Yu Jingchen remained seated without moving, making Nan Zhiyun extremely uneasy. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, wondering what he wanted to do.
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Your father is about to return to the capital in triumph." Yu Jingchen's sudden words left Nan Zhiyun somewhat bewildered. Her father was coming back? But in her memories from her previous life, her father was supposed to return at the end of the year. Had something gone wrong?
Seeing Nan Zhiyun looking down, seemingly lost in thought, Yu Jingchen frowned: "What are you thinking about?" Yu Jingchen's tone was dangerous.
“No…” Nan Zhiyun shook her head.
Yu Jingchen just stared at her without saying a word. Nan Zhiyun felt a chill run down her spine from Yu Jingchen's gaze. Just when she was about to give up, she finally heard Yu Jingchen speak: "Your father has rendered meritorious service and won a battle. He has the power of 500,000 troops and the support of the people." Yu Jingchen said something ambiguous, but even if Nan Zhiyun was stupid, she couldn't possibly misunderstand what Yu Jingchen meant.
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun immediately knelt down.
“Father has no ill intentions towards His Majesty, please…” Nan Zhiyun hadn’t finished speaking when Yu Jingchen interrupted her.
“No monarch would allow the power of 500,000 troops to remain in the hands of a subject forever, no matter how loyal he is. I will not allow it, so…” At this point, Yu Jingchen paused, then reached out and pinched Nan Zhiyun’s chin.
"You're being foolish, insisting on challenging my bottom line." Yu Jingchen had always harbored resentment and even disgust towards Nan Zhiyun, because he had always believed that they were only after that supreme power. The Empress Dowager had always used him as a tool to fight for the throne, and now she wanted to use Nan Zhiyun to give birth to her child, and then cooperate with Nan Su's military power to undermine him... The maternal relatives were never an tolerated existence.
As a monarch, he could not trust anyone, nor could he show mercy to anyone, otherwise he would only meet a gruesome end. This principle was taught to him by the Empress Dowager herself, and it was something he had known since childhood. He had climbed to his current position step by step with blood on his hands, so no one had the right to advise him or point out his mistakes.
Don't advise others to be virtuous if you haven't experienced their suffering. No one has the right to say he's wrong, and even if he is, so what? Who can do anything to him? Only the strong have the right to speak. Even if he's wrong, so what? He can afford to be wrong! That's power! That's reality!
Even the most trustworthy person isn't guaranteed to remain loyal forever. He himself has witnessed firsthand the immense allure of power; without power, one is simply at the mercy of others. Faced with power, how many can maintain their original intentions? How many can remain unmoved? So how could he dare to trust? How could he possibly believe?
If Nan Zhiyun hadn't bothered him, he wouldn't have cared what she did outside. But she just had to be oblivious and insist on coming up to him. That was just asking for trouble!
"Nan Zhiyun, you're really stupid." Yu Jingchen released his grip on Nan Zhiyun's chin. Perhaps because he had used too much force, a red mark had been left on Nan Zhiyun's face.
Nan Zhiyun knew she was wrong, terribly wrong. Yu Jingchen's heart was frozen too tightly; no matter what she did, she couldn't warm it up.
After what happened yesterday, Nan Zhiyun dared not mention leaving the palace again, for she was afraid that Yu Jingchen would go crazy again and teach her a lesson.
"I'm not in the mood to play with you today, so please do as you please." Yu Jingchen didn't know what he was thinking. After what the Empress Dowager said yesterday, he felt that something inside him had become strange.
Last night, he wouldn't have let Nan Zhiyun off easily, but... when he saw the marks all over Nan Zhiyun's body and watched her trembling with fear, he didn't continue.
The moment Nan Zhiyun bit her tongue, he felt angry and furious. This woman was trying to free herself in this way? But how could that be possible? She even wanted to leave the palace? Ha, did she really think she didn't exist?
And... after Nan Zhiyun fell asleep, he watched her lying on the bed like that, daring to pretend to be asleep, and he just let it go? Her eyes were filled with fear; even with her eyes closed, she was just as annoying. But he couldn't be bothered to waste his energy; let her pretend if she wanted.
Seeing Nan Zhiyun like this annoyed him, so Yu Jingchen didn't linger. Nan Zhiyun was somewhat surprised to see Yu Jingchen leave like that. Was it really over? Was he... not going to punish her?
Nan Zhiyun remained kneeling obediently on the ground until Yu Jingchen had walked away, at which point Qianxia came over and helped Nan Zhiyun up.
"Your Majesty, please get up. This fish is very spicy today. I'll go and call the imperial physician for you." Qianxia felt utterly useless, unable to help at all, and could only watch helplessly as His Majesty treated her mistress this way.
"It's alright... What about yesterday's medicine? Just use that one. The allergic reaction is nothing, I didn't take much, and it just caused some red marks, it doesn't hurt or itch, it's fine." Nan Zhiyun knew that Qianxia felt very guilty, so she personally comforted her.
“Yes…” Qianxia cried uncontrollably. Why was her mistress’s life so miserable?
Cixi Palace
The Empress Dowager also learned about what happened today. An Xin looked at the Empress Dowager and knew that the Empress Dowager was heartbroken.
"Anxin, what do you think I should do?" The Empress Dowager's expression turned distant.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has made it clear that he will not let Consort Shu leave. Fortunately, Your Majesty is still here and can offer some assistance." An Xin couldn't think of any words of comfort.
"Do you think it will be of any use for me to call A-Su back?" the Empress Dowager suddenly asked.
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