7
Having lived a life of bloody strife for over twenty years, Ye Jiangbai was accustomed to crossing wits with the deeply calculating. Every move he made was carefully considered, leaving nothing to chance.
But when it came to this Seventh Prince, he suddenly felt that all his strategic planning was superfluous. Every thought in her head was written plainly on her face—a single glance was enough to see right through her.
The emperor sat for a while, perhaps feeling that this wasn’t a suitable place for discussion, and seemed about to order his departure. Ye Jiangbai withdrew his gaze and spoke quietly: “Your Majesty, your servant has a matter to report.”
“Oh?” The emperor glanced toward the inner chamber, frowning slightly. “Here?”
“It’s of no consequence.”
Since Ye Jiangbai said it didn’t matter, the emperor settled back down on the tea couch, cradling his teacup in a listening posture.
So Ye Jiangbai proceeded to report, with perfect solemnity, on every trivial matter from the Empress dowager’s birthday banquet.
Zhao Changnian had been lying curled up on the bed feeling sorry for herself. But the moment she caught that her father hadn’t left yet and was speaking in low, deep tones with the Duke of Fuguo, her heart settled. Those muffled voices were strangely reassuring.
“This matter is the Ministry of Justice’s fault.”
“Birthday gifts should not be extravagant, but considering it was the Empress dowager’s full decade birthday, it’s understandable.”
Her body was in agony, her head foggy and chest tight but listening to this fragmentary conversation, Zhao Changnian smiled contentedly and soon fell asleep.
In her dream, ZhaoChangnian saw a small farmhouse courtyard. Her father and her own mother were sitting there, chatting and laughing together happily. She came home from outside, holding a kite, a beautiful pleated dress swirling with the warm spring breeze and fluttering brightly in the sun.
…
The emperor departed, and Ye Jiangbai left with him. But halfway out, he turned back and returned to the inner hall.
“My lord?” Hongti looked at him fearfully, her eyes filled with terror.
This was the reaction a normal person should have when seeing him. Ye Jiangbai pressed his lips together, waved his hand to signal that she should wait outside the partition, then swept his robes aside and sat down on the edge of Zhao Changnian’s bed.
The person in the bed was burning with fever, her lips pale but her cheeks flushed. He couldn’t tell if she was having some kind of wonderful dream, but the silly grin on her face was so wide she was practically drooling.
Her good fortune had gotten her this far safely. But now that she had met him, her luck had run out.
With anyone else, he wouldn’t have felt the slightest trace of pity. But because this person was particularly stupid, Ye Jiangbai pulled out a small medicinal pill and slipped it into her mouth.
His thumb brushed across her lips—cold, yet extraordinarily soft. Ye Jiangbai froze. Almost instinctively, he rubbed once more.
By the time he realized what he was doing, the soft sensation on his fingertip had already sent a clear shiver through his entire body.
With a jolt, Ye Jiangbai yanked his hand back as if he’d been burned. He shot to his feet, took out a handkerchief, and meticulously wiped his thumb clean, then muttered a curse.
Keep bad company, and you become like them. He really shouldn’t associate with that damn sword-lover Feng Tingyun so much.
“My lord…” Hongti wanted to speak but hesitated. She wanted to protect her mistress, but she truly dared not approach. All she could do was stand outside the partition and offer a timid reminder.
Ye Jiangbai’s expression was very dark. He swept the curtain aside and left without a word.
Hongti nearly burst into tears. Her Highness was severely injured and had done nothing wrong—how had she offended the Duke of Fuguo? Anyone else would be bad enough, but if the Duke of Fuguo was angry at her Highness… how was her Highness supposed to survive?
Zhao Changnian knew nothing of this. All she felt was that this sleep had been very comfortable. When she woke up, her rear end still throbbed with pain, but her mood was excellent. She turned her head and saw that it was nearly noon outside.
“Hongti?”
The curtain rustled as someone entered and handed her a cup of tea.
Zhao Changnian took it without thinking, propped herself up, gulped it down, then shoved the empty cup back into the person’s hand. “I want some corn porridge.”
Ye Jiangbai looked at the cup with a complicated expression, then placed it on the small table beside him. “Lunch will be sent over shortly.”
Hmm? Zhao Changnian froze, then whipped her head around to see Ye Jiangbai standing by her bed, elegantly dressed in a moon-white casual robe with a jade belt cinching his waist.
“You?” She blinked, her face full of emotion. “You stayed by my side all night?”
Ye Jiangbai smiled ambiguously. “Your Highness flatters me. I had the day off today and made a trip to the Crown Prince’s palace. I merely stopped by to see you since it was on the way.”
Oh. Zhao Changnian’s jaw, which had nearly dropped to the floor, returned to its place. She smiled brightly. “Still, I have to thank you. If it weren’t for you, Father wouldn’t have come to see me.”
“Since Your Highness wishes to see His Majesty, why not visit the Hall of Mental Cultivation more often?”
Zhao Changnian waved her hand and sighed. “Can’t do that. If I go too often, my royal brothers get unhappy and make things difficult for me. I want to see Father, but I also want a peaceful life.”
“Oh?” Ye Jiangbai raised an eyebrow. “Then it seems Your Highness won’t have much peace in the coming days.”
“Huh?” Zhao Changnian didn’t catch his meaning and looked at him blankly. “Why not?”
Ye Jiangbai explained patiently: “The prison warden died at the Empress dowager’s birthday banquet. It was the Crown Prince’s failure to manage the banquet properly. Once this is reported to the emperor, the Crown Prince will certainly fly into a rage and personally investigate the case. And you, Your Highness, is a key witness. You will inevitably be caught up in it. His Majesty just reprimanded the Crown Prince because of your injuries. At the banquet, you also stole the Crown Prince’s thunder. Adding all these things together—do you think you’ll have any peace?”
Her already pale little face turned white as a sheet of paper. Zhao Changnian’s lips trembled as she looked at him pitifully. “Lord, I’m innocent. None of this has anything to do with me. Somehow it just… Can you save me?”
Ye Jiangbai smiled gently. “If I had no intention of saving you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
Her eyes lit up, and Zhao Changnian quickly asked, “What’s your plan, my lord?”
“Given Your Highness’s current situation, avoiding the problem is impossible. Your only option is to face the challenge head-on—that’s your sole chance of survival.” The big bad wolf wagged his tail and spoke sincerely.
“Face the challenge head-on?” The naive little monkey furrowed her brow in thought.
“The Crown Prince wants to investigate, so you have no choice but to cooperate. But you have the power to influence how serious this case becomes. That gives you leverage to contend with the Crown Prince.” The big bad wolf dug another pit.
“How do I contend with him? Teach me!” The little monkey jumped straight into the pit without a second thought.
Ye Jiangbai sighed inwardly with some satisfaction, then clasped his hands toward her. “If Your Highness trusts me, then tomorrow, come with me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report this murder case to His Majesty.”
That’s simple. Just say a few words and let the Duke of Fuguo handle everything. Zhao Changnian counted on her fingers. She’d even get another chance to see her father. It didn’t seem like she’d lose anything.
“Then I’ll do whatever you say, my lord!”
Ye Jiangbai nodded approvingly and handed her a box of trauma medicine. “Rest well, Your Highness. Apart from me, don’t trust a word anyone else says.”
Someone this gullible—he alone would do the deceiving. If someone else got to her first, that would be a real disaster.
Completely oblivious to Ye Jiangbai’s expression, Zhao Changnian clenched her fist with heroic resolve. “Okay!”
**