chapter 6

After Pei Second Son returned, the tofu pudding Shop, which had already been doing well, became even more bustling than before.

First, the County Magistrate himself came to eat tofu pudding, and then the Prefect of Taozhou arrived in a Carriage.

Only then did I learn that, during the Border Frontier campaign, Colonel Pei was first ordered to lead a thousand troops across Hunhe Lushan, coordinating with the General of Northern Defense to seize Wuci County from the Hu Barbarians.

Later, he led his army to attack the enemy’s rear, capturing thousands of Hu People-old, weak, women, and children-alive.

At the time, some suggested keeping the captives to threaten the Hu Barbarians.

Colonel Pei simply replied, “Unnecessary.”

All the women and children-thousands-were slaughtered and burned clean.

When the order was given, everyone said Colonel Pei was ruthless and cold-blooded.

News reached Huajing, and some civil officials were indignant, saying such actions were no different from the barbarians.

The Son of Heaven is a wise ruler, known for his benevolence, and Great Chu has always treated prisoners of war with mercy, never killing those who surrender, let alone women and children.

For a time, Colonel Pei’s name spread far and wide, with both praise and criticism.

When the campaign ended, the General of Northern Defense and Old Prince of Pingxi entered the Capital to be granted titles by the Son of Heaven. Only Colonel Pei, who had achieved the most military merit, was not rewarded. They reminded the emperor that when Pingcheng fell and the people of Wuci County were massacred, it was because a soldier at Jiebei Pass pitied a Hu Barbarian child, giving him the chance to poison the water.

Mercy on the battlefield is to expose one’s back to the enemy; who can guarantee that among those thousands of women and children, none harbored ill intentions?

No one understood the cunning and cruelty of the Hu Barbarians better than those who returned from the Border Frontier.

Old Prince of Pingxi said the emperor, as the Son of Heaven, must bear the responsibility of his station.

The emperor, feeling guilty, immediately decreed Colonel Pei as General of Martial Guard, bestowing countless rewards.

Later, he summoned him to court, wishing to grant even greater honor by conferring an Imperial Mandate upon a female member of Pei’s family.

Among the Pei family’s women, besides the aged Grandmother, only the Widowed Sister-in-law remained.

The Widowed Sister-in-law managed the household, honored the Grandmother above, raised the Younger Sister-in-law below, kept her virtue and manners, and served as a model.

The Son of Heaven was quite enthusiastic, but Pei Second Son refused.

He refused…

Refused…

But it was also said that the emperor asked General Pei, “All those who returned from the Border Frontier have been rewarded, yet I have delayed summoning you. Do you have any thoughts?”

General Pei replied, “Yes. I plan to retire from the army and return home to sell tofu pudding.”

The emperor held back his words, for he felt that Pei Second Son’s tone was calm, but his expression was somewhat earnest-he truly did not care much for imperial rewards.

A third-rank military officer from the Capital is especially precious.

Since returning home, Pei Second Son had not been idle. He could refuse the County Magistrate’s wine, but he had to give face to the local third-rank Prefect and second-rank Provincial Commissioner.

Judging by their attitude, I believe Pei Second Son will have an immeasurable future.

This guess must be accurate, because later Han Junior General and others came to the Shop to eat tofu pudding, and in conversation told me that General Feng Jiru of Northern Defense highly values Pei Second Son and intends to make him his son-in-law.

The Feng Family in Huajing is truly an aristocratic clan, kin to the imperial family.

General Feng Jiru is not only the elder brother of Consort Feng in the palace, but also the maternal uncle of Prince Kang.

He is also the nephew of the Empress Dowager.

The Feng Family has three unmarried young ladies, and General Feng intends to betroth his legitimate youngest daughter, Miss Feng, to Pei Second Son-the meaning is clear.

General Pei is destined to stand among the clouds.

Upon hearing this, I couldn’t help but ask Han Junior General, “What kind of person is Miss Feng?”

“A lady of an aristocratic family, naturally excellent. But I hear that, as the legitimate youngest daughter, she has been raised rather spoiled, with a very high spirit.”

After saying this, Han Junior General glanced around, then whispered to me, “But Sister-in-law, don’t worry. In front of our General, she can’t be spoiled. When the General first visited the Feng Family, Miss Feng heard her father intended to betroth her to him and planned to give the General a hard time, to tease him well. But our General didn’t pay her any mind at all. Instead, Miss Feng was stunned upon seeing him, and since then rarely leaves her home. I hear she’s now at home embroidering to cultivate her temperament.”

Han Junior General looked quite proud, and I nodded, “My Second Uncle comes from humble origins. Though he is worthy of a noble lady, I fear others might look down on him. This is much better.”

“How could they? He is Pei Yi, who dared to lead a thousand troops across Hunhe Lushan, and with his own judgment ordered the slaughter of thousands of Hu Barbarian women and children. Such boldness-who could look down on him?”
A woman is, after all, a woman. Even though I know Pei Second Son’s order to slaughter women and children was the right thing to do, when Han Junior General brought it up again, my heart still skipped a beat, leaving me with a thousand complicated feelings.

Second Uncle of the Pei family is, in truth, a ruthless man.

Yet, even if he is somewhat ruthless, he is still Second Uncle of the Pei family. Before he marries, it is up to me, his Widowed Sister-in-law, to take care of such matters.

For example, this time when he returned home, aside from the Undergarment Fur he wore, he hadn’t brought any other clothing.

The climate in the Borderland is bitterly cold, but in the Capital and Tao Zhou, it is not so cold yet. Wearing Undergarment Fur in the mornings and evenings is just right, but at midday, it gets a bit warm.

Moreover, he will inevitably have to attend a banquet hosted by the Governor.

So I found time to go to the Cloth Shop and selected a few fine bolts of fabric, planning to make him two robes.

In the past, I always chose according to my own taste. Now that he’s back, I must ask for his opinion.

That’s why, late at night, as I was sewing a Cushion from Black Lamb Fur under the Candlestick, I suddenly heard a sound from the backyard downstairs, followed by Xiaotao’s voice: “Second Brother, you’ve been drinking again.”

“Mm,” Pei Second Son replied indifferently.

Then came the sound of approaching footsteps. In the room separated by just one wall, the door was pushed open.

I put down my needlework and got up to ask him.

“Second Uncle, I went to the Cloth Shop this afternoon and bought several bolts of fabric. I want to make you some robes. I’m thinking of using Green Silk for a narrow-sleeved, round-collared robe. The Crow Black one is a bit dark, so it’s suitable for a straight-collared robe, with the sleeves tapered. Then I’ll use Jade Green silk for the collar and sleeve edges. What do you think? If you don’t like it, I bought two other colors as well…”

The candlelight flickered gently in the room. Pei Second Son was closing the window. When he turned to look at me, his sword-like brows lifted slightly, and in his deep voice there was a hint of laughter and warmth-

“You decide.”

Pei Second Son is cold by nature, and his expression is cold too.

Though he is even colder this time than before, I still feel he is much closer to his family now. At the very least, he no longer wears that icy expression all the time, and sometimes there is even a smile in his eyes.

I nodded. Even from a distance, I could still smell the scent of wine in the room, so I said, “Second Uncle, you’ve been drinking? I’ll go downstairs and make you a bowl of Sugar Tea. Please have a seat.”

…

The Kitchen fire was lit, and Sugar Tea is simple to make; it was ready in no time.

When I placed the bowl on a tray and brought it upstairs, Pei Second Son was nowhere to be seen.

I set the Sugar Tea on the table, then went to my own room.

Sure enough, just one wall away, Pei Second Son was inside.

Under the glow of the Candlestick, he stood tall, looking down at the bolts of fabric and my Sewing Basket on the table.

“Second Uncle, the Sugar Tea is ready and on the table.”

“Mm,” he replied, but did not leave.

I was a bit puzzled, when he suddenly smiled and said, “Aren’t you making clothes? Won’t you measure me?”

I came to my senses and responded with an “Oh,” then took out the Wooden Tailor’s Ruler from the basket.

Pei Second Son was still wearing the new Undergarment Fur I made for him, plain Sparrow Blue, which made him look tall and elegant.

He stood firm and upright, his features sharply defined under the candlelight, sword-like brows bold and handsome, calmly spreading his arms.

I hesitated with the Wooden Tailor’s Ruler in hand. “Does this one not fit?”

“Mm, it’s a bit tight.”

“Tight? Then I’ll let out the waist a bit.”

“Measure it. The shoulders and back are a bit tight too.”

Pei Second Son’s voice was low and persuasive, perhaps a habit from years in the army; even his words carried a hint of command.

So I had no choice but to step forward, but I put down the Wooden Tailor’s Ruler. “Second Uncle, forgive me. For the waist, I’ll measure by hand-it’s more accurate than with the ruler.”

“Mm, thank you.”

Standing before him, I reached out my hand. He was so tall that, under the light and shadow, I seemed especially small.

I couldn’t even reach his chin, only coming up to his shoulder.

He was a martial man, broad and powerful; half his shoulder could easily cover my face.

As I drew closer, my hand rested on his waist, measuring inch by inch. Though I tried to remain composed, the shadows on the wall made it seem as if I was enveloped in his embrace, tangled together.

Pei Second Son’s build was robust, his waist firm, the scent of wine and his sharp aura mingling, overwhelming me and making my heart tremble.

So I moved quickly and lightly, my fingers barely touching his waist, circling once before withdrawing.

I was memorizing the measurements in my mind when I suddenly heard him call my name: “Xue Yu.”
“Ah?”

I looked up at him. I was still standing right in front of him, so close that I could see every subtle expression on his face as he leaned down.

His hair was as dark as ink, his brows like distant mountains, and beneath his long lashes, his eyes held a depth and restraint, as if hiding secrets unknown to others.

He pressed his lips together slightly. My mind, which had just been focused on measurements, went blank for a moment, and my heart trembled-I felt as if I had missed something.

Our eyes met, and I was utterly bewildered and at a loss.

His voice was a little hoarse as he spoke again: “You haven’t measured my shoulders and back yet.”

Coming back to my senses, I realized my hands were trembling a bit, and a faint sweat broke out on my back.

Just now, his gaze was somewhat different from the usual Second Uncle Pei.

Sharp to the extreme, like a wolf in the night, glinting with a faint, eerie light.

He truly was the General Pei of legend, ruthless on the battlefield, killing without mercy-a single glance from him could make anyone’s heart tremble.

I was a little afraid of him.

After calming myself, I tried to make small talk while measuring his shoulders and back, so the atmosphere wouldn’t be too strange.

“Second Uncle, that day when you and Han Junior General returned, you mentioned a letter. What did you mean by, ‘If not for that letter, we might not have survived to eat tofu pudding in Taozhou Prefecture’?”

Pei Second Son was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: “When we planned to take Wuci County, we sent a team to circle around Hun River. It was bitterly cold, snowing for days. Unexpectedly, we ran into a large Tiele camp halfway. Outnumbered, our chances of victory were slim, and we couldn’t afford delays, so I led them to hide in Lu Mountain.

“The Tiele camped for three days, and we froze on Lu Mountain for three days. It was so cold-over a dozen men died the first night, hundreds the second. On the third day, I told them that our Pei family runs a tofu pudding Shop in Yun’an County, Taozhou Prefecture. If they survived, I would take them to eat tofu pudding and Chicken Giblet Soup.

“They didn’t believe me, said the Commandant was lying. I happened to have the letter you sent, so I read it to them, and then they all believed.

‘Everything at home is well. Grandmother’s appetite is good. Only Xiaotao is not diligent in her studies. The Shop’s tofu pudding is getting better and better. The neighbors say it has the skill of Pei Eldest Uncle in the old days. Now we also sell Chicken Giblet Soup, fifteen coins a bowl, with noodles inside, you can soak bread in it. Eating a bowl in winter warms you up. When Second Uncle returns, you must try it. Wishing you a safe return.’

Pei Second Son recited the letter word for word. In the dim yellow lamplight, his face softened, but seemed tinged with pain. His voice was slow and gentle, ending with a low chuckle.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of sorrow. Unable to help myself, I clenched my hands and said to him, “Second Uncle, in war, all kinds of unexpected things happen. There’s nothing you can do.”

“No, there is something I could do.”

Pei Second Son looked at me, his eyes deep: “We had horses. We could have slaughtered the horses and sheltered in their bellies, or drunk a few bowls of horse blood. Then not so many would have died.

“But if we did that, we would have delayed the Military Order, and slaughtering warhorses is a crime. So, between obeying the Military Order and taking responsibility, I chose to abandon them.”

“It’s not your fault. In that situation, no one knows which choice is right. Killing a horse is easy, but even if you start, not all of you would survive. Second Uncle, I believe every decision you made was carefully considered.”

Military Order is as unyielding as a mountain; it has always been so.

But my comfort seemed to have no effect. He looked at me in silence, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint, mocking smile: “Yes, ordering the slaughter of thousands of women and children was also carefully considered.”

“…Though it’s cruel and pitiful, it’s not your fault.”

“Then whose fault is it?”

“It’s because they are Hu People and we are Han People. Because they were born in the Barbarian Lands and we in Spring Scenery. Because they want to slaughter and plunder, and we want to protect our home and country. Because they want to eat and keep warm, and we want to farm and plant crops.”

Women are naturally more sensitive and gentle. As I spoke, my voice choked a little: “It’s a deadlock of killing. If you insist on right and wrong, even if you were wrong, others wouldn’t necessarily be right. Who among us is a god in heaven, flawless in every way? Even a wooden ladle cracks after long use.”

Even so, it was thousands of lives. As I spoke, my eyes grew hot, and I shamefully wiped away a tear.