Chapter 71. In his heart, she was the most important person, number one...
"I...I just asked you to kiss me, I didn't call you anything else."
She snorted, sensing his interest, and released one hand from his neck, poking his chest with her rosy nail polish, not allowing him to cross the line.
They specifically mentioned that kissing was allowed, but no sex was permitted.
He looked at her and smiled, but when he opened his mouth, he coldly said, "Get out." He seemed completely unmoved by her beauty.
Ji Wanyuan was stunned. She blinked for a while, and her charming eyes drooped down, forming a rounded arc, making her look somewhat innocent and pure.
With a tone that still begged for a kiss, she asked, "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
"Who wants to kiss you?" The aloof and handsome man looked at the beautiful woman with fair skin and delicate bones in front of him and said that to her.
"You just kissed me." He clearly wanted to kiss her, but he was just pretending.
She's already been kissed by him, what more does she want?
"Is that so?" The man smiled enigmatically. "Miss Ji, do you have any evidence?"
Ji Wanyuan, “…”
Is he trying to make her take the initiative?
Ji Wanyuan pouted and decided not to waste any more words with him. She prepared to lean in and kiss him to defuse the inexplicable conflict between them, but to her surprise, the man dodged her.
He dodged it?!
Her lips narrowly brushed against the man's chin.
She's so jealous, she even dodges his kisses!
When Ji Wanyuan got angry, she imitated his usual manner, pinching the man's cheek with her fair and tender tiger's mouth, straightening her waist, and lowering her head to cover it.
If someone were to lift the carriage curtain at this moment, they would see a burly man with a beautiful young woman nearly six months pregnant sitting in his lap. She is holding his shoulder with one hand and pinching his face with the other, doing the domineering thing of forcing herself on him.
Ji Wanyuan is still not very good at being affectionate, even though she has kissed Wen Qiyan many times.
So when they kissed, she stuck out her tongue, but the man's jaw was clenched, and she met with a rebuff.
She simply lingered on his thin lips, mimicking how he used to kiss her, sucking and gently biting them.
It must be said that although Ji Wanyuan's movements were clumsy, her rare initiative still stirred up ripples in his heart. The man's eyes gradually darkened, and the large hand supporting her waist was tightening.
Ji Wanyuan had been kissing him outside for a long time and gradually found some tricks. Just as she was about to kiss the man's thin lips inside, he suddenly bit her tongue.
Caught off guard by the sudden pain, she quickly pulled away, covering her mouth and letting out a soft, trembling sob, her eyes glaring at him with tears in them.
The man lowered his eyes, his gaze cold and aloof, and Ji Wanyuan instantly stopped acting rashly.
He was clearly attracted to her, yet he was still able to resist her kiss.
This puzzled Ji Wanyuan. After the pain subsided, she looked at him with a resentful expression.
Wen Qiyan let her look around without arguing with her. He lifted her off his lap and placed her on the other side, straightened her skirt, and picked up the books and letters on the ground. He was like an old monk in deep meditation, detached from worldly affairs.
Ji Wanyuan sat next to him, and even if she wanted to find fault, she couldn't, because she was just holding her breath.
During this time, she glared at Wen Qiyan several times, but he ignored her completely.
Seeing this, Ji Wanyuan became even more furious.
Even if you're angry, you still need to eat when you're hungry.
She crouched down, took a food drawer from the side, opened it, and placed it on the small table. Without asking Wen Qiyan, she started eating. It was all her favorite food, and it was still warm.
After the meal, her anger subsided somewhat.
Just as she was about to tidy up, the man next to her started to do something.
He put the book aside, his long, slender fingers cleaning up her leftovers.
Ji Wanyuan stared at his expressionless, handsome face.
He was still jealous, but he continued to take care of her.
Well, her anger subsided a bit, so she didn't resist when Wen Qiyan helped her rinse her mouth, wipe her hands, and clean her mouth.
There was an eerie silence between the two, and it was unclear who was competing with whom.
Indeed, just as Wen Qiyan had said, the next few days were spent in the carriage.
They would dismount and camp briefly at night, but it was always late at night. Moreover, after passing Qingzhou, the counties they passed through were really cold, so Ji Wanyuan didn't need to disguise herself too meticulously.
She followed Wen Qiyan, her dusty cloak covering her face. She didn't need to say much, as his attendant Qinghe did most of the work, and no one paid much attention to her. In public, He Xun and Wen Yunqin also focused on putting on an act and didn't get close to her.
Having just boarded the carriage today, and about to continue her journey, Ji Wanyuan, unfamiliar with the direction and route, decided to put aside past grievances and was about to ask Wen Qiyan how much longer it would take to reach Youzhou.
But just as she was about to speak, he suddenly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away.
Ji Wanyuan's eyes widened in fright. Before she could see clearly, he had already covered her head with the soft blanket he had pulled over and huddled in the corner.
Just as she was about to get up, the man said, "Don't move."
Upon hearing the sounds of fighting, Ji Wanyuan dared not watch any longer and hid away in fear.
Another assassination attempt has occurred.
Wasn't this arranged by Wen Qiyan? Why is he going to take action too?
Even though there were many people around, Ji Wanyuan was still terrified. She clutched the soft blanket tightly and huddled inside it like a little quail.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the sounds of fighting seemed to stop. She was so suffocated that she was about to faint. When someone pulled back the soft blanket, she was so frightened that she tried to scream, but a hot and slender hand covered her mouth.
Wen Qiyan is back.
Ji Wanyuan's face was covered in sweat. The simple disguise couldn't hide her beautiful eyes. Her eyelashes were long and thick, and when they trembled, they revealed the fragility of a young girl.
“It’s alright…” He patted her head.
Despite saying she was fine, Ji Wanyuan could smell blood.
"you--"
She looked at him, incredulous, and asked, "Are you injured?"
"Hmm." Seeing the panicked and worried look on her face, Wen Qiyan swallowed the words "bitter trick" that were on the tip of his tongue.
His tone was low and somewhat serious, "The other side is strong, we can't beat them."
Even though she was extremely panicked, Ji Wanyuan's mind still worked. She wondered, "Wait... isn't he one of yours?"
She hadn't forgotten what Wen Qiyan had told her before: that someone would attempt an assassination, and that it was his doing.
The woman lowered her head slightly, her warm breath wafting over him. Looking down, she appeared small and nestled in front of him.
“There are other people too,” the man said without batting an eye.
Ji Wanyuan paused for a moment before remembering the second half of what he had said earlier.
He said that there had been assassination attempts along the way, and he was just going with the flow to eliminate the people sent by the emperor.
“But you…” Ji Wanyuan was very worried.
"I'm fine."
Before long, Qinghe, the attendant, came up.
He needed to treat Wen Qiyan's injuries.
But Wen Qiyan asked him to go down and help He Xun and Wen Yunqin deal with the mess.
With Ji Wanyuan there, Qinghe indeed left without lingering.
Wen Qiyan did not ask for her help, and treated his injuries himself.
Ji Wanyuan saw him frowning, silently pursing his lips, pulling open his clothes to reveal the wound, and the clearly defined abdominal muscles next to it were faintly visible, looking strangely sensual, yet also... shocking.
Ji Wanyuan had never seen such a serious injury before. In the past, she would groan even if her finger was slightly scraped. The most serious injury came from when she had sex with Wen Qiyan. He always liked to leave many marks on her body.
But those were all "injuries" caused by the clash of love and affection, how could they compare to what's in front of me?
It wasn't just that the skin was broken and bleeding; the flesh was even turned inside out, which frightened and worried her.
Wen Qiyan treated his own injuries very roughly, unlike the meticulous care he showed her. He simply wiped away the blood, poured on some wound medicine, and that was it...?
Ji Wanyuan quickly said, "You haven't been bandaged yet."
"It's nothing." He took his outer garment from the side and was about to put it on.
She quickly pressed it down, looking up at him, "How can this be?"
If things continue like this, what if the injury worsens and something serious happens?
"Are you afraid something will happen to me?" he asked, looking at her.
"I... of course I'm scared."
If something happens to Wen Qiyan, wouldn't she lose her support? Although He Xun is considered part of their family and Wen Yunqin is her friend, Wen Yunqin's allegiance is unclear; he was sent by the emperor to keep an eye on him!
But on a deeper level, it was probably because she and Wen Qiyan had been intimate countless times, and he had taken care of her in every way for so long. She didn't want to admit it, but she had to admit that she had indeed developed a certain dependence on him.
"If you die, I won't be able to get away with it cleanly either."
She muttered something defiantly, only to be met with a sneer from the man.
Ji Wanyuan took the medicine box next to her and reapplied the medicine to him. It was her first time doing something like this, so she was not very good at it. Her movements were careful, light and gentle, as if she were rubbing an itch.
That's true, it made him uncomfortable. "Ji Wanyuan, if you keep dawdling, people will find out about you once we finish dealing with things outside."
He scared her.
In her haste, she tried to increase her strength but accidentally pressed her hand too hard on him. This time, Wen Qiyan was really in pain. He gasped and hissed.
Ji Wanyuan looked up at him in fright, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."
After saying that, she lowered her head and leaned closer, mimicking how her mother and Emerald used to comfort her, and blew on the man's injuries.
The woman's full lips were right under his eyelids, her cheeks puffed out as she blew air into him, the cool breeze carrying the pain with it.
Wen Qiyan couldn't quite describe the feeling; it was both painful and somewhat pleasurable.
If she gets angry, she might press down harder, but that's not impossible.
Wen Qiyan squeezed her wrist, "You can press harder."
"But I pressed you so hard just now." The little head in front of me said in a muffled voice.
“You misheard me,” he denied immediately.
"And the way you're treating it so gently makes me feel even worse."
Wen Qiyan gripped her wrist, guiding her hand to wipe away the bloodstains from the edges of his hand. He taught her the appropriate amount of pressure.
Ji Wanyuan shrank back, but couldn't really back down. She could only keep adapting to the man's strength and help him wipe.
Gradually, she got the hang of it, but he didn't let go of her wrist. He kept holding her hand until the bandage was finished, and only then did Wen Qiyan let go.
Seeing this, Ji Wanyuan breathed a sigh of relief and looked up, only to be met with the man's deep eyes. She was momentarily stunned.
"..."
The carriage stopped in front of a village. Ji Wanyuan didn't know where it was, but the people next to her must have made arrangements for them to stay there temporarily.
The villagers saw that the group of people had guards and were dressed in fine clothes. They accepted the money but didn't dare to ask any questions. They tidied up a place for everyone to stay.
Ji Wanyuan served Wen Qiyan, so naturally they shared a room.
She poured him tea and listened to their discussion.
Wen Yunqin glanced at her almost imperceptibly, but spoke to Wen Qiyan, "It's truly a rare sight to see my brother injured."
“What are you saying, little brother? Since we are just mortals, of course we can get hurt.”
"If this gets back to my sister-in-law in the capital, she will surely be heartbroken."
Ji Wanyuan, “…” Can we please stop mentioning her?
These people start arguing as soon as they meet; it's so annoying and childish.
He Xun coughed lightly, interrupting the turbulent undercurrents, and interjected, "Since the Grand Chancellor is injured, it is naturally not advisable to travel with his injuries. We will rest here for the next two days and reorganize our troops."
"Based on the terrain, we should be in Hedong County right now. If we travel a little further and take the route through Yizhou, we can reach Youzhou."
Ji Wanyuan looked at the map He Xun was pointing to and sensed something was off about his tone, but she remained silent.
After a quick dinner, she returned to her room. It was quiet all around. Before she could even open her mouth, Wen Qiyan noticed her hesitation and asked her what she wanted to say.
"You...you noticed?" She hadn't shown it at all, had she?
He repeated gently, "What do you want to ask?"
"I just feel like we've been wasting time on the road all the time?"
Although she had always been raised in the capital, she was not the kind of well-behaved young lady. She had seen these topographical maps and even planned to travel outside the capital, calculating where to go and how many days to spend. She had carefully considered all these things.
But looking at that map today, and recalling the time it was created, it seems like... it's been a long time.
Especially when He Xun said that Wen Qiyan was injured and needed to recuperate, and that his injuries were bandaged up, it wouldn't be a problem to take the official road and ride in a carriage, she felt that it was as if he was doing it on purpose, deliberately wasting time on the road.
"Is it my brother's side...?"
She wasn't sure how to talk about the situation in Youzhou because she knew nothing about it and had no way of getting involved.
"Yes, mining operations in Youzhou are nearing completion. The delay on the road is also intended to mislead the emperor."
Not only must they confuse the emperor, but Ji Lingyue must also be wary.
In fact, when he left the capital, he and Prime Minister Ji's men split into two groups and had already arrived in Youzhou.
The question now is to see how far Ji Lingyue's interactions with the Wuhuan people have progressed.
Their delay on the road is merely to attract attention.
What about the emperor's men? One group openly followed them, while another group secretly went, but they were all wiped out by the men he sent out.
Wen Qiyan did not tell Ji Wanyuan about these things.
Although he explained most of it, she still didn't quite understand and was confused.
"Is war about to break out?" Ji Wanyuan asked nervously.
"It's not the right time yet."
But that's about it. All sides are building up their strength and are eager to make a move. If war breaks out, it will be a contest between several forces.
Thinking of this, his expression became somewhat solemn.
"Some time ago, I considered sending you to a quiet place to recuperate."
Upon hearing Wen Qiyan say he was going to send her away, Ji Wanyuan was immediately terrified. "I...I'm not leaving!"
"If you're going to send me away, I'd rather go back to the capital, back to the Ji family!"
She's a stranger in this place, how could he send her away?
Seeing her resistance, he continued, "But I'm also afraid something might happen to you, so I'll keep you with me."
He looked at her and pinched her puffed-up cheeks. "Are you angry?"
Ji Wanyuan remained silent, turning her face to the other side as she listened to the man speak.
They didn't say they were angry, but the way they looked made it clear they were.
He looked at her profile, lifted her chin, and turned her around. "I told you, I would protect you."
"So no matter what happens, your safety will always be my top priority."
"The difficult childbirth in your dream won't happen, I assure you."
Ji Wanyuan met the man's gaze and felt a little nervous under his stare. She couldn't help but purse her lips. She subconsciously wanted to look away, but felt that would be too cowardly, so she put on the spoiled and arrogant air of a young lady.
"Then you must protect me, otherwise... otherwise I will become a vengeful ghost and never let you go!"
"Really?" he asked with a smile.
Ji Wanyuan snorted but didn't reply with an "um".
"..."
The capital has been in turmoil these past two days, and even Madam Wen, who lives in the inner quarters, has noticed something amiss and heard some rumors.
The maids and servants below were also whispering among themselves, saying that His Majesty had not only begun to drill the troops, but had even issued an imperial edict to conscript able-bodied men into the army. This was not a big deal, but the conscription was not being compensated with silver and rice as in previous years.
Without money and food, the men naturally wouldn't want to go. Moreover, the emperor had increased taxes. If the able-bodied men in the common people's families left, wouldn't only their wives, children, and elderly mothers be left behind? Without help, they wouldn't be able to pay their taxes.
So everyone was talking about it, and some people even started to cause trouble, but it was suppressed before it even started, right under the emperor's nose.
Madam Wen was drinking her medicine when Madam Lin looked at her with concern, "Why isn't your illness getting better?"
"Did you take the medicine prescribed by the doctor I found for you?"
Logically speaking, after taking that medicine, she should have recovered in a few days, since the doctor said that Madam Wen's illness was not serious.
Lady Wen has been taking the medicine for so long, but she is still not getting better. What went wrong?
Madam Wen's illness is not getting better, so there is no way to use her to entangle with the Ji family, which is very worrying for Madam Lin.
"I don't know what's wrong with me either," Mrs. Wen said, adding that she had been taking her medicine all along.
Madam Lin has begun to suspect that Madam Wen is faking her illness. Could it be that she has sensed the Lin family's intentions and is therefore putting on this sickly act?
Seeing that Madam Lin was genuinely worried, Madam Wen even went out of her way to get the dregs of the medicine, saying that she should see them, "I naturally appreciate your concern for me, why would I lie to you?"
Madam Lin brought a doctor with her today. She originally wanted to wait until Madam Wen had taken her medicine before finding an excuse to examine Madam Wen and find out what was wrong with her illness.
Unexpectedly, Madam Wen sent someone to fetch the dregs from today's medicine pot. Madam Lin did not refuse and directly led the doctor in, saying that she did not know anything about it and asked the doctor to examine her and take her pulse.
Thinking it was a kind gesture, Madam Wen did not refuse.
Unexpectedly, the doctor examined the medicine and said it was not working properly.
Madam Wen frowned. "What's wrong?"
She's been taking medicine for the past two days, and it tastes exactly the same. What's wrong with it?
"May I ask, Madam, has this medicine been switched? This is not the prescription I gave you before."
He picked out a few herbs, saying he had never prescribed them before, and even showed the prescription to Madam Wen.
Madam Wen's expression turned serious, and she sent someone to fetch the remaining medicine.
But this undecocted medicine packet is the same prescription as the doctor's.
The doctor was very clever. He suggested that someone immediately prepare the medicine he had prescribed in front of the two ladies, and then ask Madam Wen to taste the medicine to see if it tasted the same.
Madam Wen's expression changed upon tasting it.
Someone actually dared to tamper with her medicine! Who could it be?!
Are they trying to harm her, to kill her?!
Madam Lin's eyes darted around, and she deliberately said, "Everyone in this household is one family. Could it be that the servants made a mistake? Did they accidentally add a few ingredients?"
If it really was just a few added herbs, how come the previous herbs all tasted the same?
This argument is completely illogical.
They are all family, the entire Wen family, except for... Ji Wanyuan.
She was the only one who wasn't.
But she has been away from the Wen family for some time now. Could it be that she changed her medicine and ran away in order to clear herself of any wrongdoing?
Madam Wen thought to herself, echoing Madam Lin's words.
Even though Madam Lin's explanation was unconvincing, Madam Wen, for the sake of saving face, gave the old woman beside her a meaningful look.
The other person picked up the conversation immediately and said that it should be like that.
She also said she would go and ask her later, and that the little maid who was decocting the medicine was so careless that she really deserved to be beaten.
Afterwards, Madam Lin wisely didn't linger. She offered a few words of comfort to Madam Wen and left with her entourage, waiting to see how this matter would escalate in the Wen family in a few days before adding fuel to the fire.
Madam Wen immediately sent someone to find her father and bring him home.
He summoned Wen Qingling and called over all the maids who served the household to interrogate them, but even after questioning them, he still couldn't figure out what was going on.
Wen Qingling had just gone to the accounting office and, although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she had learned what had happened.
She comforted Madam Wen, telling her to calm down, "Father will be back soon."
As they were talking, Mr. Wen arrived.
Wen Qingling quickly stood up, "Father, Mother, she..."
Mr. Wen raised his hand to stop her from continuing, "I already know about this matter."
Wen Qingling wondered if Ji Wanyuan was behind it, but remembering Wen Qiyan's warning, she didn't dare to mention her name rashly.
"With the master gone, my life is in danger!"
Father Wen ordered the servants not to speak out of turn or discuss the matter. He then dismissed everyone and told Madam Wen that the matter was a misunderstanding.
"What misunderstanding?" Madam Wen asked.
"I have already summoned the imperial physician to examine you. I will give you an explanation regarding this matter, Madam. Don't worry, everything will be alright."
Despite saying that, Madam Wen was still worried and looked solemn.
Wen's father coaxed her for a long time, leaving Wen Qingling to watch over her, before leaving to go to the South Study.
There were already people waiting over there.
Upon seeing this bodyguard, Wen's father's face turned cold. Although he already knew the answer in his heart, he still questioned, "Who told you to do this?"
The guard bowed and told him the truth.
"I have been entrusted by the eldest son to delay the lady's illness, and I dare not make any mistakes."
Mr. Wen chuckled, "He's really bewitched by a woman now, he's even trying to harm his own mother?!"
Faced with Wen's father's questioning, the bodyguard remained composed and answered accordingly.
"This medicine is not toxic, but it will slow down the recovery of your wife's illness."
If Madam Wen hadn't suddenly ordered someone to take the dregs of the medicine that was being decocted, catching everyone off guard, she wouldn't have been exposed at all. But the eldest son also instructed that if she was exposed, she should tell the truth without any politeness.
"This is his own mother!" Father Wen slammed his fist on the table and scolded.
The guard retorted firmly, "The young master instructed that Miss Ji is carrying your own grandson, sir."
Father Wen, "..."
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Author's note: Here I am! [rainbow fart] Let's go over the plot chapters. There will be an extra chapter during the National Day holiday.
There are 50 lucky draw red envelopes randomly dropping in this chapter!
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