The Slender Waist-Chapter 365 - 258 Playing Dumb

The wooden door was ajar.

The light seeping through the crack fell on Tang Shaogong’s cheek, where it was interrupted by the door latch, casting a serpent-head shadow that extended to the corner of his mouth, as if a venomous snake hissed its tongue.

In the severe cold of winter, Feng Yun’s spine grew slightly chilled, and she subconsciously frowned.

"Thank you for your assistance," she said.

She stepped aside, "I will wait for the General here."

Tang Shaogong bowed slightly, his actions proper and beyond reproach.

A silence fell between them.

It was then that Feng Yun finally had the opportunity to study Tang Shaogong’s face closely.

Tang Shaogong also looked at her, his face expressionless.

When the wind blew, the half-closed door swung open, bringing the two figures in the play of light and shadow into view.

Pei Jue was sitting behind a desk, motionless.

His face was stern, his eyes icy. In the flickering lamplight, his figure loomed like a mountain, tall and imposing; the hand gripping the Biyong Sword seemed to exert great force, veins standing out on the back of his hand, while his handsome face carried an atmosphere of tension.

Li Sangruo, on the other hand, was incredibly radiant. She stood before Pei Jue’s wooden desk, apparently saying something. Upon hearing the door open, she turned her head to see Feng Yun, lightly touching the hair at her forehead, her voice clear and soothing.

"The esteemed madam has arrived. It would be better if the Great General didn’t bother me," she said.

With a flick of her large sleeve and a tilt of her chin, she walked over with ease.

Tang Shaogong extended his arm, gesturing for Feng Yun to step back and give way to the Empress Dowager.

Feng Yun sneered silently in her heart and obediently retreated a few steps.

Li Sangruo walked out, stopping beside her and turning to look at her.

"Feng Family," she said.

Feng Yun looked up to meet her gaze and bowed in greeting.

"I have seen the Empress Dowager," she said.

Li Sangruo’s voice was faint, "You must be quite pleased with yourself now, are you not?"

Feng Yun hesitated, "I do not understand what the Empress Dowager means."

Hmph! Li Sangruo squinted her eyes coldly and scoffed, "The General is a real man, yet you wish to chain him to the hem of your skirt. What is in your heart?"

Feng Yun’s eyes were clear, her expression unchanged.

"Forgive my bluntness, but I do not understand the Empress Dowager’s words," she replied.

Playing dumb rather skillfully. Li Sangruo looked at Feng Yun’s languid, charming eyes, filled with unprovoked anger, yet her voice was very low, "You are not worthy of him, and still you dream of controlling him?"

Feng Yun smiled, her eyes demurely cast down.

"It is I who have reached above my station to be with the General. Rest assured, Empress Dowager, I will dutifully serve him and not take his love for granted."

Make her rest assured?

Did this vile woman even know what she was talking about?

Li Sangruo was furious, her fingers curling and uncurling repeatedly, wishing she could gouge two huge holes in Feng Yun’s face then and there, but Tang Shaogong’s piercing eyes and Pei Jue’s even sharper gaze held her back.

She dared not.

With two cold laughs and clenched teeth, she stormed off.

"I wish the Empress Dowager farewell," said Feng Yun, curtsying and watching Li Sangruo’s back stiffen for a moment. Then she slowly turned her head, looking at Pei Jue emerging from inside, and asked him quietly before Tang Shaogong,

"General, shall we return to Xinzhou for our meal, or shall we dine here before heading back?"

She asked about something utterly irrelevant as if there had been no disagreement with Li Sangruo at all. As she passed by Tang Shaogong’s side, she smiled slightly, completely carefree.

Pei Jue looked at her, "As you wish."

Feng Yun’s lips curled into a smile, "Then let’s eat here and call Xiaoqi, elder brother, and brother-in-law."

Pei Jue: "Hmm."

The two talked as they walked, heading straight for the main door.

Tang Shaogong watched their receding figures, linked arm in arm, for a long time before going to find Li Sangruo.

Li Sangruo was changing clothes in her private chamber, getting ready to return to Cuiyu. The attending eunuch, a disciple of Fang Fucai, was named Chen Xi. He was a little more restrained in his duties and not as well-spoken. Some word of his must have angered her, and he was now kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy.

Tang Shaogong furrowed his brows slightly.

"You may leave," he said.

After Chen Xi and the two maids had left, and the chamber was devoid of onlookers, Tang Shaogong finally spoke,

"The Empress Dowager should exercise some restraint in her temperament."

Li Sangruo stifled a scoffing noise in her throat, seething with anger.

It was one thing to be lectured by the Li Family back in the day, but now, as the Empress Dowager presiding over the court, to be scolded by her father’s guest was outrageous.

"Are you reprimanding me for not keeping Pei Jue with me to speak further?"

Her tone was gentle, barely containing her irritation, but the edge in her voice betrayed her growing anger.

Tang Shaogong’s expression remained unchanged, as if he couldn’t detect the abnormality in her voice. His face was stern, without a trace of emotion.

"I dare not reprimand the Empress Dowager. I merely advise you that at this critical juncture, it would be best not to act on impulse, lest it disrupts the Prime Minister’s major plans."

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister, all you do is use my father to pressure me..."

Li Sangruo felt a fire burning inside her, wanting to challenge him, to determine once and for all who had greater authority—the Prime Minister or the Empress Dowager, and whose orders she should ultimately obey.

But she still didn’t dare.

Status and titles were mere decorations; the only thing of real use was power.

Having been at court for three years, she was very clear about her own worth.

"Uncle Shaogong is well-educated, but I can’t get over how that man shamelessly brings women into the chamber of discussions, knowing full well that I disapprove. He insists on parading that vile woman around, is this not a deliberate slap in my face?"

Tang Shaogong frowned, "The woman he brought is not someone insignificant; she is his wife."

Li Sangruo had initially planned to restrain herself, but these words set her off completely.

She looked at Tang Shaogong impatiently, her tone icy.

"Whose side are you really on, Uncle Shaogong? Why do you oppose me at every turn?"

Tang Shaogong fell silent for a moment.

He slowly stood up straight and performed a courtesy before Li Sangruo.

"Everything I say and do is for Your Highness’s consideration. If Your Highness finds me to be a hindrance, I shall return to the Central Capital today and tender my resignation to the Prime Minister..."

Li Sangruo nearly fainted from anger.

Was this a threat?

The Prime Minister was a man so suspicious that he even doubted his own wife, yet he trusted Tang Shaogong implicitly.

Over the years, Tang Shaogong had indeed provided extensive strategic advice for Li Zongxun and also commanded the troops of the Li Family. While the number of these troops was publicly stated to be a few hundred, the exact count was likely only known by him and Li Zongxun.

The secrets of the Li Family that Tang Shaogong knew were far more than those known to Li Sangruo.

In front of Li Zongxun, Tang Shaogong was even more valued than she was.

She relented.

"I was rude just now, Uncle Shaogong. Please do not take offense, and certainly do not mention it to my father. My father treasures you the most; anyone can be dismissed, except you, Uncle Shaogong."

She performed a curtsy.

Tang Shaogong’s expression remained impassive.

"Your Highness must remember, when the Prime Minister spoke of winning over the Great General, he meant winning over, not coercing or intimidating. If Your Highness persists in pressuring too hard, it will only backfire."

Li Sangruo laughed, "According to what you say, Uncle Shaogong, earlier I shouldn’t have detained him, but rather I shouldn’t have questioned him, right?"

Tang Shaogong tacitly agreed.

Then he gave her a cool glance.

"Your Highness should really learn from Feng Shi Er Niang. Men are taken by her ways."

Li Sangruo choked again, itching with hatred.

Learn from that vile woman? How could she, the Empress Dowager, stoop to learn such pandering tactics?

-

The chefs in Changmen Restaurant were from Yutangchun and they made several exquisite dishes.

Feng Yun invited Wen Xingsu and both members of the Ao Family over, seeking out a secluded room to eat and talk in.

Ao Zheng, worried about national affairs, began by asking Pei Jue:

"When Her Highness detained you earlier, was it to discuss the matter of tomorrow’s exam topics?"

Pei Jue replied indifferently, "It was not."

Stroking his beard, Ao Zheng said, "I just discussed it with Ruan Pu, Lou Ding, and a few others. We’ll meet again tonight at Cuiyu to touch base. Will you be joining us, Wangzhi?"

Pei Jue said, "As a mere warrior, I shall not get involved."

Ao Zheng sensed an undertone in his words and looked uneasy as he asked:

"Do you disapprove of Xiao San’s suggestion? I too have considered that Xiao Cheng might have ulterior motives, but the Empress Dowager..."

He glanced around warily and dipped his chopsticks in wine, then wrote the character "foolish" on the table before sighing and shaking his head.

"A woman in power, difficult to accomplish great things."

Ao Qi, upon learning the truth, also felt indignant, "Our nation clearly has the advantage. We’ve won the victory; we could stand tall and make Qi Country submit. Instead, we insist on this notion of foreign relations and goodwill. Three questions for the exam is already too accommodating, and yet the loser gets to make demands... What if those demands are excessive, what then?"

Ao Zheng looked at him, "What if the loser is our side?"

Ao Qi was left speechless by his retort.

This was the reason why the envoys on both sides did not oppose Li Sangruo’s proposal.

With the test questions undisclosed, winning or losing was uncertain—no one knew if they would be on the losing side.

With Li Sangruo’s preface, whatever the outcome of the negotiations, they would not be criticized...

It was at this moment that Feng Yun realized what Pei Jue had been apprehensive about.

Knowing Li Sangruo’s character, she would not make such a suggestion without a reason.

In the council hall earlier, Pei Jue clearly had a dispute with her over this issue.

On the way back to Xinzhou, when she saw Pei Jue about to mount his horse, Feng Yun held his arm, shook her head with a light smile, and pulled him into the carriage with her.

"General, keep me company for a chat."