At the Noble Consort’s Feet

weight of the matter.

Walking ahead of the group, the palace maid holding the lantern kept a watchful eye on the path before them.
Suddenly, she spotted a dark figure approaching in the distance, causing her to jump in fright.
It wasn’t until the figure drew closer that she was able to discern its face.

Wearing a purple robe and a jade clasp with a tall and solemn demeanor, whose face could it be but Pei Ji’s?

The four of them quickly stepped aside to the side of the road and bowed in reverence.

On any other day, Pei Ji would have returned the gesture with a solemn face and without any sloppiness.

However, today, for some unknown reason, he only glanced at the four of them hurriedly, nodded slightly, and quickly strode away.

The palace maid watched his figure disappear into the darkness and inexplicably felt a hint of panic.

She hesitated and asked, “General Pei seems different today…”

He Yuan Shi frowned and lightly rebuked, “Pay attention to the road ahead.
It’s not our place to discuss General Pei’s affairs.”

The maid hurriedly responded and said no more.

That is the son of an Imperial Princess and the Prime Minister, the cousin of His Majesty, a man of high esteem, not to be gossiped about by servants.

But He Yuan Shi himself couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

If he wasn’t mistaken, there seemed to be a lot of wrinkles at the collar of General Pei’s coat, as if it had been forcefully pulled and tugged.

…

Bathed in the moonlight, Li Zhi leaned against the railing of the pavilion, holding a wine cup to her lips and taking small sips.

Her lips were almost devoid of rouge, her eyes still swollen, her long hair scattered, and her clothes were slightly disheveled.
She reached up to fix them haphazardly and recalled the earlier scene, laughing lightly as she looked up to the sky.

Earlier, she had teasingly pulled at Pei Ji’s collar.

He was clearly lost in passion, his body hot and tense, kissing her recklessly.
But suddenly he came to his senses, pushed her away with a stumble, and stared at her in shock and fear, as if she were a seductive demon.

She leaned against the pavilion, looking at him with a smile.

He stood motionless for a while, then hurriedly rearranged his disordered clothes without saying a word.
He didn’t even have time to smooth out the wrinkles before he hastily fled.

It seemed that her boldness had scared him off.

Li Zhi enjoyed the cool breeze and laughed until she was out of breath.

Although Pei Ji usually appeared calm and collected, he could still look so disheveled in moments like this.

However, his mind was indeed extremely resilient.
Even with a beauty in his arms, he could still restrain himself and not cross the line.

If she could get him to make a promise someday, he would probably risk his life to keep it.

Li Zhi was lost in thought when she heard a voice outside the pavilion.
It was He Yuan Shi.
“My lady, are you there? His Majesty is concerned about you and has sent me with some warm food.
Shall I bring it in for you?”

Li Zhi’s expression turned cold.
She quickly wiped her face and composed herself to appear gentle and vulnerable.
“Please come in, Chief Eunuch He,” she said softly.

He Yuan Shi led the way inside through the curtains.
As soon as he entered, he saw Li Zhi sitting on the railing, looking frail and alone.
Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes were red from crying. 

It seemed that His Majesty was right to worry.
The lady was indeed here, drowning her sorrows in wine.

He felt sorry for her and personally helped to arrange the dozen or so dishes on the stone table, and then spoke a few words about His Majesty’s concern before retreating to report back to the Linde Hall.

Li Zhi gazed at the table full of delicacies and understood that Li Jingye wouldn’t come tonight.
Her heart filled with delight.

She summoned Chun Yue, and the two of them sat by the Taiye Pool and enjoyed the food and drink.

She knew all too well that in a few days, she would move into Chenghuan Palace and become one of the beauties in Li Jing Ye’s harem.
She would never find such a vast and comfortable place to be alone again.

However, Chun Yue was restless.

Chun Yue suspected that Li Zhi didn’t have any feelings for the Emperor, but instead had her eyes on General Pei.

After pondering for a while and confirming that there was nobody around, she couldn’t help but offer some advice, “Miss, it’s true that General Pei saved you, but now you’re with the Emperor.
General Pei…”

As she spoke, her face flushed red, and the last few words seemed to catch in her throat, almost too embarrassed to say them aloud.

“Silly girl,” Li Zhi smiled, reaching out to tap the soft roundness of her servant’s face.
“He still has his uses, but if I could leave this place and live without relying on a man, would you come with me?”

In this world, men were free to indulge in the pleasures of having multiple wives and concubines, while women were forced to bear the weight of countless restrictions.
In Great Wei, where societal norms were relatively liberal, even the princesses of the imperial family weren’t immune to keeping male favorites.
Whether it be the courtiers or the common people, discussing such matters was often met with scorn and ridicule, all while bemoaning the decline of the times.

Although Li Zhi knew that her actions were shocking to the world, her desire to break free never wavered.

Chun Yue seemed puzzled by her mistress’s desire to leave, but she had noticed that Li Zhi seemed to have matured and grown much more calm in recent times.
She trusted in her mistress’s judgment.

After a moment of hesitation, Chun Yue gritted her teeth and nodded, “This servant will follow you, Miss.”