The Prince Consort Is Also Pretending To Be Affectionate Today - Chapter 8

8: Wife and Wife Join Forces

The words of Ji Rongjin rang out with authority, silencing the court officials in an instant. It wasn’t because of the slight baldness at the back of Ji Rongjin’s head, but rather the subtle accusation she directed at He Li.

“Understanding that He Li considers the interests of high-ranking officials.”

This statement, taken positively, implied that He Li was considerate of his fellow officials. But interpreted negatively, it accused him of forming cliques for personal gain.

Ji Rongjin didn’t realize that her casual remark had struck the truth. Everyone in the court was well aware of such undercurrents, but no one dared to bring it to the forefront due to the vast web of interests involved.

Her words acted like a spark, igniting unease among those in the know, their hearts pounding with nervousness.

Some tried to steer the conversation away from this dangerous topic, but at that moment, Shen Zhuwan’s calm voice drifted from behind the screen: “Oh? Considering the interests of high-ranking officials—what does that mean?”

He Li’s expression darkened slightly, inwardly cursing Ji Rongjin. He hurriedly knelt and said, “Your Highness, this old minister would never dare! I only seek the truth and to uncover the real culprit behind this matter.”

With a grim look, he turned to Ji Rongjin and demanded, “Does the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review have any evidence for such slander against me?”

Ji Rongjin’s eyes sparkled with clarity. “You said it yourself, Right Chancellor.”

He Li snapped, “When did I ever say such a thing?”

“Just now,” Ji Rongjin replied, her eyes darting around. “Anyone with functioning ears should have heard it. As for those who didn’t, perhaps they’re too loyal to the Right Chancellor to speak up?”

Her brazen, almost nonsensical retort left the court stunned. After all, in an era without recording devices, who could disprove her words?

Her audacity had some effect. The officials who had been about to speak hesitated and fell silent. Perhaps Ji Rongjin’s words made them wary, but more likely, it was their own guilty consciences at play.

He Li’s face turned ashen with anger. “The Court of Judicial Review is known for handling matters with evidence. Do you think such baseless accusations can tarnish my name? My loyalty to Daqian is as clear as day and night!”

Ji Rongjin fixed her gaze on him. “Then swear it.”

He Li froze.

Ji Rongjin pressed on, “Swear that you are forever loyal to Daqian. If not, may you meet a terrible end and be cursed even after death.”

He Li stammered, “You…”

Ji Rongjin grinned. “I, Ji Rongjin, hereby swear to the heavens that I will always be loyal to the Daqian, to Her Highness the Princess, and to His Majesty. If I ever betray them, may I be struck by lightning, choke on my food, drown in my drink, or be crushed by a carriage…”

With every mention of “death,” He Li’s expression grew uglier. When Ji Rongjin finished, she smiled brightly at him and said, “Your turn, Chancellor.”

He Li snapped out of his daze, his face dark as coal under the scrutinizing gazes of the court officials. He couldn’t fathom how he, who had held the upper hand, had been maneuvered into a position where he had to swear to prove himself.

He didn’t understand, but Shen Zhuwan, watching from behind the screen, saw everything clearly. Sensing the moment was right, she signaled to the eunuch beside her.

“Silence! There shall be no clamor in the court!” the eunuch announced.

The eunuch’s words came at the perfect moment, leveraging Ji Rongjin’s momentum to suppress He Li without humiliating him too much.

He Li, fuming, flung his sleeves and kowtowed. “Your Highness, please investigate thoroughly. This minister harbors no disloyalty to the Daqian!”

Shen Zhuwan, of course, didn’t believe a word of it, but the time to confront him openly had not yet come.

Her gaze fell on the young woman kneeling with a look of regret. Shen Zhuwan’s voice carried calmly across the hall: “This palace naturally trusts the Chancellor’s devotion to the welfare of the Daqian’s officials. However, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review’s words are not without merit. Therefore, this matter will be fully entrusted to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. As for the Chancellor’s suggestions, this palace will also take them into consideration…”

Midway through her words, Shen Zhuwan noticed the young woman’s cheerful expression collapse into one of quiet resentment, her eyes casting a reproachful glance toward the screen.

Shen Zhuwan’s expression remained unchanged, but her tone softened inexplicably. “This palace agrees with the Chancellor’s point that five days to find the true culprit is too harsh for the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Let it be extended to the original ten days. If the culprit is not found within ten days, the Minister will be stripped of her position.”

Ji Rongjin blinked, nearly bursting into laughter right there in the hall. She knew Shen Zhuwan wouldn’t side with that old man, and sure enough, here was the real twist.

She glanced at He Li, whose face was now livid, and struggled to suppress her laughter. Unable to hold it in, she openly stared at He Li’s back, raising her brows in a mocking smirk.

If they weren’t still in the Golden Throne Hall, Shen Zhuwan suspected Ji Rongjin would have marched right up to He Li to taunt him to his face. The thought caused a faint, almost imperceptible smile to tug at Shen Zhuwan’s lips, though she quickly suppressed it.

The matter was thus settled. Afterward, a few minor issues were reported, and the court session ended.

As Shen Chi, seated on the dragon throne, and Shen Zhuwan, behind the screen, departed, the murmurs of the courtiers grew louder. Ji Rongjin dusted off her official robes, casually covering the back of her head as she adjusted her black gauze hat.

She hadn’t taken two steps when she noticed her hat lying alone on the floor. Someone picked it up, and following the plump hand upward, she saw, as expected, it was that old fox, He Li.

He Li’s expression shifted from a smile to a sneer in an instant, but he quickly masked it as he approached Ji Rongjin.

He extended the hat toward her. “Minister Ji, your hat.”

Ji Rongjin wasn’t sure what game this old man was playing. Warily, she reached out to take it, about to offer a curt thank-you, when the hat slipped from He Li’s hand and fell to the ground with a faint thud.

“Oh my, how did Minister Ji fail to catch it?” He Li said, feigning surprise.

His chubby face was only a few steps away, and Ji Rongjin, seeing the smug grin, knew he had done it on purpose.

So, she too feigned surprise, stepping back and exclaiming, “Oh! What’s wrong with you, Lord He?”

Her reaction caught He Li off guard, as well as the onlookers who had quietly paused to watch the drama unfold.

Under their gazes, Ji Rongjin not only didn’t get angry but bent down to pick up her hat, dusting it off with exaggerated care. “Just a moment ago, Lord He was about to hand me the hat—how could it suddenly fall?”

The crowd: …Obviously, he did it on purpose.

He Li’s expression flickered between calm and stormy, unable to decipher what Ji Rongjin was up to.

“Lord He surely didn’t mean it, so it must be a problem with trembling hands!” Ji Rongjin said, as if struck by a revelation. Then, in a conspiratorial tone loud enough for everyone to hear, she continued, “I’ve heard that people with kidney deficiency tend to have shaky hands and legs as they age. Oh dear, Lord He, could it be… kidney deficiency? You must treat it early!”

Her relentless chatter left the onlookers dumbfounded. If they hadn’t just witnessed their clash in court, they might’ve thought the two were old friends.

He Li’s face darkened further under her words. He growled, “Enough!”

“Not enough, not enough!” Ji Rongjin chirped. “I haven’t even told you how to nourish a kidney deficiency yet!”

For someone like He Li, who had grown accustomed to flattery as a high-ranking official, pride was everything. Ji Rongjin’s words—whether mocking his age or publicly accusing him of kidney deficiency—were a direct attack on his dignity, like needles piercing his heart.

As He Li’s expression grew darker, a young man behind him stepped forward to interrupt. “Minister Ji, Lord He has physicians at his residence. You needn’t concern yourself with such matters.”

Ji Rongjin turned her head, giving a thoughtful “Oh.” “So Lord He already has remedies for kidney deficiency. In that case, I won’t overstep. Take care of yourself, Lord He. I’ll take my leave.”

With that, she grabbed her hat and strode out cheerfully. The young man hurriedly followed.

He Li, left behind, glared venomously in Ji Rongjin’s direction before storming off in a huff. The remaining officials exchanged silent glances and dispersed.

Though the princess’s faction had always been at odds with Lord He, the consort’s stance had previously been ambiguous, making today’s open confrontation a first.

Outside the Golden Throne Hall, Ji Rongjin noticed someone trailing her like a shadow. Turning, she saw the young man from earlier and asked, “Why are you following me?”

The young man bowed. “This humble official is Chang Qingshan. I heard the Consort was injured recently and wanted to ask if your wounds have healed.”

Ji Rongjin narrowed her eyes. Why was Chang Qingshan, the Assistant Minister of Rites, seeking her out? Could the original owner of this body have had some connection with him?

She replied coolly, “Oh, Lord Chang. My wounds have healed, but there’s a side effect—I’ve lost my memories from before.”

Chang Qingshan froze for a moment before saying, “I see. Actually, I sought out the Consort because…”

“Consort,” a voice called from a distance, approaching quickly. “Her Highness the Princess requests your presence.”

Jinxi appeared out of nowhere, startling Chang Qingshan so much that his face paled. Ji Rongjin, however, remained unfazed, clearly accustomed to such sudden appearances.

She glanced at the still-stunned Chang Qingshan, feeling a pang of empathy, and shook her head. “Wait a moment.”

Turning to Jinxi, she said, “Alright, I’ll be there shortly.”

Jin Xi drifted to the side to wait.

Ji Rongjin turned back. “What did you want to say, Lord Chang?”

Chang Qingshan snapped out of his daze. “Ah? Oh… I wanted to say that I wish to serve Her Highness the Princess…”

“Assistant Minister of Rites?” Shen Zhuwan’s brows furrowed slightly. “I understand.”

Ji Rongjin shrugged, shoving another bite of food into her mouth without elaborating. Her job was only to relay the message; the decision was Shen Zhuwan’s.

She had to admit, the palace food was exceptional. Initially, Ji Rongjin had been reserved while dining with the Shen siblings, but soon she let loose, her chopsticks moving swiftly.

Shen Chi, the young emperor on the dragon throne, watched this unfamiliar “Consort Brother” devour food at an astonishing pace, his round eyes widening. The longer he watched, the more the usually bland palace meals seemed appetizing, and he began eating heartily.

Until—he couldn’t resist copying Ji Rongjin and reached for a drumstick with his hands. A calm voice stopped him: “Has Your Majesty forgotten the etiquette you’ve been taught?”

Though Shen Chi was the emperor, he was only a five-year-old child, utterly intimidated by his older sister.

The little emperor blinked his big, round eyes, guiltily retracting his hand. “Sister, there’s no one else here.”

Shen Zhuwan glanced at him faintly, her look clearly saying: No excuses.

The little emperor pouted, aggrieved. “But Consort Brother used his hands! Why don’t you scold him?”

Ji Rongjin, caught mid-bite, froze. “…”

Noticing Shen Zhuwan’s gaze, she gave an awkward smile before adopting a serious tone to coax the emperor. “Your Majesty, you’re still young and don’t understand. Some things are only for adults. Children have their rules, and adults have ours.”

The emperor’s chubby face showed confusion. “Really? So when I grow up, I can eat with my hands like Consort Brother?”

Ji Rongjin blinked at his clear, innocent eyes and nodded cheerfully. “Of course.” No way.

The emperor, half-convinced, turned to Shen Zhuwan for confirmation. “Sister, is what Consort Brother said true?”

On one side was her brother’s trusting gaze; on the other, the young woman’s slightly guilty, nervous expression.

Shen Zhuwan paused, then gave Ji Rongjin a fleeting glance before nodding. “Of course.”