49. Breaking the Ice

◎Qiu Ziye, you are really taking advantage of me◎

Chapter 49

When Jiang Qiuye woke up in the morning, she subconsciously touched the bed beside her. It was cold and clean. It was obvious that Ji Ci had slept in the study.

She remembered that Ji Ci was in a good mood when he first came back, until he found her injured. But he applied medicine and bandaged her wound so gently, and she really didn't understand why Ji Ci changed his attitude after bandaging her.

Logically speaking, she should not have been discovered saving King Zhuo Jun.

She stood up with a trembling heart and called Jinhong and Mingyue to help her wash and dress.

After sending Mingyue away, Jinhong helped Jiang Qiuye dress up. The best thing about Prince Qi's mansion was that there were no elders, so she didn't have to visit him every morning and evening.

But today Ji Ci plans to take her to the palace to meet the emperor.

Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, with his eyebrows and eyes like autumn water, after thinking for a while, he said, "I'll find an excuse for you to go back to your hometown in the next few days."

Jin Hong paused, then nodded, "I understand. What do you need me to do?"

"You should quietly catch up with King Zhuo Jun and his entourage and kill him before he enters the Kingdom of Li."

"Are you going to go against...Feiyan Pavilion and Li Kingdom?" Jinhong was incredulous and unconsciously exerted a little more force in her hands, causing Jiang Qiuye to have a headache.

She frowned, looking at Jinhong in the bronze mirror, and said, "Do you want to be controlled by this poison for the rest of your life? Remember not to let anyone know it was you who did it."

"...Yes." Jinhong immediately let go of her hand and nodded in agreement, "But which route will they take?"

Jiang Qiuye took out a piece of paper and handed it to Jinhong, saying, "I stole this from Zhang Yi during the handover yesterday. After Ji Ci and I leave the palace, you will go directly there. You must act quickly. Not only must you get there before they enter Li State, but you must also get there before Jin State captures them. Do you understand?"

Jinhong took it, hid it in her sleeve, and stopped questioning her.

"Also, they have three bronze ghosts. We can't force them head-on. It's best to use poison." Jiang Qiuye took out another small bottle from her dressing table and handed it to her. "It's best not to keep those three bronze ghosts."

Jinhong held Jiang Qiuye's small bottle and looked into her cold and ruthless eyes. A chill ran from her heels up her spine.

Just then, Mingyue entered carrying a bowl of lotus seed porridge, and Jiang Qiuye's attitude immediately changed. The porridge was placed in front of her dressing table, a pale, fragrant glutinous rice with lotus seeds and red dates floating in it, seemingly spiced with honey.

Jiang Qiuye looked at the steaming porridge and asked sweetly, "Has Your Majesty had breakfast?"

Mingyue shook her head. "The prince got up very early, but he didn't eat yet. He just said that he would go to the palace together after the princess was ready."

Jiang Qiuye nodded, and after finishing the lotus seed porridge, he glanced at the clepsydra. Thinking that it was still early, he decided to use the small kitchen himself to make a bowl of lotus seed porridge with medicinal food, supplemented it with bergamot, and brought it to the study.

"Husband..." Jiang Qiuye knocked on the study door and walked in personally carrying lotus seed porridge. Seeing that he was still reading and didn't look at her, she had to put the porridge on the desk.

After a moment of silence, seeing that he ignored her, she whispered with grievance: "Husband, do you still remember your promise? Eat this for breakfast."

Ji Ci finally put down the book in his hand, first glanced at her injured hand, then picked up the bowl of lotus seed porridge that was different from the ordinary ones and drank it all in one gulp.

After finishing the meal, Ji Ci took the handkerchief handed to him by Jiang Qiuye, wiped the corner of his mouth, and said in a steady voice, "Are you ready?"

"Well, you're ready, let's go into the palace."

Jiang Qiuye spoke in a low voice, feeling suffocated by his indifference. Ji Ci, however, seemed to be lost in thought, not noticing her, and simply stood up and walked out of the study.

She was very confused, but she didn't know what to say, so she could only hurry to catch up.

Unlike the previous few days, today the two of them boarded the carriage and rode in silence. Ji Ci just quietly read a book, while Jiang Qiuye stared at the scene outside the carriage, unable to smile.

It was not until they arrived at the Taiji Hall and watched Eunuch Li announce the two of them entering the hall that Jiang Qiuye smiled faintly in accordance with his professionalism.

Ji Ci couldn't help but glance at her.

After the two entered, they bowed deeply to the emperor sitting on the dragon throne above. After being allowed, Jiang Qiuye raised his head.

A flash of surprise flashed in the emperor's eyes. After coming to his senses, he smiled and nodded, saying, "No wonder Jian Xi, who has been like a thousand-year-old wood, has also been tempted by human feelings. She is indeed a stunning beauty."

"Your Majesty, thank you for your kind words." Jiang Qiuye lowered his head again, seeming flattered.

"Don't panic, Princess. We are all family. It is a blessing for Jian Xi to marry you. These days are your wedding, but I have been calling Jian Xi away. Do you blame me?"

"Your Majesty, the prince has devoted all his energy to your care. Your Majesty is comparable to Yao and Shun. National affairs should be the first priority. How can I blame him? I only blame my daughter, unable to share the worries of the prince and your majesty."

Listening to Jiang Qiuye's flattering words, Ji Ci couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly.

The emperor couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing this, pointing at Jiang Qiuye and saying, "Jian Xi, this little princess you married is interesting."

Ji Ci joked, "Your Majesty has three thousand beauties in the harem, are you envious of me?"

The three of them exchanged a few pleasantries, then asked Jiang Qiuye to leave the Taiji Hall and wait in front of the hall for the emperor to speak to Ji Ci.

"Jian Xi, did you know that King Zhuo Jun was rescued last night? Of the fifteen people who escorted King Zhuo Jun, all but one had his leg injured and his neck broken. All of them were killed with a single slash to the throat. It was a brutal act."

Ji Ci turned serious and said, "Your Majesty, I came here today to discuss this matter. I heard about it this morning and have ordered a city-wide search for Prince Zhuo Jun and any suspicious individuals."

The emperor leaned forward slightly. "How is it? Any news?"

Ji Ci shook his head, "They should have escaped from Shengjing, but I have a rough guess."

"Tell me about it."

"The assassin's killing method was sharp and swift. Judging from the wounds, it seems to be done by one person, and he is good at using a soft sword. The killer with such ability is most likely the Silver Ghost of Feiyan Pavilion." Ji Ci narrowed his eyes and shook his head again, "It's possible that there are more than one, and it's hard to say about the Golden Ghost."

The emperor was stunned. "Feiyan Pavilion actually sent such an assassin to rescue this traitor. This means that it is very likely that the Li Kingdom rescued him in order to use him as a pretext for future wars and to support a puppet."

"Having a general direction to our destination will make things much easier. Besides the three land routes to Li State, there's also one water route, making a total of four routes. After hearing the news this morning, I dispatched four groups of men to simultaneously pursue and search for King Zhuo Jun. Your Majesty, rest assured. They'll have to disguise themselves to avoid the arrest warrants along the way, and they won't travel fast, so we'll definitely catch up."

The emperor heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good! I'm relieved now. We must not let this traitor enter the Kingdom of Li!"

The emperor did not talk to Ji Ci for long. Seeing that he seemed anxious to leave, he let him go and teased him that he was newly married and could not bear to be separated from his new bride for a moment.

Ji Ci just smiled and did not refute.

After leaving the Taiji Hall, I saw Jiang Qiuye facing the moon platform.

Today, in order to meet the Emperor, she wore her hair in a bun, looking a little more mature than usual. She seemed to have a particular fondness for pearls; she wore pearl earrings again, but unlike before, her hair was also adorned with strings of pearls and gold chains.

Looking at her, she was folding her arms, not wearing a cloak, and seemed to be cold from standing outside the hall waiting.

Ji Ci lowered his eyes, his expression somewhat dim. He hadn't returned to the palace for several days during their wedding, and he had to admit that he actually...longed to see her. But when he saw the severe scar on her palm, besides heartache and worry, he felt even more anger and disappointment.

Angry at her, because she really didn't consider herself her husband, and always had her own plans in mind. She really just tried to become his person just to gain his protection, but in fact, she didn't have him in her heart at all.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, but he took off his cloak and put it on her.

Jiang Qiuye suddenly felt warm. She had been in a daze and didn't even notice when Ji Ci appeared behind her. She turned her head quickly, only to see him handing her the cloak. He then walked down to the platform without saying a word.

She bit her lip, feeling confused. If he didn't want to pay attention to her, why did he still apply medicine to her and give her clothes?

The man's heart is really deep!

However, this action gave her some confidence. She must get him back tonight to speed up her plan! Give birth to a son!

Originally, Ji Ci wanted to take her to Shoukang Palace to meet the Empress Dowager again today, but Zhao went to Qingguo Temple to worship Buddha, so the two of them left the palace.

After getting on the carriage and returning to the palace in silence again, Ji Ci finally spoke: "You go back first. I have important things to do today. I may be back late. You can rest first and don't need to wait for me."

Jiang Qiuye was holding the car door for a moment, then snorted softly. Without even looking at him, she said, "I'll wait for my husband to come back for dinner."

Ji Ci watched her get off the carriage with Mingyue's help, frowned and said, "No need to wait for me, you should eat earlier."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Qiuye turned her head away stubbornly, and pressed him tenderly, "I'm waiting for my husband to come back for dinner! If my husband doesn't come back, I'll keep waiting!"

After saying that, without waiting for Ji Ci to refuse, she turned around angrily, entered the palace and ignored him.

It was dark, and Ji Ci still hadn't returned. The kitchen had prepared dinner for Jiang Qiuye, but she didn't eat it. She asked them to put it away and wait for Ji Ci to come back.

While waiting for him, her mind was a little confused. She looked at the starry sky for a long time, then went to the small kitchen to try an appetizer of medicinal food and a bowl of honey cheese soup. The aroma was fragrant and there were a few flower petals floating in it.

After all this, she hurriedly bathed, using hibiscus perfume, and changed into a moon-white silk quilt skirt, with layers of orange and yellow silk cascading in a gradient. Her hair was loose, with only a simple jade hairpin inserted, and her lips were rosy. When she walked, she was as bright and charming as a fragrant hibiscus in winter.

By the time Mingyue brought the news that Ji Ci had returned home, it was already the end of the Xu hour. She immediately ran to the main courtyard gate, deliberately not wearing a cloak or carrying a hand warmer, and just stood there in the cold wind.

After waiting for a while, the old butler lit the lamp and led Ji Ci back to the main courtyard.

He looked at Jiang Qiuye, who was shivering with cold in front of him, fixed his gaze for a moment, then quickly turned his head away. "Why are you standing at the door? It's cold in winter, why don't you go in quickly?"

"Well, I'll wait for my husband to have dinner together." Jiang Qiuye immediately followed and gently hugged his arm. He did not refuse, so she became bolder.

Ji Ci quickened his pace with her and returned to the warm dormitory.

"My husband, do you want to take a bath first, or eat first?"

As she spoke, she stepped forward and tried to untie his belt. Ji Ci held her hand and said, "Let's eat first."

Seeing this, Jiang Qiuye walked to the door and asked Mingyue to set out the dinner. Ji Ci looked at the food in front of him and finally felt a hint of hunger. She served the medicinal food she had prepared to stimulate her appetite and pushed it in front of him first. The faint fragrance of hibiscus filled him.

"My dear husband, try this first and see if you will have an appetite for ordinary food after eating this medicinal meal."

Ji Ci drank it in silence, his eyes finally softening a little as he began to pick up other dishes. Seeing that he could eat food other than medicinal food, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

As he ate slowly, he looked at Jiang Qiuye's bandaged hand and said, "Since you're injured, stay away from the kitchen. You're the princess of a county, you don't have to do these kinds of work."

"But I want to help my husband cure his illness. Besides, I feel happy to cook for him." Jiang Qiuye immediately retorted stubbornly.

After Ji Ci finished his meal, he glanced at her hand again, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "How did you get hurt?"

Jiang Qiuye was startled. She hadn't wanted to say it yesterday, but now she was waiting for him to say it. She had thought of how to answer, but she just couldn't understand men's hearts, and she was furious.

So after lowering her eyes and thinking for a while, tears of grievance immediately welled up in her eyes. She said angrily, "Huh, my husband still cares about me?"

Ji Ci frowned, expressing his confusion, but he really couldn't bear to see her crying and looking aggrieved.

He raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her face and said softly, "Don't cry, when have I never cared about you?"

The more Jiang Qiuye wiped away her tears, the more they flowed, unable to stop. She angrily pushed his hand away and said, "You left on our wedding night, but you didn't come back for days. I waited so long every day, and when you finally came back, you said nothing. I don't know what you were angry about, and then you left me alone to live in the study."

"Do you still think of me as your newlywed wife? You want to know how this happened? I was just trying to cook for you, and the knife fell, and I got carried away and grabbed it carelessly."

Ji Ci looked at Jiang Qiuye who couldn't stop crying and felt a little overwhelmed. "Is that so?"

"What else? Could it be that I went out to kill people and set fires?" Jiang Qiuye pouts and pushes his hand away again, acting coyly, "That's right, I went out to kill people and set fires, that's why all of you are injured! Don't you want to go to the study to sleep? Go ahead and don't stay here with me, so that I don't bother your Highness Prince Qi."

Ji Ci naturally wouldn't take the so-called murder and arson seriously, and just thought she was acting coquettishly.

He couldn't help but laugh in anger. This was his palace, his main courtyard, his bedroom. Now all the masters had become his princesses, and he was about to be driven to the study.

Forget it, there’s really nothing I can do about this stingy guy.

He stepped forward and held her in his arms, his body a little stiff. He said as gently as he could, "I was wrong. Don't be angry with me. I will never do this again. I haven't slept well for several days. Madam, are you going to send me to the study?"

Jiang Qiuye was held in his arms, and couldn't help but smile quietly, but then she suppressed it and pushed him hard, saying pretentiously: "How dare I chase His Highness Prince Qi away? Didn't the prince choose to live in the study himself? Go ahead."

Ji Ci had never coaxed a woman like this before. After being pushed away, he didn't know what to do. He could only continue to explain with a stiff neck: "Yesterday I was mainly angry that you didn't tell me what happened, even though I am your husband."

Jiang Qiuye's anger had long since faded, but she just wanted to throw a tantrum. "Since Your Highness doesn't want to sleep with me, then Your Highness, please don't go to the study. I'll sleep there. I'm so pitiful."

She stood up directly, pouted deliberately and walked towards the door.

"ah--"

Before Jiang Qiuye could react, Ji Ci picked her up and carried her directly to the bed. After throwing her onto the bed, he pressed down on her and said viciously, "Qiu Ziye, you're getting ahead of me."

As he said that, he lowered his head and bit her lips hard.

The author has something to say:

Ji Ci: What should I do if my wife becomes more and more troublesome?

Jiang Qiuye: What do you think?

Ji Ci: ...on the lips!