Su Xi-er pinched his cheeks. “All you can think about is having a baby. Anyways, I’m heading to Consort Xian’s palace, so you should go help Elder Brother instead and handle the matter with the left faction’s soldiers.”
She slid out of his arms, but he reached out and pulled her into an embrace again.
“Seems like you’re very used to calling him Elder Brother now.”
Su Xi-er blinked at him. “Du Ling is my older brother.” On tip-toes, she knocked on his forehead gently and said, “The Western Region and Beimin are family now; we should be taking care of each other.”
The Western Region was located outside of the Central Plains, and Beimin’s good relationship with them would benefit everyone in the region.
Pei Qianhao nodded. “ I’ll meet you at the Warming Jade Palace after I’m done. Don’t stay too long at Consort Xian’s palace.”
“Okay.”
After Su Xi-er turned to leave, she stopped one of the patrol guards and asked him to take her to Consort Xian’s palace. Aware of her identity, the latter didn’t dare to refuse her request.
A shrill female voice could be heard from inside Consort Xian’s palace. “Why won’t they let me die? I don’t believe their nonsense. They’re just trying to make use of me! I’m not going to let that happen!”
Consort Xian grabbed a porcelain vase on the desk and shattered it on the floor, picking up a broken piece to slit her own wrist. Before she could do so, however, a guard rushed up and grabbed her arm.
Annoyed, Consort Xian yelled at him, “Don’t try to stop me!” Taking the chance while the guard was taken aback, she slashed a red line onto her arm.
At this point, another female voice sounded. “I won’t stop you if you wish for death.”
Consort Xian turned to see Su Xi-er at the entrance. She scoffed, “So it’s the Imperial Princess. I know the King and Grand Empress Dowager pamper you; even Beimin’s Prince Hao loves you. What is someone in your position doing here? To laugh at me?”
“You went to the Grand Empress Dowager’s Repose Palace with a poisoned dagger. Don’t tell me I’m not allowed to come here.” Su Xi-er stared at her cooly as she answered.
Consort Xian was taken aback at how similar Su Xi-er’s disposition was to Du Ling’s. Even when the Xian Family had held power and Du Ling had treated her relatively well, she had always felt a chill from the latter.
I hate this feeling. All of you from the Du Royal Family are the same!
“So you’re here to kill me? Great. Kill me and end everything here.” Consort Xian threw the broken porcelain piece to the ground as she laughed.
“I’m not going to kill you. Your life is in the hands of the King, and he has to decide what to do with you.” Su Xi-er looked around the palace hall as she spoke.
“It’s not that he doesn’t want to kill me, he’s just planning to make use of me. Nothing moves that emotionless man except for family. Even as the woman bearing his child, I’m nothing to him. As the Grand Empress Dowager said, I’m far from being the only one willing to have his child!” Consort Xian started laughing hysterically.
“I see. If you have chosen death, Xian Liang will be accompanying you soon.”
