Chapter 49
That night, the young emperor stayed over at Yinghui Pavilion.
After coaxing him to sleep, Ji Qingzhou found Li Zhan standing outside the sleeping quarters, lost in thought.
The night was deep and quiet, with only a faint moon and sparse stars in the sky.
Li Zhan’s figure was wrapped in the dim shadows, appearing somewhat solitary.
“Wang Ye, it’s late. You should get some rest,” Ji Qingzhou said.
“In the blink of an eye, it’s already July. Time really flies,” Li Zhan replied.
Ji Qingzhou heard the trace of sentimentality in his tone and asked, “Is Wang Ye feeling sorrowful about Old Wang Ye’s passing?”
“Strangely enough, I didn’t feel particularly sad when Imperial Uncle passed,” Li Zhan said.
“Life and death are inherently uncertain. It’s not something we should cling to,” Ji Qingzhou replied.
He thought that perhaps because Li Zhan had already gone through this once, his emotions remained calm this time.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhan turned to look at Ji Qingzhou. Due to the darkness, neither could clearly see the other’s expression. Still, Li Zhan had the sense that Ji Qingzhou had something on his mind, something he had wanted to say but was hesitating to bring up.
“The fifteenth is coming soon… I’d like to go to Assistant Minister Chi’s residence and see my younger sister,” Ji Qingzhou suddenly said.
Previously, Li Zhan had spent some silver to let Ji Qinglan stay at Chi Zhou’s residence for a month. By the rules, after that month ended, Ji Qinglan was supposed to return to the Jiao Fang Department. Ji Qingzhou had thought about how nice it would be if she could remain at the Chi residence longer, but first, he couldn’t afford the fee—and second, Chi Zhou might not agree.
Still, no matter what, Ji Qingzhou wanted to see her at least once more. Especially now, as he sensed something monumental was about to shake the court of Dayu. As for his own fate, that remained uncertain.
“Tomorrow, then. I happen to have something to discuss with Assistant Minister Chi as well,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected Li Zhan to accompany him, but with the words already spoken, he said no more.
The next morning after breakfast, Ji Qingzhou accompanied Li Zhan to the Chi residence.
The Chi Residence wasn’t very large, and the furnishings were not luxurious, but its understated simplicity carried a natural elegance, perfectly in tune with Chi Zhou’s character.
What surprised Ji Qingzhou was that there were very few servants in the house. Aside from a steward and two manservants, there was only one maid, and she had already been assigned by Chi Zhou to serve Ji Qinglan in the rear courtyard.
After some polite greetings, Li Zhan told Ji Qingzhou to go visit Ji Qinglan in the back, while he headed to the study with Chi Zhou.
Chi Zhou didn’t stand on ceremony with Li Zhan. He poured him a cup of hot tea and got straight to the point.
“The individuals Wang Ye mentioned last time—I’ve already had people investigate them. Give it another ten days or so, and we should start seeing results,” Chi Zhou said. “But that still won’t be enough. We’ll need some key evidence to solidify the case.”
Li Zhan replied, “On the day Imperial Uncle passed, I had my secret guards search his study. They found some things.”
Chi Zhou was momentarily startled. He realized that what Li Zhan had found must be extremely important, and he felt somewhat reassured.
“And as for Prince Heng… does Wang Ye have any plans?” Chi Zhou asked.
“I gave my imperial brother my word—I wouldn’t act against him unless it was absolutely necessary. I also gave him a warning yesterday. As long as he behaves himself… there’s no need to drag him into this,” Li Zhan said.
Chi Zhou hesitated. It was clear he didn’t fully agree with Li Zhan’s decision, but he ultimately said nothing.
During the previous investigation involving the Inner Attendant Department, Prince Heng had played a role. Yet Li Zhan had only taken his people, never laying a hand on Prince Heng himself. Now that Prince Heng held no real leverage, it was unlikely he would stir up trouble again. With that in mind, Chi Zhou finally relaxed.
Back Courtyard.
Ji Qingzhou had brought Xiao Shan with him when he left the palace that day. Xiao Shan now stood guard outside the courtyard, leaving the Ji siblings some privacy.
Inside the room, the two sat facing one another.
Ji Qinglan wore a plain-colored dress with light makeup. She wasn’t as dazzling as the last time they met, but she now exuded a graceful calmness.
“Brother, you don’t need to worry about me. Blessings and misfortunes are part of life, and as long as we have a clear conscience, what’s there to fear in being an attendant or a courtesan?” Ji Qinglan said with a calm smile.
Ji Qingzhou smiled bitterly. “I’m the older brother, and yet I need my younger sister to console me.”
“I didn’t come up with those words myself. Assistant Minister Chi told me that,” Ji Qinglan said. “Ever since I came to his residence, he’s never looked down on me because of my background. He often says things like that to encourage me… He was once one of Father’s students too. He said the Ji family’s misfortune was heaven’s injustice, but the fact that you and I survived, though not ideal, means we still have a chance in this life. Who knows what changes the future may bring? He said the fact that you and I can sit here talking today is probably thanks to the good karma Father sowed back then…”
Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help laughing. “Assistant Minister Chi is still so young, and yet he sounds even more like a Confucian scholar than Mr. Lu.”
“He is a bit stiff and loves lecturing about lofty principles, but he’s interesting in his own way,” Ji Qinglan said.
Looking at his sister’s smile, Ji Qingzhou felt a pang of sorrow. If the Ji family hadn’t fallen, by now Ji Qinglan should’ve already met someone she admired.
Perhaps someone like Chi Zhou—a talented gentleman—or maybe a poor but promising scholar…
But now, she had no such chance. She didn’t even have the right to choose.
“Brother, if only you could stay here for a few more days,” Ji Qinglan said. She knew that after this goodbye, it might be a long time before they met again, and her heart was heavy. “Wang Ye treats you so well—couldn’t you ask him for a favor and stay at the Chi residence for a few extra days?”
Ji Qingzhou gave a pained smile. “That wouldn’t follow protocol.”
“Aren’t court sessions suspended for a few days?” Ji Qinglan said. “Even if you could stay just two or three days, that would be enough…”
She knew she was being a little willful, but she was, after all, just a sixteen-year-old girl. In front of her older brother, she couldn’t help but let her feelings slip.
Ji Qingzhou originally thought it would be impossible—but suddenly, a thought flickered through his mind…
If he could really stay at the Chi residence for two or three days…
He glanced down at his lower abdomen and quietly wondered if he could take this opportunity to deal with that “trouble.”
Ji Qinglan was his sister, of course she would keep his secret.
He had also brought Xiao Shan along, someone he could fully trust.
As for Chi Zhou—he had always acted like a gentleman. He certainly wouldn’t barge into the courtyard.
The more Ji Qingzhou thought about it, the more he felt this might be a good chance.
After all, Li Zhan’s current position meant there was no way he would keep the child. Ji Qingzhou himself hadn’t fully come to terms with it either. If he could resolve this issue here, and pretend like nothing had ever happened, it would be far easier than coming clean to Li Zhan.
At the very least, he wouldn’t have to face that awkwardness.
Every time he thought about confessing to Li Zhan over the past few days, Ji Qingzhou had found himself unable to speak.
For a man to say “I’m pregnant with your child” to another man—just thinking about it was a blow to his pride. Besides, there wasn’t even any emotional bond between him and Li Zhan. The child had come at the worst possible time…
The only unknown now was whether Li Zhan would allow it.
After all, for an inner attendant to stay outside the palace overnight was indeed against the rules.
Ji Qingzhou had thought that persuading Li Zhan would be the hardest part, but to his surprise, as soon as he tentatively brought it up, Li Zhan hesitated only briefly before agreeing. Li Zhan even thoughtfully asked Chi Zhou to leave the residence for a while so as not to disturb the Ji siblings’ reunion.
“You don’t even have any guards here, I’ll ask Dong Dong to assign you a few of my secret guards—two to stay in your residence, and two to accompany you when you go out.” Li Zhan said to Chi Zhou, “These are dangerous times; nothing can be left to chance.”
Chi Zhou quickly replied, “Wang Ye, rest assured. The stewards and manservants in my residence are all trained fighters. They may not be as skilled as your secret guards, but they’re more than capable of protecting the house.”
Only then did Li Zhan relax a little, though he still instructed Dong Dong to send over two personal bodyguards, just in case.
Ji Qingzhou dared not waste time. He knew this matter had come to the point where it had to be resolved.
He first instructed Xiao Shan to go to the medical clinic to fetch some medicine. To avoid drawing suspicion, he specifically asked Xiao Shan to pick up several prescriptions for wind-cold and mixed in the one he actually needed, making it harder to detect.
Xiao Shan was very clever. As soon as Ji Qingzhou finished giving instructions, he immediately understood and didn’t even ask questions.
Ji Qingzhou didn’t tell Ji Qinglan about the pregnancy. He only vaguely hinted at a few things.
This was something he couldn’t even say to Li Zhan—how could he possibly confess it to his own sister?
Anyway, once night fell and he drank the medicine, if something went wrong, he had already given Xiao Shan instructions on what to do. As long as he made it through the night safely, Xiao Shan could simply say he’d caught a chill and needed rest. He was a man, after all. His health had improved over the past few months, so he should be able to endure it.
Unless, of course, he was incredibly unlucky and suffered a hemorrhage or something.
Ji Qingzhou thought bitterly: if the heavens truly meant to destroy him, then there was nothing he could do…
Just as he had everything planned out and was anxiously waiting for Xiao Shan to return with the medicine—
An uninvited guest arrived at the Chi residence.
The moment Ji Qingzhou saw who it was, a chill ran down his spine. He silently cursed, this ghost just won’t go away.
But then he saw that the manservants of the Chi residence were nearby and keeping an eye on things. With them present, Prince Heng shouldn’t do anything inappropriate.
“I came to visit Assistant Minister Chi, but he wasn’t in. Then I heard that Young Master Ji was here, so I came by to visit,” Prince Heng said with a mocking tone.
Ji Qingzhou immediately noticed a difference in Prince Heng’s demeanor. In the past, even when Prince Heng mocked him, his gaze always held a flicker of longing or some inner turmoil.
But today, all Ji Qingzhou could see in his eyes was fury and contempt.
“Greetings, Fourth Prince,” Ji Qingzhou greeted him politely.
Prince Heng lifted his hand slightly as if to offer support, and then whispered near Ji Qingzhou’s ear, “Since you’re with child, why such formalities?”
Ji Qingzhou froze, thunderstruck.
Though Prince Heng had spoken softly, the words hit him like a clap of thunder.
How did he know?
Ji Qingzhou’s thoughts raced. He immediately thought of the physician from the medical clinic…
It wasn’t that he hadn’t worried about this possibility before, but given his situation at the time, there had been nothing he could do.
He hadn’t expected Prince Heng to be so dedicated—to actually track down that doctor and force the truth from him!
“If Your Highness has something to say, please be direct,” Ji Qingzhou said.
“Don’t panic. This time, I’m on your side,” Prince Heng said. “Third Brother is my elder brother. When I learned he might have a child, I couldn’t be happier. Young Master Ji, surely you wouldn’t want someone else to be the one to tell him such wonderful news, would you?”
Ji Qingzhou’s palms began to sweat, but his expression remained composed. “What is it that Your Highness wants?”
“I want nothing,” said Prince Heng. “You’ve already had this… development with Third Brother. Do you think I’d be so tactless as to interfere now? On the contrary, I sincerely wish you both well. When your child is born, I’ll even prepare a generous gift for my future little nephew.”
Ji Qingzhou’s mind was in turmoil, but he still tried to pick out clues from Prince Heng’s words.
Suddenly, he recalled what Li Zhan had said to him in the carriage:
“I need to do something. And I need the court’s support. Without it, it’ll mean nothing. Right now, the entire court pities me. I have to act before that sympathy fades.”
Ji Qingzhou suddenly grasped the outline of the situation.
If Li Zhan had made that vow to win over the court, then Prince Heng’s goal must be… to stop him.
Because once the ministers learned of the child’s existence, Li Zhan would be seen as breaking his word.
Of course, as a powerful regent, Li Zhan’s position wouldn’t be shaken just because of an illegitimate child. But the matter he wanted to pursue—that would be hindered. Ji Qingzhou didn’t know what that matter was, or why public support was crucial for it, but he did know it was important to Li Zhan.
So why did Prince Heng want to stop it?
The only answer could be that it threatened Prince Heng’s interests.
“You’re very kind, Fourth Highness. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ji Qingzhou replied.
“You’re clever. I’ve always known that,” Prince Heng smiled. “No matter. I’ve already played it all out in my mind. You go tell Third Brother the truth. He’ll protect you and the child. Then the three of you can live happily together. Or you could choose not to tell him, bear this burden alone… and then Third Brother loses both you and the child. Do you think that’s worth whatever it is he’s trying to do?”
Before Ji Qingzhou could answer, Prince Heng added, “That little errand boy of yours—I brought him back for you. He’s safe and sound. But don’t even think about fetching any more medicine to terminate the pregnancy. It’s far too dangerous. Out of consideration for my brother, I’ll give you three days. Either you confess to him yourself—or, once court resumes, I’ll bring the physician who examined you and reveal everything in front of the ministers. Then we’ll see… will Third Brother protect you—or cast you aside?”
With that, Prince Heng turned and strode off.
Ji Qingzhou stood in the courtyard for a long time before Xiao Shan was shoved in front of him by someone.
Ji Qingzhou hurriedly caught him and asked, “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No,” Xiao Shan said. “I hadn’t even reached the pharmacy before they dragged me back. Don’t worry. I’ll sneak out again later when no one’s around.”
Ji Qingzhou shook his head. “No need. He’s definitely got people watching the outside. It’s pointless.”
“Then what do we do?” Xiao Shan asked nervously.
Oddly enough, Ji Qingzhou now appeared much calmer. He sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, thoughts racing, forcing himself to stay composed, trying to fully understand the situation.
Prince Heng wanted to stop whatever it was Li Zhan was planning—so he intended to use the child in Ji Qingzhou’s belly as leverage.
Whether Ji Qingzhou confessed or not, Prince Heng’s next move was to expose everything.
The only difference was: if Ji Qingzhou came clean, Li Zhan might protect him.
But if he didn’t, and Prince Heng revealed it in court—no one could predict how Li Zhan would respond.
If that was the case, then why hadn’t Prince Heng just skipped the warning and gone straight to exposing him?
Ji Qingzhou thought hard, and then it came to him—Prince Heng was afraid of Li Zhan.
So his goal wasn’t to destroy Ji Qingzhou—it was simply to derail Li Zhan’s plan.
If he could do that through gentler means, all the better. Otherwise, he risked provoking Li Zhan’s full wrath.
Realizing this gave Ji Qingzhou confidence.
It meant that over the next few days, Prince Heng wouldn’t act rashly…
In that moment, Ji Qingzhou felt immense relief. Thankfully, he hadn’t confessed to Li Zhan yet.
If he had spoken too soon, this entire encounter wouldn’t have happened. Prince Heng likely would’ve used someone else to expose everything. Someone would’ve dragged that doctor into court, and Li Zhan would’ve been caught off guard.
But because Ji Qingzhou had hesitated and remained silent—Prince Heng had grown anxious and shown his hand too early.
Now that he had seen the other side’s cards, the outcome of this game was no longer so certain.
Perhaps… this truly was fate at work.
That evening, Ji Qingzhou sat in the courtyard and waited for Chi Zhou to return.
When Chi Zhou saw him waiting like that, he was rather surprised.
Ji Qingzhou didn’t say much and simply gestured for a private word.
Chi Zhou immediately led him to the study.
“Is there something Young Master Ji wishes to discuss with me?” Chi Zhou asked.
“What is it that Wang Ye is trying to accomplish?” Ji Qingzhou asked directly.
Clearly, Chi Zhou hadn’t expected this question and was momentarily stunned.
Seeing the hesitation on his face, Ji Qingzhou said, “Assistant Minister Chi, is it that you’re unwilling to tell me? Or did Wang Ye instruct you not to?”
“It’s not that….In fact, I don’t think there’s any need to keep it from you.” Chi Zhou quickly replied, “It’s just that Wang Ye felt the matter wasn’t yet certain. If he told you prematurely and it didn’t succeed in the end, he feared it would only lead to disappointment.”
Ji Qingzhou was surprised to hear that. He hadn’t expected the matter Li Zhan was working on to be related to him.
“Wang Ye wants to overturn the case against the Ji family,” Chi Zhou said.
“Overturn it?” Ji Qingzhou was shocked. He never would have guessed that this was what Li Zhan had been planning.
Even though Ji Qingzhou didn’t fully understand the details of the Ji family’s case, he knew their conviction had been personally handed down by the late emperor. For Li Zhan—who was the late emperor’s own brother and now the regent—to overturn that decision would be an act of defiance against the late emperor’s legacy.
“He’s actually …” Ji Qingzhou was so stunned that it took him a while to collect himself.
“If not for this matter, Wang Ye wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths,” Chi Zhou added.
It took Ji Qingzhou a long moment to regain his composure. Then he said, “Overturning the Ji family’s case would mean disregarding the late emperor’s judgment… Wang Ye…”
“That’s precisely why, due to the complexity of the situation, Wang Ye has had to take a lower profile and appease the court officials first,” Chi Zhou explained. “Given his sensitive status, if he acted too rashly, he would only stir unrest among the ministers and provoke strong opposition. And the point of overturning the Ji family’s case isn’t just to deny the guilt imposed by the late emperor, but more importantly, to gain the court’s recognition of the new verdict.”
Otherwise, even if Li Zhan presented irrefutable evidence proving the Ji family’s innocence, if the opposition in court was too strong, the reversal would lack legitimacy and authority. In other words, the key to overturning the Ji family’s case lay in restoring their reputation within the court.
Only now did Ji Qingzhou finally understand why Li Zhan had gone through so much trouble.
Li Zhan had said that he would see this through no matter the cost.
Was it for… Grand Tutor Ji?
Or for someone else…
“I want to enter the palace and see Wang Ye,” Ji Qingzhou said.
“Of course. I’ll make arrangements right away,” Chi Zhou replied, turning to leave and order a carriage.
But Ji Qingzhou suddenly called him back. Chi Zhou turned, confused.
After taking a moment to steady himself, Ji Qingzhou said, “I can’t enter the palace. Right now, we have the upper hand. If I go into the palace, I’ll be wasting these three days… and by then, we’ll have lost all our leverage.”
Chi Zhou didn’t quite understand. He had no idea what Prince Heng had said to Ji Qingzhou.
“Assistant Minister Chi, I’m sure your people told you that Prince Heng came to see me today,” Ji Qingzhou said.
Chi Zhou looked a little embarrassed and rubbed his nose, saying, “I didn’t mean to monitor you, Young Master Ji. I was just worried that you might—”
“I know,” Ji Qingzhou cut him off. “Prince Heng is holding something over me, and he’s using it to threaten me—or rather, to stop Wang Ye from carrying out his plan.”
Chi Zhou’s face changed, and he immediately grew tense.
“He gave me two choices. But I know that neither path will work,” Ji Qingzhou continued. “Fortunately, we still have time…”
Chi Zhou looked at Ji Qingzhou and frowned. “What is it that he’s holding over you?”
“It’s…” Ji Qingzhou glanced at Chi Zhou, visibly embarrassed. “It’s better if you don’t know. But time is running out. Assistant Minister Chi, can you do me a favor?”
Chi Zhou nodded at once. As Ji Qingzhou walked toward the desk, he said, “May I borrow your brush and ink? I’ll write a letter to Wang Ye. Do you have a way to get it to him tonight?”
“The palace gates are already locked,” Chi Zhou said.
“I have a token from Yinghui Pavilion. Use the side gate,” Ji Qingzhou said.
Chi Zhou nodded and stepped over to help him grind the ink.
As Ji Qingzhou lifted the brush, he looked at Chi Zhou. Chi Zhou took the hint and respectfully turned his gaze away.
“Prince Heng has stationed people near your residence. Be sure to avoid their eyes when you leave,” Ji Qingzhou said while drawing on the paper. “If he finds out you’re delivering a message to Wang Ye for me…”
“Don’t worry, Young Master Ji. This is what I do,” Chi Zhou replied.
Judging by Ji Qingzhou’s expression, he knew this was serious and quickly tried to ease his nerves so he wouldn’t be distracted.
Moments later, Ji Qingzhou picked up the paper, blew on the ink, folded it, and asked Chi Zhou for an envelope to seal it. Chi Zhou was a bit surprised. “You finished so quickly?”
“This is only part of it. Since I can’t explain everything through you, I need to speak to Wang Ye directly,” Ji Qingzhou replied as he handed him the sealed letter. “Please tell Wang Ye the situation is just as I described… While trying to resolve the issue, I accidentally exposed a weakness. Now Prince Heng has abducted a witness and plans to use them to threaten Wang Ye.”
Chi Zhou: ???
He was completely confused.
“Young Master Ji, I’m not quite following,” Chi Zhou said, baffled.
“Wang Ye will understand once he reads it,” Ji Qingzhou said. “He’ll know what to do. Or rather…”
He paused, his expression flashing with anxiety. At this point, he finally had a little confidence. He believed that Li Zhan would choose to protect him. After all, if Li Zhan was going through so much to reverse the Ji family’s conviction—whether out of respect for Grand Tutor Ji or some other reason—Ji Qingzhou, as a member of the Ji family, ought to benefit from it.
At a time like this, surely Li Zhan wouldn’t let him die.
“The three-day deadline—one day has already passed. In two days, Prince Heng will bring a witness into court… and expose my… situation to the public,” Ji Qingzhou said. “I can’t return to the palace now, and Wang Ye shouldn’t come here either. If Prince Heng suspects anything, we’ll lose our advantage.”
This time, Chi Zhou finally understood: Prince Heng had given Ji Qingzhou three days to decide.
And Ji Qingzhou planned to use that time to strike back…
Because beyond Prince Heng’s trump card, Ji Qingzhou knew that Li Zhan had one of his own.
He knew Li Zhan had been reborn, so he assumed Li Zhan must know plenty about Prince Heng—his connections in the capital, the estates he used to hide people, the men he could command… If Ji Qingzhou’s guess was correct, Li Zhan could use the three-day window to strike first and catch Prince Heng off guard.
Whether it would succeed, however, remained uncertain.
Chi Zhou looked at the thin envelope in his hand and felt a growing unease.
“Assistant Minister Chi…”
“I understand. I’ll make sure no one notices, and deliver your words to Wang Ye personally.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded, then said, “After you deliver the letter, wait and see how Wang Ye instructs you.”
“Instruct me?” Chi Zhou asked. “You mean with a task?”
Ji Qingzhou gave a bitter smile. “Maybe… maybe Wang Ye will decide how to deal with me. If he does, please bring back the order.”
Chi Zhou was now even more confused—half curious, half anxious.
After receiving the letter, Chi Zhou changed clothes, then used Ji Qingzhou’s token to leave the residence.
Watching Chi Zhou leave, Ji Qingzhou suddenly felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest.
That weight that had been pressing on him for so long had finally eased.
At that moment, he didn’t even want to think about how Li Zhan would react.
However he reacted—let it be. That hot potato was finally thrown into the hands of the one who should handle it…
He no longer had to agonize alone over what choice to make. This time, he had left the decision entirely to Li Zhan.
Live or die, stay or go… it was in fate’s hands now.
Of course, if things turned out as he hoped, he believed Li Zhan would find a way to protect him and still accomplish what he needed to do.
And the key to all of this had been that one hint from Qin Zheng: Would Li Zhan choose him—or Prince Heng?
Late at night, in Yinghui Pavilion—
Li Zhan had just finished instructing Qin Zheng on something when Dong Dong came in to report that Chi Zhou had come to see him.
Li Zhan was momentarily stunned. His brows furrowed deeply, and he felt a twinge of unease.
Chi Zhou was always measured and discreet—why would he come to the palace in the middle of the night?
Chi Zhou didn’t have a Dali Temple token, so he must’ve used Ji Qingzhou’s.
Could something have happened to Ji Qingzhou?
Suppressing his anxiety, Li Zhan ordered him to be brought in.
Chi Zhou paid his respects, glanced at Qin Zheng to indicate that he should step aside.
Qin Zheng didn’t wait for Li Zhan’s command and quietly left the study.
“What happened?” Li Zhan asked.
“Young Master Ji said it was of utmost urgency and instructed me to report to you immediately,” Chi Zhou said as he handed over the letter and relayed Ji Qingzhou’s message exactly as it was given.
He first explained how Prince Heng had cornered Ji Qingzhou, then mentioned the contents of the letter, and finally emphasized the three-day deadline.
Upon hearing that Prince Heng had gone to the Chi residence to threaten Ji Qingzhou, Li Zhan’s expression changed on the spot. But before reading the letter, he was still unsure what exactly Ji Qingzhou was trying to convey.
Once he opened it and began reading, his expression changed again.
Chi Zhou was incredibly curious about the letter’s contents but couldn’t very well peek, so he just watched Li Zhan’s face closely, trying to guess based on his reactions.
He saw Li Zhan’s face go from confused, to tightly furrowed brows and disbelief… then his breathing quickened as if he had been greatly shocked—or perhaps received some astonishingly good news. In the end, Li Zhan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and flipped the letter over to press it flat on the desk.
Chi Zhou: …
He was more curious than ever. *What in the world did the letter say?*
“Did he say anything else?” Li Zhan asked, his voice carrying a faint tremor.
Chi Zhou, observant as he was, noticed it immediately, though he couldn’t figure out why Wang Ye was so emotional.
“Young Master Ji said that if Wang Ye had any instructions—or punishment—he asked me to bring the message back as well,” Chi Zhou replied.
Li Zhan frowned slightly. “Punishment?”
“Yes…” Chi Zhou hurriedly replied. “Those were Young Master Ji’s exact words, not mine.”
Li Zhan’s expression grew extremely complicated upon hearing that. After a long moment, he finally said, “Stay in the residence these next few days. Don’t go anywhere. Keep an eye on him.”
Chi Zhou was taken aback. Keep an eye on him? Was that because he was worried Ji Qingzhou might try to run?
Then he heard Li Zhan add, “If anything happens to him, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
Chi Zhou: …
Ah, so that’s what he meant.
Fortunately, the people in Chi Zhou’s residence were dependable, and with the additional protection from Li Zhan’s secret guards, keeping Ji Qingzhou safe shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, this was the capital. No ordinary person would dare break into the Assistant Minister of the Dali Temple’s home to cause trouble. That would be a death wish.
That night, Chi Zhou left the palace at once.
Meanwhile, Li Zhan walked back to his desk and turned over the “letter” Ji Qingzhou had written to him, unable to resist reading it again.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a letter—it was a drawing.
The drawing depicted a house, and on the roof of the house was the character “feng” (meaning “service” or “obedience”). Outside the house, there was a moon.
Inside the house marked “feng,” there were two small stick figures—one on top and one below. The one on top had the character “shui” (water radical) written on its forehead, and the one below had the character “zhou” (boat). There was no need to speculate—just from their positions, it was clear what the two stick figures were doing!
Note; no need to think too much, they’re making baby!!
Then, a line extended from the lower figure’s body, connecting to another little stick figure also marked with “zhou” on its forehead. This one had a tiny figure drawn in its belly…
The drawing was abstract, but as one of the parties involved, Li Zhan understood it instantly with just a glance.
In fact, aside from the tiny little figure drawn inside the belly of the stick figure marked “zhou,” the rest was something he already knew. But that tiny addition… the implication it carried… struck him with unprecedented force.
Li Zhan took a deep breath and only after a long pause did his gaze slowly move down to the bottom of the drawing.
There were four characters written there: Burn after reading.
Li Zhan stared at the drawing again and again, his expression filled with barely contained excitement.
In the end, he held the drawing up to the candle flame, intending to burn it just as Ji Qingzhou had instructed. But just before the flame could catch, he pulled it back. After a moment of silence, he carefully folded the drawing, then wrapped it in a square handkerchief and tucked it into the inner pocket of his robe—right over his heart.
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