Nan Zhiyun was not overly surprised by these words, only feeling a sense of sorrow, and of course, fear.
Even without any other punishment, after kneeling for a while, Nan Zhiyun was already starting to sway, yet she held on, refusing to fall. Her body was truly weak right now.
However, before Nan Zhiyun could even show haste, Qianxia became anxious.
"Your Majesty, I beg for your mercy. My lady's body is frail. She hasn't fully recovered from her previous illness, and I fear she cannot withstand Your Majesty's wrath. I beg for Your Majesty's mercy! I beg for Your Majesty's mercy!" Qianxia truly felt distressed for Nan Zhiyun.
Yu Jingchen did not immediately issue an order. Instead, he asked Nan Zhiyun again, "Do you still choose to accept punishment?"
"Your concubine dares not beg Your Majesty for forgiveness," Nan Zhiyun replied.
Yu Jingchen was clearly angered. "You speak so weakly, what kind of punishment can you accept? Nan Zhiyun, are you so eager to court death?"
Nan Zhiyun remained silent.
"Fine. Since that is the case, then accept it." Yu Jingchen had lost his patience.
"Considering your body has not yet recovered, you are ordered to copy the palace rules ten times. You must personally deliver them to me within this month. If you cannot finish copying them, or if they are not satisfactory to me, then the punishment will be increased tenfold," Yu Jingchen stated.
Nan Zhiyun was momentarily taken aback. Was that all? Ten times… It was only the third of the month today, and there was still plenty of time. Copying palace rules was not much of a punishment, especially only ten times. Yu Jingchen had punished her by making her copy palace rules before, but he had made her copy two hundred times in three days.
In the end, she hadn't finished copying them, and Yu Jingchen had found another excuse to punish her. She had been beaten on her palms, and for every part she was short, she would be beaten twice as much. Her hands were swollen for several days, and she couldn't even hold anything. That was her first punishment after entering the palace.
"Why are you still kneeling? If you faint later, there will be chaos and everyone will have to tend to you. Get up!" Yu Jingchen said, somewhat annoyed.
"...Yes, thank you, Your Majesty, for your leniency." Nan Zhiyun bowed respectfully again. Then, with Qianxia's support, she got up. However, as she stood, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she couldn't stand steadily.
Yu Jingchen, who was close by, instinctively reached out to steady her when Nan Zhiyun faltered.
"See, with a constitution like this, you still insist on being stubborn? Don't you know what your physical condition is like?" Yu Jingchen said exasperatedly.
"Your Majesty..."
"Enough. You shut up, lest you say something that displeases me. Go sit on the bed over there." Yu Jingchen did not immediately let go, waiting until she was steady before releasing her.
"Have the imperial physicians examine her," Yu Jingchen said to Xing.
"Yes," Xing replied, then went to fetch an imperial physician.
"Sit properly, and then expose your knees to be looked at," Yu Jingchen instructed again.
Qianxia helped Nan Zhiyun sit down and then crouched beside her, gently lifting Nan Zhiyun's knees.
Having knelt often, and for a good quarter of an hour this time, there were indeed some bruises.
"I don't know what you think about all day, insisting on bringing suffering upon yourself," Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyun pursed her lips and said nothing. Yu Jingchen was too lazy to argue with her. Fortunately, the imperial physician had arrived. Many of the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Office had been here earlier, and Yu Jingchen had not dismissed them all. So, she arrived quickly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the imperial physician said first, bowing.
"First, examine the wounds on her knees," Yu Jingchen instructed.
"Yes," the imperial physician replied.
"She has burn scars on her hands, and the scars on her body haven't faded either. Later, get her some scar-removal ointment. And then take her pulse to check her physical condition," Yu Jingchen commanded.
"Yes," the imperial physician answered, but inwardly she felt astonished. His Majesty's demeanor seemed more like concern for Consort Nan? And it was rather meticulous.