After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 29.1

Over a year ago, Xie Yunqing had to go to the county to participate in the Imperial Academy selection examinations.

His father said he had no time to send him, nor did he give him any travel expenses for the journey. He could only find time in the half-month before his departure to collect firewood for the local gentry’s household, exchanging his labor for some money to buy dry rations. Then, three days early, he set out for the county on foot.

The journey was quite long; Xie Yunqing walked from dusk until dawn, and from dawn until dusk again. It was late winter then. But for Xie Yunqing, the most terrifying thing on the road was not the cold, but the loneliness.

That loneliness suddenly surged like a tide when he arrived at the Examination Bureau, completely submerging him. Piercing cold and deep fatigue seized him at that moment, rendering him unable to move. Standing before the Examination Bureau were crowds of students who had come for the exam, accompanied by the parents who had seen them off.

In the gradually brightening morning light, every emotion on their faces was warm. Yet, Xie Yunqing could not possess such warmth. He could only stand alone in a cold, dark corner, quietly waiting for the exam to begin while silently enduring the inevitable tension.

And now—

Before stepping into the Prime Minister’s Manor, Xie Yunqing suddenly stopped and turned around. Pei Xuan and Cui Ji were still standing by the carriage, watching him. Seeing him turn, Pei Xuan jumped up happily and waved at him.

At this moment, although the memories of loneliness were still vivid, for some reason, the emotions of that time could no longer seep out from his memory, nor could they affect his current self in the slightest. After a moment of hesitation, Xie Yunqing also raised his hand and gave a very unpracticed wave. Not daring to look at Pei Xuan and Cui Ji’s reactions, he waved a few times with his eyes closed before running into the Prime Minister’s Manor as if fleeing.

When the minor official tasked with guiding him approached, a sense of nervousness immediately flared up. Yet, it was different from the nervousness he felt during other exams. Xie Yunqing could clearly perceive that beneath his current tension, there was actually more—expectation.

His cheeks suddenly grew hot, and his breathing became slightly hurried. His footsteps inexplicably felt light and hollow, as if he were walking on clouds—a sense of unreality. He didn’t know how long he walked like this until the official suddenly stopped, pushed open the large doors in front of him, and bowed.

“Young Master Xie, you may enter.”

His heart rate accelerated abruptly. Xie Yunqing stood before the doors, lowered his head, and looked only at the path beneath his feet as he walked inside. The hall was silent; only his faint footsteps could be heard. Upon seeing the desks arranged with paper and brushes, Xie Yunqing paused and knelt, intending to perform a formal greeting toward the main seat.

However, he was interrupted by a burst of laughter. “If you’re about to chant ‘Greetings to the Prime Minister,’ you may dispense with it.”

Immediately after, someone else said, “It seems this young friend doesn’t yet know that Minister Pei has gone to the palace.”

“Listen to you,” the first person replied. “Even we only just found out ourselves.”

Xie Yunqing’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up. Sitting in the main seats were two elders with hair and beards that had turned somewhat white—Pei Yanzhi was not there. After a moment of silence, Xie Yunqing opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

The first person spoke again: “Young friend, do not panic. Originally, Minister Pei was supposed to conduct the assessment personally, but just a moment ago, the Emperor suddenly summoned him to court. Minister Pei ordered the two of us to come and take his place.”

The other followed up, “The two of us are Chief Secretaries by Minister Pei’s side. His surname is Wang, and mine is Yuan. We don’t yet know your name, young friend.”

Xie Yunqing finally snapped back to his senses. He bowed to the two of them. “This student is Xie Yunqing of Yongjia Commandery. My respects to Chief Secretary Wang and Chief Secretary Yuan.”

Chief Secretary Wang stroked his beard and said, “As expected of the only child in these years to pass our manor’s policy discourse assessment. Looking at your conduct, appearance, and aura—everything is of the highest quality.”

Chief Secretary Yuan also nodded. “Indeed. It’s no wonder that boy Pei Xuan was so concerned, saying every good thing possible about this child in front of us.”

Xie Yunqing was still a bit confused about the situation. He could only stare blankly as Chief Secretary Wang and Chief Secretary Yuan chatted back and forth. Only in the gaps of their conversation did they ask Xie Yunqing a few questions regarding national policy. After listening and nodding, they continued their chat.

It wasn’t until a stick of incense nearby burned out that the two of them stopped. Smiling, they told Xie Yunqing that the assessment was over and he could head back. The official from before was already waiting outside the hall and even smiled while offering Xie Yunqing a few words of congratulations.

For some reason, the mood Xie Yunqing had when he first arrived had completely vanished. After responding politely, he followed the official toward the exit. His footsteps on the polished stone slabs of the manor felt inexplicably heavy.

The official walked by his side and seemed to notice his poor mood. After hesitating, the official took the initiative to speak: “Young Master Xie, it is still early. If you aren’t in a hurry to return to the Academy, why don’t I lead you on a stroll through the manor? Although the scenery here isn’t as intricate as those famous gardens, there are several places worth seeing.”

Xie Yunqing originally wanted to decline politely. He had come today for the assessment, and since it was finished, he had no reason to stay. But the official added another sentence: “Perhaps in a little while, Minister Pei will return. It won’t be too late if you leave after paying your respects then.”

Xie Yunqing’s footsteps paused. Minister Pei is coming back.

He should have refused. But his feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, unable to move. The official did not rush him, standing quietly to the side with a slight bow, waiting for his answer. A breeze blew past, carrying the characteristic warmth of early summer, brushing against his cheeks and his slightly clenched fingers hanging at his sides.

“…Alright.”

As if possessed, he did not refuse. The official smiled and led the way deeper into the Prime Minister’s Manor.

The manor was even larger than the Pei Residence, yet miraculously, it did not cause Xie Yunqing to feel that sense of drifting without a home. Perhaps it was because he knew his heart wasn’t on the pavilions and terraces of the manor at all. It was on—waiting for Pei Yanzhi to return.

Suddenly, some bustling sounds came from not far away. The official immediately led Xie Yunqing toward the noise. “Minister Pei must be back!”

Hurrying to the end of the long corridor, he indeed saw a group of people surrounding Pei Yanzhi as they walked in. The official’s face lit up with joy, and he turned to Xie Yunqing. “Young Master Xie, go over quickly.”

But Xie Yunqing was inexplicably frozen in place.

This was the first time he had seen Pei Yanzhi wearing formal court robes.

The black court dress made his figure appear as steady as a pine tree. The crimson silk borders of the robes moved slightly with his steps, and the gold and jade pendants hanging from his waist shimmered faintly in the lingering glow of dusk. He was turning his head to listen to a subordinate official whispering something; his brow held a majesty and aloofness belonging to a Chancellor of the Imperial Court a side Xie Yunqing had never seen.

This was not the man who had left him an outer robe at the Academy, nor the one who had quietly watched him play the zither at the Pei Residence. He wasn’t the man at the foot of the Southern Suburbs mountain whom Xie Yunqing had mistaken for his father and who had taken him to see the horse, Jingxue. And he certainly wasn’t the one who had gently fulfilled his wish and encouraged him to use his ambitions as a reward.

This was Minister Pei. He was the head of all officials, the Pei Yanzhi whom all scholars under heaven looked up to.

The people surrounding Pei Yanzhi naturally moved aside to open a path. Some bowed, while others stepped back a few paces and stood with their hands down. Those respectful gestures were done so naturally, as if the space around Pei Yanzhi was inherently a place commoners could not easily trespass.

Xie Yunqing suddenly realized one thing standing at the end of the corridor waiting just now, he probably looked just like those people. This thought suddenly made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He looked down at himself. He wore the common green robes of a student, and his sleeves were stained with grey dust from somewhere along the road.

While strolling through the manor earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now this attire seemed so utterly out of place.

Pei Yanzhi seemed to sense something. His gaze bypassed the several people in front of him and looked toward the end of the corridor. The moment their eyes met, Xie Yunqing saw the cold majesty in those eyes pause slightly, followed by a softening—as if a warm current was surging beneath a frozen surface.

But Xie Yunqing took a half-step back. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? He thought of the expectations he had been harboring, which now inexplicably tasted bitter. He should have understood long ago. Pei Yanzhi was by no means someone he could approach just because he wanted to. And the gap between him and Pei Yanzhi was not something he could bridge simply by studying at the Academy or passing an internship at the manor.

“Young Master Xie?” Seeing him motionless, the official called out in confusion. “Minister Pei has seen you. Go over quickly.”

Xie Yunqing’s throat felt slightly dry. He opened his mouth, wanting to take a step, but his feet felt rooted. Ultimately, he just shook his head, his voice so soft it was as if he were speaking only to himself.

“…No.”

“…Another day…”

“…I will come another day to pay my respects to… Minister Pei.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “Minister Pei,” as if reminding himself of something. Having said that, he turned and hurried back along the corridor he had come from.

Xie Yunqing walked very quickly. His footsteps thudded against the wooden planks of the corridor as if trying to throw off the gaze behind him. He didn’t look back, but he knew Pei Yanzhi was watching. That gaze wasn’t scorching; it was even considered gentle, yet it was like a very thin silk thread lightly tied to his back. The faster he walked, the tighter that thread became, as if it could pull him back at any moment.

The corridor was long. When he was strolling earlier, he felt the manor’s scenery was open and bright, with a view at every step. Now, however, he only felt this path was so long it made his heart panic. The pillars on both sides receded one by one. Dusk had silently crept up, pulling the shadows of the eaves long and thin.

He turned through a moon gate and crossed a small stone bridge. The path beneath his feet gradually became unfamiliar when the official had led him, his heart was full of other matters, and he hadn’t memorized the route at all. By the time he finally stopped, he didn’t know which part of the manor he had reached.

The surroundings were very quiet. So quiet that only the sound of the wind remained. Xie Yunqing stopped at an unfamiliar corner, leaning against the vermilion railing and panting slightly. His heart beat rapidly and heavily in his chest; he couldn’t tell if it was from walking too fast or…

He closed his eyes, and the scene from the end of the corridor surfaced again—the black court robes, the gold and jade pendants, and those aloof eyes amidst the crowd. And that naturally occurring distance that kept others thousands of miles away.

He looked down at his green robes… the grey marks on his sleeves were still there. Like a glaring revelation, it reminded him once more of just how vast the gap was between him and Pei Yanzhi.

That bitterness surged in his throat again, thicker than before. He swallowed hard and tilted his head up to look at the sky outside the corridor, which was gradually darkening. Go… find the way out first. Another day… another day… come back for a formal visit.

Just as this thought took root in his heart, the sky outside darkened a few degrees more. Almost simultaneously a drop of water fell from the eaves onto his forehead. Xie Yunqing froze for a moment, reached out to touch it, and felt a cool bead of water on his fingertip.

Then came a second drop, a third…

Pitter-patter, the rain struck the bluestone slabs outside and the broad leaves of the plantains in the courtyard, making a dull and hurried sound. The rain came without warning or buildup. The early summer rain was sudden and fierce; in just a few breaths, a white curtain of rain was woven outside the corridor. Water poured from the roof tiles like a stream, splashing into a fine mist on the ground.

Xie Yunqing retreated further into the corridor until his back was almost against the wall. The rain showed no sign of slowing; instead, it grew denser until only the noisy sound of rain remained in the world. The sky turned completely black… a terrifying kind of black, as if swallowed by the rain curtain thick and heavy. It was as if the entire firmament was pressing down.

The scenery outside was no longer visible, leaving only a vast mist of water and the swaying shadows of trees in the dark. Xie Yunqing unconsciously hugged his arms. At the moment when his mental defenses were most fragile, the memory of that torrential rain from when he was ten years old surged back…

Xie Yunqing’s breathing became slightly hurried, his fingertips tightening as he gripped the fabric of his sleeves. The sound of wind and rain in the darkness turned monstrous. With every gust of wind, the leaves of the trees in the courtyard let out sharp wails, like something whispering in the dark.

He closed his eyes and opened them again… When he closed them, the darkness was thicker; when he opened them, the darkness remained. His heart gave a violent thud. Xie Yunqing almost cried out but bit his lip hard.

Don’t panic… This is the Prime Minister’s Manor, not some desolate wilderness. Once the rain lets up, someone will naturally pass by. I just need to wait, just wait a little longer…

A bolt of lightning split the sky. The ghastly white light illuminated the entire courtyard as if it were broad daylight, making every tree and stone exceptionally clear, only to swallow them back into darkness a second later. Immediately following, thunder rolled in, exploding with a crash as if right above his head.

Xie Yunqing trembled all over. His back slammed hard against the wall, and he slid down into the corner. He gritted his teeth but still couldn’t help it; a very faint, broken gasp escaped his throat. His fingers were chilled through. His fingertips dug into his palms, causing a slight sting.

He chanted in his heart: Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, Xie Yunqing. You are sixteen now, not a child anymore…