Chapter 12 This imperial edict is only for you.
Ji Qingwu hid behind the screen, barely daring to breathe.
Shi Xi also knew that the Fifth Miss's appearance was not suitable for her to appear in public at this time, let alone pay respects to the Emperor.
She replied, "Your Majesty, the Fifth Miss is changing her clothes."
Shi Xi didn't say where he changed his clothes, so it couldn't be considered deceiving the emperor.
Emperor Wusu's gaze lingered, seemingly casually, on the eight-treasure poem screen made of golden nanmu wood.
The Empress Dowager's eyes held a hint of disappointment.
However, considering that Ji Qingwu was a young widow who had given birth, even if she was beautiful and had a good temperament, she was still just a pretty widow, and showing her face in front of the emperor would not be of much use.
"In that case, such a heroic act deserves a good reward." The Empress Dowager earnestly urged her niece, "Your Majesty, what would be a suitable reward?"
This is to request a reward for the fifth young lady of the Ji family.
Emperor Wusu's expression was no longer as cold as before, and he said slowly, "Let's admire the screen."
Ji Qingwu, who was behind the screen, suddenly looked up.
Even though the nanmu wood screen was not transparent, she felt that the emperor's gaze could penetrate it and see her clearly.
The emperor said he would reward her with a screen.
Could it be the one in front of her?
She felt like crying, thinking to herself, "Won't I be showing up in front of everyone looking like this later?"
Emperor Wusu glanced at the screen in the hall and said, "Silla presented a set of trinkets as tribute yesterday. It is a screen carved on walnuts, depicting the four seasons. I will bestow this walnut screen upon Miss Ji Wu."
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction. In fact, what the reward was was not important. What was important was to let the entire court know that the Ji family had received a reward from the Emperor, and why they had received it.
Ji Qingwu's forehead was covered in sweat; thankfully, it wasn't the one in front of her.
She was so nervous that her ears started to ring. She thought she only had time to catch her breath before she realized there was no sound outside. Had everyone left?
She was just about to relax her body and move her numb feet.
Suddenly, he noticed a pair of black satin boots in front of him, with gold dragon patterns embroidered on the hem of the robe.
Ji Qingwu almost choked on her breath, and she knelt down with a thud.
"I, your slave, your subject, pay my respects to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" She changed her self-reference several times before she got it right.
Her voice was breathless and thin with nervousness, making Emperor Wusu tremble with delight...
The woman's outer robe was simply draped over her body; her inner garment was soaked and clung tightly to her body, revealing the outline of her undergarment, which appeared to be patterned with carp playing among lotus flowers.
Her kneeling posture accentuated her slender waist and full hips, and her skin was so tender it seemed to drip with moisture.
Ji Qingwu dared not raise his head.
It felt as if the person above her had stared through two holes in her back, and just when she thought she was about to be pierced by that gaze.
A childish voice rang out.
"Father, she's the one who saved me."
Yuan Heng jogged over to Ji Qingwu's side.
The emperor said in a deep voice, "Why have you returned?"
Just now, Emperor Wusu ordered everyone to leave the hall.
Yuan Heng was too embarrassed to say that he was worried about Ji Qingwu, so he awkwardly changed the subject and said, "Father, I have something I would like to ask you. There is still one article in today's class at the Imperial Academy that I don't quite understand."
The emperor looked at the two figures, one large and one small, before him.
It was as big as an ostrich, with its head down and its slender waist trembling.
The small one is like a fledgling eagle, its wings not yet fully grown, yet it already knows how to protect people.
Yuan Heng's dark eyes darted around as he suggested, "Father, let's go to the Qian Yuan Palace. After all, this is where Grandmother resides."
These words awakened Emperor Wusu.
This is the Cining Palace.
The person in front of me was the fifth young lady of the Ji family, who appeared here again in disheveled clothes.
Emperor Wusu's gaze was mocking. The Empress Dowager was becoming increasingly uninhibited in her actions, even going so far as to send her own niece, who had just returned home, to him in a roundabout way, and who was a newly widowed woman who was still observing mourning for her husband.
It's no wonder the emperor was suspicious; the Empress Dowager had made too many foolish moves before.
Seeing his father's face darken, Yuan Heng was also afraid. Normally, he would have been clever enough to keep quiet.
Seeing that Ji Qingwu looked even more frightened than him, his small frame straightened up involuntarily. He made up his mind that he had to protect her.
So, Yuan Heng mustered her courage and spoke up, her jade-like face filled with a determined resolve.
"Father, I have made a mistake and am willing to accept punishment!"
Emperor Wusu looked down at him without the slightest surprise.
"What's wrong with that?"
Yuan Heng said, word by word, "Your subject knew that he could not hide it from Father Emperor. I knew there was a trap all along. I deliberately stepped on the moss and fell into the water. Your subject's swimming skills were taught by Father Emperor, so I was not worried about any danger. I did this just to test how many people in the palace had ulterior motives towards me."
Ji Qingwu stared in awe at the blue bricks in front of him.
Is this the kind of child who grew up in the palace?
The little guy had actually tricked everyone into his scheme! Those who wanted to harm him included Consort Wei, the Empress Dowager, and even this poor, righteous heroine.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; heaven have mercy, she was just a passing ant.
Ji Qingwu felt a chill down her spine. Was such a private topic appropriate for her to hear?
Clearly, the emperor also felt that this matter was not suitable to be discussed in the side hall of the Cining Palace, and he walked away with a cold expression.
Yuan Heng let out a breath, glanced at Ji Qingwu with reluctance, and then hurriedly walked behind the emperor with his little chubby legs.
As the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance.
Ji Qingwu straightened up and felt that his inner clothes were even wetter, and his back was covered in sweat.
She hadn't even seen the emperor's face yet, but she had already fully felt his majesty. This palace was no place for a human to stay; she was determined to stay far away from it in the future.
Taking advantage of the absence of others, Ji Qingwu quickly changed his clothes and went to another side hall to find Qiao Shi. Just as the women of the Ji family returned to the mansion, the palace's rewards arrived.
Li Yuzong ordered his eunuch Xiao Dongzi to deliver it.
The pear wood box contains four egg-sized walnuts. The front of the box shows the smooth, lustrous walnuts, but the other side reveals a hidden world, with carvings depicting the scenery of the four seasons, the scenes of which are realistic and exquisite.
Ji Qingwu bowed and accepted the gift, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
Chunhua, the maidservant beside Madam Qiao, covered her face with a handkerchief and gave the young eunuch a bulging money bag.
Xiao Dongzi raised his hand and took a step back, smiling as he said, "Miss Ji, His Majesty has other rewards to bestow."
Are there any other rewards?
Ji Qingwu raised her eyebrows, genuinely unsure what it could be, but the little eunuch had nothing else in his hands.
Xiao Dongzi said mysteriously, "Miss Ji, please step forward. The Emperor said that this edict is only for you to hear."
Could it be that she heard some royal secrets and was warned and reprimanded?
Since that was the case, Ji Qingwu had no choice but to approach, and the other women of the Ji family wisely stepped back.
The young eunuch carefully covered his mouth with his hand and whispered in her ear.
After saying something, everyone saw Ji Qingwu's eyes fluctuate violently, like waves suddenly rising on a calm surface of water.
She asked in astonishment, "Your Majesty, is that really what His Majesty said?!"
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