Chapter - 60
By Tea Time Translations
---
If there are any mistakes in translation, please feel free to comment! Please support us @TeaTime.
---
Pei You'an had always referred to her as his cousin, and after they grew closer, he began calling her Ah Fu when they were alone. Then, on a previous occasion of intimacy, when he saw her delicate and beautiful face on the pillow, her gentle breathing and tender skin, he couldn't help but feel a deep affection for her. Unable to resist, he called her "Fu'er." Jiafu, upon hearing this, responded with even greater tenderness and passion, her soft cries of pleasure echoing in his ears. Both were intoxicated by their love. Since then, Pei You'an had continued to use this endearment to address her.
Upon hearing her words, Pei You'an's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then he opened his eyes.
Jiafu widened her eyes and looked at him intently, her gaze extremely serious. Seeing him look at her for a moment, there seemed to be a hint of amusement in his eyes, and his lips curled slightly, as if suppressing a smile. Finally, he reached out and, like coaxing a child, gently patted her chest, softly saying, "I understand, go to sleep."
He didn't believe her? Or did he find her words amusing?
Jiafu suddenly felt frustrated, even more unwilling in her heart. She loosened her arms that were wrapped around his neck and instead tightly grasped his hand that was patting her, forcefully pressing it down, and emphasized with a heavier tone, "Big cousin, I'm telling the truth! No matter what, Fu'er will always cherish and love you for the rest of her life!"
Pei You'an softened his brows and gazed at Jiafu for a moment. He stopped laughing at her and said softly, "How does Fu'er plan to take care of Big Cousin?"
His voice, naturally deep and rich, was even more seductive within the layers of the tent, like a tempting intoxication. Jiafu felt her heart trembling, her courage surging. She climbed onto his slightly open chest, propped herself up, and gazed at him for a moment. Seeing his Adam's apple bob slightly, she couldn't help herself. Leaning closer, her delicate lips lightly kissed him, saying, "Whatever Big Cousin wants Fu'er to do, Fu'er will do it for Big Cousin."
Her voice unexpectedly solemn.
Pei You'an cherished her weariness today, as she left early in the morning and only returned in the dead of night. It was likely that she had no leisure time during the day at the temple, so he allowed her to sleep early. However, unexpectedly, she didn't seem to appreciate his kindness. Instead, she confessed to him earnestly, her emotions moving, but her words carried a hint of innocence. Her serious yet adorable demeanor was somewhat amusing. He almost couldn't control himself, but she still refused to stop.
The more serious she became, the more seductive she appeared, and the more he found himself unable to control...
Pei You'an was momentarily stunned, feeling her light kiss on his throat. His mind surged with conflicting thoughts, as if a "boom" sounded, blood rushing through his veins, his eyes momentarily changing color. Despite this, he forced himself to remain silent, silently watching her.
Jiafu immediately sensed the peculiar change in his body, naturally understanding why. Seeing him staring at her like this, with a slightly strange expression, she couldn't help feeling panicked and a little frustrated.
With a clear conscience, she truly had no other thoughts just now, only wanting him to know her boundless compassion and love for him. She blamed her own clumsiness for inadvertently teasing him.
Jiafu felt both embarrassed and awkward, her face flushing slightly. She lay on his chest, not daring to move a muscle, hastily explaining, "Big Cousin, please don't misunderstand me..."
Pei You'an only made a sound of acknowledgment, his gaze deepening. After a pause, he spoke hoarsely again, "Kiss me again!" His Adam's apple bobbed up and down once more.
Jiafu felt a bit puzzled by his behavior, but recalling her words just now, she obediently leaned closer and kissed his Adam's apple again. She heard what seemed like a low growl from his throat, and when she tried to pull away, her head suddenly felt heavy as he raised his hand to press it down.
Jiafu's heart was still unwilling, feeling a sense of grievance. Despite his restraint, she gasped and struggled to free half of her head. "Big cousin, I really..."
Pei You'an found himself unable to endure any longer. With a swift movement, he pinned her beneath him, then lowered his head to capture her lips, which spoke more than they did.
With dew-dampened emerald clouds and the fragrance of musk on the fur cloak, behind the partially closed embroidered curtain, within the brocade tent, a lotus bloomed, dew-kissed, opening towards the night.
The sound of a beautiful woman's sorrowful weeping gradually arose, the candlelight swaying in the gauzy canopy, the golden hooks lightly rattling, emitting a faint rustling sound.
Pei You'an felt waves of wild passion surging within him, his desires raging unusually fierce. After the deed was done, he felt somewhat unsatisfied, not willing to let her go wash and sleep. Instead, he caught hold of her slender jade leg, intending to try again from behind. But as he looked at her, with sweat dampening her forehead, appearing pitiful like scattered petals, her hands clutching the bedsheet tightly, hiding her face like a quail burying its head, he couldn't help bursting into laughter.
It was already the beginning of the next day's early hours. The servant in the night chamber was on the verge of falling asleep when suddenly, the faint laughter of a man coming from the inner chamber startled her awake. Recognizing it as the master's voice, she couldn't fathom why he wasn't asleep at this hour, let alone laughing so loudly. Puzzled, she got up and glanced out the window, noticing that the light was still on in his room.
After Pei You'an finished laughing, he let Jiafu go, wrapping her up in the blanket, and carried her to the bathroom. After they emerged, he extinguished the lights, and the two of them lay back in bed. He held her in his arms, gently massaging her shoulders, neck, and lower back to help her relax and ease her fatigue. As her breathing gradually calmed, he asked softly, "Did something happen to you? Why did you suddenly say those things to me tonight?"
Jiafu, now clean from the bath and nestled in his embrace, enjoying his back massage, felt incredibly comfortable. She closed her eyes, yawning sleepily, almost drifting off to sleep. But when she heard his question, her drowsiness was dispelled, and she hesitated for a moment. Clinging tightly to his waist with her small hand, she whispered, "Fu'er just wants Big Cousin to always be happy and be good to Big Cousin for a lifetime."
A warm surge flowed through Pei You'an's heart, and he held her even tighter. In the darkness, he lowered his head to find her lips and gave her a peck, murmuring softly, "I understand. Are you tired? It's late, let's sleep."
Jiafu felt contented, yet inexplicably there was a faint sense of melancholy lingering in her heart, a feeling she couldn't quite articulate.
She finally let out a soft "mm" and gently closed her eyes.
The night eventually quieted down.
Jiafu drifted into a deep sleep, unaware of the time. Suddenly, she was startled awake by a knock at the door from outside. In a daze, she heard the voice of the night attendant coming in, saying, "Master, someone from the palace has arrived. His Majesty urgently summons you. Please wake up and go to the palace."
Jiafu woke up. Pei You'an had already sat up, lifting the curtain of the bed, and turned on the lamp.
Jiafu rubbed her eyes, then sat up, peeking outside the tent and checking the hour on the water clock. It was just past the second quarter of the hour of the Tiger (around 4-6 am), still quite some time before the morning court session.
Pei You'an had originally planned to continue his leave today, intending to take three days off. Jiafu wondered what could have happened for the Emperor to send someone to summon him so early in the morning.
Pei You'an went out after dressing, opening the door to find it was Cui Yinshui who had come to summon him. After inquiring, he returned to the tent, continuing to dress while telling Jiafu, "I'm going to the palace first. You can go back to sleep."
Jiafu couldn't possibly fall asleep again. She casually put on her clothes to cover herself, then went down to help Pei You'an prepare his court attire. After he was dressed, she opened the door and called for someone to come and assist with washing up. They ate a few bites of food together before she saw him off. The sky was still pitch black at this early hour. After he left, she returned to bed as he suggested, but sleep eluded her. She could only wait for dawn to break.
....
Pei You'an walked out of the inner courtyard and reached the front hall. Cui Yinshui was waiting there, his face showing a slight hint of anxiety as he constantly scanned the surroundings. Upon seeing Pei You'an, he hurriedly approached, bowed, and said, "Master Pei, please quickly enter the palace."
Pei You'an walked hurriedly with him and asked as they went, "What's the matter?"
Cui Yinshui had just rushed in moments ago, so he was still a little out of breath. He replied with a touch of annoyance, "At the third watch of the night, an urgent express delivery from the Governor of Sichuan arrived at the palace gate, seemingly related to the mission of Mr. Zhou Jin and Mr. Zhou, who were ordered to pacify the unrest in Jingxiang. We don't know the specifics, but from outside, we could vaguely hear that His Majesty seemed furious. Then, the Chief Eunuch came out and instructed me to summon you to the palace."
Pei You'an furrowed his brow slightly and remained silent. He quickened his pace to the main gate, where he took the reins from his attendant, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the palace.
By the middle of the Tiger hour, Pei You'an arrived at the Imperial Study. He could see the lights on inside from afar. Li Yuangui was waiting outside, and as soon as he spotted Pei You'an, he hurried over to greet him. Leading him inside, he explained the reason for his summons in a low voice.
Indeed, there had been a significant oversight in the mission led by Zhou Jin under orders to quell the unrest.
Indeed, in the previous mission led by Zhou Jin to pacify the unrest, a major oversight had occurred.
When he first arrived in Jingxiang, Zhou Jin adopted a heavy-handed approach, labeling those who disobeyed relocation orders as bandits. He gathered troops from neighboring provinces in the southwest and launched a fierce crackdown. Initially, this approach yielded significant results, as they managed to eliminate a group of "bandits." After using this as a deterrent, they coerced the remaining refugees to relocate under the pretext of official arrangements. Forced to leave their homes, millions of refugees embarked on a journey with no return. Instead of providing them with land and settling arrangements, the authorities sent them all to the border for garrison duty. Those who refused were immediately treated as bandits and forcibly driven together to be killed. Countless refugees, under the whip and the rod, traveled along the river towards the border between Yunnan and Guizhou. Many died along the way, and coupled with the hot weather and rampant diseases, bodies floated in the river, emitting a putrid stench that filled the air. The sheer brutality of the situation resembled a hell on earth.
Just a few days ago, a group of disgruntled refugees, unable to endure any longer, secretly coordinated an uprising under the cover of night. They killed the guards, seized weapons, and with a single call, gathered more and more people, ultimately amassing a force of tens of thousands. They openly confronted the authorities and turned back towards Jingxiang. Along the way, they attacked cities and seized territory, their momentum overwhelming. Local officials fled in fear and dared not confront them.
Upon seeing the success of the uprising, Zhou Jin sent a swift report to the capital and prepared to return to present his achievements. However, upon receiving news of the resurgence of the rebellion, he hurried back and once again mobilized troops to suppress it. The Governor of Sichuan, who had already been at odds with Zhou Jin, disapproved even more of his actions. In a swift petition to the Emperor, he detailed various accusations against Zhou Jin, alleging that he was eager for personal glory, reckless in his actions, and indiscriminate in his killings. He claimed that Zhou Jin was the instigator of the unrest in the southwest.
"The Emperor was so furious that he couldn't sleep all night. Unable to wait until dawn, he ordered me to summon you and the officials from the Ministry of War. Those officials should be arriving soon."
Li Yuangui spoke.
Chapter - 60
By Tea Time Translations
---
If there are any mistakes in translation, please feel free to comment! Please support us @TeaTime.
---
Pei You'an had always referred to her as his cousin, and after they grew closer, he began calling her Ah Fu when they were alone. Then, on a previous occasion of intimacy, when he saw her delicate and beautiful face on the pillow, her gentle breathing and tender skin, he couldn't help but feel a deep affection for her. Unable to resist, he called her "Fu'er." Jiafu, upon hearing this, responded with even greater tenderness and passion, her soft cries of pleasure echoing in his ears. Both were intoxicated by their love. Since then, Pei You'an had continued to use this endearment to address her.
Upon hearing her words, Pei You'an's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then he opened his eyes.
Jiafu widened her eyes and looked at him intently, her gaze extremely serious. Seeing him look at her for a moment, there seemed to be a hint of amusement in his eyes, and his lips curled slightly, as if suppressing a smile. Finally, he reached out and, like coaxing a child, gently patted her chest, softly saying, "I understand, go to sleep."
He didn't believe her? Or did he find her words amusing?
Jiafu suddenly felt frustrated, even more unwilling in her heart. She loosened her arms that were wrapped around his neck and instead tightly grasped his hand that was patting her, forcefully pressing it down, and emphasized with a heavier tone, "Big cousin, I'm telling the truth! No matter what, Fu'er will always cherish and love you for the rest of her life!"
Pei You'an softened his brows and gazed at Jiafu for a moment. He stopped laughing at her and said softly, "How does Fu'er plan to take care of Big Cousin?"
His voice, naturally deep and rich, was even more seductive within the layers of the tent, like a tempting intoxication. Jiafu felt her heart trembling, her courage surging. She climbed onto his slightly open chest, propped herself up, and gazed at him for a moment. Seeing his Adam's apple bob slightly, she couldn't help herself. Leaning closer, her delicate lips lightly kissed him, saying, "Whatever Big Cousin wants Fu'er to do, Fu'er will do it for Big Cousin."
Her voice unexpectedly solemn.
Pei You'an cherished her weariness today, as she left early in the morning and only returned in the dead of night. It was likely that she had no leisure time during the day at the temple, so he allowed her to sleep early. However, unexpectedly, she didn't seem to appreciate his kindness. Instead, she confessed to him earnestly, her emotions moving, but her words carried a hint of innocence. Her serious yet adorable demeanor was somewhat amusing. He almost couldn't control himself, but she still refused to stop.
The more serious she became, the more seductive she appeared, and the more he found himself unable to control...
Pei You'an was momentarily stunned, feeling her light kiss on his throat. His mind surged with conflicting thoughts, as if a "boom" sounded, blood rushing through his veins, his eyes momentarily changing color. Despite this, he forced himself to remain silent, silently watching her.
Jiafu immediately sensed the peculiar change in his body, naturally understanding why. Seeing him staring at her like this, with a slightly strange expression, she couldn't help feeling panicked and a little frustrated.
With a clear conscience, she truly had no other thoughts just now, only wanting him to know her boundless compassion and love for him. She blamed her own clumsiness for inadvertently teasing him.
Jiafu felt both embarrassed and awkward, her face flushing slightly. She lay on his chest, not daring to move a muscle, hastily explaining, "Big Cousin, please don't misunderstand me..."
Pei You'an only made a sound of acknowledgment, his gaze deepening. After a pause, he spoke hoarsely again, "Kiss me again!" His Adam's apple bobbed up and down once more.
Jiafu felt a bit puzzled by his behavior, but recalling her words just now, she obediently leaned closer and kissed his Adam's apple again. She heard what seemed like a low growl from his throat, and when she tried to pull away, her head suddenly felt heavy as he raised his hand to press it down.
Jiafu's heart was still unwilling, feeling a sense of grievance. Despite his restraint, she gasped and struggled to free half of her head. "Big cousin, I really..."
Pei You'an found himself unable to endure any longer. With a swift movement, he pinned her beneath him, then lowered his head to capture her lips, which spoke more than they did.
With dew-dampened emerald clouds and the fragrance of musk on the fur cloak, behind the partially closed embroidered curtain, within the brocade tent, a lotus bloomed, dew-kissed, opening towards the night.
The sound of a beautiful woman's sorrowful weeping gradually arose, the candlelight swaying in the gauzy canopy, the golden hooks lightly rattling, emitting a faint rustling sound.
Pei You'an felt waves of wild passion surging within him, his desires raging unusually fierce. After the deed was done, he felt somewhat unsatisfied, not willing to let her go wash and sleep. Instead, he caught hold of her slender jade leg, intending to try again from behind. But as he looked at her, with sweat dampening her forehead, appearing pitiful like scattered petals, her hands clutching the bedsheet tightly, hiding her face like a quail burying its head, he couldn't help bursting into laughter.
It was already the beginning of the next day's early hours. The servant in the night chamber was on the verge of falling asleep when suddenly, the faint laughter of a man coming from the inner chamber startled her awake. Recognizing it as the master's voice, she couldn't fathom why he wasn't asleep at this hour, let alone laughing so loudly. Puzzled, she got up and glanced out the window, noticing that the light was still on in his room.
After Pei You'an finished laughing, he let Jiafu go, wrapping her up in the blanket, and carried her to the bathroom. After they emerged, he extinguished the lights, and the two of them lay back in bed. He held her in his arms, gently massaging her shoulders, neck, and lower back to help her relax and ease her fatigue. As her breathing gradually calmed, he asked softly, "Did something happen to you? Why did you suddenly say those things to me tonight?"
Jiafu, now clean from the bath and nestled in his embrace, enjoying his back massage, felt incredibly comfortable. She closed her eyes, yawning sleepily, almost drifting off to sleep. But when she heard his question, her drowsiness was dispelled, and she hesitated for a moment. Clinging tightly to his waist with her small hand, she whispered, "Fu'er just wants Big Cousin to always be happy and be good to Big Cousin for a lifetime."
A warm surge flowed through Pei You'an's heart, and he held her even tighter. In the darkness, he lowered his head to find her lips and gave her a peck, murmuring softly, "I understand. Are you tired? It's late, let's sleep."
Jiafu felt contented, yet inexplicably there was a faint sense of melancholy lingering in her heart, a feeling she couldn't quite articulate.
She finally let out a soft "mm" and gently closed her eyes.
The night eventually quieted down.
Jiafu drifted into a deep sleep, unaware of the time. Suddenly, she was startled awake by a knock at the door from outside. In a daze, she heard the voice of the night attendant coming in, saying, "Master, someone from the palace has arrived. His Majesty urgently summons you. Please wake up and go to the palace."
Jiafu woke up. Pei You'an had already sat up, lifting the curtain of the bed, and turned on the lamp.
Jiafu rubbed her eyes, then sat up, peeking outside the tent and checking the hour on the water clock. It was just past the second quarter of the hour of the Tiger (around 4-6 am), still quite some time before the morning court session.
Pei You'an had originally planned to continue his leave today, intending to take three days off. Jiafu wondered what could have happened for the Emperor to send someone to summon him so early in the morning.
Pei You'an went out after dressing, opening the door to find it was Cui Yinshui who had come to summon him. After inquiring, he returned to the tent, continuing to dress while telling Jiafu, "I'm going to the palace first. You can go back to sleep."
Jiafu couldn't possibly fall asleep again. She casually put on her clothes to cover herself, then went down to help Pei You'an prepare his court attire. After he was dressed, she opened the door and called for someone to come and assist with washing up. They ate a few bites of food together before she saw him off. The sky was still pitch black at this early hour. After he left, she returned to bed as he suggested, but sleep eluded her. She could only wait for dawn to break.
....
Pei You'an walked out of the inner courtyard and reached the front hall. Cui Yinshui was waiting there, his face showing a slight hint of anxiety as he constantly scanned the surroundings. Upon seeing Pei You'an, he hurriedly approached, bowed, and said, "Master Pei, please quickly enter the palace."
Pei You'an walked hurriedly with him and asked as they went, "What's the matter?"
Cui Yinshui had just rushed in moments ago, so he was still a little out of breath. He replied with a touch of annoyance, "At the third watch of the night, an urgent express delivery from the Governor of Sichuan arrived at the palace gate, seemingly related to the mission of Mr. Zhou Jin and Mr. Zhou, who were ordered to pacify the unrest in Jingxiang. We don't know the specifics, but from outside, we could vaguely hear that His Majesty seemed furious. Then, the Chief Eunuch came out and instructed me to summon you to the palace."
Pei You'an furrowed his brow slightly and remained silent. He quickened his pace to the main gate, where he took the reins from his attendant, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the palace.
By the middle of the Tiger hour, Pei You'an arrived at the Imperial Study. He could see the lights on inside from afar. Li Yuangui was waiting outside, and as soon as he spotted Pei You'an, he hurried over to greet him. Leading him inside, he explained the reason for his summons in a low voice.
Indeed, there had been a significant oversight in the mission led by Zhou Jin under orders to quell the unrest.
Indeed, in the previous mission led by Zhou Jin to pacify the unrest, a major oversight had occurred.
When he first arrived in Jingxiang, Zhou Jin adopted a heavy-handed approach, labeling those who disobeyed relocation orders as bandits. He gathered troops from neighboring provinces in the southwest and launched a fierce crackdown. Initially, this approach yielded significant results, as they managed to eliminate a group of "bandits." After using this as a deterrent, they coerced the remaining refugees to relocate under the pretext of official arrangements. Forced to leave their homes, millions of refugees embarked on a journey with no return. Instead of providing them with land and settling arrangements, the authorities sent them all to the border for garrison duty. Those who refused were immediately treated as bandits and forcibly driven together to be killed. Countless refugees, under the whip and the rod, traveled along the river towards the border between Yunnan and Guizhou. Many died along the way, and coupled with the hot weather and rampant diseases, bodies floated in the river, emitting a putrid stench that filled the air. The sheer brutality of the situation resembled a hell on earth.
Just a few days ago, a group of disgruntled refugees, unable to endure any longer, secretly coordinated an uprising under the cover of night. They killed the guards, seized weapons, and with a single call, gathered more and more people, ultimately amassing a force of tens of thousands. They openly confronted the authorities and turned back towards Jingxiang. Along the way, they attacked cities and seized territory, their momentum overwhelming. Local officials fled in fear and dared not confront them.
Upon seeing the success of the uprising, Zhou Jin sent a swift report to the capital and prepared to return to present his achievements. However, upon receiving news of the resurgence of the rebellion, he hurried back and once again mobilized troops to suppress it. The Governor of Sichuan, who had already been at odds with Zhou Jin, disapproved even more of his actions. In a swift petition to the Emperor, he detailed various accusations against Zhou Jin, alleging that he was eager for personal glory, reckless in his actions, and indiscriminate in his killings. He claimed that Zhou Jin was the instigator of the unrest in the southwest.
"The Emperor was so furious that he couldn't sleep all night. Unable to wait until dawn, he ordered me to summon you and the officials from the Ministry of War. Those officials should be arriving soon."
Li Yuangui spoke.
