The Slender Waist-Chapter 214 - 152 The Girl is Very Talented

This night, Bingzhou City was once again showered with a light rain.

When Pei Jue entered, only Daman stood attending, and Xiaoman, upon seeing him from behind the curtain, quickly retracted her head and went to inform Feng Yun.

The room was clean and tidy.

Incense was burning, sending a faint, curling fragrance throughout space.

Pei Jue’s guards were all young men, with no women amongst them. The servants who handled the miscellaneous tasks were also taken up by the guards; the room couldn’t be said to be very messy, but it was entirely different since Feng Yun had moved in...

"General," Daman said, looking at the stalwart figure before him, his head bowed, not daring to look up, "the lady just returned not long ago. Today, she got splashed with dirty water at the Liu Family and is bathing inside."

In fact, the dirty water did not directly hit Feng Yun.

It was blocked by Wen Xingsu, only wetting her shoes.

Daman exaggerated a bit; Pei Jue hummed a response without further inquiry and moved on into the inner chamber.

The fragrance was even stronger in the room—it was Feng Yun’s scent, like a hint of floral nectar wafting towards him, tempting his senses...

After the day they horsed around, Pei Jue hadn’t returned until now, and upon entering this space, thoughts of that day’s flamboyance inevitably aroused restlessness and a surge of blood within him.

He glanced at the books on the desk and picked one up at random.

Unexpectedly, it was a collection of poetry and miscellaneous writings.

Feng Yun read a wide variety of books, exploring vast topics, with a good memory—she saw every book as a treasure, cramming all sorts of knowledge into her head without ever growing tired...

But to Pei Jue, these things didn’t mean much.

"The brocade quilt no longer warms, the ceremonial robes gradually loosen. Throughout the day, I gaze toward the high platform, whose bowstring twangs for whom?"

He thought of the sour poems written by Xiao San.

Having joined the military camps from a young age, such matters were foreign to Pei Jue, trivial and inconsequential. He took no interest in the refined pursuits of illustrious figures, fashionable behavior among noble families, nor did he ever learn the pedantic and affectated manners of the scholars in the capital, putting on airs of superficial refinement.

He did not feel there was anything wrong with that.

Not until he saw Feng Yun’s books.

The lady from a prestigious family, Feng Yun, who had been praised as a prodigy by the Grand Tutor since she was young, loved elegance and esteemed scholarship...

The wind chimes in front of the window swayed, emitting a clear, tinkling sound...

Pei Jue’s brows furrowed, and he threw the book back with a ’thwack’.

"General?" Feng Yun walked in just in time to see General Pei angrily throwing the book. She paused for a moment and nonchalantly walked over to sit by the brazier near the window.

"Did the book grow legs, walk over to the General, and offend you to make you so displeased?"

Feng Yun allowed the maidservant to comb and twist her hair with a slight tilt of her neck backward, exposing a large expanse of smooth, porcelain-white skin, her voice lazy and casual.

She adored books, treated them well, cherished them like treasures, and couldn’t stand to see others treat them in such a manner.

Pei Jue looked at her, silent.

Outside the window, moonlight cast a faint silhouette into the room; the curtains swayed slightly, and the girl sitting in the low light seemed to be glowing.

Feng Yun grunted suddenly, furrowing her brows, "Go easy."

She looked up at Daman.

Daman felt somewhat wronged; she was already being very gentle...

"Lady, forgive me." Daman swallowed her grievance, softened her touch even more, but Feng Yun smoothed her damp hair and waved a hand, "Never mind, it will dry after airing for a while. You can go."

A charcoal fire kept the room warm, with a tall bamboo cover placed over it. Xiaoman nudged the charcoal brazier towards Feng Yun’s side before she and Daman retreated.

Barely having stepped out, they heard Feng Yun sneeze, "The weather in Bingzhou is much cooler than in Andu."

Pei Jue said, "Let me do it."

He stood up and grabbed a towel as Feng Yun’s charming eyes faintly rotated, "Thank you, General."

Daman and Xiaoman exchanged a glance.

So they were waiting for the General to help her with her hair.

Xiaoman stuck out her tongue and whispered softly, "The lady sure knows how, she knows everything, even making the General willingly fall at her pomegranate skirt..."

Today, when they went out, all those Beiyong Army lads saw the lady, each revealing a look of admiration, yet she acted as if nothing had happened. Xiaoman almost swelled with pride, her face glowing, wanting to guard the lady at all times, acting as her fawning admirer.

Daman shushed her with a sound and pulled her away.

Xiaoman protested, "Why? I still want to listen."

Daman’s cheeks suddenly flushed with two patches of red, and she twisted Xiaoman’s ear.

"Haven’t you had enough that day? Aren’t you ashamed?"

Xiaoman rubbed her ear, crying out in pain, whispering low, "I’m worried that if we leave, the General might mistreat the lady again. He’s so rough; what if he hurts her..."

"Still talking..." Daman immediately covered her mouth.

The conversation of the two maidservants outside went unheard by those inside the room.

Feng Yun enjoyed the attendance of the Great General, languidly stretching out her body with her back to Pei Jue and asked casually:

"You’ve heard about what happened at the Liu Family, haven’t you, General?"

Pei Jue hummed a response, emotionless.

Feng Yun lifted her eyes to look at him, her lips moving hesitantly.

"I gave the order to kill that person. Did you know that, General?"

Pei Jue still showed no emotion, his gaze focused on twirling and wringing the soft hair, his tone flat, "Mhm."

Feng Yun turned her head to look at him, "General, do you think I did something wrong?"

Pei Jue’s motions slowed down, his eyes meeting the lady’s soft gaze, "If it’s done, it’s done."

"Was it right or wrong to kill?"

She had to come to a conclusion.

Not for any other reason but to know how her actions would be judged from the perspective of those in power, to discern right from wrong, and to see if there was anything that needed improvement. She was serious, like a diligent student before a respected teacher.

Unfortunately, Pei Jue’s gaze was slightly searing, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

"What’s done is done, no point in right or wrong."

Feng Yun was not satisfied with this answer, and taking hold of his wrist with a hint of reproach, she said, "Considering General’s tone, there seems to be some criticism. I’d like to hear the General’s opinion."

Pei Jue: "Do you want to hear the truth?"

Feng Yun nodded earnestly, and seeing him silent for a long time, just looking at her, her initial confidence turned into anxious unease.

Pei Jue’s hand rested on her head, the cloth wrapping her head entirely, his tone indifferent.

"Still the compassion of a woman, after all."

"How so?" Feng Yun, puzzled, turned around to ask.

Pei Jue held her head still, preventing her from moving.

"Eliminate the roots of the problem, push all the blame onto me."

"..." Feng Yun chuckled, glancing at him, "There’s no need for me to push, General. This splash of dirty water is something you’re already set to carry. In others’ eyes, you and I are one and the same."

Pei Jue fell silent, his gaze softening slightly.

He replaced the cloth with a clean one, continuing to wipe her face.

Feng Yun greatly enjoyed it, her eyes squinting in comfort, like a little fox being pampered, and she chatted with him about her thoughts.

If they had seized the grains or demanded contributions from the large households, it would have added more human resource costs, and moreover, the Northern Yong Army would have to assign people to take charge; whether done well or poorly, it was liable to be criticized.

Therefore, she divided Bingzhou City into sectors based on the capacity of the wealthy families, allowing them to distribute porridge on their behalf and rewarding them in the name of the Northern Yong Army, saving effort and catering to everybody’s needs.

Pei Jue had already received the news.

After listening, he pinched her rosy earlobe.

"Well done."

A feeling of satisfaction rose within Feng Yun. "Thank you, my lord, for the recognition. I will surely do my utmost to alleviate your worries."

At this point, it was as if she remembered something, and she turned her head to take another glance at Pei Jue’s expression, "Is there any news of Ao Qi?"

In recent days, she had not brought up Ao Qi, not wishing to disturb Pei Jue’s foul mood. However, Pei Jue showed no expression, his face illuminated by the charcoal fire, his high nose and sharp eyes, sculpted and inscrutably cold.

"No."

Feng Yun’s heart sank.

War is cruel, and deaths are common... but if the person who had died was Ao Qi, emotionally, she would find it very difficult to come to terms with it immediately.

"Could he have been captured by the Qi Army?"

When they had captured Xiao Rong, she had considered this possibility and even readied herself that if Ao Qi was captured, she would exchange him for Xiao Rong.

But with no news these days and Pei Jue’s reaction being too calm, when she brought it up, he merely shook his head and remained silent.

Feng Yun asked, "Aren’t you worried about your nephew?"

Pei Jue: "Life and death are predestined."

This was a rational statement, yet hearing it from a caring uncle seemed a bit cold-hearted. But if that uncle was Pei Jue, it was quite normal.

Feng Yun’s heart clenched for Ao Qi.

Pei Jue looked down at her, "I had Ao Qi follow Zhu Cheng as the vanguard. What do you think about that?"

Feng Yun was slightly startled, gripping his hand and turning her head to stare at him, "What do I think?"

Pei Jue made an affirmative sound, straightened her head, and continued combing her hair. It wasn’t as good as Daman and Xiaoman’s work, but Feng Yun reveled in the Great General’s personal attention, unbothered by it.

The room was quiet and peaceful.

After pondering for a moment, Feng Yun said earnestly, "General Zhu is an older general with rich experience on the battlefield. Ao Qi, following him, could gain valuable experience. It’s not wrong for the General to mentor his nephew... no one could have predicted such an accident would happen..."

She spoke about the matter openly, her tone candid.

But Pei Jue suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Is this what you think?"

Feng Yun smiled, "How else should I think? The General is as close to his subordinates as brothers; would he really have ulterior motives toward his own nephew?"

Pei Jue watched her eyes and grew silent.

Feng Yun glanced at him, "Could it be... the Ao Family blames you?"

Pei Jue: "Let them blame."

Ao Zheng believed that Pei Jue, dissatisfied with Ao Qi’s affection for Feng Shi Er Niang, intentionally sent him to be the vanguard. The letter he sent contained very harsh words...

"That’s unreasonable," Feng Yun said. "I’m also very worried about Ao Qi, but I don’t think the General’s arrangements were wrong. Furthermore, Ao Qi himself mentioned in his last letter that he wanted to charge into battle, to make a name and build his career. That was his own desire."

Pei Jue did not interrupt her.

But after she finished speaking, she didn’t continue on the subject, instead asking with a rare good mood, "Ji Li has made great achievements, what reward does he want?"

Feng Yun smiled, "What I want, I’m afraid the General may be reluctant to give."

Pei Jue: "What is it?"

Feng Yun curled her lip.

"Will the General grant whatever I ask for?"

Pei Jue’s hand paused, "That depends if I have it."

"You do," Feng Yun leaned forward, half-joking and half-serious, "That day the General left halfway, causing me to have a night full of spring dreams..."