Chapter 161 Consort Ru
When Pei Yan stepped into the palace, his tense nerves seemed to relax a little instantly.
Inside the hall, the candlelight was soft, the light gauze curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and a fragrance that could calm the mind wafted through the air.
"His Majesty…"
A soft, seductive voice came through.
Consort Ru, Xie Nu'er, wore an elegant light pink palace dress. She wore minimal makeup, yet she appeared even more charming and captivating.
She seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and gracefully came forward to greet him. There were no complicated formalities; she simply took Pei Yan's arm naturally.
Her fingers were slightly cool, and their touch on Pei Yan's hot skin brought a sense of comfort.
"I'm tired." Pei Yan leaned his weight slightly against her, his voice full of exhaustion and irritability.
"Then this servant will attend to Your Majesty and help you rest." Xie Nu'er's voice was as gentle as a feather tickling, lightly caressing the heart.
She helped Pei Yan toward the brocade couch, gently removing his dragon robe and boots.
Soon, a cup of ginseng tea was brought to Pei Yan's lips.
Pei Yan took a few sips from Xie Nu'er's hand, the ginseng tea sliding down his throat, a warm current spreading to his limbs.
Pei Yan's anxiety, fear, and anger seemed to be gradually ripped away.
He let out a long sigh of relief, relaxed completely, leaned against the soft cushions, and looked at the gentle and docile beauty before him.
Pei Yan was always suspicious, so how could he not investigate?
However, the tea is not poisonous, the fragrance is not medicinal, and it is harmless to humans.
The imperial physician could only vaguely say that His Majesty might be mentally exhausted, and since Consort Ru was a confidante, he was able to relax.
If no problem is found, then there is no problem.
"It's still best here with me..."
Pei Yan murmured, reaching out to stroke Xie Nu'er's delicate cheek, feeling the smoothness with his fingertips.
He didn't see it, but just as he closed his eyes to enjoy this moment of peace, a hint of mockery flashed across Xie Nu'er's lowered eyelashes.
"If Your Majesty can find a moment of comfort, it is my blessing." Xie Nu'er's voice was still gentle and charming. She leaned in softly, like a flower that understands your thoughts.
Inside Yuntang Palace, the unique warm fragrance, like the most lingering net, wrapped around Pei Yan's tense nerves.
He was practically sprawled on the brocade couch, letting Xie Nu'er's slightly cool hands massage his temples.
Xie Nuer's strength was just right; her fingertips seemed to knead out the mountain of anxiety and fear little by little.
"His Majesty…"
Xie Nu'er's voice was soft and gentle, with just the right amount of concern and heartache, "Look at you, your brows are so furrowed, it breaks my heart to see you like this."
She lowered her head, her warm breath brushing against Pei Yan's earlobe almost imperceptibly.
"No matter how big the matter, nothing is more important than your health. If you collapse from exhaustion, who can we rely on for this country and this empire?"
These words were extremely tactful, expressing both heartache and subtly praising Pei Yan's most cherished imperial power and status.
Pei Yan closed his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and precisely grabbed her wrist that she was massaging, completely enveloping her slightly cold little hand in his palm.
"My daughter understands my heart best."
He opened his eyes and looked at the face so close to his.
Xie Nu'er was beautiful, but not in the sense of being a stunning beauty. Her charm lay in her gentle and kind eyes and her delicate, fair skin. Her eyes, in particular, were always watery when she looked at people, as if they were filled with complete trust and dependence, making people want to cherish and protect her.
At this moment, she pouted slightly, displaying a girlish charm, and her eyes were full of heartache for His Majesty's suffering. This softened Pei Yan's heart, and much of his pent-up anger dissipated.
“Those blind fools only know how to bother me with trivial matters.”
Pei Yan couldn't help but complain, his fingers unconsciously stroking Xie Nu'er's smooth hand, "Am I raising them just to eat?"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Xie Nu'er then placed her other hand on Pei Yan's hand and gently patted it. "The ministers are just doing their duty. They just don't understand that His Majesty works day and night, exhausting himself for the stability of the country and the well-being of the people. You are the hardest-working person in the world."
Her tone was so sincere, as if Pei Yan were truly a wise ruler who was diligent in governing and loved his people, but was let down by his ministers.
These words struck a chord with Pei Yan.
Yes, it must have been so tough for him!
He sacrificed himself like this for the sake of this world!
"Only you can understand me to some extent."
Pei Yan tightened his grip on Xie Nu'er's hand, pulling her even closer, almost to his embrace.
The heavy scent of ambergris mixed with a faint smell of sweat emanated from him, but thankfully it wasn't unpleasant.
Xie Nu'er obediently let him pull her along, a perfect blush rising on her face, making her even more charming.
She turned slightly to the side, picked up the lotus seed soup that had been kept warm on the small table next to her, scooped up a little with a delicate white porcelain spoon, blew gently on it before carefully offering it to Pei Yan's lips: "Your Majesty, would you like some soup? You haven't had a proper dinner yet, how can your body take this? It breaks my heart to see you like this."
Her movements were natural and fluid, her eyes fixed intently on Pei Yan, as if feeding him was the most important thing in the world.
Pei Yan felt a surge of warmth in his heart and opened his mouth to take the spoon in.
The warm soup slid down his throat, making him sigh with pleasure.
The loss of appetite over the past few days was suddenly resolved by this ordinary bowl of soup.
He opened his mouth, indicating that he wanted more.
A fleeting hint of mockery flashed across Xie Nuer's eyes, so quickly it was almost an illusion.
She quickly reverted to her gentle demeanor, feeding him spoonful by spoonful with utmost patience, occasionally using a soft silk handkerchief soaked in warm water to gently wipe away any non-existent traces from the corners of his mouth.
"Slow down, Your Majesty, it's hot."
She spoke softly, her voice so sweet it could drip honey, "You, no matter how worried you are about the country, you must take care of yourself. If you were to fall ill, what would I... what would I do?"
"My darling...you're all I have left..."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and her long eyelashes drooped, casting a small, fragile shadow under her eyes, perfectly conveying a sense of helplessness.
This greatly satisfied Pei Yan's vanity as both an emperor and a man, and also led Pei Yan to ask a question: "My Consort Ru has such a strong backing as Princess Jianing, how can it be said that she only has me?"
Xie Nu'er looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Your Majesty... are you mocking me? Don't you know why I entered the palace? It was to replace the county princess. Now that I've been sent to the palace, you've ignored me completely. It's been so long, and you haven't even exchanged any letters with me."
She said aggrievedly, "If it weren't for His Majesty's frequent rewards, I'm afraid we'd be eating nothing but chaff and wild vegetables in this palace..."
"Alright, alright, don't cry." Pei Yan's heart softened at her appearance, and he completely forgot about Xie Sangning. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, letting her lean against his chest. He gently rubbed his chin against her fragrant hair. "With me here, what are you afraid of? I will take care of you. You don't need Xie Sangning."
He patted her back, his tone gentler than ever before, as if soothing a frightened bird.
Indeed, from the moment Xie Nuer entered the palace, under his surveillance, there was never any news of Xie Sangning communicating or exchanging messages with Consort Ru. When Xie Sangning first entered the palace, it was said that she was only given two ordinary personal maids to accompany her, and nothing more. Xie Sangning was truly used and discarded, just as the rumors suggested, ruthless and vicious.
"I know Your Majesty is the best man in the world..." She raised her head and looked at him with adoration in her watery eyes. "Your Majesty is so good to me, and I feel sorry for you too. Let's not think about anything tonight, okay? Let me take good care of you so you can rest in peace."
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