Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I suppose I had wounded his pride.

Upon our return to the Imperial Capital City, the first thing he did was have the Ministry of Revenue suppress my request for three hundred thousand taels of military supplies.

The following day at court.

I had just entered the palace gates when I spotted his grand sedan chair, the symbol of his status as Prime Minister.

I dismounted my horse; he stepped out of his sedan chair.

In Great Yin, military officers favored black, while civil officials favored white.

I wore my black court robes, heavily embroidered with deep patterns of mythical beasts. He wore a trailing white robe, subtly embroidered with patterns of mist and clouds.

“…”

I stood where I was, stiff and unmoving.

He, however, walked over slowly, stopping at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. With a slight nod, he said coolly, “General Huo, good morning.”

“Good…” I started to respond instinctively.

But he brushed past me, continuing on his way.

Watching his retreating figure, I noticed that his waist, cinched by a silver belt, had grown significantly thinner.

I had thought our relationship would return to how it was in the beginning.

Back then, even when we were face-to-face, I was never polite, and his words were always laced with hidden barbs.

I hadn’t expected that having been husband and wife for a time would actually dissolve the sharp antagonism of the past.

During the court session, the civil officials stood on one side and the military officers on the other.

Regarding the matter of the three hundred thousand taels being withheld without cause, I argued my case forcefully, while the Minister of Revenue repeatedly equivocated.

The old Emperor’s health had been poor in recent years. After listening to us bicker for a quarter of an hour, he lost his patience.

“Regarding General Huo’s request for the expansion of military equipment… Minister Pei, what do you have to say?”

I had been the one clashing with the Minister of Revenue the whole time, while Pei Jingcheng acted as if it had nothing to do with him, not saying a single word.

But I knew the Minister of Revenue was merely following his lead.

I expected Pei Jingcheng to argue with me for several rounds as he used to, but to my surprise, he mused for a moment and said, “The stability of the Northern Frontier is vital to the stability of Great Yin. General Huo’s petition for expansion is not unreasonable.”

As soon as he said this, Yue Chiyan, who was standing beside him, shot him a sharp look.

“However.”

As expected, there was a catch.

Pei Jingcheng said calmly, “Since the beginning of this year, the Jiangnan region has been frequently harassed by water bandits. The Ministry of Revenue has already allocated one hundred and fifty thousand taels to Jiangnan for recruitment, so we cannot produce the three hundred thousand taels General Huo requested. I believe we can first allocate one hundred and fifty thousand taels to the Northern Frontier, and then consider the remainder after the autumn harvest.”

Pei Jingcheng’s approach-giving half now and dangling the rest as a future promise-was clearly effective.

The Emperor looked pleased and asked if I accepted.

After exchanging a look with Yue Tingyuan, I decisively expressed my gratitude.

When court was dismissed, I saw Pei Jingcheng board his sedan chair. Without a second thought, I abandoned my horse and followed him.

He went to the Fourth Prince’s estate.

I silently crouched on the roof of the study and pried up a roof tile.

Inside the room, the Fourth Prince paced back and forth. After a few turns, he stopped in front of Pei Jingcheng.

“At court this morning, why did you agree to allocate military funds? Can’t you see that Huo Niluo wants to expand the military to build up strength for Yue Tingyuan?”

Pei Jingcheng held a teacup, using the lid to slowly brush aside the tea leaves. “Naturally, I can see that.”

“You see it and yet-are you doing this because of Huo Niluo… Would you betray me for her?”

Before Pei Jingcheng could speak, Yue Chiyan gritted his teeth and said, “A traitor can never be trusted again! Even if you go back to Yue Tingyuan, she won’t give you a position of power! Don’t forget, the Crown Princess died because she advocated for weakening the great noble clans. As the Crown Princess’s younger sister, she hates people like you to the core… Besides, you and I are cousins!”

Yue Chiyan’s mother was from the Jiangnan Pei Clan; thus, Yue Chiyan and Pei Jingcheng were related by blood.

Pei Jingcheng took a sip of tea and said in a low voice, “Your Highness need not doubt me. Everything I did today was for your sake.”

Yue Chiyan looked at him skeptically.

Unfazed, Pei Jingcheng explained his plan step by step.

In short, of that three hundred thousand taels, half was sent to Jiangnan-his own territory.

He wanted to secure military power for Yue Chiyan but lacked a justification. The banditry in Jiangnan provided the perfect excuse to openly raise an army.

As for the one hundred and fifty thousand taels for the Northern Frontier, he had received word that the enemy state of Northern Desert had been restless lately. The Northern Frontier, peaceful for many years, was likely facing imminent war.

“Your Highness, if war truly breaks out in the Northern Frontier, who do you think will benefit?” he asked.

“The one leading the army,” Yue Chiyan replied.

“Your Highness is clever. Once war begins, supplies and provisions will be sent to the Northern Frontier in a never-ending stream, and His Majesty will rely heavily on Huo Niluo. That would certainly not be good for us.

“By giving her one hundred and fifty thousand taels now, we let her settle the Northern Frontier while we raise our troops in Jiangnan… Your Highness, this trade-off is not a losing one.”

I watched as Yue Chiyan was swayed by Pei Jingcheng’s words, nodding in agreement.

In my heart, I couldn’t help but scream-

Pei Jingcheng is lying!