The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus

32

Photo above: Peiyu

Princess Duanyang used a gaze that was both full of detest and fussiness as she stared at herself in the mirror. She softly caressed the two greenish black bruises beneath her large eyes. The pearl laden cumulus cloud hairpin knocked against the table with a clink, the sound carrying in it some frustration: "Where is the box of honey powder Qiuci City State sent in as tribute?"

The palace maid helping her dress up was somewhat in a daze, she hastily came back to her wits and replied: "Your highness, it was used up over the last few days... I'll go grab the Pearl Powder we produce ourselves and use that instead."

Duanyang's stare slowly moved from the mirror to the face of the palace maid. She stared at her for a long time without any expression on her face before finally speaking up in a somewhat strange voice: "Peiyun, after attending to this princess for so long, have you even forgotten the words 'this slave'?"

Peiyun blankly stared into her gloomy expression. Although Duanyang had always been willful and arrogant, she had never treated them harshly before, not to speak of this strange and eccentric manner of speech. She frantically kneeled down onto the ground: "This slave knows her wrongs."

Peiyun's head was lowered and she was on tenterhooks as she stared at the floorboards. She didn't notice that Duanyang's chest started to rise and fall furiously, an indignant and grievance filled expression filling her previously blank expression. She seemed as if she was enduring something with all of her strength and it wasn't until a while later that she coldly intoned: "Go out, let Peiyu come in."

Peiyun and Peiyu brushed their shoulders as they passed by one another. Peiyun had her head down the entire time, her mind seemed to have flown somewhere else.

Peiyu had only entered the palace a year ago, four years younger than her. She was only 15 years of age and only reached her chest. Although her appearance was not as outstanding as Peiyun, she won at her natural innocence. When she smiled, it was infectious. She was very petite with high facial bones. Her hair was somewhat sparse and was tightly coiled into a bun, making her head remarkably large.

Duanyang was already sprawled atop the table dozing off, "Are you here?"

"Your highness, why do you still let her stay by your side... we all clearly saw her..." Peiyu's angry voice was very clear and Duanyang immediately sat up straight with a 'shh', in a cold voice: "It's not the right time yet. Wait until I catch her in the act, I want to see how she'll deny and shirk away from this."

While she said these words, her eyes turned stark red, just like an infuriated little beast who was just attacked, "The last five years l've treated her so well, how have I treated her badly? That ungrateful thing."

Peiyu lowered her head and quietly muttered: "She was originally His Highness's maid, she definitely can't see eye to eye with us and people from our palace. She must have high ambitions, so naturally she would want to look for ways to build bridges out."

"Heh. Emperor Brother..." Duanyang's face did not have a single hint of a smile anymore. She allowed Peiyu to dress and groom her as she had an oaken comb in a deathly grasp.

"My Emperor Brother was raised by the late Empress Dowager, he's of a different mind from us. Mother concubine birthed him so bitterly yet couldn't even become the Empress Dowager. What could I possibly count as?"

Those false reputations and pampering were nothing but lies.

She could finally speak what was on her mind today and let out a breath of turbid air. If it was Peiyun at her side, she would definitely remind her in a serious manner: 'Be careful of what you say.' Sure enough, she was helping others bully her!
Peiyu was different.