Chapter 140: The Aggressive Noble Consort Wan, The Lord Has an Order
Chapter 140: Chapter 140: The Aggressive Noble Consort Wan, The Lord Has an Order
Near the Imperial Kitchen was a hall named Chengfu Hall.
Emperor Jingtai would host receptions for visiting officials here. Because it was close to the Imperial Kitchen, it ensured the dishes were at their freshest and most perfect state when served.
At this moment, aside from the eunuchs and palace maids standing with their heads bowed, only Noble Consort Wan and Pei Shaoqing were in the hall.
"All of you, leave my presence." Noble Consort Wan set down her bowl and chopsticks, her expression blank, and dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
The palace maids and eunuchs filed out with their heads lowered.
Pei Shaoqing knew she was about to make trouble. He immediately rose to take his leave. "Your Highness, please enjoy your meal. Your servant will take his leave now."
"Stay." Noble Consort Wan snapped. With a humorless smile, she said, "The dishes have just been served. The Baron of Pingyang has barely had a few bites and already wishes to leave? Are you dissatisfied that His Majesty is not here to personally accompany you? Or is the food in the Imperial Palace far inferior to that of the Pei Mansion?"
"Your servant is merely distressed that His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to eat his fill. How could I harbor such thoughts?" Hearing the vile woman pin such a vicious accusation on him, Pei Shaoqing quickly denied it, adding, "The Imperial Kitchen’s cuisine is exquisite and unparalleled. It cannot be compared to the humble fare of my household."
"Hmph!" Noble Consort Wan glided forward, her long skirt trailing behind her, until she stood before Pei Shaoqing. Her tone was flat. "Then why the hurry to leave? Are you deliberately trying to make His Majesty think I’ve been a poor hostess and have slighted you?"
"Your servant would never dare!" Though he was utterly unwilling, constrained by the damn etiquette of this god-awful feudal society, Pei Shaoqing immediately dropped to his knees.
’What goes around, comes around. He was finally getting a taste of what Gongsun Yi must have felt back then. Even though he could easily crush Noble Consort Wan, right now, he could only play the part of a coward.’
’There’s always someone richer, always someone more powerful.’
Looking down at Pei Shaoqing kneeling before her, Noble Consort Wan felt a refreshing satisfaction, like drinking iced honey water on a scorching summer day. But this alone was not enough.
She casually dragged a chair over, settled her round bottom onto it, and lifted an embroidered shoe, presenting it before Pei Shaoqing. Her voice was light. "I’ve walked a great deal today, and my feet are a little sore. Pei Qing, rub them for me."
Pei Shaoqing, who had been kneeling respectfully with his rear raised, snapped his head up and stared blankly at Noble Consort Wan.
The look in his eyes made Noble Consort Wan’s heart tremble.
But this quickly turned into humiliated fury.
"What, can Pei Qing not understand plain language?" Noble Consort Wan sneered, her eyes filled with contempt and ridicule as the tip of her shoe wiggled gently in front of Pei Shaoqing.
Though she couldn’t continue her revenge against Pei Shaoqing, nothing was stopping her from humiliating him and venting her frustration.
"As... Your servant obeys."
When in the Imperial Palace, one has no choice but to yield.
Pei Shaoqing suppressed the rage in his heart, took hold of Noble Consort Wan’s proffered foot, and gently removed her embroidered shoe.
Beneath the thin, black Ice Silk, her small, jade-white foot was revealed. The skin was fine and delicate, so tender it seemed it might break at a touch. The veins on her instep were faintly visible, and the red polish on her nails created a stark contrast with her skin. Holding it, even through the fine, smooth silk stocking, it felt supple and was the perfect size.
Seeing Pei Shaoqing, the man who had beaten her beloved nephew to death, now kneeling before her to massage her feet, Noble Consort Wan’s face was filled with smug satisfaction. Her words were just as cutting. "Does Marquis Weiyuan know his son is a shameless, sycophantic courtier?"
"What does Your Highness mean by that?" Pei Shaoqing asked.
Noble Consort Wan scoffed. "Presenting that kind of clothing to His Majesty—is that not sycophancy? Are you not a treacherous courtier? The Censors would drown you in their spittle."
She had to admit, his technique was quite good. She kicked off her other shoe and extended that foot as well.
’In his past life, Pei Shaoqing was a master of the Taoist arts.’
’The Way of the foot is still a Way, and the Art of the hand is still an Art.’
"Your servant is also doing this for Your Highness’s own good. Helping His Majesty regain his manly vigor will also allow Your Highness’s middle and ring fingers to rest easy and grow out your nails," Pei Shaoqing said coolly.
Noble Consort Wan froze. She subconsciously glanced at her own bare right middle and ring fingers, and instantly understood. Her face flushed crimson, and she shrieked in a mix of shame and anger, "You’re insolent! How dare you take liberties with me!"
She raised her foot to kick him in the face.
"Your Highness, please conduct yourself with dignity." Pei Shaoqing grabbed her ankle, his voice a cold warning. "I advise Your Highness to know when to stop. Do not go too far."
"I am the master, you are the subject. So what if I choose to bully you today?" Noble Consort Wan tried to kick him with her other foot, but Pei Shaoqing caught that one as well.
She struggled violently. "Let go of me."
"As Your servant commands." Pei Shaoqing abruptly let go.
"Ah!" In the middle of her struggle, Noble Consort Wan instantly toppled backward along with her chair, landing on the floor with her feet in the air. Her skirt slid down, revealing two long, slender legs wrapped in silk stockings and the full, round moons of her bottom. Burning with rage, she shouted, "Guards—"
Pei Shaoqing’s expression changed. If he let her summon someone and they saw this scene, he’d be branded with the crime of insubordination. He wouldn’t be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
He lunged forward, pinning Noble Consort Wan down and clamping a hand over her mouth. He threatened in a low voice, "Your servant advises Your Highness to think thrice. If people come in and see this, Your servant will surely be doomed, but do you think His Majesty will not hold a shred of resentment toward you? You may not care, but what about the Ninth Prince? He is one of the strongest contenders for the throne. Your Highness wouldn’t want the Ninth Prince to lose favor, would you?"
’Fuck it. If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.’
"Mmph! Mmph!" Noble Consort Wan’s beautiful eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Pei Shaoqing to be so audacious. But looking at the man pinning her down, she truly didn’t dare to call for help.
Emperors were the most selfish and cold-blooded creatures in the world. If she called for help now, she could certainly frame Pei Shaoqing for attempting to defile her and have him punished. But would the Emperor ever look at her the same way again?
Suddenly, her delicate body shuddered. Her face turned beet red, and she stared at Pei Shaoqing in disbelief.
"A natural reaction, Your Highness. Please forgive me." Pei Shaoqing could also feel he’d made a mistake with his positioning and quickly apologized.
Having been repressed for a long time, Noble Consort Wan’s heart began to race. Her whole body grew hot, and to hide her loss of composure, she shot Pei Shaoqing a vicious glare.
Seeing that her emotions had calmed, Pei Shaoqing had intended to let her go and get up. But when he noticed her breathing growing more and more ragged, as a seasoned casanova, he instantly understood her state and began to test the waters with his actions.
Noble Consort Wan let out a soft moan. Her body trembled, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and shame. She opened her mouth and bit down on Pei Shaoqing’s hand. As soon as he let go, she hissed in a low voice, "Are you insane? Let me up, now!"
"Does Your Highness truly want your servant to get up?" Pei Shaoqing asked, a teasing look in his eyes, seeing how much she was clearly enjoying it.
Noble Consort Wan was at a loss for words for a moment. Although she longed for him to storm her gates, her reason ultimately won out over her desire. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "Get up!"
"The only hard thing about Your Highness is your words," Pei Shaoqing said with a half-smile.
"You traitorous rebel... bastard."
"Audacious, treacherous slave..."
In the vast, empty hall, the courtier and the Noble Consort held each other tightly as waves of soft, melodious moans echoed.
About fifteen minutes later, Noble Consort Wan lay on the floor, her eyes glazed over.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. It was your servant who was impertinent." Pei Shaoqing released her, stepped back, and knelt respectfully.
Noble Consort Wan felt a sense of wistful loss. She lay on the floor for a while before picking herself up. She straightened her slightly disheveled robes and stared at Young Master Pei with a complicated expression. "You traitorous rebel, are you not afraid of death?"
"It is because Your Highness is a peerless beauty that your servant momentarily lost control," Pei Shaoqing said in a low voice, his head bowed.
"So now you’re blaming me? It’s clearly because of your audacious lechery!" Noble Consort Wan huffed, but a hint of smugness touched her face. She then said coldly, "You dog of a rebel. First, you kill my beloved nephew, and now you take advantage of me. If not for His Majesty’s mediation, I would have had your tendons pulled and your bones ripped out."
"His Majesty’s grace is vast and mighty. Your servant could never repay it in this lifetime!" Pei Shaoqing’s voice was firm.
Noble Consort Wan scoffed, a strange light glinting in her eyes. "You dare to touch a place in this world that only he is allowed to touch, and you call that repayment?"
She had long known that Pei Shaoqing was a lecher, but she never imagined he would dare to have improper thoughts about her.
"Your servant has satisfied Your Highness on His Majesty’s behalf. How is that not a form of repayment?" Pei Shaoqing retorted, looking up.
Noble Consort Wan was overcome with shame and anger. "Insolent! If you don’t watch your mouth, I’ll have you punished! Get out!"
"Yes, Your servant takes his leave." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly, got up, and left. After taking a few steps, he turned back and added coolly, "Your Highness, your body truly is... luscious."
Before she could erupt, he hurried away.
"You detestable bastard!" Noble Consort Wan’s chest heaved with rage and humiliation. She clenched her fists. "One day, I will grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"
...............
「In an alley behind the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.」
Having not dared to make a show of himself after entering the capital, General Li, who had taken off his Golden Armor, stared wide-eyed at his two subordinates.
He vaguely remembered these two cats being all muscle when they left Tongzhou. Now, they were as fat as two balls. If not for their scent, he wouldn’t have even recognized them.
"How long have you been in the capital? How could you debase yourselves and get this fat? Look at you! Is there any trace of the elite air of my Mao Camp left?" General Li stood on his hind legs, pointing at the two cats and scolding them with deep grief and resentment.
The two white cats said nothing, merely staring at General Li’s belly, which was a full size larger than their own.
General Li, who was fatter than both cats combined, sucked in his stomach and declared resolutely, "What are you looking at? How can you compare? This is a general’s belly! And you? Are you generals?"
The two white cats looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.
"Then that settles it. You are not generals, yet you dare to have generals’ bellies. That is a violation of protocol! It’s a grave offense! However, considering your hard work and great merit, this general will not pursue the matter." General Li stroked his whiskers and spoke with great seriousness.
The two cats kowtowed in thanks, their heads bobbing like they were pounding garlic.
General Li asked curiously, "What in the world have you two been eating? To swell up like this in such a short time?"
The two white cats led General Li to the back kitchen of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. After eating and drinking his fill, General Li, his mouth greasy, patted his belly and sighed, "I don’t blame you."
’Even the master would gain a few pounds living here.’
"Right, the master has an order." General Li suddenly remembered his duty and quickly wiped his mouth.
The two white cats, who had been lying in the same pose as him, quickly scrambled up, their expressions turning solemn as they waited for their orders.
"The master commands you to deliver a message to Sanhua. Tell him to carefully observe the deposed Crown Prince’s condition for the next few days."
"Meow!" the two white cats replied in unison.
"Get it done quickly." General Li nodded, then added, "You two, go in and steal a roast chicken for me. This general wants to bring it back for the master to try."