Take action
Jiang Yi waited for a long time but the man did not return. Her anger rose rapidly. Just as she was about to explode, the guard finally arrived, leading a man behind him. Jiang Yi recognized him; he was Qi Junxu's attendant.
"Miss, Young Master Lin, Lord Zhao Bai, His Highness requests your presence."
Jiang Yi immediately withdrew her bared teeth, pointed to herself, and asked, "What about me?"
The attendant looked embarrassed: "This... I'm sorry, Miss Jiang."
Jiang Yi realized what was happening, and her eyelids twitched twice.
Well, Qi Junxu actually won't let her go up!
"I'm moving forward! Get out of the way!"
The servants stood like a wall, unmoving and unyielding, no matter how much Jiang Yi made a fuss.
"Miss Jiang, please don't make things difficult for me."
He Lin stepped forward, staring coldly at him, and repeated, "Get out of the way."
The servant pursed his lips.
At this moment, Shangguan Muya spoke up: "Feng He, Miss Jiang came with us, and besides, she is Young Master Lin's wife. You must not be rude."
"Yes, Miss."
"I'll explain to my cousin. Let Miss Jiang go up first."
After a moment's thought, Feng He finally made way for him.
"please."
Shangguan Muya gently took Jiang Yi's hand, her eyes tender: "Jiang Yi, let's go inside."
Jiang Yi nodded, thinking to herself, "These days, it's really good to have connections! Things are so much easier to get things done."
Upon reaching the top floor, they found only Qi Junxu there, hardly resembling a banquet. However, the food and snacks on the table were quite good.
Suddenly, Jiang Yi had a flash of inspiration and turned to look at the people beside her. Could it be that the guests Qi Junxu was going to host tonight were the three of them?
Okay, now that I think about it, she really wasn't on the invitation list.
Qi Junxu stood alone with his back to the crowd, holding a white jade wine bottle in his hand. He faced the expansive night view of the capital city, where countless lights gathered below, forming a prairie fire that stretched all the way to the city's outskirts, a truly beautiful sight.
As expected of the tallest building in Beijing, the view is truly breathtaking.
Shangguan Muya took the lead and walked towards him, softly calling out, "Cousin..."
Upon hearing the word "cousin," Qi Junxu finally turned around.
"Muya".
Shangguan Muya could no longer hold back and threw herself into his arms, crying.
"Cousin, my father..."
Qi Junxu raised his hand and gently patted her back, softly comforting her: "Alright, Muya, don't be sad. Your uncle didn't suffer too much when he passed away. Before he left, he told me to take good care of you. My mother also said that she wants you to come to the palace to live with her. In the future, when the time is right, she will choose a good husband for you and ask my father to grant you a marriage. Are you willing?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhaobai took a step forward almost imperceptibly, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Shangguan Muya wiped away her tears and silently shook her head.
"Muya!"
Qi Junxu glanced at Yin Zhaobai with a cryptic look in his eyes.
"With your uncle gone, how can your mother and I feel at ease leaving you all alone? Besides, I've heard that you've been spending time with Yin Zhaobai these days. If word gets out, it won't be good for your reputation. Listen to me."
"Cousin, please thank Aunt for me. I can manage on my own. I don't want to trouble you and Aunt any further."
“We’re family, how could this be a problem? Besides, my uncle…”
Shangguan Muya looked up at him, her big eyes glistening with tears, and asked, "What happened to my father?"
Qi Junxu pursed his lips and said, "My uncle asked me to take good care of you. If anything happens to you, how can I face my uncle?"
Shangguan Muya still shook her head. She didn't want to go to the palace. Although she had the protection of the Imperial Concubine and Qi Junxu, she still didn't want to go.
First, they don't want to; second, they can't.
She was the daughter of a disgraced official, and to receive His Majesty's pardon was already an immense blessing.
If she were to live in the palace, every time His Majesty saw her, he would inevitably think of her family's plot to rebel. Over time, His Majesty might also begin to suspect the Consort and Qi Junxu. She absolutely cannot do that.
Seeing her unusual insistence, Qi Junxu didn't say anything more.
After all, his cousin is grown up and it's normal for her to have her own ideas. No matter how much he disagrees, he can't force her into the palace.
"Since you're unwilling to enter the palace, what are your plans next? You don't actually want to continue being with him, do you?"
Everyone knows perfectly well who Qi Junxu is referring to as "he".
Yin Zhaobai glanced at the thin, frail figure in front of him, then walked over and stood beside him.
"Your Highness, whether you believe it or not, I swear I will not harm her. On the contrary, if she is willing, I can take care of and protect her for the rest of my life."
Qi Junxu sneered: "Take care of and protect her for the rest of your life? Lord Zhaobai, you're too forgetful. You've probably forgotten who hid their identity and sneaked into the Prime Minister's residence. Mu Ya is innocent by nature and never guards against others. Now that the Prime Minister's residence has fallen, what are you still doing by her side? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to her!"
Upon hearing this, Yin Zhaobai's lips pursed into a straight line.
Qi Junxu was telling the truth. He did indeed use Shangguan Muya to get into the Prime Minister's residence, but he had never harmed her in the slightest. As for Shangguan Dehui, that was his own fault. However, it was precisely because of this that he felt guilty towards Shangguan Muya.
The exploitation is real, and the liking is not fake either.
Qi Junxu narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Yin Zhaobai, what right do you have to like my cousin? I'm warning you, stay away from her from now on!"
"I……"
Unexpectedly, Qi Junxu didn't give him a chance to speak. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly shielded Shangguan Muya behind him, smashing the wine bottle in his hand at Yin Zhaobai.
Yin Zhaobai reacted instinctively, slightly turning his body to dodge, and the wine bottle smashed on the ground, shattering and spilling wine everywhere.
This scene startled Jiang Yi. They were talking peacefully, how did they suddenly start fighting?
"Cousin, stop hitting him!"
"cousin!"
"..."
Shangguan Muya couldn't stop him at all. Qi Junxu's moves were ruthless, aiming straight for Yin Zhaobai's throat, his fists pounding on him like bricks.
Regardless of anything else, Qi Junxu was a prince of the emperor, and Yin Zhaobai, as a subject, could not fight him. He could only barely dodge and counter his moves, and suffered quite a few losses.
While they were fighting fiercely, Jiang Yi and He Lin watched with their arms crossed, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, without making any attempt to break up the fight.
Jiang Yi secretly tugged at He Lin's sleeve, leaned closer to him, and whispered, "Hey, He Lin, aren't you going to help your brother out?"
After saying that, Jiang Yi realized that her use of the word "brother" didn't seem to have a precise definition.
Qi Junxu is a half-brother, while Yin Zhaobai is a loyal brother who has been through thick and thin with him.
Choosing who to help is indeed a difficult question.
Fortunately, He Lin didn't make a move; he just watched quietly, as if it were none of his business.
Later, when Qi Junxu's servants heard the commotion and came upstairs, he did try to stop them.
From this perspective, He Lin seems to be more inclined towards loyalty.
"Stop fighting, cousin!"
Shangguan Muya knew that Qi Junxu was deliberately making things difficult, so she seized the opportunity to hug him around the waist.
"Cousin, I beg you, please stop hitting him!"
"ah--"
Unexpectedly, Qi Junxu lost control of his strength when he broke free and threw Shangguan Muya to the ground, causing her to wince in pain.
Yin Zhaobai caught a glimpse of her falling to the ground out of the corner of his eye, his pupils contracted, and he looked at Shangguan Muya distractedly. He took a punch from Qi Junxu and couldn't help but groan and stagger back a few steps.
"Muya!" Jiang Yi ran over and helped her up. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"fine."
Upon hearing that Shangguan Muya was alright, Qi Junxu clenched his fist and swung it at Yin Zhaobai's face, but he missed, as He Lin caught his fist midway.
He Lin frowned slightly: "That's enough!"
When Qi Junxu saw that it was him who was stopping him, he snorted and then withdrew his hand.
"Hey! Qi Junxu! Have you gone mad? Why did you hit someone without saying a word? Just because you're a prince doesn't mean you can be so great!"
"Jiang Yi? Who let you up here?"
"Me...it's none of your business! I can go if I want to!"
"snort."
"What are you humming about? You hit someone and you think you're in the right? Even if you're Mu Ya's cousin, you should still respect the person involved's opinion! She can go wherever she wants, it's none of your business."
Shangguan Muya ran over in a few steps, tightly grasped Qi Junxu's arm with both hands, her eyes red at the corners, but shining brightly.
"Cousin, I beg you, please stop hitting him. My father's situation can't be entirely blamed on him."
"Muya, how could you be so foolish? This person's approach to you is clearly malicious!"
Shangguan Muya remained silent, shaking her head to herself.
As His Majesty's henchman, Yu Lingge was only doing his bidding. Yin Zhaobai was just following orders. If her father hadn't done something foolish, how could he have ended up like this? Although she was heartbroken, she had to admit it.
"Zhao Bai, no, Lord Zhao Bai, my cousin acted impulsively just now. I apologize on his behalf. I'm sorry..."
Yin Zhaobo shifted slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Shangguan Muya continued, "...Thank you for taking care of me during this time. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. We'll have nothing to do with each other anymore..."
"Miss, I..."
Jiang Yi hissed inwardly; things looked bad!
Just then, she met He Lin's gaze.
He Lin gave her a wink, and Jiang Yi immediately understood. He wanted her to mediate. Thinking about it, it made sense. By the time Yin Zhaobai explained himself, Shangguan Muya would probably have already run away.
"Ahem, how about this, Muya can stay with me for the time being."
Upon hearing this, everyone present turned to look at her, including He Lin.
"Look, what are you looking at? I'm serious! Is there a problem with me inviting a friend over to my house, folks?"
As Jiang Yi spoke, she hooked her arm around Shangguan Muya's and asked with a grin, "Muya, if you don't mind, why don't you come and keep me company?"
"This isn't a good idea."
"Oh, what's wrong with that? It's settled then. Besides, He Lin and I are going to Southern Xinjiang in a few days. You can come along too, go out and have some fun, just to relax."
"Southern Xinjiang?"
Jiang Yi nodded: "Mhm."
Qi Junxu raised his eyes and glanced at He Lin, asking, "Are you planning to go to the Southern Frontier to find the antidote yourself?"
He Lin looked back at him: "I have to thank Your Highness for this."
Qi Junxu looked away: "It's nothing. Even without me, you would have found the clues sooner or later. I might as well repay this favor."
Shangguan Muya couldn't understand what cryptic language the two of them were using. She looked around at the group. Antidote? What antidote?
Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow at Yin Zhaobai, helping him keep the person there, and let's see how he thanks her.
Just then, a lively cheering sound came from outside, and the group walked closer to the railing and looked down.
Below were the entire procession following the lantern parade, led by a rather enormous dragon-shaped lantern, carried by at least dozens of people, which marched in a grand procession from the east of the city to the west, with countless lights twinkling like stars, stretching to the horizon...
At the same time, the sky above the capital city was suddenly as bright as day, and colorful fireworks bloomed in the night sky, illuminating the faces of the people in the pavilions and sweeping away the previous unpleasant atmosphere...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
