Chapter 296.1: clearly gotten thinner

“You should think about it. I’ll return to my residence.” Pei Zheng spoke in a curt tone, and left the main hall without so much as a ‘goodbye’ to Pei Yaran.

Pei Yaran watched as her father disappeared, her gaze darkening all the while. Just because I am from the Pei Family, they expect me to give up everything for the family! I have sacrificed my happiness and youth!  The person I love is right in front of my eyes but I can’t stretch out my hand to touch him.

A sour feeling crept into Pei Yaran’s heart, causing her to lose control and pound her fist on the table next to her. The table shook violently, pitching the porcelain vase that sat on top of it to the ground. Crash! The decoration shattered into smithereens, just like her heart.

Pei Yaran’s gloomy expression slowly faded when she looked down at the broken vase on the ground. If I must go to hell, I won’t be going alone! I’ll definitely take someone with me!

The palace maid outside wanted to go in to clean up the mess after hearing the noise, but were too frightened to move her feet. After He Ying had been transferred to the Pei Residence, no palace maids from the Compassionate Peace Palace dared to go near the Empress Dowager.

Shortly after, a solemn voice sounded from inside the hall. “Come in and tidy it up.”

Hearing the calm tone, the palace maid thought that the Empress Dowager had calmed down. Thus, she quickly bowed and entered the hall, bending down to pick up the pieces of the broken vase.

Due to her previous shock however, her hand incessantly trembled. This caused the sharp ends of the broken vase to cut her skin, revealing bright drops of blood that dripped onto the floor. The palace maid prostrated and repeated, “This servant deserves to die. Please forgive me, Empress Dowager.”

Pei Yaran’s eyebrows furrowed. He Ying isn’t here, and the rest of them are useless. “This Empress Dowager will not punish you, so why are you trembling! Hurry up and tidy things up.”

Immediately after, she looked at another maidservant and instructed, “Go to the Imperial Household Department and tell Eunuch Zhang to bring over the seating plan for tonight’s banquet.”

The palace maid immediately bowed. “This servant will head over there now.” She then hurried off to fulfil her orders.

Pei Yaran sat on the upper seat and looked at the view outside of the main hall. Autumn has come, and the green leaves on the trees have already become yellow and withered. Some have even fallen to the ground already.

People are like leaves; they will one day grow old and fall.

Since father has gone as far as to speak to me in person, I will give him some face and arrange a seat for Pei Anru. Whether Pei Qianhao would actually like Pei Anru is not for me to decide. My biggest obstacle right now is Su Xi-er. I didn’t think that there would be a day when a palace maid from the Palace Side Quarters would give me a headache.

Shortly after, Eunuch Zhang entered the Compassionate Peace Palace with the seating plan in hand and bowed. “This servant pays his respects to the Empress Dowager.”

Pei Yaran waved her hand and signalled for him to rise. “Eunuch Zhang, give the seating plan to this Empress Dowager.”

“This servant obeys the order.” Eunuch Zhang walked up and passed the seating plan to Pei Yaran respectfully. TheEmpress Dowager has never concerned herself with the palace banquet in the past, so why is she so interested now? The seating plan is more or less the same as past banquets.

Pei Yaran looked at the seating plan carefully, chuckling when she saw a certain name on the list. “It has been a long time since Commandery Prince Xie has attended a palace banquet; why is he attending this time?”

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