Early in the morning, Ji Suizhou sneaked into the Crown Prince's residence. He was unaware that the master of the residence had changed. Following his usual routine, he went to the front yard. He found Yan Wu's room empty, with a thin layer of dust on the tables and chairs.
Ji Suizhou's heart skipped a beat, fearing that something had happened to Yan Wu. Thinking that Yan Chaoxi should know Yan Wu's whereabouts, he hurriedly ran to Qingfeng Garden to look for him.
He sneaked in, and since it wasn't convenient for him to appear in front of people directly, he knocked on the window outside, then pushed it open and climbed inside.
"Oh no! Yan Wu has disappeared! I've searched everywhere but can't find him. Princess, do you know where he went?"
The sounds of a man's low breathing and a woman's soft moans coming from the inner room stopped abruptly after Ji Suizhou spoke.
Ji Suizhou had a bad feeling. He had come at the wrong time and had accidentally stumbled upon the Crown Prince and his concubine's affair. How was he going to explain himself now?
Acting faster than his mind, Ji Suizhou swiftly climbed out the window again, pretending he had never been there.
Inside the room, Yan Chaoxi couldn't help but burst out laughing. That laugh had scared the person who was in the middle of a good time into a coma.
Yan Wu, his face dark, lay on her to calm his breathing, gritting his teeth, "I'm going out to find him, you sleep a little longer."
He got up, dressed, and went out the door, dismissing the servants with a dark expression.
Ji Suizhou hid on the roof, looking down at the angry "Crown Prince," thinking to himself that he had gotten himself into big trouble this time.
Yan Wu glanced around and shouted, "Ji Suizhou, get out here right now!"
Ji Suizhou: ∑(O_O；) seems to be Yan Wu?
He ran down the road grinning, only to be met with a punch from Yan Wu.
Ji Suizhou: "What grudge do you hold against me?!"
"I'm telling you, don't enter other people's rooms without permission, especially women's rooms!"
Recalling the commotion inside the room, Ji Suizhou knew he was in the wrong. "I was wrong, okay? I was just too anxious and thought you were gone!"
"Who would have thought we'd stumble upon you... you know."
Yan Wu raised his chin. "Let's go to the study. I need to talk to you about something."
Ji Suizhou was filled with doubts. He had only been away for half a month, yet he couldn't understand the current situation. Yan Wu had just come out of the house, and the palace maids in the courtyard seemed to take it all in stride.
When they arrived at the study, Yan Wu briefly explained the current situation, and Ji Suizhou was so shocked that his jaw dropped.
"You...you...you replaced the Crown Prince, and the real Crown Prince is imprisoned by you?" Ji Suizhou didn't know how to express his shock. "Do you think you've lived too long?"
Although he sympathized with Yan Wu's plight, he never imagined that Yan Wu would replace the Crown Prince. After all, the three most powerful people in Liang—the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince—were the ones who held him back and prevented him from rising up.
"Are you crazy? Do you really think you can pretend to be Yan Huainan for the rest of your life? You want to take over all the women in the mansion and Yan Huainan's children?" Ji Suizhou paced back and forth in the study in a fit of rage.
Yan Wu sat calmly in the large pearwood chair, "That's why I need your help."
Ji Suizhou frowned. "What kind of help? As long as it's not a rebellion, I'll help you as much as I can."
Yan Wu gave him a definite answer, "It is rebellion."
Ji Suizhou, “…Goodbye.”
Ji Suizhou was completely numb, and in despair, he grabbed his head, "How dare you bring that up! Do you know that's a capital offense?"
"The Ji family's military power has been taken away again and again. In a few years, the emperor will completely take back all the military power in your father's hands. You must understand the principle of 'discarding the bow after the birds are all gone.' Do the math, how many years has your father been retired at home?"
Ji Suizhou was taken aback.
The Ji family were once meritorious officials who helped their ancestors conquer the country and held the rank of first-grade official. By the time of Emperor Kang of Liang, the Liang Dynasty had become increasingly prosperous, and the surrounding small countries dared not easily invade. The Ji family was gradually replaced by the General Zhenbei and the General Weiwu, who were valued by Emperor Kang of Liang. Their military power was divided up, and now they have become the family with the least military power.
Ji Suizhou's nonchalant expression vanished, and his face gradually turned serious. "Are you serious?"
"I had no other choice."
Ji Suizhou said, "What you said makes sense, but this matter is of great importance, and I cannot give you a direct answer. I will go back and discuss it with my father... As for the outcome, I cannot guarantee it."
Yan Wu nodded. "Think it over and give me an answer. If you're unwilling, I won't force you."
Ji Suizhou arrived relaxed, but left with a heavy heart.
Yan Wu returned to Yan Chaoxi's room and found her asleep. He didn't wake her, but lay down and held her for a while longer. The princess, still half asleep, seemed to sense someone beside her and snuggled closer to the source of warmth, obediently sleeping in his arms.
Yan Wu smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on his lips.
Even if it's just for her, I'm willing to risk my life.
When Yan Chaoxi woke up, there was no one beside her.
Bichun brought in a bowl of water and saw that Yan Chaoxi was still asleep with her eyes closed. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Princess, you've been sleeping a lot lately. You sleep until almost noon every day and still don't feel like you've had enough. It's all thanks to His Highness's instructions that you don't have to go to the Crown Princess's place to pay your respects every day. Otherwise, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to get up."
Yan Chaoxi glared at her with her watery eyes, "Are you itching for a beating? You dare to tease me like that?"
"This servant dares not."
Ever since the Crown Princess developed the idea of tormenting people, she has been making everyone pay their respects to her every day despite her exhaustion. When Yan Wu found out, he directly exempted Yan Chaoxi from paying her respects every day, which infuriated the Crown Princess.
Bichun deftly wet a towel, wrung it out, and handed it to Yan Chaoxi, saying, "Princess, your period hasn't come yet this month. Should we call a royal physician to take a look?"
Yan Chaoxi calculated the days and realized it was indeed about ten days late. She gently placed her palm on her lower abdomen, where she knew that she should already be carrying two children.
She was unaware of Yan Wu's arrangements, and revealing the child's existence too early might bring unexpected disaster.
"There's no need to see the imperial physician yet."
She intended to wait for Yan Wu to return before telling him the good news, but she waited until evening and still didn't see him.
Yan Chaoxi fell asleep, and in her drowsy state, she felt someone kissing her. She smelled an unpleasant odor of alcohol, and the sudden stimulation made her feel as if she was about to vomit up everything she had eaten that night.
She couldn't help but gag, and forcefully pushed away the man on top of her with both hands.
Yan Wu was taken aback and quickly helped her up. "What's wrong? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yan Chaoxi opened her eyes, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She wrinkled her face and sniffed him, then couldn't help but gag. "Have you been drinking?"
Yan Wu looked at her blankly, "I had a few drinks during the business dinner, but I took a shower when I got back, so I shouldn't still smell of alcohol!"
"Stay away from me..." Yan Chaoxi could smell alcohol on him.
Yan climbed off the bed, feeling wronged. "Then... I'll go wash up again."
He had someone carry water to the washroom, and then washed himself carefully twice. After confirming that he no longer smelled, he returned to his bedroom. Seeing that Yan Chaoxi was not asleep, he took off his clothes and climbed into bed.
"Princess, smell it, it has no smell anymore."
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