If Ji Xun brought up “consummating the marriage” again, how was he supposed to deal with it?
Before he could figure out an answer, a deafening roar suddenly rang out.
“Ji Yi! You beat someone into this state! I will definitely report this to His Majesty and I will not let this matter go!”
Someone had been beaten?
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly scampered over to watch the commotion.
The pavilion where the gambling game had taken place earlier was already a complete wreck. Even half of the door had collapsed, while fragments of porcelain and decorative objects were scattered all over the floor.
Young Master Qin, who had been shouting the loudest just moments ago, was currently lying motionless among the debris with his eyes tightly shut, his entire head covered in blood.
Chu Zhaohuai could not help sighing inwardly.
The people of the capital truly possessed the bearing of refined scholars.
They could apparently sleep anywhere.
A young nobleman with blood streaming from a wound on his head was trembling with fury as he turned toward the Third Prince and cried, “Your Highness, you must seek justice for us! Young Master Qin has been beaten to the point of-”
Before he could finish speaking, Liang Fang, who had been protected behind Ji Yi all this time, suddenly pitched forward and collapsed.
He fainted.
Chu Zhaohuai: “……”
Ji Yi was not lightly injured either. Blood stained the corner of his lips and even his handsome face had been marred by wounds.
The moment he saw Liang Fang collapse, he immediately rushed forward and caught him, crying out in anguish.
“Liang Fang! Liang Fang, what happened to you?! Hurry and have the pleasure boat dock! Young Master Liang is about to breathe his last!”
Everyone: “……”
Before anyone else could react, Ji Yi launched into a preemptive accusation, his expression filled with righteous indignation and heartbreak.
“Young Master Liang Fang has what kind of noble status?! He is the son of the Prince of Wuchang and a descendant of a meritorious family! And yet you people actually beat him until he was barely clinging to life! This heir will definitely take this matter to the imperial court! I will make sure you regret it!”
Several of them nearly spat up blood from sheer outrage as they turned toward the Third Prince.
“Your Highness! Those are all the words we were going to say!”
Liang Fang truly was the son of the Prince of Wuchang. Although he had very little presence in the capital, he could still barely be considered someone of noble status. Moreover, because his constitution was exceedingly frail, no one had dared lay a hand on him amid the chaos earlier.
The Prince of Wuchang was a prince of a different surname and his fief (an estate of land, or a source of income, granted by a feudal lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty, military service, and other duties during the Middle Ages.) was located in Yuanchuan Prefecture. It was separated from Jinling by only the Wuling mountain range. The Prince of Wuchang’s entire family had spent years stationed in their fief, guarding it year round, while only Liang Fang remained in the capital.
In effect, he was a hostage.
If anything happened to him, the Prince of Wuchang would have no way to answer for it.
During the fight just now, it had practically been Ji Yi holding them down and beating them.
The person who had actually been beaten to the point of being barely alive was Young Master Qin!
Ji Yi was still howling at the top of his lungs.
“Liang Fang! Liang Fang, you died such a miserable death! You murderous bastards, even if you become ghosts, don’t you dare let them off!”
Everyone: “……”
Chu Zhaohuai was left thoroughly impressed.
That brat’s skin was truly thick.
Liang Fang’s complexion looked rosy and his breathing was perfectly even. He clearly was not suffering from anything serious.
How had he suddenly become someone who was on the verge of death and about to turn into a ghost?
The Third Prince had watched the entire absurd farce unfold and his head was throbbing terribly.
“A’Yi, say a little less.”
Ji Yi helped Liang Fang back up. Having made enough of a spectacle of himself, he turned around and was about to leave.
The few people who had been thoroughly beaten were naturally unwilling to let him leave so easily. They angrily shouted, “Stop! You caused trouble and beat people in front of everyone. Do you really think you can just settle the matter like this?!”
Ji Yi had a bruise darkening the corner of his lips and there was also a wound across his cheek. That face, which bore some resemblance to Ji Xun’s, now looked inexplicably fierce and ruthless.
Hearing this, he finally could not be bothered to keep pretending.
He gave a cold laugh.
“I really did cause trouble today. If you have the ability, go home right now and cry to your heart’s content. After you’re done crying, beg your elders to go to the Prince of Jing’s residence and seek an explanation from my father.”
Since he had already caused trouble, he might as well simply go all the way and let the chips fall where they may.
Could his father really beat him to death?
The man became furious. “You!”
Ji Yi curled his lips into a smile.
“This heir will be waiting for you at any time.”
With that, he swept his sleeve and left under the furious gazes of everyone present.
By this time, the pleasure boat had already docked at the shore of Minghu Lake.
Chu Zhaohuai hurried after him. He had initially assumed that Liang Fang was merely cooperating with Ji Yi and pretending to faint but unexpectedly, Ji Yi kept supporting him the entire way and even after they got into the carriage, Liang Fang still showed no sign of waking up.
Ji Yi had put on quite the act aboard the pleasure boat, behaving like an arrogant, fearless young master but the moment they reached the privacy of the carriage, with no one else around, he immediately grimaced in pain. He sucked in breaths through his teeth like a snake, hissing softly as he endured the pain.
“Those bastards! They nearly ruined my face. I should have beaten every single one of them just now and not let a single one off.”
Chu Zhaohuai was still staring at Liang Fang.
“Is he really dying?”
Ji Yi pulled a small bronze mirror from one of the drawers beneath the little table and carefully examined his own face, answering casually, “He’s asleep.”
Chu Zhaohuai stared at him.
“He just fell asleep?”
“Mm.” Ji Yi frowned as he touched the bruise on his face. “His health has been poor since he was a child. The imperial physicians diagnosed him with hypersomnia. It’s nothing serious. You’ll get used to it.”
Chu Zhaohuai became interested.
Seeing that the brat was still busy worrying over his own injured face, Chu Zhaohuai simply leaned forward and took Liang Fang’s pulse.
He had once read about hypersomnia in medical texts but he had never actually encountered someone with it.
This was indeed a rare opportunity to see it firsthand…
After taking his pulse, Chu Zhaohuai silently pulled a long face.
What hypersomnia?
It was merely chronic poisoning.
Ji Yi put down the bronze mirror. When he caught sight of the character “Jing” engraved on the back of it, he instinctively shuddered.
Once the cold wind blew over him and the impulsiveness of earlier gradually faded, his fear of Ji Xun slowly returned. He looked forlornly at Chu Zhaohuai.
“Hey, about what happened today, don’t tell my father.”
Chu Zhaohuai looked at him, wanting to speak but hesitating.
“I’m sure they have a few hundred times more courage than necessary and they still wouldn’t dare go to the Prince of Jing’s residence to demand an explanation from my father.” Ji Yi thought it over. “I’ll hide out at Liang Fang’s place for a few days and recuperate. Once I’m completely healed, I’ll come back…”
Chu Zhaohuai coughed and said with some reluctance, “It’s too late.”
Ji Yi glared at him.
“What do you mean, it’s too late?”
Chu Zhaohuai said, “The place isn’t soundproof. Your father was in the pavilion next door the entire time, listening to everything. He heard every single word.”
Ji Yi: “……”
Ji Yi immediately stumbled and fell flat on the ground.
His father was not even here yet his knees instinctively went weak and he dropped to his knees in sheer terror. His face turned deathly pale.
“R… Really?”
“Yes.”
Ji Yi remained kneeling there in a daze.
He was still breathing but in reality, his soul had already transformed into a wisp of white mist and floated back and forth through the air seven or eight times.
This time, he was truly finished.
Chu Zhaohuai did not think Ji Xun was particularly frightening. Seeing Ji Yi acting as though he were facing a formidable enemy, he was thoroughly puzzled.
Even Chu Zhaohuai did not believe the rumors that Ji Xun was some kind of Killing God, fiercer than a mad dog. How was it that Ji Yi, who spent every day living under the same roof as his father, actually believed those rumors and was frightened of him to this extent?
Ji Yi was now too frightened to even run away.
After returning to the residence and settling Liang Fang properly, he took a rattan switch and went to the study to await Ji Xun, prepared to face death with dignity.
Chu Zhaohuai was rather curious to see whether Ji Xun would actually beat his son, so he followed along with great interest.
……
After getting off the pleasure boat, Ji Xun seemed to have another round of matters to deal with. By the time he finally returned to the residence, it was already the middle of the night.
The study was brightly illuminated.
Ji Yi knelt there with injuries covering his face, looking as though both his parents had just died. The moment he heard the sound of the wheelchair approaching, his entire body immediately jolted.
“Thump.”
His forehead struck the floor.
“Greetings, Father.”
Chu Zhaohuai, who had been waiting off to the side and had nearly fallen asleep from boredom, was abruptly startled awake. Still drowsy, he followed along and called out,
“Greetings, Father.”
Ji Xun glanced at his two “sons” and spoke unhurriedly.
“What trouble have you gotten yourselves into this time?”
Ji Yi mumbled in a buzzing voice.
“I.. I hit someone.”
Ji Xun said blandly, “When did I ever teach you this wonderful method of replying by buzzing like a mosquito?”
Ji Yi shuddered.
He held the rattan switch out with both hands and took a deep breath, gathering all his strength before answering in a loud, resonant voice.
“To answer Father, I hit someone. The son of the Vice Minister of War and the Third Young Master of the Duke’s residence. Unfortunately, the Third Prince happened to witness it.”
Chu Zhaohuai had been jolted back to full awareness by the young heir’s lion like roar. He yawned and looked on listlessly.
Ji Xun’s gaze fell upon him.
“Is the Princess Consort tired?”
Chu Zhaohuai’s eyes were filled with tears from his yawn. He obediently nodded.
“A little.”
Ji Xun slowly took the rattan switch from Ji Yi’s hands.
“Then the Princess Consort should return to the bedchamber first.”
Chu Zhaohuai saw that Ji Xun had actually taken the rattan switch, seemingly intending to beat Ji Yi. After hesitating for a moment, he still spoke up on Ji Yi’s behalf.
“Prince, please calm down. The heir surely didn’t do it intentionally.”
Ji Yi froze and looked up at him in stunned disbelief.
Ji Xun smiled.
“So that’s how it happened. The heir was peacefully playing the gambling game in the pavilion aboard the pleasure boat, when Young Master Qin and the Third Young Master of the Duke’s residence happened to slip and fall onto the heir’s fists, ending up with their heads battered and bleeding and themselves unconscious. Tomorrow, this is exactly how I shall explain the matter to His Majesty.”
Ji Yi’s face immediately went pale.
He shot Chu Zhaohuai a look, signaling him not to plead for him anymore. If Chu Zhaohuai kept going and ended up getting implicated, there would be two people being beaten instead of one.
He placed both hands on the floor and lowered his head, deliberately making himself as convenient as possible for his father to beat.
“Please punish me, Father.”
Chu Zhaohuai completely failed to understand his signal.
“The heir wouldn’t attack someone for no reason. Perhaps those people said something foolish.”
When they had entered the pavilion earlier, those people had mocked and ridiculed Ji Yi without restraint yet Ji Yi, who was rumored throughout the capital to be arrogant and domineering, had merely pretended not to hear them and continued exchanging pleasantries with everyone as though nothing had happened.
Even when they had pointed at his nose and called him a useless waste, Ji Yi had not lost his temper.
With such a restrained temperament, it was impossible for him to suddenly rush forward and beat someone that badly for absolutely no reason.
Ji Yi stared at the patterns in the bluestone floor.
When he heard Chu Zhaohuai say this, he froze slightly.
Everyone in the capital said that the heir of the Prince of Jing was arrogant and domineering, swaggering through the streets by relying on the Prince of Jing’s reputation. Whenever he caused trouble, people would invariably ask no questions and simply attribute all of it to him.
This was the first time someone had actually spoken up for him.
A sourness rose into Ji Yi’s nose. He clenched his teeth and forcibly held it back.
Ji Xun lowered his eyes and asked, “Then tell me. Why did you attack them?”
Ji Yi remained silent.
Ji Xun looked at his stubbornly raised neck and seemed somewhat helpless. Holding the rattan switch, he lightly tapped it against the top of Ji Yi’s head.
“Starting tomorrow, come find Chongshan at the hour of the Rabbit every day. Have him give you some guidance on your martial arts.”
Ji Yi looked up in confusion. “Huh?”
Ji Xun tossed the rattan switch back to him. “Go back.”
Ji Yi stared at him blankly, unable to process what had just happened for a moment.
Was it… really over just like that?
Ji Xun had raised the matter high, only to set it down lightly. His long, slender fingers idly rolled several copper coins between them, the clear clinking sound ringing softly through the room.
Seeing that Ji Yi was still standing there in a daze, Ji Xun raised an eyebrow. “What? You feel dissatisfied because you didn’t get beaten?”
Ji Yi hurriedly came back to his senses. “N… No, no, no, that’s not it. Your son will take his leave.”
He had never expected to get through this matter so easily. With a relieved breath, he awkwardly pushed himself up on his weakened knees, then hesitantly glanced at Chu Zhaohuai.
The last time the two of them had parted on bad terms and today he had even gone there intending to make Chu Zhaohuai lose face yet he had never expected that this person would not only put the past behind him but would also help him again and again…
Ji Yi pressed his lips together.
The man had just pleaded for him. If he were to tell his father at this moment that this person was not actually “Chu Zhaojiang,” it would be far too ungrateful.
Forget it for now.
He would tell his father about this person’s identity tomorrow.
Ji Yi kept his mouth shut and obediently withdrew.
Chu Zhaohuai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Xun rolled the copper coins between his fingers and looked at Chu Zhaohuai with an ambiguous smile. “Since the Princess Consort is tired, then go back and rest.”
The half breath Chu Zhaohuai had just managed to release was immediately sucked back in. His head was already spinning with exhaustion and without thinking, he blurted out, “The Princess Consort is n.. not, not tired anymore.”
Ji Xun: “……”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator would like coffee. This message contains no further arguments.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
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?