Pei Qianhao walked into the main hall of the Compassionate Peace Palace, surveying the palace maids inside before Pei Yaran could even open her mouth.
The palace maids immediately understood, quickly withdrawing while closing the doors behind them.
Pei Yaran’s expression was solemn as she approached the upper seat and sat down before giving a smile. “Prince Hao, you haven’t paid your respects to this Empress Dowager yet, even after entering the Compassionate Peace Palace. You kept reminding this Empress Dowager that I need to display the deportment of an Empress Dowager, but what about you? Do you have the deportment of a Prince Regent?”
Pei Qianhao promptly cupped his hands together. “This humble official pays his respects to the Empress Dowager.”
I don’t care about her asking me to be respectful on the surface. As long as she doesn’t touch my bottom line, everything can be negotiable.
“Prince Hao, this Empress Dowager understands what you want to say. Su Xi-er is your woman, and this Empress Dowager can’t do anything to her.” Pei Yaran admitted softly as she played around with a teacup in her hand.
“It’s good that you understand this Prince, Empress Dowager. From now on, I hope that you won’t get involved in matters related to Su Xi-er.”
Pei Yaran laughed and relaxed her grip. Crash! The white porcelain teacup dropped to the ground and shattered into pieces. “A woman is like a teacup, dazzling and beautiful in her youth, as well as attracting the attention of all. However, their appearance is fragile like this cup, and will easily shatter into smithereens after their youth. Prince Hao, what does Su Xi-er have apart from her appearance?”
“Empress Dowager, you are trying to remind this Prince to focus on power and give up on Su Xi-er, right?” Pei Qianhao’s gaze became deep like the bottomless pools, making it difficult to figure out what he was contemplating.
Pei Yaran’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. It scares me every time he shows that kind of expression. Every time I’ve seen it in the past, someone, or even their entire family, has been killed. For him to show such an expression now… can it mean that he wants to kill me?
But I have been together with him for so many years. He shouldn’t be so ungrateful and unfeeling!
Pei Yaran’s smile disappeared, and she slammed her hand down on the table. “You should be always focusing on power. Otherwise, why would I have entered the palace? It was for the Pei Family at first, and now it’s all for you! As the Prince Regent, you currently monopolise most of the power in Beimin. By the time the Emperor is old enough to formally take on the throne, all the court officials will be on your side. At that time…”
Just as she was about to get to the crucial part, a loud cracking sound could be heard. Pei Yaran watched as the redwood table in the main hall suddenly split into two, with Pei Qianhao’s fist lingering over it! His gaze was chilling, and his expression dark as he stared at her.
“Whoever dares to oppose this Prince will meet the same end as this table. This Prince will send someone along with a new high-quality table tomorrow.” After that, Pei Qianhao bowed to pay his respects. “Empress Dowager, rest early.”
He then started walking towards the main doors, his footsteps echoing through the cavernous hall. Once the trembling palace maid directly outside caught sight of him, she fell to her knees with a thud. “This servant sees Prince Hao off.”
Pei Qianhao didn’t bother to reply, simply walking straight out. The palace maid was too scared to stand up, and too scared to look in the main hall either. Everyone, including the palace maids, guards, and eunuchs, had heard the large banging sound just now.
In the main hall, Pei Yaran was still frozen stiff. Her hands were clutching the armrests of her chair as she stared at the remains of the redwood table, and remained that way for quite some time.
A long while later, a gust of cold wind entered the main hall and made Pei Yaran shiver, finally helping her to break out of her stupor.
“Come, tidy things up here.” Pei Yaran waved her hand at the palace maids outside and signalled for them to enter.
