After the Corrupt Official Was Coveted by the New Emperor - Chapter 13

The next day, when Ji Rong woke up, the space beside him was already empty. Only a lingering warmth confirmed that someone had recently slept there.

The sun hung high in the sky. As Ji Rong stepped out of the bedchamber, he saw Fan Qing sitting leisurely in the courtyard, cracking melon seeds.

“Why are you here?”

He truly did not want to see Qi Zhaoxuan, nor did he want to see Fan Qing. The former made him restless, while the latter was the culprit behind that restlessness.

“You are awake!” Fan Qing stood up and hurried over. “I originally planned to wait for you by the wall outside, but Eunuch Li invited me in. I figured since he asked, I might as well come in.”

Has he truly changed his nature? Ji Rong wondered. Was Qi Zhaoxuan not the one who could not stand seeing Fan Qing talk to him? He could not figure it out and was too lazy to try.

He asked, “What are you here for?”

Fan Qing winked and nudged him. “I heard about an elegant tea house in a bamboo forest. You will definitely like it. Want to go?”

Looking at Fan Qing’s expression, Ji Rong knew it was not that simple. He was curious, but only slightly. Lately, whenever he ran into Fan Qing, trouble followed. God only knew what kind of monsters would pop up on this trip.

Fan Qing did not give him a chance to refuse, dragging him out while saying, “Let us go, let us go.”

The temporary palace was far from the bamboo forest tea house. Ji Rong fell asleep in the carriage again and was eventually woken up by a blurry-eyed Fan Qing.

“You just woke up and you are sleeping again. How do you have so much sleep in you?” Fan Qing muttered.

Ji Rong yawned and gazed outside. The place was indeed tranquil, with green bamboo surrounding the hut. Verdant leaves occasionally drifted down, the sound of the stream gurgled, birds chirped softly, and the scent of tea wafted out, mixing with the fresh, moist smell of the woods.

After being dragged into a seat, Ji Rong propped up his head with his hand, his eyelids drooping. “Can you tell me now? What are you really up to?”

Fan Qing looked around surreptitiously. This pavilion had no walls and was surrounded by bamboo forest, making it impossible for anyone to hide. The guards following Ji Rong were also standing far off in the distance.

Fan Qing lowered his voice and asked, “Do you want to run away?”

Ji Rong looked up at him. “How did you know?”

“Ji Rong, asking that is a bit heartless. I might be a bit slow, but how many years have I known you? Do you think I cannot read your mind?”

Ji Rong’s eyes curved into a smile.

Fan Qing grumbled, “Do you know how long I searched for a place like this? It is empty and open, so no one can eavesdrop.”

Ji Rong laughed and interrupted, “Fine. But I am not leaving.”

“?” Fan Qing was baffled. “You were not actually staying in the palace on purpose, were you?”

Ji Rong remained silent.

“There has to be a reason,” Fan Qing insisted.

Ji Rong recounted exactly what Qi Zhaoxuan had said to threaten him.

Fan Qing was speechless. “Do not tell me you were actually threatened by that. I do not believe you have no way to get away.”

“It is troublesome.”

“You are afraid of trouble?” Fan Qing stared at him. “Is it really just trouble? You are using that reason to lie to yourself, are you not?”

Ji Rong froze, then quickly let out a short laugh.

“You have known me for so many years,” he said, looking down at his tea and using Fan Qing’s own words against him. “So it is not like you do not know how much I hate trouble.”

“Let me say it for you,” Fan Qing said, clearly determined to get to the bottom of it today. He did not give Ji Rong a chance to dodge. “What trouble? It is just that you li-li-li-li-like…”

“?”

Ji Rong asked, “What are you doing?”

“Li-li-li… like drinking tea!” Fan Qing stuffed the teacup into Ji Rong’s hand. “This is delicious. Drink more. Drinking tea is not troublesome at all.”

Fan Qing kept his head down, blinking rapidly at Ji Rong. Sensing something, Ji Rong met his gaze and mouthed, Is someone there?

Fan Qing nodded heavily. Ji Rong raised an eyebrow.

“Imperial Father and the Young Marquis seem to be having a very pleasant conversation.”

Qi Zhaoxuan’s cold voice came from behind Ji Rong. Then, Ji Rong heard footsteps that were no longer concealed circling to the front.

Ji Rong was not wearing his veiled hat. He could only cover his face with his hands, wishing he could kill Fan Qing. He knew no good would come of meeting him.

Li Youde stepped forward to add a seat between Ji Rong and Fan Qing. After sitting down, Qi Zhaoxuan took the cup from Ji Rong’s hand, tossed it aside, and asked with a smile, “Why is Imperial Father not speaking?”

The Emperor’s gaze then turned to Fan Qing. His pupils were dark and deep, like a bottomless icy pool. The bone-chilling cold and blatant disgust finally made Fan Qing realize he was overstaying his welcome.

Just as Fan Qing thought he was doomed, Ji Rong finally spoke.

“Is the business handled?” Ji Rong asked, looking up.

With that one sentence from his friend, Fan Qing watched as the icy chill in Qi Zhaoxuan’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of tenderness.

Qi Zhaoxuan said softly, “No, but it is almost done. I returned to the temporary palace after finishing my duties, only to find Imperial Father was not there.”

Fan Qing was not sure if he was hearing things, but he thought he detected a hint of grievance in Qi Zhaoxuan’s voice.

Ji Rong said calmly, “The weather was nice today, so I came out to catch up with an old friend.”

“Is that so?” Qi Zhaoxuan took Ji Rong’s hand, making no effort to hide his intimacy. “Imperial Father should have told me. Otherwise, I would have thought you had run away.”

Fan Qing held his breath, not daring to speak.

“Imperial Father has probably caught up enough,” Qi Zhaoxuan took the veiled hat from a servant and personally placed it on Ji Rong’s head. He said softly, “It is time to return to the palace.”

Only after Qi Zhaoxuan led Ji Rong away did Fan Qing exhale. He touched his back; it was completely soaked with sweat.

“Young Marquis,” Li Youde said with a smile, “Let us go.”

Fan Qing absentmindedly boarded a carriage behind them, not noticing that Li Youde had followed him in.

“Young Marquis,” Li Youde called out. He said pointedly, “You should think carefully before speaking. Do not let reckless words lead to consequences you will deeply regret.”

It was a warning from Qi Zhaoxuan. Fan Qing understood and forced a smile as he complied.

The bamboo forest tea house was in a remote location on a high mountain. One side of the carriage road was a sheer cliff. As the carriage slowly descended the path, it suddenly braked hard.

Fan Qing lost his balance and fell forward. He hastily grabbed the wooden railing and asked blankly, “Why did we stop?”

Ji Rong lifted his veiled hat slightly and peeked out the window. He said with interest, “It seems we have tails.”

Qi Zhaoxuan reached for a hidden compartment in the carriage and drew a silver sword. The blade sliced through the air with a whistling sound.

“Imperial Father, stay in the carriage. Do not come out.”

“You did not bring your hidden guards?” Ji Rong asked.

“I did, but not many.”

Qi Zhaoxuan stepped out, and Ji Rong let the curtain fall. The clashing of swords echoed through the valley. Ji Rong was not particularly worried until he heard Fan Qing’s cursing outside.

He paused, his brow furrowing. He suddenly felt a headache coming on. Fan Qing did not know a single bit of martial arts. Given that there were not many hidden guards, Qi Zhaoxuan might not have time to protect that fool.

Ji Rong sighed. He knew meeting Fan Qing was bad luck. Two mishaps in one day, and now an assassination attempt. He did not know if he should go to a temple to pray, or if Fan Qing should.

But he could not just leave Fan Qing be. Ji Rong accepted his bitter fate.

“Hidden guard brother, help, help, help me! AHHHH!”

Ji Rong did not have time to look for another sword. He threw back the curtain and jumped down. With a light tap of his toes, he flew to Fan Qing’s side, snatching a sword from an assassin in a few swift moves.

Ji Rong’s martial arts were not top-tier. He was not exactly effortless against the assassins, but he could at least stall for a while. The sword he took was not comfortable in his hand, and Fan Qing was screaming mindlessly behind him, giving him a headache.

Ji Rong repelled an assassin with a strike and said coldly, “Can you be quiet?”

The ghostly wailing stopped abruptly. Fan Qing covered his mouth, not daring to speak again.

The number of assassins on the road decreased sharply. Bodies were scattered everywhere, and the smell of blood wafted into the air. Fan Qing cautiously poked his head out, still covering his mouth. His voice was muffled. “Is… is it over?”

Ji Rong’s ears twitched, and his furrowed brow did not relax. Qi Zhaoxuan walked to his side, gripping Ji Rong’s wrist tightly to pull him behind him for protection. His eyes held a hint of irritation as he looked toward the dense forest.

The blazing sun was obscured by clouds, and a cold wind swept through. The sky suddenly turned dark.

The sound of whistling air suddenly came from all around. Black arrows shot out from the forest, followed by a dense cloud of arrows. At the same time, dozens more assassins emerged from the woods.

Qi Zhaoxuan’s sword strikes were fierce, aiming directly for the assassins’ vitals. With a flip of his wrist, he struck down the incoming arrows in an instant. The forest continued to rain arrows, and wave after wave of assassins rushed forward.

Fan Qing had never seen such a scene. Although he was hiding behind Ji Rong, he was largely exposed. Ji Rong could not protect him fully, and Qi Zhaoxuan was not paying him any mind. He could only frantically dodge the arrows.

In his panic, Fan Qing kept backing away. The road was narrow to begin with, and the other side was a cliff. When he was a few steps from the edge, he stopped, not daring to move further.

“Prince Duan?” Ji Rong asked.

“Mhm. He must be desperate and decided to take a gamble,” Qi Zhaoxuan explained. His movements never stopped as the clashing of his blade against the arrows rang out.

“Holy crap!”

A loud cry came from behind. Ji Rong spun around to see a stray arrow flying toward Fan Qing. As Fan Qing lunged backward to avoid it, he lost his footing and fell straight toward the abyss.

Ji Rong did not have time to think. He quickly broke free from Qi Zhaoxuan’s grip and, without hesitation, lunged forward to grab Fan Qing’s arm.

Fan Qing kicked out in terror, which instead pulled Ji Rong out a short distance. A few pebbles tumbled into the deep valley.

Damn it, Fan Qing!

Ji Rong shouted, “Do not move!”

In the struggle, the veiled hat on his head was knocked off, revealing Ji Rong’s face. The assassins saw his face, and for a moment, everyone was struck with shock.

“Ji… Rong?!”