Denghuangtai

"General Pei!"

Just as the candlelight was about to draw back the curtains at another spot, Feng Lingsu suddenly spoke up. "General, why don't you sit down? Let's discuss your requests calmly..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ban Qing turned around and waved his hands frantically at her, "Xi Jun, this woman is already behaving so arrogantly towards us. Why are you still trying to discuss things with her?"

Feng Lingsu gave Pei Qingyan a forced smile, pulled Ban Qing aside, and whispered, "We can't beat her. If she really dies in our residence, how will we explain it to Empress Dowager Yun and His Majesty?"

"Just say she went crazy and ran to our mansion on her own," Ban Qing said matter-of-factly.

Feng Lingsu said, "Then we need to explain why she came to our residence in the first place. What attracted her to risk disobeying the imperial decree and come to our residence? Can we explain that clearly?"

The explanation is unclear.

If we want to explain this clearly, we must bring up the matter of sending someone to assassinate Pei Qingyan in the imperial prison. If this matter can be brought to light, why would Ban Qing and Feng Lingsu be threatened by Yun Zheng?

"That's not all~"

The room was silent. Even if Feng Lingsu and Ban Qing spoke in hushed tones, it wouldn't escape the notice of Pei Qingyan, a man who was skilled in martial arts.

She chuckled and reminded him, "Empress Dowager Yun is very shrewd. Do you think that if she finds out I took the initiative to visit your residences, she'll connect it to your previous surrender and subsequent reneging? Will she think that your Ban and Feng clans have secretly allied with our Pei clan?"

Pei Qingyan had overheard Ban Qing speaking to her from the rooftop, and it was at that moment that she conceived the idea of ​​threatening the Feng couple.

"Pei Qingyan, you are truly vicious," Ban Qing cursed through gritted teeth.

Pei Qingyan wasn't annoyed by the scolding. She raised her eyebrows slightly, her dark eyes sparkling. "Grandma has a plan."

"Pooh!"

Ban Qing spat at her, then turned to his wife, "Wife, is there any other way? How about we say she was brought to our household by someone?"

Feng Lingsu shook her head. "That doesn't make sense either."

In broad daylight, how could someone secretly bring someone to the residence of the General of the Five Offices without alerting the couple?

Makes no sense.

A completely illogical excuse will only lead people to think in darker ways, such as that Feng Lingsu and Ban Qing forced Pei Qingyan to come to their mansion and then caused an accident that led to Pei Qingyan's death there.

If word gets out, the couple will be in big trouble too.

Pei Qingyan's move seemed like a simple threat of suicide, but in reality, he had dug a huge pit for them. Whether they chose to jump in or not, they would suffer losses.

It's simply a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

"Gentlemen, we've finished counting to fifty," Pei Qingyan said, arms crossed, as he looked at the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Feng Lingsu grasped Ban Qing's hand and gently pinched him with her fingers, signaling Ban Qing not to say anything more.

She pulled Ban Qing along, smiling as she walked to Pei Qingyan. She resumed her dignified demeanor and gestured to Pei Qingyan, "General, please sit down and speak. Husband, please serve the General some tea."

Ban Qing reluctantly took an unused teacup, poured in the cold tea instead of adding fresh tea, and placed it in front of Pei Qingyan. Instead of handing it to her, he slammed it heavily onto the side table next to her, splashing tea everywhere.

"Foolish." Pei Qingyan didn't tolerate him and scolded him directly. After scolding him, she turned to look at Feng Lingsu, "Madam Feng, this fool has dragged you down."

"Pei Qingyan!" Ban Qing couldn't stand it anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and looked like he was about to fight Pei Qingyan to the death, but fortunately Feng Lingsu stopped him in time.

"My lord, would you please go to the kitchen and fetch me some snacks?"

"How can I leave you to face these two heartless bastards alone?" Ban Qing said somewhat reluctantly.

Feng Lingsu patiently persuaded him a few more times, and finally managed to get this simpleton away.

Pei Qingyan watched the two of them with great interest and sighed, "It really wasn't easy."

"My husband is so affectionate and sincere, much better than those who can't see through my thoughts," Feng Lingsu said with a smile, explaining on behalf of Ban Qing.

Upon hearing this, Pei Qingyan chuckled, glancing lightly at Yun Zheng out of the corner of his eye. "He's better than some people whose thoughts are hard to fathom."

After saying that, she stopped laughing and started talking to Feng Lingsu about serious matters. "Madam Feng, let's let bygones be bygones. I will not mention it again. If anyone else brings it up in the future, I will testify on your behalf and clear you of any suspicion."

"General Pei is so generous," Feng Lingsu said with a clap of her hands. "I wonder what the General intends for my wife and me to do?"

Pei Qingyan didn't answer immediately. She turned her head to look at Yun Zheng, "Grand Minister of Works, I wonder what kind of job that fool Ban Qing is holding in the capital these days?"

"He was appointed as the General of the Five Offices, in charge of guarding the palace gates and assisting in the defense of the capital."

Pei Qingyan gave an "oh," then looked at Feng Lingsu again and said decisively, "I want the official seal of the General of the Five Offices."

"That's probably not appropriate," Feng Lingsu refused without hesitation. The next moment, she saw Pei Qingyan had already flipped over the chair and stood in front of the curtain.

"General, everything else is negotiable, but this official seal is my husband's token, and there is no reason for it to be in the hands of others."

"That's precisely why I'm asking you for it," Pei Qingyan said righteously. "Right now, I don't need your help, but if I don't make this request now, I'm afraid that you'll regret it later."

"How is that possible?" Feng Lingsu said with certainty.

Nothing in this world is absolute. Times change, people's hearts change. So it's always better to be cautious.

"Is there absolutely no room for negotiation?" Feng Lingsu bargained.

Pei Qingyan shook his head, his attitude unusually resolute.

The two stared at each other from a distance for a long time before Feng Lingsu finally gave in.

She sighed, "I was just one move off, oh well. General, please wait a moment, I'll go and fetch your official seal right away."

After saying this, Feng Lingsu got up and left, leaving only Pei Qingyan and Yun Zheng in the room.

The two fell silent for a moment, and the room became quiet.

A moment later, Yun Zheng's cold voice came from inside the room.