Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Sleepless Tonight: A Kitty’s Wrath, a River of Blood

As night fell, the Pei Mansion sank into a rare silence, broken only by the incessant chirping of insects.

"Darling," Pei Shaoqing called out.

Dressed only in a chemise and underpants, her beautiful hair unbound, Xie Qingwu was bent over preparing the bed. Without turning, she replied, "What is it, Husband?"

"I’m going out. You can go to sleep; I won’t be back tonight," Pei Shaoqing said calmly.

Xie Qingwu asked casually, "What for?"

"Yep," Pei Shaoqing answered frankly.

Xie Qingwu froze for a moment before the meaning of his response dawned on her. She stopped her work, turned to face him, and frowned. "You’re going to sleep with Zhao Zilan tonight?"

"What can I do? My dear wife won’t have me, so I have to find someone else." Pei Shaoqing couldn’t resist pushing her buttons.

Xie Qingwu scoffed. "Don’t you think you should at least give her a proper title first? Taking a concubine isn’t complicated. If you find it too troublesome, I can arrange it for you."

’A first wife must have the magnanimity of a first wife. In all of the Great Zhou, what capable man didn’t have a whole flock of wives and concubines?’

"I’ve already had someone buy a wedding gown and send it to her room. Tonight is our wedding night. We’ll handle the formalities later," Pei Shaoqing said unconcernedly.

Hearing that Pei Shaoqing had prepared a wedding gown, Xie Qingwu’s expression softened slightly, but she still couldn’t help but quip, "Usually, a woman sews her own wedding gown. But Miss Zhao has to wear one made by others for her wedding night with you. Thinking about it, she’s quite pitiful, really."

’I’m only making her wear the gown to spice things up. As if I could be bothered with all that,’ Pei Shaoqing thought.

"Enough talk, darling. Lan’Er’s over there waiting for the D, so I’ll be on my way." He turned to leave, only pausing at the door to add, "I took a pair of your Ice Silk Stockings for her, just so you could feel a little involved. Aren’t I the most thoughtful husband?"

"Husband, kindly get lost," Xie Qingwu said, ever so politely.

Pei Shaoqing let out a laugh, closed the door, and departed.

He arrived at Zhao Zilan’s room and pushed the door open, striding inside.

"Young Master!" Zhao Zilan, who had been sitting at the table writing, quickly stood up. She was dressed in a red wedding gown and matching embroidered shoes.

Pei Shaoqing closed the door and took a moment to look her over.

Her wedding gown was as radiant as the sunset, with a pattern of paired phoenixes embroidered along the collar. The fabric strained against her full bosom, and the hem of the gold-and-red skirt, adorned with pearl tassels, draped all the way to the floor, trailing behind and hiding her shoes. Paired with her elaborate makeup and the golden crown of intertwined peonies on her head, she possessed an added air of dignified grace.

Zhao Zilan grew flustered under his gaze. It was her first time ever wearing a wedding gown. She lowered her head bashfully and murmured, "Young Master, please stop looking at me."

"You’re lovely. Why wouldn’t I look?" Pei Shaoqing smiled, walking over to her. "What are you writing?"

"A letter to my senior brother." As she spoke, Zhao Zilan glanced furtively at Pei Shaoqing out of the corner of her eye.

’According to her master’s wife, no matter how open-minded Pei Shaoqing might be, he was still a man. He would never accept the woman in his bed writing to another man on their wedding night.’

’Once he lost interest and stormed out in a huff...’

’...then Zhao Zilan would naturally be able to preserve her innocence for the night.’

"Oh?" Pei Shaoqing’s eyes lit up. He looked at Zhao Zilan and said, "You haven’t finished, have you? My apologies for interrupting. It’s alright, please, sit down and continue."

"Ah?" Zhao Zilan was stunned. ’This isn’t what my master’s wife said would happen.’ She replied blankly, "Oh."

She sat back down, but this time, though she held the brush, she couldn’t bring herself to write. She had no idea what to put down.

Suddenly, a violent tremor ran through her.

Pei Shaoqing had placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "What are you spacing out for, Lan’Er? Go on and write. I don’t mind."

Feeling his hot breath ghost across her earlobe and cheek, Zhao Zilan blushed beet-red in embarrassment.

She fought back her mortification, lifted the brush, and began to write.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I am doing very well in Tongzhou..."

Suddenly, the tip of her brush trembled, and the word "well" came out crooked.

It was because Pei Shaoqing’s hands had begun to roam.

"Young Master, don’t...!" Zhao Zilan said in a panic.

Pei Shaoqing tore open the collar of her gown, revealing a bright red chemise and a wide expanse of pale, smooth skin. He whispered, "Go on, Lan’Er. Keep writing."

Shame flooded Zhao Zilan’s heart. ’My master’s wife completely miscalculated,’ she thought. ’He doesn’t care about this at all.’

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She would deliberately write something intimate in the letter to incense Pei Shaoqing and drive him away.

"Senior Brother, I read your letter. I’ve been thinking of you so much lately, and I often dream of you at night..."

All at once, the brush pressed down hard, and the word "you" was blotted out by a smear of black ink.

It was because Pei Shaoqing had suddenly swept her into his arms. Her crimson gown was in disarray, and beneath the hem, her beautiful legs, clad in black Ice Silk, were utterly captivating. The red embroidered shoes created a stark contrast against the black.

"Young Master..." She looked back at Pei Shaoqing pitifully, tears welling in her eyes. On the verge of sobbing, she pleaded, "I’m not ready yet. Young Master, please just give me a little more time. I’ll do anything for you..."

"No, I’ll be *your* ox and horse," Pei Shaoqing cut her off, then added silently in his mind, ’As long as you let me graze.’

’In modern society, many of those "oxen and horses" not only didn’t get any grass to eat, they barely even got paid.’

’So, as long as someone was willing to let him graze...’

’...he didn’t mind being the ox that plowed their field.’

Zhao Zilan gritted her teeth and played her final card. Gasping for breath, she said, "Young Master, it’s... it’s really not a good time for me tonight. My monthly visitor just arrived."

The smile on Pei Shaoqing’s face instantly froze.

He reached down to check, and sure enough, his hand found the Scripture Pavilion.

"Young Master..." Zhao Zilan’s heart pounded, and her voice trembled. "I’m so sorry. My cycle has been irregular lately... I wasn’t expecting it at all, and I was afraid of spoiling your fun, so I didn’t know how to tell you."

The blood on her sanitary belt wasn’t her own, but blood that Liu Yuheng had drawn from her own body to stage the deception.

"Since you’re indisposed, Lan’Er, we can postpone the consummation. For tonight, we’ll simply have to find another path," Pei Shaoqing said in a gentle voice.

After all, he couldn’t let her make a bloody mess of things.

’A man of my caliber must be brave enough to forge a new path.’

Zhao Zilan had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.

In her mind, as long as she could preserve her virginity before being formally instated, anything else was acceptable. She nodded sweetly and replied, "I am willing to do anything for you, Young Master."

That night, her tears fell like rain, and her cries were endless.

*A song of the courtyard flower, a lament too sorrowful to hear.*

—The Tang Dynasty’s Liu Yuxi, from *Thoughts on Ancient Jinling*.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

In the deep mountains near Tongzhou City, a group of cats marched in formation. At their head was none other than General Li.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the woods—RUSTLE, RUSTLE—and two mottled gray cats leaped out from the bushes.

They walked up to General Li and meowed several times.

General Li was overjoyed. "Lead the way!"

The two mottled gray cats turned and ran back the way they came.

"Follow them," General Li commanded.

After a march of about half an hour, the troop of cats passed through a dense bamboo forest. The view suddenly opened up to reveal vast fields of ethereal blue flowers. The flowers had no leaves, and they swayed gently in the night breeze.

"So many Soul-Attracting Flowers! My soldiers, charge!"

At General Li’s command, the cats behind him swarmed forward, rushing into the field of flowers to begin harvesting them.

"ROAR!" Suddenly, a ferocious roar echoed out.

Accompanied by footsteps that made the ground tremble, an enormous wild boar with protruding tusks and a sleek, glistening coat charged furiously toward General Li, snorting and panting. SNORT, SNORT!

"An assassin! Protect me! My loyal subjects, to me!"

General Li’s face went pale with fright. He spun around and scurried up a tree in a flash, loudly calling for his subordinates to fall back and assist him.

The soldiers of the Mao Camp were worthy of their elite status. Faced with a wild boar that vastly outsized them, they showed no fear, instead charging forward to engage the enemy.

They used their superior speed and smaller size to harass the boar, sending it running frantically in circles. They would seize any opening to land a scratch on its face or sink their teeth into its hide.

General Li perched on his branch, watching his soldiers’ fearless bravery. His heart swelled with pride. ’With such an elite force,’ he mused, ’perhaps I could become my lord’s lord?’

The boar, exhausted and panting, began to slow down. It stopped, glanced up at General Li in the tree, then turned and fled without a second look.

"Excellent! Under my brilliant command, you all have achieved victory in your first battle! When I return to the city, I shall ask our lord for rewards for all of you. Now, harvest the flowers!" General Li meowed.

With a chorus of meows, the cats charged back into the flower field.

But before they could even begin harvesting...

...the sound of the boar’s footsteps echoed once more.

’A defeated foe dares to return!’

General Li’s eyes widened, his gaze imposing.

"What stray cats are these, daring to steal from this place?" The returning boar now carried a young man on its back.

’This is bad,’ General Li thought. His ferocious aura vanished in an instant. He quickly let out a few meows, ordering an immediate retreat, and the cats scattered in all directions.

He was the last to leap from the treetop and depart.

The young man on the boar’s back chuckled softly, watching the direction General Li had vanished. He patted the boar’s head. "That cat, just like you, has gained Spiritual Wisdom."

The boar nuzzled his palm affectionately.

In the darkness, General Li led his grand army back toward the city, his face a mask of indignation. ’Despicable pig! Despicable human! How dare they steal my flowers! They’ve truly courted death!’

’Stupid pig, just you wait.’

’I’ll go report to my lord at once!’

’So we’re calling for backup, are we? As if I don’t know how!’

’You will soon learn the consequences of angering me!’

’When a cat gets angry, rivers of blood will flow!’

.........

「At dawn, the rooster’s crow greeted the brightening sky.」

Pei Shaoqing opened his eyes.

He turned his head to see Zhao Zilan lying beside him. The tear tracks on her face had dried, but her delicate body, which should have been pristine and white, was now covered in handprints, red marks, and even a few faint bruises.

Torn Ice Silk, a stained chemise, and the red embroidered shoes and wedding gown were all carelessly discarded on the floor.

A clear testament to the intensity of the previous night’s "battle."

Zhao Zilan groggily opened her eyes. When she turned her head and saw Pei Shaoqing watching her, she blushed furiously and lowered her gaze in shame. "Young Master."

Recalling the events of the previous night, she was overcome with shame.

Last night had truly been an ordeal.

"You get some rest. I’m leaving." Pei Shaoqing rose and called for a maid to help him wash and dress. Once he was ready, he started for the door, but paused before leaving. "Remember to send that... heartfelt... letter to your senior brother."

Under his supervision, Zhao Zilan had finished the letter last night. The paper was now covered in the dried stains of her tears, drool, and sweat.

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