Chapter 15
Ji Qingzhou had initially thought that when Li Zhan mentioned the matter of Fengxian Pavilion, it was because he had noticed something.
But what Ji Qingzhou never expected was that Li Zhan would openly admit that he was the one in Fengxian Pavilion that night.
Moreover, from the way Li Zhan spoke, it seemed he genuinely believed that the eunuch from that night had already died.
This sudden turn of events happened so quickly that Ji Qingzhou didn’t know whether he should feel relieved or anxious.
However, he soon realized that Li Zhan’s confession meant that the talk of having him work for him was not just a casual remark.
By revealing such a big secret to him, Ji Qingzhou was left with no room to back out.
If he failed in his tasks this time, the only outcome would be being silenced for good!
The Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet officially began just before dusk.
Before the banquet, most of the ladies who had entered the palace had already paid their respects at Wanshou Palace, but the birthday gifts for the Empress Dowager were still presented according to custom only after the banquet started. After everyone had presented their gifts and exchanged a few words of good wishes, the Empress Dowager would give out some items as return gifts… By the time all this was done, the sky had already turned completely dark, and the food hadn’t even been served yet.
“You weren’t supposed to be on duty tonight. Why are you here getting involved in all this commotion?” Tu Dayou stood outside the hall, keeping an eye on the palace servants coming and going with dishes, while speaking to Ji Qingzhou. “Didn’t you finish what you needed to do during the day?”
Ji Qingzhou replied in a low voice, “When it’s the Qiu family’s turn, arrange for me to deliver the dishes.”
“Be careful. If anything goes wrong, it won’t end well,” Tu Dayou warned.
Ji Qingzhou nodded, repeatedly assuring that he would handle everything with care. Only then did Tu Dayou relax.
After a short while, Tu Dayou calculated the order and intercepted one of the eunuchs carrying a dish. Ji Qingzhou gave him a grateful look and took the tray of food. But to his surprise, Tu Dayou stopped another eunuch, took his tray as well, and followed behind Ji Qingzhou.
Ji Qingzhou looked at Tu Dayou in confusion, and only after a moment did he understand. Tu Dayou was being cautious, suspecting that he might tamper with the food, so he decided to keep an eye on him.
But thinking about it, it made sense. After all, Tu Dayou had experience with poisoning.
In such a setting, if Ji Qingzhou really did something to the food, neither of them would be able to escape.
“I’m not that reckless!” Ji Qingzhou whispered as they entered the hall.
“I know,” Tu Dayou replied. “But I feel better watching over you.”
Inside the hall, the food was being served by little eunuchs in gray robes. Ji Qingzhou and Tu Dayou, in their blue and red robes respectively, stood out a bit. However, everyone was engrossed in conversation, so no one paid them any attention until someone inadvertently glanced up and saw Ji Qingzhou, causing them to spill their wine in surprise.
Immediately, those seated nearby followed that person’s gaze and were also taken aback.
“That young eunuch is quite handsome!”
“Don’t you know who that is?”
“The young master of the Ji family, who refused to go into exile and volunteered to become a eunuch in the palace.”
“So it’s him!”
Though the people were speaking in hushed tones, Ji Qingzhou, being nearby, caught quite a bit of their conversation. He didn’t let it bother him; instead, he took the opportunity to glance at Qiu Lanxi while kneeling beside the low table to place the dishes. The young girl briefly met his gaze before blushing and lowering her head.
After leaving the table, Ji Qingzhou instinctively turned to check on the gaze that had been following him and noticed a youth around sixteen or seventeen staring at him with an intense, unblinking look. The boy’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought.
“Who is that youth in the lake-blue robe?” Ji Qingzhou asked Tu Dayou as they stepped outside.
“That’s Prince Heng. Surely you recognize him?” Tu Dayou replied. “You almost became his brother-in-law, didn’t you?”
Ji Qingzhou was taken aback by this information, but he had no memory of this Prince Heng.
The original novel had too many characters, and when reading it, Ji Qingzhou had only paid attention to those directly related to himself, skimming over the rest. If he had known he would end up in this book, he would have memorized and rewritten the entire thing.
Before Ji Qingzhou could ask more questions, someone exited the hall.
In the dim light, Ji Qingzhou recognized the person as Qiu Lanxi by her silhouette and signaled to Tu Dayou before stepping toward the corridor outside the hall. Though not a secluded spot, the corridor was visible from the hall’s entrance, and since no one was passing by, it provided a convenient place for a conversation.
As expected, Qiu Lanxi approached Ji Qingzhou a moment later, with a young maid from the Qiu household following her.
“You wait here. There’s no need to follow me,” Qiu Lanxi instructed the maid.
“But the master ordered me not to leave your side,” the maid said.
Despite her gentle appearance, Qiu Lanxi was not without resolve. Her voice turned cold and commanding as she said, “You can see the entire corridor from here. Are you afraid someone will eat me?”
The maid, intimidated by Qiu Lanxi’s tone, dared not argue further and stayed where she was.
Qiu Lanxi lifted her skirt slightly as she approached Ji Qingzhou, lowering her voice to ask, “Are you alright? Has your leg injury healed? I’ve been worried about you.”
“I’m fine, thank you for your concern,” Ji Qingzhou replied. “Thanks to you covering for me, things didn’t fall apart.”
“I’ve been keeping in mind what you told me, but no one has come to ask me about it since then,” Qiu Lanxi said. “Neither Wang Ye nor my brother… no one has asked me anything.”
Ji Qingzhou was surprised by this and hesitated for a moment.
“That’s probably for the best,” Ji Qingzhou said.
Qiu Lanxi gazed at the young man, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the lanterns hanging in the corridor. After a brief hesitation, she asked, “He… hasn’t given you any trouble, has he?”
“The eunuch from that night has already committed suicide, and I never saw him. Why would he trouble me?” Ji Qingzhou replied.
“True,” Qiu Lanxi sighed with relief at his words.
Ji Qingzhou hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “You must be very careful not to let anyone else know about your admiration for Wang Ye.”
“I… I no longer…” Qiu Lanxi was flustered by Ji Qingzhou’s direct mention of her former feelings and blushed as she asked, “How did you know I… felt that way about him…?”
Ji Qingzhou replied, “Your feelings were written all over your face; anyone could have guessed.”
“It’s all my fault…” Qiu Lanxi sighed. “Nanny Li used to remind me not to be too ostentatious, but I’ve always been headstrong and careless, and that’s how I caused such a big mess.”
“Who is Nanny Li?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“She was my sister’s nursemaid,” Qiu Lanxi replied. “Ever since my sister married the late emperor, Nanny Li has been by her side, taking care of her.”
Ji Qingzhou’s heart stirred at this, and he asked, “How did you know Wang Ye would go to Fengxian Pavilion that night?”
“I only guessed,” Qiu Lanxi said. “I knew that every new moon and full moon, he would take His Majesty to Fengxian Pavilion to pay respects to the late emperor. I thought that since he had been out of the capital for so long, he might want to offer incense to the late emperor upon his return, so I snuck over there…”
Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but frown. Though Qiu Lanxi was a young lady raised in a prestigious family, her straightforward nature and lack of vigilance made her an easy target. There were likely many people around her who could have guessed her feelings and preemptively tampered with Fengxian Pavilion.
“This matter is over now, so don’t mention it to anyone else,” Ji Qingzhou cautioned. “If someone asks about meeting me tonight, just say that we met at a poetry gathering and you were merely inquiring about my well-being.”
Qiu Lanxi quickly nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”
Ji Qingzhou smiled at her assurance, then walked briskly out of the corridor.
As Qiu Lanxi watched the tall and slender figure of the young man retreat, she couldn’t help but smile as she recalled his parting grin.
After leaving, Ji Qingzhou headed toward the imperial study.
The Regent had not attended the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet today, sending only a gift in his stead. Ji Qingzhou wasn’t sure if the Empress Dowager would be displeased by his absence, but it was clear that the Regent didn’t care about such things.
When Ji Qingzhou arrived at the study, he found the man bent over his desk, reading memorials. The evening meal, which had just been delivered, sat untouched on the table in the outer hall.
“Wang Ye…” Ji Qingzhou approached the desk, knelt down before Li Zhan, and lifted the hem of his robe.
“No need to kneel, get up,” the man said without looking up. “How did it go?”
Ji Qingzhou stood and replied, “The young lady of the Qiu family is not a shy and timid girl. Her admiration for Wang Ye is likely known by many. Nanny Li, who now serves the Empress Dowager, used to work for the Qiu family and specifically warned Miss Qiu not to be too conspicuous.”
“And what else?” The man’s voice remained calm, his eyes never leaving the memorial in front of him.
“That night… she didn’t go to Fengxian Pavilion on someone’s advice,” Ji Qingzhou continued. “It was simply because she admired Wang Ye and paid close attention to your habits. She guessed that you would visit to pay respect to the late emperor after returning to the capital.”
Li Zhan finally put down the memorial at this, raising his head to look at the young man. “And your conclusion?”
“The conclusion is…” Ji Qingzhou took a deep breath, meeting Li Zhan’s gaze. “Anyone around Miss Qiu could have tampered with the situation.”
Seeing a barely noticeable trace of disappointment in the man’s eyes, Ji Qingzhou quickly added, “But only a handful would dare gamble with Miss Qiu’s reputation to plot against Wang Ye. Even if Wang Ye doesn’t pursue the matter, Duke Qiu wouldn’t let it go easily.”
So… it could be Duke Qiu, or someone else who isn’t afraid to offend him—like the Empress Dowager.
Ji Qingzhou had considered this possibility even before questioning Qiu Lanxi. He believed that Li Zhan, being as astute as he was, probably had thought of even more possibilities. Tonight’s task, which seemed like a simple errand, was likely just a test of Ji Qingzhou’s abilities.
“You’ve barely passed,” Li Zhan said, glancing at Ji Qingzhou with a hint of indifference. “It was too conspicuous. Anyone passing by could see you speaking with Qiu Lanxi in the corridor.”
Ji Qingzhou froze, realizing that Li Zhan had someone watching him.
“Don’t worry, Wang Ye,” Ji Qingzhou replied, “I’ve already advised Miss Qiu on what to say.”
Li Zhan raised an eyebrow at this, saying, “It seems Miss Qiu cares about you.”
Ji Qingzhou: …
“You may go,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou was about to take his leave when a realization struck him.
Li Zhan’s words implied that the task was successful.
Did this mean… he, Ji Qingzhou, was now one of the Regent’s people?
Ji Qingzhou’s thoughts raced, and suddenly, in the midst of uncertainty, he saw a new path open up.
So, in order to live well, he didn’t just have to avoid the Regent; there was an even better option… to cooperate with him!
If they were allies, then the adversarial relationship from the original story wouldn’t come to pass.
In that moment, Ji Qingzhou felt a clarity he hadn’t before, as if a dark future suddenly brightened.
When he looked up at the man before him again, the fear in his heart lessened significantly, replaced by an unexpected sense of kinship.
Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner?
Had he known, he would have latched onto the Regent’s thigh the moment he arrived in this world…
“Why are you still here?” Li Zhan asked, looking up.
Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He turned to leave but then hesitated as his gaze fell on the table in the outer hall.
The Regent still hadn’t developed the habit of dining in the palace.
A thought suddenly flashed through Ji Qingzhou’s mind—this was a perfect opportunity to show his loyalty.
“Wang Ye,” the youth suddenly spoke up.
Li Zhan looked at him, his eyes questioning.
“The evening meal will grow cold soon,” the youth said. “Please allow me to taste it for you.”
Li Zhan was surprised, not expecting such an offer.
The reason he didn’t eat in the palace was something the youth could easily guess.
To taste his food… wasn’t that essentially offering to test for poison?
“Why?” Li Zhan asked, his eyes fixed on the boy.
Before the youth could respond, his stomach let out a loud, untimely growl.
Ji Qingzhou: …
This isn’t what it looks like… let me explain!
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