After the Corrupt Official Was Coveted by the New Emperor - Chapter 5

The candlelight flickered gently, causing shadows to dance across the bed curtains.

Is he mad?

Has Qi Zhaoxuan been suppressed for so long that he has reached a point where he can go into heat regardless of who is beside him, as long as they are human?

Ji Rong was speechless and choked with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. However, the sensation against his thigh was impossible to ignore. He could only say resentfully, “Can you let go of me first?”

Qi Zhaoxuan shot him a cold glance. With a flick of his palm, a gust of wind struck the lamp; the candle went out, and the surroundings instantly plunged into darkness.

Yet, Qi Zhaoxuan continued to bind his hands and feet, and that unmistakable presence showed no sign of receding.

Ji Rong stared wide-eyed at the bed curtains above him. Although he could see nothing, he did not look away. Even though the person beside him maintained a steady breathing rhythm, Ji Rong could tell he was not asleep.

Every single day was turning out to be a mess.

Ji Rong originally thought sleep would elude him tonight. However, wrapped in the scent of the incense, he unknowingly lowered his guard. Drowsiness washed over him, his eyelids slowly closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

It was a night without dreams.

When Ji Rong opened his eyes the next day, Qi Zhaoxuan was already gone. He stretched lazily, but halfway through a yawn, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He looked down and saw that the heavy, gilded chain on his right ankle had disappeared. Only his pale ankle remained exposed, marked by a slight red indentation where the shackle had gripped him.

The sun had already risen, hanging slanted in the sky.

The only clothes the Qianqing Palace had prepared for him were pale green female dresses and various veiled hats. After all these days, Ji Rong had peacefully accepted this feminine attire. He had been locked to the dragon bed for several days, bored to death with nothing to do. Now that the chain on his leg was finally removed, he was determined to go out for a stroll.

“My Lord,” Siyue presented a tray. “His Majesty left instructions before he departed; he wants you to finish your breakfast.”

Ji Rong looked up. On the tray sat a bowl of porridge and three small side dishes. Steam rose from the bowl, and the sweet aroma of the porridge stirred his hunger.

By the time he finished breakfast, it was only the hour of Si. During this period, Ji Rong had been locked on the bed by Qi Zhaoxuan, unable to go anywhere. On the surface, he did not dare show his displeasure, but in his heart, he had cursed Qi Zhaoxuan hundreds of times. He estimated that Qi Zhaoxuan would have just finished the morning court session and would be handling business in the Imperial Study. His eyes darted around as a wicked idea quickly formed in his mind.

So, you find it hard to sleep alone? You want a consort, do you?

Ji Rong let out a cold laugh. “I want to go to the Imperial Study.”

Siyue recalled Qi Zhaoxuan’s instructions before he left. His Majesty truly was like a god who could predict the future. She bowed her head and said, “Understood.”

It was not far from Qianqing Palace to the Imperial Study. However, the palace servants followed their orders strictly, watching Ji Rong put on his veiled hat before following him.

The journey was incredibly smooth. The guards outside the Imperial Study did not block him, nor did they announce his arrival; they simply opened the doors and let Ji Rong inside.

The fact that entry was so easy actually made Ji Rong suspicious. However, the faint sound of continuous conversation drifted into his ears. Thinking about what he was about to do, Ji Rong curled his lips into a smile. The more people there were, the better; it would give him more room to perform.

Through the semi-transparent veil, he caught a glimpse of several officials he recognized. Qi Zhaoxuan sat prominently in the high seat. Hearing the movement, the Emperor looked up, his cold gaze rippling the moment he saw Ji Rong.

Several officials noticed the change in Qi Zhaoxuan’s gaze and followed his line of sight. They saw a woman dressed in a light blue traditional dress and a plain white veiled hat walking slowly toward them. As she passed, the breeze she stirred carried a faint, delicate fragrance.

The officials frowned in thought. The scent felt strangely familiar, yet for a moment, they could not remember why. The political matters they were discussing became stuck in their throats; no one spoke. By common consent, they all lowered their heads, only daring to use their peripheral vision to watch the woman approach the Emperor.

They then watched as the woman weakly sank into the Emperor’s embrace, followed by a sweet, delicate cry of “Your Majesty.”

Qi Zhaoxuan gave a light chuckle.

Now, the officials did not even dare to look with their peripheral vision; they kept their heads buried low.

Ji Rong’s gaze swept carelessly over the crowd below. He cleared his throat. Who would have thought that one day he would actually use the voice-changing skills he had learned out of boredom? Hearing Qi Zhaoxuan’s laughter, Ji Rong reached out and pushed the Emperor’s shoulder in dissatisfaction.

What are you laughing at? What is so funny?

Qi Zhaoxuan captured Ji Rong’s hand, pulling his fingers to his lips to leave a lingering kiss. Qi Zhaoxuan knew Ji Rong’s temperament would not stay settled for long and that he would eventually cause trouble. He just did not expect that after only an hour, the man would come straight here to make a scene.

But this was perfect.

“What has the Noble Consort come for?” Qi Zhaoxuan wrapped his arm around Ji Rong’s waist, his tone filled with amusement.

Ji Rong’s body stiffened upon hearing those words.

What on earth? Noble Consort?!

One of the officials slapped his own forehead. He remembered why the scent was familiar. Was that not the incense the Emperor used? The rumors about a master in the palace were not groundless after all! The Emperor had actually made someone a Noble Consort in secret! He wondered which noble family’s daughter had competed for and won His Majesty’s favor.

The officials began calculating in their hearts. They kept their heads down, exchanging looks with their colleagues; clearly, they were all deeply shocked by this revelation. After the initial shock, they reacted quickly, bowing in unison. “Greetings to Her Ladyship, the Noble Consort.”

Ji Rong: “…”

Ji Rong stared at Qi Zhaoxuan in disbelief, unable to understand how things had taken this turn. Had he not come to the Imperial Study to ruin Qi Zhaoxuan’s reputation? How did he suddenly become Qi Zhaoxuan’s Noble Consort without his knowledge?

He glared at Qi Zhaoxuan and saw the malicious, playful smile flickering in the Emperor’s eyes. He gnashed his teeth and violently retracted his hand, trying to break free from the embrace, but failed. Finally, Qi Zhaoxuan loosened his arm, allowing Ji Rong to escape.

He turned to leave. Behind him, Qi Zhaoxuan said slowly with a smile, “It rained last night; Noble Consort, be careful of the slippery path.”

Ji Rong rolled his eyes beneath the veil.

After leaving the Imperial Study, Ji Rong returned to Qianqing Palace. His intention today had been to make Qi Zhaoxuan uncomfortable, so he curled up on a lounge chair in the courtyard to think of a new plan. It was not very hot today, and ice was placed nearby. The breeze brought a cool chill to him, while the sun shone warmly on his body. Ji Rong propped his head on one hand and unknowingly fell asleep again.

Ji Rong was awakened by the aroma of food. The first thing he saw was Qi Zhaoxuan sitting across from him, dressed in black casual clothes embroidered with dark gold dragons, using chopsticks to eat.

He looked down and saw that a dining table had been moved into the courtyard at some point. It was set with ten hot dishes and several pastries. According to the rules, the lunch of a sovereign should be far more than this, but Qi Zhaoxuan was frugal. Since his ascension, he had led by example in reducing the complexity of meals.

His stomach growled a few times. Ji Rong licked his lips; he was indeed hungry. A thin blanket had been placed over him at some point. He tossed it aside and prepared to stand up to go to the table, but he felt a weight on his leg, followed by the crisp sound of chains clashing.

Ji Rong: “?”

He looked down. Only a few hours later, that familiar gilded chain had reappeared on his right ankle. This time, the chain was shorter, locking him directly to the lounge chair so that he could go nowhere.

Qi Zhaoxuan noticed him waking up and looked over.

Ji Rong was so angry he wanted to laugh. He pointed at the chain, his voice maintaining a forced calm. “What is the meaning of this?”

Is he sick?

Qi Zhaoxuan’s pale complexion looked even more sinister under the sun, appearing like a malevolent ghost from the underworld who had not seen light for years. When he raised his eyelids to look, his deep pupils were locked solely onto Ji Rong.

The ghost curled his lips into a smile. He set down his chopsticks, stood up, and sat beside Ji Rong. He raised his hand, and a waiting servant immediately presented a bowl. Qi Zhaoxuan took the bowl and chopsticks unhurriedly. He picked up a meatball with the jade chopsticks and offered it with a smile, saying softly, “I will feed Imperial Father.”

The fierce sun hung in the sky, and the lush shade of the trees blocked some of the scorching light. The shadows of the leaves swayed on the ground with the wind. Ji Rong stared at Qi Zhaoxuan without blinking. Despite the hot sun, a chill rose from his back for no reason.

Qi Zhaoxuan truly was a madman. The cold shackles pressed against the skin of his ankle, silently announcing their presence.

Ji Rong raised his hand and swiped away Qi Zhaoxuan’s hand with a sharp sound. The surrounding servants held their breath, fearing the Emperor’s anger; none dared to make a sound. Only Ji Rong looked coldly at Qi Zhaoxuan.

Qi Zhaoxuan chuckled. He put down the bowl without care and said calmly, “It seems Imperial Father does not like this meatball.”

“Qi Zhaoxuan,” Ji Rong interrupted, “is this fun?”

“What is?”

Qi Zhaoxuan seemed not to understand. He lowered his head, one cheek exposed to the sunlight while the other remained hidden in darkness. After a long time, Qi Zhaoxuan let out a short laugh, a breath of air escaping his lips.

“Imperial Father.”

He seemed to truly sense that Ji Rong was angry. He leaned in intimately, their noses touching. One of his hands gripped Ji Rong’s right ankle. With a slight movement of his fingers, the lock popped open. The gilded chain hit the ground with a heavy thud.

“Do not be angry, Imperial Father.”

Ji Rong did not bother to respond. He did not want to take his anger out on his own body, so he treated the person beside him as if he were invisible and began to eat. Although he was hungry, he did not have much of an appetite. After eating for only a short while, he set down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth with a silk handkerchief.

Qi Zhaoxuan had been watching him closely. Seeing this, he said, “Now that Imperial Father has finished his meal, shall we depart?”

“Depart?” Ji Rong looked up.

Qi Zhaoxuan saw his confusion and explained, “We are going down to Jiangnan.”

Ji Rong was only told about the trip to Jiangnan right before they left. After the meal, he was somewhat drowsy; it was only after being tucked into the carriage and traveling for a considerable distance that he finally reacted.

The carriage slowly stopped. On the official road, the shade of the trees blocked the sky, and a stream flowed slowly nearby. The envoy stopped to reorganize and rest. Qi Zhaoxuan did not restrict Ji Rong’s physical freedom. Ji Rong jumped off the carriage and stretched lazily.

He walked to the stream and found a clean stone to sit on, dipping his fingers into the water. A cool sensation followed. Suddenly, footsteps came from behind. The Emperor’s entourage was massive, and since he was wearing a veiled hat, he did not care who was behind him, continuing to play with the stream water.

The footsteps stopped only a few paces away. Ji Rong turned his head casually to look.

Fan Qing stood before him with a look of conflict on his face. He opened his mouth but hesitated. It took a long time before he could squeeze out a complete sentence.

“That, are you, the Noble Consort recently titled by His Majesty?”

Fan Qing hesitated for a long while, only to strike exactly the one topic Ji Rong least wanted to hear.

Ji Rong: “…”

How is this kid so blunt? He really knows how to bring up the most awkward subject.