The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 15
15
A few minutes ago, as Shen Zhuwan passed by the martial arts field, she was stopped by Lin Changcun, who had suddenly dashed out.
He excitedly recounted how heroic he felt after defeating Ji Rongjin earlier. Shen Zhuwan’s expression remained calm, but her peripheral vision fell on a figure standing with their back to her.
It had been a long time since she last saw her, and now, seeing her so suddenly, Shen Zhuwan couldn’t help but recall that night—the girl’s bold and fiery touch.
With a faint glance, Shen Zhuwan withdrew her gaze, offered a polite smile, and said, “With Young Master Lin’s guidance, the Prince Consort must be improving rapidly.”
Looking at the flustered, red-faced man who was stammering assurances that he would teach diligently, she thanked him and excused herself to leave.
But halfway through her departure, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, Shen Zhuwan turned back.
She overheard all three of the girl’s sharp questions, her expression shifting from slight confusion to complete impassivity.
The surroundings fell into a dead silence, and Ji Rongjin stood frozen in place, as if turned to stone.
Shen Zhuwan observed her for a long time but ultimately said nothing. With one deep, lingering look, she turned and left.
That single glance sent a chill through Ji Rongjin’s heart, making her feel as if the Princess had already decided where to bury her by tomorrow.
Shen Zhuwan’s departure seemed to take the souls of the two with her. For a moment, neither moved, until a slightly puzzled voice broke the silence: “That question of yours doesn’t make sense. How could Her Highness the Princess fall into a place like that?”
Ji Rongjin snapped back to reality, a question mark slowly forming above her head.
So, all this time, he had been mulling over that question?
Casting him a look as if he were an idiot, Ji Rongjin said perfunctorily, “You’re really clever.”
Lin Changcun: “…”
After shooing Lin Changcun away, Ji Rongjin found herself in an awkward predicament once again.
For the past week, she had gone to great lengths to avoid dining with Shen Zhuwan. She had planned to break the ice today, but given the current situation, it seemed better to delay their meeting.
When in doubt, retreat was the best strategy.
The next day, Ji Rongjin had a day off and invited Jiang Nanyu to go boating on the lake.
The summer heat was oppressive, so shortly after meeting by the lakeside, the two quickly boarded a boat.
This was a well-known lake in the capital, called Wanghe Lake.
Wanghe Lake was vast, so much so that looking from one side to the other, one could only vaguely make out the outlines of objects. Its most famous feature was the cluster of lotus flowers on the southern side of the lake.
Amidst a dense expanse of green, the delicate pink lotus blossoms stood out strikingly.
The two sat on the boat, urging the boatman to row toward the lotus patch. A gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness, and as Ji Rongjin gazed at the scenery before her, the troubles of recent days seemed to melt away.
“Ah, this fresh air.” Jiang Nanyu said, reveling in the moment. “I’m finally out.”
Ji Rongjin echoed her sentiment. “The scenery out here is just wonderful.”
Jiang Nanyu glanced at her, leaning against the boat’s side. “What’s wrong? Isn’t the scenery at the Princess’s residence nice?”
“It’s nice, of course.” Ji Rongjin sighed. “But the flowers at home don’t have the charm of wildflowers.”
Jiang Nanyu let out a disdainful “Tch.” “I’m just afraid you’ve got the heart of a thief but lack the courage.”
Ji Rongjin was shocked. “I was talking about flowers—what are you talking about?”
Jiang Nanyu gave her a sidelong glance. “Don’t play coy… So, tell me, why’d you ask me out here?”
Ji Rongjin sheepishly rubbed her nose. “Well, it’s because I’ve done some things recently that might have upset Her Highness the Princess. So, I was wondering if there’s any way to make up for it.”
“Her Highness is upset with you?” Jiang Nanyu gave her a strange look. “You’ve got some guts. I’ve only seen Her Highness from a distance twice in my life. Even though she always looks calm, I still feel like my heart’s being crushed and I can barely breathe. I don’t even dare to look at her for too long, and you…”
She eyed Ji Rongjin suspiciously. “You actually dared to make her angry? More importantly, you actually managed to make her angry?”
“I’m really curious about what you did to her.” Jiang Nanyu said, then suddenly had a flash of insight, her expression turning dramatic. “Wait, you didn’t—you didn’t sneak off to see that Lin boy again, did you?”
Ji Rongjin didn’t understand why her reaction was so exaggerated and replied honestly, “We were sparring at the Princess’s residence…”
Before she could finish, Jiang Nanyu interrupted loudly, “What? You even brought him back to the residence?”
Seeing Jiang Nanyu on the verge of jumping up and hitting the boat’s ceiling, Ji Rongjin quickly pulled her back down, exasperated. “I didn’t bring him—he came to find me.”
The boat’s ceiling didn’t escape unscathed, but thankfully, it was sturdy enough. The only casualty was Jiang Nanyu.
Ji Rongjin rubbed her forehead helplessly. “He came to teach me martial arts. That has nothing to do with why the Princess is upset with me.”
Jiang Nanyu, clutching her head with a grimace, said, “Nothing to do with it? It’s got everything to do with it.”
“What do you mean? My rivalry with Lin Changcun?”
Perhaps Ji Rongjin’s expression was too earnest, because Jiang Nanyu paused for a moment before shaking her head. “Forget it. Your tangled mess of a relationship is beyond me.”
Ji Rongjin: “…”
“If you really want to make the Princess feel better, stay away from that Lin boy.” Jiang Nanyu said, pausing for a moment. “I vaguely remember that the Princess’s birthday is coming up soon. Prepare a gift for her and offer a sincere apology. That should do it.”
Ji Rongjin looked troubled. “But I don’t know what the Princess likes.”
“If you don’t know, how would I know?” Jiang Nanyu said, a bit exasperated. “But I do recall that the Princess hasn’t celebrated her birthday in a long time. The last time she did, I heard she only wanted to see the stars…”
Back then, the late Emperor was in poor health, and Shen Zhuwan had only asked to see the stars.
It was a simple wish, but unfortunately, that night was starless, the sky covered in thick clouds.
Shen Zhuwan didn’t want to trouble the late Emperor, but he showed her through his actions that even if she wanted the stars in the sky, he would do his utmost to pluck them for her.
That night, there were indeed no stars, but when countless sky lanterns were released into the night sky, one by one, it was as if a unique red starscape had been created just for her.
Jiang Nanyu didn’t know what Shen Zhuwan thought of it. She only knew that when she heard about it from her father, she had pestered her mother for days, insisting she wanted the late Emperor as her father instead. That earned her a good beating from her father.
It was hard to say whether she remembered the story so vividly because she was awestruck by the starscape or because of the beating that followed.
Ji Rongjin was also moved by the story. “Back then, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Princess was showered with boundless affection.”
“Of course.” Jiang Nanyu replied, then fell silent for a moment before adding, “But I remember the late Emperor passed away that very night.”
Ji Rongjin fell silent too. Piecing together the events, she could roughly guess why Shen Zhuwan had stopped celebrating her birthday after that.
The atmosphere grew heavy for a while until Jiang Nanyu suddenly said, “Enough of that—it’s too depressing.”
She shifted gears quickly, practically plastering herself to Ji Rongjin in the next moment, excitedly asking, “By the way, did you read that storybook I lent you?”
Ji Rongjin slowly came back to herself, her eyes flickering as she replied, “I did. The author writes really well. Do you know who wrote it?”
Jiang Nanyu’s face lit up with a “You actually read it!” expression before she said, “I think it’s great too, but unfortunately, I don’t know the author. Rumor has it the book came from the neighboring Empress’s Kingdom.”
“The writer is probably from the Empress’s Kingdom,” Jiang Nanyu added after a moment’s thought. “Why? You want to meet her?”
Ji Rongjin didn’t just want to meet her—she was desperate to. After reading the two books, though some details didn’t align, they were unmistakably reminiscent of two profoundly influential modern works. This meant the author might very well be from her hometown.
But since the author was from a neighboring country, meeting her now was likely impossible.
From what Ji Rongjin recalled, the two neighboring countries of Daqian—Chu and the Empress’s Kingdom—didn’t have good relations with Daqian.
In the days that followed, Ji Rongjin’s life returned to its usual rhythm. At court, she kept her head down like a shrinking turtle; after court, she turned invisible, dodging attention. Apart from occasionally handling work at the Court of Judicial Review, she spent most of her time slacking off.
Despite her avoidance, Shen Zhuwan made no response, as if she had forgotten Ji Rongjin entirely.
Until one day after court, as Ji Rongjin prepared to slip away as usual, she was stopped by Jinxi, who informed her that the young Emperor wished to see her.
An imperial summons was not something Ji Rongjin could ignore.
Jinxi led her to the Imperial Garden, and Ji Rongjin followed closely behind the palace maid, her heart a mix of apprehension and anticipation.
Through the lush greenery on either side, she caught sight of a white-clad figure seated in a pavilion.
At that moment, Shen Zhuwan held a book in her hands, her red lips parting slightly as she spoke to the young Emperor across from her. Whatever the Emperor said in response caused Shen Zhuwan’s expression to soften slightly, like a spring breeze laced with gentle rain, tender and refined.
Ji Rongjin was entranced. She had never seen Shen Zhuwan with such an expression—at least not in her presence during this time.
Collecting herself, she slowly approached.
Unlike Shen Zhuwan’s calm demeanor, the young Emperor was visibly delighted and invited her to sit.
Ji Rongjin didn’t dare. Keeping her head lowered, she stole glances at Shen Zhuwan. “No need, Your Majesty. This subject is fine standing.”
Shen Zhuwan’s voice betrayed no emotion. “If His Majesty asks you to sit, then sit.”
“Yes, yes, Brother-in-law!” the young Emperor chimed in. “Come sit for a bit.”
After some thought, Ji Rongjin obediently sat down.
The stone table was small, and no matter where she sat, she would be close to both of them. She sat primly, hands resting on her lap, and turned to the Emperor. “What instructions does Your Majesty have for this subject?”
Shen Zhuwan’s eyes flickered, about to speak, but her eager younger brother beat her to it.
“It wasn’t me who called you,” the young Emperor said with a grin. “It was Sister…”
Shen Zhuwan frowned. “Shen Chi.”
The Emperor swallowed the rest of his words, giving Ji Rongjin a meaningful wink.
Ji Rongjin understood. So it was the Princess who had summoned her.
Turning to Shen Zhuwan, she gave a stiff smile. “What instructions does Your Highness have for this subject?”
Shen Zhuwan’s expression was calm now. “In a few days, the Chancellor’s residence will hold a birthday banquet. I’d like to trouble the Prince Consort to attend on my behalf.”
The Chancellor’s residence was holding a birthday banquet? Ji Rongjin vaguely recalled Dongmei mentioning it earlier. Hadn’t she already been informed?
Puzzled, Ji Rongjin wondered if the Princess was worried she’d forget.
Snapping back to attention, she replied, “Understood. This subject will remember. Does Your Highness have any other instructions?”
“If I said no, would the Prince Consort leave immediately?”
Ji Rongjin wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Shen Zhuwan’s tone seemed to carry a hint of resentment.
She raised her eyes to meet that pair of eyes, feeling inexplicably guilty for some reason. “How could that be? In truth, I’ve long wanted to come see Your Majesty. After all, it’s been a while since I last saw Your Majesty, and I’ve truly missed you.”
“Is that so?” Shen Zhuwan’s tone was light. “Now that you mention it, it has indeed been some time since the Prince Consort last saw me.”