Chapter 14 Pei Yu is going home.
From Madam Pei's words, we can learn that he is exactly like Pei Yu in his youth, even more extreme. Pei Yu is arrogant and, being in a high position, disdains to take action. At most, he is a bit sharp-tongued and a bit of a scoundrel, but he will not easily resort to violence.
But this boy, who had just turned fifteen, was unpredictable, and with Pei Yu absent, no one in the Pei household could stop him.
Despite the pain, Huiyin leaned close to Yanniang's ear and said, "He is Pei Yan. Don't worry about him. Go back by detour."
Yan Niang nodded, no longer looking at the annoying boy, and helped Huiyin turn and leave.
Just as the two of them turned around, another small pebble flew through the air and struck Yan Niang on the back of the shoulder. Huiyin heard Yan Niang's cry of pain, and she knew better than anyone how strong Pei Yan was.
A fire ignited in her heart. She turned around and stared coldly at Pei Yan, only to see him looking on with great interest, aiming at Yan Niang's knee, drawing his bow and about to shoot again.
Unable to bear it any longer, Huiyin strode forward, snatched the slingshot from Pei Yan's hand, forcefully pushed him to the ground, picked up a stone, drew the bow, and shot Pei Yan hard in the forehead.
Caught off guard, Pei Yan was pushed to the ground. The next instant, a sharp pain shot through his forehead. He touched his face and saw a swelling. He was instantly enraged, rolled over, and raised his hand to slap the person.
"You try it!" Huiyin shouted.
Pei Yanyang's hand froze in mid-air. He stared blankly at Huiyin and noticed that her left hand was bleeding profusely, staining her dress red. His anger subsided, and he snorted coldly, regaining his composure: "I won't stoop to the level of a mere woman like you."
Huiyin scoffed: "Stop with the high-sounding words. You claim to be a young hero like your brother, but in reality, he was able to fight and kill the Xiongnu at the age of fifteen. And you? All you do is hit women, and you're still a baby who hasn't been weaned!"
"Say it again!" Pei Yan's face turned bright red. He hated it most when people compared him to his brother.
"I'll say it a million times and it'll still be the same: your brother is a hero, and you're just a coward!"
Huiyin approached him step by step, until she cornered him against the artificial rock, and questioned, "Am I wrong? I have never offended you, and I am your brother's concubine, so why did you hurt me?"
Pei Yan was forced into incoherent speech: "That's because... because you bullied my cousin Jia Ying!"
Huiyin laughed and said, "You're not only a bear, you're also a fool."
Pei Yan felt extremely wronged. He had never been scolded so badly since he was born, and today he was being verbally abused by a young woman, and he couldn't even defend himself.
Once Yan Niang recovered from the pain, she quickly went to Hui Yin's side, took out a clean handkerchief and wrapped it around Hui Yin's bleeding left hand, then glared fiercely at Pei Yan.
Pei Yan lowered his head guiltily. He only wanted to teach Huiyin a lesson, not hurt her. It was just her bad luck that she fell on the gravel.
Huiyin threw down the slingshot, looked at Pei Yan's lowered head, and continued to lecture him: "Do I need to say more about who your cousin Jiaying is? Besides, she tried to frame me but ended up getting herself into trouble. According to you, am I supposed to just stand there and take the beating without fighting back?"
Pei Yan raised his head and roared, "I didn't say that!"
"So, do you know if you're wrong or not?"
Pei Yan lowered his head again, his voice barely audible: "What do you suggest we do?"
Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief and said approvingly, "You're not bad for admitting your mistake. You shot two pebbles, so you should at least get your revenge, right?"
Pei Yan's eyes flickered, and he complained in a low voice, "Didn't you already shoot me once? And you shot me on the forehead! I'm sure my classmates will laugh at me when I go to the Imperial Academy tomorrow."
"You deserve it." Huiyin glanced at him, stepped forward, and said expressionlessly, "You shot two pebbles, and I only returned one. My left hand is injured and I can't draw the bow, so I'll repay the remaining one with a slap."
"What!" Pei Yan was shocked. He could tolerate being shot by a slingshot, but to be slapped in public was an enormous humiliation that he could not accept!
"No! Anything else is fine, but not a slap!" Pei Yan refused outright, keeping his eyes closed and his neck stiff and refusing to bow his head.
He waited for a long time but heard no sound. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Huiyin and Yanniang helping each other away, limping away. There was still a pool of blood where she had fallen.
Pei Yan stood there, struggling internally, then struck the artificial hill with his palm and chased after Huiyin in the direction she had left.
"Song Huiyin, you should take responsibility for your own actions. I was wrong today, so if you want to fight back, I'll take it. Come on!"
Huiyin turned around. Pei Yan looked utterly hopeless, his hands behind his back. She smiled and stepped forward, raising her hand high to slap Pei Yan hard across the face. Her right hand trembled slightly as it hung down.
Pei Yan watched the slap fall, but before the slap came Huiyin's faint fragrance, which was exceptionally pleasant. He wanted to ask what the fragrance was, but the slap left him completely disoriented.
A ringing in his ears, half of his cheek swollen and numb, Pei Yan covered his face and looked at Huiyin smiling in front of him. He really didn't expect that she had used so much force in that slap.
Pei Yan lay sprawled by the pool, his forehead swollen and five small, bright red finger marks on his left cheek, clearly indicating that he had been slapped by a woman.
He felt utterly hopeless, wondering how he could possibly skip his classes at the Imperial Academy and not become a laughingstock among his classmates.
"You went too far!" Pei Yan covered his face and grimaced.
After slapping the man, Huiyin turned and left without looking back, coldly saying, "I'll teach you a lesson. Let's see if you dare to do it again next time."
Pei Yan was furious and shouted at Huiyin's figure, "You have no virtue or gentleness whatsoever. You are worlds apart from Sister Tan. I will never acknowledge you as my sister-in-law!"
He shouted breathlessly, but no one answered. Pei Yan kicked a pebble heavily under his feet, turned around and left dejectedly. He had to think of a way to skip the Imperial Academy class.
Huiyin and the other woman helped each other back to Linshui Pavilion. Aheng was sweeping the stone slabs in front of the courtyard gate when she saw the two of them return injured. She was shocked and quickly dropped the broom and ran forward to help Huiyin.
"My lady, Yan Niang, what's wrong with you two?"
Huiyin calmly instructed, "Don't make a sound. Help the two of us inside. You go and boil some water, then go find the physician to get some ointment for bruises and sprains."
"Okay." Ah Heng helped the two into the courtyard, handed them over to Ah Sang and the others, and hurriedly ran out of the courtyard to find the family doctor to get medicine.
Inside the room on the second floor, Huiyin lay on a low couch with her left hand on a soft cushion, while Yanniang knelt beside her, picking at the small pebbles in her wound.
A basin of hot water was placed on the floor, with several clean cloth bags and medicines draped beside it. Huiyin buried her head in the soft quilt, her shoulders twitching slightly.
After finally finishing applying the medicine, Yan Niang went to unbutton Huiyin's skirt to check how badly her knee was injured.
Huiyin straightened up and pressed down on Yanniang's arm to comfort her: "Mother Fu, you should take care of your shoulder injury first. My knee is fine, I can just apply some medicine."
Yan Niang was still worried, "My injury is nothing serious."
Huiyin held onto her skirt tightly and refused to let go. Yanniang had no choice but to take the bloody water downstairs and let Huiyin deal with it herself.
Huiyin lifted her skirt, revealing a bruise on her fair leg, accompanied by a throbbing pain. She picked up some ointment and gently applied it to her knee.
Her legs and hands ached, and Huiyin sank into the quilt, falling into a deep sleep without realizing it.
After applying the ointment, Yan Niang went upstairs and found that Huiyin had already fallen asleep. She slowly came to the low couch, lifted her skirt to look at her wounds, which were bruised and red. She put her skirt down, covered Huiyin with the quilt, and sat down beside her, watching her sleeping face.
As the sun began to set, Huiyin felt a numbness in her right arm. She turned over and realized that the room was dark, with no lights on. Near the window, a figure was kneeling—it was Yanniang, who was sewing fabric.
Huiyin got up to light the lamp. Her right knee was still swollen and painful. She slowly moved to the windowsill, knelt down beside Yanniang, and leaned on her knees, whispering, "Why didn't you light the lamp?"
Yan Niang put down her needle and thread, stroked Huiyin's head gently, and said with a smile, "I can see, no need to touch."
Huiyin lowered her eyes. She knew that Yanniang didn't light the lamp because she was afraid of disturbing her. She didn't speak, but straightened up and hugged Yanniang, burying her face in her arms and saying dependently, "Don't do that again, it hurts your eyes."
“Okay.” Yan Niang readily agreed, thinking of Pei Yan during the day. He was so badly injured that he certainly couldn’t hide it from Madam Pei.
"Pei Yan, will Madam Pei be angry?"
Huiyin sat up straight and recalled Madam Pei's expression when she mentioned Pei Yan. She looked extremely annoyed, but Pei Yan was, after all, her youngest son, and Huiyin couldn't say for sure what she would do.
"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." Huiyin got up and sat at her desk, flipping through the calligraphy copybook she hadn't finished reading. Suddenly, she remembered Pei Yan's face, which looked exactly like Pei Yu's, and how she had beaten him up to look like a pig's head. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Dinner was simple: a plate of grilled pork tenderloin, a plate of okra with black bean sauce, and a wild pheasant soup. The fresh game was slow-cooked to make a clear broth, with chopped tender bamboo shoots added, making it fresh and delicious.
The staple food is thin pancakes made from corn flour, which are baked on the inner wall of a ceramic oven until they are slightly crispy on the surface and soft on the inside. They are also served with small dishes of salt, fermented black bean sauce, and Sichuan peppercorn powder for seasoning.
Huiyin was having her meal in the first-floor hall when Yanniang and the others told her to go downstairs to eat. Only Asang was serving her by her side.
There was a commotion outside the courtyard. Asang came out of the house, put on her shoes, and opened the courtyard gate. Chunfen from the Queen's courtyard was waiting outside with a lantern, followed by four maids in short skirts.
She stepped aside and led Chunfen and the others into the courtyard to wait. She quickly went outside to announce, "Madam, it's Chunfen."
Huiyin put down her shoes and gestured for her to call the person in. After a short while, Chunfen took off her shoes and entered the room. She knelt respectfully on the floor and bowed, saying, "Chunfen greets Lady Song."
Huiyin asked, "Is there something you need, Madam?"
Chunfen turned around and waved to her back. Four maids followed and slowly approached, kneeling behind Chunfen, each holding a vermilion lacquered plate with cloud patterns, covered with a red cloth.
Chunfen laughed and said, "The Lady said that the young master is unruly and fearless, like a little devil. Apart from the young general, no one can stop him. Now, Lady Song has become the second person who can control him."
Chunfen gestured to the four people behind her to pull down the red cloth, "The Queen heard that the lady was injured and specially ordered me to come and deliver medicine."
Huiyin touched her knee and smiled, "Madam is magnanimous; I'm glad you don't blame me."
——
Hangu Pass, along with Wuguan Pass to the south and Xiaoguan Pass to the north, are collectively known as the "Four Passes of Guanzhong". Located in a narrow passage between the Xiaoshan Mountains, a spur of the Qinling Mountains, and the Yellow River, with cliffs over 100 meters high on both sides, the narrowest point is only wide enough for a single vehicle to pass through, making it an important military stronghold.
As the morning mist began to dissipate, the gate tower revealed its dark silhouette against the mountainside. Below the pass, oxcarts and supply wagons stretched out in a long line, awaiting the opening of the pass. Pei Yu stood atop the triple gate tower, looking down upon the merchants and farmers coming and going.
The magistrate of Guanzhong stood by, occasionally introducing the scenery of Hangu Pass. He secretly glanced at this legendary young general, a close advisor to the emperor.
The heavy gold ingots in his official robes made his arms ache. He glanced at the soldiers surrounding him, pondering how to subtly curry favor with this important person.
The magistrate of Guanzhong smiled and said, "General Pei, it's windy here. Why don't you come with me to the government office to rest for a while, and then come out to greet His Highness the Crown Prince when his carriage arrives?"
Pei Yu, with his ring-pommel sword slung across his shoulder, said in a calm and indifferent tone, "No need for that."
The magistrate of Guanzhong continued to persuade, "I've heard that General Pei is a great lover of fine wine. I happen to have a few jars of excellent Sichuan wine, so why don't you..."
“Guanzhong Commander.” Pei Yu turned his head, staring at him with a half-smile, and pointed to a place at the pass, saying, “That caravan said it was transporting silk, but the carts are so heavily loaded, it seems to be made of iron.”
Guan Zhongling was caught off guard by the interruption. He swayed his heavy body and looked outside. What he saw startled him. The tracks of the silk supply wagons were half a degree deeper than those of the grain supply wagons next to them.
He broke out in a cold sweat instantly, gave Pei Yu a slight bow, and hurriedly went down the gate tower.
Several heavy gold ingots accidentally fell out of her sleeve and rolled down the stairs, the clanging sound startling the guards.
The magistrate of Guanzhong didn't even bother to look up at Pei Yu's expression; he scrambled to pick up the gold ingots and ran away.
Fang Mu found his comical running around amusing and remarked, "Why is this Guanzhong magistrate carrying so many gold ingots? There's nothing valuable in Hangu Pass anyway."
Chi Yan rolled his eyes and turned away from the idiot. "He wanted to take the opportunity to bribe the young general, but he didn't find a chance."
Fang Mu wasn't angry. He leaned over and chatted with him casually: "Do you want to know what happened that day when I escorted Madam Song back to her residence?"
Chi Yan paused in pushing his head, he was genuinely interested. The two of them secretly glanced at Pei Yu standing in front and chatted in hushed tones.
Fang Mukua kept everyone in suspense: "That day, the Queen wanted to send people to drive Lady Song out of the mansion, and even had her maids do it! But guess what happened?"
Chi Yan said irritably, "If you don't tell me, I'll beat you up."
Fang Mu chuckled, exaggeratingly: "You don't know! That Lady Song stunned the Queen and Lady He with just one sentence, dismissed all the servants, and even scared me!"
"That's because you're a coward." Chi chuckled and snorted twice, then asked, "What did Madam Song say?"
Pei Yu looked down at the endless stream of merchant caravans and listened to Fang Mu's exaggerated account. That day, when he returned to the mansion, the maid only told him that his mother and Song Huiyin had a quarrel, and that she was angry and wouldn't let Song Huiyin into the house.
As for the details, he didn't know, but he was also very curious about what Song Huiyin had to say.
Fang Mu pretended to speak softly, puffed out his chest, and repeated in the tone of Huiyin that day: "The young general has made great contributions in pacifying Dong'ou. The whole city is watching the Pei family and the palace closely. Does the Queen really intend to expel me from the Pei family at this time and let the whole world know?"
Before Chi Yan could reply, the young general turned around and sneered, "She certainly knows how to use someone else's power. However, you're wrong about one thing."
"Young General, where did you go wrong?" Fang Mu asked, puzzled.
Pei Yu said calmly, "She won't call me Young General."
A commotion broke out at the pass. The magistrate of Guanzhong sent someone to report that the Crown Prince's entourage had arrived. A four-horse carriage with vermilion wheels and a blue canopy slowly approached the pass. The carriage was decorated with gold and silver patterns, and colorful tassels hung from the canopy.
The Crown Prince's guards, clad in red leather armor and carrying shields reading "Avoid" and "Silence," marched forward and announced, "The Crown Prince's entourage has arrived." Pei Yu turned and went downstairs, with Fang Mu and Chi Yan following behind, as they went out to greet the Crown Prince.
Fang Mu was puzzled; he felt that the young general had a lot of prejudice against Madam Song.
The Crown Prince and Empress Pei look about 50% alike. The difference is that Empress Pei is beautiful, while the Crown Prince has gentle features and looks like a young scholar.
He wore a traveler's hat and a crimson gauze robe, with a jade-hilted sword at his waist. Upon seeing Pei Yu, his eyes lit up with a smile.
The Crown Prince alighted from the carriage and hurried to greet Pei Yu, his face beaming with joy: "Cousin, you really came to pick me up!"
Pei Yu bowed and saluted, but before he could fully bend down, the Crown Prince grabbed him and led him to the carriage. The Crown Prince said with a delighted expression, "Cousin, there's no need for such formalities. Come with me to the carriage for a chat."
The two stood together, and from a distance, their features were very similar, except that Pei Yu's eyebrows and eyes were more outstanding. He had a high nose bridge, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and when he didn't smile, he looked like a cold-faced Yama, calm and composed.
When he smiles, the corners of his mouth turn upwards, adding a touch of unruliness, like an unsheathed dagger slicing through the moonlight, languid yet sharp, which is most attractive to young girls.
Pei Yu was somewhat helpless, letting the Crown Prince pull him forward. His facial expression didn't change much, but those who knew him well knew that he was relaxed and in a good mood at the moment.
The imperial carriage slowly set off, heading towards Xijing. Behind the Crown Prince's carriage was a solemn and orderly cavalry unit, numbering about a hundred, divided into left and right wings, guarding the carriage and dispelling the dark thoughts of those parasites.
Since being frightened by Huiyin, He Jiaying behaved herself for a while. Madam Pei also stopped making things difficult for Huiyin, and the servants in the mansion were exceptionally respectful. She seemed to have returned to her boudoir, and for several days she was undisturbed. However, this brief period of leisure was about to be broken.
Pei Yu, it's time to go home.
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