Chapter 44
Yinghui Pavilion, inside the hall.
Ji Qingzhou held a cloth-wrapped ice pack and gently pressed it against the bridge of Li Zhan’s nose to reduce the swelling.
Li Zhan’s nosebleed had finally stopped, but his expression remained grim, a mix of awkwardness and discomfort. Qin Zheng lingered nearby with a look of gleeful mischief, clearly still relishing the misunderstanding from earlier.
Qin Zheng had always been like this. Regardless of the truth, he always made sure to enjoy the spectacle first.
Li Zhan caught a glimpse of his expression and immediately knew he was thinking up some outrageous nonsense. He shot him a look to warn him not to speak recklessly. Qin Zheng chuckled, his eyes drifting between Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou, clearly cooking up some indecent ideas in his head.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t call the imperial physician?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“No need.” Li Zhan frowned slightly and turned his gaze toward Ji Qingzhou.
While the inner attendants had gone to fetch ice, Ji Qingzhou had taken the opportunity to change into a lighter robe, no longer looking as “disheveled” as before. However, he hadn’t had time to change his inner garment, and the outer robe was so thin that faint traces of blood could be seen through the fabric at his cuffs.
That vivid red, half-visible under the fabric, resembled plum blossoms embroidered at the edge of his sleeves.
Li Zhan’s eyes briefly paused at his cuff. Realizing the bloodstain had come from himself, something stirred in his heart—he nearly felt a surge of heat all over again.
“I’ll do it myself.” Li Zhan took the cloth-wrapped ice from Ji Qingzhou’s hands. His fingers unintentionally brushed against the cool skin of the youth’s fingertips, making his eyes darken even more.
Ji Qingzhou assumed he was just unwell and asked again, “Shouldn’t we still call the physician, just in case…”
“I said no.” Li Zhan’s voice was a bit too harsh, sounding guilty. But he quickly realized he’d come off too stern, so he softened his tone: “It’s just the heat. Nothing serious.”
Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou didn’t press the matter, instead staying by his side, watching for any signs of change in his condition.
“Don’t worry!” Qin Zheng chimed in, trying to reassure Ji Qingzhou. “Wang Ye just got too fired up and—”
Before he could finish, Li Zhan shot him a sharp glare, making him shut up at once. But Qin Zheng still wore a grin, clearly enjoying Li Zhan’s rare moment of awkwardness. After all, Wang Ye was usually so composed and refined—seeing him flustered was a refreshing novelty.
Even the unworldly Li Zhan had finally fallen prey to earthly desires.
Qin Zheng felt extremely pleased with himself, secretly hoping Li Zhan would fall even harder…
“So what was it that made you barge in here in such a rush just now?” Li Zhan, likely trying to stop Qin Zheng from talking nonsense again, changed the subject.
“Ah—!” Qin Zheng suddenly remembered, and started complaining: “I’ve been wronged so badly today, all because of that envoy from the Liang Kingdom!”
Normally, Qin Zheng behaved appropriately around Li Zhan. He wouldn’t have barged in unannounced unless he had truly been infuriated.
“Your Highness told me to assist the Ministry of Rites in receiving the envoy. I thought it would be the Liang prince again—he’s already lost to me before, so I figured I’d just beat him up again!” Qin Zheng said bitterly. “Who knew this time they sent their princess!”
The Liang Kingdom was situated in the northern border region of Dayu, and had maintained good relations for years, sending envoys annually. In previous years, their envoys were mostly officials. For some reason, they had sent a princess this year.
“What’s wrong with the princess?” Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help asking.
“The princess…” Qin Zheng began, “You’ve never seen anyone from Liang, right? They grow up riding horses and shooting arrows. They eat beef and mutton all year round—not like our genteel and scholarly people of Dayu… they’re wild!”
Ji Qingzhou nodded thoughtfully, thinking the cultural difference made sense. It was like in modern times when someone moved far from home for the first time and had to deal with the north-south cultural divide—it could be jarring at first, but after some time together, people usually adapted.
“Wouldn’t that bold, uninhibited style be right up your alley?” Li Zhan asked.
Qin Zheng was easygoing by nature, hardly someone who liked to be restrained.
Li Zhan vaguely remembered that when the Liang prince came to Dayu a few years ago, he had grown close with Qin Zheng. That was why he had arranged for Qin Zheng to handle this year’s Liang delegation.
“Men being around each other is fine… but that princess—she’s a young lady and doesn’t know how to avoid suspicion. She speaks without restraint…” Qin Zheng said, looking utterly defeated. “Just imagine, I’m a grown man, and I didn’t even dare to open my mouth in front of her. If word gets out, who knows what people will say—maybe they’ll think I was rude to her!”
Li Zhan raised an eyebrow at that, clearly not too interested.
But Ji Qingzhou was quite curious and asked, “What did the Liang princess say to you?”
Qin Zheng let out a bitter laugh. “It was the first time I met her today, and she told me right off the bat that she came to Dayu to find a husband to bring back with her. She said she’s heard that men from Dayu are handsome and not as big and brawny as Liang men, so she came here to pick a prince consort! Can you believe it? A young lady going on and on about liking good-looking men—it’s scandalous!”
From that, Ji Qingzhou immediately understood. That princess from Liang probably preferred more delicate, scholarly men and didn’t fancy the tall, rugged type. But Liang men were raised riding horses and training in martial arts since childhood—they were robust and imposing. Dayu, by contrast, had many men who were raised in books and ink, their elegance and literary air giving them a refined appearance.
So it made sense that the Liang princess had set her sights on Dayu for a potential match.
And with Liang’s open and bold customs, she naturally didn’t mince words and got straight to the point with Qin Zheng.
“Dayu has plenty of handsome men,” Ji Qingzhou said. “It shouldn’t be hard for the princess to find a consort here.”
“How is that not hard?” Qin Zheng exclaimed. “You don’t know how picky she is. I, Qin Zheng, am considered one of the top few in court when it comes to looks! But when I asked her what kind of handsome man she was looking for, she said—‘Anyone more handsome than you.’”
Qin Zheng had always been proud of his appearance and had never suffered such humiliation. He immediately bristled with indignation.
Ji Qingzhou nearly burst out laughing. So the reason Qin Zheng was upset was because the Liang princess didn’t acknowledge his looks? That was hilarious.
“I really want to see who in this court looks better than me!” Qin Zheng said indignantly.
Ji Qingzhou instinctively glanced at Li Zhan, thinking to himself that Wang Ye was indeed more attractive than you.
At the same moment, Li Zhan also looked at Ji Qingzhou. Their gazes met briefly before parting—neither of them said a word.
That night, Li Zhan ordered a palace banquet to be held to welcome the envoys from both nations.
During the banquet, when Ji Qingzhou first laid eyes on the Liang princess, he was momentarily stunned. The Liang people really lived up to their reputation—the princess was even taller than he was. But her features were beautiful, and though her frame was tall, it was well-proportioned and graceful. She had a unique kind of beauty that didn’t seem out of place at all.
Still… with such a tall princess, and her preference for gentle, refined men…
Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but imagine the scene—a bookish, delicate man nestled in the arms of this tall, commanding princess. It was oddly amusing.
After the banquet began, Li Zhan first exchanged formal greetings with the Liang envoys.
The Liang delegation had brought many gifts. Most weren’t particularly luxurious, but they were thoughtfully chosen. The one that left the deepest impression on Ji Qingzhou was a pair of wolf fangs presented by the Liang princess. The fangs seemed ordinary, but it was said she had hunted that wolf herself when she was twelve.
According to Liang custom, wolf fangs were tokens of affection. Young people would keep the first pair of fangs they hunted and give them to the person they loved, pledging a lifetime of protection.
“These wolf fangs are temporarily offered for safekeeping to His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Regent,” the Liang princess said, bowing respectfully to the young emperor and Li Zhan. “Once I’ve found my match here in Dayu, I ask Your Majesty and Wang Ye to return them to me so I may present them to my future consort as a symbol of love.”
The Liang envoys showed no particular reaction—some even smiled. But the people of Dayu all looked rather awkward. It was their first time witnessing something like this, and they struggled to hide their surprise while maintaining proper decorum.
Ji Qingzhou, however, found it quite admirable. If not for the constraints of status, he felt he could’ve been good friends with someone like her.
“Oh?” Li Zhan smiled faintly and asked, “Then what are we to make of this gesture—His Majesty and I keeping the fangs for you?”
The Liang princess bowed deeply and replied, “When the time comes, I will exchange something else with His Majesty andWang Ye. That will be my true gift of gratitude.”
Upon hearing that, Ji Qingzhou immediately understood. The princess meant that if Li Zhan helped fulfill her wish for a marriage match, she would repay him handsomely. What exactly the gift would be, she hadn’t said—but Ji Qingzhou found himself very curious. He genuinely hoped the princess would find her match, just so he could find out what that gift would be.
“Then let us hope the princess finds what she seeks,” Li Zhan said, raising his cup to her.
“Many thanks, Wang Ye,” the Liang princess lifted her own cup toward Li Zhan and downed it in one go.
That night’s banquet went very smoothly. Though Dayu and Liang differed greatly in culture, both sides held goodwill toward each other. There were no schemes or probing questions—only sincere exchange—making the atmosphere quite pleasant. The Liang princess also shared several stories of her hunting adventures, which left the entire court marveling in amazement.
At the end of the banquet, the princess expressed her desire to tour the imperial palace the next day. Naturally, Li Zhan did not refuse.
And so, Qin Zheng—utterly reluctant—ended up having to accompany the princess on a tour of the Dayu Palace the following day!
“This princess is quite the interesting one,” Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but remark after the banquet had dispersed.
“If you find her so interesting, you can take her around tomorrow,” Qin Zheng replied, looking as if life had lost all meaning. “Anyway, I’m not her type of ‘handsome man.’ I’m just an eyesore to her.”
Ji Qingzhou actually wouldn’t have minded going, but after glancing at Li Zhan’s expression, he immediately dropped the idea.
That night, after finishing his bath, Ji Qingzhou stepped out of the bathhouse and was surprised to find someone sitting on the stone steps in the courtyard.
When he walked closer, he saw it was Qin Zheng and was immediately a bit surprised.
“You haven’t gone to bed yet, Young Master Qin?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
Qin Zheng had a wine pouch in hand. When he saw Ji Qingzhou approaching, he shifted to the side and gestured for him to sit.
“You have something on your mind?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“What could I possibly have on my mind?” Qin Zheng replied with a bitter smile.
Ji Qingzhou sat down beside him and noticed that Qin Zheng’s demeanor was quite different from usual—probably because of the alcohol.
After a moment of silence, Qin Zheng suddenly said, “Many years ago, Liang Kingdom once sent their young prince to Dayu. Back then, I was even younger than you are now…”
“You mean the Liang prince who kept losing fights to you?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“He didn’t always lose…” Qin Zheng looked a bit awkward, then changed the subject. “His name is Qi Jingchuan. The princess you met today is Qi Jingheng—they’re twins, born of the same mother.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded thoughtfully and asked, “What did Qi Jingchuan look like?”
“He looked a lot like his sister. It’s been years—I don’t remember too clearly anymore,” Qin Zheng said.
Ji Qingzhou’s face showed a hint of doubt, and he looked toward Qin Zheng again. “Originally, it was said that Liang Kingdom was going to send Qi Jingchuan to the capital. If he had come instead, wouldn’t it have been a touching reunion between old acquaintances… you’d have had so much to talk about.”
“Talk? No chance. A fight would definitely be on the agenda,” Qin Zheng replied, taking another sip of wine.
“He always lost to you. What’s the point in fighting again?” Ji Qingzhou said with a laugh. “Isn’t a fight only fun when both sides are evenly matched?”
Hearing that, a flicker of odd emotion crossed Qin Zheng’s face, as if he didn’t really want to pursue the topic. Instead, he asked, “Did Wang Ye have another nosebleed tonight? You didn’t go in to check on him?”
“Wang Ye never needs anyone to keep night watch when he sleeps,” Ji Qingzhou replied.
“Not needing others doesn’t mean you shouldn’t,” Qin Zheng said. “Look at how repressed Wang Ye is lately. At this rate… he might really suffer some kind of breakdown.”
Ji Qingzhou frowned. “You’re being ridiculous. Hasn’t Wang Ye always lived like this before? He seems perfectly healthy to me.”
“That was then, this is now,” Qin Zheng said. “When someone’s constantly parading in front of your eyes day and night, who could possibly hold back?”
Ji Qingzhou: …
Here we go again. Here we go again!
“Seriously though, you haven’t considered helping Wang Ye with… his ‘situation’?” Qin Zheng asked.
“What could I possibly do?” Ji Qingzhou said helplessly. “He’s an adult—if there’s a problem, I’m sure he’ll find a way to handle it himself. I… can’t really help.”
As he said that, Ji Qingzhou suddenly recalled what had happened that day at the Jiao Fang Department.
Strictly speaking… he could help.
“If you’re really unwilling, you could at least arrange someone to serve Wang Ye,” Qin Zheng said, his gaze meaningful as it lingered on Ji Qingzhou, clearly trying to gauge his reaction.
Ji Qingzhou instantly objected. “Are you insane? Wang Ye has always been self-disciplined. Who would dare even think about something like that? And besides… I don’t want to be the one to do such a thing.”
Though he knew that, in this era, sending someone to a superior’s bed was a common tactic, Ji Qingzhou still didn’t want to do it—not even if he had the power or opportunity.
He felt it was unfair to both parties.
Li Zhan wouldn’t want to accept it, and the person being offered might not be willing either.
“If you won’t arrange someone, does that mean… you—” Qin Zheng began.
“Enough!” Ji Qingzhou snapped. “This conversation is over!”
Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow and smirked, clearly very satisfied with Ji Qingzhou’s reaction.
He even thought… maybe his good brother wouldn’t have to suffer too much longer.
The next day, just past noon, Qin Zheng had already dressed and was preparing to head to the guest residence to escort the Liang princess.
To his surprise, she had arrived even earlier than him—and had already been led straight to Yinghui Pavilion.
Since she had received Li Zhan’s permission the night before, no one stopped her from entering.
As soon as Ji Qingzhou stepped out from the front hall after finishing a discussion between Li Zhan and the officials from the Ministry of Revenue, he saw the Liang Kingdom’s princess standing in the courtyard. When she spotted him, her eyes lit up, and she walked briskly toward him.
“Your Highness,” Ji Qingzhou greeted her with a bow.
“I asked them for your name, Qingzhou,” the Liang princess said with a smile. “It’s a beautiful name—just like you.”
Ji Qingzhou: …
Qin Zheng: …
Li Zhan: …
“Wang Ye!” the princess then looked past Ji Qingzhou and saw Li Zhan standing behind him. Li Zhan’s expression was complex, and his gaze toward the princess carried a hint of scrutiny.
Only then did Ji Qingzhou realize Li Zhan was behind him. He quickly stepped aside to give way. But Li Zhan didn’t move forward; he simply stood there behind Ji Qingzhou and gave the princess a faint nod as a greeting.
“Wang Ye, may I have Qingzhou accompany me for the next few days?” the Liang princess asked.
Before Li Zhan could reply, Qin Zheng jumped in, “Your Highness, I was arranged to accompany you today as you tour the palace…”
“May I?” the princess continued to look at Li Zhan, her expression full of eager anticipation.
Being blatantly ignored, Qin Zheng looked visibly annoyed. Ji Qingzhou noticed and quickly tried to smooth things over: “Wang Ye, the matters for today have concluded, and there are no further official duties. How about I accompany the princess and Young Master Qin on a stroll through the palace?”
He had deliberately included Qin Zheng’s name in the suggestion to help him save face.
Li Zhan didn’t say much and gave a light response, tacitly granting permission.
“Qingzhou, are you married?” As soon as they left Yinghui Pavilion, the Liang princess turned to ask Ji Qingzhou.
“No, Your Highness,” Ji Qingzhou replied.
“Do you have someone you like?” she asked.
Ji Qingzhou was a little embarrassed and gently reminded her, “Your Highness, I’m an inner attendant. Inner attendants are not supposed to feel romantic affection.”
“Huh? Why not?” the princess asked, clearly confused.
Only then did Ji Qingzhou realize that customs in Liang might be much looser, and their palaces likely didn’t have inner attendants like in Dayu. She probably thought he was just a regular servant.
“Because…” Ji Qingzhou thought carefully and explained, “In Dayu, inner attendants cannot marry, nor can they have children.”
The Liang princess nodded, her expression showing a touch of regret.
“It’s fine. Then don’t be an inner attendant anymore,” the princess offered. “I’ve seen many men here in Dayu, but you’re the most beautiful. If you’re willing, I’ll ask Wang Ye to give you to me as my prince consort. That way, you won’t be an inner attendant anymore.”
Ji Qingzhou was shocked. He instinctively glanced at the princess, who was even taller than him, feeling like his worldview had taken a serious blow. He never imagined that the mental image he had of a handsome scholar nestled in a princess’s arms would turn out to be himself!
Clearly, people from Liang Kingdom were a whole different level of bold…
They had only met twice, and the princess was already proposing to him—without a care for her own status!
At the side, Qin Zheng looked from the princess to Ji Qingzhou, his expression extremely wary.
“Your Highness must be joking,” Ji Qingzhou said awkwardly.
“I’m not joking. I’m very serious,” she replied. “If you agree, I’ll ask Wang Ye for that pair of wolf teeth back and gift you ten thousand fine steeds as my dowry!”
Ji Qingzhou: …
Ten thousand fine steeds!
That was more than enough to cover the forty-seven thousand six hundred taels of silver he owed Li Zhan—and then some!
But the thought only flickered through Ji Qingzhou’s mind. Not only did he feel nothing for this princess—making it impossible to lie to her—but she likely was just acting on impulse. He wasn’t the kind of person to abandon Li Zhan and throw himself into the arms of a stranger he’d only known for a day.
“Thank you for Your Highness’s kind regard,” Ji Qingzhou said. “But I must decline.”
He had intended to let her down gently, but upon reconsideration, realized that the princess was straightforward by nature. It would be better to reject her directly.
Upon hearing his refusal, Qin Zheng’s expression eased slightly.
The princess simply smiled and, rather than getting upset, said, “Since you don’t like me, then let’s just be friends.”
Ji Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief. He actually grew more fond of her candid nature.
The princess took a brief stroll through the palace, seemingly disinterested, and then asked Ji Qingzhou to accompany her on a walk outside the palace. Ji Qingzhou had intended to refuse, but since he had already made his stance clear to her and she wasn’t someone to press the issue, he felt no need to deliberately avoid her.
Besides, he currently needed an excuse to leave the palace…
“Then Your Highness, allow me to return and change my clothes and inform His Highness,” Ji Qingzhou said.
The princess, understanding the strict rules of the Dayu palace, agreed readily.
Ji Qingzhou first went to notify Li Zhan. Li Zhan had wanted to say something but, seeing how eager Ji Qingzhou was to go, held back. Instead, he simply arranged for someone to accompany them, in case something went wrong outside.
While Ji Qingzhou was changing clothes in his room, Qin Zheng took the opportunity to exaggerate the princess’s “confession” to Ji Qingzhou and relayed it to Li Zhan. After hearing it, Li Zhan’s expression turned cold, a dangerous sharpness flashing in his eyes.
“How did he respond?” Li Zhan asked icily.
“He… well, he didn’t agree,” Qin Zheng said, deliberately replacing Ji Qingzhou’s clear refusal with a vague “didn’t agree.”
But to Li Zhan, “didn’t agree” sounded more like “didn’t refuse”—or even “might agree in the future”…
“Tell Ji Qingzhou to come see me,” Li Zhan ordered.
Qin Zheng rushed off to deliver the message. Ji Qingzhou, still unaware, had just finished changing when he was summoned to Li Zhan’s study.
Li Zhan looked at him—at the innocent expression on the youth’s face—and most of his unexplained anger dissipated.
He opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. His eyes shifted slightly toward Ji Qingzhou’s pale blue robe. The robe was plain in both cut and style, but on the youth, it somehow looked pleasing to the eye.
“Go change your clothes,” Li Zhan said in a low voice.
Ji Qingzhou didn’t understand. “Change into what?”
“Something uglier,” Li Zhan replied.
Ji Qingzhou: ???
He swore this was already the ugliest robe in his wardrobe—specifically chosen to avoid suspicion!
Was it… not ugly enough?!
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Obrigada pelos capítulos! 💓