The charcoal fire in Yangju Hall burned brightly.
Pei Qing personally inspected the arrangements around the hall, and upon seeing that the palace attendants were serving well, she finally felt at ease. Turning back, she saw Xiao Ji'an standing upright in the hall, reciting ancient texts word by word.
As the only prince, Xiao Ji'an never slacked off. Even though rebels had nearly taken his life during the palace attack, this child still rose early as usual to accompany her in paying respects at Yangju Hall.
At that moment, Xiao Jing coughed twice. Pei Qing quickly approached him. "Your Majesty, the medicine has cooled down just enough; you should drink it while it's still warm."
She picked up the bowl and tried to feed Xiao Jing with a spoon. Xiao Ji'an, standing nearby, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, and Xiao Jing shook his head with a smile. He said to Xiao Ji'an, "Ji'er, you’ve done well with your studies today. Go wait outside the hall."
Xiao Ji'an nodded cheerfully and left the hall.
"Do you have something to say, Brother-in-law?"
Xiao Jing took the bowl from her and tasted the medicine. "Still as bitter as ever."
As an emperor, he rarely showed his emotions, let alone complained. Yet here he was, lamenting the bitterness of the medicine. Pei Qing smiled softly. "That’s why I always prepare some candied fruit for you, but you never eat any."
The bowl of medicine was soon empty, and Xiao Jing still hadn’t touched the candied fruit.
"Candied fruit can only mask the bitterness in the mouth, not the bitterness in the heart. If it could, I suppose you’d be eating it too?" he said as he set the bowl down.
His words made Pei Qing pause.
Xiao Jing looked at her. "The King of Nanchuan has said he wants you."
His expression remained calm, but Pei Qing immediately dropped to her knees, opening her mouth to speak but finding herself at a loss for words. It was she who had written to Xiao Yuan, asking him to come. Without Xiao Jing's permission, she had promised too much in that letter of plea. Now Xiao Yuan was merely asking for what he had been promised.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. This is all my fault."
"What fault do you have?" Xiao Jing extended his hand to her.
Pei Qing looked at his elegant hand but didn’t dare to touch it.
"Is your fault that you sent a letter asking the King of Nanchuan to defeat the rebels, or is it that you risked your life to protect a child who isn’t your own?" Xiao Jing patted the side of the bed. "The floor is cold. Come sit here."
Seeing that he wasn’t truly angry, Pei Qing stood up and sat beside the bed.
"It was wrong of me to summon you to the palace without asking for your consent," Xiao Jing said.
Pei Qing shook her head. "Brother-in-law, this isn’t your fault. My sister raised me after our mother passed away. My father favored the children born of his concubine and never cared for us. It wasn’t until my sister met you and became the empress that my life at home improved. I… I argued with my father and left home, and my sister, worried about me while pregnant, fell into despair. It’s my fault. When I knew I could care for her child, I was willing."
Xiao Jing had never known Pei Qing felt this way.
When she first entered the palace, he thought she was intentionally imitating Pei Wan's mannerisms to win his favor. At first, he visited Han Ning Palace only to see Ji'er, rarely speaking to her. But as time passed, he realized Pei Qing’s love and longing for Pei Wan were no less than his as a husband.
Xiao Jing sighed. "Your sister died in childbirth because of her poor health. Pei Qing, you can’t take all the blame on yourself."
Seeing that she still felt guilty, Xiao Jing changed the subject. "You came to the palace willingly back then, but you left him behind, didn’t you?"
It was clear who "he" referred to.
Finally, tears welled up in Pei Qing's eyes, and she wiped them away without saying a word.
After taking his medicine, Xiao Jing needed to rest. With the Nanchuan army now guarding the palace, it was clearly much safer.
Pei Qing, long overdue for some leisure, took Xiao Ji'an for a walk in the imperial garden. Since he hadn’t eaten much at lunch, she guessed he was tired of being cooped up indoors. Ignoring the winter chill, she had the evening meal served in a pavilion in the garden.
Sure enough, Xiao Ji'an ate more than he had at lunch. As they walked back, Pei Qing held his hand and said, "Once things have settled outside, Mother will take you out of the palace to try some delicious food. How about that?"
Xiao Ji'an tightened his grip on her hand. "When I grow up, I’ll take Father and Mother to taste all the delicious food in the world!"
Pei Qing’s eyes reddened, and she nodded slightly. "Alright."
By the time they returned to Han Ning Palace, it was dark, and Xiao Ji'an was a bit tired from their long outing.
But as soon as they entered the palace gate, they saw Zhi Lan waiting anxiously at the door. When she saw Pei Qing return, she softly called out, "Your Majesty."
Standing beside Zhi Lan was Chu Li, holding a sword.
Pei Qing tightened her grip on Xiao Ji'an's hand. Chu Li spoke up, "Your Majesty, our prince has been waiting for you for quite some time."
His sudden appearance left Pei Qing with no choice but to bring Xiao Ji'an inside.
Xiao Yuan was drinking from a set of carved jade cups that Xiao Jing had gifted to Pei Qing. As soon as Xiao Ji'an saw this, he exclaimed, "How dare you use my mother's favorite cups!"
At these words, the man seated at the table turned his almond-shaped eyes toward them.
Pei Qing quickly stepped forward, shielding Xiao Ji'an. "If the prince likes it, he may use it," she said, bowing her head to scold gently. "Ji'er, a guest should not be treated rudely."
Though Xiao Yuan was a subject, he was also a senior, and Xiao Ji'an should address him as “Imperial Uncle.”
Xiao Yuan chuckled, then released the cup from his fingers. It clattered against the edge of the table, and if it hadn’t rolled onto the soft carpet, it would have shattered.
"Oh, a guest?" The man stood up, and only then did Xiao Ji'an realize how tall he was.
He looked frightening—not in the way his father’s imperial authority was intimidating, but more like the terrifying villain from the stories, a man who killed without mercy.
Bad man. The words floated into Xiao Ji'an's mind.
Xiao Yuan approached, leaning down close to Pei Qing's face. "I’d like to learn about the Empress's way of treating guests."
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