Chapter 88: Calculation
The summer breeze swept through the long corridor, carrying scorching heat waves.
Jiang Yichu stood outside the study, unable to hear the conversation inside anymore. The sorrow in her eyes froze, and her perpetually cold hands gradually regained warmth.
Was there really still someone from Pei Song's side by A Yu's side?
It was a pity that with just that hurried glance earlier, she couldn't discern anything from the envelope.
Jiang Yichu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but she dared not linger long in front of Pei Song's study and decided to return to her own quarters first.
If she wanted to uncover more military or political secrets about Pei Song, she had to get closer to him. However, she had always avoided him, and suddenly increasing contact would surely arouse suspicion given Pei Song's cautious nature.
Her earlier performance of half-genuine, half-feigned tears in the room—if Pei Song believed she held feelings for him—might make future actions much easier.
Preoccupied with thoughts of how to help Wen Yu identify that mole, Jiang Yichu failed to notice a woman in fine silk robes approaching aggressively with her maidservants.
"How dare you! Kneel and pay respects upon seeing our mistress!" The maidservant beside the silk-robed woman scowled in disgust and shouted at Jiang Yichu.
Jiang Yichu looked up and saw that the newcomer was Consort Zheng, a concubine Pei Song had taken in just a few months ago.
Unlike the singers and dancers from brothels, Consort Zheng's father was originally a garrison commander of Mozhou and now served under Pei Song, holding considerable influence. With Pei Song yet to marry, she, relying on her family's power, had always been the most arrogant among Pei Song's consorts, almost acting as his official wife.
Previously, due to Pei Song taking an arrow for her, Jiang Yichu had become known throughout the army as a femme fatale. During Pei Song's campaigns away, she had suffered no shortage of harassment from this Consort Zheng.
Now, observing Consort Zheng's suppressed anger, Jiang Yichu knew she must have had people monitoring Pei Song's movements. Hearing that Pei Song had summoned Jiang Yichu, she had brought her maidservants with a soup pot to "visit" Pei Song as well.
Remembering the letter in the hands of Pei Song's Hawk Hound, a plan suddenly formed in Jiang Yichu's mind. She smiled at Consort Zheng, her demeanor as gentle as ever but without a trace of timidity: "We are both consorts of our lord. Why should I kneel to you?"
Consort Zheng, noting Jiang Yichu's slightly disheveled dress and hair, and seeing her smiling while speaking, felt she was being provoked. Anger and jealousy intertwined within her, and she immediately resorted to her sharpest sarcasm: "No wonder you're a woman who has already borne two children—your methods are indeed impressive. Do you even know what shame is? I wonder what the late Wen Heir would think if he knew from beyond the grave?"
At the mention of Wen Heng, the smile vanished from Jiang Yichu's eyes.
Seeing this, Consort Zheng knew she had struck a nerve and felt instantly gratified. She stepped closer to Jiang Yichu, her rose-red skirt trailing long behind her, her sharp nails painted with vibrant rouge gripping Jiang Yichu's chin, her eyes filled with contempt and malice: "If I were you, I would have dashed my brains out when Fengyang City fell—at least I could have preserved my honor. Now, you, the former Liang Heir's Consort, are nothing but a disgrace to Liang. When your daughter grows up and learns how shamelessly her mother clung to life, won't she follow your example? Like mother, like daughter, isn't that right?"No sooner had her words fallen than a sharp slap landed on her face.
The force was so great that Lady Zheng stumbled backward. Clutching her cheek, she stared at Jiang Yichu in disbelief before erupting in fury: "You lowly wretch! How dare you strike me?"
Jiang Yichu, who had always been gentle to the point of seeming spineless, now gazed at Lady Zheng with a chilling coldness that struck fear into the heart: "In matters of shamelessness and depravity, how could I ever compare to your Zheng clan? Betraying your master for glory, disloyal and unrighteous—becoming turncoats serving two families. Yet Lady Zheng still prides herself on being superior? Clearly, you've mastered the true teachings of General Zheng! Since your entire Zheng clan knows no shame or disgrace, what should I—a weak woman who cannot shoulder the burden of this crumbling nation—possibly fear?"
Humiliated and enraged, her slapped cheek burning fiercely, Lady Zheng shouted: "Seize her! How dare she insult my Zheng clan like this! Today, I'll tear that wretched mouth of hers to shreds!"
—
When Pei Song received the news and rushed over, he found Jiang Yichu being forced to kneel under the scorching sun. Two sturdy matrons pinned her shoulders while another held a face-slapping board, having already beaten Jiang Yichu's cheeks swollen and split her lip, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Lady Zheng reclined gracefully along the corridor rail, finally venting her pent-up resentment at Jiang Yichu's miserable state. She spat venomously: "Keep hitting her! Destroy that face! Let's see what she'll use to seduce our lord in the future!"
A cold shout suddenly came from behind: "What are you doing?"
The matron administering the punishment trembled at the voice, not daring to bring the board down again.
Lady Zheng had already paled when she saw Pei Song striding over with his robe loosely draped over his shoulders. A wounded expression quickly surfaced on her delicate features as she hurried toward him, pressing an ice-cooled cloth to her cheek: "My lord, it was Lady Jiang who struck Yan'er first! She even insulted my father..."
Pei Song remained silent, his face darkening ominously at the sight of Jiang Yichu as he strode directly toward her.
When Lady Zheng tried to follow and continue her accusations, one of Pei Song's Hawk Hounds raised a sword to block her path.
Before Pei Song, Lady Zheng shed all her arrogance, adopting an entirely submissive and aggrieved demeanor. Yet inwardly she trembled with anxiety, knowing well how differently Pei Song treated Jiang Yichu compared to the rest of them—and now Jiang Yichu lay in such a pitiful state.
As Pei Song lifted the faltering Jiang Yichu into his arms, he swept a glance over the three punishing matrons and coldly uttered two words: "Beat them to death."
The three matrons immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy. Though terrified of Pei Song, Lady Zheng calculated her options: he had suffered repeated defeats on the battlefield, losing all previously captured cities to Wei Qishan's recapture, and now could only hold Mozhou—which happened to be her Zheng family's territory.
With Pei Song currently reliant on her father, she recognized she'd acted excessively in her rage over Jiang Yichu's words. But if she could persuade Pei Song to show mercy and pardon her matrons given the circumstances, the benefits would be immense.
This would demonstrate that she had harmed Pei Song's universally acknowledged favorite, yet received no punishment.
Those around Pei Song would henceforth understand how to conduct themselves, and the Zheng family's position would become even more secure.Having reasoned this through, Lady Zheng grew even more determined to take a gamble. She knelt in Pei Song’s path, weeping and pleading, “I beg Your Lordship to spare their lives. It is all Yan’er’s fault. Yan’er should not have punished Lady Jiang privately out of anger, just because she insulted my father, belittling his service to you as that of a ‘servant of two families’ and calling him shameless. Even if Lady Jiang’s heart leans toward the former Liang, Yan’er should have reported it to Your Lordship first and let you decide.”
Lady Zheng cried pitifully, her words shifting all the blame onto Jiang Yichu while also accusing her of loyalty to the Great Liang.
Pei Song glanced at Jiang Yichu in his arms. Her cheeks were severely bruised and swollen, her lips stained with blood, and her eyes tightly shut as if she had already fainted.
When he turned his gaze back to Lady Zheng, a cold smile touched his lips. “I’ve kept you around this long, thinking you were clever. It seems you’re as foolish as a pig.”
Hearing such harsh words, Lady Zheng’s face paled with shock.
Pei Song looked at her as if she were an insect and asked, “Was today’s incident your idea, or the Zheng family’s?”
Realizing the danger and fearing repercussions for her family, Lady Zheng panicked and cried out, “Yan’er admits her mistake! Yan’er truly only acted out of resentment for Lady Jiang’s insults toward my father…”
But Pei Song had already walked away with Jiang Yichu in his arms, leaving only a command: “Lady Zheng is confined to her quarters for three months.”
The three matrons were quickly dragged away and subjected to flogging, their cries and pleas echoing continuously.
Only after Pei Song had gone far away did Lady Zheng collapse to the ground.
Pei Song spent most of his time at the Military Camp. In this temporary residence, for the sake of convenience in handling official duties, he had not designated a main chamber. Instead, he had merged the study with an adjacent room, dividing it into inner and outer sections, where he both lived and worked.
After bringing Jiang Yichu back, a physician soon arrived to examine her. Not only was her face injured, but she had also suffered heatstroke from kneeling too long under the scorching sun. When she was given medicine, about half of it was swallowed while the rest dribbled out. The strong medicinal taste made her vomit several times.
Pei Song ordered several bowls of medicine to be brought, and only after much effort did she manage to drink most of one bowl. By then, Jiang Yichu was utterly exhausted and fell into a deep, heavy slumber.
Pei Song stayed by her side, reviewing memorials. Before long, Gongsun Chou arrived to discuss intelligence brought back by spies.
After Pei Song went to the outer room to confer with Gongsun Chou, Jiang Yichu, who had been “unconscious,” suddenly opened her eyes.
From outside, she could hear Gongsun Chou’s aged voice: “Yan Que has been exposed. Han Yang is now on high alert and has purged many of our agents. It will be extremely difficult to send new ones. It’s uncertain how long this asset can remain useful…”
Pei Song chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned. “Do not worry, Master. I went to great lengths to plant this asset by Han Yang’s side. We even sacrificed many Hawk Hounds to create the illusion that he risked his life to escort Han Yang to Pingzhou. Now that he holds an important position there, Han Yang may suspect others, but never him.”
Gongsun Chou still seemed hesitant. “My concern is that, after Han Yang has granted him such great benefits, this man might change his allegiance.”Pei Song laughed even more heartily this time: "He was personally trained by my father in prison, practically my half-brother. How could he turn against us? Moreover, his mother is still in my custody. Once he fully seizes the military power of Former Liang, Pingzhou and Tao County will be mine for the taking."
Inside the inner chamber, Jiang Yichu felt a chill run through her body, her hands and feet turning icy cold.
Could there truly be such a vicious beast lurking by A Yu's side?
She desperately wanted to write to Wen Yu immediately, warning her to be cautious, but she knew deep down it wasn't the right time yet. She could only endure with all her might.
In the outer room, Gongsun Chou no longer seemed worried about the spy betraying them either, saying: "It's still best to proceed with caution. The old woman is still in Yongzhou. Previously, our lord staged a performance in Yongzhou City, making him falsely claim he had a mother-killing vendetta against our lord before defecting to Han Yang. That's what made Han Yang let down her guard completely. If Han Yang finds out his mother is still alive, this piece we've deployed to devour Pingzhou and Tao County will be lost."
The two continued discussing other matters, but Jiang Yichu's heart could no longer find peace. She lay on the bed as if sitting on pins and needles for over an hour, only pretending to slowly wake up after Pei Song had entered and reviewed several memorials.
"Awake?" Pei Song reached out to help her up, but Jiang Yichu avoided his touch. The swelling on her face hadn't subsided, still burning with pain. Her long hair cascaded down, partially obscuring her face as she rasped: "Let me and A Yin return to Fengyang."
Pei Song glanced at his empty hand, then nonchalantly sat back in the armchair beside the bed, a smile playing on his lips: "Elder sister knows perfectly well that's impossible."
Jiang Yichu's eyes reddened as she mocked herself: "I can endure being called shameless, immoral, accused of not following A Heng in death to preserve my chastity, unworthy of being the Crown Princess of Great Liang—but A Yin cannot. A Yin must never be subjected to such insults..."
As she spoke, she turned her head away, two clear trails of tears already streaming from her eyes.
Pei Song was far too clever. Hearing Jiang Yichu's words and recalling Beauty Zheng's false accusations earlier, he quickly understood what had transpired.
But whether Jiang Yichu said this deliberately to provoke him or truly believed it, as he listened, though his lips still curved in a smile, his eyes grew increasingly terrifying.
He said leisurely: "I will avenge the grievances elder sister has suffered. However, elder sister must never entertain thoughts of preserving chastity by following Wen Heng in death. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee I won't dig up the bones of his entire Wen clan, chop them to pieces, and feed them to dogs!"
Jiang Yichu met his tear-filled gaze, knowing his words weren't empty threats. Beyond the fear in her heart, her face showed a mournful smile: "I don't wish to, but many people are hoping I'll do exactly that."
Pei Song gently touched her still-swollen cheek, smiling cheerfully: "Rest assured, elder sister. I'll send every one of those people to the underworld."
This time, Jiang Yichu genuinely shuddered inwardly.
Pingzhou.
The south was rainy. After half a month of clear skies in the city, a storm erupted by evening.
Wen Yu had too much to learn from Li Yao, so she had bookcases installed in her room for convenience. To help her find books easily, a lamp stand was placed in the corner by the bookcases.
Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Torrential rain beat heavily and urgently against the banana leaves. Inside, however, candlelight spread a warm yellow glow throughout the room, not a single draft disturbing the peace.Wen Yu used the tall candlestick in the corner to retrieve a long scroll from the bookshelf, holding it up to the light for closer examination. One end of the scroll draped over her forearm, falling alongside her wide gauze sleeves.
Zhao Bai reported from nearby: "Southern Chen has agreed to send one hundred and fifty dan of grain through the pass first. As for Wei Qishan's side, although Lord Li Xun personally went to Xinzhou as a negotiator, Northern Wei currently holds the upper hand in their struggle against Pei Song. I fear they won't relinquish Xin and Yi provinces to allow our forces and Southern Chen's army to march north unimpeded to attack Pei Song."
Wen Yu gazed calmly at the scroll as she responded: "I'm not asking for these two prefectures without compensation. If our combined forces with Southern Chen march north and take them by force, Wei Qishan will be left with nothing in the south. Moreover, with Northern Wei's strength alone, they may not be able to decisively defeat Pei Song before autumn. Once autumn passes, the Outer Pass Barbarians will return in force, and Wei Qishan will again face threats from both front and rear. If he's willing to ally with us against Pei Song and cede Xin and Yi provinces, I can guarantee his southern forces remain intact. When we advance northward, any additional cities we capture will be taken by our respective capabilities. Cities are fixed, but people are adaptable. While I must have Xin and Yi provinces, these aren't the foundations of Wei Qishan's power. There's room for negotiation."
Hearing Wen Yu's analysis, Zhao Bai felt somewhat reassured and said: "Let us hope Lord Li brings back good news."
As night deepened, Wen Yu urged Zhao Bai to retire early. Before exiting, Zhao Bai seemed to recall something and added: "By the way, Madam Chen came looking for you today, my lady. She asked if you had tried on the wedding dress and whether any alterations were needed."
Wen Yu remained standing sideways, her gaze still fixed on the long scroll. "Noted. I'll speak with Madam Chen personally tomorrow."
Only then did Zhao Bai withdraw.
Amid the roaring thunder, flashes of lightning repeatedly illuminated the window screens to a stark white. The wedding gown hanging on the clothes rack glowed an piercing crimson in the candlelit room.
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