49 Fish Maw

Back in the Wutong Courtyard, Lingbo felt just like the colorful phoenix breaking free from the jade cage and the horned dragon bursting through the golden chains as described in the operas—she felt like a victorious general returning in triumph. Always generous to her servants, she teased Mistress Yang and Mistress Luo, "Today I've dragged you both into trouble, and your New Year's Eve rewards are gone."

"What are you saying, Miss?" Mistress Yang replied with a smile. "You vented our anger thoroughly. We came here with the Madam, and we hated Pan Yurong to the core. If we had known she would turn out to be so vicious, I would have begged the Madam never to purchase her back then. She is truly like the farmer and the snake; the Madam saved her life, and not content with climbing the social ladder, she even turned to bite the hand of her former master. How can there be such a wicked person in this world?"

"It is my fault," Mistress Luo sighed. "I was the guarantor back then. Her mother and my sister-in-law worked together in the laundry workshop. Knowing the Madam's kind heart, someone was entreated to bring her in. Before the Madam passed away, I felt uneasy and brought this up, but the Madam comforted me, saying it was no fault of mine... Yet such people do exist in this world—the good die young, while scourges live for a thousand years."

Her words brought tears to the eyes of everyone present. Madam Ye had indeed been truly good in those days. Her three daughters—Qinglan's benevolence, Lingbo's capability, and Yanyan's purity—all bore traces of her character. Even in the hardest of times, like a mother hen shielding her chicks, she had protected every single servant in this courtyard. Thus, the three sisters took after her; as soon as their circumstances improved, they immediately set out to gather their old staff. When they found Mistress Luo, who had been driven out of the laundry workshop, everyone wept into each other's arms.

"Alright, we clearly won a great victory, yet Mistress Luo insists on making everyone cry," Lingbo said, unable to bear such a gloomy atmosphere. "Mistress Luo just loves to cry. Very well, I know what you mean, no need to say more. Following my mother's old precedent, once the fireworks are set off, the rewards will be distributed and doubled! What do you all say?"

Everyone immediately burst into laughter. Mistress Yang scolded affectionately, "Miss is still giving out rewards! You've already given them out several times this New Year. Do you even want to keep your pocket money?"

"It doesn't matter!" Lingbo declared with grand heroism. "Your young miss is in a good mood today. Besides, my silk shop hoarded a whole warehouse of brocade this year, and my gamble paid off—the prices doubled. Your rewards don't even amount to a fraction of what I earned! Mistress Yang, go quickly and call Liu Ji. Let everyone set off fireworks, make it lively, and sweep away the bad luck! Just let the other courtyard see that the Old Madam's fireworks aren't as good as mine!"

The Wutong Courtyard instantly erupted into joy, everyone beaming with happiness. The young pages carried out the fireworks and arranged them in the courtyard. Although Lingbo had spoken of wanting the other courtyard to watch, she was actually too stingy to set off the very best ones immediately, reserving them to watch together with Qinglan and the others when they returned. Even though the pages allowed into the inner courtyard were only thirteen or fourteen years old, she still directed only Liu Ji: "Go on, move those blooming silver trees to the side. Let's set off a couple of small pagodas first to see..."

"I want to see the small pagodas too," a smiling voice said behind her.

Lingbo turned her head and saw Pei Zhao. Liu Ji had just ignited a small pagoda, and the sparks whirled across the snow, illuminating his smiling peach-blossom eyes—a naturally striking sight.

Yet Lingbo still expressed her disdain, saying, "You just strolled right into the inner courtyard like that? Don't tempt me to give Liu Ji a beating."

"Why would the young miss beat my big brother?" Young Liu immediately stepped in to protect him. "The young miss told him to come in, after all. Besides, Fifth Uncle Yang is already close with General Pei, and the young pages at the gate are all eager to follow him into the military."

"Let them go. The young general has reduced himself to looking like a beggar; there's nothing good waiting for them," Lingbo retorted scornfully. "On New Year's Eve, you dress like this without even feeling ashamed."

"Beggars look just like this," Pei Zhao merely smiled.

Young Liu was, after all, still young and spoke his mind without hesitation. He immediately blurted out, "Didn't the young miss have new clothes made? They are all in General Pei's exact measurements. General Pei, hurry up and come with me to change..."

"Oh?" Pei Zhao looked at Lingbo with a smile. "So that's how it is?"

Lingbo's face flushed slightly, though fortunately the dark night hid it. She scolded, "Stop talking nonsense! Go change right now; even the pages are dressed better than you."

Obedient as requested, Pei Zhao truly went to change and returned. Books say that coarse garments and disheveled hair cannot obscure peerless beauty, and Lingbo had only ever witnessed this in A Cuo and him.

Though he was striking enough in his old battle robe, Lingbo happened to have an abundance of brocade this year. Knowing he was a general and that barbarian robes suited him best, she had had a jade-green, gold-woven, wide-sleeved round-collar robe made for him. The entire garment was embroidered with floral trees, flowing water, and peacock patterns in alternating gold and silver threads, dazzling to the eyes. The peacock's tail feathers unfurled like arrow fangs across his shoulders and back. He wore no crown, only a gold-woven ribbon in his ink-black hair that fluttered in the wind and snow, brushing across his divine, handsome face. No one could help but recall the sight of him below the watchtower on that day, suppressing Cui Jingyu with three successive arrow shots.

Let alone the maidservants, even the teenage boys and the stewards' wives were left staring in a daze. It just went to show that everyone loves beautiful things.

He parted the door-curtain himself and walked out. Seeing Lingbo staring at him, he smiled and asked, "What is it? Is the Young Miss reluctant to part with the clothes?"

"In your dreams," Lingbo snapped. Only then did she realize he meant reluctant to part with the clothes rather than reluctant to part with him, and her ears burned fiercely. Fortunately, Young Liu was nearby and immediately chimed in, "Hmph, General Pei underestimates our young miss too much. The young miss even had a white one made for you; she'll give it to General Pei to take back later."

"You even prepared a change of clothes for me?" Pei Zhao smiled. "Then I suppose I must bow in gratitude."

Lingbo promptly scolded him again.

"Don't just stand there chatting. Brocade cannot be washed in water; once you've worn it, bring it back and let Mistress Yang wash it for you." Lingbo scolded him, though her primary concern was simply not wanting to waste things.

"Such a precious thing—I had no idea," Pei Zhao said with an amused smile.

"Of course. Aside from the estates of dukes and marquises, which ordinary noble families would dare wear brocade for daily use?" Young Liu hastily added, "The young miss is thanking General Pei for his news from last time. General Pei will learn from now on that our young miss is the most generous person to her own people..."

Young Liu was probably doomed to a hopeless crush. He was already somewhat infatuated in Pei Zhao's presence, and seeing him in this attire, he continuously struck up a conversation with him. Lingbo watched, taking in the full picture.

Yet this fellow Pei Zhao, entirely unaware of the trouble he was causing, smiled as he listened to her chatter. Outside, firecrackers burst in a din, and he tilted his head to listen, treating Young Liu like Second Yang from Ping'an Lane. Watching this, Lingbo wished she could kick him straight into the snow.

"Enough, stop showing off. The food is about to get cold," Lingbo said cross-tly. "Go call Mistress Yang in. Having our reunion dinner is the proper business at hand."

The warm pavilion had long since been set with two tables of food—one sent over from the Old Madam's quarters, and the other belonging to Wutong Courtyard itself. Mistress Yang and the others had followed Madam Ye here, and being older, they observed strict propriety. Unlike the lively Young Liu, when Lingbo urged them to take their seats, they steadfastly refused. "Second Young Miss, there truly is no such rule. For masters and servants to share a table would look unseemly to outsiders. It was not like this even when the Madam was alive."

"Indeed, we know the young miss is good to us, but sitting at the table would make us uneasy. It would be better to let us eat outside and leave a few people to wait on the young miss," Mistress Luo added.

"Very well," Lingbo could only relent. "Then go eat in the outer room. Young Liu, don't stay here either. It's the New Year, why are you still waiting on me? I'll call you if I need anything."

Thus, the crowd dispersed to the outer room of the warm pavilion. Indeed, the distinction between master and servant remained; no matter how kind Lingbo was, they felt much more relaxed eating amongst themselves. Moreover, there were mothers, daughters, aunts, and nieces among them. Even Young Liu had recognized Mistress Yang as his foster mother, and out in the outer room, he clinked glasses with Mistress Luo and Mistress Yang, laughing like silver bells: "Foster mother only drinks the Yanghua wine and not mine! That shows favoritism, and now my feelings are hurt!"

Hearing this, Lingbo chuckled. Although they were making a ruckus, listening to them brought her joy.

Once she finished smiling, she naturally resumed scolding Pei Zhao: "What are you standing around for? Do you expect me to dish the rice for you too?"

Pei Zhao smiled as he sat down, instead serving her a bowl of soup. Fortunately, the barbarian-style robe he wore was tailored for riding and archery, with wide sleeves narrowed tightly at the wrists; otherwise, a gesture like his would have dragged right into the soup. Lingbo eyed him with disdain: "Judging by your demeanor, have you ever waited on anyone in your life?"

Pei Zhao's eyes curved into smiles as he lowered his head to look at her. "Then would the young miss care to teach me?"

In truth, Lingbo had even less experience waiting on people. But she was clever, imitating Young Liu's usual mannerisms as she served him a bowl as well, lecturing him: "See that? The movement must be light, don't fill it to the brim, and keep it level..."

"And what is the secret to dishing out rice, then?" Pei Zhao teased her.

Lingbo made a motion to serve some, but catching herself, she snapped, "Are your hands broken?"

Pei Zhao burst into laughter. No wonder he loved wearing cyan and green; the dark shades suited him well, the heavy green background making the silver-white peacock embroidery gleam even more brilliantly. He looked like an invaluable piece of porcelain.

With his appearance, much like Prince Lanling in the books, the effort he had to put in to establish authority and win respect in the military camp was probably even greater than Cui Jingyu's.

Yet he was infuriatingly uncompetitive, never striving for merit. Otherwise, he would have long since worn the imperial python robe just like Cui Jingyu.

Yet his temper was truly good. A grand young general, he actually began dishing rice for Lingbo. Though he still performed the task with the clumsy incompetence of someone unaccustomed to serving others, he earnestly patted the rice into a neat mound in the bowl with a spoon, looking entirely serious. Lingbo was left between exasperation and amusement. "Are you building a little grave mound?"

Before her voice had even faded, her forehead was suddenly flicked. This was something that had never happened to her before; neither her mother nor Qinglan ever did such a thing, and even Shen Biwei wouldn't dare. For a moment, she was too stunned to react, and staring at Pei Zhao, she demanded, "You!"

"One shouldn't utter inauspicious words during the New Year," Pei Zhao said, smiling as he looked at her. "Considering that the Young Miss spoke without malicious intent, I'll spare you this once."

Lingbo longed to return the blow a few times, but unable to beat him in a fight, she could only glare. As they stood at an impasse, Young Liu, who had been happily playing finger-guessing games with Mistress Yang in the other room, hadn't forgotten about this side. Having drunk some wine with flushed cheeks, he lifted the curtain and called out, "Miss, don't forget to let General Pei taste that dish!"

"What dish?" Pei Zhao asked with a smile.

"The one in the pale-yellow porcelain cup," Young Liu revealed everything without hesitation. "General Pei, our young miss put a tremendous amount of effort into it."

Pei Zhao lifted the lid of the cup and took a look, then chuckled. "Fish maw?"

"Ignorant. This is golden maw," Lingbo said disdainfully. She tapped his hand with her chopsticks to avenge the flick to her forehead, served him a portion, and said, "Knowing you never frequented high platforms or tasted imperial delicacies, try some commoner's fare for a change. Don't go outside claiming you've never even eaten golden maw—how pitiful that would be."

Pei Zhao took a bite. Lingbo had spoken lightly, but she was intently observing his expression. Seeing him remain silent for a long moment, she asked, "Well?"

"As expected, rather greasy," Pei Zhao smiled.

"You have no taste!" Lingbo retorted scornfully. She scooped a spoonful for herself to try, though she couldn't really discern any particular merit in it. "How is this greasy? This is the finest golden maw in the entire capital, said to have been stolen by palace eunuchs from the tribute supplies. It's priceless, and I had a terribly hard time getting my hands on it."

"Oh? So the Young Miss steals tribute items? I shall report this to the palace right now," Pei Zhao teased her again with a smile.

Lingbo was so angry she wanted to twist his arm. "Go on and report it! If I don't break your legs, you ungrateful wolf."

Pei Zhao was truly a scoundrel; he loved to joke around and took pleasure in teasing Lingbo until she flipped out and stopped talking to him, at which point he would come over to make peace. His method of making peace was equally amusing—he wouldn't offer soft words, but simply served himself another bowl of rice, carefully patting it into shape as he murmured, "Time to build a proper grave mound this time..."

Unable to restrain herself any longer, Lingbo reached out and pinched him hard, demanding as she twisted his arm, "Now who is uttering inauspicious words? Who is asking for a beating?"

"Have mercy on me, Young Miss," Pei Zhao pleaded with a grin, thoroughly cooperative. "You'll pinch holes in the brocade."

Lingbo pinched him a few more times until she vented her anger, then finally stopped. "You know that, do you? Heartless wretch, you know how good brocade is to wear..."

"Then again, I still prefer *keshi* silk," Pei Zhao smiled.

"In your dreams!" Lingbo scoffed. "*Keshi* silk has been more expensive than gold these past few years. Princess Ping'an only wears old *keshi* silk, and Her Royal Highness the Princess Eldest Princess only has two new pieces. Didn't you see? When the Emperor rewarded Cui Jingyu, he gave him ordinary brocade robes."

Yet by bringing up this topic, Pei Zhao hit upon her exact thoughts. She had pondered this privately: Pei Zhao's lack of ambition might stem from never having witnessed the true splendor of wealth and glory, so she intended to use fine things first to awaken his drive for advancement. In the words of the books, this was called nurturing a warrior with thousands of gold. In any case, she was wealthy now, and Pei Zhao's single piece of information had already helped her immensely. If she could push Pei Zhao upward—even if not quite to Cui Jingyu's level, as long as he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Wei Yushan—she would have a steady stream of information in the future.

She had always been generous to her own people.

Therefore, she seized the opportunity to say, "If you want to wear *keshi* silk, it's not impossible. I hear that after the New Year, the Emperor will hold a hunt, and all the scions of princes and nobles are required to accompany him. The generals of the Northern Expeditionary Army must participate as well. With your exceptional archery skills, winning first place shouldn't be difficult. When the time comes, the Emperor will reward you with a *keshi* silk python robe—how majestic would that be?"

Yet Pei Zhao was infuriatingly dense. Hearing words that would make any ordinary man's blood boil, he merely drank his soup lazily. "Sounds boring. I'm not going."

Lingbo was so exasperated she wanted to hit him. "That's boring? What isn't boring? Is trailing behind others all the time interesting? That day at the watchtower, your archery was so formidable, defeating Cui Jingyu—how exhilarating that was! Every young lady in the capital was dazzled. Such a wonderful thing, why can't you turn your mind around?"

With his thick skin, Pei Zhao simply treated her words like chanting monks and calmly continued eating. His manner of eating was equally aggravating; he ignored all the fine dishes Lingbo had prepared. He found the golden maw greasy, the imperial-gifted sturgeon sent by the Shen family fishy, and the deer tendon unappealing. He merely soaked a bowl of rice in tea broth, ate a few bites of Ye family's own vegetables and chicken, and called it a meal.

Lingbo had never expected him to be so easy to feed. On second thought, life in this world boiled down to clothing, food, housing, and travel. Since his desires for food were low and he couldn't distinguish good clothes from bad, he truly lacked any reason to strive for advancement. Unfortunately, Cui Jingyu was far too amiable; if someone were to bully him ruthlessly, it might just force him to pull himself together.

She endured and endured, but finally couldn't hold it in any longer. As the fireworks began to bloom outside and the two of them stood side by side on the steps to watch, she could no longer resist asking.

"Was it because of the Misha River incident?"