"Humph, do you think this can offset the harm he did to you? Far from enough," said Yong Yaxuan, his face still looking grim.
Ji Feiyu then grabbed his hand and said tenderly, "As long as Your Majesty stays by my side, trusts me and never dislikes me, I won't be afraid of anything."
Yong Yaxuan's gaze softened. He tightened his hold on her hand and said, "I'll always be with you." After a pause, he added, "But there are too many pests around you. I'll get rid of them one by one!"
Ji Feiyu was both amused and exasperated by him. She couldn't help but say, "Butterflies are not pests."
Yong Yaxuan was silent for a moment, then flew into a rage. "I say they are, and they are!"
Ji Feiyu was tickled by his cute look. She pulled on his sleeve and said, "Come here!"
"What?" He leaned over hesitantly, only to receive a quick kiss on the cheek from Ji Feiyu! And then... Yong Yaxuan calmed down.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Ji Feiyu kissed his lips. Just as she was about to pull back, Yong Yaxuan leaned in and gently kissed her...
Since she had offered the kiss, he would never let this opportunity slip away!
...
Days passed by slowly.
Chaos had erupted in the court. The mighty general and the vassal king's troops had clashed. Meanwhile, the case in the harem remained unresolved. A strange and tense atmosphere hung over the entire imperial city, making everyone feel anxious.
It was in this atmosphere that Ji Feiyu took charge of the harem again. She took swift and decisive action to handle several minor matters. Her strict measures reminded everyone of the nightmare from years ago. From then on, everyone looked at Ji Feiyu with a hint of fear and trepidation, for fear of accidentally provoking her.
As Ji Feiyu's health improved, she began to receive the daily greetings from the concubines again.
One day, after the greetings, all the concubines left except Xin Fei, who lingered behind.
"Xin Fei, do you have something to say?" Ji Feiyu had already stood up from her seat and was about to leave. Seeing Xin Fei hesitating on the spot, she couldn't help but ask.
Hearing this, Xin Fei walked towards Ji Feiyu and knelt down directly.
"What's going on? Have you found out who harmed you and want me to seek justice for you?" Ji Feiyu looked down at her, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.
Xin Fei bowed to Ji Feiyu and then said, "I'm here to ask the Empress to save someone."
"What did you do that requires me to save you?" Ji Feiyu sat down again when she saw that Xin Fei still had something to say.
Xin Fei hesitated and looked up. Then she glanced at Ji Feiyu's attendants.
Ji Feiyu immediately understood and waved her attendants away.
Only then did Xin Fei say, "I want the Empress to save the top scholar."
Ji Feiyu didn't react at first. Later, she realized that Xin Fei was referring to Lin Zhiran by his former title to avoid taboos.
"I'm powerless in this matter," Ji Feiyu said indifferently, suppressing a twinge of pain in her heart.
Xin Fei said, "I know I was wrong to you before, but this matter... this matter has nothing to do with the top scholar."
Ji Feiyu said coldly, "If it has nothing to do with him, does it have something to do with you?"
Xin Fei lamented, "I didn't even know when the top scholar entered the palace. Moreover, since this incident happened to him, everyone will naturally suspect me first! How could I be so stupid as to do such a thing!" Lin Zhiran was her cousin. It was only natural for people to suspect her first when he caused trouble in the palace.
Ji Feiyu sighed inwardly. It seemed that Xin Fei was throwing back at her the words she had said to her before.
Indeed, in the harem, one had to be extremely cautious and leave no trace. A single rumor could lead to a storm of trouble.
"Get up first," Ji Feiyu said helplessly, feeling a bit dejected.
But Xin Fei still knelt there motionless. "I won't get up. I'm here to plead for mercy today because I can't bear to watch any longer."
The way she said it made it seem as if the victim was not Ji Feiyu but Lin Zhiran.
Ji Feiyu couldn't help but sneer. "What can't you bear to watch? Do you think that after he offended me, I should still reward him happily?"
"But you can't castrate him!" Xin Fei suddenly became excited. "You can beat him, torture him, and interrogate him, but how can you castrate him to humiliate him?"
"What?" Ji Feiyu was shocked.
Xin Fei continued, "The Lin family has only one heir in his generation. He has already suffered a great deal in prison. Why do they still have to castrate him?"
Ji Feiyu looked at the crazy - looking woman in front of her and couldn't help but shout, "You're lying!"
"I'm not lying. Since I'm from the Lin family, I went to inquire about the situation as soon as my cousin had an accident. Later, I found out that they used extreme torture on him and castrated him. Empress, I know you've always been kind to my cousin. If you still have a bit of old affection for him, please save him! With his stubborn nature, he'd rather die than live in humiliation."
For a moment, Ji Feiyu's mind was in a complete mess. She waved her hand and said, "Stop talking."
But Xin Fei looked up at Ji Feiyu sadly and said emotionally, "Empress, if you save my cousin this time, I'm willing to die to show my gratitude. I don't want to be involved in the harem struggles anymore."
Looking at her desolate eyes, Ji Feiyu felt as if a wound had been torn open in her heart. Over the years, the defeats and tragedies of the concubines in the harem struggles resurfaced in her mind. Indeed, there was no mercy in the harem. Who could tell the story of this desolation?
"Alright, I'll do my best," Ji Feiyu finally closed her eyes and waved Xin Fei away.
Behind the fog was the truth that could never be seen clearly. Who knew what kind of lively and cute girls these women were before they entered the palace.
...
To find out the truth, Ji Feiyu went to the place where the prisoners were held.
At this time, the imperial city was still in chaos. As a bargaining chip to threaten Lin Chujie, Lin Zhiran was naturally imprisoned in the palace. But there were several dungeons in the palace, and Ji Feiyu didn't know where he was.
After several inquiries, Ji Feiyu finally found out where Lin Zhiran was held. Although she was stopped from entering, she still managed to get in on the pretext of "I want to whip him myself."
As soon as she entered, the damp, putrid smell of blood made her vomit. After getting used to the dim light, she saw a man with disheveled hair tied to a wooden frame. His white clothes were in tatters and covered in blood. The pool of blood under him was particularly shocking.
"Lin Zhiran!" Ji Feiyu looked at him and rushed forward. She wanted to touch him but hesitated.
"Damn it! Who told you to treat him like this?" Whipping and torturing were one thing, but how could they castrate him? Ji Feiyu's heart softened, and she scolded the chief eunuch behind her. No matter how much she hated this man, she couldn't bear to see him standing in front of her, covered in blood and completely losing his grace. In her memory, he always stood there, elegant and refined.