ADWMCES Chapter5

Ji Yujin, who was pushed away, was not annoyed. He looked up at him with a smile and responded slowly, “Hmm? What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you liked me?”

Huh? When did he say that?!

Their eyes met, and Ji Yujin looked at him fiercely with clear eyes, revealing a sense of cruelty. Chu Fengqing was slightly startled and slowly put away his previous emotions, lowered his eyes, and followed his words: “I’m shy.”

He really didn’t expect that a eunuch liked to be so fresh with women…

Chu Fengqing whispered, “It’s still daytime, and it’s even outside.”

Ji Yujin let out an “Oh” and said, “What’s there to be shy about? Too thin-skinned. So that means we can do it in the bedroom at night?”

Chu Fengqing: “……”

Seeing that he was choking on words, Ji Yujin ‘haha’ twice. Why hadn’t he realized before how enjoyable it could be to tease others, especially those with hidden agendas?

Chu Fengqing pursed his lips and ignored him, looking out, secretly scolding in his heart, “Dog Ji.”

The wheels of the carriage made noises as they pressed against the road, and the temperature in the carriage made people feel drowsy. Chu Fengqing caught a cold last night, and it wasn’t serious at first. Just now, he had been involved in the assassination and dodging the carriage, and his clothes were soaked by the snow, he didn’t even change a single piece of them and just endured it. Now his cold was obviously worse.

He felt dizzy, sore, and weak, and his originally pale lips now had a burning red color, which matched the red dress very well.

Chu Fengqing himself is a physician, and he understands his current situation very well. Given his physical condition, if he doesn’t take medicine, this minor illness will turn into a serious one. If his coughing triggers his asthma, he will have a hard time getting through the winter.

But… he glanced at Ji Yujin.

Let’s talk about it when they get back.

The road to the palace wasn’t very long, but riding through the snow made it difficult, slowing their journey somewhat.

The eunuch waiting at the west gate was obviously stunned when he saw their clothes. He looked at Chu Fengqing quietly and saluted them, “Governor, Madam.”

Chu Fengqing stood straight with an extraordinary temperament and nodded slightly.

That eunuch was startled again, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his head even lower.

Ji Yujin made a “tsk” sound. “Do you still want your eyeballs? Lead the way.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The eunuch was so frightened that he huddled up in a ball and hurried forward. “Please follow this servant.”

The two followed the eunuch into the palace. Ji Yujin was obviously familiar with the royal palace and knew every place inside. Along the way, both palace maids and eunuchs bowed respectfully at his sight, each of them clearly frightened.

Chu Fengqing lowered his eyes. There were still a few drops of human blood on Ji Yujin’s black boots, but he didn’t care at all.

As soon as they entered the palace, it was like a completely different world. A sweet smell hit his nose. He didn’t know if it was because of his asthma, but Chu Fengqing had been particularly sensitive to smells since he was a child, so he stayed away from things with strong smells. Fortunately, Ji Yujin didn’t use small items like sachets.

“Why did you two come so late? You made His Majesty wait for you for so long.” The woman’s voice and smell were both as sweet as honey.

Chu Fengqing lifted his gaze and realized that the figure at the center, clad in a vivid yellow dragon robe, was the emperor. He grew up in Jiangnan, so he had never seen the emperor. The emperor’s hair and beard had turned completely white, and his slightly clouded eyes regarded everyone with an unmistakable air of authority. He was far from a gentle elder.

The woman who was speaking was graceful and elegant, and she was truly a stunning beauty.

In addition to the woman who was talking, there were some seats in the lobby where many women sat. Some were simple and elegant, and some were gorgeous. At first glance, he could tell that they were all beauties. Chu Fengqing took a quick glance and then looked away. He thought these should all be concubines in the harem.

Ji Yujin: “Answer Guifei¹The second highest-ranking imperial consort after the empress., we ran into some trouble on the way, and it took some time to resolve it.”

He didn’t seem to be very respectful in front of the emperor, but fortunately, the emperor didn’t blame him. He said in a loud voice, “It’s fine. It’s normal to get up late after the wedding night. Hahaha.”

“Your Majesty, what are you talking about?” Li Guifei spoke to the emperor in a stern tone and soon turned her attention to Chu Fengqing. “Everyone knows that the new wife of Eunuch Ji is the capital’s first beauty. Bengong²Bengong is a first-person pronoun meaning I, used by the empress, princess with a formal title, or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status. has never seen this sister and is very curious. That’s why Bengong invited Your Majesty to see what a beauty she was. Later, thinking that joy is best shared, Bengong also summoned the palace sisters to come and have a look.”

She glanced at Ji Yujin and said with a smile, “Does the Governor mind?”

Ji Yujin raised his eyes and glanced at the imperial consort. He did not speak for a long time. When the imperial consort was about to lose her smile, he slowly said, “Of course, this servant mind.”

After entering the palace, Ji Yujin stood in front of him, keeping him behind him, whether intentionally or not. He curled his lips and said, “This servant’s wife is not a monkey. Can she still be used for viewing? Or does Niangniang³Niangniang is used to address the empress or imperial consort.[/mfn ] think that this servant is also a monkey?”

 

Li Guifei’s complexions changed, and the hall fell silent in an instant.

 

“Bengong didn’t mean that.”

 

Ji Yujin: “Then what does Guifei mean?”

 

Everyone looked at Li Guifei. She could no longer hold back her pride. Her face turned red as she shouted, “Ji Yujin, you are presumption! How dare you act so rudely in front of Bengong!”

 

Ji Yujin did not speak this time, but instead bowed to the emperor.

 

The emperor frowned, and when both sides were quiet, he spoke: “Enough, stop causing trouble. Ji Qing³Qing here refers to the minister. It’s how the emperor addresses his subject., Zhen⁴I, used by the emperor. did promise Li’er about this matter today, so don’t be so aggressive.”

Ji Yujin: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Chu Fengqing glanced at Ji Yujin’s back. Although he called himself “servant” all the time, but he didn’t act like a servant at all in this hall. Instead… he looked more like a master than Li Guifei.

He openly refused to give Li Guifei a way out, but when it came to the person beside him, the emperor clearly sided with Ji Yujin… Chu Fengqing pursed his lips. Everyone said that Ji Yujin was all-powerful and had special powers granted by the emperor, but this was a bit too much. It always felt a bit weird, but it was hard to tell what was weird about it.

The emperor’s words warmed up the atmosphere in the hall. He smiled and said, “What? Why haven’t you moved aside? Is your wife so precious? You can’t even let Zhen look at her?”

“This servant dares not.” Ji Yujin then stepped aside.

Chu Fengqing raised his head and looked at the two people above the hall. They were dressed in red and had an indescribable charm. He bowed to everyone in the hall.

The old emperor’s cloudy eyes lit up, and he nodded. “Beautiful! She is indeed beautiful. Zhen has three thousand beauties in his harem, but Zhen can’t find one that can compare to her.”

If the imperial consorts are beauties picked out of a million, then Chu Fengqing is one in a million.

The old emperor stroked his gray beard and said, “It is hard to imagine that there is such beauty in the world. Even a painter cannot paint half of this beauty.”

The imperial consort’s face immediately darkened several shades, and she sat up straighter as she stared at Chu Fengqing. Before Chu Fengqing came, she thought, How beautiful can she be? Perhaps it was just an exaggeration by the outside world. After seeing her, she realized that with some people, even if they do nothing, they will make you lose completely just by standing in front of you.

Ji Yujin’s face darkened slightly, and he subconsciously took another step forward to block Chu Fengqing.

Chu Fengqing frowned and replied, “Your Majesty is too kind.”

The imperial consort suddenly smiled again, and her face softened instantly. She looked at the marks on Chu Fengqing’s neck and chin and smiled. “Look, it seems that the Governor is very satisfied with this wife. Don’t blame me for specially asking His Majesty to grant you a marriage. Does Young Lady Chu like this marriage?”

No matter how beautiful she is, she still becomes a eunuch’s concubine.

Chu Fengqing suddenly looked up. Was it she who asked the emperor to grant the marriage?

He glanced at her and quickly retracted his gaze, saying, “Of course I like it. The Governor is both handsome and talented, and it would be a blessing for me to marry him.”

He can’t let him lose face in public. People will say that he is petty, and he will definitely feel bad if that happens.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yujin glanced at Chu Fengqing and thought to himself, This person has no shame at all, she openly expressing her love in public. She is so shameless.

Li Guifei did not take his words seriously. Who would be glad to marry a eunuch? It was probably just a polite remark. Everyone in the hall thought similarly. Only Ji Yujin took it seriously.

What followed was a barrage of compliments, with some praising Ji Yujin for being so lucky and others praising Chu Fengqing for being beautiful. The emperor even gave him a bunch of things.

The emperor and Ji Yujin seemed to have important matters to discuss, so they only stayed for a while before going to the study to discuss other things.

When Ji Yujin left, he glanced at Chu Fengqing and said, “I’ll be back soon.”

Chu Fengqing felt a little puzzled. Why would this person give him instructions again? But he still nodded.

After Ji Yujin left, he realized how poor his choice had been. The women in the room gazed at him like he was a rare sight, with only a few showing any hint of kindness. Although he was dressed as a woman now, he was still a man after all, and it was not polite for him to stay here.

He could only find an excuse to leave the hall.

The air outside was much fresher than inside. He exhaled a breath of foul air and finally didn’t feel suffocated anymore. However, it was much colder outside than inside, so he wrapped his cloak tighter before going out. He had never been to the palace and was not familiar with it at all. He didn’t even know where to wait for Ji Yujin. Anyway, he would never go back to that palace.

He was standing in the wind, and soon he couldn’t stand it anymore. He walked along the path and his mind was full of what happened just now. It was Li Guifei who asked the emperor for his sister’s marriage. What was she trying to do? Was it intentional or unintentional? Or was there someone behind directing her?

Now everything seemed like a tangled mess—a tightly tangled mess that he couldn’t make any sense of.

After a while, his brain became even duller. The alternation of hot and cold, and the stimulation of the sweet taste, made his head feel groggy. He could tell without taking his pulse that his cold had worsened. He found a wind-sheltered corner and leaned against the wall.

“Who is that? Is she a palace maid from some palace?”

“How could a palace maid dress like that?”

“Let’s go and take a look.”

When Chu Fengqing heard the sound, two pairs of black official boots had already appeared in front of him.

The Seventh Prince stroked his chin and looked at him intently, his eyes twinkling. “Which palace do you belong to? Or are you a concubine from some palace?”

Chu Fengqing looked at people with extremely cold eyes. The Seventh Prince was slightly stunned and smiled: “You look at me like this, do you know who I am?”

The Crown Prince stood there, looking down at him. Although half of Chu Fengqing’s face was blocked by the Seventh Prince, he could still see the fingerprints on his chin at a glance. Then he looked down at the bright red skirt and turned his head away in disgust. “Shun Zi, go check which palace this person belongs to. She is desecrating the harem in broad daylight.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Chu Fengqing: “……”

He just wanted to take a break, how could he be charged with such a serious crime?

“Wait.” The Seventh Prince laughed awkwardly. “Brother, why don’t you go first? Imperial Father wants to discuss something important with you, right? I’ll take care of this.”

The Crown Prince frowned and laughed sarcastically. “You want even the most withered and fallen willows. You are really not picky, Seventh Brother.”

At this point, Chu Fengqing probably understood their identities. Only the princes could be addressed as Your Highness.

He opened his mouth and was about to explain his identity when a slightly gentle voice came. “Seventh Brother, stop making trouble. Don’t be late for Imperial Father’s summons.”

The Seventh Prince had red lips and white teeth and looked like a girl. He curled his lips regretfully after hearing what that person said and stood up, obediently said, “Yes, Second Imperial Brother.”

Second Imperial Brother… Second Prince? Zhao Yiyu?

His face was revealed after the Seventh Prince stood up. Chu Fengqing looked at Zhao Yiyu, who was also looking at him. When he saw him, Zhao Yiyu’s eyes deepened a little but soon recovered. He chuckled and nodded at Chu Fengqing very kindly.

Chu Fengqing, however, couldn’t smile at all. His sister was actually engaged to the Second Prince, Zhao Yiyu. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be married this year.

But after the Chu family encountered trouble, this marriage was in name only. Later, Chu Yinyin was married to Ji Yujin, and their engagement was cancelled.

Seeing him appear all of a sudden, anger was inevitable. Spotting the one who had betrayed his sister, he couldn’t help but want to go over and beat him.

The Seventh Prince Zhao Lin narrowed his eyes and said, “Beauty, why are you staring at my Second Brother? Do you know him?”

Chu Feng had a cold face and said, “I don’t know.”

The Crown Prince was impatient. “What are you all still wasting time on? Isn’t it filthy for you all to stand here and blow in the cold wind over a withered flower? Let’s go.”

Zhao Lin bit his lip, feeling a little reluctant. It was rare for him to find a beauty whose looks were so to his liking. He would regret it so much if he missed her.

He thought for a moment, then instructed his eunuch, “Find out her background. As long as she is not my father’s concubine, send her to my palace.”

As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Chu Fengqing. Chu Fengqing frowned and put his fingers on the silver needle beneath his cuff. As long as he stretched his hand a little closer…

As soon as Zhao Lin finished speaking, a voice came from the side: “Where is Your Highness the Seventh Prince going to send this servant’s wife?”

• 1
  The second highest-ranking imperial consort after the empress.
• 2
  Bengong is a first-person pronoun meaning I, used by the empress, princess with a formal title, or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status.
• 3
  Niangniang is used to address the empress or imperial consort.[/mfn ] think that this servant is also a monkey?”
  
   
  
  Li Guifei’s complexions changed, and the hall fell silent in an instant.
  
   
  
  “Bengong didn’t mean that.”
  
   
  
  Ji Yujin: “Then what does Guifei mean?”
  
   
  
  Everyone looked at Li Guifei. She could no longer hold back her pride. Her face turned red as she shouted, “Ji Yujin, you are presumption! How dare you act so rudely in front of Bengong!”
  
   
  
  Ji Yujin did not speak this time, but instead bowed to the emperor.
  
   
  
  The emperor frowned, and when both sides were quiet, he spoke: “Enough, stop causing trouble. Ji Qing³Qing here refers to the minister. It’s how the emperor addresses his subject.
• 4
  I, used by the emperor.