Chapter 63 Ulterior Motives
Back at camp.
He instructed Lu Changming, "Please summon the strategist."
Lu Changming accepted the order: "Yes, my lord."
Gongsun Li arrived quickly, lifted the curtain and entered, asking, "What are your orders, my lord?"
Pei Yanzhi said bluntly: "We will set off back to Yanzhou tomorrow. There is something that the strategist needs to handle personally. Jiang Baiyang is preparing to take action against Song Zhaonian, but he cannot do so openly because of my face. Now I want to give him some reassurance. You will secretly lead a group of assassins to help him."
Gongsun Li immediately understood.
It's not appropriate for anyone to step forward in this matter, but only he, who has never shown his face before, is the most suitable. The deeper meaning is that he wants to restrain Jiang Baiyang. Even if he takes over Kangzhou, he thinks he can challenge the Marquis of Yan.
If you harbor any disloyal intentions, these assassins will ensure your demise.
Pei Yanzhi looked at the map in his hand, pointed to the geographical locations of Kangzhou and Suizhou, and nodded lightly. This trip was not in vain.
After finishing his business, he ate something casually, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the post station.
...
Chunzhi gently closed the door, carrying the food box.
Ji Shu sat on the soft couch by the window. Dusk was falling, and as she looked at the deepening twilight outside the window, she had a premonition that Pei Yanzhi would definitely come tonight.
"Young lady, it's time for dinner!" Chunzhi called out as she laid out the food.
Ji Shu had little appetite. After eating a couple of bites, she ordered, "Prepare water. I want to take a bath."
When Pei Yanzhi arrived, Ji Shu had just finished bathing. Seeing Chunzhi wringing her hair with a dry cloth, he waved his hand, signaling her to leave.
Chunzhi had no choice but to comply and leave, closing the door behind her.
He walked behind Ji Shu, took the still-dampened handkerchief, and gently wiped her long hair. Anyone would be astonished by this scene.
Only Pei Yanzhi himself knew that only when he coaxed her would she soften her tone and say some nice things.
Ji Shu stared blankly at him in the mirror as he bent down to dry her hair. For a moment, this tenderness made Ji Shu's heart tremble.
The silence was profound, and no one dared to interrupt until the strand of hair was almost dry. Then, Pei Yanzhi grasped her shoulders from behind, his hot breath close to her ear.
Did you have fun today?
Ji Shu suddenly came to her senses: "I met Song Zhaonian's wife today, and she was a little different from what I had imagined. On the way back, I kept thinking, if she is so unhappy, why is she unwilling to get a divorce?"
Pei Yanzhi casually tossed the handkerchief in his hand onto the table. Hearing this, he paused, then said seemingly unintentionally, "Is it possible that she doesn't want a divorce?"
"How is this possible!" Ji Shu exclaimed in disbelief.
"How could she not want a divorce after being humiliated like that by the concubine?" Ji Shu looked at him in surprise and doubt.
Looking into her innocent eyes, Pei Yanzhi sighed inwardly. She was young but extremely kind. If she hadn't been drugged that night, he had planned to raise her for another two years until she was more mature before consummating their marriage.
He sat down next to her and patiently explained, "You've been used without even realizing it. Given Jiang's father's position in the court, how could he not know what kind of life his daughter is living? In the end, there's only one possibility."
He paused deliberately, and Ji Shu looked at Pei Yanzhi, signaling him to continue.
Pei Yanzhi raised an eyebrow and looked back at her: "Want me to continue? Sure, give me a kiss!"
"You! Shameless!" Ji Shu said angrily.
He smiled and pulled her into his arms, kissing her cheek as he did so, and then saw her struggle to get down.
He gently patted her buttocks and said in a low voice, "Don't move anymore. Do you still want to hear more?"
Ji Shu had no choice but to sit upright on his lap and listen to him continue.
Pei Yanzhi's smile faded, and he stopped teasing her: "Jiang is quite clever. She knows that she has her eyes on you. She probably got wind of it from somewhere else and knows that Song Zhaonian is not long for this world. That's why she wants to use your identity to help her get a divorce. Otherwise, given Song Zhaonian's personality, he would either marry her or keep her waiting."
"But...but my impression of Sister Jiang is that Song Zhaonian has been dragging her along!" This is also what Ji Shu finds confusing.
Despite being from a noble family, even after the divorce, Ji Shu could expect to live a decent life with the help of her family. She spoke her mind.
Pei Yanzhi looked at her meaningfully and said, "You only know one aspect. Do you know how this marriage came about? Back then, Jiang was arrogant and looked down on scholars from poor families. She wanted to marry into a higher social class, but among her peers, only Song Zhaonian met the criteria. It was as if Jiang took the initiative to choose Song Zhaonian."
"Who knew that... after only two or three years of marriage, they grew tired of each other. Song Zhaonian took Yao as a concubine, and Jiang moved to another residence. People only knew that Song Zhaonian had wronged her, but they did not know that she had also made her own plans."
"So that's why she thought of using the power of Yanzhou to fight against the Song family?"
Pei Yanzhi nodded slightly, his tone calm: "Therefore, don't think too simply of people. If she didn't have some ulterior motive, why do you think she would agree to Song Zhaonian's invitation to this tea party?"
Looking into his deep eyes, Ji Shu suddenly realized that while others had only made one move, he had already calculated three moves ahead, or even more.
"So, what does Your Lordship intend to do?" Ji Shu asked.
Pei Yanzhi smiled calmly: "In that case, we can turn the tables on her. She wants a divorce, and I need her father's prestige in court. Next year is Empress Dowager Song's birthday. If someone can pave the way for me in court in advance, this deal will be worthwhile."
Minister Jiang is a second-rank official; that's enough. He believed Jiang Nianrou would definitely agree.
Thinking of this, Pei Yanzhi lifted Ji Shu, who was sitting on his lap, and whispered in her ear, "Tomorrow, just tell her directly that it was my idea..."
After speaking, Ji Shu nodded in agreement, then remembered something else: "Lian'er helped me a lot at the banquet today. I think she doesn't really want to work for the Song family. She's just doing it because her parents and relatives are being controlled by Song Zhaonian. Is there any way to help her?"
Pei Yanzhi leaned back and clicked his tongue softly. What was wrong with him? So soft-hearted. He was bound to suffer in the future.
Fortunately, she should be grateful that she met him; otherwise, in this world, she would have been devoured without leaving even scraps.
Stroking her smooth, dark hair, he said in a deep voice, "Her identity is special, involving Hanzhong and Song Zhaonian. It would be inappropriate to interfere directly."
Ji Shu thought of how the girl had pleaded with her in the carriage earlier that day, and felt a pang of pity: "But isn't there any other way?"
Looking at her docile and humble demeanor, a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes: "Yes, there is..."
"What method?"
"But you have to promise me one thing."
After speaking, he reached out to trace her unadorned eyebrows and eyes, his calloused fingers causing her to flinch slightly.
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