Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Do you think I would keep a woman I am tired of...
Qiao Tang was slightly startled, and her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was filled with sorrow, which caught Pei Chengjue's eyes.
Pei Chengjue couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips, thinking that he had exposed her coldness and finally made her show some concern.
He took a step forward and was about to hold Qiao Tang's hand when Qiao Tang said, "Miss Liu was chosen by the Empress Dowager. His Majesty rejected her outright. Does the Empress Dowager agree?"
The joy in his heart was strangled in an instant. It turned out that he was worried about this. He was so angry that he almost bit his teeth. Qiao Tang was still waiting for his answer.
He said as a matter of course, "Noble Concubine Hui is choosing a concubine for me, so she should have considered my opinion. My mother likes Liu Hexi, so she asked Liu Hexi to accompany her. What does this have to do with me?"
"Noble Concubine Hui, why don't you quickly eliminate all the girls older than me?"
"I understand. Then I will choose my younger sister."
Qiao Tang lowered her head to select the portrait. She could not hear Pei Chengjue's denial and sighed in her heart. It turned out that men's preferences would change. He liked the older sister before, but now he likes the younger sister.
"What does your majesty think of Miss Gu?"
She picked out Gu Yuqing's portrait and didn't show it to Pei Chengjue. After all, they had both seen it several times.
Pei Chengjue didn't care about the portrait, but was staring at Qiao Tang's face. When she looked up to ask for his opinion, she pursed her thin lips tightly, but didn't say whether it was okay or not.
"His Majesty?"
In his opinion, Qiao Tang's urging him was like urging him to hug other girls and kiss other girls.
He even felt that even if he kissed other girls in front of Qiao Tang, Qiao Tang would remain calm, let alone feel jealous.
He couldn't bear it any longer and looked away, feeling annoyed and resentful.
He was annoyed that Qiao Tang didn't love him, and hated himself for all the bad things he had done. Why did he ask his sister to choose a concubine for him? In the end, he was the only one who suffered!
Qiao Tang saw his expression change several times, not knowing what he was thinking. Unable to get an answer from him, he arbitrarily placed Gu Yuqing's portrait on the selected area and looked through the other portraits.
She found another suitable girl and looked up at Pei Chengjue, but Pei Chengjue glared at her fiercely and walked away.
Qiao Tang was furious. Pei Chengjue was really being rude to her. She had worked so hard to choose a concubine for him, yet she still had to endure his anger.
She simply stopped wasting time and hastily put together the portraits of a dozen or so sisters and just chose them. After all, Pei Chengjue would have to see the real person in the future, so it didn't matter if this procedure was a bit sloppy.
At mealtime, the palace servants kept urging Qiao Tang to eat more. Qiao Tang ate a little more and heard the palace servants say, "The Empress looks thinner than usual. Would you like the imperial physician to check her pulse?"
Qiao Tang immediately thought of Cheng Ying, nodded in agreement, and called Cheng Ying over.
After Cheng Ying arrived, he carefully felt her pulse and looked at her face, a look of pity flashing across his eyes.
In the spring, she thought that Concubine Hui valued her health very much and knew how to take care of herself. However, after a few months, her mind became confused and she watched her body suffer some damage.
"A broken heart harms your body, Your Majesty, you must be careful in the future."
After hearing this, Qiao Tang understood. She had indeed been experiencing great emotional fluctuations recently and was really sad for a while. She thought it would be better for her to take good care of herself, so she asked Cheng Ying to write a prescription and told Cheng Ying to leave.
In the Qinzheng Palace, Pei Chengjue had long since lost interest in government affairs. He stood before the imperial table with his arms folded, pacing a few steps before glancing to the side. "Has Cheng Ying left Taiji Palace yet?"
This was the third time he asked.
Eunuch Li replied skillfully, "Not yet. I have ordered someone to guard the gate of Taiji Palace. As soon as Doctor Cheng comes out, I will bring her to see His Majesty."
He looked at Pei Chengjue's anxious brows and sighed in his heart. Everyone in the court said that His Majesty had become cold and violent, and had become much more of a bastard.
From his point of view, things became awkward. If Concubine Hui was so concerned about him, why didn't she go and ask in person as before? Why did she have to wait here anxiously?
Pei Chengjue was already getting impatient. Ever since he saw Qiao Tang had lost weight, he had always felt worried deep down in his heart. However, his worry was overshadowed by his resentment, and he was unwilling to personally remind Qiao Tang to see the imperial physician.
Besides, Qiao Tang is always taking care of himself, so why does he need to remind him?
But Qiao Tang had been so depressed recently that he had actually neglected this point, so he had to order the palace servants to remind him.
Seeing that Cheng Ying had been gone for a long time and still hadn't come back, he couldn't help but wonder, could it be that his sister was seriously ill?
He frowned and wanted to rush out of the palace and go back to Taiji Palace to see Qiao Tang. However, when he thought about Qiao Tang's indifferent look when she was choosing a concubine for him, his heart turned cold again.
She doesn't love me, so how can I be so shameless as to approach her again and again?
Pei Chengjue's brows were cold. He slowly sat back at the imperial table, opened the memorial, took a look at it, closed it with a snap, and stood up and walked down the stairs.
When he reached the palace gate, he saw Cheng Ying asking for an audience. He then steadied his steps and asked calmly, "How is Concubine Hui?"
Cheng Ying said, "Noble Concubine Hui has been mentally distressed for a while, and her health has weakened a bit. I have prescribed a prescription, and you can just take some daily nourishment."
Pei Chengjue's face darkened. He didn't want to think about who his sister was sad about. It definitely wasn't for him. He had learned to be honest and not think about things that made him angry.
Suddenly, the sound of her sister crying in bed flashed by her ears. Her heart tightened and she asked anxiously, "What would happen if Concubine Hui was pregnant right now?"
Cheng Ying was shocked. "Given your Majesty's current physical and mental condition, if you get pregnant now, the fetus might be unstable..."
Pei Chengjue understood what was left unsaid. He waved Cheng Ying away, a trace of regret welling up in his heart, but it was suppressed in an instant. It was his sister who deceived him first, so he had reason to be angry. He could not be soft-hearted towards his sister.
But it’s okay to go see my sister. Pei Chengjue tightened his jaw, walked out of the Qinzheng Hall and went to the Taiji Palace.
Qiao Tang drank a bowl of tonic with all her might before going to bed, then put the bowl down. A hand reached out to her ear and stuffed the candied fruit into her mouth. The sweetness quickly filled her teeth, alleviating the bitterness.
She felt much more comfortable, knowing that Pei Chengjue had returned. She looked back and saw that Pei Chengjue was still holding candied fruit in his hand. When she saw this, he threw the candied fruit back into the fruit bowl with a calm expression, turned around and went into the inner room without saying a word.
He also learned to have a cold face like Qiao Tang.
Qiao Tang was about to get angry, but then he remembered Cheng Ying's instructions, and his anger dissipated in the blink of an eye. Anger is harmful to the body, so why bother with his own body?
After bathing, Qiao Tang changed into pajamas and saw that the gauze curtains on the bed had been drawn, so he thought Pei Chengjue must have fallen asleep.
It just so happened that she was worried about Pei Chengjue's troubles with her and didn't want to sleep with him, so she ordered the palace servants to take her to a bedroom in the main hall.
After falling asleep for a while, she was still conscious when she felt fingers gently caressing her cheek. It was itchy and disturbing, so she raised her sleeve to swat the fingers away and then fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Chengjue sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her with dissatisfaction. Thinking of her feeling unwell, he endured it and did not say a word for a long time.
After a long time, he couldn't help but get up and leave, so he gently carried Qiao Tang inside and lay down outside.
This bed was not as big as the one in the bedroom. Pei Chengjue was tall and had long legs, and he was afraid of bumping into Qiao Tang, who would then give him a cold face, so he had to curl up on one side.
Qiao Tang didn't notice that there was someone beside him all night.
When she woke up the next day, she felt that she had slept very well. She thought that she might as well sleep here from now on, so she ordered the palace servants to move her things here.
They were going to stay here again that night, and Pei Chengjue happened to come back to sleep. The two looked at each other, and Pei Chengjue said nothing and returned to the bedroom with no expression.
His cold face is much more severe than Qiao Tang's.
Qiao Tang didn't care anymore, instead she felt relieved. It seemed that Pei Chengjue had figured it out, and his previous obsession with her had completely dissipated.
Little did she know that once she fell asleep, Pei Chengjue would sneak in quietly, stand a palm's distance away from her, curl up beside her, and look at her quietly.
After a few days, the two of them rarely communicated with each other. Qiao Tang's cheeks had gained some weight, and the palace maids and Rong Youyan urged him to eat more frequently.
Pei Chengjue saw this and secretly touched Qiao Tang's cheek at night. Seeing that Qiao Tang was startled and seemed to be waking up, he quickly retracted his hand. He was a little angry and secretly cursed himself for being so shameless and sneaking around like a thief.
But she was still reluctant to leave, so she curled up obediently and slept beside Qiao Tang, feeling a little happy in her heart.
The day of the annual banquet arrived in the blink of an eye. Early that morning, Eunuch Li from the Qinzheng Palace arrived at the Taiji Palace. He bowed and said to Qiao Tang, "Your Majesty has instructed us to pick up Concubine Hui tonight to attend the banquet. Please make preparations early."
Seeing that Pei Chengjue was determined to take her with him, Qiao Tang no longer had the thought of resisting and just went without any preparation. She did not wear the imperial concubine's attire, but only ordinary palace attire.
Unexpectedly, when Pei Chengjue arrived, he was followed by a group of palace maids from the Needlework Bureau. The palace maids were holding several boxes and all looked at Qiao Tang.
Pei Chengjue ordered, "Change Concubine Hui's clothes."
Qiao Tang was stunned as she was surrounded by palace maids and put on a brand new and gorgeous imperial concubine's dress and a dazzling headdress.
The palace maids stared at her blankly, feeling that even the bright lights in the entire Taiji Palace could not match her brilliance.
Qiao Tang was speechless, not knowing what Pei Chengjue meant by dressing her up like this. She didn't look happy as she walked out.
The moment Pei Chengjue looked over, his breath quickened. Even Qiao Tang's cold face seemed beautiful to him. Forgetting everything else for a moment, he quickly walked over and said with a smile, "Sister."
When this sound came out, both of them were startled.
Qiao Tang looked at him suspiciously, thinking that he was drunk again. He hoped he would not go crazy on the spot like he did last time!
She took a step back with lingering fear.
Pei Chengjue was scolding himself for being spineless, and when he saw her retreat and not wanting to pay attention to him, his face immediately darkened, and he tried to save face, "Why did Concubine Hui retreat? If I hadn't said some inappropriate things to the ministers at my birthday banquet, Concubine Hui wouldn't be needed."
Qiao Tang immediately remembered what he said at the birthday party. If he didn't go with him, it would really make him lose face. So he stopped resisting and left Taiji Palace with him.
She hadn't been out for a long time, and when she suddenly saw the situation outside the palace, she felt a little dazed. She calmed herself down before taking another step.
Pei Chengjue saw that she had fallen behind him and was unwilling to walk side by side with him. He turned back and pursed his lips and said, "Noble Concubine Hui, please walk faster."
Qiao Tang finally caught up and walked side by side with him.
Pei Chengjue lowered his eyes, glanced at her hand, stroking his fingertips, and was about to reach out to hold her hand, but she retracted her hand into her sleeve.
Pei Chengjue looked worried and walked faster.
Qiao Tang fell behind again. This time, she didn't rush. She saw all the lights along the way were dazzling and magnificent. She was secretly amazed and asked the palace servants, "Is it like this every year in the palace?"
The palace attendant said, "Your Majesty, this isn't the case every year, but this year it's especially grand."
It turned out to be the same decoration as the Taiji Palace. She nodded in understanding. Pei Chengjue saw that when she was talking to the palace maids, her expression was much gentler. He felt uncomfortable in his heart and walked faster.
It was not until they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony that Qiao Tang stood with Pei Chengjue. Pei Chengjue immediately grabbed her hand, held her up steadily, and walked in to the singing of the palace servants.
At this time, all the court officials and their families were kneeling on the ground. Amid the splendor in the hall, Qiao Tang glanced over to the table of the Duke of Zhenguo and saw Wei Qingyan there. He was stunned for a moment, realizing that he had been released by Pei Chengjue.
Suddenly her hand felt painful, and she met Pei Chengjue's cold gaze. It seemed that Pei Chengjue was suspicious again. She lowered her eyes and felt completely relieved. It was better to let it go.
Qiao Tang was forcibly led by Pei Chengjue and sat with him at the highest point.
When the Queen Mother saw the two of them sitting together, although she was displeased, she didn't care as much as before.
After all, Pei Chengjue was willing to choose a concubine, and Concubine Hui would have to leave the palace after the new year, so she just waited calmly.
Qiao Tang looked at her and immediately understood what she was thinking. He nodded hastily, meaning that he would leave the palace and she could rest assured.
The Queen Mother smiled more and more comfortably.
The annual banquet was grand in scale. Under the bright lights, Qiao Tang glanced at the scene of clinking glasses and suddenly met the eyes of Princess Jingyi.
Princess Jingyi was sitting at a table in Prince Xiang's mansion, looking over worriedly. She couldn't help but smile softly at Princess Jingyi.
Pei Chengjue glanced sideways and tightened his grip on the wine glass in his hand. He was so gentle to the palace maids and Pei Jingyi, but treated him with a cold face.
At that moment, his heart suddenly swelled up, the pain was so severe that it almost burst his chest, making it unbearable for him, "Noble Concubine Hui!"
Qiao Tang looked over when he heard the voice. Seeing his gloomy face, the smile on his lips suddenly faded. He sneered, "If you want to congratulate Pei Jingyi, just call her up."
Qiao Tang thought he was talking nonsense, and frowned as he added, "Noble Concubine Hui probably doesn't know yet, but Pei Jingyi is getting married after the New Year."
Qiao Tang's heart was pounding, and he felt something was wrong. Sure enough, Pei Chengjue came closer and whispered in his ear, "You and Wei Qingyan, I will grant you a marriage soon."
Qiao Tang turned his head suddenly, and his cheek touched Pei Chengjue's thin lips. They were both stunned, and there was an uproar under the high seat.
Pei Chengjue glanced down the stairs.
Everyone lowered their heads and fell silent for a moment. The hall was suddenly silent. The Queen Mother said angrily, "Your Majesty!"
Seeing that everyone had misunderstood, Qiao Tang turned away.
Pei Chengjue hadn't kissed her for a long time, and this time it was like a spark that set the whole field on fire.
Pei Chengjue tried his best to suppress his passion as he listened to Qiao Tang's serious words, "Your Majesty, these two are not suitable. We must not let Princess Jingyi down."
"Even now, Imperial Concubine Hui is still trying to stop me from granting the marriage. I'm afraid that in Imperial Concubine Hui's eyes, everyone else is not suitable for Wei Qingyan."
Pei Chengjue's enthusiasm faded away and he looked at Qiao Tang expressionlessly.
Qiao Tang was speechless. The thorn of Wei Qingyan was too deep in Pei Chengjue's heart to be removed by just a few words.
She fell silent and told herself in her heart that she had tried her best, and the best outcome was that Wei Qingyan did not die because of her.
It only involved Princess Jingyi. She listened to Pei Chengjue's voice granting the marriage in front of the ministers and the ministers' congratulations, and her eyes wandered downwards.
But Wei Qingyan actually accepted the congratulations from others with a faint smile, and the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife also had smiles on their faces. It seemed that they were very satisfied that their son was still alive.
Qiao Tang went to look at Prince Xiang's table again. Prince Xiang was also smiling and accepting congratulations. Prince Xiang's son looked at the girls at the banquet with a frivolous look in his eyes. Princess Jingyi smiled reservedly.
Everyone was happy, except Qiao Tang, who felt a tightness in her chest. She looked at Pei Chengjue, who was drinking and looking down with interest. Under his gaze, the court officials were flattering the marriage.
Qiao Tang felt that he was a stranger and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I am not feeling well. May I leave early?"
Pei Chengjue drank the wine in his cup and raised his lips nonchalantly, "Noble Concubine Hui, please do as you please."
Qiao Tang stood up, leaving the clamor of the palace. He didn't want the palace maids to accompany him. He walked alone for ten steps when he heard hurried footsteps behind him, "Sister Hui."
Qiao Tang looked back and saw Princess Jingyi's eyes were red. "Sister Hui hasn't been out for a long time. Are you okay?"
Qiao Tang smiled after hearing this, motioned her to come closer, and patted her head. "I'm fine. But you, in order to save Wei Qingyan, put yourself in danger. Is it worth it?"
Neither of them mentioned Qiao Tang and Wei Qingyan's past. Princess Jingyi smiled and whispered, "Sister Hui, don't worry about me. Getting married is just a temporary solution. Editor Wei and I have already discussed it. After we get married, we will leave the capital for Jizhou. Once we get there, we will divorce."
Qiao Tang asked in surprise, "You want to leave your father and brother?"
Princess Jingyi's eyebrows were covered with worry. "Sister Hui, I grew up in the capital. The capital is too small. I want to go out and see the world."
Qiao Tang thought about her situation. It was said that Pei Ze was still dishonest after entering the military camp. Prince Xiang was only concerned with cleaning up his mess and didn't care about her, his daughter. She didn't want to stay in Prince Xiang's mansion anymore.
Princess Jingyi smiled and said, "I'll come back when I've had enough fun. Besides, Editor Wei is with me, so don't worry, Sister Hui."
Qiao Tang finally felt relieved. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: it would be great if she could also leave the capital with Princess Jingyi.
Thinking of this, Qiao Tang's eyes lit up. She spoke a few more words to Princess Jingyi before letting her return to the palace.
She walked slowly back to Taiji Palace, completely unaware that Pei Chengjue was also walking slowly not far behind her.
As we approached the palace gate, brilliant fireworks suddenly exploded in the night sky, shining brightly and fluttering with great momentum.
Qiao Tang craned his neck in surprise to look.
The fireworks continued for a long time. The courtiers watching the excitement in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were puzzled and asked the officials beside them, "Why is this year's palace banquet so much more grand than in previous years?"
The official from the Ministry of Rites looked around and whispered cautiously, "Today is Noble Concubine Hui's birthday. Your Majesty arranged it a month in advance."
The minister was even more puzzled, "Why did His Majesty and Noble Concubine Hui leave without even letting us celebrate Noble Concubine's birthday?"
The official from the Ministry of Rites shook his head, "Who knows?"
In front of the Taiji Palace, Pei Chengjue leaned against the door, folded his arms and quietly looked at the sparks flowing from the sky.
He turned his ear to the door, but naturally he couldn't hear Qiao Tang's voice through the hall door. He hesitated for a while, but finally stepped in.
Qiao Tang and the palace maids looked at the sky for a while in the corridor. A palace maid brought a bowl of medicine. She couldn't help but laugh and took it and drank it all in one gulp.
The fireworks on this year’s birthday were beautiful, but Nanny Wang’s longevity noodles were replaced with a bowl of medicine soup.
Qiao Tang's mouth was full of bitterness. Another firework burst into life in the sky, and streaks of flames streamed down. She saw Pei Chengjue coming towards her.
She frowned and thought for a moment. She had already chosen a concubine for Pei Chengjue, and Pei Chengjue no longer bothered her. This fate of theirs was over.
She is currently imprisoned in the palace. If she wants to leave, she might as well talk to Pei Chengjue first. If Pei Chengjue agrees, she doesn't have to wait until after the New Year to leave.
The palace maids all left. Pei Chengjue walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked at Qiao Tang. She was wearing the clothes of a noble concubine and was extremely beautiful.
Pei Chengjue's eyes flashed with obsession, and all his resentment seemed to have dissipated. Only the intimacy in the hall that could not be considered a kiss flashed through his mind, and he slowly walked up the stairs.
Qiao Tang sighed secretly, took two steps back, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to the ground, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
Pei Chengjue's expression suddenly changed, and he choked back the words "Happy Birthday" that were about to come out of his mouth.
The roar of fireworks exploding from the sky couldn't drown out Qiao Tang's loud plea, "Your Majesty, I grew up in Jizhou. I've been away from home for over a year now, and I truly miss it. I beg Your Majesty to let me leave the palace and return home."
Pei Chengjue stood there motionless, his hands suddenly clenched into fists in his sleeves, his fingertips sinking into his palms, drawing out beads of blood. He was completely unaware, only knowing that Qiao Tang had dared to tell him that she was leaving.
Why?
Because he arranged the marriage between Wei Qingyan and Pei Jingyi?
Because he didn't return Nanny Wang to her on her birthday?
Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and in the end, he sneered, laughing at himself for still being able to find excuses for her. It was so simple, she just didn't love him.
Blood dripped from the palm of his hand and landed on the brick surface with a "plop" sound, which reached Qiao Tang's ears, causing him to be confused and uneasy.
She hesitantly straightened up and looked up at Pei Chengjue. She felt that Pei Chengjue's towering body was like a mountain, pressing her down. Her face suddenly showed panic.
The gorgeous fireworks had faded, the sky was dark, and the palace lanterns in the corridor cast light, reflecting Pei Chengjue's frosty face.
The cold wind blew his eyes red, and he pursed his thin lips and curled them into a sarcastic smile, "What is Concubine Hui afraid of?"
"Do you think I would keep a woman I'm tired of?"
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