The wind of early summer blew through the corridor, the heat waves it stirred also scorching.

Jiang Yichu stood outside the study door. The voices of conversation inside could no longer be heard clearly. The sorrow in her eyes solidified, and her constantly cold hands were slowly warming.

So there really was still someone of Pei Song’s beside A Yu?

It was just a pity that in that hasty glance earlier, she couldn’t make anything out from the envelope.

Jiang Yichu’s complexion was somewhat unsightly, but she didn’t dare linger long before Pei Song’s study and planned to return to her own quarters first.

If she wanted to gather more intelligence about Pei Song’s military or governmental secrets, she had to get close to Pei Song. But she had always avoided him. If she suddenly began frequenting contact with him, given Pei Song’s caution, he would certainly notice something amiss.

That scene of half-genuine, half-false crying in the room earlier—if Pei Song believed she also harbored feelings for him, it might be much more convenient to act in the future.

Lost in thought about how to help Wen Yu discover who that nail was, Jiang Yichu didn’t notice a woman in silk approaching aggressively with her servant maids.

“How dare you! Seeing our mistress and not kneeling to pay respects!” The maid beside the silk-clad woman saw Jiang Yichu and scolded with disdainful furrowed brows.

Jiang Yichu looked up to see the newcomer was Beauty Zheng, a concubine Pei Song had taken just a few months ago.

Unlike those singing and dancing girls from brothels and pleasure houses, Beauty Zheng’s father had originally been a garrison commander of Mo Prefecture and now served under Pei Song’s command, receiving considerable favor. Since Pei Song had never married, relying on her natal family’s influence, she had always been the most arrogant among the beauties at Pei Song’s side, rather carrying herself as Pei Song’s proper wife.

Because of how Pei Song had blocked an arrow for her, Jiang Yichu had been spread as a femme fatale known throughout the military. During Pei Song’s campaigns, she had suffered no small amount of difficulties from this Beauty Zheng.

At this moment, looking at Beauty Zheng who was barely suppressing her anger, Jiang Yichu knew she must have sent people to monitor the movements on Pei Song’s side. Hearing that Pei Song had someone bring her over, she had brought a crowd of servants carrying soup containers to also “visit” Pei Song.

Thinking of the letter in Pei Song’s assassin’s hand, an idea suddenly came to her. She looked at Beauty Zheng with a smile, her expression as gentle as ever but without a trace of timidity: “You and I are both beauties at my lord’s side. Why should I kneel to you?”

Beauty Zheng looked at Jiang Yichu’s somewhat disheveled dress and hair arrangement, then saw her speaking to her with a smile. She only felt Jiang Yichu was demonstrating against her. Anger and jealousy intertwined in her heart, and she used all her ability to mock: “Truly worthy of being a woman who has already borne two children. Your methods are indeed formidable, and you know not what shame is. I just wonder what the Crown Prince Wen would think if he knew from the underworld?”

When Jiang Yichu heard the other party mention Wen Heng, the smile in her eyes had already faded.

Seeing this, Beauty Zheng knew she had struck Jiang Yichu’s sore spot and felt immediately relieved. She stepped closer to Jiang Yichu, her Xiangfei-colored skirt dragging long behind her. Her sharp nails painted with bright rouge pinched Jiang Yichu’s chin, her eyes full of contempt and malice: “If I were you, when Fengyang City fell, I would have dashed my head and died. At least I could have gained a good reputation. Now you, this Great Liang Crown Prince Consort, are truly Great Liang’s shame. When your daughter grows up and knows how base and greedy for life her mother is, she’ll probably follow your example, won’t she? Like mother, like daughter, isn’t it?”

Her words had barely fallen when a resounding slap landed on her face.

The force was so great that Beauty Zheng staggered on her feet. She covered her face, looking at Jiang Yichu in disbelief, furious: “You lowly wretch, how dare you strike me?”

Jiang Yichu had always been so gentle she seemed to have no temper. But at this moment, the look in her eyes as she regarded Beauty Zheng was so cold it was frightening: “Speaking of shame and baseness, how could I compare to you, Zheng Shi? Betraying your lord for glory, disloyal and unrighteous, becoming a two-surname household slave—yet Beauty Zheng still considers herself superior to others. Clearly you’ve thoroughly inherited General Zheng’s teachings. Your entire Zheng clan is so shameless and without integrity—what should I, a weak woman who cannot bear the burden of this realm’s national catastrophe, fear?”

Beauty Zheng flew into a rage, her slapped face burning painfully. She shouted: “Seize her! How dare she insult my Zheng clan like this—today I must tear this wretch’s mouth apart!”

—

When Pei Song rushed over after receiving the news, Jiang Yichu was being forced to kneel under the blazing sun. Two strong servant women pressed down on Jiang Yichu’s shoulders while another held a board for mouth-slapping, having already beaten both sides of Jiang Yichu’s cheeks red and swollen, her mouth corners split and bleeding.

Beauty Zheng sat on a beauty couch at the corridor’s edge. Seeing Jiang Yichu in such a miserable state, she finally vented the anger in her heart. She said hatefully: “Keep beating her. Ruin that face, and let’s see what she’ll use to bewitch my lord in the future!”

A cold shout suddenly came from behind: “What are you doing?”

The servant women who had been administering punishment heard that voice and trembled. That board ultimately didn’t dare to fall again.

When Beauty Zheng actually caught sight of Pei Song striding toward them with his outer robe hanging loosely, her expression had already changed. Grievance quickly rose on her pretty face as she covered her already ice-compressed cheek and went to meet Pei Song: “My lord, it was Beauty Jiang who struck Yan’er first. She also insulted my father…”

Pei Song said not a word. Only upon seeing Jiang Yichu did his face darken terribly, and he directly walked outside.

Beauty Zheng wanted to chase forward to continue complaining, but was blocked by the sword raised by the assassin at Pei Song’s side.

Beauty Zheng no longer had any trace of arrogance before Pei Song. Her entire person displayed a wronged yet obedient appearance, but her heart was extremely uneasy. After all, she knew well that Pei Song treated Jiang Yichu differently from them, and now Jiang Yichu was in such a wretched state.

When Pei Song picked up the tottering Jiang Yichu, he glanced at the two servant women administering punishment and coldly spat out two words: “Beat to death.”

The two servant women immediately kowtowed begging for mercy. Though Beauty Zheng was also extremely afraid of Pei Song, she had her own calculations. He had repeatedly failed on the battlefield. The cities previously captured had been reclaimed one by one by Wei Qishan. Now he could only defend Mo Prefecture, which was her Zheng clan’s territory.

Pei Song currently had to rely on her father. Today, angered by Jiang Yichu’s words, she had momentarily lost her reason and indeed gone too far. But if she begged Pei Song for mercy, and Pei Song, constrained by the current situation, pardoned the death sentence of those servants at her side, the benefits would be enormous.

This was equivalent to her touching what everyone knew was Pei Song’s tender spot, yet Pei Song didn’t punish her.

Those people around Pei Song would know in the future how to conduct themselves, and the Zheng family’s position would also become more secure.

Having thought this through, Beauty Zheng became more determined to gamble. She blocked the way and knelt before Pei Song, tearfully pleading: “I beg my lord to spare their lives. It’s all Yan’er’s fault. Yan’er shouldn’t have become angry because Beauty Jiang insulted my father, belittling him as a two-surname household slave now serving my lord, shameless and without integrity, and privately punished Beauty Jiang. Even if Beauty Jiang’s heart belongs to Former Liang, Yan’er should have reported to my lord first and let my lord decide.”

Beauty Zheng cried piteously. Her words pushed all the fault onto Jiang Yichu and even pinned the label of having her heart set on Great Liang on her.

Pei Song glanced at Jiang Yichu in his arms. Her cheeks were severely swollen from injury, blood marks all around her lips, eyes tightly closed as if she had fainted.

When he looked at Beauty Zheng again, a cold smile touched his lips: “Keeping you this long, I thought you must be clever. I didn’t expect you to be as stupid as a pig.”

Hearing him speak such harsh words, Beauty Zheng couldn’t help but pale.

Pei Song looked at Beauty Zheng as if looking at an ant and asked: “Today’s matter—was it your idea, or the Zheng family’s idea?”

Beauty Zheng sensed something wrong, that it might even bring disaster to her clan. Now she truly panicked and quickly cried: “Yan’er knows she was wrong. Yan’er truly was just upset that Beauty Jiang insulted my father…”

Pei Song had already left carrying Jiang Yichu, only throwing out one sentence: “Zheng Shi is confined for two months.”

Those two servant women were also quickly dragged away for rod punishment. The sounds of beating and pleas for mercy continued.

Only after Pei Song had completely left did Beauty Zheng collapse to the ground.

—

Pei Song spent most of his time at the military camp. In this temporary residence, for convenience in handling official business, he hadn’t set up a main room but had broken through the wall between the study and the adjacent side room, converting it to inner and outer chambers where he conducted daily living and official business.

After Jiang Yichu was brought back, a physician soon came to examine her. Not only did she have facial injuries, but from kneeling too long under the blazing sun, she had also suffered heatstroke. When feeding her medicine, basically half went in and half flowed out. Stimulated by the strong medicinal smell, she vomited several times.

Pei Song had people send several bowls of medicine before she barely managed to drink most of a bowl. But Jiang Yichu was utterly exhausted and completely lost consciousness.

Pei Song watched over her while reading memorials on the side. Before long, Gongsun Chou came to ask about the news the spy had brought back.

After Pei Song went to the outer room to discuss matters with Gongsun Chou, only then did Jiang Yichu, who had been “unconscious,” suddenly open her eyes.

She only heard Gongsun Chou’s aged voice from outside: “Yan Que has already been exposed. Hanyang’s side is now heavily guarded and has cleared out quite a few of our nails. It’s extremely difficult to place people there again. I don’t know how much longer this nail can be used…”

Pei Song laughed lightly, seemingly unconcerned: “Teacher, rest assured. This nail—I spent considerable effort to send him to Hanyang’s side. I even sacrificed many assassins to create the false impression that he would protect Hanyang to Pingzhou with his life. Now he holds an important position in Pingzhou. Hanyang may suspect anyone, but she won’t suspect him.”

Gongsun Chou still seemed hesitant: “I only fear that after Hanyang grants him such great benefits, this person might change.”

This time Pei Song laughed even more heartily: “He was personally taught by my father in prison. He’s like half a brother to me—how could he change? Moreover, his mother is still here with me. Once he completely controls Former Liang’s military power, Pingzhou and Tao Commandery will both be mine for the taking.”

Listening from the inner room, Jiang Yichu felt cold all over, her hands and feet icy.

There was actually such a beast still lurking beside A Yu?

She wished she could immediately write to Wen Yu to warn her, but she deeply knew now wasn’t the time. She could only endure with all her might.

In the outer room, Gongsun Chou seemed no longer worried that the nail would betray them, saying: “It’s still best to act carefully. That old woman is still in Yong Prefecture. Previously, my lord staged that scene in Yong City, having him falsely claim he had a grudge against my lord for killing his mother before going to join Hanyang—only then did Hanyang completely lower her guard. If Hanyang discovers his mother isn’t dead, the piece my lord placed to devour Pingzhou and Tao Commandery will be lost.”

The two discussed other matters. But Jiang Yichu’s heart could no longer calm down. She lay on the bed feeling like pins and needles for most of an hour. Only after Pei Song came in and had read through many memorials did she pretend to gradually wake.

“Awake?” Pei Song reached out to help her, but Jiang Yichu avoided him. The swelling on her face hadn’t subsided, burning painfully. Her long hair hung loose, slightly covering her face. She said hoarsely: “Let me and A Yin return to Fengyang.”

Pei Song looked at his empty hand, sitting back unconcernedly in the round-backed chair by the bed, a smile playing at his lips: “Elder Sister knows this is impossible.”

Jiang Yichu’s eyes reddened as she said self-mockingly: “I can be called base, called shameless, called out for not dying with A Heng to preserve his virtue, unworthy of being Great Liang’s Crown Prince Consort. But not A Yin. A Yin cannot be cursed like this…”

Speaking to the end, she turned her head, and two streams of clear tears had already surged from her eyes.

How clever was Pei Song? Hearing Jiang Yichu’s words and recalling Beauty Zheng’s earlier false accusations, he quickly understood what had happened.

But whether Jiang Yichu deliberately provoked him by speaking thus, or truly thought this way, hearing it to the end, though Pei Song’s lips still bore a smile, his eyes looked terrifying no matter how one looked.

He said methodically: “The wrongs Elder Sister has suffered, I will avenge for you. However, Elder Sister must never have thoughts of preserving virtue by dying with Wen Heng. Otherwise, I don’t know if I might dig up all the corpses of his Wen clan and chop them into pieces to feed the dogs!”

Jiang Yichu met his gaze through her tears, knowing he wasn’t speaking to frighten her. Beyond the fear in her heart, her face showed a miserable smile: “I don’t want to, but so many people hope I would do exactly that.”

Pei Song lightly touched her still-swollen face, saying with a smile: “Elder Sister, rest assured. I’ll send those people down to the underworld one by one.”

This time Jiang Yichu truly shuddered secretly.

—

Pingzhou.

The south had much rain. After half a month of clear weather in the city, evening brought wind and heavy rain again.

There was too much for Wen Yu to learn from Li Yao. She had simply set up a bookcase in her room as well. To make it convenient for her to find books, a lamp stand was placed where the bookcase met the wall corner.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the window. Torrential rain pounded the banana leaves, urgent and heavy. Inside the room, however, was spread with the warm yellow of candlelight, not even a thread of wind entering.

Wen Yu, borrowing the tall candlestick in the corner, took a long scroll from the bookshelf and examined it carefully against the light. One end of the scroll covered her forearm, falling together with her gauze sleeve.

Zhao Bai reported from the side: “Southern Chen has agreed to first send one million five hundred thousand shi of grain into the passes. It’s just Wei Qishan’s side—though Lord Li Xun personally went to Xin Prefecture as a negotiator, now that Northern Wei has gained the upper hand in the struggle with Pei Song, they probably won’t yield Xin and Yi prefectures to let our forces and Southern Chen’s army smoothly head north to attack Pei Song.”

Wen Yu looked at the scroll and said calmly: “I’m not asking for these two prefectures for nothing. If our forces and Southern Chen’s army head north and capture them by force, Wei Qishan will have nothing left in the south. Moreover, with Northern Wei’s strength alone, they may not be able to thoroughly cripple Pei Song before autumn. Once autumn passes, the barbarian tribes beyond the passes will make a comeback. Then Wei Qishan will again face enemies on both fronts. If he’s willing to ally with us to fight Pei Song and relinquish Xin and Yi prefectures, I can guarantee his forces in the south won’t lose a single soldier. When continuing north, however many cities we capture will depend on our respective abilities. Cities are dead, but people are alive. I must have Xin and Yi prefectures, but they aren’t Wei Qishan’s foundation. There’s room for negotiation.”

Hearing Wen Yu’s analysis, Zhao Bai’s heart also settled somewhat, saying: “I hope Lord Li can bring back good news.”

It was already late. Wen Yu had Zhao Bai go rest early. Just before leaving, Zhao Bai seemed to remember something and said to Wen Yu: “Oh yes, Madam Chen came looking for the Princess Imperial during the day, asking if you had tried on the wedding dress and whether there were any alterations needed?”

Wen Yu stood sideways, her gaze not leaving the long scroll, only saying: “I understand. I’ll speak with Madam Chen myself tomorrow.”

Only then did Zhao Bai withdraw.

In the thunderous roar, lightning illuminated the window gauze snow-white again and again. The wedding garment hanging on the clothes rack was glaringly red in the candlelit room.