Chapter 3, Part 3: "Is this also a gift from my brother?"...
Ji Chengning went back to the courtyard to bathe and change clothes. After coming out of the bathhouse, his heart was still pounding.
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, he actually encountered a ghost!
It's also a demon that can stand openly under the scorching sun.
Ji Chengnin couldn't help but touch his neck.
The sticky sensation of the assassin's breath still lingered on my neck, a haunting presence.
He felt a chill.
Huai De and Chi Zheng watched with puzzled expressions as their young master paced back and forth in the room.
The snow parrot blinked its beady green eyes and exclaimed excitedly, "Run faster, faster!"
Wilder: "Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush!"
Ji Chengning was preoccupied and didn't pay any attention to what the man and the bird were doing.
If he only gets killed in his dream, even if he wakes up and actually sees Cui Yao, he will simply go to the Dazhao Temple to drink two bowls of talisman water to ward off bad luck, and then avoid dealing with Cui Yao in the future.
But in his dream, the northern forbidden area was engulfed in flames, and the entire palace was reduced to ashes.
The palace was heavily guarded, and ordinary fires could not burn such a large area. Even if a traitor deliberately set fire, hundreds of barrels of oil would have to be poured on it to ignite it first.
What could have trapped tens of thousands of imperial guards, leaving them no time to put out the fire?
For example—a palace coup!
He was startled.
The snow parrot was quite frightened by Ji Chengnin's unpredictable expression, and stopped flapping its wings, instead smiling ingratiatingly at Ji Chengnin: "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah."
Ji Chengnin was in a state of utter confusion. "Prepare the car, I need to..."
Where to go?
In the palace?
He paused abruptly.
No, you must not go to His Majesty.
Regardless of how absurd it is to make a big fuss about reporting to the Emperor just because of a nightmare, this dream is too ominous. If he tells the truth, he will surely anger the Emperor, and the Emperor may even suspect that he has a curse in mind, or even think that Ji Lin is not disciplined properly, and that the whole Marquis's mansion has long been dissent.
Cui Yao is also his fourth aunt's niece. If we really investigate, it will definitely implicate the Marquis's family.
Moreover, he had no evidence to prove that Cui Yao was related to the assassin in his dream. Was he really going to kill an innocent person just because they looked alike?
Chi Zheng asked cautiously, "Your Highness, where are we going?"
Ji Chengnin was upset and waved his hand, "I'm not going anywhere."
Given that Mr. Li said his brain weighed less than three qian (a unit of weight in China) when weighed, it was really too much to ask him to consider these mysterious and unspeakable facts.
Ji Chengnin was preoccupied with his own thoughts, so much so that he was listless during dinner at Ji Lin's place.
He looked listless, but he didn't forget to watch his second uncle eat two bowls of nourishing pigeon soup.
Ji Lin asked, "Is something the matter?"
Ji Chengning was startled and subconsciously looked up at Ji Lin.
Under the bright candlelight, Ji Lin's skin appeared even paler, almost devoid of any color.
This is due to his daily exhaustion and mental strain.
Ji Chengning smiled nonchalantly, "It's nothing serious. I was just flipping through some books when it suddenly occurred to me that beyond the six directions, the sages do not speak, yet the art of dream interpretation has endured for years, and believers treat it as gospel. Do you think things in dreams can be taken seriously, Uncle?"
Ji Lin tilted her head. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"No," Ji Chengnin replied calmly.
Since he didn't say anything, Ji Lin didn't press him for details, but she could guess what was going on.
It's nothing more than my nephew having a nightmare that he can't shake off, and I'm too embarrassed to ask my relative for comfort.
Ji Lin's expression softened slightly. "I've never believed in dreams."
He ladled out a bowl of soup, and Ji Chengning half-stood up and took it with both hands.
"In the end, the mysteries lie only in the human heart. If dream interpretation and prophecy are truly real, then civil officials would not need to spend their lives studying, and military generals would not need to fight on the battlefield. Wouldn't it be better to simply listen to fate in bed and live a life of conformity?"
Ji Chengnin remained silent, his eyes lowered thoughtfully.
It's laughable to toss and turn at night over such bizarre and superstitious matters.
As his second uncle said, success depends on human effort; rather than sitting idly by and waiting to die, it's better to...
A cold glint flashed in the young marquis's dark eyes.
Go and find out more about Cui Yao.
Ji Lin: "What?"
Ji Chengnin nodded in deep agreement, "Second Uncle is absolutely right." His spirits lifted, and he asked slyly, "Since Second Uncle thinks so, why did you still copy the Lotus Sutra to pray for blessings?"
Ji Lin said, "One should not speak while eating."
Ji Chengnin picked up the soup bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
Finally, he smiled at Ji Lin, all the gloom and gloom on his body vanishing. "I'm done eating." Ji Chengning stood up and gave an awkward bow. "I remembered I still have homework to do, so I'll go first. Uncle, please enjoy your meal."
...
Ji Chengning had already found out that Cui Yao lived in a villa in the southeast corner of the garden, and he went there with two personal servants and four strong guards to find out.
Even when he went to investigate, the young marquis was always very polite, and the gifts he brought were exactly the same as those used in the palace, truly dazzling and full of etiquette.
It was getting late, and there were stars but no moon.
It was a time when demons and ghosts roamed freely.
The Southeast Villa was too remote. As Ji Chengnin and his party traveled there, all they could see were ancient pines with gnarled and twisted branches.
Last night's rain made the wood appear even greener and cooler, with vines climbing and entwining it. The fallen leaves on the ground were hastily swept aside, revealing a winding pebble path.
A winding path leads to a secluded spot.
Further ahead, a small door, ten feet high and ten feet long, opened on the pale wall.
"Swish, swish."
Two pale yellow lanterns swayed in the wind, one after another.
It was so eerie it sent chills down my spine.
Wilder mustered his courage and went up to knock on the door.
"Creak—"
A hoarse, shrill sound rang out, and everyone present couldn't help but rub their arms.
The door opened a crack.
Ji Chengnin was greatly encouraged.
A small head with a double-pronged hairpin peeked out from behind two dark wooden doors. The little girl's round eyes looked at everyone warily, and she asked in a clear voice, "What are you doing?"
Ji Chengnin's tense mood relaxed slightly, and he smiled and said, "Have your young lady rested? Go and inform her that," he paused, "her brother has come to give her a housewarming gift."
"Girl, sleep," the little maid paused, then called out happily, "Girl, you've come."
Ji Chengnin took two steps forward.
The door was old and dilapidated, without even a door knocker.
Ji Chengning pulled out a handkerchief, wrapped it around his five fingers, and reached out to pull the door open.
As soon as I reached out my hand, I bumped into something hard.
Ji Chengnin felt a chill run down his spine.
It was Cui Yao's hand!
Even through the handkerchief, he could feel that Miss Cui's skin was icy cold and her fingers were as hard as stones, completely unrelated to the phrase "warm and soft as jade."
In his dream, the assassin used such a cold hand to playfully scrape across his throat.
Ji Chengnin's hair stood on end, and he abruptly pulled his hand away.
For example, avoid snakes and scorpions.
Cui Yao paused for a moment behind the door, then calmly opened it and smiled, "I apologize for my rudeness."
In the dim light, his cousin's gentle and beautiful appearance was mostly hidden in the shadows.
Ji Chengnin suppressed the urge to wipe his hands and smiled, "Not at all, I'm just visiting in the dead of night. I hope Miss Cui doesn't find my visit presumptuous."
“It is my great honor that Your Highness has come,” Cui Yao stepped aside to invite Ji Chengning in, and said softly, “Your Highness, please.”
Ji Cheng suppressed his anxiety and turned to say, "You few stay outside and keep watch."
He personally carried the gift box and strode into the courtyard.
Cui Yao led Ji Chengning to sit down at a table in the courtyard.
The bright courtyard lights illuminated a warm, yellowish hue.
Several teacups were placed on the table, all made of Ru ware, with a warm and lustrous glaze and a sky-blue color. Water droplets still rolled down the cup walls, as if the cups had just been cleaned and had not yet been dried.
The spring water in the small teapot on the stove beside the table was just beginning to boil, its surface rippling with tiny, fish-eye-like patterns.
The two sat down facing each other.
Cui Yao took a small spoon, scooped up half a spoonful of fine salt, and sprinkled it into the water.
His every move was graceful and elegant, possessing a kind of refined and orderly beauty that made people hold their breath in silence.
Ji Chengning narrowed his eyes, "Miss Cui has too few servants; she has to do everything herself."
“I don’t like their clumsy handling,” Cui Yao lowered her head slightly and smiled somewhat embarrassedly. “We are from a humble family and our manners are lacking. I hope you will forgive us, Your Highness.”
Ripples began to appear on the water's surface, making a "glug-glug" sound.
“Not at all, Miss Cui, you are too modest. I just noticed that there is only one maid and two servants in the courtyard, and it would be inconvenient for them to stay for a long time.” Ji Chengning was very understanding. “How about this, let those four guards stand guard at the gate for now, and I will find a few more clever servants to send to you tomorrow.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Yao paused in her scooping of water.
"Your Highness is extremely considerate, but I have only met you a few times. We are neither relatives nor close friends. How could I possibly accept such kindness?"
His words of refusal were delivered in a gentle and tender manner, as if it would be unreasonable for Ji Chengnin to insist.
However, Ji Chengnin has a penchant for forcing people to do things they cannot do.
He chuckled, “Cousin Cui, there’s no need for you to be so polite with me. You are my fourth aunt’s niece. The Marquis’s family is all connected and we share weal and woe, so you are naturally considered my relative as well.”
The young marquis's pronunciation was slurred and flippant, with a lazy, boneless tone at the end.
With a few sweet words, Cui Yao transformed from a completely unrelated girl into a warm and affectionate "little sister."
They were so affectionate that it was as if they had known each other for a long time and had a deep and abiding relationship, rather than meeting for the first time that day.
Cui Yao looked up.
The rising steam blurred even Ji Chengnin's arrogant features.
But she stared at him without blinking.
"Or perhaps," Ji Chengnin leaned closer, wanting to see Cui Yao's expression more clearly, "that Cousin Cui is shy and doesn't dare to use so many people?"
He didn't give Cui Yao a chance to refuse at all, and immediately added: "Cousin, don't worry, the Marquis's mansion is very strict with its servants. Not a single word that shouldn't be said will come out."
Ji Chengnin's implication was clear—but the servants of the Marquis's mansion would never hide anything that needed to be said.
So please, please be law-abiding and keep to yourself.
Young Master Ji is truly a romantic.
Cui Yao smiled.
Even threats are delivered with tender affection, as if whispering sweet nothings.
But he didn't understand where Ji Chengnin's hostility towards him came from.
Cui Yao said softly, "Since that's the case, it would be impolite of me to refuse. Thank you, Your Highness."
He quickly backed down.
No matter how you look at it, it's clear that the orphaned girl, living under someone else's roof, was unwilling to offend the Marquis's mansion and complied with everything.
“Cousin, you’re too kind. I’m only a few months older than you,” Ji Chengning said with a smug smile, a small dimple appearing on his cheek. “Cousin, you can just call me brother. There’s no need to be so formal.”
Cui Yao nodded and replied respectfully, "Yes."
Ji Chengning couldn't figure it out, so he said, "It's late, cousin, you should rest early. I'll head back now."
Cui Yao responded obediently, "Okay."
Ji Chengnin turned slightly, about to stand up.
Cui Yao, who had been sitting upright, suddenly moved.
He leaned forward, stepping over the narrow table, instantly closing the distance between himself and Ji Chengnin!
"Whoosh."
Clothes rub.
The sweet scent of osmanthus hair oil, the faint woody fragrance of clothes pressed in a sandalwood box over the years, and a faint, indescribable, unusually cold, fishy-sweet aroma.
Ji Chengnin turned his head sharply.
Their eyes met as Cui Yao approached.
Her pale, emotionless eyes were fixed on his face, as if she were in a dream.
His scalp tingled with pain. Before he could think, Ji Chengnin raised his hand and swung it fiercely at Cui Yao!
However, in the blink of an eye, Cui Yao suddenly felt a chill on her chin.
He lowered his eyes, his long, thick eyelashes pressing down gently like small fans.
Looking at it, it was extremely serene.
Cui Yao first looked at a hand.
This hand has fair skin and well-proportioned bones. It has been pampered in daily life, and there are very few scars or even calluses on its five fingers.
The only drawback is that the wrist bones are somewhat deformed, protruding outwards in a jagged manner.
Then, there was an iron artifact wrapped in pure white flesh and bone.
Ironware is cold and black, while skin and flesh are pure white.
His fingertips were tinged with a vibrant pink, clinging to them like flowers blooming from iron.
The contrast is striking.
Cui Yao's breathing suddenly became heavy.
What was pressed against his face was a musket.
At such close range, even if the musket was weak, it would be enough to shatter half of his head.
Cui Yao's gaze slid back to Ji Chengnin's face.
Even though he was the one holding the murder weapon, the young marquis seemed to be breathing more rapidly than him.
His chest heaved violently, and the cartilage protruding from his throat rolled and rolled tensely.
Cui Yao wanted to see more clearly, so she leaned closer.
The cold muzzle of the gun landed smoothly on the corner of his lips.
“Cousin,” Ji Chengning pressed the gun against his lips and pushed it forward forcefully, “it would be impolite to come any closer.”
Cui Yao seemed puzzled as to what this was, and looked up blankly at Ji Chengning.
His usually clear voice was now slightly hoarse. "Is this also a gift from my brother?"
A note from the author:
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