Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Master Pei is ordering me around more and more...

Even the heavy calming incense couldn't suppress the aura of decay that permeated Shoukang Palace. Several imperial physicians stood by, their hands hanging low, their words repeating the same words: "The Empress Dowager's health requires rest and recuperation. Do not stress yourself."

The emperor was too busy with government affairs to come to Shoukang Palace to pay his respects. However, Concubine Lin often came to sit for a while. The fetus in her belly was more than seven months old, and the round curve of her belly supported her gorgeous clothes.

"The child is very active and just kicked me."

Behind the curtain, the Empress Dowager and Concubine Lin were whispering.

Outside the curtain, in a corner of the small Buddhist temple and tea room, the purple clay pot on the medicine stove was bubbling with bubbles. Ti Huo was guarding the empress dowager's calming soup, and Lu Suizhu was holding a plain silk round fan, shaking her wrist lightly.

"The court has been quite restless lately. I heard that many censors have been trying their best to impeach Lord Pei, saying that he has no respect for discipline and acts recklessly." Tihuo lowered his voice and chatted with Lu Suizhu.

Lu Suizhu sighed softly. The emperor trusted Pei Zhiji and pushed him to the forefront. Even though she felt distressed, she could do nothing about it. He was busy day and night these days, and she couldn't even see him every day.

The sun was setting in the west, the sandalwood incense from Shoukang Palace had not yet dissipated, but the chess game in the warm room of the East Palace had already been laid out. On the rosewood chessboard, the black and white pieces were entangled, and their knocks were particularly clear in the silent air.

"Lord Pei is very busy with affairs of state. You took the time to come here today. It is not just to accompany me through this remaining game of chess, right?" Xiao Mao emphasized the phrase "very busy" with undisguised sarcasm.

Pei Zhiji withdrew his hand from the chess pot, reached into his wide sleeves, and found a neatly folded piece of paper with some dark brown stains between his fingers.

It was the confession signed by Fan Jingjiang in Fanxi.

Xiao Mao's eyes trembled slightly, his gaze fixed on the glaring word "Crown Prince," his eyelids fluttering in the air. "Pei Zhiji, do you think you can threaten me with just this confession?"

"Perhaps it wasn't possible before," Pei Zhiji said slowly, his voice penetrating with a hint of compassion, but every word struck a chord with Xiao Mao. "Your Majesty is now in good health, your heart is in your own hands, and suspicions are mounting. If you were to present this item to the Emperor, I cannot guarantee that Your Majesty wouldn't make a decision that would be detrimental to the royal family."

Xiao Mao's face turned pale, and his forced sneer could no longer be maintained. "What do you want?"

"What I ask for is very simple: a letter of confession in exchange for the Crown Princess' freedom. From now on, no one in the Pei family will stand in the way of Your Highness's rise to prominence."

Xiao Mao stood up suddenly as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.

Pei Zhiji also stood up and continued to attack him: "Your Highness, why don't you think about it calmly? Which is more important, a woman who has long given up on you or the wrath of His Majesty?"

The blood-stained confession on the table was like a silent slap in the face of Xiao Mao. He turned around suddenly, and the chessboard overturned, black and white jade pieces flew everywhere, and the exquisite teacups, pen washers, paperweights... everything that could be swept off the table instantly turned into a mess of fragments.

It turns out that none of the Pei family members are good people, they are all here to jinx him!

Pei Zhiji had just left, and only Xiao Mao's heavy breathing echoed in the dead silent warm room.

The heavy palace door slowly closed. Pei Lanyi stood on the long palace road, wearing a plain moon-white skirt and a plain silver hairpin that fixed her bun, without a single pearl or jade on her head.

She raised her head slightly, and what she saw was the high sky. There were a few wisps of clouds with a faint color, which were slowly torn apart.

Not far away, a tall and straight figure stood in the shadow of the palace corridor. Xiao Mao's complicated and incomprehensible gaze was fixed on her. When she was only three feet away from him, Pei Lanyi performed an impeccable palace etiquette.

Her posture was respectful, yet distant as if there were thousands of miles between them. After the ceremony, she stood up and brushed past him. Just as her sleeve was about to brush past his side, her slender wrist was grabbed.

"Do you really hate me so much?" Xiao Mao's voice lingered on the empty palace road, revealing a hint of sadness.

After a long time, so long that Xiao Mao almost thought she would not answer, she spoke very softly in a tone that was almost a sigh.

"When I first entered the Eastern Palace, I was also filled with joy."

Just these eight light words, bloodily laid out before Xiao Mao the brief and insignificant tenderness that had long been crushed by power and suspicion, belonging to "Xiao Mao" and "Pei Lanyi" rather than the "Crown Prince" and the "Crown Princess".

She walked straight towards the plain carriage without any Eastern Palace logo, lifted her skirt and got in without looking back.

The curtain dropped, and the wheels rumbled across the bluestone slabs of the palace road, moving further and further away from the palace gate, and finally disappeared in the twilight.

Pei Lanyi leaned against the wall of the car with her eyes closed. Occasionally, a corner of the curtain was lifted, letting in some cool mid-autumn breeze.

When they reached a fork in the road, they saw a man and a horse standing quietly by the side of the road. The carriage slowly stopped. Pei Lanyi opened her eyes and saw her familiar brother through the window.

Pei Zhiji's deep voice came from behind the thin white curtain: "Sister, are you really not going back with me? If you want, I'll take care of the rest."

Su Bai's hand pried open the curtain from the inside, revealing Pei Lanyi's delicate face. "Zhiji, since I married into the Xiao royal family, I never expected to escape unscathed."

She looked at the vague outline of the distant mountains, her eyes empty. "He allowed me to leave the palace walls in the name of praying for a blessing and find a quiet temple. We don't have to face each other every day. It's a blessing to torture each other. You don't have to bother to deal with me anymore, and you don't have to confront him on my behalf anymore."

"You are the head of the Pei family and bear great responsibilities, but I am also the legitimate daughter of the Pei family. Even if I cannot bring honor to the family in this life, there is absolutely no reason for me to become a burden. I have made up my mind, and there is no need to persuade me."

As the words fell, the curtains closed. Pei Zhiji said no more and watched the carriage slowly leave. His back looked particularly lonely in the deepening twilight.

After bidding farewell to his closest brother and sister in just a few days, Lu Suizhu knew that he must be feeling bad, so she took a few steps forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

The evening breeze rustled Pei Zhiji's dark robes, and he held Lu Suizhu's warm hand. "I fought for power, and I fought so hard. Initially, it was all because I wanted to give those around me more choices, so they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells and rely on others."

He hid the sadness in his eyes and instantly regained his usual composure. He reached into his sleeve and took out a piece of oil paper folded neatly. He unfolded it carefully and saw only a little dark brown paste inside.

He handed the oil-paper to Lu Suizhu. "I managed to scrape this off the pills that your majesty must take every day. I'd like to ask Madam to take it to a master for testing."

"Do you suspect there's something wrong with this medicine?"

"Your Majesty's dragon body was already at the end of its strength, but since taking the pills sent by Master Pansu from the Western Regions, he has been able to attend court every day and is in good spirits." Pei Zhiji's eyes were cold. "The pills are not life-extending elixirs. I suspect that they are just forcibly overdrawing the remaining energy with the poison of tigers and wolves."

"Master Pei is truly capable," Lu Suizhu said, her lips curling slightly in a playful smile, while her fingertips carefully twisted the oil paper tightly. "You can actually scrape off something so close to your body?"

Pei Zhiji looked at her pretending to be relaxed, a hint of helplessness flashing across his eyes. He then explained, "Su Pingshun is very good at assessing the situation. Turning a blind eye to critical situations is also his way of survival."

"Master Pei deliberately sent me away..." Lu Suizhu pinched the packet of powder, deliberately raised it in front of her eyes and shook it, with a hint of mischief, "Are you hiding something from me?"

"No." He answered simply, his tone carrying a hint of innocence of being misunderstood. "I really am too busy to spare the time."

Seeing that he didn't look fake, Lu Suizhu's doubts were relieved. She just carefully put away the oil paper, turned around and set off for the academy.

Suo Ye drove along the mountain road, and the cool scent of grass and trees filled his nose.

Liu Sanyuan was still wearing an old robe that had been washed so much that it looked pale. He went into the small room filled with ancient books and herbs.

Lu Suizhu sat on a stone bench in the yard, listening to the occasional clinking of utensils coming from inside the house. The mountain wind was chilly, making her fingertips cold.

After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open. Liu Sanyuan walked up to Lu Suizhu and poured the remaining powder into his palm.

"When you first take this pill, it's like drinking nectar, which makes you feel refreshed and like a dead tree coming back to life with all its chronic illnesses gone." He deliberately kept the other in suspense, then chuckled.

"But this is a sign of a last gasp of life! Once this little bit of false fire burns out, it will be like running out of fuel. Not only will medicine be ineffective, but the internal organs will rapidly decline, and even a god cannot save them."

"What if...what if that person has been taking it for several months in a row and his body has begun to show signs of decline?" Lu Suizhu swallowed, a little nervous.

Liu Sanyuan was silent for a moment, twisting his sparse beard with his skinny fingers, and slowly extended his right index finger.

One month?

There was obvious worry in her eyes. If His Majesty passed away within a month, Pei Zhiji would lose his most important support. Wouldn't he be torn to pieces in an instant by the Crown Prince, the Sixth Prince, and various forces that were eyeing him covetously?

"Girl, what are you worried about?" Liu Sanyuan drawled out his words, his tone arrogant. "My disciple may not be good at other things, but he has mastered the art of maneuvering and using the opponent's force to his advantage. He has mastered it to about 70% of my ability. These few fish in the pond right now can't make a big wave under his control."

He changed the subject, a cheerful smile on his face. "Well, now that you're here, don't make a wasted trip. I just got a half-finished piece of music and was worried about finding someone to play with. Tonight, the moon is bright and clear, so why not stay and play the zither with this old man? That would be the right thing to do!"

Lu Suizhu barely suppressed her turbulent emotions and replied with difficulty, "It's just for one night. Tomorrow I need to rush back to the palace to serve the Queen Mother."

The next day, before daybreak, Suo Ye set off in his carriage and finally drove into the familiar side door of the mansion. The servants were sweeping and cleaning as usual. Lu Suizhu caught a glimpse of a figure flashing out from the corner door of the backyard, with Xiao Feng guarding behind.

Stepping into the main hall, Pei Zhiji was sitting on a low couch by the window, holding a green jade teacup in his fingertips. He was in a very good mood. When he saw her come in, he personally picked up the kettle and poured her a cup of hot tea and pushed it in front of her.

There were not many servants in the hall, so there was no need to be shy in speaking.

"Who was that person who left through the corner door in the backyard just now?"

"General Chen Guang." Seeing the growing doubt in Lu Suizhu's eyes, Pei Zhiji tapped his fingertips lightly on the smooth sandalwood table. "There was a battle at the border a few days ago, and he just returned victorious after a bloody battle."

"It's him?" Lu Suizhu was a little surprised. She knew Chen Guang's name. He rose to prominence through military exploits and was known for his bravery, but due to his humble background, he had no foundation in the court. "Why did you meet him?"

"A general who rose from humble beginnings, possessing nothing but courage, is the most useful." Pei Zhiji raised his gaze, a flicker of calculation in his eyes. "I advise him to find a reliable support system rather than struggling in the mire. Isn't the Eastern Palace, which is in great need of talent, the best place for him?"

"Xiao Mao has always harbored rebellious intentions. He simply lacks a few sparks to start a prairie fire. I will slowly...pass them all to him."

The slender fingers tapped lightly on the table.

The murderous intent hidden in these calm words made Lu Suizhu feel cold all over. She calmed herself down and told him the whole truth about the pills that she had learned from Liu Sanyuan.

"Okay, I got it." Pei Zhiji listened without much surprise on his face.

Before Lu Suizhu could fully express her worries, he spoke with a force that brooked no argument. "Madam, I need one more favor from you."

The tone sounded like a discussion, but it was also clearly an order.

"Lord Pei has been ordering me around, and I seem to be more and more adept at doing things." Lu Suizhu glanced at him, with a hint of resentment in her tone, but her eyebrows were curved, and she didn't look really annoyed at all.

They were busy with paperwork and dealing with various forces all day long, so even a quiet conversation had become a luxury for them. Pei Zhiji could naturally hear the complaints in her words.

Coincidentally, Chen's bitter words from yesterday were still ringing in his ears. The woman, never good at concealing her feelings, was almost showing her disdain. She talked about him for a long time, summing up his wooden temper as "truly disappointing". Finally, she angrily dropped a piece of advice: "Women need to be coaxed!"

These words lingered in his mind all day.

Looking at Lu Suizhu's smiling eyes at this moment, he certainly knew that she was not really angry with him, but the word "coax" was really tricky for Pei Zhiji.

He spoke tentatively, his tone even a little stiff: "What does the lady want?"

Lu Suizhu's fingers gently wrapped around the silk sash around her waist, and her voice was soft and long, like a silk thread coated with honey: "...What do you want? How dare I ask for anything? Lord Pei is a very busy man. It is a blessing for me to be able to see him every day, but..."

She leaned closer, her breath sweet as orchid, "The bed is empty at night, and the quilt is always cold and can't keep me warm."

Pei Zhiji was startled at first by her coquettish and ambiguous look, and then he laughed softly, his chest shaking, and the smile was so real that it stained the corners of his eyebrows and eyes.

He suddenly felt that he had changed a little.