The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 38

38

Strictly speaking, Ji Rongjin had already answered this question once before.

But now that Shen Zhuwan asked it again, she carefully searched her memory, recalling: “About a month ago, I suppose? I met Miss Ye when Jiang Nanyu and I were horse racing at the racetrack. That was our first meeting.”

The reason Ji Rongjin remembered it so clearly was largely due to Jiang Nanyu. After all, the legend of the “wild old man on horseback” was still circulating in the martial world.

“What’s the matter?” Ji Rongjin lowered her gaze to look at the woman. “Why are you suddenly asking about her?”

The woman stared into her eyes for a moment before slowly looking away, saying casually, “The prince consort seems to remember it quite clearly.”

Ji Rongjin’s mind was filled with question marks. She clearly didn’t remember the exact day, did she?

Just as she was about to defend herself, a sudden realization struck her—could the princess be jealous?

She quickly lowered her gaze to check, but Shen Zhuwan had already closed her eyes, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

Ji Rongjin stared at her in confusion for a while before finally burying her doubts. “Is the princess tired? Good night, then?”

“Mm.”

Ji Rongjin looked at the woman before her, hesitated for a moment, and then gently placed her hand on her waist.

Shen Zhuwan, with her eyes closed, stiffened slightly but soon relaxed.

It rained for another day, and the following day, the weather cleared.

The ginkgo tree behind the main hall, nourished by the rainwater, had leaves that turned a vibrant green, as if rejuvenated. However, the red cloth strips tied to its branches had become even more vivid from the rain, now drooping listlessly, exuding a faint sense of desolation.

The weather today was clear, and by noon, the sun was blazing.

It was fine weather, but Ji Rongjin felt an inexplicable tinge of regret.

It seemed there would be no more rain.

At night, Ji Rongjin lay on her small bed.

Outside, it was calm and quiet, with the chirping of cicadas and a cool night breeze gently blowing in through the window.

The cool breeze carried the refreshing scent of post-rain air to her nose. Ji Rongjin took a deep breath of the cool air and slowly exhaled a warm one.

With the weather this cool, the princess must be feeling cold, right? After all, the blankets in the temple were quite thin.

Ji Rongjin rolled over, sat up from the bed, and was about to grab her blanket and head out when a guard’s shout suddenly came from outside: “Assassins!”

Immediately after, the clanging of weapons clashing rang out.

Ji Rongjin’s eyes sharpened.

They were still at Guoan Temple—how dare these people be so bold as to attempt an assassination so openly? Did they think the princess had come without guards?

Ji Rongjin casually threw on some clothes and stepped outside. Shadow One and the guards were fighting the assassins at the door. Seeing her emerge, Shadow One swiftly dispatched one of the black-clad figures and flashed to her side.

“Prince Consort, please stay inside. We’ll handle this.”

Ji Rongjin glanced at the situation in the temple. There weren’t many assassins, and most were gathered around Shen Chi’s room. With the guards the princess had brought, it would likely be resolved in moments.

Such a small group dared to attempt an assassination?

As Ji Rongjin pondered this, a peculiar smell hit her nose—the scent of alcohol.

She snapped her head up, catching countless bright sparks in her peripheral vision, like shooting stars hurtling toward them.

“Trouble!” Ji Rongjin shouted immediately. “Get away from them—they’re carrying flammable materials!”

But it was too late. The black-clad assassins, upon seeing the flaming arrows, pulled out the alcohol they carried and splashed it onto the guards.

From a distance, she saw Shen Zhuwan emerge from her room. Ji Rongjin was about to call out a warning when she saw Shen Zhuwan’s figure flicker like a phantom, darting toward the young emperor’s room.

The flaming arrows didn’t discriminate between friend and foe. When they struck the assassins, the assassins grabbed nearby guards to drag them down with them.

Several arrows landed on the roof, quickly igniting a blaze.

In moments, all the assassins were dead, their burning bodies scattered across the ground. Some guards, caught in the flames, let out agonized screams.

Amid the chaos, the monks woke up. Seeing the black smoke and burning buildings, they hurriedly grabbed buckets of water to put out the fire.

When Ji Rongjin arrived, the young emperor was crying in Shen Zhuwan’s arms, a cut on his cheek, clearly terrified.

Shen Zhuwan stood with her back to the crowd, holding the young emperor tightly, unmoving.

She didn’t speak, and her expression was unreadable, but Ji Rongjin could sense the towering rage emanating from her silhouette.

Ji Rongjin’s eyes flickered as she glanced at Shadow One and asked, “Have you sent people to find the archers?”

Shadow One nodded.

Ji Rongjin lowered her head slightly, looking at the woman whose back seemed cold and unyielding.

Shen Chi was the closest person to Shen Zhuwan still alive. Anyone who dared to harm him would face the full brunt of the princess’s wrath.

Soon, the monks finished extinguishing the fire and arrived.

The head monk sighed softly, saying nothing yet seeming to say everything.

Shen Zhuwan had regained her composure by now. Holding Shen Chi’s hand, her voice was colder than usual: “I will give the head monk an explanation for this. The palace will fully compensate for all the temple’s losses.”

The head monk, an old man with a white beard, only said, “As long as no one was seriously hurt.”

Though he said this, Ji Rongjin could hear a slight improvement in his tone.

After sending the monks away, the shadow guards who had gone out returned, escorting two black-clad figures.

The lead guard knelt and reported, “Your Highness, there were twenty archers in total. Three escaped, seven were killed by us, eight took poison and died, and these two were captured alive.”

“Take them back.” Shen Zhuwan said, looking down at the two captives. For a moment, Ji Rongjin saw a chilling, suppressed killing intent in her eyes.

“I will interrogate them personally later.”

“Yes.”

Several shadow guards escorted the captives back to the residence, while the rest dealt with the remaining bodies in the temple or continued their watch.

Ji Rongjin looked at Shen Zhuwan’s stern expression and asked softly, “Princess, are you alright?”

Only then did Shen Zhuwan seem to notice her presence. She softened slightly, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”

Ji Rongjin crouched down and gently patted the young emperor’s head. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

After the initial shock, Shen Chi had calmed down, though tears still glistened in his eyes. He shook his head, clutching Shen Zhuwan’s hand tightly. “I’m fine.”

Ji Rongjin nodded, gave him a smile, and praised him a couple of times before standing up and exchanging a glance with Shen Zhuwan.

Knowing her place, Ji Rongjin tactfully excused herself. The young emperor, frightened by the night’s events, would likely want to sleep with Shen Zhuwan tonight.

It wasn’t until she returned to her room that Ji Rongjin’s tense body finally relaxed.

Her tall frame nearly spanned the entire bed from head to foot. Lying in the center, Ji Rongjin stared into the air, one hand resting on her forehead, her thoughts drifting.

Thankfully, the young emperor was unharmed. If something had happened to him, Ji Rongjin couldn’t even imagine what Shen Zhuwan’s expression would have been.

Letting out a soft sigh, Ji Rongjin thought to herself that, while Shen Zhuwan was strict with the young emperor, he was always the most important family member in her heart.

Her thoughts circled back to the assassins who had struck twice in a row. Who could they be?

With a mind full of guesses, Ji Rongjin fell into a deep sleep.

Half a month had passed since the trip to Guoan Temple. The young emperor’s security had been significantly strengthened. As for the two unfortunate captives, Ji Rongjin hadn’t seen them.

She only heard from Shadow Two that, despite enduring relentless torture, the two refused to reveal their mastermind.

Though they wouldn’t talk, Shen Zhuwan didn’t seem to care much.

However, Ji Rongjin had heard in passing that, recently, those in He Li’s faction at court were having a rough time. Either their family businesses suffered sudden mishaps, or their children or associates ran into trouble. He Li himself had been implicated in a murder case and was ordered to stay home and reflect, unable to attend court for ten days.

As for Shadow Two, he no longer had to monitor the latrines every day.

Over the past month, Ji Rongjin had received daily reports from Shadow Two—notes detailing Lian Xia’s actions, who she spoke to, and what she said.

Most of it was trivial, meaningless conversation.

Lian Xia hadn’t made any moves, diligently working each day without complaint, as if she truly just wanted a place to belong.

In such circumstances, Ji Rongjin felt a bit uneasy and had Lian Xia reassigned to the laundry.

Shadow Two, though spared from latrine duty, still had to keep watch over Lian Xia and record her every move.

As late August approached, the weather remained warm but was noticeably cooler in the mornings and evenings compared to midsummer.

Ji Rongjin moved a reclining chair under a tree, basking in the evening sun, lazily fanning herself.

In a few days, it would be the Qixi Festival.

The Qixi Festival—a day eagerly anticipated by countless young men and women. Even someone like Ji Rongjin, who was already married, looked forward to it, mostly for the food, drink, and fun.

She was lounging comfortably, wondering if she should invite Shen Zhuwan to go out and enjoy the festival together.

After all, young people could easily get bored staying at home all the time. It was good to go out and have some fun.

Or so Young Master Ji thought.

The ancient tree in front of the recliner rustled in the breeze, its dark green leaves falling gently. A gray pigeon emerged from the foliage, cooing as it landed on Ji Rongjin’s shoulder.

Ji Rongjin stared at the gray pigeon, deep in thought. The pigeon she used to exchange letters with Jiang Nanyu wasn’t gray.

Though confused, she removed the letter from the pigeon’s leg and fed it a couple of grapes from her hand. The gray pigeon was lean and agile, clearly not the kind Jiang Nanyu would raise.

The white pigeon Jiang Nanyu used for messages was so fat that Ji Rongjin once thought it couldn’t fly and had to waddle to deliver letters.

After sending off the nimble gray pigeon, Ji Rongjin opened the note. The handwriting was bold and vigorous, stating: Meet at Baiwei Teahouse.

The signature was a single character: Ye.

Ji Rongjin realized this must be from Ye Lu.

But how did she know her identity?

After some thought, Ji Rongjin figured it wasn’t surprising. Merchants always had the best information networks, and with Ye Lu’s vast resources, a little inquiry would reveal the truth.

Still, it was a bit embarrassing, considering she’d introduced herself to Ye Lu as “Ji Xiaobao.”

Without delay, Ji Rongjin stretched, got up, and headed to the Baiwei Teahouse mentioned in the letter.

The Baiwei Teahouse was located in a serene and elegant setting, with a large bamboo pond in front and ancient trees for shade in the back. The patrons coming and going were all well-dressed.

On the second floor, Ji Rongjin spotted Ye Lu sitting by the window.

She was dressed in her usual dark robe, though the patterns on it were slightly different. The mask on her face was the same one Ji Rongjin had seen before. Seeing her approach, Ye Lu’s lips curved into a smile.

Ji Rongjin sat across from her, smiling. “What brings Miss Ye to me?”

Ye Lu smiled first, then teased, “What, can’t I invite a friend for tea without a reason?”

“Of course you can,” Ji Rongjin replied, twirling her teacup with a light laugh. “But compared to drinking tea and chatting, I’d rather meet Miss Ye at the racetrack.”

Ye Lu nodded. “Fair enough. But I didn’t ask you here today just to chat over tea.”

She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a banknote, and handed it to Ji Rongjin with a smile. “This is the profit from the first batch of goods. Your share, as agreed, is two hundred taels.”

Ji Rongjin stared at the banknote in front of her, hardly believing it. “So soon?”

She had thought it would take at least two months to see any returns.

“Yes.” Ye Lu said, smiling. “The profits aren’t distributed by month but by batch. So, it might be one month this time, but three months the next.”

“I see,” Ji Rongjin said, taking the banknote with a broader smile. “Thank you for the trouble, Miss Ye, to personally deliver such a small sum.”

“No trouble at all.” Ye Lu replied. Her eyes flickered to one side before slowly returning to Ji Rongjin. “Did Young Master Ji come alone, or…?”

Ji Rongjin followed her gaze and said, “I came alone. Why?”

Ye Lu’s eyes glinted faintly. “Nothing. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

At the corner of the teahouse, Shadow One let out a relieved breath. Though his martial skills surpassed Shadow Two’s, he was less adept at stealth and surveillance.

He’d only glanced in their direction a couple of times, and the masked woman had noticed him.

He’d need to be more cautious.

That night, when Shen Zhuwan returned to the residence, Shadow One, as usual, reported the prince consort’s activities to her. After a moment’s hesitation, he admitted that he might have been spotted.

Shen Zhuwan’s expression remained calm. “You’re protecting her. What’s there to feel guilty about?”

Shadow One was momentarily stunned, then a flash of understanding crossed his eyes. He nodded. “Yes.”

After bathing, Shen Zhuwan lay in bed, reading while waiting for the girl to arrive.

Soon enough, the girl entered the room.

She familiarly lay down beside her, looking up at her. “Princess, how is His Majesty?”

Since returning from Guoan Temple, Ji Rongjin had asked about Shen Chi’s condition every day.

This was partly because she’d spent so much time in the palace recently that the girl thought something had happened to the emperor.

In truth, Shen Chi was fine, just shaken up, which was why he’d been clinging to her these past few days.

When the girl asked again, Shen Zhuwan replied, “He’s fine now.”

She added, “I’ll be back tomorrow evening.”

Visibly, a spark of joy flashed in the girl’s eyes, though she quickly hid it. Sitting up, her dark eyes bright, she said, “Then, Princess, would you like to go out with me for Qixi in a few days?”

Little Ji: Your darling has sent you a date request. Do you accept it?