Chapter 64 "Your subject Pei Heng requests an audience with Your Majesty."...

The night sky was filled with thick, dark clouds that threatened to cover the palace.

As soon as Zhang Youyi left the palace, she raised her chin at her personal maid, Xiu'e.

Xiu'e understood and left quickly, heading to a small garden not far from the bedchamber. When no one was around, she beckoned to a guard and whispered to him, "Quickly go and report to the Prime Minister that His Majesty has summoned Xie Yushu alone."

Almost simultaneously, Pei Heng's deputy general, Zhao Mingzhao, rushed out of the palace gate and immediately asked Pei Heng's soldiers outside the gate, "Which direction did the general go in pursuit of the assassin?"

"Directions to Yuqing Temple," the soldier replied immediately.

Zhao Mingzhao mounted his horse and galloped towards Yuqing Temple, hoping to find the general. He followed Madam Pei all the way to the outside of Taihe Hall, and soon saw Consort Zhang leaving her bedchamber. He feared that the Emperor had summoned Madam Pei alone...

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How long has Yu Shu been inside?

Meng Jing, who was waiting in the hall, couldn't wait any longer and got up. When she walked to the door of the inner hall, she was stopped by a palace maid. She then raised her voice outside the door and said, "Your subject Meng Jing requests an audience with His Majesty."

Her voice carried clearly through the door into the inner hall.

Xie Yushu could hear it, and so could Emperor Xiao Xu, but he pretended not to hear it and continued to look at Xie Yushu, asking, "Being an imperial concubine is a punishment for you? This is the first time I've heard of such a thing."

"Perhaps some people have thought this way, but they dare not speak it like I do," Xie Yushu said bluntly. "I am already married. If I were to become His Majesty's concubine, I'm afraid the whole world would curse me for being unchaste and a femme fatale. And what would I gain from that?"

He got an old man with one foot in the grave, a concubine's vain desire, and the palace as a prison.

Before she could even utter these words, the eunuch nervously whispered a warning to her: "Madam Pei, you must be careful with your words and actions, and not offend the Emperor's grace."

Xie Yushu bowed again and said, "If my words have angered His Majesty, then let the merits and demerits cancel each other out. His Majesty need not reward me. In any case, His Majesty may not be willing to give me what I want."

The eunuch was terrified, feeling that Xie Yushu was far too fearless. The emperor's face had already darkened.

Xiao Xu was indeed somewhat annoyed. Which of the concubines in the palace didn't use every trick in the book to win the emperor's favor? But she felt this was a punishment and refused his favor.

But isn't that also a kind of fun? She's like a wild and untamed little beast, attracting him to tame her.

"Unfaithful to women? A femme fatale?" Xiao Xu smiled slowly and said to her, "It seems you don't understand what imperial favor means. If I take a liking to you, even your husband will do everything he can to send you to my side. If I want to be legitimate, the world won't even know you were ever married. How can you be condemned?"

Xie Yushu knew very well that he was demonstrating his imperial power to her.

She knelt in the silent bedchamber, like a deer waiting to be caught.

"I don't even need to say a word. Just by keeping you in the palace tonight, your husband and even the Pei family will guess at His Majesty's intentions and divorce you." Xiao Xu's tone was extremely gentle, because he didn't need to emphasize his words to make people understand his supreme power.

Just like Wan Susu, he took a liking to her as a palace maid, and with just one sentence, Wan Susu became the old prince's goddaughter and rightfully became his concubine and imperial concubine.

Xie Yushu now understood. His seemingly impulsive summoning of her into his bedchamber, as if he were infatuated with her, was not actually the case. It was simply that he could see her whenever he wanted and have her whenever he desired, regardless of the woman's identity.

The emperor doesn't need to exhaust his efforts and use every means to win over a woman.

Being an emperor must be wonderful.

"Does His Majesty intend to do this?" Xie Yushu asked him calmly. She guessed that the emperor wouldn't be foolish enough to force her to stay in the palace, because she not only had a good-for-nothing husband, but also a general uncle who had just won a battle.

She really wanted to ask: Does His Majesty intend to humiliate the Pei family and Pei Heng at this critical juncture?

Before she could ask, a commotion arose outside the palace gates, as if the imperial guards were trying to stop someone.

Someone outside called out loudly, "Your subject Pei Heng requests an audience with His Majesty."

Pei Heng?

Xie Yushu was somewhat surprised that Pei Heng had arrived first. She had expected Song Jie or Xiao Zhen to come, not Pei Heng, who had come to pursue the Prince of Song.

The eunuch immediately looked at Xiao Xu and asked for his opinion.

Pei Heng seemed to be in the outer hall, and Xie Yushu vaguely heard Meng Jing talking to Pei Heng: "Yushu is in the inner hall..."

Pei Heng's voice came again from outside the door behind Xie Yushu: "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

In the flickering candlelight, Xie Yushu glanced at Xiao Xu and saw his smile freeze. His eyes moved from her to the door, and she secretly raised her hand to take off the earring from her right earlobe and throw it at her feet.

Xiao Xu coughed lightly on the couch twice before finally giving the order: "Summon Pei Heng in."

The eunuch immediately agreed and quickly went to open the door: "General Pei..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Heng strode into the inner hall and walked quickly to Xie Yushu's side, his body carrying a cold aura and a hint of blood.

Xie Yushu turned her head and saw some blood on his sleeves and robes, not knowing whose it was. Her gaze moved upward and met Pei Heng's eyes.

As soon as he entered, he looked her up and down, as if to make sure she was alright, and then bowed to Xiao Xu, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report to you privately."

The implication was that Xie Yushu should leave first.

Xiao Xu's weak face showed his displeasure at being disappointed. He glanced at Xie Yushu again and said to her, "Youyi is probably still waiting for Madam Pei. Madam Pei, please go ahead."

For him, capturing the King of Song was the most important thing.

Xie Yushu bowed and withdrew.

Pei Heng looked down and saw a ruby ​​earring lying on the ground. Wasn't that Xie Yushu's earring? How could an earring fall to the ground unless it was pulled and shaken vigorously?

What happened to her in this inner sanctuary?

"Has the King of Song been captured?" Xiao Xu asked in a cold tone.

Pei Heng looked up at the Emperor again and saw that his hair was disheveled and he was lying on the couch in only his nightgown. It was absurd that he had summoned the wife of his subject in such a disheveled state.

"The Prince of Song was seriously injured and fell off a cliff. I have ordered people to search for him at the bottom of the cliff." Pei Heng also said with a cold face, "Xiao Dao has been rescued, but he was injured and is now being treated at the Imperial Hospital."

"Is the King of Song dead?" Xiao Xu asked, frowning.

"I cannot be certain," Pei Heng replied truthfully. "He was hit by an arrow and tumbled down a cliff. His chances of survival are slim."

Xiao Xu suddenly flew into a rage: "I ordered you to capture the Prince of Song alive and find out the whereabouts of the midwife from back then. Now you say he is in grave danger. Is this the job you've done?"

Pei Heng knelt down, offering no defense: "It is my incompetence."

Xiao Xu was panting heavily on the couch due to anger, and the eunuchs rushed over to attend to him and whisper words of comfort.

After catching his breath, Xiao Xu finally spoke and told Pei Heng to step back.

The Emperor did not inquire about Xiao Dao's injuries, so Pei Heng had no choice but to ask, "Does Your Majesty wish to place Xiao Dao in the palace to recuperate?"

"It's not advisable for him to stay in the palace until his background is clarified." After taking a couple of breaths, Xiao Xu frowned and ordered, "Let him stay in your residence to recover for now. You keep an eye on him."

Pei Heng agreed, picked up the ruby ​​earring from the ground, and then took his leave.

The emperor suddenly called out to him again, "What is that in your hand?"

Pei Heng squeezed the ruby ​​earring in his hand, opened his hand and replied, "An earring, which must have been dropped by my nephew's wife just now."

Nephew's wife.

Xiao Xu looked at Pei Heng. Oh right, he almost forgot that Xie Yushu was Pei Heng's niece-in-law. With Pei Heng in the Pei family, whether or not they would obediently send Xie Yushu to his side depended entirely on Pei Heng's obedience to him.

"Is that so?" Xiao Xu tentatively extended his hand to Pei Heng: "Give it to me."

The hall was brightly lit, illuminating every expression on Pei Heng's face. He looked at Xiao Xu and said frankly, "Your Majesty, if this earring was dropped by Xie Yushu, I wish to return it to her."

"Pei Heng." Xiao Xu called his name and said in a light tone, "I am ordering you to bring it to me."

Pei Heng frowned slightly.

The eunuch hurriedly bowed and stepped forward, extending his hands to Pei Heng, saying, "General Pei, please hand him over to this servant."

Pei Heng glanced at Xiao Xu one last time, then handed the earring to the eunuch and said again, "Your subject takes his leave."

He took two steps back, turned around, and strode away.

The eunuch froze on the spot, his face stiff and pale as he stared at the earring in his palm. Holding the earring, he trembled as he approached Xiao Xu, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect as he presented it: "Your Majesty..."

Xiao Xu only saw that the ruby ​​earring in his palm had been crushed.

Anger rose in his chest. What a Pei Heng! After years away, he'd learned to be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant!

He was so angry that he gasped for breath again.

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Pei Heng strode out of the inner hall and met Consort Zhang in the outer hall.

Consort Zhang smiled and said that she felt a connection with Xie Yushu and wanted to keep him in the palace to keep her company.

Before Meng Jing could speak, Pei Heng said directly, "There are still matters at the Pei residence that require her attention, so it is inconvenient for her to stay in the palace. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

He bowed slightly to the Imperial Concubine, said no more, and asked Meng Jing and Xie Yushu to walk ahead of him, and together they left the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Thunder rumbled outside, and it had started raining heavily without anyone noticing.

A cold wind blew towards Xie Yushu, whose hand was held tightly by Meng Jing.

Only when they were some distance from the Hall of Supreme Harmony did Meng Jing release her, letting out a sigh of relief. He turned to look at her and Pei Heng and said in a low voice, "General Pei must have also seen through His Majesty's intentions. Let Yu Shu come back to the manor with me tonight."

Xie Yushu naturally understood her good intentions. Meng Jing was afraid that if the Emperor summoned her to the palace again, there would be no one in the Pei family to protect her, so she wanted to take her back to the Meng family.

However, Xie Yushu had important business to attend to at the Prime Minister's residence that evening and could not return to the residence with Meng Jing, so she thanked her but declined her kindness.

Meng Jing was still worried and asked again, "Are you worried about Jia Ning? You don't need to worry, I will explain it to her properly, and she will understand."

If she hadn't brought it up, Xie Yushu would have forgotten about Xie Jianing and wanted to tell her that it had nothing to do with Xie Jianing.

Pei Heng said, "Princess, rest assured, the Pei family will take good care of her." As if afraid that Meng Jing would not be at ease, he added, "I will take care of everything."

Meng Jing looked at him; his boots and trousers were covered in mud, suggesting he had rushed back from outside the palace. Knowing that Pei Heng was a man of great loyalty and righteousness, she nodded. Now, he was the only one the Yongyi Earl's mansion could rely on.

Xie Yushu bid farewell to Meng Jing and followed Pei Heng out of the palace gate.

Pei Heng held the umbrella for her, trying to keep his distance. Half of his shoulder got wet, but he still couldn't help but glance at her right ear. She was indeed missing an earring. There were no signs of struggle or pulling on her face or neck. He wondered what she had been through.

He grew increasingly uneasy when he heard her ask, "Why did you come all this way? How is Xiaodao?"

"He's alright, just a little injured. I'll take him back to the Pei residence in a bit." He didn't hide anything from her.

Xie Yushu didn't ask any more questions, only wanting to get back to the Pei residence as soon as possible, so he quickened his pace and left the palace gate.

He saw Cang Shu riding a fast horse outside the palace gate. He rushed over in the rain, and only when he saw her did he hurriedly rein in his horse.

It looks like they came looking for her.

Xie Yushu stood under the umbrella held by Pei Heng and shook his head at Cang Shu, indicating that he was alright.

Pei Heng naturally saw Cang Shu as well, but he didn't understand why Song Jie had sent Cang Shu there.

"Get in the carriage first." Pei Heng helped Xie Yushu onto the carriage, and then saw Cang Shu turn his horse around and leave again in the heavy rain.

This made Pei Heng even more puzzled. Could it be that Cang Shu was just here to see how Xie Yushu was doing?

He lowered the carriage curtain, intending to personally drive her back to the Pei residence, when he saw his deputy, Zhao Mingzhao, rushing towards him in the pouring rain. Without even dismounting, Zhao Mingzhao cried out, "General, something has happened to Madam Pei..."

Just as Pei Heng was about to say that everything was alright, the carriage curtain behind him was lifted, and Xie Yushu peeked out and looked at Zhao Mingzhao in surprise, asking Pei Heng, "Didn't General Zhao inform you? Then how did you know that I was summoned to the inner palace?"

Pei Heng looked at her and noticed that her hair was wet from the rain. He then let her into the carriage before saying, "It was the Fourth Prince who sent someone to inform me."

Xiao Zhen?

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Author's Note: Don't worry about me, everyone. I'll take leave if I'm really feeling unwell. Love you all! [Let me see...]