Holding Nan Yi in his arms, Yinzhen said emotionally, "Yi'er, the person I care about most in this life is you. Don't go anywhere else, stay with me for the rest of your life."
Nan Yi stroked his short beard, not taking it seriously, but smiled and said, "Really? You care about me the most? Okay, there's a saying, 'Love me, love my dog.' If you do me one favor, I'll trust you."
Yinzhen did not agree immediately. He knew very well what Tong had been planning, as she had been loitering around the Hall of Mental Cultivation every day for the past few days.
"You don't need to mention the matter of the Eighth Prince and the other two; I will not agree to it. You may bring up anything else."
"Why not? They are my friends, I can't just ignore them." Nan Yi scrambled to her feet and knelt beside him. "Tenth Master has always been simple-minded and straightforward. Please, for my sake, let him off lightly. If you really dislike him, just send him away, send him far away, out of sight, out of mind, okay?"
"No, are they that important to you? Tong Shi, you have repeatedly pleaded for them. Where do you place me?"
I've had enough of constantly arguing and bickering with Lao Ba and the others because of them.
Nan Yi didn't really understand the Fourth Master. Emperors are often suspicious, especially since the people she was pleading for were some of the Fourth Master's brothers with whom he had a deep-seated grudge in the past.
Unaware of her own limitations, she devoted herself to the affairs of the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Masters, even going so far as to quarrel with the Fourth Master.
"I didn't mean anything by it, I just want you to let them go. As for what's important, it's definitely not as important as the Emperor in my heart."
Nan Yi was perfectly clear-headed at this moment. She grabbed Fourth Master's arm and said, "I'm stupid and I don't know any clever tricks. Stupid people only have stupid ways. I'm here because I want you to release Tenth Master. Will you release him or not?"
Yinzhen was both pleased and annoyed. He stared at Nan Yi with a deep gaze, wanting to say that he could let his tenth brother off easily. His lips moved, but he swallowed his words. He hoped to hear Tong Shi say something more appealing.
Seeing that he remained silent, Nan Yi became anxious. She put on her outer robe, got out of bed, turned around and glared angrily at the Fourth Master. "I don't care, you have to let go whether you want to or not. If you don't let go, I, I, I'll get angry with you."
She stamped her foot, ducked, and slipped out of Yinzhen's bedchamber, quietly returning to her own side hall.
On the second, third, fourth, and fifth days, she whispered in Yinzhen's ear every night. Yinzhen appeared impatient, but secretly he enjoyed it very much.
Knowing that Tenth Master was safe and sound, Nan Da breathed a sigh of relief. He racked his brains and racked his brains for good words before Fourth Master finally agreed.
As a result, their relationship quickly warmed up after that period of time. Although she was now a Noble Lady, the Noble Lady's favor was even greater than before, which was the envy of everyone in the harem.
Consort Zhen enjoyed her moment of glory for a while, but a year later, the Fourth Prince promoted her rank again, and she became Consort Zhen once more.
If it weren't for Yinzhen's incident, she thought she might have forgotten what day it was.
That year, Nan Yi tried her best to please the Fourth Master, but he turned cold towards her for no apparent reason.
Thirteen mentioned it briefly, talking about how the Nian siblings were and how Fourth Brother was in a helpless and difficult situation.
Nan Yi was very curious and sent Yiren Xiaoshunzi to inquire. Every day, news about the Nian family reached her ears. The affairs of Nian Gengyao were like oil being fried in oil in the court and the harem. Consort Nian's position was as solid as a rock. It was said that the Fourth Prince intended to confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort on Consort Nian.
The Imperial Noble Consort was essentially a secondary empress. Nian Gengyao was convicted of several serious crimes and imprisoned. Given Yinzhen's temperament, although Nian Gengyao was guilty, Nian had always served him wholeheartedly and borne him children. Out of pity, he was determined to compensate Nian.
Nan Yi speculated that no matter how serious Geng Yao's crimes were, as Yinzhen's confidant for many years, he had made great contributions and had a close personal relationship with Yinzhen. What better way to compensate for the favor than by elevating Nian Shi to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort?
Nan Yi didn't care whether Lady Nian was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. Zheng Yong suddenly ran over to tell her that the Emperor was going to take action against the Eighth and Ninth Princes.
Nan Yi's hands trembled as she spoke with difficulty, "Would the method I mentioned earlier work? Could we steal them out and replace them with others?"
Zheng Yong hurriedly waved his hand, "No, the people guarding him are the emperor's trusted guards. They are heavily guarded and it's impossible to do this. Anyone who pleads for leniency will be prosecuted as an accomplice. Nan Yi, give up."
To give up is to watch them die.
Nan Yi sat slumped on the tatami mat, her eyes cold and dim. Even Brother Yong couldn't help her, so who else could?
She waved weakly at Zheng Yong, "I understand, you can go back now."
Zheng Yong looked at her with concern, "Nan Yi, don't do anything foolish."
Nan Yi seemed not to hear, but her mind was churning like waves. What foolish thing could she do? She didn't have the ability to fly or travel the world, nor did she know any magic or sorcery. Apart from pleading with Yinzhen, there was nothing she could do.
There's nothing we can do.
Inside the Golden Palace, Yinzhen sat high on the dragon throne, looking coldly at the woman below. She had actually come to kneel before him for that man. She had been married to him for over twenty years, and apart from the first year of their marriage, she had rarely knelt before him since. Whenever they met, he would ask her to bow, but she would always make excuses and try to get away with it, as he couldn't bear to see her suffer any grievances.
Her kneeling shattered his heart and soul.
He knew she had a very close relationship with those three men, yet she kept asking him for their help.
She cared about them so much that she went so far as to beg on her knees.
No, he wouldn't allow it. In her heart, there were other men who held the same important place as him, especially them.
The deeper the love, the stronger the resentment.
“Do you know what they did back then? They deserve their fate today,” Yinzhen said bitterly.
Nan Yi knelt on the ground, looking at the shadows reflected on the smooth floor, and said softly, "I don't know, just as I don't know how you treated them. I don't understand politics, and I've never cared about these things, as you know. I only know that they are my friends. I beg you to let them go and spare their lives."
She was clumsy and simple-minded; the turbulent waves of power struggles were never something she, in her ignorance, could comprehend.
All she knew was that from the time she met them in the 42nd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign until today, what she remembered most vividly was the joy and pampering they gave her, and how they tolerated all her incongruities that were not allowed in this dynasty.
Enraged, Yinzhen threw the still-steaming teacup at her. The shards of the cup landed on Nan Yi's forehead, drawing blood.
Upon seeing this, he trembled slightly and withdrew his hand, clasping it tightly on his knee.
Nan Yi groaned, knowing she would anger him, but she still came. When she heard the news, she ran to him without a care, tears streaming down her face, splashing on the ground, her fingers pressing hard against the ground.
She hated him a little. When they first entered the palace, he held Consort Nian in his arms and spoke softly to her, but then he threw a cup at her.
Wasn't she the one he cared about the most? How could he hurt her like that in front of other women? That woman in Yikun Palace had been a thorn between them ever since she married into the family.
Even at the height of their love, there were still thorns deeply embedded in her flesh.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. My sister was just anxious. Please take care of your health." Consort Nian rushed out upon hearing the noise, nestled beside Yinzhen, and gently stroked his chest to help him catch his breath, while coughing softly as she spoke.
Seeing her like this, Yinzhen turned around, picked up Consort Nian, sat her on the dragon throne, and gently patted her back.
Consort Nian leaned against the Emperor's chest, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Tong Yilan kneeling on the ground, a faint hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
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