Yu Jingchen propped his head up with one hand, wondering what was happening to him lately. Why was he always thinking about things related to Nan Ziyun? It had been so long, and memories usually faded with time.
Yet, his memories of Nan Ziyun seemed to be becoming even clearer. Things he hadn't considered before now gradually occupied his thoughts.
"Deal with it slowly," Yu Jingchen suddenly said.
"Your Majesty, what did you say?" Xing Lai didn't quite understand.
"Practicing witchcraft in the palace, framing imperial consorts, a capital offense," Yu Jingchen continued.
"Then..." Xing Lai was somewhat surprised. Hadn't His Majesty just said he wanted Consort Nan to find out who was behind it and present the evidence herself? Why now...
"So there's no need to rush. Let her find it slowly. You don't need me to tell you how to handle palace matters," Yu Jingchen implied pointedly.
"Yes, this servant obeys the decree," Xing Lai replied.
Yu Jingchen's intention was to drag things out. Xing Lai had to admit that His Majesty seemed to care about and be concerned for Consort Nan more and more. He not only publicly defended her but also actively helped her resolve potential threats.
After settling this matter, Yu Jingchen forced himself to stop dwelling on it. Besides Nan Ziyun, he had many other things to attend to. Winter had arrived, and he recalled that many incidents had occurred during this winter in his previous life, such as snow disasters. Many commoners lacked warm clothing, and even shelter and food. This had also led to riots in several regions.
In his previous life, Nan Su had played a significant role during the snow disaster. As some of the affected areas were not far from the border, these sudden events caught everyone off guard. Nan Su had gone to provide disaster relief and quell the riots before he could even report to Yu Jingchen or receive his decree.
Although the situation was resolved afterward, Nan Su had been absent from his post, and Yu Jingchen had intended to punish him. However, due to Nan Su's great contributions and his popularity among the common people, Yu Jingchen had not only spared him but also rewarded him to appease public sentiment.
This, however, had left Yu Jingchen dissatisfied. No emperor would tolerate a subject whose prestige surpassed his own, especially a military general holding significant power. Moreover, the Nan family had always been a source of his apprehension.
But in this life... Yu Jingchen mused, some matters needed to be resolved.
Hean Hall
Despite the many events that had transpired today, Yu Jingchen had still arranged for Nan Ziyun to move into Hean Hall.
Hean Hall was furnished similarly to how it had been when Nan Ziyun lived there before. Although Yu Jingchen was unaware of the specific arrangements, his subordinates would have remembered.
"Consort, shall this servant help you change first? You've had a tiring day," Qian Xia said.
"No need," Nan Ziyun replied, her spirits low.
"Consort must have been frightened today? It's alright, His Majesty didn't blame you. And this servant saw that His Majesty seemed to be on your side, protecting you after what happened today," Qian Xia comforted Nan Ziyun.
"Qian Xia, has His Majesty really changed?" Nan Ziyun asked.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Qian Xia replied.
"But I'm scared..." Nan Ziyun confided in Qian Xia.
"Consort..." Qian Xia truly felt for Nan Ziyun.
"Forget it, let's change," Nan Ziyun decided, unwilling to dwell on it further, and turned to enter the inner chamber.