A FEW WEEKS later, Lily had fully recovered.
However, in order to slack off and avoid the elders and Concubine Qin, she continued acting as though she were still on the verge of death.
Unfortunately, her father didn't believe her act and promptly kicked her out of the clan estate.
The good thing was that Lord Pei didn't force her to train or study.
The bad thing, however...
She was forced to go outside and get some fresh air.
Hence, Lily was now wandering blankly through the marketplace with Silas perched on her shoulder and several guards following behind her.
What was she supposed to do here?
She didn't want to go out.
She would rather laze around, sleep in her bed, and do absolutely nothing.
And what fresh air?
Was the air in the marketplace somehow better than the air they breathed inside the estate?
Then perhaps she should suggest that her father build his own courtyard here.
Since Father apparently loved smelling fish, meat, vegetables, and every other scent the marketplace had to offer, he might as well live here.
In the end, after walking around the marketplace three times, Lily returned home empty-handed.
However, the moment she returned, she was summoned to the meeting hall.
"..."
Lily sighed.
She wanted some peace and quiet.
Most of the elders were currently away from the clan, so only the usual faces were gathered inside the meeting hall.
But there was also a certain concubine sitting there with a smug look on her face, the twins beside her.
Concubine Zhao opened her mouth.
Lily didn't give her the chance to speak.
"Father, I just recovered from being sick," she said. "How about dismissing Concubine Zhao before I have another round of sickness?"
Concubine Zhao's face darkened. She was about to reprimand the girl when she caught Lord Pei's warning gaze.
In the end, she swallowed her words and harrumphed.
Just you wait, you brat! Once one of my sons becomes the Clan Head, I'll definitely sort you out!
With every thought practically written across her face, how could anyone around her not know what Concubine Zhao was thinking?
But everyone had long since grown accustomed to her antics, so they simply ignored her.
"Lily, prepare yourself for departure. You will accompany Elder Yangshu to the Kingdom of Yan," Lord Pei said.
Lily gave Elder Yangshu a brief look.
It lasted only a second, but Elder Yangshu immediately understood what she was thinking.
The girl was practically saying, Him again?
"..." Elder Yangshu.
Another one who didn't even bother hiding her thoughts.
"Why?" Concubine Zhao complained. "Why does she have to go? The twins can go without her!"
She even pouted like a child.
"Because it's part of my territory," Lily answered, blinking innocently as she deliberately emphasized the word my.
Concubine Zhao gasped.
"My Lord! Look at this child! She's rebelling!"
"Which part of what she said was wrong?" Lord Pei raised a brow. "Lily is my only successor. It's only natural that everything belonging to the Pei Clan will eventually be hers."
Concubine Zhao couldn't take it.
Those words were like another knife piercing her already wounded heart.
"My Lord..." She looked at him with tearful eyes.
Lord Pei simply looked away.
He had already made his decision perfectly clear to everyone, yet these people still seemed to believe he would eventually change his mind.
"Concubine Zhao, please return to your courtyard."
Butler Chen had appeared behind the concubine. His tone remained as respectful and amiable as ever, but his gaze was firm.
Seeing him only made Concubine Zhao more rebellious.
"No way! I am the princess of the Kingdom of Yan! Since this concerns my kingdom, I won't leave!"
Silence.
The twins were present, so there were some things the elders couldn't say outright.
Lily, however, had no such reservations about giving this concubine any face.
She was asking to be humiliated anyway.
"Since Concubine Zhao is the Princess of the Kingdom of Yan, then you may pack your things and return to your kingdom," Lily said. "Our Pei Clan only accepts people who belong to the Pei Clan."
"I am part of the Pei Clan!"
"Is that so? Didn't you just say you're the princess of the Kingdom of Yan?" Lily's eyes turned cold. "Concubine Zhao, the moment you married into the Pei Clan, your maternal family may have remained your support, but your loyalty should be with the clan. If you can't even distinguish where you belong, then you might as well return to your kingdom and stop wasting our money."
There were already too many concubines in this estate.
They might as well shoo away the ones who did nothing but give them headaches.
Concubine Zhao's face immediately turned pale.
She looked around, but no one spoke against Lily's words.
Lord Pei and the elders clearly thought the same.
Feeling aggrieved, Concubine Zhao could only leave the meeting hall.
"What is going on with the Kingdom of Yan?" Lily asked as soon as Concubine Zhao left. She moved to sit beside her father.
Lord Pei waved his hand. "One of the princesses of the Kingdom of Yan is getting married. You and your twin brothers will attend the wedding to show our support. Elder Yangshu will accompany you."
Elder Yangshu wasn't merely there to look after the children.
Since Lily would be representing Lord Pei, it was only appropriate for someone with enough status and power to accompany her as an aide.
Lily blinked.
"All that ruckus just for a wedding?"
She thought something important had happened with the way Concubine Zhao behaved, yet it was only a wedding?
Sure enough, that concubine had a few screws loose.
"And another princess?"
With Concubine Zhao as an example, Lily didn't have a particularly good impression of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Yan.
Lord Pei's mouth twitched.
"Control your expression," he advised. "And don't judge the entire Royal Family based on how Concubine Zhao behaves every day. There are strong and intelligent people in the Kingdom of Yan. This princess, for example, is a powerful mage."
"I see." Lily nodded.
So they were going to show their support because the other party was a powerful ally.
She then turned her attention to her twin younger brothers.
"Do you know this aunt?"
The twins looked at her with innocent eyes and faint smiles before shaking their heads.
They had lived in the Pei Clan their entire lives.
This would also be their first time visiting the Kingdom of Yan.
"Alright, when are we leaving?" Lily asked.
Better to breathe the fresh air of another kingdom than the fresh air of the marketplace.
Lord Pei raised a brow. "You're this eager?"
"It's a vacation, after all," Lily answered honestly.
Lord Pei glared at her.
"Don't do anything reckless, and stay alert. The three of you must listen to Elder Yangshu. You'll leave two days from now, so prepare everything you'll need for the journey. It will take five days to reach the Kingdom of Yan."
"Alright."
The three children nodded obediently.