant disrespect left Xie Jun's smile frozen on his face as he swallowed his anger and got off the carriage.
Jiang Ru's wish was dashed, and she looked at the distant path with a mixture of dejection and despair, still clinging to the hope that Pei Wu would return.
It was Song Pingzhang who noticed her anxiously waiting for Pei Wu and reminded her, "Your cousin won't be back for a few more days."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ru was utterly dejected and turned back into the courtyard, crestfallen.
The group had finished catching up and, fearing they would attract attention, Song Pingzhang led Song Shu and the others into the courtyard.
The courtyard was packed with people. Jiang Ru looked at them absentmindedly. At this moment, Xie Jun, who had been ignored, couldn't help but speak up: "Song Shu, don't you recognize me?"
Song Shu suddenly looked at him, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: relief, joy, and resentment. Finally, she bit her lip and lowered her head without answering.
Jiang Ru sat up straighter, looking at the two of them suspiciously. There seemed to be some hidden story between them, especially with Song Shu; something just didn't seem right.
Did Song Shu see Xie Jun? Of course she did. Jiang Ru had noticed her glancing at him every now and then, but Jiang Ru was only focused on herself at the time and didn't pay attention to him.
Jiang Ru was feeling uninterested because Pei Wu hadn't come, but Song Shu seemed to be in a hurry, so she had to temporarily put aside her chaotic thoughts and observe the two of them.
Looking at Song Pingzhang, his face wore a kind and amiable smile, but he was also quite abnormal in every way.
Soon, the man stepped forward: "Hearing that you were in Tangzhou, I asked Lord Song to bring me here, just to see you."
Jiang Ru stared at the two of them, wondering if Song Pingzhang was trying to arrange a marriage for her. After all, Song Shu had complained to her before that Song Pingzhang wanted to marry her off.
If that's the case, Jiang Ru will have to help Song Shu out of this predicament.
The man standing in front of Song Shu was extremely tall, probably about the same height as Pei Wu. He had a wild and arrogant sharpness, with sharp features, healthy tan skin, and a tall and sturdy build, like someone who practiced martial arts.
Jiang Ru is picky, and it's hard to tell what her personality is like. She is quite good-looking, though. More importantly, it depends on whether Song Shu likes her. Song Shu already has someone else in her heart, so she might not be interested in him.
However, Jiang Ru was thinking one thing, but in reality, Song Shu looked at the man with deep affection, as if trying to etch his image into her mind. After a long while, she said with a sob in her voice, "I thought you were dead."
Jiang Ru: ""
Without any warning, Song Shu threw herself into the man's arms.
She hugged him so tightly, as if she wanted to bury her whole body in him. Jiang Ru had never seen the usually well-behaved Song Shu be so bold before, and she was immediately shocked and her eyes widened.
She looked at Song Pingzhang again, and he had a relieved smile on his face. Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate, he cleared his throat, and the two finally let go.
Song Shu whispered, "I'm going to the river to fetch water. Do you want to come with me?"
The man nodded hurriedly, "Okay."
They're still fetching water; both vats in the yard are full!
Song Shu walked in front, and the man followed behind; they left the courtyard in a flash.
Jiang Ru was completely bewildered and quietly approached Song Pingzhang: "Lord Song, what's wrong with Song Shu...?"
She had a vague suspicion that Song Shu said her beloved husband was dead, but the current situation didn't seem like she had fallen in love with someone else; rather, it seemed like he had been resurrected.
Song Pingzhang was in a good mood, and his smile made the wrinkles around his eyes even more pronounced. He told Jiang Ru, "That's Xie Jun, the third son of the General of the Garrison, who is engaged to Xiao Shu."
Jiang Ru was so surprised that she couldn't recover for a long time. Without asking any further questions, she knew that this person must be Song Shu's legendary sweetheart.
It's strange that he actually survived.
But three years have passed, and he only came to find Song Shu now. If it were Jiang Ru, she would definitely be angry. It's only because Song Shu has a good temper that she didn't hold it against him.
Jiang Ru was in a bad mood, and seeing others being so affectionate made her feel jealous. She leaned on the table, looking at Song Pingzhang expectantly: "Lord Song, did my cousin say how long it will take for him to come?"
Song Pingzhang: "At the earliest, it will be three months later, he..."
Song Pingzhang paused halfway through his sentence, looking hesitantly at Jiang Ru. He thought of Pei Wu's trick of "stealing the sky and changing the sun," which made Jiang Ru appear dead to the people of Bianjing, but Jiang Ru herself was unaware of this.
By having Jiang Ru fake her death, Pei Wu could completely separate himself from her. Everyone in the court knew that Pei Wu had a good relationship with his cousin, so if they wanted to harm Pei Wu, they would think of Jiang Ru first. Pei Wu realized this, so he simply decided to go all the way and erase Jiang Ru from his life, changing his identity.
Secondly, Song Pingzhang's recent troubles have implicated Song Shu, and Pei Wu was afraid of repeating the same mistake, which is why he resorted to this tactic.
However, Song Pingzhang was hesitant to tell Jiang Ru this, as this young lady was easily angered and he feared she might pull his beard in her rage.
Although Jiang Ru had never done such a thing before, Song Pingzhang felt that she was capable of it, so he changed his words before he could finish, saying, "There are still matters to be dealt with in Bianjing. You can talk to him about it when he arrives."
After saying that, Song Pingzhang hurriedly ran away to avoid Jiang Ru grabbing him and asking him questions. He was in a real dilemma; he couldn't offend either side.
Jiang Ru was overjoyed but then slumped listlessly on the table. It was just past noon, and the scorching sun made her face flush red. The thought that Pei Wu wouldn't be able to come to see her for several more months made her feel suffocated with anger.
Song Shu and Xie Jun, on the other hand, strolled leisurely along the riverbank until dinner before returning. Jiang Ru noticed her blushing face and mercilessly exposed her: "Where's the water you fetched?"
Song Shu then remembered, without any guilt: "I forgot."
Well, they haven't seen each other for at least three years, so this is normal. Jiang Ru picked at her bowl with her chopsticks and sighed softly.
It's only three months, she can wait that long.
Three months is neither a long nor a short time. Jiang Ru was anxiously waiting, and seeing Song Shu and Xie Jun being so affectionate every day, she thought about packing her bags and going to Bianjing to find Pei Wu several times, but she could only put the bags back silently after packing them away.
If it were just waiting, it wouldn't matter much to Jiang Ru; what she cared about was whether Pei Wu might be in danger.
The court was rife with infighting, and even the emperor, who had previously appeared so harmless, was no good person. There would only be more people who wanted Pei Wu dead. She was afraid that something might happen to Pei Wu in Bianjing, and that she and Pei Wu would be separated by death.
To conceal the news, Pei Wu did not send them any messages, which left Jiang Ru completely unaware of the situation in Bianjing. The lack of news only intensified her anxiety, as if she were waiting for a vague and uncertain outcome, and the longer she waited, the more devastated she became.
She always had nightmares at night, dreaming that Pei Wu was in trouble, dreaming that Pei Wu died, and that all she could do was collect Pei Wu's body.
This makes it difficult for Jiang Ru to get a full night's sleep; she will wake up in a fright after at most two hours and then be unable to fall back asleep.
She was having trouble sleeping, and her mental state was extremely poor. Her cheeks were rapidly thinning. She couldn't understand why Pei Wu was taking so long to transfer her job.
She even asked Song Pingzhang several times, but Song Pingzhang always told her not to worry, that Pei Wu could protect him.
Seeing her genuine worry, Song Pingzhang had no choice but to tell Jiang Ru the whole story about Pei Wu's impending mourning period, intending to assure her that Pei Wu would definitely come to find her three months later.
Jiang Ru didn't react much to the fact that she was "dead." She thought for a long time before whispering, "Only if I die will he have no weakness in the future."
No one will threaten him anymore, so if something happens in the future, will he be spared from sending her away? She really finds it hard to bear being separated from Pei Wu.
Song Pingzhang's words were a small comfort to her, though not much, because with a clear timeframe, Jiang Ru couldn't bear to imagine what would happen if Pei Wu didn't return in three months.
She not only lost weight, but also became mentally unwell. Song Shu often stayed with her and comforted her every day, but the effect was not much better.
Fortunately, the agonizing three months finally came to an end. Pei Wu accepted the transfer and was about to head to Tangzhou. His confidant sent a letter to Tangzhou in advance, and Jiang Ru was finally able to barely survive.
Pei Wu's transfer also caused quite a stir in Bianjing.
No high-ranking official would give up the good life in Bianjing and voluntarily request to be transferred to a place that is not very prosperous. Tanzhou is in the south, which is not only far away but also inconvenient to travel to. Appointing him as the prefect is, in everyone's eyes, really using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
The opposing and supporting parties had argued several times, but it had no impact on Pei Wu's transfer. Pei Wu was already prepared to leave the capital.
When Pei Wu was transferred, several of his friends came to see him off. The sorrow of parting weighed on their hearts, and it seemed as if dark clouds were hanging over their heads.
Too many changes occurred that year. After Song Pingzhang left, there was no one in charge of the court. The emperor could only appoint a few new people. He was hesitant and dared not use this or that. In just three months, he had already changed four or five prime ministers.
If Pei Wu hadn't taken leave to stay at home, he probably could have served as prime minister for a few days.
The emperor feared both Song Pingzhang's men and Su Mu's men. His relationship with Su Mu was not as good as he had imagined. He used Su Mu to get rid of Song Pingzhang, but he was still wary of Su Mu.
Although they knew that Song Pingzhang had made a grave mistake, Pei Wu's reaction and Su Mu's actions were enough to make them suspicious, and even caused them to feel somewhat estranged from the emperor.
However, unless the emperor demoted them, they didn't dare to apply for a transfer together with Pei Wu. If they did, none of them could save their lives.
Pei Wu's friends could only wish him a safe journey and promised to meet again in the future.
Zheng Qiuhong looked at Pei Wu and sighed, "Since we came to Bianjing, it's been a long time since we brothers had a proper chat."
In Jinzhou, they could meet often, discussing poetry and literature, or chatting and laughing. But after entering the imperial court, they had very little time to sit down and talk. It was considered good if they could meet once every few months.
Pei Wu assured him, "There will be opportunities in the future."
Zheng Qiuhong patted Pei Wu on the shoulder with emotion: "Perhaps I will be transferred to the south someday, so we can meet again."
Pei Wu hugged him, said goodbye to everyone, and got into the carriage.
It would take several days for the carriage to travel from here to Tangzhou. Especially with so much luggage on board, the journey was slowed down considerably. It took them nearly ten days to finally reach the territory of Tangzhou.
From afar, the house hidden deep in the mountains came into view. Standing at the front was Jiang Ru, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time.
Pei Wu didn't bring many people with him on this trip, keeping everything simple, so the people and carriages that came were all clearly visible. There was no one on the carriage, so Pei Wu must be inside. Although he was still unable to contain his excitement, Jiang Ru just stood outside the carriage, arms crossed, looking at it.
After the carriage stopped, unlike her eagerness a few months ago, Jiang Ru didn't move at all. It was Pei Wu who lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.
People inside the house came out one after another to greet him. Pei Wu's gaze fell on Jiang Ru. He noticed that Jiang Ru had lost a lot of weight, like a fluttering leaf, as if she would be blown over by the wind at any moment.
Not only had she lost weight, but her complexion was also poor, pale and bloodless, as if she had been suffering every day in Tangzhou. Fortunately, her lips were rosy and had some color, so her complexion wasn't too bad, but her thin body was enough to make Pei Wu feel sorry for her.
Since she didn't speak to him for a long time, Pei Wu took the initiative to say, "Cousin."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Ru snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Completely unaware of what he had done wrong, the three months of longing were unbearable for Pei Wu, yet Jiang Ru greeted him with such a cold face upon their first meeting.
He could only swallow the words of concern he wanted to say to Jiang Ru. Pei Wu followed Jiang Ru, and the others seemed to become invisible. Only when passing Song Pingzhang did he nod to him and say, "Teacher."
Song Pingzhang agreed and followed Jiang Ru into the courtyard. Jiang Ru ignored him and ran straight back to her bedroom, where she locked the door.
Pei Wu knocked on the door from the outside, only three times, and politely asked, "Cousin, may I come out for a moment?"
After a silent wait, there was no response from inside the bedroom.
Pei Wu was a blockhead; after asking that question, he knew Jiang Ru was angry with him, so he stopped being annoying.
He thought that after three months, Jiang Ru probably wouldn't remember what happened that day, but unexpectedly, Jiang Ru was still resentful of him, and her words "I hate you" were true.
Pei Wu stood guard outside, leaning against the wooden door of Jiang Ru's room. Without Jiang Ru's permission, he would not rush in, but simply stood guard quietly.
He was a little tired after running around for several days, but coaxing Jiang Ru was much more important, and he did it willingly.
Song Pingzhang had long been accustomed to the petty thoughts between children, but now, looking at Pei Wu, he felt more and more that something was wrong. To say that they were just simple cousins was really not the case. No siblings in any family were like that; they were too close.
Song Pingzhang beckoned to Pei Wu, who reluctantly shook his head, indicating that he did not want to come over. Only when Song Pingzhang beckoned to him again did he reluctantly approach.
The person approached, and Song Pingzhang probed indirectly: "You and your cousin..."
Pei Wu nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
Song Pingzhang: "..."
Indeed, it was the age when love first blossomed, and with these two young people spending so much time together, it was natural for feelings to develop. Song Pingzhang was about to say more when Pei Wu interrupted him, "Does Teacher have anything else to say?"
Song Pingzhang hadn't really wanted to ask anything; he just wanted to gossip a bit and inquire about their future plans. But judging from Pei Wu's current demeanor, he probably wouldn't leave until he saw his cousin. Song Pingzhang could only wave his hand and say, "We'll see. Do whatever you want. I won't bother you."
Without hesitation, Pei Wu turned around and ran to stand guard outside Jiang Ru's door.
Song Pingzhang couldn't bear to look and shook his head, averting his gaze.
Song Shu and Xie Jun, who had been separated for a long time, were now inseparable and couldn't bear to be apart. Standing at a distance, they took in the whole scene in the courtyard.
Xie Jun was unaware of the situation and had previously regarded Pei Wu as a rival in love, harboring a prejudice against him. So he whispered to Song Shu, "What is he doing?"
Song Shu gave a brief explanation, and Xie Jun gloated, "He's so ruthless, no wonder Jiang Ru ignores him."
Xie Jun valued Jiang Ru, his "family member," and was always very polite to her, afraid that she would speak ill of him to Song Shu. Therefore, he also gave Pei Wu the cold shoulder for offending Jiang Ru.
However, he didn't get to gloat for long before Song Shu punched him, scolding him, "Don't make sarcastic remarks."
Xie Jun innocently pointed to himself: "When did I..."
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed Pei Wu giving him a cold, icy glance, and Xie Jun stopped talking.
Pei Wu knocked on the door again, three precise knocks. After knocking, Pei Wu politely called out, "Cousin."
Jiang Ru sat on the bed, ignoring the knocking.
Perhaps because someone was standing at the door, the cracks in the door were also covered by shadows, making the lighting inside the house seem worse.
Jiang Ru was determined to teach Pei Wu a lesson. Pei Wu had deceived her and drugged her, and even after three months, she was still angry.
She was indeed happy to see Pei Wu, but she couldn't help but think of that night a few months ago, something she could never forgive. If she didn't teach Pei Wu a lesson, he would do it again. So Jiang Ru heartlessly ignored him.
She had clearly taken great care of her clothes and hair, wearing her most beautiful dress and having spent nearly an hour styling her hair, but when she actually met Pei Wu, he probably didn't even get a clear look at her face before she ran away.
She resented Pei Wu for being too polite, only knocking a few times and not showing enough sincerity in his apology. Yet, she also felt that Pei Wu's clumsy apology was comforting to her. If he really knew those coaxing tricks, he wouldn't be Pei Wu.
Now that Pei Wu had been waiting outside the door for so long and knocked several times, she had already softened her heart. The moment Pei Wu returned, she wanted to rush forward and hug him, just wanting to be close to his scent and not care about anything else.
But she restrained herself; she couldn't forgive Pei Wu too quickly.
The wooden tree outside just leaned against the door, having traveled for so many days without resting, only knowing to stay by Jiang Ru's side and apologize.
The shadowy figure remained standing there, so in an attempt to pull her thoughts away from him, Jiang Ru took a book from the counter. She pretended to read it, but in reality, she didn't absorb anything at all.
One sat inside, the other stood outside the door; the cold war continued until dinner time, when Song Shu came over and knocked on the door to call Jiang Ru: "Dinner's ready."
Jiang Ru wanted to stay out of spite, but she overheard the conversation between the two people outside. It was Pei Wu. He said, "Jiang Ru refuses to see me. I'll go to the kitchen to eat later and won't run into her. You can talk to her."
Fearing that Jiang Ru would refuse to eat at the same table with him, Pei Wu chose to compromise himself.
Just after saying that, Jiang Ru suddenly flung open the door. This sudden action startled Song Shu, who took a step back. Pei Wu's eyes lit up, thinking Jiang Ru was finally willing to talk to him. He quickly stepped forward, seizing the opportunity to speak to Jiang Ru: "Cousin, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ru glared at him and said angrily, "What do you mean? It's like I'm bullying you."
Pei Wu was immediately at a loss: "I didn't."
Jiang Ru glanced at him sideways, gave a disgruntled "humph," and walked past Pei Wu, linking arms with Song Shu as they headed towards the dining table. Pei Wu didn't move behind them, so Jiang Ru turned around: "What are you doing? Aren't you coming over here?"
In the end, Jiang Ru was soft-hearted. Although she didn't give Pei Wu a kind look, she still felt sorry for him.
Pei Wu quickly followed, and after some consideration, he sat down next to Jiang Ru. Fortunately, Jiang Ru did not express any dissatisfaction with his behavior, so Pei Wu was able to sit down with peace of mind.
Jiang Ru then looked around and saw that Pei Wu had brought everyone he could, including Xia and the others. She had been too busy being angry with Pei Wu to talk to them.
Xia and the others were the only ones who knew that Jiang Ru was still alive when they left in a hurry. They had been waiting to find her and were feeling down about being ignored. Now that Jiang Ru had finally noticed them, they waved to her anxiously.
Jiang Ru smiled at them as a greeting. As soon as the smile faded, Pei Wu's gaze became even more obvious. He had been stealing glances at Jiang Ru since earlier, and even though she didn't say anything, he kept staring at her more and more inappropriately.
After a few times, Jiang Ru glared at him in annoyance, and he finally restrained himself a little.
The food was already on the table. To welcome Pei Wu, who had traveled a long way, a chicken had been stewed and several other dishes had been added. Pei Wu took the serving chopsticks and put a piece of chicken on Jiang Ru's plate, saying gently, "Cousin, you've lost a lot of weight. You should eat more meat."
Jiang Ru knew she wasn't feeling well, so she even put on some powder to cover her pale face. But she only thought she was in bad shape; in reality, Pei Wu wasn't much better off.
He had lost some weight, but fortunately, Pei Wu had worked out before, so his foundation wasn't bad and he still had some muscle, so he didn't look much different. However, he was naturally fair-skinned and didn't know how to apply powder like Jiang Ru did, so Jiang Ru could tell at a glance that his complexion was worse.
Jiang Ru muttered under her breath, "You're not much better."
Pei Wu was stunned, as if he hadn't heard clearly: "What?"
Jiang Ru was giving him the cold shoulder, but there was no reason for a second round of this. She turned her head away and stopped talking to Pei Wu.
Pei Wu explained with annoyance, "I actually heard it."
Pei Wu heard it, but whether he wanted to coax Jiang Ru to say a few more words or for some other reason, he asked a question in return, and was then naturally met with a cold response from Jiang Ru.
The table wasn't big, and the pot of chicken was placed right in the center. Pei Wu could have reached it, but he was only focused on eating the few unremarkable dishes in front of him and didn't touch the pot of chicken at all.
I'm already thin, and I still have to eat these things that won't make me gain weight.
Jiang Ru was exasperated with Pei Wu and glared at him angrily. Pei Wu had been glared at by Jiang Ru too many times today, and perhaps afraid that Jiang Ru would get angry again, he subconsciously put down his chopsticks and looked at Jiang Ru innocently, as if to prove how harmless and obedient he was.
The others at the table were indifferent to Song Pingzhang's indifference, letting them make a scene. Song Shu felt both sympathy and indignation; her sympathy stemmed from humanitarianism, while her indignation was a way of aligning with Jiang Ru and expressing her dissatisfaction with Pei Wu's private act of sending Jiang Ru away. Xie Jun simply watched the drama unfold, deciding it was best not to mention it.
Pei Wu put down his chopsticks and said in a low voice, "I'll eat in the kitchen..."
With him here, Jiang Ru couldn't even eat, and she was easily angered by him. Pei Wu didn't want to see Jiang Ru angry.
Just as he put down his chopsticks, Jiang Ru used serving chopsticks to put a piece of meat on his plate, muttering as if she was annoyed with him, "Have you been eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers every day for the past three months? How come you've gotten so thin?"
To make the performance convincing, Pei Wu hadn't eaten much meat in the past few months. If it weren't for Xia always adding some meat broth and minced meat to his meals, he would have been a complete vegetarian. After all, the emperor was watching him closely, and he couldn't go too far.
As long as Jiang Ru said a word to him, Pei Wu would immediately seize the opportunity and quickly said, "No, I ate meat."
Hearing this, Xia was eager to complain and wanted to tell Jiang Ru. At this moment, Pei Wu looked at Xia. Although he had no expression, he always had a pitiful look in his eyes, as if he was begging Xia to be lenient.
Xia Xia had to suppress her initial urge to complain. Pei Wu was already in a miserable state, suffering from Jiang Ru's cold attitude. If she were to tell him about this, it would only add fuel to the fire. She would wait until Jiang Ru calmed down before telling her about it.
So Xia made a gesture to Pei Wu to seal his mouth.
Jiang Ru didn't believe Pei Wu's words at all. She had naturally seen the two's little actions, but she didn't want to pursue it. She just put another piece of meat on his plate and said impatiently, "Eat quickly."
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