Chapter 10

Did Little Sister Zhi drive him away?

Mu Yuanzhi still kept a cold face, not giving Pei Shangyan even a glance.

Pei Shangyan turned away gloomily, "Rest well, I'll come see you later."

He didn't know how he had walked out of Weiyang Palace, his mind constantly recalling Mu Yuanzhi over the past two days.

His Little Sister Zhi has truly changed.

Before, he always taught her to be an independent woman, not to constantly revolve around her elder brothers, and he often felt annoyed, even occasionally vexed, because she clung to him like a child who never grew up.

But now she no longer likes to cling to him, and he feels utterly empty, as if nothing is right.

Little Sister Zhi is even afraid of thunder; after just experiencing a life-or-death ordeal, will she have nightmares? Can she rest well?

Pei Shangyan turned back to look at this desolate Weiyang Palace; it was just like Little Sister Zhi now, icy cold.

"Crown Prince."

The elderly lady walking toward him made a slight bow.

Pei Shangyan composed himself, looking astonished: "You... Granny Zhang?"

Not having seen the Grand Empress Dowager's attendant elderly lady for a long time, Pei Shangyan almost didn't react.

"It's indeed me, your servant; I happened to pass by the Imperial Household Department, worried they wouldn't know the way to Weiyang Palace, so I led them." Granny Zhang smiled properly and generously, but her words had hidden meaning.

The Imperial Household Department lackeys following behind her were extremely embarrassed, forcing an ugly smile.

Granny Zhang's words both gave them an out and served as a warning to the Imperial Household Department.

Who would have thought the Grand Empress Dowager would actually send Granny Zhang herself?!

The little princess is the favorite of the palace gates; who would have thought the Grand Empress Dowager, who has long ignored worldly affairs, would actually remember this disfavored princess of Weiyang Palace?!

Upon hearing this, Pei Shangyan looked at the blankets, clothes, charcoal brazier, and other daily necessities in their hands, only then realizing that Weiyang Palace indeed lacked these items.

No wonder the soft armor on Little Sister Zhi he saw today was so worn out—it turned out the Imperial Household Department had been neglectful!

How outrageous!

"Your servant still needs to return to report to the Grand Empress Dowager, so I won't disturb the Crown Prince." The elderly lady waved, letting the others enter, then nodded and left.

"Granny, take your time." Pei Shangyan thought about the matter, and only after Granny Zhang left did he realize he had forgotten to ask her to convey his greetings to his great-grandmother.

The news that Granny Zhang personally led the Imperial Household Department's people to Weiyang Palace quickly spread throughout the imperial palace, reaching Pei Yunxi's ears.

She naturally couldn't stay still.

"The last time I went to see my great-grandmother, she didn't even meet me; why would she today..." Pei Yunxi pondered over it, unable to figure it out.

Isn't it said that the Grand Empress Dowager no longer attends to worldly affairs, not even seeing the Father Emperor? When did Mu Yuanzhi use what method to approach her?

"Besides visiting the Imperial Household Department and Weiyang Palace, where else did the great-grandmother's attendant Granny Zhang go?" Pei Yunxi asked the maid Xueer beside her.

Xueer shook her head: "Replying to the Princess, as far as I know, there isn't any."

Pei Yunxi grew increasingly uneasy; she gathered the finest medicinal herbs from her own palace, personally boiled a bowl of medicinal porridge, and went to Weiyang Palace to visit Mu Yuanzhi.

"Princess, you are truly kind to Princess Zhi, taking out the thousand-year ginseng you were reluctant to use and giving it to her, and even personally boiling the medicinal porridge." Xueer felt a bit indignant: "Princess Zhi hurt you, yet you are still so good to her."

"Your sister has already apologized to me, Xueer, you shouldn't bring this up again from now on, understand?" Pei Yunxi composed herself, looking a bit displeased.

Xueer nodded unwillingly: "I know, servant."

Pei Yunxi wore the bronze bell that Mu Yuanzhi had passed on to her, tied it to her small hair bun, and with each step it swayed, emitting a clear, ethereal sound.

Pei Shangling heard the ding-ling-dang sound, recognized it as the familiar bronze bell, thought it was Mu Yuanzhi, turned around and saw it was Pei Yunxi, his expression freezing for a moment.

He almost forgot, Mu Yuanzhi had already given the bell he gave her to someone else!

"Ling brother, are you waiting for me?" Pei Yunxi smiled brightly as she went up and linked her arm with Pei Shangling's.

Pei Shangling found the bronze bell on Pei Yunxi's head increasingly an eyesore, he felt very irritated, the bell really didn't suit her.

"Where are you going? Still lugging around big and small bags?"

"Going to visit my sister." Pei Yunxi said sweetly, then her brows furrowed with worry: "I heard my sister fell into the water; I'm worried she hasn't recovered from the chill, adding misfortune upon misfortune."

"Fell into the water?" Pei Shangling heard this, a faint mist clouded his eyes: "How could she have fallen into the water?"

He doesn't know? Pei Yunxi chuckled inwardly, the fourth brother indeed no longer cares about Mu Yuanzhi; she was overthinking.

"I don't know either, I heard it from Xueer."

Noticing that Pei Shangling kept glancing, intentionally or not, at the bell on her head, Pei Yunxi cautiously asked: "Ling brother, do you not like me wearing this bell? Otherwise I should just take it off and return it to Sister Yuanzhi."

"No, don't overthink it."

"Then, Ling brother, would you like to go with me to visit Sister Yuanzhi? She would surely be delighted, and her illness would recover faster!" Pei Yunxi looked at Pei Shangling full of hope.

Pei Shangling gave a cold snort: "I'm not going; she hasn't apologized to me yet."

It's been two days, and she hasn't come to see him even once!

"It's all my fault, Ling brother, don't blame Sister Yuanzhi." Pei Yunxi shook Pei Shangling's arm.

"It's not your concern, don't blame yourself, go see her." Pei Shangling's heart softened; he rubbed Pei Yunxi's head, his hand touching the bronze bell, his palm feeling a chill.

He suddenly felt that wearing this thing on his head was actually quite heavy, but Mu Yuanzhi never tired of it, parading around town every day, telling everyone it was a treasure her Ling brother gave her, and anyone who even touched it would make her anxious.

She really had angered him.