Chapter 77. He dreamt that Ji Wanyuan died in childbirth. ...
In his dream, he was also in Youzhou, riding a horse with a group of followers.
But the scene in the dream was not quite the same as what was happening in front of me.
The mining industry in Yuyang County was not yet fully exploited; when he took over, it had only just begun.
Moreover, the governor of Youzhou was not the one in front of me, Ji Lingyue was not in Youzhou, and Wen Yunqin and He Xun were not there either. The time in the dream seemed to be when the Ji family's rebellion failed and their foundation was about to collapse.
In my dream, he looked somewhat unfamiliar.
Wen Qiyan drifted around the dream, observing everything, not quite understanding why the dream was like this.
He saw himself in his dream arrive at Yuyang County, between You and Yi provinces, and take over the mining operations in You province, handling matters in an orderly manner.
This strange version of myself felt like I was living many years ago, as if I hadn't fallen for Ji Wanyuan, hadn't gotten entangled with her, and was aloof and unapproachable.
But that's only how it appears, because when he heard Ji Wanyuan's name in his dream, his heart was stirred. The detached version of himself and the version in his dream shared the same feelings.
His subordinates said, "Everything is peaceful in the capital. The empty treasury is being replenished by gradually eroding the Ji family's wealth. Prime Minister Ji, Madam Ji, and many members of the Ji family's collateral branches have been imprisoned and are awaiting your judgment."
"And her?" No name was mentioned, but the subordinate knew very well who Wen Qiyan was referring to.
“The young mistress has been resting in the inner quarters during her pregnancy and has not gone out. As you said, news has been kept out of reach, so she cannot know much about what is happening outside, but…”
"But what?" In his dream, he heard his subordinate hesitate, and immediately stopped, raising his eyes to stare intently at the other person.
Although he frowned in displeasure, he was actually worried, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart, which he felt as he drifted away from the world and dreamt of it all.
The subordinate continued, "Although the young mistress has not known for certain what happened to the Ji family, she seems to have sensed it. In addition, she has not been able to see you for a long time, so she has been quiet and reserved these days, looking worried and very sleepy."
It's hard to imagine that Ji Wanyuan looked so depressed.
She kept chattering away, as if she had endless things to say.
"Is she about to give birth?" I asked myself in my dream.
The subordinate said, "The imperial physician predicts that the young mistress will give birth in about a month."
Although the matters in Youzhou were complicated, he needed to resolve them within half a month, return to the capital to be with her, and give her an explanation.
It was supposed to be an explanation, but...
Thinking of her tearful face, he twitched his brow as he sat at his desk, a look of conflicted pain flashing across his face, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
He, as an observer, saw it all very clearly.
"Yes." The subordinate acknowledged the order and left.
He paused for a long time before continuing to organize his official duties, at a faster pace than before.
The scenes in my dream flashed by several times, and the development of events was very different from reality.
It's just like... Ji Wanyuan's dream.
Yes, just like what she told him about the things that happened in her dream after her nightmare.
She said that in her dream, when she was giving birth, he was sent away by the emperor to handle matters in Youzhou. During this time, she gave birth prematurely and was murdered.
Why would he dream of Ji Wanyuan's dream, and why would everything in the dream feel so real?
Having learned of the subsequent developments from Ji Wanyuan, Wen Qiyan was somewhat anxious. He even tried to "enter" his own body in his dream, hoping to control the husk within. He abandoned the mining operations in Youzhou and stopped helping the emperor settle accounts with the Ji family. He wanted to return to the capital because she was about to give birth.
Ji Wanyuan said she would die on the night of childbirth, and even though Wen Qiyan knew it was just a dream, he didn't want that to happen.
But his attempts to "break in" were futile. He was like someone who was isolated, unable to control his body and could only watch helplessly as everything happened.
Watching my cold, impersonal self in my dream rapidly dealing with matters in Youzhou, I realized how incredibly foolish I was.
Floating outside of the dream, Wen Qiyan desperately wanted to tear it apart, but he couldn't, and he couldn't even wake himself up.
Even when I make a sound in my dream, no one responds. This suffocating feeling is like drowning.
If he dies on his own, that's one thing, but what about Ji Wanyuan?
He was very worried about her.
He was away, something happened to the Ji family, she was about to give birth, and she was imprisoned in the inner quarters of the Wen family, which she disliked. She was terrified, she must have been terrified.
How could he just leave her there?
He wanted to go back, he even wanted to go back by himself, but he couldn't.
He was unable to leave Youzhou because the dream was beyond his control.
He watched as his message was intercepted by his father, who was far away in the capital, while he remained in Youzhou, completely unaware of the situation.
For the first time, he even hated himself and wanted to kill himself to stop everything from happening.
But it was no use; he was powerless as he watched everything approach.
Half a month later, on the date that Ji Wanyuan had told him, she gave birth.
In my dream, it rained heavily that day, with howling winds and thunder.
In his dream, he had just finished dealing with affairs in Youzhou and was standing by the window watching the rain sweeping through the backyard as if it would tear everything apart.
She wondered what the weather was like in the capital. If the weather was just as bad, she would be terrified and might even snuggle into his arms, begging him to hold her, comfort her, and bring them closer together.
In his dream, he thought of this matter. Drifting apart from it, he also recalled the scene in a daze, seeing his thin lips slightly raised because he thought of Ji Wanyuan.
But soon, a thought flashed through his mind, his smile disappeared, and the image that appeared in his mind was of him arguing with Ji Wanyuan.
As if she had received some news, she ran to the study to question him. The little maid behind her chased after her, telling her to be careful, but she didn't listen. She ran so fast that her skirt kept blooming and her black hair was loose and flying, attracting the attention of the servants.
Ignoring the presence of other people in the study, she rushed in and, before even standing still, asked him anxiously if he knew that her father had been impeached in court. The evidence presented by the people impeaching her father was the same one she had told him before. Apart from him, no one else knew about this matter. How could it have been leaked?
His silence seemed to give her an answer. Ji Wanyuan began to suspect that someone had learned the news from him, or that someone had tricked him into revealing information, and so on...
After imagining countless ways to exonerate him, I finally snapped out of my shock at his silence.
She looked at him, constantly questioning why he did this. The evidence was presented before the Emperor, and her father would die. She kept talking, but her voice disappeared. His senses were fixed on her small, tear-streaked face.
Her love for him turned into intense resentment, anger, confusion, and disappointment because of his betrayal. These emotions constantly attacked her heart. Looking at his indifferent appearance, she cried very hard.
In his dream, he wasn't as indifferent as he appeared. He watched her cry, seemingly not understanding why his heart ached so much, a pain that felt like he was suffocating.
He wanted to reach out and wipe away Ji Wanyuan's tears, to hug her and comfort her, but he felt too heavy to lift his hand, because he was the culprit who made her cry like this, he was the one who made everything like this.
On the other hand, since the marriage between the two families was not pure to begin with, everything he did was to fulfill His Majesty's decree, and he should despise Ji Wanyuan. Everything was going according to plan, and everything was going smoothly. It was only a matter of time before she found out everything. Ji Zhao was her father, and it was only right that she was worried about him and questioned him.
But why was his heart so panicked? For the first time, fear surfaced in him. He never felt such emotions. The battles in the officialdom and on the battlefield were extremely dangerous, but he had always been at ease in them and had never felt fear before.
The first time in his life he felt fear was when he saw the tears in Ji Wanyuan's eyes and the disappointment in her gaze as she looked at him.
Her appearance was clearly soft, fragile, broken, and non-aggressive, yet it felt as if a sharp knife had pierced his heart.
He felt he was about to die.
The suffocating pain intensified, almost overwhelming him. His eyelashes trembled with pain, and this emotion overwhelmed his reason. He made an inappropriate move: he wanted to coax her and make her happy.
He even thought that he would do anything as long as she didn't cry or look at him like that.
Just as he reached out to pull her into his arms, Ji Wanyuan shook her head in fear and backed away. She pushed his wrist away and staggered away.
Ji Wanyuan ran very fast; he didn't even touch the hem of her clothes.
The memories in my mind gradually faded, and the painful feeling of suffocation lingered in my heart for a long time.
In his dream, he felt he couldn't wait any longer. Even in the face of a raging storm, he had to return to the capital. He wanted to see Ji Wanyuan right now.
So he quickly and hastily instructed his subordinates to stay behind and finish up, and ordered someone to fetch his horse. Amidst his subordinates' puzzled words, he mounted his horse lightly and, braving the rain, led a few people to leave Youzhou first.
Eager to return home, he rode his horse at breakneck speed. The torrential rain soaked him through, even though he was wearing a raincoat.
Unexpectedly, a few days after he turned back, he encountered his younger brother who had come looking for him on the way.
Wen Yunqin brought news of her; he said she had given birth to his son, but…
"What do you mean?" Looking at his younger brother's hesitant yet resentful expression, he didn't mind his rudeness and asked him sternly, "What's wrong with Ji Wanyuan?"
Qin Di looked at him, his eyes filled with tears as he smiled. His voice was soft yet carried endless aggression, like a knife that had sliced open his heart with a single sentence.
"She is dead."
He fell into a prolonged buzzing, and because he didn't believe it, he subconsciously refuted it.
"Impossible!" How could Ji Wanyuan be dead?
And she still has more than a month until she gives birth!
He, detached from reality, stared at his dream self with bloodshot eyes, repeatedly laughing coldly and repeating "impossible."
Wen Yunqin spoke loudly, tears welling in his eyes, saying that she died in childbirth, and her father had sent his men to deliver a message that during her delivery, he had instructed people to save the child, and the doctors and midwives had done so.
The child was born safely, but Ji Wanyuan died on the spot, her eyes wide open in death. She has now been buried.
No...impossible.
For the first time, he drew his sword and pointed it at his own younger brother, telling him to get out of the way and that if he said such unlucky things again, he would definitely kill him.
Wen Yunqin wasn't afraid. He looked at him, his smile utterly malicious and sarcastic.
"Brother, congratulations on fulfilling His Majesty's decree. The Ji family is finally doomed."
He forced himself to endure the throbbing pain in his chest, looked at his younger brother before him, whipped his horse, and galloped with all his might towards the capital.
The distance is really too far, the winter wind is fierce, and it has started to rain again.
He couldn't tell if it was rainwater getting into his eyes, but they hurt terribly; they felt very dry and painful.
He traveled day and night, eager to reach the capital as soon as possible.
The horse stepped on loose rocks and lurched forward. He grabbed the reins, but was still thrown off.
The feeling of falling into emptiness washed over him, and in that instant, he abruptly opened his eyes.
He was breathing heavily, cold sweat covering his handsome face. The suffocating feeling of being pulled out of the nightmare but not yet fully awakened sent a chill down his spine.
He was covered in cold sweat, which soaked him almost completely, and blood began to seep from the bandaged area on his arm.
The subordinate, not understanding what was going on, stepped forward and called out, "Sir."
Wen Qiyan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the pain rising in his chest. Even after a while, he was still shaken.
Why would he have such a dream?
Could it be that all of this is true?
Influenced by Ji Wanyuan's words, he also began to have nightmares. What he thought about during the day, he dreamed about at night.
But it all seemed so real, and everything that happened in his dream terrified and terrified him.
She died.
Ji Wanyuan...
He wanted to see her, to be with her.
Even though he had made all the arrangements before leaving, Qinghe led his most capable and trusted confidants to stay at the Youzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion, watching over and protecting her in secret at all times.
But he was still worried, and the events in his dream were still vivid in his mind.
He feared his subordinates might be hiding something, and even though he knew Qinghe wouldn't, he was unwilling to gamble.
He wanted to see Ji Wanyuan; he needed to see her first.
"Sir, we are here—"
Before he could finish speaking, another subordinate rushed over, "Sir, there are assassins again."
Wen Qiyan stood up, drew his sword, and sneered, "Charge out."
It seems that Ji Lingyue is going to great lengths to kill him.
The melee resumed after a two-hour break.
People kept arriving, and even without capturing anyone to interrogate, Wen Qiyan had already noticed the movement of the Wuhuan people.
It seems that Ji Lingyue has already made contact with the Wuhuan people, otherwise where would he get so many people?
However, it's unclear whether Prime Minister Ji actually knew about it.
As planned, Wen Qiyan was "outmatched" in front of many people and fell off the cliff due to exhaustion.
To increase resistance, his sword constantly collided with the steep rocks, sparking and crackling.
His wound reopened, and blood flowed down his arm, soaking his sword hilt.
Finally, he landed on solid ground. His internal organs were in excruciating pain, but it couldn't compare to the discomfort in his chest.
His men were waiting there to meet him.
"Take care of everything." Wen Qiyan tossed aside the sword in his hand, frowned, and stood up, his eyes filled with an unyielding gloom.
The guards responded in unison, "Yes."
"..."
When the news reached the prefect's residence, Ji Lingyue asked in return, "Have you found the body?"
"We're still searching," the subordinate replied.
"I want to see him alive or dead," Ji Lingyue ordered. "I will not allow any accidents to happen."
"Yes." The subordinate went out as ordered.
Wen Qiyan fell off a cliff, his fate unknown. Was it real, or was it intentional?
If it weren't an accident, it would be dangerous for him to disappear.
As night fell, Ji Ling crossed the backyard, but before he had gone halfway there, his men announced that He Xun was requesting an audience.
He paused, then turned and went to the main hall.
Upon seeing He Xun, Ji Lingyue remained silent, while the other party politely bowed to him.
"What do you want to see me for?" Ji Lingyue asked directly.
"He Xun is here on the orders of the Prime Minister to protect Miss Ji." This means he is going to see Ji Wanyuan.
Ji Lingyue sneered, "He Xun, I thought you were a smart person."
"Young Master, please don't misunderstand. I just need to confirm the safety of the Young Miss."
"My sister is in my hands, do you think I would hurt her?" Ji Lingyue's tone was not good.
He Xun remained neither humble nor arrogant; he smiled gently.
“Young Master, there is no need to be so resistant to He Xun. I am not here to oppose you, but to help you.”
"Oh?" Ji Lingyue asked him what he could do to help him.
“The young lady must be anxious after not seeing anyone for several days. If the young master wants to keep her by his side for a long time, he must reassure her.”
The implication was that he would help him appease Ji Wanyuan.
Before the words were even finished, both of them were intelligent enough to understand.
"You and Yuanmei have never been close, do you think she'll believe what you say?"
Ji Lingyue's words seemed normal, but in reality, they were all probing.
If He Xun doesn't answer well, Ji Lingyue will kill him on the spot.
Whether this person lives or dies is irrelevant; at most, the father will question him.
The relative importance of a son-in-law versus a son is self-evident.
“He Xun has no feelings for Miss Ji,” he said with a smile.
"If there's no affection involved, why would you do this?" Ji Lingyue picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze was extremely sharp.
"Because He Xun wants power." He confessed, "If the eldest son ascends the throne and unifies the Central Plains and Wuhuan in the future, I just need to find him a job."
Ji Lingyue stared at him for a long time, then couldn't help but raise a cold smile.
"You're quite direct."
He Xun raised his eyebrows and said, "There's no other way. A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. The young master's time is precious, and I can't delay any longer. I might as well speak frankly."
Ji Lingyue stared at him for a long time, deep in thought.
My younger sister has a short temper. She caused quite a scene a couple of days ago. If we were to break off relations and imprison her directly, I don't know what she would do. Yesterday, I told her that it was Father's order.
She asked him for evidence, but he didn't produce it at the time. She'll definitely ask for it again a few days later.
He naturally had no evidence, and forging his parents' letters was too risky. His sister was very familiar with their handwriting, and if he revealed any flaws, there would be no way to appease her.
He Xun could indeed do it. He Xun had followed her all the way down the road and was the person her father had designated to protect her.
His sister will definitely believe what he says.
After a long while, Ji Lingyue put down his teacup, stood up and looked at He Xun, "Don't try anything funny."
He Xun smiled and said no.
Ji Wanyuan never expected that she would actually meet He Xun.
"Why are you here?" she asked first, then added, "Where...where did you all go?"
She wanted to ask where Wen Qiyan was, but didn't know how to ask.
"How have you been these past two days, Miss?" He Xun asked her.
Even after seeing her in person, with her soft red dress and rosy complexion, I still couldn't help but ask her questions.
"I'm fine." What could she say? What else could she say?
Tell He Xun that she seems to have been locked up by her brother?
Although He Xun was sent by her father, Ji Lingyue was her brother, and it wouldn't be good to say it out loud. In her mind, the two of them were inexplicably equal.
"I'm glad Miss Ji is alright," He Xun said.
"And you?" she asked again.
"Don't worry, Miss Ji, we're all fine."
He Xun refused to answer directly, but Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but ask, "Are Wen Qiyan and Wen Yunqin both alright?"
"Young Master Wen went to investigate the mining industry, and Second Young Master Wen stayed at the Prefect's Inn; he also has things to attend to."
"and you……"
"With Miss here, please rest and recuperate. This is also Prime Minister Ji's intention."
"My father?" My brother also said yesterday that it was my father's instruction.
He Xun said the same thing today, but something just didn't feel right to her.
She just couldn't settle down. To be honest, she wanted to hear Wen Qiyan tell her in person that everything was alright. She didn't know why, but she had started to trust him.
Moreover, since she was imprisoned here, all the information she received came from other people.
She disliked this feeling of being trapped, as if she had returned to a storybook in her dreams. During the days she was confined to the inner quarters of the Wen family, she knew nothing about what was happening outside.
Everyone could keep her in the dark. By the time she found out, it was too late. The world had changed drastically, and she was powerless to change anything.
“My brother won’t let me go out.” She tried to subtly convey her current predicament with these words.
Just as He Xun was about to speak, he sensed the figure listening outside the window moving.
His gaze paused, and Ji Wanyuan looked over, but saw nothing.
"What's wrong?" Ji Wanyuan asked him.
He Xun looked away. "It's nothing."
"I feel a wind picking up today, and it's probably going to rain again soon. Miss Ji, you need to take care of yourself. You're quite far along in your pregnancy now, and if you catch a cold, it might be difficult to take any medicine," He Xun said.
"I have to go," he said, once again reminding her to take care of herself.
Ji Wanyuan had many things left to say, but He Xun walked away quickly.
As she watched his retreating figure, she felt that something was amiss.
But there was no way to keep him.
Because this is still on the older brother's territory, and the older brother might be watching.
Yes, would her brother be spying on her and He Xun? That's why He Xun didn't dare say anything.
Otherwise, why would He Xun have suddenly looked towards the doorway just now?
Ji Wanyuan remained lost in thought for a long time. There was another commotion outside. She thought He Xun had returned, but it turned out to be Ji Lingyue.
Seeing her brother ahead used to make her happy, but now she feels angry.
Even though she knew that her brother's actions were at her father's behest and that there were witnesses to testify, she still felt uneasy.
Feeling uncomfortable, she didn't give Ji Lingyue a friendly look. She snorted and turned her back.
"Does your sister miss He Xun?" he asked.
Ji Wanyuan didn't answer, and went into the inner room, not even leaving him with her back turned.
Ji Lingyue told the person in the inner room to rest well before leaving.
After He Xun left, he returned to his courtyard. When night fell, he disguised himself and quietly left through the side gate and alley, heading towards the official post station.
His arrival quickly attracted the attention of those who were secretly keeping watch.
Wen Yunqin hadn't rested yet, looking at He Xun who had been brought over by his subordinates.
Before he could even ask, the other person had already spoken.
"Miss Ji has been imprisoned by her brother."
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Author's Note: I'm here! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance, everyone! Extra chapter tomorrow! [Exaggerated]
There will be 50 lucky red envelopes randomly dropped in this chapter!
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