Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

As night fell, the river wind grew fierce.

Shen Qiongju had already fallen asleep, her breathing deep and even.

On the deck, two tall figures stood side by side, separated by a low table with a pot of hot wine on it.

"Pei Erlang, your sister-in-law... is quite something."

Zhao Qiyan abandoned her usual carefree attitude, twirling the folding fan in her hand, her gaze fixed on the dark river surface.

"What? Is the young marquis afraid?"

Pei Zhihui picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

The river breeze tousled his hair, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his eyes.

"Afraid? I've never been afraid of anyone in my life." Zhao Qiyan scoffed, turning to look at Pei Zhihui. "However, I am worried about you."

"Oh?"

"Although the Pei family has fallen, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. You, Pei Zhihui, are ambitious and ruthless. Sooner or later, you will return to the capital, that cesspool of corruption, and stir up trouble."

Zhao Qiyan tapped the edge of the table with the handle of her fan, making a crisp sound. "But she's a merchant's daughter, a widow, and your nominal sister-in-law."

Any one of these three identities would be a capital offense in the elite circles of the capital.

"Human ethics, moral principles, and dogma." Zhao Qiyan clicked her tongue twice. "Pei Erlang, if you really care about her, you should stay away from her. You can't give her a proper status; you'll only drag her into a sea of ​​spittle and drown her."

Pei Zhihui's fingers traced the rim of the wine glass, his expression unchanged.

"Is the young marquis trying to advise me?" He turned his head, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Or is he paving the way for his own future?"

Zhao Qiyan paused, then said frankly, "That's right, I've taken a liking to her. So what?"

"I have a title, I have money, and I'm not married yet. My old man is old-fashioned, but if I insist on marrying her, he'll at most give me a beating. I can give her the status of a legal wife, and let her do business openly and honestly. No one will dare to say a word against it."

Zhao Qiyan stared at Pei Zhihui, her eyes defiant: "Pei Erlang, what can you offer her? A mistress? Or someone to let your upright colleagues gossip behind her back and call her a vixen?"

The air seemed to freeze.

The only sound was the river water lapping against the side of the boat, one beat after another, muffled like drumbeats.

a long time.

Pei Zhihui chuckled softly.

The laughter was extremely soft, yet it carried a chilling undertone that sent shivers down one's spine.

"The young marquis is right."

He slowly put down his wine glass, stood up, and walked to the railing.

"In terms of family background and social standing, I am indeed inferior to you."

Pei Zhihui turned around, his back to Jiang Yue, disappearing into the shadows like a beast lurking in the night.

"But Zhao Qiyan, you've got one thing wrong."

"What?"

"What you're doing is taking a wife, taking a concubine, keeping her as an object in the backyard."

Pei Zhihui walked towards Zhao Qiyan step by step, each step carrying an invisible sense of pressure.

"And me..."

He stopped in front of Zhao Qiyan, their noses barely an inch apart.

"I'm willing to give my life for her."

Zhao Qiyan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Pei Zhihui's voice was soft, yet every word was like a knife, cutting through flesh and revealing the bloody obsession within.

"You ask me what I can give her?"

"I will climb to the highest position and shut up all those so-called etiquette and social norms."

"Anyone who dares to insult her, I'll cut out their tongue. Anyone who dares to look down on her, I'll chop off their head."

Pei Zhihui reached out and gently patted Zhao Qiyan's stiff shoulder.

"As for the title you mentioned..."

A bewitching smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Your brother is gone. She is just Shen Qiongju. As long as she doesn't love you, you can't compete with me."

"And she would never love a greenhorn like you."

Zhao Qiyan felt as if she had been looked down upon by Pei Zhihui, that madman.

"Pei Zhihui, I'm two years older than you!" Zhao Qiyan gritted her teeth, her hand resting on the soft sword at her waist.

No, I'm talking about the mind.

Pei Zhihui withdrew his hand, straightened his clothes, and resumed his aloof and noble demeanor.

"The waters of this capital are deep; young marquis, you'd better be careful. After all..."

He glanced at the turbulent river. "The waterway is difficult to navigate; who knows where the next Ghost Cry Shoal is?"

After saying that, Pei Zhihui turned and left, leaving Zhao Qiyan with only a slender but resolute back view.

Zhao Qiyan stood there, gritting her teeth.

He suddenly realized that the person opposite him was not a drowning dog, but a vicious wolf that had not yet grown its fangs.

This wolf has already identified Shen Qiongju as its only prey.

Inside the cabin, Shen Qiongju turned over and mumbled something in her sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, on that very night, two men, for her sake, viciously threatened each other on the deck at the bow of the ship.

.

As the boat sailed into the Tongzhou waters, the once turbulent river became wide and calm. The green mountains on both banks were like dark eyebrows, appearing and disappearing in the thin mist, and the occasional cry of a monkey made the vastness of the river and sky even more apparent.

Shen Qiongju, wrapped in a thick cloak trimmed with rabbit fur, sat on a rattan chair on the deck, holding a hand warmer in her hands.

This was the first time in both her lives that she had ever properly embarked on a long journey by boat. Her fear of water from her previous life had been gradually soothed by the magnificent scenery during these few days of calm sailing.

Although the river breeze was cold, it broadened her mind. As she watched the white waves rolling along the side of the boat and the occasional silver fish leaping out of the water, the tension that had been building up in her heart for days finally eased a little.

"If you like this view, sister-in-law, we can buy a house with a lake in the capital later."

Pei Zhihui had come over at some point, holding a thicker cloak, which he gently draped over her. His complexion had improved considerably; it was no longer the deathly pale look that threatened to collapse, but rather a refined and handsome appearance that came from recovery.

Shen Qiongju turned around and met his smiling eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Houses in the capital are incredibly expensive, and those with lakes would probably cost a fortune. Let's get past this hurdle first."

When the matter was brought up, Pei Zhihui's expression turned slightly serious: "Judging by the time, the wine should be ready soon."

The two exchanged a glance and, in unison, got up and headed towards the lower deck.

Inside the hold, the aroma of wine didn't waft out; only a faint, earthy smell of seal soil lingered. Zhao Qiyan had been waiting there for a while, holding a small hammer, circling the dozens of jars of wine like a greedy cat guarding a fish tank.

"Hey you two, can you hurry up? My mouth is watering so much I could eat my guts out!" As soon as the two of them came down, Zhao Qiyan shoved the hammer into Shen Qiongju's hand. "Hurry up, hurry up! It all comes down to this one hammer blow!"

Shen Qiongju took a deep breath and gripped the hammer tightly.

Although Pei Zhihui was certain that this method would work, her palms still sweated when the moment of truth arrived.

"Yes."

With a soft sound, the mud seal shattered.

Shen Qiongju didn't immediately lift the lid, but paused for a moment. The surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of Zhao Qiyan swallowing could be heard.

She opened the seal.