Chapter 4: Covering the room by climbing the beams in the middle of the night

Yun Xi seemed to have seen a savior.

She winked at Ji Xun, asking him to take Ying Nanfeng away.

Ji Xun was very perceptive. The veins on his wrists bulged as he exerted a little force.

Ying Nanfeng frowned, and had to let go of Yun Xi in pain. He looked at him in disbelief: "..."

This person has great strength.

The blow just now seemed to be without any force, but in fact it almost crushed his hand bones.

He had been raised by the royal family since he was young and trained to be one of the top sword-bearing guards in the palace, but he was unable to break free from such a strong grip.

This person...where did he come from?

A trace of vigilance flashed across Ying Nanfeng's eyes. He watched Yun Xi retreat behind him, and felt a dull pain in his heart: "Your Highness..."

Yun Xi hid behind Ji Xun and said to him, "Nanfeng, go ahead."

The next moment, Yun Xi grabbed Ji Xun's hand and walked towards the east wing.

Ji Xun didn't expect her to hold his hand. Considering his status, he didn't resist and stared at the two people holding hands.

At the same time, he felt a knife-like gaze behind him.

Ji Xun was used to such gazes, so he ignored them and slowed down his pace.

Yun Xi, who was in front, couldn't pull him anymore and looked back in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"My feet hurt." Ji Xun said bluntly, "Your Highness, go first. I will follow."

Hearing this, Yun Xi slowed down to take care of him and couldn't help but complain: "Why do I feel like you are more like the master than me?"

A hint of confusion flashed across Ji Xun's calm eyes: "Since you brought me out, have I ever disobeyed your orders?"

He also responded to every word she said.

Yun Xi: “…Not really.”

She was indeed obedient, but he was too cold and aloof, and being much taller than her, he always gave her an inexplicable sense of superiority.

"Why don't you smile?" Yun Xi expressed her thoughts, "At least your expression can be more natural."

"My face hurts when I smile."

Yun Xi thought of the half of his face that was burned and was speechless for a moment: "..."

She is such a beast.

"It's okay, it's okay not to laugh." Yun Xi comforted him.

Yun Xi brought Ji Xun to the east wing, where hot water and simple clothes were already prepared.

After Ji Xun went in, the maid had already brought her clothes from the Jinyi Pavilion.

Yun Xi picked out a few pieces that seemed suitable for Ji Xun, and found a silver mask in the small pavilion that the dancers in the mansion had worn when performing in previous years, as well as some fast-acting healing medicine, and asked the male servants in the mansion to deliver them in.

Her bedroom was next to the east wing. Yun Xi felt a little tired, so she went back to the bedroom to rest and prepared to change into a more comfortable dress.

Yun Xi sat in front of the dressing mirror. Yuan He and several maids stood behind her, removing the hairpins and flower ornaments from her hair while combing her hair.

The girl in the mirror has fair skin and black hair. Her round almond eyes make her look cute and lovely. Her cherry lips are naturally red, and a cinnabar mole under her lips adds a bit of charm.

The same face as in her previous life.

"Your Highness, Master Zhou came to the mansion today to inquire about your recent studies. Seeing that you were not there, he left a message for you to go to the Imperial Academy to find him."

Yun Xi paused.

What is coming has finally come.

This Master Zhou was the teacher specially assigned to her by the emperor, and was also one of Yun Xi's lovers in the original novel.

This Master Zhou's full name is Zhou Changsheng. He passed the imperial examination at the age of eighteen and his career has been promoted like a blossoming sesame seed. Now he is twenty-four years old and serves as the chief academic officer of the Imperial College in the Imperial Academy. He is also appointed as the exclusive teacher of the eldest princess.

Unlike Ying Nanfeng, Yun Xi had always disliked him, a scholar full of dogma and rules, who used to like to hit her palm with a ruler at any time.

Of course, after I turned 18, I started smoking in a different place.

"My birthday party is in one day. Tell Master Zhou that I can't go." Yun Xi said.

Yuan He said, "Master Zhou said that you must go to the Imperial Academy within seven days, no matter what. Otherwise, he will tell His Majesty that you have been absent from school for a month."

Yun Xi: "...Then wait until I finish my birthday party first."

"yes."

When she thought that her life would be filled with all kinds of restricted fiction plots after tomorrow, Yun Xi couldn't help but sigh.

One man leaves and another comes. She has too many romantic partners and it is impossible to clean them all up in a short time.

She didn't want to become a real tool for sexual gratification. Once this kind of thing started, it would be like stepping into the abyss of the plot.

Yun Xi couldn't help but complain, what kind of political intrigue novel was the original work? She read it from beginning to end, and it was all just verbal plots, without any political intrigue content at all.

She didn't even know who the male protagonist of the original novel was. To be the male protagonist in such a novel, he must be a rare talent.

Yun Xi was just thinking when the maids had already combed her hair into a simple and easy bun. She was naturally beautiful and would look beautiful even with a few simple hairpins.

When she stood up, she saw Ji Xun who had changed into new clothes after taking a bath. He walked straight into her bedroom.

He dressed himself neatly, tied his ponytail with a plain hairband, and wore a neat black suit with his cuffs tucked into silver frost wrist guards. His tall body was wrapped in silk brocade, making him look tall and agile. The hem of his clothes was embroidered with gold-thread peonies, which looked low-key and elegant.

Ji Xun put on the silver mask, revealing only half of his intact face. His deep eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as if carved with a knife, and his thin lips were pressed into a line, without any expression. The half silver mask also added a bit of mystery to him.

"Your Highness."

He half-knelt in front of Yun Xi.

Yun Xi was very satisfied with his outfit. It was worthy of her careful selection. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. After dressing up like this, he looked much better.

"From now on, you don't have to kneel or bow when you see me." Yun Xi said, picking up a booklet from the side. "This is the guard code of the Princess's Mansion. From now on, you will take Ying Nanfeng's place."

Ji Xun stood up, took the booklet, flipped through it and took a few glances.

"The guards in the Princess's mansion are all given a jade piece of status. Write your name on a piece of paper and I'll have it carved and sent to you someday."

Ji Xun put his fingers together and Yuan He brought a serving tray. He wrote his name on the paper.

Yun Xi saw that he could really write, and his handwriting was quite beautiful. The characters were straight and sharp, and the force was so strong that it could be seen through the paper.

I write much better than her.

His family background should not be too bad.

"Come to think of it, I still don't know who you were before?" Yun Xi asked.

Ji Xun didn't raise his eyes and replied, "Someone like you."

Yun Xi: “…”

This kid has a strong sense of equality. Are there any different kinds of people among kings, princes, generals and ministers?

"He's a man of courage." Yun Xi said, "As a guard, you need weapons to protect me. What weapon are you best at?"

Ji Xun glanced at her, and seeing that she hadn't noticed, he looked away with relief. He thought for a moment and said, "It's all right."

Yun Xi: "What does this mean?" "I know a little bit of everything." Ji Xun said, "If it's made of gold, it will be easier to use."

Yun Xi simply ignored the second half of his sentence: "How about I give you a scimitar?"

I didn't expect that he is also an all-round martial artist.

"Can."

Yun Xi: "Then let's make this clear. From today on, you will protect me closely."

Ji Xun nodded, then paused for a moment and asked, "When will you give me the gold face you promised me? And when will you pay me my salary?"

Yun Xi: “…”

He is really obsessed with money.

Fortunately, she has money.

"I'll pay you silver at the end of every month. As for the gold mask... you can use this one first. I'll have someone make a new one, but it might take a while for it to arrive." Yun Xi said, "Do you have any other requests? Let me know as soon as possible and I'll consider whether to agree to it."

Ji Xun thought about it carefully and said, "On the 15th and 16th of every month, I will go out and won't come back."

Yun Xi: "What are you going to do?"

Ji Xun didn't answer, but just looked at her steadily, waiting for her agreement or not.

Yun Xi thought that he worked so hard in the book just to climb up, maybe there was some important plot line.

She didn't really care about what happened behind his back, as long as he could protect her: "Okay. But you are not allowed to bring trouble to the princess's mansion."

"Try your best."

Yun Xi: "It's not about trying, it's about not allowing."

Ji Xun: "I don't like lying."

Yun Xi was left speechless by his straightforwardness: "..."

Although she was afraid of getting into trouble, she changed her mind and realized that she already had a lot of troubles, and only Ji Xun could help her avoid those troubles.

Apart from him, she could not find another person with high combat power who did not have a quarrel with her.

Forget it, I'll just bear with it.

"Okay, I agree." Yun Xi said.

Ji Xun nodded: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Yun Xi looked at him with his head lowered and his face submissive, and always felt that something was strange, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

In the end, she gave up thinking and chose to lie down.

With Ji Xun as my amulet, the days ahead should be more peaceful, right?

…

At night, Yun Xi rested in the bedroom and asked the maid to seal the doors and windows to prevent anyone from climbing in in the middle of the night.

When she was lying on the bed, thinking about how to deal with tomorrow's birthday party, there was suddenly a noise on the roof, like the sound of a robe rubbing against the beams.

Thinking of some not-so-good plots, Yun Xi immediately became alert. She wanted to call for help, but suddenly remembered that she had sent all the maids back to sleep.

Yun Xi climbed up from the bed, walked to the empty space in the bedroom, and looked up at the beams. She saw a figure flash across the intricate red beams.

"who?"

Yun Xi shouted, but no one answered. She suddenly remembered that there was a spare ladder in the corner of the bedroom, so she moved the ladder over, holding a hairpin in her hand, and climbed up by herself.

"What are you doing, Your Highness?"

Yun Xi took a look and saw no one. Then she heard a familiar male voice from behind her. She was startled and almost fell off the ladder. Fortunately, she hugged the beam in time and turned over to lie on it.

The ladder collapsed.

Yun Xi also saw that person, it was Ji Xun sitting on the beam.

He was still wearing the black clothes he wore during the day, half of his body hidden in the darkness, his back leaning against the vertical beam, one of his long legs bent, his hand resting on his knee.

Ji Xun looked at her in confusion.

Yun Xi's eyes widened: "Why are you here?"

"To protect you." Ji Xun replied.

Yun Xi was almost scared to death. She said, "When did you come in? Do you know that sneaking into a woman's room in the middle of the night is obscene? Who told you to squat here?"

"I've been here all the time. It's required in the guard manual." Ji Xun took out the booklet from his arms, turned to the third page accurately, and showed it to Yun Xi.

"A personal guard must be inseparable from the master during the day and rest in the master's bedroom at night to prevent any accidents." Ji Xun read it to her word by word.

Yun Xi was speechless: "..."

It was indeed a rule she had made, but it was a long time ago, and she didn't know what would happen then.

It was precisely this rule that gave her former personal bodyguard Ying Nanfeng the opportunity to have sex every night.

She had kicked Ying Nanfeng out for two months and had forgotten about this rule.

"Um... I've arranged accommodation for you. You don't need to sleep here." Yun Xi said to him, "You can ignore this. Go back to the east wing."

"Will your salary be deducted?"

"No."

"OK."

Ji Xun jumped down without hesitation. Although he looked tall, his movements were very light, like an agile leopard cat, and he landed smoothly on the ground.

Yun Xi glanced at the height and felt dizzy: "Wait, I want to go down too."

But the ladder fell over and it looked like it had been broken just now.

Ji Xun raised his eyes: "So?"

It was late at night, and Yun Xi was too embarrassed to call others for this matter. It would be embarrassing to hear that the princess climbed up the beam in the middle of the night and couldn't come down.

"Can you pick me up?" Yun Xi felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushed.

Ji Xun thought for a moment, estimated the height, took a step back, and then opened his arms: "Okay. I'll catch you, Your Highness."