Chapter 178: Previous Life (10)
Pei Yan issued an edict to depose Jiang Shuyi from her position as imperial concubine and imprisoned her in Zhaoyang Palace.
As for Pei Yu, Pei Yan praised him for his righteousness in sacrificing his own relatives after everyone at the banquet left. However, he said that suing one's mother as a son is unfilial and should be severely punished. Presumably, since he is so upright, he would be willing to accept it.
Pei Yu was scared. He didn't want to be beaten, so he begged his father for forgiveness tremblingly.
Pei Yan looked at him disappointedly: "Didn't you have a strong argument when you accused your mother? Why can't you be an upright gentleman when it comes to you?"
Pei Yu trembled all over, as if he wanted to muster up courage, but he was too afraid. In the end, he cried, "I was wrong! I know I was wrong..."
Pei Yan smiled: "This is the only time you didn't do anything wrong."
Without waiting for Pei Yu to understand what was going on, he ordered the palace servants to drag Pei Yu out and punish him.
As for Jiang Wanqing, she must also make full use of her abilities.
Pei Yan orally instructed that since Concubine Jiang had admitted her crime of harboring a criminal and had a repentant heart and was willing to share the blame with her sister, she should be given a lighter punishment and only be demoted to a concubine. She should reduce her clothing and food intake and recite sutras in front of the Buddha every day to atone for her sister's sins for the people who died unjustly.
Jiang Shuyi had bullied everyone in the harem over the past few years. It was inevitable that there was resentment in the harem after her downfall and imprisonment.
It was just right for Jiang Wanqing to stay to calm the public anger.
*
After Pei Yan dealt with these matters, someone from Zhaoyang Palace came to report that Jiang Shuyi had woken up.
He was not in a hurry to see her. He waited until he finished reviewing the memorials and it was completely dark before going to Zhaoyang Palace.
Jiang Shuyi sat on the chaise longue in the outer hall.
Her thick, soft black hair was loose, her eyes were a little dull, and she stared blankly out the window.
When she heard the palace servant's greeting, she only moved slightly, but eventually lost her strength and was unwilling to look back at Pei Yan.
Pei Yan didn't care. If the mountain didn't come to him, he would go to the mountain.
When he walked in front of Jiang Shuyi, Pei Yan gently pinched her jaw, forced her to look at him, and calmly called her name and asked: "Jiang Shuyi, do you still remember how you lived before giving birth to Pei Yu?"
Jiang Shuyi didn't know what she was thinking about. Her eyes gradually became sparkling and hot tears slid down her cheeks and wet his palms.
Pei Yan saw that although her hair was loose, she was still wearing the gorgeous dress for the banquet, so he asked gently, "Why don't you change your clothes? Although this dress looks gorgeous, the material is not good, and it is uncomfortable to wear all the time."
Jiang Shuyi ignored him and just cried blankly.
It was as if he had provoked her.
Pei Yan was very patient: "Let me help you."
He reached out and untied the palace belt around her waist and put it next to him. Then he asked Jiang Shuyi to stand up and peeled off the gorgeous dress from her shoulders little by little and let it slide to the ground.
Jiang Shuyi didn't say anything, but was obedient, and usually let him play with the clay figurine.
Pei Yan stripped her down to her inner garment, and noticing that she was a little cold, he waited for her to speak.
But Jiang Shuyi would rather remain silent than speak at this time. She just hunched her shoulders and cried silently, which made him feel distressed.
Pei Yan could only sigh, holding her in his arms, and warming her with his body, which was not very warm to begin with.
*
Jiang Shuyi remained stunned for five days, and Pei Yan came to accompany her every day.
At first she ignored him, but then she would look at him, and then she would shed tears as if she remembered something sad. When Pei Yan asked her, she would turn her face away and remain silent.
On the fifth day, she took the initiative to grab Pei Yan's sleeve.
Pei Yan lowered his gentle eyes: "What's wrong?"
I thought Jiang Shuyi would not answer again, but this time she looked away and asked softly: "Will Your Majesty come tomorrow..."
Pei Yan laughed.
He deliberately said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow. It's been five days. How can an emperor accompany a guilty concubine every day?"
Jiang Shuyi let go of her hand, and began to cry, suppressing her tears and making no sound, only one or two sob sounds occasionally escaping from her throat.
Pei Yan let her cry, he was used to it, she thought crying could make him soften his heart, so that he could coax her and promise to come again tomorrow.
He was naturally soft-hearted, but he also wanted to take this opportunity to take Jiang Shuyi one step forward.
"You can ask me to come tomorrow, but I can't just accompany you. I will want you to serve me. Can you do that now?"
Jiang Shuyi paused in tears.
She was no longer the little girl who knew nothing when she first entered the Eastern Palace, so she naturally understood what Pei Yan meant by serving.
"I am a criminal, how can I still serve you?"
She was sad, Pei Yan stroked her wet eyes, and said in a light tone: "Correct this bad habit first, if you speak official language to me again in the future, I will punish you."
Jiang Shuyi tilted her head: "Is this official language? Didn't your Majesty just say that I am a guilty concubine? Do you want me to serve you?"
Pei Yan paused, and finally chose not to be reasonable, pinching her face: "What I say is what it is, don't argue."
Jiang Shuyi lowered her eyes and said "Oh".
*
From that day on, Pei Yan changed the time he spent with Jiang Shuyi from daytime to nighttime.
She finally showed some life. She no longer shed silent tears, but cried and begged him not to do it. She was tired of crying and had no energy to continue crying during the day. She started to think about doing something else.
When Pei Yan came again, Jiang Shuyi hugged him, buried her face in his waist, and said in a muffled voice: "I am bored during the day and cannot go out. I feel like I am in prison."
Pei Yan touched her hair, not telling her that he was in prison, and chuckled, "You want me to accompany you during the day?"
Jiang Shuyi shook her head and said, "I know your majesty is busy with government affairs, and I dare not disturb you. Your majesty, please buy me some interesting toys. I will play with Yuzhu and the others during the day to relieve my boredom, and wait for your majesty to accompany me at night."
Pei Yan's smile faded.
As early as the day Jiang Shuyi's crime was exposed, Jinzhu begged to serve Pei Yu. Pei Yan dealt with her and told Jiang Shuyi that Jinzhu had left the palace and got married.
Yuzhu has always been loyal to Jiang Shuyi, so Pei Yan asked her to continue serving Jiang Shuyi, but now it seems that she is a bit of a hindrance.
He asked Cheng Shouzhong to threaten Yuzhu, telling her to ask Jiang Shuyi to leave the palace and marry someone in the next few days, or she would be generously rewarded. Otherwise, she would end up like Jinzhu.
Yuzhu knew the situation and quickly told Jiang Shuyi that she wanted to leave the palace.
That night when Pei Yan went to Zhaoyang Palace, Jiang Shuyi threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
Her voice was soft, with a hint of tears in it: "Yuzhu is also going to get married, Your Majesty, from now on, you are the only one I have..."
Pei Yan curved his lips, held up her falling body, and said gently: "I will always be with you."
From that day on, Jiang Shuyi became more and more dependent on Pei Yan.
Pei Yan would also handle government affairs in Zhaoyang Palace during the day. If he was busy, he would let her lie on his legs and stay with him quietly. If he was not busy, he would pick up his previous homework and continue to teach Jiang Shuyi to read, and occasionally take her to paint.
Two months passed like this. One day, Jiang Shuyi asked him tentatively, "How have my sister and Yu'er been doing since I was imprisoned?"
Pei Yan's face instantly turned cold.
Jiang Shuyi immediately realized that she had said the wrong thing, but she was nervous and didn't know how to make up for it, or maybe she didn't know what she had done wrong.
Pei Yan ignored her all day.
Jiang Shuyi held the book and carefully asked him about the puzzles, but Pei Yan pretended not to hear her. She pulled his sleeve and Pei Yan took it away. Even when he was eating, he didn't eat a single bite of the food that Jiang Shuyi picked for him.
When night fell, Jiang Shuyi cried anxiously, fearing that he would leave and not be with her, so she simply blocked the door and cried in front of him.
Pei Yan finally looked at her straight in the eye.
"Do you know you're wrong?"
Jiang Shuyi knew Pei Yan was angry about that, but she didn't know why. She choked up and asked, "What did I do wrong? Your Majesty, can't you tell me clearly..."
Pei Yan also knew that it would take time for Jiang Shuyi to let go of that so-called "closest relative", but that didn't stop him from being angry.
He punished Jiang Shuyi and warned her not to mention those two people again, otherwise she would be punished more severely.
Jiang Shuyi kicked him aggrievedly, and before Pei Yan could do anything else, she fell asleep with tears in her eyes.
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