Chapter 45
"There's no need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself. I can go by myself." Xi Xiao refused decisively, almost without hesitation.
Seeing Pei Yun remain silent, his eyes fixed on her with deep concentration, she curled her fingertips slightly, and finally took a step back, deliberately softening her tone: "Very well, it was just a token of my appreciation. I will deliver the prepared tonics to the gate and hand them over to the gatekeeper before returning home. I will not disturb you by entering. Your Majesty is busy with many affairs of state; how can you be delayed by such a trivial matter? Let Xiangmo accompany you."
Pei Yun sighed almost inaudibly, stepped forward, and pulled her into his arms. Noticing her momentary stiffness and resistance, he tightened his grip, holding her closer to his chest. His chin rested gently on the top of her head, his voice low and carrying a barely perceptible plea and promise: "...After the wedding, you will be free to enter and leave the palace. Wherever you wish to go, I will grant it to you."
The warm, soft body and the faint fragrance in his arms strangely soothed the lingering anxiety in his heart. Even though the person was in his arms and the situation was under his control, he often felt that everything in front of him was as beautiful as a mirage, and he was afraid that it would vanish as soon as he opened his eyes. He just wanted to hold on tighter and tighter.
“…Okay.” Xi Xiao’s voice was muffled by his clothes, revealing no emotion. She subtly pushed away from his embrace with her elbow and turned to walk towards the sandalwood cabinet next to her.
She opened the cabinet door, took out a delicate medicine box about the size of her palm, returned to Pei Yun, and lifted the lid in front of him. Inside, lined with bright yellow soft satin, were several neatly arranged, dark-colored pills.
"These are some calming and nourishing pills I've prepared, they're especially good for boosting energy and calming the mind." She spoke casually, as if it were just a casual remark. "I'll take this opportunity to present them to Grand Secretary Qin, and say that... His Majesty is showing consideration for this old minister and bestowing this favor upon him."
Pei Yun took the small medicine box and placed it in his palm. His sharp gaze swept over the few pills, and his fingertips even unconsciously rubbed the edge of the box, as if examining it or weighing its contents. After looking at it for a long time, he couldn't find anything obviously unusual.
Just then, Xi Xiao glanced at him, her eyes clear and sharp, carrying a hint of mockery, as if she could see through his suspicions. Then, she sat down at the dressing table, picked up a jade comb, and slowly began to comb her hair, clearly unwilling to say anything more.
Pei Yun didn't want to spoil her mood at this moment, nor did he want to cause any trouble and anger her. He suppressed the doubt that flashed through his mind, handed the medicine box back to the palace maid beside him, and his tone returned to its usual gentleness: "As you wish." He then turned to Xiang Mo, who was standing with her hands at her sides, and said in a slightly deep voice, "What are you still standing there for? Carefully serve your mistress as she washes and changes her clothes."
Xiangmo quickly responded and stepped forward to help Xi Xiao into the inner room.
Pei Yun's gaze followed her back until the beaded curtain fell, blocking his view.
His gaze fell once again on the medicine box held by the palace servants. His fingertips twitched slightly in his sleeve, but he ultimately suppressed the urge to examine it. He simply stood in the hall and waited patiently.
Before long, the jade pendants jingled softly, and the beaded curtain was lifted again.
Xi Xiao emerged dressed in a bright red palace gown, the dress intricately embroidered with phoenixes and dragons in gold thread. The wide sleeves flowed like clouds, and the skirt undulated gracefully. The intense, striking color, however, did not appear gaudy on her; instead, it exuded an air of supreme elegance and nobility, further enhancing her breathtaking beauty. She resembled a celestial goddess, her majesty unapproachable.
Pei Yun's breath hitched, his heart surged, and his gaze was fixed on her as if drawn by a magnet. His eyes were filled with intense emotions of amazement and possession, and he almost forgot everything around him.
It wasn't until Xiangmo, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but cough softly to remind him that he suddenly came back to his senses. Seeing Xi Xiao already walking gracefully towards the palace gate, a nameless unease, like a cold snake's tongue, licked at his heart.
He blurted out almost subconsciously, his voice tinged with urgency: "Xi Xiao, I've brought all today's memorials to Zhaoyang Palace. How about we have dinner together tonight? I'll be waiting for you to come back."
Xi Xiao paused slightly, turning around at the palace gate. The sunlight outlined a hazy halo around her, making her face difficult to see clearly. Only a calm and unwavering reply was heard: "Of course."
After Xi Xiao left, Pei Yun hunched over his desk, writing furiously with his vermilion brush, reviewing the mountain of memorials. He Ying silently entered from the outer room and began grinding ink beside him. Noticing a hint of barely perceptible irritation in his master's brow, he whispered, "Your Majesty, rest assured, An Qi has been secretly following you, and the young lady is perfectly fine."
"Meddlesome!" Pei Yun didn't even raise his head, but he lightly scolded, though his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little, and the speed at which he made annotations became noticeably faster.
Before they knew it, the sky had completely darkened. The thick, inky blackness, like a giant black dragon, swallowed the entire sky, pressing down heavily with a suffocating silence. Pei Yun finally put down his vermilion brush, rubbed his aching temples, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes still half-closed, glancing occasionally towards the palace gate, as if waiting for something.
Seeing this, He Ying quietly began to tidy up the memorials she had reviewed, while whispering, "Your Majesty, An Qi has been waiting outside the palace for a while. He said that the young lady has just returned to the palace. Seeing that Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, she did not want to disturb you. At this moment... she seems to have gone to the small kitchen."
"Why didn't you report earlier?!" Pei Yun suddenly stood up, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible urgency. He took a step towards the small kitchen, but stopped abruptly halfway there. "Let An Qi come in and give me a report."
An Qi, emanating a chilly aura, strode into the hall, carrying the biting wind and frost from outside. Upon entering the warm, spring-like inner chamber, he almost sighed with comfort, but upon meeting Pei Yun's deep gaze, he immediately composed himself, bowing respectfully and reporting, "Your Majesty, the young lady arrived at the Qin residence by carriage today. Before even entering, she only instructed Xiang Mo to hand the medicine box to the gatekeeper before departing. Afterwards… the carriage slowly circled several major streets of the capital, but the young lady never disembarked. About half an hour later, the carriage returned directly to the palace, and she seemed… somewhat tired."
Pei Yunjian frowned slightly, instinctively feeling that the trip was unusually uneventful, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't pinpoint anything wrong. He waved his hand, and An Qi quickly pulled her still-chilly collar tighter and retreated.
Pei Yun shook off the inexplicable doubt in his heart and was about to go back to the kitchen when he heard the beaded curtain rustle softly. Xi Xiao herself carried in a vermilion lacquered tray with a bowl of steaming longevity noodles on it. Her face was adorned with a long-lost, bright and lively smile, her eyebrows and eyes curving like ice melting in spring.
Pei Yun was momentarily stunned, as if she had returned to the past, when she hadn't smiled at him like that in a long time.
"I heard that His Majesty's birthday is in two days," she said in a light voice, as if the barriers between them had never existed. "I cooked a bowl of longevity noodles. Would His Majesty like to try it and see if it suits his taste?"
Pei Yun was taken aback. His birthday was actually on New Year's Eve, and two days later... it should be Xi Yu's birthday. Perhaps due to some misunderstanding in the past, she had always thought that he and Xi Yu were born on the same day.
To correct her now would be too much of a mood killer. Oh well… He sighed inwardly, ultimately unable to bear spoiling this rare moment of tenderness, so he took the bowl of noodles from her hands, picked up the jade chopsticks, and began to eat heartily as she had instructed.
Xi Xiao stood to the side, gazing at him with eyes full of longing, as if she wouldn't be satisfied until she saw him finish the bowl of noodles himself. Pei Yun usually didn't have a big appetite and didn't like noodles, but at this moment he didn't want to go against her wishes, so he suppressed his discomfort and ate the whole bowl of noodles in big mouthfuls, almost hastily.
Seeing that he had finished eating, Xi Xiao's smile seemed even more genuine. The atmosphere between the two was unusually harmonious and relaxed throughout the evening, as if they had truly returned to their first meeting, yet with an added layer of tacit understanding and familiarity. Even as Pei Yun rose to leave Zhaoyang Palace after dinner, a slightly tipsy, unreal feeling lingered in his mind, and he couldn't quite come back to his senses for a long time.
That night, he slept peacefully, a rare occurrence, without any nightmares.
The next morning, after the morning court session, Pei Yun went straight to Zhaoyang Palace. He was in a good mood, and even his steps seemed lighter. Just as he arrived at the palace gate, he saw a little palace maid holding a broom, curled up in a corner of the steps, dozing off, her little head nodding.
Normally, such negligence by palace servants would be severely punished, but Pei Yun was in a very good mood today and only glanced at them indifferently.
The young palace maid, who had been dozing off, was still quite young and had only recently entered the palace. She had seen the emperor's face very few times. In her drowsy state, she sensed someone approaching. She looked up abruptly and was shocked to see the emperor standing right in front of her. She was terrified and fell to her knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! This servant deserves to die!"
Pei Yun, unusually patient, interrupted her apology and asked only, "Has Your Majesty risen?"
The young palace maid almost buried her head in the ground, replying in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, Her Highness has already risen, and Aunt Xiangmo is serving her inside..."
Pei Yun said no more, pushed open the door and entered. There was no one in the outer hall. He subconsciously tiptoed towards the inner room, only to see that Xi Xiao had already come out.
She wasn't wearing palace attire today, but rather a sleek, dark black outfit. Her long, black hair was tied up high with a simple jade hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and graceful neck. At first glance, she resembled a dashing young man. However, a closer look at the gentle charm in her eyes and the slender figure revealed her undeniable beauty as a woman.
Pei Yun couldn't help but chuckle as he stepped forward, his gaze falling on her attire with a mixture of curiosity and indulgence: "What are you going to do? Why are you dressed like this all of a sudden?"
Upon hearing this, Xi Xiao gave him a slightly reproachful glance, but her tone was perfectly natural: "Has Your Majesty forgotten? Today is Pei Qie's wedding day, and of course I must go to offer my congratulations. Your Majesty promised me yesterday, so... are you going to go back on your word?"
Her charming and lively appearance instantly captivated Pei Yun. He stared at her for a long while before shaking his head with a smile: "Of course I remember, but it's still early. The wedding ceremony at the Marquis's residence is quite complicated, and going too early would be inconvenient. Why don't we have breakfast first, and then I'll accompany you?"
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