Chapter 129

Pei Shangyan was a bit confused—why did the Lanting Princess look at him with that expression, as if she were pleading for help? Could she have contracted some unspeakable illness? Or perhaps her illness cannot be cured in the Splendid Severe State?

It seemed he had noticed the Lanting Princess's oddness; the Splendid Severe State's crown prince immediately seized her wrist, applying force covertly, the warning unmistakable.

He gripped tightly the very hand she had just injured.

The Lanting Princess stiffened instantly, glanced at him anxiously, then dared not look elsewhere: "Mm, I'm fine, just a bit of indigestion."

To outsiders, they appeared to be a deeply affectionate newlywed couple.

The Splendid Severe State's crown prince was very pleased, and smiling, he said a few more words to the Lanting Princess.

Pei Shangyan had no choice but to let it go; otherwise he could have asked her privately later.

The banquet continued, and soon it was time for the selected warriors from each state to spar; everyone moved to the nearby arena.

At that moment, Qilin returned, slipping in amid the crowd's movement, and Mu Yuanzhi asked the Qilin, whose expression was complex: "Where did you run off to?"

"It's a long story, senior sister—I'll tell you..."

"Where did this beggar come from?!"

Someone shouted in surprise, cutting off Qilin's words; the crowd turned toward the sound and saw a woman covered head to toe in mud, disheveled, staggering over.

"How could there be a beggar in Shanglin Park?"

The Son of Heaven's tone was displeased: "What's going on?!"

Today, with all the foreign envoys present, how could a beggar have entered Shanglin Park?!

The Shanglin Park guards rushed over and shouted: "Who dares disturb the imperial procession?!"

That woman, suspected to be a beggar, seemed to have just noticed the dense crowd staring at her from all sides; she panicked instantly and bolted.

Those guards naturally wouldn't let her flee; they drew their swords and surrounded her.

Mu Yuanzhi wasn't leading the way; moreover, compared to whatever beggar, he was more curious about what was up with Qilin—but then Qilin suddenly snorted, clutching his belly and pointing at the beggar ahead, laughing hysterically.

"Qilin, what are you laughing at?" Mu Yuanzhi then followed Qilin's gaze to examine the beggar ahead more closely.

She looks so much like… Pei Yunxi?!

Although her head and face were caked in mud and her whole body was filthy, making her clothing unrecognizable, even if she turned to ash, Mu Yuanzhi would still recognize Pei Yunxi's face.

It's not just a resemblance—she is Pei Yunxi herself!

"Senior sister, you should be able to tell—this beggar is Pei Yunxi!" Qilin laughed until his stomach hurt.

His volume was considerable, and many people heard it.

After an eerie silence fell over the scene, it suddenly erupted.

"Princess Yunxi?"

"How could that be?"

"How could such a disheveled beggar woman possibly be Princess Yunxi?!"

"Besides, isn't Princess Yunxi under house arrest?"

"Shh, you didn't hear His Majesty just say she's indisposed—don't speak nonsense!"

Upon hearing Qilin's voice, the beggar instinctively covered her face; hearing the ensuing chatter, she wished she could immediately find a hole to crawl into.

"How could it be my little sister? Everyone, don't guess wildly." Pei Shangyan immediately gave a glance to the head of the palace guards, then said: "Quickly take her away so as not to disturb the honored guests."

As soon as Qilin said that, he immediately recognized her—it really was his little sister; although he didn't know what had happened, he needed to get her out of there fast, or else she'd suffer great embarrassment!

Who would have thought—at that moment, Pei Shangling came running over, shouting: "Little sister, where are you?!"

Pei Shangyan's pupils contracted—this idiot!

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help but laugh; a teammate as clueless as a pig had arrived, and Pei Yunxi could no longer avoid being exposed.

"Little sister, I found you here!" Pei Shangling lunged forward to find Pei Yunxi; after the initial surprise, in Pei Yunxi's terrified gaze he belatedly noticed the banquet guests not far ahead.

The leading Son of Heaven's complexion was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"It really is Princess Yunxi, huh?"

"How did it end up like this?"

"What exactly happened?"

Pei Shangjue couldn't help but say to the motionless Xiao Yichen standing there: "She's your wife—what are you just standing around for?"

Only then did Xiao Yichen step forward, but Pei Yunxi instead kept backing away.

How could she let Brother Chen see her like this?!

Today she had dressed up meticulously for two hours, just to astonish him and let everyone know she was more like a true royal princess, a genuinely noble heavenly maiden, than Mu Yuanzhi.

If it weren't for Mu Yuanzhi's junior disciple, that damned Qilin, she wouldn't be in such a sorry state!

Pei Yunxi beat her breast and stamped her feet; she wanted to kill Qilin, but of course her immediate urge was to flee—yet now she was caught between a rock and a hard place, what could she do?!

"Little sister? How did you end up like this? Didn't you fall somewhere and get hurt?" Mu Yuanzhi said solemnly.

Upon hearing that, the Son of Heaven rasped: "Yunxi, what's going on with you?!"

Pei Yunxi immediately froze, frightened not to move, and pursed her lips in a wronged manner.

Father Emperor had never called her Yunxi before—he always used "Xier"—and he looked terrifying!

Pei Yunxi was so scared she burst into tears; usually doing that would make her look pitiful, but now this ghastly appearance only made her seem more ridiculous.

The gazes directed at her varied—some inquisitive, some just for the spectacle, and some even mocking.

When had she ever suffered such humiliation? Normally only Mu Yuanzhi would be in such an awkward spot—how could it have become her now?

Pei Yunxi felt wronged and unwilling, yet she had to answer the Son of Heaven: "In reply to Father Emperor, your subject… your subject accidentally fell into a pond…"

Shanglin Park has many ponds, including several abandoned ones; falling in and getting covered head to toe in mud isn't impossible.

"How could you just fall into a pond for no reason?" the Son of Heaven's voice remained ominously low.

Everyone knew he was suppressing his anger; no one dared to breathe loudly, except Xiao Yichen, who, forced by the strange atmosphere, went over and draped his robe over Pei Yunxi.

Actually, this gesture was meaningless—Pei Yunxi wasn't cold, and the robe couldn't cover her anyway; it was merely better than nothing.

He patted Pei Yunxi's shoulder to comfort her.

But Pei Yunxi wasn't comforted at all; she said, "I wish I could disappear right now—why am I so unlucky? How did I end up here?!"

Pei Yunxi pitifully glanced at Xiao Yichen; Xiao Yichen didn't want to meet her gaze, his eyes flickered away; seeing this, Pei Yunxi felt even more wronged.

Is he despising her?!

Only then did Pei Yunxi notice she smelled; right, she had fallen into the dirty pond, so of course she smelled!

She herself feels stinky—what will he think?!

Pei Yunxi wanted to cry.