Qin Yurong was quite satisfied with his compliance, only then allowing him to stand up and speak.
“I heard from the servants that the Qing Courtyard was very lively last night.”
“Ahem. I figured what you said made sense. After all, he is my primary spouse and also the primary spouse of the Pei family. When others humiliate him, they are merely doing so to humiliate the Pei family.”
It was laughable that in his past life, he had not completely understood these truths until the Pei family met their downfall.
Yet to his dying day, he had never known who exactly had driven the Pei family to such a desperate end, truly dying as a confused ghost.
Now that everything could start over and there was still room for turning things around, he was bound to investigate this matter thoroughly and would never again let the little mute suffer and endure hardships because of him.
A trace of surprise flashed in Qin Yurong’s eyes. She knew her son best. While he possessed considerable capability, he was excessively arrogant and overbearing. Not a single person in the last three generations of their family could match his domineering temperament.
How could he possibly be so obedient now?
“You beat him?” Qin Yurong instinctively sensed something fishy.
“Mother, is the trust between mother and son this fragile?” Pei Ji said with a hint of distress. How could he ever dare to lay a hand on the little mute?
Qin Yurong massaged her temples, anger replacing her gentle expression as she forced a smile. “Pei Yunzhou, count on your fingers. From the time you were a child, when has your obedience ever been anything other than guilt from doing something bad?”
Usually, he was arrogant and overbearing, his temper flaring enough to destroy eight hundred ant nests at a moment’s notice. With him acting so agreeable now, Qin Yurong naturally suspected an ulterior motive.
Naturally, Pei Ji was in the wrong here, so he sensibly offered an explanation. “Things have reached this point, and as you said, I must shoulder the responsibilities I ought to. The men of the Pei family are never cowardly scoundrels. Since I said I would treat him well, I will certainly keep my word.”
“As long as you understand,” Qin Yurong sighed softly. “In a few days, when his body has recovered somewhat, take him back to the He family for a visit.”
“A filthy place like that, what is there to visit!” Pei Ji’s expression grew cold, the disgust and disdain in his eyes completely undisguised.
In his past life, although he hadn’t been particularly close to the little mute, they had after all lived together for two or three years, and he was somewhat aware of the youth’s situation within the He family. The He family was a den of vipers and rats. It was a sheer miracle that the little mute hadn’t been eaten down to the bone!
Qin Yurong cast him a reproachful look, picked up her teacup, and chuckled softly. “I knew you would forget. On the customary return visit day half a month ago, you went spring hunting with others and left him unattended in the estate. When the He family sent people to inquire, you cursed them out and drove them away. Pei Yunzhou, oh Pei Yunzhou.”
Pei Yunzhou was stunned.
This truly felt bizarre. He had genuinely forgotten.
After all, back then he disliked the little mute, and furthermore, the He family could only bow and scrape before the Pei family. Naturally, he hadn’t held the He family in any regard.
Yet looking back now, what he should have done was not ignore the He family, but rather seize the opportunity to take the little mute back and slap the He family members right across their faces.
“I know. Once his injuries heal, I will take him back,” Pei Ji said.
“Your father and brothers came back last night and mentioned this. The Emperor has already expressed his condolences and even said he would issue a decree today to comfort him. You must not break the rules or act improperly,” Qin Yurong reminded him.
Pei Ji understood.
Although the Empress held absolute power over the rear palace and it was reasonable for her to discipline a court noble’s spouse who lacked decorum, doing so out of bounds was naturally unacceptable.
Coupled with the fact that his eldest sister was also in the rear palace and, as one of the four imperial concubines, possessed the means and wits to make the Emperor harbor resentment toward the Empress, it would be the simplest thing in the world.
Qin Yurong said nothing more to him, waving her hand to signal his departure without the slightest intention of keeping him for breakfast.
Which suited Pei Ji’s wishes perfectly.
Right now, his heart and mind were entirely consumed by the little mute. Before leaving, he even summoned a portion of the kitchen staff as well as the servants the estate had previously prepared for his future wife, ordering them all to serve in the Qing Courtyard from now on. How could his little mute possibly manage without anyone attending to his daily meals and living needs?
When Pei Ji returned to the Qing Courtyard, the little mute was still asleep. Grieving and hurting so much yesterday had taken a heavy toll; he truly needed to sleep soundly, otherwise his body wouldn’t be able to hold up.
“Stay sharp and mind your duties. Follow Chun Jian’s lead in everything. If anyone dares to cause trouble, there is no need to sell them off. I will beat them to death on the spot!” Pei Ji gazed coldly at the men and women kneeling in the courtyard.
Since they were allowed to stay in the estate, their backgrounds had already been thoroughly investigated, but if anyone made the little mute unhappy, nobody would have an easy time of it.
The servants naturally did not dare to say much, lowering their heads in unanimous assent.
Pei Ji looked toward Chun Jian. “Is the primary spouse still sleeping?”
Chun Jian nodded. “Yes, this servant was just about to go keep an eye on the small kitchen.”
“Go ahead,” Pei Ji said, gesturing toward the female cooks. “All of you follow him. The rest can stay and work in the courtyard.”
Having dismissed everyone else, he walked straight into the room alone.
The little mute was indeed still sleeping, curled up on his side with his back pressed against the wall. His calm, steady breathing indicated that he was sleeping quite soundly.
Pei Ji cautiously sat down on the edge of the bed and gently lifted the hem of the other’s clothes to take a look. The bloody welts on his back had faded considerably, and the swollen areas had smoothed out, though faint reddish traces remained.
Although he knew nothing about the ultimate culprits behind the disaster that befell the Pei family in his past life, even without deep thought, he knew they would be the beneficiaries.
The Empress and the Crown Prince’s faction were his primary suspects for now, but that didn’t mean other imperial princes’ factions were innocent. His eldest sister had already given birth to an imperial heir, so perhaps by that time even the Emperor deeply believed in their supposed treason.
Fundamentally, it was still a case of a towering tree attracting the wind.
Yet since things had already reached this point, he had to find a way to consult with his father and brothers on how to help the Pei family weather the storm safely, at least until the new emperor ascended the throne.
“Tsk.”
Pei Ji let out a soft click of his tongue, and just as he was about to smooth the clothing back down, he noticed the person beneath him trembling slightly.
He swallowed hard, his gaze slowly drifting upward until it locked with the little mute’s fearful and sorrowful eyes. He instantly withdrew his hand.
“I was just checking your injuries,” Pei Ji forced a reassuring smile. “I wasn’t up to anything bad.”
He Zhile lowered his eyes and nodded gently.
Even without looking in a mirror, he knew how ghastly the wounds on his back looked. No one failed to cherish a beautiful appearance, yet his skin was now damaged. No wonder the other man had worn such a displeased expression.
Naturally, he didn’t suspect Pei Ji of harboring malicious intentions. Everything that came with marrying into the family was expected, but the other man had never shown such thoughts or actions before. If he truly did one day, it would probably rain blood from the skies.
Pei Ji assumed the other believed him. With large, warm hands, he scooped the youth up directly, gently resting his palm against the other’s back as he tilted his head and asked, “Does it hurt?”
“Ah.” He Zhile shook his head lightly. It was already feeling much better.
“Once you’re fully healed, I’ll take you back to visit your maiden family. What happened before was my fault, and I wronged you.” Holding the youth in one arm, Pei Ji pressed his other hand against the back of He Zhile’s neck, guiding him to lean against his shoulder, just the picture of reliance he had imagined.
He Zhile pressed his lips together. In truth, he didn’t want to return to the He family at all.
Yet newly married couples were expected to make a return visit. When they hadn’t returned on the designated day, and the people sent by the He family were cursed and driven away by Pei Ji, the outside world had buzzed with gossip for days, every word mocking him as unfavored and incompetent.
Yet those idle rumors were nothing to fear. It was the physical pain that had truly terrified him.
Although Pei Ji knew his position in the He family was poor, the He family was still his maiden family, the place where he was raised, so there naturally had to be emotional ties. Pei Ji assumed the youth was still harboring resentment over the previous incident.
“I’s sorry. Can you really not forgive me?” Pei Ji held him, gently rocking him back and forth as though coaxing a child.
“Ah.” He Zhile lightly tugged at Pei Ji’s clothes, shaking his head and then nodding.
Pei Ji instantly beamed. “Are you saying it doesn’t matter, and you’re willing to forgive me? Whose husband is this sensible?”
He was praised.
Resting against Pei Ji’s shoulder, He Zhile secretly curved the corners of his lips.
“Let’s wash up. Chun Jian is already keeping an eye on the small kitchen, and I’ve brought over all the servants from the main courtyard who are supposed to attend to you. You are my primary spouse. You cannot be without servants,” Pei Ji said softly. “Shall I fetch water for you to wash your face?”
He Zhile let out a soft “ah,” indicating approval.
Of course, he hadn’t expected Pei Ji to personally fetch water for him, yet right beside them, a golden basin filled with water had already been prepared, complete with dental hygiene tools. It was clear the other intended to wait on him personally.
“Ah!” He struggled slightly with a bit of force. How could he possibly let his husband wait on him?
“Stay still. You’re being served by me today, and only my primary spouse gets this kind of treatment. From now on, you need to put on the airs of a primary spouse. Nobody in this estate has the right to give you a hard time.” Pei Ji dampened a cloth and wiped the youth’s face, not forgetting to lecture him in the process.
Not even his father, mother, brothers, or sisters.
He Zhile was already dumbfounded, too stunned to take in anything else as he remained blankly frozen. He didn’t dare act overbearing in the Pei household at all!
Pei Ji paid no mind to that, chattering away about the temperaments of his family members as he tended to him.
In his past life, the little mute had lived an isolated and neglected existence in the estate largely because of Pei Ji’s indifferent attitude. Although his parents didn’t harbor any genuine animosity toward the little mute, they couldn’t bring themselves to treat him warmly either, given Pei Ji’s behavior.
In this lifetime, perhaps due to his rebirth, his mother’s attitude wasn’t as cold as it had been previously. But come to think of it, even in the prison during his past life, his mother had already changed her view of the little mute.
“Did you hear what I was saying to you?” Pei Ji suddenly pinched his cheek, forcing him to snap out of it. “He Zhile?”
He Zhile immediately nodded frantically, though he had no intention of actually acting on it.
Pei Ji took his obedience for granted and affectionately pinched his cheek with great satisfaction. To tell the truth, there wasn’t much flesh on them, which only made him feel even more heartache.
The little mute was so frail. He must have contracted some lingering illness back at the He family.
His brow immediately furrowing, Pei Ji asked, “How have you been eating lately in the estate? What have you been having?”
“Ah.” He Zhile didn’t know why he suddenly asked about this, but he nodded anyway.
And he nodded emphatically.
Although living in the Pei estate always felt a bit awkward, ever since he married in, the whole family dined together in the main hall, with dedicated staff serving dishes at his side. The food went without saying. He ate whatever the Pei family ate.
Chicken, duck, fish, and ginseng were never in short supply.
At first, there were a few dishes that didn’t quite suit his palate, but he had quietly left them be. Perhaps the kitchen staff noticed, because afterward the meals suited his tastes much better, and his mother instructed the kitchen to send over his share of medicinal soup every single day.
In short, he was eating far too well.
So, well that if someone from the He family dropped dead outside, he might not even notice it in time!