28. Scold
◎What's so fierce◎
Chapter 28
In the next two days, Jiang Qiuye never appeared in the main courtyard again, but he prepared medicinal food on time every day and asked Mingyue to hand it over to the housekeeper and then to Ji Ci.
Mingyue wasn't from the main courtyard, so she didn't know Ji Ci's condition. She just felt that Jiang Qiuye's behavior was incomprehensible. The prince had always been averse to women. Over the years, many noble ladies had proposed marriage, but he had rejected them all. What good would sending some medicinal food do to please him?
Ji Ci's life did not change. He was still busy as usual. He knew that if he wanted the young widow to give up her thoughts, it would be the right thing to do not look for her at this time.
But he couldn't help feeling empty inside, and was worried that she might be too sad and hurt her body, after all, she was just recovering from her illness.
Looking at the medicinal food in front of me, it was still tempting, but there was no figure opposite the food table, and the appetite that had been aroused gradually disappeared.
"What has she been doing lately?"
She? After serving the dishes, the old housekeeper made a guess and cleverly guessed that the she that Prince Qi was referring to was Miss Qiu.
"Reporting to the prince, Miss Qiu stays in the Wutong Courtyard every day and never comes out. I heard that she is either studying medicinal food or reading."
After hearing this, Ji Ci let out a breath and started eating with his chopsticks.
The old housekeeper hesitated for a moment, then said, "But according to Mingyue's report, Miss Qiu cried all night after leaving the main courtyard that night, and she didn't speak the next day. She must be very sad."
The meat in my mouth instantly lost its taste.
The young widow cried all night because of his words.
The guilt that had been suppressed began to emerge again.
I couldn’t finish all the medicinal food for the first time.
I also successfully got rid of insomnia at night.
Ji Ci woke up at the hour of Yin and couldn't fall asleep again. He casually put on a cloak and walked to the locust tree in the yard and sat down on a stone bench.
He poured a small cup of sake and drank it slowly. The locust tree in winter was leafless and looked cold and lonely, just like him.
It’s all because he can’t speak that the young widow is now speechless.
The image of a white, round, sweeping-tailed child still emerged in his mind, sitting on the stone steps, hugging itself, crying and shaking.
So sad that I don’t even want the pine cones.
What should I do?
Before going to court, he changed into court robes and put on his official hat with the help of the eunuchs. After hesitating for a moment, he took out a box from the cabinet and handed it to the old butler on his way out.
He avoided the other person's gaze, his expression still indifferent as he said, "I'm afraid it's boring to stay in the palace. Give this to little...Qiu Ziye to play with."
The old butler concealed his surprise, took the box and answered respectfully.
…
"What is this?" Jiang Qiuye looked at the box on the table, then looked at Mingyue who was approaching and asked.
Mingyue chuckled, stepped forward and opened it, saying, "This is a Kongming lock. The prince was worried that the young lady would be bored in the palace, so he specially asked someone to bring it here to entertain her."
She paused and said, "It seems that the prince still cares about the young lady."
"Really?" Jiang Qiuye took out the wooden Kongming lock and played with it in his hands, as if he couldn't figure it out. He looked at Mingyue again and finally smiled like a little sun. "Then thank the prince for me."
"yes."
"Thank you, Sister Mingyue too." Jiang Qiuye's voice was very sweet.
Mingyue was shocked and said, "Miss, you are joking. What is there to thank me for?"
"Thank you, Sister Mingyue, for speaking on my behalf in front of the housekeeper Uncle Fu." As she spoke, Jiang Qiuye took out the water chestnut cake she had made today and gave it to Mingyue.
She took the water chestnut cake and couldn't help but feel happy. She smiled and said, "Thank you very much, young lady. I will leave now and won't bother you any more."
"Yeah." Jiang Qiuye didn't look at her again and started playing with the Kongming lock.
Jinhong behind her stepped forward and watched her unlock the Kongming lock in just a few moves, and then put it back together again.
"What does King Qi mean? He rejected the girl, but he still gave her something."
Jiang Qiuye put the Kongming lock back into the box with a dull look on his face. He smiled faintly and said, "This guy is really stubborn, that's all."
That first night, when he suddenly said those cold and rejecting words, she really thought that his feelings for her hadn't progressed at all. She considered herself beautiful and "good-natured" and believed that no man would reject her like that, so she was devastated.
Although it wasn't worth her crying, after thinking it over carefully, she still pretended to cry all night, and her eyes were swollen.
Now that I have ignored him for two days, he starts to want to get back together again.
Why is this person so contradictory?
She suddenly became curious about what had happened to Ji Ci that made him so aloof from others.
Never mind, it's not important to her.
What was important now was to stir up his emotions, make him worry about her, and keep him awake at night.
Now that he has taken the initiative to show his goodwill, I can appear in front of him again at night and hang out to communicate with him.
…
The candlelight in the main courtyard study is bright. It is quiet everywhere at night, and people's shadows are reflected on the window lattices.
The hot tea was steaming, and Ji Ci slowly poured the tea into the cup and pushed it forward.
Imperial Tutor Tang took a sip from his teacup and spoke in a grave voice, "You saw the emperor's attitude at this morning's court. Although Wang Fen was serving his father, he harbored rebellious intentions. How can you, alone, clear General Dingbei's name?"
Taifu Tang was the teacher of Prince Qi when he was young. He taught him for several years and had a very high prestige. Ji Ci respected him very much.
He was also a close friend of General Dingbei.
After Ji Ci poured a cup of tea, he continued to fill the cup in front of him.
Since Wang Fen was arrested, the truth about the Zhang family massacre spread like wildfire. Many people learned about what Zhang Liang did in the Pinghuai battle and were furious.
At the morning court session, Prince Qi Jici reported the truth about the Zhang family case and arrested the rebels on the list.
The emperor was furious and ordered the execution of Wang Fen and his associates.
However, when he submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting a re-investigation of the Pinghui Campaign and the removal of Zhang Liang from his post as General of the Cavalry, the emperor remained silent and avoided discussing the matter.
"Teacher, have you ever thought about how Zhang Liang, a mere deputy general, was able to pull off such a deception during the Pinghui Campaign?"
Tang Taifu choked, "What do you mean?"
"The Li Kingdom has an army of 10,000. Even if Zhang Liang is interfering, is it really true that the battle report won't reach Shengjing? For 28 days, General Dingbei hasn't returned. Didn't he send someone else to deliver the message? And where has Zhang Liang been all this time? Has he just been wandering around the Beiting Protectorate?"
Tang Taifu's brows grew increasingly serious, a chill running down his spine as he said, "So, here..."
"The emperor has his hand in this." Ji Ci sighed, picked up the tongs and moved the charcoal in the basin to make the room warmer. "So the emperor is unwilling to conduct a thorough investigation and wants to hastily close the case and convict."
Imperial Tutor Tang was furious. "General Dingbei and his family fought for 28 days to protect the Great Jin and Pinghui, but were completely annihilated, leaving only their daughter behind. Such honor and merit have been overshadowed by a disgrace."
Thinking of this, he began to shed tears.
Ji Ci said, "Teacher, the emperor has absolutely no tolerance for those who oppose the Jin State, and neither can I. General Dingbei was once renowned far and wide, showing kindness wherever he went and enforcing strict discipline within the army. Now that the truth has been exposed, everyone is outraged for Dingbei."
"Wang Fen has been convicted of murdering over a hundred people and plotting a rebellion. His crimes are punishable by death or worse. However, I fear that more individuals, motivated by the desire to protect the north, may have submitted reports to His Majesty before me, secretly investigating the Pinghui Campaign. If this is indeed the case, His Majesty will undoubtedly punish those who disseminated the truth."
"It is imperative that General Dingbei's reputation be restored. First, to appease public anger. Second, to revive military morale. In the current situation, if ministers harbor resentment and soldiers lose heart, then the coming war after three years of peace will surely lead to the defeat of the Great Jin."
"Three, the promise to Wang Fen."
"Jian Xi, this matter is from the Ministry of Personnel."
Tang Taifu shook his head, scratched his white beard, and said, "This matter should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Personnel. Even if it angers His Majesty, it is for the sake of admonishing the world."
"Not only do we need to advise, we also need to conceal."
"conceal?"
"Yes, I'm hiding it for His Majesty. The world is in turmoil right now, and the Kingdom of Li is preparing to go to war with me. Your Majesty cannot and will not blame himself. Therefore, the blame for the original crime must be pinned on Zhang Liang."
Tutor Tang slammed the table hard, then clenched his fists and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"I see."
"Now that Zhang Liang is dead, his son also died at the wedding banquet. The position of commander of the Zhang family army stationed on the border has been vacated. The emperor wants to take back the military power, but he trusts his relatives. This position must be taken by someone from our side."
"Well, he can't be one of ours. I can think of someone who is neither from the faction of the in-laws nor from the aristocratic family."
"You're talking about..."
"Zhou Chenghu, this man has been in the Left Cavalry Battalion of the Imperial Guard for three years and has already become a captain. He is known for his bravery. He comes from a humble family and has no background..."
A light sound of footsteps seemed to float past the door. Ji Ci frowned and turned his head away. Without saying anything else, he stood up and walked towards the study door, then yanked it open.
Jiang Qiuye was standing at the door, exposed in front of her, with a food box hanging on one arm and the other hand still in the posture of preparing to knock on the door.
When she saw Ji Ci, she was surprised and called out softly, "Prince."
But Ji Ci was furious and shouted, "Who allowed you to enter the main courtyard and come to the study without permission?"
His reaction seemed to frighten Jiang Qiuye, and her eyes immediately turned red. Before she could say anything, she saw him calling the old housekeeper over and asking, "You let someone in without my permission? Where's Tian Qu?"
The old housekeeper was stunned when he saw Jiang Qiuye. He was clearly standing at the gate and didn't see when she sneaked in. He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, it is my fault. I deserve to die. Master Tianqu has gone out of the house on business."
Jiang Qiuye couldn't stop the tears in his eyes, and bit his lip and said, "Why are you so fierce? Who wants to come to your main courtyard?"
Seeing this, Ji Ci felt like he was adding fuel to the fire. However, he couldn't bear to see the crying woman. He tried to suppress his tone and said, "When you first entered the palace, didn't anyone teach you the rules? Didn't the prince tell you that there are many important secrets in the palace and you must obey."
"I know! I was wrong! I will never come here again!"
As Jiang Qiuye said this, she placed the food box in her hand on Ji Ci. He immediately reached out and hugged it. Then, a lotus root pink purse was thrown over, hitting his chest and landing on the food box.
Finally, he took out the Kongming lock that he had asked the housekeeper to bring to him in the morning from his sleeve and returned it to him.
"I shouldn't worry about whether His Majesty is hungry or eating well. I'm just a rustic girl from the countryside and I really can't learn the ladylike manners you mentioned. I'll move out tomorrow. Staying here is just annoying anyway."
After saying that, Jiang Qiuye no longer cared about Ji Ci's reaction and simply ran away.
Ji Ci was still holding the lunch box in his hand, standing at the door in a daze, feeling the cold wind whistling across his forehead, causing his temples to ache.
The young widow was even angrier than him. This happened for the second time in just a few days.
It was clearly her who broke into the yard without notice, and he had not yet dealt with her. Why did it seem like it was his fault now?
What a troublesome, spoiled and terrible woman.
He carried the lunch box into the study with a puzzled look on his face. He saw that Tang Taifu was looking at him strangely. Finally, he stood up, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Why are you so angry? She is just a little girl. How can she really upset you? It's getting late. I will take my leave first. Jian Xi, there is no need to see me off."
After saying that, he threw his head back and laughed as he left. In all these years, he had never seen a woman next to Ji Jianxi, nor had he seen such a rich expression on his face. Seeing him look frustrated, he felt really refreshed.
…
When Jiang Qiuye ran all the way back to Wutong Courtyard, she suddenly slowed down and realized that she had been too immersed in the role and said stupid things.
She climbed onto the bed in frustration without taking off her clothes, buried herself in the quilt, and rolled from side to side, extremely angry at her own behavior.
She actually told Ji Ci that she would move out tomorrow.
Is this a brain cramp?
Of course she couldn't really leave, but how could she explain this now...
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