Just after dawn, the entire residence was already brightly lit. The servants were busily and orderly preparing everything needed for the Princess Consort’s return to his family home.
Although it was a man who had married into the royal family as the Princess Consort, failing to treat the occasion with due importance would still be considered disrespectful to the imperial family. A major occasion like the return-home visit naturally had to be as grand as possible.
Madam Zheng, the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s principal wife, personally took charge of arranging the banquet.
She had been busy for half the day. Now it was already past the Hour of the Snake, yet no one had arrived at the residence.
In the capital, no one had ever come for a return-home visit so late that it was almost lunchtime.
The hot tea in the front hall had already gone cold two or three times.
Madam Zheng, dressed in an elegant dark-green gown, paced back and forth while nervously twisting the handkerchief in her hands.
“Marquis, everything for the return-home visit has already been arranged. It’s almost noon, but there’s still no word from Prince Jing’s residence. I’m afraid… the Marquis’s residence will become the laughingstock of the capital.”
Chu Jing held his teacup and gave a cold laugh.
“Ever since the imperial marriage decree was issued, the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s residence has already become the laughingstock of the entire capital. One more occasion won’t make much difference.”
Madam Zheng could not hide her anxiety.
“But there have still been rumors about Zhaojiang these past few days. Could something have gone wrong?”
Chu Jing lowered his eyes to the tea leaves floating in his cup and said nothing.
The news that Prince Jing had awakened on his wedding night had already spread throughout the streets and alleys.
People across the capital had been lamenting that the God of Death had somehow survived.
Truly, Heaven has no eyes.
While Ji Xun had been unconscious, many people had assumed that he would not live much longer. They had been eager to kick him while he was down.
Now that he had returned from the brink of death, given his reputation as a “mad dog” and his usual way of doing things, he would surely have another fit of madness.
Yet for the past two days, Prince Jing’s residence had remained completely peaceful.
Not a single piece of news had come out.
To protect Chu Zhaojiang, Chu Jing had gambled everything on the “substitute marriage.”
There were simply too many flaws in the plan, and Chu Jing had already anticipated the possible outcomes.
Either the “assassination” and “substitute marriage” would both be exposed on the wedding night, resulting in Chu Zhaohuai being killed;
or Chu Zhaohuai would be clever enough to protect his own life without exposing the fact that he was the substitute bride.
If it were the former, things would actually be easier.
What Chu Jing feared was the latter…
Just as he was thinking about this, a servant hurried over to report.
“Marquis, Prince Jing’s carriage has arrived.”
Chu Jing’s hand trembled, and several drops of tea spilled from his cup.
He slowly closed his eyes and drank most of the cold tea, feeling as though the chill had seeped straight into his organs.
…It seemed it was indeed the latter.
The procession from Prince Jing’s residence did not look much like a return-home visit.
It looked more like an army setting out to battle, ready to slaughter its enemies and intimidate everyone in its path.
Although the people along the street were terrified of the God of Death, they could not suppress their curiosity and secretly gathered along the roadside to watch from a distance.
The procession slowly came to a stop outside the gates of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s residence.
Once the carriage stopped securely, Chu Zhaohuai gathered up his robes and prepared to get down.
But when he glanced sideways, he saw Ji Xun still lazily leaning against the carriage wall, his eyes closed as though he were asleep.
Chu Zhaohuai whispered, “Your Highness? Your Highness?”
Ji Xun did not move.
He merely gave a lazy “Mm,” indicating that he was still barely alive.
Chu Zhaohuai was essentially a country bumpkin and did not understand all the rules of the capital. He reminded him,
“We’ve arrived.”
Sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell across Ji Xun’s lazy features.
His voice was gentle and indifferent as he drawled,
“Yes, we’ve arrived. Once I finish this nap, I’ll get off the carriage with the Princess Consort. We’ll perform three bows and nine prostrations as we enter the Marquis’s residence to pay our respects to your father-in-law. Then I’ll kneel for a long time without getting up to thank the Marquis for making this wonderful marriage possible.”
Chu Zhaohuai: “…”
Ji Xun was usually quite easy to get along with.
But every now and then, he would suddenly throw out a sarcastic remark, and the damage was devastating.
Chu Zhaohuai had been verbally knocked over by him and could only mutter inwardly.
No wonder this man has so many rumors circulating about him.
It probably has something to do with that razor-sharp tongue of his.
Since Chu Zhaohuai had married into the imperial family, he now held the honored status of Princess Consort.
Even though Chu Jing held the title of Marquis of Zhenyuan, he was still an imperial subject.
There was naturally no rule that a prince and princess consort should arrive at the gates of a residence without being personally welcomed.
So Chu Zhaohuai obediently remained seated in the carriage, peeking outside through a gap in the curtains.
Before long, Chu Jing and Madam Zheng emerged from the gates surrounded by servants.
They walked to the bottom of the steps and bowed toward the carriage.
“We respectfully welcome Your Highness and the Princess Consort.”
Chu Zhaohuai’s hand trembled in fright.
The curtain immediately fell, blocking the sunlight.
My own biological father is bowing to me.
Isn’t that going to cost me years of my life?
Hearing the commotion, Ji Xun finally opened his eyes at his leisure.
He lightly tapped the carriage wall with his dove-headed staff.
Yin Chongshan immediately understood.
He lowered the rear panel of the carriage onto the ground and skillfully pushed Ji Xun’s wheelchair down the ramp.
Afraid that he might once again fail to understand the proper etiquette and receive another gentle verbal stab from Ji Xun, Chu Zhaohuai stayed beside him the entire time, saying nothing and maintaining a dignified expression.
Chu Jing remained bent at the waist.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Chu Zhaohuai wearing the black gauze veil.
His brows immediately furrowed deeply.
Ji Xun sat lazily in his wheelchair.
Even under the bright winter sun, there was barely any warmth in the air. Yet Yin Chongshan had opened a gold-trimmed bamboo umbrella to shield Ji Xun from the sunlight, as though he were worried the sun might make him too warm.
Chu Zhaohuai shivered.
He became even more curious about what kind of serious illness Ji Xun actually had.
Everyone in the Marquis’s residence was still holding their bows.
Their backs were practically breaking from remaining bent for so long.
Yet Ji Xun acted as though he had not noticed them at all.
Instead, he turned toward Chu Zhaohuai and asked gently,
“Is the Princess Consort cold?”
“I’m not—”
He had barely spoken two words when Ji Xun’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Chu Zhaohuai’s heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
Did saying that I’m not cold violate some royal rule?
Reading Ji Xun’s expression, Chu Zhaohuai had no idea what he had said wrong, but he immediately changed his answer.
“I’m not… as healthy and warm as Your Highness, whose body burns like a fire, so naturally I’m cold.”
Ji Xun smiled.
He casually extended a hand, and Yin Chongshan, standing beside him, magically produced a sable-fur coat and draped it over Ji Xun’s forearm.
Ji Xun said,
“Bend down.”
Chu Zhaohuai was confused but obediently bent over.
Ji Xun raised his hand slightly.
The fragrant sable-fur coat floated gently down onto Chu Zhaohuai’s shoulders.
Caught completely off guard, its weight forced him to bend several inches lower.
The two of them were extremely close.
Chu Zhaohuai looked bewildered.
Through the black gauze, he could clearly see even the faint little scar above Ji Xun’s left eyebrow.
What is he doing?
Did he notice that I was cold and deliberately give me his fur coat?
The day before yesterday, when Ji Xun had specifically ordered the residence to prepare hot food for him, Chu Zhaohuai’s first reaction had been suspicion.
But now that he had gotten to know the “real” God of Death a little better, all he felt after having the sable coat placed around his shoulders was overwhelming surprise and gratitude.
So considerate.
How could he possibly be crazy?
What utter nonsense.
Ji Xun leisurely draped the sable coat bestowed by the Emperor over Chu Zhaohuai.
Only then did he seem to realize that the people from the Marquis’s residence were still bowing.
He looked over and asked,
“Chongshan, who is this?”
Yin Chongshan replied,
“Your Highness, this is Marquis Chu Jing of Zhenyuan.”
Ji Xun smiled.
“So it’s Brother Chu.”
Chu Jing: “…”
He just called his own father-in-law “Brother.”
This was clearly deliberate humiliation in front of everyone.
Chu Jing’s expression darkened.
He endured it once.
Then again.
He almost lost his temper.
Yin Chongshan stepped in as the good cop.
“Your Highness, you’ve forgotten again. You married the Young Marquis Chu, and today is the third-day return-home visit.”
Ji Xun made a thoughtful sound.
“Mm. Now I remember. Look at my memory. I’ve been so busy these past few days that I even forgot to take my medicine, so I’ve been having trouble recognizing people. Marquis Chu, please don’t take offense.”
Chu Jing said coldly,
“You jest, Your Highness. With your noble imperial blood and precious body, even with Heaven’s protection, you should not avoid medical treatment simply because of your illness. Follow your physician’s instructions and take your medicine properly. Surely you will recover and enjoy a long, peaceful life.”
Ji Xun seemed not to notice that Chu Jing was indirectly calling him sick.
He smiled.
“Then I’ll accept Marquis Chu’s good wishes.”
The two exchanged a few more words.
Chu Zhaohuai listened with growing displeasure.
When Eunuch Xu had come from the palace to deliver rewards on the second day after the wedding, Ji Xun had also acted as though he could not recognize people.
Perhaps it really was a lingering effect of his illness.
He probably had not been deliberately mocking anyone.
Even Eunuch Xu, the Emperor’s personal eunuch, had been forgotten and still smiled cheerfully about it.
Yet his own father was standing there with a dark expression.
How petty.
Seeing that the atmosphere had become tense, Madam Zheng cautiously tried to smooth things over.
“Your Highness, Princess Consort, the luncheon banquet has already been prepared. Please come inside and take your seats.”
Ji Xun did not even look at her directly.
He merely tilted his head and asked Chu Zhaohuai,
“Are you hungry?”
Chu Zhaohuai suddenly had no idea whether he was supposed to be hungry or not.
He cautiously replied,
“I’m… half hungry and half full… I suppose.”
Yin Chongshan: “…”
What exactly is “half hungry and half full”?
And what does “I suppose” mean?
Ji Xun glanced at him and said calmly,
“Since the Princess Consort is hungry, then let’s go inside.”
The servants of the Marquis’s residence were well trained.
They respectfully moved aside to both sides of the gate and welcomed the two of them into the residence.
When Chu Zhaohuai had been young, Chu Zhaojiang had constantly bullied him and set traps for him.
Even after Chu Zhaohuai returned from Lin’an as he grew older, he had not been welcomed.
He had even been forced to enter the residence through the back door.
The servants had never looked him in the eye.
This was the first time Chu Zhaohuai had ever received such treatment in the Marquis’s residence.
Standing beside Ji Xun, he felt as though he were borrowing the authority of a tiger to intimidate others.
It was a strange and somewhat uncomfortable feeling.
—Especially because Chu Jing had been staring coldly at him the entire time.
Chu Zhaohuai glanced back at him.
So he sent me here to die as a substitute. Fine.
Nearly half of my one hundred and twenty chests of dowry disappeared, and I haven’t even had the chance to go crazy and demand them back.
Yet Chu Jing is the one getting angry first.
Where does he get the nerve?
Chu Zhaohuai silently cursed him in his heart.
Ji Xun seemed not to notice the silent exchange between father and son.
As Yin Chongshan pushed him toward the main hall, his gaze landed on the inscription above a small hall nearby.
Jade Hall.
Ji Xun asked,
“What an unusual and elegant name. What is its origin?”
Chu Zhaohuai glanced at it.
His face immediately turned pale.
Chu Jing had always been partial to Chu Zhaojiang.
When Chu Zhaohuai was young, the Marquis’s residence had not yet fallen into decline.
One of Chu Jing’s friends from the imperial court had once sent two pieces of crystal-clear jade, saying that there should be one for each of the young masters.
Chu Jing had happily accepted them.
But the moment he turned around, he gave both pieces to Chu Zhaojiang.
At that time, Chu Zhaohuai had been too young to understand or accept such blatant favoritism.
He had cried and begged to play with the jade, only to be locked away by Chu Jing for several days.
Later, in order to show off, Chu Zhaojiang had carved his own name into both pieces of jade.
He had even renamed the dining hall after them simply to annoy Chu Zhaohuai.
Chu Zhaohuai had never expected that after all these years, that childish and ridiculous name would still remain unchanged.
It seemed Chu Jing really did dote on Chu Zhaojiang.
No wonder he had been willing to arrange a “substitute marriage” and send someone else to die in his place.
Afraid that Chu Zhaohuai might say something else, Chu Jing answered first.
“The generation name for the young masters is ‘Zhao,’ and the next character follows the Water radical. The ‘Jade’ was chosen to symbolize a household filled with gold and jade. The name is rather ordinary. Please forgive the Marquis’s residence for the lack of refinement, Your Highness.”
Ji Xun smiled.
“It really is very ordinary. I’ll have to make fun of it for a while.”
Chu Jing: “…”
Chu Zhaohuai took a deep breath.
Oh, you’re quite the storyteller.
Filled with gold and jade?
Why not call it ‘Jade Fades Away’ instead?
Chu Zhaohuai had originally wanted to let the matter go.
But the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Sometimes anger made it difficult to breathe.
And when his mind went blank from the lack of oxygen, something that looked calm and rational on the surface could actually be the beginning of complete madness.
Chu Zhaohuai took a deep breath.
In the end, he could not resist adding casually,
“Father, speaking of this, Zhaojiang left in such a hurry when he got married that he forgot to bring the piece of jade you gave me. I remember it should have been packed together with the inventory list for my one hundred and twenty chests of dowry. Could I trouble you to have someone bring it to me along with the dowry list?”
Chu Jing’s expression immediately turned cold.
He barely maintained his composure.
“It’s only a worthless piece of jade…”
Chu Zhaohuai pretended to look hurt.
“But you personally carved my name into it, Father. Zhaojiang treasured it as though it were priceless and has worn it for years as a protective talisman. He’s been away from it for only a few days, yet he already feels uncomfortable all over.”
Chu Jing: “…”
On the surface, Chu Zhaohuai was asking for a piece of jade.
In reality, he was threatening him.
Chu Jing was just about to say something when Ji Xun, who had been enjoying himself by making fun of the name “Jade Hall,” looked over.
He sighed with emotion.
“The Princess Consort certainly respects Marquis Chu.”
Chu Jing could not openly reject Chu Zhaohuai in front of Ji Xun.
He could only take a deep breath and order someone to retrieve the jade and the dowry list.
Chu Zhaohuai was delighted.
After only a few words, the group leisurely passed through Jade Hall and finally arrived at the main hall of the Marquis’s residence.
The entire place was spotless.
Its furnishings were elegant and luxurious, and the return-home banquet had already been prepared.
Everyone in the capital knew that Ji Xun only ate cold food.
So even though Chu Jing did not particularly dislike him, the dishes on the table had still been prepared according to the habits of Prince Jing’s residence.
There was not a trace of steam rising from them.
Although this was the newlywed couple’s return-home visit, a prince of Ji Xun’s status would naturally not sit around a long family dining table like an ordinary household.
Their seats had therefore been arranged separately at the very front.
From childhood until now, whether in the Marquis’s residence or in Lin’an, whenever there had been a banquet, Chu Zhaohuai had always been seated in some forgotten corner.
No one had ever paid him much attention.
This time, however, he was riding on Ji Xun’s prestige and had actually been given the seat of honor.
Unable to hide his excitement, Chu Zhaohuai sat down.
His eyes kept drifting toward the entrance as he waited for the servants to bring the jade and dowry list.
Ji Xun showed no awareness that he was a guest.
He seemed even more at ease here than in his own residence.
Crossing his legs, he casually said,
“The Princess Consort’s health is poor. He cannot tolerate the cold. Replace half of these with hot food.”
Chu Jing froze.
Ji Xun had never had a particularly good reputation.
Despite possessing an exceptionally handsome face, he was said to be cold-hearted and merciless.
Before he became mentally unstable, his behavior had already been arrogant and unruly.
After being wounded, his personality became even more difficult to predict.
Sometimes he would smile warmly, looking as gentle as flowing water, seemingly without the slightest trace of anger.
In reality, however, murderous intent and boundless malice could already be hidden beneath that gentle expression.
He was like an extremely patient beast.
Even when he could kill with a single strike, he would conceal his claws and toy with his prey, enjoying the satisfaction and pleasure of having complete control over someone.
Only when his prey had completely lowered its guard would he finally open his jaws wide and sink his fangs in without mercy.
Chu Jing had never heard a single normal sentence from this man.
—Much less a considerate one.
Not knowing what had suddenly occurred to him, Chu Jing looked toward Chu Zhaohuai.
Chu Zhaohuai sat quietly beside them, his face covered by the gauze veil.
He had no idea how unusually Ji Xun treated him.
Dressed in a purple robe and wrapped in a royal sable-fur coat that only members of the imperial family were permitted to use, he looked completely transformed.
As the saying went, clothes made the man.
The luxurious garments gave him an unmistakable air of nobility.
Not to mention that his face closely resembled Madam Bai’s.
With a beauty mark on his cheek, he was so strikingly handsome that Chu Jing found the sight of him irritating.
Suddenly, Chu Jing’s heart began pounding like a drum.
A layer of cold sweat broke out across his back.
Could it be…
Could Ji Xun really have taken a liking to Chu Zhaohuai?