Free Web NovelChapter 68: Chapter 68: Free to Marry, Burning with Rage
She refused to be a puppet controlled by the childbirth system any longer.
That night in the army tent had been a humiliation for him, but it had been torture for her, too. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have spent so many nights waking with a start from her dreams.
No matter how one tried to glorify it, the childbirth system’s mission couldn’t hide the fact that she was nothing more than a tool.
A breeding tool with no choice in the matter.
But she was a living, breathing person with feelings.
According to Ji Qingwu’s initial plan, she had wanted to slowly develop feelings with her target. Then, when the time was right and passions ran high, everything would fall into place naturally.
She had wanted to minimize the mercenary nature of this mission, to prevent it from becoming a cold transaction.
But the mission had gone terribly wrong—she’d gotten the wrong man.
To survive, she had abandoned all sense of propriety, abandoned Wei Ting, abandoned her son in his swaddling clothes...
Because no one craved a free and vibrant life more than she did. For the woman she had been in her past life, lying weakly on a sickbed day after day, it had been her greatest dream.
’The childbirth mission is complete,’ she told herself softly. ’Now, I live for myself.’
Ji Qingwu’s eyes felt dry. Unlike all the times before, they didn’t well up with tears.
Instead, they were bloodshot, as if she were about to weep tears of blood.
The man before her gave her enough time to think. At last, she spoke.
Her voice was painfully hoarse.
Though her voice was strained, every word she uttered was perfectly clear.
"I wish to ask, is that verbal decree still valid?"
If the decree was valid, it meant she was free to marry as she pleased outside the palace walls.
Emperor Wu Su’s expression turned utterly cold.
"This is all you have to say."
Even without looking at him, Ji Qingwu could feel a bone-chilling cold wash over her. Her entire body went rigid, as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar.
The immense, oppressive aura almost made her knees buckle, nearly sending her crashing to the floor.
She had to brace her hands against the wall behind her to keep from collapsing.
Waiting for his judgment was agonizing. Ji Qingwu was terrified, but she refused to back down.
The displeasure in his eyes deepened until they were two dark, oppressive voids, like a thunderstorm brewing, ready to erupt.
Ji Qingwu had made her stance clear—no matter what, she would not stay by his side.
Emperor Wu Su raised a hand and clamped it around her jaw, forcing her head up until his taut face filled her entire field of vision.
His knuckles were white from the force of his grip, and the heavy rise and fall of his chest seemed to be seeking an outlet for his simmering rage.
Ji Qingwu’s heart pounded. A roar filled her ears, and her breathing became rapid and shallow.
Her consciousness began to fade. Her vision turned black, and she could no longer make out the person in front of her.
He seemed to whisper something in her ear, then violently ripped the jade pendant from his waist.
The pendant struck her, slid past her waist, and fell to the floor with a sharp, clear sound.
「An unknown amount of time passed.」
When Ji Qingwu’s mind cleared, she found herself crouched on the floor, hugging her knees and gasping for breath.
The room was empty. She didn’t know when Emperor Wu Su had left.
Her gaze refocused and landed on the Koi Carp Pendant on the floor. Its five-color thread had snapped in two, the colorful silk fibers frayed and uneven at the break.
It wasn’t just the thread that had broken.
Ji Qingwu carefully picked it up and tucked it into her robes, hiding it against her chest.
A wisp of evening breeze drifted in through the attic window. It wasn’t cold, but she shivered all the same.
She turned her head to look. Outside, a bright moon hung high in the sky. It was almost midnight.
’Oh no.’
Ji Qingwu hurried out of the teahouse. The waiter downstairs saw her and called out, "Young Master, that gentleman from earlier..."
She tossed him a silver ingot and took off running.
The waiter stared dumbfounded at the silver in his hand, watching her azure-clad figure quickly disappear into the night. He hadn’t even finished what he was saying.
Lan Zhi and Jiu Jiu were still by the river.
By the time Ji Qingwu got to the spot where they had separated earlier, there was no sign of them.
She asked passersby, but everyone said they hadn’t seen a woman in yellow holding a child.
Frantic, Ji Qingwu walked more than halfway along the riverbank until her feet were sore and her calves ached.
She had run for miles today, at the very least, but still hadn’t found them. She leaned against a willow tree, bent over and panting, deciding to rest for a moment.
In the shadows by the riverbank, a discreet yet luxurious carriage was parked.
A man rested inside, his eyes closed and his expression icy.
"Sir, that... young lady is still by the river. She hasn’t returned. The waiter probably didn’t pass on the message."
Duan Mingfeng had seen the Emperor’s intimacy with ’him’ in the teahouse. After a moment’s thought, he’d realized the pale, handsome youth was actually a woman.
Meanwhile, Ji Qingwu was still by the river, unsure whether to go home to check or to keep searching there. She peered toward the opposite bank.
Someone walked up and blocked her path.
Her eyes fell on a pair of gold-trimmed boots and the hem of a man’s jet-black robes. Ji Qingwu looked up, surprised.
Prince Yong smiled. "Fifth Cousin."
"Your Highness, Prince Yong."
Prince Yong sized up her attire, a strange glint in his eyes.
"I saw you at the lantern market earlier from Yucui Building, but I wasn’t sure it was you. It really was."
’He’s been in the area this whole time?’ Ji Qingwu quickly asked, "Your Highness, have you seen my daughter?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed and her expression was pitiable, yet dressed in men’s robes, there was a resilience beneath her gentle appearance. It created an indescribable allure, and Prince Yong was instantly filled with lustful thoughts.
"That I haven’t seen," Prince Yong said with a smile, moving closer to her. "Did you get separated, Fifth Cousin? Don’t you worry, I’ll send my men to help you look."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Ji Qingwu, feeling uneasy, took a step back to put some distance between them.
Prince Yong said something to the young servant behind him, then turned back, his gaze fixed on her waist.
"Why don’t you come wait with me at Yucui Building, Fifth Cousin? My men can report to us there when they have news."
From his lecherous, flirtatious gaze, Ji Qingwu knew Prince Yong had designs on her.
But she needed his help.
Seeing her hesitate, Prince Yong reached out to pull her into his arms. "It’s cold out here. Let’s go wait upstairs. Come on."
Suddenly, a male voice cut in, spoiling the moment.
"This humble official greets the Prince."
Visibly annoyed at being interrupted, Prince Yong looked over.
The newcomer was Duan Mingfeng of the Imperial City Department.
"Duan Envoy."
The Imperial City Department and Prince Yong rarely had any dealings with each other, yet here was one of its envoys striking up a conversation. The prince raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Duan Mingfeng cupped his hands. "This humble official heard that the Prince is sending men to search for the Ji Family’s maid and young child. They already returned to their residence at 9 p.m. I came specifically to inform you of this."
Hearing that Lan Zhi and Jiu Jiu were already home safe, Ji Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief.
She stepped forward, offered a bow of gratitude, and said sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Duan."
Prince Yong said, "I’ve received the news. My Fifth Cousin and I still have matters to discuss. Is there anything else, Duan Envoy?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
His words were deliberately ambiguous. Anyone with a shred of tact would have taken the hint and left immediately, rather than risk provoking Prince Yong’s ire.
But Duan Mingfeng stood there, unmoving as a statue.
"Yes. The scenery here is quite nice. This humble official would also like to enjoy the flora." freewёbnoνel.com
If anyone else had said that, Ji Qingwu might have believed them.
But coming from Duan Mingfeng, with his perpetually world-weary, sour face, she didn’t believe a word of it.
This Mr. Duan was a stern man who rarely smiled. The corners of his mouth and the ends of his brows were tinged with a vicious harshness. The way he glanced at the willow tree, one might think he wanted to subject its trunk and leaves to death by a thousand cuts.
He knew Jiu Jiu and Lan Zhi’s whereabouts.
She was searching for them by the river, and he appeared just in time.
’On whose orders was Duan Mingfeng acting?’
Ji Qingwu felt the Koi Carp Pendant hidden against her chest, and it seemed to be growing warm.
