Just as Yin Chongshan had filled Ji Xun’s cup with wine, a man dressed in black suddenly flipped through the lakeside window and landed inside the room.
Not a single guard in the entire room had noticed his approach.
Yin Chongshan was startled and immediately drew his sword.
The man in black was highly skilled. In the blink of an eye, he had reached them. The gust of wind created by his movement made the candle flame flicker and nearly go out. After swaying for a while, it finally began burning steadily again.
The unsteady candlelight illuminated the newcomer’s face.
Yin Chongshan froze.
“Commander Lu?”
Commander Lu had sharp brows and bright eyes. His robes fluttered as he moved in a way that was anything but proper. He casually flipped through the air twice before leisurely sitting down beside Ji Xun.
The jade pendant hanging from his waist swung wildly and smacked him in the face several times, yet he pretended to remain completely composed. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve and tossed it 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 hidden 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.
“You’re noisy.”
Lu Wuj i was completely shameless. He tilted his head and listened.
“Are you listening to the fight next door? I saw it when I came in just now. Tsk, tsk, they’ve already drawn blood. The commotion is quite impressive.”
Ji Xun had completely lost interest because of this chatterbox. He took a sip of cold wine and said indifferently, “If someone discovers that you are meeting privately with me, your position as Commander of the Imperial Guards will be gone.”
Lu Wuj i looked surprised.
“Have you finally started taking your medicine today? You actually remember who I am?”
Ji Xun replied gently, “Every time I see a troupe performing acrobatics, I have to go over and ask whether Commander Lu’s duties with the Palace Guard have become so idle that you’ve been ordered to take up the position of ‘Grand Marshal of Monkeys Jumping Through Hoops’ and entertain the common people.”
Lu Wuj i was speechless.
His face flushed from the retort, and he immediately changed the subject.
“Why is there a corpse lying around when the scenery is so beautiful? It’s really ruining the view. Chongshan, what exactly are you doing?”
Ji Xun glanced at him.
“…What was the position?”
Only then did Lu Wuj i return to the actual matter.
“Governor of Jinling Province.”
Ji Xun gave a quiet “Mm,” apparently not surprised.
“Have you finally gone crazy?”
Lu Wuj i looked incredulous.
“His Majesty is clearly planning to investigate Jinling’s accounts. What about your salt business, your mines, your smuggling operations, and your military farms? Which one can withstand an investigation? Once they find evidence, the Crown Prince’s faction will be able to tear a piece of flesh from you. They might even fabricate a charge of ‘secretly raising troops with the intention of rebellion.’”
Ji Xun smiled.
“But that’s what I’m doing. How can it be fabricated?”
Lu Wuj i was speechless.
He looked around warily.
“Don’t tell me tonight is a Hongmen Banquet. Are you planning to kill me to silence me?”
Ji Xun couldn’t be bothered to answer him. Instead, he said to Yin Chongshan, “The wind is fierce and the snow heavy tonight. Vice Minister of War Qin Jian drank too much and accidentally fell into the lake.”
Yin Chongshan immediately replied, “Yes.”
Seeing that they weren’t planning to kill him, Lu Wuj i breathed a sigh of relief.
“Qin Jian is a third-rank official. Are you saying you can just make him fall from office whenever you want?”
“If the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace isn’t careful where he walks, he can fall into the water too.”
Ji Xun spoke calmly.
“Do you want to fall into the water as well?”
Lu Wuj i immediately shut his mouth.
After delivering his message, he didn’t even take a sip of wine. He hurriedly climbed out through the window and disappeared.
Yin Chongshan went to clean up the corpse inside the room.
Ji Xun picked up the crumpled paper and skimmed through it rapidly.
Judging from the situation, His Majesty really did intend to investigate the military farms.
Jinling was far from the capital and located near the border, where conflicts were frequent.
Back when Prince Ning guarded Jinling, wars had continued without end. The constant fighting had drained the imperial treasury year after year.
That continued until the great battle eight years ago.
Prince Ning died on the battlefield, driving back the enemy forces with his own blood and life. Only then did Jinling enjoy several years of peace.
In recent years, the soldiers stationed in Jinling had cultivated military farmland to provide their own food. Gradually, they no longer needed the imperial court to supply their provisions and military expenses.
The Emperor’s health had been declining year by year. Some time ago, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had even observed signs that the Ziwei Star was falling.
The Director of the bureau had been so terrified that he suppressed the report for three days before finally submitting it to the Emperor with great fear and caution.
The Emperor suddenly wanting to investigate Jinling’s accounts was most likely because he wanted to find an excuse to punish Ji Xun and completely remove this obstacle to the Crown Prince.
Ji Xun burned the paper.
His mind wandered as he thought about something.
Then, when his peripheral vision passed through the window, he suddenly froze.
The young man wearing a cloak and veil was no longer chattering away with the servant.
Instead, he was bent over like a thief, trying to sneak quietly down the corridor without being noticed.
Ji Xun narrowed his eyes.
Yin Chongshan saw him too, and his expression immediately darkened.
“My Prince, he may have seen Commander Lu.”
Ji Xun lazily stroked his golden dove-headed staff.
“Bring him in.”
“Yes.”
Chu Zhaohuai felt that he was incredibly unlucky.
He had finally gotten the chance to gamble with huge stakes, only to be allowed to look at the winnings without being able to take them.
Then, while the dog son was away, he had gone out to find people to spread rumors. He had spent half the day bargaining with them and, with tears in his eyes, paid a large sum of money before they finally agreed.
At last, he had been able to relax.
But the moment he turned around, he saw Ji Xun burning something.
The pavilion wasn’t very soundproof.
Since Prince Jing had been sitting next door the entire time, hadn’t he heard everything that had happened during their guanpu gambling match?
Chu Zhaohuai’s expression became utterly miserable.
Fortunately, Ji Xun hadn’t looked outside.
Chu Zhaohuai rose onto his toes and tried to sneak away without making a sound.
He had barely taken two steps when Yin Chongshan opened the door with a murderous expression and strode toward him.
Chu Zhaohuai was speechless.
I’ve been caught.
I’m doomed.
He didn’t even have time to turn around and run.
Yin Chongshan grabbed him and dragged him into the room like a rabbit being carried by the scruff.
Ji Xun sat there with his legs crossed, smiling in a way that wasn’t quite a smile.
“Princess Consort, what a coincidence.”
Chu Zhaohuai looked as though he were about to cry.
“Your Highness, please listen to my explanation. I… I really was forced into it.”
Ji Xun smiled even more gently.
“Who forced you?”
Chu Zhaohuai blurted out, “Ji Zhu-Xing!”
Ji Xun thought his illness of not recognizing people had returned.
“Who is Ji Zhu-Xing?”
Chu Zhaohuai answered awkwardly, “The Third Prince.”
Earlier, the Third Prince had kept saying “entertainment” and “entertainment.”
Chu Zhaohuai had casually given him a nickname in his head, and it had accidentally slipped out.
Yin Chongshan immediately looked as though he had expected this.
The Third Prince was close to the Crown Prince’s faction.
Sure enough, this person was a member of the Crown Prince’s side.
“Clang!”
Yin Chongshan immediately drew his sword and pressed it against Chu Zhaohuai’s neck.
“My Prince, this man absolutely cannot be allowed to live.”
The Commander of the Palace Guard had secretly met and discussed matters with Prince Jing.
If the Crown Prince’s faction or His Majesty found out, it would be a serious enough crime to land him in prison.
Yin Chongshan’s eyes were cold and ruthless.
His grip tightened around the sword, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
He was merely waiting for his Prince to give the order so he could take this traitor’s head.
Chu Zhaohuai was completely dumbfounded.
Is the court really this strict about gambling?
You get caught and they execute you on the spot?!
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly struggled to defend himself.
“Your Highness, please calm down! I-I really didn’t want to gamble. I didn’t even take the gold or silver! Just… just a little. And it was the Young Heir who forced it into my hands!”
Yin Chongshan froze.
What?
Wasn’t this pleasure boat a guanpu gambling boat?
Hadn’t they just been gambling like mad next door?
Ji Xun waved his hand.
Yin Chongshan hesitated before lowering his sword and releasing Chu Zhaohuai.
Chu Zhaohuai immediately rushed forward to surrender the “stolen goods.”
He shook his right sleeve upside down.
A pile of dried plums, pastries, sunflower seeds, and several candied oranges tumbled out.
No one knew how he had managed to stuff so many things into his sleeve.
After digging out all the gold Ji Yi had forced upon him, Chu Zhaohuai gathered it in both hands and offered it to Ji Xun.
He felt as though he had been wrongfully accused despite being completely innocent.
“…This is everything. I didn’t take anything else. A-All of it is for Your Highness.”
Ji Xun was speechless.
Yin Chongshan was speechless too.
Ji Xun stared into Chu Zhaohuai’s eyes beneath the veil.
After a while, he extended a hand toward Chu Zhaohuai, who was sitting limply on the floor.
“Come.”
Chu Zhaohuai was instantly overjoyed.
He happily poured the gold into Ji Xun’s hand, essentially bribing the Prince.
Ji Xun was speechless.
“I said, come.”
Chu Zhaohuai froze.
After hesitating, he cautiously extended his hand.
Ji Xun grasped his cold hand and pulled gently.
Chu Zhaohuai’s knees were still weak, and he lost his balance.
He stumbled forward.
His wide, layered robes fluttered as he fell headfirst onto Ji Xun’s lap.
Despite the freezing weather, Ji Xun was still burning hot despite wearing only thin clothing.
The faint smell of blood still clung to him.
When he leaned down to look at Chu Zhaohuai, his peach-blossom eyes were unusually sharp.
Chu Zhaohuai swallowed with difficulty.
“P-Prince?”
Ji Xun reached toward his face.
At that moment, Chu Zhaohuai thought Ji Xun was about to remove his veil.
His heart jumped straight into his throat.
But then that scorching hand gently brushed over his slender neck.
Ji Xun asked, “Are you hurt?”
Chu Zhaohuai looked up at him in confusion.
When Yin Chongshan had pressed the sword to his neck earlier, he had been uncertain of his Prince’s intentions and had deliberately used the back of the blade.
It hadn’t even broken the skin.
“No,” Chu Zhaohuai answered awkwardly.
Hearing the unmistakable Jiangnan accent he had failed to hide, Ji Xun couldn’t help laughing.
“Good. Go play.”
Chu Zhaohuai blinked.
That’s it?
It’s really over just like that?
Ji Xun truly seemed to have no intention of killing him again.
Chu Zhaohuai felt as though he had just been pardoned from death and hurriedly pushed himself up using Ji Xun’s knees.
“Then… then I’ll go.”
“Mm.”
Chu Zhaohuai hurriedly gathered his robes and prepared to run.
Ji Xun suddenly added, “Oh, right. I’ll be returning to the residence tonight. Princess Consort, tell the servants not to put a charcoal brazier in the bedchamber.”
Chu Zhaohuai was speechless.
Ever since their wedding, Ji Xun had been so busy that he rarely returned to the residence.
Even when he did, he usually slept in the study.
Why does he specifically want to sleep in the bedchamber tonight?
Chu Zhaohuai couldn’t very well kick him out.
He could only nod and agree before leaving with a worried expression.
Ji Xun looked at the messy pile of things scattered across the floor.
He bent down and casually picked up a candied orange.
It had already been peeled.
Chu Zhaohuai seemed reluctant to eat it. Only two segments remained, and he had carefully put them back together.
At that moment, a personal guard came to report something to Yin Chongshan.
Yin Chongshan hesitated before stepping forward.
“My Prince, the Young Heir next door…”
Ji Xun asked absentmindedly, “Is he dead?”
“Uh… he’s fine.”
Ji Xun asked again, “Did he win?”
“He won.”
Yin Chongshan replied, “Young Master Qin, the son of Minister Qin of the Ministry of War, was severely beaten and is unconscious. The young master of the Duke’s residence also had his arm broken. He is currently crying and shouting that he wants to go home and tell his father. The Third Prince witnessed everything, so I doubt he will let this go.”
Ji Xun gave a quiet “Mm,” seemingly not very interested.
Then he casually said, “You go.”
Yin Chongshan was about to go next door to support the Young Heir.
But Ji Xun wasn’t finished.
“…Go find those two servants from earlier.”
Yin Chongshan froze, but he still obeyed and left.
Soon, the two servants whom Chu Zhaohuai had entrusted with spreading rumors were brought over by Yin Chongshan.
The moment the servants saw the man dressed in thin winter clothes, sitting in a wheelchair and holding a golden dove-headed staff, they instantly recognized him as the infamous “God of Death” who had shaken the capital.
Cold sweat poured down their backs.
They immediately dropped to their knees and kowtowed.
“Greetings, Your Highness!”
Ji Xun asked, “What did that young man wearing a veil tell you to spread just now?”
The two servants exchanged glances.
Yin Chongshan said coldly, “Speak.”
The two servants hurriedly kowtowed again and answered fearfully.
“Uh… do you know…”
Yin Chongshan interrupted them.
“Don’t ramble. Just answer.”
The servants looked as though they were about to cry.
“That young gentleman gave us the lines we were supposed to memorize. One sentence was worth one tael of silver.”
Ji Xun suddenly became interested.
“What lines?”
The two servants, sweating nervously, began repeating Chu Zhaohuai’s “rumors.”
“Hey, have you heard? The Young Marquis of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s household was married off to Prince Jing’s residence. We all thought he was going to suffer terribly, but who would have thought he’d end up living like a god in heaven? Prince Jing even personally went fishing for him and prepared an entire fish feast. The Young Marquis is so happy that he doesn’t even want to leave!”
“My heavens! That’s an incredible amount of favor!”
“Exactly! Prince Jing is kind-hearted, gentle, and warm toward others. I heard the Young Marquis has already fallen secretly in love with him. He even said that if he were a woman, he would definitely give Prince Jing plenty of children!”
“I’m so jealous!”
“Exactly!”
Ji Xun froze.
After finishing their lines, the servants tremblingly offered up the silver they had collected.
There were also several copper coins, some whole amounts and some loose change.
“That young gentleman settled the payment after we finished. He said those meaningless words didn’t count, so he only paid us three taels.”
Ji Xun was speechless.
Yin Chongshan was completely stunned.
Even if the Eastern Palace were truly desperate, they wouldn’t send someone with this kind of personality to work as an undercover agent.
Ji Xun reached out and picked up the three taels of silver and six copper coins.
He gently rubbed them between his fingertips.
There was still a pile of random objects and gold scattered across the floor, all in a chaotic assortment.
For no apparent reason, Ji Xun suddenly smiled.
It wasn’t his usual faint smile that never reached his eyes.
Nor was it his usual sarcastic, half-smiling expression.
…
It was a genuine smile of amusement.