Gu Huaiyu detected a hint of bitterness in the boy’s tone. He figured the Emperor was simply jealous that he had secured such a talented subordinate for his own faction.
He gave a casual nod. “Mn.”
He didn’t realize that single “Mn” had just knocked over a whole jar of vinegar in Yuan Zhuo’s heart.
He admitted it! He actually admitted he and Xie Shaoling are kindred spirits!
The young Emperor felt a dull ache in his chest. He grit his teeth but couldn’t allow his feelings to show. “I will escort you out of the palace.”
According to ancestral law, external officials were not allowed in the inner palace without a summons. Even though the Emperor was not yet married, the three miles of vermilion walls remained an impassable boundary.
Given Pei Jingyi’s rank, he naturally couldn’t follow Gu Huaiyu into the inner palace. He waited at the end of the long palace corridor.
Despite the freezing mid-winter cold, he wore only a thin set of black martial robes. He seemed entirely unfazed by the temperature, his broad shoulders and narrow waist cutting a striking figure against the snow.
The moment he saw Gu Huaiyu’s silhouette, his eyes softened with a smile. However, that smile vanished instantly when he spotted Yuan Zhuo following close behind.
“I greet Your Majesty.”
He cupped his hands in a salute, but before Yuan Zhuo could even say “Rise,” Pei Jingyi had already straightened himself. He stood tall and imposing, physically blocking Yuan Zhuo’s path to Gu Huaiyu.
Yuan Zhuo was clearly stunned to see him there. “General Pei… why are you waiting for the Chancellor?”
He remembered clearly that Pei Jingyi had nearly taken Gu Huaiyu’s life with an arrow and had the audacity to “steal” his belt afterward. The two of them were supposed to be like fire and water. How had they become…
Before Gu Huaiyu could answer, Pei Jingyi spoke up first. “The Chancellor appreciates my service. It is only natural that I act as his vanguard and remain at his beck and call.”
Yuan Zhuo turned his gaze to Gu Huaiyu, his voice dropping an octave. “Is he… one of yours now, too?”
Gu Huaiyu’s eyebrows rose.
He sensed the “wariness” again—the boy was afraid of his growing power, afraid that he now had both civil and military geniuses under his thumb.
“Yes.”
Yuan Zhuo’s eyes darkened. He looked up and met Pei Jingyi’s gaze.
It was a subtle, silent confrontation. As the Emperor, Yuan Zhuo was used to people cowering before him. But Pei Jingyi was different. There wasn’t a hint of submission in his eyes; instead, they held a trace of provocation.
Yuan Zhuo gestured to the eunuchs behind him. He raised his chin slightly at Pei Jingyi, his imperial dignity flaring up. “Bring my cloak.”
“I see that General Pei is thinly dressed. I shall bestow this cloak upon you.”
The reward was abrupt and clearly meant to dismiss him. The Emperor’s intent was plain: Take this scrap of meat and get lost! Don’t stand in my way!
Pei Jingyi had never had much patience for children, and the one in front of him was particularly irritating.
He shifted his body sideways, subtly wedging himself between Yuan Zhuo and Gu Huaiyu. He “accidentally” looked down, his gaze falling on the little brat who barely reached his chest. “Your Majesty.”
The formal title sounded like a mockery when spoken through his smirk. “There is no need for a reward. It is freezing out here, and I see Your Majesty’s nose is already turning red. You should hurry back to your hall and sit by the fire.”
“I shall escort the Chancellor back to his estate.”
The words were polite, but Yuan Zhuo caught the hidden meaning: Kid, stay out of grown-up business. Go home and play.
Yuan Zhuo’s face fell. He instinctively touched his numb nose, only to hear a low, stifled chuckle from Pei Jingyi’s throat.
His fists clenched. Since his enthronement, he had never been treated with such contempt.
The words “How dare you” were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped when he saw Gu Huaiyu come to a halt ahead of them.
They were in a shaded section of the corridor. The palace servants had swept the snow to the sides, but a thin layer of slush remained in the center, shimmering with a damp, cold light under the sun.
Gu Huaiyu’s boot paused at the edge of the slush.
Pei Jingyi immediately stepped forward and dropped into a natural crouch. His broad back provided a solid support, his intention clear—he would carry him across.
Yuan Zhuo’s expression turned thunderous. Alarm bells screamed in his mind. He lunged forward, cutting between them. “General Pei! You are a loyal and valiant general of the crown! There is no need for you to bother with such trivialities!”
He whirled around and barked at the eunuchs trailing several paces behind. “You blind fools! Why haven’t you prepared a warm sedan for the Chancellor? Use the thickest purple sable fur cushions! Immediately!”
The scolded eunuchs trembled and stammered their obedience, scurrying off to make arrangements.
