Chapter 116 With me here, no one dares to make you angry.
The late spring breeze carried the fragrance of crabapple blossoms, and perhaps it was for this reason that one's mood warmed. Ye Wanning sat in Pei Zhi's carriage, holding a peppermint candy in her hand, her fingertips still bearing traces of flour from making snacks for the children at Ci'an Hall.
"Nervous?" Pei Zhi turned his head and saw that she was constantly rubbing the mint. He reached out and took the mint from her palm, tore off the wrapper, and put it to her lips. "It's just a flower viewing banquet at the Minister's residence. With me here, no one will dare to make you feel bad."
Ye Wanning opened her mouth and popped the mint into her mouth. The coolness of the mint soothed her heart, and her earlier tension vanished. "I wasn't nervous, I was just afraid Liu Ruyan would cause trouble again. Last time at the temple, she said I was an illegitimate daughter and not good enough for you."
"She's blind." Pei Zhi's fingertip brushed the flour from the corner of her mouth. "My wife, what right does she have to speak?"
As soon as the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Minister's residence, Liu Ruyan, dressed in a light green silk dress and holding a pot of blooming Drunken Spring Orchids, stood blocking the entrance to greet the guests. When Ye Wanning got off, her eyes lit up, and she deliberately raised her voice: "Oh, isn't this Madam Pei? Why didn't you bring any presentable flowers? The banquet at the Minister's residence is not as casual as the one at Ci'an Hall."
The noble ladies chuckled, and Ye Wanning was about to retort when Pei Zhi stepped forward first. He toyed with a piece of mutton-fat jade pendant in his hand, casually glancing at the Drunken Spring Orchid in her hand: "Miss Liu's flower is indeed rare, but unfortunately the fragrance is too overpowering, making one dizzy. My Wanning's crabapple trees were recently inquired about by the Empress Dowager, who said she wanted to transplant a few into the Imperial Garden. I wonder if Miss Liu's Drunken Spring Orchid has the fortune to enter the palace?"
"That's incredibly shameful." Liu Ruyan, clutching the potted flowers, dared not let go, her face paling. "General Pei, please don't joke. How can mere flowers and trees compare to the Imperial Garden?"
"Ah? Miss Liu, you've only been speaking for a short while!" Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the laughing noble ladies. "I think I just heard someone say that my wife isn't presentable enough? My wife is so favored by the Empress Dowager for her flowers. I wonder if Miss Liu has anything else to offer besides this pot of Drunken Spring Orchid?"
Liu Ruyan's face flushed red instantly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not defend herself. Pei Zhi was currently a favorite of the Emperor, and he was also petty. Her father was counting on Pei Zhi to speak well of him in court, so how could he dare to offend him?
Ye Wanning tugged at Pei Zhi's sleeve and whispered a reminder: "Don't say anything hurtful to her, the banquet is about to start."
Pei Zhi grasped her hand, his fingertips rubbing along her palm: "Just because you're like this, I can't stand seeing others bully you."
Stepping into the garden of the Minister's residence, the scene was even more lively. Snacks and fruits were laid out in the pavilion, and noble ladies gathered around admiring the flowers and discussing poetry. Upon seeing Ye Wanning approach, most of them took a detour. Only those ladies who were more familiar with Ye Wanning stepped forward to greet her: "Madam Pei, that jade hairpin in your hair is truly beautiful. Was it a gift from General Pei?"
The wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel smiled and pointed to the phoenix-patterned jade hairpin in her hair: "I saw it at the palace banquet last time. It was said to be part of Old Madam Pei's dowry. General Pei is really good to you."
Ye Wanning touched the jade hairpin and was about to speak when she saw Liu Ruyan walk over with a cup of tea. She deliberately "slipped" and spilled the tea all over Ye Wanning's sleeve.
"Haha! Madam Pei, I'm so sorry!" Liu Ruyan feigned compassion as she pulled out her handkerchief. "I didn't mean to. The material of your dress doesn't look very good, but it should be alright, right? Unlike the brocade I'm wearing, which is a tribute from the Western Regions and would be ruined if it got wet."
Ye Wanning looked at her wet sleeve, not angry at all, but smiling instead: "Miss Liu's hands need to be taken good care of. Last time at the temple, you 'caught off guard' and spilled incense ash on me; this time you spilled my tea. If this continues, people will probably say you did it on purpose."
Those around them nodded in agreement, and Liu Ruyan's face paled even more. Pei Zhi's expression darkened, and he took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Ye Wanning. The sandalwood scent of the robe enveloped her, warming her and making her tremble.
“Miss Liu, if your hands are unsteady, then don’t serve tea or water.” Pei Zhi’s voice was as cold as ice. “My wife’s clothes, even if they are made of ordinary material, are not for you to ruin like this. If I see you touching her again, I won’t mind having Minister Liu teach you a lesson.”
Liu Ruyan was so startled that she dropped her teacup with a crash, scattering shards of porcelain everywhere. The steward of the Minister's residence quickly came over to smooth things over: "General, please calm down. Miss Liu must have been careless. I'll take her to apologize right away."
Pei Zhi ignored the steward and led Ye Wanning towards the pavilion. Ye Wanning leaned against him and whispered, "You were too fierce just now, you scared her to tears."
"Fierce?" Pei Zhi looked down at her, his eyes full of helplessness. "If I'm not fierce, she'll dare to bully you again next time."
There were red bean paste cakes in the pavilion that Ye Wanning loved to eat. Pei Zhi picked up a piece and put it to her mouth: "Eat some quickly. You must be hungry after standing at the door for so long."
Ye Wanning opened her mouth and took a bite. The sweet fragrance mixed with the sandalwood scent on the man's body warmed her heart. Liu Ruyan was being lectured by her mother in the distance, occasionally glaring angrily in their direction, but she dared not come any closer.
The last rays of the setting sun shone into the banquet hall. After seeing off the guests, Pei Zhi led Ye Wanning by the hand toward the carriage. Passing by the pot of Drunken Spring Orchid, he stopped and deliberately said to Liu Ruyan, "Miss Liu, if no one wants this flower, why not give it to my Wanning's Ci'an Hall? The children can at least see something new."
Liu Ruyan was so angry that she trembled all over, and could only grit her teeth and nod: "If the general doesn't mind, please take it."
Pei Zhirang his attendants to carry the flowers onto the carriage, and Ye Wanning couldn't help but laugh: "You really want them? The fragrance of these flowers is too strong, the children might not like them."
“I don’t want to spend money.” Pei Zhi pinched her cheek. “I just want her to know that if you bully me, you’ll pay the price.”
The first rays of sunlight had just shone into the General's mansion when they were shattered by a commotion of crying. Ye Wanning had just finished combing her hair when Chun Tao rushed in, flustered: "Miss! Something terrible has happened! Miss Su Qing from the family of the Vice Minister of Rites, along with a medical apprentice, is blocking the gate of the mansion crying, saying she's pregnant with the General's child!"
Ye Wanning dropped the comb from her hand onto the dressing table with a "thud," her heart clenching suddenly. She knew Su Qing; at the last palace banquet, Su Qing had been staring at Pei Zhi and had even deliberately spilled wine on him, earning a cold reprimand from Pei Zhi.
"Where is Pei Zhi?" Ye Wanning stood up, her skirt sweeping across the stool. "Did he go to the military camp?"
"The general was about to leave when Miss Su stopped him." Chun Tao helped her walk out. "Miss, don't be afraid. General Pei is definitely not someone who would lie!"
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