Pei Yan seemed not to have heard Lu Zhaolin’s teasing. His dark, cold eyes fixed intently on Su He’s face, and his tone grew heavier: “I’m asking you, who did this to your face?”
His voice carried an overwhelming sense of authority, and the very breath in the courtyard seemed to grow lighter.
Baozhu immediately recalled the old marquis whom Pei Yan had forced to kneel and kowtow on the ground. Her knees went weak, and she dropped to the floor.
“My lord, I didn’t mean it… I was just playing around with Miss Su…”
“Hit her back.” Pei Yan released Su He’s chin and turned to look at Baozhu.
Su He’s mind raced. If she struck Baozhu, wouldn’t that be slapping Princess Chang in the face? Pei Yan could protect her today, but what about later? What would she do then?
“We really were just playing around?” She steadied herself, trying to excuse Baozhu.
“Hit her back!” Pei Yan’s expression darkened as he snapped sharply: “My people, my things—without my permission, even if a single corner is damaged, they deserve to die.”
Baozhu’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and her body went limp, collapsing completely onto the ground.
“My lord, please calm your anger.” Seeing the situation escalating, Qiu Yun, who understood the gravity of it all, quickly knelt to plead: “Sister Baozhu only slipped up for a moment; she didn’t mean to trouble Miss Su.”
“What did I tell you? I won’t repeat myself a third time.” Ignoring Qiu Yun, Pei Yan fixed his imposing gaze on Su He.
Su He felt suffocated under his stare.
Suddenly, she realized that her little tricks truly hadn’t escaped Pei Yan’s notice—he simply hadn’t bothered to call her out on them.
“I don’t dare.” She knelt down, yielding as well.
“Baozhu is Princess Chang’s person. Let it go.” Lu Zhaolin stroked his chin as he stepped forward to mediate.
“Think carefully about whether you’re a person or a dog.” Pei Yan’s face remained cold as he suddenly swung his arm, lashing out with a whip that struck Baozhu fiercely.
The whip came so swiftly that no one reacted in time. Baozhu least of all. By the time she realized what had happened, the whip had landed on her right shoulder, tearing open half her back.
Qiu Yun hurriedly scrambled up, helping Su He to her feet before quickly leading her away.
Su He’s face had also paled with fright. Pei Yan, who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood—his anger was truly terrifying.
So, could she really escape unscathed and leave the Princess’s Mansion?
Cui Mama trembled uncontrollably, not daring to lift her head. Only when the scent of blood in the air began to disperse did she realize Pei Yan had already left with Lu Zhaolin.
“Quick, quick—help Miss Baozhu back to her room and call for a physician!” Cui Mama scrambled over to Baozhu’s side on hands and knees. Seeing that Baozhu had been whipped into unconsciousness, she cried out in alarm.
The Princess’s Mansion had its own place for teaching discipline, yet Baozhu had deliberately summoned their group to the Brocade Nan Garden, ensuring Lu Zhaolin would witness it. If anyone claimed it wasn’t intentional, Pei Yan would never believe it.
That whip had been too light!
…
In the Bamboo Garden, Su He pressed a hand to her injured cheek, asking uneasily: “Won’t the lord kill me? Baozhu is his mother’s most trusted person.”
“Probably not.” Qiu Yun shook her head. Still, she too had been frightened today. It had been a while since Pei Yan had lost his temper—the last time she’d seen him this angry was two years ago.
“Perhaps his duties didn’t go smoothly today. Don’t panic just yet; apply the medicine first.” Qiu Yun steadied herself, fetched some ointment, and applied it to Su He’s cheek.
“It’s all Baozhu’s fault. For no reason, why did she have to pick on me? Even if she wanted to cause trouble, she could’ve pinched my arm or something—why did it have to be my face?” Su He’s mind was filled with the image of Pei Yan swinging that whip.
These past few days, apart from being rather fierce in bed, Pei Yan had been quite gentle with her during the day, making her forget that he was originally a ruthless man. She could hardly imagine what would have happened if that whip had landed on her—would she have been split in two by now?
Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Both Su He and Qiu Yun were startled, turning their heads to look toward the entrance. They saw Zhang Jiulu walking in, carrying a thick stack of case files, followed by guards.
“When will the master return? Will he be back for the meal?” Qiu Yun, slightly reassured, ran over to Zhang Jiulu to inquire. “What happened today?”
“Don’t ask.” Zhang Jiulu glanced at Su He, frowned, and lowered his voice. “The master is discussing a marriage proposal these days. Tell Miss Su not to go out.”
“Lu Lingxue?” Qiu Yun asked.
Zhang Jiulu nodded. “The imperial decree for the marriage will arrive soon. The master is unwilling and argued with Princess Chang over it.”
Su He listened intently, her ears perked up. Could it be that Pei Yan didn’t dare vent his anger on the princess, so he took it out on Baozhu instead? But Baozhu had brought it upon herself, choosing to provoke him on such a day.
Zhang Jiulu made two more trips back and forth with the case files before finally leaving with the guards.
Su He felt uneasy for a while but soon let it go, urging Qiu Yun to serve the meal. She hadn’t even had time for breakfast, and now it was already past noon. She was starving.
“You’re really something, still able to eat at a time like this. Once this marriage is settled, Miss Lu definitely won’t tolerate you,” Qiu Yun sighed sympathetically.
“Isn’t that just perfect? She can kick me out,” Su He said, opening the sugar jar and popping a piece of osmanthus candy into her mouth.
The skin she had pinched earlier was right on the tip of her cheek. Chewing the candy tugged at the wound, and a sharp, stinging pain immediately made her stop chewing. She obediently held the candy in her mouth, waiting for it to dissolve.
“Being kicked out would be even worse,” Qiu Yun reminded her. “Whether it’s the old marquis, the Su family, the Lu family, or Baozhu… if any of them make a move, your neck will be snapped.”
Su He:…
“Don’t scare me,” she spat out the candy, anxiously pacing around.
“The only way now is to stay close to the master,” Qiu Yun said helplessly.
Su He slumped into a chair, murmuring softly, “But I can’t stay locked up like this forever, can I?”
“Once you’re elevated to a concubine and have a child… things will get better,” Qiu Yun said, glancing at her stomach and sighing again. Physician Liu had said it would be difficult for her to conceive. What good could come to a childless concubine? But if she remained just a maidservant, once the mistress entered the household, her days would become even more unbearable.
Su He wilted like frostbitten eggplant. In the end, she barely touched her lunch. After the dishes were cleared, she returned to her room and lay down.
“Get up.” Pei Yan had returned to the courtyard at some point and was standing at her door, watching her from a distance.
Su He sprang up like a carp leaping out of water, rolling off the bed and kneeling straight before him.
She could bend and stretch, endure and hold back. Right now, she was determined to be more resilient than the oldest turtle—a true master of endurance!
“What are you kneeling for? Come out.” Pei Yan’s handsome face showed no anger; instead, it carried a hint of laziness. He glanced at her and went to sit in the rocking chair under the bamboo.
Su He quickly got up and went out, standing beside him with her head bowed and eyes lowered.
“Why didn’t you fight back when someone hit you?” Pei Yan took the tea offered by Qiu Yun and asked casually.
“I didn’t dare fight back. This is the Princess’s Mansion. She’s your mother’s person, and your mother is the mistress here,” Su He replied softly.
“My own mother wouldn’t dare touch my people.” Pei Yan slammed the teacup onto the table with a clatter, displeased as he said, “Now that you’re by my side, why are you still so timid? Do you think I’m just for show?”
It wasn’t that…
She was merely a Minor Concubine. Even if she dared to go up the mountain to catch a few leopards, dig out their gallbladders, and swallow them, she would never dare to oppose Princess Chang!
“Pathetic!” Pei Yan frowned, staring at her as he commanded, “Kneel down.”