ITOTIABSAM | The Tyrant in the Deep Palace | 64
With the debuff of a headache, aside from smashing things, Xiao Hao usually tried to move as little as possible. He had picked a nice palace for Pei Yi, but he himself hadn't visited much.
When the emperor went out, even if it was just walking around at "home," there were still formalities to observe. As the carriage was still on the way, the palace attendants at Jingxue Pavilion received the news. They all smiled with joy, but had to maintain their composure, unable to show their happiness too overtly.
Thanks to the protection provided by Pei Yi during this period, some of the newcomers selected by Jingxue Pavilion almost forgot what the rumored tyrant was like.
After all, in front of their master, the emperor was always accommodating. If the master was willing to speak kindly and coax a few words, let alone execution, they wouldn't even be punished with a beating.
However, Pei Yi, sitting upright in the room, was far from as happy as the servants imagined.
Things that deviated from the norm must have some hidden reason. The fact that the tyrant had never come to Jingxue Pavilion on his own before made him, who had always been calm in the face of adversity, unexpectedly uneasy.
The maid standing behind him, smiling as she tied his hair, said, "Sir? Are you getting impatient? With our emperor's temperament, the fact that he personally came to Jingxue Pavilion shows that he still values you in his heart."
In order to gain the maximum trust of the tyrant, Pei Yi entered the palace alone, carrying a belly full of secrets, but without anyone to consult with. Upon hearing the seemingly comforting words, he could only force a smile and say, "I understand."
His fear was that the tyrant's visit tonight might be because he had eaten Gu Cong’s meat, and now he wanting to share a room with him.
As his gaze swept over the jade hairpin used to secure his hair and then moved away, Pei Yi silently clenched the hand hidden in his sleeve. With the tyrant's frail body, he could kill him without any weapons, but he couldn't. It was for the sake of his master's great cause, for the sake of his master being able to rightfully ascend the throne adorned with the pure gold carved dragon.
Fortunately, when the tyrant stepped into Jingxue Pavilion fifteen minutes later, he was still the same as usual.
Having already eaten before coming, the palace attendants at Jingxue Pavilion had only prepared some light and refreshing refreshments. Pei Yi sat across from Xie Ye, holding a book of new documents he had found, and read at a pace that was just right.
At first glance, everything seemed peaceful and calm.
—- If one were to ignore the true thoughts in both their minds.
【It's so amazing. If he didn't lack a system, I would suspect he exchanged for the Buddha's chanting of "saving all sentient beings" in the mall,】 1101 finally dared to raise its volume with interest, "Record it, then play it on loop when your headache is too much. Why didn't I think of that before?"
Xie Ye remained noncommittal.
He never expected the world consciousness to leave him a loophole to feel comfortable, and he didn't come to see Pei Yi for treatment either.
Snap.
A candle gently burst into a flicker, and uncertain if the tyrant would still tolerate him as before Gu Cong's appearance, Xie Ye didn't say to stop. Pei Yi could only continue reading without pause, page after page, until his usually clear voice became hoarse.
It was only when a palace maid, who had been dressing his hair, took the bold step to approach, using the excuse of changing to a new pot of hot tea, that the boy in red clothes seemed to come back to himself, supporting his chin with his right hand, lifting his eyes leisurely, "Pei Yi, how have I treated you?"
It was not the cold Pei Yi, but a more familiar and affectionate term.
Breathing a sigh of relief inwardly, Pei Yi responded without hesitation, "Naturally, it's been extremely good."
Xie Ye: "Really?"
Perhaps the atmosphere at this moment was too good, the other party's black pupils were dyed with warm colors by the candlelight, moist and tender, unlike a tyrant, but more like a frail and vulnerable young man.
With a slight pause, Pei Yi, feeling rare apprehension, still looked directly into the other's eyes and replied:
"Truly."
At least to him, the tyrant owed nothing.
Luxurious clothing and sumptuous food aside, the tyrant never forced him into anything, whether it was reading or chatting, it seemed like he simply wanted company. He had never even shared a bed with him.
But whenever he thought of that rainy night, when the other had disheveled hair and had ruthlessly strangled a dog that he once cherished, Pei Yi couldn't help but feel terrified.
He had seen many corpses and even killed many people himself, but the feeling the tyrant gave him was different. The fact that the tyrant could laugh after committing such an act, tears streaming down his face, disgusted him.
Pei Yi detested that feeling, detested the sight of that dead dog glaring at him, yet he still had to comfort the tyrant with gentle words.
This made him subconsciously ignore the privileges that were uniquely his.
After all, nobody knew when he might become that unlucky foreign dog.
"How could a monster have the feelings of an ordinary person?" Pei Yi coldly thought to himself.
But on the surface, he remained gentle, with a smile at the corner of his eyes and lips, the reassuring expression that the tyrant loved the most. "Your Majesty, why do you suddenly mention these things? Have you heard some idle gossip?"
1101, recognizing the familiar lines, was filled with shock: The protagonist was actually playing the palace intrigue game seriously!
"In fact, I don't mind at all," Pei Yi rarely spoke the truth, lowering his eyes and pretending to be affectionate, "as long as Your Majesty is happy, I am happy."
"Oh?"
The palace was not lacking in actors, having seen enough fun, Xie Ye picked up a piece of pastry and changed the subject: "What about the stuff in the lily and mung bean soup?"
Never in his wildest dreams did Pei Yi expect the tyrant to suddenly bring this up after several days, discreetly tightening his grip on the spine of the book. Trusting his master, he feigned confusion: "Stuff? What stuff?"
"Oh, nothing much, just some medicine that would make my head ache even more," as if it were a trivial matter, the young man smiled, but his eyes sank once again, black as if they could devour all light, "Eunuch Li said the soup was brought out from the kitchen in your palace."
Pei Yi: ...
So, this was the reason why the tyrant had been distancing himself from him lately?
Having prepared himself for various unexpected situations early on, he remained composed, quietly issuing a command and calling out, "Chuntao."
The palace maid who had been tying his hair stepped forward.
Judging by her attire, she held the highest position in Pei Yi's palace, yet her face was pale, completely devoid of color.
"Begging Your Majesty's pardon, begging my lord's pardon," she knelt heavily on the ground, struggling to keep her voice from trembling, "Indeed, the soup was prepared by me in the kitchen, and I never left for a moment. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to have poisoned it. Please, Your Majesty, see the truth."
"See the truth," he repeated inexplicably, the young emperor turned around, nodding as if he had suddenly become interested, "Aside from you and the chef, no one else touched it?"
... Except for his lord who had opened the food box to inspect the presentation.
Quickly recalling the memories of that day on duty, Chuntao instinctively glanced at Pei Yi before shaking her head. "No."
Xie Ye: "Very well."
Xie Ye: "Then take them all away and execute them."
Thump.
The palace servants, who had been as quiet as quails, all knelt to the ground, trembling like sieves. The lead palace maid named Chuntao and the chef who had been dragged outside earlier were even knocking their foreheads against the ground, causing blood to flow. "It wasn't me! Truly, it wasn't me!"
"Nor was it me! How could I dare!"
"Better to wrongly kill than to let go, what does Pei Yi think?" Staring coldly at the two streaks of blood spreading on the floor tiles, Xie Ye turned his head and said, "But she seems very frightened, there's tears streaming down her face."
"If Pei Yi is willing to plead for them..."
"I will not plead for those who harm Your Majesty." With no hesitation, Pei Yi quickly rose to his feet, knelt down, and spoke firmly, neither compromising his principles nor appearing insincere.
Chuntao, who had been determined to take the fall for her master, froze in place, forgetting even to knock her head.
She looked at the side profile of Pei Yi's face, which had once been praised throughout the palace for its warmth and kindness, and suddenly felt extremely cold in her heart. In the past, the master had pleaded for many people, so why was he unwilling to do so for her?
Under the threat of death, people always seemed to become smarter. Suddenly, a terrifying speculation popped into her mind. Just as she instinctively moved her mouth to say something, Chuntao, who was accustomed to always keeping an eye on the master's movements, caught a glance from Pei Yi, a glance filled with hidden meaning.
Compassionate, guilty, nervous, and fearful, with a faint shimmer of tears, he appeared pitiful.
In an instant, her heart softened.
What was wrong with wanting to kill the tyrant? In this palace, who didn't live in fear under the shadow of the tyrant? There was a difference between men and women. Given the master's temperament, he must have endured much inhuman treatment in places she couldn't see, which is why he couldn't bear it anymore and took a risky step.
Moreover, wasn't it the tyrant who forced the master to make a choice?
It seemed that only by thinking this way could she feel a bit better. Chuntao bit her lip and shifted all the blame onto the tyrant, even casting a hint of resentment in her gaze towards Xie Ye.
If only he had really drunk that bowl of soup, then the master wouldn't have been ignored, and tonight's events wouldn't have happened. Perhaps the world would still be peaceful.
But unfortunately, the young man sitting in the high seat seemed to have lost his ability to sense emotions. Instead of directly strangling her, he dropped a pastry and picked up a silver tea knife beside him. He gently lifted her master's chin and applied force, leaving a bloody mark:
"Just kidding."
"I like what you said, Pei Qing."
"Let them live."
The taste of surviving a disaster was too good. The cook, who hadn't dared to lift his head the entire time, almost collapsed to the ground, but he still endured the pain and bowed deeply to Xie Ye.
"Death penalty can be spared, but living with guilt is hard to escape. If Pei Qing is willing to kneel, it would be great if he kneels for a few more hours." Xie Ye didn't even bother to look back as he left, stepping over the blood stains on the ground without a care, leaving behind a bewildered Pei Yi who wanted to accompany him.
"It has been hot recently. Tell the imperial kitchen to send a bowl of lotus seed soup to Pei Yi every day, watch him finish it, and not leave a single drop."
The eunuch, who was bending over to hold the lamp, was initially taken aback by this thoughtful instruction from above, then quickly responded, "Yes."
As they exited the gate of Jingxue Pavilion, the carriage was waiting outside. Suddenly, a shadow caught Xie Ye's attention. The eunuch holding the lamp quickly flashed it, speaking sternly, "Who's there? Come out!"
Immediately afterward, a figure emerged from the darkness, a silhouette that was unmistakably Xie Ye.
It seemed like he had been standing outside for a long time. His steps were somewhat stiff, and his expression showed both concern and a hint of the familiar sense of being abandoned.
"I'm worried that Your Majesty might get hurt."
Fearful that the young emperor might foolishly rush to poison himself again, Gu Cong ignored the eunuch holding the lamp and deftly maneuvered around him, grasping Xie Ye's hand and looking up at him. "Your Majesty."
"Is there anywhere that hurts, Your Majesty?"
Author's note:
Take it easy, I'll gradually return all the suffering inflicted on the NPC.
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