Half an hour later, Wei Pingxi, dressed impeccably, sat in the main hall of Qinghui Courtyard to receive guests. The four Yan brothers were completely convinced and, driven by their passion for martial arts, pestered their cousin to teach them the profound principles of martial arts.
"What profound truth is there?" The fourth young lady gently blew out a puff of tea. "If I really had to say, it would probably be four words."
"What four words? Cousin, tell me quickly!"
Several pairs of eyes stared at her, including Yu Zhi, curious about what she would say.
Wei Pingxi slowly took a sip of tea, the water staining her delicate lips: "It all boils down to 'the stronger you are, the better you become.' When fighting, you must advance, not retreat. The same applies to being a person; the principles in your heart must not be changed."
"What if a powerful force attacks and forces you to change?"
Wei Pingxi glanced at his elder cousin, then his smile vanished: "Then crush it before you die, and never compromise."
Yan Ruyu could not hide her shock and clasped her hands in a fist salute, saying, "I admire you."
He finally understood why his cousin had such a bad reputation. It wasn't that she was bad; it was that the world was too narrow-minded and couldn't tolerate exceptionally talented people running rampant.
So what is your life motto?
Yu Zhi swallowed back this question.
"Come on, cousin, let's drink! You're the granddaughter of the Yan family, and the Empress in the palace is your aunt. She dotes on you. What power in this world can surpass the Emperor and Empress? Hahaha..."
Laughter echoed throughout Changsong Hall.
Wei Pingxi could drink alcohol, but he was not a heavy drinker.
In Yu Zhi's words, it was a cause for celebration that she had finally retained the last bit of the fairy's authenticity.
Where can you find a fairy who's completely drunk?
The four Yan brothers all became drunk. Wei Pingxi, who didn't have a high alcohol tolerance, used her internal energy to expel the intoxicating smell of alcohol. Her face was slightly flushed, making her look exceptionally alluring at first glance.
Yu Zhi dared not look any longer.
She was a concubine of Qinghui Courtyard. The fourth young lady was slightly drunk and didn't care about the affairs of the courtyard. She instructed Jade and Agate to escort the four young masters back to their respective courtyards.
Jinshi brought over some water, and Yinding offered a towel. Yuzhi dampened the towel, wrung it out, and carefully wiped the Fourth Miss's face.
Wei Pingxi lazily let her serve him.
The Empress's maidservant, acting on Her Majesty's orders, delivered the imperial decree to Qinghui Courtyard requesting that the Fourth Miss bring her concubines to the palace for an audience. She opened her eyes, her gaze clearing again, and smiled brightly: "My aunt has finally remembered me."
--------------------
Author's Note:
Fourth Miss: I have always been strong when faced with strong opponents, but Zhizhi is too weak and can overcome me with gentleness.
Chapter 35 The Empress
"I want to go to the palace too?" Yu Zhiliu's eyes widened, her cute appearance resembling that of a dumbfounded cat.
Behind the screen, Wei Pingxi changed out of his ordinary clothes and into the fine gown that the old lady had specially sent for him. He gently stroked his sleeves and said, "Of course, you are my concubine, and Her Majesty wishes to see you."
Yu Zhi knew more or less how much the Empress doted on this niece.
Even though Lingnan Prefecture is thousands of miles away from the capital, the palace still sent an envoy to support it. To put it bluntly, this aunt is more competent than a mother.
The Empress Dowager dotes on the Fourth Miss, and the Fourth Miss has been thinking of the Empress Dowager even more since arriving in the capital. A trip to the palace seems inevitable. Yu Zhi hesitated for a moment, then picked up her clothes and walked into the inner room.
Wei Pingxi came out from behind the screen after getting dressed. Seeing that she was not there, she laughed and said, "You still don't want me to see? Fine, I've seen it so many times, it won't make a difference if you do it this time."
She summoned Jade and Agate to tidy her appearance, for she needed to be presentable and radiant when entering the palace to meet the emperor.
The maidservant arrived on the Empress's orders and is now sitting in the main hall of the Grand Tutor's mansion, waiting for Madam Wei and her daughter.
"How has Your Majesty been lately?"
"Reporting to the Old Madam, Her Highness is in good health, but she has been missing her family for a long time and is worried about them. She was overjoyed to hear that the Fourth Miss had come to the capital with her mother. The side hall of Ganning Palace was prepared early this morning, just waiting for Madam and the Fourth Miss to arrive."
We're all family, even if we're separated by blood, it's still perfectly reasonable for us to be so close.
The old lady had just spent three days with her eldest daughter at Gan Ning Palace a few days ago, so it wasn't appropriate for her to visit often. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Your Highness and A Qing have always been very close, and Xi Xi is also very much loved by her. It's a rare opportunity for her to come to the capital, so she should spend more time with her."
“The old lady is right.”
As they were talking, Wei Pingxi arrived at the door with his concubine. The maid looked up and was instantly captivated by the Fourth Miss's elegant and beautiful appearance. Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "Fourth Miss, you have such a beautiful face! This servant greets you, Fourth Miss!"
"Sister Yun, please rise!"
Sister Yun? Yu Zhi's mind raced: How come you manage to attract so many suitors into the palace?
The maid, known as "Sister Yun," was only twenty years old. Her appearance was not exceptionally beautiful; she could only be described as pretty.
After paying her respects to Wei Pingxi, Yun Qian caught a glimpse of Madam Wei approaching with a large entourage and exclaimed, "Greetings, Madam!"
"Get up." Yan Qing glanced at her brightly dressed and beautiful daughter, and raised her hand to smooth out the small wrinkles on her clothes.
"Mother, Xi Xi and I will go now."
The old lady was delighted to see the two sisters getting along so well, and watched the mother and daughter leave with a smile.
This was Yuzhi's first time entering the palace.
The imperial city was majestic, and the palace roads were straight and wide. The carriage entered Zhiyang Gate without any hindrance. Yu Zhi secretly lifted one of the curtains and peeked outside: "This is the imperial palace."
"Little country bumpkin, quickly lower the curtain."
"..."
If you're going to let it go, then let it go. Why call me a "country bumpkin"?
Yu Zhi sullenly lowered the curtain, her eyebrows drooping: "Do you think I'm embarrassing you?"
Wei Pingxi glanced at her sideways: "Once you're in this deep palace, you're my face. Be good, be clever. Everyone knows I, Wei Si, am entering the palace today. What are you peeking around for? I'll take you on a tour of this entire palace sooner or later."
The beautiful woman's eyebrows twitched with delight as she leaned closer to her: "Really?"
"Could it be fake?"
Yu Zhi was overjoyed.
She was so beautiful that she was quietly bubbling with happiness. Wei Pingxi glanced at her a few times and couldn't help but want to kiss her.
However, thinking that she would soon be meeting the Empress, she held back, maintaining a completely detached and aloof demeanor.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Yu Zhi was startled: "Have we arrived already?"
"No, it's time to get off the bus."
Wei Pingxi went down first, then turned around and carried her to the ground: "See these two steles? The left one says 'Dismount the sword,' and the right one says 'Dismount the horse.' When you get to 'Fengyuntai,' no matter how powerful you are, you have to abide by the palace rules."
Yu Zhi deeply felt the teachings.
It was cold and windy, so Wei Pingxi retied her cloak and took her hand as they walked together with her mother.
The palace maid leading the way remained silent, and even the most uninhibited Fourth Miss obediently shut her mouth. Yu Zhi's legs went weak with nervousness.
What does the Empress, who is the mother of the nation, look like?
She glanced at Madam Wei out of the corner of her eye, her heart pounding. Everyone said that the Yan sisters looked alike. Madam Wei was already exceptionally beautiful, but what kind of stunning beauty must the Empress be, who could make the current Emperor leave his harem empty and only take a sip of water from her?
Her palms were sweaty.
As they approached Gan Ning Palace, Wei Pingxi stopped, and everyone else followed suit.
Yu Zhi's palm was opened, and her sweaty little hand made the Fourth Miss laugh: "Is it really necessary? Look how scared you are. My aunt is the best person."
She spoke with great pride about her aunt, who was the Empress, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe Yuzhi's hands.
After wiping her fair hands clean, Wei Pingxi took her hand again: "Let's go."
The palace maids around them exchanged glances, marveling at how much care the Fourth Miss had taken for this concubine.
Madam Wei walked at the front with a calm expression, the words "My aunt is the best person" still faintly echoing in her ears.
My sister is indeed good.
Gentle yet decisive, wise yet deeply affectionate.
We've arrived at Ganning Palace.
The head palace maid standing guard at the palace gate eagerly awaited the arrival of the person. Upon recognizing the person, she turned and bowed, saying, "Madam, Miss, Her Majesty requests your presence."
Yu Zhi grasped the Fourth Miss's hand and stepped through the door.
The Gan Ning Palace is very large, unlike the magnificent and opulent royal palaces of the past. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the human world, it is more like a fairyland.
The woman sitting gracefully before the chessboard, holding a chess piece in her hand, was dressed in a phoenix robe, resembling a celestial maiden, ethereal and otherworldly, with unparalleled beauty.
It is a beauty that transcends human imagination and sheds the limitations of being human and having a mortal body; it is a beauty that may only be nurtured over thousands or tens of thousands of years, captivating the heart at first glance.
"Aunt!" Wei Pingxi exclaimed in surprise.
Yu Zhi was first taken aback by the woman's appearance and demeanor, and then taken aback by the words spoken by the fourth young lady beside her.
Is this the Empress Dowager?
What a virtuous and untainted empress!
The woman in front of the chessboard placed a white piece, raised her eyebrows, and beckoned to her niece: "Come here, Xi Xi."
Lady Wei bowed and said, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
"Ah Qing, it's been a long time."
"It's been a long time."
The Empress smiled and stroked her niece's fair face: "Please take a seat."
"Aunt, you've grown more and more beautiful. I almost didn't recognize you when I first saw you." Wei Pingxi took off his shoes and sat down next to her, while the palace maids busied themselves smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes from her movements.
"You said you didn't dare to recognize her, but weren't you the first to call for help?" The Empress took a liking to her and liked her unruly nature. She then turned her beautiful eyes to Madam Wei: "You have raised this child very well."
The Wei family has three sons and one daughter, and this only daughter is the one who has been raised to be outstanding.
"I dare not accept a kind word from you, elder sister."
"If I say it's good, then it's good."
She shifted her gaze to the beautiful woman sitting upright beside Madam Wei: "You are Xi Xi's concubine?"
Yu Zhi's throat was dry. The pressure of facing the emperor's authority was even more terrifying than she had expected. She forced herself to calm down and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the Fourth Miss's gaze directed at her.