Yin Chongshan had just refilled Ji Xun’s cup with wine when the window facing the lake suddenly flipped open and a man dressed entirely in black vaulted inside.
Not a single guard in the room had noticed his approach.
Yin Chongshan was startled and immediately drew his saber.
The black clad man was extraordinarily skilled. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of them. The gust of wind stirred up by his movement made the candle flame flicker violently, nearly extinguishing it. Only after a while did it slowly burn steadily again.
In the wavering candlelight, the newcomer’s face was gradually illuminated.
Yin Chongshan froze for a moment.
“Commander Lu?”
Commander Lu had sharply defined brows and bright, expressive eyes. His robes fluttered wildly as he refused to take the proper route, instead flipping twice through the air in a deliberately carefree manner before leisurely settling down beside Ji Xun.
The jade pendant hanging from his waist swung wildly, its dangling ornaments smacking him repeatedly in the face yet he stubbornly maintained an expression of calm composure and tossed a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve onto the small table.
“I thought Qin Jian from the Ministry of War was one of your people. I never expected him to be a deeply concealed member of the Crown Prince’s faction. This time, while you were unconscious, he directly switched sides and joined the Vice Minister of War in suggesting to His Majesty that someone from the Crown Prince’s faction be transferred to Jinling. The position is…”
Ji Xun seemed to have been disturbed by the noise. He frowned.
“Annoying.”
Lu Wujian was completely shameless. He followed the direction of Ji Xun’s attention and tilted his head to listen.
“Are you listening to the fight next door? I saw it when I came over just now. Tsk, tsk, they’ve already beaten someone bloody. It’s quite the spectacle.”
This chatterbox had completely ruined Ji Xun’s interest. He took a sip of the chilled wine and said indifferently, “If someone discovers that you met with me in private, your position as Commander of the Imperial Guard will be gone.”
Lu Wujian was bewildered.
“You’ve finally gone mad today? You actually remember who I am?”
Ji Xun spoke gently.
“Every time I see an opera troupe performing acrobatics, I have to go over and ask whether Commander Lu’s duties with the Palace Front Guard are so leisurely that you’ve been ordered to take up the position of ‘Grand Commander of Monkeys Jumping Through Hoops’ and entertain the common people.”
Lu Wujian: “……”
Lu Wujian’s face reddened after being thoroughly mocked. He immediately began looking anywhere but at Ji Xun as he changed the subject.
“How could such a beautiful view have a corpse lying here? It’s really getting in the way. Chongshan, what exactly are you doing?”
Ji Xun glanced at him.
“…What was the position?”
Only then did Lu Wujian begin speaking about the actual matter at hand.
“Provincial Administration Commissioner of Jinling.”
Ji Xun gave a quiet “Mm,” apparently not particularly surprised.
“Have you finally lost your mind?” Lu Wujian asked incredulously. “His Majesty has made it perfectly clear that he intends to investigate the accounts in Jinling. Your salt business, your mines, your illicit maritime trade and your military farms, which one of those can withstand an investigation? Once they catch hold of something, the Eastern Palace will be able to tear a piece of flesh from you. If things go badly, they could even fabricate a charge of ‘privately raising troops with the intention of rebellion’ and pin it on you.”
Ji Xun smiled.
“That is what I’m doing anyway. How could they be fabricating it?”
Lu Wujian: “……”
Lu Wujian looked left and right, suddenly becoming wary.
“Could tonight be a Hongmen Banquet? Are you secretly planning to silence me?”
Ji Xun could not be bothered to continue talking to him. He turned to Yin Chongshan and said, “The wind is fierce and the snow is heavy tonight. Qin Jian, the Vice Minister of War, drank too much wine and, in a moment of carelessness, lost his footing and fell into the lake.”
Yin Chongshan: “Yes.”
Seeing that Ji Xun was not planning to kill him, Lu Wujian relaxed.
“The Vice Minister of War is a third rank official. Prince, you can just make him fall whenever you please?”
“If the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace fails to watch where he is going, he can fall into the water as well,” Ji Xun said indifferently. “Do you also want to fall into the water once?”
Lu Wujian immediately shut his mouth.
After delivering the message, he did not even take a sip of wine. Without stopping for even a moment, he hurriedly spun around, climbed back out through the window and disappeared.
Yin Chongshan went forward to deal with the corpse inside the room.
Ji Xun picked up the crumpled piece of paper and read through it rapidly.
Judging from the situation, His Majesty indeed intended to investigate the military farmland.
Jinling was located far from the capital. It was situated on the border, where military tensions had long been a constant threat from all four directions.
Back when Prince Ning guarded Jinling, warfare along the border had been incessant. The endless battles had drained the imperial treasury year after year, leaving the nation in financial deficit. It was not until the great battle eight years ago that things finally changed.
Prince Ning had died on the battlefield. With his blood and life, he had fought the enemy back and driven them away, finally securing several years of peace.
In recent years, Jinling had begun relying on its garrison troops to cultivate military farmland and provide their own provisions, gradually making it unnecessary for the imperial court to supply them with grain and military provisions.
His Majesty’s health had been declining year by year. Some time ago, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had even observed an omen indicating that the Ziwei Star was falling.
The omen had terrified the Chief Astronomer so badly that he suppressed the matter for three full days before finally reporting it to the throne with great trepidation.
The Emperor had suddenly decided to investigate the accounts in Jinling. Eight or nine times out of ten, he was looking for an excuse to convict Ji Xun, completely clearing away this obstacle in the Crown Prince’s path.
Ji Xun burned the paper, his mind wandering as he thought about something. When his peripheral vision happened to pass through the window lattice and look outside, he suddenly paused.
The young man, draped in a cloak and wearing a veil, was no longer chattering away with the young servant. At this moment, he was bent over, sneaking along the corridor like a thief, trying to slip past without anyone noticing.
Ji Xun narrowed his eyes.
Yin Chongshan had noticed him as well and his expression immediately darkened.
“Prince, he may have seen Commander Lu.”
Ji Xun lazily stroked the head of his dove headed cane and said indifferently, “Bring him in.”
“Yes.”
Chu Zhaohuai felt that he was truly terribly unlucky.
At long last, he had managed to find a gambling table big enough to satisfy him, only to be able to watch the money being won without being able to collect any of it.
Then, taking advantage of the fact that his brat was not around, he had slipped out to find someone who could spread rumors for him. After bargaining with that person for half the day, he had finally managed to get the job done by tearfully handing over a large sum of money.
He had finally been able to breathe a sigh of relief, only to turn around and see Ji Xun burning something.
The pavilions were not particularly soundproof. Since the Prince had been right next door the entire time, did that not mean he had heard every single commotion from their gambling game just now?
Chu Zhaohuai’s face instantly became one of utter despair.
Fortunately, Ji Xun had not looked outside.
He rose onto his tiptoes and tried to leave without making a sound or attracting anyone’s attention. However, he had barely taken two steps when Yin Chongshan opened the door with a murderous expression and strode toward him.
Chu Zhaohuai: “……”
He had been discovered.
It was over.
Chu Zhaohuai did not even have time to turn around and run. He was directly seized and dragged into the room like a rabbit being caught by the scruff of its neck.
Ji Xun sat there with his legs crossed, a faintly amused yet unfathomable smile playing at his lips.
“Princess Consort, what a coincidence.”
Chu Zhaohuai was so aggrieved that he nearly wanted to cry.
“Prince, please see clearly, I… I truly had no choice.”
Ji Xun’s smile became even gentler.
“Who forced you?”
Chu Zhaohuai blurted out, “Ji Zhuixing!”
Ji Xun thought his illness of not recognizing people had flared up again.
“Who is Ji Zhuixing?”
Chu Zhaohuai answered dryly, “The Third Prince.”
Earlier, the Third Prince had kept saying “entertainment,” “entertainment,” over and over. Chu Zhaohuai had given him a little nickname in his head and before he knew it, he had accidentally let it slip out.
Yin Chongshan wore an expression that seemed to say exactly as he had expected.
The Third Prince was on good terms with the Eastern Palace. This person really was a member of the Crown Prince’s faction.
“Clang!”
Yin Chongshan immediately drew his saber and held the blade against Chu Zhaohuai’s neck, its cold gleam flashing sharply.
“Prince, this man absolutely cannot be allowed to live.”
The Commander of the Palace Front Guard had secretly met and conferred with the Prince of Jing in private. If the Eastern Palace or His Majesty learned of it, it would be a grave crime punishable by imprisonment.
Yin Chongshan’s eyes were filled with ruthless intent. His grip tightened around the saber, a murderous aura emerging from him.
He was merely waiting for the Prince to give the order before taking this traitor’s head.
Chu Zhaohuai was completely dumbfounded.
Was the imperial court really this strict about gambling? If they caught someone gambling, did they immediately execute them on the spot?!
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly struggled to save himself.
“Prince, please calm down! I I really didn’t want to gamble. I didn’t take the gold or silver either. Just… just a tiny bit and even that was something the brat… the heir forced into my hands!”
Yin Chongshan froze.
W… What?
Wasn’t this pleasure boat a gambling boat?
Hadn’t they just been gambling like crazy next door?
Ji Xun waved his hand.
Yin Chongshan hesitated before finally releasing him.
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly stepped forward to hand over the stolen goods. He turned his right sleeve inside out and shook it vigorously until everything inside tumbled out.
A pile of preserved plums, pastries, melon seeds and even several Fengtian oranges fell onto the floor. No one knew how he had managed to stuff so many things into his sleeve.
After digging out every piece of gold Ji Yi had stuffed inside for him, Chu Zhaohuai gathered them all up and held them out toward Ji Xun, feeling so unjustly accused that it seemed even the snow in the sixth month would fall for him.
“…This is all there is. I didn’t take anything else at all. A… All of it is for the Prince.”
Ji Xun: “……”
Yin Chongshan: “……”
Ji Xun stared at the eyes hidden beneath Chu Zhaohuai’s veil.
After a long while, he extended a hand toward Chu Zhaohuai, who was slumped on the floor.
“Come.”
Chu Zhaohuai was instantly overjoyed. He hurriedly poured the gold into Ji Xun’s hand with a clatter, as though bribing the Prince.
Ji Xun: “……”
Ji Xun said, “You. Come here.”
Chu Zhaohuai froze for a moment before hesitantly extending his hand.
Ji Xun clasped his cold hand and gave it a gentle but firm tug.
Chu Zhaohuai’s knees were still weak and he had not yet regained his footing. He stumbled forward, his broad, layered robes flying up around him and fell headfirst onto Ji Xun’s lap.
Despite the bitter cold of the weather, Ji Xun was still burning hot even in his thin clothes. The faint scent of blood that had not yet dissipated lingered around him. When he leaned down to look at Chu Zhaohuai, his peach blossom eyes appeared unusually sharp and piercing.
Chu Zhaohuai swallowed with difficulty.
“P… Prince?”
Ji Xun reached out toward Chu Zhaohuai’s face.
For that brief moment, Chu Zhaohuai even thought that he was going to remove his veil. His heart immediately leapt into his throat.
Only when that scorching hand gently brushed over his slender neck did he realize that he had misunderstood.
Ji Xun asked, “Are you hurt?”
Chu Zhaohuai raised his head and looked at him blankly, completely unable to understand what he meant.
Earlier, when Yin Chongshan had been unable to determine the Prince’s attitude and held a saber against Chu Zhaohuai’s neck, he had used only the back of the blade. It had not even broken the skin.
“No.” Chu Zhaohuai answered dryly.
Hearing the unmistakable Jiangnan accent that Chu Zhaohuai had failed to conceal, Ji Xun could not help laughing.
“Good. Then go play.”
Chu Zhaohuai blinked.
Was this matter… really over just like that?
Ji Xun truly did not seem to have any intention of killing him again. Chu Zhaohuai felt as though he had just been granted a new lease on life. He hurriedly pushed himself up by bracing both hands against Ji Xun’s knees.
“The.. Then I’ll be going.”
“Mm.”
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly gathered up his robes and was just about to run.
Ji Xun added, “Oh, right. I’ll be returning to the residence tonight. Have someone make sure there is no charcoal brazier placed in the sleeping quarters.”
Chu Zhaohuai: “……”
Ever since their wedding, Ji Xun had been extremely busy and rarely returned to the residence. Even when he did return, he would sleep in the study.
Why was he specifically planning to sleep in the bedchamber tonight?
Chu Zhaohuai could hardly chase him out of his own residence, so he could only nod and agree.
With a troubled expression, he left.
Ji Xun looked at the scattered pile of miscellaneous things littering the floor. He bent down and casually picked up a Fengtian orange, turning it over in his hand as he examined it absentmindedly.
The Fengtian orange had already been peeled open. Chu Zhaohuai seemed reluctant to eat it; only two segments remained and he had even stuffed those two segments back inside.
At that moment, a personal guard came to report something and spoke quietly with Yin Chongshan.
Yin Chongshan hesitated before stepping forward.
“Prince, the young heir next door…”
Ji Xun said absentmindedly, “Is he dead?”
“Er… he’s fine.”
Ji Xun asked again, “Did he win?”
“He did.” Yin Chongshan said, “Young Master Qin, the son of Lord Qin from the Ministry of War, was beaten so badly that he is seriously injured and unconscious. The young master of the Duke’s residence also suffered a broken arm and he is currently crying and shouting that he wants to go home and tell his father. The Third Prince witnessed all of this as well, so I’m afraid he won’t simply let the matter go.”
Ji Xun gave a quiet “Mm,” seemingly not particularly interested. He casually said, “You go.”
Yin Chongshan was just about to head next door to stand up for the young heir.
Then he heard the unfinished part of Ji Xun’s sentence.
“…Go find those two servants from earlier and bring them here.”
Yin Chongshan froze but he still accepted the order and went.
Very soon, the two young servants whom Chu Zhaohuai had entrusted with spreading the rumors were brought over by Yin Chongshan.
The moment the servants saw the man wearing a thin winter robe, sitting in a wheelchair, with a dove headed cane beside him, they instantly recognized him as the infamous “Killing God” who had become renowned throughout the capital.
Cold sweat broke out all over them.
With a thump, they dropped to their knees and kowtowed.
“Greetings, Prince!”
Ji Xun asked, “What did that young man wearing the veil tell you to go out and spread just now?”
The two servants looked at each other.
Yin Chongshan said, “Speak.”
The two were so frightened that they immediately kowtowed again, then answered in trembling voices.
“Hey, do you know…”
Yin Chongshan said, “Do not ramble. Just answer the question.”
The servants looked as though they were about to cry.
“It was the words that gentleman told us to memorize. He said he would pay one tael of silver for every sentence.”
Ji Xun suddenly became interested.
“What words?”
The two servants began sweating as they recited Chu Zhaohuai’s “rumors.”
“Hey, do you know? The young Marquis of the Zhenyuan Marquis’s residence married into the Prince of Jing’s residence thinking that he would suffer terribly. Who could have imagined that he would end up living a life like one in the heavens? The Prince of Jing even personally went fishing for him and prepared an entire feast of fish. The young Marquis is so happy that he has completely forgotten to leave.”
“Oh, heavens. That is truly an enormous favor.”
“Exactly. The Prince of Jing is kindhearted and gentle and he treats people with warmth and sincerity. I heard that the young Marquis has practically fallen in love with him already. He even said that if he were a woman, he would absolutely give the Prince of Jing a whole brood of children.”
“That really is enough to make everyone else green with envy.”
“Exactly.”
Ji Xun froze.
After finishing their recitation, the servants trembled as they presented the silver they had received. There were even several copper coins mixed in, some large amounts and some small change.
“After that gentleman finished speaking, he settled our payment himself. He said the rambling words didn’t count and only gave us three taels.”
Ji Xun: “……”
Yin Chongshan was completely dumbfounded.
No matter how useless the Eastern Palace was, it could not possibly have sent someone with this kind of temperament to serve as a hidden agent.
Ji Xun reached out and picked up the three taels and six copper coins, holding them between his fingertips and slowly rubbing them.
The floor was still scattered with a pile of miscellaneous objects and gold, all of it in little bits and pieces.
For no particular reason, Ji Xun suddenly laughed.
It was not the usual faint smile that never reached his eyes.
Nor was it that vaguely mocking, neither smiling nor not smiling expression of his.
…It was genuine amusement that he could not suppress.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Substitute BrideChapter 2 · Chu ZhaojiangChapter 3 · Very safeChapter 4 · He is the prince’s manChapter 5 · It was really hard to refuse their kind invitation.Chapter 6 · Thankfully it was just poisoning.Chapter 7 · Haha, I spit on “golden and jade hall”!Chapter 8 · Are you not satisfied with the homecoming gift?Chapter 9 · You must keep your identity hidden.Chapter 10 · I like whole fish banquetChapter 11 · BankruptChapter 12 · Add some funChapter 13 · FightChapter 14 · Three taels of silverChapter 15 · Go back to restChapter 16 · They’re all spendthrifts.Chapter 17 · Enough for branches and leavesChapter 18 · Rumors can kill peopleChapter 19 · I want to get closer to the prince.Chapter 20 · Why not move in and share a room?Chapter 21 · Ha, I’m not stupid.Chapter 22 Part 1 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 22 Part 2 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 23 · Be more cautious and vigilantChapter 24 Part 1 · Don’t touch meChapter 24 Part 2 · Don’t touch meChapter 25 Part 1 · Golden NeedleChapter 25 Part 2 · Golden NeedleChapter 26 · To avoid suspicionChapter 27 · Committing numerous evil deedsChapter 28 Part 1 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 28 Part 2 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 29 · I really didn’t mean to kill youChapter 30 · Protect the prince!Chapter 31 · The bird that fell into the trapChapter 32 · Embracing someone on the couchChapter 33 · The miracle doctor is going home!Chapter 34 · I shouldn’t have wanted to hurt himChapter 35 · A bout of madnessChapter 36 · NightmareChapter 37 Part 1 · SpecialChapter 37 Part 2 · SpecialChapter 38 · Being hunted downChapter 39 · Cause and Bitter FruitChapter 40 · Is he honest and kind?Chapter 41 · I am flattered and overwhelmed.Chapter 42 · No, I want to buy.Chapter 43 Part 1 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 43 Part 2 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 44 · It’s the face of a notorious thiefChapter 45 · Are you trying to comfort me?Chapter 46 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 47 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 48 · It’s delicious!Chapter 49 · SeducingChapter 50 · By imperial decreeChapter 51 Part 1 · Potent MedicineChapter 51 Part 2 · Potent MedicineChapter 52 · Wasn’t it impotence?Chapter 53 · I’m not busy todayChapter 54 Part 1 · Break his legs directlyChapter 54 Part 2 · Break his legs directlyChapter 55 · I really didn’t mean to mess with youChapter 56 · Don’t play the victim when you’re having a medical episodeChapter 57 · Let’s do it one more time!Chapter 58 Part 1 · I’ve got you!Chapter 58 Part 2 · I’ve got you!Chapter 59 · A doctor’s dutyChapter 60 Part 1 · Are you at peace with yourself?Chapter 60 Part 2 · Are you at peace with yourself?