Free Web NovelChapter 80: Chapter 80: Breaking the Plan, Unconcealed Anger
The searing heat of the oil scalded his entire body, melting his brocade robes onto his skin, making them impossible to remove.
The filthy golden liquid would only hasten the festering of his wounds. He was beyond saving, beyond healing.
Mrs. Qiao’s heart pounded with panic. She never imagined Ji Changyan would be subjected to such a cruel and unusual punishment.
A gentleman can be killed, but not dishonored.
’Such a degrading method... Duan Mingfeng of the Imperial City Department is truly ruthless. But he must have had the Emperor’s approval to dare treat the Empress Dowager’s own nephew in such a way.’
Mrs. Qiao sighed internally. ’What’s the point of saving him now? After a torture like that, even though he’s still breathing, he’s no different from a dead man. He’s just waiting for death in agony.’
Making Prince Yong oversee the punishment was a way of making an example of him, a sufficient penalty in itself.
The Empress Dowager waved her sleeve weakly, dismissing everyone.
When Mrs. Qiao returned home, she found her eldest daughter, Ji Qingrong, waiting for her in the main hall.
"Mother, you’re finally back! I heard there was trouble at home and rushed over first thing this morning. It turned out you had all gone to the palace."
Mrs. Qiao deliberately suppressed her sorrow. As long as her own children were safe, the fate of others was not her concern.
Mrs. Qiao looked her up and down. "Qingrong, you’re pregnant, yet you’re still rushing back and forth. You don’t take care of yourself at all."
Ji Qingrong had put on some weight recently, and her face was fuller.
She asked urgently, "Mother, please tell me what happened! How could Chang Yan have the audacity to murder an Imperial Censor? That good-for-nothing is going to drag down the whole family! It’s one thing for him to be locked up, but why is Fifth Sister under confinement as well?"
From her tone, Mrs. Qiao knew Ji Qingrong was worried about Xiao Wu and had made this special trip back to her family home for her sake.
"Wutong Garden is guarded. No one is allowed in or out, so I don’t know how Xiao Wu is doing either."
"Mother, let’s go see. We can just take a peek from the gate."
In truth, Ji Qingrong had wanted to go see her fifth sister the moment she entered the Ji Mansion, but her maid, Chun Xing, had stopped her. The Young Master had repeatedly warned Chun Xing to ensure his wife’s safety at all costs.
After much pleading, she was finally persuaded to wait until her mother returned from the palace.
「Wutong Garden.」
Ji Qingwu finished her meal and rested for a while.
Outside, the sun was sinking in the west, painting the sky with vibrant evening clouds.
"Let’s go for a walk."
Lan Zhi said hesitantly, "Fifth Missy, I don’t think that’s a good idea. His Majesty ordered you to be confined and not allowed to go out."
"We’ll just walk around the courtyard. It’ll be fine."
Ji Qingwu pushed the door open. The setting sun stretched the two shadows at the entrance into long, thin shapes.
Terrified, Lan Zhi huddled behind her, her head drawn into her shoulders.
The tall, thin figure on the right... Ji Qingwu stared at him, finding him vaguely familiar. She walked straight toward the gate.
Lan Zhi looked up to find her already some distance away and hurried after her. "Fifth Missy, don’t go any closer! The guards at the gate are ferocious."
Sure enough, the moment Ji Qingwu reached the courtyard gate, two sharp longswords were drawn with a swift, clean motion and crossed before her chest. freewёbnoνel.com
She had no intention of leaving; she just wanted to get a clear look at the guards’ faces.
Ji Qingwu’s cool gaze fell first on the face of the young man to the right.
"Were you the one by the Lotus Pond last time?" Her voice was soft, bright, and pleasing to the ear.
The young, black-clad guard lowered his head slightly. "Yes, Fifth Missy. That was me. My name is Sanchuan."
’So this guard really does belong to Emperor Wu Su,’ she thought. ’And now he’s been sent to my side.’
But his complexion seemed odd. Ji Qingwu glanced thoughtfully at his bluish lips and rigid back.
Sensing an inquisitive gaze upon her, she turned her head to the man on the left.
The two looked very much alike and must have been brothers, but their temperaments were poles apart. One was steady and tempered by experience, while the other still radiated a youthful, spirited air.
When Si Hai saw her face, he felt only disappointment. ’I got my hopes up for nothing.’
’This woman’s looks are a far cry from Princess Consort Wei’s. It’s like comparing plain boiled greens to a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast—utterly bland and tasteless.’
Before she could even ask, he proudly tilted his chin up and announced his name. "Si Hai."
’Sanchuan, Si Hai...’
Ji Qingwu’s lips suddenly curved into a smile, her eyes crinkling. "Don’t tell me there’s also someone named Five Lakes?" ƒrēewebnovel.com
Her smile was indescribably gentle and full of life.
Si Hai stared, dumbfounded. It was like a cool, silken breeze blowing into his heart, instantly soothing his restless feelings.
Sanchuan explained respectfully in a low voice, "The names were bestowed by the Holy Emperor."
Ji Qingwu had only been teasing, but now she said languidly, "The Three Rivers are tangled in the northern chaos, the Four Seas flee south as in the Yongjia Disaster. His Majesty must have very high expectations for you both."
Both men froze, then exchanged a look. Her words were identical to what Emperor Wu Su had said when he gave them their names.
"Fifth Sister!" a voice called from the distance.
Ji Qingwu looked up and saw Mrs. Qiao and Ji Qingrong walking toward them.
The two guards’ expressions immediately turned wary.
Ji Qingwu tried to reason with them. "The imperial edict only says I can’t leave and no one can enter. It doesn’t say we can’t speak through the fence, does it?"
"I’ll stay right here in the courtyard, I won’t take a single step out. And they won’t come in."
As Ji Qingrong drew closer, she heard Ji Qingwu haggling with two stern-faced, black-clad guards and knew that her sister must be doing all right.
She chimed in, "That’s right, that’s right! Honored guards, we’ll stay right here outside the gate. We won’t take a single step farther."
It had been a long time since Ji Qingwu had seen her older sister. Noticing her rosy complexion, her gaze fell to her belly.
They were separated by about ten feet, and Ji Qingrong couldn’t even reach out to hold her hand.
"Don’t worry about me, Fifth Sister. I’m doing well. It must be difficult for you, being cooped up in this courtyard." Then she asked meaningfully, "Did you sleep well at Yucui Building last night?"
’Yucui Building? I was on the dragon boat last night.’
Ji Qingwu realized at once that Ji Changyan must have fed the family some excuse.
’These two guards belong to Emperor Wu Su, so there’s no reason to hide anything from them.’
Ji Qingwu said bluntly, "Third Brother drugged me unconscious. He was going to offer me to Prince Yong."
Ji Qingrong asked in disbelief, "Third Brother drugged you?! Then last night..." Her brows knitted together, and she couldn’t stop herself from taking a few steps closer, only to be stopped by a guard’s cold voice.
Ji Qingwu said quickly, "Eldest Sister, don’t worry! I’m standing right here in front of you, perfectly fine."
’There’s no need to tell them all the complicated details.’
On the way over, Ji Qingrong had pestered Mrs. Qiao until she learned about Ji Changyan’s punishment. At first, she had thought the penalty too cruel, but now, she felt he had gotten off easy.
Mrs. Qiao’s brow furrowed. She thought the same, loathing the second branch of the family for raising such a vicious predator. ’For the "golden liquid" punishment, they shouldn’t have used hot oil,’ she fumed internally. ’They should have used molten iron.’
"But how did you end up offending... that exalted personage?" Ji Qingrong asked, pointing toward the sky.
Ji Qingwu understood her question. She tilted her head and said, "What a coincidence. I happened to run into the Emperor, who was there to oversee the investigation into the Imperial Censor’s assassination."
Hearing this, Sanchuan and Si Hai lowered their heads.
’It wasn’t a coincidence. It was all arranged.’
They, the Emperor’s trusted aides, all knew that the plan had been to let the line out longer. Not all the fish had taken the bait, and it wasn’t yet time to reel in the net.
Last night’s events had not only disrupted Emperor Wu Su’s plans but had also made him visibly furious.
And it was all because something had happened to the Ji Family’s Fifth Missy.
