Chapter 35 (1/2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

The heavens didn’t grant Pei Jin’s wish.

That day Pei Jin and Bei Dou were out buying medicine while Yan Shi Ning stayed at the manor watching young maids play in the gardens. She wanted to join them, but gentle ninth prince’s wife needed to be dignified. Also, her dresses felt a little tighter than usual. She remembered last night when she was bathing, her breasts looked a little bigger too.

‘Mistress, thirteenth prince is here,’ a servant announced.

Yan Shi Ning wondered if Pei Khan came to visit because a while ago she pinched his cheeks in the palace and said that when he was free, he could visit her and Pei Jin.

Pei Khan never left the palace since he was born. After he heard ninth sister said he could visit her and ninth brother, he was deeply moved.

Consort La thought Pei Khan’s request to visit Yan Shi Ning and Pei Jin was a good opportunity for Pei Khan to bond with Yan Shi Ning. She waited for ninth prince to recover then she asked the emperor’s permission to let Pei Khan visit Pei Jin’s manor.

The emperor consented and sent imperial guards with Pei Khan to Pei Jin’s manor.

The moment Pei Khan saw Yan Shi Ning, he jumped into her arms and looked around for Pei Jin.

‘Nin, Nin?’ Pei Khan asked.

Yan Shi Ning carried Pei Khan to the gardens closer to her chamber.

‘Your ninth brother is out,’ Yan Shi Ning said. She signalled a maid. ‘Bring buns and sweets for thirteenth prince.’

Pei Khan was a little disappointed Pei Jin was out, but he was happy he could to play with Yan Shi Ning.

Yan Shi Ning thought about what she could play with Pei Khan and remembered the cuju ball Pei Jin brought home a while ago. ‘Thirteenth brother, let’s play cuju.’

In the past Yan Shi Ning loved to play cuju in Xuan Qing. She put Pei Khan on the ground and ran to get the cuju ball from the chamber.

Pei Khan happily played with the cuju ball. If he kicked too far, his short legs would run little steps after the cuju ball.

Yan Shi Ning, the maids, the servants and the imperial guards smiled and watched Pei Khan chased the ball. Pei Khan’s expression was serious and he didn’t allow anyone to retrieve the cuju ball for him.

Pei Khan kicked the cuju further after each kick. But after his strongest kick the cuju ball flew and landed in the well.

Yan Shi Ning saw Pei Khan’s sad round eyes and consoled him. ‘Thirteenth brother, I’ll make you a new cuju ball to play with.’

Pei Khan nodded his head. Yan Shi Ning knew it would take too long to make a cuju ball from fabrics and decided it was quicker to use paper. She picked up Pei Khan and carried him to Pei Jin’s calligraphy room.

Inside Pei Jin’s calligraphy room, Yan Shi Ning and Pei Khan collected torn paper on the floor and on the table. Then she showed Pei Khan how to flatten the torn paper and scrunched it into small paper balls.

Pei Khan thought it was too easy and quickly made a pile of small paper balls.

Suddenly Yan Shi Ning glanced at one of the torn paper she picked up… Yan Jing. She read it carefully and the torn paper slipped out of her hands in her shocked state.

Pei Jin returned to the manor and heard Pei Khan came to visit and was inside the calligraphy room with Yan Shi Ning.

Pei Jin entered the calligraphy room and saw Pei Khan was sitting on the floor happily making small paper balls. But Yan Shi Ning sat on a chair in front of the table and she had the look of despair on her face. He glanced at the torn paper on the table and realised he forgot to burn the last copy of the letters.

Pei Jin carried Pei Khan to Bei Dou’s chamber and asked Bei Dou to play with Pei Khan for a while. Then he rushed back to the calligraphy room and sat next to Yan Shi Ning.

‘Pei Jin…’ Yan Shi Ning said.

Pei Jin hugged Yan Shi Ning. ‘Shi Ning, let me explain.’

Yan Shi Ning pushed Pei Jin away. ‘Why do you need to copy my father and Princess Kang Hua’s calligraphy? Why?’

Pei Jin didn’t know what to say.

‘What did she put in my mother’s bowl of soup?’ Yan Shi Ning asked. She looked down at the torn paper on the table that was wet from her tears. ‘Pei Jin, why didn’t you tell me?’

Yan Shi Ning avoided Pei Jin’s touch. ‘Pei Jin, you knew everything that happened but you didn’t tell me anything! Why? Tell me, what did she put in my mother’s bowl of soup?’

Pei Jin’s heart ached to see Yan Shi Ning cry. ‘Poison herbs.’

Yan Shi Ning remembered that year her mother’s health slowly declined… until her mother died. ‘Mother…’

Pei Jin hugged Yan Shi Ning, her body was shaking and she sobbed loudly. ‘Shi Ning, calm down.’

Yan Shi Ning wrapped her arms around Pei Jin’s shoulders and sobbed on his neck. ‘Why did she need to kill my mother? Why? My mother didn’t do anything to her. My mother never fought with her. Why did she still want to kill my mother? Pei Jin, I want to kill her!’

Pei Jin heard Yan Shi Ning sob until her voice became hoarse. He didn’t want her to lose her voice and reluctantly struck her unconscious.