Chapter 50: The Man Despised by His Aunt

The girl in white was named Li Yunxiu, the third daughter of Li Yuan.

Zheng Yanqing curiously sized up the spirited young woman before him, sighing inwardly: Could she be none other than Princess Pingyang?

In history, among all of Li Yuan's daughters, only the third one possessed the most heroic spirit.

When the realm was thrown into chaos, Li Yuan raised troops in Taiyuan. At that time, his third daughter and her husband, Chai Shao, were both staying in Chang'an. Upon hearing the news, Chai Shao fled Chang'an, while Li Yuan's third daughter returned to her ancestral home in Longxi. There, she raised an army, on one hand gathering the barbarian merchants and bandits of the Longxi region, and on the other repeatedly repelling government troops, thereby powerfully supporting Li Yuan's military campaigns.

Pity that this heroine of her time did not live long.

After Li Yuan founded the dynasty, her life withered away like a fragrant flower, and she departed from this world.

Li Yuan had once bestowed upon her the title of Princess Pingyang, yet her true given name was never preserved. Li Xiuning from *Twin Dragons of the Great Tang* was precisely modeled after this woman.

Zheng Yanqing held a deep respect for this heroine.

Taking a closer look, Li Yunxiu was not as delicate as Li Xiuning in the tales of the Great Tang. Her eyebrows were slightly thicker and darker than those of ordinary women, and a pair of phoenix eyes exuded a bold and heroic demeanor.

Meanwhile, Li Yunxiu was likewise appraising Yanqing.

More than once had she heard her father mention such a young and brilliant talent. Yet seeing him now, he appeared somewhat frail and delicate, falling far short of the martial prowess exuded by her brother, Erlang. However, Li Yunxiu would not underestimate Yanqing merely due to his delicate and refined appearance. Just imagine, could a ten-year-old boy capable of shooting down dozens of mountain bandits ever be ordinary?

"You are Zheng Yanqing?"

"Indeed, this junior is."

"Hehe, I truly would never have guessed that such a delicate little person like you could kill people in such an extraordinary manner. However, your looks are a bit too refined; if you were to step onto the battlefield, I fear it would be difficult to strike terror into the hearts of thieves."

"Uh..."

Li Yunxiu's bluntness instead left Yanqing at a loss for words.

Beside them, Pei Shuying looked somewhat displeased. "Yunxiu, a young lady shouting about killing all day long—what kind of decorum is that?"

"Aunt, a great man should—"

"Alright, alright, spare me your grand speeches about achieving merit on the battlefield. This is a time of peace and prosperity, where do all these fierce battles come from? I would rather little Yao lived in peace and safety. Even if he cannot become a capable minister of a well-governed era, being a romantic and refined scholar wouldn't be bad either... At any rate, it is still far better than fighting and killing day in and day out without a single moment of peace and security."

Pei Shuying's words sounded as though she were speaking on behalf of Zheng Yanqing, but in reality, she was warning Li Yunxiu.

The current Emperor was a romantic and conceited master. If you go about talking of fighting and killing all day, are you hoping for the realm to plunge into chaos?

Naturally, Pei Shuying would not run her mouth carelessly, but in these times... one could never be certain when words might reach the ears of Yang Guang.

Keep in mind that Yang Guang was already suspicious of Li Yuan; she must not provide him with an excuse to eliminate her brother-in-law.

Li Yunxiu stuck out her little pink tongue and dropped the subject. Pei Shuying pulled Li Yunxiu onto the painted boat, leaving Pei Cuiyun and Yanqing behind. Whether Pei Shuying and the other woman did this intentionally or inadvertently, they at least created an opportunity for Pei Cuiyun and Yanqing to be alone and converse.

"Are you... completely recovered?"

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Sister; this junior is already well."

"That's good. I originally intended to visit you together with Yuanqing, but I didn't expect Elder Sister Yunxiu to come... Please don't blame me."

Zheng Yanqing hurriedly shook his head. "Elder Sister speaks too seriously; how could this junior dare to blame you?"

Pei Cuiyun's nature was very gentle. As she spoke, her head was bowed low, as if she did not dare meet Yanqing's gaze.

Over on the other side, Pei Shuying gave an order, and the painted boat slowly pulled away from the pier. Zheng Yanqing and Pei Cuiyun stood on the deck, while Pei Shuying and Li Yunxiu chatted and laughed inside the cabin. Shen Guang stood at the stern of the boat, accompanying the boatman while vigilantly observing the surroundings.

In the early summer season, the willow trees along the riverbanks were a lush green.

Pei Shuying called Zheng Yanqing and Cuiyun over, having Yanqing sit beside her while she laughed and bantered with Li Yunxiu and Pei Cuiyun.

Although she was a generation older than the two girls, it was evident that they got along quite well.

The scenery on both banks was picturesque, with boats and painted vessels frequently passing by on the river. Navigating these waters of the Luo River required a certain level of skill. After a short while, Li Yunxiu and Pei Cuiyun began playing a game of *shuanglu*. Zheng Yanqing watched from the side and found it somewhat uninteresting, so he stepped out of the cabin, stood on the deck, and quietly admired the scenery along the banks.

*Shuanglu*, also known as *wengshuo* or *poluosai*, was an extremely common and popular game during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

It consisted of a game board, fifteen black and fifteen white pieces, and two dice. The board featured twelve opposing vertical lines, and the six-sided dice showed values from one to six. During play, players moved their pieces a number of steps based on the rolled numbers. Whoever could maneuver all fifteen of their pieces into the final six engraved lines and count out a victory found the game quite engaging.

However, Zheng Yanqing was not particularly hooked on this sort of game.

In his view, the element of chance in such games was simply too great, lacking in controllability. Toward things beyond his control, he held a natural aversion. Luck was a notion somewhat too ethereal and difficult to articulate clearly.

The breeze on the river was very gentle.

Blowing against the body, it felt exceptionally comfortable.

Pei Shuying walked out of the cabin and asked with a smile, "How is it? Do you find it a bit boring?"

Zheng Yanqing thought for a moment and nodded with a smile.

"I truly cannot understand what you like, child. When Yuanqing was your age, he was utterly obsessed with *shuanglu*. It wasn't until he later grew enamored with *cuju* that he finally set *shuanglu* aside. Little Yao, what is it that you enjoy?"

Zheng Yanqing shook his head, looking somewhat helpless.

He himself could not clearly articulate what he liked. In his past life, he seemed to have had a phase where he was infatuated with golf, but later on he lost interest in playing that as well. Most of his time was spent sipping tea, reading books, and chatting idly with two or three bosom friends; life was quite fulfilling that way.

Yet when it came to specific hobbies, he really could not name any.

Even in this second lifetime, the time he had spent over the past decade practicing martial arts, reading books, and studying calligraphy vastly exceeded the time he spent playing.

Therefore, when Pei Shuying asked him, he genuinely did not know how to reply.

"You, you make yourself far too tense, acting just like a little old man. It's dreadfully uninteresting."

Pei Shuying said softly, "Why not be more carefree and true to yourself? I haven't known you long, but I can sense that you seem to harbor many worries in your heart. Little Yao, if you can trust Aunt, why not pour your heart out to her?"

Zheng Yanqing scratched his head and gazed into the distance.

His eyes held a profound depth, making it difficult for others to fathom his thoughts.

In truth, he had no particular worries. It was simply his inherent temperament that prevented him from letting go—neither daring nor able to indulge himself, requiring him to tread cautiously with every single step.

"Aunt..."

Just as Zheng Yanqing began to speak, the painted boat suddenly seemed to collide with something, shaking violently. With a traditional martial arts footing, Yanqing anchored his weight and stabilized his stance. However, Pei Shuying lacked such formidable skill; she staggered and nearly fell.

Yanqing reacted swiftly and caught Pei Shuying in his embrace.

The warm, soft body pressing against his chest involuntarily stirred Zheng Yanqing's heart.

In the early summer season, everyone wore relatively light clothing. A thin layer of single garments even allowed them to feel each other's body temperature.

Although Zheng Yanqing held Pei Shuying while striving to steady his mind, the tactile contact between their bodies caused a physiological reaction.

Pei Shuying also sensed Yanqing's abnormality, and her delicate face instantly flushed red.

"Little Yao, you..."

Zheng Yanqing felt extremely awkward, flustered as he helped Pei Shuying steady herself. Pei Shuying's heartbeat was somewhat quickened, her face blushing, and as she gently stroked her hair and was about to speak, an angry voice echoed from afar: "Pei Shuying, look at the fine mess you've made!"

Pei Shuying followed the voice, and her expression suddenly turned pale as paper.

A flower boat was approaching from the opposite direction.

This was evidently a pleasure boat, and standing at the bow was a man in green robes, his eyes wide with fury and a trembling finger pointing directly at Pei Shuying.

"You shameless wretch, no wonder ever since I returned, you refused to even see me and broke off all ties—so it was because you were taking a lover!"

"Li Dewu, spare me your malicious framing!"

Pei Shuying's face was flushed red with anger.

At that moment, Li Yunxiu and Pei Cuiyun also rushed out of the cabin. Upon seeing the man in green robes, Pei Cuiyun wore a look of utter disdain.

"Me framing you maliciously? Everyone on this boat sees it clearly—in broad daylight, you're hugging and embracing an adulterer, and you still claim I'm framing you? I traveled thousands of miles back from Lingnan, only to suffer all manner of humiliation at your hands. Now, now..."

Several young men stood on the flower boat, accompanied by a few sing-song girls at the stern. However, those who recognized Zheng Yanqing felt a jolt in their hearts upon seeing this scene. Noticing a nearby moored boat, they hurriedly slipped away from the flower boat.

Zheng Yanqing stepped forward to speak, but was stopped by Pei Shuying.

"Li Dewu, as to who is turning black into white, the world has its own fair judgment. You say I humiliated you? Hahaha... Li Dewu, do you even have the face to utter such words? Back when you were exiled to Lingnan, I waited for you bitterly for eight years, running back and forth on your behalf. I never imagined you were having such a wonderful time in Lingnan, taking a wife, having children, and living in leisurely comfort. Originally, I endured even that! But when I heard that the moment you received the decree of amnesty, you immediately cast aside your wife and abandoned your children, I finally died to you. A person who can abandon his own flesh and blood—what qualification do you have to accuse me of disloyalty before me? Li Dewu, look closely; this is the fiancé of my paternal niece. No matter how devoid of shame Pei Shuying may be, she would never be as shameless as you..."

Pei Cuiyun's face instantly turned crimson...

No matter how the rumors outside circulated regarding her and Zheng Yanqing, none of them were as nakedly explicit as Pei Shuying's declaration today.

Yanqing felt deeply awkward as well, scratching his head and wanting to step forward to say a few words for Pei Shuying, yet not knowing how to begin.

"Brother Li, did you perhaps mistake the person?"

A companion from the same boat stepped forward to speak: "That young gentleman is the renowned Ban Yuanjun; how can you talk nonsense?"

"I clearly saw them hugging just now with my own eyes."

By this time, Zheng Yanqing had also figured out the whole story. The man in green robes on the flower boat turned out to be Pei Shuying's former husband, Li Dewu.

He could not help but be overwhelmed with anger and shame!

On one hand, he was ashamed of his unruly reaction moments ago; on the other hand, seeing Pei Shuying's pale face and trembling body, a sudden surge of fiery rage ignited within his heart.

Without another word, he leaped lightly from the deck and soared across, springing directly onto the flower boat.

Li Dewu was a head taller than Zheng Yanqing, yet Yanqing showed no fear. With a fierce punch, *bang*, he knocked Li Dewu flat onto the deck.

In an instant, an uproar broke out on the flower boat.

Several of Li Dewu's friends immediately rushed forward.

"Gentlemen, don't fight, don't fight..." shouted those who recognized Zheng Yanqing at the top of their lungs.

However, Li Dewu had completely lost his reason by this point. He had never expected that the very first thing upon returning to Luoyang would be Pei Shuying breaking off ties with him. He was furious; although he had initially felt a lingering trace of guilt, after encountering such an incident, that guilt vanished into thin air. He felt he had been humiliated by Pei Shuying!

Before his exile, Li Dewu was merely a minor official in the Eastern Palace.

Most of the people he associated with were low-level figures incapable of amounting to anything. Such people were often adept at ruining affairs rather than accomplishing them; instead of offering words of comfort, they added fuel to the fire with sarcastic remarks. Perhaps in the eyes of these people, Li Dewu was simply too fortunate... actually managing to win the favor of a lady from the Pei family, enjoying all kinds of romantic fortune in Lingnan while the Pei lady ran around everywhere for him. Whether out of jealousy or a desire to watch a spectacle, they stoked Li Dewu's temper until it blazed fiercely.

Li Dewu dared not approach the gates of the Pei estate.

Heaven knows how the Pei family would deal with him! Pei Shiju already looked upon him with disfavor; in the past, with Pei Shuying protecting him, it was one thing, but now... if he went knocking on doors to provoke them, it would be akin to seeking his own death. Moreover, since Pei Shuying had been away from Luoyang in recent days, Li Dewu had nowhere to vent his frustrations.

Originally, he had wanted to summon a couple of courtesans and a group of mischievous friends to tour the river and dispel his gloom, never expecting to run into Pei Shuying.

The ambiguous gesture between Pei Shuying and Yanqing just moments ago had indeed been quite provocative, and seeing it with his own eyes, Li Dewu naturally grew incomparably furious.

Seeing that there were not many men on the other boat, he intended to vent his anger.

Yet who would have thought that Zheng Yanqing would actually leap over and strike him? How could Li Dewu swallow this insult?

He scrambled to his feet, baring his claws as he lunged toward Yanqing. But just then, a shadow flickered before his eyes, and another figure leapt down from Pei Shuying's painted boat. This person's movements were even swifter and sharper than Yanqing's.

While still mid-air, the figure reached out and grabbed Li Dewu's arm, turning and pivoting with the agility of a nimble swallow.

Li Dewu let out a cry of "Ah!" as his arm was seized, and immediately afterward, his entire body was pinned flat onto the deck.

On the painted boat, Li Yunxiu's phoenix eyes widened as she cried out angrily, "Aunt, is this that unfeeling and heartless wretch?"

Before Pei Shuying could reply, Pei Cuiyun answered, "It's that very scoundrel... Yanqing, don't let him off. He has insulted Aunt, which means he has insulted the Pei family clan. Teach him a proper lesson on Aunt's behalf."

The moment her words fell, Shen Guang grabbed Li Dewu by the hair and yanked him up.

Yanqing did not stand on ceremony either. Stepping forward, he swung his palm and delivered a dozen sharp slaps in rapid succession. Young though Yanqing was, he had practiced martial arts since childhood, and the strength in his hands was by no means small. A dozen slaps later, Li Dewu's cheeks were swollen red and his mouth was filled with blood.

Pei Shuying watched with a trace of heartache and hurriedly said, "Little Yao, stop. Let him go."

Only then did Zheng Yanqing pull back his hand and signal Shen Guang to release Li Dewu.

By this time, Li Dewu was consumed by mortification and rage. The moment Shen Guang let go of him, he let out a howl, threw open his arms, and lunged at Zheng Yanqing.

Yanqing happened to be turning around at that moment, preparing to speak to Pei Shuying.

He heard Pei Shuying scream in terror: "Little Yao, watch out..."

He instinctively dodged sideways, yet still found himself grabbed by Li Dewu. The immense momentum caused him to stumble backward; one of his feet had already left the deck, and his body was toppling toward the river. But in the blink of an eye, Yanqing's single foot seemed deeply rooted in the deck, his breath sinking to his Dantian. With a slight quiver of his abdomen and a swing of his shoulders, he suddenly exerted force, shattering Li Dewu's grip on his arms.

He spun a half-circle on the deck, instantly regaining his center of gravity.

Then, riding the momentum of Li Dewu's forward lunge, he gently pushed outward with both hands. Li Dewu let out a shrill cry of "Ah!" and tumbled straight down into the Luo River.

In his heart, Yanqing could not help feeling a lingering tremor of fear.

Yet instantly, Zheng Yanqing was overcome with a blazing fury.

"Shen Guang, give me your sword."

Without a second word, Shen Guang unbuckled the Dragon Ring Sword and tossed it to Zheng Yanqing.

*Clang*, the Dragon Ring Sword was drawn, and Zheng Yanqing readied himself to leap over and pierce Li Dewu a couple of times. At that moment, Pei Shuying spoke up: "Little Yao, let him go."

Zheng Yanqing hesitated for a moment, sheathed the Dragon Ring Sword, caught the bamboo pole handed over by the boatman, and leaped back onto the painted boat.

"Aunt, are we really just going to let him off like this?"

Pei Shuying's complexion remained somewhat pale.

She glanced at Zheng Yanqing and instinctively reached out, intending to pat his head, but halfway there, she withdrew her hand.

"I am so tired. Let us go back."

In an instant, Pei Shuying seemed to revert to her former aloofness. Dropping those brief words, she turned and walked into the cabin.

Li Yunxiu and Pei Cuiyun hurriedly followed. Yanqing stood at the bow of the boat, watching as Li Dewu—clambering back onto the flower boat looking as wretched as a drowned rat—shrieked from behind: "Pei Shuying, I am not finished with you!"

Turning his head to give Li Dewu one last look, a murderous intent abruptly rose within Zheng Yanqing's heart.

He whispered softly to Shen Guang beside him, "Brother Shen, keep an eye on him. When the time is right... make sure no one finds out."

A chill involuntarily crept into Shen Guang's heart.

"Young Master, rest assured. Leave this matter to Shen Guang to handle."