Chapter 28

Before Qi Yu's tears fell, Pei Jin realized that he shouldn't have pressured her today.

He couldn't help but picture Qi Yu sitting alone in the study, her life turned upside down overnight.

She woke up feeling unwell. Surrounded by maids who mistook her for Madam Pei, and standing beside her was a man. She was confused and wary. The palace's attitude was indifferent, pushing her to accept the identity of Madam Pei as a mistake.

But what was she thinking as she sat alone in the study?

She was filled with regret and guilt. When he forced her to call him Pei Lang, the tension in her heart snapped completely. Her body reached its limit, and she fainted.

No one noticed that she was dressed so lightly, no one noticed that she was sick and should not have stayed in the study for long, but should have been resting in bed.

Qi Yu's tears slid down her cheeks and soaked into her hair, disappearing without a trace in a moment, leaving only a tear stain.

Pei Jin felt overwhelmed with guilt. He parted his lips slightly and said, "This is not your fault."

He saved the wrong person, putting Qi Yu in a dilemma.

His deep suspicions put Qi Yu under tremendous psychological pressure.

He forced her twice, compelling her to call him Pei Lang.

Even though Pei Jin knew perfectly well that he and Zhao Wanyi were just a fake couple, Qi Yu didn't know that.

She was kept in the dark; to her, the address of Pei Lang was nothing short of immoral.

The medicine was quickly brewed, and Pei Jin took it from him, saying, "I'll take care of it."

Meng She handed the medicine to Pei Jin, thus avoiding the scene of feeding him the medicine.

He did not mix the Po E flower into the medicine, fearing that the medicinal properties would clash. Fortunately, as Madam Pei's physician, he would have plenty of opportunities later.

Pei Jin sat on the edge of the bed with one hand holding the medicine, and with the other hand helped Qi Yu sit up.

But Qi Yu was still unconscious, her body unconsciously leaning in another direction.

Pei Jin disregarded the proper separation between men and women and the hierarchy of status, letting her lean into his arms, and then used a spoon to pry open Qi Yu's pearly teeth and feed her the medicine little by little.

Pei Jin was an extremely patient person, and feeling guilty, he would carefully wipe away any spilled medicine with a handkerchief and continue feeding the patient.

Qi Yu unconsciously pursed her lips, but he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he waited patiently for her to relax before taking the opportunity to feed her.

It took almost half an hour to feed him that bowl of medicine, on and off.

Finally, Pei Jin asked Meng She, "Some of the medicine wasn't fed to her and got on the handkerchief. Should we boil another half bowl?"

Meng She said, "No need. I boiled a medicinal herb into a bowl of juice. You can feed it to her. It will help dispel the cold. When a woman falls into the water, the most serious injury is that the cold remains in her body, which can make it difficult for her to have children."

Pei Jin paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, thank you, Doctor Meng."

Meng She stroked his upturned mustache and said, "Of course, no need to thank me."

Only when Pei Jin turned to go to the bed did Meng She's eyes reveal a hint of guilt.

He had met Pei Jin a few times and heard that he was a devoted lover with only Madam Pei by his side. What a perfect couple! But there was nothing he could do; His Majesty was the most important person to him.

Upon reaching the bedside, Pei Jin helped Qi Yu sit up again and fed her the medicine.

Thinking of what Doctor Meng had just said about offspring, he silently vowed that if Qi Yu met a good man again and had children, he would definitely protect them well.

After feeding her the medicine, Pei Jin helped Qi Yu lie down and then sent someone to find a maid to change Qi Yu's clothes.

Qi Yu sweats at night, and she feels very uncomfortable if she doesn't change into her nightgown before sleeping.

That night, Pei Jin stayed in Hengwu Courtyard, guarding the bedside. Only a maid was left in the outer room to boil and add water. Several lamps were turned off, so there was no need to worry about not sleeping soundly.

Pei Jin's gaze was fixed on the brocade quilt; he would only look at Qi Yu if there was any movement.

It was only late at night that he realized it was impolite to keep staring at her face.

In the middle of the night, Qi Yu began to feel cold. She was sweating profusely, soaking the bed and quilt, but she still didn't feel warm.

Upon seeing this, Pei Jin took out two quilts from the cabinet, covered Qi Yu with them, and then used a handkerchief to wipe away her sweat.

Qi Yu turned slightly towards Pei Jin.

It was warm, but the sticky feeling of being soaked in sweat made Qi Yu unable to resist sticking her arms out.

Pei Jin patiently put her hand back, tucked her in, and gently patted her back.

As dawn broke and Qi Yu fell into a deep sleep with her body temperature dropping, Pei Jin finally allowed a maid to come in and keep Qi Yu company while he went to the side room to catch up on his sleep.

When Qi Yu woke up, she only saw a little maid.

Before she could ask, the maidservant said, "Madam, this servant is Qiu Kui. The master took care of you all night and is now resting in the side room. Madam, would you like some water, or would you like to see the master?"

Qi Yu felt much better, and was no longer as sluggish as she had been yesterday. She said, "Pour me a glass of water."

Qiu Kui ran off and ran back, placing the water glass in Qi Yu's hands.

As Qi Yu drank the warm water, she thought of Pei Jin, following Qiu Kui's train of thought.

It's early morning now, and Pei Jin should have just gone to bed. He took care of her all night, so there's no reason for him to wake Pei Jin up now.

Last night, she did feel someone cover her with two blankets, preventing her from turning over, and then repeatedly tuck her outstretched hand back under the blankets. This was not a dream; it must have been Pei Jin's doing.

Since Pei Jin was able to take care of her personally, it meant that she must have called him Pei Lang correctly yesterday.

Qi Yu was somewhat glad that she had noticed this matter, and her expression became much gentler when she drank water.

Qiu Kui stared blankly at the radiant lady, no wonder the master did everything himself except change the lady's clothes.

Qi Yu asked, "Where is this?"

Okra said, "Hengwu Courtyard."

Qi Yu didn't understand why Pei Jin had brought her here. Maybe it was because it was nearby?

However, it cannot be denied that Pei Jin's move helped her avoid the risk of revealing her weaknesses if she continued to stay in Yuzhaoyuan.

Having recovered most of her health, Qi Yu regained her senses and, while drinking water, noticed a person squatting on the roof.

He was Wei Si, the bodyguard who always followed Zhao Wanyi.

Qi Yu was puzzled. Zhao Wanyi was in the palace, shouldn't Wei Si have gone there too? As the leader of the secret guards, didn't Xiao Cong tell him?

Qi Yu said to Qiu Kui, "Qiu Kui, I want to get up."

Okra: "My lord has prepared your clothes. Madam, I will serve you."

Walking behind the screen, Qi Yu touched the fabric of her clothes and found that it was thicker than what she had worn yesterday.

Okra said, "The master said it would rain these two days, and instructed me to make sure that you wear this, and also to wear a light cloak when you go into the courtyard."

Qi Yu: "Okay."

As soon as she finished dressing and tidying herself up, Qi Yu came out from behind the screen and bumped into Pei Jin.

Pei Jin's hair had become much more sloppy, his eyes were not as bright as yesterday, there were faint dark circles under his eyes, and his chin was not as smooth, but he was still handsome and extraordinary.

Qi Yu's steps faltered slightly until Pei Jin called out, "Madam."

Only then did she step forward.

As expected, Pei Jin still didn't notice.

Qi Yu asked, feigning curiosity, "Pei Lang, why aren't we at Yuzhao Courtyard? Where are Yue Lu and the others?"

Looking into Qi Yu's innocent eyes, Pei Jin realized that the reason she called him "Pei Lang" yesterday, with such a strong emotional fluctuation, was not entirely due to immorality, but more because she didn't know if it was right for her to call him that.

But he did not feel any resentment.

Oh well, she's already suffered so much.

Pei Jin said, "They didn't serve you well and didn't know to add clothes for their master. I'll let them reflect on their actions. For now, they'll stay at Hengwu Courtyard until you're fully recovered, then they can move back."

Qi Yu stayed at the Pei residence, while Zhao Wanyi was left in the palace. Upon closer examination, there was actually nothing to worry about.

Even if Zhao Wanyi enters the palace, she still needs to get close to the Emperor and gain his trust to have even the slightest chance.

But now, with His Majesty injured and Consort Zhao unwell from falling into the water, there shouldn't be any problems for the time being.

He can take this opportunity to help Qi Yu recover first, and then see what to do next.

Pei Jinxu supported Qi Yu's shoulder: "Madam, please have your meal first. I will come to find you after I have washed up."

Breakfast was ready. Qi Yu nodded slightly and left with Qiu Kui.

After tidying up, Pei Jin felt relaxed again. The two had a meal together, and Qi Yu advised Pei Jin to rest. After Pei Jin went inside, she said to Qiu Kui, "Qiu Kui, I want to go for a walk."

Okra draped a light blue cloak over her shoulders, embroidered with white orchids.

The two walked under the corridor of Hengwu Courtyard.

Qi Yu sat on the railing with its back against the wall, gazing into the distance through the vermilion railing.

Once she was certain that Wei Si had followed her out from the rooftop and was near her, she used the excuse of having tea to send Okra away.

There weren't many people in Hengwu Courtyard to begin with, and there were even fewer here.

Qi Yu tapped the cylinder with her fingers: "Wei Si."

Wei Si, who was lying above the corridor, was startled. He was certain that Madam Pei was calling him.

But how did Madam Pei know he was there? And how did she know his name was Wei Si?

Qi Yu called out again, "Wei Si."

Wei Si immediately appeared upside down in front of Qi Yu, then stood up lightly, his gaze extremely cautious.

Qi Yu was confused as to why Wei Si acted as if he didn't know who she was, so she reminded him, "Lin Qi is my bodyguard."

Wei Si's eyes widened: "Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine?"

Qi Yu put her index finger to her lips, a smile appearing in her eyes.

Upon seeing this, Wei Si suddenly covered his face and sobbed in despair, "It's over."

Of course he had met the Imperial Concubine. One day in March, as usual, when His Majesty came to the residence, he reported to His Majesty about Lady Pei's daily life. That day, he met the Imperial Concubine. Even though he had been protecting Lady Pei for a long time, he could hardly believe that there could be such a similar person in the world.

He also asked his colleagues, and then a passing leader overheard him and said that His Majesty had already investigated and found that the Imperial Concubine had no connection with Zhao Shi, nor with Madam Pei.

But it seems that the Imperial Concubine's background is also fake...

Getting back to the point, he had been by Madam Pei's side the whole time, and he was aware of the palace's intentions. Yesterday, after Doctor Meng examined the Po E flower and confirmed it was correct, it was supposed to be given to him so that Madam Pei could drink it. However, since the Pei residence was looking for a doctor yesterday, Doctor Meng took the Po E flower directly, carrying his medical kit, and entered the Pei residence.

Naturally, everything went very smoothly, and Madam Pei had already drunk the water boiled with the Po E flower.

But now, they are telling him that Madam Pei is not Madam Pei, but a Noble Consort?

Qi Yu looked confused: "What's wrong?"

Wei Si looked around and said, "Your Majesty, I am choosing my burial place."

Qi Yu nodded: "Go look somewhere else, don't bury him in Hengwu Courtyard."

Because the okra will be back soon.

Sure enough, not long after Wei Si left, Qiu Kui came over with tea and snacks.

Qi Yu picked up a delicate pastry and fed it to the okra.

-

"All done!" Meng She entered the palace early in the morning, stroking his beard as he spoke to Tian Wenshan.

Tian Wenshan was somewhat lost in thought, and subconsciously asked, "What's settled?"

Meng She replied naturally, "To Madam Pei."

Tian Wenshan asked in a low voice, "Which Madam Pei?"

Meng She: "Who else could it be?"

Tian Wenshan succinctly stated: "Madam Pei is in the palace."

"Impossible! I personally examined his pulse; it was a cold caused by falling into the water. I not only saw Madam Pei, but also that brat Pei Jin!" Meng She exclaimed, blowing his beard.

Tian Wenshan instructed a young eunuch to bring Meng She to Zhaoyang Palace to treat Zhao Wanyi, who was still unconscious.

On the one hand, Meng She wouldn't shed tears until he saw the coffin; on the other hand, the imperial physicians couldn't cure Zhao Wanyi and were helpless against her old ailment, and she still hadn't woken up.

When Meng She arrived at Zhaoyang Palace, he fell silent upon seeing the Imperial Concubine lying on the bed.

After examining the token in the young eunuch's hand, the palace attendant instructed Meng She to take his pulse using a thread.

Pei Jiu's redness had subsided, but she was still worried, this time about Zhao Wanyi.

She had witnessed the affection between the Empress and this Lady Pei, and naturally she shared the Empress's concerns.

Pei Jiu knew from that night that it wasn't the Empress who returned to Zhaoyang Palace, but there was no news from His Majesty since he returned to the palace. Coupled with His Majesty's previous attitude towards Lady Pei, she naturally felt that His Majesty had tacitly accepted this situation. She couldn't explain it to others, so she could only cry day and night. Naturally, she was full of resentment when she saw Tian Wenshan.

But to her surprise, Tian Wenshan was even more shocked than she was when she heard the news.

After a long silence, he said meaningfully, "Your Highness, your good fortune is far from over!"

She returned, seemingly understanding but not quite, and vaguely grasped the attitude that Tian Wenshan represented, representing His Majesty.

After Meng She finished taking the pulse, his face slowly turned serious. He picked up a pen, wrote down an address, and asked a palace servant to go to a clinic outside the palace to invite a female doctor named Sun Ying, who was an expert in this field.

Pei Jiu took a look and then prepared to go there herself, so that when the Empress returned and asked, she would have something to say instead of being clueless and doing nothing.

Meng She returned to his palace, and along the way, he had regained his composure.

He vaguely sensed something strange about the pulse just now, but he wasn't quite sure. He wondered if it was an old ailment left over from the loss of his martial arts skills.

He said that inviting Sun Ying was not only because Sun Ying could really treat this kind of old ailment, but also because he wanted to test whether Madam Pei's health had always been treated by Sun Ying.

A daughter of a prominent family, once well-versed in martial arts and internal strength, she seems extraordinary by all accounts. Moreover, Madam Pei is someone who might appear by His Majesty's side, so we must be wary.

Seeing his expression, Tian Wenshan knew that he believed it. Perhaps Meng She couldn't distinguish between Madam Pei and the Imperial Concubine, but after he mentioned it, Meng She's judgment had already shifted. However, even if Meng She believed it, he would still have to do a futile effort before he could be truly convinced.

Meng She asked, "Then what do we do now?"

Wrong, completely wrong.

Tian Wenshan, however, was not in a hurry. Instead, he said, "How do you know this isn't the best arrangement?"

Meng She frowned.

Tian Wenshan stated frankly: "His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine developed feelings for each other. That night, His Majesty was going to the Pei residence to demand the person back, but he collapsed halfway there. Although we cannot openly demand the person back from the Pei residence now, we can use the Empress Dowager's name to summon Madam Pei to the palace, and then replace the real Madam Pei with her."

The Imperial Concubine has been at the Pei residence for two days. If we were to make a big fuss about demanding her back, it would damage her reputation.

Meng She suddenly realized what was going on and scratched his head to check on the progress of the imperial physicians.

-

Hengwuyuan.

Pei Jin woke up at noon, and Qi Yu had lunch with him.

After lunch, Pei Jin went to his study to handle some business. He had already asked for leave in advance because of matters at home, but there were some government affairs he couldn't escape.

Qi Yu went to sleep for a while.

Of course, she was still drinking the medicine, but there was only one okra beside her, so she could finish the medicine and then eat the candied fruit.

When she woke up again, there was a faint scent in the room. Qi Yu was pleasantly surprised and called out softly, "Lin Qi?"

Lin Qi climbed in through the half-open window: "It's me."

Qi Yu got out of bed so excited that she forgot to put on her shoes. She hugged Lin Qi and said, "I missed you and Pei Jiu so much!"

Qi Yu asked, "When did you arrive?"

Lin Qi said, "I left the palace last night, but when I found Yuzhao Courtyard, I discovered that the Empress was not there. I searched all the courtyards of the Pei residence, but I couldn't find her. It wasn't until this morning when I ran into Wei Si next door that I learned that the Empress was in Hengwu Courtyard."

She had passed by Hengwu Courtyard last night, but because the courtyard was dark and there were few servants, she assumed that the Empress was not there.

Lin Qi helped Qi Yu back to bed and tucked her in.

Qi Yu's eyes shone brightly: "How is the palace? Is Consort Zhao alright?"

Lin Qi truthfully replied, "Before I left the palace, Madam Zhao was still unconscious. The palace was calm, but His Majesty was injured, and the imperial physicians were all gathered in the palace and had not gone out for two days."

Qi Yu's eyes darkened. She was repeatedly ill and knew nothing about the situation outside. Even when she saw Wei Si in the morning, she didn't say more than a few words to him.

However, judging from Wei Si's attitude, Wu Shiyan should be fine.

What about Zhao Wanyi? It's been two days since she fell into the water.

Seeing this, Lin Qi said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I've asked Wei Si to keep an eye on the palace. Perhaps we'll have good news soon."

She cannot leave; her duty is to protect the Empress.

Qi Yu nodded; that was the only way.

Lin Qi had already left the house before Okra came in.

Okra said, "Madam, you're only just starting to feel better. The ground is cold; how can you go barefoot?"

Qi Yu glanced at her snow-white socks, which were covered with an inconspicuous layer of dust. Unable to deny it, she could only smile gently.

Okra immediately lost her temper.

She said, "Madam, the master sent you a book, saying that you can read it if you are bored."

Qi Yu took the book and found that it contained various articles, so she started reading from the first one.

She didn't understand why Pei Jin would give her this.

In the late afternoon, Pei Jin arrived and his first question was, "Have you read the article I sent?"

Qi Yu nodded.

Pei Jin suppressed a smile and said with a serious expression, "Then recite the first one to me."

Debts incurred in childhood must be repaid in adulthood.

Pei Jin couldn't believe that Zhao Wanyi was the same girl who had risked her life to save him.

Qi Yu blinked in confusion, but she assumed that this was how Pei Jin and Zhao Wanyi interacted. Even though she found Pei Jin's behavior boring, she had no choice but to agree: "Okay."

She read the first article four or five times, and memorizing it wasn't difficult.

The sky outside the window, which had been darkening, turned gloomy, and soon it started raining again.

Qi Yu and Pei Jin sat on a soft couch by the window, with a table between them. Pei Jin half-closed the wide-open window, leaving only a narrow crack for listening to the rain.

Qi Yu didn't review anymore and started memorizing directly.

Since it was just her and Pei Jin, she didn't speak very loudly, but her words were clear and her voice was melodious, sounding more like a whisper between lovers in the rain.

Pei Jin gradually became engrossed in listening, and even after Qi Yu stopped, he still looked absorbed.

He busied himself pouring tea for Qi Yu, his fingers unconsciously clenching together.

Qi Yu propped her chin up and listened as Pei Jin explained the allusions used in the article.

She thought to herself, "How boring."

Qi Yu looked out through the crack in the window. It was completely dark outside, but the rain was still pouring down.

She casually asked Pei Jin, "Pei Lang, how did you know it would rain in the next couple of days?"

She had assumed he would say he could read the heavens.

But Pei Jin said, "I have good relations with the officials of the Imperial Observatory."

Pei Jin looked at Qi Yu, only to see her staring blankly out the window, so he asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Yu's throat tightened a little: "I saw a ghostly figure."

A ghostly figure resembling Wu Shiyan.

Pshaw, Wu Shiyan is the male lead, no one can survive longer than him!

Pei Jin closed the last crack in the window: "Don't be afraid, it's just the willow tree outside moving."

Qi Yu, however, was not paying attention.

In the courtyard, you can see the lamp burning inside the house, and two people leaning on each other; whispers can be heard drifting out from inside.

He heard her call Pei Jin "Pei Lang".

Soon, the attendant braved the rain to reach Hengwu Courtyard, rushed into the room, and lit the candles inside, illuminating the entire space.

The government office had urgent business and summoned Pei Jin.

Pei Jin didn't care about anything else, grabbed an umbrella and hurriedly left.

Inside the house, Qiu Kui was comforting Qi Yu, but Qi Yu said absentmindedly, "Qiu Kui, you can go downstairs first. I want to be alone."

Okra could only advise, "It's raining heavily outside, Madam, you absolutely must not go out to enjoy the rain at a time like this."

Qi Yu nodded in agreement, but after Qiu Kui left, she put on her cloak, took her oil-paper umbrella, and went out of the house towards the place where she had seen the ghostly figure.

Her eyesight has always been excellent.

She saw a gray, limp puppy that had fallen into the water.

The scenes from just now flashed before Wu Shiyan's eyes. He stood there motionless, but no one noticed him. However, in the blink of an eye, Qi Yu walked out of the house and went straight to him.

Qi Yu stopped, raised the umbrella high, and shielded Wu Shiyan from view.

Wu Shiyan lowered his head, rain streaming down his cheeks, his eyes filled with Qi Yu.

Wu Shiyan's mind was in a daze, to the point that he had the illusion that Ayu had come to him to have an affair.

Because Qi Yu was standing on tiptoe, he easily bit her lips.

Gently grind with your teeth, or hold it in your mouth with your tongue.

Qi Yu tasted the rainwater, and seeing that Wu Shiyan was about to hug her again, she quickly said, "If you hug me like this, I'll get sick."

Her voice was slightly muffled because her lips had been kissed.

But Wu Shiyan heard clearly, and he didn't make any extra movements, just staring at her without blinking.

So good.

Qi Yu separated her lips from Wu Shiyan's, handed him the umbrella, and was about to take off her cloak and drape it over Wu Shiyan's shoulders, but Wu Shiyan pressed her hand down: "Don't take it off, it's cold."

Qi Yu said, "Go next door and take a hot bath, then see Doctor Meng She to check your pulse. Come back to me when you feel better."

She wouldn't mistake Wu Shiyan's visit despite the rain for a mere slight liking for her.

Wu Shiyan was unwilling to leave.

Qi Yu lowered her head and continued to undo her cloak.

Wu Shiyan's voice was hoarse and indistinct: "Go back inside and I'll leave."

Qi Yu was soft-hearted and couldn't refuse.