Chapter 65: You've got a conscience after all

The emperor looked at Pei Yunxi: "Xier, is everything your fourth brother said true?"

"Father Emperor, fourth brother really did mention beforehand that he had found a famous doctor from the Miao region..." Pei Yunxi almost bit her lip, unable to think of how to respond now.

The person involved is right here; how is she supposed to speak?

Will the Father Emperor believe her?

She stood there, embarrassed, her face flushed hot.

Qilin snorted with a laugh: "Princess, your fourth brother has never left my sight; how did he tell you that?"

"He..." Pei Yunxi really had no idea, and looked at Pei Shangling again.

The emperor slammed the table hard, startling Pei Yunxi into a sudden shudder; she hurriedly looked at the emperor, saw he was looking toward Pei Shangling's direction, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Linger, you're taking all the credit, and dragging Xiao'er into this to cover up your lie?!"

Mu Yuanzhi raised her eyebrows: "Does the emperor mean to push all the blame onto Pei Shangling? Indeed, he dotes on Pei Yunxi!"

"Please calm your anger, Father Emperor; I merely want my younger sister to grow closer to her great-grandmother, so that no ill-intentioned person can stir up trouble." Pei Shangling spoke without fear now, since things had already come to this.

As he said the latter half, he glanced at Mu Yuanzhi.

"Hmph, I see you don't understand right from wrong!" the emperor angrily pointed at Pei Shangling: "Look at all the trouble you've stirred up lately! Mu Yuanzhi, you know full well why you asked me to order a search of your villa residences!"

Pei Shangling was unconvinced: What did I do? What trouble have I caused?

He merely let that dead little brat stay over; it's Mu Yuanzhi who's seeing enemies everywhere!

Seeing his chest heave heavily, obviously very resentful, the emperor's anger flared further: "Get out to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and kneel, kneel until the ancestral spirits forgive you!"

"Father Emperor!" Pei Shangling widened his eyes in disbelief.

From childhood to now, when has he ever been punished? And kneel in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?!

"Get out!"

"Huh..." Pei Shangling, seething with anger but daring not to lash out, slunk away; before leaving, his vicious gaze swept over Mu Yuanzhi and her entourage.

"Father Emperor, Elder Brother Ling is just overly worried; please don't punish him too severely." Pei Yunxi pleaded.

"No need to say more; I have made up my mind." The emperor waved his hand.

Pei Yunxi really dared not speak further; she could feel that the Father Emperor's tone toward her was no longer as gentle as usual, his voice when speaking to her had grown noticeably harsher.

It must be because of what just happened.

She's really been ruined by her fourth brother!

Today she also let Mu Yuanzhi steal the spotlight!

Pei Yunxi glared at Mu Yuanzhi, displeased.

Mu Yuanzhi didn't think Pei Shangling's punishment was that severe; on the contrary, kneeling in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was basically trivial.

But this is the first time the emperor has punished Pei Shangling; she suspects that Pei Shangyan and Xiao Yichen, those two beasts, are also involved, as the emperor wants to appease her—since the imperial heir and a senior minister cannot lose face, the only option is to punish the less important fourth prince as a pretext.

The Son of Heaven weighs many factors in every action; Mu Yuanzhi smirked inwardly.

"Mu Yuanzhi, today you and your junior disciple have achieved great merit; I will reward you with a thousand taels of gold as a token of my appreciation." The emperor then turned and smiled at Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." After Mu Yuanzhi gave her thanks, she nudged Qilin, who then clumsily imitated her in giving thanks.

The emperor might think that awarding silver is the most trivial reward, but Mu Yuanzhi now likes it the most, since money can accomplish many things.

"Your junior disciple Qilin is talented at a young age, not inferior to you; why not let him stay at the Imperial Medical Institute?" the emperor asked, then added: "After all, your great-grandmother's recovery also needs his care."

In that case, there's no way to shirk it…

Mu Yuanzhi certainly didn't want Qilin to stay at the Imperial Medical Institute, staying in the Imperial Palace—such a dangerous place, so close to Pei Shangling.

"Your Majesty, you're a step late; Qilin is already the palace physician of our Pingnan Wangfu. Naturally, the Grand Empress Dowager's affairs are the top priority, and I and my future wife will accompany him daily to the Grand Moon Palace for checkups!" The previously silent Gu Rongjin stepped forward, responding with flawless eloquence.

The emperor naturally couldn't refuse to give face to the Pingnan Wangfu; he pointed at Gu Rongjin and laughed: "You little rascal, you sure know how to win Mu Yuanzhi's favor, arranging her junior disciple's placement so clearly and quickly."

Gu Rongjin laughed along, chuckling.

"Very well, since that's the case, I won't take what belongs to others." The emperor glanced at the sky and said: "It's getting late; you all may go rest now."

After everyone left Xuanshi Hall, Gu Rongjin hurriedly approached Mu Yuanzhi to claim credit, but Pei Yunxi got there a step earlier, saying to Mu Yuanzhi: "Mu Yuanzhi, you're truly impressive—you even have a junior disciple who knows poison arts to help you."

Mu Yuanzhi instinctively stepped in front of Qilin, not letting Pei Yunxi approach, and gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes: "My younger sister is also formidable, able to find such a venomous poison."

Pei Yunxi blinked: "Xier doesn't know what older sister is talking about."

"Those who commit many injustices will bring about their own downfall." Mu Yuanzhi's smile turned cold.

"That's not false, but the higher the Dao, the higher the demon." After saying that, Pei Yunxi put on her innocent look again: "When speaking with someone as clever as older sister, I can't help but take things seriously; my earlier words meant nothing."

Mu Yuanzhi lifted her lips: "Rest assured, if heaven won't take you, I will."

After saying that, she grabbed Qilin and left, not wanting to stay another moment with Pei Yunxi; Gu Rongjin didn't even glance at Pei Yunxi as he followed.

Pei Yunxi collected her innocent smile; she seemed to have discovered something interesting.

Mu Yuanzhi seemed quite nervous about this junior disciple who had appeared out of nowhere.

And now you have a weakness, Mu Yuanzhi! Pei Yunxi broke into a smile again.

She returned to Changle Palace, hurried to the small kitchen to personally prepare lots of food, packed it into food boxes, but she didn't rush; instead, she waited until around midnight before going to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to visit Pei Shangling.

At that moment, Pei Shangling was kneeling upright in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, not knowing how long he had been kneeling, his knees killing him, while the dead eunuch supervising him knew no flexibility, just staring at him as he knelt with nothing to do.

After kneeling for so long, the golden-thread fragrant wood in his vision swirled and blurred his sight, the yellow glazed tiles stung his eyes, making it hard to keep them open.

He was both exhausted and hungry; was his old vision failing?

"Elder Brother Ling?"

The somewhat dazed Pei Shangling suddenly heard a soft, gentle "Elder Brother Ling," and thought it was Mu Yuanzhi calling him.

Has this woman finally found her conscience? Come to see if her brother is dead?

He had thought this dead woman was heartless and would never pay him any mind again.

If she sincerely apologized, he could grudgingly forgive her.

"Elder Brother Ling."

Pei Shangling followed the sound and turned his head, seeing a tiny figure hidden in the shadows, clutching a food box—obviously there to bring him food.

You actually have a conscience!