Chapter 106: How can you interrogate my little sister like you're questioning a criminal?

Gu Rongjin didn't hesitate to slander the National Teacher to achieve his own goal.

In response, Mu Yuanzhi was simply speechless.

Childish.

"When are we going back to the manor?" Gu Rongjin asked.

"I don't want to go back; I'd rather stay here and enjoy the night view." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Just thinking about the annoying people in the princess's manor made her consider spending the night on the street instead.

"Fine, stay as long as you want. Even if you want to sleep in the carriage, I'll keep watch here as your guard."

"Thanks, guard."

"Why are you like this?"

"I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me."

"..."

Gu Rongjin watched as she shifted to get comfortable, leaning into his arms and closing her eyes to sleep, and he smiled helplessly.

What else could he do but indulge her?

Though he said he was on guard duty, someone still ended up sleeping alongside her.

After all, he had absolute confidence that he would wake instantly at the slightest disturbance, so he wasn't worried.

Knock—!

Knock—! Knock—!

Knock—! Knock—! Knock—!

Gu Rongjin, who had been awake for a while, opened his eyes irritably.

Are you sick, Pei Shangling!

He heard Pei Shangling's footsteps; he had wanted to ignore them, but she actually came to disturb their private world!

Mu Yuanzhi woke up groggy and, with a morning grumble, asked irritably, "Who is it?"

"Nobody important."

"It's me!" Pei Shangling flung open the carriage curtain!

He had already knocked on the carriage wall, which was quite polite of him!

Mu Yuanzhi: "Drive the carriage!"

"All right!" Gu Rongjin whistled, and the spirited horse immediately broke into a gallop.

"Whoa!" Pei Shangling never expected them to actually let the carriage run; unaware, he was dragged forward and fell flat on his face.

Pei Shangling, who had almost fallen, shouted: "Stop!"

Only a sky-full of dust answered him.

"Cough!" Pei Shangling waved away the dust with his hand and leapt up: "Mu Yuanzhi! Stop first and listen to me!"

However, the carriage sped off so fast that even with his lightness skill he couldn't catch up, and it didn't seem to be heading toward the princess's manor, leaving him nowhere to pursue.

Pei Shangling stood defeated on a rooftop.

Mu Yuanzhi...

Actually, he didn't even know what to say if he caught up with her; he just instinctively wanted to talk to her.

He had just had another nightmare at the Imperial Observatory: in the dream, Mu Yuanzhi knelt begging him to spare the Qilin, but he refused, tormenting the little ghost that had become a human swine to death, and then told Mu Yuanzhi that this was a way to make her wish she were dead, the price they paid for harming his younger sister.

It was such a weird, terrifying dream that he finally understood what the Crown Prince meant by not wanting to dream, and how real that feeling was.

Could he really be that cruel?

But what if they really did harm his younger sister?

The Qilin is a person from the Southern Border; being dark, damp, and vicious is normal!

Even if the person were utterly wicked, a single sword strike would suffice; how could he possibly turn someone into a human swine just to torment Mu Yuanzhi's spirit?

He could never be such a pervert!

When Pei Shangling first woke up, he suspected the National Teacher was behind it and even confronted him.

But upon reflection, he realized the pillow had originally been a gift from the Crown Prince to the National Teacher; if he used an ordinary pillow and smelled the Tibetan incense, he wouldn't have such dreams.

He asked the National Teacher what these dreams meant; as expected, the National Teacher spoke in riddles and asked him, "What if those dreams are the future?"

How could that be!

Impossible!

Pei Shangling returned to the palace in a daze, and before he knew it, he had arrived at Wuming Palace.

"Who's there?! Sneaking around in the middle of the night?!"

He shouted at the petite figure ahead.

"Ling, Ling brother?" Pei Yunxi's heart raced; she never expected it to be this late, and that Pei Shangling hadn't slept yet, let alone come to Wuming Palace.

She didn't want to wait; she intended to use the Qilin, that little ghost, to manipulate Mu Yuanzhi, and since she couldn't sway Pei Shangling, she decided to act herself.

But she never expected to run into Pei Shangling!

"Little sister?" Pei Shangling puzzled: "What are you doing here so late?"

"I..." Pei Yunxi's mind raced, and she quickly came up with an excuse: "My palace is missing a medicinal herb; I thought someone would be delivering a new batch to Wuming Palace tonight, so I came to check if it had arrived."

Her words stumbled and were full of holes.

But he never doubted anything she said.

Pei Yunxi forced herself to stay calm, not letting her expression show panic.

"If you need any medicinal herbs, why not go to the Imperial Medical Institute? The herbs in Wuming Palace are urgently needed by our great-grandmother." Pei Shangling said.

The night was too dark, they weren't that close, and Pei Yunxi couldn't see Pei Shangling's expression clearly; from his tone she couldn't tell what mood he was in, or whether to believe him.

"Mm, Ling brother is right, so I kept thinking and didn't go in to disturb Young Master Qilin." Pei Yunxi said.

"Why didn't you let Xueer come? You came alone in the middle of the night to such a deserted place; even if the palace gates are heavily guarded, you should stay alert."

Pei Yunxi bit her lower lip and said, "Xueer has already slept, so I came by myself."

"What medicinal herbs are so urgent?" Pei Shangling asked again.

"Sour jujube seed for calming the spirit."

"Wasn't it just sent to the various palaces the day before yesterday?"

"Um… I gave them to the servants; who knew I would suddenly have insomnia…" Pei Yunxi broke out in a cold sweat from nervousness, not understanding why Pei Shangling had so many questions tonight when he never did before!

Pei Shangling also didn't know what was wrong with himself; perhaps it was because of those nightmares, and now seeing his little sister in Wuming Palace, he instinctively wanted to get to the bottom of it.

His little sister often rewarded the servants with gifts, treated them well, and thus was beloved by them.

Thinking this, Pei Shangling silently cursed himself as an idiot—how could he interrogate his little sister like a criminal?

"We have it in my palace; I'll fetch it for you shortly."

"Thank you, Ling brother."

As he was about to leave, Pei Shangling glanced back into Wuming Palace, but in the end he did not go in to look for Qilin; he returned to his own sleeping quarters to fetch the sour jujube seed for Pei Yunxi.

A few days later, Pei Shangling had almost forgotten about this, when suddenly news arrived that after consuming the medicinal meal, the Grand Empress Dowager suffered vomiting and diarrhea, fell unconscious, and nearly went into shock.

When Pei Shangling rushed to the Grand Moon Palace, Qilin was kneeling on the ground, Mu Yuanzhi was taking the Grand Empress Dowager's pulse, the palace staff and consorts from all palaces had solemn expressions, and the Emperor looked horrified.

Pei Shangyan and the other princes arrived late, they had no leisure to worry about the troubled Pei Shangling, only concerned with how the Grand Empress Dowager was doing.

"Your Majesty!" Elder Physician Zhou hurried in, small steps: "We have already verified it; indeed the medicinal meal is problematic, it contains the deadly intestine‑breaking grass!"

Hearing this, the Emperor, his killing intent heavy, looked toward Qilin: "The medicinal meal was cooked according to your formula; do you have anything to say?"