Hearing Wei Xun turn her words about hot water back on her to tease her, Baozhu froze for a moment. She narrowed her eyes, ready to demand why he had slacked off and left the poem unfinished, but before she could flare up, a knock came from outside. Thirteenth Son, whom she had ordered to keep watch in the County Hall, poked his head in and reported, "Ninth Lady, Seventh Senior Brother is back!"
Baozhu immediately abandoned Wei Xun, sprang up, and pattered out. Wei Xun rose after her, then suddenly remembered something and asked Yang Xingjian, "Apart from this Pepper Minister, has anyone else bullied her?"
Yang Xingjian was taken aback. "What makes you ask that? The princess is a daughter of the imperial family. If not for this accident, she would still be the most beloved woman in the palace."
Wei Xun said, "She said she and her younger brother were driven out of Penglai Hall after their mother died. It sounded rather pitiful."
Yang Xingjian said in bewilderment, "That hardly counts as being driven out. By palace custom, when their birth mother dies, young princes and princesses are entrusted to other consorts for their upbringing and care. Why do you want to know about this?"
Wei Xun said indifferently, "In our line of work, some people we charge, and some we don't. After I take her to Youzhou and return to Chang'an, I might still have some time to settle old scores."
Yang Xingjian felt a chill slowly crawl up his spine. He did his utmost to convince himself it was a symptom of his lingering cold, not fear. When he had negotiated indirectly with the Xianbei Female Assassin, he had felt the same thing, though he had never seen her true face.
"In fact, the princess