Chapter 86 Can't bear to part with me?
Pei Wu was easily teased. Jiang Ru had only said two sentences when his ears turned red and his breathing became erratic.
You could tell that Pei Wu was lying very cramped, and he was afraid of touching Jiang Ru. He had been holding back for too long, and his palms were even clenched until they turned white.
Jiang Ru, seeing that she had teased him enough, finally straightened up.
However, Pei Wu didn't relax. He even reflexively reached out and grabbed her, as if trying to hold Jiang Ru back. Jiang Ru was taken aback: "You can't bear to part with me."
"That's not how it is," Pei Wu said, turning his gaze away and ignoring Jiang Ru's words.
Fortunately, Jiang Ru didn't intend to tease him any further. She got up and sat down, finding herself and Pei Wu a more suitable place to sit.
By evening, they had finally arrived in Bianjing.
Almost immediately after Pei Wu arrived home, Song Pingzhang arrived with his men. Chu Wei had already sent word and knew roughly about Pei Wu's situation, but he still wanted to come and see for himself to put his mind at ease.
Although the carriage traveled as smoothly as possible, the bumpy road caused Pei Wu's wound to bleed a little. Jiang Ru sent someone to fetch a doctor and stayed inside the house to watch over him.
Song Pingzhang arrived at this moment and rushed into Pei Wu's bedroom without waiting for an announcement.
Pei Wu tried to get up, but Jiang Ru held him down. Considering Pei Wu's chest injury, she held down Pei Wu's arm and explained on Pei Wu's behalf to Song Pingzhang, "Lord Song, my cousin is injured and it is inconvenient for him to get up."
Song Pingzhang didn't care about these formalities and immediately gestured for Pei Wu not to get up, while he observed Pei Wu's expression first.
Pei Wu was dressed and covered with a blanket, his wounds wrapped up tightly. Apart from being a little pale, he seemed to be in good condition.
As long as he was still awake, the problem wasn't too serious for the time being, and Song Pingzhang's anxious heart, which had been weighing on him all day, finally calmed down.
Since learning of Pei Wu's assassination attempt yesterday, he hasn't been able to sleep all night. He sent people out to search for him overnight. Fortunately, Pei Wu was alright, otherwise he would have had no way to explain himself.
Seeing that Pei Wu was alright, he didn't waste any more time and said, "I've invited the imperial physician for you. Come, let him take a look at Minister Pei."
After he finished speaking, the old imperial physician who had been following behind Song Pingzhang hurriedly stepped forward and said, "This humble official is Hu Cong..."
After announcing his name, Song Pingzhang said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense."
Hu Cong had no choice but to get up and go to check on Pei Wu's injuries. Pei Wu's wounds had just been examined by Jiang Ru, and he had just put his clothes back on. Now that another imperial physician had arrived, he had to take off his clothes again.
Xiao Fang, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to help. While Jiang Ru was undressing, Song Pingzhang glanced at her and said, "Young Lady Jiang, shouldn't you avoid suspicion?"
Jiang Ru was completely confused: "What?"
No matter what, it shouldn't be Jiang Ru avoiding suspicion. What's there to avoid in her own home? The one who should be avoiding suspicion is Song Pingzhang.
Seeing that Jiang Ru didn't understand his words, Song Pingzhang reluctantly explained, "There's a difference between men and women. Your cousin is taking off his clothes, do you still want to watch?"
Jiang Ru: "..."
To be honest, she had already seen it.
However, for the sake of Pei Wu's reputation, she reluctantly went out for a while to avoid rumors that Pei Wu had been taken advantage of by her.
Jiang Ru left under Song Pingzhang's watchful eye. She didn't go out the door, but stood behind the screen. From this position, she couldn't see Pei Wu, but she could hear the sounds coming from inside.
Her figure was silhouetted against the screen. She leaned against the cabinet beside her, her posture casual, yet seemingly monitoring what was happening inside.
Song Pingzhang knew that the siblings had a deep bond, but he didn't know that their relationship was so good that they were practically inseparable. If he hadn't reminded her just now, Jiang Ru would probably have stood by and watched the whole thing.
Song Pingzhang gestured to Pei Wu, pointed at Jiang Ru, and said, "You and your cousin?"
Pei Wu seemed not to understand his meaning and asked, "What's wrong?"
Logically speaking, how could someone as intelligent as Pei Wu not notice something amiss? Song Pingzhang suspected that Pei Wu was blinded by his own involvement and secretly thought that he would have to give Pei Wu a good reminder in the future.
Thinking this, Song Pingzhang saw Pei Wu's wounds, which ran from his chest to his waist and had been stitched up, and were now bleeding.
Song Pingzhang originally thought the wound wasn't that serious, since Pei Wu didn't seem to be in much pain. But now, seeing that the wound was even a little deeper, he was afraid Pei Wu wouldn't have survived.
Song Pingzhang became much more serious. Looking at Pei Wu's wound, his face tense, he asked Physician Hu, "How is he?"
Physician Hu took Pei Wu's pulse again before saying, "He is out of danger. His wound was stitched up well. He just needs to rest for a while and take his medicine on time."
Song Pingzhang breathed a sigh of relief, and Jiang Ru, who was behind the screen, also put her feet down, which had been restless.
Pei Wu nodded, and Physician Hu continued to explain some precautions.
The doctor said that Pei Wu had been bleeding a lot and needed to replenish his blood, and that he also needed to pay attention to his diet and other things. These were all things that the previous doctor had said, and Jiang Ru wrote them down again.
Jiang Ru listened attentively. When the imperial physician had finished speaking, Pei Wu suddenly asked, "Will it leave a scar?"
Unexpectedly, Pei Wu would pay attention to such matters. Physician Hu said, "If Lord Pei does not want to have a scar, I will prescribe another medicine for him. However, if the wound is not properly cared for, there is still a possibility of scarring."
Physician Hu was trembling with fear. Such a deep wound would inevitably leave a scar, and he was anxious, fearing that Pei Wu would punish him.
However, Pei Wu seemed to be asking the question casually, and then seemed not to care much about it, saying only, "Thank you, Physician Hu, please prescribe another dose of medicine to remove my scars."
Physician Hu agreed, saying, "I have some Ice Skin Jade Complexion Cream. I will send someone to deliver it to Lord Pei tomorrow."
Pei Wu agreed.
After the imperial physician finished prescribing the medicine, Xiao Fang took the prescription to get the medicine. Song Pingzhang expressed some words of comfort and then dismissed everyone in the room, leaving only Jiang Ru hiding inside to eavesdrop.
After everyone had left, Song Pingzhang changed the subject and asked Pei Wu, "Did you notice anything amiss with the person who tried to assassinate you?"
Pei Wu shook his head. The only family he had a grudge against was the Chen family, but it didn't necessarily mean that the Chen family was behind it.
Song Pingzhang had been pondering this all day, but he couldn't find out the cause for the time being. The corpses by the roadside hadn't been dealt with until a passerby reported them to the authorities, and that's when Song Pingzhang first learned of it.
The bodies of several subordinates were transported to their homes, while the assassin's body was placed in the government office in Bianjing.
Song Pingzhang said, "You don't need to think too much about it. I will definitely get to the bottom of this matter."
Pei Wu nodded. He was safe for the time being once he returned to Bianjing, so he wasn't worried.
Song Pingzhang continued, “You have done a very good job with Chen Ling’s matter. Chen Ling is currently imprisoned. After all, he is the Empress Dowager’s own brother, and it is currently the Empress Dowager’s funeral, so he has not been dealt with yet. You can rest assured that Chen Ling will surely die.”
Besides Chen Ling, Song Pingzhang also casually mentioned Pei Wu's rewards and so on. Then he launched into a tirade against the Chen family for being heartless and insane. Just as he was getting into his tirade, Jiang Ru heard a sound outside. It was Xia Xia who had come to deliver dinner.
Song Pingzhang was talking nonsense, so Jiang Ru interrupted him without hesitation and told him, "Lord Song, my cousin has not yet had dinner."
Jiang Ru had just returned and hadn't even had a chance to eat when Song Pingzhang interrupted her. Jiang Ru's stomach was empty, and Pei Wu was still injured. Yet Song Pingzhang was chatting with an injured person.
Upon hearing this, Song Pingzhang forcibly swallowed back what he wanted to say. After all, Pei Wu was still injured, and he didn't want to disturb him any further, so he took his leave, saying he would come to see Pei Wu again in a couple of days.
After everyone had left, Jiang Ru came out from behind the screen, brought out tonight's dinner, and sat down next to Pei Wu. After returning home, with help from others, Jiang Ru no longer needed to feed Pei Wu; Xiao Chen helped Pei Wu eat dinner.
Jiang Ru also brought a bowl of rice and ate it in Pei Wu's bedroom. While eating, she muttered, "You're in such a state, you should be able to rest for the next few days, right?"
The way she had summoned Pei Wu back so hastily before almost made Jiang Ru think that the court couldn't function without him. She hoped that Pei Wu wouldn't have to go to court while he was injured, as that would be a real exploitation of the officials.
Pei Wu ate very slowly and gave a soft "hmm": "Everyone in the court knows about my assassination attempt, so there's no need for me to go on duty anymore."
This is a serious matter, and the imperial court attaches great importance to it. They will definitely send people to investigate. Pei Wu just needs to focus on recovering from his illness.
As long as Pei Wu isn't asked to be on duty, Jiang Ru finished her dinner, and Xiao Chen tidied up everything, leaving only the two of them in the room again.
Jiang Ru was too full to sit comfortably in the chair, so she leaned forward and rested next to Pei Wu, pressing against him through the blankets.
Pei Wu kept his eyes straight ahead: "If you're tired, go back to sleep. I have people to take care of me here."
That's right. There are more than a dozen maids and servants at home, so there's no need for Jiang Ru. But Jiang Ru doesn't want to leave at all; she just wants to stay here with Pei Wu.
The position was very comfortable, and Jiang Ru didn't want to get up after lying down. Her eyelids were very heavy, probably because she had been in the carriage for too long and was too lazy to move. Jiang Ru said, "I'll go back when I get sleepy."
Even with her eyelids drooping, she still refused to leave. Pei Wu was speechless for a moment. Just as he was about to persuade Jiang Ru again, someone knocked on the door outside. Xiao Chen called out from outside, "Lord Pei, there is a young master surnamed Li outside who says he wants to see you."
Surname Li? Jiang Ru didn't remember Pei Wu knowing anyone with the surname Li. Pei Wu was in such a state, he should rest more. Jiang Ru didn't want to see people she wasn't very familiar with.
Without thinking, she said, "Just say Pei Wu is asleep and ask him to come another day."
Xiao Chen was troubled: "But he said he wouldn't leave unless the adults saw him."
Jiang Ru was about to say, "If you're not going, then don't," when Pei Wu glanced at her, and Jiang Ru swallowed her words. Pei Wu said, "Let him in."
Jiang Ru glared at Pei Wu with dissatisfaction and muttered, "If just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can see you, how many people do you have to see?"
Pei Wu said helplessly, "You can't say that."
Most of the time, Pei Wu wouldn't stop Jiang Ru from speaking. Even Song Pingzhang had been scolded by Jiang Ru before, so this was the first time Pei Wu had told her not to scold.
Jiang Ru reluctantly shut up, wanting to see who this person was, so she got out of bed, sat up straight, and prepared to meet this "distinguished guest" surnamed Li.
Not long after, Li Guike arrived, guided by Xiao Chen. He only brought a few attendants. After Xiao Chen opened the door, Li Guike went inside.
Jiang Ru never expected that this man surnamed Li was the current emperor. She subconsciously stood up and looked at the boy who was much taller than her.
The emperor should be eleven years old now. He's grown quite fast; he's gotten so much taller in just six months.
He was dressed in a purple casual robe. After all, he was the emperor. No matter what he wore, he exuded nobility in every gesture. His previously somewhat immature face now had much more defined features, and he had become a handsome young man.
It was Jiang Ru's oversight that she had never inquired about the emperor's name. She had almost called the emperor a dog just now—no, she had already said it.
It's all Pei Wu's fault for not stopping her. Jiang Ru glared at Pei Wu resentfully, then smiled at the emperor and bowed.
Although Pei Wu was unable to get up, he still had to put on a show. As soon as the emperor noticed Pei Wu's movement, he quickly said, "No need for such formalities."
He strode to Pei Wu's bedside, making a move as if he were about to pounce on Pei Wu. In fact, he did pounce on Pei Wu. Jiang Ru's eyes almost popped out of her head. Did he even know that Pei Wu was injured? How dare he pounce on him like that?
She frowned, wanting to stop this tactless boy, but Pei Wu looked up and shook his head at her, which meant that nothing was wrong, and Jiang Ru reluctantly gave up.
The emperor knelt beside Pei Wu and said, "Senior brother, I have been unable to eat or sleep since I learned of your misfortune."
Pei Wu seemed to be used to it, and still said the words he had said many times before: "Your Majesty, you shouldn't call me senior brother."
The Emperor said, "I understand. I won't call you that next time."
Judging from his and Pei Wu's reactions, he probably called them that many times in the past, and each time he said he wouldn't call them that next time, but in the end he would still call them that.
Getting back to the main point, Pei Wu asked, "Did His Majesty secretly slip out of the palace without the guards?"
Since Pei Wu asked this question, Jiang Ru could basically guess that the emperor had probably secretly left the palace many times in the past. The emperor's expression immediately became guilty, and he didn't dare to look at Pei Wu. He stammered, "I was traveling incognito."
Jiang Ru: "..."
Pei Wu: "..."
Perhaps seeing that Pei Wu was angry, the emperor immediately changed the subject: "I was worried about my senior brother. I just wanted to see how badly he was injured. Please don't say anything to me."
Pei Wu then said, "Now that His Majesty has finished reading, I will send someone to escort him back to the palace."
The emperor immediately lowered his head in displeasure and muttered under his breath, "You're always like this."
Perhaps because he lived in the palace with constant anxiety, he could only show his childlike nature in front of Pei Wu. Song Pingzhang was too strict with him, and he always had to maintain the airs of an emperor in the palace. There were too many things he couldn't do, not even showing his sadness.
Only Pei Wu, perhaps because of his gentle nature, although he often had to discipline him, he would only say one word to him and was not strict, which made him very close to this senior brother.
Therefore, it's understandable that Pei Wu was so worried that he secretly ran away from the palace after being injured.
But this time Pei Wu didn't have a tone of negotiation: "The Emperor has too many people watching him, and tomorrow the impeachment memorials will be sent to the Emperor's desk again."
If the emperor were to secretly leave the palace and something were to happen, the consequences would be unimaginable. Furthermore, the emperor is still young, and the officials need an emperor who can mature quickly, not one who only knows how to have fun.
Especially now that the court is in turmoil, too many people are watching the emperor's every word and action, so it's best to be cautious in everything.
Despite saying that, Pei Wu did not immediately send the emperor away. He stayed by Pei Wu's bedside and once he started talking, he couldn't stop. He said that he was very afraid of the Empress Dowager's death, that people in the court were eyeing him covetously, and that he was afraid that he would not do a good job.
Jiang Ru watched him cry by the bedside, soaking Pei Wu's bedding. Perhaps he had grown taller, for his shoulders and back were somewhat thin. He had experienced so much at such a young age. His father had passed away, and he had been put on the throne without knowing anything about it. His power had been usurped, which was very pitiful.
Jiang Ru and he were quite familiar with each other. They had met several times in the palace. Every time, he would ask Jiang Ru for food, saying that his favorite foods were being controlled and that he would complain to her every time they met.
Perhaps because he resembled Pei Wu somewhat, Jiang Ru felt a pang of pity for him. Looking at his retreating figure, she sighed.
At this moment, the emperor looked up at Jiang Ru, his face streaked with tears: "Sister, is there anything to eat?"
Jiang Ru: "?"
She suspected that the emperor's departure from the palace wasn't out of concern for Pei Wu, but rather because he wanted to eat something delicious.
Although she was puzzled, she still turned around and went to the kitchen to find some food. Earlier, in order to wait for their return, Xia had specially bought a lot of food. Since Pei Wu was injured and could not eat, it was just right to give it to the emperor.
Jiang Ru took a few more items, and when she returned to the room, the emperor's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the food and began to wolf it down.
He's been in mourning for the Empress Dowager these days and hasn't had a decent meal. Plus, it's a time when he's growing up, so he's been craving food like crazy.
He devoured all the food very quickly, and his eating manners were anything but dignified; he looked like a homeless person who had been starving for a long time.
Jiang Ru decided to take back her previous thought. He was nothing like Pei Wu. Pei Wu wasn't this ferocious when he ate.
Having eaten his fill, the emperor could no longer shed tears. Pei Wu noticed this and offered him a way out: "It's getting late, Your Majesty should return to the palace."
The emperor immediately accepted the offer, even feigning reluctance: "Then I'll come see my senior brother another day."
He probably thought he'd come back another day to freeload, so Jiang Ru couldn't bring herself to call him out on it.
Pei Wu didn't say anything, only saying, "I will be able to enter the palace another day, Your Majesty must not sneak out of the palace again."
The emperor did not respond to this, since he could not guarantee it.
Jiang Ru saw the emperor off. To keep it discreet, the emperor's carriage stopped at the back gate. The mansion was too big, and it was quite a distance to walk to the back gate. On the way, the emperor looked up at Jiang Ru and said, "Sister, you are so kind. I wish I had such a good sister."
Jiang Ru looked at the emperor, who was not much taller than her. Strictly speaking, the emperor did have older sisters, but they were all married and their relationship was probably not that good.
Jiang Ru didn't dare to say anything like "You can treat me like an older sister." No matter how good their relationship was, he was still the emperor. So Jiang Ru's answer was ambiguous: "I'm not that close either."
The emperor continued, "My sister is so kind. You embroider sachets for my senior brother and think about him every day. No one has ever been as kind to me as you are."
Perhaps because he had experienced little family affection growing up, the emperor yearned for things he had never had. But what he said wasn't entirely untrue. Jiang Ru said, "Lord Song was very good to His Majesty."
Song Pingzhang had a far-sighted plan for the emperor, managing to insert the emperor's power into the situation between the Chen and Su factions. He had won over many people for the emperor, starting his preparations from the time of the imperial examinations. Now that so many people were loyal to the emperor, once the Chen family was gone and the Su faction was weakened, even more people would stand on the emperor's side.
The emperor said sullenly, "Lord Song is good to the emperor, but not to me."
Whoever sits in this position, Song Pingzhang will be loyal. Even if there are reasons for it, it is not hypocritical. Song Pingzhang is genuinely good to the emperor.
There aren't that many genuine feelings from the very beginning. Even Jiang Ru only approached Pei Wu for her own sake, but now she has also developed genuine feelings for him.
Jiang Ru said, "But Lord Song is the Emperor's teacher. Even if the Emperor were not the Emperor, Lord Song would still treat you well."
"And what about you, sister? Even if your senior brother isn't your cousin, would you still treat him well?"
Jiang Ru fell silent.
If Pei Wu hadn't been her "cousin," she and Pei Wu might never have met in their entire lives, let alone anything else.
But if Jiang Ru really met Pei Wu, she would probably be attracted to him, since Pei Wu is a very good person.
Jiang Ru said, "Yes."
She met the emperor's gaze, and his innocent, naive eyes reflected Jiang Ru's image. He could tell that Jiang Ru was sincere, so the emperor said nothing more.
The group had already reached the backyard. The emperor's guards helped him into the sedan chair. Jiang Ru called for more people to follow and protect him. Before leaving, the emperor lifted the curtain and said to Jiang Ru, "Sister, I will come to find you again."
Jiang Ru responded, thinking to herself that she couldn't possibly come out again. At that moment, the sedan bearers lifted the sedan chair, and the fluttering curtains danced in the night wind. The sedan chair quickly disappeared into the distance. Jiang Ru watched the departing figure, then turned back.
Pei Wu had just taken his medicine, which had a sedative effect. When Jiang Ru returned, he was drowsy but was forcing himself to stay awake.
Jiang Ru walked over, no longer lying down next to Pei Wu, but standing there. Seeing that Pei Wu was clearly sleepy but still trying to keep his eyes open, Jiang Ru gently touched him: "Why aren't you sleeping?"
Pei Wu looked at Jiang Ru and said, "I guessed you would have something to say."
Pei Wu's predictions were spot on. Jiang Ru sat down this time, thought for a moment, and asked her first question: "Tell me, were the people who assassinated you from the Chen family?"
Pei Wu said, "It's very likely not."
Jiang Ru pondered, "Could it be Su Mu?"
After the Chen family falls, Su Mu will be in charge. He will want to remove Song Pingzhang's right-hand men to buy himself time, so it is possible that he will target Pei Wu.
Pei Wu said, "It's similar, yet not quite."
There are only so many people in the court, and Su Mu is indeed a strong possibility. However, based on Pei Wu's previous interactions with him, Su Mu doesn't seem like that kind of person. He is someone who is not interested in anything, only knows how to stir up trouble, and seems to not value power.
But would someone who doesn't value power rise to such a position at such a young age? And how could they have gained Emperor Wen's deep trust and favor?
Su Mu was not a good official who thought about benefiting the people, so such a person was inherently strange.
Pei Wu said, "If it really is Su Mu, then he made a wrong move."
He should have planned his escape route much earlier, but he foolishly attempted to assassinate Pei Wu. If he were caught red-handed, his downfall would not be far off.
Jiang Ru tucked Pei Wu in and said, "I'm not going to say anything more, you should go to sleep."
As long as we find out who is behind this, it doesn't matter when we give the results. Let Song Pingzhang investigate the rest.
At this point, Pei Wu suddenly asked Jiang Ru, "What did you and the Emperor talk about just now?"
After chatting about various random things, Jiang Ru didn't want to say anything more, but then she suddenly thought of something and asked Pei Wu curiously, "If I weren't your cousin, would you still be so good to me?"
Upon hearing this question, Pei Wu seemed to pause for a moment, appearing stunned, and hesitated to answer Jiang Ru's question.
Jiang Ru lost her patience and urged him, "Speak up."
Is this question difficult to answer?
Urged on by Jiang Ru, Pei Wu finally spoke up, as if forced to: "Yes."
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Author's note: I'm a little late [crying emoji]
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