Chapter 69 : The Story

Pei Si Yan leaned back on the soft couch, her arm resting on her head, seemingly sleeping deeply, her legs covered with a thin blanket, the light gauze cloak wrapped around her skinny arms shivering in the autumn wind, appearing thin and fragile.

Courtyard flowers withered, green and yellow, spring and summer vitality in a little bit disappeared, replaced by a full of desolation, but the pavilion outside the chrysanthemums bloomed just right, a large dazzling golden, not the slightest bit to the coming winter bowed down.

A hint of slightly bitter fragrance in the air if at all, Pei Si Yan's tightly frowned brows slowly stretched, opened her eyes and smiled at Tantai Qiyun who was sitting at the stone table brewing tea.

"Qiyun's tea skills are getting more and more exquisite."

Tantai Qiyun put down the teapot in his hands and laughed, "I thought Auntie was asleep."

"Even if you were asleep, you would still be attracted by the refreshing scent and wake up." Pei Si Yan sat up, she herself wanted to fall asleep, but her mind had not been at peace, every time she just fell asleep she was woken up by nightmares.

Pei Si Yan knew that she couldn't change this problem of being overly anxious.

Tantai Qiyun presented a white jade teacup with both hands, light smoke curling up, the aroma of tea. Pei Si Yan took it and took a small sip, the fresh aroma with a slightly bitter flavour immediately spread out in her mouth, intoxicating her and making her want to stop.

"Good tea." Pei Si Yan praised.

Tantai Qiyun smiled a little shyly, the pink colour slowly rendered on his fair cheeks, lovely and touching, causing Pei Si Yan's 'lustful girl' heart to explode, and she could not help but reach out and pinch it.

"Auntie?" Tantai Qiyun saw Pei Si's glistening eyes and felt strange, looking down at her own clothes, thinking that she was stained with something dirty, but the pure white like snow clothes were still clean and dust free, "Auntie, what are you looking at."

Pei Si Yan blinked her eyes and smiled, "Qiyun, can you sing another song for me?"

"Hmm, okay." Tantai Qiyun nodded, Yun Qi and another maid carried a pair of ancient zither, he lightly picked a few long strings, after testing the tone without any mistakes, he gently coughed a few times, smiled at Pei Si Yan again, and began to sing:

"The crane sounds in the Nine Gaos, the sound is heard in the wild.

Fish are in the abyss, or in the islet.

I have a tree in my garden, and I have a sandalwood tree.

I've got a tree, and it's underneath.

The stone of the mountain, can be wrong ..."

The voice is clear and long, ethereal and melodious, like a fairy song that can only be heard in the nine heavens, which makes people feel like they are drowning in the warm spring breeze and can't extricate themselves.

Pei Si Yan closed her eyes again, enjoying the rare leisure and comfort in her busy political career. Every time she was with Qiyun, she could feel the most complete relaxation, this pure and innocent teenager seemed like a piece of natural jade, and like a small stream flowing quietly in the deep green mountains, not subjected to the hustle and bustle of the world.

In the brilliant imperial city of blood and flesh, Pei Siyan was surprised that there was such a person, but she loved this young man even more and cherished the minutes and seconds she spent with him.

"... Crane singing in the nine gao, sound heard in the sky.

Fish lies in the islet, or potential abyss.

I am happy in my garden, and I have a tree of sandalwood.

I have a tree and a valley underneath it.

The stone of its mountain can attack jade."

After the song, Pei Si Yan applauded for the singer, "Its yun's voice is so beautiful ..."

"Miss." Li Qingye suddenly appeared outside the pavilion like a ghost.

Seeing him appear, Pei Si Yan knew that her leisurely time was going to end there, and couldn't help but sigh helplessly, sitting up and not caring about the presence of Qiyun, she asked, "What's the matter?"

"The Emperor is organising a banquet in the palace, declaring that the auxiliary ministers as well as the gentry nobles, the first-ranked officers and the meritorious ministers will come to the palace to attend, and that they need to bring along a full-fledged young lady of their family who is eighteen or nineteen years of age."

"Hmm?" Pei Si Yan narrowed her eyes, suddenly having a palace banquet is just that, actually need to bring a first line miss a ...

Could it be that the palace banquet was used as a front to try and choose the future queen from the families of the high officials in the dynasty?

"The first line miss ..." Pei Si Yan said to herself, "besides me, there is only Xiao Si, does she have the qualification and ability to become the blue country's mother of state?"

For this sister, she knew too little, although the guards who went to investigate confirmed that Tantai Si's experience was not any different, and that she was indeed rescued and taken in by an old man surnamed Guan, and that she also knew some miscellaneous things from Li Qingdian, but it made it impossible for her to trust Tantai Si as a companion who would control everything in the Blue Nation in the future together, no matter what.

Lanxuan gave the decree, Xiao Si also stayed at home properly, she couldn't find a reason not to bring Xiao Si forward to attend the palace banquet.

"Bathe and change, and go to the palace immediately." Pei Si Yan took the cane next to her and supported her body, "Qiyun, I'll chat and drink tea with you next time I have time. After the sky darkens, it will be a bit cold, you also go back to the house earlier, don't catch wind-cold, pay attention to your body."

Tantai Qiyun got up and bowed, "Yes, Auntie, please be careful and walk slowly."

"Hmm." Pei Si Yan was assisted by Yun Qi and walked towards Shide Xuan with difficulty, Li Qing Yan followed two or three steps behind.

Pei Si Yan looked at the empty path, "How is the investigation of that matter going?"

"The spies have already traced the whereabouts of the fake chamberlain, I think we can catch him back this night."

"Very well, following the vine to find the melon, we must uncover the murderer hiding behind the curtain, I want to have a good talk with him." Pei Si Yan's face flashed with an ill-conceived and deceitful smile.

The group hurriedly packed up and rushed to the palace.

When Pei Si Yan brought Tantai Si to the imperial garden, several other participants had already arrived with their own young ladies for many hours, and when they saw Pei Si Yan they all came forward to greet her.

It was unspoken that this empress position is in all likelihood the second young lady of the Tantai family's lineage, and possibly even Wu Pan herself, not that there were no examples of auxiliary ministers becoming empresses in previous dynasties.

Pei Si Yan greeted each one politely, and then sat down in the seat next to Wu Li. Tantai Si, on the other hand, and the other family's young ladies gathered in the pavilion not far away, talking and laughing, but between their hands and feet, although elegant and ladylike, it was hard to hide the pretence, and from time to time, they glanced towards the officials' side, and when they saw that the emperor had not yet come, a look of disappointment swept across their faces.

"Lord Wu Pan, long time no see, how have you been?" Wuli unexpectedly took the initiative to speak to Pei Si Yan.

"I'm fine, thanks to Lord Wuli's concern." Pei Si Yan replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of chrysanthemum tea, compared to the one brewed by its yum one is the earth and the other is the sky. She can't help but lament again, she would rather not eat this stunning cuisine and choose the queen, but also in and with Qiyun.

Wuli shook his head and said, "But how can I see that Lord Wuban's face doesn't seem to look too good?"

"Lord Wu Li's eyes are really powerful, Tanya Yan hereby expresses her admiration," Pei Si Yan, with a sneer in her eyes, put down her teacup and said carelessly, "Actually, when I was chatting and playing with my family today, I listened to a story and felt that the characters in it were quite sad so my mood couldn't help but be also affected with it."

"Oh?" Wuli was curious, "I wonder what story could make Wuban lament so much."

"Does Lord Wuli want to hear it?" Pei Si Yan looked around, "There should still be some time left."

"Well, not long ago Eunuch Qian came to say that the Emperor would not be able to come over until half an hour later, and someone from Chi is very interested in hearing Lord Wu Pan tell this story."

Pei Siyan's eyes contained a hint of mockery, slowly said, "It is said that a long time ago, a certain country's emperor was dying, but had not yet set up a crown prince, the mother of the emperor's eldest son, the noble consort salivated at the throne, and even more so, hoped that in the future she could ascend to the throne of the Empress Dowager, so she openly provoked the emperor's youngest son's mother the Empress, but she was overestimating her own strength, the power behind her as well as the financial resources were not enough to threaten the Empress and the emperor's youngest son. However, she overestimated her own power, and the power and wealth behind her were not enough to threaten the Empress and the Emperor's youngest son's position, so Lord Wu Li guessed what the final outcome of the Queen Consort would be?"

Wuli has been at the centre of the power struggle since he was born, and naturally understands the final outcome of this strong and weak match, "It is bound to be a defeat at the hands of the Empress, and together with the Emperor's eldest son, it will not end well."

"Yes, the emperor finally set up the emperor's youngest son as the crown prince, when the emperor's youngest son ascended to the throne, the empress immediately killed your consort and the emperor's eldest son with the charge of conspiracy, your consort's nine clans all went to the Yellow Springs," Pei Si Yan sighed helplessly, but the colour of her eyes didn't change by a single bit, "I'm thinking about why there are people who know that there is only one way to die, and prefer to challenge the strongest, and ultimately end up in a dead end. to challenge the strong and end up with a corpse? It can be really sad."

Wu Li was stunned, Wu Pan clearly had a hidden meaning in her words, a needle in a sheep's clothing.

Pei Siyan didn't seem to perceive Wuli's unusual look and continued, "Although this thing of power is good, it also depends on whether one has the ability and qualification to get it, this Noble Consort, ah, tsk tsk ..."

"The weak if because of fear of the strong force and bowed to submit, then waiting for him is also bound to perish, be ridiculed by the world, so why not take up the hands of the weapons against the strong, fight for a piece of heaven and earth belonging to themselves, even if the final body death, but the efforts have been not in vain this life."

A clear man's voice suddenly rang out, Pei Si Yan squinted, it was Chi Mo Lou.

"Lord Witch Pan." Chi Mo Lou owed a bow.

Pei Si Yan raised her hand slightly, "Sir Chi doesn't need to be polite. Seeing that Duke Chi is young but has a heart of great ambition, he will be a pillar of the country in the future, to be able to serve as an official in the same dynasty with someone as talented and courageous as you is an honour for me, Tantai Yan."

"Lord Wuban is too kind," Chi Molou sat down behind his father, "In terms of talent, I still have to learn more from Lord Wuban. It's just that just now that the weak shouldn't challenge the strong without self-importance, forgive me if I'm not willing to agree."

"Chi Gongzi, if the difference in power between the two sides is too great, one should resign oneself to fate," Pei Si Yan retorted, her tone was very plain, "Even if one thinks that this life is not in vain, but in the history books of the future generations, the losers are sure to be verbally abused, and the stench will last for thousands of years, in this case it is better to save oneself, and live a life of comfort in peace and quiet. ."

"How in the eyes of others, has nothing to do with itself, as long as one does not feel regret."

Pei Si Yan covered her mouth and laughed, "Duke Chi is really bold and eloquent. However, in the end, one must also think about the future generations of children and grandchildren, if the weak are defeated, how will their children and grandchildren face the world?"

Chi Mo Lou was just about to speak when Wu Li suddenly tugged on his sleeve, signalling with his eyes that he should stop debating.

"What Lord Wufan said is polite in every sentence, making Chi someone deeply dare to admire." Wu Li said, arching his hand.

Pei Si Yan looked at Wu Li and Chi Mo Lou with contempt, hiding her smug smile behind her sleeves, a slight warning with words was enough, how too much thought would backfire.

The main seat side came a group of palace people, busy clean up the leaves, set up all kinds of pastries and wine, heralded the imminent arrival of the emperor.

Pei Si Yan stood up, "I'm going to look for my sister, you two please."

"Lord Wu Pan please." Wu Li said politely.

Pei Si Yan tidied up her dress and walked towards the small pavilion in a graceful manner, the ladies of the families saw Lord Wuban coming and hurriedly rose to salute, then secretly sized up this woman who currently had the highest status in the Blue Country with envious eyes.

Pei Si Yan didn't spot Tantai Si's figure in the crowd and said curiously, "Where's Xiao Si?"

An official lady beside her immediately replied as if fawning, "Second Miss Tantai left the pavilion a quarter of an hour ago, without saying where she was going."

"Hmm?" Pei Si Yan was puzzled and looked around.

Tantai Si was entering the palace for the first time today, where would she run off to?