Nan Zhiyun acted without hesitation, disregarding the consequences, so whatever the final outcome, she will ultimately have to bear the responsibility. Regret? Can a simple "I regret it" solve everything? Without ability or strength, what good is regret? In the end, won't she still have to endure everything? Doesn't she understand the law of the jungle?
Yu Jingchen withdrew his gaze, looked at the people kneeling in the hall, and then coldly issued an order.
"I have already said that the mistakes you made will also implicate them. Take them all away and give each of them thirty strokes of the cane." Yu Jingchen showed no mercy.
Nan Zhiyun wanted to beg for mercy, but she couldn't utter a single word. How could she possibly begin? Yu Jingchen wouldn't be soft-hearted.
"How many crimes can I punish you for what you just said? Nan Zhiyun, you never seem to learn your lesson," Yu Jingchen said coldly.
If things were to be investigated further, Nan Zhiyun would definitely not escape punishment today. However… Yu Jingchen looked at his swollen and red hand, and in the end, he didn’t say anything more.
"Bring the medicine here," Yu Jingchen said to Xing beside him.
Fortunately, someone had already gone to fetch it, and as soon as they heard there was a need for it, they immediately took out the ointment.
Yu Jingchen placed the medicine on the table: "Apply it yourself." Nan Zhiyun looked at the ointment in front of her, feeling uneasy, so she didn't react.
"What? Haven't you had enough yet?" Yu Jingchen didn't have the patience to put up with her tantrums.
"This is too lenient. Don't push my limits any further," Yu Jingchen continued. Nan Zhiyun silently took the ointment, but her hands were covered in wounds, and she couldn't open the lid.
Yu Jingchen watched coldly, his brows furrowing as he saw her struggling to move. "It's only been a dozen or so years today, is it really that fragile? Did she think she could escape like this in the past?"
Yu Jingchen snatched the ointment from her hand and opened it. Nan Zhiyun was caught off guard by his sudden action.
Yu Jingchen didn't say a word, but directly took Nan Zhiyun's hand and applied the ointment to her palm. Perhaps the movement was too forceful, because Nan Zhiyun felt her palm was still sore; the feeling of having the medicine applied was like being hit again. However, Nan Zhiyun didn't have the courage to pull her hand back, and of course, she couldn't move it anyway.
Yu Jingchen certainly wasn't one to be gentle with women; it was just applying medicine, why was he being so delicate? He quickly finished applying the medicine for Nan Zhiyun, and the mess on the table hadn't been cleaned up yet.
"Finish copying within a month, or the penalty will double." Yu Jingchen showed no mercy, but a month... that should be enough.
Cries of pain echoed from inside the courtyard, making Nan Zhiyun tremble with fear. Those people were being punished because of her; how could she not feel guilty? Yu Jingchen had precisely grasped this psychology, which was why he had resorted to such methods.
She was still kneeling on the ground, and although there was a soft cushion, it was still very uncomfortable after two hours. Nan Zhiyun felt that her legs were slowly losing feeling.
Yu Jingchen knew she was still kneeling, and seeing that she was starting to lose her balance, he guessed that she had been kneeling for too long, and that... there might still be some bruises on her knees, since she had just been kneeling on those shards.
"Since you're under house arrest, don't wander around. Stay in your room. I don't want today's incident to happen again. You'd better remember what you should and shouldn't do, what you should and shouldn't say. If there's a next time, I definitely won't let you get away with it as easily as today." Yu Jingchen stood up from his seat.
"Besides, do you know what crimes you're committing by saying these things today? Nan Su will be back in about a month. He's done a good job this time. You don't want your father to be implicated because of your existence, do you?" Yu Jingchen's words were a blatant threat and a warning.
Nan Zhiyun's face quickly turned pale. She did act impulsively, but... she really couldn't help herself just now, which is why she spoke recklessly and said those things.
"I won't dwell on what you said this time, but words can be dangerous, so you should be more careful. I'm a tyrant, and I won't show you any mercy." Yu Jingchen glanced at Nan Zhiyun as he said this. Nan Zhiyun dared not argue any further.
After saying this, Yu Jingchen did not stay any longer. Before leaving, he said, "Get up when you've had enough of kneeling. If you dare to throw anything again in the future, I'll make you kneel on it for a whole day."
Nan Zhiyun listened to these words without saying anything. Only after everyone had completely left did she try to get up, but she had been kneeling for so long that she couldn't stand up at all; her legs were numb. Moreover, her hands were injured, and she felt pain as soon as she tried to use the table to support herself to get up.
Not long after, Xinglai brought over several new palace maids. She said that the palace maids in He'an Palace were no longer able to serve her, since they had all been punished today, so she had found some new ones.
Nan Zhiyun glanced at them a few times but remained silent. She wasn't sure if they had simply hired these people to serve her or to monitor her. But upon closer inspection, it seemed unnecessary; what was there to monitor about her?
Nan Zhiyun didn't want to think about these things. Let him do whatever he wanted. He was the king, the emperor; he could do whatever he pleased. What right did she have to question or resist him?
Not only that, but when she came, she brought an imperial physician with her. He said that His Majesty had ordered the imperial physician to come and take a look at her leg injury. Nan Zhiyun's knee injury was quite serious, with a large bruise and swelling, and some bloodstains could be faintly seen in some places.
Fortunately, he waited by the side the whole time. After the imperial physician finished examining the patient, he inquired about the condition. After understanding everything, he instructed the newly arrived palace maids to take good care of Consort Shu, and then returned to Zichen Palace.
Most of the day had already passed, but Yu Jingchen showed no sign of resting. After returning to the palace, he continued to deal with the unfinished state affairs, but the content of these matters was truly infuriating.
A large part of the matter revolves around Nansu, especially this war. Nansu is an object he cannot help but be wary of. No monarch can let a general who is popular with the people and has prestige in the army control 500,000 troops alone. How can he feel at ease?
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