Of course, if Xiao Chengci hadn't expressed his opinion to Pei Zhi last night.
Pei Zhi might still hesitate about whether to return to the capital.
However, Pei Zhi received Xiao Chengci's assurance that his freedom would not be restricted.
Having been pampered and treated comfortably by Xiao Chengci, Pei Zhi was willing to go back.
Anyway, she'll have to go back sooner or later.
Moreover, with the Empress Dowager seriously ill, Pei Minxue will definitely return.
Pei Zhi had been drifting for a long time and didn't want to drift any further.
The main force was streamlined and set off.
We need to hurry back to see the Empress Dowager, not go sightseeing.
Xiao Chengci even specially invited Pei Minxue and suggested that he accompany Pei Zhi and walk slowly behind her.
Xiao Chengci and Shang Huaize set off first with the main force.
Xiao Chengci did this simply because he was worried that Pei Zhi would get tired from rushing all the way.
Pei Zhi herself didn't know that she was so delicate.
Naturally, he decisively rejected the proposal.
The group headed straight for the capital. Pei Minxue wanted to go to the palace with them, so he had his servants take Pei Zhi back to his residence.
Pei Zhi's identity cannot be explained in just a few words.
Pei Minxue's wife knew that her husband had a younger sister.
Didn't they say he died long ago?
Now another one has suddenly appeared, and it's hard to explain without a proper explanation.
Moreover, Pei Minxue doesn't have the time right now.
Pei Minxue instructed the servants to tell his wife to take good care of Pei Zhi, and then hurriedly left.
Pei Zhi had visited the Pei residence before, though only as a guest.
This time when I came back, my perspective was different.
This is her home, the place she used to live, so it's naturally different.
When Madam Pei heard that Pei Minxue's men had returned, she immediately came to greet them.
To everyone's surprise, instead of Pei Minxue, they saw an extremely beautiful woman.
Pei Minxue's servants were also with him.
"Madam, the master has gone to the palace. He said that you should take good care of this young lady first. We can discuss anything else when he returns."
When Pei Zhi saw her sister-in-law looking her over, she smiled politely back.
Madam Pei's face turned pale. What was there that she didn't understand now?
This woman must be the confidante Pei Minxue met in the northern city, whom he has now brought back.
After marrying Pei Minxue, Madam Pei was curious as to why Pei Minxue only had two maids and no concubines who needed to be carried.
Pei Minxue explained that the two maids were arranged by Old Madam Pei.
Pei Minxue didn't refuse and stayed by his side to serve him.
Madam Pei pursed her lips, thinking about the nonsense Pei Minxue had told her.
Tell her not to worry about anything that happened before marriage.
Even if Madam Pei were petty, she wouldn't bother arguing with two maids who served her in the inner chambers.
Pei Minxue also promised that he wanted to live a good life with his wife from then on and would never take a concubine.
As a result, not long after the child was born, Pei Minxue went out and brought someone back. Well done!
Even though Madam Pei was furious, she did not lose her composure.
"My sister must be tired from the long journey. Let me arrange a guest room for her to rest."
Although Madam Pei was elegant, she did not want to have much contact with her.
Let's settle the person in first, and let Pei Minxue take care of him when he returns.
When Pei Zhi heard her sister-in-law call her "little sister," she assumed that Pei Minxue had probably already explained her identity to her sister-in-law in a letter home.
Thank you.
Madam Pei responded and left with her servants.
Pei Zhi, on the other hand, had originally planned to visit her nephew and chat with her sister-in-law.
Seeing her sister-in-law turn to leave, Pei Zhi didn't try to stop her.
Pei Zhi frowned. Did she seem difficult to get along with? Otherwise, why would her sister-in-law refuse to talk to her?
In the palace, Xiao Chengci heard that the Empress Dowager was still in another palace, and he threw a tantrum.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us. The Empress Dowager is unwell and does not wish to return. We dare not coerce her."
"Dozens of imperial physicians have already settled in the detached courtyard."
Xiao Chengci's expression softened slightly upon hearing this.
The group, without even changing their clothes, hurriedly headed to the Royal Villa.
Xiao Chengci didn't understand. When he left the capital, his mother was fine. How could she suddenly have only a few days left to live?
When they arrived at the royal villa, they saw the Empress Dowager feeding fish in the pavilion.
Everyone was taken aback. The Empress Dowager's complexion was rosy, and she did not look seriously ill at all.
But no one dared to be careless, fearing that this was the Empress Dowager's last gasp before death.
When His Majesty arrived, the palace servants attending to the Empress Dowager all knelt down to pay their respects.
Hearing the commotion, the Empress Dowager turned around and stared intently at what was behind Xiao Chengci.
Xiao Chengci glanced sideways and saw Shang Huai, who was a step behind him.
The Empress Dowager dropped the fish food in her hand and jogged towards Shang Huai.
Shang Huai knelt down to pay his respects, but the Empress Dowager leaned down and hugged him.
After hugging him, the Empress Dowager slapped Shang Huai's shoulder hard a few more times.
"You heartless thing! You haven't come back to see me for years. I thought you had died in the north city."
Xiao Chengci looked at his mother as she passed by him, then at Shang Huai, whom she was holding tightly.
"Where is the imperial physician? Get out here for me."
Several imperial physicians hurriedly knelt down, their faces ashen, not daring to utter a single word.
"Wasn't it said that the Empress Dowager was seriously ill and only had a few days left to live?"
Xiao Chengci questioned, "What exactly is the Empress Dowager's illness?"
The imperial physicians looked at each other, none of them daring to answer His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to blame them. It was my idea to trick you into coming back from the North City."
"They dare not disobey my orders, it has nothing to do with them."
Xiao Chengci nodded slightly: "Good, good, very good."
"You fear the Empress Dowager, but don't you fear me?"
Xiao Chengci waved his hand: "Guards! Punish these imperial physicians for deceiving the emperor!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately said, "I'd like to see who dares to do this!"
A group of guards glanced at His Majesty, then at the Empress Dowager, and finally stepped forward to capture the group of imperial physicians.
"You are being insolent."
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager pointed at Xiao Chengci and said, "Emperor, do you even respect your mother anymore?"
Xiao Chengci retorted, "Why not?"
"Upon hearing that Your Majesty was critically ill, I rushed back day and night, only to find that Your Majesty had no regard for me."
If the Empress Dowager had Xiao Chengci in front of her, she wouldn't have ignored him and gone straight to embrace Shang Huai.
At that moment, Xiao Chengci instantly understood.
Presumably, the Empress Dowager's illness was also an act.
Although the Empress Dowager lived in a separate residence, she still had imperial physicians who checked her pulse daily.
He was perfectly fine before, and now he's suddenly critically ill. It doesn't seem normal at all.
Now it seems that his critical illness was a ruse; presumably, his mother knew he had gone to the northern city.
Worried that he would be detrimental to Shang Huai, she came up with this terrible idea to trick him into coming back.
What a terrible mother she was, always thinking about other people's sons.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
