The Slender Waist-Chapter 416 - 300 A Sudden Change on a Snowy Night
The night was deep and the wind strong; layers of snowflakes, like white waves rolled up, howled and roared chaotically, enveloping Xinzhou City within.
The light from Chunpei Academy reflected on the woman’s fair cheeks, giving the night an ethereally vague glow.
Feng Yun sat in front of the wooden desk, with a small furnace beside her glowing with bright charcoal fire, warming a pot of hot wine. Wen Xingsu sat opposite her, surrounded by stacks of ledgers, on the freshly inked yellow paper where numbers were chaotically written, and copper coins, gold, and jewelry were scattered all around.
Wen Xingsu couldn’t help but smile as he let out a light sigh.
"You’re prepping for New Year in the middle of the night? Surely there’s no need to be in such a rush."
"Better safe than sorry," Feng Yun said, clicking the abacus and looking up at him, "The years and months ahead are many, and with so many to feed, it’s better to have a plan in mind early to remain calm when things happen."
Wen Xingsu’s expression grew solemn, "What is Pei Jue planning to do? And what about you?"
Feng Yun didn’t hide anything from him, responding with a smile,
"What can be done? If he shepherds for the Emperor, then I shall shepherd him."
Pei Jue left half an hour before, dressed as a guard, and took only Zuo Zhong with him, sneaking out through a side door without alerting anyone.
After the Pei Family’s visit today, the Imperial Court would soon make its next move.
In their estimation, whether the Imperial Court would compromise with a command adding nine-tin dignities or take a tougher stance by directly sending a commander to take over the Northern Yong army and strip away Pei Jue’s military power, a storm was coming either way.
They needed to be fully prepared to adapt to change and respond to the greatest changes and to all changes.
At the time, Feng Yun had seen Pei Jue out the door with a smile, calm and composed.
He took a few steps, then came back and handed Feng Yun a slender Miao knife.
That knife suited Feng Yun’s stature. Sharp, yet slender, it was somewhat lighter than the ring-head swords.
Pei Jue said the blade, measuring three feet eight inches, would make for a smoother entry into flesh.
He had never liked Feng Yun handling blades and swords; she often felt he was quite chauvinistic in some ways, preferring delicate little ladies who were not even a handful, convenient for him to control and satisfying his fancy.
Feng Yun liked this Miao knife; it was much more powerful than the Jian Shui, and wearing it, she felt somewhat like a lady of the military.
Very valiant.
She named the Miao knife Gongmei.
Fine, long, and beautiful, just like eyebrows.
She said she was looking forward to the day when Gongmei would draw blood.
Pei Jue’s eyes darkened, he took the knife from her hands and sheathed it deeply.
"Best it never sees blood in its lifetime."
His voice was cool, his gaze met hers for a moment, then he turned and left, his valiant figure receding into the distance.
Feng Yun could not discern his emotions at that moment, but the affection in his gaze, like the Miao knife, was sharp and resilient, piercing straight into her heart.
As soon as Pei Jue’s front foot stepped out, Feng Yun’s back foot was already closing the door to audit the accounts.
Over the years, Pei Jue had been completely ignorant of his own finances, giving any bit of money to his soldiers and having no heart for accumulating wealth. One could say that this Great General truly lived up to the ideal of incorruptability, possessing none of the financial power expected of a high-ranking official...
But that was of little consequence.
The important thing was land.
Claiming territory was paramount to power; only by holding land could one claim kingship and plan for expansion. Both Andu and its five cities and Xinzhou were lands of fertile soil. Although ravaged by years of ceaseless war which devastated civilians, they could sustain the Northern Yong army locally.
With tiger’s might and grand banners, by cultivating the land, given two or three years, the mere name Pei Jue would suffice to contend with forces from both south and north.
Don’t be fooled by the Jin Court’s daily claims of "strong troops and sturdy horses"; their strength lay in the Northern Yong army.
In an era where tens of thousands of soldiers could be mustered for a national war, the numbers claimed by many for their armies were often gross overstatements. Li Sangruo’s so-called hundreds of thousands of Imperial Guards were mostly inflated. The combined forces of the Tiger Guard and Dragon Cavalry could match the numbers of the Northern Yong army, but their combat effectiveness was far less.
"Big Brother Zuo," Feng Yun asked, "How much surplus grain is there in the Xinzhou Prefecture Treasury, and where are the population registers and account books?"
Having previously been the Defense Officer in Xinzhou, Wen Xingsu knew these matters like the back of his hand.
He said, "The registers and account books were delivered to the Great General on that day; they should be in the hands of the current Defense Officer now."
Feng Yun asked, "Would there be an issue in gathering a hundred thousand stones of military provisions?"
Wen Xingsu was startled, "What are you planning to do?"
Feng Yun smiled, "We must prepare for the worst. What if the Tiger Guard and Dragon Cavalry act, trapping us to death in Xinzhou?"
Wen Xingsu said, "The Empress Dowager and the Envoy are also in Xinzhou."
Feng Yun said, "Right now they wouldn’t dare act recklessly, but once they return to court..."
Exchanging glances, Wen Xingsu spoke gently, "The Great General must have already made plans, and you don’t need to worry too much about what to do."
"I understand." Feng Yun had a close relationship with Wen Xingsu and never avoided discussing business matters with him, let alone having candid conversations.
They looked at each other and she said, "Consider it my pressing him into this situation. Now there’s no turning back; only success is an option..."
How could Wen Xingsu not understand her thoughts?
Her seemingly ruthless demeanor and brutal actions were just a facade.
The gentleness of a person’s heart does not change.
She felt she forced Pei Jue into this, fearing that once he took this step, it would lead to irreversible doom.
Today, Pei Chong and Ao Zheng’s involvement meant the situation had grown even wider, not only affecting Pei Jue alone, or just the two of them, but also involving the entire Pei Family and Ao Family...
Wen Xingsu knew that Feng Yun was under tremendous internal pressure.
Perhaps even more than Pei Jue himself.
Wen Xingsu smiled faintly, his eyes gentle.
"If I were heartless and ungrateful, would you feel more at ease?"
Feng Yun gazed silently at him, their eyes met, and she smiled faintly.
"He is compassionate and righteous, and I am at ease as well."
At the start of her rebirth, she treated Wen Xingsu as her only kin, indifferent to the lives and deaths of others. She used Pei Jue, no different from using anyone else, but Pei Jue’s behavior now, his protectiveness toward her, had exceeded her expectations...
She was still stubborn.
But that allowed her to deceive herself.
She couldn’t completely ignore the sacrifices of others.
Moreover, husband and wife are one. From the moment she wore her wedding gown in Bingzhou and walked towards Pei Jue, her fate was tightly intertwined with his, making it difficult to separate them again.
"You, all you have left is your mouth," Wen Xingsu spoke faintly, lifting his sleeve and downing the wine in his cup in one gulp.
Heat scorched his throat.
In the midst of the delightful pain, there was a sadness and an infinite emptiness that he couldn’t shake off.
Wen Xingsu didn’t leave until the early hours of the morning.
He knew that Feng Yun’s mind was uneasy and wanted to keep her company. She knew of his worries and pretended to be sleepy, urging him to leave. Once he was gone, she got up and stood by the window, lost in the heavy snow.
Xiaoman got up, yawning and approaching.
"Madam, shall I make you another hot soup bag?"
"No need," said Feng Yun.
Xiaoman peeked out, "Who knows when this snow will stop. Will the General return tonight?"
Feng Yun was silent.
Pei Jue, the king of the battlefield, was well aware of the advantage of striking first. Before he left, he only mentioned he needed to make a trip to the large camp, that there were urgent matters to handle, without going into detail or when he could return.
But Feng Yun knew the tasks he had were difficult.
In the snowstorm tonight, what he sought to move might be the very pillars of Dajin Country, and it wouldn’t take just a moment to return. That’s why he looked at her that way, reminding her to be careful in everything.
"You go to sleep," Feng Yun ordered Xiaoman, "just leave the night lamp in the corridor lit."
With the night lamp, Pei Jue wouldn’t fear losing his way home.
Xiaoman acknowledged the order but didn’t go to sleep, insisting on staying up and yawning beside Feng Yun.
The night lamp flickered faintly, and the heavy snow blurred the world.
The two didn’t speak for a long time. Feng Yun couldn’t help looking toward the northwest sky, her thoughts unknown, while Xiaoman followed her gaze outward.
The snow glowed with a faint yellow under the night light; perhaps moved by something, tears suddenly welled in her eyes.
"I wonder how my elder sister is doing now..."
Feng Yun noticed the dip in her tone and glanced back.
"Do you blame me?"
Xiaoman shook her head. "It was elder sister’s choice, how could I blame you..."
Her eyes drooped, moist with unshed tears.
The two had grown up together since childhood; she knew Daman’s nature better than anyone else.
"Elder sister is strong-willed and ambitious, with great aspirations. This time, she must have got what she wished for."
Feng Yun smiled faintly and reached out to tuck Xiaoman’s collar.
"And you?"
"Me?" Xiaoman was taken aback; her ears suddenly flushed with embarrassment, "I have nothing. As long as I can stay with madam, I’m happy."
Feng Yun asked, "Is it better to be with madam, or to be by madam’s side where you can often see Big Brother Zuo?"
Xiaoman’s face turned even redder, her eyelids fluttering, and she was extremely nervous, "That’s not it, madam, don’t talk nonsense, if Big Brother Zuo knows... I’d die of embarrassment."
"A man should marry and a woman should wed; what’s there to be embarrassed about?"
Feng Yun lowered her head and stared seriously into her eyes.
"Or is it that you don’t like Big Brother Zuo, but like Big Brother Jiu You instead?"
Xiaoman became more flustered, not knowing where to set her gaze, covered her ears with her hands, and protested:
"Madam, you delight in embarrassing your servant, I have no such thoughts..."
Feng Yun laughed softly.
"Zuo Zhong and Jiu You are both fine lads, whoever you like is fine. I’ll help you to inquire tomorrow; whether the family has a matrimonial match, whether there is someone in his heart..."
Xiaoman couldn’t bear to listen any longer, her arms wrapping around Feng Yun, attempts to cover her mouth.
"Madam..."
The two played and laughed together, their first time being so carefree since Daman’s departure.
In this stormy night, it was as if there were no dark clouds overhead, nor an impending upheaval on the horizon.
