The White Moonlight Turns Out to Be a Black-Hearted Lotus - Chapter 30

The matter concluded with the majority of the Crown Prince’s faction being purged.

Following the list of participants from the sutra-lecturing assembly provided by the fake monk, both big fish and small fry were netted together. Those who had purchased exam questions were either stripped of their official positions or had their properties confiscated, depending on the severity of the offense. The primary culprits involved in leaking the exam questions were beheaded at the marketplace, their family assets were seized by the state, their immediate kin were imprisoned, and their descendants were permanently barred from official service.

The so-called “primary culprit” was none other than the Crown Prince’s confidant—the Vice Examiner of this imperial examination and Minister of Works, Li Rui.

At the Emperor’s request, on the day Li Rui was to be beheaded, all officials above the third rank and all the imperial princes were invited to Mingfeng Tower, the closest vantage point to the execution grounds at Caishikou, to witness the execution.

Anyone could see that he was taking the fall for the Crown Prince, but those present kept their eyes on their noses and their noses towards their mouths; no one dared to make a sound.

The heir to the throne was a matter of imperial dignity. He could be deposed, but it could not be for a reason like this.

At least on the surface, the Crown Prince chosen by the Emperor could not be a maggot gnawing at the foundations of the court.

The Crown Prince had tried to excuse himself, claiming physical indisposition, but he was “invited” by the Emperor’s personal guards nonetheless.

This time, the claim of illness might have been true; the Crown Prince’s face remained deathly pale as he was forced to watch the entire process. When the execution ended and the crowd dispersed, only for the Emperor to leave him behind, his terror reached its peak.

“Father…” He knelt at Ji Jun’s feet, tears and snot streaming down his face. “Father, your son knows his mistake. I was possessed by a moment of madness and acted absurdly. I swear there will never be a next time… Please give me one more chance, just one last time…”

“Have the chances given to you been few?” Ji Jun’s face remained expressionless as he looked down at him flatly. “If you dare to sell official positions now, if I were to hand the Imperial Seal to you in the future, would you go so far as to sell the country?”

“Your son wouldn’t dare! Father, Father, you cannot depose me…” The Crown Prince knelt there, so desperate that he began to speak recklessly. “I—my maternal grandfather supported Father’s ascension back then. The Wang clan has the merit of following the dragon…”

Ji Jun’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you implying that without the Wang family, I would not be the Emperor?”

He found himself unable to even feel anger. Every time he thought the Crown Prince had reached the limit of stupidity, the boy managed to do something even stupider.

Terrified by the tone, the Crown Prince prostrated himself. “Your son wouldn’t dare, I misspoke…”

“Since your grandfather is so capable, let him come and speak with me himself.” Ji Jun looked at the Crown Prince, who was hunched on the ground like a quail, unable to even straighten his back. He didn’t even have the heart to scold him. “Go back.”

Among those dealt with were many high-ranking officials and nobles, yet the Emperor did not take the initiative to move against the Prime Minister.

On the day of the early court session, the Prime Minister had been absent simply because no one had been sent to inform him of the Emperor’s sudden return. The Prime Minister remained the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister’s Estate remained as it was; it was not raided or placed under house arrest like the other involved officials.

When the Emperor was still the Crown Prince, that man had, after all, been his teacher. If he were to personally decree the dismissal and seizure of the Prime Minister’s home, it would look unseemly.

Furthermore, it would be boring.

He wanted to wait for that old man, who had held onto power tightly for a lifetime, to hand it over with his own hands. That was where the fun lay.

After witnessing the execution, Ji Yuanhui still had to return to the Ministry of Rites.

In just half a month, the situation had completely reversed.

In hindsight, Ji Yuanhui realized that the Crown Prince seemed to have been played by his own father.

The Emperor had stripped Ji Yuanhui of his office just as he left the capital. Once Ji Yuanhui was gone from the Ministry of Rites, the Crown Prince had seized the opportunity to replace all the crucial positions with his own people. Now, it was convenient—they were all wiped out in one fell swoop.

In this matter, the Emperor seemed to have intentionally helped him.

Originally, matters concerning the imperial examinations fell within his scope of duty. Had he still been at the Ministry of Rites during that period, he wouldn’t have escaped punishment for dereliction of duty and oversight even if he could prove his innocence.

But it just so happened that during that time, he had been stripped of his office and confined to his home for reflection. Upon his return, he was only tasked with matters regarding the hostages. In this way, his involvement was washed completely clean.

Ji Yuanhui suddenly remembered something and changed direction toward a certain palace.

Returning to the Ministry of Rites could wait; there were still some ceremonial details he needed to discuss with that hostage prince.

However, just as he reached the door and before he could knock, he faintly heard voices from within.

The voice sounded like a young girl…

Wait, that’s not right!

Ji Yuanhui slammed the door open—or tried to; it was bolted from the inside. The door rattled under his push. Just as he stepped back, intending to kick it down, the door was opened from within.

“Third Highness…” Jing Feng opened the door, looking at him with a guilty conscience. “What brings Your Highness here in such a hurry?”

Ji Yuanhui scowled, his brow furrowed as his gaze swept up and down. Seeing that Jing Feng’s clothes were neat and not hurriedly put on, his expression softened slightly, but it remained grim as he pushed past him and barged inside.

“Third Highness, Third Highness…” Jing Feng followed behind him. “What is the meaning of this?”

After entering, Ji Yuanhui’s eyes searched the room, quickly locking onto a wardrobe not far away.

He reached out and grabbed the handle, pulling it, but it didn’t budge.

Jing Feng said anxiously from the side, “Third Highness, inside are my personal effects. For you to do this, is it not…”

Before he could finish, there was a loud clack as the wardrobe was forced open by Ji Yuanhui’s sheer strength.

The young girl hiding inside had her eyes squeezed shut, her face practically screaming, “I’m doomed.” After a moment of silence, she was forced to peek through a slit in her eyelids, squeezing out a flattering smile. “Brother… Brother, what a coincidence. You came to look at clothes too?”

“Ji Lingyi, if you can’t speak, then shut up.” Ji Yuanhui gave a cold laugh and pointed at her while looking at Jing Feng. “Are these the ‘personal effects’ you were talking about?”

“This…”

“What are you still standing there for? Do you think it’s appropriate for an unmarried daughter of another family to be alone in a room with a man?” Ji Yuanhui laughed from pure anger. “I am her biological brother. Do I have to beat you before you leave? Get out!”

Jing Feng left, looking back with every step. His foolish appearance made Ji Yuanhui’s knuckles itch.

“You, get out of here.” Ji Yuanhui looked at the person hiding in the wardrobe. “You are a Princess. What is this, crawling into a foreign man’s wardrobe?”

Ji Lingyi emerged from the wardrobe, patting her disheveled hair, and retorted with a lack of confidence, “I was the one who forced him to be with me. If you want to scold someone, scold me.”

“You forced him? I see he’s quite willing.” Ji Yuanhui felt a sense of “hating that iron cannot become steel.” “How old are you that he’s already coaxing you to be with him? How can he be anything good? He’s full of bad intentions just to fool you. There isn’t a single good man out there.”

“How can there be no good men…” Ji Lingyi argued back. “Isn’t Fifth Brother a good man?”

Ji Yuanhui didn’t know much about his younger brother, so he simply said, “Children don’t count.”

“Then, Brother Zhou…”

Ji Yuanhui immediately said, “Fools don’t count either.”

Ji Lingyi was unwilling to give up. “Then there’s Sister-in-law…”

Ji Yuanhui pointed at himself. “Do you think I’m a good person?”

Ji Lingyi shook her head like a rattle.

“If even you think I’m not a good person, then do you think a good person would ever take an interest in me?” Ji Yuanhui briefly sacrificed Pei Xu’s reputation. “Can two different kinds of people share the same blanket?”

Ji Lingyi clenched her fists. “You’re speaking ill of Sister-in-law. I’m going to tell him.”

“Come back here.” Ji Yuanhui changed his tune. “That person has only you as a daughter. You usually get whatever you want. When it comes to something as major as marriage, would he ever wrong you? If you want to find a husband, just mention it to him. By tomorrow, every handsome young talent in the capital will be washed clean and sent for you to choose from.”

Ji Lingyi pouted. “Why does it have to be someone from the capital?”

“If he’s from the capital, and he treats you poorly or dares to take a concubine in the future—if the newcomer is carried in today, your brother guarantees he’ll trip and break his neck in a dark alley by tomorrow.”

Ji Yuanhui ground his molars. “If he’s a bit further away, that’s fine too. At most, he’ll break his neck a few days later. But look at who you’ve picked. If he treats you badly in the future, the news probably won’t even reach home.”

Ji Lingyi toyed with her hem. “He might not necessarily treat me badly…”

“In short, it’s a no. You two are not allowed to associate anymore.”

After sending Ji Lingyi back to Zhaoyang Palace, Ji Yuanhui doubled back to have a “friendly” exchange with Jing Feng. “You have no relationship whatsoever with my sister. If you dare to speak nonsense, watch your tongue.”

Jing Feng said in terror, “This concerns the Princess’s reputation. I naturally would not…”

The more Ji Yuanhui looked at him, the more annoyed he became. He finished verifying the ceremonial details and left without staying a moment longer.

He only finished his duties and returned home late. When he arrived, Pei Xu had already changed into casual robes and was sitting by the study window writing.

Ji Yuanhui walked over and hugged him from behind, resting his face in the crook of Pei Xu’s shoulder with a sigh.

Pei Xu’s brush didn’t stop. “Just a little bit more, I’ll be finished soon.”

So busy…

With a hint of resentment, Ji Yuanhui lightly bit Pei Xu’s earlobe.

Sensing Ji Yuanhui’s mood, Pei Xu paused. He turned his head to brush his lips against Ji Yuanhui’s, giving his lower lip a very light nip. “It’ll be ready in a moment. Wait for me, Highness.”

After the kiss, Pei Xu turned back to continue his work. Ji Yuanhui’s chin remained on his shoulder, dazed for a moment. Then, he raised his hand to touch his own lower lip, finding that the corners of his mouth had curled upward.

So fragrant…

His husband’s lips were so soft, and the man smelled so good.

Ji Yuanhui hugged his waist, closed his eyes, and buried his face in Pei Xu’s neck. He was comforted without even needing to be coaxed.

A moment later, Pei Xu set the brush on the rest and let out a breath. He reached back to touch Ji Yuanhui’s face, his voice gentle and carrying a hint of concern. “What happened?”

“I was nearly worried to death by that little girl, Ji Lingyi.”

Ji Yuanhui gave Pei Xu a general summary of the situation. After listening, Pei Xu only smiled. “It doesn’t matter. Isn’t that hostage about to leave? If it’s just a passing whim, they’ll gradually forget once they are separated by distance.”

“It would be fine if it were just a passing whim. What I fear is that they’ve caught real feelings. What if that boy sends an envoy to request marriage in the future…” Ji Yuanhui’s brow furrowed. “A bitter, cold place like that—going there would be nothing but suffering.”

“For a royal family, life shouldn’t be too bad,” Pei Xu said. “The most important thing is still to examine his character…”

Ji Yuanhui was still dissatisfied. “Ji Lingyi is only fifteen or sixteen. He won’t even let someone that young go; what kind of character can he have?”

Pei Xu blinked and tugged at the end of Ji Yuanhui’s hair. “Has Your Highness forgotten? When I first stayed with you, I was also only fifteen or sixteen.”

“Ow, ow, ow, gently.” Ji Yuanhui laughed and tried to kiss him. “I misspoke. Husband, let go. It won’t look good if my hair is pulled out.”

Perhaps because everything had been going smoothly lately, the emotions Pei Xu used to keep on the edge of collapse had stabilized significantly. The instances of him saying the opposite of what he felt were becoming fewer and fewer.

Pei Xu leaned in closer, unsatisfied as he continued to press, “Did you really forget?”

“How could I forget?” Ji Yuanhui pulled Pei Xu’s stool toward himself, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him onto his lap. “You had just turned sixteen. You were so well-behaved. Your face would turn red for half a day if I just kissed you. My hand would be right next to yours, but you only dared to stare at it. You’d look for ages and still not dare to take it.”

Pei Xu tilted his head slightly, looking down to catch Ji Yuanhui’s hand. Their fingers slotted together in a ten-finger lock. He looked at it for a while as if satisfied, then raised his head, his lips pressing against Ji Yuanhui’s. He whispered in a blurred voice, “I dare to now.”

Ji Yuanhui smiled but didn’t move, waiting for his next action.

Pei Xu gazed into his eyes for a while. Seeing that Ji Yuanhui had no intention of taking the lead, Pei Xu became the active one, licking open his lips and slowly swirling his tongue against Ji Yuanhui’s in a kiss.

Ji Yuanhui quietly enjoyed a kiss entirely led by Pei Xu. As Pei Xu pulled back to catch his breath, Ji Yuanhui gently brushed away the hair falling by his face. “This is much better.”

His finger traced Pei Xu’s throat, pressing and rubbing gently. “Why were you unwilling to speak to me before… What was blocking your throat? Was it the people and events of the past?”

“And now? Do they still feel like a lump in your throat?”

“When I kiss you, do I manage to swallow some of them away?”