Chapter 32: The Beautiful Princess vs. The Mad, Sickly Tyrant

Ning Wanguan was groggy, more exhausted than she had ever been in her life.

She had eaten so many carrots, yet Pei Tingche was the first to completely wear her out.

Half-conscious, she vaguely sensed someone entering the room.

“She’s just sleep-deprived…”

“She’s exhausted…”

“She just needs rest…”

After spouting a bunch of useless words, the person left.

Ning Wanguan’s mind was hazy, and she quickly drifted off to sleep again.

It wasn’t until midday—

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the thin paper windows, brightening the sleeping quarters.

She opened her eyes, momentarily dazed before her senses gradually returned. Memories of last night’s chaos with Pei Tingche flooded her mind like a tidal wave.

She raised a hand and touched the faint finger marks at her waist, the bite marks on her arms, and her trembling knees that refused to hold her weight.

The pain made her grit her teeth.

Moving stealthily, she climbed out of bed, picked up her scattered clothes from the floor, and dressed quickly.

Then, she retrieved a small embroidered pouch, pulled out two Vitality Pills and one Great Replenishment Pill, and shoved them into her mouth. Only then did she feel a bit better.

The pills given by the system were indeed effective. In just a moment, she felt completely rejuvenated.

Just then, a noise came from outside the door. Moments later, Eunuch Su strolled in gracefully, holding his horsetail whisk.

His sharp voice carried a hint of mockery. “Princess Changyu, are you well?”

The title “Princess” in his address was laced with irony.

“Mm.”

Ning Wanguan’s voice was hoarse, her throat aching slightly.

“Well, since you’re fine, drink this bowl of contraceptive soup.”

With a glance from Eunuch Su, a palace maid stepped forward, presenting a bowl of dark, murky medicinal broth to Ning Wanguan.

She stared at the bowl in a daze, not expecting this move. Pei Tingche already had difficulty producing heirs, and now he was forcing her to drink this? That would make it even harder.

Her mind spun with thoughts. If she drank the soup and then took an antidote pill, would the child still have a chance?

Before she could devise a plan, Eunuch Su had already seen through her hesitation. “Princess Changyu, given your current status, serving His Majesty is a blessing. You should cherish it.”

Ning Wanguan’s gaze flickered.

Eunuch Su smiled slightly, his tone turning sinister. “I advise you to think carefully. If you refuse to drink it and accidentally conceive, I have plenty of ways to ensure you lose the child. It’s best if you cooperate and don’t make things difficult for yourself.”

She lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the bowl of contraceptive soup.

Without hesitation, she took it, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one go.

Bitterness filled her mouth.

It also meant her plan was completely ruined.

Winning his heart had failed.

Winning through the body had also failed.

Eunuch Su’s voice came again. “Yanfu Hall is His Majesty’s sleeping quarters. Aside from fulfilling your duties at night, you are not allowed to remain here during the day.”

He rambled on about many palace rules, which were not much different from those of the previous dynasty. Then, he led her to a remote palace hall—Yinyue Pavilion.

She remembered that, during the previous dynasty, a concubine had once lived here. She had been greatly favored and had conceived an heir, but the empress had secretly orchestrated her downfall, causing her to lose the child. Driven mad with grief, the concubine eventually hanged herself—

Right from the beams of Yinyue Pavilion.

Ever since then, there were frequent rumors of hauntings in the pavilion, and it had been sealed off as a forbidden area, barring anyone from entering.

Yet now, Eunuch Su had deliberately unsealed Yinyue Pavilion and arranged for her to live there. He had certainly gone through great trouble for this—

As if afraid she wouldn’t be scared to death.

Eunuch Su assigned two eunuchs and two palace maids to serve her.

The eunuchs had rather casual names—Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu.

The palace maids’ names were even more perfunctory—Qiu’er and Dong’er.

Since Yinyue Pavilion had only just been unsealed, the palace servants had cleaned it in a hurry. When she stepped inside, the room was still covered in dust. Looking up, she saw the beams above were dark and shadowy, with cobwebs hanging in the corners.

Fortunately, it was broad daylight, so it wasn’t too terrifying.

“Princess Changyu, please rest here in Yinyue Pavilion. Qiu’er, Dong’er, help the princess bathe and dress properly. Tonight, she will be sent to Yanfu Hall for service.”

The two palace maids immediately bowed respectfully. “Yes.”

Once Eunuch Su left, the two young eunuchs, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, proactively began cleaning Yinyue Pavilion. They were servants left from the previous dynasty.

After Pei Tingche took the throne, many palace servants had fled. Those who chose to stay could continue receiving their stipends, while those unwilling to remain were free to leave.

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu had no family or support. As eunuchs, they would have no place to go outside the palace and would surely die, so they had stayed.

Qiu’er and Dong’er were also unfortunate souls with no home to return to, so they, too, remained in the palace.

In a room of five people, four had never had a complete childhood.

Fortunately, Pei Tingche seemed to be a wise ruler so far, treating the palace servants fairly and justly.

However, the four had long heard that the former dynasty’s princess was arrogant and difficult to serve. With apprehension and resentment in their hearts, they busied themselves with their tasks, hoping to avoid trouble.

Ning Wanguan sat at the wooden table, ran a finger across its surface, and traced a line in the dust. Her mind spun with countless thoughts as she pondered her next move.

From what Eunuch Su had said today, it was clear that after every night she spent with Pei Tingche, he would personally ensure she drank the contraceptive soup. Conceiving a child was nearly impossible.

And this was Pei Tingche’s order.

How could she make him revoke it?

Did she have to—

Win his heart?

She sat there, lost in thought, her expression growing darker.

At that moment, Qiu’er and Dong’er had already brought in hot water and prepared fresh clothing. In hushed tones, they called out to her, “Princess Changyu? It’s time for your bath.”

Lost in her memories, Ning Wanguan didn’t hear them.

Qiu’er raised her voice slightly. “Princess Changyu?”

Ning Wanguan snapped back to reality, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Qiu’er.

Just that one glance was enough to scare Qiu’er and Dong’er into kneeling immediately, trembling. “Princess, please forgive us! Spare us! We meant no offense!”

These two little girls were truly timid.

Ning Wanguan curled her lips into a smile. “Get up.”

The two maids didn’t dare lift their heads.

“Help me bathe and dress.”

Only then did they stand, carefully undressing her. As her garments slipped away, they caught sight of the deep and shallow bruises covering her body.

They had never seen anything like this before. Though they had heard Eunuch Su mention that Ning Wanguan had spent the night with the emperor, they hadn’t expected it to be such a terrifying experience. How had it left her body covered in such marks?

Ning Wanguan sank into the wooden bathtub, closing her eyes to rest. One of the maids added warm water while the other massaged her shoulders and scrubbed her back.

Qiu’er hesitated before cautiously asking, “Does it hurt, Princess? Shall I fetch some ointment from the imperial physician for you?”

Ning Wanguan hadn’t expected Qiu’er to be so considerate. Her voice softened slightly. “No need to suffer that humiliation. Right now, the entire palace is waiting to see me make a fool of myself. If you go, they’ll only ridicule you too.”

Qiu’er lowered her head, her voice small. “Understood.”

Ning Wanguan opened her eyes, a smile glimmering in them as she said, “Thank you.”