Chapter 79 I Can't Live Without You
After a long pause, Pei Wu spoke first, his tone calm but firm: "You're looking at me."
Feeling guilty, Jiang Ru bluffed, "You can't look!"
There was only one oil lamp in the tent, and it was quite far away, so she couldn't actually see Pei Wu's face clearly. But she could almost imagine what Pei Wu looked like now, like someone who had caught someone red-handed and was determined to succeed. Even without a smile, he couldn't hide his smugness.
Pei Wu, with a good temper, replied, "You can watch it."
Taking advantage of the fact that he was drunk and not thinking clearly, Jiang Ru turned the tables: "I saw it, so what gives you the right to say that about me?"
Pei Wu didn't speak. He seemed to be thinking. After a moment, he seemed to be convinced by her: "Then you see."
After he said that, Jiang Ru felt embarrassed and looked away. For some reason, a sentence popped into her mind, and she said, "Pei Wu, I never thought this day would come."
Pei Wu tilted his head, waiting for her to continue.
Jiang Ru continued, "I thought I would always be alone."
Since she came into this world, she has always lived alone. She never thought that she could be so close to someone, let alone spend so much time together. After only a few days apart, her longing for him was overflowing.
She couldn't imagine life without Pei Wu; it was unacceptable to her.
These past few days, with Pei Wu away, the thought of the possibility that Pei Wu might be in danger made Jiang Ru feel a sharp pain in her heart, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.
In fact, the only bond between them was that distant relative, but Pei Wu had always been very good to her, and she strangely regarded Pei Wu as an inseparable part of herself.
The tent was dimly lit. The man lay on the ground, his gaze fixed on her. Jiang Ru thought he either didn't understand or was too sleepy to listen, so she continued, "Pei Wu, I feel like I can't live without you."
She thought Pei Wu wouldn't answer, or that he might think she was joking. But Pei Wu simply asked, "Why did you leave?"
Jiang Ru was taken aback for a moment, then asked him, "Can't you stay?"
Pei Wu's gaze was calm, like a clear spring, soothing Jiang Ru's initial anxiety. He said, "I will not leave."
The implication is that as long as Jiang Ru doesn't leave, they can stay together forever.
These words completely put Jiang Ru at ease. She moved closer to the bedside, closer to Pei Wu. Although her vision wasn't much clearer, she could still only see Pei Wu's outline and those eyes that shone brightly even in the dark. Jiang Ru frowned and said, "How strange, Pei Wu. I feel so bad when I think about you possibly being injured."
Her tone was filled with helplessness and uncertainty about the unknown. Hearing her voice, Pei Wu became more composed and comforted Jiang Ru, "I won't get hurt."
"Really?" Jiang Ru asked.
Pei Wu nodded: "I won't let you worry."
Jiang Ru completely covered herself with the blankets, only peeking out her head to look at Pei Wu. Knowing that Pei Wu couldn't guarantee it, she still emphasized to him, "Then you mustn't get hurt in the future, or I'll be very worried."
Pei Wu repeated, "You mustn't get hurt either."
"Me?" Jiang Ru didn't even think about it. "I won't get hurt. I'm not in as much danger as you."
Jiang Ru did everything very safely, unlike Pei Wu; she didn't think she would get hurt anywhere.
Pei Wu shifted his gaze to the right, unable to see Jiang Ru's hand wrapped in the blanket, but he remembered the wound on Jiang Ru's hand from earlier that day. Pei Wu asked, "Where's the wound on your palm?"
Jiang Ru subconsciously looked down at her hands: "Where am I injured?"
It wasn't until she rubbed her palms together that she noticed a scar on her hand, which she had scratched a few days ago. Jiang Ru was surprised that Pei Wu could even notice this, and she guiltily hid her hand, saying, "It was an accident."
Pei Wu let out a very soft hiss, as if mocking her, which immediately displeased Jiang Ru: "What are you laughing at?"
Pei Wu: "I wasn't laughing."
“You do,” Jiang Ru glared at him. “Don’t laugh anymore.”
"Okay," Pei Wu replied obediently, "I won't laugh anymore."
If it were the usual Pei Wu, he wouldn't have openly mocked Jiang Ru; he wouldn't even let anyone see his emotions. But this was the drunken Pei Wu, and he made no attempt to hide it. So Jiang Ru could speak freely. She decided to say her last words to Pei Wu that night: "Pei Wu, I hope you live to be a hundred years old." And don't die young again.
This sentence was appropriate for the current situation. Pei Wu blinked in confusion. His mind was like a mess. He should have said "hmm", but in fact he did not respond to Jiang Ru. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier and finally closed.
When he was asleep, he was less cold than when he was awake, as delicate and fragile as jade porcelain. Jiang Ru looked at his sleeping face and said softly, "Good night, Pei Wu."
I had a good night's sleep.
Pei Wu woke up before Jiang Ru. The floor was hard, and Pei Wu vaguely thought he was still in Muxi Village. He always slept like this back then, and every day when he woke up, he would have a sore back and a slight headache.
Pei Wu sat up straight and looked around. The decorations inside the tent were both strange and familiar. Pei Wu's gaze fell on Jiang Ru, who was still fast asleep. He frowned in confusion as the memory finally surfaced in his mind.
Yang Zhaoyi, who had occupied all the beds last night, came to find Jiang Ru with his blanket. Then came their late-night conversation. Pei Wu couldn't remember the details, but he did remember that Jiang Ru kept looking at him.
Pei Wu's eyes widened. Realizing that he had come to find Jiang Ru on his own initiative, his only thought was to run. He quickly grabbed his bedding, intending to leave quietly without anyone noticing, when someone behind him suddenly called out to him.
Turning around, Jiang Ru smiled teasingly: "Trying to run away, cousin? I've caught you."
Pei Wu immediately stood up straight, clutching his bedding as if he had come to Jiang Ru looking pitiful last night. He was nervous and flustered, and even stammered for the first time: "I didn't."
"Then why are you running?"
Pei Wu fell silent, pulling the blanket up higher, as if he had nothing to say.
Jiang Ru had teased him enough and waved her hand, saying, "Alright, I won't laugh at you anymore. You're sleeping here tonight, are you going to move back?"
Pei Wu nodded: "We need to move."
As expected, Pei Wu was incapable of being in the same room with her when he was sober, and Jiang Ru couldn't persuade him, so she sent him back.
Pei Wu then carried his own quilt to find Yang Zhaoyi. Yang Zhaoyi had just woken up and was rubbing his head. When he saw Pei Wu carrying the quilt into the room, he was stunned for a moment: "Commander Pei, you last night..."
Pei Wu: "I squeezed in somewhere else last night."
Yang Zhaoyi slapped his forehead: "It must be because I slept too badly last night. Commander Pei, I didn't kick you out of bed, did I?"
Pei Wu shook his head: "No."
Yang Zhaoyi patted his chest: "That's good, that's good."
Pei Wu arranged the bedding. This time, he made a makeshift bed on the floor for himself, so that his spot wouldn't be taken and the situation from last night wouldn't happen again.
After finishing these tasks, Pei Wu tidied himself up and then went out.
Even with yesterday's victory, they still need to continue their daily training. The Northern Yan has been driven away for the time being, but there's no guarantee they won't make a comeback. They still need to be fully prepared.
As they expected, the Northern Yan army was routed and scattered. After a few days, they regrouped, but they dared not attack rashly and instead rested in place.
The days that followed were peaceful until the messenger from Nanzhao arrived in Juzhou.
The letter was sent on Chen Ling's orders. It roughly stated that he had made peace with Northern Yan and that Northern Yan would withdraw its troops soon, and warned them not to act rashly.
Peace talks are certainly a good thing. War always results in death and is a waste of resources and manpower. Nobody likes war. I just don’t know what method Chen Ling used.
The group gathered inside the tent. Yang Zhaoyi and the others were pleased, but Pei Wu was skeptical of Chen Ling's credibility and felt something was amiss. He asked Yang Zhaoyi, "When do peace talks usually take place?"
Yang Zhaoyi thought for a moment and replied, "After we win."
Yes, most of the time, only when either the other side or one's own side wins will there be a real temporary truce, followed by compensation or a marriage alliance, in order to secure a few years of peace.
They won in Juzhou, but the situation in Nanzhao and Daizhou was unclear. Moreover, according to the military correspondence they received, it seemed that Nanzhao lost the battle against Beiyan.
Pei Wu lowered his eyes to look at the message board and said, "I have to go to Nanzhao."
Even if it's about peace talks, he has to go and see for himself.
He was about to set off immediately. Yang Zhaoyi had come to regard him as a brother these past few days, and immediately said, "Commander Pei, I have a few brothers here. Let them come with you."
Pei Wu nodded: "Thank you, Commander Yang."
After saying that, he went back to his tent to pack his luggage. Jiang Ru had also received the news and quickly packed her luggage to follow him.
Before setting off, Pei Wu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing and let her follow.
It took them nearly ten days to reach Nanzhao. They were greeted by Xue Zhong, the commander of Nanzhao, but Chen Ling did not appear.
Upon arriving at the destination, Pei Wu, without taking a break, went to find Chen Ling first.
Unlike their situation in Juzhou, Chen Ling did not stay at the camp, but at a house near the camp. When Pei Wu arrived, he was leisurely drinking in the courtyard.
Upon seeing Pei Wu, he simply lay there, a nonchalant smile on his face: "Vice Minister Pei has arrived."
Pei Wu cut to the chase: "What methods did the Prime Minister use in his peace talks with Northern Yan?"
Chen Ling said nonchalantly, "Northern Yan doesn't want to fight either. What means could I possibly use? Minister Pei is being a bit too suspicious."
Pei Wu held out his hand: "A peace treaty."
Chen Ling gave a wink, and someone nearby presented the peace treaty. Even if it was a peace negotiation, the court still had to be consulted. It was likely that the peace treaty had already been sent to Bianjing, and a treaty could be signed with Northern Yan depending on the emperor's opinion.
Pei Wu read through the list of articles. Every clause in the peace treaty was beneficial to both sides. It stipulated that the two sides could trade freely, not invade each other's territory, be brothers, provide mutual assistance, and not form alliances with other countries.
Indeed, there was no loss to Great Xia, and just as Jiang Ru had told him before, Great Xia had made peace with Northern Yan.
Pei Wu handed the peace treaty back and asked Chen Ling, "When?"
Chen Ling leisurely sipped his wine, and his subordinate beside him replied, "Ten days later."
Pei Wu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
With ten days left until the signing of the peace treaty, Pei Wu could still do a lot. He went to the Nanzhao military camp and visited the two commanders. A few days ago, Nanzhao and Beiyan had a battle, and Nanzhao lost.
The Northern Yan had originally intended to attack, but Chen Ling sent an envoy to negotiate peace, which led to the Northern Yan's temporary withdrawal and halting of the attack. When the topic of this defeat came up, Xue Zhong's words were evasive, as if he were hiding something.
When Pei Wu asked again, he couldn't help but complain a few times.
Chen Ling was incompetent in command and made haphazard arrangements after arriving in Nanzhao. However, as the prime minister, no one dared to disobey his orders. As a result, when the Northern Yan army came, the Nanzhao army followed his command and almost suffered a crushing defeat.
Fortunately, after returning to rest, Chen Ling sent envoys to negotiate peace, and Northern Yan agreed, which appeased the public's anger.
Now that there's a temporary truce, Chen Ling is free from pressure and spends his days indulging in pleasure, living a life far better than he did in Bianjing.
The situation did not unfold as Pei Wu had imagined. Was the Northern Yan's large-scale invasion of the Great Xia really just for a peace treaty?
Is the Northern Yan emperor, who was able to emerge victorious from among the princes of Northern Yan and seize power in just one year, really so easy to talk to?
Pei Wu then followed Xue Zhong to learn about the current situation in Nanzhao. The Nanzhao army remained encamped to prevent a sudden invasion by Northern Yan. The current deployment was arranged by Chen Ling, and it had many flaws. Chen Ling wielded great power but lacked understanding, yet he gave chaotic orders, causing immense suffering to those below him.
However, even if they had grievances against him, no one dared to say anything, only daring to curse him behind his back. Pei Wu went back that night and redid the deployment map. He had learned a lot from Yang Zhaoyi these days, and the next day he took the deployment map to find Xue Zhong.
Xue Zhong and Yang Zhaoyi were similar, both having served in the military for many years and harboring much dissatisfaction with Chen Ling, but they dared not voice it due to their status. Now, upon seeing Pei Wu's new deployment map, although they wanted to use it, they hesitated: "But what about the Prime Minister..."
Pei Wu: "I will tell him to trouble Commander Xue to take a look and see if there are any changes that need to be made."
Upon hearing this, Xue Zhong felt relieved and picked up his pen to make a couple of corrections: "Lord Pei's deployment map is very good, but these two places can be changed."
Pei Wu reviewed it and found it to be much better than his revised version, so he nodded and said, "Then let's proceed with this new plan."
After giving the order, Pei Wu went to see Chen Ling again and learned that he had changed the plan. Chen Ling was not too concerned: "Minister Pei can change it if he wants to, but he will have to bear the consequences himself."
This was exactly what Pei Wu had expected. He nodded and said, "I will take full responsibility."
Chen Ling was satisfied, but before leaving, he added a sarcastic remark: "Vice Minister Pei is still young and impetuous, and doesn't know how to be flexible."
Pei Wu turned his head, his dark eyes looking at Chen Ling calmly. After a long while, he said softly, "Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister."
Despite their mutual dislike, they still exchanged pleasantries. Pei Wu left Chen Ling's residence, then lightly patted the hem of his clothes, seemingly disgusted that Chen Ling's residence was dirty and covered in dust.
Then, he glanced back at the door behind him before leaving.
Pei Wu looked unwell after returning from Chen Ling's place, and Jiang Ru noticed it as soon as she saw him.
Now that she's in a different place, Nanzhao doesn't have the same shortage of cooks as Juzhou, so Jiang Ru can't help even if she wanted to. Besides, she's currently in a rest period and doesn't need any manpower, so she has nothing to do.
This place is quite a distance from the Nanzhao government office. Only the grain transport carts travel between the two places on weekdays. This place is a desolate wasteland, and the only place for entertainment has been occupied by Chen Ling. His residence is far from the Nanzhao camp, and if a real battle breaks out, it will be a problem whether he can get there in time.
Pei Wu didn't bring many people from Juzhou, so there were still some tents available. She would go out with Pei Wu during the day, and sometimes, in special circumstances, she would wait for Pei Wu inside the tent.
Knowing that Pei Wu was going to Chen Ling's place today, Jiang Ru was afraid that Chen Ling would go crazy. Before he went, she repeatedly told Pei Wu to try not to have any conflicts with Chen Ling, since Chen Ling was mentally challenged and it would be easy to get angry if he talked to him.
When he returned, Pei Wu's expression was not good, but he wasn't extremely angry, as if he had argued with Chen Ling. However, his condition hadn't improved much.
He came back and didn't say a word, and he was always lost in thought. Jiang Ru watched him sit quietly for a long time and couldn't help but wonder, "What's wrong with you?"
Pei Wu took a long time to reply. He said, "That's not right."
Jiang Ru: "What's wrong?"
Pei Wu said, "I suspect that Chen Ling and Northern Yan have reached some kind of shady agreement."
After he finished speaking, he told Jiang Ru all his thoughts, including Chen Ling's unusual behavior and the strangeness that Nanzhao was showing everywhere now.
Everything was abnormal.
Chen Ling had dealt with Northern Yan four years ago. He was a coward who feared death, so why would he volunteer to come to Nanzhao? Moreover, Northern Yan now had a great chance of winning, so how could they possibly agree to Chen Ling's peace talks request?
Attacking the Great Xia must mean they want something. It might be money or land, but they can't just launch a full-scale war to take it over. They just want a peace treaty, or one that offers them some benefit.
His analysis was very logical and persuasive, and Jiang Ru became increasingly alarmed as she listened, yet she hesitated: "But..."
Chen Ling must be insane to do this. Does he want the Great Xia Dynasty to perish sooner?
Pei Wu sighed softly: "The peace talks ten days from now may not turn out as we both expect."
Jiang Ru's heart was pounding; she felt inexplicably flustered and asked Pei Wu, "What are you going to do?"
Pei Wu said, "Let's try to get some information from Northern Yan first."
If Chen Ling had truly promised something to Northern Yan, he naturally wouldn't tell anyone outside his own people, so he could only obtain information from Northern Yan.
However, no matter whether Pei Wu sent people out in his name or in the name of the Great Xia, he did not receive a reply from the Northern Yan. The Northern Yan people seemed to only recognize Chen Ling, and fearing to alert the enemy, Pei Wu had no choice but to abandon the plan.
If Northern Yan had openly and honestly agreed to Pei Wu's request, it might have been true, as Chen Ling said, that both sides had decided to negotiate peace. But Northern Yan's evasiveness only made things seem more suspicious.
On the fourth day, after Pei Wu returned to his tent, he first said to Jiang Ru, "I will send someone to take you to a safe place."
Yang Zhaoyi of Juzhou is a trustworthy person. Xue Chong and Pei Wu of Nanzhao do not trust him for the time being, and they are unaware of the current situation in Nanzhao. Fearing that something might happen to Jiang Ru, they can only send her away first.
"And what about you?" Jiang Ru asked.
Pei Wu was silent for a moment: "I am a man of the imperial court, he won't do anything to me?"
That makes sense, and Jiang Ru knew that it wouldn't be good for Pei Wu if she stayed, so she reluctantly nodded: "Then you must come find me quickly, otherwise I will come to find you myself."
Pei Wu nodded: "Okay."
They agreed to leave, but ultimately failed to do so. Now, Chen Ling's people are everywhere in Nanzhao, and every word and action is under surveillance, leaving them with absolutely no chance to leave.
Moreover, if Jiang Ru were to leave, it would be easy for Chen Ling to notice something. Pei Wu tried several times, and it wasn't that he couldn't get Jiang Ru to leave, but it would be easy for him to be exposed.
Jiang Ru was afraid that he would make things worse, so she told Pei Wu not to worry about her for the time being. After all, the urgent matter was the peace treaty, and Chen Ling couldn't possibly be so powerful as to control everything.
Pei Wu also considered it for a long time, and could only give up for now, pretend that nothing had happened, and continue as usual.
Because of this incident, he felt a little down. He regretted bringing Jiang Ru along. Jiang Ru, on the other hand, was much better. As long as she was with Pei Wu, she wasn't worried at all.
Before the imperial edict was issued, the ten-day deadline had arrived. Northern Yan and Great Xia agreed to sign a peace treaty in Ningfu. The representative sent by the other side was also the prime minister of Northern Yan. The peace treaty was drafted, and after both sides reviewed it and found no problems, they could sign and seal it.
Pei Wu stood to Chen Ling's left. The peace treaty was made of cowhide, the paper was very stiff, and it was written in both the Xia language and the Northern Yan language.
Pei Wu lowered his head and looked over, his heart suddenly sinking.
Just as he guessed, there was no peace talks at all.
The peace treaty was written in word, and the Xia Dynasty pledged allegiance to the Northern Yan, paying an annual tribute of 200,000 taels of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk, and ceding Daizhou to the Northern Yan.
This wasn't the most alarming thing for Pei Wu. What he saw next made his heart sink completely.
This peace treaty was not drafted recently, but was actually established four years ago.
Four years ago, Chen Ling did not defeat Bei Yan at all, nor did he ever escape unscathed. He had reached an agreement with Bei Yan four years ago.
However, since the reparations and territorial concessions in the agreement four years ago were insufficient, Northern Yan later felt that it was not enough and decided to fight again.
The previous agreement was signed hastily, probably because the rulers of Northern Yan were busy vying for the throne and had no time to examine it in detail. But now, he has enough time to negotiate with Great Xia and is willing to gain something through war. After all, the prime minister of Great Xia is so incompetent that he hastily sent envoys to negotiate after only one battle.
Just as he thought, this battle was very useful. He had only defeated Nanzhao, and hadn't even entered it yet. He hadn't even taken Juzhou and Daizhou, but he had already gained enough.
The current terms are merely additions; the original agreement took effect four years ago. Chen Ling concealed this from everyone—from the emperor and the people of Great Xia—by secretly reaching a shameful agreement with Northern Yan.
Pei Wu asked almost numbly, "The money Chen Ming embezzled was all used for this, right?"
Chen Ling smiled and said, "You're quite smart."
He said lightly, "Do you really think this peace treaty came easily? Rather than fighting Northern Yan and losing miserably in the end, it's better to admit defeat now."
They didn't stop talking; the Northern Yan envoy might have heard them, but Pei Wu didn't care anymore.
Everything became clear. Why Chen Ling acted this way, and why Northern Yan kept quiet—it all made sense now.
Pei Wu asked coldly, "Then why is the Prime Minister willing to tell me today?"
Chen Ling glanced at him and said, slowly and deliberately, "Because I never intended for you to go back alive."
"Oh, and your cousin, she should be long gone, just waiting for you to join her," Chen Ling said with a sinister smile.
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Author's Note: Oh dear, I'm a little late. I've updated a tiny bit more than usual, does that count as an extra chapter? [Chin resting on hand] If not, I'll think about it some more. I really want some reader comments!
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