“Ji'er!” Pei Qing rushed over, scooping Xiao Ji'an into her arms, shielding him behind her.
Xiao Yuan looked at her with a mixture of surprise, fear, and defensiveness, and his anger flared up to the surface. "Move aside."
After everything that had happened last night, Pei Qing had been afraid to wake him this morning, unsure of how to face him. But seeing him now, holding a sharp dagger against her child, all her shyness and hesitation vanished. She refused to back down, even as snow began to fall in the courtyard, creating a tense standoff between them.
“Your son tried to stab me,” Xiao Yuan said coldly. “A prince is subject to the same laws as commoners. Do you intend to cover for him, Empress?”
“What?” Pei Qing looked down at Xiao Ji'an in surprise.
Xiao Ji'an met her gaze without a hint of fear. He held her hand tightly and stared defiantly at the towering man before him. “You bullied my mother! When she came to see me this morning, her eyes were red and swollen—she had clearly been crying! My father would never have made her cry!”
At the mention of Xiao Jing, Xiao Yuan snorted, looking down at the boy. “If you want to stand up for your mother, hiding behind her isn’t the way to do it. If you’ve got the guts, then try to stab me. But if you can’t hurt me, don’t blame me for slicing you into eighteen pieces and using you as medicine for your sickly father.”
Zhi Lan was terrified, frantically trying to catch Pei Qing’s eye. Pei Qing listened to the exchange between the two and quickly deduced what had happened. She softened her stern expression, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere.
Seeing that Xiao Ji'an was about to retort, she quickly asked, “Ji'er, have you finished your studies for today?”
Xiao Ji'an immediately responded, “Not yet.”
Xiao Yuan continued to toy with the dagger, watching her expressionlessly, waiting to see how she would resolve this. Pei Qing feigned sternness, “You never slack off, so finish your studies for the day. You can come back afterward.”
Xiao Ji'an glanced at Xiao Yuan, but before he could protest, Pei Qing gently patted his head. “I am the Empress—who would dare to bully me? I just slept a little late yesterday. You misunderstood your uncle.”
“Really?” he asked, still unsure.
Pei Qing smiled and nodded. “Zhi Lan, accompany Ji'er back to Xuyang Palace to continue his studies.”
“Yes.” Zhi Lan quickly took Xiao Ji'an’s hand and led him out, not daring to hesitate, as if afraid someone might change their mind.
Once they were gone, Pei Qing finally turned to Xiao Yuan—or more precisely, to the dagger in his hand. “That thing is dangerous; it’s better not to carry it around, don't you think?”
She moved forward to take the dagger, but Xiao Yuan grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the hall. The dagger clattered to the ground by her feet, and Pei Qing stumbled back a few steps, suddenly losing all the bravado she had shown moments earlier.
“What, Empress? Do you think this matter can just be brushed aside?”
Pei Qing shook her head. “Of course not. Ji'er was in the wrong… Are you hurt?”
Xiao Yuan had expected her to ask for leniency, to not hold a child’s actions against him. But her unexpected concern caught him off guard, and his anger subsided somewhat. He looked at her concerned face, unsure of her intentions.
Seeing his silence, Pei Qing hesitated, studying him closely. Could it be that he was injured and hadn’t noticed? Had Ji'er’s dagger actually cut him?
“What are you looking at?” he demanded, stepping closer. “An Empress peeking at her subject—what kind of behavior is that?”
Pei Qing quickly looked up, flustered. “I wasn’t—I was just checking to see if you were hurt. Ji'er is very diligent in his studies and martial arts, even from a young age.”
“Ha,” Xiao Yuan scoffed. “You call that martial arts? What can he possibly learn from the palace instructors? If he goes to battle with those skills, he’ll be cut down in no time.”
Pei Qing didn’t understand much about martial arts, but Xiao Yuan’s words were frightening. She gently tugged at his sleeve. “Please, don’t be angry anymore.”
Xiao Yuan looked down at the hand clutching his sleeve, white and delicate, and remembered how it had felt when she had held him last night. His gaze traveled from her hand, up her waist, over her full chest, to her exposed collarbone and neck, and finally settled on her crimson lips.
His gaze was so intense and direct that Pei Qing felt it, causing her face to flush as she quickly let go of his sleeve.
Xiao Yuan’s expression darkened immediately.
A surge of anger swept through the hall, and Pei Qing, fearing that he might take out his frustration on Xiao Ji'an, hesitated before finally reaching out and holding his hand.
The cool touch of her hand was enough to calm him down.
Pei Qing pointed to the scrolls and military documents Chu Li had brought earlier that morning. “Let me grind the ink for you. I’m quite good at it.”
Xiao Yuan allowed her to lead him to the table, where she thoughtfully spread the scrolls in front of him, the scent of her hair wafting through the air.
Pei Qing handed him the brush, her voice soft. “Chu Dudu said these are records of the city’s fire defenses and watchtowers. There’s quite a lot of them. If you’re planning to set up defenses, it would be best to review them and issue orders as soon as possible.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the brush in his hand. “Are you trying to make me work?”
Pei Qing was at a loss for words. “Then… perhaps you shouldn’t bother.”
Xiao Yuan frowned. “Bring me some tea.”
“Alright.” Pei Qing fetched the most prized set of jade cups and brewed the tea, the aroma mingling with her own delicate fragrance, helping to create a calming atmosphere. She quietly ground ink and served tea, and even managed to make a plate of soft, sweet pastries during a brief moment away.
The King of Nanchuan was being well taken care of, but after a moment of comfort, he suddenly sneered, “That sickly emperor married you just to serve him, didn’t he? You seem quite skilled at doing a maid’s work.”
Pei Qing didn’t understand why he had suddenly brought up the Emperor, so she remained silent. Xiao Yuan, too, said no more. His unpredictable moods were hard to read, so Pei Qing decided to distance herself, moving to sit on the bed far away from him.
Xiao Yuan noticed her gaze on him and arrogantly met her eyes. The woman on the bed seemed to hesitate, but then finally spoke.
“Um… the protective charm that was on the bedside last night—it seems to be missing.”
Xiao Yuan stiffened and slammed the brush down on the table. “What are you saying? Are you taking it back?”
Pei Qing realized from his reaction where the charm had gone. She had indeed said she would give it to him last night, but since Xiao Yuan had seemed so dismissive, she assumed he wouldn’t want it.
As long as it wasn’t lost.
Thinking this, Pei Qing smiled. “What would you like for dinner? I’ll start preparing.”
Her smile was captivating, sparking a desire within him. But as alluring as her smile was, her tears were equally irritating.
Xiao Yuan turned away. “Whatever.”
Author’s Note:
Xiao Yuan, shut up, and everything will be perfect. Haha!
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