Jiang Wanqing looked as though she had been struck by lightning.

  She recalled how, just yesterday in Kunning Pace, her sister had leaned in close and whispered, “Stay away from me—or I’ll take your life.”

  At the time, she thought she must have misheard.

  But now, seeing the mockery in Jiang Shuyi’s eyes, she finally realized—it was real. Those words truly came from her sister’s mouth.

  She felt it was absurd. And terrifying. Her voice trembled.

  “Elder Sister, why would you say that? Are you just unwilling to part with the hairpin?”

  As she spoke, she gritted her teeth, took the hairpin from her sleeve, and forced a smile as she held it out.

  “I’ll give it back. Please don’t say such things to me… I’m scared. If Mother Concubine were watching from the afterlife, she’d be heartbroken.”

  Jiang Shuyi thought for a moment and accepted the hairpin after all. The hairpin was, in fact, a gift from Pei Yan—but it held no actual privilege like entry into Qianqing Pace. It was just a ruse to bait Jiang Wanqing. And now she regretted even that.

  It was still a valuable item—better to recim it.

  No longer in the mood for pleasantries, her expression turned cold.

  “You don’t need to keep bringing up her dying words to guilt me. If she truly has a spirit in the heavens and sees how you scheme against me, she would tell me to cut ties. And if she still insisted I take care of you… Well, that would be her being unfair. I have no obligation to honor it.”

  Jiang Wanqing was stunned.

  Just days before she entered the pace, her sister had written letters filled with warm, rambling sentiments—how she looked forward to her joining the court.

  And now? Now even invoking their te mother did nothing?

  “Elder Sister… I… if I’ve done something wrong, tell me…”

  Before she could finish, a eunuch’s voice rang out from outside: “His Majesty has arrived!”

  Jiang Wanqing instantly swallowed her words, fear fshing into joy.

  Jiang Shuyi hadn’t expected Pei Yan to show up either. But seeing Jiang Wanqing’s bright, eager smile overpped with a memory from the past.

  She could already guess what was coming next, and the corners of her mouth twitched. She nearly ughed—but held it in.

  Soon, the young emperor entered in a jade-colored robe adorned with coiling dragon motifs.

  Jiang Shuyi lowered her eyes and knelt gracefully.

  “Your Majesty,” she murmured. Three, two, one…

  “Brother-in-w!”

  Jiang Wanqing’s clear, cheerful voice echoed through the hall.

  Everyone froze—except Jiang Shuyi, who was now silently shaking with ughter.

  Cheng Shouzhong, standing nearby with his horsetail whisk, widened his eyes. What is with the people around Jiang Fei? Are they all suicidal?!

  First, it was Jinzhu. Now this Jiang Guiren?

  Jiang Wanqing was completely unaware. She saw that the emperor didn’t seem angry—his expression was as calm and mild as ever—and she felt emboldened.

  She recalled how, two years ago, during the New Year banquet, she had called him “brother-in-w” as a joke and expected a scolding. But instead, he’d smiled and gifted her several bolts of silk.

  Since then, she always suspected: maybe he liked hearing her call him that?

  It seemed perfectly reasonable. She once overheard her second brother coaxing one of his concubines to call him “uncle.” Men had odd preferences sometimes.

  Jiang Wanqing curtsied quickly and then stood again, smiling brightly.

  “Oh no, I forgot my manners. Please forgive me, Brother-in-w. Do you still remember me?”

  Pei Yan gave her a polite gnce and said nothing. Instead, he walked past her and approached Jiang Shuyi, who was still knelt in formal salute.

  He reached out, gently gripping her arm with a bit of force. His voice was soft like water over jade: “Why haven’t you risen yet?”

  Because she was holding in ughter.

  Jiang Shuyi let him help her up. She gnced at his calm face and couldn’t hold it anymore. Her shoulders shook with stifled ughter.

  Pei Yan sighed, leaned down, and murmured in her ear, “You find that funny? That’s your sister—so cking in decorum. Doesn’t that damage your reputation?”

  Jiang Shuyi, a former infamous yaofei (seductive consort), couldn’t care less about reputation.

  With a pyful lilt, she blinked at him and whispered, “Brother-in-w~”

  Pei Yan’s breath was visibly caught. He lowered his gaze and stared at her deeply, until Jiang Shuyi felt her composure start to crack under the intensity.

  Off to the side, Jiang Wanqing could no longer hold back.

  She stepped forward with an air of innocence and asked cheerfully, “Sister, what were you saying to Brother-in-w just now? Why not let me hear it too?”

  The moment Pei Yan’s expression darkened, Jiang Shuyi knew—he was truly angry now.

  Though Pei Yan was known for his gentle and refined nature, a virtuous and rare sovereign… even a rabbit bites when cornered—let alone an emperor.

  This had happened in her previous life, too. Except that time it had been even more embarrassing. It wasn’t in Zhaoyang Pace, but in Kunning Pace. During morning court, Pei Yan had come to inform the harem that a banquet would be held in honor of the Empress Dowager’s birthday and asked everyone to prepare gifts. Right then and there, in front of all the consorts, Jiang Wanqing had boldly called him “Brother-in-w.”

  No exaggeration—Jiang Shuyi had wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.

  She had hurriedly apologized and dragged Jiang Wanqing down with her to plead guilty. Pei Yan, after a pause, said Jiang Guiren had only just entered the pace and didn’t understand the rules. He fined her two months’ stipend as a warning.

  But now in this lifetime, Jiang Wanqing had behaved even worse—chasing Pei Yan around the room with that ridiculous “Brother-in-w” nonsense.

  Jiang Shuyi no longer had any intention of shielding this sister.

  She took two steps back, steadied her expression, and knelt before Pei Yan.

  “Jiang Guiren’s words were inappropriate and wildly presumptuous. This concubine failed to restrain her. I ask Your Majesty to deal with her justly.”

  Pei Yan gnced at her, and his face completely darkened.

  The entire pace entourage, led by Cheng Shouzhong, stood frozen in fear.

  Their emperor never smashed cups or shouted in anger, but this expression alone was terrifying enough.

  And yet, Jiang Wanqing remained clueless.

  She was startled by her sister’s words, but when she looked at the emperor and saw he hadn’t scolded her or even responded to her sister, she started forming her own conclusion.

  Clearly, he wasn’t angry. He was just annoyed by Jiang Shuyi’s meddling!

  She inched closer to Pei Yan, looking down at Jiang Shuyi with innocent surprise.

  “Sister, what are you doing? If this is about that jade hairpin from earlier, you don’t have to falsely accuse me just to get Brother-in-w to punish me.”

  Pei Yan said nothing. He turned, strode to the seat of honor, and spoke in a cool voice: “Cheng Shouzhong. Did you not hear what Jiang Fei said? Jiang Guiren was insolent. How does pace w say she should be punished?”

  Cheng Shouzhong instantly revived.

  He had been holding back out of caution, unsure if His Majesty would defend Jiang Guiren because of Her Highness. Otherwise, he would’ve shouted her down at the first utterance of ‘Brother-in-w’.

  But now, he had his answer.

  Still, punishment could go either way—light or heavy. Anything from a sary deduction to an execution.

  He gnced at His Majesty, then decided to follow precedent: state the harshest sentence first. He bowed low and spoke crisply, “Your Majesty, Jiang Guiren acted improperly before the throne, with wild and unruly conduct. As per pace w, she should be sentenced to death.”

  Jiang Wanqing, already stunned, nearly colpsed to the floor.

  What? D-death?

  Pei Yan sat high upon the throne, his tone returning to its usual calm as he asked, “Jiang Guiren, were you not present at Kunning Pace this morning when Qiu Daying was flogged?”

  Images of the blood-soaked courtyard, which she had just managed to repress, immediately resurfaced.

  Her legs gave out as realization struck—His Majesty was angry.

  Trembling, she knelt and stammered, “Th-this concubine… was present…”

  Pei Yan nodded.

  “Then it seems my intentions were wasted.”

  Before Jiang Wanqing could grasp the meaning, Cheng Shouzhong stepped in, “Indeed, Your Majesty. Watching others get flogged doesn’t teach a lesson. His Majesty acted with benevolence, hoping the consorts would behave with propriety. But in the end, Jiang Guiren has betrayed that kindness.”

  Pei Yan sighed softly, “Then what should be done?”

  Cheng Shouzhong’s tone turned fierce: “Then Your Majesty need not show mercy. Send Jiang Guiren to the Bureau of Penalty, and have her dealt with immediately!”

  Jiang Wanqing was in disbelief. Seeing that the emperor hesitated slightly, a chill surged from her feet to the top of her head. And only then did she remember her sister.

  Desperately, she crawled toward Jiang Shuyi and clutched at her sleeve.

  “Sister—Sister, I didn’t do anything! I only called him Brother-in-w… It’s because of you! You’re the reason I called him that—please save me!”