Puyang Zong braced himself and ca out to greet Pei Jue with a bow.
"I’ve seen the Commandery Prince."
Pei Jue gave him a look.
"How goes your teaching at the Commandery Prince’s estate?"
An eternity in a day...
That was the slowest day Puyang Zong had ever lived through, but in front of Pei Jue, he dare not voice any grievances or complaints. His cheeks stiffened into a smile as he repeatedly bowed his hands in submission.
"It’s tolerable, tolerable. The children are eager to learn, and the scholars take ticulous care. Amidst the green hills and clear waters, studying and advancing one’s knowledge with the good fields and mulberry bamboo for company is incomparably delightful..."
Pei Jue seed not to notice his insincerity in the slightest, and said indifferently, "I had intended to petition the Grand Princess on behalf of the Commandery Prince. Since that’s the case, you should stay put and focus on your teaching with peace of mind."
Puyang Zong let out an ’Ah’, his mouth agape and his eyes widened, forgetting to close them for a mont.
He watched, eyes wide, as Pei Jue led his horse through the main gate of the estate, with Feng Yun sitting atop it, even turning back to give him a look that was neither smiling nor solemn. In that instant, Puyang Zong felt dizzy, almost fainting on the spot.
If he had known Pei Jue had such intentions, he would not have bothered with dignity and forced himself to utter those polite but empty words...
What cursed green hills and clear waters, good fields and mulberry bamboos?
They were all biting mosquitoes and noisy children.
"You’re driving him to his wit’s end," Feng Yun comnted with a chuckle, seeing Puyang Zong wringing his hands and stomping his feet, desperate to plead but not daring to co forward.
"Was the Commandery Prince serious just now?"
Pei Jue: "Of course."
Pah! Feng Yun didn’t believe him one bit.
She smiled lightly, "This ti, the Grand Princess really impressed . To willingly send her son to my estate to endure hardships. Just her magnanimity is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
Pei Jue did not say much.
In his view, it was just a desperate move by the Grand Princess to save her son from a dire situation.
Rather than let others sche against her son in the shadows, it was better to send him over to Changn and let him be ’at your rcy’ out in the open.
Feng Yun looked at his indifferent face and laughed nonchalantly.
"Which mother doesn’t cherish her child? No matter how grave the child’s mistakes, a mother will still be protective. Anyone who can truly be hard on their child is a ruthless person. If it were ..."
She abruptly stopped.
Pei Jue glanced sideways at her.
"If it were you, what would you do?"
A mont of pain flashed through Feng Yun’s heart, but her face betrayed no hint of discomfort, and with a smile that was neither smiling nor solemn, she shook her head.
"If it were , I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bear to let my child suffer..."
Pei Jue looked at her intently and handed the reins of his horse to Ye Chuang, who had co forward to greet him.
Ye Chuang, not hearing any instructions from his master, felt a tumultuous worry for Ao Qi.
"Commandery Prince," he summoned his courage and bowed, "General Ao has gone to sleep."
Pei Jue humd, "Watch over him."
Ye Chuang’s heart tightened, he acknowledged and then glanced at Feng Yun.
For such a big issue, Feng Yun seed utterly composed, not showing the slightest concern on her face.
Ye Chuang grew even more admiring.
The Commandery Prince had seen with his own eyes how Ao Qi had held her in his arms. Any other woman would have been crying and protesting, even threatening death to prove her integrity, but what about her?
She called out to Pei Gou.
Resolute.
Ye Chuang led Ta Xue away.
Feng Yun took Pei Jue to the dining hall for a al.
The estate was particularly lively that evening.
First, Pei Jue and Ao Qi had returned, and there was a new addition, the Prince of Danyang, which made the atmosphere feel quite different from usual.
Second, they were threshing rice on the large dam outside the estate.
About a dozen people lined up for the threshing, their flails flying, loud banter and laughter filling the air. Unnad moths and mosquitoes surrounded the lights by the estate gate, buzzing noisily.
The sumr nights in the countryside have a peculiar tranquility about them.
Feng Yun had not dined; she went back early for a bath.
In her room, Huanhuan was fumigating with mosquito-repellent incense while Xiaoman stood by, hands on her hips, directing. When they saw Feng Yun co in, Xiaoman lowered her eyes with a laugh and lowered her voice,
"The servants have cleaned the room and changed the bedding..."
Actually, they did this routinely, but Xiaoman’s tone contained an oddity due to Pei Jue’s return.
Feng Yun gave her a glance.
"You’re being naughty, girl. I should find you a young man to take care of you."
Xiaoman blushed furiously, "Madam!"
Feng Yun’s lips curved into a smile as she asked for water to bathe.
That evening, Pei Jue returned much later than Feng Yun had expected; she was dozing off reading a book when Pei Jue entered the room.
He was silent.
After untying his outer robe and leaving just his undergarnts on, he headed to the bathhouse.
Feng Yun glanced up, "Did you see Ao Qi?"
Pei Jue turned his head, "He left."
"What?" Feng Yun sat up straight, eyes wide with disbelief, "Ye Chuang said he went to sleep; how could he suddenly leave in the middle of the night?"
Her concern was evident on her face.
After a pause, seeing that Pei Jue didn’t speak, she raised her eyebrows,
"Did you scold him?"
Pei Jue’s gaze was cast downward, revealing no emotion.
"He left on his own when he sobered up."
Uncertain, it wasn’t until he was about to enter the washroom that Pei Jue searched his outer clothing and handed a piece of paper to Feng Yun.
Then he strode off to bathe.
Feng Yun unfolded the letter.
It was Ao Qi’s handwriting, no doubt about it.
So much ti had passed, Ao Qi had changed a lot, but his handwriting remained consistently ugly, with no improvent in the slightest.
The letter wasn’t written for her alone.
The greeting was "Uncle, Aunt," filled with remorse for his behavior while drunk, and it concluded with:
"Military affairs are pressing, and I must travel to the Red Armor Army Camp overnight. Please inform His Majesty on my behalf that I could not take him fishing this ti, but next ti I visit, I will not break my promise."
"And to Aozi, I couldn’t say goodbye in ti, please take great care."
A letter of mundane matters.
Casually handling affairs.
Yet between the lines, there leaped restrained emotions.
Feng Yun sighed softly, sitting at the wooden desk, weighting the letter down with a paperweight, and picking up a book from the desk, she couldn’t absorb even a single word.
After a brief pause, she walked out the door.
Xiaoman and Huanhuan were talking under the eaves, and they were startled to see her.
"Madam?"
Feng Yun walked straight past them and saw Ye Chuang approaching briskly from across the yard.
She asked, "When did Ao Qi leave?"
Ye Chuang pursed his lips and pointed towards the gate, "Just a mont ago."
Without a word, Feng Yun called for Aozi and, stepping past Ye Chuang, strode out quickly.
The sky was dotted with myriad stars, the moonlight pouring down like silver.
A waning crescent moon, shaped like a bow.
The twisting village road stretched into the endless night, the young man’s garnt flaps fluttering, the spirited horse prancing; under the silver moon, it all seed desolate.
Feng Yun squatted and patted Aozi.
"Go and see off your brother."
Aozi understood her words, his body leaping forward as he dashed off, running towards the direction where Ao Qi had vanished...
Ao Qi seed to sense sothing, slowly reining in his horse to turn around.
Aozi’s figure was agile and swift, as quick as a flash of lightning, like a streak of light, sprinting furiously from the brightly lit Changn Village towards Ao Qi.
Ao Qi’s eyebrows lifted in delight as he dismounted and squatted down, opening his arms wide.
Aozi ran so fast that he couldn’t stop in ti and toppled him to the ground.
Ao Qi hugged Aozi, rolling into a ball with him, laughing.
Aozi was excited, sniffing at him, butting him with his large head as if inquiring where he was going.
Ao Qi held it, talking to it, and as he spoke, his eyes reddened.
Always saying goodbye.
Saying goodbye over and over again.
"Aozi, don’t forget ," Ao Qi said.
Saying to Aozi, and to the person deep in his heart.
"You mustn’t forget . When brother cos back, I’ll catch fish for you."
Under the moonlight, the shadows of the man and beast rged into one. Feng Yun watched but couldn’t make out the details clearly. After standing for a mont, she slowly turned and walked back.
Ao Qi lifted his head from beside Aozi’s neck, watching the retreating figure under the lantern light, and tightened his arms around Aozi.
-
Pei Jue didn’t look at the letter again when he ca out, nor did he ask Feng Yun where she had gone. The two carried on as usual, with Feng Yun even quietly lying on the bed, reading for a while.
Pei Jue didn’t disturb her.
He wasn’t as incessantly botherso as before, lying down properly with his large fra, assuming an impeccably straight sleeping position, hands crossed on his abdon, closing his eyes.
Feng Yun yawned and crossed over him to blow out the light.
The person beneath her was like a corpse, still and silent.
Feng Yun humd lowly, about to climb off him when that strong arm ca across, snatching her waist with force, making such a loud noise that the wooden bed creaked alarmingly and startled her.
In the darkness, she imagined she could see the faint glow in the man’s eyes, wild as a beast’s.
His breathing was heavy.
His chest burned with passion.
But after a pause, he slowly laid Feng Yun back down and drew the bed curtains.
"Sleep."
That night Feng Yun truly wasn’t in the mood, her mind filled with images of Ao Qi riding away...
Heading for Bingzhou.
Heading for the great camp.
This ti to Shiguan.
Ti and ti again...
She lay silently in the stillness of the night.
No one spoke.
-
The next day, Feng Yun took her servants to Little Jieqiu to settle Hou Zhun’s several hundred people.
The news of bandits entering the mountains was rife in Huaxi for a few days, but soon disappeared from people’s conversations.
Amidst the busyness of farming, there was much to do.
When busy with making ends et, there were fewer idle tongues wagging.
The water fields were plentiful in Feng Yun’s Changn Village, and by the ti all the rice was harvested, ten days had passed.
The sun scorched the earth, and households that started paddy work early began to reap the rice, filling the entire village with the scent of grains, a picture of busy agricultural life.
It was during this ti that Ren Rude returned.
On the third day after Puyang Zong ca to the village to teach, he had asked Feng Yun for leave and departed.
This ti upon his return, he didn’t go to the teahouse or the village school, but raced excitedly straight to Changn to find Feng Yun.
"Madam, I bring you good news," he said.
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