Chapter 47: Signs of a Fatuous Ruler, the New Hundred Households Commander Arrives
Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Signs of a Fatuous Ruler, the New Hundred Households Commander Arrives
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the window.
"Who is it?" Pei Shaoqing asked immediately.
"My Lord, it is I," General Li’s voice sounded from outside the window. "May I come in?"
Pei Shaoqing and Xie Qingwu glanced at each other. It was obvious General Li had just overheard the embarrassing sounds from inside; otherwise, he would have just pushed the door open and come right in.
"It’s all your fault!" As the primary source of the noise, Xie Qingwu was mortified and shot Pei Shaoqing a glare.
Pei Shaoqing spread his hands with a look of innocence. "The mouth is on my dear wife’s body. What does it have to do with me?"
"Just hurry up, clean yourself off, and get dressed," Xie Qingwu said, too lazy to argue with him, giving him a kick.
Only after they were both properly dressed and presentable did Pei Shaoqing summon General Li. "You can come in now."
General Li pushed open the window and hopped inside.
"My Lord, you are far too slow. You kept me waiting for a long time." General Li stood on his hind legs and said smugly, "I, on the other hand, am much faster. I can be intimate with three of my consorts at once, and it only takes half a quarter-hour."
"You seem quite proud of that," Pei Shaoqing said, speechless. ’Split between three cats, that’s less than three minutes per cat.’
General Li retorted righteously, "Of course! To experience carnal pleasure and complete the task of procreation in the shortest possible time, thereby freeing up more time for important matters... My Lord, is this not a beautiful thing?"
He paced around the room with his paws behind his back, shaking his head. "Speaking of which, I must be so bold as to offer a word of criticism. Your great enterprise is not yet complete, yet you already show the makings of a fatuous ruler, indulging in carnal pleasures. It’s a task that could be finished in a few breaths, yet you insist on dragging it out for half an hour.
I hope that in the future, My Lord, you will learn from me. Spend less time on matters between men and women and more time on your ambitions for supremacy. Be a Ming Monarch, a Holy Monarch!"
Pei Shaoqing’s face darkened, but he had no retort.
"Pfft—" Xie Qingwu burst out laughing. "General Li makes a good point," she said cheerfully. "From now on, I will help you supervise your master and ensure he tries to save time."
’It really was too long just now.’
’She was all swollen down there, like a steamed bun that had split open.’
"I can see you have the makings of a virtuous queen," General Li said, nodding in approval at Xie Qingwu.
Pei Shaoqing quickly changed the subject, looking at General Li. "Have your cats already departed?"
"Reporting to My Lord, the elite forces of the Mao Camp have already set off under the leadership of my calico consort. After she reaches the capital, she will first send a random message to test if the intelligence line has been successfully established. If there’s no word within two months, it most likely means something has gone wrong somewhere."
"Mm, then we’ll just have to wait," Pei Shaoqing said with a nod. He waved his hand. "Lights out. Time to rest."
That night, Xie Qingwu didn’t sleep on the soft couch. Instead, she very naturally slept in the same bed as Pei Shaoqing.
Their relationship had taken a huge step forward.
..................
"Congratulations on coming out of seclusion, Young Master. Your strength has greatly improved."
The next day at breakfast, Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zilan both offered their congratulations to Pei Shaoqing at the table.
"It’s hardly a great improvement. I’ve merely escaped the embarrassing situation of being completely powerless. I’m still far weaker than my wife," Pei Shaoqing said in a gentle and refined manner.
A curious look appeared in Liu Yuheng’s eyes. "I wonder what the Young Master’s current level of strength is? Of course, if you find the question impertinent, Young Master, then please pretend I never asked."
"Merely the Qi Condensation realm," Pei Shaoqing replied.
He said it so casually, but Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zilan were inwardly shocked. They hadn’t expected a single Spirit Pill to grant Young Master Pei a level of progress that would take others more than a decade of hard work.
It was no wonder, then, that the great clans and the Court had so many masters among their ranks; they simply controlled far more resources.
Liu Yuheng gave a smile that was half envious and half bitter. "Lan’Er is exceptionally talented and has practiced martial arts since she was a child, yet she is only at the middle stage of Qi Condensation. In a single step, you have walked a path that took her more than ten years. It’s truly a cause for celebration."
"Ah!" Zhao Zilan suddenly cried out in surprise.
Liu Yuheng quickly asked, "What is it, Lan’Er?"
"N-nothing." Zhao Zilan shook her head, blushing furiously. Biting her red lip, she said, "I... I was just surprised at how much the Young Master’s strength improved after taking the Pill."
Meanwhile, Xie Qingwu noticed that one of Pei Shaoqing’s hands remained under the table. She immediately guessed what was happening and shot him a vicious glare, cursing him inwardly. ’Lewd and shameless!’
Although she had long intended to let Zhao Zilan, who had willingly offered herself up, help share the burden, she still felt a bit annoyed. She huffily focused on her food.
Pei Shaoqing’s hand, resting on Zhao Zilan’s leg, pinched the hem of her skirt and lifted it gently. The first thing he saw was a pair of spotless white silk stockings. As he lifted it further, her smooth, delicate calf was revealed, and he was instantly satisfied.
’Very good. Very obedient. Very well-behaved.’
He looked up and gave Zhao Zilan a small smile.
But Zhao Zilan didn’t dare to look him in the eye. She gripped her chopsticks tightly, head bowed, silently shoveling food into her mouth.
Ever since Pei Shaoqing had last mentioned it, she had stopped wearing trousers under her dress, wearing only a thin pair of short undergarments. Although no one could tell under normal circumstances, she still felt utterly ashamed.
Stroking the girl’s thigh, which was as smooth as polished jade, Pei Shaoqing’s appetite surged, and he ended up eating several extra bowls of breakfast.
After the meal, he took Ye Hanshuang and headed for the Hundred Households.
The moment he set foot in his office, Chen Zhongyi, Sun Youliang, and a group of other squad leaders immediately came to greet him.
"We congratulate you on coming out of seclusion, Sir!"
"Please rise, gentlemen." Pei Shaoqing gestured for them to stand, then looked at Sun Youliang. "Mingde, you went to see the Lu Households Commander. Did he have a letter for you to bring back?"
"He did." Sun Youliang responded, stepping forward at once to present the letter he had been carrying with him.
Pei Shaoqing took it, broke the seal, and began to read.
In the letter, the Lu Households Commander congratulated and praised him for killing the Kaiyang Saint Heir. He also mentioned that he had benefited from the affair and now owed Pei Shaoqing a favor, inviting him to be a guest at his manor in Jin Guan City whenever he had the time.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the new acting Hundred Households Commander, Zhou Xiangyang, had already set out, and expressed his hope that they would cooperate well together.
Pei Shaoqing put the letter down, looked up at the men, and asked, "Has Hundred Households Commander Zhou arrived yet?"
Hearing this, the men all looked at each other.
"Not yet, Sir," Sun Youliang replied.
Pei Shaoqing frowned. ’The Lu Households Commander wrote this letter over ten days ago. Logically, Zhou Xiangyang should have arrived long ago. Could he have also met with an accident on his way to his new post?’
Just then, accompanied by the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps, a Jing’an Guard ran in.
"Reporting, Sir! There is a man at the gate claiming to be an attendant of the new acting Hundred Households Commander. He says the acting Commander is about to enter the city through the north gate and that we should go and welcome him immediately."
The office instantly erupted in discussion.
"Speak of the devil."
"Why is he only arriving now? Even by carriage, the journey from Jin Guan City to Tongzhou doesn’t take this long."
"Sir!" Chen Zhongyi suddenly stepped forward, cupped his fist to Pei Shaoqing, and said, "In my humble opinion, this man deliberately delayed his journey to make a show of force. We should just refuse to send anyone to welcome him. That will let him know who’s really in charge here at the Hundred Households."
The others also chimed in, all agreeing that Pei Shaoqing shouldn’t lower himself to welcome the new Hundred Households Commander.
On the contrary, they should be the ones to put him in his place.
But Pei Shaoqing didn’t see it that way. He chuckled and said, "He is a superior, after all, and he has come a long way to take up his post. We should still welcome him. We don’t have to give him face, but we must at least give face to the Lu Households Commander."
’Civility before hostility.’
’Besides, a simple show of force is too weak.’
’He preferred to get things done in one decisive move.’
If the other party was sensible, he wouldn’t mind sharing some of the benefits, propping him up as a figurehead, and coexisting peacefully.
But if he wasn’t sensible, then on his very first day, Pei Shaoqing would break his spine, ensuring he would never dare to have any funny ideas and would obediently serve as a rubber stamp.