Pulling Zhi Wei and Hua Qing with her a few more steps, Peony pushes open another door and says “Qing Qing, it’s almost your due date so it would be better for you to stay close by. This was originally…” Letting out a questioning “Eh?”, Peony suddenly stops mid-sentence as the door opens and someone slowly stands up on the carpeted floor. 

“Mei Duo.” Peony stares at the woman and asks “Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to move with me to the second palace?” 

“I live right here.” Mei Duo smiles and raises the teapot in her hand, “Grand Queen, the tea is perfectly hot. Come have a cup. I had the servants made it just now…”

“Why are you still here?” All traces of her nonstop chattering gone, Peony doesn’t return the smile nor heed Mei Duo’s invitation but instead, repeats her question. Her usual flighty air completely gone, her voice now filled with coldness. 

Zhi Wei glances over at Peony and finally understands how this usually theatrical and outlandish grand queen was able to keep a tight rein on the chaotic royal court during this time period. 

Mei Duo’s expression stiffens, bites her lips then also repeats “I live right here.” 

“Even I don’t live here anymore why would you live here?” Peony stares at her, her face without a trace of a smile “Are you more important than me?” 

Mei Duo stood stiffly and sets the teapot on a table “I have lived here for over ten years. I don’t want to leave. I don’t understand why now that Helian is about to become king he can’t spare a room for me. If I am really to leave, then that’s fine too, let the King come chase me away.” 

“This is my palace. Even without Lucky, I am in charge here.” So furious that she started to smile. Peony clapped her hand and immediately a bunch of female slaves showed up.”You don’t want to leave? Fine, stay. But I gave you everything here. They are mine. I can’t drag you but I can drag all of my things. Move everything to the back palace. Right now!” 

The tough looking female slaves immediately started moving things. Mu Duo runs up to stop them but she was mercilessly pushed aside.  

Standing by, there is a hint of a smile in Zhi Wei’s eyes. Good, it looks like Mei Duo has set herself up as the Grand Queen but the real Grand Queen is still Peony. 

Unable to stop the slaves, Mei Duo begins to yell loudly. She is speaking the local wild grassland dialect, Zhi Wei doesn’t understand it but they are obviously not good words since the expression in Peony’s eyes has turned into the same sparkle as the ones she had when she saw Kelie. 

The yelling caused Helian to come running in. Seeing the mess, Helian stood in surprise. Seeing him, a teary Mei Duo immediately throws herself into his arms and sobs “Ah Li (her nickname for him), when I saved you all those years ago, you all had promised to repay me for the rest of my life but now I can’t even have a place to live!” 

Zhi Wei frowns with disgust and exchanges a look filled with contempt with Hua Qing– an expectation of endless gratitude. Could it be that the woman had counted all the princess-like treatment she received for the last ten plus years as nothing? 

Pushing Mei Duo away from him a bit, Helian gently pats her back and laughs “How am I not giving you a place to live? It’s just a simple change of location. Come, let’s go see the back palace. We will get you the best room!” 

“I want to live here! I want to live here!” Mei Duo stomps on the floor repeatedly. 

Helian frowns and looks back questionably at Zhi Wei. 

Zhi Wei smiles and thinks to herself that Helian is still slow to catch onto certain matters. After calling someone “aunty” for years, he really then thought of her as an aunt. Unfortunately, the said aunt doesn’t want to be his aunt. (Mei Duo was a young servant that had saved Helian back when he was young. Out of gratitude for her willingness to risk her life to save Helian, the royal family had been treating her more like family than a servant.) 

 “Fine.” Catching Helian’s questioning look, Zhi Wei says “Then go ahead and stay here.” 

Everyone blinks in surprise. A stunned Mei Duo raises her head out of Helian’s arms to look at Zhi Wei. Seeing Mei Duo’s completely dried eyes after all that howling, Zhi Wei’s gentle smile deepened. “You are right, it’s just a room. Since you like it so much then it wouldn’t do for us to ask you to move. Stay here.” 

Her eyes widen with joy, Mei Duo doesn’t thank Zhi Wei but instead tightens her hold on Helian “Ah Li, you are so good to me, you are so good to me!”

“But I don’t want to stay here.” Zhi Wei lazily continues, “I like the back palace more. Helian, let’s move over to the back palace and let Grand Queen live here with Mei Duo.” 

Peony begins to laugh while Mei Duo stares blankly at Zhi Wei. 

“Also,” No sparing Mei Duo a glance, Zhi Wei turns around to leave “Since things at the royal court have been a bit chaotic, I feel a need to tighten security in the palace. Therefore, from this point on, my personal guards will be in charge of the security of the King and my dwelling. Other than those who have been personally approved by the Grand Queen and myself, no one else will be allowed to come into the back palace to disturb us.” Obviously, Mei Duo is not part of that approved list. 

Zhi Wei left in a good mood, secretly grateful to Aunty Mei Duo’s little show that got her out of staying in the eye blinding room that would make even gods and devils cry. The room full of people followed after Zhi Wei without missing a beat, leaving a stupefied Mei Duo to stand in the room all by herself. After a long while, faced with a thoroughly messed up room, she lets out a scream and kicks over a small side table. A cup rolled off, stopped in front of someone’s foot and was gingerly picked up by a hand. Mei Duo turns around to see a pregnant Nata smiling at her. 

Peony accompanies Zhi Wei to the back palace, sighing with much regret “What a shame to waste all my careful decorations. Should we just move it over here for you guys?” 

“It’s so beautiful that I am afraid I would keep admiring it and not be able to sleep.” Zhi Wei promptly rejects the idea “Peony should keep it for yourself to enjoy.” 

Holding Zhi Xiao in his arms, Master Gu follows behind with a pink-colored five-legged rabbit in the crook of his elbow– because Zhi Xiao likes it. Walking through the hall with two monkeys, a baby and a stuffed bunny, Master Gu garnered a lot of giggling stares from the maids and female slaves. None of it bothered Master Gu though– as long as Zhi Wei is not giggling at him then the world is just normal to him. 

“Ah Ah!” Gu Zhi Xiao in Master Gu’s arm suddenly starts to yell and leans her body forward. A female slave is coming towards them with a baby in her arms. The baby looked a bit younger than Gu Zhi Xiao. At the rare sight of a species such as herself, Gu Zhi Xiao is thrilled.  

Helian excitedly runs over, “Peony, is this my younger brother?” 

A stunned Peony stares at the baby and asks in a daze “Ah? He didn’t die?”

Zhi Wei sighs…what kind of question is that? 

“King, Grand Queen.” The female slave bows, “Chamutu is very healthy. I had just taken him to the garden to look at the flowers.” 

“His name is Chamutu?” Helian excitedly let the baby take hold of his finger, “Such a strong boy, good little brother!”

Taking the baby and handing him towards Peony, Helian asks “Aren’t you going to hold him?” 

Still dazed, Peony’s first instinct was surprisingly to take a step back before realizing immediately what she had done and steps forward to take the baby. Holding the small bundle in her arms, Peony stares at the child, her expression hard to read. From where Zhi Wei is standing she thought she saw something sparkling at the corner of Peony’s eyes. 

Used to drinking Peony’s milk lately, Gu Zhi Xiao was very displeased to see her holding another child and promptly complained loudly while leaning her body towards Peony’s direction. Taking Zhi Xiao with her other arm, Peony presses her face against both babies and laughs “I can hold both, I can hold both!” 

Back to her normal self, Peony tells Helian “Don’t just stand here, go greet the tribe leaders. Also, send some men to invite Saint Da Ma. No matter how stubborn that old man gets, tie him up and carry him here, don’t let him drag his feet. The longer you wait the more chances for things to go weary!” 

“Don’t worry!” A grinning Helian replies then says to Zhi Wei “Peony is tired so please help her out with the two kids.” 

Meeting his eyes, Zhi Wei nods. Peony’s expression stiffened before she turned away. 

I apologize for probably disappointing many with the lack of Ning Yi’s scenes in this post. However, we have come to the point of the story where it wouldn’t make sense to split into two scenes anymore. One more thing I do have to warn you guys is that the next post is going to be a bit…difficult to read. In fact, I had briefly considered just skipping over the next scene completely but then it didn’t feel right since it is a vital part of Helian’s story. So…do mentally prepare yourselves for some shocking stuff that might be kinda hard to stomach next week.

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