40. Chapter 40 Loss of Control
Before she could say anything else, Mu Wen, who was standing beside her, lowered her voice and said, "Why are you being so mean to her? Master Mu Wu is not that scary. He was a handsome gentleman before his leg was broken. You can't treat him like that just because his temper has changed."
In Mu Xi's eyes, Mu Wen was just a fool. She was too lazy to refute him and just snorted meaningfully when she heard his words.
Princess Yuyang had also taken her seat. She recognized Xiaoxiao at first sight. Seeing that she had come with the emperor, her heart skipped a beat and she began to look at Xiaoxiao seriously.
The girl was dressed in snow-white clothes and had not a single piece of jewelry in her hair. Despite this, she had a delicate forehead and eyebrows, and her hair was like a pile of crows. Her face was truly like a lotus emerging from the water, delicate and pure, even surpassing her, the most beautiful woman in the Great Jin Dynasty.
Princess Yuyang inexplicably felt a sense of crisis in her heart.
She had been keeping an eye on Xiaoxiao, both consciously and unconsciously. Seeing that Xiaoxiao was sitting quite close to the front, she whispered to the guards beside her, "Go and find out the identity of that girl."
The guard responded respectfully.
Seeing everyone gradually take their seats and the Emperor arrive, Princess Yuyang raised her glass and spoke first. "I've long heard that the Emperor of the Great Zhou is young and promising, with extraordinary character and appearance. Seeing him today, I can see he's indeed the case. I offer you a toast. I wish the Great Zhou great prosperity, good weather, and good harvests. I also wish Your Majesty peace, happiness, and success in all your endeavors."
Pei Jing raised his lips with a half-smile, "If the Great Jin could put aside those wolfish and ambitious thoughts, I would naturally be able to live in peace and happiness, and everything would go smoothly."
Princess Yuyang was choked by him and felt a little unhappy.
In this war, Da Jin was the defeated country. In order to seek peace, it handed over six cities to Da Zhou, which was a heavy loss. Her coming this time was naturally not just a simple marriage. She had her mission. Therefore, even though she was unhappy, Princess Yuyang could only choose to endure it.
She bowed and said pitifully, "The Great Zhou and the Great Jin share the same roots. The reason my father sent troops was ultimately because he hoped that the two great powers could be united and regain the glory of a hundred years ago."
A hundred years ago, the Great Jin and the Great Zhou were indeed one family, originally belonging to the Great Zhou. However, due to the previous emperor's incompetence, many talented people rose up and overthrew the previous dynasty. However, the two major factions were dissatisfied with each other, and from then on, the north and the south were governed separately, which led to the division of the Great Zhou.
Pei Jingcai didn't buy her tricks and immediately said, "If that's the case, why is your father still messing around? Why doesn't he just surrender to the Great Zhou as soon as possible?"
Princess Yuyang's face froze, and she seemed unable to continue. The envoy of the Great Jin Dynasty smiled and tried to smooth things over. Several vassal states of the Great Zhou also hurriedly expressed their congratulations, and the atmosphere gradually became warmer.
Xiaoxiao also glanced at Princess Yuyang and realized that she was dressed much more normally today, and her clothes were no different from those of the women in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The culture of the Great Jin is actually not much different from that of the Great Zhou, except that the local accent is very strong, and the language used is somewhat different from the official language of the Great Zhou. When we met the day before yesterday, Princess Yuyang's dress was actually an imitation of a woman from the Western Regions.
She had just arrived in the Great Zhou and was unfamiliar with the place. Her only weapon was her beauty, so she dressed up deliberately.
She had thought that the Regent would receive them personally so that she could surprise him, but she had not seen the Regent until today.
When Princess Yuyang was wondering when Pei Xiuhan would show up, she heard the eunuch's announcement, and then a tall figure walked slowly towards her.
The man was wearing a crimson purple robe with a four-clawed python embroidered on the hem and the sleeves were trimmed with gold thread. His clothes were low-key yet luxurious, making him look extremely noble. What was even more amazing was his face. He had a face as beautiful as jade and a graceful demeanor. His deep eyes were filled with indifference and charm, and one glance at him was enough to make people fall in love with him.
When Princess Yuyang was in the Great Jin Dynasty, all she heard about was his cruelty, bloodthirstiness, and iron-blooded tactics. She never expected that he would be so handsome. It seemed that all the beautiful words could be used to describe him.
Princess Yuyang was stunned for a moment before she curled her lips. A strong desire to conquer rose in her heart. She slowly opened her mouth and finally lifted the veil from her face, "The Regent is really making me wait."
She deliberately drew out her words, her voice soft and charming. After hearing these words, the hearts of several ministers melted, and when they saw her charming face, their bodies couldn't help but feel hot.
The girl has charming eyes, beautiful red lips, and a snow-white neck that is so delicate and smooth that one can't help but get closer to take a closer look.
However, she stared straight at Pei Xiuhan, her eyes filled with interest. When several old ministers saw her like this, they couldn't help but curse her in their hearts as a vixen.
Pei Xiuhan didn't even blink, and Pei Jing spoke for him, "The Regent is so busy with affairs of state that it's hard for me to even see him, let alone you."
He portrayed the image of an impulsive, reckless and sharp-tongued little emperor vividly. He would confront whoever he wanted to during the banquet, often leaving the envoys of the Jin Dynasty speechless. Even when facing Princess Yuyang, he showed no sympathy for her, which made Princess Yuyang so angry that she almost lost her temper.
Halfway through the banquet, Princess Yuyang spoke up, "It's bound to be boring just to have dancers entertain us. This time, I've come here specifically to learn a blessing dance, which I want to present to the Emperor and the Regent. I wonder if you two are interested in watching it?"
Pei Xiuhan sat below Pei Jing and was very cold from beginning to end. He seldom attended palace banquets, and even when people came, he rarely spoke. The officials were used to his coldness, but Princess Yuyang was a little frustrated, and her voice became more charming, as if she would not give up until she seduced him.
Pei Jing was enjoying the show and smiled when he heard it, "Okay, I also think the dancers are too boring, so please ask the princess to dance for us."
Princess Yuyang pretended not to hear the word "everyone". As a princess, the only ones qualified to watch her dance were the Emperor and the Regent of the Great Zhou. Whether she could stay in the Great Zhou depended on whether she could impress the Regent tonight, so she naturally tried her best.
Princess Yuyang found a side hall and changed her clothes.
When she appeared again, not only the ministers but even the female members of the family gasped, and Xiaoxiao also glanced at her.
The girl came barefoot. She was wearing a light, begonia-colored gauze. The clothes were very thin, and the girl's towering snow-white breasts were about to burst out. She bent her body slightly, then stretched out her arms and began to dance. As she jumped, the bells on her feet also jingled.
It was said to be a blessing dance, but her dance contained a charm. Every time she twisted her waist, her slender waist seemed to be able to seduce a man's soul. Those with enough willpower would secretly curse her in their hearts for being a princess but having no shame. Those who did not have enough willpower would have already stared at her with their eyes wide open.
The ladies had never expected that there would be such shameless women in the world. Seeing that their husbands had been seduced away, they almost bit their teeth to pieces.
Princess Yuyang's gaze was always on Pei Xiu Han, with naked temptation in her eyes. She danced very hard, and because of her hard work, she was sweating profusely and was slightly out of breath, which could easily arouse associations with men. However, the Regent didn't even look at her from beginning to end.
Someone handed him a secret report, but he actually started to read it directly. After reading it, he asked the eunuch to bring him paper and pen, and he wrote a reply directly. It didn't look like he was attending a dinner party at all. If you didn't know, you would think this was his study.
Princess Yuyang was completely ignored and she was so angry that her eyes were blazing with anger.
Pei Jing naturally saw her furious look and almost laughed madly in his heart. He just thought that she was throwing her seductive eyes to the blind man. If his uncle was a man of understanding, he would not be so old and not even have a concubine.
Xiaoxiao was also secretly looking at Brother Pei. Seeing that he was not easily attracted by her like other men, a smile quietly appeared on Xiaoxiao's lips. When she was about to look away, she saw Brother Pei raised his head and glanced at her.
Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat and she gave him a bright smile. Pei Xiu Han's eyes were deep, and he actually remembered his previous dream again. She turned into an annoying little goblin and tried hard to get into his arms. It was just like holding a warm and soft jade in his arms. Pei Xiu Han's body couldn't help but tense up, but his dark eyes softened unconsciously.
When Princess Yuyang jumped to the last step, she happened to see this scene. She was a little unstable and accidentally sprained her ankle. Fortunately, she was smart and shook the red silk in her hand to make up for the mistake. Only the piercing pain in her foot reminded her that she almost made a fool of herself just now.
After she finished dancing, she failed to attract Pei Xiuhan's attention. One can imagine how angry she was. Fortunately, many ministers were fascinated by her and looked at her with more passion.
Princess Yuyang finally felt a sense of accomplishment. She didn't retreat, but smiled and said, "I've heard that the noble ladies of the Great Jin are talented and versatile. Why don't we let them perform on stage? This girl has a graceful figure, and her dance will surely be beautiful."
As she spoke, she walked towards Xiaoxiao, wanting to test her depth. Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, the Regent, who had never even glanced at her from beginning to end, actually looked up at her with a cold look in his eyes. "The women of our Great Zhou are always virtuous, dignified and respectful. They don't like to show off their charm in public. Princess, there is no need to force it on me."
Princess Yuyang's face turned pale, and her pupils couldn't help but shrink. The little emperor was outspoken. It could be said that he was still young. She had never expected that the regent would be so outspoken. He was clearly making fun of her, and he almost said that she was coquettish.
The faces of the Jin envoys were also somewhat grim. Their princess had lowered herself to dance for them, but what she got was...
There was a man with a bad temper who immediately slammed the table and stood up, "You people in the Great Zhou should not go too far in bullying others."
Before he could finish, he was pulled away by another person. The leader winked at him and said with an apologetic smile, "It was this boy who was reckless. The Regent is right. It was the Princess who was inconsiderate. I apologize to this noble lady on behalf of the Princess."
As he said this, he bowed deeply to Xiaoxiao.
Princess Yuyang only felt a burning pain on her cheeks. She had never suffered such humiliation since she was a child. For a moment, she wanted to leave Da Zhou in anger.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered what her father said when she left Dajin. He said that she was arrogant and had never suffered hardship, so if she came, she might not be able to accomplish anything great.
He had originally chosen her third sister and didn't approve of her coming over at all.
She was the one who insisted on coming.
She didn't believe that with her beauty, she couldn't seduce a regent. At this moment, a feeling of powerlessness rose in her heart. It turned out that there were men in this world that she couldn't deal with.
She scratched her palms tightly, and only after the skin on her white and tender palms was broken did she finally calm down.
Princess Yuyang would never be defeated so easily! She curled her lips and laughed again, "Your Highness, what you said really makes me sad."
She walked over to Xiaoxiao with a sweet smile, raised a glass of wine, and said with a smile, "I was reckless. I thought the women of the Great Zhou were like me, willing to sacrifice their dignity and dance for the Regent. In this case, I offer a toast to this young lady. I hope you won't mind."
She seemed to be apologizing, but she changed the subject in her words, as if Xiaoxiao was unwilling to dance because she was unable to save face. Not only was Pei Xiuhan somewhat unhappy, but Pei Jing was also not very happy.
Pei Jing narrowed his eyes slightly, holding his chin and looking at the leader of the Great Jin, "Is there no one left in the Great Jin? Why did such an ignorant princess come? She didn't even look like she was apologizing."
As a defeated country, the envoy of the Great Jin knew from the moment he set foot in the Great Zhou that he would be humiliated by people from all sides. He had already prepared himself mentally, so even at this moment he had to put on a smile and say a lot of nice things.
Pei Jing curled his lips and didn't make things difficult for him anymore.
Mu Xi and the others felt quite regretful, but despite this, they had seen a good show tonight and felt that Da Jin deserved to be bullied.
When the banquet ended, it was already very late at night. Xiaoxiao and others left the palace in an orderly manner. Princess Yuyang looked at Xiaoxiao several times. Her face was cold and creepy. After leaving the palace, she got on her carriage. Unexpectedly, there was a strange man sitting in the carriage. The man was wearing a snow-white brocade robe and his pair of dark eyes were cold and creepy.
When Princess Yuyang was about to scream, the man suddenly pulled her directly onto the carriage and covered her mouth with his calloused hands.
Princess Yuyang was so frightened that she almost lost her soul. The next moment, a man's deep voice sounded beside her ear, "If you don't want to die, be quiet."
Princess Yuyang nodded desperately. She naturally didn't want to die. The man then released his hand that was covering her lips, but he still held her neck, as if he would break her neck the next moment if she screamed.
Princess Yuyang was a little startled, "Who are you?"
Mo Chuan didn't answer, his expression as cold as ever. He lowered his voice and asked, "How is Xue Ji these days?"
"What Snow Princess?"
Seeing that she didn't know, Mo Chuan's pupils suddenly shrank, "Among your father's concubines, there is no one named Xue Ji?"
Princess Yuyang was completely baffled. She had thought that this vicious man had kidnapped her in order to spy on the secrets of the Great Jin Dynasty, but who would have thought that it was for her father's concubine!
"I haven't heard of any Xueji."
*
The full moon hangs high in the sky, casting a soft light on the earth.
Xiaoxiao came out from Donghua Gate. After coming out, she saw the carriage of the prince's palace. She said goodbye to Zhong and others and got on the carriage.
After getting on the carriage, Xiaoxiao curled up into a ball. The food at the palace banquet was not hot. Even though she only ate a little, Xiaoxiao still had a stomachache.
She vaguely felt that her period had really come, and was afraid that it would come early, so she brought a menstrual belt with her when she went out. Now Xiaoxiao just felt lucky.
She closed her eyes and leaned against the carriage. After a moment, she realized that the carriage was not moving. Xiaoxiao opened the curtain in confusion, only to see Yang Hao.
Yang Hao greeted her and said, "The prince will come out soon. When the prince comes out, we will go back to the palace together."
After he finished speaking, he realized that Xiaoxiao's face was a little pale. "Miss Xiaoxiao, are you feeling unwell?"
Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I'm fine, just a little tired. Let's wait for brother."
Yang Hao remembered that the little girl was very timid. He thought it was her first time attending a palace banquet and she was a little scared, which was why her face was so pale, so he didn't think much about it.
When Pei Xiuhan came out, the other carriages had already left one after another. He saw the one that Xiaoxiao often rode at a glance. Yang Hao and Lu Zhu were waiting by the side of the carriage. They bowed when they saw him.
Pei Xiu Han raised his eyebrows but didn't ask any more questions. Yang Hao handed him a secret letter. After Pei Xiu Han took it, he lifted the curtain of Xiao Xiao's carriage, intending to say hello to her before getting on his own carriage. His dreams were too unbearable, and Pei Xiu Han felt that it was necessary to stay away from her. Unexpectedly, when he lifted the curtain of the carriage, he was facing the pale face of the little girl.
She curled up into a ball like a kitten, her little hands tightly covering her stomach, looking as if she was trying her best to endure the pain. Her pink lips were bitten white, and she looked pitiful.
Pei Xiuhan stuffed the letter into his arms, opened his robe and got into the carriage.
Xiaoxiao sensed his approach, and the little girl's eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes, "Brother, you're out."
Her voice was soft and weak.
"Your stomach hurts again? Your period is coming?"
The word "menstruation" brought a blush to Xiaoxiao's pale face. She felt a little awkward, but nodded obediently and said weakly, "I'm fine. It will be fine after a while."
Pei Xiuhan, however, picked her up and carried her back to the palace. It would take some time to return to the palace, so it was obviously more convenient for Pei Xiuhan to go back to the palace. He then instructed Yang Hao, "Go call the imperial physician."
Xiaoxiao's voice was soft, and she quickly said, "Brother, I'm really fine. I just need to go back home."
Pei Xiuhan didn't listen to her. He just said don't move, then carried her into the palace.
The man was tall and strong, and when he held the girl's small body in his arms, he almost wrapped her up completely.
The moonlight shone on the two of them, creating an unusually harmonious scene. Their shadows merged into one, indistinguishable between them.
Xiaoxiao's stomach hurt a lot, maybe because she was a little weak, she stopped struggling and obediently buried her little face in his arms, rubbing her little head against his chest unconsciously.
Pei Xiu Han held her hand, unconsciously tightening it a little, feeling that his heart was about to melt because of her rubbing against him. He unexpectedly recalled the scene in his dream where she clung to his arms and hugged him. Pei Xiu Han's strong self-control almost got out of control, and he forced away the girl's skin, which was whiter than ice and snow when her clothes were disheveled.
His steps became unsteady, as if he was not holding a little girl, but a fairy who could easily confuse him.
Xiaoxiao had no idea what he was thinking.
She pressed her little face against his arms, her consciousness was a little hazy due to the pain, and her little hands unconsciously covered her stomach.
Pei Xiuhan finally regained his composure. He frowned and turned to ask Luzhu, "Is she always in so much pain?"
Luzhu nodded.
Luzhu felt pain every time she had her period, but she didn't take it too seriously. Xiaoxiao would go to sleep every time she had a stomachache, and it would usually be gone naturally the next day.
Pei Xiu Han frowned even more tightly, feeling a sense of resentment in his chest. He didn't know whether to blame Lu Zhu for not caring or to blame himself for not asking.
With a cold face, he carried Xiaoxiao to the palace where he used to rest. After putting her on the bed, his tense body finally relaxed.
The imperial physician arrived quickly, took Xiaoxiao's pulse, and prescribed medicine for her, asking the medicine boy to prepare it.
In just a short while, the little girl was covered in sweat due to the pain, and the hair on her forehead became wet and sticky.
Pei Xiuhan reached out and brushed aside her hair, then wiped her face with a handkerchief. "Just bear with it a little longer, you'll be able to take the medicine soon."
Xiaoxiao was in so much pain that she was a little dazed. When she heard his voice, she subconsciously grabbed his sleeve and held his big palm with her small hand.
Pei Xiuhan originally wanted to get up and leave, but after being caught by the little girl, he hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not pry her little hand open and sat in front of her.
The man straightened his back and looked at her with an extremely deep gaze. The girl lay weakly in the quilt, her long and curled eyelashes drooping obediently, casting a small shadow under her eyelids.
She closed her eyes tightly, and her lovely teeth unconsciously bit her pink lips, breaking the skin in one place.
Pei Xiuhan's eyes unconsciously fell on her lips. He reached out and touched her soft lips, his voice carrying a hint of coaxing, "Don't bite."
Xiaoxiao was very obedient and didn't bite again. When she moved her teeth away, the tip of her tongue accidentally touched his fingertips. She reacted a little slowly and didn't notice anything was wrong. Pei Xiuhan's body froze, and she felt a tingling sensation at her fingertips, and her fingers curled up unconsciously.
The medicine boy quickly came in with the medicine. Seeing that he was going to feed Xiaoxiao the medicine himself, Pei Xiuhan frowned unconsciously. When he spoke, his voice became two degrees colder, "Go down."
The medicine boy was a little afraid of him, so he quickly put down the white porcelain medicine bowl and stepped back. Pei Xiuhan picked up the spoon, scooped a spoonful and handed it to her lips, "Get up and drink the medicine."
Xiaoxiao was very well behaved. Even though her stomach hurt, she was still very obedient. After hearing his voice, she sat up obediently. Pei Xiuhan stuffed a pillow behind her.
"Brother, I can do it myself."
Pei Xiu Han ignored her and brought the medicine to her lips. Xiao Xiao's face wrinkled with bitterness. Only after she finished the bowl of medicine did Pei Xiu Han give her a piece of candied fruit.
As the sweetness spread in her mouth, Xiaoxiao felt a sour taste in her nose. She looked at his fair and slender hands again, and saw that he was not wearing a ring. Xiaoxiao's sadness during the day dissipated a little.
Maybe it was because of physical discomfort that people would be extra fragile. Xiaoxiao was a little fragile at this moment. In fact, she was in a bad mood the whole night. She was very afraid that Princess Yuyang would snatch him away. When she saw that he was not snatched away, she was not as happy as she had imagined. She just thought that he was deeply in love with Gu Zhen.
When he finished feeding her the medicine and was about to leave, Xiaoxiao grabbed his sleeve again. She didn't know where she got the courage from, but after grabbing it, she was reluctant to let go and only whispered, "Brother, don't go."
The girl's voice was soft, with a hint of coquettishness. Pei Xiuhan's heart almost melted into a ball. Thinking that she was a little scared, he stayed and said, "Go to sleep, brother won't leave."
Xiaoxiao's stomach hurt and she closed her eyes again.
She woke up in the middle of the night because she had drunk too much medicine and wanted to change clothes. When she woke up, Xiaoxiao found that Brother Pei was still sitting at the head of her bed, his head leaning against the bedpost, and he had fallen asleep. There was a memorial beside his legs. He was obviously halfway through reading it, and he felt a little tired and closed his eyes.
Looking at his handsome profile, Xiaoxiao's nose felt a little sore again.
Xiaoxiao didn't want to call him. She got out of bed carefully and was about to take off his boots when Pei Xiuhan's legs moved. "Don't worry about me. Why are you awake? Are you thirsty?"
Xiaoxiao's cheeks felt hot, and she didn't dare to say she wanted to change clothes. She followed his words and said, "I'm a little thirsty."
Pei Xiuhan stood up. He was tall and straight. He walked straight to the rosewood table and picked up the white jade pot. "Does your stomach still hurt?"
"A lot."
Seeing that he was actually going to pour water for her, Xiaoxiao hurried to take it, "Brother, I can do it myself."
Pei Xiuhan had already poured her a cup, "Drink it."
Xiaoxiao was not thirsty, but after meeting his dark gaze, she still drank the water in the cup obediently.
After drinking, Xiaoxiao wanted to go to the bathroom even more, but Pei Xiuhan said, "Go to bed quickly, it's still early."
I thought the little girl would go to bed obediently, but she hesitated and didn't move. Pei Xiuhan raised his eyebrows, "Do you want to drink more?"
Seeing that he wanted to pour more, Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head, "No, I don't want to drink anymore."
Xiaoxiao peeked outside. It was pitch black, with only two lights on. Xiaoxiao had only been to this palace once during the day, so she had no idea where the bathroom was.
Seeing the little girl still standing there, her face getting redder and redder, Pei Xiuhan vaguely guessed something. He sneered, not understanding what was so embarrassing about it. "Just turn left when you get out. Go quickly and come back soon."
Xiaoxiao blushed and nodded, her big dark eyes filled with embarrassment. As she was about to leave, she heard him ask again, "Do you have a menstrual pad?"
Xiaoxiao's face suddenly turned even redder. Unable to hold back, she turned her head and glared at him, her big, watery eyes filled with embarrassment.
Pei Xiuhan was stunned by her stare for a moment, then he reacted and tutted, "Are you embarrassed now? The first time you didn't have a menstrual pad, wasn't it your brother who bought it for you?"
Xiaoxiao's face was filled with despair, and her tender pink lips unconsciously pursed. She really had no more, and she had been trying to accommodate him, so she simply gave up and looked at him, "Then go buy me another one, brother."
Pei Xiuhan couldn't help but gasp for breath.
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