Chapter 160: Wish Fulfilled, Impeached on the Day of Leaving the Capital
Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Wish Fulfilled, Impeached on the Day of Leaving the Capital
Pei Shaoqing and Jiang Xiaoyun were deep in a pleasant conversation.
Suddenly, Jiang Yuechan made a graceful entrance, a fragrant breeze seemingly accompanying her.
Though she was young enough to be a modern university student, her hair was done up in a mature matron’s bun. She wore a blue and white chest-high dress, and her ample assets were quite prominent.
"Second Brother." She first greeted Jiang Xiaoyun before turning to Pei Shaoqing. "Greetings, Lord Pingyang."
"Fourth Maiden." Pei Shaoqing gave a slight nod.
Jiang Xiaoyun asked, "Fourth Sister, what are you doing here?"
"Lord Pingyang is my savior. How could I not keep him company when he’s visiting our home?" Jiang Yuechan said to her second brother with a charming pout, sitting down opposite Pei Shaoqing.
As she sat, the hem of her dress rode up, revealing not only her exquisite slippers but also a tantalizing section of calf wrapped in white silk, making one yearn for a better look.
Jiang Xiaoyun shook his head helplessly. "I suppose I was so engrossed in my conversation with Brother Pei that I forgot. I should have called you out to greet him earlier."
The Jiang Family wanted to ease the tension with Pei Shaoqing, and he was happy to oblige. Between the life debt he was owed for saving Jiang Yuechan and their tacit agreement regarding Tang Zhi, their relationship rapidly grew closer—at least, they appeared very close on the surface.
"Brother Jiang considers me a friend, so I naturally see the Fourth Maiden as a sister. There’s no need for such formalities. Please, don’t keep bringing up the matter of me saving your life," Pei Shaoqing said, his expression turning stern in mock displeasure.
A captivating smile played on Jiang Yuechan’s lips. "In that case, I suppose I will have to call Lord Pingyang ’Brother’ from now on."
"As it should be," Pei Shaoqing said with a laugh.
The three of them got along splendidly, so when dinnertime arrived, it was only natural that Pei Shaoqing was invited to stay and eat at the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion.
"Last time at Ningxiang Courtyard, we didn’t get to drink our fill. Since Brother Pei is returning to Tongzhou tomorrow, we must drink until we drop today!" Jiang Xiaoyun said enthusiastically during the meal.
Pei Shaoqing replied with gusto, "Naturally! Let’s drink our fill. I’m not going home sober tonight."
He shot a subtle glance at Jiang Yuechan.
Jiang Yuechan gave a slight roll of her eyes.
Then, the two of them teamed up to get Jiang Xiaoyun drunk.
In his own home, with his dear sister present, Jiang Xiaoyun let his guard down completely, downing cup after cup.
Soon, he was slumped over the table, dead to the world.
"Brother Jiang? Brother Jiang?" Pei Shaoqing, his own face flushed from the alcohol, patted Jiang Xiaoyun.
Jiang Xiaoyun’s eyes were closed, and he mumbled drowsily, "Let’s drink more... I’m not drunk..."
"He’s drunk," said Jiang Yuechan.
She had also drunk a fair amount, and her cheeks were as red as sunset clouds.
Pei Shaoqing immediately stood, walked over, and embraced her from behind. "Yuechan, my dear, I’ve missed you something fierce."
He had the very look of a classic lecher from a storybook.
"Ah! Brother Pei, what are you doing? My second brother is right here!" Jiang Yuechan struggled, flustered.
Pei Shaoqing leaned in close to her ear. "Doesn’t this make it more exciting? Besides, Second Brother Jiang is dead drunk."
As he spoke, he forcefully lifted Jiang Yuechan as if she were a little chick, turned her around, and pressed her onto the table. The bowls and chopsticks he knocked over clattered loudly.
"Don’t! It’s too fast, Brother Pei..." Jiang Yuechan’s face was beet red, whether from shame or the alcohol, it was hard to say.
Pei Shaoqing said, his breath ragged, "I’m returning to Tongzhou tomorrow. After we part, who knows when I’ll see you again. Can you really be so cruel, Yuechan?"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuechan, her eyes already hazy with desire, bit her red lip and whispered, "Close the door."
"Good girl, Yuechan. Today, I will relieve you of the suffering of your three-year widowhood and bring you to your wit’s end." Pei Shaoqing gave her a kiss before turning to shut the door.
Jiang Yuechan glanced at her snoozing second brother. Her heart raced and her throat went dry. "Are we really going to... do it here? Why don’t we go to my room?"
’My first time having a secret affair, and it’s right in front of my own brother. It’s so intense.’ She felt a little shy.
"Go to your room? What if one of the servants sees us?" Pei Shaoqing asked softly.
It was the middle of the afternoon, not nighttime.
Jiang Yuechan realized he was right and said no more.
Pei Shaoqing took his time admiring her figure.
Because she was draped over the dining table, her backside seemed especially full and her waist curved gracefully. The hem of her dress was pinned beneath her, leaving her beautiful legs completely exposed, looking even straighter and more slender in their thin, white silk stockings.
Her mind full of anxious thoughts about what was to come, Jiang Yuechan had already tensed her body in preparation, but a long moment passed with no action. Blushing, she turned her head back and called out softly, "Brother Pei?"
"Yuechan, you’re so beautiful," Young Master Pei praised.
Jiang Yuechan’s eyes were sultry as she bit her lip and whispered, "Please hurry. I’m afraid my second brother will wake up."
’Just get it over with,’ she thought. ’Based on her experience from her first marriage, something like this wouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes, even at a slow pace.’
"Alright, my dear Yuechan, here I come."
As the old saying goes: He who has found his way must pour himself into it completely.
Following the wisdom of the sages, Pei Shaoqing poured his very essence into the task.
Jiang Yuechan hadn’t expected Pei Shaoqing to last so long. Afterward, having finally gotten what she’d long desired, she ignored her exhaustion and forced her weary body to get dressed quickly.
She was terrified her second brother would wake up at any moment.
"You won’t get pregnant, will you?" Pei Shaoqing, now also dressed, finally voiced a concern about an unwanted consequence.
Jiang Yuechan shot him a look. ’You didn’t seem too worried about that a moment ago,’ she thought, before whispering, "I have my ways."
"Good." Pei Shaoqing didn’t press the matter.
After all, this world had its share of fantastical elements. The great noble houses all had their own methods of contraception.
"Bastard!" Jiang Xiaoyun suddenly yelled.
Jiang Yuechan jumped, pulling away from Pei Shaoqing’s embrace. "Second Brother, what’s wrong?"
"My head hurts," Jiang Xiaoyun said groggily, rubbing his forehead. His gaze drifted between Jiang Yuechan and Pei Shaoqing, making both of them feel guilty.
After a long moment, Jiang Xiaoyun’s eyes finally settled on Pei Shaoqing. "I can’t believe I passed out. You must be laughing at me, Brother Pei. I really was too greedy with the wine today."
"I’m not much of a drinker myself; I’ve just been barely holding on. Since you’re awake, Brother Jiang, I’ll take my leave now." Freshly satisfied, Pei Shaoqing was ready to make his exit.
Jiang Xiaoyun tried to stand but gave up. "Yuechan, see Brother Pei out for me."
"Alright," Jiang Yuechan replied obediently.
After seeing Pei Shaoqing out, she returned to the dining hall. She found Jiang Xiaoyun sitting motionlessly in a daze and asked, "Second Brother, what are you thinking about?"
"I just had a dream," Jiang Xiaoyun muttered. "I dreamed that bastard Pei Shaoqing took advantage of my drunken state and... had his way with you on this very table, right in front of me."
A cold sweat instantly broke out on Jiang Yuechan’s back. She knew her brother must have seen her shameful act with Pei Shaoqing in his half-awake state. More than shame, she felt fear.
Her face a little pale, she put on a brave front and pouted. "Second Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I’m your own sister! Do you think I’m that shameless? Besides, Brother Pei is an upright man. How could he possibly bully me?"
She could only pray that her brother truly believed it was just a dream.
"Of course, I know that. That’s why I said it was a dream," Jiang Xiaoyun explained, then added under his breath, "It’s just... the dream felt a little too real."
It was as if it had happened right in front of him. Even his sister’s unseemly cries in the dream had been crystal clear.
Of course, as her older brother, he couldn’t very well go into the fine details of a dream about his sister doing *that* with another man.
"I can’t be bothered with you!" Her conscience nagging at her, Jiang Yuechan snorted, stomped her foot, and stormed away in a huff.
Jiang Xiaoyun shook his head, rubbing his temples with a sigh. ’What kind of nonsense am I dreaming about?’
When he first woke up, he had stared at Pei Shaoqing and Jiang Yuechan because he suspected they had actually done something illicit while he was passed out.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He remained convinced it had all been a dream.
There were two reasons for this. First, in the dream, Pei Shaoqing was a man of... great endowments. How could anyone really be that big?
As a man, he refused to believe it.
Second, his dream had been intermittent, lasting for a long time. From the time he passed out to when he woke up, more than an hour had passed. How could Pei Shaoqing possibly last that long?
As a man, he refused to believe that either.
Jiang Xiaoyun then noticed the messy state of the table and rubbed his face in frustration. ’I must have made a drunken scene again. How embarrassing, in front of a guest, too.’
Having had his fill, so to speak, a refreshed Pei Shaoqing went around the Capital City to bid farewell to his various acquaintances.
He also paid a visit to Nun Miaoyin, instructing her to remain in the Capital City and spread the Buddhist Teachings. This would allow her to befriend the wives of various powerful families, which would be useful for clearing Xu Yong’s name in the future.
..........
「Five days after the holiday.」
Pei Shaoqing left.
He left at dawn, so not many people knew.
And so, not many came to see him off.
There was only Zhou Rui.
As a reward for his good brother’s unwavering loyalty, Pei Shaoqing had given him a ten-percent share of the business at Qian’s Cloth Shop in exchange for helping to look after the store.
After all, with the explosive popularity of the risqué lingerie, someone was bound to target Qian’s Cloth Shop. Since he would be away from the Capital City, his reach would be limited. Zhou Rui, however, was someone he could count on to step up when needed.
"Even if you escort a friend a thousand miles, you must eventually part. Please, go no further, Brother Zhou. When I return to the Capital City, we will drink until we pass out," Pei Shaoqing said, cupping his hands in a farewell gesture to Zhou Rui.
Zhou Rui nodded. "A safe journey, Brother Pei."
The two men bid each other take care. Pei Shaoqing then boarded his carriage and departed, while Zhou Rui stood watching until he was out of sight.
「Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, the morning court session was underway.」
"Do any of my dear ministers have further memorials to present?" After concluding a series of important state and military matters, Emperor Jingtai asked out of habit. If no one responded, the session would be dismissed.
"Your Majesty, this minister has a memorial to present!" an Imperial Censor standing at the very back of the hall suddenly stepped forward and announced loudly. "I wish to impeach Lord Pingyang, Pei Shaoqing, for corrupting public morals and subverting social order!"
The statement stunned the entire court.
All eyes turned to the low-ranking censor.
"Oh?" Emperor Jingtai’s tone was noncommittal.
The young, green-robed Imperial Censor spoke with a resonant, righteous voice. "The cardinal bonds of society are the standard for the people, and public morality is the foundation of the state! As a titled Lord, Pei Shaoqing of Pingyang has failed to uphold his station and set a proper example. Instead, he has stooped to the base trade of a merchant, creating such indecent items as risqué lingerie!
"These profane garments use seductive designs to bewitch the senses and decadent styles to corrupt our moral fabric! Yet now, they are sold openly in the market and have become dangerously popular, causing both men and women to lose their sense of shame and destroying the virtuous modesty of our maidens!
"I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict for the proper authorities to launch a full investigation into Pei Shaoqing’s unlawful affairs and punish him without mercy! Furthermore, I ask that you ban these indecent garments to right the hearts of the people and restore public decency. To do so would be a great blessing upon the state and all under Heaven!"
The Emperor did not reply immediately.
The other ministers also offered no opinion.
For a time, the hall was completely silent.