After the Corrupt Official Was Coveted by the New Emperor - Chapter 11

The red candles were warm, and the mandarin ducks played upon the embroidered quilt.

Ji Rong opened his eyes. All he could see was a festive, auspicious red. The candles burned silently, and directly in his line of sight sat a figure with their back to him.

The figure wore a vibrant red wedding robe embroidered with exquisite colorful phoenixes. A phoenix crown sat atop their head, and their silhouette was slender and graceful. They were methodically pinning golden hairpins into their hair before a mirror.

The burnished bronze mirror was blocked by the person, obscuring their face. One could only see the dazzling gold jewelry swaying gently with the figure’s movements.

The flickering candlelight made Ji Rong’s eyes ache.

Outside the door, the loud blare of trumpets and suona horns rose in unison, and the sound of a bustling crowd was as restless as the tide.

The crisp clinking of gold pins and jewelry echoed through the hall. Ji Rong rubbed his brow, unable to make sense of the situation.

Where is this?

Before he could recover, the person before the mirror slowly stood up. The bronze mirror reflected the fiery red wedding dress, and the person finally turned around.

Ji Rong looked up. The moment he saw the person’s face, a massive wave crashed through his peaceful eyes.

This is.

The person’s skin was fair and delicate. Ji Rong was more than familiar with this face; it was identical to his own.

It was himself.

The tassels of the gold hairpins swayed with every step, and the magnificent wedding dress trailed on the floor. Ji Rong watched as the person stopped right in front of him.

“Look at this wedding dress. Is it not beautiful?”

The voice was also identical to his. Ji Rong looked at the person coldly. He did not understand the situation, so he remained silent, pretending to be mute.

The person did not seem to need an answer. They continued, “Today is the day I marry my beloved. Are you also a guest here to witness the ceremony?”

Ji Rong asked calmly, “Whom are you marrying?”

The person looked at him. Ji Rong saw his own face reflected in the person’s pupils.

“To my beloved, of course,” the person said softly.

Ji Rong understood.

The person could only repeat that one sentence. This was a dream.

“Your beloved is”

“The auspicious hour has arrived!”

Before Ji Rong could finish his question, a loud voice approached rapidly from outside. The sound of the suona shook the heavens and the earth, and he frowned deeply.

The doors to the hall were flung open, and countless figures rushed in. Ji Rong was pushed aside. He looked up to see a crowd of faceless people surrounding the person from the mirror, whose face was now hidden by a bright red bridal veil.

What a bizarre dream.

Ji Rong followed the crowd outside. The exterior was modeled after his own Chancellor’s Manor. Everywhere he looked, the eaves and doors were draped in red silk. Even the flowers and trees had not been spared.

The overwhelming red made his head swim. Further inside, the crowd outside the main hall was beyond count. Their only common feature was that they all lacked faces. Yet, voices emerged from nowhere, and the noisy, bustling sounds of congratulations never ceased.

The crowd was so thick that Ji Rong could not see what was happening inside.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

Ji Rong struggled to move inward through every narrow gap he could find.

“Second bow to the Parents!”

Ji Rong finally managed to squeeze to the very front. He saw the person from the mirror and the groom, who stood with his back to him.

“Husband and wife, bow to each other!”

As the master of ceremonies finished his call, someone pushed Ji Rong hard from behind. He stumbled, and for a moment, the world spun.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that he was the one wearing the fiery red wedding dress. The veil blocked his view of the person opposite him, and he felt a heavy weight on his head. He was kneeling before the high hall, stunned for a moment.

“Husband and wife, bow to each other!”

What on earth?!

Before Ji Rong could resist, invisible hands pressed down on his head, forcing him to bow.

Is it not the other pair?!

Even if this is a dream, can it not be so sudden?!

“The ceremony is complete! Send them to the bridal chamber!”

Ji Rong: “?”

He could not speak; he could not even open his mouth.

He had no control over his limbs and could only walk forward stiffly.

The red veil blocked all his vision. He could see nothing but red.

His hand was held by a larger palm. The warm touch, for some reason, made him feel very secure.

But it was truly eerie.

He was completely unable to control his body and could only be manipulated into walking toward an unknown destination.

Wait, is this not my own dream?

Why can I not even lead my own dream?

Ji Rong felt numb and simply went with the flow, waiting to see where this would end.

He sat down mechanically on the edge of the bed. The veil was slowly lifted.

He saw the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered with gold thread on the red robe opposite him. The red clothing accentuated the person’s broad shoulders and narrow waist. A throat moved slightly, and further up.

Ji Rong: “?”

Why was it Qi Zhaoxuan’s face?!

Familiar eyes looked down at him. The heavy phoenix crown made it impossible for Ji Rong to ignore the reality.

The crowd that had moved away rushed back again. The doors to the bedchamber were slammed open, and Ji Rong turned his head at the sound.

At the front was the person who had been pinning hairpins in the mirror. Behind them followed countless faceless people. Their voices were loud and chaotic, but without exception, they were all saying the same thing:

“Do you not like him?” The faceless people pressed in around Ji Rong. Their blank faces made his skin crawl. “Do you not like him?! What are you afraid of?!”

Nonsense!

Ji Rong was about to lose his temper.

How could I possibly like Qi Zhaoxuan!

“But I have not even asked you who ‘he’ is”

“My beloved” The person from the mirror suddenly leaned in. That identical face filled Ji Rong’s vision. The person grabbed his arm. “Did you not just want to ask who my beloved is?”

“I will tell you. My beloved is Qi Zhaoxuan.”

“Did you hear that? My beloved is Qi Zhaoxuan!”

“Do you not like him?”

Utter nonsense!

Ji Rong was going mad.

When will this terrible dream finally end?!

“Do you not like him?” The voices of the crowd were no longer chaotic; they rose together in a loud chant. “Do you not like him?”

The person with his face whispered, “My beloved is Qi Zhaoxuan”

Damn it!

Ji Rong sat up abruptly and opened his eyes.

He was awake.

Ji Rong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The dream had left him exhausted. He was covered in sweat and felt extremely uncomfortable.

He said tiredly, “Someone, prepare a bath.”

Ji Rong sank into the water. The warmth enveloped his body. He let out a breath and rubbed his brow with his fingertips.

It is all Fan Qing’s fault. That man’s constant babbling is to blame. If Fan Qing had not been talking nonsense yesterday, how could I have had such a dream?

After soaking for a while, Ji Rong finally calmed down completely and recovered from the lingering effects of the dream.

He exhaled a breath of turbid air and stirred the surface of the water.

Now that he was calm, he could finally think rationally. The first image that surfaced in his mind was actually Qi Zhaoxuan dressed in red.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Ji Rong struck the surface of the water.

What am I thinking.

Though it is said that what you think about by night, you dream of by night, it should not be a dream like that!

A person who looks exactly like him marrying Qi Zhaoxuan, only for it to mysteriously turn into him at the end?!

Ji Rong dressed himself in a daze and walked out into the courtyard, still in a daze.

He desperately needed the sun to wash away the bad luck on his body.

He had slept for a long time, and it was almost time for the midday meal.

The summer sun was a bit hot. Ji Rong did not stay in the courtyard for long before moving under the eaves.

He propped his head up with his hand, staring blankly at one spot, his mind on other things.

Yesterday, he thought Qi Zhaoxuan would ask about Fan Qing, but nothing had happened. This made Ji Rong even more anxious.

He did not believe the matter would simply end there. Qi Zhaoxuan likely did not mention it yesterday because he felt the timing was not right. One day, Qi Zhaoxuan would bring it up again to settle the score.

And knowing Qi Zhaoxuan, he would probably bring it up within the next few days.

But that was a concern for later. What Ji Rong was more worried about now was the upcoming midday meal.

He was not prepared to face Qi Zhaoxuan.

Qi Zhaoxuan had been very busy lately, but no matter how busy he was, he always returned to the hall to have the midday and evening meals with him. Unless he was away from the palace, he never missed a day.

Ji Rong looked up at the sky in despair.

He really did not want to face Qi Zhaoxuan, at least not for the next few days.

The impact of that dream was simply too great.

It is all Fan Qing’s fault.

Ji Rong thought with gritted teeth.

He had truly chosen his friends poorly.

As Ji Rong’s thoughts wandered, time passed slowly. Before he knew it, he could smell a faint fragrance from elsewhere.

He frowned. Just as he was about to ask April what time it was, he heard those familiar footsteps.

Qi Zhaoxuan’s figure appeared from behind the door, exactly where Ji Rong could see him the moment he looked up.

Thus, Qi Zhaoxuan saw Ji Rong biting his lip in a daze, only to quickly turn his head away to avoid eye contact after their eyes met.

Qi Zhaoxuan raised an eyebrow, not understanding what was wrong with the man again.

Li Youde asked, “Your Majesty, shall the meal be served?”

“Yes.”

Ji Rong had a guilty conscience and little appetite. He did not want to look at Qi Zhaoxuan, so he kept his head down, taking a long time to finish even a tiny bit of food.

Ji Rong’s lifeless appearance was too obvious. Qi Zhaoxuan put down his chopsticks and asked calmly, “Is Father Chancellor in a bad mood?”

Ji Rong was startled by his words and trembled slightly. He said forcedly, “No, not at all.”

Do not ask, do not ask, do not ask.

Qi Zhaoxuan gave a short laugh and actually did not ask any further.

The midday meal finally ended with great difficulty. Ji Rong breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the eaves to wait for Qi Zhaoxuan to leave.

But he waited and waited, only to see Qi Zhaoxuan stand up and enter the hall, followed by palace servants carrying a stack of official documents.

Ji Rong: “?”

“Father Chancellor,” Qi Zhaoxuan said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I shall handle my affairs in the hall today. Is Father Chancellor happy?”

Ji Rong: “…”

Do I look happy to you?

Ji Rong slapped the book he was holding onto his face in despair. His tensed nerves finally relaxed once Qi Zhaoxuan was out of his sight.

Thanks to the dream and Fan Qing, Ji Rong was now physically and mentally exhausted.

As if being exhausted were not enough, it was already late afternoon. The evening banquet would start soon, and there was not much time left.

He could not make any excuses; he had to go and face Qi Zhaoxuan once again.

They would not even give him a moment to recover!

The short time during the midday meal was already awkward enough. How was he going to endure several hours of an evening banquet!

Not seeing Qi Zhaoxuan all afternoon had not eased his discomfort; instead, he was even more afraid to see him.

Once again, he was deeply grateful for the veiled hat.

It allowed him to perfectly avoid eye contact with Qi Zhaoxuan.

Sitting in the imperial carriage was still a bit awkward for Ji Rong. He kept leaning toward the side away from Qi Zhaoxuan, propping up his head and pretending to nap. A vast divide had practically formed between the two of them.

Qi Zhaoxuan tapped his knuckles against the square table and asked, “Did Father Chancellor share a carriage with the Young Marquis yesterday?”

Here it comes.

Ji Rong opened his eyes listlessly.

Settling the score.