Chapter 42
Upon hearing Pei Jiu's report, Qi Yu put Pei Jin's matter aside.
Seeing Pei Jin injured would break her heart, but once she had given him medicine and a handkerchief, she would know when to stop.
After all, Wu Shiyan and Pei Jin were not only ruler and subject, but also had Zhao Wanyi as a thorn in their side, so conflict was only a matter of time.
Qi Yu just didn't understand. It seemed that nothing major had happened recently that Wu Shiyan couldn't tolerate Pei Jin. Pei Jin and Zhao Wanyi were so close before, but Wu Shiyan never got angry. Now, looking at the wound on Pei Jin's forehead, it almost seemed like he wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
That's really strange.
Qi Yu didn't think it was because of her. When she was in the Pei residence, Wu Shiyan was very tolerant of Pei Jin. Even though she spent every day with Pei Jin, Wu Shiyan never cared. He even deliberately sent Pei Jin away and then appeared in front of her again.
Neither of them bumped into each other.
Qi Yu sipped her tea and chatted with Aunt Jinrong, asking her about the events that had occurred in the palace while she was at the estate.
Besides her, there were only three other concubines in the harem. They were well cared for in the Pixiang Palace. Without the emperor as a source of conflict, they naturally got along quite harmoniously.
At this moment, a palace maid announced with a beaming smile, "His Majesty has arrived."
Qi Yu glanced at the sky; it wasn't even dusk yet. She couldn't help but wonder why Wu Shiyan had said he was busy with court affairs and that she didn't need to wait for him tonight, as he would have dinner at Chengming Palace and wouldn't arrive until later.
She looked at Wu Shiyan again and found that he had changed into a new set of black clothes, which were not much different from the previous ones. You could hardly tell the difference unless you looked closely.
Wu Shiyan's clothes were mainly black, mostly dark colors, and Qi Yu could tell them apart by the patterns on his cuffs.
Qi Yu put aside her distracting thoughts, stood up, and exclaimed with delight, "Your Majesty!"
She was quite pleased that Wu Shiyan had suddenly appeared.
Wu Shiyan's eyes were deep and thoughtful, but upon seeing this, they softened slightly: "Mm."
He stepped forward, grasped Qi Yu's wrist, and couldn't help but sigh, "Your hands are all red from practicing archery."
Qi Yu said playfully, "It's alright. If His Majesty comes later, even the red marks won't be visible."
Wu Shiyan reached out and gently stroked Qi Yu's nose. Seeing the strange emotions slowly rising in Qi Yu's eyes, he softened his heart.
They tacitly avoided mentioning Pei Jin.
Upon learning that Pei Jin and Qi Yu had run into each other, Wu Shiyan hurriedly changed his clothes and came to Zhaoyang Palace. Wearing the clothes that had almost driven Pei Jin to his death earlier, he would not be able to justify himself or speak confidently if Qi Yu asked.
Qi Yu, being soft-hearted, gave Pei Jin medicine and a handkerchief. Wu Shiyan didn't ask any questions, but he knew that Pei Jin must have used some underhanded tricks again.
Wu Shiyan naturally regretted it. He hadn't expected that his deliberate directions would actually make things easier for Pei Jin.
Even though Pei Jin didn't say a word to Qi Yu, he still nervously tried to get her to say something.
If he comes again at night, Qi Yu will be angry with him, and he will be extremely depressed.
Qi Yu, on the other hand, hadn't even thought of that matter.
She didn't think that such a small thing as giving Pei Jin the ointment would bother Wu Shiyan.
The two sat down, and Qi Yu asked, "Does His Majesty have something to discuss with Zhaoyang Palace?"
Wu Shiyan had his own excuse: "I remembered that there was a bow in my private treasury that would be perfect for you, so I had it brought to you."
Qi Yu looked to the side and saw a eunuch holding a wooden box.
The eunuch stepped forward, opened the box, and revealed a low-key gold and black bow.
Qi Yu held it in her hand and examined it carefully. Its appearance and feel were excellent, and her goodwill towards Wu Shiyan immediately increased rapidly.
She belatedly asked, "How did Your Majesty know that I was practicing archery?"
She went to the archery range on a whim after waking up in the afternoon, and therefore did not mention it when she had lunch with Wu Shiyan.
The palace servants in Zhaoyang Palace would not speak ill of their master, and Wu Shiyan was busy with state affairs, so no one would bother him with such trivial matters.
Wu Shiyan had no choice but to bring up Pei Jin. He took a sip of tea and said casually, "The eunuch who escorted Pei Jin out of the palace told me that Ayu wanted to practice archery. Why didn't he tell me?"
He genuinely didn't know this beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have pointed out that road.
"I think this is a trivial matter—"
Wu Shiyan said seriously, "Ayu's small matter is a big matter."
Qi Yu's hand was suddenly gripped tightly and she couldn't pull it away. She could only nod and say, "I will definitely tell Your Majesty next time."
When Wu Shiyan realized that these words were not just empty talk, his tense expression eased slightly.
His visit to Zhaoyang Palace was not only due to his concern for Pei Jin, but also because he was unaware of Qi Yu's situation, which made him feel extremely empty.
Qi Yu's promise has temporarily appeased him.
Wu Shiyan said, "I can practice archery with you, and we can go horseback riding on the estate in our spare time. I can do anything you like with you."
Loving someone naturally involves a desire to please them.
He felt that this would keep Qi Yu.
Qi Yu didn't spoil the mood: "Alright, then Your Majesty will have to work hard on state affairs for a while, but I will always wait for Your Majesty."
She leaned forward, cupped Wu Shiyan's cheeks, and looked at him with a smile in her eyes: "So, in order to free up time as soon as possible, Your Majesty should focus on state affairs."
Wu Shiyan arrived in a hurry, naturally without bringing any memorials.
However, if she brings it, Qi Yu will have to deal with it for a while.
Wu Shiyan felt reluctant to leave. Whenever Qi Yu touched him, he just wanted to stay with her quietly. Upon hearing this, his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and he didn't move an inch.
Qi Yu blinked. She felt that at this moment, Wu Shiyan should say, "I have returned."
They are the epitome of a wise ruler and virtuous consort.
"Your Majesty?" Qi Yu gently rubbed Wu Shiyan's cheek with her fingertips. "I will wait for you in your palace tonight."
Wu Shiyan's eyes lit up. He naturally understood what this meant. As long as he kept dealing with state affairs, Qi Yu would take the initiative to come to him.
He placed his hand on Qi Yu's hand, readily agreeing, his tone steady yet joyful: "Alright, then I'll head back."
Qi Yu stood up, gave a graceful bow, and watched Wu Shiyan leave with a faint smile.
Then she looked at Jinrong and said, "Aunt Jinrong, please send me the accumulated palace affairs."
Seeing Wu Shiyan reminded her that she also had many things she hadn't done!
Qi Yu couldn't help but sigh.
After finishing her palace duties, Qi Yu had a quick dinner and then had a palace servant carry a lantern as she made her way to her bedchamber under the cover of night.
When she arrived at the palace, Wu Shiyan had not yet returned. Qi Yu did not send anyone to announce her arrival, but went to take a bath first, and then put on a plain-colored dress to wait for Wu Shiyan.
Wu Shiyan put down the memorial in his hand and hurried to the palace. Before he even entered the palace, he saw Qi Yu standing gracefully in front of the palace gate from afar.
Her clothes were simple, with only a belt tied at the waist, which inadvertently accentuated her slender waist. Her hair was half-up and loose, adorned with only a delicate crescent-shaped silver hairpin. Slender pearl earrings dangled, but did not touch her skin, which made her neck appear even longer and whiter.
She wore very little makeup, appearing quite simple and elegant, but her skin was even more delicate and beautiful than white porcelain, and her eyes were dark and bright, making one want to kiss her.
The moonlight is falling, and the atmosphere tonight is wonderful.
Wu Shiyan strode over, but because of the palace servants nearby, he only took Qi Yu's hand.
As he approached, he smelled a faint fragrance emanating from Qi Yu, as if she had just applied it.
Qi Yu smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty."
Seeing Wu Shiyan's hurried steps, she knew that her efforts had been effective.
But judging from Wu Shiyan's still composed expression, she didn't think she could charm him.
But this is good enough; sometimes being too attached isn't good either.
As she walked towards the palace, the palace servants withdrew one by one. Qi Yu pointed out, "Your Majesty, I used perfume when I bathed. Did Your Majesty like it? If not, I won't use it next time."
“I like it, I like it no matter what.” Wu Shiyan spoke faster, and then he said, “...It smells very good.”
Wu Shiyan's repeated expressions of affection were confirmed by Qi Yu that very night.
The pleasure was so great that even the bed was imbued with that subtle yet lingering fragrance.
Even before going to bed, Wu Shiyan kept pestering Qi Yu, asking, "Is it because I'm focused on handling state affairs that there will be more tomorrow?"
Qi Yu nodded haphazardly before Wu Shiyan finally let her go and she truly fell asleep.
When Qi Yu woke up the next day, she realized what she had promised Wu Shiyan.
Seeing that the Imperial Concubine had been awake for a while, a palace maid stepped forward and whispered His Majesty's instructions to Qi Yu.
Qi Yu clutched the brocade quilt, inwardly sighing at Wu Shiyan, thinking what a beast he was. She also learned from the palace servants that Wu Shiyan had gotten up at the beginning of the morning, which made her feel even more that he was not human.
Even if I don't know when they went to sleep last night, they must have been fooling around for so long, it must have been very late.
Furthermore, she is usually very punctual, but today she didn't wake up until the middle of the day, when it was already broad daylight outside, which also proves that Wu Shiyan didn't sleep for very long at all.
Qi Yu rose awkwardly, attended to by the palace maids of Zhaoyang Palace.
Despite her slender figure, Qi Yu had plenty of energy and blood. After lunch and practicing calligraphy for a while, she recovered.
In the afternoon, Qi Yu went to practice archery as usual, and for the next two weeks, she practiced every day without fail, except for the two days that rained.
Getting back to the point, with Qi Yu's promise as bait, Wu Shiyan handled state affairs with frightening enthusiasm, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
Two days later, when he finally snapped out of Qi Yu's cozy embrace, he saw that Pei Jin had already packed his belongings and headed south to take up his post.
He knew he couldn't cause any more trouble.
But after thinking it over, he still felt petty and unhappy about the ointment and handkerchief that Qi Yu had given him.
Qi Yu knew that Pei Jin had left the capital.
Before Zhao Wanyi left the capital with Pei Jin, she sent a message to the estate via pigeon. By the time Qi Yu received it, they had already left.
In the letter, Zhao Wanyi said that she had left a steward named Lingge in the capital, and that she could give her orders if anything happened outside the palace.
Qi Yu read the letter for a long time and couldn't help but sigh. Zhao Wanyi is so good. If only she had spoken to Wu Shiyan, she would have whispered in his ear and prevented Pei Jin from being demoted out of the capital.
She couldn't help but regret her inaction, which had also caused Zhao Wanyi to leave the capital.
However, Qi Yu did not forget to find a new "disaster-breaking flower" for Zhao Wanyi. She spent two days taking stock of the money and asked Lin Qi to take her out of the palace to find someone who specializes in finding precious medicinal herbs. Naturally, Ling Ge was also troubled. A large sum of money was spent, and soon there was a response. Someone took on the task and was willing to search for it year after year.
Qi Yu originally knew she was rich, but after taking stock, she didn't expect to be this rich.
The smaller portion consisted of the Imperial Concubine's monthly allowance, the silver she had on hand, and the gifts Wu Shiyan usually gave her. The larger portion consisted of the treasures Wu Shiyan had given her when he opened his private treasury last time, as well as the dazzling array of items displayed in the main courtyard of the mansion, all of which were later delivered to her.
She spent the cash she had on hand first.
In late July, Tian Wenshan also discovered what the eunuch was so afraid of.
After calming down, the eunuch repeatedly thought about it and became certain that he had prepared poisoned wine. The problem was not with him. He breathed a sigh of relief, but soon Tian Wenshan's men found a handle to question him.
Tian Wenshan was knowledgeable and experienced, and naturally knew that there were people in the world who were immune to all poisons.
The rebellious King Qi was just like that. On the eve of His Majesty's entry into the capital, King Qi even tried to set up a trap to poison His Majesty.
Wu Shiyan, who was determined to act decisively, naturally had no reason to play games with the defeated rebel King Qi. He drew his sword and swiftly killed King Qi on the spot.
When the King of Qi died, the wine he had tried to persuade him to drink was spilled. Meng She later confirmed that it was poisoned wine, even though the King of Qi had drunk a cup first and showed no signs of poisoning.
King Qi did not pour the wine from a wine pot, so there was no way to hide the trap. Later, Meng She examined King Qi's body and discovered that most poisons in the world had no effect on King Qi.
No wonder that when the Prince of Qi first came to the capital, he would drink whatever the late emperor bestowed upon him without hesitation, never being wary of the food at the palace banquets. This made the late emperor feel the Prince of Qi's trust. In addition, the Prince of Qi only had one daughter whom he had just found from the common people. At that time, the princes would only try to win him over, but would not be wary of this prince who was over fifty years old and not of the same surname.
Tian Wenshan frowned, but he quickly calmed down and reported the matter to Wu Shiyan.
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