Chapter - 49
By Tea Time Translations
---
Please support us @TeaTime.
---
"Big cousin—"
After calling out to her husband, Jiafu saw him standing below the steps, not responding immediately, which made her feel a little uneasy. She gently called out again, "Big cousin."
The midsummer night breeze swept past the railing, causing her skirt to flutter. She raised her wrist to brush away a strand of hair that had blown onto her face, and the silver bracelet on her wrist shimmered, catching his eye.
Pei You'an nodded slightly in acknowledgment, grunting softly, then stepped onto the steps and entered the house. Jiafu hurriedly followed him inside.
The day had felt unusually long, and now that she finally saw him return, Jiafu felt a mix of joy and a slight embarrassment, recalling what he had done to her last night in the dark. She stood by silently, listening to him without saying a word. She sneaked a glance at him, seeing him take off his hat and clothes with a serious expression, not looking at her at all. Biting her lip, she walked over and took his clothes.
Although it was already summer, the official attire, though made of silk, still consisted of several layers, worn meticulously. After removing the outer garment, a thin layer of sweat could be seen clinging to his back. The room was quiet, and both of them remained silent, waiting for the servants to bring water. Pei You'an seemed somewhat uncomfortable, turning his face slightly away, but he caught sight of the book she had left earlier. Finally breaking the silence, he said, "You're still reading this?"
Jiafu nodded, whispering, "I was just waiting for you, so I took it to pass the time. But it's a bit difficult to understand, and I'm not sure if I've grasped it."
Pei You'an said, "If there's anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me."
Jiafu replied, "Okay."
After that, the two fell silent again.
When the maidservants brought water, Pei You'an seemed to relax a bit. His gaze swept over the exposed part of her neck, and he cleared his throat lightly. "It's a bit hot. I'll go take a bath first."
Jiafu said, "Clean clothes have already been prepared for you inside. If you need anything, just call for me."
He nodded, turned, and entered the bathroom. Naturally, he didn't call for her. When he came out, he had changed into a light white undershirt and put on a casual robe over it. As he put it on, he said, "I'll go to the study first. If you're tired, you can go to sleep."
Jiafu responded with an "okay" and watched him walk away. When he reached the partition that separated the inside and outside of the house, he hesitated for a moment, then stopped and turned around. "If you're not tired, you can come with me to the study to read."
Jiafu's face lit up with joy, nodding eagerly. She immediately picked up the book, hurriedly walked to his side, and said, "I'll quietly read the book, I promise not to disturb you, big cousin."
Pei You'an smiled slightly.
The two of them arrived at the study. As soon as he sat down, Pei You'an opened the official documents brought back from the government office and buried himself in his work, flipping through pages and occasionally picking up his pen.
The desk was large, and Jiafu brought herself a chair and sat at the corner of the table opposite him, opening her book to accompany him.
The silver lamp shone brightly, and the study was quiet, with only the rhythmic sound of water dripping from the copper pot. Jiafu initially focused on her own book, but gradually began to daydream, her gaze inevitably drifting towards the man sitting diagonally across from her.
He was truly a handsome man.
In Jiafu's mind, there suddenly appeared the image of the water god described in the collection of Yuefu poems she had read before. He lived by the river, and when he traveled, he was guided by the river god in front and followed closely by a multitude of fish behind. He was extremely handsome and elegant, "with jade-like rocks piled up, and rows of pine trees as green as emerald. His beauty is unmatched, one of a kind in the world."
Whenever she read this passage, she couldn't help but imagine the water god gracefully moving through the waves, his robes billowing in the wind. How could a young man be worthy of such a description? At this moment, she suddenly felt that the man sitting in front of her, with his calm eyes, was indeed the unparalleled river god, Baishi Langjun.
Pei You'an read the official documents, the sentences were either difficult or tedious, but he usually read quickly, decisively, and wrote fluently. However, at this moment, he gradually became distracted. What should have been completed by now was not even half done, and he had accidentally written a wrong character.
Finally, he put down his pen, lifted his eyes, and looked in the direction that had been distracting him.
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes looking directly at him, seeming slightly distracted. It was unclear what she was looking at or thinking about. Her sleeve slipped down from her wrist, pooling near her elbow. The silver bracelet, intricately carved with delicate grape patterns, couldn't resist the smoothness of her jade-like skin and got stuck midway on her slender arm. Caught off guard by his own gaze meeting hers, she seemed startled and immediately put down her arm, sitting up straight and lowering her gaze, flipping through a page of the book.
Pei You'an quietly calmed his mind and focused on his task, pushing away the image of her arm caught by the silver bracelet from his mind, and continued to bow his head, attending to his work.
After a moment, he felt her gaze on him again and couldn't help but stop writing once more. He raised his head and lightly tapped the table with his finger as a gentle reminder.
Jiafu blushed and whispered, "I don't quite understand..."
Pei You'an felt a twinge of regret, realizing he shouldn't have brought her to the study. He sighed inwardly, then decided to put down his pen and smiled, "Where do you not understand? Let me explain it to you."
Jiafu immediately nodded, bringing the book closer to him. She moved her chair next to his, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, and opened the book. With a tender white finger, she pointed to a page and said, "I don't understand this part."
As she sat beside him, Pei You'an caught a whiff of the fragrance emanating from her hair and skin, faint and refreshing, reminding him of the passionate scene in the tent last night.
Last night, just like the first time, his intention was simply to make her happy. However, he couldn't control himself. While she didn't achieve satisfaction, he, on the other hand, failed miserably again. When she comforted him with gentle words, Pei You'an felt a deep sense of despair and self-loathing. After she fell asleep in his arms, he couldn't help but feel restless, eventually succumbing to the temptation that had arisen during their wedding night. Ignoring his principles and morals, he finally acted on his desires, completely subduing her beneath him. In that final moment, the exhilaration and satisfaction he felt were unparalleled. Even the conquest of cities and lands couldn't compare to the fervor he experienced. Despite the passing of a day and a night, the memory still sent shivers down his spine.
Pei You'an felt a sudden heat rising in his lower abdomen. Suddenly, he heard her voice in his ear. Following her fingertip, he saw that she was pointing to the thirteenth section of the Book of Rites, the Nature section. He immediately composed himself and said, "The purpose of rites is to prevent and regulate. This concept can be traced back to the White Tiger Principles of Ritual and Music. It suggests that human nature is the foundation of governance, and the system of rites and music is established to use rituals as a defense and music as a restraint."
Jiafu nodded in understanding, then looked up at him. "Then, what is the whole section about?"
Pei You'an replied, "The entire section discusses the innate good and evil of human nature. Whether it's Mengzi's theory of innate goodness, Xunzi's theory of innate evil, Gaozi's theory of the absence of innate good and evil, or Yang Xiong's theory of the coexistence of innate good and evil, they are all one-sided views. Human nature inherits the essence of heaven and earth and embodies the Five Constants, so human nature often contains both good and evil. Confucius once said that only the supremely wise and the profoundly foolish cannot be swayed. For those who are extremely good or extremely evil, their nature cannot be changed. I deeply agree with this, but for ordinary people, human nature often changes with habits. There's a saying that 'habit is second nature,'..."
His voice was low, mellifluous, neither fast nor slow, like a clear spring in the mountains, flowing gently in her ears. Jiafu gradually rested her chin on her hand again, looking at him with admiration. After he finished speaking and glanced at her, she came back to her senses and quickly lowered her head, flipping to the next page. "And what about this section? I read it a few days ago, but I couldn't quite understand it..."
Pei You'an had noticed her slight tilt of the head, her focused gaze, and her earnest expression earlier. Although she appeared pure and innocent, he couldn't help but feel moved by her gaze. As he listened to her questions, he felt a sense of relief when she finally turned the page, and he looked at it again. "This is the section on Material Forces."
He let out a breath, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.
"The opening statement goes, 'The Confucianists say: Heaven and earth give birth to humans.' This means that since the Han Dynasty, Confucianists believed that heaven and earth consciously created humans, which is absurd. The book refutes this idea, saying that humans are produced by the accidental combination of the qi of heaven and earth, just as when a man and a woman's qi combine, a child is naturally born..."
He paused for a moment, coughed lightly, and forced himself to continue explaining, his gaze fixed on the pages of the book. "The text uses humans as an example, stating that when the qi of a man and a woman combine, it's not because they consciously want to have a child, but rather it's driven by desire, by the natural urge to copulate. If even men and women don't consciously create offspring, it follows that heaven and earth wouldn't consciously create humans either. By extension, all things born between heaven and earth, just like the birth of a child from the union of a man and a woman, are the same situation..."
He abruptly closed the book and tossed it aside, saying, "The Book of Rites is too abstruse for you to read. I'll find another book for you when I have time."
Jiafu couldn't help but sneak a glance at his lower abdomen. Though it was obscured by the desk, she faintly saw that it was in an indescribable state...
Jiafu recalled the events of last night, her heart pounding like a deer caught in headlights. She murmured softly, "I'll listen to Big Cousin. You continue, I'll go to the small kitchen and see if there are any snacks ready..."
As she stood up, she didn't expect that when she had moved the chair earlier, her skirt had been caught under one of the legs. Now, as she stood up, the chair shifted with a loud noise. Unable to steady herself, she staggered, and Pei You'an quickly reached out to support her. Jiafu's chest and abdomen brushed against his face, and she ended up sitting on his lap, her buttocks clearly pressing against something hard. She stiffened, afraid to move.
Pei You'an felt the pressure against his face and couldn't help but hold his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, finding himself enveloped in her fragrance. Though she was pressing him down, his desires surged even stronger, more pronounced than before.
It seemed like a long time passed before there was a "drip" sound, and a drop of water fell from the mouth of the hourglass, breaking the silence.
Jiafu twisted her waist uneasily, hastily stood up, only to feel her waist suddenly heavy as a pair of male hands firmly held her. With a downward press, she involuntarily sat back on his lap.
Her face flushed like a peach blossom, looking up at him with parted lips, unable to suppress her gentle panting. "Big Cousin..."
The man's eyes, no longer calm as before, were deep and dark, like a deep pool. "Let's go back and rest."
His voice was low and heavy, much like the boundless darkness outside the window at this moment...
---
Within the palace, Emperor Xiao Lie was already half-drunk, stumbling as he was assisted back to his bedchamber by eunuchs. Lady Zhou was waiting for him. Seeing his state, she hurried over to greet him. After a brief exchange, she arranged things and then Xiao Lie lay down, closing his eyes and appearing as if he were in a deep slumber, motionless.
Lady Zhou had taken extra care with her appearance tonight. Even though she was no longer young, she had adorned herself lightly with makeup. Under the palace lights, she still retained a charming allure.
She lay beside Xiao Lie on the dragon bed, drawing close. With one hand under the covers, she slowly reached out toward the man beside her, slipping it into his clothes and gently grasping him, teasing and kneading him softly.
Xiao Lie didn't open his eyes, turning away and moving closer to the edge of the bed, murmuring softly, "Next time, I'm tired today."
Since arriving in the capital, Xiao Lie hadn't touched her. Lady Zhou had secretly observed him and hadn't found any evidence of him favoring other young palace maids. He was either busy with state affairs day and night or returning to sleep immediately upon his return.
Lady Zhou's expression stiffened slightly as she stared at Xiao Lie's motionless figure, slowly retracting her hand.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Lie had already fallen asleep. Lady Zhou tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Quietly, she got up and called for a trusted servant, instructing them, "Go and find out where the emperor went on the night of the crown prince's wedding. He was absent all night."
Chapter - 49
By Tea Time Translations
---
Please support us @TeaTime.
---
"Big cousin—"
After calling out to her husband, Jiafu saw him standing below the steps, not responding immediately, which made her feel a little uneasy. She gently called out again, "Big cousin."
The midsummer night breeze swept past the railing, causing her skirt to flutter. She raised her wrist to brush away a strand of hair that had blown onto her face, and the silver bracelet on her wrist shimmered, catching his eye.
Pei You'an nodded slightly in acknowledgment, grunting softly, then stepped onto the steps and entered the house. Jiafu hurriedly followed him inside.
The day had felt unusually long, and now that she finally saw him return, Jiafu felt a mix of joy and a slight embarrassment, recalling what he had done to her last night in the dark. She stood by silently, listening to him without saying a word. She sneaked a glance at him, seeing him take off his hat and clothes with a serious expression, not looking at her at all. Biting her lip, she walked over and took his clothes.
Although it was already summer, the official attire, though made of silk, still consisted of several layers, worn meticulously. After removing the outer garment, a thin layer of sweat could be seen clinging to his back. The room was quiet, and both of them remained silent, waiting for the servants to bring water. Pei You'an seemed somewhat uncomfortable, turning his face slightly away, but he caught sight of the book she had left earlier. Finally breaking the silence, he said, "You're still reading this?"
Jiafu nodded, whispering, "I was just waiting for you, so I took it to pass the time. But it's a bit difficult to understand, and I'm not sure if I've grasped it."
Pei You'an said, "If there's anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me."
Jiafu replied, "Okay."
After that, the two fell silent again.
When the maidservants brought water, Pei You'an seemed to relax a bit. His gaze swept over the exposed part of her neck, and he cleared his throat lightly. "It's a bit hot. I'll go take a bath first."
Jiafu said, "Clean clothes have already been prepared for you inside. If you need anything, just call for me."
He nodded, turned, and entered the bathroom. Naturally, he didn't call for her. When he came out, he had changed into a light white undershirt and put on a casual robe over it. As he put it on, he said, "I'll go to the study first. If you're tired, you can go to sleep."
Jiafu responded with an "okay" and watched him walk away. When he reached the partition that separated the inside and outside of the house, he hesitated for a moment, then stopped and turned around. "If you're not tired, you can come with me to the study to read."
Jiafu's face lit up with joy, nodding eagerly. She immediately picked up the book, hurriedly walked to his side, and said, "I'll quietly read the book, I promise not to disturb you, big cousin."
Pei You'an smiled slightly.
The two of them arrived at the study. As soon as he sat down, Pei You'an opened the official documents brought back from the government office and buried himself in his work, flipping through pages and occasionally picking up his pen.
The desk was large, and Jiafu brought herself a chair and sat at the corner of the table opposite him, opening her book to accompany him.
The silver lamp shone brightly, and the study was quiet, with only the rhythmic sound of water dripping from the copper pot. Jiafu initially focused on her own book, but gradually began to daydream, her gaze inevitably drifting towards the man sitting diagonally across from her.
He was truly a handsome man.
In Jiafu's mind, there suddenly appeared the image of the water god described in the collection of Yuefu poems she had read before. He lived by the river, and when he traveled, he was guided by the river god in front and followed closely by a multitude of fish behind. He was extremely handsome and elegant, "with jade-like rocks piled up, and rows of pine trees as green as emerald. His beauty is unmatched, one of a kind in the world."
Whenever she read this passage, she couldn't help but imagine the water god gracefully moving through the waves, his robes billowing in the wind. How could a young man be worthy of such a description? At this moment, she suddenly felt that the man sitting in front of her, with his calm eyes, was indeed the unparalleled river god, Baishi Langjun.
Pei You'an read the official documents, the sentences were either difficult or tedious, but he usually read quickly, decisively, and wrote fluently. However, at this moment, he gradually became distracted. What should have been completed by now was not even half done, and he had accidentally written a wrong character.
Finally, he put down his pen, lifted his eyes, and looked in the direction that had been distracting him.
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes looking directly at him, seeming slightly distracted. It was unclear what she was looking at or thinking about. Her sleeve slipped down from her wrist, pooling near her elbow. The silver bracelet, intricately carved with delicate grape patterns, couldn't resist the smoothness of her jade-like skin and got stuck midway on her slender arm. Caught off guard by his own gaze meeting hers, she seemed startled and immediately put down her arm, sitting up straight and lowering her gaze, flipping through a page of the book.
Pei You'an quietly calmed his mind and focused on his task, pushing away the image of her arm caught by the silver bracelet from his mind, and continued to bow his head, attending to his work.
After a moment, he felt her gaze on him again and couldn't help but stop writing once more. He raised his head and lightly tapped the table with his finger as a gentle reminder.
Jiafu blushed and whispered, "I don't quite understand..."
Pei You'an felt a twinge of regret, realizing he shouldn't have brought her to the study. He sighed inwardly, then decided to put down his pen and smiled, "Where do you not understand? Let me explain it to you."
Jiafu immediately nodded, bringing the book closer to him. She moved her chair next to his, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, and opened the book. With a tender white finger, she pointed to a page and said, "I don't understand this part."
As she sat beside him, Pei You'an caught a whiff of the fragrance emanating from her hair and skin, faint and refreshing, reminding him of the passionate scene in the tent last night.
Last night, just like the first time, his intention was simply to make her happy. However, he couldn't control himself. While she didn't achieve satisfaction, he, on the other hand, failed miserably again. When she comforted him with gentle words, Pei You'an felt a deep sense of despair and self-loathing. After she fell asleep in his arms, he couldn't help but feel restless, eventually succumbing to the temptation that had arisen during their wedding night. Ignoring his principles and morals, he finally acted on his desires, completely subduing her beneath him. In that final moment, the exhilaration and satisfaction he felt were unparalleled. Even the conquest of cities and lands couldn't compare to the fervor he experienced. Despite the passing of a day and a night, the memory still sent shivers down his spine.
Pei You'an felt a sudden heat rising in his lower abdomen. Suddenly, he heard her voice in his ear. Following her fingertip, he saw that she was pointing to the thirteenth section of the Book of Rites, the Nature section. He immediately composed himself and said, "The purpose of rites is to prevent and regulate. This concept can be traced back to the White Tiger Principles of Ritual and Music. It suggests that human nature is the foundation of governance, and the system of rites and music is established to use rituals as a defense and music as a restraint."
Jiafu nodded in understanding, then looked up at him. "Then, what is the whole section about?"
Pei You'an replied, "The entire section discusses the innate good and evil of human nature. Whether it's Mengzi's theory of innate goodness, Xunzi's theory of innate evil, Gaozi's theory of the absence of innate good and evil, or Yang Xiong's theory of the coexistence of innate good and evil, they are all one-sided views. Human nature inherits the essence of heaven and earth and embodies the Five Constants, so human nature often contains both good and evil. Confucius once said that only the supremely wise and the profoundly foolish cannot be swayed. For those who are extremely good or extremely evil, their nature cannot be changed. I deeply agree with this, but for ordinary people, human nature often changes with habits. There's a saying that 'habit is second nature,'..."
His voice was low, mellifluous, neither fast nor slow, like a clear spring in the mountains, flowing gently in her ears. Jiafu gradually rested her chin on her hand again, looking at him with admiration. After he finished speaking and glanced at her, she came back to her senses and quickly lowered her head, flipping to the next page. "And what about this section? I read it a few days ago, but I couldn't quite understand it..."
Pei You'an had noticed her slight tilt of the head, her focused gaze, and her earnest expression earlier. Although she appeared pure and innocent, he couldn't help but feel moved by her gaze. As he listened to her questions, he felt a sense of relief when she finally turned the page, and he looked at it again. "This is the section on Material Forces."
He let out a breath, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.
"The opening statement goes, 'The Confucianists say: Heaven and earth give birth to humans.' This means that since the Han Dynasty, Confucianists believed that heaven and earth consciously created humans, which is absurd. The book refutes this idea, saying that humans are produced by the accidental combination of the qi of heaven and earth, just as when a man and a woman's qi combine, a child is naturally born..."
He paused for a moment, coughed lightly, and forced himself to continue explaining, his gaze fixed on the pages of the book. "The text uses humans as an example, stating that when the qi of a man and a woman combine, it's not because they consciously want to have a child, but rather it's driven by desire, by the natural urge to copulate. If even men and women don't consciously create offspring, it follows that heaven and earth wouldn't consciously create humans either. By extension, all things born between heaven and earth, just like the birth of a child from the union of a man and a woman, are the same situation..."
He abruptly closed the book and tossed it aside, saying, "The Book of Rites is too abstruse for you to read. I'll find another book for you when I have time."
Jiafu couldn't help but sneak a glance at his lower abdomen. Though it was obscured by the desk, she faintly saw that it was in an indescribable state...
Jiafu recalled the events of last night, her heart pounding like a deer caught in headlights. She murmured softly, "I'll listen to Big Cousin. You continue, I'll go to the small kitchen and see if there are any snacks ready..."
As she stood up, she didn't expect that when she had moved the chair earlier, her skirt had been caught under one of the legs. Now, as she stood up, the chair shifted with a loud noise. Unable to steady herself, she staggered, and Pei You'an quickly reached out to support her. Jiafu's chest and abdomen brushed against his face, and she ended up sitting on his lap, her buttocks clearly pressing against something hard. She stiffened, afraid to move.
Pei You'an felt the pressure against his face and couldn't help but hold his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, finding himself enveloped in her fragrance. Though she was pressing him down, his desires surged even stronger, more pronounced than before.
It seemed like a long time passed before there was a "drip" sound, and a drop of water fell from the mouth of the hourglass, breaking the silence.
Jiafu twisted her waist uneasily, hastily stood up, only to feel her waist suddenly heavy as a pair of male hands firmly held her. With a downward press, she involuntarily sat back on his lap.
Her face flushed like a peach blossom, looking up at him with parted lips, unable to suppress her gentle panting. "Big Cousin..."
The man's eyes, no longer calm as before, were deep and dark, like a deep pool. "Let's go back and rest."
His voice was low and heavy, much like the boundless darkness outside the window at this moment...
---
Within the palace, Emperor Xiao Lie was already half-drunk, stumbling as he was assisted back to his bedchamber by eunuchs. Lady Zhou was waiting for him. Seeing his state, she hurried over to greet him. After a brief exchange, she arranged things and then Xiao Lie lay down, closing his eyes and appearing as if he were in a deep slumber, motionless.
Lady Zhou had taken extra care with her appearance tonight. Even though she was no longer young, she had adorned herself lightly with makeup. Under the palace lights, she still retained a charming allure.
She lay beside Xiao Lie on the dragon bed, drawing close. With one hand under the covers, she slowly reached out toward the man beside her, slipping it into his clothes and gently grasping him, teasing and kneading him softly.
Xiao Lie didn't open his eyes, turning away and moving closer to the edge of the bed, murmuring softly, "Next time, I'm tired today."
Since arriving in the capital, Xiao Lie hadn't touched her. Lady Zhou had secretly observed him and hadn't found any evidence of him favoring other young palace maids. He was either busy with state affairs day and night or returning to sleep immediately upon his return.
Lady Zhou's expression stiffened slightly as she stared at Xiao Lie's motionless figure, slowly retracting her hand.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Lie had already fallen asleep. Lady Zhou tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Quietly, she got up and called for a trusted servant, instructing them, "Go and find out where the emperor went on the night of the crown prince's wedding. He was absent all night."
