Chapter 22 Military General or Civil Official, Who Would You Choose? Pei Yu…
Inside the carriage on the return journey, Huiyin keenly sensed Pei Yu's melancholy mood. He had his eyes closed, leaning against the dark wooden board, his hands hanging at his sides.
The carriage was spacious inside, but because Pei Yu sat imposingly in the center, to avoid physical contact between them, she could only sit sideways with her legs near the door.
Huiyin moved her slightly numb legs and feet, holding her breath as she peeked at Pei Yu, who had his eyes closed. He had a high nose bridge, bright red lips, and long, narrow, upturned eyes. His smile exuded a natural charm.
Huiyin usually saw him with a slight smile, rarely laughing heartily. She stared at him, lost in thought, when she was suddenly caught off guard by a question, "How much longer are you going to watch?"
Huiyin looked back and realized that he had opened his eyes at some point and was staring coldly at her. Her ears immediately burned, and she quickly turned her face away, explaining, "I was just lost in thought."
She heard Pei Yu hum softly, then gently touch her knee with his leg and ask, "Are you very familiar with Wang Huan?"
Pei Yu's lean calf slammed into her, and the heat emanating from under her dress followed. Huiyin's back stiffened, and she subtly lowered her leg to avoid his touch.
"We've known each other since childhood."
Pei Yu snorted coldly, his tone extremely strange, "No matter what your relationship was before, you need to remember, you are mine now, don't get too close to other men."
Huiyin silently complained to herself, "How nosy!" She nodded perfunctorily, leaned against the car wall, and closed her eyes for a light nap.
The carriage entered the inner city, where the streets were neatly paved with blue bricks, and there was not even a bump in the road.
Pei Yu seemed to find it boring, so he bent down and pulled out a lacquered wooden chessboard from under the seat, placed it in the center, sat down cross-legged, and pointed to the chessboard, asking, "Want to play a game?"
Huiyin didn't want to stay in the carriage staring at him, so she got up, straightened her skirt, knelt down opposite him, and reached for the chess box.
The chessboard beneath my hand is smooth and comfortable, with seventeen lines in each direction. The edges are decorated with floral and bird patterns carved with a knife, and cloud patterns are inlaid at the four corners of the chessboard.
Black goes first, then white. The two players each take out the corresponding number of pieces from their chess boxes to determine who goes first. Huiyin wins and plays black, moving first. Pei Yu's fingers are long and slender with distinct joints, and his posture while holding the pieces is exceptionally graceful.
The two exchanged dozens of blows, Huiyin's expression growing increasingly serious, while Pei Yu rested his chin on one hand, looking relaxed.
Snap—
He placed a piece, slightly raising his chin, signaling Huiyin to place her piece as well.
On the chessboard, black and white pieces crisscrossed. Huiyin examined them closely for a long time, then looked up in disbelief and asked, "Are you sure you want to play this piece?"
Pei Yu glanced lazily at the chessboard and nodded, "Play this."
Huiyin remained silent for a moment, then raised her hand and placed a piece, the outcome of the game already decided. It wasn't a close contest, but a crushing defeat for White.
Seeing Pei Yu's confident expression, she guessed that he was a skilled chess player, so she focused intently from the start, pondering each move carefully before making it.
To her utter surprise, Pei Yu's chess skills were terrible; he was a complete idiot and playing against him would be a waste of time.
She had assumed Pei Yu would be in a bad mood after his crushing defeat, but to her surprise, he became engrossed in the game and played two more rounds with her. As expected, he suffered another crushing defeat.
Huiyin was exhausted by his chess game. Finally, when Pei Yu finished cleaning up the game and pulled her to play another game, she protested, "We've already played three games, why don't we take a break?"
"I'm not home yet, let's play two more games." He was in high spirits, showing no signs of fatigue.
Huiyin gritted her teeth and continued, "I'm a little tired. How about we play chess with the young general another day?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Yu looked up at her, and she noticed that his eyes were extremely dark, like ink.
"You think my chess skills are bad and don't want to play with me?"
Huiyin choked on her breath, and she clenched her hands earnestly, "Next, let's guess first."
As dusk fell and darkness approached, the carriage finally arrived at the main gate of the Pei residence. Inside, Huiyin breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Pei Yu, who had been deep in thought for a long time, "Young General, we're home now. Why don't we call it a day?"
Pei Yu lifted the carriage curtain. The silk lanterns at the main gate of the Pei residence had already been lit. He stepped past Huiyin and got off the carriage first. He instructed Chi Yan, who was standing next to him, to seal the chessboard inside the carriage and send it to Linshui Pavilion. He would continue playing the game after he finished his work.
Huiyin, who was a step behind, paused, nearly falling off the carriage shaft. She steadied herself and watched Pei Yu stride away, asking with a rather complicated expression, "Did he always love chess this much?"
Chi Yan was also puzzled. "The young general doesn't like playing chess. I've never seen him before."
Huiyin looked incredulous, pointed at Pei Yu's departing figure, and said tremblingly, "Then why did he torture me for an hour?"
Are you just using her for entertainment?!
Chi Yan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "I know! The young general was exceptionally intelligent in his youth, and he was self-taught in horseback riding and archery. He is also extremely competitive! It must be because you, Madam Song, defeated him too badly on the chessboard today. Although he didn't say it, he must have been very resentful and was holding back his anger to avenge his defeat!"
Huiyin: "..." She should have held back a bit.
——
Huiyin huffed and puffed as she returned to Linshui Pavilion, where Yanniang was waiting outside with a silk lantern. Upon seeing Yanniang's plump figure, Huiyin immediately beamed with joy and took small steps to rush over to Yanniang, throwing herself into her arms and acting coquettishly, "Fu Niang, I'm so tired today."
Yan Niang's hands were dry as she stroked Huiyin's round, blunt head and said with heartache, "This servant has prepared your favorite snacks and goat's milk."
She murmured to herself as she led Huiyin into the main hall. The candlelight flickered on the floor-to-ceiling bronze stands on both sides of the hall, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime.
The two removed their embroidered shoes and stepped onto the mahogany board with silk stockings. Yan Niang pressed Huiyin onto the brocade cushion and knelt down beside her to serve her tea.
Madam Pei then assigned her four maids who were sweeping around the main room. Some were kneeling and wiping the wooden boards, some were tidying up the scattered wooden books, and some were sweeping the folding chair.
Yan Niang knelt behind Huiyin, letting her hair fall over her shoulders, and massaged her muscles and bones to relax them. Her strength was just right, and Huiyin felt comfortable all over, and the fatigue of the day completely disappeared.
As the moon rose above the treetops, Huiyin felt sleepy. She had gotten up early that morning and dared not relax at the Qujiang Banquet, forcing herself to stay awake all day. On the way back, she was tormented by Pei Yu for a long time, and her eyelids were already drooping, making her drowsy.
Yan Niang chuckled, took the lacquer cup from Huiyin's hand, put it down, and helped her upstairs to the second floor to wash and rest.
Huiyin, dressed in a plain white undergarment, lay on the soft bed, while Yanniang gently tapped her back and legs with a small wooden hammer.
Huiyin turned to the candlestick and murmured, “I met many familiar faces today: Princess Suiyang, His Highness the Crown Prince, Jinghao, and Wang Huan. They are still the same as before.”
Yan Niang paused when she heard Wang Huan's name. Everyone said that Wang Huan was a handsome young man and a rare good husband, but she did not like him.
Outsiders may not know, but she does. At that time, Huiyin and Wang Huan were the most well-matched young man and woman in the capital. The Wang and Song families were going to discuss marriage, but Wang Huan suddenly changed his mind and said that he only regarded Huiyin as a younger sister, so the marriage was called off.
She disliked talking behind people's backs, and only muttered, "Does Master Wang still treat you like a younger sister as before?"
Huiyin was both amused and exasperated. She sat up straight, took Yanniang's hand, and comforted her, "Mother Fu, how come you still remember this old story?"
Yan Niang looked unhappy. In her heart, Huiyin was the best girl. Although Wang Huan was good, he was not good enough for Huiyin. He even refused the marriage proposal.
Anyway, I don't like him.
Huiyin explained, “Mother Fu, you misunderstood. When the two families were discussing marriage, Wang Huan came to me in advance and asked if I was willing to marry him. I avoided the topic and only said that I would treat him as an older brother. He understood my feelings and then went to the elders to say that he would treat me as a younger sister.”
Yan Niang looked bewildered: "Is that so?"
Squeak—
The two women thought it was a maid in the courtyard, but after waiting for a long time without hearing a sound, Yan Niang lifted the curtain and went out to check the inner room. Hui Yin heard her greeting.
"This servant greets the young general."
Huiyin paused in tidying the bedding. Pei Yu? When did he arrive? Why wasn't he announced? Did he overhear her conversation with Yan Niang?
"Mm," Pei Yu responded, gesturing for Yan Niang to get up.
"Where is the Song family?" he asked.
Yan Niang glanced into the inner room, did not move, and respectfully said, "Madam Song has already retired for the night. This servant will assist the young general to his bedtime."
"No need, you may leave." Pei Yu waved his hand, took off his shoes and went into the inner room. He sat on Huiyin's favorite low couch and began to read the policy essays she had not yet finished.
Yan Niang glanced worriedly at the inner room, closed the door, and left. Hui Yin sat quietly on the bed, listening to the sounds coming from the outer room. She heard the sound of turning bamboo slips, and waited for a while, but Pei Yu still did not make a sound.
Huiyin ignored him, lay down on the couch, covered herself with the blanket and went to sleep. Tonight, she would definitely not give up her bed.
She tossed and turned several times, then resignedly opened her eyes. She simply couldn't sleep in this brightly lit room.
Huiyin quietly got up and left the bed. Fortunately, the curtains had already been drawn to conceal her figure. She only needed to quietly extinguish a few candlesticks near the bed without making a sound.
Huiyin lifted her skirt and carefully approached the floor candlestick. Just as she was about to extinguish it, a voice came from outside: "You have no talent for being a thief."
Startled, she turned around and saw Pei Yu standing not far away, watching her with a familiar, mocking smile on his lips.
Huiyin pretended nothing was wrong and turned off the light, placing her hands in front of her abdomen and straightening her back: "I just turned off the light, I don't understand what you're saying."
Pei Yu was both amused and exasperated. Who was trying to cover up their blunder here? He stared at Song Huiyin's figure, and before she could even lift her foot, he took a large step to her side and grabbed her slender, fair neck.
He lowered his head and moved closer to Huiyin, at a distance that allowed him to see her flushed cheeks and fine downy hairs; her skin was smooth and exceptionally alluring.
There was a struggle from his subordinates. Pei Yu pulled Huiyin back and then plopped down on Huiyin's clean and soft bed.
"You should save your energy."
Huiyin's chest heaved with anger. Just a little bit more, she stared at Pei Yu's smug face and said, word by word, "This is my bed!"
"The wife is the head of the household, so why can't I sleep in this bed?"
"...You." Shameless, shameless.
Huiyin took a deep breath, avoiding looking at Pei Yu's annoying face. She silently comforted herself, saying that when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
So what if she sleeps on the ground? It's not like it's the first time. She'll accept it. She'll leave as soon as she gets her revenge. She doesn't believe Song will waste a single moment!
She silently left the inner room, pulled out the bedding Yan Niang had hidden in the wooden cupboard, tidied it up, and looked back to see Pei Yu already lying on her bed.
Pei Yu had just closed his eyes when he heard a series of loud noises from the outer room. After a moment of silence, a screeching sound came from the table on the floor, followed by the jingling of hairpins and ornaments.
He left the inner room and found Huiyin kneeling before a bronze mirror, with four or five makeup boxes in front of her. She held a gold hairpin in each hand, the flowers swaying wildly and making annoying noises.
He tapped on the screen, interrupting Huiyin's mischief, "If you're not going to sleep, then continue playing that game of chess with me."
Huiyin froze, quietly tidied her dressing case, lay down on the floor, covered her head, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm going to sleep."
Pei Yu crossed his arms, took two steps forward, kicked Huiyin's quilt, and said with a half-smile, "It's too late, get up."
Huiyin got up and sat in front of the chessboard with a bitter face. Seeing the unfinished game, she felt a splitting headache. She should have realized long ago that Pei Yu's mature and composed appearance was just an act. In reality, he was extremely petty and vengeful.
——
The next day, Huiyin slept on her makeshift bed on the floor until mid-morning. When she woke up, Pei Yu was no longer there. She rubbed her eyes and called for someone to come and tidy up. She had been playing chess with Pei Yu until late afternoon the night before, and now her eyes were dark and swollen, which even makeup couldn't hide. She looked completely exhausted.
Yan Niang applied makeup to her with a pained expression, complaining, "Young General, why can't we play chess at any time? Why do you have to make things so difficult for me?"
Huiyin yawned, tears welling up in her eyes, and softly leaned into Yanniang's arms, closing her eyes to rest.
"Madam is much better this morning. Taking advantage of the young general and young master's days off, she ordered a family banquet. There is still half an hour left. I will help you get dressed."
Huiyin kept her eyes closed as Yanniang arranged her clothes. Yanniang felt sorry for her tiredness, so today's attire was kept simple: a pale yellow blouse with a black belt, and her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head with a vermilion ribbon.
When she arrived at Zhengyang Courtyard, only Madam Pei and He Jiaying were there. Upon seeing her, Madam Pei waved for her to sit down. He Jiaying looked awkward and lowered her head, fidgeting with her hands.
After Huiyin finished her greetings, she looked around the main hall. There were five lacquered tables in the hall. Madam Pei was in the main seat, with two seats on each side of her. Pei Yu was definitely sitting in the first right seat. Huiyin walked around the table, preparing to sit diagonally to his side.
Madam Pei quickly spoke up, "Huiyin, sit there." She pointed to the second seat on the right.
Huiyin's smile froze as she moved over and sat down. She really didn't want to see Pei Yu's face right now; if she encountered him again, she might not be able to maintain her facade of virtue and gentleness.
He Jiaying, who was standing next to Madam Pei, quickly looked up at Huiyin and then got up and sat down opposite Huiyin.
Not long after, Pei Yu and Pei Yan also arrived and sat down. Madam Pei had just recovered from a serious illness, and her face was still somewhat haggard, but she was all smiles. She nodded to Tao Ao, who was standing to the side. Tao Ao accepted the order and went out of the room with her maids to set out the food and wine.
A whole roasted lamb, grilled over fruitwood charcoal, sits in the center, brushed with meat sauce, honey, and spices, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exuding a wonderful aroma. A maid kneels before the roasting lamb, deftly shaving slices of meat off with a knife, which are then delivered by other maids to the five-person lacquered table.
There are also three main courses, five side dishes, three desserts, berry drinks, and rice wine.
Madam Pei instructed, "Start eating. This is a family dinner; there's no need for formalities."
In situations like this, Huiyin only needed to focus on eating; there was no room for her to express herself. She had just picked up her chopsticks and put a piece of fragrant roasted mutton into her mouth when Madam Pei looked at her with a loving expression, "Huiyin, is it delicious?"
The other three turned to look at her simultaneously, staring at the piece of mutton she hadn't yet swallowed.
Huiyin raised her hand to cover her face with her sleeve, chewed a few mouthfuls and swallowed, then replied, "Delicious."
Stared at by the four of them, she couldn't taste anything at all.
Madam Pei nodded in satisfaction, handed the roasted mutton from her lacquered table to Aunt Qiao behind her, and instructed Aunt Qiao to place the mutton on Huiyin's lacquered table.
"If you like it, eat more. You suffered some injustice the other day, so you need to make up for it properly."
Upon hearing this, the two people opposite lowered their heads and buried themselves in their food. Huiyin looked at the man sitting steadily beside her. Most of the grievances she had suffered stemmed from this man. She silently added in her heart, "He's not only petty, but also shameless."
Fortunately, Madam Pei stopped paying attention to Huiyin and instead brought up Pei Yan's skipping of classes at the Imperial Academy. She grabbed Pei Yan and lectured him for a long time.
He Jiaying, who was sitting opposite Huiyin, kept stealing glances at her. Whenever Huiyin looked up, He Jiaying would lower her head guiltily.
Huiyin got annoyed by her staring, so she simply put down her chopsticks, crossed her arms, and looked at He Jiaying across from her.
The next moment, Huiyin caught He Jiaying stealing a glance at her. She glared at her fiercely and raised her fist to threaten He Jiaying. Unexpectedly, He Jiaying suddenly pointed at her and shouted, "Why are your dark circles so bad? Did you go thief last night?"
The three of them turned to look at her again, but Huiyin was already somewhat numb, sitting still and letting them scrutinize her. Pei Yan was also startled: "Isn't this bruise? Did someone beat you up and give you a black eye?"
A low laugh came from beside her. Huiyin looked over and saw Pei Yu propping his head up with one hand and looking at her. Sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtain and fell on the corners of his eyes, which were slightly upturned when he laughed. His laugh had a touch of untamed wildness, like a young man who had won a battle.
Huiyin: "..." How could he have the nerve to laugh?
Madam Pei was startled and hurriedly tried to get up to check, but Qiao, who was behind her, held her down and whispered a few words in her ear. Madam Pei instantly revealed an ambiguous smile, looked at Huiyin kindly, and scolded Pei Yan: "What does a child know? Eat your food."
Pei Yan lowered his head in grievance and shoveled rice into his mouth. Only Huiyin, seeing Madam Pei's expression, felt a sense of unease; something seemed amiss.
She saw Madam Pei give a few instructions to Aunt Qiao behind her. Aunt Qiao walked out of the room with cheerful steps. After a while, she returned with a bowl of steaming medicine on Huiyin's lacquered table, a clear smile on her lips.
Madam Pei said, "Huiyin, drink it while it's hot. This medicinal soup is excellent for nourishing yin and blood, replenishing essence and marrow, and it's good for your health."
Do they misunderstand something about nourishing yin and replenishing blood?
There were others still around, and she was too embarrassed to ask. She pinched her nose and swallowed the medicine, even the back of her tongue tasted bitter.
After things finally calmed down, Pei Yan and He Jiaying started bickering. Huiyin listened carefully for a moment and realized that the two of them were talking about Huiyin and Wang Huan's duet on the Shangsi Festival.
Pei Yan's voice grew louder, his face full of disdain: "That Wang Huan is just a weak scholar, unable to carry anything, and besides some useless things like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, what else can he do?"
He Jiaying retorted, "What's wrong with scholars? Scholars can govern the country! Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are all elegant pursuits. You warriors only know how to wield swords and spears. You have no taste at all. How can you possibly have anything to talk about?"
The two argued back and forth, and had to involve outsiders. Pei Yan was the first to ask for help, pointing at Huiyin and asking, "Sister Huiyin, you tell me, is a military general better or a civil official?"
The other three turned to Huiyin again, waiting for her reply.
Huiyin: "..." Is this never going to end?
She gave a perfunctory answer: "Military generals and capable ministers all have their advantages, and I, a mere woman, dare not offer any opinions."
Pei Yan was getting anxious and agitated: "I didn't ask you to say whether a military general or a civil official is better. You just said, which would you choose, a military general or a civil official? No, would you choose my brother or Wang Huan?"
Pei Yan looked at He Jiaying with confidence and a smug expression. He was sure to win; his elder sister Huiyin would definitely choose his brother.
"Civil official".
"See? I told you..." Pei Yan belatedly realized, his face blank as he stared at Huiyin in disbelief, "Sister Huiyin, what did you say? You're choosing a civil official?!"
Huiyin stopped speaking. The gazes of those around her seemed to pierce through her, so she silently raised her hand to cover half of her face.
He Jiaying laughed loudly: "See! Civil officials are so good."
Pei Yan was furious and cursed, "You're such a fickle person! You used to like my brother and chase after him, but you've changed your mind so quickly!"
"I...I was like that..." He Jiaying choked, her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Madam Pei's heart skipped a beat. Her niece had finally stopped mentioning becoming her son's concubine, but this little devil had to bring up the very thing she didn't want to talk about. She was about to interrupt her.
A clear voice came to the rescue: "Young girls are naturally inclined to admire others. Who hasn't had a few crushes on young men? Besides, what one talks about all the time isn't necessarily what one truly likes. Young ladies are often shy, and when they like someone, they're often overcome with embarrassment."
He Jiaying nodded repeatedly and chimed in, "That's right, that's right. I was young and naive before, and I mistook my admiration for my cousin for love. I don't like my cousin now. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll never forgive you."
He Jiaying looked at Huiyin with a beaming smile and admiration. Did Huiyin's help mean she forgave her and wouldn't blame her?
Pei Yan sat down dejectedly, looking sullen, and asked again, "Then, Sister Huiyin, who did you admire when you were young, my brother or Wang Huan?"
Snap—
Pei Yu put down his chopsticks, took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid beside him and washed his hands. He did not look up, and said in a calm and unhurried voice, "Mother, I have finished eating. The Tiger Legion has other matters to attend to, so I will leave first."
Madam Pei nodded and watched him leave. Pei Yu walked outside, turned back and glanced at the faces of the people inside, finally stopping on Pei Yan, and beckoned to him: "Come out, let's test your knowledge."
Pei Yan was extremely unwilling, his backside as if nailed to the brocade mat, burying his head in silence, pretending not to hear. He wasn't going; did they think he couldn't tell that his elder brother was angry? And when he was angry, it was a serious matter.
Pei Yan tried hard to recall what he had said that had angered his elder brother.
Pei Yu remained expressionless, taking a few long strides to Pei Yan's side. He subdued the struggling boy with a single move, dragging him outside. As they passed Huiyin's desk, he stopped and met her gaze.
Huiyin sat upright in place, her eyes unmoved, not even giving him a glance.
Okay, very good.
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