Chapter Thirty: Are You Trying to Rob My House, or Just Looking for Something Else?
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If a man says he likes married women, he is bound to invite the contempt of others.
But if he says he likes widows, everyone can certainly understand.
After all, she has already become a widow. He could hardly leave her to widowhood while he was still alive.
Wu An had no particular prejudice against Lady Pei.
After all, she was the wife of the late Crown Prince, the dignified Crown Princess.
Besides, she was exceptionally beautiful, with a full, voluptuous figure that even her clothing could not fully conceal. The parts that ought to be raised stood like peaks amid valleys; whether standing or seated, she was a sight unlike any other.
Wu An had once told Shangguan Wan'er that Hexi had no women, only cattle, sheep, and warhorses. In truth, that had not been entirely a joke.
Once the war machine of the Great Tang was set fully in motion, the army, including both combat troops and auxiliaries, numbered well over a hundred thousand. Within such an army, the only females were livestock. At the same time, because war had broken out with Tibet, the foreign tribes living along the borders of the two countries were rapidly crushed.
The Tang army of the present day still retained much of the conduct and habits of the armies of the early Tang. Strict military regulations restrained every man, while many Tang commanders also took it upon themselves to uphold those rules. That was the most frightening part.
Only a very few of the tribal women were sent before senior generals and commanders. Even fewer made their way down to the middle and lower ranks of the army. Moreover, none of the women remained with the army for long. Even the commander-in-chief, Li Jingxuan, would not keep a woman in his tent.
To fall beneath the pomegranate skirts of a noble Tang lady was hardly something shameful. All a man's brothers could do was offer their congratulations and envy him.
But no one would show even the slightest sympathy toward a foreign woman.
Wu An had his own ambitions and plans. Even in those chaotic wartime years, he could often restrain his desires. But at the end of the day, he was a robust and powerfully built young man, not a eunuch.
Liang Xin was somewhat surprised to learn that Commandant Wu had never married. He had genuinely believed that the latter was a member of the Wu clan and a blood relative of the Empress.
At the same age, some spoiled young masters from official families might already have impregnated several maidservants around them.
“This is a small gift from me to the Crown Princess. Please pass it inside.”
Wu An urged his horse forward with several cavalrymen behind him and caught up with the procession. Two maidservants were seated at the front of the ox cart. When they saw him approach, surprise appeared on their small faces. They stared for a moment at the handsome young man dressed in black. The maid on the left indicated that she wished to go inside and ask the Crown Princess for instructions.
But in the next instant, two pearls dropped into their arms.
The maid on the right immediately caught hold of her companion, then rose and accepted the wrapped snacks from Wu An. She carried them straight into the carriage.
A short while later, she lifted the curtain.
“The Lady says to thank Commandant Wu.”
The little maid’s voice was soft as she stared at Wu An with open curiosity, not blinking once.
“Please tell the Crown Princess,” Wu An said calmly, reining in his impatient warhorse, “that we shall reach the Pei residence in no more than two wards. There is no need for her to worry. I shall remain beside her the entire way.”
Although this Crown Princess was no longer the same Crown Princess as before, and the current Crown Prince had been replaced by another man over the years, no one would seriously quibble over the title.
The little maid blinked, then turned and went inside once more to deliver his message.
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Inside the carriage, Pei Yun was seated quietly. When she heard the words “Crown Princess,” she fell into a brief daze. A moment later, she raised her head and looked outside, as if she could see the face of that young man in black armor through the carriage wall.
When the Empress had first told her about this matter, Pei Yun had been both astonished and unwilling. She had heard how outrageous the young men of the Wu clan could be. What woman would truly welcome a purely political marriage?
The little maid was still watching her. Pei Yun nodded and said softly, “It seems he still knows how to follow the rules and show proper respect.”
“He is handsome, too,” the maid reminded her.
“Oh, you imp.”
Pei Yun gave her a light scolding, then pressed one slender finger against the maid’s forehead and gently pushed her out of the carriage.
She lowered her head and looked at the packages, which gave off a faint fragrance. After hesitating for a moment, she extended a finger and lightly prodded one.
...
“Commandant Wu, you bought far too little.”
From inside the carriage came Princess Taiping’s dissatisfied voice. Though another carriage separated them from one another, she seemed to have abandoned the reserve she had affected earlier.
“You bought only these few things. How am I supposed to help you determine what the Crown Princess likes? Go and buy some more interesting toys. Forget the food.”
If the late Crown Prince Li Hong had been the Emperor’s and the Empress’s most beloved eldest son, then Princess Taiping, as their youngest daughter, received all the tenderness they could give without reservation.
The food in the palace could hardly be inferior. Compared with it, common folk snacks held no attraction for her at all. Various little curiosities, on the other hand, were far more to her liking.
Although the old matron glared at Wu An with deep displeasure, he pretended not to notice. He instead had her help receive the large pile of newly purchased toys and carry them into the carriage.
Flattering Princess Taiping was also an investment in the future.
Once she grew up, would that not give him another connection within the imperial family?
The procession finally arrived at the Pei residence. Wu An swung down from his horse. As the carriage curtain was lifted, he felt a curious gaze settle upon him almost at once.
Pei Juedao, General of the Left Golden Guards, soon came out to receive them. This time, however, he merely indicated that his daughter should go inside before turning his attention to the young man in black before him.
He was not wearing black armor, but the patterns embroidered on his black brocade robes seemed to lend him an even greater air of authority. Pei Juedao was not truly a military man, and when he sensed that presence, he felt a chill rise in his heart.
Wu An handed him something. It was none other than Wang Xizhi’s surviving masterpiece.
“This object is precious. After careful consideration, I have had my fill of admiring it. It is now time to return it to its rightful owner.”
Wu An stood with his hands behind his back and raised one hand slightly.
The dozens of armored riders from the Hundred Riders Bureau following behind him reined in their warhorses at the same time. Their towering figures were reflected in Pei Juedao’s eyes, and his brows began to draw together.
“Cosmetics are given to beautiful women, treasured swords to heroes. Only you, Uncle, can truly share the feelings of the ancients who created this masterpiece. If it returned to my hands and remained hidden from the light of day for years, would it not feel wronged?”
Wu An lightly patted Pei Juedao’s hand and, without a trace of hesitation, pressed the scroll into his arms.
“I hope you will not take offense, Uncle. There are a few important matters I would like to discuss with you.”
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“It would not be very convenient to speak here, would it?” Pei Juedao asked.
He was referring to the armored riders of the Hundred Riders Bureau, as well as the other ox cart carrying Princess Taiping.
It was impossible to feel at ease discussing anything in front of so many people.
The scene looked rather like an official inspection before a confiscation.
Wu An gave Liang Xin and Zhang Wu a few instructions, ordering them to escort Princess Taiping’s carriage back to the palace with the troops. He then personally went to the princess’s carriage and said a few words to her.
The little toys he had sent earlier must have been the right choice. Not only did Princess Taiping fail to blame him, she even told him to send someone to the palace to report whenever he encountered trouble.
Her deliberately old-fashioned voice came from inside the carriage.
“Pei Juedao is the Crown Princess’s father. I happen to know what he likes. Go and buy some more things for me, and I will tell you.”
Wu An truly had no time for that, and he was also short of money. He had already spent everything he carried on the purchases just now.
He asked whether she had any money.
Princess Taiping was silent for a moment, then loudly ordered the carriage to return to the palace.
Mother had already instructed her that once she delivered Sister Pei home, she was to return to the palace. She had always been the most obedient of daughters and listened to Mother’s every word.
So she was a princess who liked getting things for free...
Wu An sighed inwardly and turned to follow Pei Juedao into the residence.
The two men sat down as host and guest. After a short while, the door opened. Pei Yun personally entered with a maid carrying tea, then took her leave.
She was no longer wearing the white mourning clothes. Her hair had been arranged in the ordinary style of a gentlewoman, with a silver hairpin inserted at an angle. Every frown and smile made her eyes gleam with captivating brilliance.
Her clothing was still plain in color, but its design was far more beautiful than before. The skirts and ribbons drifted around her as she walked, making her seem like an immortal maiden gliding over rippling water.
Pei Juedao looked at his daughter in her changed attire and lowered his head, drinking his tea with quiet satisfaction.
Then Wu An asked, “Uncle, how many troops of the Golden Guards can you mobilize?”
“Pfft!”
Pei Juedao sprayed out his tea. Wu An turned his head slightly and avoided it.
“What are you planning to do?” Pei Juedao demanded in alarm, too agitated even to wipe the tea from his clothes.
He had not failed to notice the changes in his daughter’s clothing, nor the faint expressions that occasionally crossed the young man’s face. But at that moment, Pei Juedao was filled with nothing but profound shock.
He had thought the young man was merely lusting after his daughter’s beauty. Who would have imagined that what he coveted was the old man himself?
“This junior merely wished to ask your advice and learn from your experience.”
The instant Wu An saw the expression on the other man’s face, he knew Pei Juedao had misunderstood him. After all, in this era, asking about military authority was much like asking another adult about his salary in later times: deeply taboo.
“To be honest, I was ordered by the Empress this morning to command the Hundred Riders Bureau. I deeply feel the shortage of manpower, so in a few days I intend to petition Her Majesty the Empress to transfer elite soldiers from various places and strengthen my force, expanding the Hundred Riders into... a Thousand Riders.”
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