Chapter 137 Your initiative exceeded my expectations
She tilted her head back, staring at his face, waiting for him to continue speaking.
Seeing her earnest and eager look, Emperor Wusu tapped her cheek with his long finger. She neither flinched nor avoided it, but continued to gaze at him intently.
His heart softened, and he continued, "The prescription has only been slightly adjusted. It won't completely kill off his offspring, but it won't affect other effects either. Ming Hong isn't faking it. Le Xi took his pulse, and he is indeed severely weakened and won't be able to recover in a short time."
Ji Qingwu's eyes flickered. Yinxiang had told Prince Yong about the prescription. He knew the medicine was potent, but he still risked his life. Later, Tao Wanyin became pregnant. Yinxiang instigated her to go to the Empress Dowager and report him.
She frowned and asked, "What exactly is Prince Yong trying to achieve by going through all this trouble?"
Throughout the whole affair, both she and Tao Wanyin thought they were the ones who stalked the cicada, but now, looking back, the real mastermind was Prince Yong.
But Emperor Wusu remained silent at this moment.
Ji Qingwu waited quietly for a while, eager to know why.
She looked at the emperor with uncontrollable longing, and couldn't help but lean closer to him, whispering, "Your Majesty."
Emperor Wusu gazed at her; her eyes shone brightly in the dim light, revealing a strong thirst for knowledge.
He said in a low voice, "Come a little closer."
Eager to learn, Ji Qingwu obediently moved closer, completely unaware that she had already nestled into his arms, the two of them pressed tightly together.
He only needed to lower his head slightly to kiss her cheek, and if he looked down a little further, he could see a beautiful spring scene hidden under the blue and white plum blossoms.
When Ji Qingwu realized that her posture was wrong, she could no longer move away as he held her tightly in his arms. She simply ignored it and touched his broad shoulders with her delicate hands.
He whispered in his ear, "Your Majesty, what is the reason?"
The soft, sweet tone reached his ears.
Emperor Wusu's expression seemed to freeze for a moment. He stopped teasing her and said directly in a deep, hoarse voice, "It's for the sake of the Tao family."
Upon receiving the answer, Ji Qingwu was both surprised and puzzled.
Prince Yong went to great lengths, even harming his own body, all for Tao Wanyin.
However, Princess Yong had become a laughing stock among the aristocratic families in Lin'an because of Prince Yong's favoritism towards his concubine over his wife.
This is enough to show that Prince Yong never cared about her. Any normal man would be furious to find out his wife had drugged him, let alone a womanizing playboy like Prince Yong. Yet, he turned the tables on her...
She thought for a moment and then offered her conjecture.
"Does Prince Yong want to depose the princess? Let her commit a grave mistake, and then punish her?"
Emperor Wusu held the warm, soft woman in his arms, and since she had taken the initiative to come closer to him again, he looked relaxed and content.
He shook his head: "No."
no?
Ji Qingwu really thought that Prince Yong had lost his mind, or that he had been kicked by a donkey, otherwise why would he do such a thing?
Her curiosity reached its peak, and she took the initiative to wrap her arms around his, resting her chin on his shoulder, her face full of anticipation, making the person looking at her unable to bear disappointing her.
Not satisfied, she said in a sweet voice, "Your Majesty, I really want to know, can you give me a hint?"
The emperor thoroughly enjoyed the intimate gesture and the melodious voice. He pressed his hand to his mouth and coughed.
"I'm thirsty from talking too much."
Ji Qingwu immediately understood his meaning, turned around, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and presented it to the emperor with both hands, respectfully.
Looking at her fair and delicate hand, he refused to take it, and said with displeasure, "How did I serve you just now?"
Ji Qingwu smiled awkwardly, raised his arms, and fed the tea to his lips.
As a mother with extensive experience in raising children, she is both considerate and meticulous in feeding and watering them.
After the emperor finished his tea, she gently wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth with the back of her hand.
Then, without realizing she had done anything particularly moving, Ji Qingwu continued to stare at him with her watery eyes.
She said softly, "Your Majesty, are you still thirsty? Would you like another cup?"
Emperor Wusu felt his throat become even drier.
This lotus tea is supposed to clear heat and calm the mind, but the more you drink it, the more intense the heat becomes, as if there's a bundle of dry wood burning beneath you, and the water you drink evaporates into steam.
His expression became unusually focused, as if he could only see the woman in front of him, his intense gaze like rolling lava.
He said slowly, "It's completely the opposite of what you just guessed."
Ji Qingwu was stunned. Did this mean that Prince Yong didn't want to depose the concubine? Then why was he going to such lengths...?
She blinked, shocked, and said, "How could this be? If Prince Yong wanted to protect Tao Wanyin, why would he go to such lengths, watching the Princess Consort create so much trouble, and even instigating her to report the matter to the Empress Dowager?"
Ji Qingwu was completely baffled; this was beyond her comprehension.
"Want to know?"
"think!"
Ji Qingwu nodded quickly. This time she was very responsive and took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, are you tired? Let me massage your shoulders."
After saying that, the hand on his shoulder immediately started working, clenching into a fist and landing with just the right amount of force.
Emperor Wusu's eyes were full of smiles. He raised his hand to cover her small fist, stopping her movement, and shook his head, saying, "This is not enough."
Ji Qingwu asked, "What else do you need to do?"
"This matter is Minghong's secret. I'm telling you, but you have to offer something of equal value." Emperor Wusu ran his fingers through hers.
"Then, what do you want in return? I can't think of anything right now." Ji Qingwu touched his neck and promised, "How about this, Your Majesty, I'll owe you this time and make it up to you next time we meet. Just tell me first, okay?"
Emperor Wusu was surprisingly agreeable this time. His gaze fell on her lips, and he said amiably, "It's fine to pay on credit, but you'll have to pay a deposit first, right?"
Ji Qingwu felt as if tiny claws were scratching at her heart.
She'll definitely have trouble sleeping tonight if she doesn't figure out what happened.
Once the idea took hold of her, she acted on it.
Ji Qingwu wrapped her arms around him, leaned forward, and pressed her soft chest against his hard chest. She closed her eyes and leaned in, her eyelashes fluttering and trembling like butterflies.
The moment she closed her eyes, Emperor Wusu stirred slightly.
A moment later, Ji Qingwu stepped back and opened his eyes in surprise.
Because she felt the same soft warmth touching her cheek, not the one she had expected.
Is her sense of direction really that bad? How could she get the location wrong at such close range?
Emperor Wusu chuckled and said, "Awu, you've really taken the initiative beyond my expectations."
Ji Qingwu's face flushed, and her palms were sweaty. Suppressing her embarrassment, she asked, "Your Majesty, may I speak now?"
Emperor Wusu took her hand again and spoke in a cheerful mood.
"It is true that Ji Changyan assassinated Yan Zongrang at the behest of Prince Yong. If you hadn't appeared that night, I wouldn't have acted so quickly. Only by playing the long game can we catch the big fish in one fell swoop."
When Ji Qingwu heard him mention this, he suddenly realized and said, "The big fish is actually not Prince Yong."
Emperor Wusu laughed and said, "Awu, you are truly clever."
As if verbal praise wasn't enough, he took her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
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