ADWMCES Chapter17

Hearing this, Chu Fengqing glanced at him, caught a glimpse of his raised sword-like eyebrows, and quickly retracted his gaze, thinking of reciprocity, and agreed in a light voice, “Your clothes are not bad either.”

Ji Yujin was stunned. This was the first time he had praised him in front of him. He couldn’t help laughing and said, “It’s just clothes? What about the person?”

As soon as this question was asked, the maids and servants around forgot the rules and looked towards Ji Yujin. Perhaps it was because he always appeared in public as a killing god, and everyone had never seen this side of him, so there was a bit of horror in everyone’s eyes at this moment.

Chu Fengqing’s crow-like feather eyelashes trembled, and he looked up into his bright eyes. Behind him was a tree of red plum buds, which had already revealed a little bit of red.

Ji Yujin pressed his tongue against his upper jaw and, with a smug grin, said, “Alright, alright, no need to explain, this lord is naturally a gentleman, a perfect match for the Lady.”

Chu Fengqing had never seen such a person before. He withdrew his eyes from the red plums behind him and said softly, without giving him any face, “Shameless.”

When he turned around, he himself had not noticed that there was a hint of smile in his cold eyes, as if the red plum blossoms in the snow had suddenly bloomed, filling the eyes with spring.

When he reached the door, Chu Fengqing suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders, and a snow-white cloak enveloped him tightly. He looked behind him and saw that Ji Yujin had already withdrawn his hand. He said with a slightly disdainful expression, “Even my sword wound is almost healed, yet you are still suffering from the cold. I called you a little sickly seedling once, and you even hold a grudge against me.”

“If you don’t want others to call you a sickly person, just take care of yourself.”

Ji Yujin moved forward on his own but abruptly halted in front of the fine horse and veered toward the carriage. After a few steps, noticing no one was behind him, he glanced at Chu Fengqing in puzzlement and asked, “What? Do you even have the elegance of enjoying the snow in the cold wind?”

Chu Fengqing lowered his eyes, and with his hands, which were too white, he gathered the cloak draped over his shoulders and replied softly, “Coming.”

This time the carriage was very luxurious, and there was a heater already lit inside, so it was warm. It didn’t take much time to get to the palace from the Ji Mansion. Because carriages could not enter the palace, the two got off in front of the main gate.

It was still a long way to get to the palace. At this moment, many carriages for the palace banquet were parked at the main gate. For some reason, everyone saw that the carriages from the Ji Mansion were parked far away. The main gate, which was originally bustling, suddenly became silent the moment Ji Yujin got off the carriage.

Ji Yujin didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, he carelessly opened the carriage curtain and stretched out his hand to Chu Fengqing, saying, “We’re here, get off.”

Chu Fengqing glanced at the hand he stretched out. The hand he stretched out was the one that was injured. Chu Fengqing frowned slightly. This person really has no memory.

He directly avoided Ji Yujin’s hand and jumped down while holding the door of the carriage.

Ji Yujin was startled by him and subconsciously took a step forward. In an instant, his nose brushed against Chu Fengqing’s forehead, and the soft and fragrant jade entered his arms.

Both of them were stunned for a moment, but Ji Yujin reacted faster, letting go of the person and taking two steps forward.

The onlookers were curious but dared not raise their eyes. No one glanced up at all. The moment the two stepped down from the carriage, the young eunuch hurried over.

The young eunuch first bowed to the two people and then called out the sedan bearers behind him.

Ji Yujin’s face became much colder when he saw outsiders. Although there was always a smile on his face, no one would think that he was a calm person. He pointed at the sedan chair and asked Chu Fengqing to get in.

Chu Fengqing glanced at the sedan chair and hesitated to take a step. Although he seldom stayed in the capital, he also understood that this was not a power that a eunuch should have. It was extremely disrespectful for anyone except the royal family to ride in a sedan chair in the palace.

Ji Yujin seemed to see through his confusion, and he curled his red lips lightly, saying calmly, “I am a powerful official, with great power in the court, and I have imperial power.”

Ji Yujin entered the sedan chair first. Chu Fengqing pursed his lips and followed him. It was a cold winter day outside the sedan chair. He lifted the curtain with his hand and looked outside. There were many palace maids and officials’ families along the way.

Ji Yujin followed his gaze and looked outside. He looked at the silk, satin, pearls, jades, and hairpins as they were on the road with difficulty. His expression was slightly cold, as if he saw something through them. His eyes became distant. After a while, he suddenly smiled and said, “Power is really a good thing.”

Ji Yujin’s style was indeed flamboyant, and the word “restraint” did not seem to exist in his dictionary. As the sedan passed by, people came to him to pay their respects, but Ji Yujin did not even bother to show his face, let alone return the greetings.

Chu Fengqing watched all the way down, pursed his lips, and said, “It’s so easy for you to make enemies like this.”

Ji Yujin leaned there lazily. His posture was still a little awkward due to his shoulder injury. No matter how he sat, he felt uncomfortable. Later, he simply gave up and leaned against Chu Fengqing. It was always more comfortable to lean against something soft than something hard. He was playing with a few strands of Chu Fengqing’s hair in one hand. When he heard his words, he didn’t take them seriously. “If currying favor could keep me from making enemies, I’d stand at the main gate every day, greeting everyone with smiles and compliments.”

“Sadly, that’s clearly impossible. Since it can’t be done, I’ll just do whatever suits me. See, they fear me, yet they all want my favor. They can’t stand me, but they can’t get rid of me either. That, to me, is true comfort.”

Ji Yujin closed his eyes and simply laid down on Chu Fengqing’s thighs. He could feel the person under him stiffen for a moment, but he still did not push him away.

There are only a handful of people who are qualified to be his enemies. He has faced a lot of malicious intent, but he has seen the worst of evil. Those methods of impeachment and petty manipulation behind the scenes are like children playing house.

He closed his eyes, and his body suddenly felt heavier, with warmth seeping over him. Chu Fengqing gave him half of his cloak. He knew without opening his eyes that he must have a cold face at the moment. The corners of his mouth curled up as he thought about it. Chu Fengqing himself might not have noticed that his light-colored pupils seemed to be indifferent but always inadvertently revealed a gentleness that made people fall in love with him.

He suddenly thought of what Li Yu said about him not being afraid of making enemies or retaliating because he was alone and had no weaknesses. Once he had a weakness, he would be more restrained in doing things. However, he always felt that he was just talking nonsense. Coming from someone like Li Yu, such a truth would lose some credibility.

Ji Yujin lifted his eyelids and saw a smooth chin. Weakness? Even if there is a weakness, wouldn’t it be more fun to have someone accompany him to be arrogant?

When they arrived in front of the palace, two palace maids came over to lead the way. One palace maid supported Chu Fengqing and stretched out her hand to invite him to go to the side hall, while the other maid was leading Ji Yujin to the main hall.

Chu Fengqing stopped walking after noticing this and looked at Ji Yujin.

Ji Yujin looked at him and said with a smile, “Are you reluctant to part even just for a moment? Well, where do you want to go?”

The side hall was full of female guests. Chu Fengqing felt a headache just thinking about it. When he heard Ji Yujin’s question, he immediately pointed to the main hall and said, “I’ll go with you.”

Ji Yujin reached out and pulled him over. “Then let’s go.”

The palace maid who was leading the group was startled and said in embarrassment, “Governor, this is against etiquette.”

Ji Yujin didn’t care about that. “It’s fine. I will report it to His Majesty.”

The palace maids also didn’t dare stop them anymore and just stepped aside. When the two of them walked outside the main hall, Ji Yujin suddenly took out a veil from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Fengqing. “Do you want to cover your face?”

Chu Fengqing thought about it and realized that he was now taking over Chu Yinyin’s identity, and there might be people who would recognize him, so he would show his face as little as possible. He nodded and wanted to take the handkerchief from Ji Yujin, but he dodged it.

Ji Yujin asked the palace maid to find two hairpins that could fix the veil and gently hung the veil on Chu Fengqing. As he hung it, he said, “It’s really inconvenient and uncomfortable to wear this thing, but you insisted on going to the main hall with me. It’s fine for the most part, though a few frivolous young men inside might make remarks about your looks. But that doesn’t matter. What concerns me more is that you might be too shy.”

Chu Fengqing blinked, and he realized that no matter what choice Ji Yujin made, he let him make it on his own and never forced him, except on their wedding night, but he stopped at the end anyway. He had seen so many men, but there were very few who respected women as much as he did.

He suddenly had a strange idea: maybe even if his sister married him, her life wouldn’t be too bad either.

As soon as the two entered the main hall, they attracted everyone’s attention. Ji Yujin acted as if no one was around. He glanced at Chu Fengqing, worried that “she” would feel uncomfortable, but he didn’t expect that the person was calmer than him. She had a dignified demeanor, and every step seemed to be measured. Ji Yujin’s lips curled up slightly. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to find someone to show off to. He had never had this strange feeling before.

The two walked to the first seat. In the center of the hall was the emperor’s dragon throne. Tables and chairs were placed on both sides of the dragon throne. The first seat on the right was the Crown Prince’s. The other princes sat down in order. The first seat on the left was Ji Yujin’s.

The Seventh Prince rested his chin in one hand, drinking cup after cup of wine. He had a feminine appearance, with red lips and white teeth, and was much prettier than many concubines in the side palaces. He originally thought that the palace banquet was boring and wanted to find an excuse not to come, but his consort mother insisted that he come so that he could show up in front of his imperial father.

He thought it would be extremely boring, but when he saw Chu Fengqing, he instantly became interested, and his eyes brightened up. He couldn’t help but ask, “Madam Ji, did you come to the wrong place? Why are you in the main hall?”

As soon as he said this, everyone’s attention was focused on him. Chu Fengqing pursed his lips and was thinking about how to respond when Ji Yujin’s nonchalant voice rang in his ears: “Has Your Highness the Seventh Prince never seen a newlywed couple who are so in love?”

The Seventh Prince, Zhao Lin, paused, playing with the wine cup with his fingers, his eyes shifted from Chu Fengqing to Ji Yujin. The two of them, seated together in such attire, looked perfect—like a talented man and a beautiful woman. But the man was not a man, just a eunuch, and he even dared to snatch the woman from him.

He had met Chu Fengqing once in the palace before, and after returning home, he felt that all the women in the mansion were just vulgar women with rouge and makeup and were not worthy of his attention. His mind was full of Chu Fengqing’s every frown and smile, which made him itchy day and night. He even wanted to go to the Ji Mansion and kidnap her, but it happened to be Ji Yujin, who had too many talented people under his command. Not to mention entering the Ji Mansion to kidnap the person, the people he sent out will be killed before they even enter the mansion.

He didn’t have many hobbies. He only liked one of the following: power, wealth, fame, beauty, and famous wine. He smiled and drank the wine in the cup. He said slowly, “Lord Governor shares the same taste as this highness. The soft jade and warm fragrance in my arms would not be exchanged even if I were on the river. But a beauty like your wife is hard to find. If you don’t mind, you might as well give her to me. Otherwise, it would be a waste.”

As he said this, his eyes were fixed on Chu Fengqing again, scanning him inch by inch with great impunity. What he said was also very absurd. Many old ministers below had already frowned. Fortunately, he was only a prince and not the crown prince. If it were the crown prince, the impeachment memorials tomorrow would probably fill up the entire desk.

“Hahaha, how can Your Highness the Seventh Prince be compared with a servant like me? My greatest interest is not beauty, but…”

“Killing people.” Ji Yujin smiled, pinched a nut with his fingers, exerted a little force, and the nut flew straight to Zhao Lin’s position. The wine cup on his table exploded instantly, and the fragments and wine splashed up. Zhao Lin was doused with wine and made a sound. He quickly stood up and swept the wine off his body, his expression ferocious. “Ji Yujin! You are so bold!”

Ji Yujin pretended to be confused: “Hmm? Why would Your Highness the Seventh Prince say so?”

“You…” Zhao Lin was extremely angry, his eyes narrowed slightly. “You despise the royal family, do you want to lose your head?”

“Despise the royal family? Your Highness the Seventh Prince, please don’t put such a big accusation on this servant. This servant can’t bear it. If Your Highness the Seventh Prince insists on claiming this, then please present the evidence. Even a clay figure has its temper. This servant is willing to risk my head today to report to His Majesty and demand justice for myself.”

Ji Yujin’s voice sounded lazy, completely different from what he said.

The Seventh Prince glanced at the nut on the table that had been crushed into powder and clenched his fist. In the end, it was the Second Prince Zhao Yiyu who acted as the lobbyist.

“Alright, Seventh Brother, stop causing trouble. Go and change your clothes quickly. Imperial Father will be here soon.” He paused and raised his glass to Ji Yujin. “Seventh Brother is ignorant and outspoken. I apologize to the Governor on his behalf.”

But as soon as Zhao Yiyu came out, all the officials below started to discuss in low voices again, all because he and Chu Yinyin had been engaged before, but most of them still praised him for being sensible.

Chu Fengqing glanced at Zhao Yiyu. Perhaps it was because there hadn’t been any normal people around him for such a long time, so he felt a little uncomfortable seeing someone like Zhao Yiyu, who was so thorough in his work.

Ji Yujin did not raise his glass, instead he raised his eyes slightly and sneered: “This servant dares not, Your Highness the Second Prince is being too polite, but this servant did not know that we could apologize for this kind of matter.”

Zhao Yiyu: “……”

At this time, Li Yu took over the conversation. As the head of the Jinyiwei, he also had a position. “This minister may be incompetent, yet this minister clearly heard His Highness the Seventh Prince insult the Governor’s wife. How can a man’s wife be insulted? This minister beseech Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Second Prince to uphold justice in this matter.”

As soon as these words came out, a huge crowd stood up. All six ministries and nine officials stood up. They saluted in unison and said, “The ministers beseech Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Second Prince to uphold justice in this matter.”

Zhao Yiyu tightened his grip on the cup slightly, Zhao Lin gritted his teeth and remained silent, all the officials remained in their positions, exerting pressure.

Ji Yujin sat there steadily, picked up a piece of cake and put it into Chu Fengqing’s bowl, and said to him, “This kind of cake tastes good, but it is easy to cause indigestion, so don’t eat too much.” As he spoke, his voice was not lowered, and nearly all the civil and military officials in the court heard it. Everyone kept their eyes down and noses still, not daring to utter a word for fear of being dragged into the matter.

Seeing the situation getting tense, Chu Fengqing suddenly spoke up with a cold voice, “I don’t like this, it’s too sweet.”