Chapter Fifteen (Part 1)
Yan Shi Ning waved her fan anxiously.
Pei Jin pulled Yan Shi Ning onto his lap and he whispered in her ear. ‘Wife, you don’t need to worry. My spies have secretly investigated everyone in the manor. Now that Su Yue is gone, you’re free to climb walls or roll on the ground.’
‘Who’s worried?’ Yan Shi Ning asked. Pei Jin reminded her of embarrassing childhood memories and she jumped off his lap. ‘What climb walls? It was you who provoked me to climb walls. What roll on the ground? It was you who forced me to roll on the ground.’
Pei Jin smiled happily at the sight of an angry Yan Shi Ning.
Yan Shi Ning ran to sit on the chair opposite Pei Jin. She worried pointlessly, Pei Jin had a dangerous stomach and anyone that dared to wrong him was unlucky.
‘Huang Guo’s messenger sent Su Yue the poison,’ Pei Jin said. ‘I asked Bei Dou to check her chamber long ago. In the past I didn’t hesitate to eliminate spies sent to the manor. But she was Huang Guo’s spy… out of consideration Consort Chen was my adoptive mother, I acted like I didn’t know about Su Yue spying on me. I had her followed and I slowly thought of ways to return her without offending Huang Guo… that was two years ago. After I came back from Southern Jiang I could only avoid her and I waited for the right opportunity to chase her back to Huang Guo’s manor.’
‘Big brother, how are you going to deal with Huang Guo?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘As long as my wife is happy I’ll use all my abilities,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning didn’t know how Pei Jin could talk nonsense while looking serious.
‘Wife, you can see that Huang Guo doesn’t want to only spy on me anymore,’ Pei Jin said. ‘If I didn’t deal with Su Yue then I don’t know what would have happened to us.’
Yan Shi Ning remembered the bottle of poison and her heart shivered fearfully. ‘Big Brother, the poison… is Huang Guo’s scheme?’
Pei Jin nodded and Yan Shi Ning took a deep breath. ‘But in the morning didn’t big brother said Huang Guo… if big brother can’t have children then what’s the purpose of you climbing high?’
In the morning Pei Jin whispered in Yan Shi Ning’s ear, ‘Huang Guo always wanted me to climb high, but I don’t want to.’
Each time Yan Shi Ning remembered Pei Jin’s words, her heart pounded continuously. She thought the battle for the throne was only between seventh prince and crown prince. She didn’t know there were court officials who secretly supported Pei Jin. Although Huang Guo resigned, Huang Guo’s influence in the imperial court wasn’t insignificant.
Yan Shi Ning didn’t know why if Huang Guo was secretly supporting Pei Jin then why Huang Guo sent Su Yue to poison Pei Jin.
‘Shi Ning, you should know in this world there’s something called puppet,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning stayed quiet for a while and thought about the meaning of Pei Jin’s words.
Pei Jin smiled at the sight of Yan Shi Ning’s revelation expression. He leaned back on his chair and he thought about Consort Chen. When Consort Chen was alive, Huang Guo’s desire was for him to become emperor. But Consort Chen didn’t want him to be caught in the deep web of battles. Consort Chen only wanted him to grow into a healthy and carefree man. After Consort Chen died, Huang Guo resigned and to other people it appeared like Huang Guo didn’t have any influence left in the imperial court.
When Pei Jin was eighteen years old, Huang Guo asked him, ‘who do you think suits being emperor?’
‘I don’t know,’ Pei Jin said.
‘What if you are emperor?’ Huang Guo asked.
‘I don’t suit,’ Pei Jin said.
‘I think you suit more than them,’ Huang Guo said.
Huang Guo persuaded some court officials to support Pei Jin, but Pei Jin avoided associations with them.
Yan Shi Ning thought many people who were in Pei Jin’s position, a prince who was unloved was suddenly elevated high in the sky would make their heads spin. But Pei Jin wasn’t like them. Pei Jin knew the day Huang Guo elevated him high in the sky would also be the day Pei Jin would fall onto the ground, shatter bones and flesh.
Ten years ago Pei Jin hid behind a screen and heard Huang Guo said something cryptic to Consort Chen, ‘Boys fight, elders win. Destroy roots, pursue ambition.’
Initially Pei Jin didn’t want to believe the meaning behind Huang Guo’s words until Bei Dou told him that the poison Huang Guo’s messenger gave Su Yue was Diao Jing Ji.
Pei Jin realised the poison was intended for Yan Shi Ning. If Yan Shi Ning couldn’t have his children, Huang Guo wanted Su Yue or another woman Huang Guo sent to have his children. Only then would Huang Guo have absolute control while he would be a powerless puppet who could die unexpectedly anytime and Huang Guo would steal the throne.
Pei Jin thought Huang Guo’s scheme was good. Luckily he evaded Huang Guo’s scheme. He put aside his deep thoughts and saw Yan Shi Ning was standing in front of the window brooding.
‘Wife, what are you thinking about?’ Pei Jin asked.
Yan Shi Ning thought about the cruel battles in the palace. But she didn’t expect one day the battles would involve her. If Pei Jin didn’t discover the scheme in time then the consequences would be severe. Heavens, she only entered Pei Jin’s manor for two days and was faced with such a depressing situation.
Yan Shi Ning looked depressingly up at the sky and spoke softly. ‘I’m thinking about my mother’s wish for me to live a safe and carefree life. But I fear I can’t grant her wish.’
Pei Jin stood in front of Yan Shi Ning. ‘Do you regret marrying me? It’s useless to regret now. It’s your fault for not running away before the wedding.’
‘It’s your fault for wanting to marry me!’ Yan Shi Ning said through gritted teeth.
Pei Jin flicked Yan Shi Ning’s forehead. ‘If you didn’t marry me, I fear your chances of living a safe and carefree life would be less.’
‘What?’ Yan Shi Ning asked confusedly.
‘Perhaps this is a hard path,’ Pei Jin said. ‘Are you scared?’
Yan Shi Ning tilted her head back, looked at Pei Jin for a while and spoke in a fierce tone. ‘I’m married to the scariest person in this world. Big brother, do you think there is anything else for me to be scared of?’
Pei Jin laughed.
‘But Huang Guo invested in his scheme for years,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘Will he be willing to let go of it?’
Pei Jin looked at the gardens outside the window. ‘Of course not. But right now that’s not the biggest worry.’
‘What else is there?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘Tomorrow you need to go to the Yan Manor,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning had forgotten about visiting her maiden family home after the third day of marriage.
***
End of Chapter Fifteen (Part 1)
Chapter Fifteen (Part 2)
Pei Jin prepared gifts for Yan Shi Ning’s family.
Yan Shi Ning glanced at the expensive gifts and her heart ached for the silver taels wasted.
‘This is your husband elevating your worth,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning understood if a husband gave expensive gifts to his wife’s family, it meant he valued his wife. She knew that she had a high place in Pei Jin’s heart. ‘Big brother, aren’t you scared people will think you want to gain my father’s favour?’
Pei Jin didn’t reply immediately. He looked carefully at Yan Shi Ning’s appearance. Suddenly he remembered something. He pulled out a hairpin from one of the chests. At the top of the hairpin was three pearls and the gold sunlight reflected off them. He secured the hairpin in Yan Shi Ning’s hair. ‘Wife, this hairpin suits your dress.’
Yan Shi Ning didn’t voice her opinion. What could she say? Thank Pei Jin for rummaging through the chests he was going to give to her father?
‘Let people think what they like,’ Pei Jin said. ‘It’s clear I’m innocent. How can people suspect me?’ He paused and inspected Yan Shi Ning’s appearance again. ‘Where’s the jade pendant?’
‘What is it for?’ Yan Shi Ning asked suspiciously.
‘For you to wear,’ Pei Jin said. ‘Are you keeping it safe as an heirloom for the next generation?’
Pei Jin began to search Yan Shi Ning’s body for the jade pendant.
Yan Shi Ning turned around and ran away. ‘I’m not wearing it. It’s ugly to death.’
‘Wear it,’ Pei Jin said. He chased Yan Shi Ning and caught her. ‘It’s a rare jade pendant. It’s more expensive than these gifts combined. If you wear it, it’ll look beautiful.’
‘Even if I die, I’m not wearing it!’ Yan Shi Ning said.
Yan Shi Ning was supposed to appear like a lady. How could she wear such an ugly jade pendant?
While Yan Shi Ning was struggling to escape Pei Jin’s embrace, the sounds of footsteps were approaching them. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek. ‘Someone’s coming, be good.’
Yan Shi Ning stood upright like a lady.
‘Wife, the sleeve of your dress is crooked,’ Pei Jin said. ‘Let me straighten it for you.’
Pei Jin pulled out the jade pendant shaped like a lion and secured it on Yan Shi Ning’s belt.
Yan Shi Ning glanced at the envious two maids at the door and forced herself to smile. ‘Thank you husband.’
After Pei Jin and Yan Shi Ning was inside the horse carriage, the two maids gossiped about them.
‘Ninth prince treats his wife well,’ the younger maid said. ‘I saw ninth prince straighten his wife’s dress.’
‘In the past ninth prince has always been gentle,’ the older maid said.
‘It’s not the same,’ the younger maid said. ‘In the past ninth prince didn’t treat Lady Yewu as good as he treats his wife.’
‘That’s because Lady Yewu isn’t as kind as ninth prince’s wife,’ the older maid said. ‘Little sister, you don’t know that each time Lady Yewu met ninth prince, Lady Yewu treated him coldly. Lady Yewu is nothing like ninth prince’s wife who is always friendly and approachable.’
‘Big sister, do you know how Lady Yewu died?’ the younger maid asked.
‘The rumor is that Lady Yewu died of an illness,’ the older maid said. ‘But I think that isn’t the truth-’
‘Who allowed you two talk nonsense behind ninth prince’s back?’ Bei Dou asked.
The two maids were happily gossiping in the gardens and were startled when they heard Bei Dou’s voice behind their backs. They turned around and saw a cold face Bei Dou dressed in black clothes like a demon.
‘If you two talk nonsense again, be careful of your tongues,’ Bei Dou said coldly and walked past the two maids.
The older maid was scared speechless and the younger maid cried. Both maids knew Bei Dou’s threats were scary and real. They remembered the time Tao Xue barged into Bei Dou’s chamber and Tao Xue came running out itching her body. Then Tao Xue left the manor and no one knew if Tao Xue stopped itching.
Bei Dou glanced back at the two maids who were silently walking toward their chambers.
Bei Dou sighed, looked up at the sky and remembered Pei Jin’s request.
‘In the future when you’re free roam around the manor,’ Pei Jin said. ‘If you see anything suspicious you can take care of the situation. Since you have many ways to deal with people who misbehave and everyone in the manor is scared of you.’
Bei Dou wanted to protest. What if free roam around the manor? What was he, a demon? But he didn’t expect people would still talk about Lady Yewu’s death.
Bei Dou leapt on a wall, it was clear in all four directions and he jumped outside the manor. Since Pei Jin chased Su Yue back to Huang Guo’s manor, Pei Jin ended all associations with Huang Guo. It meant avenging his family would be prolonged. But he didn’t want to wait any longer to avenge his family.
***
End of Chapter Fifteen (Part 2)
Chapter Fifteen (Part 3 of 3)
The horse carriage traveled toward the Yan Manor.
Inside the horse carriage Pei Jin kissed Yan Shi Ning. Instead of tasting her, he tasted makeup. ‘Wife, why do you need to wear makeup to visit your family?’
Yan Shi Ning glared at Pei Jin. Of course she needed to wear makeup to protect herself. She decided to wear makeup on her body at night too that way he wouldn’t dare kiss her impulsively.
Yan Shi Ning remembered last night mouthy boy crawled under her undergarments and he bit sensitive spots on her body. She blushed and considered putting sleeping powder on her face at night too.
The Yan Manor wasn’t far away from Pei Jin’s manor, about half a shichen hour by horse carriage.
Pei Jin and Yan Shi Ning were greeted by loud fireworks at the Yan Manor entrance.
Yan Jing saw how Pei Jin treated his oldest daughter lovingly and he smiled faster than he could say what a good son-in-law.
Princess Kang Hua hated seeing how Pei Jin loved Yan Shi Ning, but she smiled politely.
Earlier in the morning Yan Shi Ting ordered a maid to put makeup on her and fussed for a long time to choose earrings compatible with her dress. But Pei Jin only nodded to greet her politely. Like in the past his attention was never focused on her. Even the cold and arrogant seventh prince wanted to gain her favour, but Pei Jin would always ignore her.
Yan Shi Ting almost vomited blood after seeing Pei Jin doted on Yan Shi Ning as though Yan Shi Ning was a treasure.
Yan Shi Ting wanted to protest. What did Yan Shi Ning possess that she didn’t? She looked resentfully at Pei Jin and Yan Shi Ning until she felt a sudden pain on her arm. It was her mother who whispered a warning to her, ‘maintain your image properly.’
Yan Shi Ting hugged her pinched arm, pouted and followed her mother into the Yan Manor.
Everyone sat in the courtyard and gossiped while the celebratory banquet food and wine were prepared.
Yan Jing led the conversation and it gave Yan Shi Ning a headache, her father gossiped about court official Liu Guo. Although it was an inappropriate conversation, her father, Princess Kang Hua and Yan Shi Ting didn’t care about her family life with Pei Jin. After Pei Jin answered her father politely, everyone quietly drank tea for a while.
Pei Jin smiled and purposely peeled a fruit to neutralize conversation. ‘This is a fruit from Southern Jiang. I eat it often.’
Yan Jing’s heart was deeply moved. He knew his son-in-law was being considerate.
‘I heard the landscape in Southern Jiang is different to the imperial city,’ Yan Jing said. ‘Gentle ninth prince, tell us what Southern Jiang is like.’
Everyone at the table sat upright and were interested to hear Pei Jin talk about the mysterious Southern Jiang.
Pei Jin could see everyone’s ears were sharpened. He passed the peeled fruit to Yan Shi Ning. Then he talked about life in Southern Jiang while occasionally smiling warmly at Yan Shi Ning.
Initially Yan Shi Ting was interested to hear Pei Jin talk about Southern Jiang. But she felt frustrated seeing Pei Jin’s consideration toward Yan Shi Ning. Even the fruits her maid peeled for her didn’t taste delicious.
Yan Shi Ning noticed Yan Shi Ting’s strange behaviour. She didn’t understand why it felt like Yan Shi Ting’s body released a sour stench. Yan Shi Ting’s eyes resentfully looked at her. She wondered if Yan Shi Ting was secretly intimate with Pei Jin. But in the past she never noticed anything shady between Yan Shi Ting and Pei Jin.
Yan Shi Ning looked suspiciously at Pei Jin. But Pei Jin always smiled warmly at her… she couldn’t tolerate the demon’s excessive loving act and she looked away.
Pei Jin noticed Yan Shi Ning’s anger gradually increased so he continued to lavish affectionate attention on her in front of her family.
After the banquet ended Yan Shi Ning and Pei Jin were resting in the chamber prepared for them.
‘Big brother, are you close to my little sister?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Pei Jin predicted Yan Shi Ning would ask him about Yan Shi Ting.
‘I’m not close to her,’ Pei Jin said.
‘Big brother, why do I feel the way my little sister looks at you is strange?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Pei Jin laughed. ‘Wife, you should understand her personality.’
‘What?’ Yan Shi Ning asked confusedly.
‘Wife, come here and I’ll tell you,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning listened to Pei Jin talked about how in the past there was a period Yan Shi Ting followed him around to gain his favour. She thought in the past he would have found Yan Shi Ting’s attention scary and laughable.
Yan Shi Ning realised even the beautiful and haughty Yan Shi Ting didn’t want to be rejected by anyone. In the past Yan Shi Ning saw many men lower themselves beneath Yan Shi Ting’s dress, but Yan Shi Ting dismissed them. Yan Shi Ting was indeed haughty. If a man coldly dismissed Yan Shi Ting then Yan Shi Ting wouldn’t easily accept rejection. Instead Yan Shi Ting would use a thousand schemes to attract the man who didn’t want to pursue Yan Shi Ting. Yan Shi Ting was a natural seductress, which was why if Yan Shi Ting purposely seduced a man usually the man would fall into a deadly trance.
Yan Shi Ning knew that the rare man who wouldn’t be seduced by Yan Shi Ting was Pei Jin.
Yan Shi Ning thought that Yan Shi Ting’s life would have flowed smoothly until Yan Shi Ting met Pei Jin at a banquet in the palace and Yan Shi Ting got to taste failure. No matter if Yan Shi Ting wore a beautiful dress and makeup or ‘accidently’ touched Pei Jin inappropriately, Pei Jin wouldn’t glance at Yan Shi Ting. Yan Shi Ning could see in her head how frustrated Yan Shi Ting would have been to hear Pei Jin coldly warn, ‘respect yourself.’
Yan Shi Ning remembered how Yan Shi Ting looked resentfully at her during the banquet and she smiled. ‘Big brother, were you excessively acting during the banquet to provoke my little sister?’
‘Wife, what do you think?’ Pei Jin asked and innocently looked at Yan Shi Ning.
In another chamber Princess Kang Hua scolded Yan Shi Ting. ‘Your behaviour is poorer by the day! Don’t forget, you’ll be the crown prince’s wife!’
‘What’s the point of being the crown prince’s wife?’ Yan Shi Ting asked. ‘The crown prince has always been cold toward me. He doesn’t care about me like the way ninth prince cares about Yan Shi Ning. The crown prince doesn’t love me!’
‘That’s because you’re lacking!’ Princess Kang Hua criticized. ‘Even if ninth prince is gentle and loving, he’s still a useless prince!’
Yan Shi Ting closed her mouth. She wished the crown prince was ninth prince. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t the one ninth prince cared about as though he held a grudge against her.
Princess Kang Hua’s old nurse maid knocked on the door and entered the chamber. ‘Princess, widow Li is here again.’
Princess Kang Hua frowned and spoke softly. ‘I know. Bring her to my courtyard, I’ll go there first.’
Yan Shi Ting watched them leave hurriedly and she thought it was strange. Who was widow Li? Why did nurse maid Liu speak in an anxious tone? Also, her mother’s expression was strange too. She suspected they were hiding a secret.
***
End of Chapter Fifteen (Part 3 of 3)
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