CH 128

January 20, 2023Merchie

After that servant delivered the news, he trudged away.

A few moments later, Mistress Qian ordered the servants to deliver meals to the lords in each pavilion.

At last night’s banquet, after Pei Zheng left, the injured Lord Qian and Lord Wei had been taken care of, but everyone else present was on edge. The banquet had been going just fine, but it had ended on a less than pleasant note.

Shen Huan headed over to Zhao Litang’s pavilion. She had only intended to come up with a way to cool Yue Nu’s fever but ended up fussing until midnight. In the end, she could only continuously wipe his face and hands with cold water until his fever finally subsided.

Then, Shen Huan promptly found a room in Zhao Litang’s pavilion and fell asleep. She assumed that since her little disciple had Pei Zheng to look after him, she didn’t need to worry.

How could she expect that her little disciple really didn’t need her to worry about him? Pei Zheng was taking very good care of him, and had cared him so diligently that they had climbed into bed together.

Fresh, steaming dishes were placed on the table, but the small man on the bed still hadn’t woken up yet; it was already time for lunch.

Pei Zheng sat on the side of the bed. He tugged at the thick quilt, and the little face beneath it was revealed. His red lips were slightly open, and his breathing was soft and shallow.

Pei Zheng couldn’t help himself and lowered his head to kiss him. The small man couldn’t breathe, and his eyelids finally peeled open.

“Wake up, have something to eat before you sleep.”

Shen Shijiu mumbled, “I don’t want to eat, I want to sleep…”

After he finished speaking, he pulled the blanket back over his head.

Pei Zheng grabbed the blanket, “Just eat a little bit, okay?”

Then, he simply scooped the small man out from under the covers.

But Shen Shijiu still hadn’t dressed yet; his body was bare, and his skin had a soft sheen.

Pei Zheng wrapped him in the blanket, before he carried the small man to the table and placed him on his lap.

Shen Shijiu immediately groaned. His breaths trembled, and his little forehead creased.

Pei Zheng instantly understood. He hugged Shen Shijiu and tilted his body sideways, avoiding a certain place. Only then did the small man’s breathing calm slightly.

The fragrance of the spread on the table wafted into his nose. Shen Shijiu’s eyes had been closed this whole time, but in truth, his little belly was empty. The bite of food he had eaten last night was all gone now.

“Open your mouth.”

Shen Shijiu obediently opened his mouth, before a small chunk of tender, aromatic braised pork belly was stuffed into it.

He chewed for a bit before he swallowed the meat. His eyes opened.

“I want more.”

Pei Zheng fed him some more food. Shen Shijiu accepted every bite, and obediently ate it all.

After drinking a bit of warm soup, Shen Shijiu sighed in satisfaction. Then, he smacked his lips and flopped over Pei Zheng’s body, before he closed his eyes once more.

Pei Zheng had fed the small man until he was full, and had also taken a few bites himself. He lifted the cocoon-shaped bundle into his arms and walked back to the bed.

He placed him back onto the mattress. Shen Shijiu burrowed beneath the blanket and turned over to lie on his stomach.

Pei Zheng looked at Shen Shijiu’s little buttocks bulging from beneath the blanket, and his eyes darkened. He suddenly let down the curtain beside the bed and pulled the quilt away.

Shen Shijiu’s buttocks met with cold air, and he hurriedly reached over to cover them.

Pei Zheng pulled his hand aside, “Don’t cover them, let me see if you’re hurt.”

Shen Shijiu immediately regained some of his senses. Although his entire body was still weak, he refused to remove his hand.

“D-don’t look at it.”

“Shy, are we?”

Pei Zheng’s lips curled into a smile. He leaned down and undid his sash with his fingers, “I can’t get a clear view from the outside. I’ll have to… go in there and take a look.”

For the entire day, the people in this three-story pavilion did not come out.

Only the servants who were charged with delivering their meals hurried in and promptly hurried back out.

They didn’t dare to peek at or say a word about whatever was going on in that room.

***

Night fell once more.

Pei Zheng pulled open the curtain and walked out. He readjusted his loose, hanging robe, before he came to table, poured a cup of water and gulped it down. Then, he poured another cup and came back to the side of the bed.

“Be good, sit up and drink some water.”

This time, the small man couldn’t even open his eyes. He opened his mouth, and leaned toward Pei Zheng’s hand. After just a few sips, he refused to drink any more.

Pei Zheng drank the rest of the water and tossed the cup onto the floor. Just as he was about to turn over and climb onto the bed, there was knock at the door downstairs.

This time, the knocking carried a sense of anxiousness.

“My Lord, my Lord! Young Master Shen, Young Master Shen! My Lord!”

It sounded like Pei Zheng’s servant. If there wasn’t an urgent matter, he definitely wouldn’t dare to disturb them.

He knocked for a long while before the door finally opened.

Pei Zheng’s clothes were half-undone. He stood by the door and gazed coldly at that servant. If he didn’t have some kind of great disaster to report, Pei Zheng would definitely render him unable to speak another word.

“M-my Lord, something terrible had happened! Master Shen, Master Shen has been captured by Mistress Qian!”

That was indeed a great disaster.

Pei Zheng found his robe and put it on, before he took another look at the unconscious man on the bed. It would probably be a while before he woke up. But it was better this way, lest he heard and became worried for his shifu.

They came to the hall where last night’s banquet had been held. Many people had already gathered inside, but Zhao Litang was missing.

Shen Huan looked to be in a rather sorry state; she was pinned to the ground by several guards, and there were a few bloodstains on her clothes.

“Master Shen, please expain where exactly you picked these herbs from.” Mistress Qian said.

Shen Huan turned her head away. She had already picked the milkwort, and was planning to develop a new formula. Unexpectedly, she had used too much, and all of the milkwort was gone after just a few experiments. So she took advantage of the darkness and snuck back to the forest to pick more.

Before she had even entered the forest, she was noticed by several guards.

Shen Huan ran forward with all her might, and those soldiers chased her with the same fervor.

In the end, after Shen Huan fell many times, she was apprehended by those guards and escorted to this hall.

“Where else could I have picked them, in the forest outside.”

Mistress Qian was visibly enraged, “That is a private area in my villa, no one is allowed to enter without my permission! Master Shen, you should know this, so why must you intentionally break the rules?!”

Shen Huan found it rather strange, “It’s just a patch of woodland, I don’t know what’s so precious about it. You people weren’t the ones who grew the herbs in there either. If I didn’t tell you, you probably wouldn’t even know that it was a medicinal herb. You’d probably just think it was a weed and get rid of it.”

The soldiers’ expressions changed. Shen Huan was right. Before, they really had mistaken the milkwort as a weed, pulling the plants out and throwing them away.

“Even if it is a weed, it’s still my Liuyun Villa’s weed! It’s not an outsider’s job to pick them! Since you dare to enter the private area without my permission, you must be punished according to the disciplinary regulations of the villa!”

Mistress Qian slapped the table and stood up. She waved her hand, and those guards were about to drag Shen Huan away.

“Mistress Qian, please calm down.”

A voice came from behind the crowd. The crowd instantly parted, and Pei Zheng leisurely walked into the center of the hall.

He reached out and helped Shen Huan up, smiling at her.

Shen Huan had been rather nervous. After all, she didn’t really know what those unpleasant disciplinary regulations entailed. But sometimes, Pei Zheng really did give people a sense of comfort and security.

No wonder he was able to enchant and confuse her little disciple so easily.

“Lord Pei, I know that you and Master Shen are familiar with each other, but this matter pertains to the dignity of my villa. Please understand, Lord Pei.”

Pei Zheng said, “Of course I understand Mistress Qian’s reasoning. However, she merely picked a few medicinal plants, you needn’t enforce the disciplinary regulations for something like this.”

Pei Zheng had heard about the disciplinary regulations of Liuyun Villa. The first item alone, which was to throw someone into the lake and let them soak for a few hours, would be enough to kill Shen Huan due to the cold weather.

“That’s right, that’s right,”

Shen Huan agreed quietly from beside Pei Zheng.

Everyone present began to discuss amongst themselves.

In truth, there was nothing hidden in that forest; it was only the place where Mistress Qian’s husband was buried.

Also, it was said that Mistress Qian was the one who killed her husband. Then, she buried him in that secluded forest, and from then on, did not allow anyone to enter without her permission.

Mistress Qian muttered to herself for a long while. If Pei Zheng hadn’t appeared, she would have already dealt with Shen Huan. Pei Zheng had made such a huge fuss last night, who could have expected him to act so indifferent today?

“All right. Since even Lord Pei agrees with this, I can let Master Shen off this time.”

Shen Huan was about to sigh in relief, but Mistress Qian continued.

“However, that medicinal herb must remain in my villa.”

Shen Huan clutched the herbs in her cuff, and hurriedly twisted her head to look at Pei Zheng. She had expended great efforts to obtain this plant, and was covered in injuries from falling over; how could she accept having to hand this damn thing over?

Pei Zheng noticed Shen Huan’s glare, “How about this? Mistress Qian, name a price. Think of this medicinal herb as something you sold to the Prime Minister’s Manor.”

Name a price?

Mistress Qian’s eyes glimmered. Since Pei Zheng was able to say something like this, it was definitely because he would do anything to get this herb.

She thought for a moment, before she held up three fingers.

Shen Huan was utterly shocked, “Three thousand taels?! You could buy those woods with that! Mistress Qian, you’re asking for too much!”

But Mistress Qian shook her head.

Pei Zheng smiled, “She meant thirty thousand taels.”

Shen Huan’s footsteps were unsteady, and she almost fell over. She grabbed Pei Zheng’s sleeve, and asked in a shaky voice, “H-how much?”

Mistress Qian said, “That’s right, thirty thousand taels.”

Everyone sighed. Thirty thousand taels was an incredibly large sum of money. Even if they spent their entire fortune, it was possible that these lords would still be unable to foot this bill, let alone for three stalks of an obscure plant.

Mistress Qian had purposely set this exorbitant price. She wanted to make sure that Pei Zheng couldn’t get out of the spotlight. She was also using this as a way to vent anger on her older brother’s behalf.

“We have a deal.”

A voice broke through the murmurs and discussion.

Pei Zheng said nonchalantly, “The Prime Minister’s Manor will deliver the money at a later date.”

Shen Huan unconsciously grabbed Pei Zheng’s sleeve and said in a low voice, “Lord Pei, I-I know you aren’t short on money, b-but this is a little too much. Even if you bought me, I wouldn’t be able to repay it all.”

Pei Zheng said nothing. He merely smiled.

Shen Huan’s heart jolted, and a disastrous premonition suddenly filled her mind; now that she owed Pei Zheng this much money, did that mean that her and her little disciple’s fate were in Pei Zheng’s hands?

But in the midst of such an urgent situation, Shen Huan really couldn’t worry about anything else.

There were so many eyes watching, and the one she had struck a deal with the Prime Minister’s Manor. Mistress Qian wasn’t at all worried that Pei Zheng would break his promise.

But after this incident, there was something weighing on everyone’s minds. Pei Zheng was able to pay such a large sum of money without blinking an eye. His wealth had probably reached a level that none of them could even imagine.

Shen Huan gripped that bundle of milkwort that was worth tens of thousands of taels. She carefully tucked it into the front of her robe and clutched it, before she walked out of the hall. The wounds she had sustained from falling earlier hadn’t been treated yet, so her entire body was burning with pain.

Pei Zheng also followed Shen Huan out of the hall.

The moment they stepped outside, Shen Huan sighed deeply and stomped into the snow.

Notes

Sigh

I have the mental maturity of a Shen Shijiu.