Chapter 28 Like a worthless dog, only wanting its master…
Her heart was beating so fast that Cui Yao could barely hear Ji Chengning's voice.
His expression remained unchanged.
Ji Chengning gathered his long fingers together and grasped Cui Yao's hand in his palm, their skin pressed tightly together.
He lowered his head, his own hand moving forward as well, casually manipulating Cui Yao's hand to tap his chest. The firearm was cold and hard, each tap leaving a small dent. "What do I care if I die at my cousin's hands?"
fraud.
Cui Yao thought calmly.
He knew Ji Chengnin's character all too well. When the young marquis was in a good mood, he would readily make vows of eternal love. Ji Chengnin seemed unmoved, and instead raised his lips to ask, "What if it were someone else?"
Would you still say something like that?
They would hold the other person's hand like this, half-coaxing and half-teasing, and say: "Then come and kill me?"
Just thinking about this possibility made Cui Yao unable to suppress the murderous intent surging within her.
His words were vague, but Ji Chengnin understood immediately. He looked at Cui Yao with some doubt and said truthfully, "But you are not just anyone."
Bang!
It felt like something had crashed down heavily.
Cui Yao suddenly turned her head.
There was no one else in the bedroom except Ji Chengnin and himself; it was calm and quiet.
Bang, bang, bang.
The loud noise persisted, making Cui Yao's hand holding the gun almost tremble.
A smooth-talking, treacherous liar must have said these things to countless people to be so adept at it.
Cui Yao almost felt disgusted—disgusted with himself for knowing that Ji Chengnin was deceiving him, yet still being swayed by this sweet lie.
Like a worthless dog, it will happily come forward as soon as its owner beckons with a finger.
Cui Yao stared at him intently.
Ji Chengning felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck from his gaze, and couldn't help but pinch his neck, accidentally pressing on a bruise, which made him hiss in pain.
When did you injure your neck?
Ji Chengnin asked, "Cousin, why are you looking at me like that?"
Cui Yao turned and left.
Ji Chengnin: "???"
Human nature is fickle, especially with his cousin's unpredictable temperament. Ji Chengning felt that his mind was not working well to begin with, and after half a day of this, his head was even more dizzy.
If he can't guess, he won't guess.
The young marquis's advantage is that he never seeks trouble for himself.
He picked up the firearm that Cui Yao had thrown onto the bed, touched his brow thoughtfully, and a shadow gathered in his eyes.
"Your Highness."
Ji Chengnin tilted his head.
A handsome young servant stood at the door, smiling as he asked, "Miss, would you like lunch?"
Ji Chengnin's chaotic thoughts vanished instantly. "Yes, yes, yes!"
He said that his cousin would never have the heart to leave him alone.
Before long, a servant led Ji Chengning to the flower hall for a meal.
The flower hall was warm, with both a heated floor and charcoal fire, making it feel like summer. Several flower pots were placed in the room, all planted with a variant of dwarf sagebrush. As soon as you entered, the bright red flowers looked like burning flames, and the fragrance was overwhelming.
Ji Chengning was somewhat smug upon seeing this.
His cousin was indeed very fond of Wanshan.
The front of the flower hall has no wall, but is covered by a brocade screen.
Half-hidden, apricot tree could be seen growing in the courtyard, as thick as four people could hug, its leaves rustling in the wind.
Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, Ji Chengnin walked around the screen.
He pulled off the jade pendant from his waist and hung it on the most eye-catching branch.
The jade rings jingled as they collided with each other as their owner moved.
Ji Chengning went to have his meal with satisfaction.
The flavor was as light as ever, and Ji Chengning felt that Ji Lin's vegetarian meals were no better than this, but it was done very well, light yet flavorful.
Ji Chengnin put down the jade pendant. "Would your young lady like to come back with me?"
"Your Highness, the young lady specifically instructed that he has other matters to attend to. Please make yourselves at home. You may use any carriages or vehicles in the manor."
Ji Chengnin smiled and said, "Alright, prepare the carriages and horses. I'm going back to the Marquis's residence."
The servant bowed and left.
Ji Chengnin drank two more cups of rose petal syrup and returned home satisfied.
Cui Yao looked down from the second-floor window.
The wind blows, and the leaves rub against each other.
"Clang—"
...
Ji Chengning returned to his residence, took a bath and changed his clothes, then found a gift and went to Zhongnan Villa to find Mei Xuewu.
When Mei Xuewu heard that the young marquis had arrived with gifts, she was overwhelmed by his previous rude attitude and the force with which he slapped her. She quickly changed her clothes and went out to greet him.
When Ji Chengning arrived, a servant carrying a gift box followed behind him. When he saw Mei Xuewu hurrying out, he smiled and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Young Master Mei. I have prepared a gift for you, and I hope you will not find it offensive."
Although Ji Chengnin's tone was not exactly gentle, it contained a hint of affection.
He seemed both angry and resentful.
His eyes were slightly red at the corners, and he looked tired and satisfied. When Mei Xuewu looked at him, she felt a tingling sensation in her tailbone.
Although his injuries had not yet healed, he had already forgotten the pain. He held Ji Chengnin's hand affectionately and said with a smile, "Young Marquis, your gift is too generous. I was drunk yesterday and could not see you off. I hope you will forgive me."
Mei Xuewu knew, of course, that Ji Chengning had left midway, but the steward said that Ji Chengning had been taken away by his cousin, so he naturally assumed that Ji Lin did not want Ji Chengning to stay out all night.
The fact that the concubine had been knocked unconscious didn't matter much; it was simply that she didn't suit the young marquis's taste.
Ji Chengnin came to visit today, which shows that he was quite satisfied with the hospitality last night.
It's such a pity to miss such a good opportunity.
Ji Chengnin didn't shake off his hand, and even smiled at him, "Young Master Mei, why don't you open the box and take a look?"
Mei Xuewu was momentarily distracted.
What a pity, what a real pity!
Born with such unparalleled beauty and a distinguished family background, he could easily manipulate and take whatever he wanted from a poor family, or even a minor official.
Now, however, one can only admire from afar. Let alone lewdly look at Ji Chengning, even a few lewd glances at him would be enough to make the young marquis gouge out his eyes.
Mei Xuewu's Adam's apple bobbed thirstily. "In that case, it would be impolite of me to refuse." As she spoke, she went to open the gift box, but her eyes were still fixed on Ji Chengnin with longing.
However, a quick glance at the contents of the gift box caused his smile to freeze instantly.
Because the box didn't contain any rare gifts, but rather, a whip.
A whip with iron wire woven into it, it looked quite heavy, gleaming coldly, and could whip a person to death.
Mei Xuewu was stunned, "What is this...?"
The next moment, a snow-white hand gripped the whip handle tightly.
The memory of being slapped in the face with a token by Ji Chengning suddenly flooded back, and Mei Xuewu was filled with fear and astonishment. He wanted to run away, but how could his body, which had been emptied by wine and women, break free from the young marquis's shackles?
He tried desperately to pull his arm outwards, but it wouldn't budge.
Half a second later, the whip came flying through the air with a chilling sound.
"Smack—"
I slapped him hard on the thigh.
Mei Xuewu's face contorted in pain, and she collapsed to her knees with a thud.
"Ji Chengnin, you're insane!"
Ji Chengnin lashed out with his whip again, sneering, "You dare to drug me? I think you're the one who's crazy!"
Blood splattered instantly, spreading across the ground like vibrant peach blossoms.
"ah!"
Screams erupted one after another.
The guards, who had been keeping watch at a distance outside the moon gate, heard the increasingly pitiful cries from inside. They exchanged puzzled glances, then suddenly realized something was wrong. "Quick, save them!"
When they broke down the door, Mei Xuewu was already lying on the ground, groaning pitifully.
Ji Chengning took out a handkerchief, wrapped it around the whip, and ran it along the whip to wipe away the blood and bits of flesh.
Mei Xuewu's eyes darted around laboriously, burning bloodshot with rage. "You just wait..."
Ji Chengnin interrupted with a smile, "Waiting for what? Waiting for you to turn into a vengeful ghost and come to claim my life?"
He let go.
Mei Xuewu instinctively shrank back.
However, what fell was not a whip, but a blood-stained handkerchief.
“Young Master Mei,” Ji Chengnin smiled, “you should take care of yourself.”
After speaking, he strode away.
The guards dared not stop them.
One of the things was that the young marquis also carried a gleaming firearm at his waist. Although they had never used it, they had heard of it. This weapon was said to be as powerful as a thunderclap when it was fired, capable of killing people from ten feet away. They dared not get close to it.
Ji Chengning walked out, when he heard Mei Xuewu scream, "Don't touch me! I want to go to the palace! I want to see His Majesty!"
He refused to believe that His Majesty could turn a blind eye to the fact that he had been beaten so badly just for inviting Ji Chengning to drink!
Ji Chengnin chuckled, got into the carriage, and ordered, "To the palace."
Because Ji Chengnin was favored by the emperor, he could have entered the palace directly, but he still had someone announce his arrival.
Qin Min came to pick him up in person.
But seeing the once imposing young marquis with red eyes, he exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong with the young marquis?!"
Who would dare to offend the young marquis?
Even if someone dares to provoke him, who exactly is it that could make Ji Chengning suffer a loss?
Ji Chengnin sniffed, shook his head, and remained silent.
Perhaps because Ji Chengning was usually too domineering, it was rare for him to suffer such an injustice, and even Qin Min felt sorry for the young marquis in this state.
He led Ji Chengning to wait outside the study, and soon came out, saying, "Young Marquis, His Majesty summons you in."
Perhaps nothing serious happened, for there were no ministers in the imperial study, and the emperor, dressed in casual robes, was reading a book.
Upon hearing that Ji Chengnin had arrived, the emperor did not look up and smiled, "What brings you to mind today, Chengnin..." He looked up, his voice suddenly stopping. Ji Chengnin's nose was red, his eyes were red, but his lips were pale and colorless, with only a deep teeth mark on them. The emperor was startled, "What happened?"
Qin Min hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the young marquis arrived like this without telling me. I really didn't know."
The emperor pondered for a few seconds, then said, "You may leave now."
As expected, as soon as Qin Min, an outsider, left, Ji Chengnin knelt down in front of him.
He lowered his head, almost burying it in the ground, and his voice was muffled, with a hint of suppressed sobs, "Your Majesty, I have come to beg for forgiveness."
The emperor put his arm around his.
The last time Ji Chengning shed tears in front of him was sixteen years ago, when he was just a tiny child.
The emperor softened his tone, "Why are you crying? Talk to your uncle."
The emperor's gentle words were fine, but when he tried to comfort the young marquis, he saw that the young marquis could no longer hold back his tears, which fell in a stream.
Like a child who has suffered all kinds of grievances outside, seeing the closest and most reliable relatives and elders.
“I,” Ji Chengnin said, his voice choked with emotion, “I beat up Meixuewu.”
The emperor paused, his hand holding the handkerchief still.
What?
He almost thought he had misheard.
His good nephew was telling him that he had beaten his own sister's son, who was also his own nephew, and that the boy was now crying softly at his feet.
If it were his princes, no, his princes would never dare to shed tears in front of their father, the emperor. But even though he felt sorry for Ji Chengning, the emperor had a question: You hit Mei Xuewu again. You hit her, how can you have the nerve to cry in front of me?
"Chengning," the emperor said in a deep voice.
Ji Chengnin looked up.
Tears welled in his eyes, and the tip of his nose was red. As if realizing his disheveled appearance, he turned his head away, but then, remembering that His Majesty was the supreme ruler, he hurriedly turned back.
She felt wronged, pitiful, and dependent.
It's as if if I don't stand up for him, no one in the world will side with him.
The emperor enjoyed the feeling of being relied upon wholeheartedly, especially since this was a boy he had always doted on and watched grow up.
Suppressing the light, fleeting pleasure in his chest, the emperor asked, "Then why did you hit him?"
"Your Majesty is aware that Mei Xuewu was caught soliciting a male prostitute during his official duties and was dealt with according to military law," the Emperor nodded. "Afterwards, Mei Xuewu sent someone to deliver a visiting card to me, inviting me to his villa. I thought that since Young Master Mei is Your Majesty's nephew, it wouldn't be good to make an enemy of him." Upon hearing this, the Emperor glanced at Ji Chengnin with a half-smile, his ingratiating intentions obvious to anyone with a shallow eye. "So I went to the appointment alone, but who would have thought that Mei Xuewu would actually..."
"What?!"
Ji Chengnin was filled with righteous indignation, "They actually gave their subject that kind of medicine!"
The emperor was taken aback.
Seeing Ji Chengnin's ashamed and indignant expression, he immediately understood what that so-called drug was.
Mei Xuewu and her group actually wanted to use beauty to control Ji Chengning. As a result, the emperor's expression turned cold, and he attempted to interfere in Qing Lüwei's affairs.
Qing Lüwei was his personal guard. These noble scions had used such underhanded methods to entice and coerce countless people.
What audacity!
When it came to official business, the emperor's tone was unusually calm: "So, what outcome do you want?"
"Mei Xuewu and the others have repeatedly defied orders, disobeyed their superiors, and even drugged me, intending to commit treason. I believe they should at least..."
"What else do you want?" the emperor asked, narrowing his eyes.
The young marquis, oblivious to everything, pressed his advantage, declaring firmly, "We must also expel them from Qinglu Guard!"
that's all?
The emperor was at a loss for words, both laughing and crying.
Judging from the young marquis's furious expression, one might think he was going to exterminate Mei Xuewu and his entire clan.
But the emperor knew all too well the bargaining tricks his ministers used, "What else?"
The young marquis said, "Furthermore, if the Grand Princess were to request a royal physician, would His Majesty assign one who is not skilled in medicine?"
The emperor remained silent for a moment, then said, "Nonsense."
What profound ideas did he expect Ji Chengnin to come up with? "Anything else?"
Ji Chengnin glanced cautiously at the emperor, his voice growing softer, "Also, could I give Luo Xingzhi and those scoundrels who colluded with Mei Xuewu another beating?"
emperor:"……"
He finally let out a helpless laugh.
He was, after all, a kind-hearted and innocent child.
How did that old fox Ji Lin raise her nephew so well?
"Alright, alright, I agree to whatever you say."
Ji Chengnin's eyes lit up.
"But hitting people is not allowed."
This child wasn't wronged at all; he was clearly wronged by someone else and was afraid that Mei Xuewu would complain, so he preemptively struck!
Because this little trick was so obvious, yet so easy to spot, like a child's way of vying for favor, it wouldn't annoy him. The emperor changed the subject, saying, "Cheng Ning, you should learn from your second uncle."
Ji Chengnin snorted, "I can't learn that."
"oh?"
When his second uncle was mentioned, he finally smiled a little, his face beaming with pride. "My second uncle is a true scholar who was ranked first in the imperial examinations. He was a literary star who descended to earth, riding a horse through the streets and plucking the laurel from the moon palace. I haven't even finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics yet. Please forgive me for asking me to learn from my second uncle."
That's not what he meant.
The emperor thought to himself.
But instead of correcting Ji Chengnin, he said, "How dare you say that?"
Ji Chengnin pinched his cheek. "I have thick skin."
The emperor smiled without realizing it.
Ji Chengning said with a grin, "But there's one thing I'm better at than my second uncle."
"oh?"
Ji Chengning proudly raised his chin, "I have a wonderful uncle who's better than anyone else in the world, but my second uncle doesn't."
Upon hearing this, the emperor nearly kicked him. He instinctively looked at Ji Chengnin's face. Ji Chengnin had just finished crying, and after wiping his face, his complexion was even whiter. He was truly a handsome and dashing young man. So the emperor said, "Indeed, you are born well. You have suffered injustice, so how about I grant you a great favor?"
Looking at the emperor's kind and gentle smile, Ji Chengnin suddenly had an unpleasant premonition.
The emperor smiled and said, "Chengning, you're not a child anymore. It's not good to act so childishly."
Ji Chengnin hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by your mind, and I will certainly make corrections in the future."
"With your temperament," the emperor chuckled, "I think it would be better if you had a steady and reliable person to advise and urge you on." He looked at Ji Chengnin, "Kejing is close to your age, and she is humble and steady, which is a good match for you. I remember you two met last year, and it is said that you are compatible and get along very well. In my opinion, it would be a good match to bestow a marriage upon you and Kejing."
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Author's Note: A red envelope will be dropped in this chapter.
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