But Yu Jingchen felt something was off when he heard this.
"What exactly does the Empress Dowager want to say? What do you mean?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"It doesn't mean anything. It's just that His Majesty doesn't want to stay with me. I can't force him, can I?" The Empress Dowager said nothing more.
Yu Jingchen's bowl was full of food that the Empress Dowager had put on it, which made him unsure of the Empress Dowager's intentions. The Empress Dowager seemed to be acting very strangely today.
"Seeing how much His Majesty enjoys eating fish reminds me of that silly child, Yun'er," the Empress Dowager suddenly said.
Sure enough, Yu Jingchen sneered. So, finally getting to the point. After all that buildup, it all came down to this. Yu Jingchen suddenly lost his appetite.
Just as Yu Jingchen was about to speak, the Empress Dowager spoke first: "Your Majesty may not know, but Yun'er is actually allergic to fish. Every time she eats it, she gets large red welts all over her body."
Yu Jingchen had forgotten what he was going to say. Hearing this, he frowned. In his memory, Nan Zhiyun liked to eat fish, didn't she? She always picked out fish the most.
"Your Majesty must have remembered that Yun'er eats too much fish, right? She's just a fool." The Empress Dowager's expression softened considerably as she spoke, though she was referring to Nan Zhiyun as foolish, her expression was full of affection.
"Yun'er likes to eat fish because His Majesty likes to eat it. Don't you think she's a bit silly?" The Empress Dowager looked at Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen was somewhat surprised when he heard this, but what did it have to do with him? Nan Zhiyun was stupid, so why should he care?
"Your Majesty, there are some things I must say, though you may not like to hear them. You've always felt that we all have ulterior motives towards you, but no matter how much you suspect, you shouldn't doubt Yun'er. She's so naive, giving you her whole heart," the Empress Dowager continued.
"Heh, the Empress Dowager really goes to great lengths for Nan Zhiyun, she'll say anything." Yu Jingchen sneered.
"Regardless of what Your Majesty thinks, Your Majesty doesn't need to be so cruel to Yun'er. She simply likes someone who hates her. Even if Your Majesty doesn't like her, there's no need to deliberately humiliate or hurt her," the Empress Dowager said, looking at Yu Jingchen.
"Your Majesty, Yun'er is still young and doesn't understand these things. Today, she hugged me and cried a lot, saying that she regretted it." The Empress Dowager recounted what had happened that day.
Yu Jingchen's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained expressionless.
"Your Majesty, if you truly dislike Yun'er, if you truly believe that I had ulterior motives in bringing Yun'er into the palace, then let Yun'er leave the palace." The Empress Dowager's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
"What did the Empress Dowager say?" Yu Jingchen felt as if he had misheard.
"I say, if you doubt me and Yun'er, then let Yun'er leave the palace. I won't force you anymore. From now on, His Majesty can do whatever he wants. I will take Yun'er and leave the palace. I won't come here to bother His Majesty anymore, is that alright?" The Empress Dowager stood up.
Yu Jingchen was speechless for a moment; he couldn't describe his feelings. Was this some new trick, some new tactic?
"What does the Empress Dowager take me for? You think she comes just because you let her, and you think I have to release her just because you want to take her away?" Yu Jingchen said as if he had heard a very funny joke.
"Didn't Your Majesty have doubts? Wasn't it perfectly reasonable to let Yun'er leave? Why are you unwilling to let go now?" the Empress Dowager asked him.
Yu Jingchen remained silent. The Empress Dowager was not in a hurry. She looked at Yu Jingchen and said, "Alright, Your Majesty, please think it over carefully. I will speak with you again once you have made up your mind. But... could Your Majesty promise me that you could be a little more tolerant of Yun'er while you are still figuring things out?"
Yu Jingchen looked at the Empress Dowager and stood up as well, but he did not speak.
"Your Majesty, Yun'er is innocent," the Empress Dowager continued.
"I have my own plans, and there's no need for the Empress Dowager to say more." Yu Jingchen was unwilling to listen any further.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I will not dine with the Empress Dowager any longer." Yu Jingchen was too lazy to stay there any longer, and the Empress Dowager watched Yu Jingchen's departing figure without saying anything.
After leaving Cining Palace, Yu Jingchen suddenly felt somewhat lost; he didn't even know where he should go.
"Your Majesty, are you returning to Zichen Palace? The people from the Imperial Household Department are still waiting for you," Xinglai said. His Majesty hadn't chosen a concubine yet today, though he had never been particularly interested in such matters.
"Go to He'an Palace," Yu Jingchen said.
"...Yes." Although Xinglai was somewhat surprised, he also felt it was only natural and within his expectations.
When Yu Jingchen went to He'an Palace, he startled everyone there, since they all knew His Majesty's attitude towards Consort Shu.
Nan Zhiyun still had an injury on her knee, and Qianxia was applying medicine to it; it really hurt. When Yu Jingchen came in, he didn't even give them a chance to announce themselves before walking inside. Nan Zhiyun had just heard the words "His Majesty has arrived" when Yu Jingchen was already inside, just in time to see Qianxia applying medicine to her.
The injury on his knee was shocking, but Yu Jingchen glanced at it without reacting.
Nan Zhiyun was startled by Yu Jingchen's sudden appearance and knelt down, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!" Yu Jingchen did not speak, and Nan Zhiyun felt a pang of sorrow. Was he going to continue punishing her?
"Get up!" Just when Nan Zhiyun thought Yu Jingchen was going to continue punishing her by making her kneel, she heard Yu Jingchen's words. For a moment, she thought she had misheard.
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