Seven days later, Nan Su returned to the capital. His return this time was low-key and did not alert many people. By the time Nan Zhiyun knew, Nan Su had already entered the palace.
“Your Majesty, please be careful,” Qian Xia said, looking at Nan Zhiyun with some worry. After all, her mistress had been unwell these past few days, and now she was afraid of her getting hurt.
When Nan Zhiyun heard that Nan Su had entered the palace, her heart had not been at ease. This life was very different from the past in many ways.
“Your Majesty, please just sit down and rest. The Emperor just sent word that once the General comes out of the hall, he will be allowed to reunite with you,” Qian Xia advised. But Nan Zhiyun refused to listen and would not rest. Fortunately, Nan Su arrived not long after. The moment she saw her father, Nan Zhiyun completely lost control of herself. In her past life, she had watched Yu Jingchen behead her father’s head right before her eyes. Now, seeing her father standing alive before her…
Tears instantly welled up in Nan Zhiyun’s eyes. She threw herself into Nan Su’s embrace, “Daddy…” she called softly. Nan Su held Nan Zhiyun close, “Good girl, Daddy is back. Daddy is here, it’s alright…” Hearing this familiar voice, Nan Zhiyun’s tears flowed uncontrollably.
Yu Jingchen did not accompany them, under the pretense of giving them private time for father and daughter to reunite. But that was just on the surface. How could he bear to be apart, or be at ease?
So Yu Jingchen followed secretly. He saw Nan Zhiyun throw herself into Nan Su’s arms. Nan Zhiyun’s emotions were too overwhelming, and it pained him to hear her, as if pricked by needles.
“Your Majesty, shall we go over?” Xing Lai asked Yu Jingchen.
“No, she won’t want to see me. She’s been in a bad mood lately, it’s best not to disturb her now. Let her relax for a while,” Yu Jingchen said.
“…Yes.” Xing Lai was not foolish. It seemed there had been many rifts between His Majesty and Consort Shu, and this rift… seemed to be related to General Nan Su. However, as someone serving by the Emperor’s side, he knew his place and chose to just listen.
Nan Su and Nan Zhiyun stayed together for a long time. During this period, the Empress Dowager also visited. Yu Jingchen did not rush them and even instructed the imperial kitchen to bestow a banquet, and specifically decreed that Nan Su be allowed to stay in the palace for the night.
He did not go to disturb them. Inside the hall, Nan Su, the Empress Dowager, and Nan Zhiyun were enjoying a happy reunion. Yu Jingchen walked alone outside the door, listening to the sounds coming from within. A sense of loneliness arose in his heart. It wasn’t that he hadn’t felt it before, but compared to this time, it was even more unbearable.
“Your Majesty, the night is deep and the dew is heavy, you should go rest as well,” Xing Lai advised from the side. But how could Yu Jingchen be easily persuaded?
“She seems happier today,” Yu Jingchen said. The “she” clearly referred to Nan Zhiyun.
“General Nan returned today, so Consort Shu is naturally happier,” Xing Lai followed his words.
“Can she be happier tomorrow? If it makes her happy for General Nan to return, then if she were happy every day, wouldn’t she return to her former self?” Yu Jingchen asked Xing Lai.
Xing Lai didn’t know how to answer. Consort Shu… she had changed, changed a lot. Her former self was probably gone forever.
“Tell me, if I apologized to her every day and tried to please her every day, would she not be so angry anymore?” Yu Jingchen continued to ask.
Xing Lai’s expression was complex. He really wanted to remind Yu Jingchen, Your Majesty, you are already doing that every day, it’s just… Consort Shu, she can’t let go.
That night, perhaps due to Nan Su’s presence, Nan Zhiyun’s mood improved significantly. She also slept more soundly that night. Yu Jingchen entered her room only after she had fallen asleep. He had been doing this for the past few days, waiting for Nan Zhiyun to fall asleep before coming in. This way, she wouldn’t see him and wouldn’t feel so distressed.
“What should I do?” He had asked this question many times, but had never received a response.
Yu Jingchen desperately wanted to embrace Nan Zhiyun, but he didn’t dare. Ever since Nan Zhiyun regained those memories, Yu Jingchen had not been able to interact with her at close range, as she resisted him fiercely.
Now that Nan Zhiyun was asleep, it was not appropriate for him to move her casually. If he woke her up, the situation would likely worsen. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that Yu Jingchen reluctantly left, as he did every day.
Nan Su stayed in the palace for two days. During these two days, Yu Jingchen would arrange for Nan Su and Nan Zhiyun to spend time together, as this would make Nan Zhiyun happier.
Three days later, Yu Jing’an returned to the capital, and Yu Jingchen held a banquet to welcome him. Coincidentally, Nan Su had been back for three to four days, and there had been no grand fanfare previously, so it was natural to combine the celebrations.
Therefore, Yu Jingchen decreed that a banquet be held the following day to welcome Yu Jing’an and Nan Su. Yan Qing, now in charge of the Empress’s seal, assisted with most of these arrangements.
That day, after the morning court, Yu Jingchen returned to Zichen Palace. Nan Zhiyun had not left her room for the past two days. Seeing Yu Jingchen arrive, she showed no particular reaction.
“Tonight is the welcoming banquet for your father and Prince An. Would you like to come and see?” Yu Jingchen asked Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun did not respond. Yu Jingchen did not get angry. “You must be bored from staying in the room all this time. Would you like me to take you out? Your father will also be there, so you can go and sit for a while. If you find it too boring, I’ll have someone send you back.” Yu Jingchen continued to coax her, wanting her to attend the banquet with him.
“No,” Nan Zhiyun finally spoke. Even after Yu Jingchen had said so much, Nan Zhiyun still refused. Her single word of refusal caused the anticipation in Yu Jingchen’s eyes to instantly dim.
Nan Zhiyun stood up. Yu Jingchen remained in place. She did not stop and went directly into the room. Yu Jingchen slowly looked up at her and found that Nan Zhiyun had already taken off her outer robe and gone to sleep.
A deep sense of powerlessness washed over Yu Jingchen. When had everything become so terrible? She wasn't tired, she simply didn't want to go.
Yu Jingchen stared for a long time, then finally gave up trying to persuade her. If she didn’t want to go, then so be it. He went to the banquet hall alone. It was a banquet for Nan Su and Yu Jing’an, so there were quite a few attendees.
Yu Jingchen sat alone on the high dragon throne, watching the scene of drinking and feasting below. He inexplicably felt a pang of sadness. That night, Yu Jingchen drank a considerable amount of wine…
However, this night was destined to be restless. As expected, it was the same as in the previous lives. Yu Jing’an rebelled. This scene had played out several times before. This time, Yu Jingchen seemed indifferent to the events.
But… as soon as he thought of Nan Zhiyun dying by his hand in the memories of the previous two lives, Yu Jingchen couldn’t find peace. He didn’t know if it was due to the lingering shadows of the past two lives, or some other reason, but his heart remained uneasy, as if a major event was about to happen.
Nan Zhiyun…
“How is Zichen Palace? Make sure to keep a close watch. If anything happens to Consort Shu, you will all be buried with her,” Yu Jingchen said to the person beside him. He couldn’t leave because Yu Jing’an was still here.
Xing Lai naturally knew how important Consort Shu was to His Majesty, so he had been guarding her all along. But… as fate would have it, a moment later, the hidden guards watching Zichen Palace rushed back.
“Your Majesty, something’s wrong! Consort Shu is gone!” The guard’s words added another ripple to the already turbulent waters. What did he mean… gone?
“What did you say? What do you mean, gone? How did you manage this?” Yu Jingchen lost his composure, but what good would it do? The person was gone, and no matter how angry he became, it was useless.
Nan Su and the Empress Dowager were still present, and the rebellion was quickly quelled, as Yu Jingchen had experienced such events many times before. Upon hearing of Nan Zhiyun’s disappearance, Nan Su and the Empress Dowager could not remain calm.
Yu Jingchen had Yu Jing’an brought in and interrogated him about Nan Zhiyun’s whereabouts. He suspected that Yu Jing’an had arranged for someone to harm Nan Zhiyun.
However, after several interrogations, Yu Jingchen realized that Nan Zhiyun’s disappearance seemed unrelated to Yu Jing’an. A thought he was unwilling to accept suddenly arose in his heart.
“Guards!” Yu Jingchen called out.
“Close the palace gates and the city gates. Search for Consort Shu with all your might, inside and outside the palace, no mistakes allowed!” Yu Jingchen’s eyes were red. He prayed it wasn’t what he thought, otherwise… Yu Jingchen dared not imagine what he might do.
The accumulated repression of the past few days had pushed Yu Jingchen’s emotions to the breaking point. If any further mistakes occurred, he couldn’t guarantee he could control his emotions.
“Escort the Empress Dowager back to her palace. The rebels are not yet cleared. For your safety, the Empress Dowager should remain in Cí’ān Palace for the time being. No one is allowed to enter or leave Cí’ān Palace without my permission,” Yu Jingchen ordered. The Empress Dowager looked at Yu Jingchen, “What are you doing? Are you trying to imprison me?”
“I am merely looking out for the Empress Dowager’s safety. If the Empress Dowager is bored, you can have General Nan keep you company. General Nan, you are also not to leave the palace during this time. I believe you are also worried about Consort Shu, so stay here and await news of her,” Yu Jingchen issued another decree.
“Your Majesty, please forgive me. Yun’er has gone missing, and my heart is filled with distress. May I be allowed to join the search?” Nan Su, unwilling to be at ease, tried to plead. But how could Yu Jingchen agree? He immediately refused Nan Su’s request.
“With me here, General need not worry. Guards, escort the General and the Empress Dowager back!” Yu Jingchen’s imperial decree brooks no delay. Nan Su and the Empress Dowager were escorted back.
Watching the receding figures, Yu Jingchen’s eyes slowly turned red. Yun’er… please don’t be what I think… otherwise, I will truly get angry…
“Ensure General Nan and the Empress Dowager are closely watched. During this period, no outsiders are to have any contact with them. Also, what about the people who were watching Consort Shu today? Explain it to me clearly!” Yu Jingchen stood with his hands behind his back, his fists clenched for a long time, his emotions appearing on the verge of exploding, making anyone who saw him feel terrified. Xing Lai felt a sense of apprehension.