Chapter 56
After the banquet, Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan went for a walk by the river. When the wind picked up, Wu Shiyan pulled her into his crane cloak before returning to the palace.
"I'll take you out for a stroll tomorrow."
Qi Yu said "okay".
Upon returning to the palace, Wu Shiyan asked inexplicably, "Ayu, do you like being with me?"
What else could Qi Yu say? Afraid that Wu Shiyan would get angry again, she simply said, "I like it."
Her voice was languid, as if she had just fallen asleep. The wind made her hair stand on end, but she didn't notice it unless Wu Shiyan said anything.
A muffled laugh escaped Wu Shiyan's throat.
The next moment, Pei Jin's voice came: "Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine, may Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine enjoy peace and health."
Qi Yu was enveloped in Wu Shiyan's crane cloak, which limited her view, so she did not see Pei Jin walking towards her from the side.
It was only then that she realized that Wu Shiyan had this in mind.
Qi Yu stepped on Wu Shiyan's foot to create a suitable distance between them, which made her seem less absurd.
She smiled faintly at Pei Jin.
Wu Shiyan said, "Rise."
Pei Jin straightened up, his gaze pausing as he looked at Qi Yu.
Qi Yu felt a moment of disorientation, mostly due to confusion. However, she quickly realized what she looked like from the reflection in Pei Jin's eyes and understood why Pei Jin was looking at her.
Pei Jin had a smile on his lips.
Qi Yu almost lost her composure. She raised her hand to tuck her stray hairs behind her ear and then secretly kicked Wu Shiyan.
Pei Jin's smile faded, as faint as a cup of tea.
Your Majesty has excellent methods.
In just a few days, he managed to win over Qi Yu and become close to her.
Wu Shiyan held Qi Yu's hand: "I think A Yu is very cute like this. Wouldn't reminding her spoil her good mood?"
Qi Yu knew that Wu Shiyan had many excuses.
Wu Shiyan asked Pei Jin, "Where are you going, my dear minister?"
Pei Jin mentioned a place.
Wu Shiyan didn't care. Pei Jin's appearance was too deliberate, as if he hadn't let Pei Jin go to the banquet, and Pei Jin had come to sow discord between him and A Yu.
If Pei Jin showed up in front of Qi Yu once, how could Qi Yu still believe that Pei Jin was ill and therefore unable to attend?
Just guess who has such great ability to know that the villain is him.
Wu Shiyan's expression remained indifferent.
Qi Yu didn't see the tension between the two. To be honest, she didn't even know why Pei Jin hadn't attended, and she wouldn't care about such a trivial matter.
Pei Jin couldn't stay for long.
The three parted ways quickly.
Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan returned to their palace.
It wasn't until a palace maid came forward to remove Wu Shiyan's crane cloak that Wu Shiyan asked, "Ayu, aren't you angry?"
"What?"
Qi Yu had already taken a sip of the ginger soup prepared for her by the palace maids, and was comfortably holding an exquisite hand warmer while a palace maid massaged her shoulders to relax her mind.
Why is she angry?
Wu Shiyan said, "This is the question I specifically asked you in front of the imperial palace."
Qi Yu touched the bowl with her fingers, thought for a moment, and then realized what she meant, but said nonchalantly, "Anyway, he has amnesia."
Do people with amnesia get jealous? Qi Yu has never seen that.
I imagine Pei Jin wouldn't mind now.
Wu Shiyan chuckled silently.
Wu Shiyan was unusually enthusiastic tonight. Qi Yu touched his hair, wondering what had gotten into him, that he was melting her into a pool of hot water.
The next day, as expected, the two got up late and did not set off from the palace until the afternoon.
Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan were dressed in ordinary clothes when a light rain suddenly began to fall from the sky. Wu Shiyan then held a large oil-paper umbrella over their heads, tilting the umbrella towards Qi Yu.
He said, "Let's go to the teahouse and wait for the rain to stop."
Qi Yu tugged at his sleeve: "Let's go to the pleasure boat and listen to the actors sing."
Wu Shiyan asked, "Where did you know that?"
Qi Yu: "In the imperial palace, those boring young masters boasted so much that I naturally found out."
Qi Yu made up her mind, and since Wu Shiyan couldn't persuade her, she had no choice but to go with him.
He secretly thought to himself that he should teach a good lesson to the idle sons of officials and nobles who had accompanied him, for they must have corrupted Qi Yu.
The performers on the pleasure boats were celibate, selling their art but not their bodies.
Wu Shiyan paid a lot of money, and the boat was soon lit up. Several beautiful women carrying musical instruments came gracefully. Outside the boat, the rain was misty and the lake was rippling. The sound of string and bamboo instruments could be heard. Being there, there was an indescribable sense of comfort.
Qi Yu sat on a soft couch. Some people played the pipa, some played the zither, and the beauty standing in the middle sang a song with a melodious voice.
This is much more interesting than a teahouse.
Seeing that Qi Yu was only looking on with admiration, Wu Shiyan felt a little relieved.
As the song ended, Qi Yu gestured for the person in the center to come closer and asked, "Could you teach me to sing a song?"
Tan Yun glanced at the man beside Qi Yu and knew that the two were from extraordinary backgrounds and were behaving intimately, so she guessed their relationship pretty well. She said with difficulty, "I'm afraid it won't work."
"However, I have a simple folk song here. If you are interested, I can teach it to you."
Seeing Qi Yu nod, Tan Yun sang two lines a cappella.
Wu Shiyan overheard it and realized it was something his mother had hummed before, so he didn't say anything to stop her.
After listening, Qi Yu decided to learn. She had Tan Yun sit in front of her and taught her word by word.
Qi Yu has poor pitch perception, but she has a good voice; even a casual hum sounds beautiful.
And as Tan Yun said, this piece is indeed very simple.
Once Tan Yun had learned the tune, Qi Yu was so pleased that she had him rewarded with several silver ingots.
After dismissing Tan Yun and the others, Qi Yu said to Wu Shiyan, "Your Majesty, shall I sing you a song?"
Wu Shiyan's breathing was steady, and although he was happy, he did not show it very obviously. His voice was slightly hoarse: "Okay."
Qi Yu leaned against Wu Shiyan and sang it three times in a row.
Wu Shiyan gently closed his eyes.
Qi Yu turned her head and found that Wu Shiyan had fallen asleep.
Is her singing very soothing and put people to sleep?
Feeling frustrated, Qi Yu gestured to Pei Jiu to fetch the blanket they had brought and cover Wu Shiyan with it.
Pei Jiu truly admired her mistress, who not only brought His Majesty to the pleasure boat but also had His Majesty accompany her without any complaints.
However, the Empress has indeed not listened to music for a long time.
In the past, there were also entertainers in the palace who would dance and play the zither in Zhaoyang Palace.
Unlike before, the southern tour was much simpler, and no dancers or singers were brought along.
On the way back to the palace, Qi Yu asked Wu Shiyan and learned that he had gotten up early that morning to handle government affairs and only came to stay with her for a nap around noon.
And so, without realizing it, he fell asleep next to her.
Qi Yu had mixed feelings, and Wu Shiyan would make time for her even if it meant sacrificing some sleep.
Once Qi Yu takes a liking to something, regardless of her subsequent attitude, she will undoubtedly be extremely fond of it during this period.
Her enthusiasm for the bracelet waned slightly, and she began humming a song.
Wu Shiyan was always by her side, and he listened to her the most.
Qi Yu would always ask him if it sounded good or not, and Wu Shiyan would always give her face and say it sounded good.
Qi Yu cupped Wu Shiyan's face in her hands and looked at it. The scar on his face was gone, but his gaze towards her was much more affectionate than before.
Even though there was only a slight smile on his lips, it made people feel that he was in a very good mood.
The relationship between the emperor and his consort was no secret, especially among the ministers who frequently interacted with His Majesty.
When His Majesty is in a good mood, things go more smoothly for them.
Even if Pei Jin doesn't deliberately listen, these things will still reach his ears.
He could barely suppress his jealousy and began to question why he had agreed to the idea His Majesty had proposed.
Would it have been better if he hadn't responded then?
Pei Jin gripped the teacup tightly.
Because of his words, Qi Yu clearly stopped looking at him and paying attention to him. Even when she had to look at him, her attitude was just right.
Pei Jin might have been pleased if he had been completely indifferent, but that's not the case.
This means that Qi Yu is a woman who can take things in stride.
Is there anything about him that she would cherish? He's probably even less appealing than His Majesty.
His Majesty was "generous" enough to allow his subject to return to the capital in order to finish his official duties in advance so that he could accompany her. Even though he gave her that meaningful bracelet, His Majesty did not go crazy. It was only in recent days that His Majesty slowly changed the bracelet off Qi Yu's wrist.
When Yang Siqian came to see Pei Jin today, he found him to be calm and couldn't help but think to himself, "Good."
It was all worthwhile for him to go to great lengths to collect evidence of the Emperor's affection for the Imperial Concubine, and to spend a lot of money to bribe the servants in Pei Jin's courtyard.
It's important to know that the servants in the imperial palace are not easy to bribe, especially when His Majesty is still there.
Pei Jin asked, "Why are you here?"
Yang Siqian said, "Madam and the Imperial Concubine have gone out together. I have nowhere to go, so I have no choice but to come and find Brother Pei."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Siqian wanted to slap himself.
Pei Jin reacted as usual: "It's cold today, and it's likely to rain. Why don't I make some ginger soup here, and Brother Yang can take it over?"
Yang Siqian: "That's not a good idea."
Pei Jin asked, "Brother Yang, have you never been considerate of your wife?"
Yang Siqian sat down. He was a considerate person, otherwise he wouldn't have seen his wife off and only then learned what kind of bracelet the Imperial Concubine was wearing.
But Pei Jin clearly had ulterior motives; he didn't want Pei Jin to continue being so stubborn.
Pei Jin said, "Brother Yang, if you really like the original painting that you saw in my study last time, I will have the steward send it to the Marquis's residence after we return to the capital."
Yang Siqian fell silent.
"I can't accept this... I'll only help you this once, and I'll tell everyone that I sent ginger soup to my wife."
Pei Jin nodded: "Of course."
-
Qi Yu had palace servants with her, and although it rained in the afternoon, Pei Jiu still managed to open the umbrella in time.
She had just caught a slight chill, and coincidentally, Prince Yang brought her some ginger soup. Qin Yun insisted that she drink it before leaving.
Qin Yun said, "If Your Highness catches a cold, it will be my responsibility."
Qi Yu had no choice but to stay and drink the ginger soup in one gulp, until her hands were warm from the heat before leaving.
Back in his palace, the palace servants who had stayed behind brought him a bowl of medicine.
Upon recognizing Wu Shiyan's people, Qi Yu asked, "What is this?"
The palace maid said, "This is a medicinal soup that His Majesty ordered to be prepared for the Empress to keep warm. His Majesty wants the Empress to drink it while it's hot."
"Let's leave it here for now."
All medicine is bitter, and Qi Yu felt that she was strong enough not to need to drink it.
The palace maid looked troubled, but she didn't dare to disobey the Empress's wishes. She put the items down and left.
Wu Shiyan arrived shortly after and asked, "Ayu came back from outside, how could she not take her medicine? What if she catches a cold?"
Qi Yu smiled and said, "I've already had the ginger soup."
She wrinkled her nose: "The medicine is too bitter, and all medicines have some degree of poison. I will not drink it."
Wu Shiyan came over and hugged Qi Yu, placing his hand on her flat stomach, feeling somewhat worried.
In the past, he could have waited patiently for a child, but now, with Pei Jin still determined, he wished he could keep Qi Yu’s heart completely tied to the palace, leaving no room for anyone else.
But no matter how frequently they slept together, there has been no good news so far.
He had no choice but to summon the imperial physician to prepare the medicine.
"If you don't want to drink, then don't."
Qi Yu complained about the bitterness, what could be done?
A few days later, Qi Yu smelled some medicinal scent from Wu Shiyan. Although she should have smelled more of soap after taking a bath, she still smelled it.
"His Majesty is injured?"
Wu Shiyan shook his head: "No."
Qi Yu frowned: "Then why did His Majesty drink the medicine?"
Wu Shiyan pinched her cheek: "How did Ayu know?"
This is tantamount to an admission.
"Your Majesty, don't worry about how I know. Just tell me why you drank the medicine."
Qi Yu thought to herself, if she told the truth, Wu Shiyan might even use incense next time if he didn't want her to know.
Wu Shiyan lowered his eyes, his long, straight eyelashes resting quietly: "I want to improve my manhood."
Qi Yu: "..."
Her face flushed red, and she couldn't help but raise her voice: "No need for supplements, really no need for supplements!"
Wu Shiyan chuckled.
"Why? Is it because Ayu is very satisfied with me?"
Qi Yu's voice was barely audible: "...Satisfied."
Wu Shiyan embraced Qi Yu: "Ayu, you don't need to worry about it. I know what I'm doing."
Mengshe said that if one cannot wait, men can also take medicine to help them conceive.
It's good that he's coming to drink; he won't have to live in fear and keep it from Qi Yu, lest he end up in the same predicament as Pei Jin, caught in a dilemma.
Qi Yu didn't quite trust Wu Shiyan's sense of propriety.
But nothing seemed different that evening, so she felt relieved.
In the hazy early morning, she wondered, if taking the medicine kept her at her usual level, what if she didn't take it?
Sigh, who would have thought that Wu Shiyan would be so young...
In fact, Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan got along more naturally. It's better for her to be a little weaker, otherwise she really couldn't handle it.
However, she couldn't persuade Wu Shiyan not to take the medicine, fearing it would hurt his pride.
Winter was still a month away, and the south was not too cold yet, but the southern tour team had to return to Beijing before winter, otherwise the roads would be slippery and difficult to travel after the snow.
Along the way, the matters that Qi Yu was originally supposed to handle were discussed and decided by Zhou Miaoyin, Lü Shu, and Deng Yuehuai.
Therefore, as they were about to return to the palace, Qi Yu and Wu Shiyan were discussing raising the ranks of the three of them.
In the end, Zhou Miaoyin was chosen as Jieyu, and Lü Shu and Deng Yuehuai were chosen as Ronghua.
Consort Jieyu's rank is one level higher than Ronghua's. Among the three, Zhou Miaoyin is the most capable in handling affairs. Lü Shu and Deng Yuehuai each have their own shortcomings. The former relies too much on Zhou Miaoyin, while the latter is somewhat impulsive.
In addition, if Zhou Miaoyin wishes to move to a palace to live alone, she can choose a palace.
On the day before leaving the palace, Qi Yu had many specialties from Jiangnan bought to bring back to the capital for the Empress Dowager, Zhao Wanyi, and Aunt Jinrong.
According to Pei Jin, Zhao Wanyi had already returned to the capital ahead of schedule after he sent the letter.
The procession set off again, the carriage moving very slowly. Qi Yu lifted the curtain, and the clouds in the sky drifted past them.
She rested her chin on her hand, looking somewhat worried.
I just don't know if the plot can still develop in the original direction now that things have come to this.
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