After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 75 Serving the Illness at His Bedside Rekindles His Heart

Pei Yanzhi got up and walked out. Without begging for mercy, he knelt down outside the main hall without hesitation.

"Lord Pei, if I were to hit your back, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to withstand it."

One of the eunuchs offered a kind word of advice, but Pei Yanzhi said calmly, "It's alright, just give me some face."

Since he had already said that, the eunuch naturally did not try to persuade him any further.

The wooden board used for caning in the palace was very thin, but it was wide at one end and narrow at the other. When it was raised high and struck, the pain was unbearable.

If you get a spanking on the buttocks, it will heal with time.

But even the eunuch feared that if the twenty strokes landed on his back, Pei Yanzhi might die.

The man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth.

Helpless, the eunuch shouted "Execute!" and ordered twenty strokes of the cane. By the tenth stroke, blood was seeping through Pei Yanzhi's clothes.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, but he didn't move or utter a sound of pain.

When the twenty strokes of the cane were finished, Chenghua, who was standing to the side, hurriedly came over to help him up.

Pei Yanzhi reached out and put the handkerchief away, then kowtowed towards the palace gate: "Your Majesty, I have finished my punishment and now request Your Majesty's instructions."

When he spoke, Pei Yanzhi's voice was neither humble nor arrogant, but it vaguely revealed a hint of weakness.

"Go back. Don't go to Dali Temple for the next few days."

Empress Dowager Feng's voice came, and Pei Yanzhi kowtowed again to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

After saying that, he put his hand on Chenghua's arm, stood up, and walked outside with a slightly unsteady gait.

Empress Dowager Feng, inside the hall, reached out and picked up a cup of tea. After taking a sip, she looked at Wei Ziqian and said, "Do you know why you can never surpass Pei Yanzhi?"

These words startled Wei Ziqian, but he still replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and beg Your Majesty for guidance."

Empress Dowager Feng smiled and looked away: "He has pride and dignity. He knows it is impossible but does it anyway. What he is loyal to is the Daqing dynasty, not me."

Hearing Empress Dowager Feng's short sentence felt like a slap in the face to Wei Ziqian.

To put it bluntly, it's simply that Pei Yanzhi is just too capable.

His skill was something Wei Ziqian could never learn in his entire life.

It was precisely because he lacked ability that Wei Ziqian could only flatter and fawn over Empress Dowager Feng.

He became someone on par with Pei Yanzhi, but Empress Dowager Feng could replace him at any time.

Because he is dispensable.

"Your humble servant has learned a great deal."

"What I desire more is loyalty."

Empress Dowager Feng, as expected of the top leader in power, knew the principle of giving a slap followed by a sweet treat.

After Wei Ziqian finished speaking, she said this with a smile.

As long as Wei Ziqian remains loyal, his position will remain unshakeable.

Pei Yanzhi was nearly unconscious when he returned to the Pei residence.

But she still mustered her last bit of strength to say to Chenghua, "Tell Mingxiang that he can come back now. If I faint, the affairs of Mosongyuan will be handled by Xiangning and you. If he disobeys, he will be beaten to death."

Hearing Pei Yanzhi's weak and feeble words, Cheng Hua quickly agreed.

"Sir, don't say anymore, I know what to do."

Only after Cheng Hua said that did Pei Yanzhi close his eyes. How could he not feel pain after being struck by those twenty lashes?

Especially when the bullet hit his spine, he felt like his bones were about to break.

But for the sake of the dignity he now holds in sitting here, Pei Yanzhi has endured it all.

I'm really struggling to stay awake right now, and I'm about to pass out.

Xiang Ning had just finished cleaning Pei Yanzhi's room when she saw Cheng Hua carrying Pei Yanzhi in.

"What's going on here?"

Pei Yanzhi's eyes were closed, and he had fallen into a deep sleep. Cheng Hua carried him to the bedside and made him lie face down on the bed.

“Miss Xiangning, my master was punished by the Empress Dowager today and received twenty strokes of the cane. I will go and fetch a doctor to take a look at him. I will leave things here to you.”

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning was taken aback, while Cheng Hua had already walked outside. Only Xiang Ning and Bi Tao remained in the room.

"Bitao, go fetch a basin of water."

Upon hearing this, Bitao nodded and hurriedly went out to fetch water.

Xiang Ning looked at Pei Yanzhi lying on the bed and reached out to lift his somewhat tattered clothes.

Unexpectedly, Pei Yanzhi grabbed her hand as soon as she reached out.

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at her: "What are you doing?"

"Master, it's your servant."

Xiang Ning bent down and said something to Pei Yanzhi. Hearing the familiar voice, he released his grip on Xiang Ning's hand.

Pei Yanzhi lowered his guard and fell into a deep sleep again.

Only then could Xiang Ning help him remove his blood-stained clothes.

On his back were marks left by caning; his skin was bruised and bleeding was seeping out.

She quickly cleaned up the bloodstains for Pei Yanzhi, and soon the doctor arrived.

After examining Pei Yanzhi's back injury, the doctor applied medicine and prescribed several doses of herbal decoction.

"It seems like his spine is broken. Don't move him for a while. If you feel uncomfortable, wipe him with a clean towel."

"In addition, take these medicines twice a day, morning and evening, change the bandages every three days, and try to eat a light diet. You should recover in about half a month."

Chenghua and Xiangning listened carefully to the doctor's instructions.

After seeing the doctor off, Chenghua offered to take care of Pei Yanzhi for the night.

Xiang Ning was fine, but unexpectedly, Cheng Hua got into trouble while taking care of someone.

Men are not as meticulous as women. When feeding medicine to the unconscious Pei Yanzhi, even with the help of a bamboo tube, the medicine still leaked everywhere.

Pei Yanzhi's newly changed clothes were covered with traces of brown medicinal soup.

"Let me do it."

Xiang Ning stepped forward and took the medicine bowl from Cheng Hua's hand, letting him support Pei Yanzhi while Bi Tao carefully fed him the medicine through the bamboo tube.

This time, nothing was spilled, and Pei Yanzhi drank the entire bowl of medicine.

After feeding him the medicine, Xiang Ning added warm water to the porridge that had been mashed into a paste and fed it to Pei Yanzhi in the same way.

After doing all this, she told Chenghua to put the person down.

"I'll keep watch tonight."

These first few days are the most important, and Chenghua knows he's clumsy, so he didn't shirk his responsibilities.

"I'll be right outside. If you need anything, please let me know."

After saying that, Chenghua and Bitao walked out.

Xiang Ning sat on a low stool and tucked the blanket around Pei Yanzhi.

After working for so long, it was already midnight. Xiang Ning yawned and lay down by the bed.

When Pei Yanzhi was asleep, he was very well-behaved, breathing steadily and not moving around.

When those intimidating eyes closed, even the strands of hair seemed soft.

Xiang Ning tilted her head to look at him, having to face such a man every day.

To say I wasn't moved would be a lie, but it only lasted for a fleeting moment.

She always knew that in this world, only what you can hold onto is truly yours.

Pei Yanzhi is someone she can't hold onto; if she stays by his side, she has to learn to hide her true nature.

Xiang Ning has endured so much hardship and compromise all these years in order to gain her freedom.

No amount of pampering can compare to ensuring that her knees, which were once bent, will never have to kneel before anyone again.

To truly stand up.

There's juicy gossip to be had! Click on my profile to see the posts!


(End of this chapter)