Chapter 6: Punishment

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“What? She still has to come back in a few days?”

Once Prime Minister Yuan and his family returned to the inner residence, they began speculating about the Emperor’s intentions.

“Father, could it be that His Majesty spared Peipei in order to placate you and win your loyalty? After all, he has only been on the throne for a few years, and with military power scattered among others, his position is hardly secure.”

Yuan Jinjin had always been the most perceptive and cleverest person in the family.

Whenever Prime Minister Yuan was unable to make up his mind about some matter of state, he would return home and consult Yuan Jinjin. In the end, she always managed to offer a proper solution.

This had convinced him that once Yuan Jinjin entered the palace, she would certainly be chosen as Empress—the very image of the mother of the nation.

Yuan Shangwu nodded. “Father, Jinjin is absolutely right. His Majesty must be showing Peipei extra favor for your sake. Otherwise, who would ever take a liking to that little crybaby? She’s foolish, clumsy, and utterly lacking in social awareness.”

Madam Yuan let out a soft sigh. “Fortunately, Peipei is fairly pretty. At least raising her was not a complete waste. She has managed to make some contribution to our family.”

Yuan Jinjin lowered her head without saying a word, but her hands were already twisting her silk handkerchief so tightly that they nearly wrung it apart.

What she envied most about Yuan Peipei was her face.

How could someone as stupid as a pig, a fool who burst into tears at the slightest thing, possess such an astonishingly beautiful face?

Once she entered the palace and became Empress, the first thing she would do was find a way to ruin that idiot’s face. It was an eyesore simply to look at her.

Yuan Peipei knew nothing of her family’s schemes. She had been exceedingly happy during her day at home. Then, seeing all the little stalls lining the streets, she became dazzled by the variety of things on offer. She lingered a little while buying a skewer of candied fruit, and by the time she returned to the Palace of Colorful Garments, dusk had already fallen.

Dugu Jin sat upright, the dragon claws embroidered on his robe seeming ready to leap out and seize her at any moment.

“This concubine greets Your Majesty.”

Dugu Jin’s face was cold as he demanded, “What time did I tell you to return to the palace? Did you take every word I said for the wind?”

“This concubine would never dare.”

Her limpid eyes lifted toward Dugu Jin. Without thinking, the tip of her tongue licked the corner of her mouth, where a trace of syrup from the candied fruit still clung.

Dugu Jin drew a deep breath. “You returned late. You should be punished.”

Punished?

Yuan Peipei remembered how Dugu Jin had ordered a palace servant to be beaten with a rod a few days ago and instinctively covered her backside with both hands.

[Hahaha, don’t be afraid, darling Peipei. The villain’s punishment isn’t that kind of punishment—but covering your backside isn’t entirely wrong either.]

[He missed darling Peipei all day, and the moment she came back he wanted to punish her. What a secretly lecherous villain.]

Dugu Jin glanced at Cui Zhi and Lan Xin. “Leave!”

His tone was fierce.

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The two maids did not dare disobey. They could only cast a worried glance at their mistress before withdrawing and closing the door behind them.

Dugu Jin rose and walked toward Yuan Peipei. Bending down, he lifted her into his arms and headed straight for the inner chamber.

His steps were quick.

[Ahhhhh! Please, no truck crash! Hang in there, darling Peipei!]

[Heeheehee, darling Peipei looks completely bewildered. She never imagined this was the sort of punishment he meant.]

[Here we go again—the censored part. I wonder how many hours the villain can last this time.]

[It seems the story has changed. In the original plot, darling Peipei and the villain were together only once, but now they’ve slept together more than once.]

[Ahhhhh! Does that mean this couple might actually have a happy ending?]

Yuan Peipei no longer had the mind to pay attention to the comments. Dugu Jin was sucking at the corner of her mouth.

“Why are you so sweet? What did my beloved consort sneak out to eat?”

“Candied fruit.”

So she had returned late because of a skewer of candied fruit?

The corners of Dugu Jin’s lips lifted despite himself. His heated voice brushed against her ear. “Since this is a punishment, I will not concern myself with whether you are tired or not. My beloved consort, try to endure a little longer.”

(Twenty thousand words omitted here.)

The next day, just as expected, Yuan Peipei slept late again.

This time it was even more outrageous. When she opened her eyes, it was already nearly noon.

Only after hearing movement did Cui Zhi and Lan Xin enter to attend to Yuan Peipei as she rose and washed.

“Your Highness, the Empress Dowager’s people have already come three times to ask you to go over,” Cui Zhi said.

Yuan Peipei remembered Dugu Jin’s instructions well. “Tell them that I’m feeling unwell.”

Cui Zhi nodded and agreed.

But that afternoon, the Empress Dowager sent someone again.

Lan Xin curtsied to the visitor. “Her Highness is taking her midday nap.”

Nanny Huiyuan had assumed that, since she had come in person, the other side would at least show her some consideration. She had not expected that she would not even be allowed through the door.

“A midday nap? Wasn’t she only up at noon?”

Lan Xin replied, “She was exhausted during the night, so she went back to sleep.”

What could Nanny Huiyuan say?

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The exhaustion had been caused by the Emperor. Was she supposed to interfere in the Emperor’s private bedroom affairs?

After being turned away, Nanny Huiyuan returned to the Palace of Benevolent Peace. She did not exaggerate the matter, but her tone still carried unmistakable displeasure and resentment.

“Your Majesty, Consort Rou has gone back to sleep. They say she was exhausted during the night and needs more rest. I went there personally, yet I could not even enter the door before her maids turned me away.”

The prayer beads turning in the Empress Dowager’s hand suddenly came to a halt. Though her hair was arranged without a single strand out of place, age had loosened the skin of her face. When her expression darkened like this, she looked truly intimidating.

“Relying on the Emperor’s favor, she now dares disregard even a summons from me. There is no one else in the entire palace who has ever acted so outrageously. Even when I was young and fighting with the other women in the imperial harem, I never saw a favored consort behave with such insolence!”

“Go and summon her again. I refuse to believe that, as Empress Dowager, I cannot command a mere Consort Rou!”

She slammed the prayer beads down on the table, plainly furious.

Nanny Huiyuan went once more to the Palace of Colorful Garments. This time, she did not even see Cui Zhi or Lan Xin—only several palace maids who were cleaning.

“Where is your mistress?”

“Her Majesty was summoned away by the Emperor.”

Nanny Huiyuan returned empty-handed yet again. Afterward, she said to the Empress Dowager, “The Emperor’s strange illness may have been cured, but he now favors Consort Rou alone. This is detrimental to both the inner palace and the affairs of court. Your Majesty ought to counsel him.”

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment. “Summon Consort Ning and the others.”

Late that night, the Empress Dowager was lecturing several consorts for failing to compete for the Emperor’s favor.

Meanwhile, Yuan Peipei sat with Dugu Jin in a small boat on the lake. Dinner had been laid out between them, and the boat glided forward on its own. From this angle, the imperial palace possessed an entirely different charm.

Dugu Jin said, “When I was young, I used to play here with my imperial uncle. In those days, I was free of every worry. It is a rare and precious memory.”

[What a pity that your imperial uncle is plotting against you! Alas, who can blame him? He is the male lead, after all. The throne was destined to be his.]

[Wahhh, I don’t want the villain to die! If the villain dies, what will darling Peipei do?]

[While the male lead is still in the south building up his power, the villain and darling Peipei should give us more sweet moments. I really love this couple.]

Yuan Peipei suddenly sat upright. The imperial uncle was the male lead, and he intended to seize the throne. How was she supposed to tell the Emperor?

She was not clever enough to think of a solution. Anxious, she could not stop herself from crying, and large tears came tumbling down her cheeks.

Dugu Jin was alarmed. He pulled her into his arms and settled her on his lap. “Are you seasick?”

Yuan Peipei shook her head. “I don’t want you to die.”

Dugu Jin’s brows drew together. “What do you mean, die?”

If anyone else had said such a thing, the mildest punishment would have been a beating with a rod. At worst, they might have lost their life.