Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 109: A Time for Serious Business, Yet the Emperor Is Flirting
At that same moment, Ji Qingwu flinched.
The poor, innocent girl had been kicked again.
The person kicked even harder this time.
Her eyes flew wide, her dark, shimmering pupils darting back and forth between Emperor Wu Su and the Prince Consort.
Ji Qingwu was trying to figure out which of them was maliciously kicking her.
’It’s almost rhythmic. As soon as the Eldest Princess finishes talking, I get a kick.’
Her hesitant gaze fell upon the Emperor, who interpreted it as a sign that she had been moved by the Eldest Princess’s words and was now silently condemning him.
Emperor Wu Su’s expression chilled.
In reality, Ji Qingwu hadn’t even heard everything Princess Hua Chang had said. Her mind was entirely focused on figuring out where that kick had come from...
’This time... yes, after some careful deduction, I’ve got it. The kick came from across from me.’
She shot a glare at Wei Chi Lianping, but the Prince Consort’s eyes were glued to the Eldest Princess, so he never saw it.
However, Princess Hua Chang caught her disgruntled look. "Miss Ji," she said, "do you take issue with my words?"
Ji Qingwu pressed her lips together and shook her head quickly. She felt a chill descend from all directions.
’These royal siblings look so much alike when they’re angry. But Princess Hua Chang’s coldness is superficial, it just hovers around her.’
Emperor Wu Su’s coldness, however, was a deep-seated chill that seemed to freeze the very air around him.
For some reason, Ji Qingwu wrapped her arms around herself and sneezed. She must have caught a chill earlier when she was standing outside the tent with her hair still damp.
Seeing her sniffling pitifully, the tip of her nose turning red, Emperor Wu Su pushed the cup of hot tea from his side of the table toward her.
Ji Qingwu didn’t refuse. She cupped the teacup in her pale, slender hands and, lowering her head, obediently took a sip. freewebnσvel.cøm
A warm current spread through her stomach, and Ji Qingwu’s lips curled into a comfortable smile. Seeing this, the Emperor’s expression softened slightly.
Princess Hua Chang’s expression flickered through several emotions.
’The Emperor, who has never served a soul in his life, passed her the tea so smoothly. And that girl from the Ji Family accepted it just as naturally. If someone told me there’s nothing going on between them, I’d never believe it in a million years.’
’But I’m here discussing serious business, and the Emperor is flirting?!’
’But to flirt, you first have to have feelings.’
As the thought crossed her mind, Princess Hua Chang was stunned. ’When did the cold, unfeeling Emperor Wu Su become a man of sentiment?’
Then, she frowned, realizing something even more difficult to accept: her own behavior.
’My personality is so similar to my brother’s, yet haven’t I also undergone a complete change? I’m actually starting to defend this brute, risking the Emperor’s wrath to stand up to him.’
Princess Hua Chang was deeply shaken by her own introspection.
’That girl from the Ji Family is a real lucky charm,’ Wei Chi Lianping thought. ’She sneezes once, and suddenly neither of them looks so frosty anymore.’
He seized the opportunity to lighten the mood. "You call these wounds? These are a man’s medals of honor! Others wish they could get scratched by a black bear, but they aren’t so lucky."
Ji Qingwu finally caught on. She realized the Prince Consort had kicked her because he wanted her to add a few words of persuasion as well.
She chimed in, "The nation’s prosperity requires sacrificing personal interests for the greater good. Half of the General’s medals belong to the Eldest Princess, too."
Wei Chi Lianping nodded uncontrollably. ’This woman is excellent, and what she says makes sense. It’s only a tiny bit less brilliant than what I just said, of course.’
The atmosphere in the tent finally eased.
Li Yuzong also let out a sigh of relief. He stepped forward at the opportune moment and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial meal is ready."
Emperor Wu Su said, "Serve the meal."
A few little eunuchs scurried in.
They first arranged the golden bowls and plates on the dining table. Even the soup spoons were made of silver and zitan wood inlaid with Han jade.
Six food containers were opened, revealing more than a dozen exquisite dishes.
With every dish that was served, Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened as she gazed at the table, a single thought repeating in her mind: ’I’ve never eaten that before.’
A lidded silver hotpot held braised sea cucumber with pork tendon and a delicate Wensi tofu soup. The platters were laden with crispy-skinned roast chicken, a stew of goose gizzards and webs, deer tendon and venison, and small steamed buns shaped like bamboo sections. There were also four side dishes served on small enamel plates.
’No wonder the Emperor didn’t eat the roasted meat earlier,’ she thought. ’The imperial cuisine is on a completely different level.’
’After that bath, my stomach feels a bit empty again,’ Ji Qingwu thought. ’I can definitely fit a little more in.’
Li Yuzong then brought out the Yuquan Wine, which had been warming over a charcoal fire, and unexpectedly placed it in her hands. Having done this, he led the little eunuchs and retreated to the side.
This time, Ji Qingwu didn’t need to ask; she understood Eunuch Li’s intention. After helping the Emperor dress, she now had to serve him wine.
’Well, Emperor Wu Su gave me a cup of hot tea just now,’ she reasoned. ’It’s only fair that I pour him a cup of warm wine in return.’
She filled the blue-and-white porcelain cup. Her pale wrist and slender, jade-like fingers, reflected in the amber liquid, seemed to make the wine look even more fragrant and mellow.
Ji Qingwu said softly, "Your Majesty."
As Emperor Wu Su took the cup, his lightly calloused fingertips brushed against her wrist. She couldn’t tell if he did it on purpose.
’The two of us have done far more than just touch hands,’ she thought, ’but doing this in front of Princess Hua Chang and Wei Chi Lianping makes my heart race.’
The more she tried to hide her connection to the Emperor, the more tense she became. It was just a simple gesture of offering wine, but the moment his fingers brushed her wrist, her entire hand trembled violently, splashing wine onto the back of the Emperor’s hand.
Emperor Wu Su, however, wasn’t angry. A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
"I don’t bite," he said. "Why are you trembling?"
To make amends, Ji Qingwu picked up the cloth napkin from beside her plate and offered it to him. But he didn’t take it, simply raising an eyebrow at her.
’Well, he is His Noble Majesty the Emperor, after all,’ she thought, taking a deep breath.
Under the watchful eyes of the Eldest Princess and her husband, Ji Qingwu’s face flushed a deep red as she picked up the napkin to clean his hand. She held it as if it were a hot potato, wiping his hand clean before dropping it hastily, nearly flinging it in the Emperor’s face.
Emperor Wu Su didn’t press the issue. He picked up his chopsticks first, and only then did the others dare to begin eating.
Ji Qingwu was already mostly full, so she only had a few sips of soup and a few bites of the side dishes that caught her eye.
During the meal, Princess Hua Chang noticed her small appetite and assumed she had been frightened by the earlier confrontation between herself and the Emperor.
The Eldest Princess used the serving chopsticks to place a jadeite-and-white-jade roll in her bowl. Ji Qingwu stared at the green morsel, stunned by the favor.
The Emperor glanced at the Eldest Princess as well.
Princess Hua Chang spoke words of concern, though her voice remained cool.
"Miss Ji, eat more. You look far too frail, as if a strong gust of wind could knock you over."
The deer tendon in Wei Chi Lianping’s bowl suddenly lost its appeal. A sour taste filled his mouth. He’d never received such treatment; the Eldest Princess had never once used the serving chopsticks for him.
He eyed Ji Qingwu sideways and said jealously, "The Eldest Princess is absolutely right. Your trembling hands are probably just from hunger. You’d better eat up. We wouldn’t want you to starve yourself into an early grave."
The words had barely left his mouth when Wei Chi Lianping felt a sharp pain in his elbow. Someone had struck a pressure point, and a numbing sensation shot through his arm.
He lost his grip on his chopsticks, and they fell to the floor with a CLATTER.
Having just accused someone else of having trembling hands, General Wei Chi had now thoroughly embarrassed himself: ...
Emperor Wu Su said, "Bring the General another bowl of rice. He’s so hungry his hands are shaking, too."
Li Yuzong chuckled as he retrieved the fallen chopsticks and offered a new pair. "General Wei Chi has already had three bowls of rice," he said, feigning confusion. "I doubt he’s shaking from hunger."
Ji Qingwu pursed her lips into a smile. Then, she deliberately bit into the jadeite roll, chewing it with a loud CRUNCH.
