Chapter 98. Sister, don't show favoritism.
Her subconscious reaction was to wonder if it was sent by Wen Qiyan.
But these are all his people and the soldiers sent by the prefect to protect her. Why should she hide her words in a bun?
Wen Qiyan was somewhat flirtatious in the past, but why was he so "secretly flirtatious"? Why did he have to hide it like this?
She always thought it was Wen Qiyan's handwriting, but when she unfolded it, she saw the handwriting on the letter hidden in the sweet rice bag.
Ji Wanyuan's pupils shrank suddenly, and she dropped the sweet rice bag in her hand in fright.
Upon seeing the words clearly, his face turned deathly pale in an instant.
The attendant noticed something was wrong with her and quickly asked her what was wrong. Was there something dirty in the sweet rice bun, or was it just too unpalatable and she couldn't get used to it?
Ji Wanyuan quickly clenched the letter in her hand. She was about to go find Wen Qiyan, but... the person who delivered the letter also said that if he found out that she had leaked this matter, he would kill her Lin'er without hesitation.
"Young Madam, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"
The attendant noticed that her complexion was not right and quickly went to check on her.
Ji Wanyuan shook her head, "N-nothing."
No, whether it's true or not, she can't gamble with her son. She's already lost him once; she absolutely can't let it happen again.
The best course of action now...
She wanted to confirm whether the contents of the letter were genuine.
Ji Wanyuan forced herself to calm down.
"I...I'm fine, my clothes are just dirty." Before she could finish speaking, the attendant said, "Should I escort you home?"
"Although it's cold in winter, the sun is still shining." The main problem is that Ji Wanyuan is a pampered young lady; she's never done this kind of work before.
"It's not far from the prefect's private residence. Find me a carriage, and I'll go there to change my clothes and see my son while I'm at it."
Ji Wanyuan tried her best to keep her tone steady, so as not to let the attendants in front of her see through her act, otherwise all her efforts would be in vain.
"Yes." The attendant didn't say anything more and quickly brought the carriage as she instructed.
After getting into the carriage, Ji Wanyuan's relaxed smile vanished instantly. She took out a letter from her sleeve, unfolded it, and read it again.
It is indeed my brother's handwriting! I'm not mistaken.
He came straight for her.
No, it's for her son.
What is he trying to do? Is it for the troops his father left behind?
The carriage moved quickly, turning left and right, and soon arrived at the prefect's residence.
Ji Wanyuan could smell the strong stench of blood even before she got off the carriage.
Her expression changed, and before she could lift the curtain and get off the carriage, she heard the sound of her attendants drawing their swords. They told her not to get off the carriage, but before they could finish speaking, Ji Wanyuan heard another scream.
That level of accomplicity...
She trembled with fright, her face turned pale, and she clutched her dress tightly.
Soon after, she heard a flurry of footsteps outside, followed by the sounds of fighting.
Are there assassins? Are they fighting with the people sent by Wen Qiyan?
Just as Ji Wanyuan was lost in thought, a sound came from outside the carriage. When she looked over, she saw bloodstains splattered on the carriage curtain. Even through the light and shadow, she could clearly see the splattered blood spots. Ji Wanyuan was so frightened that she turned into a quail.
"Little sister, aren't you coming down yet? Do you want your brother to go up and ask you?" Sure enough, Ji Lingyue's voice came.
Ji Wanyuan was terrified. She was panting and remained silent and still.
Ji Lingyue, however, had little patience. He had brought a large number of people with him, specifically to deal with the experts that Wen Qiyan had placed near the prefect's private residence.
These experts are indeed formidable. He lost more than half of his men. Now that Ji Wanyuan has been lured here by the letter, she has many followers, and they are even more powerful than the previous group. There is simply no way to eliminate them all.
This can't be delayed any longer; Wen Qiyan will definitely come once he receives the message from here. We have no choice but to take Ji Wanyuan away first.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Ji Wanyuan shrank back in fright, "You, you..."
Ji Lingyue switched the sword to his other hand and grabbed her directly.
Ji Wanyuan smelled the blood on him. "You..." She couldn't speak anymore because the change had happened too quickly.
Originally, she just wanted to see if her son was still alive. She never expected that Ji Lingyue would set up such a trap here, just to capture her.
When the carriage curtain was opened, the stench of blood was so strong it was nauseating. She couldn't stand the smell, and her vision blurred. She instinctively tried to run away.
But Ji Lingyue threatened, "If my sister doesn't come with me, is she going to collect your son's corpse?"
They say a mother's love makes her strong, and when Wen Junlin was mentioned, Ji Wanyuan's fear lessened a bit. "Release Lin'er!"
"Come at me if you want to kill me or torture me!" She wanted to stall for time. Wen Qiyan would definitely come. He had said he would always protect her. Besides, Wen Qiyan's men had already shown up.
Now that Ji Lingyue has dared to enter Yizhou City, delaying the process will be disadvantageous for him.
"Sister, don't test your brother's patience. If I die in Yizhou City, your son will surely be buried with me."
He accurately grasped Ji Wanyuan's weakness.
"You!" Ji Wanyuan was so angry she could have teeth itched.
Ji Lingyue smiled at her anger and reached out his hand to her.
Ji Wanyuan looked at his blood-stained hand, her brows furrowing deeply. She stared at Ji Lingyue, not reaching out her hand.
Ji Lingyue followed her gaze downwards and naturally saw the bloodstains on his hands.
So he tore off a piece of his clothing and wrapped it around his hand to cover the bloodstains.
Seeing this, Ji Wanyuan finally made a move.
However, instead of extending her hand to Ji Lingyue, she grabbed the car frame herself and got out.
At first, Ji Lingyue just watched her resist without making any move, but when Ji Wanyuan got closer, he grabbed her wrist and lifted her down, ignoring her struggles and shouts, and threw her onto the black horse.
Ji Lingyue followed, and he held her by the arm.
"Young Master! You go first, we'll cover your retreat." With Ji Wanyuan captured, Wen Qiyan's men resisted even more fiercely.
"Hmm." Ji Lingyue said this and left with a few people.
Ji Wanyuan looked back and saw two groups of people fighting, with many people already lying on the ground.
Another person has died...
It's all because of her.
"What are you thinking, little sister?" As if afraid she would see, Ji Lingyue used a ribbon to completely cover her vision after saying this.
Then Ji Wanyuan tried to use her senses to determine the direction, but she was really unfamiliar with Yizhou, and the horse was moving so fast that she almost threw up.
Afraid of falling off, she could only hold tightly to the reins.
She didn't know where they had arrived, but the horse stopped, and Ji Lingyue lifted her down by the waist and put her into the carriage. Then, she felt a pain in the back of her neck and fell into a coma.
When Ji Wanyuan woke up again, she found herself in a soft bed. She had no idea where she was. After sitting up, her consciousness slowly returned, and she remembered that she had been kidnapped and put in the lion's den.
Before she could even get off the bed, she heard a faint voice ask, "Awake?"
Familiar yet unfamiliar.
She looked sharply toward the source of the sound and saw a tall figure rise from beside the round table and stride toward it from behind the beaded curtain.
She stared blankly at the handsome face of the man she hadn't seen in a long time, but was more wary than anything else.
As she looked at him, Ji Lingyue also stared intently at her.
The little face in front of me, which had just woken up and looked slightly sleepy, was even more rosy than it had been a few months ago.
After giving birth, she lost much of her youthful naiveté and gained a lot of charm and voluptuousness. Her overall temperament was somewhere between a young girl and a mature woman, making her even more attractive than before.
The distance between them had grown, and the wariness and rejection in his sister's eyes pierced his heart.
"Are you unhappy to see your brother?"
Ji Lingyue was about to sit on the edge of the bed, but Ji Wanyuan was one step ahead. She kicked the blankets over and occupied the spot, not allowing him to get close or sit down.
Ji Lingyue wasn't annoyed. He hooked his long leg over and sat down on the openwork round stool next to him.
If you ignore the tense atmosphere between the two, the scene is not much different from what happened in the capital.
Every winter, Ji Wanyuan disliked going out. She usually stayed indoors, and Ji Lingyue would bring her whatever she wanted, or instruct her to buy it.
"Where is my Lin'er?" she asked.
"What's his name?" Ji Lingyue asked.
"What's it to you?" Ji Wanyuan was uncooperative and had a bad attitude.
Even though she was now a prisoner, she was not afraid of Ji Lingyue and spoke without any politeness.
"Isn't your sister afraid of dying?"
"You want to kill me?" She looked up at him, even angrier than he was, looking at him as if he were a traitor.
Yes, he was indeed a traitor.
Ji Lingyue smiled. "How could your brother bear to kill you?"
"You and Wen Qiyan have reconciled, is that right?"
Ji Wanyuan turned her face away. "I said it's none of your business." She wanted to get out of bed, but she couldn't see any of her clothes next to her, so she could only wrap herself in the blankets.
"Does your sister hate her brother?" He looked at her defensive posture.
"I don't hate you," she said, adding that he wasn't worth her hatred.
"Oh?" Ji Lingyue seemed intrigued. "Why?"
"Because there is no grudge between us."
"You don't blame your brother for rebelling against the court and betraying the Ji family?"
"Hating someone is so tiring," Ji Wanyuan thought to herself.
Besides, constantly thinking about someone you dislike is just making yourself miserable. The best approach is to ignore them.
Therefore, she has always ignored Ji Lingyue.
"This is your choice." She looked up at him. "If you still cherish the kindness the Ji family showed you in raising you, perhaps you will feel guilty and uneasy."
But these are all his problems, so what does it matter if he feels guilty or not?
Is she trying to force Ji Lingyue to feel guilty? The Ji family did indeed have the kindness of raising him, and his father and mother put in a lot of effort to raise him, but... if it were another "sworn brother", his father and mother would have done the same.
Therefore, his betrayal was simply his choice, and whether he felt guilty or not was his own business. The Ji family would not expect anything in return from him, nor would they force him to be loyal to the Ji family forever.
My father and mother have already made it clear enough in their letters.
"Yuanmei will always be like this."
Upon hearing her answer, he couldn't help but lower his eyes and smile, and the image of young Wan Yuan protecting him at the Imperial College involuntarily flashed through his mind.
She didn't ostracize her sworn brother, acknowledged his status, and even treated him like family. People in the capital said that Miss Ji was arrogant and domineering, acting recklessly and high and mighty because her father was the prime minister.
But Ji Lingyue knew very well that she treated everyone equally. Although she would occasionally be sarcastic, she never looked down on anyone.
He saw through this a long time ago; Ji Wanyuan's true nature was soft and lovely.
So he fell in love with his stepsister and was attracted to her.
But none of that matters anymore.
The important thing is... she would never love him.
There may have been love, but that love was never romantic; it was simply brotherly and sisterly affection. Now, seeing her resistance, she probably no longer sees him as a brother.
He initially wanted to change Ji Wanyuan's only brotherly feelings for him and instill romantic feelings in her. However, when he achieved his goal and successfully eradicated her brotherly feelings for him, he found that he couldn't plant romantic feelings for him in her heart at all, and he regretted it a little.
How could the bond between him and her disappear completely?
Ji Wanyuan had no idea what Ji Lingyue was thinking. She asked the same question again, "Where is my Lin'er? What have you done to him?"
"What's his name?" Ji Lingyue asked again, trying to calm himself down after regaining his composure.
It was as if he wouldn't tell her Wen Junlin's whereabouts if she didn't tell him.
Ji Wanyuan reluctantly continued.
“Wen Junlin?” Ji Lingyue repeated.
"Everyone says that a ruler should rule the world, so my sister wants him to be the emperor?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan's heart skipped a beat. Could Ji Lingyue possibly think that her son posed a threat to him?
In fact, she had pressed Wen Qiyan several times about it, and he had indeed told her that if her father, Prime Minister Ji, had no interest in the throne, he would let her child ascend the throne.
But at this moment, she would absolutely not reveal this meaning.
"He's just a baby, what kind of emperor is he?" she retorted, asking Ji Lingyue if he was crazy.
"If my sister's child doesn't become emperor, then it means Wen Qiyan will become emperor?"
Based on his understanding of Prime Minister Ji, he would never hand over the throne to the Wen family.
Because Wen Qiyan was too cunning and calculating, he couldn't see through this man.
How can you entrust the country to someone you can't see through?
Once Wen Qiyan ascends the throne, if he harbors any disloyalty in the future, he will be extremely difficult to control, and the Ji family will likely be devoured without a trace.
"If I were my father's biological son, my sister said, would he give me the throne?" he asked Ji Wanyuan.
“Father has always treated you like his own son.” Ji Wanyuan’s answer surprised him.
Ji Lingyue raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"If my father truly considered me his own son, why didn't he entrust the mining operations in Youzhou to me?"
Ji Lingyue sneered, "In the end, you still treat me like an outsider."
Ji Wanyuan sensed that his mood was off, so she didn't argue with him or respond.
She fell silent, wondering if she should say something nice to persuade Ji Lingyue to release her and Lin'er if she couldn't force him.
Wen Qiyan must have realized she's missing by now, right? Has he come to rescue her? He's been so slow; is he upset that she acted on her own initiative?
Speaking of this matter, Ji Wanyuan recalled something very important.
"You...you did anything to the wife of the Prefect of Yizhou?"
"Is your sister worried about her?"
Ji Wanyuan's tone suddenly sharpened, "Did you kill her?"
She hadn't even entered the mansion, so she didn't know what it was like inside.
“I was originally going to kill her,” Ji Lingyue said. “But she has always protected her sister’s son. I figured that this woman was on good terms with you, so I didn’t do anything. I just had someone knock her unconscious. Now, she’s a guest here with me.”
"You kidnapped Madam Ming?" He kidnapped her son, Lin'er, and even wanted to harm the innocent.
"She is the wife of the governor of Yizhou, so she is naturally useful."
Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but yell at him, "Are you crazy?"
"These are all elderly, weak, women and children!" she cursed Ji Lingyue for not being a man, saying he only knew how to use swords against infants and women.
"Am I a man or not? Sister, would you like to experience it?"
Upon hearing this, she was instantly speechless, daring not to speak out in anger, truly terrified that Ji Lingyue would actually do it.
She hadn't forgotten the last time Ji Lingyue suddenly leaned down to kiss her.
She's not pregnant now, I wonder if he'll...
"Why did you stop cursing?" He seemed to be in a good mood and was looking forward to it.
Ji Wanyuan cursed inwardly, but kept her anger in check.
Ji Lingyue smiled.
Getting back to the point, he didn't beat around the bush with Ji Wanyuan, "Since my sister is by Wen Qiyan's side, she must have learned quite a bit of information."
"I don't have enough troops. All my men are just forces gathered together from small countries. We suffered heavy losses in the last attack on Qingzhou, and we lost even more when we went to Yizhou to invite my sister and nephew over as guests."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but sigh, "Wen Qiyan is indeed amazing. The people he trains can almost always take on ten men at once."
Not to mention fighting ten against one, he was practically fighting twenty against one. Almost all of the men he brought were wiped out. If it weren't for reinforcements coming from behind, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed.
There has been no news from the trusted confidant who covered his retreat, and he is likely in grave danger.
That was the old man beside him. "My sister said, what should we do?"
"This is all your own fault," she couldn't help but say.
“If someone else said that to me, I would definitely pull out their tongue.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but purse her lips tightly, as if afraid that Ji Lingyue would pull out her tongue.
She didn't want to become mute.
“But since you’re my sister, I wouldn’t do that, so you don’t need to be afraid of me.” He told her to relax.
Ji Wanyuan remained vigilant.
Ji Lingyue got up and poured her a cup of tea, then handed it to her.
Ji Wanyuan refused to take it. He said there was nothing inside, but she still wouldn't take it.
Ji Lingyue threatened, "If you don't take it, I'll have to feed it to you myself."
She gritted her teeth, took it, held it in her hands, and didn't drink it.
"Your little sister knows what your brother wants, and you'll be willing to help him, right?"
"Why should I help you?" She certainly knew.
He needs troops.
Only by obtaining her father's troops could he take over Yizhou, suppress the people of those small countries, attack the imperial court, and seize the capital in one fell swoop.
“I’m your brother,” he asked her. “In your heart, am I not even as important as a member of the Wen family?”
"Isn't your brother good to you?" he asked again.
Ji Wanyuan remained silent.
Ji Lingyue then continued to tempt her, "My surname is Ji, and it will always be Ji. Even if I ascend the throne in the future, I will not change my name."
He asked Ji Wanyuan if she still didn't understand.
"As long as Father gives me his troops and we work together from within and without to take over the capital, I will honor Father as the Retired Emperor and adopt the imperial surname Ji. Our family will then enjoy supreme power. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Who is Wen Qiyan anyway, just a newcomer?
Why should I stand by my sister's side and have the last laugh?
"I can't do it," she said.
"Yuan'er, why can't you help your brother?" he said, calling her heartless.
"Because I never get involved in family matters, and besides, you are not worthy of being a ruler."
Ji Lingyue sneered, "If I'm not worthy, does Wen Qiyan deserve it?"
"He doesn't want to be emperor." She had been with Wen Qiyan for so long.
What she sensed was that Wen Qiyan's ambition wasn't in power at all, but rather... her.
His ambition is her; he wants her.
"Don't be so naive, little sister. What man doesn't love power?"
Ji Wanyuan dislikes it when people talk about her, especially in such harsh terms.
But fearing that Ji Lingyue might do something, they could only endure it again and again.
"Don't be fooled by him," Ji Lingyue coaxed her.
"Your brother has lived with you for over ten years, yet he's not as good as Wen Qiyan, who has only been with you for a little over a year?"
He told her not to show favoritism, as it was very unfair to him.
Ji Wanyuan remained silent. "I want to see my Lin'er."
"If you agree to your brother's conditions, he will let you see him."
"Think it over carefully," he said, adding that he would come back in two days.
After saying that, he left directly.
Ji Lingyue did not come again for the next two days.
Ji Wanyuan was confined to her quarters and couldn't go anywhere. The maidservant who served her became Xi'er.
She didn't talk to her, but simply took care of her daily needs.
Ji Wanyuan kept imagining Wen Qiyan appearing out of nowhere, just like last time, disguised as someone else, so that even she didn't notice.
But her hopes were dashed; he didn't come.
That's true. Ji Lingyue finally caught her, so how could she possibly let Wen Qiyan slip through her fingers?
The two days passed in a flash.
She was finally able to leave the inner room and was invited into the pavilion.
Ji Lingyue was already waiting, and some of her favorite pastries and tea were laid out on the table.
After she sat down, he asked her to try it, saying that he had made it himself and wanted her to see how it tasted.
Ji Wanyuan refused to eat it, but he tasted a piece first and said that there was no poison in it.
But even after he ate, she still didn't move.
Ji Lingyue laughed, "Since my sister is so uncooperative, it seems I don't need to ask any more questions. You still don't want to, right?"
"I can't influence my father's wishes," Ji Wanyuan said, adding that he was overestimating her.
“You are the most important person to your father. Don’t underestimate your importance in his heart.”
Ji Wanyuan really wanted to curse, but she kept holding back.
She had a cold expression and didn't know what to do.
First, play along with him and write a letter pretending to persuade your father to give him the troops.
Let her father know she's in his hands? Would that work?
If all else fails, let's do this: pretend to send a letter to buy time.
Delay for a while, and wait for Wen Qiyan to come and rescue her!
Otherwise, she wouldn't know what to do either.
Just as she was about to agree, Ji Lingyue added, "How about I give you a bargaining chip?"
She looked at him, puzzled, and Ji Lingyue picked up a piece of pastry and handed it to her.
"After this is accomplished, brother, support your son to become emperor."
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Author's Note: Here we go again, another plot-driven chapter! There will be a random small red envelope giveaway in this chapter [rainbow fart]
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