Xinglai had barely finished speaking when Yu Jingchen almost lost his mind. He had prepared betrothal gifts? Did he truly believe he had the upper hand? Did he really think of her as his possession?
A room full of portraits… what did he think about while staring at them every day? Did he really believe he had the ability? At that moment, Yu Jingchen clearly harbored murderous intent.
"Where is Consort Shu? What could possibly happen between them?" Yu Jingchen closed his eyes, attempting to quell the rage that surged within him.
Xinglai breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, but… how could the Emperor's thoughts be so easily fathomed? Thus, he dared not relax.
"Consort Shu has been unaware of Prince Yuncheng's feelings from beginning to end. They have had no excessive contact; it has all been Prince Yuncheng's one-sided affection." All Xinglai could do now was help Nan Zhiyun clarify her relationship, lest the Emperor's wrath fall upon her later.
Indeed, upon hearing that Nan Zhiyun had no interest in Luo Yuncheng, Yu Jingchen's expression softened slightly, but… this was not enough to quell his current anger.
"Where is Luo Yuncheng? Has he returned to his manor?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"... Your Majesty, Prince Yuncheng has gone to Cining Palace with General Nan to see the Empress Dowager." Xinglai felt as if his head were on the chopping block as he uttered these words.
Upon hearing this, Yu Jingchen's aura turned violent. In the next instant, he shouted, "Prepare the imperial carriage to Cining Palace!"
A sense of foreboding arose in Xinglai's heart. He silently prayed that His Majesty would not do anything he would later regret.
Yu Jingchen soon arrived at Cining Palace. Laughter and merriment emanated from within the room, including Luo Yuncheng's voice. The fire in Yu Jingchen's heart burned ever brighter. He had never seen such a harmonious "family," with everyone laughing joyfully.
Because he had not announced his arrival, no one dared to stop him along the way. Thus, when he appeared in the room, everyone was taken aback, and the laughter within the room abruptly ceased.
Yu Jingchen found the atmosphere extremely unpleasant. He swept his gaze across the room and noticed that Nan Zhiyun and Luo Yuncheng were seated quite close to each other. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"This concubine pays her respects to Your Majesty…" Nan Zhiyun curtsied, her expression growing tense. More than tense, it seemed tinged with fear.
"Your humble servant/This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Nan Su and Luo Yuncheng also stood and bowed, but this movement brought Luo Yuncheng and Nan Zhiyun even closer.
"I heard the laughter from outside just now, so joyful. Why did the room fall silent as soon as I entered? And become so solemn and tense? It seems I have come at an inopportune moment, disturbing your refined enjoyment?" Yu Jingchen's voice was as piercing as the cold ice, sending shivers down one's spine.
"What is Your Majesty saying? Is it too serious?" The Empress Dowager adjusted her posture and spoke.
Before Yu Jingchen could reply, he heard Nan Zhiyun let out a pained cry. Just as he turned his head, he saw Luo Yuncheng supporting Nan Zhiyun.
At that moment, the fire in his heart reached its peak. Could their actions be any more intimate? It was simply an indecent sight!
"What are you doing?" Yu Jingchen's tone was eerily calm.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. Consort Shu has an injury on her foot, and she has been maintaining a bowing posture for some time, making it difficult for her to stand. This subject merely feared the Consort would be injured, so I stepped forward to support her," Luo Yuncheng said, his expression unchanged.
"Come here." Yu Jingchen said this to Nan Zhiyun. Although his tone was no longer as stern, Nan Zhiyun still felt a tremor of fear. She stood frozen, daring not to move.
But precisely because of this, Yu Jingchen became even more enraged. He roared directly at Nan Zhiyun, "I told you to come, didn't you hear? Are you defying my imperial decree?"
Nan Zhiyun flinched, startled. The Empress Dowager could no longer stand by and said, "Your Majesty!" she admonished him.
Nan Su watched from the side, but his heartache and distress were evident in his eyes.
"Your Majesty… Consort Shu has committed no offense. Is Your Majesty being too severe?" Luo Yuncheng continued to speak.
"Did I ask you a question?" Yu Jingchen shouted directly. Luo Yuncheng fell silent but appeared unwilling to yield.
Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun, "I will say this one last time. You should come over. Do you understand?"
Nan Zhiyun, always fearful, dared not disobey. She forced herself to walk over slowly. Luo Yuncheng watched her move unnaturally to his side.
Nan Zhiyun's eyes were already red. Today, Yu Jingchen was the most terrifying he had been in a long time.
"Luo Yuncheng, I warn you, some things are beyond your reach…" Yu Jingchen said without any pretense.
Luo Yuncheng smiled. "… What is Your Majesty saying? I seem to be a bit confused. I don't understand Your Majesty's meaning." he replied.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" the Empress Dowager questioned.
"Shouldn't the Empress Dowager be asking me that? Why did you summon Luo Yuncheng?" Yu Jingchen's tone began to shift towards anger.
"How can Yuncheng not come?" the Empress Dowager retorted.
"Heh." Yu Jingchen let out a cold laugh, then looked at Nan Zhiyun, "You seem to have a good relationship with her. You're never like this normally. Nan Zhiyun, what do you think?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"This concubine…" Nan Zhiyun didn't know why Yu Jingchen had suddenly changed like this, nor where she should begin.
"Speak!" Yu Jingchen was perhaps not in the mood to trifle with her today.
Nan Zhiyun was startled by the roar. She raised her hand and, mustering her courage, pulled Yu Jingchen's arm. "Your Majesty, this concubine…" She couldn't speak for a long time. Yu Jingchen initially tried to calm himself, wanting to hear what she had to say, but now… he couldn't hold back.
He directly flung Nan Zhiyun's hand away. Perhaps it was because he was in a fit of rage, but whether it was the force he used or something else, Nan Zhiyun was thrown violently to the ground.
Everyone inside was shocked. Nan Zhiyun clutched her stomach, her expression one of pain, her small face deathly pale.
"Yuner/Nannan!" The Empress Dowager and Nan Su cried out simultaneously and rushed over.
Yu Jingchen had not expected her to fall. Seeing Nan Zhiyun's current state, his heart tightened. In the next moment, he heard Nan Zhiyun say, "My stomach… it hurts so much. My child…"
Blood flowed from below Nan Zhiyun. Yu Jingchen's expression changed, and his heart ached violently. At that moment, he was filled with boundless regret.
"Summon the imperial physician!" Yu Jingchen finally panicked.
Yu Jingchen wanted to step forward, but Nan Su pushed him away. "Your Majesty! This old minister has no regrets to the people of Yuan, the empire of Yuan, or to you, Your Majesty! But… Your Majesty, have you truly cared about everything this old minister has done for you and for Yuan? Is this how you treat this old minister's daughter?" Her eyes were bloodshot, as if long-suppressed emotions had erupted at this moment.
Yu Jingchen's rage had long been extinguished the moment he saw Nan Zhiyun fall and heard her cry out in pain. Now, facing Nan Su's words, he did not pursue the matter.
"… Your Majesty." Nan Zhiyun spoke. She looked at Yu Jingchen. Yu Jingchen wanted to walk over, but… Nan Su reached out and blocked him. He could only stand there, watching Nan Zhiyun.
"Do you… hate me that much? Is liking you, falling in love with you, the reason you've condemned me? This child… I thought I could start a new story with Your Majesty again, so I wanted to keep it… to give myself one last chance."
"Because… I have waited for too long, paid too much. But… Your Majesty, this hope, this extravagance, has been extinguished and destroyed by your own hands at this moment… You have crushed my last illusion. Your Majesty… falling in love with you was my greatest mistake. I regret it…" Nan Zhiyun said, each word and sentence piercing Yu Jingchen's heart like a sharp blade.
Those things… it seemed he could no longer grasp them. Had they already been lost?
The imperial physician arrived. Nan Zhiyun was led back to the inner room by the palace maids and the Empress Dowager. Yu Jingchen stood outside dazedly. It seemed he had truly lost something very important…
"Your Majesty, you have truly succeeded now. From now on, Consort Shu… Miss Nan will no longer pester you with her affections." Luo Yuncheng's words carried a mocking tone. Yu Jingchen had no inclination to argue with him now, so he simply said, "Expel him from the palace."
Luo Yuncheng smiled indifferently. After all, today was not entirely a bad day, was it? He left the palace. Below the main hall, only Yu Jingchen remained standing there. He looked at the room inside, his throat moved, feeling a bit dry.
He wanted to go inside, but… Yu Jingchen no longer dared. He dared not? This was the first time he had admitted he dared not, admitted his cowardice. The scene of Nan Zhiyun speaking those words earlier was vivid in his mind. He… didn't know how he should face her.
Inside the room, the Empress Dowager stood aside, silent.
"Empress Dowager, Consort Shu will be fine. Please do not worry," An Xin comforted the Empress Dowager.
"What is there for this empress to worry about? It was just a non-existent child. My Yun'er will naturally be fine." The Empress Dowager's expression was indifferent. An Xin fell silent.
Previously… the time Consort Shu and His Majesty were together, what the Empress Dowager had sent was not a medicine to aid pregnancy, but… something for a false pregnancy.
The Empress Dowager looked at Nan Zhiyun beside her and said softly, "Yun'er has truly grown up…"