Chapter 05 His Majesty feels sorry for her
"Zhenzhen, you played this song for me, do you want to grow old with me?"
Chan Zhen raised her eyes timidly, tears in her eyes, and was forced to meet His Majesty's gaze. She realized then that His Majesty was much younger than she had imagined, appearing to be only in his early thirties. His face was far more handsome than any man she had ever seen. However, His Majesty's aura was so overwhelming, and there was a hint of sinisterness between his brows and eyes that it was intimidating at first sight.
"Your Majesty..." Chan Zhen's voice trembled, not knowing how to respond. She was just a servant, and she dared not even think about growing old with His Majesty, let alone say it out loud.
As if sensing her fear, he tightened his grip on her chin. Feeling wronged and frightened, Zen Zhen couldn't help but blink, and tears clung to her eyelashes before falling down her face.
In the flickering candlelight, the teardrop appeared crystal clear, making the beautiful woman's face look even more pitiful.
The pressure on his chin suddenly relaxed, and Zenzhen saw His Majesty's body seem to sway as he withdrew his hand. But it seemed only an illusion. His Majesty's stature remained as tall and straight as ever, unbending and unyielding. Zenzhen maintained her original position, biting her lower lip to hold back more tears, and she was so pathetic that she dared not even breathe.
Suddenly, His Majesty raised his hand and touched her eyes. Zenzhen's breath hitched, and she felt a chill and a slight itch at the corner of her eye. But His Majesty simply wiped away her tears with his thumb. Zenzhen stared at him blankly, confused.
His Majesty stared at the tears remaining on his fingertips, his expression was so complicated that she couldn't see clearly at all, but Zenzhen felt that the pressure on her body suddenly eased, and the stagnant air in the room seemed to flow again, no longer making people feel suffocated.
"I..." His Majesty finally spoke, but for some reason hesitantly, "I am not a vicious monster, don't be afraid of me."
His voice was so soft, as if he was afraid of scaring her again.
"Your Majesty..." Chan Zhen's voice was hesitant. How could she not be afraid? Standing before her was His Majesty, the most powerful man in the world. With just one word, he could send her plummeting into hell. How many people in the world could truly say they weren't afraid of His Majesty?
"Stand up and answer." His Majesty shook his head, and his voice was much gentler than before.
Chanzhen felt a little more at ease; it seemed His Majesty wasn't going to pursue her earlier misconduct. Remembering the etiquette she'd learned earlier, she bowed her head in thanks, "Thank you, Your Majesty." Seeing His Majesty's expression unchanged, she slowly rose to her feet. Unfortunately, in her initial shock, she'd fallen to her knees, hitting them hard on the ground. Her knees were now numb and painful, and she fell to the side as soon as she tried to move.
Instead of falling to the ground as expected, he bumped into a soft wall. Chan Zhen cautiously raised his head and met His Majesty's gaze. He looked anxious and distressed, his lips tightly pursed. Before Chan Zhen could recover, he heard him shouting, "Quickly call the imperial physician!"
It was rare for Chan to be so cared for by someone, and the fear in her heart was also reduced a little. It seemed that His Majesty was still somewhat interested in her, right? She cautiously and tentatively moved closer to His Majesty, gently tugging at his clothes with one hand, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I am fine."
However, the next moment she felt her body lighten in the air, and she screamed in fright, and subconsciously put her arms around His Majesty's neck.
His Majesty held her in his arms, and he still walked with ease and composure. Zenzhen pressed against his chest, feeling the vibration when he spoke.
"Let the imperial physician take a look, then I'll feel at ease."
Chanzhen really wondered what merit or ability she had to have the imperial physician treat her. But since the emperor had spoken, she didn't dare to object.
His Majesty placed her on the bed and took off her shoes and socks with his own hands, his movements so gentle as if he were holding a piece of paper flower.
He frowned and stared at Zen Zhen who was curled up on the bed, and before she could react, he lifted the hem of her dress.
Chan Zhen's face instantly turned defeated, and she subconsciously tried to move her legs in resistance, but His Majesty easily held her down with one hand, gently scolding, "Don't move." Finally, as if realizing his tone had been too serious, he softened it a bit, "Don't move, let me see your legs."
Zen Zhen's face flushed, knowing that he had misunderstood him just now, so he stopped moving and let him look at him, but his toes curled up shyly.
Her skin was very white, gleaming in the candlelight, as delicate as fine porcelain, making the bruise on her knee look particularly hideous. His Majesty stretched out his hand, as if trying to touch her, but he was so close that he couldn't reach her.
"It's my fault. I forgot you..." His Majesty seemed to be talking to her, but also seemed to be muttering to himself. His face was a mixture of guilt, disgust, and all sorts of emotions. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, making it even more difficult for Zenzhen to see clearly.
Zen Zhen mustered up his courage and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I don't feel any pain."
Hearing the voice, His Majesty raised his head and smiled at her. The madness in his expression just now was completely suppressed by the gentle smile, making him look even more handsome, which made her heart skip a beat.
"Are you not afraid of me anymore?"
She was definitely still afraid. Chan Zhen lowered her eyelashes, but it seemed that His Majesty still had some affection for her. Didn't she have to try to please him more?
"Your Majesty, will you punish me? I accidentally played the wrong song just now." She asked in a low voice.
Chen Dingyao's brows relaxed instantly. He hadn't expected her to still be worried about what had just happened. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, saying with a wry smile, "How could I bear to punish you?" As if thinking of something, he shook his head and smiled, "It's a good thing you don't punish me."
In her previous life, she hated him and never said a good word to him. She even cursed him in front of the palace ladies.
Zen Zhen raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then muttered aggrievedly, "I dare not."
He is His Majesty. Who in the world dares to punish him?
"I hope you are braver." Chen Dingyao sighed lightly and turned to look at the door, "When did Guo Kai become so slow?" Once his eyes left her face, his face became gloomy again, so cold and hard that people dared not look directly at him.
As soon as he finished speaking, a shrill voice came from outside the door, "Your Majesty, I have brought the imperial physician here."
Chen Dingyao turned around and touched her head to comfort her. It was rare to see her so obedient, and he couldn't help but curl his lips and said, "Come in."
Guo Kai led the imperial physician, head bowed, and pushed open the door. He had just heard the emperor yelling in the next room, his heart aching for the imperial physician. But the emperor had also issued instructions tonight that no one was allowed to approach without his permission, so even if he got anxious, he could do nothing. He could only frantically search for the imperial physician, practically running all the way there, praying in his heart that nothing had happened to the emperor.
When he entered the room, he saw that fortunately, His Majesty seemed to be fine. Instead, he was sitting by the bed with a loving look on his face. This really surprised him, because he had never seen His Majesty be so gentle to any other lady in the palace.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Jiang is here."
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." When Doctor Jiang received the summons, his heart was in turmoil, fearing that something might have happened to His Majesty.
His Majesty waved at him and said, "Stand up and show me her legs."
Doctor Jiang stepped forward, not daring to look away. His Majesty had covered the girl on the bed tightly, leaving only her bruised knee exposed for him to see.
With his superb medical skills, he could tell at a glance that the girl had nothing serious to worry about. However, under the emperor's watchful gaze, he still carefully felt her pulse and gave her a few more instructions.
"This girl only has some bruises. Use the White Jade Ointment to soften them and rub them a few times a day. They will completely disappear in less than three days."
His Majesty took the ointment, still frowning. Doctor Jiang was worried that His Majesty would be dissatisfied with something, but fortunately, His Majesty asked him to leave with the next sentence.
They came in a hurry and were driven away in a hurry. Guo Kai and Doctor Jiang finally breathed a sigh of relief after they walked out the door.
Doctor Jiang hadn't dared to breathe in the room just now, so he asked curiously, "Eunuch Guo, who is that girl inside?"
Guo Kai glanced at him and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "I don't know why. I only know that it was a beauty presented by Ye Taishou. Who knows, when we return, there may be another mistress in the harem."
Judging from the nervous look on His Majesty's face when he was examining the patient just now, it seems that he is quite concerned about this girl, but it is not certain whether His Majesty can maintain this concern until he returns to the palace.
In the room, Chen Dingyao scooped a piece of white jade paste with his fingers, melted it in his palm, and a fragrant smell immediately spread.
Chan Zhen didn't dare let him do it himself, so he quickly stopped him: "Your Majesty, I can do it myself."
Chen Dingyao was minding his own business, gently massaging her knees with his palms. Seeing her anxious eyes reddened and about to cry, he softly comforted her, "I owe you too much, Chanzhen. Please fulfill my wish and think of it as me wanting to make some compensation."
In his previous life, he had forced her into the palace as a concubine, then failed to protect her and Yuan Zhao, causing her to die young from depression. The guilt tormented him day and night, leaving him unable to sleep or eat. Now, at last, he had another chance to start over with her, but it frightened her again, leaving her crying with fear.
All the hatred for being abandoned in his previous life disappeared the moment he saw her tears. Now, he just wanted to make it up to her and start over with her.
Zen Zhen's face was filled with confusion. She had never met His Majesty before, so how could he feel indebted to her? But she didn't struggle any more, quietly allowing His Majesty to manipulate her. The medicine prescribed by the imperial physician was indeed excellent; after just a short while, she felt little pain.
What then? Zenzhen blinked, and he and His Majesty exchanged glances. Silence fell upon them again, and the ambiguous atmosphere that had been stirred by the pipa's sound spread again.
Zenzhen's face flushed unconsciously. She had come to serve His Majesty, and now she was already in bed, while His Majesty sat beside her, fully dressed. While she was silent, she saw His Majesty stand up, swiftly remove his hair crown and outer garment, leaving him in his underwear, and then climb onto the bed and fall down beside her.
A scorching scent washed over her, the overbearing sandalwood filling her nostrils and making her head feel dizzy. Zen Zhen nervously closed her eyes, anxiously awaiting what would happen next.
However, His Majesty finally just placed a kiss on her forehead and spoke in a low voice.
"Go to sleep, I won't force you anymore."
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