The tone was sour and aggrieved, pitiful enough to make anyone feel sorry for her.

Pei Ruheng’s expression softened another degree, though his tone remained unfriendly. “I wrote you a poem and never got a reply.”

Chen Baoxiang immediately pointed out the wound on her head for him to see. “I’ve been suffering. How could I possibly pick up a brush?”

“How did you get injured?”

“It’s a long story. I’ve had a terrible time of it.” She pulled back her sleeve with a pout. “There’s a wound here too. And here, and here, and here.”

Zhang Zhixu, thoroughly exasperated, pressed down on her hand as she was about to tug open her collar—

Immortal, stop causing trouble. I’m handling serious business here—

If the Zhang Family has to rely on you seducing someone to rescue people, then all these hundreds of years of prosperity were for nothing.

He was furious: I don’t need you going to flatter Pei Ruheng—

You don’t need it, but Young Master Zhang does. I accepted ten thousand taels of silver banknotes from him — shouldn’t I do something in return?—

Are you doing this to help, or because you still have feelings for Pei Ruheng?

Chen Baoxiang was briefly at a loss for words, then burst into laughter despite her irritation: Immortal, even though I seem a little foolish, I’m not that foolish. I’ve already climbed up to Zhang Zhixu — why would I still have feelings for Pei Ruheng? Who would believe that?!

Just as she finished that thought, the person across from her spoke.

“Your feelings for me.” Pei Ruheng pressed his lips together. “How genuine are they, really?”

Chen Baoxiang looked up at him with deep emotion, her eyes misted with tears. “Why, they are absolutely ten parts genuine.”

Pei Ruheng’s brow relaxed. He believed her.

Zhang Zhixu: “……”

He suddenly realized that Chen Baoxiang was truly a con artist of exceptional skill, very adept at using that innocent-looking face of hers to beguile people. Pei Ruheng was someone who had seen the world — and yet he crumbled after just a few exchanges.

He didn’t even ask her why she had suddenly appeared on the roadside, or how she knew that today was Cheng Huaili’s birthday banquet. He simply reached into a drawer, retrieved a bottle of bruise medicine, and tossed it to her with a stiff expression. “Go put it on when you get back.”

Chen Baoxiang caught it with surprise. “Why do you have this in your carriage?”

“I bought it randomly.”

Pei Ruheng was by nature extremely cautious, rarely so much as bumping or scraping himself — this medicine was not something he would consider a necessity. Had she thought about it one layer deeper, she would have realized what it meant to him.

But Chen Baoxiang didn’t think about any of that. She just grinned cheerfully and said, “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Pei Ruheng gave a hmph.

Cheng Huaili’s birthday banquet was refreshingly modest — he had only invited a small group of relatives and friends to watch performers and acrobats in the courtyard.

The moment Chen Baoxiang walked through the doors, she let out a gasp. “How magnificent!”

Pei Ruheng felt a swell of pride. “This is an imperially built residence. It is quite different from ordinary dwellings.”

“Is that so?” She looked left and right. “I feel like the front courtyard bears some resemblance to my big estate.”

Mention of that estate made Pei Ruheng displeased again. “Never mind an imperially built residence with dragon motifs — even the old Earl’s Manor wouldn’t necessarily match this place in grandeur.”

Saying so, he led her forward inside.

“Young master.” A steward noticed him and bowed respectfully. “There are many guests today — you mustn’t get lost, young master. Shall I have someone escort you?”

“No need.” Pei Ruheng said with a sardonic air. “I can’t enter the inner quarters of the Zhang Family — surely I can do more than sit in the guest hall drinking tea at my own uncle’s home?”

Sensing that this person was in a rather poor mood, the steward dared not press the matter further. After all, uncle and nephew by blood — surely nothing untoward would happen.

So Chen Baoxiang followed alongside him, slipping past the guards, and smoothly explored the grounds.

“This side is the horse paddock. Through the horse paddock there’s another courtyard for cockfighting.” Pei Ruheng narrated as they walked. “All of this vast area falls within the General’s Manor.”

“Wow.” Chen Baoxiang marveled. “There’s even a cockfighting arena — this place is enormous.”

“There are also camels and elephants kept in the back. It rivals Leyou Plain, I assure you.”

“This has truly opened my eyes. Though this section still seems somewhat plain.” She tilted her head to one side. “There aren’t even carved flowers on the eaves.”

“How can there be none?” Pei Ruheng pointed ahead. “All the eaves above the main courtyard are carved with four-clawed pythons.”

“Pythons?” Chen Baoxiang looked blank — she clearly had never seen such a thing.

Pei Ruheng, without the slightest suspicion, led her toward the main courtyard.

Truthfully, this place really was grander in scale than the Earl’s Manor. Without someone familiar with the layout to guide you, it would be easy to get completely lost within just a few turns.

Chen Baoxiang marveled as she looked around. General Cheng had it far too good — not a trace of the hardship from his past was visible.

“That’s the study. Uncle generally forbids people from going in. And this main courtyard — ordinarily only Uncle lives here, and no one else can enter.” Pei Ruheng came to a stop. “Let’s look elsewhere.”

“A courtyard this… enormous, and he lives in it alone?” Chen Baoxiang was astounded. “Don’t even the servants live inside?”

“Uncle doesn’t like having people around him when he sleeps. Not even Cheng’an is allowed.”

“But what if there are assassins?”

Pei Ruheng gave her a sideways glance. “Do you think all those guards posted outside eat for free? Never mind that an ordinary assassin couldn’t possibly infiltrate this place — and even if one did infiltrate as far as the main courtyard, there are mechanisms inside as well. What is there to fear?”

There are even mechanisms.

Lost in thought, Chen Baoxiang wasn’t paying attention and bumped directly into Pei Ruheng’s back.

“Hss — why did you—”

“Uncle.” Pei Ruheng called out.

Every drop of blood in her body turned cold. Chen Baoxiang quickly ducked behind Pei Ruheng.

“Why have you come here?” Cheng Huaili sat in his wheelchair and managed a strained smile at him. “Go to the front — the banquet is about to begin.”

“It’s Uncle’s birthday banquet today — why would I go to the front when Uncle is still here?” Pei Ruheng walked over and pushed his wheelchair. “Shall we go together?”

Chen Baoxiang followed closely on Pei Ruheng’s heels. The ornament in her hair swayed out and, catching the sunlight, flashed a glimmer into Cheng Huaili’s eyes.

Cheng Huaili frowned. “Who did you bring?”

“A friend.”

Chen Baoxiang steeled herself, stepped forward, and went down on her knees with a thud. “This humble one greets the Great General.”

Her voice was squeezed into an even stranger pitch, which made Cheng Huaili grimace with distaste. He turned his head away, uninterested. “You’re not so young anymore — if you’re to be betrothed, find someone proper. Don’t go traipsing around everywhere with all manner of dubious company.”

Pei Ruheng was very fond of this uncle of his, but even so, he did not immediately reply to those words.

Cheng Huaili’s brow creased. “Ruheng?”

“How are the pains in Uncle’s legs?” He pushed the wheelchair forward along the covered corridor, and as they passed Chen Baoxiang, he reached out and hauled her to her feet. “Physician Wang said Uncle suffers greatly whenever it rains recently.”

Chen Baoxiang stumbled forward and fell into step behind them, watching the back of Cheng Huaili’s graying head.

He said in a low, muffled voice: “A cripple is what I am now. Suffering or not doesn’t much matter.”

A military general who could no longer go to war was like a cart with a broken axle — gradually abandoned and left to grow cold by its master.

“It will get better.” Pei Ruheng said softly. “Uncle has fought countless battles throughout his life and achieved great merit. Even if he spends his remaining years in Shangjing in honored retirement, no one would dare treat him lightly.”

“Hmph.” Bringing this up made Cheng Huaili furious. “Even a wet-behind-the-ears brat dares scheme against me now. If I don’t assert my authority, they’ll really start thinking I’m a toothless tiger.”