Chapter 71#
Uncle and Nephew: Little Pei Goes to Enzhou (11)#
As the boat docked, Zong Suiyang scooped up Pei Xiting and carried him ashore. The vessel swayed, but he walked as if on solid ground, not disturbing Pei Xiting’s sweet slumber.
Yu Shaoyun appeared on the bank. Upon seeing His Highness carrying the man down like a child, he didn’t offer a hand, knowing the prince wouldn’t appreciate it.
“Cloak,” Zong Suiyang said.
Yu Shaoyun shook open the cloak, instinctively moving to fasten it around Zong Suiyang, then paused and instead draped it over the man in his arms. As he helped adjust the cloak, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of His Highness’s lips—their color clearly indicated they had been kissing on the boat.
Zong Suiyang noticed Yu Shaoyun’s furtive glance. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.” Yu Shaoyun quickly averted his eyes and said with a smile, “Your Highness is pleased, and your subordinate is pleased as well.”
Zong Suiyang didn’t retort. He flicked the little black snake, which was trying to crawl into Pei Xiting’s collar, sending it tumbling away.
The little snake dared not move again. It twisted its body and slithered back onto Zong Suiyang’s shoulder.
Back in the carriage, Zong Suiyang laid Pei Xiting flat on the main seat, took out a blanket, and wrapped him up tightly. He glanced at Pei Xiting’s flushed, peaceful sleeping face, then turned and retrieved a black medicine bottle from a small cabinet beneath the tea table. He poured out the last pill, swallowed it with water.
Yu Shaoyun, who had been watching from outside the door, whispered, “No more medicine?”
Zong Suiyang hummed in affirmation, stoppered the bottle, and put it back in its place.
Zong Suiyang had an ailment. Since his youth, his mind had often been filled with images of romantic and sexual intimacy, craving fulfillment. When unfulfilled, he suffered greatly, as if being consumed by desire. Su Chongyan could find no physical illness, calling it a heart addiction.
Zong Suiyang was tormented by it. He regarded lust as base and shameful, once rejecting and detesting it, yet he had never lost control—until Pei Xiting appeared.
Zong Suiyang turned his head to look at the sleeping man. This was a cunning little fox, a beautiful demon, a fierce tiger—luring him, tempting him, constantly wanting to devour him. His ironclad exterior had finally shattered, revealing softness within. The long-suppressed “addiction” within him ceaselessly battered against its cage until it burst forth, surging and unstoppable. He retreated step by step, utterly defenseless and powerless to resist.
Zong Suiyang gazed at Pei Xiting and let out a soft sigh. “This is a tribulation.”
“A romantic tribulation,” Yu Shaoyun said with a grin. “Perhaps it’s Your Highness’s blessing as well.”
Zong Suiyang did not refute that.
They had packed thirty pills when they set out, and now they were all gone. Yu Shaoyun couldn’t help but say, “Didn’t Chongyan warn you not to take too many of these pills?”
Zong Suiyang stared expressionlessly at Pei Xiting. “I’ve been very restrained.”
So on the boat, they had only kissed and done nothing else? Yu Shaoyun sighed, but he also knew that His Highness was particularly traditional in such matters—set on following proper rites: betrothal gifts, wedding ceremonies, and an open and honorable union before engaging in marital intimacies.
“Then I’ll send word to Chongyan as soon as we return, telling him to prepare another bottle immediately. We don’t know how much longer we’ll be staying here.” Yu Shaoyun couldn’t help but advise, “Your Highness, if you can’t help it, try to spend less time alone with Pei the Clerk.”
Zong Suiyang shot him a cold, indifferent glance. Yu Shaoyun surrendered, reached out, and closed the carriage door to block out that displeased look.
The next day, Pei Xiting woke early, just in time for breakfast. He didn’t ask why the Crown Prince had unilaterally moved him to a new sleeping spot. After washing up and changing clothes, he sat down beside Zong Suiyang.
There was someone else at the table today besides them: Zong Lu. As Pei Xiting ladled out congee, he prepared a bowl for the boy as well. But Zong Lu said, “Pei the Clerk, you’ve gotten your directions wrong. Fifth Uncle is on your left. I am Zong Lu.”
Pei Xiting was startled for a moment. He met Zong Lu’s dark eyes, which held a faint, barely perceptible tension, and understood. He turned to look at Zong Suiyang. The Crown Prince’s expression was impassive, his gaze sweeping over him, Zong Lu, and the bowl of creamy congee.
This child was so young yet so perceptive, able to observe subtle cues and adapt to protect himself. He must have spent considerable time studying the very difficult subject of the Crown Prince!
Pei Xiting felt a pang of pity for the little imperial grandson. He immediately slapped his forehead with exaggerated naturalness and said, “Ah, right, I forgot.”
He picked up the bowl of congee and placed it in front of the Crown Prince, smiling. “I just woke up; my head’s still muddled. This bowl was meant for Your Highness.”
Zong Suiyang withdrew his gaze and unhurriedly picked up his spoon, beginning to drink the congee.
Seeing this, Zong Lu breathed a sigh of relief and shot a grateful look at Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting mentally patted the little imperial grandson’s head with affection and then focused on his own congee.
After breakfast, an inner attendant entered bearing a tray with three cups of tea. He set a cup beside Zong Suiyang. The prince took a sip, then turned his head and spat it into a spittoon. “You two will return today. I will send an escort.”
The inner attendant looked at the little imperial grandson. But Zong Lu said, “Fifth Uncle, I don’t want to go back.”
Zong Suiyang said, “I am not negotiating with you.”
Zong Lu pressed his lips together, not daring to argue, but unwilling to agree either.
Pei Xiting, having rinsed his mouth, kept his eyes down and didn’t interject.
Zong Suiyang wiped his mouth with a cloth and instructed the inner attendant, “Go pack the little imperial grandson’s things.”
The inner attendant didn’t dare disobey and assented.
“Wait.” Zong Lu stood up and walked over to Zong Suiyang. “Fifth Uncle, Lord You and the others have been working day and night but still haven’t found the missing children. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. Since the mountain won’t come to me, I will go to the mountain. I am also around ten years old, am I not? I am willing to act as bait, to help Lord You find those children sooner.”
The table gave a sharp crack. Pei Xiting startled and looked up at Zong Suiyang.
Zong Suiyang stared expressionlessly at Zong Lu. “Get out and pack your things.”
Zong Lu’s face paled slightly, but he didn’t back down. “When Fifth Uncle was a prince, he could risk himself for the Crown Prince multiple times. Why can’t I do the same? I am Fifth Uncle’s nephew and Fifth Uncle’s subject. Why can’t I share the burden for Fifth Uncle?”
“This is not something you should be meddling in.” Zong Suiyang’s tone was cold and sharp. “You can’t even protect yourself, and you dare speak of sharing the burden for me?”
The words were heartlessly harsh, but Zong Lu didn’t take them to heart. “Yes, my survival depends entirely on Fifth Uncle. I truly cannot protect myself. But in this matter, I am more useful than Fifth Uncle or Lord You. Besides, Fifth Uncle wants me to be the crown prince, doesn’t he? If I am to be crown prince, I am no longer a child at this age.”
Pei Xiting quietly watched the uncle and nephew, observing the hidden anger and storm in Zong Suiyang’s eyes. He sighed inwardly. This man was grooming the little imperial grandson as his successor, strict in teaching, yet unwilling to let go when it came to real “practice.”
“A gentleman does not stand beneath a perilous wall.” Zong Suiyang said, “I will say it one more time: get out.”
“If Fifth Uncle can do it, why can’t I? If Fifth Uncle can’t even achieve something, why does he demand it of me?” Zong Lu argued. “Tactics like using oneself as bait to lure the snake out of its hole—Fifth Uncle employs them all the time, don’t you?”
Zong Suiyang narrowed his eyes slightly. The hand on the table twitched. Pei Xiting, afraid he might slap Zong Lu, instinctively reached out and grasped that hand.
Zong Suiyang paused and looked at Pei Xiting, saying nothing.
Pei Xiting withdrew his hand and turned to Zong Lu. “When the same standard is applied to different people, the considerations naturally differ. His Highness may disregard his own safety, but he is unwilling to let you take risks. In private, you are His Highness’s nephew. In public, you are as important as His Highness.”
“I know. But if I always stay under Fifth Uncle’s wing, like a little bird in a golden cage, when will I ever spread my wings and soar?” Zong Lu said.
“An eagle takes flight at its own time; why be impatient?” Pei Xiting said gently. “We still don’t know what use the missing children serve. How could your Fifth Uncle dare let you be bait? If something goes wrong, would you make your Fifth Uncle shed tears?”
Zong Lu was taken aback. He cautiously glanced at Zong Suiyang and muttered, “Fifth Uncle never sheds tears.”
“Your Fifth Uncle is human. Humans shed tears.” Pei Xiting reached out and tapped Zong Lu’s chest. “If I cut out half your flesh while you’re still alive, wouldn’t you cry from the pain?”
Zong Lu pressed his lips together and said nothing.
“How about this?” Pei Xiting suggested. “Let me first investigate the madam of Bai Mei Fang and see if there’s any useful information. Then we can discuss it again, alright?”
Zong Lu said, “But Fifth Uncle wants me to leave today.”
Pei Xiting leaned forward slightly, close to Zong Suiyang. “Your Highness, how about each of you gives a little ground?”
Zong Suiyang wouldn’t relent. “He must leave.”
Zong Lu instinctively looked at Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting said to him, “Go out for now. I’ll plead with your Fifth Uncle for you.”
Zong Suiyang said, “You get out too.”
Pei Xiting pretended not to hear and nodded to Zong Lu to leave quickly. Once the door closed, he moved his chair closer to Zong Suiyang’s.
“Your Highness, listen to me.”
“No.”
Pei Xiting ignored that. “Actually, both of you have some valid points, and both want to stick to your own ideas. But the little imperial grandson can’t defy you, so the outcome is inevitably your victory.”
Zong Suiyang looked at him. “Are you trying to convince me to agree to him? That would be nonsense.”
“I didn’t think that. Doing so would indeed be very dangerous. And to be honest, if I talked you into agreeing today and something happened to him, I’d bear responsibility too.” Pei Xiting chose his words carefully. “But the little imperial grandson isn’t an ignorant child anymore. Look at him—he seems more mature and steady than other kids his age, doesn’t he?”
Zong Suiyang didn’t deny it. “So?”
“From your conversation just now, I think you have a flaw. I’d like to offer a suggestion. Of course,” Pei Xiting turned slightly, lowering his eyes in feigned weakness, “if Your Highness doesn’t want to hear it, or hearing it means you’ll smother me, then perhaps I shouldn’t speak.”
“Putting on an act.” Zong Suiyang tapped Pei Xiting’s forehead. “Speak if you dare, or get out now.”
“Alright, I’ll speak.” Pei Xiting let go of the hand that had been rubbing his forehead. “I think you’re sometimes too domineering. Since the little imperial grandson isn’t a child who knows nothing, he’s bound to have his own thoughts. Look how you talked to him just now—”
He cleared his throat, channelling “Zong Suiyang,” and said, “I am not negotiating with you.”
Seeing this, Zong Suiyang laughed. “You imitate me quite well.”
“Of course.” Pei Xiting gave a smug little snort. “But seriously—‘I am not negotiating with you’ is too forceful. After all, you two aren’t just sovereign and subject; you’re also uncle and nephew.”
Zong Suiyang was silent for a moment. “I usually listen to his opinions. But this matter is non-negotiable, so I couldn’t be bothered to hear him out. In the end, I wouldn’t agree anyway.”
Pei Xiting nodded. “I think, when the little imperial grandson has his own ideas, you could listen to him first. Even if it contradicts your own thoughts, at least there’s a process of discussion. Don’t just reject and refuse him outright—that only makes him feel stifled. Besides, I can see the little imperial grandson has learned from you—he’s also a man of few words. When he grows up, he’ll probably be just like you.”
“My type?” Zong Suiyang said. “What’s wrong with my type?”
“Your type…” Pei Xiting drew out the word. Under Zong Suiyang’s mildly threatening gaze, he immediately surrendered and smiled. “Good, and yet not good.”
Zong Suiyang frowned slightly. “Elaborate?”
“Let’s just talk about the cold face and few words for now, and leave other aspects aside.” Pei Xiting said. “This temperament of yours is problematic on the surface. A cold face and few words don’t make you approachable. And if you run into someone with a similar personality… well, I can’t even imagine.”
“But I haven’t met anyone with a personality similar to mine.” Zong Suiyang looked at Pei Xiting and said this abruptly.
The reason he called Pei Xiting his tribulation was that Pei Xiting’s temperament was both frank and fierce, and stubborn and tenacious. Even after being pushed away once, he would still charge forward a second, third time, as if as long as he had some support in his heart, Pei Xiting wouldn’t fear being hurt by him.
Pei Xiting clicked his tongue. “Interrupting someone while they’re speaking—where are your manners?”
“Apologies.” Zong Suiyang said. “Continue. Tell me how I am good.”
“You just want me to praise you, don’t you?” Pei Xiting rolled his eyes elegantly. “Oh, fine, I’ll praise you a little. The good part about this temperament of yours is that you’re not a central air conditioner.”
Another unfamiliar term. Zong Suiyang asked, “Meaning?”
“It roughly means being nice to everyone, so you can’t single out one person’s importance. This description is mostly used in romance.” Pei Xiting clicked his tongue.
Zong Suiyang understood. “That single person is naturally different from everyone else. They can’t be treated the same.”
“Not bad, not bad. You have good awareness.” Pei Xiting smiled and then returned to the earlier topic. “The little imperial grandson is at this age now, growing in stature and also in mind. Don’t let him bottle things up. When you two discuss and talk, you’ll know what he’s thinking—whether he’s harboring any improper notions or showing signs of going astray. Isn’t that beneficial?”
Zong Suiyang lowered his eyes and said nothing.
“I know you protect the little imperial grandson well and keep a tight rein on him. But you can control his person; can you control his heart? Can you keep track of every single thought he ponders each day?” Pei Xiting said. “Your Highness, people need communication.”
A short while later, Zong Lu entered the room, standing between his Fifth Uncle and his future Fifth Uncle, inwardly tense.
Zong Suiyang looked at him. “You don’t want to leave, then don’t leave for now. But one rule: you are not to act rashly on your own. Otherwise, I’ll break your legs, and no one’s persuasion will help.”
That “someone” beside him rubbed his nose but said nothing.
The corners of Zong Lu’s mouth lifted slightly. He said promptly, “Thank you, Fifth Uncle. I won’t act rashly.”
Zong Suiyang said, “Go practice calligraphy.”
“Yes, I’m going now.” Zong Lu cupped his hands in salute. As he turned, he cast a grateful glance at Pei Xiting before walking out lightly.
The inner attendant stood nearby. Seeing him, he immediately stepped forward and whispered, “How was it?”
“Not leaving today,” Zong Lu said. “Pei the Clerk can indeed persuade Fifth Uncle.”
The inner attendant adjusted the little imperial grandson’s collar and said quietly, “But the things you said earlier were far too bold. His Highness would never have agreed. Pei the Clerk can advise His Highness, but on this matter, if he supports your idea, he’d be asking for trouble. And if something…”
He couldn’t voice an inauspicious thought, so he only said, “At any rate, let’s not make things difficult for Pei the Clerk.”
“Don’t worry, I understand.” Zong Lu seemed unconcerned. “If Pei the Clerk helped me persuade Fifth Uncle to agree to my plan and then something happened to me, he’d blame himself and also find it hard to face Fifth Uncle. So I won’t beg him privately anymore. Since Pei the Clerk said to wait for news from Bai Mei Fang, I’ll listen to him and won’t act recklessly.”
“Good. I’m glad you understand.” The inner attendant smiled. “Then let’s go back and practice calligraphy.”
Zong Lu hummed in acknowledgment and went back to the study with the inner attendant.
Inside the room, Zong Suiyang looked at Pei Xiting. “You…”
He seemed to be weighing something, as if hesitant to speak. Pei Xiting knew perfectly well what he was struggling with but feigned ignorance, asking with a puzzled expression, “What?”
Zong Suiyang studied Pei Xiting expressionlessly for a moment. He couldn’t be sure whether Pei Xiting had forgotten what happened last night, given the man’s record of feigning oblivion and his refined acting skills.
“Your Highness?” Pei Xiting prompted.
Zong Suiyang said nothing. Although the kiss last night had been initiated by Pei Xiting, he had responded, so it wasn’t simply Pei Xiting taking advantage of drunkenness to act like a rogue. It had been under the moonlight, amidst an ambiguous atmosphere; they had both become overwhelmed by desire and passion.
“Nothing.” Zong Suiyang looked away. “Drink less in the future.”
“How can that be?” Pei Xiting smiled like a sated little fox. “Wine is a wonderful thing.”
If he didn’t drink, how would he find opportunities to steal a kiss?
Pei Xiting’s wait was not long. Two days later, the lights at Bai Mei Fang lit up, and the “immortal’s” reply arrived.
Pei Xiting went again with Yuan Fang to Bai Mei Fang, sitting in the same place as before. Only this time, a folding screen had been set up in front of them, with someone sitting behind it.
“This is Immortal Envoy Huo, sent by the Immortal to speak with the two of you,” said Fairy Voice, standing beside the screen.
“Immortal Envoy Huo,” Pei Xiting called out, then spoke urgently, “What did the Immortal say?”
The Immortal Envoy Huo’s voice sounded like a young man’s, unhurried. “Your requests have been made known to the Immortal, who feels compassion. However, this matter is not ordinary, and the Immortal is still hesitating.”
“Hesitating about what?” Yuan Fang said. “Does the Immortal face some difficulty?”
“How could the Immortal have any difficulties?” Pei Xiting looked at Yuan Fang disapprovingly. “The Immortal’s divine powers are unparalleled and grants all requests. Brother Fang, do not underestimate the Immortal.”
He turned to the screen. “Brother Fang is blunt and doesn’t know how to speak properly. He did not mean to slight the Immortal’s abilities or show disrespect. Please forgive him, Envoy.”
“Yes, I spoke wrongly,” Yuan Fang said. “I was only concerned that the Immortal might have unspoken difficulties. If so, please speak plainly. Whatever I can do, I will certainly do my utmost.”
Immortal Envoy Huo chuckled. “The Immortal is magnanimous and certainly will not punish mortals for a few careless words. You need not worry. As for you, Brother Chen, you said earlier that you would do whatever you could—is that true?”
Yuan Fang said, “Naturally.”
“Then it’s simple,” said Immortal Envoy Huo. “The reason the Immortal hesitates is not fear of the Crown Prince, but doubt that the two of you are truly sincere in your offerings.”
“What do you mean by that?” Pei Xiting frowned. “Our offerings have been genuine gold and silver, nothing stingy. How is that insincere?”
“Young master misunderstands. I’m not saying your offerings are paltry or counterfeit, but rather your purpose,” Immortal Envoy Huo said with a faint sigh. “Its truthfulness is unclear.”
Yuan Fang knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”
Immortal Envoy Huo did not rush to answer. “Brother Chen, what if I said the Immortal could grant your request, but on the condition that you kill the person beside you, to prove your sincerity?”
Pei Xiting’s heart skipped a beat, but he feigned shock. “What do you mean?”
“Forgive my bluntness,” Yuan Fang said angrily, “but this joke is going too far! The man beside me is my beloved. How could I kill him for personal vengeance? Besides, I don’t understand why the Immortal would demand the death of my beloved.”
“Because his identity is problematic,” Immortal Envoy Huo said with a hint of a smile. “The son of a court official, a clerk of Longhe Si, wanting to kill his own Crown Prince?”
Pei Xiting’s identity had been exposed. Yuan Fang’s heart sank. A map of Bai Mei Fang flashed quickly through his mind—the one You Zong had given them before they set out. He instantly planned an escape route, his body tensing for action.
But at that moment, Pei Xiting reached out and pressed his wrist. With a sneer, he said, “I thought it was something impressive. So it’s just because of my identity?”
Immortal Envoy Huo said, “Is Third Young Master Pei’s identity not impressive enough?”
“I am Pei Xiting. So what? Why shouldn’t I want to kill the Crown Prince?” Pei Xiting lifted his chin slightly, mockingly. “If none of the subjects could harbor such thoughts, where would the term ‘rebel’ come from?”
Immortal Envoy Huo felt indirectly targeted. He laughed. “Is Third Young Master Pei willing to put his entire family at risk?”
“Since you know my identity, don’t you know my situation in the Pei household? Pei Yan was smitten with my mother at first sight, but he was faithless and heartless. Not only did he cold-shoulder Concubine Bu, but he also ignored me all these years. The principal wife, Wang, treated me harshly. At the slightest mistake, I was made to kneel in the ancestral hall. Over the years, I’ve swallowed countless grievances. I used to fear her, but gradually, I came to hate her!” Pei Xiting closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they were red-rimmed. “After I entered Longhe Si, that Wang dared to force me to marry her niece, thinking she could control me forever. As if she deserved it! When parents are unkind, how can I respect them or love them?”
Immortal Envoy Huo said nothing. It was indeed true that Third Young Master Pei was not valued at home, had little presence, and that Pei Yan was a faithless coward, while Wang was strict and harsh.
“Concubine Bu is my birth mother, but we live in separate courtyards and are not particularly close. All these years, only Brother Fang has been good to me…” Pei Xiting turned to look at Yuan Fang, his voice trembling. “He cherishes me, loves me, cares for me, spoils me, as if I were some precious treasure he can’t bear to chip or break. A lover like this—I would gladly die to be with him forever, let alone accompany him in revenge!”
Yuan Fang, playing along, felt deeply uncomfortable under Pei Xiting’s gaze. He seemed to understand, at least a little, how the Crown Prince felt when facing Pei Xiting.
Such passionate, affectionate eyes—even if only one-tenth was an act, it was already overwhelming. What would it be like when Pei Xiting was genuine?
“I see.” Immortal Envoy Huo neither believed nor disbelieved. “But the Crown Prince seems to treat Third Young Master Pei exceptionally well. Does Third Young Master not hesitate at all?”
Pei Xiting’s gaze flickered with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“The Immortal knows all,” Immortal Envoy Huo said. “The Crown Prince not only allowed Third Young Master Pei into Longhe Si—a position even high-born sons covet—but also permitted you into his villa on Mount Zhaohua. That inspires speculation.”
Pei Xiting’s face gradually paled, but not from guilt—from fear. Yuan Fang reached out and put an arm around him, soothingly. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here…”
Seeing this, Immortal Envoy Huo raised an eyebrow. “Did I say something wrong? What’s wrong with Third Young Master Pei?”
“…The Immortal’s hearing is indeed far-reaching. The Crown Prince does treat me ‘specially.’” Pei Xiting bit the word with sarcasm. “Because he’s trying to turn me into his sex slave, a plaything collared and made to serve him naked!”
Yuan Fang: “?”