Though it was already spring, the early spring weather was still quite cold. She knelt there for a whole day, enduring not only humiliation but also a severe illness. She developed a high fever, and that time, she relied entirely on herself to pull through.
This was originally a hunting ground, and the conditions were naturally inferior to those in the imperial palace. Moreover, no one treated her like a mistress, so the hardships she faced were evident.
She was still ill and not yet recovered when they had to return. On the road, Nan Zhiyun suffered a lot, vomiting multiple times. However, it was impossible for her to delay the journey because of Nan Zhiyun. What's more, she had deliberately intended to torment her, so she made Nan Zhiyun endure great suffering.
Thinking of these things, Yu Jingchen felt as if his heart was being clutched by an invisible hand, hurting so much that he couldn't breathe.
"I'm sorry..." Yu Jingchen felt powerless. He didn't know what he could do to make amends for these things.
"I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun hid in Yu Jingchen's embrace. Whenever Nan Zhiyun wanted comfort and protection, this was her favorite action.
Yu Jingchen held her tightly. "The spring hunt is a tradition. The emperor goes every year." Yu Jingchen told her, which also meant that he would definitely go.
"I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun's voice was muffled. It was evident that she was truly resistant. Nan Zhiyun might never forget the time she knelt there on the hunting grounds, the mockery from those people...
"Your Majesty... I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun gently lifted her head, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Yu Jingchen, her voice full of entreaty.
Yu Jingchen also felt pained. Leaving Nan Zhiyun alone in the imperial palace... he wasn't entirely at ease. Yu Jing'an had just been apprehended, but the lingering problems were significant.
Nan Zhiyun might not be safe if left alone in the imperial palace. After all, for him, Nan Zhiyun was perhaps his only concern now, and some people might resort to unconventional tactics.
Although the hunting ground wasn't completely secure, it was at least under his watchful eye. Moreover, the defenses where he was would be much stronger.
But Nan Zhiyun's current state... Yu Jingchen gently patted Nan Zhiyun's body, hoping to offer her some comfort.
"It won't happen this time. Will you go with me, Yun'er? I will protect you well, and things like what happened last time will not occur again," Yu Jingchen told her softly.
Nan Zhiyun still shook her head. "I don't want to... I don't want to go." Nan Zhiyun's resistance was very strong.
Seeing Nan Zhiyun's strong resistance, Yu Jingchen felt reluctant to force her. If she truly didn't want to, he couldn't possibly force or coax her into going. At most, he would arrange more guards in the palace.
"It's alright... If you really don't want to, then we won't go," Yu Jingchen patted Nan Zhiyun's back. In any case, this matter was also his fault.
Nan Zhiyun did not seem happy to hear this. She snuggled in Yu Jingchen's embrace, her eyes red, tears brimming. She must have been holding back tears with all her might.
Yu Jingchen looked at her with a pained heart. Perhaps he should never have asked this question. He knew how much of a scoundrel he had been in the past, but he still asked, and making Nan Zhiyun recall those cruel memories was also a form of torture.
He had already said "I'm sorry" thousands of times in his heart, but it had already happened. His saying it now seemed to have little effect.