Chapter 43: To Take a Step Back, Is the Grand Tutor Really Blameless?

Pei Che lifted his eyelids, raising his gaze to see her with her head lowered, looking timid and guilty. He couldn’t help but laugh in anger.

“Do you think you’re blameless?” Just moments ago, she was so confident, thinking herself so brave, even impersonating someone else.

Jiang Shiyuan looked at him and nodded. “I am at fault. I made a huge mistake. I shouldn’t have gone to meet someone else when the Grand Tutor came to propose marriage.”

Pei Taifu fell silent.

The study was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Shiyuan silently observed Pei Che’s expression, waiting for his reaction.

Jiang Shiyuan had no idea what he was thinking. After a few moments, Pei Che looked up at her and asked, “Is everything settled?”

Clearly, he was asking about her situation with Shen Luchu.

After the series of misadventures today, Pei Taifu had easily figured everything out within an hour. Naturally, he couldn’t have missed the entanglements between her and Shen Luchu.

“Yes, everything’s settled,” Jiang Shiyuan answered, meeting his gaze and nodding.

“Then it’s fine,” Pei Che said, without saying anything else, as he lowered his head to pour himself some tea.

Jiang Shiyuan studied his expression, unsure if he was really no longer upset. “Grand Tutor, why don’t you punish me?”

Pei Che chuckled softly, indulging her. “Alright, how do you want to be punished? Copy books, or receive a beating?”

Just then, a wail from outside sounded—Pei Ziye was truly being beaten!

Jiang Shiyuan hurried over, grabbing the teapot from Pei Che’s hands and quickly pouring him a cup of tea, which she presented to him.

“Let me be your servant, Grand Tutor. I’ll serve you tea, sweep the floor, and grind ink, to atone for my mistake.”

The familiar words rang in Pei Che’s ears, and he thought back to the Liuli lamp and the Chengni inkstone he had cherished ten years ago, now shattered and lying forgotten in the warehouse corner.

Pei Taifu reached out and took the Ru kiln lotus bowl from her hands, rejecting her offer. “No need.”

Jiang Shiyuan refused to back down. “Let’s take a step back—doesn’t the Grand Tutor think today’s events are not your fault at all?”

“Pei Ziye caught someone because of me, and it was only after reading the books you sent that I had the idea of meeting others.”

Jiang Shiyuan leaned forward, holding the teacup in both hands and offering it to Pei Che, her gaze intense as she looked at him.

“The elders of the Pei family know that their Grand Tutor is so improper. You even sent such seductive and explicit books to your future wife, hmm?”

Her soft voice mixed with the fragrance of the tea drifted into his ears. Pei Che’s expression paused, his gaze moving past the teacup and landing on her slightly parted lips.

Her body was almost leaning towards him, and he could even see the fine hairs on her fair skin.

Jiang Shiyuan was still wearing men’s clothing, a round-collared dusk-purple robe, tightly cinched at the waist, accentuating her slender figure.

It was his old clothes.

Pei Che swallowed, then lowered his head to sip the tea she handed him. “How much monthly allowance do you need this time?”

Ten years ago, when she said she would sell herself to pay a debt, she threw a tantrum and insisted on first settling a monthly allowance, saying she would clear the debt once she had the money.

He paid for half a year, but in the end, she never came.

Jiang Shiyuan’s eyes lit up at the words. Was that agreement, or was he no longer angry?

Her eyes curved into a smile. “To make amends, how can I take monthly payments? I won’t take any money from you, Grand Tutor. In fact, I have a gift for you.”

“Ta-da~~”

Jiang Shiyuan pulled a grass grasshopper from her sleeve.

It was made from dry straw in the prison.

“Grand Tutor, this is for you.” Jiang Shiyuan presented it like a treasure, leaning forward again.

Pei Che looked at it with disdain, picking it up between two fingers, not knowing what it was.

“What is this? A prison souvenir?”

“Poisoned tongue!”

But Jiang Shiyuan didn’t mind, pointing to the crooked grasshopper she had made herself.

“This is a grasshopper! I know, Grand Tutor, you have golden tortoises, jade cicadas, and all kinds of rare treasures, but do you have a hand-woven grasshopper made from prison hay? No, right?”

“If I’m giving a gift, of course, it has to be something unique in the world, something you don’t have, Grand Tutor!”

She knew that if she didn’t give something special, how would the Grand Tutor remember her?

She understood this logic at the age of eight.

“And, this time, I’m giving it to you in person.” Jiang Shiyuan smiled sweetly at him.

Utter nonsense!

She could spin a tale out of a dry straw!

Pei Che looked at her with disdain but then turned his wrist. The grasshopper, originally held between his fingers, landed in the palm of his hand.

He turned to look at the paperwork on his desk, no longer looking at her.

“Tomorrow, I have the morning court, and I don’t know when I’ll be out of the palace. If you want to see me, wait for me at the Grand Tutor’s residence.”

Jiang Shiyuan looked at the ugly grasshopper he had accepted, and a smile tugged at her lips, her whole being radiating joy.

Now, she was sure—Pei Taifu was no longer angry with her.

The Grand Tutor was actually quite easy to appease.

“Alright, I’ll come to find you tomorrow.”

Jiang Shiyuan stood up to take her leave and stepped out of the study.

Once her footsteps faded into the distance, Pei Che finally lifted his head.

He looked at the ugly grasshopper on his desk and smiled bitterly.

What’s so unique about it?

She didn’t remember, but on October 7th of the 21st year of the Kangzheng era, at the temple fair in the south of the city, she bought the most majestic grasshopper at the fair.

She gave it his name and put it on his account.

Pei Che sneered, casually tossing the grasshopper into a hidden compartment nearby.

With a soft clink, the already yellowed and broken grasshopper was joined by another one, just as ugly and made of dry straw.

…

Jiang Shiyuan exited the study and immediately went to find Pei Zanxue.

When she arrived, Pei Zanxue was kneeling on a prayer mat, looking sincerely remorseful.

Jiang Shiyuan was startled. “I thought you were only pretending. Why are you really kneeling?”

Pei Zanxue replied, “I’m repenting. I feel guilty for writing my uncle’s death. He was so good, how could I write him dead?”

Jiang Shiyuan was taken aback. “So, the villain in ‘The Flower Pin Chronicles’ who was deeply in love but ended up crushed and burned—was that your uncle?”

Pei Zanxue nodded. “At that time, my uncle was too harsh with us. He said my writing made no sense. Out of anger, I included him in the story.”

Jiang Shiyuan nodded in understanding, recalling that she had once had the same thought herself.

“Zanxue, why did you call him ‘Noodle Scholar’? It’s so funny. If you hadn’t called him that, I wouldn’t have been curious, and we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Jiang Shiyuan asked, curious.

Pei Zanxue sighed. “I joined the business too late. All the good names like ‘Jade-faced Scholar,’ ‘White-faced Scholar,’ and ‘Iron-faced Scholar’ were already taken. So, I came up with ‘Noodle Scholar,’ since I love noodles.”

Jiang Shiyuan chuckled and explained the reason for her visit. She needed to borrow a few sets of men’s clothing.

She would need them tomorrow, and it was too late to make any now.

Pei Zanxue narrowed his eyes. “I have some, enough for you. I’ll have someone send them to you.”

She was more capable than anyone else—who needed a strategist?

After chatting for a while longer, Jiang Shiyuan got up to leave.

As she passed through the backyard, she saw Pei Ziye lying on a long bench, groaning. He had barely been beaten, but the guards’ eardrums had already been shattered.

When Pei Ziye saw Jiang Shiyuan, he looked like he saw a lifeline. “Auntie, save me! What did I do wrong? I only wanted to please you and make you happy!”

Jiang Shiyuan walked over, crouched in front of him, and stared at him.

“Pei Ziye, I know you didn’t send them, and it wasn’t you who captured me—it was her, right?”

Because there were others around, Jiang Shiyuan didn’t mention any names.

Pei Ziye froze, his eyes full of fear. How did she know?

Seeing his reaction, Jiang Shiyuan immediately realized.

She knew it was Su Liluo causing trouble.

That was the Ministry of Revenue’s prison. Her father was the Minister of Revenue. Who else could it be but her?

And her only rival in the capital was Su Liluo.

Su Liluo was truly powerful, knowing so much about her whereabouts.

Jiang Shiyuan glanced at Pei Ziye. It was clear that while Su Liluo was the one causing trouble, Pei Ziye was the one taking the fall for it.

It seemed she was right!

Pei Ziye really liked Su Liluo!

And it wasn’t just any ordinary liking!

Wait a minute, Jiang Shiyuan thought of a problem.

If they got together, didn’t that mean she and Su Liluo would become family?

Jiang Shiyuan imagined that scene… Never mind, it was better not to think about it.

It was a bit scary.

But then she thought, if they got together, wouldn’t Su Liluo always have to lower her head, respectfully calling her ‘Auntie’ every time they met?

Wouldn’t that be even more satisfying than killing someone?

Jiang Shiyuan shook her head and pulled her thoughts back to Pei Ziye.

“Pei Ziye, that girl is beautiful and elegant. You should treat her well, don’t disappoint her.”

Pei Ziye was still in shock. When he suddenly heard these serious words, he couldn’t process them.

They weren’t even married yet, and Auntie spoke with the tone of a little uncle!

Jiang Shiyuan didn’t care about his reaction. Since Pei Ziye was willing to sacrifice for love, she wouldn’t interfere.

In adversity, true feelings are revealed, and those twenty lashes were the proof of their bond, sealing their fate!

She clapped her hands and walked away.

“Auntie?”

Pei Ziye lay on the bench, staring at Jiang Shiyuan as she walked farther and farther, not looking back… going… going…

He couldn’t help but suspect that Jiang Shiyuan did this on purpose, to get back at him!

Pei Ziye gritted his teeth: Sure enough, you can’t sleep in the same bed and not turn out the same—spiteful to the core!

Just as Jiang Shiyuan walked out of the Grand Tutor’s residence, a carriage approached. A black-clad guard stepped forward and respectfully said, “The Grand Tutor has ordered us to escort you back to the residence.”

The word “Lady” made Jiang Shiyuan blush again, stunned for a few moments.

Not far away, a carriage was passing by…

“My God! Is that the Grand Tutor’s wife?!”

Zhou Jingshen was pressed against the carriage window, hiding his face behind the curtain, but his eyes were locked on the Grand Tutor’s mansion gate.