Pei Zhi was originally in the bedchamber, watching Emperor Pei being tortured.
After Emperor Pei was tortured, he howled and screamed, which hurt Pei Zhi's ears.
Pei Zhi went outside the palace, processing memorials while waiting for Yuan Chengyu to finish the torture.
She waited until the eunuch said it was time for dinner and asked if the princess wanted to have dinner.
Pei Zhi then realized that it was already dark outside, and Yuan Chengyu had not yet come out.
Pei Zhi gave a look to the palace maid, who immediately went into the inner room.
Soon, Yuan Chengyu came out.
Yuan Chengyu was still holding a handkerchief, wiping the blood off his hands.
Pei Zhi asked, "Haven't you gotten any information out of them yet?"
Yuan Chengyu shook his head, "We really underestimated His Majesty. He was in so much pain, but he just wouldn't say a word."
Yuan Chengyu said with some helplessness, "I don't dare to kill him. If he doesn't make it, it will be troublesome."
Emperor Pei had been taking the pills given to him by Pei Zhi. Not only are these pills addictive, but they are also harmful to the body if taken in excess.
Emperor Pei had already eaten quite a bit, and his body was at its limit.
The pain itself would be reduced, and Emperor Pei also knew that once he handed over the Imperial Seal, the pain would be reduced.
He was of no value to Pei Zhi.
Perhaps in the next second, Pei Zhi will plot to kill him.
Yuan Chengyu reminded him, "Later tonight, we also need to summon an imperial physician to His Majesty to see if he needs some ginseng slices."
Pei Zhi nodded. "Okay, I understand."
Yuan Chengyu suggested, "Why don't the princess just stop giving His Majesty the pills and let him suffer through it? When he can't take it anymore, he will naturally take out the imperial seal."
Pei Zhi pressed her forehead in frustration. "We've tried this trick before, it didn't work."
Pei Zhi had long wanted Emperor Pei to bring out the Imperial Seal of the State.
When Emperor Pei first took this elixir, he was not completely unconscious when the illness struck.
Pei Zhi dared not mention it, lest Emperor Pei become suspicious, which would be troublesome.
When the matter was brought up again, Emperor Pei only kept kowtowing and begging for medicine, as if he had completely lost his mind.
“If I don’t give him the medicine now, he might harm himself. I can’t gamble.”
Pei Zhi cannot let Emperor Pei die at her hands; Pei Zhi cannot take the risk.
Yuan Chengyu was also dumbfounded: "Then what do we do now?"
Severe punishments are unacceptable; torture is not an option.
Praying to Emperor Pei was of no use whatsoever.
Emperor Pei really is impervious to both soft and hard tactics.
Pei Zhi had a rough idea in mind: "Let's go have dinner first."
Yuan Chengyu followed behind Pei Zhi, while Xie Qi handled official business in the Imperial Study. Naturally, the three of them ate dinner together.
During meals, everyone refrains from speaking while eating or sleeping.
After Pei Zhi finished eating, she put down her chopsticks.
The palace servants immediately brought over tea and a handkerchief to help Pei Zhi rinse her mouth and wipe her hands.
Xie Qi took over the palace servant's work and served Pei Zhi some tea. He then took the spittoon and had Pei Zhi spit out the tea.
Xie Qi took a handkerchief and patiently wiped Pei Zhi's fingers clean.
"Since Father Emperor does not intend to give me the Imperial Seal, our plans may have to change."
Yuan Chengyu followed Pei Zhi's words and asked, "What does the princess mean?"
"Our original plan was for the second son to kidnap the Emperor."
Xie Qi cautioned, "His Majesty is a cautious man; he won't take out the Imperial Seal unless he's completely at ease."
Emperor Pei knew that the Imperial Seal was his last trump card, and he would never easily take it out.
Pei Zhi agreed with Xie Qi's words, "Even if Father Emperor knew that the Second Prince wanted to kidnap him, he would not take the Imperial Seal with him."
Emperor Pei's identity does not need an imperial seal to prove it.
Pei Zhi sighed, "It seems I really have to keep acting this way."
Yuan Chengyu didn't quite understand: "What does the princess mean?"
Xie Qi and Pei Zhi exchanged a glance, and Xie Qi instantly understood what the princess meant.
"Let the Second Prince successfully rescue His Majesty. His Majesty is currently in poor health. When he issues the decree to establish a Crown Prince, His Majesty will naturally produce the Imperial Seal."
Yuan Chengyu frowned and said, "Isn't all this trouble a bit too much?"
Pei Zhi also knew it was troublesome, "But I have searched every place I could think of, even the roof beams."
"Now, all that's left is to turn over the floor tiles and search inch by inch."
The palace is so big, if Pei Zhi were to dig three feet into the ground to search, he really doesn't know how long it would take.
Yuan Chengyu worried, "I'm just afraid that if something goes wrong, the princess will be in danger."
Once His Majesty regains power, one of the things he will probably do is kill the princess.
"Why doesn't the princess fake her death?"
Xie Qi suggested, "When the Second Prince forced the abdication, the princess accidentally died. After the Imperial Seal of the State is revealed, the princess will 'come back to life'?"
Yuan Chengyu thought the suggestion was good, "Yes, why doesn't the princess fake her death?"
"That way, when they want to settle scores with the princess later, there won't be anything they can do."
Pei Zhi countered, "And what about you?"
Both Emperor Pei and the Second Prince knew that Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu were her close associates.
If they don't fake their death with her...
Once the emperor regains power, where will Yuan Chengyu, who has tortured the emperor, have any way to survive?
Yuan Chengyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can no longer stay by the princess's side."
"If I were to die alongside the princess, I fear my men would be implicated."
Yuan Chengyu's father and mother have gone out to enjoy themselves, so Yuan Chengyu doesn't need to worry about their safety.
But this time, Cheng Yu had quite a few brothers under his command to help him succeed.
He and Pei Zhi got away and are now living a carefree life, but what about the people under his command?
Pei Zhi turned to Xie Qi and asked him what he planned to do.
“Princess, he can’t go with you, so naturally I can’t either.”
"The Xie family still has such a large family; I cannot abandon them."
Xie Qi said in a relaxed tone, "Princess, rest assured, with my grandfather and father in the Xie family, His Majesty will not take my life. At most, I will suffer a little."
"I'll think about it."
Yuan Chengyu advised, "Time waits for no one. His Majesty probably doesn't have many days left to live. Princess, you should make a decision soon."
Xie Qi chimed in, "Princess, don't be indecisive. His Majesty's health won't hold up for more than a few days. We'll only suffer for a few days at most."
"A new emperor brings a new court," Pei Zhi knew that once her father was restored to the throne, he would absolutely not implicate his ministers.
But Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu, along with the palace servants who served the Emperor, will probably all perish.
“Princess, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Now that things have come to this, you must not be soft-hearted.”
Pei Zhi rubbed her temples wearily. "It's getting late. You should all go back now. I'm tired too."
Yuan Chengyu wanted to say something, but Xie Qi bowed and told the princess to rest early.
Xie Qi left the palace with Yuan Chengyu. Yuan Chengyu said with dissatisfaction, "You clearly saw that the princess was indecisive, so why did you stop me?"
Xie Qi replied, "The princess is a human being. We've said all we need to say. Whatever the princess does from now on, we'll support her."
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