Chapter 192: Interrogating Pei Yunxi

Now even the Qilin feels indignant: "What on earth is the Son of Heaven doing?!"

They don't send troops to support the border, only seek peace, and by then the enemy will have marched into the capital!

"We'll return to the palace to make our report first, Master Yuan Yan, what about you?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

"The monk goes wherever he pleases; if you want to find him, just fire this signal flare." He said, handing several signal flares to the Qilin.

The Qilin stowed the signal flares away, then asked suspiciously, "You're not up to no good, are you?"

"Amitabha." The monk bowed his head and took his leave.

"That monk is really mysterious." The Qilin muttered.

"Let's go, Qilin."

"Senior sister, the National Teacher didn't return with us—how are we going to explain this to His Majesty the Son of Heaven?" the Qilin asked.

Mu Yuanzhi: "He wrote a letter himself to the Son of Heaven."

"That's fine then; let's go, we're returning to the palace."

The guards at the palace gate were stricter than before.

Every time the Qilin entered or left, he had to be searched.

They went through all his miscellaneous belongings one by one, until Mu Yuanzhi snapped, "Are you done yet?!"

Several guards looked at each other helplessly; one apologized to the Princess, "Your Highness, please calm down—this is only because it is the Emperor's order, so we have to be so strict."

"The Qilin is my junior brother; I guarantee him anything." Mu Yuanzhi said with a cold face.

Having said that, she didn't care whether they heard her, and led the Qilin inside.

While straightening his clothes and accessories, the Qilin hurried to keep up with Mu Yuanzhi's quick pace: "Senior sister, wait for me!"

"Qilin, you'd better go find Pei Shangling; I can go to Xuanshi Hall alone." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Why? I'm not at ease letting you go alone." the Qilin asked, puzzled.

"The Son of Heaven is waiting for me to return and deal with Pei Yunxi's matter; perhaps he doesn't want anyone else present." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Alright, I'll go find Pei Shangling; you be careful on your own."

"Go ahead."

Unlike the previous dynasty, several princes still reside in the palace before coming of age; Pei Shangling's palace is not far from here.

The Qilin thought he should go early to find something to meet Mu Yuanzhi at Xuanshi Hall.

Mu Yuanzhi walked to Xuanshi Hall, using this time to rehearse in her mind what she would say later.

"Princess, His Majesty has been waiting for you inside for a long time." the chief eunuch said respectfully.

"Thank you for guiding us, sir."

"You're welcome, Princess."

The doors of Xuanshi Hall were pushed open, and the first thing Mu Yuanzhi saw was Pei Yunxi kneeling on the ground; as she walked over, she caught a glimpse of him in her peripheral vision.

After not seeing each other for many days, Pei Yunxi had grown quite gaunt, her head hanging low, yet when Mu Yuanzhi passed by, she involuntarily lifted her gaze to look, and their eyes met squarely.

Even though it was only a peripheral glance, Mu Yuanzhi could still clearly see the resentment lurking in Pei Yunxi's eyes.

She had always looked at her this way—utterly unmasked, consistently vicious.

Mu Yuanzhi withdrew her peripheral glance, looked straight ahead, walked to a suitable spot, and performed a neither humble nor arrogant bow: "I pay my respects, Father Emperor."

"No need for excessive courtesy," the Son of Heaven's voice sounded somewhat weary, "Just come back; I've been waiting to catch up with you, little Zhi."

Little Zhi?

That's really a form of address I've never heard before.

Even in her previous life, during the over ten years she had been favored, the Son of Heaven had never addressed her so intimately.

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't figure out for a moment what scheme the Son of Heaven was plotting.

Is he trying to bring the two of them closer together so she'll let Pei Yunxi off?

Pei Yunxi, kneeling on the ground, felt a sudden mix of sourness and fear upon hearing the Son of Heaven address Mu Yuanzhi that way.

The sourness came from the fact that Mu Yuanzhi was now receiving the same treatment as her; the fear stemmed from this being a bad omen.

She had been anxious and uneasy until now; finally waiting for Mu Yuanzhi to return to the capital, her emotions were about to peak, making it hard for her to calm down.

During this time, the Son of Heaven had ordered her confined to quarters, forbidding her from going anywhere, without punishing her, merely saying everything would be discussed after Mu Yuanzhi returned to the palace.

During her confinement in Changle Palace, her daily expenses were almost completely cut off, and even her three daily meals were not provided on time or in proper amounts.

All these signs made her feel afraid.

Without the Son of Heaven's tacit approval, neither the Imperial Household Department nor the Imperial Kitchen would dare treat her this way.

She imagined Mu Yuanzhi just emerging from Yong Lane, likewise receiving no regard!

"Yunxi."

The Son of Heaven suddenly called her name, startling the distracted Pei Yunxi; she hastily lifted her head: "Father Emperor..."

"Now that your older sister has returned, it's time to straighten out those foolish things you've done!" At the end, the Son of Heaven's voice suddenly rose, and he slammed the memorial down hard, all of it landing at Pei Yunxi's feet.

Her tears welled up instantly, as she always did when playing the victim, crying: "Father Emperor, your subject knows she was wrong!"

Pei Yunxi dared not argue, given the testimonies of Pei Shangyan, Pei Shangjue, and Pei Shangling; further denial would only make her appear obstinately insensible.

"It is because your subject listened to slander and acted in a moment of confusion that such a thing happened..."

Pei Yunxi once again passed the buck to someone else.

"Oh? Whose slander did you listen to?" Mu Yuanzhi glanced over sarcastically.

"It's Xueer!" Pei Yunxi, without a thought for master-servant loyalty, immediately dragged her faithful servant into the mess.

Xueer, who was also kneeling, turned pale at once upon hearing that.

What is the master saying?

This could cost one's head!

Xueer was panicking inside, her whole head spinning.

She feared the emperor would, in the very next moment, order someone to drag her out and behead her!

"Your Majesty! I, the servant, did offer strategies for my master, but... but all of this was done following my master's orders; how could I have such audacity!" Xueer said, then hurriedly kowtowed several times.

Pei Yunxi gave Xueer a malicious glance.

Stupid servant, we're going to die anyway—can't you just take all the blame?!

Doesn't know how to be grateful or protect the master at all!

"Xueer, even now you're still making excuses? I, as your master, have admitted guilt—don't keep deceiving Father Emperor!" Pei Yunxi put on an act of mending her ways.

Mu Yuanzhi looked on amused as they fought like dogs biting each other, mouths full of fur.

When disaster looms, each flies off on their own.

"Enough! All of you, shut up!" the emperor glared at them.

The master and servant hastily shut their mouths; Xueer panicked, trembling, while Pei Yunxi's eyes darted about, thinking how to continue exonerating herself.

But besides dumping the blame on Xueer, she really couldn't find anyone else; her informants could at any moment implicate her in those other hidden deeds she hasn't exposed.

"Father Emperor." Mu Yuanzhi clasped her hands: "What needs to be said, I, your subject, believe the three princes have already told you; I hope Father Emperor will handle Pei Yunxi impartially."

This was the first time she, in the emperor's presence, demanded he handle affairs impartially, with a firm attitude.

The emperor's gaze lingered on Mu Yuanzhi, pondering and sizing her up.