The White Moonlight Turns Out to Be a Black-Hearted Lotus - Chapter 16

The current Emperor’s harem consisted of only a handful of concubines. There had been meddlesome courtiers who suggested expanding the harem, but before long, they were all dealt with by the Prime Minister, who was diligently smoothing the path for his own daughter. Consequently, many palaces within the imperial grounds stood vacant, with no one assigned to duty or cleaning.

Halfway to his destination, Pei Xu had been abducted and brought to such a desolate palace.

The two attendants who were supposed to be by his side were nowhere to be seen; it was unknown whether they had been knocked unconscious and tossed aside or silenced permanently. As for Pei Xu, he was pressed against the back of a chair with his wrists tied behind him, unable to move.

Duan Xi stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he leaned in slightly toward him. “Senior Brother Zehuai, I trust you’ve been well?”

Pei Xu turned his head to avoid the proximity, his disgust clearly displayed.

Duan Xi’s expression instantly darkened. He glared at him. “What are you acting so high and mighty for? Why don’t you care? Why do you always have that calm and indifferent look on your face?”

“Aren’t you afraid? Cry out! Scream! Why aren’t you making a sound?”

Duan Xi’s distorted face was reflected in Pei Xu’s pupils, but his eyes remained calm, like a pool of still water without a single ripple.

Failing to see what he wanted on Pei Xu’s face—neither fear nor anger—Duan Xi became infuriated by the setback. He shoved Pei Xu away and cursed him for being a hypocrite.

Someone brought a chair over from behind, and he sat down, his delicate face clouded with gloom as he stared fixedly at Pei Xu. “I hate that so-called ‘unyielding character’ of yours the most.”

Pei Xu had never expected that after years of feigning madness and playing the fool just to survive, someone would actually use the words “unyielding character” to describe him.

“Why do you hate me so much?” Pei Xu looked at him. “I don’t recall offending you during our school days.”

“The mere fact that you are alive is enough to spoil the scenery. Does one need a reason to hate an ostentatious person like you?” Duan Xi laughed briefly. “Your good days are over. To think you dared to hoodwink His Highness the Crown Prince; the moment you climbed onto a new supporter, you abandoned your old master. You ungrateful thing.”

In order to keep the Crown Prince at bay, Pei Xu used to provide information about Ji Yuanhui that was a mixture of truth and falsehood. Where he went to play polo yesterday, where the gathering was today—it was all information that seemed detailed but was actually inconsequential.

The Crown Prince held himself in high regard and was quite satisfied with Ji Yuanhui’s seemingly unenterprising, Playboy behavior. Everything had gone smoothly in the past, but now that he had suddenly realized he was being played, there was likely someone whispering in his ear.

Pei Xu looked at the four men in black standing behind Duan Xi, silently calculating and plotting in his mind. “Are those who came today all death-sworn guards of the Crown Prince’s estate?”

Duan Xi gave a contemptuous laugh. “It doesn’t take death-sworn guards to deal with a consumptive ghost like you who would crumble with a gust of wind.”

Pei Xu smiled almost imperceptibly. Those who had offended him in the past and were subsequently retaliated against one by one shared a common trait—arrogance and underestimating the enemy.

If they weren’t death-sworn guards, his chances of winning increased by another ten percent. Death-sworn guards were willing to give their lives for their master, but others were not.

Those who feared death were much easier to kill than those who did not.

Pei Xu’s smile was very light, but it was still caught by Duan Xi.

“You can barely look after yourself, yet you still have the mind to smile,” Duan Xi said coldly. “If Ji Xun is sensible and chooses the right side, then everyone will be happy, and old grudges will be wiped clean. We would all be one family, today’s events would just be a misunderstanding, and I naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for you.”

“Ah, it is already the three-quarter mark of the hour of Si (10:45 AM), and there is still no movement outside. It seems the Third Prince isn’t very keen on standing with the Crown Prince.” Duan Xi took an incense stick from the person behind him and lit it. “If this incense burns out and no one has come to deliver a message…”

“His Highness the Crown Prince said that you are to be punished, and Ji Xun is to be humiliated.” Duan Xi looked him up and down with a gaze full of satisfaction and malice. “He told me not to show any mercy, but also not to play you to death—I must leave you with one breath left to disgust Ji Xun.”

“If your Prince chooses wrongly, what kind of end will you meet… You are so smart, I don’t need to say more, do I?”

Inside Xianzheng Hall, the Crown Prince arrived late, having been delayed somewhere unknown.

Upon seeing the people in the hall, he frowned and turned to ask Ji Hao, “Where is Big Brother?”

Ji Hao replied, “The people from Big Brother’s estate said he is seriously ill, unable to even get out of bed to walk, so he couldn’t come.”

“What a stale excuse; he uses those same few lines to brush people off.” The Crown Prince sat in the main seat with an air of magnanimity. “Let him brush us off then. Big Brother usually manages the Ministry of Revenue; working for the court is exhausting, so it’s fine for him to rest more.”

Ji Hao flattered him at the right moment: “Second Brother is wise.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand and spoke a series of high-sounding platitudes, then looked at Ji Run, who was sitting there with little presence. “Fifth Brother is still young and has not yet taken an official post. There is no need for you to hear what comes next; you may leave first.”

Having come for nothing, Ji Run didn’t dare complain. He bowed timidly, accepted the order, and left as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Only three people remained in the empty hall. The Crown Prince lowered his head, using the lid of his teacup to brush away the floating tea leaves, saying nothing.

The room was silent until Ji Yuanhui smiled. “If Imperial Brother has something to say, you might as well speak plainly.”

“Third Brother is a smart man, so I won’t beat around the bush.” The Crown Prince tapped his finger rhythmically on the table. “I heard that a branch of your mother’s family, the Zhou clan, has been in business for generations and possesses wealth enough to rival a nation. Is this true?”

“They merely travel about doing small business to maintain the family’s livelihood.” Ji Yuanhui’s smile remained unchanged, though he roughly knew what the Crown Prince was planning. “Rumors about ‘rivaling a nation’ are likely exaggerations from unknown sources. I hope Second Brother will see the truth clearly.”

“Is that so? Small business? I heard it was more than that.” The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes. “Silks from Shu, pearls from the South Sea, even horses from the Northern tribes… are these all small businesses?”

Ji Yuanhui laughed, leaning back into his chair and spreading his hands. “Second Brother also knows that my mother passed away early, and I was later sent by Imperial Father to stay in Longxi for six years. I didn’t grow up by Consort Zhou’s side, so I truly know very little about the Zhou clan.”

He shook his head and sighed. “Whether those businesses are in profit or loss, whether they are expensive or cheap—I truly do not know.”

“If you don’t know, surely the Zhou clan themselves must know.” Seeing the situation, Ji Hao, who clearly had no intention of letting him go, added, “Go and tell them that there is an opportunity here to serve the court. They only need to offer a bit of ‘sincerity’ to gain the protection of the Crown Prince’s estate.”

The corners of Ji Yuanhui’s lips curled into a mocking arc. “How many taels of gold would be worthy of this ‘sincerity’?”

Ji Hao stated a figure.

“Heh.” Ji Yuanhui’s expression turned cold. “Fourth Brother truly thinks too highly of me. Even if I put my entire Prince’s estate up for sale, it wouldn’t be worth that price.”

Suddenly, a young eunuch entered with his head bowed, carrying a lacquer tray. He placed a new cup of tea and an incense burner in front of Ji Yuanhui. An incense stick was stuck in the burner; the eunuch lit it and quickly walked out.

Ji Yuanhui looked at the wisp of blue smoke rising before him, his expression turning grim. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I do not like to force people; this is to give Third Brother time to consider,” the Crown Prince said. “One stick of incense. No rush, Third Brother can think slowly.”

He took a sip of tea and tilted his chin toward Ji Yuanhui. “This tea is Pre-Rain Longjing from this spring’s harvest. It is the same as the one in my cup.”

“If Third Brother has sincerity, then drink it all.” The Crown Prince smiled at him. “From then on, we will be birds under the same roof. Whatever I have, you shall have as well.”

Ji Yuanhui knew full well this was just a test, an opening. Today, they wanted the Zhou clan’s money; if he yielded, tomorrow, these people would dare to dream of the Longxi Zhang family’s border army.

He sneered. “And what if I simply do not like to drink tea?”

“Then that would be difficult.” The Crown Prince looked at the half-burnt incense and said abruptly, “I heard that Third Brother and your husband are very harmonious and have deep feelings for each other.”

Ji Yuanhui’s eyes snapped up. “What do you mean?”

“The younger brother is being unruly, so the elder brother is merely administering a small lesson.” The Crown Prince gave an ambiguous smile. “You haven’t seen the situation clearly yet. Once you’ve thought it through, I will ask you one more time. If you are still this stubborn next time, it won’t be such a simple lesson. There is no good end to opposing the Crown Prince’s estate, so why bother… Ugh!”

Before the Crown Prince could finish, a punch slammed into his face. He looked as though he had never imagined Ji Yuanhui would dare to hit him. His face was filled with shock and disbelief as he covered his rapidly swelling cheek, eyes wide. “You dare…”

Again, he couldn’t finish his sentence. Ji Yuanhui swung another punch into his eye socket, and the unprepared Crown Prince stumbled back a few steps before being knocked to the ground. Ji Yuanhui pinned him down with his knee, grabbed him by the collar, and landed another solid punch on his face. The Crown Prince’s head snapped to the side as he spat out a tooth mixed with bloody foam.

Because they were to discuss important matters, the patrolling guards at the palace doors had been ordered by the Crown Prince to stay far away. For a moment, the commotion inside couldn’t be heard.

They had never thought Ji Yuanhui would dare to fall out with them on the spot, let alone that he would directly resort to physical violence.

Ji Hao stared blankly for a moment. Once he snapped out of it, he became furious and rushed forward to pull Ji Yuanhui away. But having been pampered in the capital all his life, how could he compare to Ji Yuanhui, who had practiced martial arts with the border army? In a few moves, he was slammed to the ground by Ji Yuanhui.

“What’s the rush? Hitting you is just a side task.” Ji Yuanhui shook his fist and landed two more solid punches, specifically targeting the face. “You actually dared to come close? Did you think you could escape?”

Ji Hao lay on the ground, tears and nosebleed flowing, his lips split. He had no power to fight back for the moment. Ji Yuanhui swept his leg out, tripping the Crown Prince, who was trying to scramble toward the door. “Where is Second Brother going?”

The Crown Prince’s tone was urgent. In all his years of luxury, this was the first time he had been beaten. “You knocked my tooth out! You lunatic! These are all evidence…”

Ji Yuanhui grabbed him by his clothes and pulled him close, landing another punch on the other intact eye socket. His voice was ruthless. “I was just feeling around for a handy weapon, only to remember I was disarmed before entering the palace. Luckily, I didn’t bring one, what you’d be worried about wouldn’t be whether your face is purple, but whether your head is still on your shoulders.”

He spoke so grimly that the Crown Prince even forgot the pain. Intimidated by the aura, the Prince shook his head repeatedly. “No, you wouldn’t dare…”

“I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill this idiot next to you. Old Five hasn’t gone far; while the blade is still hot, I’ll slaughter him too.” Ji Yuanhui smiled. “Big Brother looks like he won’t live long. If you’re all dead, do you think Imperial Father will have any other choice?”

The Crown Prince had been beaten senseless, and coupled with this threat, his mind could no longer function. He only murmured repeatedly, “Lunatic… you lunatic…”

Ji Yuanhui grabbed him by the collar and asked, “Where is Pei Xu?”

The Crown Prince swallowed hard, looking at him with terror, seemingly afraid he would be killed as soon as he spoke.

Ji Yuanhui raised his fist as if to continue the beating. The Crown Prince raised his arms to protect his face and cried out miserably, “In Cuiwei Palace! Cuiwei Palace! In the northwest corner of the palace city, Cuiwei Palace!

Ji Yuanhui shoved him away with a harsh kick, then dragged Old Fourth up like a dead dog. “Just to be safe, Fourth Brother can accompany me on a trip. If I get there and don’t see the person, I can’t guarantee he’ll come back in one piece.”

The Fourth Prince was terrified. “Brother! Second Brother, save me…”

The Crown Prince was so angry he could barely breathe. “The place I told you is real! Let go of Old Fourth!”

“Why should I listen to you?” Ji Yuanhui tore the Crown Prince’s clothes and used the strips to bind his hands and feet. Ignoring the other’s resentful gaze, he dragged Old Fourth away and strode off.