The Slender Waist-Chapter 72 - 58: Pouring Out One’s Heart

"Li the old cur is aiming to control the lifeblood of all the officials, to make them serve his purpose."

Ao Zheng enunciated each matter of court, breaking them down and analyzing them piece by piece.

Yet Pei Jue remained silent, appearing as an indifferent bystander.

Seeing this, Ao Zheng could not help but hint, "What the Li Family fears most right now is nothing more than Wangzhi. The favors of the past have become the grudges of today. The deeper the grace, the greater the resentment. One must be wary of Wangzhi."

It was Pei Jue who single-handedly supported the Young Emperor’s accession to the throne, and it was because of his command of a strong military force that he could suppress the influence of the imperial clansmen, ensuring that Northern Jin did not descend into brotherly strife and self-destruction like Nanqi, maintaining relative stability and development over the years.

But how long can such calm last?

The very thing Li Zongxun relied upon in the past had become his fear today.

From Dragon’s Merit, he will ultimately become so distinguished that he overshadows his master...

Ao Zheng said, "In my view, Wangzhi really shouldn’t expose his own shortcomings for the sake of a concubine, handing over leverage to Li the old cur’s hands. Once branded with the crime of colluding with the enemy, even if there is no issue today, old scores will be settled in the future..."

Pei Jue: "Wishing to place blame..."

Seeing that his words fell on deaf ears, Ao Zheng heaved a heavy sigh.

"Even for one wishing to place blame, there must be some pretext; charges can’t just materialize out of thin air. Wangzhi’s actions are unwise. If you believe me, why not let this old man take the lady of the Feng Family back to Central Capital? I stake my head on the guarantee that she will be spared her life."

Pei Jue looked at him coldly: "If one day the Imperial Court seeks to punish your elder sister, forcing you to hand her over, how would you choose, master of the platform?"

Ao Zheng was taken aback.

Over the years, Pei Jue had seldom mentioned his elder sister to him.

After marrying his legal wife, when he took in two more concubines, Pei Jue began to distance himself from him.

Ao Zheng lamented, "Feng Shi Er Niang is but a concubine; bluntly put, she’s no different than a family servant. How can she be compared to your elder sister?"

"A man of honor knows what to do and what not to do," Pei Jue seemed uninterested in discussing the matter further. Leaving behind that remark, he did not spare Ao Zheng another glance, stiff with awkwardness.

"If you truly cared about your elder sister, you would not have taken concubines."

Having said that, he got up and brushed past, leaving the pavilion.

Only Ao Zheng was left alone under the arbor, his mind utterly befuddled by the hot wind.

"Wangzhi will understand me one day."

Men, when young, are prone to infatuation; but as they age, they come to realize, is there such a thing as lifelong fidelity?

The beautifully delicate flower buds before his eyes were on the verge of bursting forth, even a sage would find it hard to resist.

—

The doctor that Xing Bing found was from the village itself, surnamed Yao, with the single given name Ru. He had just registered as a resident of Huaxi Village two days ago, living in three simple thatched huts on the western side of Feng Yun’s estate, a family of seven.

In these troubled times, social interactions are straightforward—no questions about the past.

The morning Yao Ru moved in, his wife Wang, mustering her courage, came to Changmen Village to borrow two jin of white flour, saying that the children were craving large white steamed buns and couldn’t be pacified.

Alou had the kitchen give it to her, and Wang, grateful beyond words, returned ten jin of millet that night.

She had arrived just as Xing Bing’s second son had a runny nose and was immediately brought to see Yao Ru for treatment. Using the few medical herbs he had, Yao Ru brewed a medicinal soup for him to drink before sending him back home. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Medicinal herbs were precious and expensive at the time, yet the Yao Family did not hoard them privately, so Changmen Village could not be too stingy. Moreover, having a doctor as a neighbor was a tremendous boon.

Feng Yun had Xing Bing’s wife, Xu, bring a cut of meat and about twenty jin of rice to the Yao Family, sending along consultation fees with profuse thanks. Over time, the relationship between the two families became closer.

Alou had been beaten until he passed out, only coming to with agonizing screams of pain.

When Feng Yun entered, Doctor Yao was sitting by the bed, tending to his wounds...

"Young lad, just bear it a little, and it will be okay."

Just as Alou was about to let out a wail of agony, he caught sight of Feng Yun and clamped his mouth shut, his face contorted with deep furrows, resembling a crumpled dumpling.

Feng Yun asked about his injuries, and upon hearing from Doctor Yao that there were no internal injuries, she felt relieved and teased Alou.

"If it hurts, it’s okay to cry out loud. A real man doesn’t suffer in silence."

Alou pursed his lips, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Lady... I’m not in pain."

"How can you not be in pain with injuries like that?" Feng Yun looked at his pitiable state, "Rest assured, I’ll take revenge for you. As for that Wei, let him go hungry for a day before we talk."

No food after a day’s work?

Alou thought about it and felt it was quite satisfying retaliation.

But deep down, he also felt very sad and aggrieved.

Alou knew that the General was in the lady’s room.

But he had not anticipated that neither the General nor the lady, upon hearing his cries as he was brutally beaten by that man Wei, would come out to back him up.

Until the moment he fainted, Alou had felt deeply desolate inside...

A servant’s life is cheap.

Without a father, without a mother.

Even if beaten to death, what of it?

However, when he awoke and heard that the man Wei and those haughty Imperial Guards had been sent to clear the wilderness, his anger dissipated...

Just like that time when he was forced to extort Wang Dian while injured, it was all for the sake of everyone at Changmen Academy, to ensure a good life for all, with enough to eat.

If everyone could lead a better life, what did it matter if he, Alou, suffered some injuries?

The cabin was silent.

After Doctor Yao finished applying the medicine and took his leave, Feng Yun finally spoke up.

"What are you thinking about?"

Alou’s face flickered between sorrow and joy, as he shook his head, "This humble one isn’t thinking about anything."

Feng Yun snorted with a chuckle, "Alou, you have worked so hard and your contributions are immense. What reward would you like to receive?"

Alou was slightly taken aback.

He looked into the young woman’s eyes.

Why? It seemed as though the young woman could see through his thoughts.

Alou felt a bit ashamed for his selfish thoughts.

Before Feng Yun could speak again, he had already lowered his head, "This humble one desires no reward... This humble one was merely beaten up and did nothing well, not deserving of any credit."

"Nonsense!" Feng Yun said sternly, looking at him, "The greatest merit today is yours. Without that beating you endured, how could the General and I have managed to subdue that man named Wei? How could we have turned the tables on him?"

Alou had initially thought little of himself, but upon hearing Feng Yun’s words, he felt that he indeed was remarkable.

In the past, faced with a noble like Wei Zheng, he would have surely knelt down and begged for mercy.

But today, he behaved appropriately in front of the noble, without disgracing the young woman, except for the part where he was stepped on and beaten brutally. For the rest, he quite looked the part of a steward.

Alou rolled over, wanting to get up...

However, as soon as he moved his injury, he cried out in pain.

Then, gritting his teeth, he looked at Feng Yun with a grin, hissing in pain.

"It was worth it. Absolutely worth it. If there’s such a task next time, let this humble one do it again... I... I am accustomed to it..."

"There won’t be a next time," said Feng Yun gently, pausing between each word, "Today, I have wronged you. Please forgive me."

Alou was astonished, his mouth agape.

"My lady... What do you mean by this?"

Feng Yun lowered her eyes slightly, "All of you follow me, yet I am not capable enough to protect you well... This was why I had to resort to such a desperate strategy. It’s my weakness and incompetence... Alou, if there’s a next time, I hope we can employ a simpler and more forceful way to strike back, instead of having to endure beatings and make compromises..."

Alou stared at her blankly, and suddenly, he burst into tears.

Though there was indeed grievance, at that moment, he found relief.

The young woman was only seventeen, even younger than him, yet she shouldered such a heavy burden, always thinking of how to protect them, and even apologizing to him...

All of Alou’s pride had been smoothed out.

He sobbed loudly, unable to open his eyes and too afraid to wipe them...

Tears streaming down onto his wounds made them sting even more, making his crying even fiercer.

Seeing that things were not looking good, Feng Yun hurriedly took the clean gauze Doctor Yao had left and personally wiped his tears for him.

"Don’t cry, no more crying; if you cry any more, the wounds will get infected..."

Alou sniffed and pouted, finally managing to stop his tears and broke into a grin.

Feng Yun also smiled with him, her eyes red, "This injury will take some time to heal."

"It’s fine, this humble one is not afraid of pain."

"Still trying to be tough? You should learn a few self-defense moves from Xing Bing and the others when you have time, not to fight but at least to dodge a few blows..."

The master and servant spoke from the bottom of their hearts.

Outside the door, Ao Qi also had red eyes, quietly watching Pei Jue who stood before him.

"Uncle, do you think the same as the young lady?"

Others might not know of Pei Jue’s visits to Feng Yun’s room, but Ao Qi had seen it with his own eyes.

These past few nights, his uncle had been sneaking in late at night. Each time the uncle entered, the light in the young woman’s room would go out...

As Ao Qi tossed and turned alone, his mind would repeatedly contemplate what the two would say or do, causing a torment that felt like a purgatory...

Today, while Alou was being beaten, Ao Qi initially did not step in because he was thinking of Pei Jue.

With the uncle stepping in, no one would dare to be reckless.

Sadly, he didn’t wait for Pei Jue to appear and finally had to draw his ring-headed saber, ready to strike...

"I never understood why my uncle would visit the estate late at night, but now I realize there was such deep meaning..."

At this point, Ao Qi respectfully bowed to Pei Jue.

"Your nephew has misunderstood you, uncle. Please accept my apology."

Before he could finish his bow, Pei Jue’s cold voice came from above.

"You have misunderstood nothing."

Ao Qi slowly looked up, meeting those unruffled dark eyes.

Pei Jue was as indifferent as ever, "Just like the Feng Family, I have no heart."

Ao Qi: "Uncle?"

"To achieve one’s goals, one must not hesitate to sacrifice others."

Having said that evenly, Pei Jue turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Ao Qi had a moment of daze, questioning if he had heard wrong. How could anyone admit they have a heartless nature?

But no, the uncle has always been ruthless. Yet the young woman wasn’t like that.

She was so gentle, apologizing to Alou so sincerely...