Chapter Three: The Most Important Thing

Pei Min had always maintained a respectful distance from Princess Taiping, so hearing now that he had become one of her "face-pets" left him feeling deeply humiliated.

Even being a lover would imply a relationship of equals. As for casual flings—though he was still a pure-hearted virgin—his modern mindset was open enough that he could eventually accept it. But a "face-pet"? To put it politely, that meant a boy-toy or a gigolo. To put it bluntly, it meant a male pet—a toy for a woman's amusement.

Pei Min was, after all, a man of dignity and an intellectual from the twenty-first century. Regardless of his past or present life, he was still a young man with a sense of pride and spirit. Even at his worst, he would rather use his swordsmanship to perform on the streets, work as a bodyguard, or follow Yan Gaoqing’s suggestion to become a storyteller spinning tales of the Three Kingdoms or the Sui and Tang dynasties, than debase himself to be a woman's plaything—even if that woman was Princess Taiping.

If this rumor were to reach his mother’s ears, she would surely break his legs!

Pei Min wore a bitter expression as he said, "Grandfather Xue, I have only met her twice: once after I placed first in the civil examinations, and once regarding my entry into the Ministry of War. You know as well as I do that for the past half-month, we have been holed up in this manor with you and the other elder, so exhausted that we collapse into bed every night. Where would I have had the chance to go out and entertain her? I hadn't even heard a whisper of this until you mentioned it. They say rumors begin with the wise, but how could such a thing even spread? No, wait..."

Recalling the giant of a man he faced in the military examinations today, and considering how the scandalous rumors blended truth with falsehood so artfully, it didn't seem like something that had spread by accident. He recounted the day's events in detail to Xue Ne.

Xue Ne frowned upon hearing this. He had never believed the rumors, but he had brought them up to warn Pei Min to keep his distance from the Princess. Although Empress Wu Zetian had treated the Xue family reasonably well, deep down, Xue Ne held immense resentment toward the woman who became the first female emperor in history. If she hadn't been so obsessed with hoarding power, refusing to trust border commanders, and holding back capable generals while letting her own incompetent, ignorant "face-pets" lead the military, the Tang Dynasty’s defense would never have declined to such a pathetic state. Having had one Wu Zetian was quite enough; if Princess Taiping were to follow suit, he would rather retire to his home and live out his days in seclusion.

Having spent the past half-month living together, with Pei Min calling him "Grandfather" at every turn, Xue Ne had come to view him as kin. Realizing that someone was maliciously targeting the young man, he said sternly, "Have you offended someone? To bribe a Ministry official to cause trouble during the military exams is not something an ordinary person could pull off."

"Pei Yu!" Pei Min blurted out the name without hesitation.

"A member of the Pei clan?" Xue Ne was aware of the bad blood between them.

"Hardly," Pei Min replied matter-of-factly, not wishing to smear the family name. "This is his own personal doing, unrelated to the clan as a whole. I am certain of this because, since arriving in Chang'an, I haven't mentioned my intent to take the military exams to anyone—not even my close friends He Zhizhang or Zhang Xu. They only knew I was here for the civil service exams. Such a scheme requires prior knowledge and careful preparation. The only people who knew were you, Grandfather, and the physicians Liu and Sun Pu. You would never speak of it, and they have no grudge against me. The only person with a motive who might have known is Pei Yu. I didn't tell him explicitly, but I didn't hide it either. I suspect he found out back in Youzhou. Seeing that I had already secured first place in the civil exams, he didn't want me to take the top spot in the military exams and gain even more fame, as it would prove he could never catch up to me, confirming the very lesson I once taught him. But... he lacks the power to do this alone. He must be one of the masterminds, but there should be others. Someone capable of influencing the Ministry of War—perhaps General Chang Yuankai?"

During the break in the examinations, Pei Min had been pondering who might be targeting him. At that time, he hadn't known about the rumors, and Pei Yu had seemed the most likely suspect. Chang Yuankai was a possibility, but Pei Min didn't know him well enough to be sure if he would go to such lengths over a minor incident involving his son.

Xue Ne, less informed than Pei Min, couldn't analyze the situation further and said, "If someone is sabotaging you during the military exams, that is a matter for the Ministry of War. Hah! As it happens, I have an appointment to drink with that young man Guo Yuanzhen. Come with me. I will demand an explanation and ask him how he is running his Ministry. He’s younger than me, yet he’s already acting like a senile old fool!"

Pei Min shook his head. "I appreciate your concern, Grandfather, and I would hate to refuse you, but I have already invited friends to my home to celebrate, and I cannot back out."

"Guo Yuanzhen is your superior," Xue Ne urged. "Building a good relationship with him will be greatly beneficial to your future. Come with me, and he will surely show me enough face to treat you well."

Pei Min shook his head again. "If they were just casual drinking companions, I could cancel. But I have invited mentors who are both teachers and friends; I have benefited greatly from their guidance. My success in the exams is partly due to them. I cannot and will not cancel on them."

Xue Ne, who most admired Pei Min’s adherence to his principles, praised him, "A man should indeed be like that. Very well, I shall go alone... Haha, I haven't seen young Guo in years, so we shall have plenty to talk about—don't wait for me to return." Since his own children and grandchildren were not in Chang'an, and his family estate—a gift from Emperor Gaozong to honor Xue Rengui—was too large and meaningful to sell or leave empty, he had been staying with Pei Min. Enjoying the company of a young man who reminded him of his own grandson, he had no intention of moving back to his own house; he simply wanted to let Pei Min know he would be out for the evening.

Pei Min nodded to show he understood and walked Xue Ne to the door.

Turning back, he saw a steady, middle-aged man approaching and called out to him, "Uncle Ning, do we have any Dukang wine in the manor?" The man, Ning Ze, was the steward Xue Ne had introduced to him. The maids Princess Taiping had left behind had departed as promised. On the day they left, Liu Shenwei had to cook the meal himself to save them from starvation; otherwise, the men wouldn't have had a thing to eat.

Xue Ne had discussed it with Pei Min, noting that a grand manor couldn't function without household staff. Pei Min had initially thought he could manage on his own, but with three guests in the house, he realized he had no choice but to hire help.

Xue Ne had explained the importance of a capable steward. A steward for a great noble house was often as talented as a high-ranking local official. They were responsible for receiving guests, reading the room, and assessing situations. When the master was away, the steward was the second master; they needed absolute loyalty, courage, and the ability to make decisions in critical moments. Such stewards required specialized training and couldn't be recruited just anywhere.

The Xue family’s steward had served for generations, and the current steward had two sons capable of taking over. Xue Ne had sent one, Ning Ze, to manage Pei Min’s estate. Since his arrival, the house had been impeccably managed, leaving Pei Min with nothing to worry about. Pei Min respected his competent assistant greatly and addressed him as "Uncle Ning."

"Returning to you, Young Master, there are thirteen jars of aged Dukang in the cellar! We have plenty!" Ning Ze replied with a tone that was respectful yet dignified.

Pei Min instructed him to fetch a jar and prepare it, adding, "We have distinguished guests arriving shortly. Tell the kitchen to prepare some wine and meat; let there be no neglect."

Ning Ze accepted the order and departed.

Pei Min put thoughts of Pei Yu aside for the moment. Revenge could wait; nothing was more important than hosting He Zhizhang and Zhang Xu.