Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Pei Zhiyan put his younger sister on the couch and, as if presenting a treasure, pulled a net bag full of fluffy rabbits from his bosom.

"To catch this burrow of rabbits, I and my little sister lay in the snow for half an hour!"

The boy's face was red from the cold, but his brows were full of wild spirit.

But before he could finish feeling smug, Pei Zhichun burst into tears.

The little girl's face was frozen purple-blue, her hands and feet were icy cold, and she shivered as she snuggled into Pei Junlan's arms.

"Cold...Aunt...Pain..."

Pei Junlan's smile froze instantly. She grabbed Pei Zhichun's icy little hand, her expression changing drastically.

"Snapped!"

A slap landed on the back of Pei Zhiyan's head.

Liu stood there, her face ashen, her chest heaving violently. "You...you unruly brat!"

Pei Zhiyan was embarrassed and didn't dare to fight back, knowing that his sister was getting cold.

"In the dead of winter, you're taking your sister to lie in a snowdrift? Do you want her to freeze to death, or do you want to freeze to death yourself?"

Pei Zhiyan was still arguing: "Aunt, I just wanted to get some wild game to add to the family's dishes..."

"Add more dishes? Is the Pei family short of meat?"

Liu's voice betrayed lingering fear, "Do you know how treacherous the winds are in the north? Do you know that once the cold enters the body, a child can die from a high fever!"

"Kneel down!"

Pei Zhiyan stiffened his neck, looking defiant, but still knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Tell me, why aren't you going to school? Why are you taking your sister out to play instead?"

"The teachers in that academy just spout off classical Chinese phrases all the time; it's so boring it makes you want to sleep! I'm a son of the Pei family, and I want to be like my elder brother, joining the army and fighting the enemy!"

"What did you say?" Liu seemed to have heard something extremely terrifying; she swayed and almost fell over.

Pei Junlan quickly helped her up and asked her nephew, "Are you going to join the army?"

She stared at the kneeling boy, her voice stern, "Say that again?"

"I want to join the army!"

Pei Zhiyan roared, "I'm not afraid to die! I want to become a great general, find out the cause of my brother's death in the military camp, and avenge him!"

"shut up!"

Pei Junlan suddenly raised her hand to slap him, but stopped in mid-air. Her trembling fingers pointed at the densely packed memorial tablets on the table.

"Go and take a look! Go and look at those memorial tablets!"

"Your eldest uncle, that was the biological father of your Zhihui and Zhichao brothers. He died in the armory and was beheaded. His body was never found."

"Your father! My poor second brother also died in prison, without even a proper burial!"

"And you know Brother Chao..."

Liu, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back and covered her mouth, bursting into tears.

Pei Junlan's voice was hoarse: "How many men from our Pei family who went to war had a good ending? They either died on the battlefield, or they died at the hands of their own people!"

"If you want to go and die, I won't stop you. But if you die out there, how will I face the ancestors of the Pei family after I pass away?"

The room was deathly silent.

Liu held the child, comforting him while wiping away tears.

Shen Qiongju sighed.

She walked over and supported Pei Junlan's swaying body, only to find her arm stiff when she touched it.

"Aunt, calm down," Shen Qiongju said softly, helping Pei Junlan sit up on the couch. "Zhiyan is still a child..."

"The child?" Pei Junlan sat back on the daybed, tears streaming down her face without warning. "He's thirteen! Back then... back then when my older brother went to the battlefield, he was only two years older than him."

"Any man from the Pei family who gets involved in warfare will meet a bad end!"

Suddenly, Liu said firmly, "I can't let Zhiyan go to his death again! Even if he becomes a useless person, a farmer who only knows how to till the land, I want him to live!"

These words echoed in the warm room, conveying an endless sense of despair.

Shen Qiongju's eyes stung with tears. She stepped forward, pressed Pei Junlan's head, and handed Liu a handkerchief.

"Aunt, I understand your good intentions," Shen Qiongju said softly. "It's just that Zhiyan's personality is just like his father-in-law's. The more you suppress him, the stronger his resistance becomes."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Pei Junlan grabbed Shen Qiongju's hand. "Are we just going to watch him die?"

"Of course not."

Shen Qiongju reassured her, "But it's better to guide than to block. I'll think of a solution in the next few days; there should be a compromise."

Just then, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

The heavy curtain was lifted, and a gust of cold wind mixed with snow swept in.

Pei Zhihui stood at the door.

He wore a dark blue cloak, the fox fur at the collar making his jawline appear even more hard and angular. He had clearly just returned from outside, as unmelted snow still clung to his shoulders.

The crying inside the house stopped abruptly.

Pei Zhihui's gaze swept over Liu Shi, whose eyes were red, and finally landed on Shen Qiongju, who was wearing a green jacket and skirt.

"Uncle is back."

Pei Zhihui loosened the sash and casually hung the cloak aside. "I heard everything."

His voice was flat and emotionless as he walked straight to the table and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"Is Zhiyan in the ancestral hall?" he asked.

Liu nodded: "Yes, reflect on your actions in the ancestral hall."

Pei Zhihui took a sip of tea, his slender fingers stroking the rim of the cup, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Make him kneel."

Upon hearing this, the women in the room were all stunned.

Shen Qiongju looked at Pei Zhihui with some surprise. Although he was usually aloof, he was actually very protective of the Pei family, especially of his only younger brother.

"Zhihui..." Shen Qiongju hesitated, "It's so cold outside, the ancestral hall is chilly..."

"Making him kneel is to teach him a lesson."

Pei Zhihui put down his teacup, his tone calm to the point of being cold, "Taking your seven-year-old sister to the deep mountains and snow, disregarding her safety, just for the sake of momentary courage. That's stupid, not courageous."

"If they encountered a pack of wolves today, what would he use to protect Zhichun? His mediocre skills, or his life?"

Upon hearing this, Liu turned pale and hugged Zhichun tightly in her arms.

"But..." Shen Qiongju couldn't help but speak up, "After all, he just wanted to add some dishes to the family's menu, and his intentions were good."

Pei Zhihui turned to look at her, a half-smile curving his unfathomable eyes, carrying a chilling edge. "Sister-in-law, you seem to care about him."

Shen Qiongju's breath hitched. Why was this person being so sarcastic again?

"However, Auntie is wrong about one thing." Pei Zhihui withdrew his gaze and looked at Liu Shi, "The men of the Pei family cannot be useless."

Pei Junlan frowned. "Zhihui! Do you also want him to join the army? Have you forgotten how your father and brother died?"

"I haven't forgotten."

Pei Zhihui's voice suddenly deepened, and a flash of malice appeared in his eyes, so fast that it was hard to catch. "Precisely because we haven't forgotten, the Pei family members must have the ability to protect themselves."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the swirling snow outside.

"The world is in chaos now, and the northern border is even more unsettled. If he is powerless, who will protect this large family of women and children if another misfortune befalls him?"

"Rely on me, this sickly fellow?"

Shen Qiongju's heart stirred slightly.

She understood the deeper meaning in Pei Zhihui's words. He was preparing for the worst; he was afraid that history would repeat itself.

"Then... what should we do?" Pei Junlan was at a loss.

"I won't go to the military camp."

Pei Zhihui turned around and presented the plan he had already thought of: "I have asked someone to find a retired bodyguard named Chen. He used to be a scout in the army. He is extremely skilled and a very reliable person."

"After the New Year, let Zhiyan learn martial arts from him."

"It's not for killing enemies, it's for self-defense."

Pei Junlan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn't go to the military camp, learning some martial arts for self-defense wasn't a bad idea.

"And another thing," Pei Zhihui continued, "one must not neglect one's studies. One doesn't need to become the top scholar, but at least one must be literate, understand principles, know military strategy, and know when to advance and retreat."

"When he turns sixteen, if he still wants to venture out into the world, let him go on two escort missions with the security company."

Pei Zhihui's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile born of worldly wisdom. "Let him see the dangers of the martial world, let him see if the life of licking blood from the blade is as glamorous as he imagines. If he can't endure the hardship, he'll naturally come back."

"If you can endure hardship..."

He paused, his gaze turning deep. "Then let him take the military examination. As long as he has a title, even if he joins the army, he will become a general, not cannon fodder to fill ditches."

This arrangement was meticulously planned, addressing both Pei Junlan's fears and providing Pei Zhiyan with room to grow.

They even paved the way out.

"Zhihui's thinking is indeed thorough." Pei Junlan was completely relieved and nodded repeatedly. "We'll do as you say."

"What do you think, sister-in-law?" Pei Zhihui suddenly turned to ask her.