“Daughter, your mum knows that you are suffering in your heart, but you must endure. If you still have unrealistic fantasies and think of irrelevant stuff, why don’t I get Anru to come and accompany you for a few days?”
Pei Yaran was taken aback. “What Anru? Who is she?”
Lu Ningxiang smiled. “Your eldest paternal cousin’s daughter, Pei Anru. She’s thirteen this year. Since He Ying has gone back to the Pei Residence, there is no one from our family to accompany you. Thus, your mum was thinking about bringing Anru over.”
“Mum, what do you mean by this? Are you planning to have your daughter find a prospective husband-to-be for Anru?” Her voice had become ferocious, and the expression in Pei Yaran’s eyes changed as she immediately released Lu Ningxiang’s hand.
This appearance gave Lu Ningxiang a fright. “Your mum was only casually bringing that up. If you are unwilling, I won’t let Anru come.”
“Mum, tell me. Was it Dad who came up with the idea of having Anru enter the palace?” Pei Yaran watched Lu Ningxiang fixedly, an earnest look plastered on her face.
Only after a long while did Lu Ningxiang nod. “It was your dad who suggested that, but taking your feelings into consideration, I wasn’t willing to do it. Your mum won’t force you.”
Pei Yaran sneered before walking to the main seat and sitting down. “Dad really knows how to play chess. Who does he want to marry Anru to? The most powerful people in the palace are Prince Hao and Commandery Prince Xie respectively. Although neither has yet to take an official wife, Anru’s status isn’t even close to being worthy of either.”
She was very clear about her father’s intention. Maybe he wants to marry Anru to…Pei Qianhao. Only by doing this can he ensure Prince Hao’s support by tightly pulling onto him. Why is he sacrificing me to help another woman succeed?!
“He doesn’t have that intention. It’s just that Anru has never entered the palace before, only knowing that her aunt is the current Empress Dowager. As a result, this little lass was very excited simply to meet you.”
“Meet me? I am a widow in the imperial palace, lonely and cold. Can Anru accompany me for me whole life and not marry in this lifetime?” Pei Yaran replied in a frigid tone.
“It’s late tonight. Stay in the Compassionate Peace Palace for tonight. I will order someone to send you back to the residence early next morning.” Pei Yaran then instructed a palace maid to come in and take Lu Ningxiang to the side palace hall of the Compassionate Peace Palace to rest.
Lu Ningxiang knew that her daughter was unhappy, thus, she bowed at her before she left. As a mother, she understood her daughter’s feelings towards Prince Hao the best.
It’s just that, the two of them absolutely can’t be together!
As Pei Yaran watched Lu Ningxiang’s departing figure, the expression in her eyes became serious. She walked to the entrance of the hall and gazed at the brightly moonlit courtyard.
Right now, I only need to ascertain one matter before I can rest assured. When Pei Qianhao finds out that Su Xi-er is in the Beauty Palace, how will he deal with it? Will he let her stay, or chase her away?
However, Pei Yaran wasn’t aware that Su XI-er would neither be forced to stay, nor chased away. She was instead directly presented to Pei Qianhao.
~~~
The horse carriage travelled increasingly faster without stopping to rest for the whole night.
Even though Su Xi-er felt very uncomfortable from the bumpy trip, she didn’t reveal a sliver of annoyance on her countenance.
She knew that the faster the horse carriage travelled, the further away she was from Beimin, and the nearer she would be to Nanzhao.
After travelling for another eight hours, Wu Ling’s voice sounded. “Ahead is Zhi County. Prince Hao is in the county’s government office. [1].
Su Xi-er assented softly. She was familiar with all of the towns and villages in Nanzhao’s domain, regardless of their size. Zhi County doesn’t belong to Nanzhao, which indicates that we are still within Beimin.
The carriage slowed down after entering the county. Approximately 10 minutes later, the horse carriage stopped outside the County Government Office’s back door.
1. You can think of it as something like a yamen.