Nan Zhiyun nodded slightly when she saw Xing come over.
"This servant greets Consort Shu." How could Xinglai dare to accept her courtesy? If it were before, he might not have cared so much, but now this was someone His Majesty cared about.
“Your Majesty, His Majesty has been in Zichen Palace all afternoon. Why don’t you go and try to persuade him?” Xinglai adopted a humble attitude.
"Father-in-law, please lead the way," Nan Zhiyun said.
"The sedan chair is ready, Your Highness, please." Xinglai was overjoyed and quickly led Nan Zhiyun to Zichen Palace.
Nan Zhiyun had barely arrived when she began to worry. She didn't know what to say or how to offer advice. In her mind, no one in the harem dared to truly advise Yu Jingchen against anything he did. If Yu Jingchen said something, no one would dare utter a word of dissent.
The sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Zichen Palace, and Nan Zhiyun alighted with Qianxia's help. Looking at the gates of Zichen Palace, Nan Zhiyun suddenly felt a little lost. Why had she agreed to come here in the first place?
"Your Majesty, please," Xinglai said, bowing slightly.
"Aren't we going to report this first?" Nan Zhiyun asked. Without Yu Jingchen's permission, who would dare to enter this place?
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, please go ahead." Xinglai was quite confident.
Nan Zhiyun hesitated for a long time before daring to go in. Fortunately, she noticed Nan Zhiyun's hesitation and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Your Majesty, look at what you've done before! You've terrified people so much! Now I can't even help you..."
"Your Majesty, don't worry, His Majesty won't be angry." He'd love for you to come... Of course, he would never say the part about being happy to see you.
Nan Zhiyun hesitated for a while before daring to go in, but luckily someone was there to guide her. However… perhaps it was just bad luck, but she happened to run into Yu Jingchen throwing a tantrum.
Nan Zhiyun was still outside when she heard the sound of Yu Jingchen's cup shattering inside. Startled, she didn't dare approach any further.
Xinglai: "..." Why did you get angry now? If you scare him away, you'll be stuck on the roof every day from now on.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" It was a woman's voice, it sounded like Consort Xu... (The previous Consort De, who was punished and injured at the beginning of the story, and the male lead asked her to attend to the sick, but she deliberately caused the female lead to be demoted, see chapter sixteen.)
Fortunately, there was no other way but to go in first.
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness," Xinglai said to Nan Zhiyun, who naturally had no objections.
When Xinglai entered, he saw Xu Jieyu kneeling on the ground, with broken porcelain next to her and a lot of dirt splattered on her. The ground was covered with spilled food, so it seemed that her attempt to curry favor had failed.
"How do you do things? Did I give you permission to let people in?" Yu Jingchen roared as soon as he saw Xing Lai.
"Have you all forgotten the rule that you are not allowed to approach Zichen Palace without my permission?" Yu Jingchen seemed unusually angry today, and Nan Zhiyun clenched her fists tightly outside.
Xinglai: "..."
"Your Majesty, Consort Shu has arrived," Xinglai said directly.
Yu Jingchen was taken aback. Who?
"What did you say?" Yu Jingchen thought he had misheard. She was staying in Cining Palace perfectly well, so why would she come here? Even if the Empress Dowager and her father weren't here today, Nan Zhiyun still wouldn't necessarily come here, okay?
“It is Consort Shu, but… if His Majesty is unwilling to see her now, then this servant will send Consort Shu back first,” Xinglai said.
"Wait a minute," Yu Jingchen frowned slightly.
Fortunately, he had expected this. He silently rolled his eyes. Didn't you say that no one was allowed to approach the Zichen Palace without your permission? And now? Tsk, where's your integrity? Where are the rules? Your Majesty, didn't you always believe that without rules, there can be no order?
"Let her in," Yu Jingchen said. Xu Jieyu, lying on the ground, listened with a look of resentment in her eyes.
"Yes," Xinglai understood and went out to fetch someone.
Nan Zhiyun waited, feeling a little flustered, after all, she had just learned that Yu Jingchen was throwing a tantrum.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty invites you in." Xinglai smiled obsequiously.
Nan Zhiyun nodded and followed Xing Lai inside. When she saw Xu Jieyu kneeling on the ground, she dared not look around anymore.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects," Nan Zhiyun said, bowing respectfully.
"No need for formalities." Yu Jingchen got down and helped Nan Zhiyun up.
"Why did you suddenly come here?" Yu Jingchen softened his voice.
Nan Zhiyun didn't know how to answer. She looked at Xu Jieyu, and Yu Jingchen followed her gaze, his eyes turning slightly cold.
"Take him out. For disrespecting the Emperor, he is to be confined to his quarters for three months. During these three months, he must relearn the rules. If he does not study for eight hours a day, he will kneel for one day the next day. The number of days he kneels will increase the confinement by that number of days," Yu Jingchen ordered.
"Your Majesty..." Consort Xu knelt down and grabbed Yu Jingchen's robe, trying to beg for mercy.
"Too light?" Yu Jingchen looked at her.
Consort Xu choked up, not daring to say anything more, and was then pulled away. She had heard that His Majesty was here alone today, so she thought she would come and give it a try, but she did not expect Yu Jingchen to lose his temper so badly.
Relearn palace rules? There are plenty of ways to torment people in the palace, especially for her now... Those people are all opportunistic. She received a lot of disdain when she was demoted before, and now... Consort Xu is resentful, all because of Nan Zhiyun.
If it weren't for her, how could I have been demoted from one of the four consorts to a mere concubine? Why am I now being punished by His Majesty to relearn palace rules? At least eight hours a day, for three months straight… It's all Nan Zhiyun's fault!
The room quieted down, and Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun again, who seemed a little uncomfortable.
"Why did you suddenly come here? Is there something you need?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun shook her head.
"Hmm?" Yu Jingchen's eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Fortunately, Father-in-law sent me,” Nan Zhiyun replied.
Xinglai: "..." Your Majesty, you are truly honest.
Yu Jingchen glanced at Xing Lai, then took Nan Zhiyun's hand.
"What did he ask you to come here for?" Yu Jingchen asked her. Fortunately, her hands weren't too cold, so she shouldn't be feeling cold.
“He said that His Majesty has been staying here handling official business, and asked me to come and persuade Your Majesty,” Nan Zhiyun replied.
"So, how are you going to persuade me?" Yu Jingchen led Nan Zhiyun to the side.
Nan Zhiyun followed along with small steps, and then Yu Jingchen led her to sit down to the side.
“…I don’t know.” Nan Zhiyun answered truthfully.
"You didn't know? You didn't know and you still came?" Yu Jingchen's expression was gentle, then he looked at Lai Xinglai: "Step down."
"Yes..." Fortunately, he bowed and left. See how precise and close he was? If Consort Shu hadn't come, he would probably have had to endure this punishment today.
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