Chapter 71: Tonight Without Sleep, the Kitty's Rage Makes Blood Flow and Pestles Float (Seeking Subscriptions)

As night fell, the Pei Mansion also sank into a rare silence, with only the chirping of insects rising and falling in succession.

"My lady," Pei Shaoqing called out.

Wearing only a bellyband and underpants, her hair draped loosely, Xie Qingwu was bent over making the bed; she responded without turning her head, "What does my husband need of me?"

"I am going out for a while; sleep by yourself, I won't be back tonight," Pei Shaoqing said in a calm tone.

Xie Qingwu asked casually, "What are you going to do?"

"Hmm," Pei Shaoqing replied truthfully.

Xie Qingwu paused for a moment before she understood the meaning of his response; she stopped what she was doing, turned to look at him, and asked with a frown, "You are going to sleep in Zhao Zhilan's room tonight?"

"Can't be helped, my lady won't give it to me, so I have to find someone else," Pei Shaoqing still wanted to gaslight her a little.

Xie Qingwu gave a light huff, "Don't you think you should at least give her a proper status first? Taking a concubine isn't complicated; if you find it troublesome, I will handle it for you."

A primary wife must have the demeanor of a primary wife; in the entire Great Zhou, which capable man does not have a house full of wives and concubines?

"I have already had someone purchase a set of wedding robes and send them to her room; tonight will be the bridal chamber, and the formalities can be completed later," Pei Shaoqing said dismissively.

Hearing that Pei Shaoqing had prepared wedding robes, Xie Qingwu's expression softened slightly, though she still remarked, "Usually, a woman makes her own wedding robes, but Miss Zhao has to wear someone else's to share the bridal chamber with you; thinking about it, she is truly pitiful."

Pei Shaoqing thought to himself that he only had her wear the wedding robes to add a bit of excitement, so he couldn't care about all that.

"Enough talk, my lady, Lan'er is over there waiting in suspense, so I'll be off first." He turned to walk out, and only when he reached the door did he say, "I took a pair of your Ice Silkworm Silk stockings for her, to let you have a sense of participation as well; isn't your husband very thoughtful?"

"Husband, please get lost," Xie Qingwu said very politely.

Pei Shaoqing laughed and closed the door as he left.

He arrived at Zhao Zhilan's room and pushed the door open directly.

"Young Master!" Zhao Zhilan, who was sitting by the table writing something while dressed in red wedding robes and red embroidered shoes, hurriedly stood up.

Pei Shaoqing closed the door and examined her carefully.

The wedding robes poured down like sunset clouds, the collar traced with Luan Feng and Ming patterns, her chest plump and full, the gold and red skirt hem adorned with pearl tassels that hung all the way to the floor, trailing to cover her embroidered shoes; paired with her elaborate makeup and the Twining Peony Golden Crown atop her head, she appeared much more dignified.

Zhao Zhilan felt embarrassed under his gaze; this was her first time wearing wedding robes, and she lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Young Master, don't look at Lan'er anymore."

"You are beautiful, why shouldn't I look?" Pei Shaoqing smiled slightly, walked over, and asked, "What are you writing?"

"Writing a letter to my senior brother," Zhao Zhilan said, carefully glancing at Pei Shaoqing out of the corner of her eye.

According to her teacher's wife, no matter how broad-minded Pei Shaoqing was, he was still a man and certainly could not accept his woman writing to another man on their wedding night.

Once he lost interest and left in a fit of pique.

Zhao Zhilan would naturally be able to preserve her purity tonight.

"Oh?" Pei Shaoqing's eyes lit up as he looked at Zhao Zhilan and said, "You haven't finished writing yet, have you? It was me who disturbed you; it's fine, sit down quickly and continue writing."

"Ah?" Zhao Zhilan was a bit dazed; how was this different from what her teacher's wife said? She replied blankly, "Oh."

She sat back down, but this time, though she held the brush, she couldn't bring herself to write for a long time, not knowing what to put down.

Suddenly, her delicate body shuddered violently.

Pei Shaoqing placed his hand on her fragrant shoulder from behind and leaned into her ear, whispering, "What are you dazed for, Lan'er? Write quickly, this Young Master doesn't mind."

Feeling the scorching breath hitting her earlobe and cheek, Zhao Zhilan was flushed with shame.

She endured her shyness and began to write.

"Senior Brother, I am doing very well in Tongzhou..."

Suddenly, the tip of the brush trembled, and the character for "well" was written crookedly.

Because Pei Shaoqing's large hand had begun to misbehave.

"Young Master, don't~" Zhao Zhilan said in a panic.

Pei Shaoqing pulled open the lapels of her wedding robes, revealing the bright red bellyband and a large expanse of fair, smooth skin, and whispered softly, "Lan'er, hurry and continue writing."

Zhao Zhilan felt immense shame; she felt that her teacher's wife had miscalculated, as the Young Master did not care about this at all.

Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and deliberately wrote ambiguous words in the letter, hoping to provoke Pei Shaoqing and anger him into leaving.

"Senior Brother, I have read your letter; Lan'er has missed you so much lately, and I often dream of you at night..."

Suddenly, the brush pressed down heavily, and the character for "you" was blotted out by ink.

Because Pei Shaoqing had suddenly picked her up; the bright red wedding robes were somewhat disheveled, and the beautiful legs wrapped in black Ice Silkworm Silk beneath the skirt hem were heart-stirring, the red embroidered shoes and black silk forming a sharp contrast.

"Young Master~" She looked back at Pei Shaoqing pitifully, tears shimmering in her eyes, and said tearfully, "I am not ready yet; Young Master, please give me more time, Lan'er will be a beast of burden for you..."

"No, I will be the beast of burden for you," Pei Shaoqing interrupted her directly, then silently added in his heart: As long as you let me plow.

In modern society, many beasts of burden not only have no one to let them plow, but they don't even get much of a salary.

So as long as someone is willing to let him plow.

Then he wouldn't mind being an ox to help her till the fields.

Zhao Zhilan gritted her teeth and had no choice but to play her final trump card, saying breathlessly, "Young Master, it is truly inconvenient for Lan'er tonight; my monthly period just started."

The smile on Pei Shaoqing's face froze instantly.

One probe, and he had indeed touched the Scripture Depository.

"Young Master~" Zhao Zhilan felt nervous, her voice trembling slightly, "I'm sorry, my period has been irregular lately; Lan'er didn't expect it either, and I was afraid of ruining your mood, so I didn't know how to tell you."

The blood on her menstrual pad was not her own, but rather blood that Liu Yuheng had drawn from herself to impersonate it.

"Since Lan'er is indisposed, it is no matter to postpone the bridal chamber; tonight, we shall temporarily seek another path," Pei Shaoqing said in a gentle tone.

One cannot simply let her make false accusations.

Men of our generation must be brave in opening up new paths.

Zhao Zhilan had not yet realized the severity of the situation.

In her view, as long as she could keep her body intact before marriage, she would do anything; she nodded sweetly and replied, "Lan'er is willing to do anything for Young Master."

That night, she wept like rain, her sobbing never ceasing.

A song of the backyard flower, the resentment too deep to bear hearing.

——Tang Dynasty, Liu Yuxi, "Reminiscences of Jinling".

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

In the deep mountains near Tongzhou City, a group of cats marched in formation, and leading them was none other than Li Jiangjun.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the forest, and then two grey-brown cats jumped out from the bushes.

They walked up to Li Jiangjun and meowed a few times.

Li Jiangjun was overjoyed, "Lead the way!"

The two grey-brown cats turned and ran back.

"Follow," Li Jiangjun ordered.

After traveling for about two quarters of an hour, the group of cats passed through a dense bamboo forest, and suddenly the view opened up, revealing patches upon patches of ghostly blue flowers; these flowers had no leaves and swayed gently as the night breeze brushed over them.

"So many Soul-Guiding Flowers, soldiers, charge!"

Following Li Jiangjun's order, the cats behind swarmed forward, rushing into the flower field to begin picking the flowers.

"Roar!" Suddenly, a roar rang out.

Accompanied by footsteps that made the ground tremble, a massive wild boar with exposed tusks and shiny, oily fur came charging crazily toward Li Jiangjun with a huffing and puffing sound.

"Assassins! Protect the sovereign! My subjects, protect the sovereign!"

Li Jiangjun was terrified, turned around, and scrambled up a tree in a flash, loudly calling for subordinates to return and provide support.

The soldiers of the Cat Battalion were worthy of being called elites; facing a wild boar whose size far exceeded their own, they felt no fear and one after another took the initiative to rush up and meet the enemy.

Using their advantages in size and speed, they harassed the wild boar, making it run around in confusion, and from time to time, they would catch it off guard by scratching its face or taking a bite.

Li Jiangjun sat hunched on the tree, watching the soldiers be heroic and fearless, feeling a surge of pride in their heart; with such an elite army, could it perhaps serve as a master to the master?

The wild boar was panting with exhaustion, its speed slowed down significantly; it stopped, looked up at Li Jiangjun in the tree, then turned and ran away without looking back.

"Very good, under my wise command you have achieved victory in the first battle. When this General returns to the city, I will ask for rewards for everyone from the master. Pick the flowers!" Li Jiangjun meowed.

The group of cats meowed and rushed into the flower field again.

But before they could even pick them.

The sound of the wild boar's footsteps rang out once more.

A defeated foe, daring to return!

Li Jiangjun's tiger-like eyes widened, majestic without anger.

"Where did these wild cats come from, daring to steal here." On the back of the returning wild boar sat a young man.

Li Jiangjun secretly thought, "Not good," its fierce aura suddenly leaked away, and it hurriedly meowed a few times to the cats to order an immediate retreat, and the cats scattered and fled in an instant.

It was the last one to jump off the treetop and leave.

The young man on the wild boar's back looked in the direction where Li Jiangjun had disappeared, chuckled, and patted the wild boar's head, saying, "This cat, like you, has also gained intelligence."

The wild boar affectionately rubbed against his palm.

In the darkness, Li Jiangjun led the army back to the city with a face full of indignation. "Abominable pig! Abominable human! Daring to snatch this General's flowers, you have already invited your own death!"

"Stupid pig, just you wait."

"This General will go back and report to the master right now!"

"Isn't it just calling for reinforcements? As if I don't know how to do that."

"You will know the consequences of angering this General."

"When the cats are angry, blood will flow and pestles will float!"

…………………………

Early morning, the rooster crows and the world turns white.

Pei Shaoqing opened his eyes.

Turning his head to look, Zhao Zhilan was lying beside him; the tear stains on her face had dried, but her body, which should have been flawless, was covered in handprints, red marks, and a few bruises.

The torn Ice Silkworm Silk, the stained Bellyband, and the red embroidered shoes and wedding dress were discarded randomly on the floor.

It was evident how intense the battle was last night.

Zhao Zhilan groggily opened her eyes, and upon turning her head and seeing Pei Shaoqing looking at her, she immediately blushed and lowered her head in extreme shyness, "Young Master."

Recalling the events of last night, she felt unbearable shame.

Last night was truly a miserable ordeal.

"You rest, I'm leaving first." Pei Shaoqing got up and called for the maid to come in and serve with washing and grooming; after dressing neatly, he walked out, stopping at the door, "Remember to send that letter filled with emotion to your senior brother."

Under his supervision, Zhao Zhilan had finished writing that letter last night, only the letter paper was covered in the dried traces of her tears, saliva, and sweat.

(End of chapter)