Pei Zisu did not show a trace of fear.
He had been on the battlefield since childhood. Whether enemy commanders were ferocious or cunning, there was nothing he hadn’t seen. He could easily withstand the piercing gaze of Princess Qinghuan. He met her eyes with a calm expression, causing the Princess to eventually soften her look. After a brief silence, she spoke.
“Since a problem has arisen in Luzhou, I will naturally resolve it. Thank you for the reminder, Young General Pei. However, your luck is truly remarkable—to stumble upon such ‘coincidences’ everywhere. It seems the officials within the capital of Xijing need a thorough cleaning.”
She didn’t speak plainly, but her meaning was clear.
Pei Zisu was a general from Hanzhou. If he knew the affairs of Xijing so intimately, it implied the Court of the Imperial Guards was incompetent. As a member of the imperial family, Princess Qinghuan could not tolerate such a security lapse; she was naturally on her guard.
He didn’t take offense. He looked at her with a faint smile, his gaze refusing to yield. “I trust that His Majesty and the Princess will make the right decision.”
Hearing his temporary expression of trust, Princess Qinghuan stopped questioning him. Her expression relaxed back into its previous ease. She arched an eyebrow and asked, “I just recalled something. Anian is from Xuzhou. Could it be that the person you’ve set your heart on is her?”
“The Princess is wise. It is indeed her.”
“In that case, I would be happy to help facilitate this union. However, with your aunt there, this matter should technically be quite smooth. Yet, I noticed Anian’s expression earlier—she seemed quite unwilling?”
“The Marquis’s estate and the Jiang family treasure my cousin; they naturally have other considerations. Although my heart belongs to her, I do not wish to force a marriage. Within a month, everything that needs to be resolved will be. Rest assured, Princess—I will certainly return home with my wife.”
His absolute certainty and confidence pleased the Princess.
She glanced at him with both approval and a hint of warning, though she left it unsaid. Pei Zisu understood her meaning perfectly.
“Rest assured, Princess. If my cousin is willing to marry me, I will never fail her in this lifetime. There will be no talk of concubines or illegitimate children.”
“Truly?”
“I am not the only one in the Pei family. My line is not the only one responsible for the clan’s legacy. If my cousin’s health is poor, we need not consider the matter of children at all. If a bowl of sterilization medicine is required, I shall be the one to drink it.”
Princess Qinghuan had seen many men, but this was the first time she had heard of a man willing to take sterilization medicine himself to avoid burdening his wife. While she admired him, she couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked at Pei Zisu as if he were one of her own.
“Fine. I shall remember your words today. If you can keep your promise, I guarantee that no one in the Great Sui will dare to breathe a word against this marriage!”
Both were strong-willed individuals who saw eye to eye; there was no need for further idle talk.
Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation was currently in a drunken stupor. Her soul seemed to be drifting, returning to the past.
The tolling of funeral bells rang out, and the commoners lined the streets in mourning.
Jiang Shiyuan didn’t know why she was there, but seeing the heart-wrenching grief of the people around her, she felt her own emotions become heavy with sorrow.
Paper money fluttered everywhere like snow, and soul-guiding banners were held high. Shiyuan tried to push forward for a closer look but was shoved back by the crowd. Just as she was about to fall, a powerful arm caught her. Before she could turn to see who it was, she opened her eyes to find Pei Zisu’s face right in front of her.
Startled, she sat up instantly, clutching the silk quilt around her with a wary gaze. “Cousin Pei, this is the Princess’s Manor! What do you think you are doing?”
Pei Zisu gave a helpless smile. Seeing the woman he loved so guarded against him, he wondered if he had offended her somewhere.
“Cousin, I am not a man-eater. Why must you be so distant with me?”
“You are right, Cousin. Please leave. Though we are relatives, there is a distinction between men and women. It is best not to give people cause for gossip.”
“Cause for gossip? As you know, that is exactly what I hope for.”
Rarely hearing such a shameless reply from Pei Zisu, Jiang Shiyuan felt a surge of anger. What she didn’t realize was that the flush on her face hadn’t faded; her glare, in Pei Zisu’s eyes, was as captivating as a spirit, making him even more enchanted.
“Cousin Pei, if you do not leave this instant, do not blame me for calling for help!”
At this moment, Jiang Shiyuan was like a kitten ready to scratch—hardly lethal, but capable of leaving a few marks. While Pei Zisu found her adorable, he knew that if he didn’t speak clearly, his plans would never reach a conclusion. He straightened his expression and asked calmly:
“Do not be in a hurry, Cousin. Why not hear what I have to say before you decide?”
“What is it you want to say?”
“Naturally, it is about marrying you.”
“Cousin Pei! I believe my meaning was made clear by my elder cousin and his wife. There are too many things standing between us; why waste your time? Even if you get your wish, our future life will be filled with friction. Instead of becoming a resentful couple, it is better to stop now. We still have our bond as cousins—is that not more lasting?”
Jiang Shiyuan was no longer the submissive person she once was.
In her past life, she always felt she owed her family and the Heir too much because of her illness, so she endured everything in silence, swallowing her bitterness. She had tasted that pain far too many times. Since she had been reborn, she refused to live so miserably. Therefore, a clean break was the best path.
Unfortunately, if Pei Zisu were the type to give up easily, he wouldn’t have reached his current position. Shiyuan’s words were like a light drizzle to him—devoid of impact. Instead, they made him more certain that she was in his future.
He stood up and composed himself solemnly. Though he stood over her, his gaze was incredibly sincere.
“I understand your concerns, and the concerns of the Marquis and the Jiang family. It is nothing more than your poor health and the potential difficulty in bearing children. If that is the case, then we simply won’t have children. I will handle my father, mother, and the clan elders myself; I will never let them trouble you. The issue of living far away is also easy to solve. If you truly do not wish to go to Hanzhou, I will establish a separate residence here in Xijing. Just wait for me for two years; once I have wiped out the Southern Army and left them with no power to strike back, I will return to Xijing to stay with you and never leave again. Furthermore, I know the role of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Pei family is difficult. If you don’t want it, I will never force you. I have younger brothers and sisters-in-law anyway; they can just work a bit harder to take over those responsibilities. It might be difficult or bitter for them, but as their brother, I have finally found my home—it is only right they contribute a bit more.”
The first half of his speech was serious and earnest, but by the end, his tone of using his siblings as shields was so matter-of-fact that it made one want to hit him.