jdhmnovel Chapter 72 The Angry Empress 3
Chapter 72 The Angry Empress 3
In the dim room, Jiang Wan clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her limbs twitching constantly, her eyes were closed, her brows were furrowed, and her forehead was covered with fine and dense beads of sweat.
Suddenly, Jiang Wan opened her eyes abruptly, with fear in her eyes that had not yet dissipated. She clutched the quilt tightly, stared around with wide eyes, and after making sure there was nothing unusual, she let out a long sigh of relief and lay back down.
The feeling of having nightmares is so uncomfortable. This body is suffering from severe neurasthenia. The number of times I have had a good night's sleep over the years is so rare that I can only count on one hand.
After struggling for a long time, Jiang Wan just felt her mouth dry and her tongue parched. She called the name of the maid beside her, but got no response for a long time.
Jiang Wan put on his shoes and stood up. He made sure that there was no one guarding the house inside or outside. Suddenly, he had an idea and sneaked towards Changle Palace in a crouched position.
As for what punishment these maids and eunuchs would receive after they found out she was missing, Jiang Wan didn't care. After all, these people were He Yunchao's eyes and ears, and they received rewards from He Yunchao. They looked down on her from the bottom of their hearts, so they deserved to be punished!
Changle Palace was not far away, and Jiang Wan hid all the way and actually managed to get away with it.
Jiang Wan knocked on the palace gate and a strange guard opened the door. Seeing that she was only wearing an outer coat, he turned his head away in a hurry without being shocked.
"Why would Your Majesty come to visit so late at night?"
Jiang Wan frowned. "Do I need to report my thoughts to a little guard like you? Get out of here!"
Jiang Wan kicked him directly. Even though the guards wanted to stop him, they did not dare to kill him. They could only go ahead of Jiang Wan and report to Pei Shaoqing first.
Soon, Pei Shaoqing went out to greet her personally.
Just as he was about to salute, he saw Jiang Wan was wearing thin clothes, not even socks, and her heels were exposed. Pei Shaoqing immediately scolded her, "How did those maids take care of you? How could they let you..."
Before he could finish, facing Jiang Wan's gloomy gaze, Pei Shaoqing's voice stopped abruptly.
He almost forgot that this was a master who would get angry at the slightest disagreement. Now was not the time to scold the maid. His Majesty came to visit him late at night, so he must have something important to tell him.
Thinking of this, Pei Shaoqing tried to raise the corners of his mouth, trying his best to show his sweetest smile, and said softly: "Your Majesty, it's cold outside, let's go inside and talk."
Jiang Wan then snorted softly, and walked in proudly with his head held high.
When he walked to Pei Shaoqing, he actually picked up Jiang Wan's hand. After feeling the coldness, he held both of her hands in his palms.
This sudden scene frightened Jiang Wan so much that he shrank back.
But Pei Shaoqing was unmoved. They were husband and wife, so wasn't it normal for them to do these things?
......
Pei Shaoqing's bed was messy and he hadn't had time to tidy it up. He must have been sleeping soundly as he was suddenly woken up by Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan didn't bother to be polite with him. He took off his shoes and got in while the bed was still warm.
After covering himself with the quilt for a long time, Jiang Wan finally stopped shivering from the cold.
From beginning to end, Pei Shaoqing moved a stool and sat beside the bed, looking at her gently and calmly.
Seeing Jiang Wan's eyes almost squinting with pleasure, Pei Shaoqing finally couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, why are you here to see me so late at night?"
It's impossible that she came here just to sleep, right?
Jiang Wan forced himself to stay sleepy and slowly opened his eyes, "It's okay, I just want to stay here."
Suddenly, she turned her head slightly and looked at Pei Shaoqing in shock, "Why are you still here? Go back to sleep quickly?"
In response to her, Pei Shaoqing remained silent for a long time.
After a long while, Pei Shaoqing finally couldn't hold back any longer and said softly and tactfully: "Your Majesty, please stop joking with me. You suddenly came to me so late at night. You must have something important to discuss with me, right? You can rest assured. As long as it is something that I can do, I will do it even if it means going through fire and water!"
After listening to his passionate words, Jiang Wan finally came to his senses.
But she neither lost her temper nor cried and complained about her grievances. She just stared straight at the ceiling of the bed.
After a long while, she said slowly: "I'm not joking with you, I just want to stay here."
"I feel very safe here with you. I don't want to go back. My place is too gloomy and empty. I don't feel comfortable sleeping there..."
Recalling that Jiang Wannian was separated from his mother when he was young, he walked here in thin clothes, but there was no movement in the palace. Those maids and eunuchs probably didn't even notice that His Majesty was missing... Pei Shaoqing's eyes flashed with heartache. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally held it back.
The room was completely silent, save for the faint sound of their intertwined breathing.
Pei Shaoqing moved the bench forward, tucked in the quilt for Jiang Wan, and leaned his head against the bed to look at her. "Then your majesty, have a good sleep. Shaoqing will stay by your side."
His voice was steady and gentle, constantly moistening Jiang Wan's dry heart.
Jiang Wan looked at him silently without saying anything. When she was about to close her eyes and fall asleep, she reached out her hand and grasped his sleeve tightly, as if she was worried that Pei Shaoqing would leave.
Seeing this defenseless and well-behaved scene, Pei Shaoqing's heart softened.
The grievances caused by Jiang Wan's humiliation before the wedding and the alienation and resentment after the marriage also disappeared at this moment...
Jiang Wan did nothing wrong. She was like a child covered with thorns. If he wanted to blame someone, he should blame himself for not doing well enough. Why didn't he notice that something was wrong with her earlier? Why couldn't he be more proactive and gain her trust earlier?
......
Jiang Wan slept very comfortably that night.
The next day, she was awakened by bursts of noise.
Listening to the annoyed voice, Jiang Wan felt inexplicably blocked in her heart. However, before she could completely lose her temper, Pei Shaoqing took the lead and covered her ears.
Away from the source of the noise, Jiang Wan's depression was alleviated a lot.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Pei Shaoqing still wearing his coat from last night, sitting by the bed watching over her. The sun was shining brightly outside, and Jiang Wan couldn't imagine how long he had maintained this posture!
Seeing the guilt in Jiang Wan's eyes, Pei Shaoqing just smiled faintly. This smile was like an iceberg melting and a breeze blowing on his face. Jiang Wan felt his heart beat a beat extra and a heat rose on his face.
Fearing that Pei Shaoqing might notice something unusual, she immediately frowned and shouted angrily, "What's going on outside? You dare to disturb my sleep? I don't want to live anymore!"
Pei Shaoqing certainly saw Jiang Wan's face blushing. In order to protect someone's self-esteem, he just pretended not to see it and replied seriously: "It was someone from His Majesty's palace. He said that His Majesty was missing, and he was ordered to search Changle Palace..."
After saying that, Pei Shaoqing quickly added: "If your majesty doesn't want to see them, then don't see them. With me here, they can't get in."