Chapter 26 The Truth...
Yan Yize soaked in cold water all night, and with the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, it wasn't until dawn that the effects of the medicine were completely eliminated from her body. The winter weather was already cold, and with all this torment, she unsurprisingly fell ill.
Hui Xue walked in carrying a bowl of dark, murky medicine, a hint of worry in her eyes. She presented it with both hands, saying, "Your Highness, it's time to drink your medicine."
Yan Yize was resting on the couch with her eyes closed when she heard Huixue's voice. She opened her eyes. After a night of tossing and turning, coupled with the pain from her illness, she was sickly and listless, like a cold branch that had been through many storms.
She took the bowl of medicine, and the overwhelming bitterness made her frown. But she hesitated for only a moment before tilting her head back and drinking it down expressionlessly. The brown medicine residue remained on her lips, adding a touch of color to her pale lips due to illness.
The bitter taste of the medicine assaulted her mouth, making her feel nauseous and want to vomit. Yan Yize's already uncomfortable body felt even worse. Hui Xue promptly handed her a bowl of water to rinse her mouth.
After rinsing her mouth, the nausea subsided considerably. She leaned back on the couch and finally had the energy to think about what had happened the night before. Yan Yize stared blankly ahead, her fingers tapping rhythmically on her abdomen—a habitual gesture when she was deep in thought.
Hui Xue didn't dare disturb her thoughts, so she lowered her head, stood quietly to the side, and tried to minimize her presence, waiting for her instructions.
A moment later, Yan Yize turned her head, her dark eyes unfathomable, and she once again adopted a composed and unperturbed demeanor. She opened her mouth and asked, "Where is he?"
Hui Xue knew who she was asking about and immediately replied, "In the dungeon, Bi Yue is being tortured."
Biyue was the woman in black from last night. Huixue and she worked together seamlessly, one in the light and the other in the shadows, their years of cooperation resulting in perfect harmony.
Yan Yize nodded, raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, hesitated for a few seconds, and then asked, "What is Your Excellency doing?"
"After Your Highness left, Zhengjun locked himself in his room and hasn't come out since." Huixue recounted everything she knew, then looked at her respectfully and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, should we send someone to check on him?"
Yan Yize remained silent for a long time. Just as Huixue was unsure of her meaning and was about to ask again, she spoke, "No need."
She closed her eyes wearily. "Go out."
"yes."
The door was closed, shutting out the noise from the outside world. There was no one else in the room, and it was very quiet, so quiet that she could hear her own breathing.
Having not slept all night, Yan Yize was very tired and had closed her eyes, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter what. The events of last night kept replaying in her mind. The aphrodisiac drug had disturbed her mind, and coupled with the influence of her father's death, it had led her to make an irrational decision last night.
But now that she is awake, and recalling the events of last night, she realizes that there are many inconsistencies. For example, when she appeared, Shang Xu was surprised. Judging from his memory, his surprise did not seem fake; he was clearly unaware of what had happened.
If he really did have someone do it, why would he be surprised to see her? And he has been clarifying things from beginning to end, without any other intentions. If it really was him, how could he be unmoved when she was right in front of him?
Now that I think about it carefully, the servant who suddenly appeared in her study was the most suspicious one.
Yan Yize raised her hand, covering her eyes with the back of her hand. The light was blocked, and all she could see was darkness. She sighed almost inaudibly, feeling slightly lost. Perhaps she had really misunderstood him.
The thought of divorce made her already throbbing forehead ache even more, and she didn't know how to face him anymore.
A wave of unease washed over Yan Yize, and he inexplicably recalled the sight of her as she left last night, looking at her with tears streaming down her face, pitiful and helpless, like a fragile porcelain doll.
Yan Yize felt inexplicably annoyed. Suddenly, the image of him carefully trying to please her when she lifted her red veil on their wedding night flashed before his eyes. What was she thinking at that time?
If he is sensible, she will give him the respect he deserves and ensure he has enough to eat and wear for the rest of his life. If one day he wants to leave, she will give him a large sum of money, enough for him to live on.
But at some point later, her thoughts changed, and now it's just a matter of pushing the changes back to square one.
She opened her eyes at some point, staring blankly at the sky. In comparison, nothing had actually changed. Yan Yize lowered his eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them. This was fine too.
——
Yan Yize had only closed her eyes for a short while when she was awakened by a knock on the door. Her thick, long eyelashes fluttered a couple of times. She opened her eyes, her gaze clear, without the confusion of someone just waking up. Because she hadn't rested well, and with a throbbing pain in her forehead as if a needle was pricking her, she was extremely irritable.
"Come in." His usually clear and pleasant voice was slightly hoarse due to his illness, but it wasn't unpleasant to hear; on the contrary, it had a unique charm.
Dressed in black, Biyue pushed open the door and strode in. She knelt down respectfully, her head bowed low, and reported, "Your Highness, the people in the dungeon have confessed that he drugged you in order to get close to you."
Yan Yize had already guessed this, so she wasn't surprised by the result. She was more interested in the part about Shang Xu, and when she didn't hear what she wanted to hear, she frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "Continue."
Biyue paused for a moment, thought for a second or two, and then said, "After my investigation, Young Master Shang is indeed unaware of this matter and has nothing to do with it."
When her suspicions were confirmed, Yan Yize felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, but she didn't feel relieved. Instead, her mood grew even heavier. Being falsely accused for no reason would make anyone feel good.
Besides, she had mentioned divorce at the time.
Feeling guilty, Yan Yize tried his best to make amends, "Go to the storeroom and pick out a few valuable items to send to him."
Remembering that his servants were currently being punished in the dungeon, he added, "Send two servants there as well."
“Yes.” Biyue nodded in agreement.
Once Biyue left, the room fell silent once more. Yan Yize gazed blankly at the sky, and unexpectedly recalled the tears in Shang Xu's eyes last night. After a night had passed, those tears seemed to have settled in her heart.
Whenever she recalls it, a strange heaviness fills her heart, a bittersweet feeling that she both likes and resists.
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