Pei Jingyi didn’t need the law to get justice. He would settle his debt with Gu Huaiyu himself. Shaking his head, he said flatly, “I’m not going.”
Clatter!
Nie Jin stood up abruptly, the wind from his sleeve causing the game board to tremble. He gave Pei Jingyi one last look. “Since you have no intention of doing so, I shall not trouble you any further!”
With that, he pressed the hair pin to his chest and turned to leave, the sound of his official boots against the green bricks echoing with forceful determination.
On the steps before the door, a middle-aged man dressed in fine silk was ascending. He startled upon encountering the aggressive Nie Jin, bowing with hands clasped. “Greetings, Lord Nie!”
Nie Jin gave him a cold sweep of the eyes, ignored him entirely, and brushed past.
The man gave a forced smile, smoothed his robes, took a deep breath, and entered the hall.
Pei Jingyi leaned back in a folding chair, flicking go stones one by one into the box like he was playing a game of pitch-pot. Seeing the man, he offered a slight smile. “Uncle Meng, what brings you here?”
Meng Mingying tucked his hands into his sleeves and gave a few dry laughs. “Jingyi, it’s been some time. Have you settled into life in the capital?”
The last time Pei Jingyi had seen Meng Mingying was two years ago when he had first entered the capital. This old subordinate of his father had been quite concerned about him back then.
Meng Mingying had come from the Northern Frontier Army and held military merit, having followed Pei’s father into battle for many years.
Years ago, he had gained the Emperor’s favor and risen rapidly to become the Director of Merit in the Ministry of Personnel. He no longer had to endure the wind and rain of the borderlands or the bloody life of a soldier.
Two years ago, out of genuine concern for Pei Jingyi, he had spent a fortune to book a room at the capital’s largest brothel.
He had even hired a famous courtesan to accompany Pei, wanting the young man to experience the romance and distracting luxury of the capital.
However, for some reason, Pei Jingyi hadn’t given him any face. He had left before the banquet even started and had been cold toward him ever since.
After having his enthusiastic advances met with a cold shoulder several times, Meng Mingying had known when to retreat, no longer attempting to teach the young master how to enjoy himself.
Pei Jingyi remained seated, showing no intention of rising to greet him. “I’m settled.”
Meng Mingying’s expression stiffened for a moment. Back in Bingzhou, he had been an elder, and Pei Jingyi had respected him greatly. Now, although his rank was much higher than before, he couldn’t even catch Pei Jingyi’s eye.
“It will be the second anniversary of your father’s passing in a month. I was worried about you, so I came to check in.”
Pei Jingyi tilted his chin, gesturing for him to sit. “Uncle Meng, there is no need to mention my father. There are plenty of people in the Northern Frontier Army to mourn him.”
As Meng Mingying sat down, his face shifted at the mention of the “Northern Frontier Army.” “True. When I heard of your father’s passing while I was here in the capital, I heard the funeral banners of the Northern Army blocked out the sun. I couldn’t leave my post, so I could only offer a libation from afar to see him off.”
Pei Jingyi observed him, smiling without a word.
Meng Mingying could feel the contempt. A flush of embarrassment appeared on his pale, aged face. He said sheepishly, “I heard you are now teaching His Majesty archery and horsemanship. If your father knew you were doing so well, he would surely smile in the afterlife.”
Pei Jingyi half-closed his eyes. The smile on his lips vanished, replaced by a subtle impatience.
Meng Mingying wasn’t sure which part he had gotten wrong. After a long silence, he spoke again. “Your father taught you those skills, didn’t he? Do you remember? When we were in Bingzhou, your father used to take us secretly into Eastern Liao territory to hunt. Wild deer, roe deer, even wolves…”
Pei Jingyi crossed his arms, looking at him quietly.
Meng Mingying pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat from his face, laughing as he spoke. “Once, I stepped right into an Eastern Liao trap. Luckily, your father was quick and grabbed me. We jumped on our horses and bolted, with a squad of Eastern Liao soldiers chasing us…”
Pei Jingyi suddenly sat up and called out, “Uncle Wu, bring tea.”
He had dismissed all the beautiful maidservants bestowed by Emperor Rui. The current Pei Manor only housed a few elderly men and women who had nowhere else to go. Because of this, when Meng Mingying had entered, there hadn’t even been anyone to announce him.
Meng Mingying blinked, then laughed again, slapping his thigh. “I still remember when you were a child, twelve or thirteen, not yet of age to join the army. Your father forbade you from going to war, so you disguised yourself and snuck into the ranks. No one noticed until we were on the battlefield and saw a half-grown child charging at the front. It scared your father into a cold sweat.”
Pei Jingyi lowered his head and chuckled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Yeah. My mother almost beat me to death with a broom afterward.”
