Pei Xiuyan left Ye Chuyan's courtyard feeling restless and had no intention of looking for Zhao Yujiao again, so he went to the study first.
Zhao Yujiao's broken leg was mostly healed, and Pei Xiuyan ordered someone to make a wheelchair for her.
She sat at the door and waited, but she still didn't wait for Pei Xiuyan, and she gradually became impatient.
The servant in her courtyard who went out to inquire about the news soon came to report.
"Miss Zhao, the princess is awake. The prince went to the princess's yard and returned to the study when he came out."
Zhao Yujiao's expression changed instantly, her eyes darkened like poison, and the servant was startled.
Hong Ying, the personal maid behind him, saw this and whispered quickly: "Master, don't worry. The prince must have been tripped up by something today. Why don't I push you back to the house first?"
Zhao Yujiao was immediately relieved.
Yes, the Ye family has been ransacked, why is she anxious? It was only a matter of time before Ye Chuyan was divorced, and she had the position of princess at her fingertips.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yujiao turned to look at Hongying and smiled.
"Hongying, let's go see my sister tomorrow. My sister must be very sad when the Ye family is raided."
Hongying couldn't help but her eyelids twitched.
Two years ago, she was hunted down because of her father's gambling debts, so she had no choice but to borrow hundreds of silver taels from Zhao Yujiao. From then on, she was forced to become Zhao Yujiao's confidant.
Only she knew how vicious a heart lay beneath this weak and harmless face.
Pushing the princess into the lotus pond, and deliberately leaking the news that the Ye family was raided during the period when the princess was grounded for miscarriage.
Now, she couldn't imagine how Zhao Yujiao would stimulate the princess when she went to see her tomorrow.
Zhao Yujiao frowned slightly when she saw that Hongying was distracted, "Hongying, why don't you push me back quickly?"
Hongying quickly lowered her head and responded, "Yes, Miss Zhao."
※
The next day, dark clouds and heavy fog came together. Although it was noon, the world was desolate and gloomy.
Ye Chuyan was lying on the bed and suddenly said, "What day is today?" His voice was hoarse.
Bai Zhi was slightly excited when she heard this.
Since the prince left last night, the princess has not said a word. She has been lying like this with her eyes open until now, without sleeping or eating or drinking.
No matter how she tried to persuade her, it was of no use. Now she heard that the princess was finally willing to speak.
She carefully replied: "Princess, today is the twelfth lunar month."
Ye Chuyan looked sideways at Bai Zhi. She wanted to ask, where are her father and brother buried? But he didn't dare to open his mouth.
Finally, he said in an inaudible voice, "Oh."
Although she looked at Bai Zhi, her eyes were blank.
Bai Zhi came forward with a medicine bowl and said, "Princess, if I know anything, I will definitely hope that you live well. Take some medicine and rest. Don't suffer like this. This slave is really scared of you."
Ye Churan seemed to be awakened by someone suddenly and murmured.
"Yes, I want to drink medicine, and I want to live to atone for my sins. When I married Pei Xiuyan, I should have thought that I would pay the price. I deserve to suffer in hell on earth."
After she finished speaking, she took the medicine bowl from Bai Zhi's hand and drank it in one gulp.
Bai Zhi was startled by Ye Chuyan.
"Princess, don't be like this. You still have the old lady and the others. You have to live well to have a chance to see the old lady."
Ye Chuyan has never been afraid of bitterness, but today's medicine was extremely bitter, and the bitterness spread from his mouth to his whole body.
If it weren't for her mother and others, she wouldn't deserve to live.
"Bai Zhi, help me call Pei Xiuyan, and tell him that I have something to ask him."
Bai Zhi looked worried, "Princess..." Bai Zhi was worried that Ye Chuyan would assassinate Pei Xiuyan again.
Ye Chuyan knew what Bai Zhi was worried about.
"Don't worry, I don't want to kill Pei Xiuyan. I just want to ask him about some things. In my current state, I can't kill him even if I want to."
She wanted to ask Pei Xiuyan if what he said yesterday was true. If she was still alive, could she keep her mother and the others safe on their way to exile.
Bai Zhi thought for a while, bit her lip and agreed.
She walked to the door of the courtyard, slammed the door hard and shouted: "Open the door, open the door, the princess has something to ask to see the prince, please let me out, I want to go to the prince."
The two guards guarding outside the courtyard looked at each other and smiled.
One of them said angrily: "Miss Bai Zhi, do you think it's the past? The princess can see whoever she wants to see."
Another echoed: "The Ye family is gone, but I still think that I am the legitimate daughter of the Ye family. That is why our prince is soft-hearted, so he did not take the opportunity to divorce his wife."
The two of them raised their eyes and saw Pei Xiuyan walking towards them, with the fat housekeeper Li Fu and a dozen guards standing behind him.
The two guards didn't know whether Pei Xiuyan heard what they just said, so they knelt down and saluted with a slight guilt, "I have met the prince."
Li Fu looked at the two guards on the ground with ugly expressions, as if there was a fish stem in his throat.
Because the Ye family was ransacked and the princess was grounded, the servants in the mansion no longer had any respect for the princess.
The guards were too lazy to guard the door these days and often slipped out to drink in the evenings. He turned a blind eye and pretended he couldn't see.
Early this morning, he was called to the study by the prince. He was severely scolded for this matter and was brought here with him.
The two guards just made rude remarks, which happened to be overheard by the prince.
Pei Xiuyan clasped his hands behind his back and said slowly, "Li Fu, what kind of crime should this servant deserve for messing around with his master?"
Li Fu bowed and replied, "Go back to my lord, I will be punished with fifty sticks and be driven out of the house."
When the two guards heard this, they kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, please spare my life, Your Majesty, please spare my life."
The guards in the Qing palace were all born servants and received training from childhood. Those who were good at martial arts were selected to become the guards in the palace, thus eliminating the slave status.
Even if he survives the fifty-fifty rod punishment, he will either die or be disabled. If he is kicked out, he will become a slave again. Life is really worse than death.
Li Fu knew these two guards and had watched them grow up. He did not dare to help and plead for mercy at this time, so he could only grit his teeth and say: "Pull him down!"
The guards behind him rushed forward like hungry wolves and pulled the two guards down.
Pei Xiuyan glanced at Li Fu expressionlessly, "Open the door!"
Li Fu quickly took out the key and opened the door.
Bai Zhi heard the conversation outside clearly. After the door opened, she saluted with excitement: "Your Majesty."
Pei Xiuyan didn't look at Bai Zhi, he just said "Waiting here" and walked into the room.
Ye Chuyan turned his face slightly when he heard the footsteps gradually becoming clearer.
Seeing Pei Xiuyan walking towards him, she said hoarsely: "Pei Xiuyan, are you serious about what you said yesterday?"
Pei Xiuyan saw Ye Chuyan lying on the bed, his eyes empty and black, and his voice was as hoarse as sawing wood.
He had never seen such a haggard Ye Chuyan. He couldn't help but frown and said: "I have never broken my promise."
Ye Chuyan slowly closed his eyes.
Father and brother, I'm sorry, but my daughter can't avenge you yet, nor can she go down to apologize to you.
She opened her eyes again, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will live well and serve you happily. I also hope that Your Majesty will keep his promise and protect the safety of my Ye family members."
Pei Xiuyan felt very uncomfortable when he saw Ye Chuyan's face looking like a pool of stagnant water.
"Before New Year's Eve, I want to see a princess who is alive and kicking, not an unappetizing living dead." Pei Xiuyan dropped these words coldly and left the room like a gust of wind.
Ye Chuyan tried his best to keep his eyes wide open to prevent tears from flowing out.
She had no right to cry now. She had to take good care of herself before she could continue to humiliate Pei Xiuyan.
Pei Xiuyan felt as if he was afraid to see Ye Chuyan's eyes, especially the look of despair and grief in them.
He slowly exhaled a breath and said to Li Fu who was guarding the door:
"From today onwards, the princess will be lifted from the confinement and will buy a new batch of slaves from outside to serve the princess. Send all the precious medicinal materials in the palace. I will make the princess recover as soon as possible!"
People in the courtyard were secretly surprised at the same time, Prince, are you feeling sorry for the princess?
