Chapter 112

"Little sister?" Pei Shangyan called out to Pei Yunxi again.

Pei Yunxi finally came to her senses, anxiously telling Pei Shangyan, "Nothing, Shangyan-ge is very angry; I need to go check on him."

She didn't know how to explain to Pei Shangyan, so she just made up an excuse and left.

However, the matter was so suspicious; how could Pei Shangyan just let it go? He decided to still go find Pei Shangling to get to the bottom of it.

At this moment, Pei Shangling hurried back to his own chambers; Qilin had already awakened, sitting on the sickbed, while Mu Yuanzhi was asking him about this and that.

He inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness; if anything happened to this little brat, there would truly be no way to salvage things between him and Yuanzhi!

Pei Shangling did not withdraw his steps, hiding behind the screen.

He himself didn't know what this gesture meant; it was like eavesdropping.

"Senior sister..." Qilin opened his mouth with a fit of coughing, which made Mu Yuanzhi feel terrible.

She patted his chest to help him breathe: "Don't rush to speak yet."

After finally finishing his cough, Qilin angrily said, "I'm so stupid—I didn't even know the Hundred Spirit Grass Pills had been swapped, and I got poisoned with gu! If this gets out, I'll lose all face!"

"You've just come back from the gates of hell and you're still worrying about your worthless face?" Mu Yuanzhi said irritably.

"What do you mean worthless? Senior sister, you might not know I have a certain standing in the jianghu!" Qilin proudly lifted his chin, "Who in the jianghu doesn't know that the Qilin Grand Master of Juechen Valley is a poison expert? His fame spreads far and wide, alright?!"

"Fine, fine, you're the best." Seeing him so energetic, Mu Yuanzhi felt relieved.

"Senior sister, sorry for making you worry." Qilin drooped his head, "I think I should go back; staying here would just cause you trouble."

Originally he wanted to stay to protect his senior sister, but instead he ended up becoming her weakness, which went against his original intention.

Mu Yuanzhi was very happy that her junior brother finally agreed to return to Juechen Valley; that way he would be safe, and she wouldn't have to worry all day.

But...

"Senior sister has never thought you were a bother; you are my junior brother after all." Mu Yuanzhi rubbed his head.

"But I can't bear to part with you; I'm not at ease leaving you alone here, even though Gu Rongjin is around, he can't watch you constantly, and that Pei Yunxi does all kinds of evil, plus your bunch of stupid brothers colluding with him—you're too dangerous here, so you really should come with me!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Shangling's anger flared; this dead little brat was stirring up trouble again!

And he was still trying to persuade Yuanzhi to go with him!

"Yuanzhi isn't going anywhere!" Pei Shangling stepped out from behind the screen.

Both Qilin and Mu Yuanzhi were startled; they hadn't expected Pei Shangling to have already returned!

"Sneaking around like that, eavesdropping—how shameful!" Qilin snorted sarcastically, "What are you planning to do with your little sister, Fourth Prince?"

Pei Shangling's anger instantly died, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

"Can't bear to part? Or don't you believe?" Qilin jeered again.

His words were exactly the same as Mu Yuanzhi's.

This question indeed left Pei Shangling speechless.

Should he believe? Believe his little sister? Or should he believe Yuanzhi?

His little sister's recent behavior had indeed been quite strange, contradictory back and forth, making it hard for him to convince himself.

He noticed that his little sister's words seemed evasive; she was hiding many things from him.

But were those things she hid from him necessarily bad?

Pei Shangling truly didn't understand.

Mu Yuanzhi didn't think Pei Shangling would feel anything; otherwise he wouldn't still be in this dead state.

"I'm taking Qilin away; staying here puts his life in constant danger." Mu Yuanzhi looked up at Pei Shangling.

"No way!" Pei Shangling said, "He can't leave yet; the matter of his great-grandmother hasn't been cleared up!"

"I'm not asking for your opinion; I'm informing you." Mu Yuanzhi stood up and smiled at Pei Shangling, "Fourth Prince, you don't really think I'd quietly detox Qilin without a sound, do you?"

Could she be that stupid?

"What do you mean?" Pei Shangling blinked in confusion.

At that moment, the Chief Eunuch entered: "His Majesty's oral decree!"

Pei Shangling abruptly turned to look at the Chief Eunuch, finally understanding what she had just meant!

"Fourth Prince, His Majesty's decree: Qilin Gongzi must immediately return to Wuming Palace; he may only have his confinement lifted after the case is clarified." The Chief Eunuch said.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded at the Chief Eunuch: "Thank you for your trouble."

"Your Highness, you're too polite." He said, looking at Pei Shangling, "Fourth Prince, Qilin Gongzi was poisoned in your chambers; this could be major or minor, His Majesty summons you to Xuanshi Hall."

Pei Shangling looked at Mu Yuanzhi, who kindly explained: "When I detoxed just now, I had Physician Zhou come as a witness; he indeed saw Qilin unconscious from gu poison, and he also saw me take the antidote from a ceramic jar engraved with Changle Palace; you'd better think about how to explain yourself later."

Even if the Son of Heaven wanted to cover it up, she wanted him to know about this!

That scoundrel still wants to keep Qilin locked up—he's dreaming!

Pei Shangling withdrew his gaze and absentmindedly told the Chief Eunuch, "Thank you for your trouble."

He was already in a complete mess inside, and now he had to face the sovereign—how could he possibly speak to Father Emperor? He truly had not a single clue.

"This is within my duties, Princess; His Majesty also ordered you to go; as for Qilin Gongzi, physicians will attend to him, so please rest assured, Princess."

"I'm fine, senior sister; you go ahead." Qilin smiled at Mu Yuanzhi.

Qilin's complexion had indeed improved considerably; only then did Mu Yuanzhi feel relieved to leave.

Along the way, she didn't speak to Pei Shangyan, and Pei Shangyan was pondering the matter in his heart, also not speaking to her.

The two arrived at Xuanshi Hall; Pei Yunxi also rushed over from elsewhere, and the three met at the doorway.

"Shangyan-ge..." Pei Yunxi tentatively called out to him again.

"Go in first; don't keep Father Emperor waiting." Pei Shangling said that indifferently, then stepped inside.

Pei Yunxi, who had never been treated so coldly by him, suddenly felt both flustered and wronged; she shot a resentful glance at Mu Yuanzhi, who likewise gave her a sharp look in return.

They almost stepped in with the same stride—one with a frank expression, the other harboring ulterior motives and panicking, so their bearing turned out completely different.

The emperor seated at the head saw it, and for the first time felt that Mu Yuanzhi was far more poised and graceful than his Xi'er; he had never felt this way before.

He didn't know that all of this was related to a change in his state of mind, nor when it started, but his feelings for Pei Yunxi had gradually changed, and he had never noticed this change.