Chapter 69 Night Raid on the Lady's Chamber, the Emperor Appears

Duan Mingfeng crossed his arms, with a soft sword still wrapped around his waist, and retreated to a distance of about ten feet from them.

With such a skilled person around, Ji Qingwu felt much more at ease.

She said, "Your Highness, Qiuqiu and Lanzhi have returned to the Ji residence. It's getting late, so I'll head back now."

Prince Yong frowned, trying to stop her: "I will escort you back."

Ji Qingwu was prepared and slipped out from under his arm the moment he reached out, more agile than a rabbit.

"No need, no need, Your Highness, how could I trouble you? It's not far from home, I can go back by myself." He said this as he quickly backed away.

By the time he finished speaking, the person was already three zhang away.

Prince Yong glared at Duan Mingfeng several times. If Duan Mingfeng hadn't been in the way, Ji Qingwu wouldn't have been able to get away so easily.

On her way home, Ji Qingwu felt as if someone was watching her from the shadows.

She could only quicken her pace and walk straight ahead with her head down. Finally, she arrived at the brightly lit entrance of the Ji residence. She looked back but saw no one.

Perhaps she was afraid and overthinking things.

A guard in the mansion said, "Fifth Miss, the First Madam is still waiting for you."

Ji Qingwu first went to Qiao's room to let her know he was safe.

The lights in Anju Garden were still on; Madam Qiao hadn't gone to sleep yet and was waiting for her.

Ji Qingwu came home so late, she thought she would be scolded.

When Qiao saw her come in, she sighed, "Little Wu, how can you, as her mother, still be so playful? No matter how beautiful the river lanterns are, you can't watch them until the middle of the night."

Ji Qingwu's face was flushed because she had walked back in such a hurry, and Qiao Shi thought she was just having a great time.

She asked doubtfully, "To see river lanterns?"

Madam Qiao instructed the maid to lower the bed curtains and said, "Lord Duan of the Imperial City Guard sent his men to bring Qiuqiu and the others back first. He said that you were so engrossed in watching the river lanterns that you didn't need to worry at home, as he would personally escort you home."

Ji Qingwu nodded.

So that's how it is... It turns out the person following her on the road was Duan Mingfeng.

Qiao Shi, holding the calming soup she drank every night before bed, asked curiously, "Little Wu, is Master Duan... doing something to you...?"

Duan Mingfeng was indeed a rare young talent in Lin'an, having become a deputy envoy at a young age, though his personality was somewhat gloomy.

After the incident with Li Chengxun, the Qiao family became extremely cautious about Xiao Wu's marriage.

Ji Qingwu took the empty bowl and explained helplessly, "It's really not, Mother. Don't overthink it. I'll explain it to you in detail tomorrow morning. You should go to sleep now."

Back to Wutong Garden.

Qiuqiu was already fast asleep in bed. She gently patted Lanzhi and told her to go out and rest.

She sat on the round stool, watching the little girl's sleeping face.

Before, I was preoccupied with other things and didn't feel tired, but now I feel exhausted all over, especially my legs.

Ji Qingwu took a bath in the clean room, but after she came out, her head started to hurt again. She went to the bed and lay down, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Disturbed and agitated, she couldn't help but put on her clothes, get up, walk to the couch in the side room, and light a dim candle.

She took out the koi fish jade pendant and examined it closely by candlelight.

It is said that jade nourishes people, but people also nourish jade. This piece of jade has been well protected, with no scratches. Its color is even more lustrous than the one that Qiuqiu is wearing.

What is hard to ignore is the broken five-colored thread tied to it.

As Ji Qingwu looked at it, he inexplicably took out the five-colored silk thread that he hadn't finished using last time from the drawer on the kang table.

She bent her neck, her fingers gently twisting the thread around her fingertips. In no time, the thread was reconnected, but there was a knot at the break point, and it could never be restored to its original state.

Ji Qingwu frowned, thought for a while, and then her fingertips began to move nimbly again.

The candle made a "pop" sound, and the flame flickered.

Ji Qingwu rubbed the back of his neck, which ached from looking down for so long, and looked at his masterpiece in his palm, a satisfied smile spreading across his lips.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the ground and suddenly noticed a shadow had appeared.

It was still the figure of a tall, lanky man.

Ji Qingwu's heart started pounding, and she looked up.

Their eyes met, and the other person's eyes were filled with a cold, indifferent light.

"Still not asleep so late." The voice was also cold and indifferent.

She stared in disbelief at the man leaning against the doorway.

He broke into her house at night and questioned her about why she wasn't asleep so late.

Ji Qingwu carefully observed his expression, quickly stuffed the jade pendant under his buttocks with his right hand, and blinked his eyes as he said, "Your Majesty, you haven't gone to sleep yet either."

Emperor Wusu scoffed coldly. How could he possibly sleep?

She has such a stubborn mouth; she could make a dead person dig up their grave in anger.

Ji Qingwu was filled with unease. Was His Majesty the Emperor so angry that he couldn't sleep and had chased her to her house in the middle of the night, specifically to take her life?

Her neck no longer ached, but began to feel cold. She nervously stared at him as he drew closer.

Emperor Wusu smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe and asked in a flat tone, "What were you doing just now?"

Ji Qingwu didn't know when he had arrived. With a floating look in her eyes, she replied, "This humble woman wanted to sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep, so I got up to sit for a while."

Emperor Wusu stood in front of her, blocking most of the candlelight, casting his shadow across her face.

He reached out and touched her waist, but Ji Qingwu quickly pressed his hand down.

He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it's not appropriate to break into a woman's boudoir at night and engage in such lewd behavior."

Emperor Wusu looked down at her smooth face and said calmly, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. Is it not permissible for me to visit the home of a subject?"

They said it so matter-of-factly.

Ji Qingwu pursed her lips and pushed him harder, but her little strength was no match for him.

Emperor Wusu's hand continued downwards, sliding from her slender waist to her buttocks, and then reaching down into the cushion she was pressing down on.

Ji Qingwu shifted slightly in a panic.

She tried to completely cover up the jade pendant, not wanting him to discover the little trick she had used on the five-colored thread.

Emperor Wusu's brow twitched, and he found his hands covered in soft, bouncy flesh; she was sitting so firmly.

Feeling guilty, Ji Qingwu grabbed his arm, trying to get him to pull his hand away, and said kindly, "Your Majesty, please sit down first, I'll go get you some... tea, tea, water."

Her lips trembled, and she could barely speak.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, filled with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

He, he, he pinched her butt.

Emperor Wusu glanced at her expression and said slowly, "I've only come to retrieve what's mine."

Ji Qingwu was shocked; the hand was still wandering, and had even reached the base of her thigh.

She gritted her teeth and said, "Is Your Majesty sure what you want is here?"

"certainly."

As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Wusu took out the jade pendant.

"Found it."

He hooked the five-colored thread with his long fingers, and the koi carp pendant swayed in front of Ji Qingwu's eyes.

She wanted to take the item back, but Emperor Wusu twisted his wrist, causing her to miss her target.

She anxiously protested, "This is clearly..."

Emperor Wusu stared into her bright, watery eyes: "How is Mingming? Whose is it?"

When asked about anything related to this, Ji Qingwu's eyes visibly reddened again.

Emperor Wusu sighed inwardly.

But he was lamenting his own situation.