Chapter 50 Honey-Tempered Hook: Pei Qing is my peerless gentleman, unparalleled in his time...
A silence fell over the room, and an ambiguous atmosphere quietly grew amidst their increasingly rapid breathing.
In fact, Chu Yueyuan regretted saying those words as soon as she finished speaking.
Meeting the man's increasingly deep gaze and feeling his increasingly hot breath on her neck, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, fearing that the Regent might be putting on an act to demonstrate his power.
"Pei Qing...you...the jade pendant on your waist is making me uncomfortable."
She gently shifted her body, and the next moment she heard a muffled groan escape from the man's throat. Then the shadow and heat that had enveloped her dissipated, and suddenly the bright candlelight made her close her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, the Regent was already sitting back on the couch, raising his hand to straighten the hem of his black jade silk robe, his brows and eyes regaining their usual cold and composed demeanor.
She glanced furtively at the jade pendant with a beast's head and a dragon's body hanging from his waist, wondering why it wasn't as large as she had sensed earlier...
"Why does Minister Pei insist on staying here overnight?"
The long night was unbearable, so Chu Yueyuan decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Regent to ease the already crumbling relationship between the monarch and his subjects.
Pei Muwei picked up the white glazed teacup and took a few sips of cool tea. The heat in his eyes subsided slightly before he looked up at the young Empress Dowager sitting at the foot of the couch, his tone calm:
"Doesn't Your Highness think that the King of Feng's attitude towards you is a bit too enthusiastic?"
After being reminded by the Regent, Chu Yueyuan finally realized that something was wrong.
At tonight's welcoming banquet, the Phoenix King recounted the two palace coups she had encountered in the Great Qi Kingdom, showering her with praise for her unyielding spirit, composure in the face of danger, and divine resourcefulness...
In the end, Chu Yueyuan felt that the person the King of Feng was talking about didn't seem like herself, but more like the revered Lady Shiji.
The King of Feng Kingdom beat drums and gongs in front of the officials of Xixia, as if trying his best to prove something.
“I remember Pei Qing once said that the Queen of Feng’s ambitions are not small. Her ambitions go far beyond the transactions in the border markets. She wants to elevate the status of Linchao City in the Northwest border markets.”
In exchange for this, the Phoenix King agreed to allow the Floating Pagoda Army to secretly enter the country, cross the higher northern mountains, and attack the unsuspecting Canglang tribe from both sides, thus driving them back north of Kunlun Mountain.
However, there was one thing that Chu Yueyuan could never understand. Although Daqi was thousands of miles away from Xixia, if the Phoenix King had sent someone to investigate carefully in the capital, he would have known that she, the Empress Dowager, was nothing more than a puppet in the hands of the Regent.
She said, "The Queen of Feng treated me with great hospitality, but left you standing aside. Does she really not know that I am just a figurehead in the Great Qi?"
Pei Muwei put down his teacup and reminded him, "Actually, when the King of Feng was entertaining the Empress Dowager at the palace banquet, the Grand Preceptor You privately approached me to discuss the matter of jointly sending troops."
Chu Yueyuan's watery eyes flashed, and she suddenly understood.
It turns out that the King of Feng Kingdom, like the Regent, used the tactic of feigning one move while secretly making another.
The Kingdom of Xixia has revered women for centuries.
The allies needed by the Phoenix Kingdom ruler do not necessarily have to be ruled by a female monarch, nor do they need to completely comply with local customs, but the primary condition is that they must not shake the foundation of the Xixia Kingdom's "female superiority and male inferiority" system.
The Queen of Feng Kingdom is very wise. By praising Chu Yueyuan, she is praising herself, thereby consolidating the faith of the people of Xixia in her.
Privately, she had the Imperial Preceptor You discuss important matters with the Regent, and also sent him Zhengyin and Zhenglu as a way to test her importance in the Regent's heart.
Chu Yueyuan felt a sense of admiration. To become the leader of a country, one truly needs both brains and methods!
Thinking of how she had just confided in the King of Feng, Chu Yueyuan suddenly realized that the nickname Meng Xun had given her was not untrue.
It's just a big, stupid goose.
Chu Yueyuan did not feel sad. Knowing that the King of Feng was using her more than being sincere made her feel much more relaxed.
That feigned compliance was something she excelled at.
Half of her worries had subsided, quickly replaced by drowsiness. She pulled a blanket over herself and lay down, her tone light:
"I understand what Pei Qing means. I will try my best to cooperate with the Phoenix Kingdom to play this role well. No matter how handsome the future heir she sends, I will refuse him outright. Hmm... I will just say that Pei Qing is my peerless lover, unparalleled and unique."
Warm candlelight shone through the hexagonal crimson lamp onto the man's sharply defined profile, casting a soft glow that softened his cool and aloof features.
The woman's casual remark about "peerless man" made Pei Muwei's heart skip a beat.
The young empress dowager was such a cunning woman; she could always throw a honeyed hook at him when he was least expecting it.
It hooked precisely into his flesh, twisting deeply into his heart.
Pei Muwei pursed his thin lips slightly, took another sip of cold tea as if nothing had happened, and ran his long fingers along the patterns on the cup.
Chu Yueyuan adjusted to a comfortable position and closed her eyes: "To be honest, I quite like Xixia. Just now, I heard the King of Feng mention that there is a vast desert seventy miles to the northwest. The sand is fine and the desert is vast and undulating. Only when you are in it can you realize the vastness of the world and the insignificance of human beings."
Pei Muwei raised the corners of his eyes slightly and said in a gentle voice, "After everything is settled, Your Highness may take you to ride camels in the desert."
“Very well. When I was in the capital, I only saw foreigners leading camels to sell imported goods, but I never rode one myself.”
After a moment of silence, she continued, "If we can drive the Canglang people out of Kunlun Mountain, the people of Great Qi will live in peace and prosperity. Such an unprecedented achievement would make even Prime Minister Shen bow down to Minister Pei. At that time, I would no longer need to rule from behind the curtain..."
The woman's low voice betrayed her weariness: "Perhaps... Pei Qing would allow me to stay in Xixia, thus saving me from a lot of trouble..."
Pei Muwei's smile suddenly froze, and his knuckles tightened uncontrollably, causing a crack to appear in the cup. The cold tea mixed with streaks of bright red blood trickled down his taut knuckles.
The honeyed hook that had pierced his heart seemed to be suddenly ripped off, tearing away a piece of flesh and revealing a bloody, gaping hole.
His flat tone made it impossible to discern his emotions: "Your Highness is staying in Xixia, planning to recruit several heirs?"
After a few moments of silence, the woman on the bed turned over, her slender back facing him, her voice indistinct:
"I was just joking with Pei Qing. How could I bear to part with the Emperor and Granny Xu? By the way, the mahogany bed in the inner room is much larger and more suitable for you to sleep in. I'm very tired. You should quickly turn off the light and get some rest."
A night breeze blew in through the window, causing the candlelight in the crimson gauze lamp to flicker.
The slender figure cast on the green gauze curtain swayed gracefully in the candlelight, much like a wisp of smoke rising into the air, which could vanish into nothingness in the blink of an eye.
As soon as the candlelight went out, the unsettling shadow disappeared into the darkness.
Pei Muwei released his palm expressionlessly, and a few broken porcelain shards gleamed faintly in the night.
The dim light reflected in his dark eyes, making him look like a greedy wolf.
Besides being unruly, cold-blooded, and ruthless, wolves are also wild and greedy. Once they have identified their prey, they will not let go until death.
Chu Yueyuan slept soundly until dawn. When she opened her eyes, she was slightly stunned to see the bright purple grape-patterned gauze curtain hanging from the ceiling.
Barefoot on the soft wool blanket, she walked from the main room to the side room, gently pushed open the carved huanghuali wood screen door, and saw the regent sleeping on the chaise longue.
A few rays of slanted light shone through the square-holed, diamond-patterned window onto the side of the couch. The man's long eyes were closed, and his well-fitting dark brocade robe resembled the body of a black dragon, with golden scales outlined by the light and shadow. His aloof and jade-like face was further accentuated by this, making him appear even more otherworldly, like a black dragon coiled high in the clouds.
The only drawback was that the bed under the black dragon was too narrow, making the dragon's tail, which was mostly sticking out of the edge of the bed, look somewhat cramped.
Chu Yueyuan stared at the sleeping man on the bed, her eyebrows arching slightly, and couldn't help but recall her dream from last night.
In her dream, she was in the vast Gobi Desert, where the setting sun warmed the soft sand. She and Xiao Yun chased each other barefoot on the sand, leaving behind two sets of footprints, one large and one small.
Suddenly, Xiao Yun shouted. She turned around and saw that half of Xiao Yun's body was buried in the sand, desperately stretching out his two fleshy arms towards her.
"Mother, save me!"
Chu Yueyuan was terrified. She ran over and grabbed Xiao Yun's small hand, trying to pull him out of the quicksand, but he sank deeper and deeper, the yellow sand gradually engulfing his chest, chin, mouth, forehead...
Chu Yueyuan clenched her small hand tightly, which was about to sink into the sand, and cried out in distress.
She pulled on that hand with all her might, and suddenly, the downward force disappeared, and a black beast leaped out of the sandpit where Xiao Yun had disappeared.
In an instant, everything in the world turned into darkness, and the beast also merged into the darkness, with only its eyes flashing with a dark green light.
Chu Yueyuan was unable to move and could only watch helplessly as the green light approached her little by little. Its hot breath fell on her neck, greedily inhaling her scent. Its cool fingertips gently caressed her eyebrows, nose, and lips, finally stopping at her heart.
In the darkness, the delicate scent of sandalwood mingled with a faint stench of blood. She seemed to hear a low sigh, a sound that seemed to come from the clouds:
"How could I bear to let you go..."
As her thoughts returned, Chu Yueyuan stared at the man on the couch. The feeling of being swallowed by darkness returned, and she involuntarily took a step back, her back bumping against the landscape screen.
Lord Xuanlong, with his keen hearing and sharp eyes, caught the slight sound. He slowly opened his long eyes and his gaze fell on the little empress dowager's bare feet on the woolen carpet.
Her toes, as white and delicate as freshly peeled lotus seeds, were adorned with light pink nail polish on her neatly trimmed toenails, which made her feet appear even whiter and more like jade.
Pei Muwei was surprised to learn that women would apply nail polish to their toes.
It's really beautiful.
The woman leaned against the embroidered screen, her clothes disheveled, a few strands of black hair falling from her forehead into the crook of her neck. Her sleepy, dark eyes stared timidly at him, a misty haze still lingering in them, giving her a bewitching and alluring beauty.
His breathing quickened slightly, and he suddenly felt a surge of intense heat spreading down his bloodstream.
As the sun rises and the yang energy begins to grow, the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) is precisely when the yang energy is rising. If the spring breeze helps, its momentum will be even stronger.
Chu Yueyuan saw the Regent quickly get up from the bed, his movements so swift they resembled a dragon soaring into the sky.
This unusual situation left her completely bewildered. She stepped forward and asked with concern, "Pei Qing, is this... a nightmare?"
Pei Muwei sat hunched over on the couch, two fingers supporting his brow bone, his voice slightly hoarse: "Your Highness, I feel a little thirsty. May Your Highness pour me a cup of water?"
Chu Yueyuan nodded as if she understood, thinking to herself that Pei Ze really didn't treat her like a guest, ordering her around to serve tea and water so early in the morning.
She turned and went into the inner room to pour a glass of cold water. When she came out again, she found that the man was still sitting, with a faint blush on his ears and neck.
Chu Yueyuan handed over the cool tea and pointed to the chaise lounge, saying, "I remember sleeping on this chaise lounge yesterday. How come you're sleeping on the bed in the inner room after just one night?"
Pei Muwei slowly drank the cold water. He lowered his eyes and stared at the white glazed teacup in his hand, his tone calm: "Last night, a sudden wind rose. I was afraid that the Empress Dowager would catch a cold, so I took it upon myself to carry Your Highness to the inner room to sleep. I hope Your Highness will not blame me."
Since the Regent meant well, Chu Yueyuan felt embarrassed to ask any further questions.
As for that half-real, half-fictional dream...
She thought: Let it be a dream. Living too clearly is just asking for trouble.
After washing up, the emperor and his minister ate breakfast together. During the meal, Jin Tong was cleaning the tea set on the tea table when she frowned and asked a maid in the room:
"Why is one of these white-glazed teacups with azalea decorations from the palace missing? Which of you took it?"
The maids all shook their heads and swore to heaven that they hadn't done it.
"How strange! This cup can actually become a spirit in Xixia, growing legs and running out of the house?"
After a short while, a maid brought out several pieces of broken porcelain from the washroom.
The maidservant flattered, "Aunt Jin, there's blood on this piece of broken porcelain. The person who broke the cup must have cut their hand. If you investigate, you can catch the thief."
Jin Tong immediately summoned the servants in the courtyard, determined to find the thief who broke the teacup.
Chu Yueyuan scooped up a spoonful of soup, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the unhealed wound on the man's thumb and abdomen before silently looking away.
"Your Majesty, I am going to Gaotan Mountain with Princess Fengqi. We will depart tomorrow, and the round trip will take about ten days."
"Yes, I understand."
"To avoid arousing suspicion from the spies of the Azure Wolf lurking in Linchao City, Your Highness may temporarily act as a 'tyrant' for a period of time after I leave."
"That... is certainly not a problem."
"Isn't Your Highness curious about what this humble servant and Princess Chang are going to do?"
Before leaving the palace, Chu Yueyuan had seen the map presented by General Kan in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The Regent mentioned Gaotan Mountain, located in the northernmost part of Xixia. There is a narrow valley in it that leads to the territory of the Canglang tribe. According to the scouts sent by General Kan, that place has the largest Heavenly Steed Horse Ranch of the Canglang tribe.
Horses are the claws and teeth of the Canglang cavalry. Destroying this horse farm would break the fangs of the Canglang people, enough to allow the herders of the surrounding countries to live in peace for hundreds of years.
Chu Yueyuan scooped up the soup from her bowl and replied dismissively, "I know, Minister Pei is going to seek happiness for all the people."
The man was clearly dissatisfied with the answer and stared at her for a long time without saying a word.
Chu Yueyuan felt that he was like the foggy weather in Xixia, always unpredictable. On the one hand, he said he disliked her insincerity, and on the other hand, he rejected her honesty.
She put down the bowl, raised her watery dark eyes, and said with a mixture of reproach and complaint, "Whatever Pei Qing is going to do, be careful on the road. Don't accidentally become someone else's legendary lover..."
Pei Muwei's long, narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly at those words, and his thin lips curved into a smile: "Your humble servant... will obey Your Majesty's decree."
————
The continuous drizzle for seven days made the miasma outside Linchao City much denser.
Outside, the wind and rain were howling and the sky was gloomy, but at the Yixian Terrace where Chu Yueyuan lived, there was singing and dancing all the time, and the candlelight was bright. There were zithers and flutes playing music to entertain the guests, and she could also watch a few masculine Hu Xuan dances. Her life was comparable to that of the female King Zhou.
Every day, Lord Sun, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, would come to report on the affairs of the border market. Upon seeing the young Empress Dowager indulging in male beauty, he would turn pale and leave, angrily declaring, "Without the phoenix, the Great Qi is doomed."
The mountain road was slippery, and Lord Sun slipped and fell flat on his face on the way back. After that, all the trivial matters at the market were handed over to Shen Zizhan to handle.
Chu Yueyuan discovered that she did have a good eye for selecting capable people. Ever since she replaced the old and faded Lord Sun with the handsome and upright Shen Zizhan, not only has her life become much quieter, but the progress of the negotiations between the two countries at the border market has also been smooth sailing.
It is said that the Maritime Trade Commissioner of Xixia Kingdom was a cold and aloof female official. However, when facing the refined and cultured Mr. Shen, even the most stern-faced woman would soften like a spring breeze, radiating a bright and cheerful spring.
Wise men are treasures wherever they are.
A handsome and virtuous man is a treasure that everyone wants to possess.
On this day, when the Queen of Feng Kingdom was drinking and chatting with Chu Yueyuan, she mentioned that her eldest daughter, Princess Fengni, wanted to keep Shen Zizhan in Xixia as a heir apparent.
Chu Yueyuan momentarily doubted whether she was too drunk to understand the meaning behind the Phoenix King's words.
The King of Feng Kingdom said it again sincerely: "Lord Shen is exceptionally talented. All the strategists of Xixia combined cannot compare to him. Ni'er has fallen in love with Lord Shen at first sight and is willing to dismiss all the young men around her, only hoping to be able to be Lord Shen's partner and get married together."
"I am willing to offer Lord Shen a hundred bushels of spices, two thousand cattle and sheep, and ten thousand gold coins to make him the consort of Princess Fengni. I hope that Lady Chu will reluctantly give up this offer."
"Cough cough..."
Chu Yueyuan choked on her wine and took a while to recover before shaking her head and saying in a hoarse voice, "I'm afraid I cannot agree to the king's request regarding this matter."
She paused, then said, "Daqi and Xixia are ultimately different. Marriage between men and women in Daqi is based on the principle of 'parents' orders and matchmakers'. Although I am Lord Shen's husband, I cannot make decisions about his marriage. Moreover, the Shen family has been officials for generations and is highly respected. Lord Shen's father was also the late emperor's mentor. Therefore, I cannot force Lord Shen, both morally and logically."
The Queen of Feng nodded, leaning forward to clink glasses with Chu Yueyuan, and said with considerable agreement, "I know that the men of Great Qi are all ambitious, and it's understandable that they don't want to stay in Xixia. Since ancient times, many talented and dashing men have emerged. Since people can't stay, then leaving behind an heir will do..."
The Imperial Advisor You, standing to the side, chuckled and chimed in, "Indeed, Xixia has a secret formula that guarantees Lord Shen and Princess Fengni will strike with unerring accuracy."
Chu Yueyuan was glad that she hadn't drunk the wine in her hand yet, otherwise she would have lost her composure again.
She calmly drank the agate wine and said in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but Lord Shen, though he appears gentle and refined, is actually a blockhead, utterly pedantic! Back in the Great Qi Dynasty, the eldest daughter of the Rongguo Duke's mansion was captivated by Lord Shen's talent and charm, and wished to spend a night with him. Lord Shen resolutely refused, but the Miss Rong persisted, even spreading rumors that she had long been having an affair with Lord Shen, hoping to ruin his reputation and force him to submit..."
Chu Yueyuan put down her wine cup, looked up at the Feng Kingdom's ruler and the You Kingdom's advisor who were listening intently, and smiled slightly:
"Later, Lord Shen gathered witnesses and physical evidence, writing down every word Miss Rong said to him in a petition as evidence in court, which attracted the attention of the Prefect of the Capital. The petition was sharp and incisive, attracting scholars and writers to read it and spreading widely, ultimately forcing the Duke of Rong to move his entire family away from the capital..."
"Alas, that's why you can't afford to offend intellectuals. Their pens are more ruthless than sticks; they can leave a lasting stain on your reputation!"
A hint of surprise flashed across the exquisitely made-up face of the Phoenix Kingdom ruler, but she quickly covered it up with a hearty laugh and never mentioned Shen Zizhan again.
The Imperial Preceptor You was still unwilling to give up and wanted to try to negotiate with the Empress Dowager, but he was stopped by the cold look from the King of Feng.
After the banquet, the Yixiantai, located halfway up the mountain, was shrouded in mist, with the green mountains and trees swaying like a green curtain.
The King of Feng descended the steps with a solemn expression. The Grand Preceptor You, who followed behind, held back for half the distance until the guarding Floating Pagoda Army disappeared before speaking:
"Your Majesty, you don't need to take Chu Nujun's words to heart. No matter how powerful Lord Shen's pen is, he can only stir up trouble in Daqi, and it won't affect us."
The King of Feng sighed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "The Lady of Chu made it very clear. Lord Shen comes from a prestigious family. Even the Emperor of Daqi has to give the Shen family some face, let alone a small country like ours that is isolated from the world. Daqi is currently very prosperous, and every festival attracts tribute from hundreds of countries. The better Xixia is to Daqi, the more prosperous the border market in Linchao City will be."
"Lord Shen is indeed outstanding, but I would not allow Xixia's reputation to be ruined for the sake of Fengni's marriage."
The Imperial Preceptor looked ashamed and said, "It was my oversight."
The Phoenix King stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp eyes peering through the misty fog at Linchao City at the foot of the mountain, where he could vaguely see a vast expanse of black sea beyond the city.
Her eyes darkened.
Those were 50,000 troops that Pei Muwei had transferred from Beiting, and they were encamped less than 20 miles away from Linchao City, clearly intended as a deterrent.
The man dared to climb Gaotan Mountain with only 5,000 elite troops, but left 50,000 soldiers to guard the safety of the young empress dowager.
He's quite the romantic!
Grand Preceptor You also noticed the 50,000 troops stationed outside Linchao City. He frowned and sighed, "That night, I had just sent Zhengyin and Zhenglu to Lady Chu's room when Lord Pei rushed over and stayed overnight. It seems that Lord Pei cares a lot about Lady Chu. I'm afraid that Feng Qi will come back heartbroken after going out in high spirits."
As the two were talking, they heard footsteps.
A man in a moon-white brocade robe emerged from the mist that resembled the mountains. His hair was tied up with a jade crown, and he had a handsome face and a tall, slender figure. He walked gracefully up the stone steps, exuding an elegant charm.
When the King of Feng saw this man, a look of regret appeared in his eyes, and then he smiled and said, "Lord Shen."
Shen Zizhan nodded calmly, neither humble nor arrogant, and said, "I, Shen, have met with the King of Feng and the Grand Preceptor You."
Seeing that he had no chance with a wealthy and eligible bachelor like Shen Zizhan, the King of Feng couldn't help but feel regretful and deliberately teased him:
"Lord Shen, your arrival is just in time. I was just talking with Lady Chu about how much Feng Ni admires you and wanted to ask you to help us get married. Unfortunately, you are very reluctant to part with me, Lord Shen, and just use those 'parents' orders and matchmaker's words to fob me off."
"Alas, if I had known that Lady Chu cared so much about Lord Shen, I wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to make a fool of myself."
Shen Zizhan's eyebrows twitched slightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his eyes: "I am unworthy of Princess Fengni. The Empress Dowager is thinking of the princess and is afraid that I will tarnish her reputation."
The master of Feng Kingdom was shrewd and naturally understood the tactful refusal in Shen Zizhan's words. So, after exchanging a few polite words, he let the other party leave.
The Imperial Tutor You was puzzled as to why the King of Feng was stirring things up behind the scenes.
"Does Your Majesty intend for Lord Shen to interfere between Queen Chu and the Regent, so that Feng Qi may have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?"
Queen Feng was in a good mood. She waved her hand and laughed, "Not at all. I was just annoyed by the 50,000 troops outside the city and wanted to give Lord Pei a little challenge."
The Imperial Advisor Yu chuckled, "Your Majesty...you're really mischievous!"
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