Chapter 225 I'll only ever be a tool for life

After the Empress Dowager left, Wu Yang presented the cloak, and Pei Yanzhi carefully tied it around her neck.

He said gently, "Are we still staying here? Qinghe finished class early today, so let us go have dinner with him."

Ji Shu's eyes sparkled, and her eyebrows curved slightly. "Okay."

As she spoke, she intertwined her fingers with his, and the two walked out like a perfect couple.

Pei Xingjian looked at the perfectly matched figures, a flash of pain crossing his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

Wei Heng, kneeling on the ground, suddenly spoke, her voice laced with sarcasm: "So jealous, aren't you? You wish you were standing next to her, don't you?"

Pei Xingjian's eyes flashed coldly as he suddenly grabbed her neck, his voice deep and dangerous: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Wei Heng laughed out loud, completely unconcerned, her expression manic, until tears welled up in her eyes.

"Do you think I don't know anything? Who was it that rushed over as soon as they heard Ji Shu was here, as if they were afraid we would eat her up?"

"And who is it that has been loitering around the Hall of Mental Cultivation these days, yet dares not step inside?"

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that your father will depose you from your position as crown prince?"

"Pei Xingjian, Pei Xingjian, in the end, you still care more about your position as crown prince!"

Pei Xingjian's expression changed slightly, but his grip tightened inch by inch, and his face became even colder and more ruthless.

He only let go when Wei Heng's face turned deathly pale and her eyes began to roll back.

She took out a handkerchief, wiped her hands with disgust, and said, "I can pretend I never heard what you said today, but if I find out that you've been saying things that are bad for her outside, you should know that this is what will happen to you."

He casually tossed the handkerchief at her and turned to leave.

Wei Heng sat alone on the cold palace floor, her knuckles digging into the gold bricks, her well-maintained nails breaking off, yet she felt no pain whatsoever.

As she gazed at Pei Xingjian's tall and straight back, tears finally welled up in her eyes, and the only sound in the empty palace was her sobbing.

Whether she was crying for Pei Xingjian's heartlessness or suffering for the days to come, she knew she could only live like a tool for the rest of her life.

Pei Yanzhi held Ji Shu's hand as they boarded the palanquin, its bright yellow satin draped down.

Pei Yanzhi said in a low voice, "There's no need to go to these kinds of occasions in the future."

Ji Shu understood, but that person was, after all, her mother and Qinghe's grandmother. She shouldn't avoid seeing her, both morally and logically.

But not wanting to upset him, I said okay.

"I won't go there again."

Upon arriving at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperor's meals were prepared by special staff from the Imperial Kitchen, and the dishes were already laid out before he even entered the hall.

This was Ji Shu's first time in the emperor's office, and she looked around.

"I forgot to tell you, I plan to leave the palace tomorrow. Your pulse has stabilized a lot. After seven more days of acupuncture and bloodletting, you'll be cured."

It was only when she said it that she realized she had been living in the palace for almost a month.

Pei Yanzhi picked up a glutinous rice ball and put it in her bowl. Hearing this, he just smiled and said, "Then you can talk to him yourself after Qinghe finishes school."

"He's probably going to be unhappy again."

Speaking of this, Ji Shu couldn't help but feel a headache. She wondered if she had spoiled the child these days.

Every time she spoke of the palace, she was stopped by his wailing and howling; a child's crying can go on and on.

Originally scheduled to leave the palace in seven days, I unknowingly stayed for almost three seven-day periods.

Ji Shu sighed softly, picked up a dumpling and ate it. It tasted sweet.

Her eyes lit up, and Pei Yanzhi's gaze softened when he saw that she liked it. He then instructed Wu Yang, "Give the order that there will be a reward from the Imperial Kitchen today."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She ate much more than usual without realizing it. After finishing her meal, she looked at the desk in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which was where he usually handled government affairs.

With a slight thought, she walked over slowly, her fingertips gently tracing the spot where he usually sat.

Suddenly lost in thought, she realized that this place was not unfamiliar to her; in fact, it was quite familiar. All of this stemmed from that dream.

In my dream, I saw him here, speaking sternly and anxiously about national affairs, his old illness recurring.

Pei Yanzhi sipped his tea, a smile playing on his usually cold and sharp eyes.

He watched her wander around, stopping here and there, until she arrived at the place where he usually handled official business.

Not long after, he saw her looking sorrowful, put down his teacup, walked over, and embraced her.

"What's wrong?"

Ji Shu leaned against his chest and whispered, "Your Majesty, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Pei Yanzhi shook his head and chuckled. Although he didn't understand why she asked that question, he still shook his head to indicate that he didn't believe her.

Ji Shu knew that he never believed in superstitions and had no intention of telling him that she was not from this world. She simply said, "But I believe."

"Oh? Why?"

Leaning against his chest, she absentmindedly fiddled with the ring on his finger. “I used to feel that I had very little connection with this world, that I had few relatives, and that even my only grandmother had passed away.”

"Then I met you. Do you think it's because God felt your past life was too tragic and sent me to accompany you?"

Pei Yanzhi lifted her up and sat her on the table, supporting her waist with one hand. He then kissed her forehead, cheek, and then the peak of her lips.

Their breaths mingled, and he whispered, "Perhaps, you are a gift from heaven to me."

"Hmm—"

As their lips met, Ji Shu felt as if every inch of her body was firmly under his control.

There is nowhere to escape.

Only when her eyelashes were wet did he step back slightly, close his eyes for a moment, and whisper in her ear, "Ten more days..."

Ji Shu's heart softened, knowing that he had been struggling to restrain himself these past few days.

...

The next day, Ji Shu waved goodbye to Qinghe, whose eyes were wet with tears, and to Pei Yanzhi, who was standing to the side.

After watching the carriage drive away, Qinghe couldn't help but look up at his father, the Emperor.

Sobbing, he said, "Father... Your son misses Mother..."

Pei Yanzhi patted his head, his gaze still fixed on the direction where the carriage had disappeared, and said gently, "Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon."

October of the fourth year of Chengping.

The acupuncture treatment, which lasted for nearly two months, finally ended. Pei Yanzhi lay on the brocade quilt, revealing his strong and broad back.

Ji Shu stared intently as she carefully used a plum blossom needle to puncture and bleed the Dazhui, Feishu, Quze, and Shaoshang acupoints.

Even before winter arrived, Ji Shu had already instructed Chunzhi to place charcoal braziers in the house to prevent the cold from entering the body.

Seeing the released blood clots quickly turn into a jelly-like consistency, Ji Shu knew that the treatment was successful.

Now that the world is at peace, he no longer needs to go out and lead troops, and his health will surely recover well.

Pei Yanzhi closed his eyes and fell asleep. Ji Shu looked at the dark circles under his eyes and knew that he had probably left the palace to be with her, and that he probably hadn't slept all night again.

She carefully covered him with the blanket and quietly went out.

After she came out of the outer room, Ying'er and Chunzhi were sitting in the pavilion waiting for her.