Xie Yunzhen froze, the smile that had been rising froze at the corners of her lips, but she quickly composed her expression. Her gaze then flickered downward, yet she didn’t immediately register what Nanny Zeng was holding in her hands.
“This is…” Seeing Nanny Zeng’s somewhat solemn expression, it took her a few more breaths before she realized this should be the contraceptive decoction.
Her face flushed as she quickly took it, chiding herself inwardly for asking that unnecessary question. She had nearly forgotten such an important matter, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of money and the physician at Ruichun Hall.
Xie Yunzhen dreaded bitterness, and with such a large bowl, she wrinkled her nose and forced herself to drink it all. Before she could even recover from the bitter taste in her mouth, she heard Nanny Zeng say in a serious tone: “Madam Xie, our Pei family upholds strict moral standards. Our ancestors left an injunction that no man of the household may ever take concubines, and naturally, there can be no illegitimate children either. So this—I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with drinking it.”
Nanny Zeng studied Xie Yunzhen carefully, observing that she wore a simple hair bun with not even a single grass hairpin, let alone earrings or bracelets. Her skirt was an old garment, sky-blue in color, washed clean but clearly worn. She carried a small bundle in the crook of her arm, its cloth wrapping gray and shabby. This entire outfit—not to mention comparing it to Nanny Zeng’s own, who held considerable favor before her master—even an ordinary servant pulled at random from the household would be dressed more splendidly than she.
Yet this young woman of humble origins possessed a face of beauty that rivaled even the noble ladies of Shangjing.
Say what one would, this young master she had watched grow up certainly had an as-always discerning eye.
“Nanny, you misunderstand. His Excellency and I are not in that kind of relationship.” Xie Yunzhen gently wiped the corner of her lips, a hint of embarrassment coloring her face. As she placed the medicine bowl back into the food hamper, she added a quiet explanation.
Though Nanny Zeng had a stern face, to Xie Yunzhen, her words and manner did not inspire fear. Had these words come from anyone else, Xie Yunzhen would surely have thought they were trying to warn her against harboring delusions.
But the first half of Nanny Zeng’s speech left Yunzhen utterly bewildered. She surmised that perhaps Nanny Zeng had misunderstood, thinking Pei Shu intended to take her as a concubine?
But Nanny Zeng was overthinking things. Between her and this powerful, high-ranking official… to put it bluntly, it was a transaction. Their relationship couldn’t even be described in those terms. Once the six doses had fully dispelled the poison, she and this morally upright official would go their separate ways—she would return to being a village woman, and he would remain a great official, the two of them never crossing paths again.
Nanny Zeng smiled, not taking it to heart: “Madam Xie, don’t be shy. Please follow me—His Excellency has arranged a room, and I’ll lead you there to settle in.”
Though the Pei family had their ancestral injunction, she had served three generations of the Pei family over the years, and she knew the temperaments of her masters intimately well.
On this matter, she held her own views.
Xie Yunzhen hurried a few steps to keep up with Nanny Zeng, her red lips parting and closing as if she wanted to add another explanation, but she didn’t know where to begin. She simply closed her mouth—the more she said, the more mistakes she might make. Better to say nothing at all; everything would become clear on the day she left the estate.
Before she knew it, the time for the evening meal had arrived. Pei Shu had always lived a refined life, eating three meals a day.
He rubbed his brow and instructed Wen Lu to summon Xie Yunzhen.
Last night it had been too late to enter the city, so he had rested at a manor outside the city walls. The hard, cold bed had kept him awake all night, and after returning to the estate this morning, he had lacked appetite the entire day.
He had just finished listening to his subordinate’s report when he learned why Liu Wenhong had shown little reaction to his returning those trained courtesans, and could even converse with him with a relaxed, self-satisfied smile during their joint patrol the day before.
It turned out that the aphrodisiac drug he had been given at the banquet was a kind of gu insect. Once the afflicted person engaged in intercourse, the larvae would travel through bodily fluids into the body of the one who had provided the antidote. While this had no effect on the latter, it was an unbearable torment for the afflicted.
Once the mother insect and larvae appeared within a certain distance of each other, the mother insect, sensing the larvae, would drive the afflicted to develop an involuntary physical craving and attraction toward the antidote-giver, compelling them to uncontrollably want to draw closer—even going so far as to continuously beautify the antidote-giver’s image in their eyes. Even a mere blink would seem like an intoxicating seduction to the afflicted, and especially on the days when the antidote was needed, the torment reached its peak.
In this way, even after the six doses of antidote were completed, what was meant to happen had already happened—no one could claim innocence. Those with weaker resolve would likely find themselves unable to part from those meticulously trained courtesans.
This was the scheme behind their methods. Raocheng, as the seat of Pingzhou, was a vital inland thoroughfare, well-connected in all directions, with a constant flow of officials, merchants, and farmers passing through. Liu Wenhong had likely used this sinister gu insect to gain control over no small number of officials for his own use and that of those behind him.
Interestingly, those who had received the news publicly knew that Pei Shu had angered the Emperor at court, been docked six months’ salary, and “demoted” to Raocheng as an inspector. Those who typically shifted with the wind would avoid him at all costs, yet Liu Wenhong had instead prepared plans to win him over from the very start. When that scheme failed, he resorted to such underhanded tactics.
The waters of Pingzhou ran far deeper than they appeared.
“Lady Xie? Right now?” Wen Lu doubted he had heard correctly.
Wen Lu had not been present when Pei Shu listened to his subordinate’s report, so he naturally knew nothing of the aphrodisiac’s hidden intricacies. Hearing Pei Shu’s instruction, his jaw nearly dropped: His—his—his lordship actually wanted to dine with Lady Xie?
He knew his master was accustomed to solitude. In Shangjing, aside from official banquets and the necessary courtesy calls at the Duke’s residence, he had never cared for dining with too many people.
But looking up and seeing his master’s grim expression, Wen Lu dared not say another word. He hurried off to the neighboring courtyard to invite Xie Yunzhen over.
Wen Lu rushed to bring her over without clearly relaying the message, so Xie Yunzhen arrived in a daze, just as the maids bearing the meal filed in one after another.
Seeing Yunzhen arrive, Pei Shu did not even lift his eyelids. He merely swept his gaze over the table and, with a detached expression, instructed those around him to have some of the dishes removed. Then he turned back to speak in low tones with Wen Lu, never once glancing outward, as if he had not even noticed the person standing outside the door.
Though the room was crowded, no one made a discordant sound. The maids, after setting the meal, filed out in orderly fashion, and none dared to look up at Xie Yunzhen as they passed her.
This only made Yunzhen more ill at ease. She was just wondering whether she should speak up and ask the lord why he had summoned her, when she heard Pei Shu’s cold, clear voice:
“What are you standing there for? Come in.”
Xie Yunzhen obediently sat down by the table. Pei Shu’s aura was far too icy, so she very deliberately chose a seat as far from him as possible.
Pei Shu appeared unconcerned, but a quiet displeasure was brewing in his eyes. He merely said, “You’ve only had a pancake—you must be hungry. Come, dine with me.”
Yet for just two people dining, the round table was laid with a dozen or so dishes—main courses, porridge, and assorted delicacies both large and small—leaving Xie Yunzhen staring in astonishment.
This had to be how an emperor ate, surely?
She didn’t eat much, though not because her appetite was small, nor because she feared revealing her ignorance of proper etiquette. Rather, she had been busy since early morning without a chance to eat, and on the road into the city, hunger had gotten the better of her—she’d already filled her stomach with a preserved-vegetable pancake she’d made herself.
The pancake looked dry and plain, but it tasted good and was quite filling.
It was only after the two of them finished their meal in silence that Xie Yunzhen sensed something amiss:
How did the Lord know she’d eaten only a single pancake all day?
The night was deep and still, moonlight cascading like cool water over the stone steps.
After bathing, Pei Shu came to the small courtyard where Xie Yunzhen was staying. Though this was already the third time, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Especially with a tall, imposing man staring at her unblinkingly like a wolf.
The Lord was dressed exceptionally lightly—silk garments clinging to his skin, the fabric faintly revealing the solid, taut muscles beneath. It made heat rise to her face, and the atmosphere in the room gradually grew intimate, leaving no room for idle thoughts about how the Lord seemed to know her every move.
She hid behind the curtain to undress, her hands pausing mid-motion as she asked in a low, uncertain voice, “My Lord, tomorrow there is an important matter at my home. Might I be permitted to return for a visit?”
“No.” Pei Shu refused flatly, as if annoyed that Yun Zhen would bring up such irrelevant, mood-ruining matters in bed. With a sweep of his hand, he helped strip away the garments Xie Yunzhen had been fumbling with for ages, his long fingers giving a gentle push at her snow-white shoulder, and the beauty toppled backward in response.
His gaze darkened as he stared at Xie Yunzhen’s back, his thoughts drifting elsewhere, yet his mouth still reminded her: “As I told you yesterday, you are not to go anywhere during this time.”
That pack of old foxes led by Liu Wenhong was watching his residence closely—would they easily let slip someone as easy to handle as a rabbit like Xie Yunzhen?
“Mmm.” The cool fingers at the dimples of her lower back sent shivers through her. A hint of grievance welled up in Xie Yunzhen’s heart, and she arched her waist, hugging a soft pillow with a look of one about to weep.
Fine—if he wouldn’t let her leave, she’d just sneak out on her own, wouldn’t she? After all, her legs were her own, and she wasn’t anyone important. Pei Shu couldn’t possibly watch her every moment.
But then…
Pei Shu leaned in, about to lower himself, when she seemed to remember something and suddenly turned her head back to look at him.
Her gaze was moist and timid as she pleaded, “Then my Lord… could you please not leave marks? Just this once?”
In the season between late spring and early summer, clothing was thin and light. She wasn’t a delicate maiden who’d never done a day’s work—she had chores to attend to. She didn’t want to return home one day and have her mother discover those bruises and red marks on her body, for then no amount of excuses would explain them away.
The way she looked back at him like that was utterly endearing—her graceful neck, her bare snow-white back, such natural, innate charm that even the most iron-willed man would melt into tender submission at her bidding.
But Pei Shu was no ordinary man. He had long since forged a heart of iron, unmoved by others with ease. He raised an eyebrow and hummed thoughtfully, staring straight at Xie Yunzhen, giving her just enough hope to keep her hanging before curling his lips and drawling slowly, “No.” Then he lowered himself, drawing a muffled groan from her.
Yun Zhen knew well that she and someone as precious as Pei Shu were worlds apart, but being rejected twice in a row, and with him being so deliberately cruel about it, she let out a pitiful whimper at the force of it. After what felt like an eternity, she clung to Pei Shu’s firm, broad back through tear-blurred eyes, not daring to let herself sink into the boundless heat, yet unwilling to fully wake and dwell on the grievance festering in her heart.
It was all her choice. Who was there to blame?
After much more exertion and a release of tension, Pei Shu stared at Yun Zhen’s aggrieved expression, a flicker of irritation passing through him. He couldn’t hold back and said coldly, with a sharp edge, “Why are you crying again? So wronged—did I force you? Have you forgotten what I said yesterday?”
Xie Yunzhen wouldn’t dare forget.
The first time she entered the estate, she had witnessed Pei Shu’s thunderous methods when dealing with servants who disobeyed their master. His tone now was less than pleasant, and it made her heart tremble with fear.
She tried to force a smile, but the discomfort below made her lose all will to pretend. She turned her gaze away and said stiffly, “You misunderstand, my lord. Yun Zhen… it’s just a little sore.”
Who would have thought that her mention of pain would make Pei Shu’s expression darken even further.
He ran his tongue over his back teeth, eyeing the little expression on Xie Yunzhen’s face with a cold laugh: Fine, this village woman had some spirit after all.
Yun Zhen buried her head in the blanket, naturally missing Pei Shu’s expression. This was only the third time she had been intimate with someone; how could she know about a man’s pride? Saying she was sore after the act was practically slapping a man in the face, implying his skill was lacking.
The esteemed Lord Pei, who had returned from years of navigating the treacherous seas of officialdom at just twenty-seven, darkened his face for the first time.
He had been precocious, starting his education early, and had picked up everything he’d ever learned with effortless ease—even in the bedchamber, he considered himself a natural. Never had he imagined being subtly told he wasn’t up to par.
Instead of anger, he laughed, but the smile was frostbitten, sending a chill down one’s spine.
He fell silent, then called for water, rose, dressed, and left the room.
Wen Lu had been waiting outside the whole time. Seeing Pei Shu emerge, he hurried over.
Pei Shu’s voice was low, and by the few steps it took to leave the room, any trace of extra emotion had already vanished from his tone. He instructed, “Have Uncle Jiang go to Ning Village tomorrow.”
Uncle Jiang was Pei Shu’s personal physician, highly skilled in medicine, and an old servant who had served the Duke’s household for years. He had accompanied Pei Shu to Raocheng on this trip.
Wen Lu took a few moments to grasp Pei Shu’s meaning, and then, for some inexplicable reason, his mind went blank and his mouth ran ahead of him: “My lord cares so much for Lady Xie, why not take her as a concubine?”
Wen Lu thought that given Xie Yunzhen’s status, she could hardly fill the role of principal wife, but a concubine… a concubine wouldn’t work either—the Pei family had—
The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had gotten himself into trouble. Before he could think of how to salvage it, Pei Shu lifted his eyelids and shot him a dagger of a glare: “The Pei family’s ancestral rules forbid taking concubines, and the old fogies in the clan are watching closely. Are you trying to ruin me?”
Wen Lu slapped his own mouth and quickly said, “My lord, I was wrong! I misspoke!”
Several respected elders of the Pei clan had retired in recent years, some from local posts and others from positions in the capital. Once a man has leisure, his thoughts begin to stir. Some spoke openly, others hinted indirectly, repeatedly troubling the clan head with their requests. On the surface, it was about taking concubines, but behind closed doors—well, that was another matter entirely.
Wen Lu knew, however, that if the current head of the Pei clan set the precedent of taking a concubine, those old men would not only seize the opportunity to find fault with him and advance their own sons, but also take the chance to acquire a few beautiful concubines for themselves.
They would enjoy the bliss of multiple wives, while the clan head’s position would likely become difficult to uphold.
“In this life, I will neither marry nor take concubines.” Pei Shu looked at Wen Lu with cold eyes. “If anyone tries to pass a message through you—”
“—Wen Lu, I will have to consider finding a new attendant.”
Years ago, because of his dear father’s romantic escapades, the Pei family had lost all face. Behind the scenes, those old bastards had done their share of undermining him. Now that he had taken the seat of clan head, he would never repeat that mistake.
Author’s note:
Nanny Zeng: Whether it’s a lover or—, I can tell the difference myself.
Yun Zhen: Not marrying, not taking concubines? Then what about me—(points at herself emoji.jpg)
Pei Shu: That was said by Pei the Dog, what does it have to do with me, Pei Shu? Let’s get married right now, immediately, this instant!