Pei Yan thought carefully but couldn’t figure it out. He could only admit, “Your child is slow-witted.”
Madam Pei washed her hands in the copper basin, carefully dried them, and sighed softly, “Let me ask you this: The four great ministers who helped His Majesty ascend to the throne – King Qingde, Scholar Dong, Duke Bo, and your uncle – what kind of men were they?”
Pei Yan lowered his head and answered, “King Qingde was shrewd and calculating, but somewhat lacking in magnanimity. Scholar Dong was refined and upright, but too pedantic. Duke Bo was brave and skilled in battle, but a bit stubborn. As for Uncle…”
Madam Pei walked to his side, looked at him for a moment, and said, “King Qingde was only forty-five when he fell ill and never recovered. Do you think his illness was truly an illness?”
Pei Yan was startled and dared not answer.
Madam Pei spoke slowly, “What is there that we, mother and son, cannot discuss?”
“Mother, are you suspecting that King Qingde, relying on his merits, became too powerful, so His Majesty…”
“Throughout history, what emperors fear most are ministers whose achievements overshadow their own, especially those who hold military and political power, are capable, and ambitious. Among the four great ministers, your uncle was young and impetuous, so he was the first to be purged and banished to Youzhou. With King Qingde’s death, the 80,000 troops of the Yujian Prefecture were gradually divided by His Majesty. Scholar Dong is pedantic and self-righteous, so His Majesty tolerates him and makes his daughter the Crown Prince’s consort. As for Duke Bo…”
“Duke Bo is loyal to His Majesty. Among the four great ministers, His Majesty trusts him the most.”
Madam Pei smiled, “Not necessarily. Duke Bo may seem blindly loyal and stubborn, but I think he might be the smartest of the four.”
Pei Yan gradually understood his mother’s implications, and sweat began to form on his palms.
Madam Pei continued, “As the Left Prime Minister, you now control the real power of the Ministry of War, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Works. As the Marquis of Jianding, your 100,000 Changfeng cavalry can influence the situation of the entire country. With your support, the lowborn prince born to a palace maid in the laundry bureau can now stand on equal footing with Prince Zhuang.
“His Majesty tolerated you before because he wanted to use you to check Prince Zhuang and Prime Minister Tao’s faction, maintaining a balance in the political situation. He also wanted to use the Changfeng cavalry to keep Duke Bo’s 100,000 troops in check. But now, you’ve become too prominent, suppressing Prince Zhuang’s faction. What do you think His Majesty will think?”
Pei Yan shuddered, momentarily speechless.
“In the envoy case, you planned meticulously, showing a mind as deep as the sea. Your rumors could lead Yi Han into a trap, leaving him nowhere to stand in the capital. You made him flee along the path you set. This level of scheming and capability – who wouldn’t be afraid?
“Also, I told you before not to reveal the true strength of the Changfeng Guard unless necessary. But this time, to capture Yi Han, you mobilized the entire force. According to you, last night, except for the Imperial Palace, the entire capital was under the control of the Changfeng Guard. Don’t you think His Majesty might wonder if one day something happens in the capital, your Changfeng Guard would be more terrifying than his Imperial Guard and the Guangming Bureau?”
Pei Yan bowed his head, “Your child was careless.”
“His Majesty’s schemes surpass yours. His lavish praise for you in court today shows he’s already wary of you. The more he praises you, the more he’s putting you on thin ice. Not to mention the Crown Prince and Prince Zhuang’s faction, even Prince Jing might become jealous and guard against you in the future. If someone were to sow discord, how do you think His Majesty and the court officials would view you?”
Pei Yan’s heart tightened, and he remained silent.
Madam Pei glanced at him and said softly, “I had already paved a path for you, but your actions have only made His Majesty more suspicious of your boundless ambition. Ah, I was too rash that night.”
She walked to the window, gazing at the garden full of chrysanthemums. After a long silence, she slowly said, “The only solution now is for you to leave the court for some time. If His Majesty wants military power, you should hand over a portion.”
Pei Yan knelt and kowtowed, “Your child thanks Mother for her guidance.”
Madam Pei smiled, looking at the darkening sky outside the window. She sighed softly and said, “I expect that in the next few days, once His Majesty has made his arrangements, he will summon you for a private audience. You know how to handle it without me saying more. Don’t worry, he won’t take drastic action against you. Just be alert.”
Pei Yan continued to kowtow without speaking. Madam Pei added, “Before you leave the court, tell Cui Liang to take care of that matter. You assigned him a maid, intending to win his loyalty, right? I heard that the maid’s cooking is quite good, even keeping you from returning to Shen Garden for meals. That’s rare.”
Pei Yan frowned slightly, not daring to look up. He said softly, “I noticed Ziming seemed to have feelings for that maid, so I placed her in the West Garden to serve him.”
“Is that so?” Madam Pei said softly, “If that’s true, then I can rest easy.”
Pei Yan bowed and was about to leave when Madam Pei suddenly said, “The 25th of this month is an auspicious day. I’m thinking of making Shu Yun your concubine. Do you have any objections?”
Pei Yan stopped in his tracks. After a long while, he said softly, “Your child will follow Mother’s decision in everything.”
The moonlight that night was frighteningly bright, and the night mist was unusually thick. Pei Yan stood in the garden for a long time, letting the cold dew climb up his eyebrows, not moving an inch.
Shu Yun brought a cloak and walked to his side, saying gently, “My Lord, the night wind is cold and the dew is heavy. Please put on some more clothes.”
Pei Yan let Shu Yun fasten the cloak for him, then looked down at her and suddenly gripped her right arm tightly. Shu Yun was startled for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, putting on a charming smile as she looked up at Pei Yan.
Pei Yan saw through her clearly and pushed her away, walking out. Shu Yun followed a few steps, watching him leave Shen Garden with unsteady steps. She retreated two steps and sat down on a stone bench in the garden, and tears slid down the corners of her eyes.
Pei Yan stopped his attendants and walked alone slowly within the mansion. When the moon reached its zenith, he found himself at the entrance of the West Garden. The Changfeng Guard on duty came to salute him, but he waved them off and gently pushed open the wooden door of the West Garden.
Inside the garden, the side room where Cui Liang lived was pitch black, seemingly asleep, but a faint candlelight still shone from Jiang Ci’s chamber. Pei Yan slowly walked to the window and peered through the lattice, but the room was empty.
He was stunned and turned to look at the side room where Cui Liang lived. He took two steps forward, then stopped. After a long while, he suddenly turned around and bumped into someone.
Jiang Ci was carrying a basin of water. The collision with Pei Yan left her soaking wet. She angrily said, “My Lord, wandering around in the middle of the night like a lost soul?!”
Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh, “You carrying a basin of water in the dead of night is more like a lost soul than I am.”
The night breeze blew, and Jiang Ci’s wet clothes made her sneeze. Pei Yan felt some saliva land on his face and frowned, pushing Jiang Ci away, “How ill-mannered. Don’t you know to stand further away?”
Seeing his look of disgust, Jiang Ci retorted, “Who can control a sneeze? Why don’t you try sneezing on command?”
Pei Yan just wiped his face with his sleeve, “Quickly, bring me a basin of water.”
Jiang Ci had no choice but to bring another basin of water. Seeing Pei Yan not moving, she realized he was used to being served. She reluctantly wrung out a hot towel and roughly wiped his face a few times before throwing the towel back into the basin and turning to leave.
This delay made her clothes feel even wetter, and she sneezed several times in a row, her nose starting to run.
She returned to her room, only to find Pei Yan had followed her in. Annoyed, she said, “My Lord, this is my room. I need to change clothes and sleep. Please leave.”
Pei Yan smiled and lay down on the bed, placing his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes, he said lazily, “This is my mansion. I’ll sleep wherever I want. Go ahead and change, I won’t look.”
Jiang Ci had no way to deal with him. She could only run to another side room to change into clean clothes. Instead of returning to her room, she went to the courtyard and sat on a stone bench, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, lost in thought.
Senior Sister’s rush to find Yi Han must mean something urgent has happened. I need to find a way to meet with Elder Sister Su, ask for details, and beg her to relay my message to Wei Sanlang. I must find a way to meet him and obtain the antidote.
Lost in these thoughts, Pei Yan sat down beside her. Jiang Ci stood to leave, but Pei Yan grabbed her left arm, “Since you’re not sleeping anyway, walk with me.”
They strolled through the mansion. Seeing Jiang Ci yawning constantly, Pei Yan laughed, “You’re truly a glutton for sleep and food. If everyone were like you, we officials wouldn’t need to attend court or handle affairs.”
Jiang Ci walked silently for a few steps, then suddenly turned back, “My Lord, let me ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you find it exhausting, scheming and fighting with others every day?”
Pei Yan laughed heartily, walking beside Jiang Ci with his hands behind his back. He said leisurely, “This game of scheming and fighting is both tense and exciting. It has endless pleasures, and if I win, it brings me endless benefits. Why should I feel tired? I’d like to see if there’s anyone in this world who can outmaneuver me!”
Jiang Ci glanced at him, seeing his eyes shining brightly, his spirit calm and composed, his figure straight. The hint of loneliness and hurt from earlier had vanished without a trace.
The late-night wind was cold. As Jiang Ci walked with Pei Yan through the mansion, she felt waves of chill. Seeing that Pei Yan had fallen silent, she couldn’t help but say when they reached a corridor, “My Lord, it’s getting late. You should retire to rest. I’m really tired.” She turned to leave.
Pei Yan quickly extended his right foot, causing Jiang Ci to stumble forward. He caught her in his arms, chuckling, “Don’t knock out your front teeth.”
Jiang Ci couldn’t take it anymore and swung her fist at him. Pei Yan blocked each strike, but when he saw her face full of anger, he relaxed his guard. Jiang Ci’s furious punch landed heavily on his chest.
Seeing Pei Yan clutch his chest, coughing several times with traces of blood at the corner of his mouth, Jiang Ci was stunned. She looked at her fist in disbelief, wondering how she, with her limited strength, could have injured the world’s top martial artist.
Pei Yan watched Jiang Ci’s dumbfounded expression, coughed a few more times, and suddenly fell backward.
Jiang Ci was shocked. She rushed over to support him, urgently asking, “What’s wrong with you?”
Pei Yan’s eyes were tightly shut, blood still seeping from the corner of his mouth. Jiang Ci slapped his face hard, “Hey, don’t you dare die! What will I do if you die? How can I survive without the antidote?”
After a moment of panic, seeing Pei Yan’s face swollen from her slaps, she finally thought to call for help. But before she could make a sound, a hand covered her mouth, muffling her voice.
Pei Yan opened his eyes and looked at her silently for a moment. He rubbed his face, sore from her slaps, and inhaled sharply. Suddenly, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle that broke the tranquility of the mansion. Dozens of people rushed in from all directions.
Jiang Ci stood dazed, watching as members of the Changfeng Guard supported Pei Yan, while others seized her arms behind her back. She saw Pei Yan glance at her with flickering eyes and heard him cough as he said, “Don’t trouble her. Take her back to the West Garden for Ziming. No one is to enter the West Garden without my orders.” Then she saw him seemingly faint after speaking these words.
In a daze, Jiang Ci was escorted back to the West Garden by the Changfeng Guard. Cui Liang, hearing the commotion, came out dressed and was shocked to see Jiang Ci being brought in by the guards. “What happened?” he asked.
A guard bowed and said, “Young Master Cui, Miss Jiang injured the Prime Minister. He ordered us to bring her back to you.”
Cui Liang hurriedly asked, “How could she have injured the Prime Minister? Is it serious?”
“It seems the Prime Minister is quite severely injured, but we don’t know the details.” The Changfeng Guards bowed and left.
Cui Liang turned to look at Jiang Ci, seeing her staring blankly at her right fist. He quickly patted her cheeks. Jiang Ci slowly came to her senses, shaking her head repeatedly, “No, it wasn’t me. How could I possibly have hurt him?!”
“What exactly happened?” Cui Liang frowned deeply.
Jiang Ci demonstrated with her fist, “I just punched him like this, and he collapsed. But he’s the top martial artist in the world, how could I have hurt him? No, he must be up to something!”
As Cui Liang was about to inquire further, he noticed Jiang Ci sneezing several times and saw that she was dressed rather thinly. He hurriedly said, “You go rest inside. I’ll go check on the Prime Minister.”
He rushed to Shen Garden but was stopped at the entrance. The Changfeng Guards on duty said the Prime Minister was seriously injured and resting, not seeing anyone. Cui Liang had to return dejected.
Cui Liang knew Jiang Ci’s punch couldn’t have seriously injured Pei Yan. The next day, after careful inquiry, he learned that Pei Yan had previously fought with someone from the martial arts world and was slightly injured, coughing up blood at the time. That’s why Jiang Ci’s “assassination attempt” worsened his condition, leaving him bedridden.
Cui Liang didn’t know why Jiang Ci had fought with Pei Yan the previous night, but he had noticed some tension between them recently. When he questioned Jiang Ci, she was evasive. Sensing she had something on her mind, he grew worried. One evening, he encountered An Chen outside the garden, who mentioned that the Emperor was furious about the “assassination attempt” on Prime Minister Pei and might punish Miss Jiang, which increased his concern.
That day, the autumn wind was biting, and a light rain was falling. As Cui Liang was preparing to report for duty at the Ministry of Personnel, An Chen hurriedly came in, saying Prime Minister Pei had summoned him. Cui Liang quickly followed him to Shen Garden. Entering the main hall, he saw Pei Yan wrapped in light fur, reclining in a rocking chair, his complexion somewhat pale. Seeing Cui Liang enter, Pei Yan smiled and said, “Ziming, please sit!”
“Prime Minister, you’ve recovered quickly. I’ve been worried for days,” Cui Liang said, carefully observing Pei Yan and noticing that apart from his pale complexion, there were no other symptoms, which put him at ease.
Pei Yan smiled, “I have a strong constitution. Although the injury was severe at the time, after a few days of recuperation, I’m much better.”
Cui Liang, remembering Jiang Ci, quickly said, “Prime Minister, about Xiao Ci…”
Pei Yan waved his hand, frowning slightly, “I’m troubled by this matter. I had intended to keep her injuring me a secret, but somehow it got out and reached His Majesty’s ears. I’m afraid…”
“I’ve asked Xiao Ci. It seems she didn’t intend to hurt you, Prime Minister. Besides, with her skill level, she couldn’t have injured you. Your injury was from fighting with someone from the martial arts world.”
“Ziming is quite right. However, people outside only know that she’s my servant who injured her master. If she’s not punished, how can the mansion maintain its authority? As a high-ranking court official, her attack on me is an attack on the court. If she’s not punished, I’m afraid it won’t silence the public.”
Cui Liang remained silent for a long while, then said softly, “Is there no way to save her?”
Pei Yan pondered for a moment, then said, “I can only try my best to cover for her and hope His Majesty doesn’t pursue the matter.”
“On behalf of Xiao Ci, I thank you, Prime Minister!” Cui Liang stood up and bowed deeply.
Pei Yan quickly helped him up, coughing lightly and touching his chest, “Ziming, there’s no need for such formality. This is a small matter, not worth thanking me for. I have something I need your help with.”