Wish You All the Best - Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Pei You’an had originally always called her "cousin." After they grew close, he followed her family’s lead and called her "Afu." Later on, during a moment of intimacy, when the air was heavy with passion, he saw her delicate, lotus-like face upon the pillow, heard her light, fragrant breaths, and beheld her slender, tender frame that seemed so fragile, as if it would break if plucked—a sight that moved him deeply—he couldn't help but call her "Fu'er." Jiafu, feeling his touch, responded with even greater grace, her soft cries echoing endlessly. Both were lost in ecstasy. Since that time, Pei You’an had used this term of endearment to address her.
When Pei You’an heard her words, his eyelashes fluttered gently, and he opened his eyes.
Jiafu looked at him with wide, earnest eyes, her gaze incredibly sincere. When she saw him staring at her for a moment, a hint of pleasure seemed to cross his eyes, yet the corners of his lips quirked up as if he were suppressing a smile. Finally, he reached out and, as if coaxing a child, patted her back gently, saying softly, "I know. Sleep now."
Did he actually not believe her? Or did he find her words amusing?
Jiafu felt a sudden wave of frustration and, even more, a sense of unwillingness. She loosened her arms from around his neck and instead grabbed the hand that was patting her, pressing it down firmly. Emphasizing her words, she said, "Elder Cousin, I mean every word! No matter what happens to you, Fu’er will definitely cherish and love you for a lifetime!"
Pei You’an’s brows relaxed and his eyes softened. He gazed at Jiafu for a moment, no longer mocking her, and whispered, "And how does Fu’er intend to cherish her Elder Cousin?"
His voice was naturally rich and mellow, and now, shrouded by the heavy brocade bed curtains, his low tone was thick and intoxicating, like wine. Jiafu felt her heart trembling, and filled with boundless courage, she climbed onto his chest, where his robes were slightly parted. She rested on her elbows to look at him for a moment and, seeing his Adam’s apple bob, she couldn't resist. She leaned her jade-like face forward and brushed her lips against his like a dragonfly skimming the water. "Whatever Elder Cousin wants Fu’er to do, Fu’er will do for Elder Cousin."
Her voice was exceptionally solemn.
Pei You’an had wanted her to sleep early because he knew she had been exhausted from being out since early morning and only just returning in the dead of night, and she surely hadn't had a moment's rest at the temple. He hadn't expected her to disregard his good intentions, pouring out such declarations of love. Though her passion was moving, her words were childish, and coupled with her earnest, adorable expression, it was normally something to laugh at. Yet, he found himself falling for it—he was listening until he could barely control himself, yet she wouldn't stop.
The more earnest she was, the more provocative she became, and he found himself increasingly unable to hold back...
Pei You’an was startled. Feeling her light kiss on his Adam’s apple, his blood surged. It was as if there was a loud "boom," and a rush of blood flooded through him. The look in his eyes changed instantly, but he still forcefully restrained himself, silently staring at her without a word.
Jiafu immediately sensed the strange change in his body and naturally understood why. Seeing him stare at her with such an oddly intense expression, she couldn't help but feel flustered, embarrassed, and a bit dejected.
Heaven is her witness, she truly had no other thoughts just now; she only wanted him to know of her infinite pity and love for him. She only blamed her own clumsiness and lack of eloquence for turning it into such a provocation.
Feeling both shy and mortified, her face heating up, she lay on his chest, not daring to move a muscle, and hurriedly explained, "Elder Cousin, please don't misunderstand..."
Pei You’an only let out a "Hmm," his eyes growing more intense. He paused, then whispered hoarsely, "Kiss me again!" His Adam’s apple rolled up and down once more.
Jiafu felt she couldn't quite understand him, but remembering what she had just said, she obediently leaned forward and kissed his Adam’s apple again. She heard a low, rumbling sound in his throat. Just as she was about to pull away, she felt a weight on the back of her head; he had reached up and pressed her down.
Jiafu ultimately felt a lingering grievance in her heart. Under his restraint, she gasped for air and struggled to free half of her head. "Elder Cousin, I really am..."
Pei You’an could no longer endure it. He flipped over, pinning her beneath him, and lowered his head to capture the small mouth that had done more talking than acting.
Dew moistened the green clouds, thick fragrance clung to the furs, and in the place where the embroidered curtains were drawn, a single lotus flower inside the canopy opened to the night, bearing dew.
The soft cries of the beauty began to rise; the candles flickered against the silk curtains, and the golden hooks clinked, emitting a rustling sound.
Pei You’an felt a surging frenzy, his desires burning and ferocious. When it was over, he was still not quite satisfied. He didn't even pick her up to clean her before sleep. He grabbed a jade-like leg, intending to try again from behind, but seeing her hair damp with sweat, looking so pitiable like fallen flowers and shattered jade, she grabbed the edge of the quilt and curled her head inside like a quail, covering it tightly, refusing to show her face. He couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
The time had reached the first watch of the next day. The servants in the night-watch room were dozing off when they were suddenly startled awake by the faint sound of a man’s laughter coming from the inner chamber. Recognizing it as the Young Master’s voice, they found it truly inconceivable that he wasn't asleep this late at night, let alone laughing in such a manner. They rose and peered toward the window, seeing that the lights in the room were still on.
After Pei You’an finished laughing, he let Jiafu go. Wrapping her up in the quilt, he carried her to the washroom. After they returned and extinguished the lights, they lay back in bed. He pulled her into his arms, his palms gently rubbing her shoulders, neck, and lower back to relax her and soothe her fatigue. When her breathing finally steadied, he asked in a low voice, "Did something happen? Why were you suddenly saying those things to me tonight?"
Jiafu was clean now, and pressed against his chest, enjoying his massage, she felt incredibly comfortable. She closed her eyes and yawned, on the verge of falling into a deep sleep, when she suddenly heard his question. Her drowsiness was driven away. She hesitated for a moment, then wrapped her small hands tightly around his waist and whispered, "Fu’er just wants you to always be happy and to treat you well for a lifetime."
A warmth flooded Pei You’an’s heart. He held her even tighter. In the darkness, he lowered his head to find her lips, pecked them, and said softly, "I know. Are you tired? It’s late, sleep now."
Jiafu was content, yet for some reason, a lingering thread of melancholy seemed to hide in the depths of her heart—a feeling she couldn't quite name.
She finally let out a "Mm," and gently closed her eyes.
The night finally turned silent.
Jiafu was sound asleep in a daze when she was suddenly startled by a knocking at the door. In her muddled state, she heard the voice of the night-watch servant coming from outside: "Young Master, someone has come from the palace! They say the Emperor has issued an urgent summons, requesting that you rise early and head to the palace immediately!"
Jiafu woke up. Pei You’an had already sat up, pulled aside the curtains, and lit the lamp.
Jiafu rubbed her eyes and sat up as well. She poked her head out of the curtains and glanced at the water clock. It was only the second quarter of the Yin hour (roughly 3:30 AM), still quite some time before the morning court session.
Pei You’an had originally been on leave and intended to take three more days off. She didn't know what could have happened for the Emperor to send someone to summon him so early.
Pei You’an threw on a robe and went out to open the door. After asking a few questions, he learned it was Cui Yinshui who had come to fetch him. He returned and began dressing himself, saying to Jiafu, "I am entering the palace now. You go back to sleep."
How could Jiafu sleep? She casually put on her clothes to cover herself, then climbed down to help him fetch his formal court robes. She helped him dress, opened the door to call for servants to prepare washing water, ate a few bites of food, and saw him out. It was still pitch black outside. Mindful of his words, she returned to bed to sleep, but she couldn't drift off again, and could only wait for dawn.
...
Pei You’an exited the inner courtyard and walked to the front hall. Cui Yinshui was waiting there with a slightly anxious expression, constantly looking about. When he saw Pei You’an appear, he hurried to greet him and bowed. "Master Pei, I must trouble you to enter the palace with all haste."
Pei You’an walked out quickly with him, asking as they went, "What has happened?"
Cui Yinshui had been running at a trot all the way here, and his breath was still uneven. "At the third watch, a 800-li urgent dispatch from the Governor of Sichuan arrived at the palace. It seems to be related to the mission of Lord Zhou Jin, who was ordered to go to Jingxiang to suppress the wandering rebellions. We don't know the specifics; we who are outside only vaguely heard that the Emperor seemed to be in a towering rage. Afterward, my foster father came out and told me to fetch you to the palace."
Pei You’an’s brows furrowed slightly. He said nothing more, hurried to the main gate, took the reins from a servant, swung onto his horse, and galloped toward the Imperial Palace.
During the middle of the Yin hour, Pei You’an reached the Imperial Study. From afar, he could see it was ablaze with light. Li Yuangui was waiting outside. When he saw Pei You’an approach, he immediately greeted him. As he led him inside, he spoke in a low voice to explain the situation.
It was indeed a major disaster regarding the mission of Zhou Jin to suppress the rebellions.
When he first arrived in Jingxiang, he had used thunderous, brutal methods. He labeled the refugees who did not follow his orders as "roving bandits," mobilized troops from several neighboring provinces in the southwest, and launched a concentrated, violent encirclement. The initial results were significant: he killed a batch of "bandits" to serve as an example, then used the name of the local government to coerce the refugees into migrating. A million refugees were forced to abandon their homes and land, embarking on a road of no return. The government not only failed to distribute land or provide places for them to settle, but instead sent them all to the border for garrison duty. Those who refused were treated as roving bandits on the spot and slaughtered. Countless refugees were driven by whips and clubs along the river toward the borders of Yun and Gui. Along the way, bodies piled up. Because of the summer heat, plagues ran rampant, and corpses floated in the river, the stench foul enough to choke the air. The river itself became blocked by the remains—the tragic scene was nothing short of a living hell.
Just a few days ago, a group of refugees who could no longer endure the suffering rose up in secret at night. They killed their guards, seized weapons, and then, with one call, others responded in kind. The crowd gathered, reaching tens of thousands, and began to openly resist the government. They turned around, headed back toward Jingxiang, and attacked cities and occupied land along the way with great momentum. The regional officials fled at the mere sight of them, not daring to engage.
Zhou Jin had seen that the situation was developing, sent a report of victory to the capital, and was preparing to return to the capital to claim his rewards when he received the news. He rushed back, once again mobilizing troops to attempt another encirclement. The Governor of Sichuan had always been at odds with him and found his behavior even more intolerable. He sent a swift dispatch to the Emperor, detailing all the events, accusing Zhou Jin of greedily seeking merit through rash actions and indiscriminately slaughtering the innocent, declaring him the true instigator of the current southwest uprising.
"The Emperor has been so angry that he couldn't sleep all night. He couldn't wait until dawn, so he ordered me to summon you and the officials of the Ministry of War. Those other lords should be arriving soon," Li Yuangui said.