Chapter 32 Spring Breeze

Pei Tingyue buried her forehead in the crook of his neck and remained silent for a long time.

Xie Chen held her for a while until he felt a wet and cool feeling on his shoulders, then he forced himself to hold up the little face.

She cried pitifully, her eyes were red, there were several tears on her face, she bit her lip and didn't say a word.

This look is so aggrieved.

Xie Chen carefully avoided the wound on her face and gently wiped her tears, "Why are you crying?"

It would have been fine if he didn't say anything. As soon as he spoke, Pei Tingyue's tears fell like beads from a broken string, and she grabbed his sleeves tightly with both hands.

"I am afraid..."

Xie Chen sighed and wiped the tears resignedly.

After a long while, Pei Tingyue calmed down.

After crying loudly, she felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone.

"Are you feeling embarrassed now? Why didn't you feel embarrassed when you were crying just now?" Seeing that the person looked so pitiful, Xie Chen teased him and said nothing more.

He had someone fetch clean water and brought it into the hall. He personally wrung out a clean handkerchief and wiped Pei Tingyue's face. He then found some ointment and applied it to the wound on her face.

Pei Tingyue covered her face and pouted: "Your Majesty, please don't look at me. I am ugly."

Xie Chen was afraid that she would touch the ointment, so he gently brushed her hand away: "She's not ugly. In my heart, Tingyue is the most beautiful."

Pei Tingyue's ears turned red and she threw herself into the man's arms.

Xie Chen indulged her in such a fuss, letting her sit astride him. He asked softly, "If you feel scared, why don't you come to me?"

Pei Tingyue put her arm around his neck and explained, "I think that since Concubine Shu had a miscarriage, the Emperor must be in a bad mood. I can't say anything, and if I make the Emperor even more upset, I would be guilty."

"Also, I'm afraid that once I see the Emperor, I won't be able to control my tears, just like I did today. What if I cry for a long time and delay His Majesty's handling of government affairs?"

"That's why I don't dare to ask to see the emperor."

The two of them hugged each other face to face, and when she spoke, her breath sprayed on his face, which made him feel itchy and numbing.

Not only that, Xie Chen also felt this way, as if something had touched a corner of his heart, making him feel like a spring breeze passing through, and his whole body softened.

Just like that day in Changxin Palace, when the Queen was affected, he wanted to stop the farce and abandon her. The moment his eyes fell on her, his heart softened like a pool of spring water.

Such throbbing made Xie Chen feel out of control.

He frowned and controlled his emotions, carried the person to the couch in the outer room, and sat aside himself.

But the man did not do as he wished. He crawled over using his hands and feet and stuck to him again.

Before Xie Chen asked her to leave, she hugged Xie Chen and complained about her grievances, saying how scared she was that day, and she couldn't understand why Concubine Shu wanted to frame her. She said how much she wanted to see him but was holding back.

After a while, her eyes were blurred with tears again.

Now Xie Chen couldn't ask her to go down, so he had to hold her and patiently counsel her.

Pei Tingyue complained for a while, then said angrily, "These aren't the things that make me most angry! What makes me most angry is that traitorous maid who put dirty things into my money box. I feel sick just looking at the remaining silver and money, but I have no choice but to spend it! I have someone make new jewelry, and I will dress up for the emperor when the time comes!"

As she spoke, she gestured dishonestly with her hands.

Xie Chen used his strength to hold her waist tightly to prevent her from swaying and falling.

Hearing this, he chuckled: "You were so angry, I thought you were going to throw the money away."

"I would never waste money like this!" Pei Tingyue seemed unable to understand and retorted immediately.

Xie Chen praised her and asked, "How much silver? I'll make it up to you."

He knew in his heart that she came from a poor family, and the money in the box must be all she had, so he wanted to compensate her.

Pei Tingyue's face turned red again, and she stopped talking and began to hum. After repeated questioning, she whispered, "No, no."

Xie Chen used his ultimate move: "Then I asked the palace maid beside you?"

Pei Tingyue had no choice but to answer obediently. She leaned into Xie Chen's arms and replied muffledly, "Three hundred taels..."

Anyway, the emperor has money, so it’s not too much for her to ask for double the amount, right?

Xie Chen caught the deep sorrow in his words and couldn't help but laugh.

He weighed the person in his arms and said with a smile, "I will make it up to you and give you some more rewards."

Pei Tingyue was deeply moved. She looked at Xie Chen lovingly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Although he looked like this on the surface, he felt regret in his heart.

If she had known the emperor was so straightforward, she would have said five hundred taels!

In the evening, Xie Chen had his meal in the rear hall of Changle Palace.

After he left, Pei Tingyue sat down in front of the dressing table again.

"Hurry up, put some makeup on me, something more elegant."

Yun Shu wondered, "Why would someone put on makeup at this hour?"

Pei Tingyue smiled and said, "Go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"The Imperial Household Department?"

Pei Tingyue nodded: "Yes."

After being taught by Concubine Song that day, she returned to the palace to ponder what would be the most beneficial step in the future.

Will you get the emperor's pity?

No, that's not enough.

She wants pity, but she also wants money and confidants!

Stand up from where you fell.

Concubine Shu framed her by threatening and bribing her maids, so she rebuilt a line of defense that no one could penetrate.

Even though it’s difficult, she has to do it!

She used retreat as a means of advance to lure the emperor here, and acted weak and pitiful today, so that the emperor would allow her to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to select someone to serve her.

Thus, the plan is half successful.

Before the news spreads and the concubines in the six palaces have appointed people, she will go and pick people first!

Yun Shu didn't know this, and although he was confused, he didn't ask any further questions.

Pei Tingyue was first made up, then her hair was arranged into an exquisite bun, a gold hairpin with a cat's eye gem was inserted into it, and finally gold earrings were put on her.

Pei Tingyue looked at her bright and noble face in the mirror and felt satisfied. The eunuchs and palace maids in the Ministry of Internal Affairs liked to prey on others, so she had to show the temperament of a favorite concubine and not let anyone neglect her, so that she could act accordingly.

After dressing up, Pei Tingyue asked someone to call the chief steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and also called all the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the back hall into the hall.

She was concise but not direct, and she used the word "send off" in a very tactful way.

The palace maids and eunuchs who served her naturally did not want to leave. The work in the palace was easy and their master was favored. They were flattered wherever they went and lived a very glorious life.

One by one, they knelt down and begged for mercy.

Pei Tingyue was not soft-hearted and sent them away as usual.

Chunqi also pleaded for mercy. She knelt on the ground and replied timidly, saying that she would be loyal to her master all her life and would never have any second thoughts.

Pei Tingyue had actually investigated her before. Chunqi used to serve the late emperor's concubine. After the concubine passed away, she returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until the new concubine entered the palace last year, she came to serve in the back hall of Changle Palace. Her life experience seemed to be clean.

But before the accident, Xia Meng didn't notice anything unusual, so Pei Tingyue was closer to these two people, but what was the result?

Xia Meng betrayed his master.

Once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years. Now Pei Tingyue was as cautious as possible, so he rejected her.