Boudoir's Matter
闺(gui)-lady's chamber; boudoir
When I was eleven or twelve years old, Mother once held a banquet to entertain female relatives and friends. Two newly married Tangzis came to our house. They came into my room and played with me. When I got tired of playing, I went to the inner room to sleep, while the two Tangzis sat in the outer room chatting. I still remember waking up at that time and, through the gauze curtain, hearing them whispering to each other.
They were discussing their wedding nights, things like the pain they experienced, and so on. I learned about these matters from their conversation. They complained with their mouths, yet chuckled softly, as if it was something enjoyable. At that time, I listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, my curiosity piqued. Blushing, I thought to myself: If Pei Qian dares to hurt me, I definitely won't spare him.
And now, if someone were to come and talk to me about the first night, I certainly wouldn't have anything good to say.
My first night with Wei Tan was quite tumultuous, to say the least. In fact, if anyone had the fortune to witness it, they would have thought we were engaged in a fierce struggle.
He wanted to continue, and I resisted. He grabbed my hands, and I kicked him with my feet. He then pinned down my hands and feet. Later, when he kissed me and said he wanted more, I had completely lost my strength. I was limp and exhausted at that moment, with only one image in my mind: I was a piece of meat, lying soft and helpless on a chopping board, while Wei Tan gloated and devoured me, bite by bite...
The outcome was disastrous. When I woke up the next day, my body was sore and in pain, making it impossible for me to get up. Meanwhile, Wei Tan discovered several long red marks on his body. It was unclear whether they hurt or not, but I saw him frowning in front of the mirror, with a smirk on his lips.
He noticed some dark red stains on the sheets and stared at them in bewilderment for quite some time before finally looking at me.
"You..." He stuttered once, as if searching for the right words, "Never before… en?"
I was utterly embarrassed, shrinking inside the blanket and whispering softly, "En."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Would you have believed me? I thought in my heart, but I didn't say anything aloud.
Wei Tan looked at me and let out a low, prolonged laugh. For a long time, his eyes gleamed with a certain light.
Feeling uneasy, I looked at him skeptically and asked, "What is so amusing, Fujun?"
"I'm laughing at Han Guang," he said, as he extended his hand to touch my hair, a mischievous smile on his face. "Was he aware of Furen's fierceness all along, hence never daring to make a move?"
I widened my eyes, intending to remove his hand. However, with even the slightest movement, it aggravated the soreness in my body, causing me to wince and retract back with a pained expression on my face.
Wei Tan continued to laugh, saying, "Lie down properly." After speaking, he stood up and walked out of the room.
Not long after, Ah Yuan came in carrying a basin of water to help me freshen up. She looked at me and couldn't help but giggle.
Seeing the marks all over my body, Ah Yuan was both surprised and blushing. "Did you have a fight with Da Gongzi last night?" she asked.
I became angry and embarrassed, glaring at her.
Ah Yuan fell silent and helped me clean myself and get dressed.
*****
After that day, Wei Tan did not engage in such activities with me again, and he showed a considerate attitude. For instance, when I couldn't sit up, he placed a small table by the bed for me and personally served me meals.
The maids and servants had envy written all over their faces, and Ah Yuan said with a smiling face, "Da Gongzi is truly kind."
Only I knew the truth.
Because after the lights were turned off at night, he would come over to hug me and undress me, while moving my hands and feet. Except for engaging in that particular act, nothing else was left undone.
Despite having learned from past experiences, when he teased certain sensitive areas, I couldn't help but laugh.
However, Wei Tan didn't allow me to refuse, comforting me by saying, "Furen needs to adapt. Once you recover, it won't hurt anymore during our intimate moments."
Me: "....."
However, I must admit that if we set aside the painful part, I didn't dislike it. Although Wei Tan was not as refined as Pei Qian, he had a good grasp of control, or one might say, he had skills. He called my name softly in my ear, his chest was warm, which caused my neck to blush. He kissed me with tenderness and patience. The calluses on his hands felt intriguing to me as they grazed against my skin, creating a tingling sensation. Whenever they lingered on my chest, glided over my spine, or wandered near my thighs, it would gradually ignite a shiver, and I couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
That sensation... Well, I admit, it was quite pleasurable.
*****
According to Ah Yuan, Wei Tan never went to see the five women sent by Zhou Kang. When the steward asked him about it, he claimed it was all up to me. I remained silent, and the matter was left unresolved.
"So Furen let them stay in the separate courtyard all this time?" Ah Yuan frowned. "I see them getting dressed up every day, and who knows when Da Gongzi might...?"
"Let them stay for now," I said. Thinking about them, I also felt worried. Of course, I didn't want to keep them around, not even as maidservants. However, this matter couldn't be taken lightly, and I needed to come up with a careful plan.
Apart from Zhou Kang, there were quite a few others who attempted to use beauties to entice Wei Tan. Almost every night, Wei Tan would attend banquets, and according to the information Ah Yuan gathered from the attendants, these events always involved entertainment, music, dance, and captivating women who would try to persuade him to drink. As Wei Tan had claimed, he pretended to be drunk and was unable to refuse Zhou Kang that one time. However, after that incident, he truly never brought any of these women back with him from the banquets.
During the daytime, Wei Tan usually received guests in the mansion. Most of the visitors were officials from Luoyang, scions of noble families, or old friends. In addition to the guests, there were daily war reports, letters, and confidential information from the southeast region.
I never inquired about those matters. As long as Pei Qian was safe in Huaiyang, that was enough for me. As for everything else, my only concern was when we would return to Yongdu.
But Wei Tan seemed to be in no hurry at all. When I asked him about it, he would smirk and say, "If Furen is so concerned, does that mean her health is no longer an issue?"
I knew what that lecherous man was thinking, so I immediately fell silent.
However, deep down, I understood that what was bound to happen would eventually come.
Just like today, Wei Tan had been staying in the room since noon.
"Is Fujun not going out?" I asked, sitting on the couch in the outer room.
"En, there's nothing to attend to today," Wei Tan sat down next to me, looked at me, and smiled. "Weifu wishes to accompany Furen for a nap."
My expression froze for a moment.
What a joke. These past few days, anything related to that large bed in the inner room was definitely not just about sleeping.
After a moment, Wei Tan looked at me and asked, "Furen is not going to sleep?"
"Qie is not sleepy today," I replied.
"Not sleepy?" Wei Tan was surprised. He leaned closer and whispered, "Perfect, then let's engage in some leisure activities, Furen."
I blushed instantly. This shameless rascal, doing such things in broad daylight, with the door open and servants still outside. Yet, here he was, making another move again.
"Qie has something to do," I quickly said, avoiding his hands.
"Oh? What is it?" Wei Tan asked.
I glanced to the side, thinking on my feet, and quickly picked up a book from the desk. "Qie plans to read today," I said hurriedly.
Wei Tan glanced at the book in my hand, and a smile crept across his face. "The Doctrine of the Mean? Furen has a penchant for classics, it seems."
I paused for a moment, lowering my head to look at the book in my hand. It was indeed "The Doctrine of the Mean." It suddenly dawned on me that I had randomly picked it up a few days ago and only managed to read a few pages before leaving it here.
"Not a profound interest," I pretended, flipping open the book and calmly saying, "Since One's youth, Qie has received education, and the classics are the foundation."
"Oh?" Wei Tan smiled faintly, reclining a bit further, casually leaning against the table. "That works too. It has been a while since I last revisited it. I wouldn't mind hearing a few verses recited by Furen."
I smiled and said, "As you wish." With that, I casually flipped through a few pages and began reciting, "The Master said: 'Shun had a great understanding.' Shun was fond of asking questions and keenly observed the words of those around him. He concealed their faults and promoted their virtues, grasping both ends and using them for the benefit of the people. Is this what defines Shun? The Master said: 'Everyone says I know it too.' He dismissed them and accepted..." I paused, as there was a character on the page that I couldn't recall how to pronounce.
"It read as 'gu'," I heard Wei Tan say. "He dismissed them and accepted... into the snares of nets and pitfalls, from which they couldn't escape."
I chuckled and said, "Qie used to know it, but have forgotten it."
Wei Tan raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Is that so?"
I continued reciting, "The noble person acts according to their position and is not desirous of that which is beyond it. When in a position of wealth and nobility, they act accordingly; when in a position of poverty and lowliness, they act accordingly; when among the barbarians, they act like barbarians…"
"Among the barbarians, they act accordingly," Wei Tan added. "Furen mixed it up in your recitation."
Ignoring the interruption, I continued reading to finish the passage: "When facing adversity, they act accordingly. The Book of Poetry says: 'Husband and wife harmoniously together, like the sound of a harmonious zither. Siblings united and in harmony, enjoying music and pleasure. This is fitting for your household, fitting for your wife.'"
"Fitting for your wife and children," Wei Tan said lightly, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Furen misread a word."
Finally, I couldn't help but get frustrated and said, "Please! Is it not excessive to keep pointing out mistakes?"
Wei Tan looked surprised and said, "This sentence doesn't seem to come from 'The Doctrine of the Mean,' does it?"
I felt quite pleased with myself, but I put on an innocent smile and said, "Oh, this sentence is actually from 'The Analects.' It suddenly came to Qie's mind."
Wei Tan looked at me for a moment, and then he smiled as well.
"Listening to Furen just now, so full of vigor, I can tell that your health is sound and your energy is abundant," he said, leaning in once again and reaching out to take the book from my hands, placing it on the desk. "Why don't we engage in something more exciting than reciting?"
His breath was so close, brushing against my nose. I gazed into his deep eyes, and suddenly my heart started to race uncontrollably.
"Furen," at that moment, Ah Yuan's voice suddenly rang from outside.
I felt relieved as if a savior had arrived. I quickly pushed Wei Tan's shoulders and turned my head, responding, "What is it?"
Ah Yuan's shadow moved outside the door but seemed hesitant to come in.
"Furen," she said, "Jiu Furen sent someone to inquire. It's her birthday today, and she is hosting a banquet in the mansion. She wants to know if Furen will attend."