Insufficient balance

  There is still one more update at 6 pm, new and old friends, throw some red tickets.

  This matter of the Yuwen family itself cannot pose a fundamental threat to Taizong, although Feng Yuanjun and the Yuwen family had previously arranged a marriage. He did not know in advance what Yuwen Xiao had done, and with eunuch Gao Lishi speaking on his behalf in the palace, he would definitely be able to clear himself of any wrongdoing at the time. As for exposing Yuwen Xiao's shameful deeds and upholding justice...what use is that to Xue Chongxin?

  Yuwen Xiao's secret was not entirely useless.

  Xue Chongxun ordered the slaves to stop heating and no longer pour water on the stone, then he took a bath in the hot water bucket, his whole body suddenly relaxed and tired.

  "I'm going back to the mansion." Xue Chongxun took a look at San Niang, who was drenched from head to toe. "The house is getting colder and colder. You can take a bath and change your clothes later, and you can stay in the Yunyu Zhai courtyard. Don't worry, it's very safe."

  Coming out of the misty pavilion, crossing the street and walking a few steps is Xue Chongxun's Weiguo Gongfu. He was granted 3,000 households, and his wealth and nobility are not worth mentioning. The carved buildings and painted halls in the mansion are magnificent, but of course, they can't be compared with the Princess Taiping's Gongfu, which is much smaller in scale. The main building consists of two large buildings connected by a corridor, with two side courtyards on either side and behind.

  As you enter through the push-pull wooden lattice door, it is Xue Chongxun's bedroom. The wood-colored beams and columns, together with the powder wall, bamboo curtain, and white paper wooden grid window, form a light and distant classical style; the large hanging painting on the wall only depicts a flying white crane, but implies infinite space, making the room appear more spacious than it actually is, without any feeling of oppression.

  There was also a flower-shaped incense burner with a gourd-shaped lid in the room, and the faint scent of smoke made people feel refreshed. Being in one's own space always allows people to temporarily put down their pressure and relax. Xue Chongxun picked up a thread-bound edition of "Guo Ce" from the bookshelf and sat on the soft couch, flipping it open to the page with the story of "Huatuzi Sanju". He had known this little story for a long time, but because his mood had become more relaxed, he read it with great interest.

  Just then, a timid voice outside the door said: "Lang Jun, open the door."

  Xue Chongxun put the book on the large case, and upon hearing the sound, it seemed to be Pei Niang, the daughter of "Bu Tuoxi Shi". He then remembered what Pang Er, the slave who had led the horse earlier, had said - that he would send Pei Niang over tonight to serve as a concubine. They were all slaves and maidservants of the Xue household, and according to custom, they should be possessed or disposed of by their master.

  Xue Chongxun said to the outside of the door: "I've already told your stepfather, no need to send you over."

  "Did I do something wrong?" Pei Niang's voice choked with sobs.

  "The door is not closed, come in and talk."

  After a moment, the door was slowly pulled open and a young girl slipped in with her head bowed, her hands behind her back gently closing the wooden door. Then her hands moved to the front, clasped together at her waist, her fingers tightly interlocked, her shoulders slightly trembling, it was clear that she was extremely nervous.

  This little girl is the daughter of Pei Niang, the kitchen maid "Nu Tuoxi" from the Xue family. She has a melon-seed-shaped face and still looks childish, with eyelashes that flutter rapidly. Her eyes are cast downward, gazing at the floor, but they still sparkle with moisture. Her feet are as white as snow, clad in a pair of wooden clogs. Although she is wearing coarse linen clothes, they cannot conceal the tender and delicate skin on her neck.

  She was only about thirteen or fourteen years old, still in junior high school age in her previous life. Although it was already possible to serve men in the Tang Dynasty, Xue Chongxun's thoughts had changed somewhat after that night's encounter, and he felt a bit awkward having a young girl serve him.

  Seeing Xue Chongxun's silence, Pei Niang might be too nervous and stammered: "Lang Jun, will you make me hurt very much?"

  Xue Chongxun: "......"

  "My mother said it would hurt a lot, and told me to endure... As long as you take me in as your concubine later and let me follow you to live, that's all I need."

  Xue Chongxun shook his head and said: "You're too young, go back to your mother's side... Close the door on your way out."

  "My sister will hit me." Pei Niang looked at Xue Chongxun with a pair of big, watery eyes.

  A slave, what qualifications do you have to haggle and waste the master's words? Xue Chongxun's eyes flashed with slight anger, just about to scold her, when he heard Pei Niang say: "I'm most afraid of pain, when Mother beats her, she cries too..."

  Xue Chongxun's heart softened, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

  "Pei Niang said: 'I didn't lie, or let Lang Jun take a look at the scars on my body.' She said as she began to undress."

  As expected, Xue Chongxun took a step back, and Pei Niang would not give up. Even if she was just a little girl, she would work hard to fight for herself and her family. A female slave like her, who had a good appearance but no skills, might end up being sold or sent away by her master, or fall into a low-class brothel. Rather than that, it was better to become the concubine of the powerful Xue family, where she could still be with her parents.

  Xue Chongxun's desk was a large, unadorned wooden table inlaid with marble from Annam. Its entire surface shone with a natural beauty that evoked feelings of serenity and gentleness... just like Pei Niang's skin, which was also naturally pure and smooth without any embellishment.

  She stood there with her upper body exposed, her arms wrapped around her chest like a scallion, staring blankly. The spring night was still chilly, and Pei Niang shivered violently as she stood there, unsure of what to do. After a moment, she turned around, revealing the soft lines of her tender back and slender waist. "Lang Jun, look at the wound on my back, Mother did it."

  Indeed, there were several crimson marks on her back. She said: "If Lord Lang sends me back, Mother will beat me again."

  Xue Chongxun heard her pitiful words and felt a little sympathy, so he said: "Then put on your clothes first, this time your mother won't hit you again... There is medicinal wine in the cabinet next to the screen, take it out and wipe some."

  Pei Niang listened and carefully put on her coarse cloth dress, then went to the cabinet to get the medicine as instructed. She got the medicine, but the wound was on her back. Xue Chongxun didn't want to think too much about it, so he simply had her lift up her clothes to help him apply the medicine. When his fingers touched her smooth back, his heart also fluttered slightly... The curve of Pei Niang's back arched inward at the waist, forming a beautiful inner arc shape, flowing over her slender waist and suddenly rising to form a tight, rounded buttocks. Xue Chongxun looked down from top to bottom, and the white cleft of her buttocks was also faintly visible under her skirt.

  "Mr. Lang, can this medicine be applied to the front?"

  "Is he also injured in the front?"

  "Isn't that so? Today I didn't wear a bra, and the clothes are too rough, they're rubbing against my chest and it's all sore."

  Xue Chongxun said: "Then why don't you wear it?"

  "My mother said my undershirt is too ugly and feared it would affect the young master's mood."

  Xue Chongxun said, "This medicine is for rubbing bruises and can't be used indiscriminately... but there's a way." Xue Chongxun stood up, found a piece of cowhide paper, took down the small knife from his waist, cut two pieces of cowhide paper to the size of band-aids, applied some paste on one side, and said, "Stick it there, don't rub against it."

  After a while, Pei Niang finished and said: "It really works, how did Lang Jun think of such a method?"

  "Get out." Xue Chongxun spat out two words, then said, "The bed outside the warm pavilion was originally for the slaves on night duty to sleep in. You'll be sleeping outside in a bit."

  Pei Niang's face suddenly lit up with joy, Lang Jun no longer drove her away, at least she could serve as a close attendant here. Although they were both slaves, but in the Xue family, their status was higher than other slaves. Because close attendants can often talk to their masters, sometimes it is very important, and other slaves have to be cautious.

  "Pei Niang will definitely serve Lang Jun with all her heart and soul." She said lightly, knocking her head.

  Xue Chongxun nodded and said, "Your uncle has been with the Xue family from a young age for twenty or thirty years, and he is very loyal. Therefore, my family treats him well too, you should take care of yourself."

  "Does the young master want his feet washed?" asked Pei Nu eagerly. "I'll go and heat some water for the young master."

  "I just took a bath, no need, now you go outside, if there's anything I'll call you."

  After Xue Chongxun was left alone in the bedroom, he got up and blew out the candles. He didn't sleep, but sat dryly by the window. There was no moonlight tonight, but the lanterns outside the window were shining brightly. The outside was bright, while the inside was dark, which gave Xue Chongxun a sense of security... In fact, he never felt very safe. The event of Princess Taiping's downfall, just two years later in history, always hung over his head like a sharp sword.

  Maybe his own ending is the same as his father's, dying at the hands of relatives.

  After the lights in Xue Chongxun's room went out, the entire mansion was basically under curfew, and no one dared to make too much noise. In the silence, he thought a lot, from his past life to this life... He also thought about what he was going to do now, and hesitated, but he still didn't give up on the idea.