Chapter 403: I Spiked This Tea

Pei Si raised an eyebrow: "Your mother is outside? Simple, this palace will have her come in."

"But Mother doesn't know we've come in!" Mu Yumo was so anxious he forgot all formalities of subject and ruler.

"I see." Pei Si smiled enigmatically: "Unless you become this palace's disciples, as a master I naturally have the right to protect my disciples, but if you are merely ordinary subjects, you naturally have no such privilege."

……

The two little beans stared at each other.

Mu Yumo secretly tugged his sister, exchanging glances, but Gu Yutong couldn't decipher what his brother's gaze meant.

The two pulled and tugged under Pei Si's watch for a while; Gu Yutong, having no choice, whispered to Mu Yumo: "If we become disciples of the Third Highness, we'd be on the same boat as him—that's not allowed, we can't act recklessly."

"That makes sense, sis, but what should we do? Is the Third Highness threatening us with Mother?" Mu Yumo's little face scrunched up.

If Mother knew they had kicked the ball flying into the Mysterious Palace playing cuju, she'd surely get a scolding!

"It's a small matter, and besides, kicking the ball into someone else's place really isn't good—don't shirk responsibility." Gu Yutong advised.

Mu Yumo thought it over and finally nodded.

"Alright then, a real man should bear responsibility!"

Thus the two little beans agreed and told Pei Si: "Becoming a disciple is a serious matter; we must ask our parents first, so Third Highness, please pardon us."

After speaking, the two children gave a deep bow, very polite.

Pei Si wasn't angry; instead, he looked at them with newfound respect: "It seems the Princess and Jin Shizi really know how to educate children, making you so clever and quick-witted. Never mind, this palace is not one to make things difficult for others."

Having said that, he summoned two servants from the Mysterious Palace to find the children's ball.

In less than a quarter hour, the servants found the ball.

Just as the children reached out to take it, Pei Si pulled his hand back.

The siblings were puzzled.

The Third Highness wouldn't go back on his word, would he?

"If we can't become disciples, we can at least have a cup of tea? You can go out and say you're tired and thirsty, wanting to come here for a drink; this palace wants to chat with your mother." Pei Si said.

The two children had no suspicions and nodded in agreement.

Only then did Pei Si return the ball to them.

He waited a while in the garden, then a servant came to report that their shibo wished to see him.

Pei Si smiled satisfactorily.

In his previous meetings with Mu Yuanzhi, others were always present; this time he wanted to speak privately with this princess.

He had Mu Yuanzhi escorted to the reception hall, then placed the children in the side hall to be attended to.

When the children made this unexpected request, Mu Yuanzhi had already guessed seventy or eighty percent; it must be Pei Si's doing, and the two little rascals likely ran in here to play and ran into Pei Si.

"It's rare for the Princess to come see this palace; this palace feels honored!" Pei Si strode in, truly looking flattered.

Mu Yuanzhi smiled: "Isn't it you who wanted to see me, Your Highness?"

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from the clever Guardian State Princess." Pei Si laughed, sat down, gestured for the standing Mu Yuanzhi to sit as well, and had the servants attend to the tea.

"Honestly, this palace is bored stiff, A Ci is busy, and being alone in the Mysterious Palace, this palace really just wants someone to talk to." Pei Si sighed.

Mu Yuanzhi didn't mind chatting with Pei Si either; even though she wasn't yet clear whether he was friend or foe, at least so far he had done nothing harmful to them, and had even lent a hand.

If this person were truly unfathomable, and his subordinate commander of death warriors were extremely strange, they might already be friends.

"Thank you for your favor, Your Highness." Mu Yuanzhi said politely.

Pei Si rested his chin on his hand, gazing at Mu Yuanzhi, and said: "Actually, the Princess is a bit older than this palace; you can call me Mu Elder Sister, just like Xiao Di."

Mu Yuanzhi was sipping tea and nearly choked.

"I dare not accept being called Mu Elder Sister."

Although Pei Si is indeed younger than her, outwardly you can't tell; unlike Xiao Di, he looks like a fully grown, scheming adult—not that he looks old, but his face appears younger than his peers, yet his deep scheming makes one overlook his still-immaturity.

He is clearly only two years older than Xiao Di.

Pei Si let out another sigh: "I know, I'm not like Xiao Di, and you don't like me."

What kind of act is this now? Like a resentful little daughter-in-law, Mu Yuanzhi thought to herself.

"Even if I've rescued you many times, you still guard against me; there's nothing to be done—you dote on Xiao Di, are his friends, palace folk always seem to have thin familial affection, plus my older brother… the matter of being a collateral commoner, it's only natural you'd be wary of me."

Unbeknownst to him, Pei Si's self-reference had shifted to "I", seemingly part of his effort to grow closer.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Since Your Highness gets straight to the point, I won't beat around the bush either—it's true, one must guard against others; with your thousands of death warriors, not to mention us, even His Majesty needs to be on guard."

"That's right; Father Emperor really gave me a hard time, yet he never made me surrender those death warriors, nor even punished me—this makes me wonder if I'm just another older brother, a tool for Father Emperor to train his fourth son?" Pei Si looked at Mu Yuanzhi with an unchanged smile.

This topic was too dangerous; Mu Yuanzhi pretended not to hear and drank her tea.

Pei Si seemed to let out a soft laugh from his throat, yet it might just be an illusion created by the wind outside the window; to Mu Yuanzhi's ears it wasn't quite real, she glanced at him without a trace, then took another sip of tea.

"No matter what, I follow my own pace—Father Emperor, Xiao Di, however I should interact with them remains unchanged."

"Your Highness inviting me for tea this time—is it also to discuss past matters? I think we've already made things clear; we can wait until the affair at Juechen Valley settles before talking further." Mu Yuanzhi said.

She did not respond to Pei Si's earlier words.

She didn't know what Pei Si actually wanted to say.

Pei Si shook his head: "Can't I just want to chat with you? I realized I seem never to have spoken alone with the Princess, like chatting over tea with the rumored Guardian State Princess—not necessarily with an agenda."

"Not necessarily?" That means it's possible.

Mu Yuanzhi smiled politely: "In that case, first thank you for this tea, Your Highness."

"I spiked this tea, and the Princess just drank it without caution? She's not as wary and clever as the rumors say." Pei Si said this while still smiling.

He even held his chin, watching Mu Yuanzhi's reaction.