Chapter 30 Chapter 30 My sister was thinking of a dead person at my birthday party...
"Your Majesty is injured, call the imperial physician!"
Shouts of alarm echoed everywhere, and Qiao Tang's heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, aching and aching. Nervously, he looked up to see what was happening with Pei Chengjue, but Pei Chengjue held him in his arms, unable to move. "I'm fine, he's just yelling."
Qiao Tang didn't believe it and continued to struggle. A suppressed groan came from above her head. Then Pei Chengjue picked her up and carried her to the inner hall. A worried voice followed behind her, "Your Majesty, please don't move!"
Pei Chengjue must have been injured. She was extremely anxious, but Pei Chengjue held her tightly and she couldn't break free. She was so angry that she used her fingers to grab Pei Chengjue's collar.
Pei Chengjue suppressed a low laugh, "We haven't even reached the bed yet, why are you so anxious, sister?"
Qiao Tang was stunned. At this critical moment, he could still say some nonsensical things. Maybe it was nothing serious. Thinking of this, he felt a little relieved.
The outer hall was in uproar.
Just now, in full view of everyone, Concubine Hui was about to fall from the high platform. His Majesty ran over quickly, disregarding his own safety, and cushioned himself under Concubine Hui, protecting her tightly with his arms. He rolled down several steps before being stopped by the guards.
Now he brought Concubine Hui into the palace with injuries, and everyone was shocked. Maybe His Majesty's words were not drunken talk, maybe His Majesty was just young and in love with Concubine Hui, and he was truly in love with her.
Only the Duke's wife clutched Wei Qingyan's sleeve tightly, and Wei Ruomei hugged Wei Qingyan's arm, which prevented Wei Qingyan from running over without any composure. He just sat at the table, clenched his jaw, and clenched his fist, "Let go, I know my limits!"
Wei Ruomei refused to listen and held him tightly. The Duke's wife loosened her sleeves and suddenly felt a gaze staring at her. She glanced over and saw that it was Gu Yuqing opposite her. Seeing her looking at her, he smiled slightly.
The Duke's wife smiled back, a shadow in her heart, trembling with fear, she touched her chest. Fortunately, she pulled her son back in time, otherwise...
In the inner hall, Qiao Tang was gently placed on the couch, and finally she was able to look up. Pei Chengjue looked worried, "Sister, where does it hurt?"
Qiao Tang shook his head. He saw a layer of cold sweat covering his forehead and his face was pale, as if he was enduring extreme pain. He sat up with a frown on his face, "Your Majesty is clearly injured!"
As soon as these words fell, a group of imperial physicians hurried in. Pei Chengjue only called Cheng Ying in and asked her to examine Qiao Tang carefully. She said, "Noble Concubine Hui is not injured."
Pei Chengjue felt relieved, but Qiao Tang immediately pulled him by the arm and made him sit on the couch. Qiao Tang ordered Cheng Ying, "Call the other imperial physicians in."
Cheng Ying went out. Qiao Tang stood up and reached out to touch Pei Chengjue, from his head to his chest, and then to his abdomen. Seeing that Pei Chengjue's expression remained unchanged, he moved his hands to his legs.
She didn't want to be caught by Pei Chengjue's wrist so quickly, but seeing that his lips were a little pale from the pain, she took Qiao Tang's hand and moved it between his legs, curling her lips, "Sister is missing one."
Qiao Tang was annoyed. What time is it now?
She heard hurried footsteps as a group of imperial doctors came in. Pei Chengjue immediately lifted her up and pressed her down on the couch.
Pei Chengjue's smile disappeared, and his expression was indifferent. "I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle."
Even so, the imperial physicians could not bear it any more. A young imperial physician knelt down to undress Pei Chengjue and remove his shoes, revealing his swollen ankle.
Qiao Tang glanced down and saw it, her eyes reddened and tears dripped out, which Pei Chengjue wiped away gently with his fingers, "I'm not in pain, it's not worth crying."
The imperial doctors hung their heads, thinking that it would be strange if the injury was not painful. Even though His Majesty was still a young man, his words were tougher than those of an adult man.
One of the doctors couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty's ankle injury is too severe, and the ligaments are damaged. You won't be able to walk for a while."
Qiao Tang was about to cry when Pei Chengjue came over and kissed her. She was so frightened that she froze in place, with tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, about to fall.
Pei Chengjue was satisfied and ordered the imperial physician to apply medicine and bandage him, and then let the imperial physicians leave.
Qiao Tang shed a tear and felt infinite guilt in her heart. If it wasn't for protecting her, Pei Chengjue wouldn't have been hurt.
Pei Chengjue turned her head, sucked away the tears with his thin lips, and sighed softly, "It's just a minor injury, but you cried for me, which shows how much you love me. Then why did you say I was drunk at the banquet?"
In the end, he couldn't avoid being asked this question. Qiao Tang choked up instantly, and then he was filled with fear that the Queen Mother knew everything.
Her eyes trembled. It would be better to tell Pei Chengjue now than to continue to lie. She hesitated and said, "If I tell His Majesty, will he be angry?"
"Sister, please speak." Pei Chengjue sensed the deep meaning in her words and slowly narrowed his eyes. He leaned back against the pillow and put his arms on the armrest. After waiting for a while and seeing Qiao Tang not speak, he tapped the armrest with his fingers and urged, "Sister?"
Qiao Tang struggled to make a choice. She bit her lips so hard that she felt blood oozing out, but she didn't feel it at all. She said slowly, "Your Majesty, my ex-husband..."
The remaining sound was strangled in an instant. Qiao Tang was suddenly clamped by Pei Chengjue's chin and forced to raise his cheek to look directly at Pei Chengjue.
"Sister, are you thinking about a dead person at my birthday party?"
Qiao Tang's heart trembled. In Pei Chengjue's mind, Wei Qingyan was definitely dead. She gritted her teeth and said, "He, he didn't..."
Only at this moment did Pei Chengjue realize that her lips were bleeding. His slight anger turned into heartache. He covered her lips with his thin lips and sucked, blocking Qiao Tang's unfinished words.
When the thin lips left, the pale lips turned red, which looked shocking.
He stared intently at Qiao Tang, whose upper body was trembling slightly, and frowned, "Sister, why don't you refute it?"
Qiao Tang was stunned, his eyes were full of doubt. What was there to refute?
Pei Chengjue's expression suddenly changed, and he said with some embarrassment, "Sister, it seems that you really missed that dead person at my birthday party."
Qiao Tang really couldn't refute this. In an instant, her mind was hot and she made up her mind. She said it, just say it, "Your Majesty has misunderstood. My ex-husband..."
This time, she was the one who stopped talking. She looked at Pei Chengjue in fear. Pei Chengjue's eyes were dark, and his face was as pale as paper. He looked at her without emotion or emotion. "How is your ex-husband? Why don't you say anything?"
Qiao Tang's heart trembled. She once again remembered Pei Chengjue's words about wanting her ex-husband to die, and she immediately changed her words, "No, there's nothing more to say."
"Then it's my turn to speak."
Pei Chengjue stretched out his arms and pulled her into his embrace, his gentle embrace like a shackle that imprisoned her. "Sister, what you mean is that when I confessed my feelings to you in front of all the nobles, you thought of that dead man, and therefore denied my feelings?"
He is not dead, he is still alive. It was just two short sentences that Qiao Tang couldn't utter. She could only shake her head quickly to comfort Pei Chengjue's abnormal emotions at the moment.
Pei Chengjue murmured, "Then I'm asking Sister for the answer. Why are you mentioning that dead man?"
Are the dead the answer?
At this moment, his eyes trembled, his face looked extremely ugly, and he clenched Qiao Tang with both arms, "Could it be that sister still has that dead man in her heart, so she denies my feelings!"
"No!" Qiao Tang retorted subconsciously.
Pei Chengjue loosened his hands, leaned back, and smiled slightly, "That's good, sister. I was wrong before. I shouldn't have told you that I'm not a jealous person."
"Actually, I got very angry when I heard my sister mention that dead man."
He deeply regretted his naiveté at the time. He thought he didn't care, but with just a fleeting thought, he realized that the dead man would hold his sister, kiss her, and possess her in bed. Perhaps his sister...
Pei Chengjue gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his cheeks, and he was about to burst into anger. If that dead man dared to ask his sister to give birth to his child...
Qiao Tang was panicking when a gentle and careful voice came from above her head, asking, "Sister, do you have a child with that dead man?"
The voice could even be called gentle. Qiao Tang, feeling anxious, mumbled, "No."
Pei Chengjue's teeth loosened, his anger dissipating, "Sister, don't you want to give birth to his child?"
Qiao Tang nodded slowly.
Pei Chengjue finally put aside all his previous unhappiness and laughed. The dead man didn't deserve it at all.
He said, "Since you no longer have that dead man in your heart, why do you still deny my feelings?"
Qiao Tang lied desperately, "I'm afraid Your Majesty will be embarrassed in the future. If Your Majesty wants other girls in the future, I'm afraid you'll be embarrassed by what you said."
"Sister, you're worrying too much. I only want you in this life." He lowered his face, and pressed his forehead against Qiao Tang's, intimately. "My word is as good as gold."
Qiao Tang was shocked and horrified at first, but after hearing this promise, he felt a tingling sensation in his heart, accompanied by infinite regret.
She was truly wrong. How could she have thought that seducing the underage Pei Chengjue was something she could get away with? She had clearly put herself in the most dangerous position!
Qiao Tang was overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions, and her expression was listless. Pei Chengjue assumed she was sleepy from the shock, so he summoned the palace maids and said, "Pass on my order to disband the banquet and send my mother back to the palace to rest."
The palace maid took the order and left.
"If you feel sleepy, please take a rest. I will take you back to Taiji Palace later."
Pei Chengjue hugged Qiao Tang tightly, and Qiao Tang had no choice but to nestle in his arms. At this moment, the palace maid brought the medicine prepared by the imperial physician. He took it and drank it all. The palace maid left with the medicine bowl.
When Qiao Tang smelled the medicine, her eyelashes trembled uncomfortably. He frowned, put Qiao Tang on the couch, and moved away from her to prevent the medicine smell from bothering Qiao Tang.
Qiao Tang realized this and felt that he had been too mean to Pei Chengjue. He opened his eyes apologetically and said softly, "It's okay."
Pei Chengjue smiled and said, "Sister, go to sleep. I will hold you again after the smell of the medicine dissipates."
Qiao Tang bit her lip, turned her face away, and stopped looking at him. Tonight was supposed to be his birthday party, and not only did she not give him a birthday present, but she also caused him to be injured, causing his birthday party to end early.
The more Qiao Tang thought about it, the more guilty she felt. She reached out and tugged at Pei Chengjue's sleeve. Pei Chengjue observed her small gesture, smiled, and slowly extended his palm. He listened to her softly ask, "Does it still hurt?"
In silence, with his hands clenched, Pei Chengjue couldn't help but lean over and whisper to her, "With my sister, it won't hurt."
Qiao Tang closed her eyes tightly. Would Pei Chengjue really let her leave the palace one day?
It was late at night and everyone was asleep.
In the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, the doors and windows of Wei Qingyan's study were closed, and a small candle flickered in the room.
In the dim light, the Duke's wife had heard the story of Wei Qingyan and Qiao Tang's relationship in Jizhou, and a look of shock flashed in her eyes.
"If I hadn't hurt Tangtang in the past, Tangtang and I wouldn't have come this far." Wei Qingyan rubbed his fingertips, as if the little statue was still there.
Seeing this, the Duke's wife was heartbroken. "It's not all your fault. It's because the Wen family treated you so harshly that you became like this. After hearing what you said, mother knows how much you love Miss Qiao, but you just hide it deep in your heart."
But eventually reason prevailed, and she advised, "Unfortunately, Miss Qiao is now His Majesty's Consort Hui. Your fate with her... is over!"
Wei Qingyan remained silent. The Duke's wife knew he was stubborn and said cruelly, "There will be no Tangtang in the Duke's Mansion, only Concubine Hui."
Her words of dissuasion were like sharp needles, piercing Wei Qingyan's internal organs. Wei Qingyan raised his red eyes and said unwillingly, "I can wait as long as it takes, until she turns back into Tangtang."
"Mother once said that if I ever find a girl I like, I must tell her and she will find a wife for me."
"Tangtang is no longer an ordinary girl. I won't just ask my mother to fulfill her promise for my own sake. I just ask her not to worry about my marriage in the future and let me wait in peace."
The Duke's wife's eyes suddenly turned red. Being slapped in the face by her past words was nothing. As long as her son was fine, it was enough.
"I have already politely declined your marriage with Princess Jingyi to the Empress Dowager today, but you saw at the banquet tonight that His Majesty treats Concubine Hui like a treasure..."
"Tangtang was coerced by His Majesty and has no regard for His Majesty in her heart!" Wei Qingyan interrupted her coldly.
"How do you know there isn't one?"
The Duke's wife recalled the scene in the Cining Palace, where the young emperor joyfully bent down and blocked Concubine Hui in front of the chair. Concubine Hui was stunned and trembling. She couldn't help but ask, "Qingyan, does Concubine Hui really still have you in her heart?"
Wei Qingyan's lips were tightly clenched, and a look of pain flashed across his face. Tangtang's heart was no longer in turmoil when she played the piano. Tangtang pushed Princess Jingyi in front of her, but——
He raised his eyes and looked straight at me, pouring out all the affection he had hidden in his heart for three years in Jizhou, "No matter what, she is in my heart!"
"Then you have to wait for that!"
The Duke's wife was suddenly shocked. She finally understood the Queen Mother's strange smile and strange words. It turned out that the Queen Mother had known about it for a long time!
The Queen Mother's hesitation in speaking clearly indicated that this matter was useful to her, and Wei Qingyan had been implicated.
The Duke's wife didn't want anything to happen to her lost and found son, so she stepped forward and grasped Wei Qingyan's wrist. "Your Majesty doesn't know yet. If His Majesty knew, you and Concubine Hui would be deceiving the Emperor. What would His Majesty do then?"
"But grant me death."
He was always cold and indifferent, as if he didn't care about life or death. The Duke's wife was shocked and angry after hearing this. "If you die, what will happen to me? What will happen to your father, your brother, and your sister?"
Her mind raced, "Where's Concubine Hui! Even if you don't care about me, your father, brothers, and sisters, what will happen to Concubine Hui? Are you going to drag her down with you?"
The corners of Wei Qingyan's lips twitched, and the Duke's wife felt sad. This son loved Concubine Hui more than his family. She raised her sleeve to wipe away the tears streaming down her face, "Even for Concubine Hui, you must keep this a secret and don't let anyone else know."
She did not intend to tell Wei Qingyan that the Queen Mother knew about this. Thinking about the look Gu Yuqing gave her at the palace banquet tonight, she already understood how the Queen Mother knew about it. This was the work of the Gu family.
"If you want to wait, then wait."
She wanted to calm Wei Qingyan for the time being. "Emperors throughout history have always had three palaces and six courtyards. Your Majesty is young and is deeply affectionate towards Concubine Hui. No one can predict what will happen in the future. If Your Majesty gets tired of Concubine Hui, we can perhaps take our time."
Wei Qingyan had heard these words from Wei Qingmo before. He looked quietly at the woman who gave him warm motherly love. He seemed to have a lot to say and wanted to reveal his heart completely.
The Duke's wife waited expectantly for a long time, but received no response. She was extremely annoyed by her son's character and could not help but think of Qiao Tang, the gentle and graceful woman in the Cining Palace. Did she have to face such a son every day during the three years of their marriage?
All parents in the world are biased towards their own children, but at this moment, the Duke's wife was so angry that she could no longer hold back and waved her sleeves to slap Wei Qingyan in the face.
With a snap, Wei Qingyan's cheek tilted to one side, revealing the clear marks of five fingers.
The Duke's wife said coldly, "Change your temper, otherwise even if Concubine Hui leaves the palace, she won't want you anymore!"
She pushed the door open and left, leaving Wei Qingyan in the dim light, with his head tilted and a look of realization on his face.
*
The next day, the Duke's wife brought Wei Ruomei into the palace and met the Queen Mother in the Cining Palace. The Queen Mother sent Wei Ruomei away and asked her to meet Qiao Tang, leaving the Duke's wife behind.
The Duke's wife pondered her words from yesterday, trying to guess her meaning, and tentatively said, "I will also go to pay my respects to Noble Concubine Hui later."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "You have never been a fool. Just explain the pros and cons to Concubine Hui, and she will understand. This is not a big deal, and Qingyan will be fine."
The Duke's wife agreed and learned that Qiao Tang and Wei Ruomei were in Shuyu Pavilion. She left the Cining Palace and went straight to Shuyu Pavilion.
When they arrived at the place, she asked Wei Ruomei to take the palace maids away and knelt down to pay her respects to Qiao Tang.
Qiao Tang was surprised and was about to call her to get up when she whispered, "Qing Yan told me everything last night. He was confused in the past and failed Noble Concubine Hui's affection. But please, Noble Concubine Hui, for the sake of our past relationship, save his life."
The love between husband and wife in the past...
She gritted her teeth and uttered these words. She knew that Qiao Tang had been wronged in the past, but as a parent, she had to consider her children after all. She couldn't bear to see Wei Qingyan in danger.
There was no one else in the pavilion, and the cold wind was blocked outside the window, but Qiao Tang still felt the chill seeping into his bones.
Amidst the faint fragrance, she slowly lowered her eyes. She and Wei Qingyan had been married for three years. Even now, Wei Qingyan still had the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and a mother who loved and protected him and was willing to sacrifice her reputation for him. But what about herself?
There was probably only the difficult decision at hand. For a moment, many thoughts and voices flashed through her mind -
"I'll wait for Tangtang, no matter how long it takes, I'll wait."
"Noble Concubine Hui, is your ex-husband really dead?"
"Miss Qiao, I don't want my two younger brothers to get hurt."
"Sister Qiao, my brother still has you in his heart!"
"Girl, the right people will never be separated."
…
Only Pei Chengjue is missing
So, she made this decision quickly, the faint lingering fragrance obscuring her hazy vision. "My ex-husband was named Wen Jing, and he has been dead for over a year. He has nothing to do with Editor Wei. Please, Madam, return."
The Duke's wife was delighted, knowing that she had agreed. She stood up and bowed again to take her leave. When she reached the door, she looked back and saw the gentle woman, her slender shoulders slumped, sitting there alone. Finally, she gritted her teeth and left.
Not long after, Aunt Sulan from the Cining Palace came over with a stack of portraits. "Noble Concubine Hui, the Empress Dowager said that it's inconvenient to travel in the cold winter. Noble Concubine Hui, it would be better if you leave the palace in the spring after the New Year."
Qiao Tang turned his back to her, put away the handkerchief, nodded slightly, and said nothing. Aunt Sulan put down the portrait and left.
Qiao Tang didn't know how long she had been sitting alone. When she turned around, her cheeks were soft and there was nothing unusual. She raised her sleeve and opened the portrait to take a look. They were all girls from aristocratic families for Pei Chengjue to choose from.
She ordered the palace servants to take the portrait back to Taiji Palace. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she took out the belt that she had not had the chance to give away before, went into the clothing storage room, and stuffed it into the box she brought into the palace.
The box closed and everything was hidden in the darkness. She stepped out and reached the outer room of the bedroom. Her heart suddenly trembled.
Pei Chengjue had returned at some point and was sitting at the table by the window, his injured leg resting on a small stool. He was flipping through the portrait that Qiao Tang had ordered the palace servants to place there.
He had been glancing at it with interest, but when he saw that the portrait didn't belong to Qiao Tang, his face darkened. He suddenly closed his book and pushed it aside, pinching his brows in confusion. Suddenly, he looked back and realized that Qiao Tang was there too. He said helplessly, "I heard from the palace servants that my sister brought back a stack of portraits. I thought they were hers."
Qiao Tang walked over with a smile and unfolded Liu Hexi's portrait for him to see. "Your Majesty keeps calling her 'sister' all the time. Do you still recognize this sister? It is said that she accompanied Your Majesty to study when she was young..."
Pei Chengjue suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, warning her in a deep voice, "I only have one sister, my Concubine Hui."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com