Nan Zhiyün's grip on the brush was not natural, but she still sat there diligently copying the palace rules. Yu Jingchen remained beside her, his expression dark, making Nan Zhiyün feel rather uncomfortable.
After a while, another palace servant entered. It was Nan Zhiyün's medicine, which had been brewed.
"Drink your medicine first," Yu Jingchen said. He knew if he didn't speak, the woman might hesitate again. It was better to speak himself than wait for her, saving himself from being angered in the end.
With Yu Jingchen's words, Nan Zhiyün put down her brush, picked up the medicine, and endured the discomfort as she drank it all.
"Once you're done, continue copying," Yu Jingchen was truly "merciless."
Nan Zhiyün: "..."
She suddenly found Yu Jingchen a bit strange, but couldn't pinpoint why. However, he was definitely fierce.
In reality, Nan Zhiyün hadn't been copying for very long, only a few dozen characters. Yu Jingchen had said she couldn't rest until she finished, so she feared she might have to copy all night.
For the next hour and more, Nan Zhiyün continued copying, while Yu Jingchen... well, he sat there sipping tea, looking exceptionally leisurely.
It was around Hai Shi (around 10 PM) when Nan Zhiyün's hands began to ache from copying. Coupled with the lack of rest in the past few days, she was very tired and her spirits were low.
But she dared not stop, only daring to move her hands slightly. Yu Jingchen noticed but remained silent. After she had copied for another quarter of an hour, Yu Jingchen stood up and walked over to Nan Zhiyün.
"Let me see what you've copied," Yu Jingchen said.
"Yes," Nan Zhiyün replied, then handed the copied pages to Yu Jingchen. At the same time, she felt a pang of nervousness, fearing he would deem her work unsatisfactory.
This sort of thing had happened before; after she finished copying, he would tear it up or throw it into the fire right in front of her.
Yu Jingchen looked at what Nan Zhiyün had copied. Honestly, her handwriting was delicate and pleasing to the eye.
"How many times have you copied? You've only finished three times. Do you think you can finish thirty times tonight?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"This concubine will finish as quickly as possible," Nan Zhiyün replied.
Yu Jingchen said nothing, instead focusing on Nan Zhiyün's hands. After copying for so long, it was impossible for them not to ache.
"Enough. When will you actually finish thirty times? I'm too lazy to wait for you. Do you think I have so much time to waste with you?" Yu Jingchen adopted an impatient demeanor.
"Your Majesty can go rest first. This concubine will not be lazy. If Your Majesty does not trust this concubine, you can find someone to watch over me, you don't need to personally stay," Nan Zhiyün answered earnestly.
Yu Jingchen: "..."
"Did I give you permission to interrupt? Acting clever. If you truly had a brain, you'd use it where it's needed," Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyün fell silent, unsure where she had gone wrong again.
Seeing her like this, Yu Jingchen's bad temper flared up again.
"They all say you're foolish. You can eat yourself sick, overeat, and then feel unwell. Didn't you know to say something? You had to force yourself, and then you vomited until you were completely spent," Yu Jingchen's words immediately made Nan Zhiyün feel ashamed again.
"Tsk, Nan Zhiyün, you're probably the first concubine in history to eat herself sick and vomit," Yu Jingchen was truly unsparing with his words.
Nan Zhiyün: "..."
Is there a hole in the ground? She needed to burrow into it.