Wish You All the Best - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

For Pei You'an, that evening's incident was as if nothing had ever happened; it had passed, and thus it was over. He remained as calm as still water, just as he always was. But for Jiafu, all the joy and excitement she had felt since the days he had brought her out had been like tender green sprouts just poking through the soil. Before they had a chance to unfurl in the spring breeze and dew, they had already been frozen by a late spring cold snap.

Jiafu felt some regret for the words that had slipped out, but it was precisely his subsequent response that served as a fresh reminder to her.

She had rejoiced too soon in the past few days.

Pei You'an was kind to her, tolerant of her, observant of her little thoughts, and even made concessions in front of her—like this time, when he had relented at the very last moment before departure and agreed to bring her along. However, the barrier he had erected between them was so solid that Jiafu saw almost no hope of breaking through it. Moreover, she did not have that much time to slowly scheme to make him like her, to make him obsessed with her—and to be honest, in front of Pei You'an, she had no confidence in herself. Apart from a physical shell that had brought her misfortune in her previous life and seemed doomed to do the same in this one, what else did she have? How could a man as celestial as Pei You'an possibly like her, and subsequently agree to marry her?

Yet, the thought of marrying him had taken firm root in her heart from the very first day it appeared. Jiafu could not rid herself of this temptation to draw close to him, so that she might finally have a branch to perch upon.

What on earth could she do to make him agree to her?

This new blow, much like her words that had slipped out without thinking, had come unexpectedly. Jiafu’s mood was inevitably low, but having learned her lesson from the previous time she had sulked and refused to eat, she played it smart this time. The next day, when it was almost time for his return, she once again wore a smiling face to wait for him. After waiting for a while, she caught sight of his figure in the distance. Beside him was the same young master of the Tusi manor, An Cangzhu, who had accompanied him the day before.

An Cangzhu had only just caught up to travel with Pei You'an. He was a sturdy young man with dark, tanned skin, thick eyebrows, and a high nose. He wore a ring in one ear and a short blade tied to his waist, the scabbard encrusted with various colorful gemstones. Pei You'an had once saved his life, so he held Pei You'an in great respect.

An Cangzhu spoke a few words about the meeting his father would have tomorrow with the Mengding Tusi, Yisang, and then asked, "Lord Pei, is your cousin married?"

The meeting tomorrow between the two great Tusi of Mengmu and Mengding at the border pass of Anlong was something Pei You'an had brokered single-handedly. Because the matter was of great importance, he had been deep in thought about it while walking along. Hearing An Cangzhu ask this suddenly, he was slightly startled. He turned his head to look at him and saw that the young man appeared slightly coy, yet the two gazes he cast toward him were full of anticipation. After a moment of contemplation, he understood.

In terms of age, he was not much older than this young master of the Tusi manor, but compared to the vibrant youth full of vitality at his side, for a brief moment, a faint sense of autumn desolation rose from the bottom of Pei You'an’s heart.

He did not really want to discuss such topics regarding Jiafu with the young man beside him, but he still said, "She is still unmarried."

An Cangzhu’s eyes lit up: "Where is her home?"

"Quanzhou," Pei You'an replied.

An Cangzhu became excited at once: "I know Quanzhou! When I was young, my father hired a private tutor for me who happened to be from Quanzhou. I heard him say that Quanzhou is prosperous and well-stocked, with harbors everywhere. Every day, hundreds or thousands of ships come and go, and seven or eight out of ten of the world’s rare treasures come from Quanzhou! There is a wealthy magnate named Zhen in Quanzhou who specializes in sea trade. My cousin also happens to have the surname Zhen; could it be that she is related to the Zhen family?"

Pei You'an replied vaguely: "Her family does indeed have a few ships..."

An Cangzhu interrupted: "That is perfect. Lord Pei, would you allow me to have a private conversation with your cousin? My father is looking to purchase a batch of spices, and I fear being cheated because we are in a border region and they might pass off inferior goods as superior ones. Since your cousin’s family has ships, they surely must have spice dealings. Wouldn't it be perfect for me to negotiate directly with her?"

The guesthouse where Pei You'an was staying was not far ahead. While he hesitated, An Cangzhu raised his eyes and happened to see Jiafu standing at the entrance, craning her neck to look in their direction with a look of joy. He left Pei You'an behind and walked quickly to her side, calling out, "Cousin Zhen."

Jiafu recognized him as the young master from the Tusi manor yesterday. Seeing him greet her with a broad smile and call her "Cousin Zhen" in such a familiar tone, she was stunned. She glanced at Pei You'an, who was following behind, and feeling a bit perplexed, she responded and performed a polite bow out of courtesy.

An Cangzhu hurriedly waved his hand, beginning by apologizing to Jiafu for his younger sister’s behavior the day before, saying he had already disciplined her upon returning and that she would not dare to cause trouble again.

That fight yesterday—it had felt satisfying at the time, and afterward, Pei You'an had protected her without scolding her a single bit for being ignorant. But after it was over, thinking that she had lived two lifetimes only to end up tearing at each other like that with a young girl, it was truly inconceivable and certainly not a glorious matter. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, so she responded with a vague, noncommittal remark.

An Cangzhu hadn't come here just to apologize. After setting the stage, he said, "I just heard from Lord Pei that your family is from Quanzhou and has ships that sail overseas? I am about to purchase a batch of spices, and the quantity is not small, plus I will be making repeat purchases in the future. I wonder if your family would be willing to take on this business? Payment upon delivery, everything according to your rules. If it is convenient, I can discuss the details with you now."

This came out of nowhere. Jiafu was startled and instinctively looked toward Pei You'an.

He was standing behind An Cangzhu with a plain expression, looking much as he always did. Jiafu could not tell what he intended, yet without thinking, she said immediately, "Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master. It is just unfortunate; although my family does have a few ships, in the cargo we have carried these past two years, there have been few spices. I fear this business is something we cannot take on."

An Cangzhu was not discouraged and said again, "Since you are from Quanzhou, you must know some cargo owners. Could you introduce me to a few reputable ones?"

Jiafu looked apologetic: "I truly am sorry. At home, I only know how to do needlework and embroidery; I know nothing of outside business and fear I cannot be of any help to you, Young Master."

An Cangzhu’s face showed disappointment, but soon he became enthusiastic again: "No matter. I was thinking that Lord Pei has been preoccupied with affairs these days and likely has no time to look after you. Since you have come to my place, you are a guest of the Tusi manor. I have a few spots here with decent scenery; if you don't mind, may I have someone lead you out for a walk?"

He turned to Pei You'an: "Lord Pei, I see your cousin staying in the guesthouse all day without stepping out, which must be quite stifling. Since you have come from afar to resolve the disputes for my Mengmu manor, you have worked hard, and I should do my duty as a host."

Pei You'an could not help but look at Jiafu, and his gaze met the two eyes she had cast toward him. He saw the corners of her lips slightly lifted with an ambiguous smile, her brows soft, her eyes shimmering like water. In that posture and state, charming and gentle, there was suddenly a feeling of something subtle flowing between just the two of them that no one else knew of.

The feeling was extremely mysterious and elusive, yet it was omnipresent.

He was dazed for a moment, doubting his own eyes. Subconsciously, he looked again, but Jiafu had already turned her face, and everything vanished into thin air in an instant. Pei You'an heard her say to An Cangzhu with a small smile: "I dare not trouble you, Young Master. To be honest, the reason I followed my cousin here is that I was previously in poor health and needed him to attend to me. Since he had to come to your esteemed region, I could not give up halfway, so he brought me along. When my health improves, might I then trouble you?"

This response was airtight; it explained why Pei You'an had brought her along without a specific reason, and it also tactfully declined An Cangzhu’s kind invitation.

Pei You'an came back to his senses and looked at her again.

Her bright eyes were fixed on the Tusi's son, her expression earnest.

An Cangzhu was disappointed once more and had no choice but to nod, telling her to rest well before leaving in low spirits.

Jiafu followed Pei You'an inside, diligently serving him tea, and smiled: "Cousin, why did you return so early today? Do you still need to go out tonight?"

Since arriving here, Pei You'an had been meeting all kinds of people, and tomorrow was the critical point of this trip, so his mind had been heavy. But at this moment, watching her bustling around him, his mood inexplicably lightened. He smiled: "Everything is arranged. I also declined the Tusi’s banquet; I will not go out tonight. I’ll rest early, as there is important business tomorrow."

Jiafu was very happy: "That’s wonderful. Cousin, please sit; I’ll go check on the sweet soup I made. Once it’s ready, I’ll serve you a bowl."

Pei You'an did not originally like sweets, but since she preferred them, he went along with it. Watching her nimble figure as she walked away, he was lost in thought for a moment.

...

The next morning, Pei You'an, An Jilong, and their party left the Tusi manor and arrived at Anlong Pass, which bordered the Mengding manor. There, under Pei You'an's guidance, An Jilong and the Mengding Tusi, Yisang, would hold a meeting to resolve the recently renewed conflict.

This new dispute stemmed from Lord Ma, the Pacification Commissioner who had left not long ago. When he was there, he had deliberately favored An Jilong, relaying an imperial decree to title him "Great Tusi," and with a single casual sentence, had lightly assigned all of Anlong Pass—which had always been a source of contention between the Mengmu and Mengding manors—to An Jilong. This had sparked Yisang’s dissatisfaction. Once Lord Ma left, Yisang used the excuse that ancestral land must not be lost by his own hands to tear up the alliance made a few years prior and attacked the Mengmu manor once again.

The reason the meeting point was chosen here today was to ensure both sides felt secure. The flat ground for the meeting was open, without trees or rocks to hide anyone, and no ambushes could be set. One could see at a glance how many men the other side brought.

According to their prior agreement, An Jilong had only brought twenty elite guards. Upon arriving at the site, he ordered the guards to wait in an open area a few paces away, while he and Pei You'an took their seats.

There were two quarter-hours remaining until the appointed time. Aside from Yisang, who had yet to arrive, the dozen or so other Tusi who had been invited as witnesses had all arrived. Everyone present knew Pei You'an, and seeing him arrive, they came forward to greet him one after another. After the pleasantries, Pei You'an took the center seat without hesitation, An Jilong sat to the left, and the seat to the right was left vacant, waiting for Yisang’s arrival.

The sun rose higher and higher. The appointed time arrived, but Yisang still had not appeared. An Jilong’s face showed his displeasure, and the Tusi murmured among themselves. After a while, at the edge of their vision, a large cloud of black dust kicked up by galloping horses finally appeared, heading toward them. Judging by the momentum, it was at least several hundred men. They approached in a grand, sweeping manner, and as they drew near, it was clear that it was indeed the tardy Yisang.

The two sides had originally agreed to bring at most twenty guards each. Now, before the meeting had even begun, Yisang had not only arrived late but had first broken the rules by bringing such a large force. An Cangzhu, who was standing beside An Jilong, revealed an angry expression and immediately said, "Father, what does he intend to do? I will go count our men and bring them over!"

Before leaving, to be safe, An Jilong had also brought hundreds of men, but the rest of those troops were left several miles away and had not been brought here.

An Jilong was also feeling annoyed. He glanced at Pei You'an and saw that he remained unmoved, still sitting steadily in his seat, his eyes fixed ahead with a calm expression. After thinking for a moment, he swallowed his anger and said, "He likely intends to give us a show of force. With Lord Pei here, I expect he will not dare to act recklessly. Let’s wait and see.”