Chapter 70 Even if you want me, you can't have me?
The blushing young woman, with a serious expression and a low voice, scolded him in a coquettish tone.
"It's all your fault."
Furthermore, she ordered him to investigate and report his misdeeds, and repeatedly emphasized that he must never do it again, otherwise…
He merely pinched her thigh, and she began to sob in a trembling voice, her feigned bravado instantly crumbling.
"Otherwise what?" the man asked casually.
He stopped helping her put on the ruqun (a traditional Chinese dress), looked up at her, and asked, "You want me but can't?"
Ji Wanyuan's face turned even redder, provoked by his shamelessness. "Who wants you!"
He chuckled softly, and surprisingly, he gently touched her lips with his long, slender, and well-proportioned fingertips. "You."
Ji Wanyuan smelled his cool scent and... the lingering traces from before. Although Wen Qiyan had wiped them clean, she hadn't washed herself yet.
"How dirty! You didn't wash your hands." She turned her head away, looking at him with obvious disgust.
Wen Qiyan: "..."
The sounds of assassination outside grew louder and louder. After dressing, Ji Wanyuan huddled under the covers, too afraid to move. Even with her ears covered, she could still hear the intense fighting, feeling as if the entire inn was about to be overturned.
Even the bed was shaking, much louder than the commotion she had made with Wen Qiyan earlier. She kept looking at the man's figure, clutching his clothes, afraid that he would suddenly leave and abandon her there.
Thinking about her scolding of him just now, Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but wonder if she should say something nice to make Wen Qiyan feel pity for her.
What if those assassins break in and he abandons her and runs away? Although that possibility is unlikely, it's not impossible. After all, in a life-or-death situation, can love transcend life itself?
While Ji Wanyuan was pondering, he slowly moved in that direction. Sensing her movement, he glanced back and took her hand.
The thieves did not come in until the fighting outside ended.
Ji Wanyuan felt very hot. When Wen Qiyan let go of her hand, she was so frightened that she tried to get up with him, "Where are you going?" She was unfamiliar with this place and couldn't leave her behind.
When she crawled out from under the covers, her hair was all disheveled, her face was covered in sweat, and the corners of her red eyes hadn't fully recovered.
A kitten afraid of being abandoned.
He turned around and picked her up, saying, "I'll take you to take a bath."
Ji Wanyuan thought he was joking, but she didn't expect it to be true.
After soaking in hot water, Ji Wanyuan felt much better. He placed her on the round table, tidied the bedding, and let her rest.
He then went into the inner room.
Hearing the sound of water coming from inside, Ji Wanyuan guessed that Wen Qiyan was taking a bath.
After a while, she actually started to feel a little drowsy.
Ji Wanyuan closed her eyes before Wen Qiyan could come out.
Unaware that the man had burned calming incense in the room, she was sleeping very comfortably.
When Wen Qiyan opened the door and came out, the outside had already been tidied up.
He Xun and Wen Yunqin's gazes fell on him. Seeing the man's languid and satisfied expression, they couldn't help but think of what they had just heard, and their expressions turned rather unpleasant.
Even after everything was cleaned up, the stench of blood lingered in the inn for a long time.
The innkeeper and waiters were terrified, while the other surviving guests kept their doors and windows tightly shut and dared not go out.
"Now that everything is settled, let's rest." Wen Qiyan gave a faint "hmm" after hearing the report from his subordinates.
As he stood up, Wen Yunqin called out to him, "I have something to say to you."
"What are you saying?" Wen Qiyan looked over.
Wen Yunqin refused to speak, clearly indicating that he needed to avoid people and move away.
Ke Wenqi did not move.
His eyes were cold and deep, and although his aura appeared gentle and refined, it was actually chilling and terrifying.
He Xun frowned, waved his hand to dismiss the people around him, and cleared the room for the two to talk.
Wen Qiyan picked up his teacup and took a sip. Wen Yunqin looked at his elder brother, whose every gesture was incredibly elegant, and spoke.
"The assassins who came this time were ruthless; most of the experts sent by the imperial court are dead."
"Is that so?" Wen Qiyan said indifferently. When he looked at Wen Yunqin, a faint smile appeared on his thin lips. "Are the people in the imperial court so useless?"
This doesn't sound like a direct reference to the imperial court; it's more like a veiled attack: "Brother, what exactly are you planning to do?"
"If Yun Qin can't even figure this out, how did he survive all those years of fighting abroad?" His tone was very calm, but every word he spoke pierced the heart.
Wen Yunqin sneered, "Does my brother wish I would die out there?"
“You are my brother, and of course I don’t want you to die. Father and Mother would be very sad.”
“If I die, my sister-in-law will be very sad,” Wen Yunqin added.
A cold glint flashed in Wen Qiyan's eyes. "Oh, then why don't we try and see if she gets hurt?"
Within a few words, the atmosphere between the two brothers became tense again.
"I want to know what exactly you're planning to do?" Wen Yunqin broke the silence first. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant. If something goes wrong while you're taking her away from the capital, what will you do?"
“Your brother need not worry about my wife and children.” Wen Qiyan stroked his teacup.
Wen Yunqin, "..."
Since their last confrontation, the tense atmosphere between the two has not eased, and the conflict has only intensified.
After Wen Qiyan left, Wen Yunqin went to find He Xun. Just like last time, he knew in advance that He Xun would come and had already poured tea for him.
Wen Yunqin looked unwell, so He Xun invited him to sit down and have some tea to calm down.
"Today's assassination seems to have been planned in advance. Were you also aware of it?"
He Xun raised an eyebrow slightly, "I just guessed it, I didn't know it beforehand."
The assassination attempt resulted in "heavy casualties," but most of the dead were the emperor's confidants and informants.
"These assassins probably weren't all from the same group, were they?"
He had never seen such a well-trained and highly skilled assassin before. His fighting style was even somewhat like that of his elder brother, as if he had personally trained him.
His men were no match for the assassins. After eliminating most of the court officials, the assassins retreated.
After a brief interrogation, the identity of some of the captured assassins was revealed to be that they were from the Fang family. However, the assassin also said that there weren't many people when they arrived, but they realized there were many when the fight started.
If that's the case, then someone is taking advantage of the situation.
"Brother Yunqin, don't you understand the Grand Chancellor?"
Wen Yunqin remained silent. Although he could grasp some of his brother's personality, he could not fully understand him, especially in the years since he left the capital. His brother's spiritedness had completely subsided. Although he was still unapproachable, he was no longer as easy to figure out as before.
His emotions only fluctuated when he was near Ji Wanyuan, and his feelings changed because of her.
Therefore, if the elder brother was taking advantage of the situation, it must be because of her.
"The Prime Minister once said that the Censor's greatest skill is to act in accordance with the prevailing trend."
Go with the flow...
Wen Yunqin pondered those words, "So that was my brother's doing?"
He Xun just smiled. He invited Wen Yunqin to have tea, but Wen Yunqin didn't have much patience and asked them what they wanted to do.
"What have you thought about the suggestions I made to Brother Yunqin earlier?"
Wen Yunqin quieted down slightly when this was mentioned.
He Xun said, "There isn't much time left."
"What do you mean?" Wen Yunqin asked, frowning.
He Xun said nothing more.
Wen Yunqin told him not to speak in a cryptic, ambiguous way, as it was very annoying.
"Brother Yunqin is not one of us. If I reveal too much to you, wouldn't I be a traitor to the Ji family?"
"If you join us, you will be aware of all our plans."
If it weren't for his brother's interference, he would have found out long ago, instead of coming here to ask.
Wen Yunqin remained silent, only sneered, but He Xun patiently maintained the stalemate with him, just like last time.
"The identity of the adopted son of the Ji family seems to be not simple, and he has never gotten along with his elder brother."
When Ji Lingyue was mentioned, a hint of apprehension flashed in He Xun's eyes, which Wen Yunqin quickly noticed.
"Are you afraid of him?" Wen Yunqin asked.
“Brother Yunqin has already said that Young Master Ji’s identity is not simple, so I am naturally afraid. After all, the Ji family is the family that helped me rise to power.”
“But you don’t seem afraid of your brother.” He even helped him to put down his brother, and even wanted to join forces with him to deal with him.
He Xun raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said, "Afraid."
"Your brother is able to suppress Young Master Ji. Between the two, I am more afraid of your brother."
"You're afraid of your brother, yet you still dare to lay a hand on him. You've got some nerve," Wen Yunqin sneered.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." He Xun responded calmly to Wen Yunqin's sarcasm.
“With the court unstable, the world has already begun to descend into chaos,” He Xun said.
Indeed, Wen Yunqin received a letter from his father via carrier pigeon today. He said that the emperor had not attended court for a long time, and some time ago he suddenly summoned all officials to discuss tax collection again, and even began to drill the troops.
On the surface, it seems to be meant to intimidate the restless aristocratic families, but it looks more like a prelude to external conquest.
If this situation continues, a war between the Ji family and the imperial court is inevitable.
Even though the imperial court is showing signs of decline, its military is still strong. Even if the Ji family has disciples all over the world and can invite guests from all over the country, it is probably not enough to rely solely on the mining industry. How can they break the deadlock and fight against the imperial court?
What should the elder brother do in this situation?
Ji Lingyue is a Wuhuan person. Could it be that he intends to rely on the power of the Wuhuan? But how can a single Wuhuan person contend with the ruler of the Central Plains?
The elder brother seems to have the victory in his grasp, but what exactly is he planning?
Wen Yunqin couldn't figure it out, but He Xun kept urging him on.
"Brother Yunqin, in order to protect Miss Ji, you concealed her whereabouts and turned a blind eye to our efforts to eliminate the imperial forces. Perhaps I should have called you an ally long ago?"
Wen Yunqin sneered, "Everything I've done has never been for the Ji family."
"Miss Keji's surname is Ji."
Wen Yunqin was in a state of confusion. His father had been working for the court with his elder brother, but his brother had turned against him. Did he know this?
My father has been so busy since my elder brother left the capital, barely having time to rest. I'm afraid my elder brother was partly behind it.
Whether the Fang family's assassination attempt was voluntary or involuntary, regardless of whether it was voluntary or involuntary, he dragged the entire Fang family into it. What exactly did he want to do?
"I want to know, if the Ji family succeeds, who will become emperor?"
The imperial court was in turmoil and internal strife was constant. The Ji family's side seemed powerful and strong, but it was also a mixed bag.
Leaving aside Prime Minister Ji, Ji Lingyue and his elder brother are not people who can be easily suppressed. Now that He Xun has joined the fray, is he going to be a pushover?
Wen Yunqin looked at his face and said, "You also want to be the emperor."
He Xun simply smiled and said, "That's something to consider after the deed is done."
"If we don't make this clear now, what, if the Ji family succeeds in their schemes in the future, will we have to fight and fight amongst ourselves again?"
"Brother Yunqin, don't you want to be emperor?" He Xun asked rhetorically.
What's so good about being an emperor?
Despite being so busy, people still worry about them every day, fearing they might be harmed, and they can't afford to make a mistake in anything they say or do.
That dragon throne symbolizes supreme power, but isn't it also a form of confinement?
He Xun saw his disdain for the throne and casually tossed out a bait, "But if you become emperor, you can stand by Miss Ji's side and become her man."
"Brother Yunqin, don't you want to?" He knew very well that Wen Yunqin's feelings for Ji Wanyuan were no less than Wen Qiyan's, accumulated over the years.
Sure enough, the man's handsome expression wavered.
"It seems that Brother Yunqin will need to think about it for a while longer. That's alright. It will still be some time before we arrive in Youzhou. In the meantime, you can think it over carefully."
He Xun smiled and didn't say anything more, only inviting him to have tea.
Wen Yunqin glanced at him, then walked away.
After the person left, the smile on He Xun's face gradually faded.
Wen Qiyan returned to his room, and Ji Wanyuan slept soundly under the influence of the calming incense.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, I reached out and gently stroked her soft cheek.
"..."
When Ji Wanyuan woke up, they were already on the road. The carriage was bumping along, but she was fast asleep.
When she slowly woke up, she thought she was dreaming, until the man next to her asked, "Awake?"
Ji Wanyuan blinked, "You..."
“You’ve been asleep for a long time.” He helped her up.
Ji Wanyuan was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. "Are we already on the road?"
"Yes, Qi County is no longer safe."
Seeing that she was getting up slowly, Wen Qiyan put down his book, grabbed her waist and helped her up.
Unexpectedly, Ji Wanyuan cried out in surprise, looking nervously at the man's profile, "Wen... Wen Qiyan, I... I think I've had a miscarriage!"
Upon hearing this, the man froze and pulled her into his arms.
Ji Wanyuan didn't dare to move, her body hunched over like a little shrimp.
Wen Qiyan looked at her for a while and asked her where she felt uncomfortable. She only said that her stomach was moving.
The man placed his large hand on her protruding belly, "..."
"It's not that the fetus is disturbed, it's that the baby is moving."
Ji Wanyuan suddenly came to her senses and remembered that before she left the capital, her mother had said that the baby in her belly would start moving soon.
So this is what fetal movement feels like.
Although she had felt it occasionally before, that one kick just now felt like the baby in her belly was kicking her, which terrified her.
The man placed his large hand on her lower abdomen, his gaze fixed on her long, slender, jade-like fingers.
The child stopped moving, seemingly because of his approach.
The carriage was still bumping along, but Wen Qiyan felt incredibly secure in his arms.
Just as she was getting bored and about to get up, the child suddenly kicked her again, right where Wen Qiyan's finger was pointing.
She looked up at him nervously and asked, "Did you feel it? He's moving."
The man's brows relaxed slightly. "I felt it."
Ji Wanyuan and his child, a vibrant life.
She said it's a boy, but I don't know if it is? And what will he look like?
The two waited a while longer, and this time there was really no movement.
She noticed that her clothes weren't dusty, and quickly asked, "Didn't you disguise me?"
When she asked, she reached out and touched her cheek, feeling something soft and warm, as if it were her own face, not the one she had disguised.
Unfortunately, there is no bronze mirror here, so we cannot see her true appearance.
"If you don't let me disguise myself, won't people be able to tell?"
"We'll be traveling for the next two days, so stay in the carriage and don't show yourself. Nothing will happen."
Her skin was too delicate, and she was pregnant. Even the best disguise cream left many red marks on the side of her face, which looked shocking.
Therefore, Wen Qiyan decided not to disguise her for the next few days.
"Really?" she asked, a little worried.
The man lowered his head and pecked the tip of her nose. "Mmm."
Ji Wanyuan reacted strongly; she covered the spot where he had kissed her, glared at him, and scolded him in a low voice.
"Who told you to kiss me?" she said, calling him shameless.
The man who was being scolded raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Have we passed Qingzhou yet?" She wanted to lift the carriage curtain to take a look, but she didn't dare, afraid of being exposed.
“That’s enough.” Wen Qiyan let her lie in his arms, paused in his hand as he turned the pages of the book, and said to her, “There will be another assassination attempt in a few days.”
Upon hearing the word "assassination," Ji Wanyuan choked on her words, recalling the chaotic scene outside caused by their previous outrageous behavior.
I was just about to ask him if he had dealt with it, but... he was on his way, so he must have already dealt with it. Wouldn't it be redundant to ask?
Since becoming pregnant, she has found that she can not only eat and sleep well, but she has also become much dumber.
Wait, how do you know there will be another assassination attempt in a few days?
"Because it was my arrangement." I wanted to tell her in advance so as not to scare her again.
Ji Wanyuan, “?”
"You arranged this?"
"Why did you arrange for an assassin to carry out the assassination?" Did he think the road was too peaceful, or was her pregnancy too stable?
Ji Wanyuan couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"There were assassins along the way, and I just went with the flow to eliminate the people sent by the emperor."
A phrase popped into Ji Wanyuan's mind, "Is this called...using someone else to do the dirty work?"
Upon hearing this, he raised an eyebrow in surprise, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Miss Ji is so clever, she even knows how to use someone else to do her dirty work?"
Hmph, these are the kinds of tricks Lin Nianxi has used, which I've seen all the time in storybooks.
At this point, she asked again, "You said there was an assassination attempt, but whose family was it? The Lin family?"
Wen Qiyan shook his head, "The Lin family won't make a move at this juncture; it's the Fang family."
Fang family, Fang Chao, that纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat)?
"I thought it would be the Lin family."
"The Lin family doesn't have the guts." Lin Jie's actions, to put it nicely, are cautious, but in reality, they are conservative and old-fashioned; he doesn't dare to take the plunge.
In fact, this was the best time for the Lin family to make their move. Even if the emperor had doubts, he would most likely be inclined to believe that someone had framed them, since the Lin family was currently being given important positions, and Wen Yunqin was someone they had recommended. But Lin Jie dared not.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been suppressed by the Ji family for so many years. Nowadays, if it weren't for the turbulent situation, they wouldn't even be able to compare with the Fang family.
"Will anything happen?"
Ji Wanyuan was very worried.
"I won't let anything happen to you," Wen Qiyan said.
Even after he comforted her, the worry on her brow remained. He asked her what she meant, "Are you worried about someone else?"
Their eyes met, and Ji Wanyuan seemed to know he was about to get jealous again, so she quickly shook her head, "I'm not!"
"I just feel that if a fight breaks out, someone will die."
"Although my brother Qin is useless, he is still my brother. I will not let him die here."
"..." I knew what he was going to say.
"I didn't mention him, why are you acting like this?" She was scared.
Wen Qiyan sneered, "During the last assassination attempt, Brother Qin mentioned something. He said that if he died, you would be very sad."
"Ji Wanyuan, can you do it?"
The assumption behind this question surprised her, and she actually thought about it for a moment.
If Wen Yunqin dies...
To be honest, she was quite heartbroken.
After all, he was a good person and always protected her.
Besides, he burned paper money for her after she died, so if Wen Yunqin died, she would definitely burn paper money for him too.
During the brief moment Ji Wanyuan was lost in thought, Wen Qiyan already understood what she meant.
He gently placed her aside, but his expression was unpleasant.
"You're angry."
"You two are so in love, why am I angry?"
The two are deeply in love...
Ji Wanyuan's lips twitched involuntarily. "I'm not sad. I'm just thinking about whether I should burn money for my uncle if he dies."
Wen Qiyan ignored her and flipped through the notes about the Wuhuan that his subordinates had recently investigated.
Ji Wanyuan felt exhausted. Why was he jealous all the time?
Now she doesn't even dare to mention Wen Yunqin, but he's doing just that, finding something to eat on his own.
Could it be that he wants her to coax him?
If this were in the capital, Ji Wanyuan definitely wouldn't try to coax him. After all, Wen Qiyan is a despicable and shameless man, and why should she bother to coax him?
In the storybooks, how much jealousy she felt about him and Lin Nianxi.
But right now, when you're under someone else's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.
She leaned closer, about to hug his arm, but he pushed her away, saying, "Get away from me."
Ji Wanyuan puffed out her cheeks and glared at the man's handsome and broad back. Suppressing her anger, she crouched down and crawled under his armpits, using both hands and feet to snuggle into his arms.
"Wen Qiyan, are you hungry?"
He gave an irrelevant answer and did not look at her, saying, "There are hot meals and pastries prepared in the drawer next to me."
Ji Wanyuan realized it was for her.
She took the jade pendant from the man's waist and played with it. "I'm asking about you, not me."
He's ignoring people again.
Ji Wanyuan was not used to humbly coaxing people. When she first married into the Wen family, she had already been humble enough. If she hadn't been so worried about him and the stories in the novels, she wouldn't have had to be so humiliated and bullied.
Even if she was now inferior to others, she didn't want to be too weak.
Suddenly, she snatched the files and letters from the man's hand, threw them on the ground, and forcefully sat on his lap, her delicate wrists encircling his neck.
Meeting the man's cool and deep eyes, Ji Wanyuan forcibly suppressed her panic and raised her small face.
Not only that, she also domineeringly lifted his chin and said, "Wen Qiyan, I want you to kiss me."
He's unhappy, so let's give him a little treat. After all, we still need to get him to do things for her, so asking him to kiss her isn't a big deal.
The man's hand caressed her slender waist, his voice low and dangerous, "Is this what you meant by 'aren't you hungry'?"
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Author's Note: I'm here! [Exaggerated]
This chapter will still randomly drop 50 lucky red envelopes.
There will be another update tonight.
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