"This eunuch, my sister is entering the palace for the first time, I'm afraid she's lost her way due to her lack of familiarity with the terrain of the palace, please send someone to find her back." Pei Si Yan instructed the chamberlain at the side.
"Yes, my lord." The chamberlain saluted and hurried away.
Pei Si Yan twisted her head to look at the main seat, then looked at the seat full of princes and ministers who were talking and laughing, as well as the official ladies behind them, suddenly wishing that Tantai Si would be missing for a little while longer.
For a companion who was not sure of delivering trust, it would be better to discard them early.
Pei Si Yan returned to her seat and sat down, Eunuch Qian led a group of palace maids to appear and put down a stack of aromatic pastries on each person's table.
"His Majesty still has two or three important matters in his hands that he has not yet dealt with, and he has specially ordered his servants to send the special osmanthus pastries made by the Imperial Catering Room for all the adults to savour."
"Thank you for the Emperor's reward." The crowd said in unison.
Eunuch Qian bowed again and again and retreated.
Pei Si Yan tasted a mouthful of osmanthus cake, and out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the father and son of the Wu Li family on the side, and saw that they were whispering about something, but unfortunately, her ears weren't too good, and she didn't hear a single word.
After about half an hour, the sky was slightly dark, the palace people lit up fire pots in the surroundings and hung up palace lights, illuminating the banquet venue as brightly as if it was daytime. Lanxuan arrived late and smiled as he humbled the officials present.
Pei Si Yan once again glanced at the pavilion where the ladies were gathered, Tantai Si still had not returned, and let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
When Tantai Si returned, the official ladies had already paid their respects to Lan Xuan in turn, according to the rank of the official position held by their fathers and brothers at home. Lanxuan smiled and nodded his head to each of the young ladies, and the officials nervously speculated about who the Emperor would choose to become the future Mother of the Nation.
After the last lady had paid her respects, Lan Xuan chatted with the crowd for a few moments and left the table, and Tantai Si lost her chance to meet the Emperor.
Tantai Si was full of apologies as she sat down beside Pei Si Yan, "I'm sorry, sister, I was too curious about the scenery in the palace, I unintentionally ran out and got lost ... afraid of violating the palace system, I didn't dare to meet with anyone, and groped my way back according to my memory. Must have made you worried, right?"
Pei Siyan smiled tolerantly, "There is no need to say sorry, the scenery in the palace is indeed fascinating, attracting you away is a reasonable thing, how could I blame you?"
"Sister you are so kind." Tantai Si said, pulling up Pei Si Yan's hand, her pretty eyes carrying a bright smile.
Pei Si Yan was slightly surprised, other than having hugged when they first met, the sisters had yet to speak so intimately hand in hand.
"Lord Wuban, the Emperor has declared for you to go to the Imperial Study Room." Eunuch Qian quietly appeared behind Pei Si Yan, startling her.
"Okay, I'll be right there." Pei Si Yan answered, thinking that there was something urgent, I'm afraid it would take a long time, so she patted her sister's hand, "The Emperor might have something important to talk to me about, if I'm not back by the end of the Palace Banquet, you go home first, and pay attention to your safety on the way, got it?"
Tantai Si quickly shook her head, "But we are travelling into the palace in the same carriage, if I leave first, how will my sister get back?"
"The palace is not far from home, I can just walk back."
"Sister is worried that the road is full of crises late at night, if sister gets hurt because of this, sister will not have the face to live anymore." Tantai Si frowned uneasily, holding Pei Si Yan's hand unwilling to let go, "Sister, it's better to let sister wait for you to go home together."
"No need." Pei Si Yan was a little impatient, removing the ruby gold hairpin from her hair bun and handing it over to her sister's hand, "You let Li Qing Dye drive you back first, then pick me up at the palace gates."
Tantai Si could clearly see some impatience in Pei Si Yan's face, so she could only respond, "Alright." After saying that, she followed the palace maid towards the palace gates.
After Pei Si Yan also left, the crowd speculated.
"Could it be that the Emperor intends to make Wuban the Empress?" Wu Li whispered worriedly.
Pei Si Yan walked into the imperial study and the palace maid behind her immediately closed the door. In the large hall, Lan Xuan was standing at the side of the imperial case, seemingly looking at something on the table, his face under the dim lamplight gave off an indescribably demonic and seductive manner, a gorgeous black dragon robe almost about to make him blend into the darkness.
Pei Si Yan went forward to salute, looking at the blurred shadow cast on the ground, suddenly had a strange feeling.
Lanxuan beckoned, "Lord Wuban, come over here."
Pei Si Yan hesitated slightly and walked over to Lan Xuan, this time realising that he wasn't looking at anything.
"Wu Pan, how does it feel to be at the peak of power, laughing at the world side by side with me?" Lanxuan's voice was extremely soft, a pair of beautiful eyes still gazing at the empty table.
"I am favoured by the Emperor and have the honour to serve him," Pei Si Yan said dryly with official courtesy, "It is a blessing that Tantai Yan has cultivated over several lifetimes."
Lanxuan faintly pointed out, "I am asking you how you feel, I don't want to hear these official words."
"I ..." Pei Si Yan paused for a moment and continued, "I am deeply happy, but I can't help but feel some sadness. In order to get this position, the price paid exceeded my original expectations. However, I am all for His Majesty, as long as His Majesty sits comfortably in the dragon chair and creates a prosperous era for the Blue Country, I have no complaints."
"This way ah ..." Blue pleasant long fingers slowly in the tabletop covered with bright yellow brocade draw circles, "If, one day Wuban adult you lose all the present everything, how would you? "
Pei Si Yan was stunned, her heart pounded so hard that it made her want to vomit.
Just before Pei Si Yan did not react, Lan Xuan suddenly shot out, snatched Pei Si Yan's cane, far away and threw it away, the wooden cane "snapped" sound landed on the black marble floor, and skidded for a short distance.
Suddenly lost support Pei Si Yan, body to the ground paralysis, blue pleasant one hand to hold her waist, one hand swept away the table of ink and ink stone, will be pressed her down on the case.
Facing the sudden change, Pei Si Yan was horrified, "Your Majesty, what are you ..."
"Tantai Yan," Lan Xuan stared tightly into Pei Si Yan's eyes, his smile thick, "I have been pondering over the question of what method I will use to humiliate you, to make you suffer and live as if you were not as good as dead before you die!"
Pei Si Yan feels that she can't breathe, her first reaction is to reach out to push Lan Xuan, but Lan Xuan's seemingly weak hand somehow gets a huge strength to clamp down on her wrists, fixing it on the top of her head, and her body deadens on Pei Si Yan's massively aching legs, so that she can't resist.
Seeing that resistance was ineffective, Pei Si Yan loudly shouted, "Your Majesty, why are you doing this to the minister!"
"Because you know too much, Tanya Yan." Lan Xuan narrowed his eyes, pleasantly admiring Pei Si Yan's angry face.
"Don't you believe in my vassal's loyalty anymore? Have you forgotten the allied blood wine we drank together in times of trouble?" Pei Si Yan eagerly argued, is the emperor overly suspicious, deliberately testing, or ... crossing the river to break down the bridge?
She diligently tried to adjust her rapid breathing, letting her uneasy and anxious mood return to calm as soon as possible.
"How could I possibly forget?" Lanxuan's hand gently stroked across Pei Si Yan's clear face, "It's just that I'm so disgusted with you right now, I don't want to see you anymore ..."
Pei Si Yan brushed her head away, not wanting Lan Xuan to touch her, "Your Majesty, crossing the river and tearing down the bridge such a despicable thing is not something a wise ruler should do! Please let go of my minister!"
"Hehe ..." Lanxuan laughed softly and quietly twice, kissing Pei Si Yan's snow-white neck, "It's a pity that this head, in a few days it will be separated from the body, before that satisfy me first. "
Pei Si Yan struggled to twist her body, but the more she struggled, the more the restraints intensified by one point, she wanted to shout out loudly, but just after she sent out a syllable, Lan Xuan's graceful lips blocked her mouth.
Great fear made Pei Si Yan persistently struggling, her face was as pale as paper, even her lips lost their proper colour, her ink-like green silk was spread out, like water plants struggling in pain in the water, the icy feeling spread all over her body, the piercing cold almost took her life first. She didn't want to die, she couldn't simply die like this, but no matter what she did, everything was futile.
"Tantai Yan, obediently submit to me, perhaps later I can still treat you more gently, otherwise ..." a bitter cold light flashed through Lan Xuan's deep eyes.
Pei Si Yan trembled, forgetting to struggle, looking at Lan Xuan with wide eyes in shock, her breathing once again messy and rapid.
"Very good, that's how it should be ...," Blue pleasant satisfaction curved up the corner of his lips, his fingers hooked Pei Si Yan's sash, deliberately pulling it open a little bit, pleasantly feeling the person underneath him trembling slightly.
Pei Si Yan closed her eyes, letting Lan Xuan's fingers roam around her body. She knew that within the high walls of this deep palace, no one could save herself, Lanxuan dared to do this today must have full certainty that she would be left with no bones left.
Blue pleasant wariness has never disappeared, but never thought of the disaster is like a meteorite suddenly from the sky, when caught off guard, smashed into a calm puddle, stirring up thousands of waves, and finally turned into dense fog.
Despite the heart is not willing, but her failure has been doomed ...
Under the cold and silent moonlight, Li Qingdian bowed slightly to Tantai Si then turned around and prepared to go back to the entrance of the palace, waiting for the young lady to come out.
Tantai Si stood facing the gate and coldly shouted, "Servant Li, please wait."
"What are Second Miss's orders?"
Tantai Si did not turn around and continued to look at the word 'Witch Pan' on the plaque, "Since I was a child, I have always watched Squire Li do his best to protect my sister, do you know how I feel?"
Li Qingye replied indifferently, "My subordinate does not dare to speculate on Miss's thoughts."
Tantai Si laughed softly, as if she had already anticipated Li Qingdian's answer, "I'm envious, envious that elder sister has such a loyal subordinate like you ..." She slowly turned around, walked up to Li Qingdian, and frivolously stroked his shoulder. "Servant Li, do you know? I like you a lot."
Li Qingyan's expression did not change in the slightest, as if what Tantai Si had just said was nothing more than ordinary words, "Second Miss, if there is nothing else, my subordinate will return to the palace gates as soon as possible to fetch Eldest Miss back to her residence."
Tantai Si raised a willow eyebrow, her tone displeased, "What, in your mind, the same is a direct descendant of the Tantai Clan, but I am far less important than elder sister, is that right? But that's also true - Sister is the matriarch, you are the retainer appointed by father, your mind should rightly be on Sister. Servant Li, I don't know if you've thought about it, if one day elder sister isn't the matriarch anymore, what would you do?"
Li Qingyan's complexion finally changed a little, and he unashamedly looked up at Tantai Si, "Second Miss, what you just said is the greatest disrespect to the clan leader! My subordinate advises you not to speak of it in the future."
"Haha-" Tantai Si covered her mouth and laughed, "What I said was true." She violently stopped laughing, her eyes were cold and venomous as she said word for word, "Starting tomorrow, Sister, she will no longer be Witch Pan!"
"What?!" Li Qingyan was shocked, sensing that something big was wrong, he hurriedly ran towards the palace, but before he could take a few steps, several black shadows descended from the sky like ghosts and surrounded him.
Tantai Si leisurely smoothed the broken hair in front of his forehead and smiled: ''Servant Li must be very eager to uncover those assassins who assassinated you a few days ago, right? Now I'll give you this opportunity ...