“My father is…”

Li Buyan glanced lightly at Young Master Pei, who was raising his teacup to drink, and squeezed three words out from between her teeth.

“The Grand Chieftain.”

Pfft—

He sprayed out a mouthful of water.

Clang—

The teacup fell from his hand.

Pei Xiao was so shocked his voice changed: “Grand, Grand, Grand Chieftain—what does he do?”

Even though Xie Zhifei had mentally prepared himself beforehand, he was still greatly shocked by these three words, so much so that his voice trembled when he spoke.

“In our nation’s border regions of Yunnan-Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hunan, the terrain is mostly mountainous and rugged.

The people generally live clustered in small plains and basins among the mountains, forming tribes.

Each tribe has a native king.

These native kings have their hereditary lands, rule their hereditary people, command their hereditary troops, hold their hereditary offices, govern their hereditary territories, enter their hereditary streams, and receive their hereditary appointments.

And the person who manages all these native kings is the Grand Chieftain.”

He glanced at Pei Xiao, who was already dumbstruck, and decided to make it even more plain.

“The Grand Chieftain is essentially the emperor of the entire southwestern border. It’s just that he’s somewhat subject to our nation’s jurisdiction and constraints, so he cannot be called emperor—only Grand Chieftain. But in reality…”

The words stopped abruptly.

But Pei Xiao clearly understood the unspoken half-sentence: in reality, there’s not much difference from an emperor.

No wonder her tone was always so arrogant;

No wonder she acted as if even if the Heavenly King himself came, this young mistress wouldn’t be afraid.

Turns out she was the daughter of a local emperor.

Heaven above!

Earth below!

After all this fuss, it wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough for him—it was that he wasn’t good enough for her!

At this moment, Young Master Pei desperately wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

But there was no hole!

He could only look pleadingly toward Xue Zhao at the same table.

Xue Zhao’s face was expressionless: Young man, you still lack worldly experience.

Young Master Pei’s gaze turned to Lu Da.

Lu Da wore a deadpan face: What’s the big deal? My former master was the Crown Prince!

You two bastards don’t understand helping someone out of an awkward situation at all.

Young Master Pei kicked Xie Fifty beside him: Quick, say something for me.

Xie Fifty spoke: “Li Buyan, you’re a princess—how did you become Yan Sanhe’s maidservant?”

“Because I wanted to!”

Li Buyan: “My mother said that in this life, soulmates are hard to find. When you meet one, you must cling to them shamelessly.”

Pei Xiao finally spoke a complete sentence: “Does your local emperor father agree?”

Li Buyan: “He can’t control me.”

Pei Xiao: “Who can control you?”

Li Buyan: “My mother!”

Pei Xiao asked nervously: “And who is your mother?”

Li Buyan: “My mother is a person from another world. She transmigrated here, and after death, transmigrated back.”

Thud!

Pei Xiao’s body leaned backward, his bottom slid down, and he fell to the ground.

What was she saying?

Transmigrated here, transmigrated back—like a draft passing through?

Or like putting on and taking off clothes?

Buddha, you’re not being fair! Did you think the shocks Yan Sanhe gave me weren’t enough, so you created Li Buyan too?

What sins did I commit in my past life…

No, wait.

What blessings did I accumulate to meet these two!

Young Master Pei shakily climbed up, shakily sat steady, then pointed at the inn and shakily asked: “This inn is your father’s business?”

“My mother’s.”

Li Buyan: “I take my mother’s surname. All the inns, silk shops, pavilions, and studios in the nation with the characters ‘wood’ and ‘child’ in their names are my mother’s legacy to me.”

Holy shit!

She was also a complete landlord!

No, wait!

The property didn’t matter—the key issue was if they had children in the future, wouldn’t the children have to take the surname Li too?

Pei Xiao was scared enough to shudder and quickly suppressed this terrifying thought that had emerged from who knows where.

“Your father just agreed to let you… take your mother’s surname?”

“He already has over ten sons with his surname. Daughters don’t matter.”

Over ten sons?

Pei Xiao: “Is your mother a concubine he took?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. My mother was the principal wife.”

Li Buyan’s face darkened. “Those ten-plus sons are the illegitimate ones. I am my father’s only legitimate daughter.”

Yan Sanhe suddenly interjected.

“Her mother couldn’t stand her father taking one concubine after another. She had a clean break divorce with him and took Li Buyan away. But as far as I know, to this day, the position of principal wife has remained vacant.”

So I should also give up any thoughts of taking concubines in the future, otherwise I’ll also…

Aiya, why are these thoughts surfacing again!

Stop it.

Pei Xiao swallowed hard: “So tomorrow are we going to seek refuge with your father?”

“Seek refuge with him for what?”

Li Buyan sneered: “I have ten mountain territories over there. We’ll close our doors and live our own lives.”

Xie Zhifei was thoroughly shocked. “In other words, you’re a female chieftain managing ten tribes?”

“What, who said chieftains must be male?”

Li Buyan looked disdainful: “Originally I didn’t want to do it, but those ten mountain territories were his dowry gift to me. I thought I couldn’t let those illegitimate sons benefit, so I took them!”

Ten mountain territories?

Female chieftain?

Young mistress, have mercy! Can you reveal all your awesome credentials at once? This young master’s heart can’t take it!

Pei Xiao clutched his frantically beating heart, gasping for breath.

Only now did he understand where Li Buyan’s aura of killing demons and buddhas alike came from!

What would life be like from now on?

He couldn’t beat her in a fight;

He didn’t have as much money as her;

He’d be living on her territory;

The children couldn’t even take his surname;

Pei Xiao’s heart turned over a thousand times. Those thoughts didn’t need suppressing—they slowly dissipated on their own.

He couldn’t tame her!

Xie Zhifei glanced at Pei Xiao, raised his wine cup, and lifted it toward Li Buyan.

“I won’t speak grandly either—I’ll only say the most practical things. Yan Sanhe and I don’t need much. A modest courtyard, a well-off household, able to live peacefully and safely—that’s good enough.”

Li Buyan set her wine cup down on the table with a thump.

“You’re asking for too little. Drink this wine yourself—I’m not drinking!”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

How could there be someone who forces people to take her things?

Xie Zhifei could only say casually: “Then give me five mountain territories.”

“Only four.”

Li Buyan raised her wine cup and downed it in one gulp, then her gaze drifted toward Han Xu. “I’m keeping one for her.”

Han Xu suddenly smiled, radiance flowing in her eyes, unspeakably captivating. “In that case, I won’t be polite.”

Xie Zhifei looked at Yan Sanhe with an incredulous expression.

What was wrong with this person? Giving away five mountain territories as if giving five dates.

Yan Sanhe smiled without speaking.

“Young Master Pei.”

At this moment, Li Buyan’s gaze fell gently and softly on Pei Xiao.

This person had a foul mouth, was lazy, lacked ambition, and was loud—but…

His heart was warm, soft, clean and pure—the kind that made you unknowingly grow attached the more you were around him.

Pei Xiao raised his wine cup with a sweet face but bitter heart, his tone somewhat sour: “What orders does Chieftain Li have?”

“Do you remember my words?”

“Which ones?”

“Where your heart is, there you should be. Pack your things neatly and come with me.”

“Mm, you said that.”

Li Buyan curved her lips and said softly: “I’ll ask one more time—will you come with me or not?”

Pei Xiao thought to himself, are you confused or what? “Aren’t we already following you…”

The words suddenly stuck;

His face flushed bright red.

He widened his eyes and stared at her across the table without blinking, his heart pounding boom-boom-boom-boom.

No, wait.

It was clang-clang-clang-clang!