68. Hosta

◎Where did the Prince of Liang get this jade hairpin from?◎

Chapter 68

At the court session the next morning, as the northern Li State began to tentatively harass the border, the peace faction led by Ji Kang and the war faction led by Ji Ci argued fiercely over the Northern Expedition.

The peace faction believed that the war had made the people miserable, and the Li army was fierce, so this war was risky. They should give up land, pay tribute, and negotiate peace with the Li Kingdom for another ten years.

The pro-war faction, however, believed that the brutality of the Li Kingdom's invasion and massacre of the city, coupled with the fact that the country was now well-equipped but the treasury was empty, meant that paying tribute would only increase the burden on the people. Furthermore, the Jin Dynasty must avenge the humiliation of Ganyang.

After the court session, the court officials left the Taiji Hall and walked down the platform in groups.

Tang Taifu was anxious. As they walked, his face flushed and he shook his head and sighed, "The emperor's attitude was unclear at the court this morning. These scattered Li soldiers' tentative incursions are preparations for the next attack. Yan Xing is so ambitious, how could he give up his ambition just for a few pieces of land?"

Ji Ci did not say anything. Originally, the emperor was determined to win the Northern Expedition, but for some reason, his attitude seemed to have changed in recent days, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

At this time, Tang Taifu, who had been walking with his head tilted, was full of anger and anxiety and did not see the person in front of him. The two of them bumped into each other head-on. With a "ding" sound, something seemed to fall to the ground.

Tang Taifu looked up and realized it was Ji Kang. He took two steps back, adjusted his official hat, and bowed, saying, "Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Liang."

Ji Kang was also rubbing his forehead, feeling depressed. He nodded to the two of them and said, "Uncle Emperor, Grand Tutor."

Ji Ci looked down and saw a hairpin that seemed to have fallen on the ground. He squatted down to pick it up and was startled when he held it in his hand. It was a small jade hibiscus hairpin. He seemed to have seen one like it in the princess's dressing box, like a pair.

Ji Kang saw him taking the hairpin in his hand and examining it carefully, but he did not feel anxious or guilty at all. Instead, he smiled sinisterly and took the small jade hairpin from Ji Ci's hand, saying frankly, "Thank you, uncle."

Ji Ci looked up at Ji Kang expressionlessly, wondering, "Where did Prince Liang get this jade hairpin from?"

"This is a jade hairpin that belongs to my beloved woman. I carry it with me every day to play with it and I love it very much. Fortunately, it didn't break when it fell to the ground today." Ji Kang put the jade hairpin into his sleeve and smiled at Ji Ci. The possessiveness in his eyes seemed to be lingering.

The year before last, Ji Kang married the eldest daughter of the Taiwei family as his principal wife. Hearing that they were in love, he openly picked her up and left at a banquet.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence with the little jade hairpin of his princess. Although his intuition told him that something was wrong, he was unwilling to doubt his little wife who was acting coquettishly and jealously towards him last night.

"Then Prince Liang must keep it well. This jade is very fragile. Don't drop it again."

"Of course." Ji Kang bowed to Ji Ci, "Although I disagree with the emperor's uncle on government affairs, he is still the person I have admired the most since I was a child."

He was only a year and a half younger than Ji Ci. When Ji Ci was young, he was known as a child prodigy, and he loved to play with Ji Ci. Ji Ci often taught him riding and archery himself. Although he later fled and parted ways with him, he always had great respect for this pillar of the Jin Dynasty.

It's a shame that the uncle he admired married the only woman he'd ever felt a tinge of affection for. But don't worry, when he ascends the throne, he'll snatch that vicious woman away and place the throne before her. As for this uncle, don't blame him then.

Imperial Tutor Tang had no idea what was going on in the other man's mind. He simply smiled and said, "Yes, they simply disagree on political views, and both are advocating for the greater Jin. On the other hand, Prince Liang and his wife are said to be on good terms, and now they even carry the princess's jade hairpin with them. What a wonderful match."

Ji Kang smiled at Master Tang without replying. He looked back at Ji Ci, narrowed his eyes, and said that he had important matters to attend to, then bowed and said goodbye.

Ji Ci returned home early tonight. It was not yet dark when he got home, but he missed his little wife terribly.

He used to stay away from the palace for days, finding a random nap in the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Prison, or the palace before returning to work. But now, he felt the workload was too much and too diverse. Although he tried his best to return home every night, his subordinates were useless and could not share all the responsibilities for him, which prevented him from cuddling his beautiful princess all day long.

"Where is the princess?" He walked quickly to Guihong Courtyard and asked casually when he saw Mingyue standing at the door.

Seeing him return, Mingyue immediately bowed and said, "The princess went to Pu'en Temple today and just finished bathing. She is in her bedroom."

"Porn Temple?"

"Yes, the princess went to listen to the sutras and then took a short rest in the temple before returning."

Ji Ci nodded, stopped talking to Mingyue, and pushed the door open impatiently to enter the house.

I saw her with her head lowered and her neck slender. Her hair was still slightly wet as she had just come out of the bath. A few strands of black hair hung down on her collarbone and chest. Her goose yellow silk dress was slightly wet by her hair. The hibiscus jade pendant I gave her last night was hung around her waist. The two were porcelain white in color, which really suited her well.

Hearing the sound, his crow-feather eyelashes lifted, revealing a pair of affectionate peach blossom eyes filled with dependence, his eyebrows curved, and the fatigue of the whole day dissipated the moment he saw her.

"Husband! You're back!" Her voice was soft and full of excitement.

An excited cat, which had originally curled up into a ball, instantly stretched out its body and collapsed, rolling on the ground in a coquettish manner when it saw him.

How can there be such a cute little thing in the world?

He stepped forward, took the gilded drying ball, and grabbed her hair. "Let me do it."

Jiang Qiuye smiled and lowered her head. The faint scent of bergamot wafted towards her nose, making her feel safe. She quietly raised her eyes and glanced in the bronze mirror at him drying her hair behind her. There was a hint of uneasiness in her eyes, but when he looked at her, she immediately concealed the uneasiness, leaving only shyness.

That should be fine...

She went over it in her mind and there shouldn't be any doubt left.

After her hair dried, Ji Ci hugged her from behind, buried his head in her neck and deeply inhaled the fragrance after her bath, while his eyes accidentally glanced at her dressing table.

He paused, reached out and took out the small jade hibiscus hairpin, looking at it in his hand.

Jiang Qiuye was confused, "What's wrong, husband?"

"After leaving court today, I saw a small jade hairpin exactly like this one at Ji Kang's place. They look a bit like a pair."

Jiang Qiuye was suddenly frightened. The small jade hairpin was snatched from her head by Ji Kang, but she didn't expect that the pervert actually carried it on his body.

Although it was the stolen jade hairpin, she did not want Ji Ci to know about the strange relationship between her and Ji Kang, nor did she want him to think too much and misunderstand her.

She adjusted her expression, raised her eyes and gave him a coquettish glare. She reached out and gently took the small jade hairpin, putting it back in the dressing box. She said, "I bought this small jade hairpin at Jinpin Pavilion, although it was later closed down due to an incident. Perhaps Princess Liang also bought the same hairpin there. What a coincidence."

Ji Ci looked at her charming eyes in the bronze mirror, without saying whether he believed it or not, but just lowered his head and continued to nibble on her neck.

She felt her body getting weaker, and suddenly he bit her hard, "Ah——"

Jiang Qiuye dodged and looked in the bronze mirror. This stinky man was so cruel that he even bit her and left a mark. She turned around and patted his chest, but he suddenly smiled, revealing his bright eyes and white teeth, and then kissed her lips again.

At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. It was the voice of the housekeeper, Uncle Fu, "Your Highness, something happened."

Jiang Qiuye's heart suddenly began to beat wildly. Ji Ci was a little unhappy about being interrupted, but he still raised his head and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Your Highness, Miss Chen hanged herself in the Wenlan Courtyard."

The lust in Ji Ci's eyes instantly dissipated. He immediately stood up and opened the door. Seeing Uncle Fu also had a worried and panicked look on his face, he asked, "Hang himself? When?"

Uncle Fu's face was filled with panic. "I don't know when it happened, but Qingling, Miss Chen's companion, has been missing for two days. Tonight, the cook prepared dinner, but the people from Wenlan Courtyard never came to get it. I just sent a servant to the courtyard to ask, but to my surprise, I found Miss Chen hanging in her room."

Ji Ci's face was emotionless, and it was unknown what he was thinking about. Jiang Qiuye immediately followed him, her face full of panic and bewilderment. "How could this happen? This is so scary, my husband, let me go with you to take a look."

Ji Ci collected his thoughts, looked at Jiang Qiuye who was hugging him, and asked calmly, "Are you sure you want to go? Are you not afraid?"

"Of course I'm scared. After all, I've known Sister Susu for such a long time. Even though I don't like her, I don't want her to die. I don't know why she's so depressed. Ye'er still wants to see her one last time."

Jiang Qiuye's eyes gradually turned red and her body trembled slightly. Ji Ci turned around and took a cloak to cover her, tied the straps, put his arm around her shoulders, and followed Uncle Fu and his group to Wenlan Courtyard. He also sent someone to inform Jingzhao Prefecture.

The early spring night was slightly chilly, but for some reason, Jiang Qiuye felt the people around her were even colder, and she began to rethink everything. She had created an alibi, and she didn't look like someone who would commit such a crime. Furthermore, she had left a suicide note based on Susu's notes.

No matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find anything related to her. But for some reason, he felt more and more uneasy and panicked.

When they arrived at Wenlan Courtyard, Susu's limbs had already become stiff. The servant put her down and she lay on the ground, her face pale and blue.

Uncle Fu picked up the suicide note and handed it to Ji Ci. It was a long and eloquent letter. He was grateful for Prince Qi's kindness, but these days, thinking of his deceased parents and his own miserable existence, he felt increasingly guilty and uneasy, heartbroken and unable to sleep every day. Furthermore, Qingling had stolen his wealth and his father's belongings and fled. He had been betrayed by someone he trusted, and he didn't want to stay in this world anymore.

Ji Ci put the suicide note back and walked around the room. Jiang Qiuye held him tightly, trembling with fear in his heart, not daring to look at the corpse on the ground.

He grabbed her cold hand and asked, "Why are you coming if you're so scared?"

Jiang Qiuye bit her lip, frowning slightly. "I thought I wasn't afraid, but I didn't expect it to be such a terrifying scene. It reminded me of the night when the Zhang family was exterminated, with corpses everywhere and blood flowing. She was clearly still alive yesterday, but today..."

"I thought it was so long ago that I'd forgotten the horror of it all, but now seeing Susu like this, I can't help but recall it all."

As she said that, she hid in Ji Ci's arms and hugged his waist tightly. After a moment of silence, Ji Ci raised his hand and patted her back, "...Don't be afraid, your husband is here."

"Well, luckily I have Brother Jian Xi." Jiang Qiuye nodded vigorously and buried her face in his chest again.

Because it was a case involving Prince Qi's mansion, the Jingzhao Yin and Shao Yin quickly brought a group of people to the mansion. After comparing the handwriting of the suicide note, they found that it was indeed written by Susu herself. After searching everywhere and finding nothing suspicious, they had the body and physical evidence taken away.

After returning to Guihong Courtyard, Jiang Qiuye seemed to have received a shock and could not sleep all night, and she was always panic-stricken. Ji Ci coaxed her for a long time until she fell into a deep sleep in the middle of the night.

He held her in his arms, listening to her steady breathing. Looking down in the moonlight, he saw her harmless little face, now filled with fear and pampering, clinging to him tightly, refusing to let go.

At first glance, Susu's death appeared to be suicide. The palace was heavily guarded, and she rarely interacted with outsiders, hiding in the Wenlan Courtyard. It would be difficult for someone to sneak into the palace and kill her. Furthermore, the suicide note she left behind had its handwriting compared.

But if Susu hadn't come to see him and said those words before leaving the palace this morning...

He might have really believed that she committed suicide.