Yu Jingchen took Nan Zhiyun's hand. "Shall we go inside first?" he asked.
Nan Zhiyun did not refuse. Yu Jingchen led her back to her room, as some scenes were not suitable for Nan Zhiyun to see at her current state.
"Can you sit by yourself for a while?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun nodded, but she didn't know how she felt. She always felt a little uneasy. The wound was really…
"I heard from the people downstairs that you didn't eat your meal today?" Yu Jingchen squatted down directly in front of Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun didn't know if he would be angry about this matter, so she didn't answer. However, from his expression, Yu Jingchen knew she had indeed skipped her meal out of guilt.
"I'll have someone bring it over. Can you eat it later?" Yu Jingchen was never ambiguous when it came to her. Nan Zhiyun knew she couldn't refuse, so she decided not to waste her effort.
"I'll have the imperial physician come to check on you again later." Yu Jingchen touched Nan Zhiyun's head and stood up again.
"Sit here obediently for a while. I'll come in after I've dealt with things outside," Yu Jingchen said before leaving the grand hall.
Nan Zhiyun watched Yu Jingchen's retreating back, remaining silent. She didn't know how Yu Jingchen would handle this matter. Min Chongyi had been one of his favorites before, at least in the eyes of others, Min Chongyi was favored.
After Yu Jingchen went out, he saw Min Chongyi kneeling on the ground. Min Chongyi looked over and scrambled towards Yu Jingchen.
"Your Majesty…" Min Chongyi was terrified.
"Did you say those words today?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"Your Majesty, spare my life. This concubine was merely acting on the orders of the Noble Consort. This concubine…" Before Min Chongyi could finish speaking, Yu Jingchen became impatient.
"Did you say it?" Yu Jingchen's eyes turned terrifying. Min Chongyi was clearly frightened by Yu Jingchen's current demeanor.
Yu Jingchen could not stand the word "leave," so Min Chongyi had inadvertently touched his taboo.
"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Min Chongyi seemed to have realized the seriousness of the matter but didn't understand why.
"If you can't speak, then there's no need to speak anymore. Cut it out," Yu Jingchen said chillingly.
"Your Majesty… Your Majesty, spare my life! This concubine knows her mistake, this concubine…" Min Chongyi was greatly startled by Yu Jingchen's words.
"Min Chongyi has defied authority and offended Consort Shu. Her rank is hereby revoked, she shall be beaten fifty times, and banished to the cold palace. Drag her away before you beat her, lest this place be defiled and our ears offended." Yu Jingchen gave the order without hesitation.
"Your Majesty!" Min Chongyi did not expect such severe consequences. Before she could beg for mercy, she was dragged away. As she was being dragged away, she even heard Yu Jingchen say, "After you're done beating her, remember to cut out her tongue…"
Yu Jingchen was indeed ruthless and cruel, but he had never issued such a punishment before. Min Chongyi didn't know what she had done wrong or said wrong.
"The Noble Consort has lost her virtue. She is confined to Yunpeng Palace and is not allowed to leave without my permission. All palace affairs are to be handled by Consort Qing," Yu Jingchen issued another command.
"Yes." Xing Lai memorized the decree. However, even he couldn't understand why His Majesty seemed different today. His Majesty would not have acted like this before.
What had offended His Majesty's taboo today? Was it merely because Consort Shu wished to leave?
"From now on, without my permission, no concubine in the harem is allowed to enter or leave Zichen Palace, nor are they allowed to insist on seeking an audience with Consort Shu if she is unwilling." Yu Jingchen was particularly concerned about this matter.
"Yes…" Xing Lai had likely confirmed his suspicion.
After dealing with these matters, Yu Jingchen took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and then slowly walked back into the grand hall.
Nan Zhiyun sat obediently in her seat, not moving at all. She was very well-behaved, but Yu Jingchen could tell from her actions that she was inwardly uneasy and nervous, her small movements betraying her helplessness.
"Alright, it's all handled now." Yu Jingchen squatted down in front of Nan Zhiyun again, his lips curving slightly into a gentle smile.
"If anything like this happens again, remember to find me. Also, you are Consort Shu now, and you have the right to deal with those below you. So don't be afraid that I'll be angry or anything. It won't happen. Just don't let yourself be wronged, okay?" Yu Jingchen began to instill new ideas in her.
Nan Zhiyun just looked at Yu Jingchen without any particular reaction. She didn't know if she had truly understood, and even if she had, whether she would dare to act like this in the future was another matter.
Yu Jingchen knew that such things couldn't be rushed; it had to be a gradual process. Nan Zhiyun's personality in her previous life had taken a long time to be restored.
He sat with Nan Zhiyun for a while. Soon, the imperial physician arrived. Nan Zhiyun hadn't seen an imperial physician for a few days because the wound still needed to be treated. There were no other complications, and Nan Zhiyun herself was resistant to seeing doctors, so Yu Jingchen hadn't called for an imperial physician often.
Nan Zhiyun sat obediently beside him. The imperial physician began to take her pulse. At first, there was nothing special, but after a while, the imperial physician's expression gradually became complex.
"Is there a problem?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"…Replying to Your Majesty, the Consort's wound has almost healed. With a couple more days of rest, she should recover completely," the imperial physician said.
"Besides this, are there any other issues?" Yu Jingchen asked the imperial physician.
"I have already taken my own pulse. Consort Shu is temporarily free from any major ailments," the imperial physician said, his face showing no unusual expression.
However, Yu Jingchen's expression clearly changed. His gaze towards the imperial physician deepened, even hinting at a murderous intent.
"Did you take her pulse clearly?" Yu Jingchen asked again.
"Yes…" The imperial physician seemed a little nervous, but it was normal to be nervous when faced with such questioning from Yu Jingchen.
"You may withdraw." Yu Jingchen said nothing more. The imperial physician picked up his medical case and did not dare to linger. He said, "This humble servant takes his leave," and departed.
Xing Lai had always served Yu Jingchen and naturally noticed something amiss. He looked at the imperial physician with a thoughtful expression.
"Investigate." Yu Jingchen spoke only one word. Nan Zhiyun didn't know what he meant, but Xing Lai immediately understood his intention. Without daring to delay for a moment, he ordered someone to investigate this so-called imperial physician.