Free Web NovelChapter 209: Chapter 209: Thud, Thud, Thump, Thump
A deep voice vibrated in Ji Qingwu’s ears.
"But I never said how many times you could go."
Including yesterday, Ji Qingwu had gone a total of twice.
His tone was severe. "That Mrs. Tao is a clay Bodhisattva—utterly helpless. Why do you bother with her?"
Ji Qingwu mumbled, her voice as faint as a buzzing mosquito, "She’s not a clay Bodhisattva. She’s a Golden Bodhisattva."
’Since Emperor Wu Su knew she had visited Anle Hall yesterday, he must also know perfectly well why she went and who she went for.’
Ji Qingwu continued, "I didn’t go for the Princess Consort’s sake. I went for my own."
She jutted her chin toward the doors of the hall.
Two people were still kneeling outside.
Emperor Wu Su had long intended to punish Wei Ting, but the time hadn’t been right. Ji Qingwu’s tactic was a bit crude, but it was surprisingly effective.
Ji Qingwu always managed to strike Prince Yong right where he was most vulnerable.
And throughout the entire court, the only one who could make Wei Ting suffer a loss in silence was the powerful, influential, and notoriously reckless Prince Yong.
By having Prince Yong and Wei Ting bring their conflict before him, he could then seize the opportunity to reprimand them both. It was the perfect setup.
Ji Qingwu gazed into his eyes, not missing the slightest change in his expression. She said with certainty, "You’re laughing on the inside, Your Majesty."
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze swept downward. "If you take off those clothes, I can laugh out loud."
Rendered meek by His Majesty the Emperor’s bizarre mood, Ji Qingwu cupped her cheeks.
She smiled. "How about this, Your Majesty? Don’t look at anything below my head. Just look at my face. What do you think?"
Ji Qingwu felt her face was certainly presentable enough, but alas, the Emperor wasn’t buying it.
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze fixed on her face as he asked coolly, "Am I that fond of looking at you? Is it so necessary for me to see you?"
Her confidence bruised, Ji Qingwu pushed him away and started for the doors, heedless of her disheveled hair and untidy appearance.
She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a strong hand seized her wrist.
Emperor Wu Su had hesitated for a moment as he reached out. His hand had originally been aiming for her slender waist—which he knew felt exquisite to the touch—but it had diverted midway to her pale wrist, a clear sign of his disdain for the coarse clothes she wore.
He pulled Ji Qingwu back in front of him.
This time she was silent, her head bowed as she stared at the floor tiles, which were polished to a mirror-like sheen.
Emperor Wu Su coaxed in a low voice, "Ah Wu, you were right. I love looking at you. If I go a day without seeing you, I can’t eat properly or sleep soundly."
Ji Qingwu snorted through her nose.
Emperor Wu Su pinched her cheek. "You have time to see Mrs. Tao, so why don’t you have time to see me?"
Ji Qingwu was forced to look up, but she refused to meet his gaze, mimicking the cool indifference he had shown her moments before.
"We just saw each other yesterday."
His grip tightened, and the pinch on her cheek began to hurt.
Ji Qingwu grabbed his hand to pull it away, but he deftly reversed his grip and captured hers.
"How dare you bring up yesterday, Ah Wu? The bite mark on my face only just faded before the morning court session. I nearly embarrassed myself completely in front of all my ministers."
At the mention of that, Ji Qingwu looked up and carefully inspected his face. His skin was as smooth as warm jade, without a single mark.
Feeling not the least bit guilty, she declared with an air of confidence, "That’s your fault, Your Majesty, not mine."
’It was his own fault for getting greedy back then.’
Ji Qingwu said, "And what happened today is also your fault, Your Majesty, not mine."
Emperor Wu Su raised an eyebrow. "And how can you possibly blame this on me?"
Ji Qingwu said, "I only went to Anle Hall today for your sake, Your Majesty."
Emperor Wu Su asked, slightly surprised, "Is that so? For my sake in what way?"
Ji Qingwu said, "You mentioned to me last time that Mr. Tao was a big fish at court. While speaking with Princess Yong, I discovered something strange. There may be an even bigger fish behind Mr. Tao."
Emperor Wu Su’s eyes lit up. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "And what did you discover, Ah Wu?"
Ji Qingwu said, "This Mr. Tao has a secret vice. And the person behind him shares the same depraved habits."
After providing this clue, she said, angling for a reward, "Your Majesty shouldn’t be angry. You should be rewarding me."
Emperor Wu Su said bluntly, "As a reward, I’ll allow these clothes to remain in one piece."
With that, he swept Ji Qingwu up into his arms and carried her into the inner chamber.
He’d said he would leave it in one piece, and unlike the crabapple-red dress from before, it wasn’t torn to shreds. But it wasn’t much better off. All the hidden clasps on the garment had burst, leaving it to hang precariously from her body.
Emperor Wu Su removed the garment with ease. After a heated round of bargaining, Ji Qingwu managed to secure a wisteria-colored, straight-collared cloak to cover herself.
Ji Qingwu knelt on the chaise lounge, tying the ribbons of the cloak around her neck.
Beside her, Emperor Wu Su watched her, his gaze intense. He waited until she had tied the ribbons before reaching out a hand.
His long fingers toyed with the moon-white ribbon.
’He probably just needs something to fidget with,’ Ji Qingwu thought, paying it no mind.
She continued, "Your Majesty, Princess Yong’s pregnancy is unstable. I need to go to Anle Hall again in a few days to give her some abortion prevention pills."
Emperor Wu Su said nothing, but slowly raised his eyes. "You still want to go?"
Ji Qingwu thought for a moment, then asked, "Could I ask Eunuch Li to deliver them for me?"
Li Yuzong was the Emperor’s man, and Ji Qingwu hoped that with Eunuch Li’s presence, the matrons at Anle Hall would take better care of Tao Wanyin.
’Tao Wanyin was a pitiable woman. She just wanted to make things a little easier for her.’
Emperor Wu Su saw right through her. In fact, he had already made his decision back when he ordered Li Yuzong to bring her from Anle Hall.
He said in a low voice, "If Mrs. Tao can persuade Prince Yong..."
Ji Qingwu shuffled forward a little, her voice full of anticipation. "...Then Your Majesty will agree to let Eunuch Li deliver the medicine!"
Emperor Wu Su shook his head.
The light in Ji Qingwu’s eyes faded.
Just as the light in her eyes was about to die out, he said, "Prince Yong needs someone to keep him in line. Mrs. Tao may move back to the Prince Mansion, effective immediately. If Prince Yong offends again, Mrs. Tao will be sent to live in Anle Hall permanently."
’As long as Mrs. Tao was at Anle Hall, Ji Qingwu would keep worrying about her and would inevitably have to visit.’
’He really didn’t want her setting foot in that dreadful place again.’
Overjoyed by an even better answer than she’d hoped for, Ji Qingwu happily threw herself at him.
With a slight twitch of his fingers, the cloak came undone, sliding all the way down her smooth back.
The smile in his eyes was so deep it threatened to consume her as he pulled her into a full embrace.
Ji Qingwu bit her lip in vexation. He immediately pressed a hand to the back of her head, and her lips were soon being bitten by his.
「Outside the hall.」
An imposing shout echoed from outside.
"Your Majesty! Your brother knows his crime! I ask for my Imperial Brother’s punishment!"
It hardly sounded like an admission of guilt. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he’d done something commendable and was waiting for a reward.
Hearing Prince Yong’s voice, Ji Qingwu hurriedly turned her face away, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Not yet satisfied, Emperor Wu Su bent down. His large palm brushed aside her troublesome black hair to touch the skin of her back, as smooth and delicate as polished jade.
The voice coming through the slightly ajar door grew louder.
"Your Majesty! I should not have gotten into a dispute with General Wei Ting after the morning court session! It was my own recklessness!"
There was also the sound of kowtowing—THUD, THUD—one after another, each one solid and heavy.
And Ji Qingwu’s heart went THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.
