The Slender Waist-Chapter 33 - 28 The Elegant Pavilion Face-off

This didn’t sound like something Chunyu Yan would say.

But once he had spoken, Pei Jue had no reason to refuse.

"The Princely Heir helps out in the nick of time, I will inform His Majesty and surely repay Yunchuan’s great favor."

"Mm... No need!" Chunyu Yan’s voice became even more hoarse, as if tinged with grinding annoyance, "My father doesn’t even know of this matter..."

If he found out, he would probably flay him.

"After brother has resolved this pressing concern, then you can return the favor to Yunchuan."

Pei Jue gazed at the curtain, narrowing his eyes slightly, faint voices from inside reaching his ears, conveying a whiff of familiarity...

At that moment, a maidservant approached him with a sandalwood tray, kneeling down and presenting it over her head.

"The General is invited to examine."

On the tray was a contract.

The gist of it was that Yunchuan would lend Dajin two hundred thousand bushels of grain to be repaid within the year.

The contract was stamped with Chunyu Yan’s seal, along with his handwritten signature, making it unmistakably authentic.

Pei Jue didn’t reach out to take it, his brow furrowed as if pondering something.

"Brother Wangzhi..." Chunyu Yan sounded somewhat impatient, his breathing quickened, and from within one could faintly hear unnatural gasping, "Brother... please accept it quickly. Don’t hesitate any longer... The Beiyong Army is waiting for the grain to relieve their emergency."

Pei Jue, without changing his expression, glanced over and accepted it with a sweep of his sleeve.

"Then I shall respectfully comply with your wishes."

Chunyu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, "Considering how busy brother is with important tasks, I won’t linger any longer. In a couple of days, you can send soldiers to transport the grain..."

Suddenly, something fell with a bang.

Chunyu Yan’s breathing tightened immediately, and he quickly corrected himself, "Let’s make it today instead, If brother is in such a hurry, then this afternoon, send soldiers to the Andu Prefecture Warehouse..."

Pei Jue glanced over, "The Princely Heir’s granary is full of surprises."

"Hmm..." Chunyu Yan’s voice sounded awkward.

That hanging curtain fluttered with the wind, making it all the more peculiar.

However, since the pavilion had several servants and Chunyu Yan had just borrowed two hundred thousand bushels of grain, even though his behavior could be strange, it was impossible for Pei Jue to lift the curtain to look.

Pei Jue rose from his seat and walked into the center of the room to bow in farewell.

From this angle, his downward gaze could see that, beside Chunyu Yan’s bare feet, there was another pair of feet...

The light behind the curtain was dim, but one could see that the feet were dainty.

They were men’s boots, yet they were in a woman’s size.

Pei Jue raised his head, "Is the Princely Heir inconvenienced today?"

Chunyu Yan felt every hair on his body stand on end.

With the dagger at his vitals, ready to claim his life at any moment, it wasn’t just a mere inconvenience. What was worse than death was the fear of being exposed, especially such an embarrassing situation falling into Pei Jue’s eyes; he would rather be dead...

Chunyu Yan closed his eyes to calm himself momentarily.

"Brother’s words carry too much weight, I have always preferred not to meet with others, please forgive me!"

Under Pei Jue’s high-bridged nose, his thin lips pressed together, his words carrying a chill, "You prefer not to see people, yet your tent hides a young lady?"

Chunyu Yan inhaled almost imperceptibly, then lightly laughed.

"To be honest with you, brother, I have just acquired a beautiful courtesan, and was in the midst of enjoying myself when you requested a meeting... Uh, I couldn’t free myself for the moment, so I let her make a ruckus here."

"You’re sure in high spirits," said Pei Jue.

Chunyu Yan glanced sideways at Feng Yun, wishing this madwoman would embarrass herself in front of General Pei, whom she admired.

But "hanging by a thread" left no room for extra thoughts.

A chill at his critical spot made him hurriedly force a laugh while subconsciously harboring malice, deliberately disgusting Feng Yun.

"It’s just, brother, these past years you’ve kept away from women, how come you’ve suddenly become infatuated with the enemy general’s daughter? Does Feng Shi Er Niang possess some internal charm technique that satisfies you greatly..."

Pei Jue’s face darkened ever so slightly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Meanwhile, the tent rippled suddenly, their feet tangling together; who knows what technique the woman used, but soon afterwards bizarre noises came out, and Chunyu Yan’s grunts and panting were incessant...

In broad daylight, in the presence of a guest, to carry on so absurdly.

Pei Jue’s face was cold, "The Princely Heir seems to be busy, so I will take my leave!"

Watching Pei Jue sweep out, Chunyu Yan finally caught his breath, his red eyes glowering fiercely at Feng Yun, he commanded his servants through clenched teeth.

"All of you, leave!"

"Yes!" Footsteps retreated from outside.

The door closed, and the light inside the room dimmed further.

Chunyu Yan, looking at Feng Yun with a smile that was not a smile, was filled with extreme hatred.

"Now that you’ve had your wish, will you let me go?"

Feng Yun glanced at the snapping turtle on the bed, motioning with her eyes for it to leap out of the rear window.

"Princely Heir may rest assured, I will keep today’s events confidential, and I also will not carelessly share your appearance or bodily traits... But, such rare beauty should not be forgotten, please allow me to sketch it for my private contemplation..."

"You wouldn’t dare!" Chunyu Yan bit down hard on his jaw, "Do you believe I’d truly kill you?"

The implication being, was he not serious before, but now he was?

Feng Yun chuckled lightly, seeming not the least bit afraid, "If something unexpected happens to me, my servants might not keep the portraits secure. They might present them to the General or spread the portraits and the story far and wide..."

"Once the news is out, the Princely Heir’s reputation for beauty may very well last throughout the ages..."

"Therefore, Princely Heir, you’d still hope that I live a long and prosperous life... Until we meet again!"

Feng Yun slid down from the second floor with extreme speed.

Like on his arrival, Ao Qi smoothly lured away the guard, allowing Feng Yun to flip nimbly out of the courtyard.

Chunyu Yan, now without clothes and with his hands tied, wouldn’t be coming after her anytime soon.

As for the future...

If she could handle him once, she could do it a second time.

Feng Yun took a detour through a small path to the main street in front and, as Pei Jue’s horse hooves passed by, she acted as if she had just hurried over, standing in the center of the street to greet him with a deep bow.

"I’ve seen the General."

Pei Jue sized her up from head to toe.

His gaze settled on the upturned tips of the brocade boots she wore, and his eyes and expression instantly chilled, his complexion cold as the ice of the twelfth lunar month.

"Where does the lady come from?"

Feng Yun feigned surprise, "From the Grand General Residence, of course?"

Pei Jue asked, "And where are you headed?"

Feng Yun lifted her eyebrows in feigned astonishment, "To Huayuejian. Didn’t I agree with the General just yesterday to go there and ask for a loan of grain?"

Seeing that Pei Jue remained expressionless, she added with contrition:

"Yesterday, I received five carts of grain and, in my excitement, drank a few cups too many and overslept. My servants didn’t even wake me, truly lacking discipline..."

Another deep bow, she stood with a smile, courteous and thorough, her demeanor dignified and noble, with not a single fault to be picked.

"Making the General wait was my mistake, so here, I offer my apology to the General."

Pei Jue, with his hand on the stiff rope, directed his horse to take a few leisurely steps in place.

He didn’t speak, his eyes veiled with a hint of murderous intent.

Feng Yun felt a chill on her forehead, her heart suddenly racing.

Could he have detected some flaw in her ruse?

Impossible! The weather today was overcast, there were no lights lit in the tent, and she had been silent throughout the whole time; Pei Jue could not possibly think she had been inside the tent.

Feeling a bit more assured, Feng Yun smiled, looking directly into Pei Jue’s eyes.

"By the look on the General’s face, could it be that you’ve already met Crown Prince Chunyu and obtained the grain certificate? The Princely Heir truly is magnanimous, loyal to his word."

Pei Jue showed no emotion as Feng Yun bowed deeply once more, "Congratulations, General!"

When she looked up again, and saw that Pei Jue was still staring at her, Feng Yun had an uneasy feeling; she lightly touched her hair, feigning shyness, "Is the General considering... how to reward me?"

Pei Jue looked down with cold eyes, "Lady, your shoes are dirty."

Having said that, he spurred his horse to ride away, passing by Feng Yun without giving her a glance or pausing for a moment...

Feng Yun’s head buzzed, as if she were petrified.

Only then did she belatedly realize where the problem lay... The tent flap did not reach the ground; just as she could see Chunyu Yan’s bare feet before, Pei Jue could have seen her shoes today...

A single oversight.

But then...

What did it matter?

She never intended to become Pei Jue’s mistress anyway; wouldn’t it be better for him to misjudge her as a promiscuous woman who did not keep to her virtue?

A mistress needs to be faithful to him alone.

As for a strategist, you only need to be capable and useful to him.

Feng Yun believed she was the latter and considered Pei Jue merely a master. Far from feeling terrible, she was pleased with herself. Upon returning home, she immediately took off her shoes and instructed Xiaoman,

"Throw them away."

Newly made by Ying Rong, those fine brocade boots, barely worn twice, how could she just discard them?

Xiaoman felt distressed, but seeing her mistress’s gaze, she said nothing more, simply nodded and left.

Feng Yun surveyed the few maids in the room, aware that she had already been branded as ’insane’ in their eyes; her smile turned more gracefully detached, and she put on a pair of breathable wooden clogs, clacking across the floor to the desk where she personally ground ink and began writing a letter to Pei Jue.

"Today, I used the General’s dagger, bore the General’s presence, and indeed, the two hundred thousand bushels of grain are now securely in the General’s granary. I delivered on my words. A gentleman’s promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; when will the General fulfill his promise?"

Xiaoman returned to pour her fresh tea, and cautiously suggested, "Twelve Niang, I’d like to take the uppers of those shoes. My feet are larger and if Mistress Ying could help stitch them again for me, perhaps I could wear them..."

Feng Yun glanced at her.

Xiaoman, under her scrutiny, kept bowing her head, nervous.

Feng Yun hummed in acknowledgment and then added another line to the paper she had been writing on.

"With the grain secured, I plan to distribute porridge in the General’s name, easing the fear of the Andu citizens towards the Beiyong Army. Next, I will encourage the people to come out of their homes and resume their livelihoods..."

After sealing the letter, Feng Yun had someone summon Ao Qi.

"I’ll trouble Ao Guard to have someone deliver this to the General, and say that with pressing military affairs in the camp, Twelve Niang isn’t eagerly awaiting a reply."

General Pei must be thoroughly tired of her by now.

Even if she were desperate, it wouldn’t make him come any faster; it was better not to irk the great master for the time being.

Ao Qi didn’t reach for the letter, continuing to stare at her for a while until doubt crept into Feng Yun’s eyes. Finally, he responded with a low hum, took the letter unhappily, and left.

Feng Yun was puzzled, "What’s wrong with Ao Guard?"

Xiaoman shook her head, thought for a moment, and then said, "He seemed crazy looking for Twelve Niang this morning; unsuccessful, he stormed out in a huff. He just returned, didn’t he?"