The letter landed squarely on Lord Pei’s handsome nose before dropping to his feet.
He froze for a moment, stared down at it, then slowly bent to pick it up. Suddenly straightening, he turned and strode to the stove, tossing the letter into the flames with lightning speed.
“You dare burn it? Just try!”
A sweet, delicate voice rang out behind him.
Lord Pei, heedless of the heat, hastily snatched the letter back from the stove. A corner of the envelope had already caught fire, and he frantically patted it out.
Jiafu took the envelope from his hand, pulled out the letter inside, unfolded it, and placed it back in his palm.
“Read it,” she said, smiling at him.
Pei You’an clutched the letter, his expression awkward. He stood before her for a moment before suddenly breaking into a cough—one that grew increasingly violent until he was bent double, his face flushed red.
Jiafu hurriedly rubbed his chest and patted his back. After a while, his coughing gradually subsided. He seized her small hand, moved, and said, “Fu’er, you’re truly too good to me.”
Jiafu pulled her hand away.
Pei You’an reached for it again.
She slapped his hand aside with a sharp smack . “Don’t touch me! Think a little cough will soften me? My heart is hard as stone! If you won’t read it, fine—then eat it. Swallow this letter, every last word!”
Pei You’an gave a bitter laugh. “Dear Fu’er, spare me. I was truly wrong before. I won’t dare do it again. If I ever—”
“You think there’ll be a ‘next time’?” Jiafu sneered.
“I won’t believe another word from you! Before you left, you swore you’d come back for me, but the moment you turned away, how did you treat me? You liar—nothing you say now matters. Either read it or eat it. Your choice.”
With that, she left him behind, climbed onto the bed, and leaned comfortably against the headboard, watching him coldly.
Pei You’an slowly followed and sat beside her, gazing at her in silence.
The man was truly a jade tree in appearance. Fresh from his bath, clad only in loosely draped underwear in the warm room, his collar half-open, he exuded an air of delicate illness and effortless charm. His dark, clear eyes silently conveyed volumes without a single word. After just a moment under his gaze, Jiafu’s heart thumped uncontrollably. Hating her own weakness, she turned her face away.
Then, she heard him murmur softly:
“An old friend a thousand miles away, the mountain passes hard to cross—
Letters cease to arrive, no messenger shall come.
Left with this frail, dying body,
Dreams shattered by the fifth-watch barracks horn—
Do not say the road ahead holds no sorrow.
On a snowy night before Mount Yanran,
The jade beauty crosses Kunlun unlooked-for,
Her face like a lotus, her smile like a dream.”
He paused.
“Fu’er, this is another letter I wrote for you. Pei You’an wronged you first—what virtue or merit do I have, that you’d follow me here without abandoning me? And yet, I was blind enough to try sending you away. I failed to cherish the fortune before me! If you want me to eat this letter, I won’t hesitate—not even if you asked me to swallow stones. I’ll eat it now, every single word.”Jiafu turned her head and saw him gazing at her with a solemn expression. To her astonishment, he actually tore the letter in two, rolled it into a ball, and stuffed it into his mouth. She had only been too angry and wanted to scold him a little—how could she bear to make him eat paper? Moreover, the words in the letter earlier had sounded like a confession from him. How could she bear to destroy it? She lunged forward, snatched the crumpled paper back, and unfolded it. Seeing it torn in half and wrinkled beyond recognition, she grew angry again and kicked him. "You owe me for this!"
Pei You'an caught her foot in one swift motion and pulled. Jiafu slid down, her clothes riding up to her waist and hips, revealing a pair of smooth, snow-white legs that were quite eye-catching. "Aiyo!" she exclaimed, quickly drawing her legs together and trying to pull her clothes back into place, but he had already pinned her beneath him.
Pei You'an gazed at her tenderly. "Fu'er, forgive me this once, won't you?"
The room fell silent.
Jiafu met his gaze for a moment, then reached up to part his collar, exposing the shoulder she had bitten earlier. A deep set of teeth marks remained. She gently traced them with her fingertip and asked softly, "Husband, did it hurt when I bit you just now?"
Pei You'an nodded, then shook his head. "It didn't hurt."
Her eyes filled with pity as she leaned in, pressing her lips lightly against the mark in a tender kiss.
Both wore only thin inner robes, their bodies pressed close. Pei You'an had already softened under her touch, but below, heat slowly gathered. He closed his eyes, savoring her kisses, his thoughts drifting into desire—when suddenly, sharp pain flared on his shoulder. His mind cleared instantly. Opening his eyes, he saw Jiafu grinning at him, having just bitten him hard again before releasing him.
"Since it doesn't hurt, I'll bite you once more so you remember!" she said sweetly. "Lest your memory fails you, and you forget what you've said to me again!"
Pei You'an touched his shoulder, now covered in her teeth marks and saliva, and smiled wryly.
Jiafu ignored him, pushed him away, and grabbed the torn letter before slipping off the bed. She went to the table, smoothing it out and searching for something to flatten it.
It had been over a year since his grandmother's passing. Though, as the eldest grandson, he was supposed to observe mourning for another two years, being exiled to this remote place—where the sky stretched endlessly and the wilderness sprawled vast—the constraints that once bound his nature seemed to fade away. A sense of freedom he had never known before stirred in his heart.
Though they had been married for nearly two years, when accounting for their time apart, they had truly been together for only a few months. After such a long separation, their sudden reunion last night had overwhelmed them with passion. Having already broken the mourning rites, he reasoned that if his grandmother's spirit watched from above, she would not blame him. With no further reservations, he followed Jiafu, picking up a few books from the floor and placing them on the table before embracing her from behind. He lowered his head, kissing the delicate, snow-white skin exposed at the nape of her neck.
Jiafu giggled, shrinking away from the ticklish sensation.
Pei You'an, receiving no response, sighed helplessly. He scooped her up and carried her back to the bed, whispering by her ear, "Fu'er..." His voice was tight with restraint.
A small hand slipped beneath the covers, tentatively brushing against him before quickly retreating.
Jiafu lowered her lashes shyly. "Cousin, are you uncomfortable again?"
The light touch of her fingers, even through fabric, sent his blood rushing and his pulse quickening. Gazing at her, he traced her lips with his fingertips.
"Go to sleep. You'll feel better once you're asleep!" Jiafu pushed his hand away.Pei You'an was taken aback.
"You didn't take care of yourself when I wasn't here. The room was drafty, the fire wasn't warm enough, and you didn't take your medicine properly. Your constitution was already weak, and after being ill for so long, last night was one thing, but tonight you want to do it again? Get some proper rest. Until you're fully recovered, don't even think about it!"
With that, Jiafu rolled out of his embrace.
Pei You'an pulled her back into his arms. "Fu'er... I'm already better... If you don't believe me, just watch tonight..."
Jiafu shook her head like a rattle-drum. "No means no! I'm going to sleep! You should too!" She turned over, presenting her back to him, then after a moment's thought, turned her head back and pressed her lips to his ear. "Cousin, be good. I'll treat you very well in the future."
Pei You'an felt that after last night's long sleep, his energy had fully recovered and his illness was mostly gone. Tonight he could easily go another three hundred rounds, yet she wouldn't let him be intimate with her. Besides genuinely worrying about his recent illness and weakened state, she probably also wanted to deliberately punish him.
He couldn't hit her, and trying to sternly lecture her into obedience like before was no longer an option either.
At a loss, Pei You'an gave a bitter smile. Seeing that she had already turned away and was ignoring him, he closed his eyes and slowly regulated his breathing. After a long while, he finally suppressed the desire she had stirred in him. When he opened his eyes, he found she had already fallen asleep, leaving him behind.
Gazing at the woman beside him in her completely relaxed, innocent slumber, his heart gradually filled with an indescribable warmth. He extinguished the lamp, wrapped his arms around her warm, soft body, breathed in her fragrant scent, and drifted off to sleep amidst the howling north wind outside.
After a good night's sleep, they awoke to find it was the last day of the year.
Among the seven or eight old soldiers at the fodder yard, apart from Lao Ding and his wife, the others were all widowers or childless, living there year-round with nowhere to go for the New Year. Early in the morning, Jiafu gave Ding Mo some money to go shopping in town, with Yang Yun driving the cart. Ding Mo brought Tanxiang along, and by afternoon, the three of them returned. From town they'd brought rice, flour, chicken, a pig's head, two sides of mutton, along with the only winter vegetables available—radishes and cabbage—plus several jars of good wine.
The old soldiers knew that thanks to the madam's arrival, they'd get a rare feast that evening. Judging by the ingredients, even the New Year's feast at the Regional Military Commission's residence in town probably wouldn't be much better. Beaming with joy, they rushed to help unload as soon as the cart arrived. The fodder yard's kitchen became lively—firewood crackled, the pig's head slowly stewed releasing its meaty aroma, knives clattered on chopping boards mincing filling, and the constant sizzle of scallions frying in oil came from the large iron wok. The aroma of food spread far and wide. These old soldiers, who rarely got to eat meat all year, couldn't possibly wait until nightfall after smelling these delicious scents. They all gathered outside the kitchen, swallowing their saliva in anticipation.Jiafu and Pei You'an had just finished checking on the pregnant mare when they saw Lao Ding approaching from the direction of the fodder yard gate, carrying a food box. Spotting Pei You'an, Lao Ding hurried over excitedly and called out, "Lord Pei! Just now, someone sent by Lord Hu from the city came by. He said since your arrival, the fodder yard has been well managed. As it's the year's end, as your superior, he felt he should show appreciation, so he specially sent some wine and dishes for you." With that, he handed over the food box and added cheerfully, "Thanks to your lady, I'll have something extra for dinner too. It's getting dark—I'll go close the gate now." He bowed and hurried off.
Jiafu stepped forward to open the lid, but Pei You'an gently stopped her. "No need to look."
Suspicion flared in Jiafu. Ignoring his obstruction, she forced the box open and found a plate of rotten cabbage stems, a clearly gnawed chicken carcass, and a few other leftover dishes—clearly scraps repackaged for them. Stunned, she immediately understood: Hu Liangcai was using this as an opportunity to humiliate Pei You'an. Furious, she kicked the box over and stomped on it several times.
"Let it be. Don’t hurt your foot."
Pei You'an chuckled, walking over to take Jiafu's hand. He rubbed it gently and blew warm breath onto her fingers.
Though he might not care about such treatment, Jiafu's heart ached to see him, once a tiger, now bullied by these petty men. She stared at him, unmoving.
Pei You'an lightly tapped her delicate nose and smiled. "Come, let's go inside. It's cold out."
As dusk settled, Lao Ding rolled firecrackers onto a bamboo pole, planted it in the snow, and set them off with a crackling burst. The New Year's feast was ready, and the old soldiers of the fodder yard laid out a large table. Jiafu pushed aside her earlier anger and rallied her spirits. Grateful for Yang Yun, Tanxiang, and Muxiang's loyalty in following them to this freezing, desolate frontier, she insisted they join the table tonight, setting aside master-servant formalities. Yet they adamantly refused. Knowing they'd be too restrained to enjoy themselves if forced, Jiafu relented and set aside portions for them. They invited Ding Mo to eat with them, while she and Pei You'an retreated to their room, shutting the door behind them. A small table held a few dishes, and a pot of sweet rice wine warmed on the stove. Sitting across from each other, the wine's richness and the room's warmth kept the icy world outside at bay.
Pei You'an, still coughing intermittently, had only taken one cup when Jiafu snatched his glass away, forbidding him more and insisting he drink tea instead. The wine, however, was so sweet that she absentmindedly drank several cups herself, growing warm. She shed layers until only her pale blue jacket remained, its top two buttons undone, revealing snow-white skin below her collarbone and the ripe curves of her peach-like bosom.
At first, Pei You'an focused on the food, but gradually his gaze drifted to her. Watching her drink cup after cup, her cheeks flushed pink, he slowly set down his chopsticks, took her glass, finished the last sip himself, then stood and lifted her onto the bed. Sitting on the edge, he leaned down and kissed her softly.
"Have I been obedient today?"
His warm breath lingered at her ear.Jiafu wasn't drunk, yet her mind felt hazy. She stared at him with wide eyes and nodded foolishly.
Pei You'an smiled faintly, his slender fingers unhurriedly undoing each button of her jacket one by one, slowly stripping her bare until she became a tender white lamb under his gaze—just as he had imagined earlier.
On this New Year's Eve, the creaking of the old bed, barely holding together, mingled with the howling northern wind over the roof, intermittent, now slow, now urgent, lasting for a long time. Of the two maids sleeping nearby, Muxiang, being younger and having drunk a few extra cups the night before, had fallen into a deep slumber and heard nothing. But Tanxiang, when she rose the next morning, didn’t seem in good spirits, yawning with dark circles under her eyes.
On the first day of the new year, Pei You'an found some wood early in the morning and personally reinforced the bed legs to prevent any more noise. He didn’t want his Jiafu to be on edge again, always urging him to be gentler, softer, afraid the maids nearby might hear and never fully indulging in the moment.
As he busied himself with this task, he had no idea that at that very moment, something was happening in the capital, thousands of miles away.
On this morning, the first day of the second year of Manifest Peace, a crowd had gathered outside the city gates, waiting to enter.
Though people had stayed up late the night before for the New Year’s vigil and most businesses were closed today, many still came early from all directions, hoping to get into the city. There was a temple fair at the City God’s Temple, and if they were lucky, they might even witness the grand procession of officials and regional lords entering the palace to pay their respects to the emperor. The harvest had been good this year, and the emperor had reduced taxes. Dressed in new clothes, people chattered excitedly, their faces alight with joy.
Among the crowd was a travel-worn young man, standing quietly by the roadside, listening to the conversations around him. When the city gates opened, he followed the flow of people inside.
His skin was darkened by years of sun—a common trait among those from the southern coasts. Many there might never have the chance to witness the splendor of the imperial capital in their lifetime. But this young man seemed intimately familiar with everything here.
He walked down streets adorned with fresh peach-wood charms, past laughing children chasing each other, straight to the palace gates. There, he told the guards he had news of the Young Emperor Chengning. Blindfolded, he was led into the palace. Li Yuangui met him in secret immediately, interrogating him at length before reporting to the emperor that this young man, who claimed to be the one the emperor’s Naval Fleet had been searching for, was indeed Xiao Yu.
He knew the palace’s layout, every corner of it. He could even describe how the second golden dragon coiled around the right armrest of the Dragon Throne had a bent claw—because the nine-year-old child who once sat there daily, listening to ministers below, had secretly twisted it. Had he remained on the throne a few more years, he might have snapped that dragon’s claw clean off.Xiao Lie was utterly shocked, but he did not immediately summon the person. The emperor, who had yet to recover from the immense defeat inflicted by the son left to him by the woman he loved, had been irritable lately, frequently reprimanding his ministers, who responded with trembling fear. Filled with suspicion and loathing toward everything, he ordered the young man to be brought to the Peacock Garden in the West Garden, then secretly observed his actions.
Though Xiao Lie and Xiao Yu were uncle and nephew in name, by the time Yu was born, his imperial uncle had already been in Yunnan for many years.
This was Xiao Lie’s first glimpse of his nephew’s appearance. He saw a young man standing by the pond in the Peacock Garden, slightly tilting his head, squinting his eyes as he gazed at the horizon. His gaze seemed to stretch beyond the confines of the Peacock Garden, beyond the towering palace walls, toward the endless distant horizon.
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