Chapter 37 Wasn't his attraction to Ji Wanyuan love? ...
"The father not only wants to ruin his son, but also his younger brother Qin?"
The two cold, stern questions left Mr. Wen frozen in place.
He looked at his exceptionally talented son and remained silent for a moment.
This was probably the first time Wen Qiyan had so clearly revealed his feelings and conveyed his dissatisfaction, and his tone was very bad, even using the word "destroy".
When facing his elders, Wen Qiyan rarely showed any emotional fluctuations and mostly remained silent, so his father was quite surprised when he said it was difficult.
This time, Mr. Wen was not only surprised, but also astonished.
He had considered that Wen Qiyan might be dissatisfied, but he did not expect that Wen Qiyan would be so dissatisfied, and that he would express it right then and there.
It seems he has truly... developed feelings for the eldest daughter of the Ji family, and these feelings are probably not just a little bit.
Indeed, if it were truly just a tiny bit, why would it have remained dormant for so long without being eliminated and "corrected"?
After a long silence, Wen's father dismissed the servants around him and said,
"There's been no progress on matters concerning the court. Prime Minister Ji has already sent Ji Lingyue out. Do you think we can continue to drag this out?"
Wen Qiyan remained silent for a moment.
Wen's father didn't mention romantic feelings to him, but only analyzed the current situation with him.
But in reality, it goes without saying that Wen Qiyan is wise and insightful, and he sees things more deeply, sees further ahead, and does them better than his father.
Since returning to his official post after his leave, he has dealt with many thorny issues, and everyone in the Censorate has breathed a sigh of relief.
But right now, the things that most need him to do are making no progress.
It's said that even heroes have trouble resisting the charms of beautiful women, and now his son has fallen for it too.
"Qi Yan, you have never been a person who acts on emotions. His Majesty chose you in the first place precisely because of this."
"From both a public and private perspective, what do you think the Ji family should do?"
Looking at his somber face, Wen's father said, "The motives behind this marriage between the Wen and Ji families have never been pure."
"Ji Zhao has been forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. His adopted sons have been recruiting followers and disciples to strengthen the Ji family. For so many years, he has been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. Don't you know how many people in the court are Ji Zhao's confidants?"
“Now that Ji Zhao has discovered the mining industry, he is concealing it and has turned Youzhou into his own city. He is mining privately, and the court officials have not been able to find a single clue. Once he has successfully mined all of it and possesses this enormous wealth, you know very well what the consequences will be without me having to tell you, Father.”
After speaking sternly, Mr. Wen paused for a moment, then softened his tone slightly.
"Father knows that the eldest daughter of the Ji family is beautiful and has a very special personality. She is different from the noble ladies in the capital and is quite rare. You are inexperienced and are new to the relationship between men and women. Living under the same roof for a long time, it is inevitable that you will be moved."
"But you need to be very clear that this is not love, it is just lust."
Is it not love, but just lust?
In the past, he also thought it was just lust. He was certain that he would not develop any love for Ji Wanyuan, only use her. But it seems that this is not the case.
Once the Ji family falls, Ji Wanyuan, the prime minister's pampered daughter who is dependent on and raised by the Ji family, will surely die. Thinking of this, his heart feels empty and painful.
He didn't want Ji Wanyuan to die; he wanted her to live well, even though he still loathed her at that moment.
He could no longer distinguish what kind of disgust he felt.
Previously, he hated Ji Wanyuan for her shameless and unscrupulous pursuit of him, like a leech that could never be removed once it was on him.
But he didn't know if he had adapted over the years, or when he had adapted. In any case, this "dog skin plaster" had become part of his bones and blood. On that crazy night before the wedding, it was completely integrated into him and became one with him. From then on, even cutting off his bones and flesh would not be able to cure it.
He would unconsciously follow her, pay attention to her presence, observe her words and actions, and hate the people around her.
Even though the person who is now close to her is his own brother, his own flesh and blood, he still doesn't like him.
He disliked Ji Wanyuan's sweet words and beaming smiles towards Wen Yunqin. He admitted that Ji Wanyuan's smile was beautiful, but it was also glaringly irritating.
At this moment, his self-righteous, all-knowing father is still encouraging Wen Yunqin to get close to Ji Wanyuan. He doesn't even want to think about what would happen if Ji Wanyuan, who doesn't reject Wen Yunqin, also developed feelings for him and the two of them fell for each other...
When jealousy takes hold, one can become so enraged that they become possessed and want to tear the other person to pieces and scatter the remains into rivers.
Wen Qiyan took a deep breath, closed his eyes which were churning with malice, and tried his best to suppress his darkness, "..."
While there has indeed been no progress in the mining operations in Youzhou, through several visits to the Ji family and through Ji Wanyuan's extravagant boudoir, he has discovered "evidence" that the Ji family may have dealings with the outside world. As long as he follows the clues, he will surely find a loophole.
Ji Zhao was indeed unsuspecting of her daughter, and it was indeed feasible for the Emperor and his father to have him search the Ji family through Ji Wanyuan.
He noticed some clues, but he didn't want to reveal anything, because it would be detrimental to her.
Is this merely desire?
Ji Wanyuan is beautiful, but apart from her, no one has ever aroused his desire.
Therefore, it's not just about desire.
It's not just desire, it's...
like.
The man, who had been troubled by this for days, seemed to have a sudden realization. His drooping eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up at his father.
The father and son met eyes.
Wen Qiyan's eyes were deep and unfathomable, but his father could see that he seemed to have broken free from romantic feelings and was no longer struggling with them so painfully.
Was it thanks to his earnest and patient persuasion that the clouds finally parted and the sun shone through?
That's right. His son has never needed much explanation; he understands things immediately.
Thinking of this, Mr. Wen felt somewhat gratified.
"As your father, I've said this much, and I've been making excuses for you before the Emperor for so long. We really can't delay any longer, you—"
Before Wen's father could finish speaking, Wen Qiyan interrupted him, his voice no longer carrying the anger of before, but returning to its usual indifference, "Father, what do you think is right and what is wrong?"
After listening, Wen's father did not quite understand the meaning behind his words.
"What did you say?"
"Is obeying the emperor's will right and disobeying the emperor's will wrong? Is the emperor always right?"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wen frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Wen Qiyan shifted his gaze, walked to the desk beside him, sat down, and looked out the window at the flowers and leaves swaying in the wind.
He thought of a sentence.
A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind.
"Qi Yan, if you feel that it is inappropriate for your father to let your younger brother get close to Ji Wanyuan, I will give you three more days to sort out your thoughts. Whether or not this matter can still be done is up to us. Our Wen family can wait, but His Majesty cannot."
"At that time, even if I don't make a decision, His Majesty will."
“Father.” Wen Qiyan’s gaze shifted over. “Some time ago, I returned to the Censorate to deal with the old cases that my subordinates had dug up. I saw some cases that had been handled improperly.”
"What case?" Mr. Wen sensed something was off about his calm demeanor, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Tell me about it."
"The Chentang Salt Tax Case, the Guanchuan Crossing the River Case, the Yangzhou Beauty Case—Father, as the Imperial Censor, have you ever seen these case files?"
These three cases are all old cases from many years ago. Now that Wen Qiyan has mentioned them, Wen's father still has some recollection of them, all because they involve the current emperor.
The Chentang Salt Tax Case was handled by the Second Prince before he ascended the throne. Because the salt smugglers were from his maternal clan, the case was not handled fairly. Ultimately, he let them off the hook out of consideration for personal relationships. What's the point of bringing it up again later? The Second Prince is now the new emperor.
The Guanchuan Crossing the River Case refers to the case of Guanchuan soldiers who fell seriously ill while crossing the cold river in winter during their attack on Panman. The imperial court distributed grain and medicine, but the imperial envoy in charge of the transportation embezzled funds and treated those with power and influence first, delaying medical treatment and causing many deaths.
He should have been severely punished, but because the imperial envoy was the brother of the emperor's favorite concubine, and the concubine was found to be pregnant, he was ultimately let off lightly.
Not to mention the Yangzhou Beauty Case, where beauties repeatedly disappeared, leaving their families searching in vain. Later, they were found to have appeared in the capital. Some entered brothels, some entered the imperial harem, and some died on the way to the capital. Out of consideration for the imperial family's reputation, they were eventually given some money to get rid of them.
"Qi Yan, no matter what your intentions are in bringing up these cases, His Majesty is not to be disobeyed. His Majesty is a human being, not a god. He is a human being and has selfish desires. But as long as he does not go too far, we, as his subjects, cannot overstep our bounds. Do not let your desires lead you astray and ruin yourself."
"Father is overthinking it; I've just figured it out."
Mr. Wen still had some doubts, "Have you really figured it out?"
"Yes, I must thank Father for helping me understand." He chuckled and looked at Father Wen. "So it doesn't take three days. You should have your younger brother stay away from Ji Wanyuan."
Wen's father hadn't agreed yet; he was observing Wen Qiyan's expression.
Wen Qiyan noticed this, lowered his head to flip through the books, and said calmly to his father, "It's enough for me to get involved; Brother Qin doesn't need to get involved."
"Do you have ulterior motives for not involving your brother?" Father Wen asked, squinting his eyes.
Wen Qiyan looked up and greeted him, "Yes."
"Didn't Father just say that everyone has selfish desires?"
"What are your selfish motives?" Wen's father asked again.
“The matter was not resolved. My son and Ji Wanyuan are still not divorced. My brother Qin and Ji Wanyuan are too close. The people below will not speak well of us. My son does not want to be criticized.”
That's true. After all, the younger brother and sister-in-law are too close, so their words won't be pleasant. Father Wen also admitted that he was desperate and acted too hastily.
"Besides, the son was also thinking of the Wen family."
"Oh?" Father Wen urged him to continue.
"Father, do you even consider where Brother Qin is now? Brother Qin is in charge of the Imperial Guards. Father and son sit together in the Censorate. Civil and military officials are all in one family. If His Majesty is wary of the Ji family, why wouldn't he be wary of our Wen family?"
"Don't blame your son for speaking harshly. Father only wants to obey His Majesty's wishes and be an upright and loyal minister, but he should also learn to protect himself wisely."
At this point, Wen Qiyan changed the subject again, "Moreover, Brother Qin is not yet married. If he were to become lustful towards Ji Wanyuan like a son when he gets close to her, is Father confident that he can bring him back?"
"Don't forget, Brother Qin was very close to Ji Wanyuan back then."
Wen's father thought about it more deeply after hearing Wen Qiyan's words, and it was indeed true.
“Your analysis is reasonable. Was it that your father took an unorthodox approach? I overlooked it.”
"Hmm." Wen Qiyan said calmly, "In my opinion, firstly, to dispel His Majesty's concerns, and secondly, for the sake of our Wen family's reputation, you should ask Mother to choose a suitable noble lady from a prominent family for Brother Qin as soon as possible so that he can get married."
"Your mother thinks the Lin family—"
“The Lin family is not suitable.” Wen Qiyan protested directly. “The Lin family is a Hanlin family. Although their civil officials cannot compare with Prime Minister Ji, they are still outstanding. Father, you should choose a family with a lower social standing for Brother Qin, one that is not too outstanding.”
Father Wen nodded repeatedly, "You, as the elder brother, are the most thoughtful."
"If possible, it would be better if it were farther away."
Mr. Wen asked in confusion, "Further away?"
"But your brother has just been appointed commander of the Imperial Guard. If he goes further afield, won't he have to leave the capital again? What should we do?"
Wen Qiyan said seriously, "Father, think about how old Qin Di is? Even if he has made some achievements in the past few years, he is still a greenhorn. As soon as he returned, His Majesty directly appointed him as the leader of the Imperial Guard, giving him real power."
"Didn't you ever consider that His Majesty might be testing our Wen family?"
"You should have your mother choose a noble lady from a distant family, preferably one outside the capital. This way, you can also take the opportunity to show His Majesty that our Wen family has no intention of disloyalty."
When he said these words, Wen Qiyan's face remained calm. Not only did his father not suspect anything, but he also praised him repeatedly, "You are very thoughtful. I will talk to your mother about it tomorrow."
"Now that you've thought it through, I don't need to give you any more instructions regarding Ji Wanyuan, do I?"
"Father, rest assured." Wen Qiyan withdrew his gaze and looked down at the dossier. "Your son knows what he's doing."
"Yes, get this done as soon as possible."
"Although we haven't found out where the Youzhou mining site is, since the Ji family has already sent Ji Lingyue out to mine, we'll be able to catch them red-handed."
Wen Qiyan replied calmly, "Mm."
"..."
Ji Wanyuan woke up in the middle of the night, because she was hungry.
She groped around and touched something hard, solid, and warm. Startled, she gasped and snapped back to reality, shrinking back inside.
The man beside her quietly felt her fluctuating breathing and sat up.
The dim candlelight cast the man's tall figure onto the curtain.
The other party's handsome profile came into her view.
Ji Wanyuan gradually came to her senses and finally realized where she was and who the person next to her was.
Isn't this her husband who hasn't been home in a long time?
After almost a month apart, she found herself feeling somewhat unfamiliar and awkward.
When did he get back?
Ji Wanyuan's mind started working.
Her first thought was, could it be that she had spoken ill of Wen Yunqin today, and the meddlesome servants of the Wen family had gossiped about it and spread it to Wen Qiyan?
Did he come back and argue with her?
Or, how about a divorce?
She was getting excited, but Wen Qiyan still didn't react.
The two stared at each other for a long time in the darkness, and Ji Wanyuan did not make any move to alert the other party.
She didn't intend to ask him anything and planned to walk around to get off the bed.
She thought he would stop her, but to her surprise, Wen Qiyan didn't stop her. He even made way for her and helped her lift the blankets.
"?"
Has his personality changed in just a few days?
Confused, Ji Wanyuan stopped and glanced in this direction.
The man looked at her, his eyes calm, without the ferocity he usually displayed.
He looked at her without saying a word.
Ji Wanyuan thought for a moment, but still remained silent.
A long time passed, until Ji Wanyuan finished washing up and was having a late-night snack.
He had just asked, "Didn't you have dinner today?" His voice was still somewhat gentle.
Ji Wanyuan slowed down her eating pace, not quite used to it at first, and after a long while, she stammered, "...Mmm."
Wen Qiyan suddenly spoke to her in a very gentle manner, making it difficult for her to throw a tantrum.
Then he stopped talking, sat beside her watching her eat, and occasionally added food to her plate.
Ji Wanyuan was both flattered and terrified. Had he hit his head? Otherwise, why would he have changed his personality and be plotting something bad?
After the meal, she realized there was nothing to worry about. It must be because of the imperial decree that Wen Qiyan had no choice but to come and bow his head to her.
He really is a "real man"! Even after she said those things and slapped him in the face, he still came to her to smooth things over. This is not the Wen Qiyan she used to know.
The situation had escalated to a point where she thought Wen Qiyan would remain in a stalemate with her until they divorced.
It seems she was overthinking it.
After having a late-night snack, Ji Wanyuan wanted to go for a walk outside, but the wind picked up and it started to rain, so she had to give up.
During this time, Wen Qiyan was processing case files in his study.
She could only walk around the inner room a few times, she was really tired, and it was late at night, so she could only wash up and go to bed to rest.
Not long after Ji Wanyuan got into bed, Wen Qiyan also came over after taking a bath.
After going through all that, the two of them lay back down on the bed.
Feeling the presence of the man beside her, Ji Wanyuan really didn't know what to say.
After thinking it over and over, her mind started churning out some mischievous ideas again.
Last time, she and Wen Yunqin only exchanged a few words in the flower hall, and what she said wasn't particularly harsh, yet Wen Qiyan got so angry.
Whether he knows about today's events or not, she might as well use this opportunity to test him, and incidentally provoke him again, make him explode, and start arguing with her. As long as they argue, maybe a divorce is on the horizon. Let's make a big scene first.
Then, Ji Wanyuan spoke up.
She first coughed lightly, without beating around the bush.
“Today, when I returned home, I ran into my uncle under the covered walkway. He called me over and gave me some pastries and silk.”
"He said he bought it on purpose." Even if nothing happened, she would make it sound like something was wrong.
The purpose was to provoke Wen Qiyan.
Before speaking, she thought it over carefully. Wen Qiyan and Wen Yunqin were at odds, and it would be good if the Wen family got into a mess. It would definitely be beneficial to her Ji family!
Unexpectedly, it was like punching cotton.
The man next to her hummed softly, "He's quite filial to you, his sister-in-law. I'm glad I didn't spoil him for nothing."
Ji Wanyuan, “?”
She was so shocked that she sat up abruptly. "What did you say?!"
Seeing her sit up, looking surprised and with her eyes wide open in confusion, like a frightened kitten, was inexplicably cute.
After a moment of eye contact, Ji Wanyuan snapped out of her daze, realizing her reaction had been too much, and coughed again, "I...I just..."
She really couldn't find anything to say to make up for it, but Wen Qiyan sat up and leaned closer to look at her.
The man's gaze wasn't deliberately threatening; it was clearly peaceful and serene, yet it made her inexplicably nervous.
As they drew closer, sensing Wen Qiyan's presence, before Ji Wanyuan could retreat, he asked, "What pastries did Brother Qin bring you?"
Ji Wanyuan replied blankly, "Lu Bao Zhai's Flowing Cloud Fragrant Mud Pastry."
"Is it good?" he asked again.
You still care about that, right?
Not wanting to be outdone by him, Ji Wanyuan added fuel to the fire, "My uncle bought it especially for me, so of course it's delicious."
"Oh?" The man's tone rose slightly.
"Let me try it and see how delicious it is."
Just as Ji Wanyuan was about to ask what she wanted to try, she had already finished the pastries, but unexpectedly the man leaned down and kissed her.
His lips probed into her mouth and sucked, and in that instant, Ji Wanyuan's pupils widened even further.
By the time she tried to struggle and resist, the man had already retreated.
A faint smile played on his thin lips. "It really is delicious."
Ji Wanyuan, “…”
He was asking if the pastries were delicious?! Did he think she was stupid and couldn't understand? He was clearly flirting with her!
She was very angry and instinctively raised her hand to hit him.
But the man easily grabbed her wrist.
Ji Wanyuan struggled but couldn't break free. Just as she was about to say let go, the man said, "I don't want to make a scene with you."
Then, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, even bringing his cheek into her palm and rubbing it slightly.
Ji Wanyuan felt a tingling sensation in her palm.
Before she could pull her hand back, the man looked up and called to her.
"Ji Wanyuan".
After a pause, he continued, "I've missed you a bit these past few days since we last met."
Do you miss me at home?
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Author's Note: Here it comes! [rainbow fart] My overtime work has temporarily ended these past two days, and I'll start updating with 10,000 words tomorrow. Thank you all for the "nutrient solution" you've given me! It's almost at 6,000 words! [milk tea][milk tea][milk tea] I'm so excited and happy! [sprinkling flowers][sprinkling flowers]
My feet were blistered from working overtime and running around, but I didn't feel any pain at all! [laughing and crying emoji] Maybe I was just too happy [laughing and crying emoji] Hahahaha (smirking emoji)
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