“Your Highness truly is a man of his word,” Song Beiyao poured himself another cup of hot tea and leisurely said, “It’s just that I don’t have any wine here today. How about using tea in place of wine? Would that be alright?”
He lightly tapped his fingertip against the side of the cup twice, producing two crisp sounds, and looked over with a gaze full of anticipation.
Pei Ji lowered his gaze to look at the tea in the cup, neither agreeing nor refusing.
“Could it be that Your Highness still suspects that I am an assassin and will poison the cup?” Song Beiyao’s expression looked somewhat hurt as he picked up a small spoon from the side and scooped a spoonful from Pei Ji’s teacup.
Pei Ji’s gaze followed that spoon right to Song Beiyao’s lips. As the tea entered his mouth, Song Beiyao very naturally licked his lips with the tip of his tongue and remarked, “Good tea.”
Pei Ji glanced away from the youth’s lips, lifted his teacup, and said coldly, “Fourth Prince, whether we drink the nuptial wine or not, what this king has said will never change. You and I will never truly be husband and wife.”
Song Beiyao’s expression darkened, the flash of disappointment vanishing quickly as he forced a smile, also raising his teacup. “I am already fully satisfied that Your Highness was willing to accompany me in drinking this cup of wine; I wouldn’t dare to harbor extravagant hopes for anything else.”
With that, he reached his arm out toward Pei Ji. “In my country of Zhao, the nuptial wine must be drunk with arms intertwined. Your Highness will surely grant me this tiny wish, won’t you?”
Pei Ji silently extended his arm, interlocking arms with Song Beiyao, and together they drank the cup of tea.
The scene could only be described as bizarre. The two of them—one dressed in black and the other in white, the one acting perfunctorily and the other harboring malicious intent—felt no awkwardness or strangeness in the gesture whatsoever.
As he reached out and withdrew his hand, Song Beiyao gently brushed against the back of Pei Ji’s hand, causing the number in the lower-left corner to jump up by 2 points.
As the teacups were set down, Pei Ji made a move to leave. Song Beiyao called out to stop him, “Husband.”
Pei Ji’s body stiffened slightly, an expression of displeasure crossing his face. “What did you call this king?”
“In our country of Zhao, once we have drunk the nuptial wine, the two of us are officially bound as husband and wife, united in heart for a hundred years of marital harmony.” Song Beiyao’s cheeks flushed slightly as he shyly lowered his gaze, looking as though he wanted to look at Pei Ji yet didn’t dare to. “I am from now on my husband’s person. If husband wishes, wishes to consummate our marriage, I am also…”
Just as the sound of a crack rang out, Pei Ji crushed the teacup into a fine powder with a single hand. Striking the table with a palm, he abruptly stood up, his voice cold and stern. “Shameless.” With that, he strode straight out of the room.
Once the person had walked far away, Song Beiyao raised his head, glanced at the glass shards on the table, and slightly raised an eyebrow.
He was angry—that was a good thing. He knew Pei Ji possessed martial arts, but he hadn’t expected him to be this strong.
At that moment, Ling Feng swept back into the room like a gust of wind, blurting out in a rush, “Do you know what just happened? Pei Ji’s top-tier guard actually came to test my martial arts skills!”
Catching sight of the shattered shards and bloodstains on the table, he instantly leaped up. “Whoa! Whose doing is this? It couldn’t possibly be you!”
“It was Pei Ji.” Song Beiyao raised his eyes to look at him. “Judging by this internal energy, how does he compare to you?”
Ling Feng curled his lip, picked up a teacup, and was just about to channel his strength when he suddenly realized what he was doing. Quickly putting the teacup down, he clutched his own hand. “I have no idea how he compares to me. Pei Ji has never entered the martial arts world, so his name isn’t on the ranking lists. But judging by this, his martial arts are far more formidable than I imagined.”
With a serious expression, he looked intently at Song Beiyao. “Did you provoke him again? I advise you to behave yourself; our only goal is to complete the mission. You don’t have any martial arts right now, so don’t go provoking him on purpose, or you won’t even know how you died when the time comes.”
Behave himself?
The corners of Song Beiyao’s lips curved upward slightly. Taking a sip of tea, he drawled in a lazy tone, “Don’t worry, I won’t provoke him.”
Stepping out of the annex, Pei Ji was immediately followed by the guard Qu Lan. “Your Highness, I’ve tested him. That servant knows a few basic self-defense tricks, and his reflexes aren’t particularly fast either.”
“Understood.”
Walking through the dark night all the way to the study, Steward Zhang was waiting outside.
“Your Highness.” Seeing the Crown Prince appear, Steward Zhang respectfully stepped forward. Amidst bowing his head, he caught sight of the Crown Prince’s palm dripping with blood and was instantly startled. “What happened to Your Highness’s hand?!” He hurriedly instructed a nearby servant to summon a physician.
“There is no need.” Pei Ji stepped into the study. “Waiting outside this late, is there something the matter?”
Steward Zhang followed him inside. “Tomorrow is the end of the year, and this old servant thought he’d come and ask Your Highness whether things will be like previous years, with no banquet held?”
“No banquet.” Pei Ji retrieved medicine, wine, and gauze from a wooden cabinet. After picking the shattered glass pieces out of his palm, he unscrewed the wine bottle cap directly and poured clear white liquor straight over the wound.
The liquor mixed with flowing blood, Steward Zhang felt a sharp pang in his heart just watching. How painful that must be! Yet looking at the Crown Prince, he didn’t even furrow his brow.
After pouring the white liquor and briefly wiping the area, he applied the ointment and wrapped it in gauze. Pei Ji raised his head to look at him. “Is there anything else?”
Steward Zhang wiped the sweat from the tip of his nose and said, “An invitation suddenly arrived from the Southern Peace Marquis Manor today, stating that the young marquis wishes to visit the estate tomorrow to stay for a few days and keep Your Highness company through your birthday.”
The Crown Prince’s birthday fell in early January, and every year the young marquis would come to the estate to cause a ruckus. But this time was different from the past the Crown Prince now had a consort. What if this young marquis harbored resentment and committed some rebellious act? What would be the best way to handle it?
Steward Zhang was anxious inside, yet found it difficult to voice his concerns.
Pei Ji didn’t make much of it, speaking in an indifferent tone, “Let him come if he wants. Have the kitchens prepare extra dishes tomorrow night.”
Steward Zhang still couldn’t help asking, “Then as for the annex… should we invite him to dine at the table as well? If the Consort spends tomorrow night alone in the courtyard, it might also…”
“Steward Zhang,” Pei Ji interrupted him coldly. “From now on, in front of this king, there is no need to mention this person ever again. Just consider him nonexistent.”
“Your Highness, why is that?” Steward Zhang asked in astonishment. “Could it be that Your Highness’s injury was caused by the Consort?”
Pei Ji let out a cold snort. “He’s hardly capable of injuring me.”
Steward Zhang asked, “Then this is…”
Pei Ji sat down at the side table, opened a case file, and ceased answering. “Just do as I instructed. You may leave.”
Unable to ask further and filled with worry, Steward Zhang had no choice but to exit the study.
The next day, Song Beiyao woke up early and casually hauled Ling Feng who had fallen asleep curled up like an octopus—out of bed.
The number in the lower-left corner dropped back to -197. With the Qi value stubbornly refusing to go up, the system delivered its routine morning greeting to Song Beiyao: “Did you scavenge any Qi today? Did you cuddle up with Pei Ji? You still haven’t scavenged and you still haven’t cuddled, what on earth are you trying to do?”
Song Beiyao went about eating breakfast in his usual leisurely manner while replying to the system: “Don’t rush, you can’t rush this, how many times do I have to explain? Right now it’s just the pre-heating phase; the game hasn’t officially started yet.”
“Not officially started! When can it officially start?! Do you not want to return to your original world?!” The system gradually shifted into a state of fury.
“Of course I do.” Song Beiyao’s tone carried little fluctuation.
How could he not?
There were people he needed to take care of there, unfinished business to attend to, and he dreamed of returning immediately. Yet a strong desire would only cloud one’s judgment; if he couldn’t remain calm and keep his cool, he might very well have died right down in that dungeon.
What he wanted was to return as quickly as possible, but to be fast, he first had to be slow.
The tip of his tongue gently brushed against his upper canine tooth. Song Beiyao put down his bowl and chopsticks and stepped out into the courtyard.
He was facing a man far more dangerous than wolves or panthers. Playing a game of wits against such a person required him to be both cautious and daringly unconventional.
He had to win.
It wasn’t snowing today, but the weather was much colder than the previous few days.
Ling Feng got dressed and stepped out of the room. Taking one look at the breaking dawn, he said irritably, “Why drag me up this early in the morning for nothing?!”
“We’re leaving the estate today.”
“Leaving the estate?” Ling Feng was startled, questions popping up one after another. “What are we going out for today? How are you going to get out? Are we coming back after we go out?”
Song Beiyao answered them one by one: “Going out to buy things. You’re taking me out, and we are coming back.”
“What do you need to buy? It’s so early, couldn’t I just go buy it?” Ling Feng couldn’t comprehend it. “What if you get discovered leaving the estate?!”
Song Beiyao smiled slightly being discovered was precisely what he wanted.
After yesterday’s events, Pei Ji would inevitably give him the cold shoulder for a while. He had to create incidents to ensure the water surface had no chance of freezing over.
“I need to pick out the items in person, and the earlier we go, the easier it is to get out.” Song Beiyao patted Ling Feng’s shoulder with a bright smile. “I’ll have to trouble our chivalrous hero Ling to carry me out!”
Ling Feng: “………”
In the afternoon, a carriage slowly pulled to a stop outside the Crown Prince’s Mansion. The carriage door swung open, and a sapphire-blue figure leaped down. Opening his folding fan with a sharp snap, he fanned himself a couple of times before saying to the attendant beside him, “Don’t follow me.”
He turned and walked straight toward Steward Zhang, who was waiting outside the mansion. “Steward Zhang!!”
By the time Xiao Yun approached, the rich, sweet fragrance clinging to his person arrived right along with him. Steward Zhang instinctively took a step back. “Greetings, Young Marquis.”
The Heir of the Southern Peace Marquis was considered a regular guest at the mansion, making an appearance every single year. But now that this young marquis had also turned seventeen, reaching the age to marry and start a family and only two years away from entering officialdom why was he still acting like this…
“Where is Brother Ji?”
Hearing the young marquis’s spoiled, coquettish tone, Steward Zhang felt a shiver run down his spine and hurriedly took another step back. “His Royal Highness is currently discussing matters in the study. May I ask the Young Marquis to accompany this old servant…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the person had already slipped past him in a flash, darting straight into the mansion. “Brother Ji! Brother Ji!” He sprinted all the way toward the study.
Steward Zhang broke out in a frantic sweat. “Quick! Stop him!”
Inside the study, Pei Ji had just finished discussing state affairs with Peng Yu and was taking a brief break when he suddenly heard a string of shouts from outside.
“Brother Ji! Brother Ji!”
The door was pushed open instantly, and a sapphire-blue figure rushed in, looking as though he wanted to pounce directly onto Pei Ji.
The two guards were quick on their feet, promptly pinning the person down by either side.
“Let go! Let go of me!” Unable to break free, Xiao Yun wore an aggrieved expression. “Brother Ji, look at them grabbing me! Aren’t you going to do something about them?!”
With a headache, Pei Ji rubbed his temples and waved a hand. “Take him outside first.”
“Brother Ji, how could you be like this? Sob, there’s no justice in the world! You don’t care about me anymore!…”
As the door closed and the wailing faded into the distance, Pei Ji’s expression finally eased somewhat.
Inside the room, Peng Yu chuckled. “His Highness is quite popular with the ladies.”
Pei Ji said in a deep voice, “Why say that?”
Peng Yu replied, “This subordinate sees that the Heir of the Southern Peace Marquis has exquisite features and a top-tier appearance, and seems to have romantic intentions toward Your Highness. I also heard that the newly entered consort possesses breathtaking, peerless beauty—a rare sight in the Jiuzhou realm. That is why I formed such an impression.”
Pei Ji remained unimpressed. “It’s merely a shell of flesh and blood. Beautiful shells are as dime-a-dozen as you want them to be.”
Peng Yu looked thoughtful. “Viewed in that light, Your Highness seems rather dissatisfied with the consort. This subordinate is actually curious: what kind of woman, or man, could possibly catch Your Highness’s eye?”
Hearing this, Pei Ji’s gaze paused slightly. For some reason, his mind conjured up that day in the dim dungeon: the bedraggled youth soaked completely through, whose eyes shone startlingly bright when he uttered those final words. It carried a desperate yearning for life, yet felt like a poisoned poppy—one touch could cost a person their life.
“Your Highness? Your Highness?”
Peng Yu’s voice pulled Pei Ji’s thoughts back. He pressed his brow, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. “Go on.”
Having been booted out of the study, Xiao Yun stamped his feet in anger. Steward Zhang had also chased him out to the front of the study, choosing not to step forward to comfort him and instead standing far away, secretly praying that this ancestral deity would hurry up and calm down.
As it turned out, Xiao Yun had extremely sharp eyes. Spotting Steward Zhang at a glance, he immediately charged over. “Steward Zhang, tell me! Is it because of that newcomer in the mansion that Brother Ji is ignoring me?”
Steward Zhang was momentarily stunned, quickly realizing who was being referred to, though he put on a look of feigned ignorance on the surface. “This old servant has no idea what the Young Marquis is talking about.”
“That consort who just married into the Crown Prince’s Mansion, some prince from Zhao—where is he?! Take me to see him!!” Xiao Yun’s face flushed red with anger, his stance looking for all the world like he was about to pick a fight.
Steward Zhang calmly replied, “Young Marquis, the Consort is in poor health; having fallen ill, he is currently bedridden. If the Young Marquis were to go see him and accidentally catch the ailment, it wouldn’t be good.”
“I’m not afraid.” Xiao Yun remained unrelenting. “I’ll just take a look at him from outside the door. I insist on seeing what this Fourth Prince of Zhao looks like!”
Steward Zhang still wanted to dissuade him. Xiao Yun lifted his foot to press forward. “Fine then, if you won’t take me, I’ll find him myself. I’ll search this place courtyard by courtyard!”
Living ancestor! How could the Crown Prince’s Mansion tolerate such chaos from you?
Steward Zhang hurried to keep up. “This old servant will lead the Young Marquis there right away. Young Marquis, please don’t be hasty.”
Along the way, Xiao Yun’s mouth never stopped running. “I heard that person has a peerless appearance ha! I’ve heard others praise me with that exact word countless times. No matter how good-looking he is, can he possibly look better than me?”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes.” You can’t even compare to a single strand of his hair.
Xiao Yun continued, “Even if he’s a prince of Zhao, he’s just an out-of-favor fourth prince; I heard his birth mother was of lowly status. I, on the other hand, am a Southern Peace Marquis personally enfeoffed by the late emperor! My father holds immense power, and my mother is the Grand Princess Shaoyang. My status is far more noble than his!”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes.” If it weren’t for the sake of the Southern Peace Marquis, would you even be able to set foot in the Crown Prince’s Mansion?
Xiao Yun added, “Brother Ji has always treated me exceptionally well since we were young; the position of Crown Prince’s Consort was definitely reserved for me. Now that I’ve reached the age of marriage, once I return to my manor this time, I’ll propose to my father that I marry into the Crown Prince’s Mansion!”
“Ah, yes… wait, what?”