Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 199: Sneaking Around Has a Thrill of Its Own
Ji Qingwu clutched her chest, startled by the person who had suddenly appeared.
Prince Yong had never imagined that the person fooling around inside with the Emperor would be Ji Qingwu.
He had only pretended to leave before doubling back, wanting to know just who had dared to bite his Imperial Brother.
The two stared at each other.
The look in Prince Yong’s eyes shifted from shock to understanding, but it was tinged with deep confusion.
’If Imperial Brother fancies Fifth Cousin, why not just bring her into the harem?’
The court had been in constant turmoil recently, and several of the disturbances had been sparked by Ji Qingwu.
Seeing the look on Prince Yong’s face, Ji Qingwu’s own face flushed red, then turned pale.
’This man is truly detestable and so cunning,’ she thought. ’After the Emperor left, he deliberately circled back and waited right at the entrance just for me.’
Ji Qingwu suppressed her emotions and said, "Greetings, Prince Yong."
With that, she turned to leave.
Prince Yong snapped out of his reverie and called after her, "Fifth Cousin, wait up!"
Ji Qingwu didn’t stop. Staring straight ahead, she quickened her pace and said, "I have nothing to say to you, Your Highness."
’Things have already come to this, anyway,’ she thought. ’Prince Yong knows I was the one with the Emperor just now. No explanation will help, so he can think whatever he wants.’
Prince Yong hurried a few steps to cut her off, saying, "I have something to discuss with you."
After entering the palace, he had first paid his customary visit to the entrance of Anle Hall, then gone to see the Empress Dowager. When he learned that Ji Qingwu was also in the palace, currently in the Imperial Garden, he found an excuse to follow her.
Blocked by Prince Yong, Ji Qingwu had no choice but to stop.
"If it’s something that even a man of your noble imperial blood can’t solve, how could a frail woman like me, who depends on the Ji Family’s charity to survive, possibly be of any help? You must be joking, Your Highness."
Prince Yong understood the sarcasm in her words perfectly.
He didn’t retort or question her. Setting aside the fact that he already knew about her relationship with Emperor Wu Su, he dared not show any displeasure, especially considering what he was about to ask of her.
Prince Yong smiled. "Fifth Cousin, we are of the same kin. There’s no need to speak of dependency; it’s only natural that we help one another."
Ji Qingwu frowned upon hearing these high-sounding, polite words.
Given the grudge between them, they were hardly in a position to be helping each other.
He had made advances on her, and she had paid him back in kind with a drug, which had even led to the Emperor decreeing that Princess Yong be confined within the palace.
They were in private with no one else around, so Ji Qingwu decided to speak plainly.
"Your Highness is a busy and important man, so perhaps you don’t recall what happened on the dragon boat last month. But I remember it well. Every time I think of it, I feel sick to my stomach."
She had shattered his attempt to gloss over the past.
He said awkwardly, "If I had known earlier that you and Imperial Brother were..."
Ji Qingwu shot him a fierce glare and cut him off. "Were what?!"
Her glare made him lose his nerve. "Nothing," he said. "Fifth Cousin, think about it. What does this have to do with me? It was that fool Ji Changyan who thought he could make up for his attempted assassination of the Imperial Censor by knocking you out and delivering you to me."
Ji Qingwu felt a wave of lingering fear as she recalled the events of that day.
That drug was no ordinary substance. The slightest misstep, and she would have lost her life on that dragon boat.
Her voice was cold as she said, "Ji Changyan is in your pocket. If you hadn’t put him up to it, why would he have done such a thing?"
Prince Yong played dumb, saying innocently, "But nothing happened that night."
Ji Qingwu met his gaze. "If something had happened, it would have been too late. I have nothing more to say to you, Your Highness."
Suddenly, it all clicked for Prince Yong. Why his Yucui Building had run into trouble so coincidentally that night, luring him away just as he was about to get what he wanted...
The reason Yucui Building had been surrounded by Li Chengxun’s troops was that his ever-scheming Imperial Brother had been pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
Cold sweat began to bead on Prince Yong’s forehead. He was immensely relieved that nothing had happened that night.
He pressed on, "What will it take for you to not be angry, Fifth Cousin? I am willing to make it up to you."
Ji Qingwu said coldly, "There’s no need. If Your Highness would simply appear before me less often, I could ask for nothing more."
Prince Yong’s tone was almost pleading. "I’ll agree to any of your conditions, Fifth Cousin. Just help me one more time, and I’ll stay far away from you forever."
A mocking smile touched Ji Qingwu’s lips. "If a man with Your Highness’s immense power can’t do it, how could I possibly..."
Her words trailed off as she stared at the man who had suddenly knelt before her, her gaze flickering with uncertainty. freewёbnoνel.com
It was the first time she had ever seen Prince Yong looking so defeated, his expression as lifeless as dead embers.
He hung his head in despair. "You’re the only one who can save Wanyin."
Ji Qingwu frowned, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "Confining the Princess Consort to Anle Hall was His Majesty’s decision. There’s nothing I can do to change it."
Prince Yong looked up. It is said that a man does not cry easily, but his eyes were bloodshot, revealing the panic and anxiety that had built up over many days.
The situation had grown increasingly dire. It wasn’t just the impending doom of the entire Tao family, but also Tao Wanyin’s steadily declining health.
Prince Yong said in a low voice, "When Wanyin learned that Mr. Tao was dragged out of court and thrown into the Imperial Prison, she fainted."
Surprise flickered in Ji Qingwu’s eyes. She had seen that Emperor Wu Su was in a good mood today and had assumed all was peaceful at court. She never expected something so major had happened.
As for how Princess Yong must have felt upon learning her father was sent to the Imperial Prison...
Ji Qingwu could certainly empathize.
However, their situations were vastly different. For one, she had never even met Ji Bo Lian, so their father-daughter bond was not deep.
Secondly, Mr. Ji had been innocently implicated, and she had received word from the Emperor that same day that her father was in no real danger.
Last time at Handan Hall, Emperor Wu Su had mentioned to her that one of the "big fish" at court was the Tao family.
How much time had passed since then? The Emperor had already begun to reel in his net. The once-glorious Tao family was about to fall, and their relatives would be dragged down with them.
Ji Qingwu finally understood why Prince Yong was pleading so desperately.
She asked, "Are you asking me to save Princess Yong?"
Prince Yong nodded, then shook his head. "Her title and status don’t matter. What’s important now is saving her life."
Ji Qingwu mulled it over for a moment before saying, "The Princess Consort is carrying a child of the Royal Family. His Majesty wouldn’t be so heartless."
Prince Yong’s face was etched with worry. "But right now, Wanyin’s pregnancy is extremely unstable. The daily physician’s reports I receive make my heart pound with fear."
Seeing Ji Qingwu remain silent, Prince Yong, still kneeling, moved to grab her leg.
She quickly jumped into the nearby bushes, and he lunged at empty air.
Ji Qingwu patted her chest, her heart still racing. "We can talk, but don’t touch me," she said with disgust. "It makes me sick."
At her words, Prince Yong’s face filled with utter despair.
Then, he heard the woman’s voice, as clear as pearls rolling across a jade plate.
