The Slender Waist-Chapter 808 - 574: Affection Not Yet Severed

Feng Yun smiled faintly, "I thought you would ask me, why did I hide it from you?"

"I know, I know everything." Pei Jue’s palm rested on her back as he said softly: "This child came too hard. He is so precious that we cannot afford a single mistake."

After a slight pause, his expression turned a shade more serious.

"Lady Yun is right. The court’s situation is complicated. For the child’s safety, we must continue this act."

Feng Yun curled her lips, her eyes narrowing slowly.

"Alright."

A child born of the Royal Family does not have it any easier than an ordinary family.

Not to mention those distant pasts—from former reigns within the palace—how many innocent princes have met tragic deaths, quietly perishing in the depths of the palace, becoming sacrifices under the crushing weight of imperial power...

What Pei Jue said was precisely what Feng Yun wanted.

She had thought she would have to work a little harder to persuade Pei Jue.

Unexpectedly, he brought it up himself.

In this moment, the warmth Feng Yun felt in her heart far surpassed the joy of their reunion.

Between her and Pei Jue, even without speaking of anything else, the shared experience of "living another life" was already something no one else could understand; only the two of them in this world could know.

This tacit understanding was unique.

Meeting each other’s gaze, there was no need for further explanation.

Relocating the capital to Andu, under normal circumstances, made it difficult for Feng Yun to avoid certain social interactions. Starting tomorrow, even if Feng Yun did not go to Andu, there would surely be many people coming to visit Changmen.

The wives of other noble lords could be dismissed—if she refused to see them, no one could force her, at most she would offend some people.

But what about people like Princess Chang?

Refusing time and again would only make others suspect she was hiding something.

Pei Jue’s arrival perfectly resolved her concerns.

-

Before dawn, Pei Jue left without alerting anyone.

After the capital’s relocation, during the first morning assembly, Pei Jue issued an imperial decree citing Feng Yun’s "failure to greet the Imperial Carriage and disrespect to the Emperor," and ordered her to "confine herself to Changmen and reflect."

The decree was exceedingly clever.

It not only naturally prevented Feng Yun from interacting with those outside but also subtly conveyed the Emperor’s "helpless love" for his beloved wife, deterring others from taking advantage of her confinement to humiliate her...

After all, even ignoring the Emperor only led to confinement.

That decree, rather than punishing Feng Yun, was more of a punishment for himself. Their actions resembled a quarrel between an ordinary husband and wife.

Relocating the capital to Andu for her sake, only to be met with her indifference—if he didn’t show his anger, wouldn’t that invite ridicule?

How could the Emperor not love? He simply loved her so deeply that he didn’t know what to do.

Everyone was curious about how long the Emperor’s confinement order would last.

In other words, they were all waiting to see which of the two would cave first.

However, things turned out contrary to everyone’s expectations—

From that day onward, Feng Yun truly didn’t set a single step outside Changmen, and Pei Jue, in the days that followed, threw himself into court affairs with fervor, working diligently as if he had entirely forgotten about the confinement decree...

One or two troublemakers, hoping for chaos, seized the opportunity to suggest introducing women to the Emperor’s side. Not only were they rebuked, but they nearly lost their positions.

The Emperor scolded: "Busy yourselves day and night like flies drawn to filth. Such mediocre and disgraceful individuals blending into the Imperial Court—why not return home to farm?"

Proposing to send beauties for the Emperor to sire offspring was deemed "opportunistic" and "mediocre."

This silenced the court officials originally urging the Emperor to take new consorts.

The founding Emperor’s majesty, methods, wisdom, and the fear he had cultivated over time all dissuaded anyone from acting rashly...

After all, Pei Jue’s reputation for executing was known far and wide.

If truly angered, "returning home to farm" might even be a luxury.

Roughly a month passed this way, and surprisingly, the first person to plead for the lifting of Feng Yun’s confinement order was none other than Tang Shaogong.

After Pei Jue ascended the throne, Tang Shaogong was appointed the Junior Preceptor of the Fourth Rank of the Ministry of Rites. The position was not low, and the salary and perks matched his contributions. Once the aging Minister of the Ministry of Rites retired, Tang Shaogong could naturally rise another rank, becoming one of the nine ministers.

According to Pei Jue, Tang Shaogong should now be content to "enjoy his twilight years in peace."

The Ministry of Rites, which oversees ancestral worship, rituals, music, and ceremonial systems, wasn’t Tang Shaogong’s aspiration. At his age, he likely did not intend to "enjoy peace" either...

But he knew this was Pei Jue’s warning.

Without offering any rebuttal, he accepted the position cheerfully and settled in obediently.

Yet today, for reasons unknown, he suddenly mustered the courage to advocate on Feng Yun’s behalf.