The White Moonlight Turns Out to Be a Black-Hearted Lotus - Chapter 4

Ji Yuanhui rose early for the morning court session, but after waiting for a long while, the Emperor was still nowhere to be seen.

As the wait dragged on, Ji Yuanhui grew restless. Faint whispers began to drift from the ranks behind him. Just as he was about to turn his head to look, a soft, measured cough sounded beside him.

“Third Brother,” the Crown Prince said, staring straight ahead. “Maintain your decorum. Do not glance about.”

“Heh.” A cold, mocking chuckle came from his left. The tone was far from friendly. “His Highness the Crown Prince certainly knows how to put on grand airs.”

The Crown Prince offered a fake smile. “Eldest Brother’s words are quite baffling…”

Ji Yuanhui picked at his ear and looked up at the ceiling, having no intention of joining their hollow, daily bickering.

What a wonderful day of brotherly love.

The Emperor had five sons and one daughter; Ji Yuanhui was the third. His two elder brothers were Ji Cong, the First Prince, who was supported by the prestigious but humble scholars, and Ji Huan, the Crown Prince, whose maternal grandfather was the Prime Minister. These two were locked in a lifelong struggle—they fought over rewards and favor as children, and over power and influence as adults. No one knew exactly when their grudge began, but they were perpetually at each other’s throats.

Both had extended olive branches to him in the past, but he hadn’t accepted a single one. Consequently, he was now disliked by both sides.

Ranked third, he was a notorious profligate, famous for being out of favor with the Emperor. As a child, he hated studying and scurried about like a monkey; the Emperor had smashed countless teacups and porcelain vases in fits of rage while trying to discipline him.

Yet, it had been useless. He remained exactly as he was, refusing to submit to the Emperor’s discipline even on pain of death.

In a fit of pique, the Emperor had kicked him out to the Longxi military camps to be tempered. He was thirteen then, and he stayed there for six years.

By contrast, the Fourth Prince, who was the same age as him, was much more favored. Ji Hao was only a month younger than Ji Yuanhui, born of the same mother as the Crown Prince, and was a die-hard member of the Crown Prince’s faction.

The Fifth Prince, Ji Run, had always lacked presence. His mother was of low status, and he himself was timid and introverted, even stuttering slightly when he spoke too fast. He had never received much attention.

Princess Ji Lingyi was currently only fourteen and was his full younger sister. Their mother, Noble Consort Zhang, had passed away due to complications during labor. She was posthumously titled Imperial Noble Consort. After her passing, both he and his sister were entrusted to the childless Consort Shu for upbringing.

It was said that Imperial Noble Consort Zhang had been close to her in life, and that being raised by Consort Shu was her dying wish. Whether this was true or false was impossible to investigate; no one but the Emperor had been by her side when she passed, and Ji Yuanhui’s relationship with his father was… complicated, to say the least, making it impossible to ask.

Having slept late the night before, the rising and falling sounds of the argument nearby made Ji Yuanhui drowsy. He was clutching his ceremonial tablet and nearly nodding off when there was finally movement at the front.

It was Wang Fu, the Head Eunuch by the Emperor’s side. He arrived to announce an imperial decree: His Majesty was indisposed, the court session was cancelled for the day, and the officials were to depart.

A wave of commotion broke out among the officials. Some were worried about the Emperor’s health, while others harbored veiled dissatisfaction. By the customs of the Great Zhou, a court was held every five days, but this was already the fourth time the Emperor had cancelled this month.

His Imperial Father was always “indisposed.” When he was younger, it was because the Prime Minister held too much power; if the Prime Minister said he was sick, he had to be sick. In recent years, he had reclaimed some power, yet he still rarely showed his face and seldom attended court. “Indisposed” was merely a pretext; Ji Yuanhui felt the Emperor had simply grown accustomed to lounging and was too lazy to come sit on the throne.

Beside him, the bickering between the First Prince and the Crown Prince had escalated into a war of words, looking as though they intended to drown each other in spit if they couldn’t kill each other with insults. A crowd gathered around them—it was hard to tell who was there to fan the flames and who was there to break it up.

Ji Yuanhui found his two brothers embarrassing and unseemly, so he drifted away from them unnoticed. In his view, those trying to mediate were just wasting their breath. After all, barking dogs seldom bite, and the dogs that do bite usually don’t bark.

He handed his essay to Wang Fu, asking him to deliver it so the Emperor wouldn’t find an excuse to pick on him again. At that moment, an official in purple robes and a jade belt brushed past him, bypassing him entirely to walk straight up to Wang Fu, appearing to have something to say.

How arrogant… Even if he was out of favor, he was still a Prince. This man didn’t even pause or show the slightest intent to greet him.

Ji Yuanhui was originally going to leave, but he stopped dead in his tracks and stood there with his arms crossed, refusing to budge.

His presence was too strong to ignore. Wang Yin had no choice but to turn to him. “The session is cancelled. Why does Your Highness linger here?”

“Is one not allowed to linger?” Ji Yuanhui feigned a look of slight surprise. He leaned to the side, revealing the First Prince and the Crown Prince arguing a few paces away. “Eldest Brother and the Crown Prince are exchanging sentiments over there. Seeing how joyfully they converse, I thought this hall was no different from the lively streets and markets.”

Wang Yin was the Crown Prince’s maternal grandfather. Hearing this, his expression soured.

“Oh, look at me. Having stayed in the desolate lands of Longxi for so long, my mind has grown dull, and I no longer understand the rules. Is it possible that my two brothers’ behavior is actually against the rules?”

Ji Yuanhui turned his gaze back to Wang Yin’s face. “I recall that Chancellor Wang is vastly learned and even holds a post in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. You must be very well-versed in these rules. You should remind my brothers more often; Imperial Father has always valued decorum. It would be bad if they were punished.”

Wang Yin’s face was taut with suppressed anger. He said coldly, “I thank Your Highness for your concern.”

Ji Yuanhui shook his head. “No trouble at all, it’s only right. My brothers are still arguing over there; isn’t the Chancellor going to go persuade them?”

Wang Yin gave him a deep, searching look with his clouded eyes, then flicked his sleeves and headed toward the Crown Prince.

“Alas,” Ji Yuanhui sighed. “What a fierce look.”

Wang Fu sighed as well. “Why did Your Highness bother to offend Chancellor Wang for a momentary bit of spite?”

Wang Fu had been by the Emperor’s side for as long as Ji Yuanhui could remember. He lived up to his name, possessing a plump, prosperous face. He had essentially watched Ji Yuanhui grow up.

Ji Yuanhui smiled. “No need to worry for me, Eunuch. Even if I held him up and worshipped him, he still wouldn’t plan on making my life any easier.”

As long as he was a prince, he was a potential threat to the Crown Prince. Wang Yin would never give him a kind face. There was no point in sucking up to him; maintaining appearances was enough.

After leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Ji Yuanhui did not return directly to his manor. Since he was already here, he couldn’t let the trip go to waste. He decided to pay his respects to Consort Shu and see Ji Lingyi while he was at it.

Consort Shu had an extremely gentle and kind disposition, always speaking in a soft, refined voice. Seeing Ji Yuanhui, she looked delighted. “Xun’er is here. Have you been busy lately? I hope you haven’t angered your father again. You’ve come so early—have you eaten?”

As she spoke, she began to order the small kitchen to prepare some dim sum. Ji Yuanhui hurried to stop her. “Imperial Mother, I’ve already eaten. No need to trouble yourself. I’ll only stay for a moment. Where is Lingyi? Where has that girl gone?”

“She made an appointment with the young ladies of the Zhao and Li families to play polo. She can’t stay still for a second.” Consort Shu then remembered something and asked with concern, “You mentioned the child was ill a few days ago. Is he better now?”

Ji Yuanhui nodded. “Set your mind at ease, Mother. He is fine now. I will find a suitable day to bring him to pay his respects to you soon.”

“How should I address him?” Consort Shu hesitated. “Should I call him Xu’er? But he has hardly ever met me before. Would calling him that be too familiar? I wonder if it would make him uncomfortable.”

By blood, Pei Xu was actually more closely related to Consort Shu than Ji Yuanhui was. Ji Yuanhui was adopted, but Pei Xu was the child of Consort Shu’s own younger sister.

The Zhou family was a prominent clan from the Jiangnan region. In their generation, the main line had only two daughters. The elder, Zhou Wenjin, entered the palace as a consort, while the younger, Zhou Wenyu, married her childhood sweetheart, the third-ranked scholar Pei Ji. She later followed her husband to his provincial post, and the two sisters never saw each other again.

Later, while Pei Ji was traveling back to the capital after his term ended, they encountered a riot. Zhou Wenyu tragically lost her life, and their young son was separated from them while being protected by an old servant. It was two years before the Pei family found him.

The Pei family maintained private ties with the Eastern Palace (the Crown Prince). Once Pei Xu was reclaimed by the Pei family, his status became sensitive. Since Consort Shu was not part of the Crown Prince’s faction, it was no longer appropriate for her to see him. Thus, although Pei Xu had returned to the capital all these years, there had been no suitable opportunity for him to contact his mother’s kin.

However, the situation was different now. Pei Xu’s identity was sensitive, yet flexible. Now that he had entered Ji Yuanhui’s manor, he was naturally closer to the Zhou family.

“Mother should call him Rongrong,” Ji Yuanhui said, an unconscious smile touching his lips. “He would be happy.”

Consort Shu asked, “A nickname? Which character is it?”

Ji Yuanhui replied, “The Rong that means ‘to melt away sorrow.'”

The hour for morning court was incredibly early; by the time he finished his stay in the palace and returned to the manor, it was only just the hour of Chen (approx. 7–9 AM).

Ji Yuanhui removed his court robes, changed into dark casual clothes, and sat back down by the bed.

Pei Xu was still asleep, half his face buried in the quilt. The visible portion of his face was tinged with a faint flush, and he was sleeping soundly. Fearing the man might smother himself in his sleep, Ji Yuanhui pulled the edge of the quilt down to reveal his whole face.

How can someone be so perfectly to my liking?

Ji Yuanhui felt that he truly liked Pei Xu—he could never look at him enough. He liked him so much that he wanted to chew him up and eat him. That might not be the best metaphor, but he couldn’t be blamed; Pei Xu was so fragrant and beautiful that he couldn’t help but want to hold him and take a few bites.

His gaze swept over the eyebrows, the eyes, the lips, and finally landed on the earlobe, coming to a halt.

Ji Yuanhui reached out, his fingertip lightly brushing over Pei Xu’s earlobe. Aside from himself, probably very few people knew that Pei Xu had a tiny mole there. It was a very small red dot, placed on the earlobe; unless one was extremely close, it was impossible to see clearly.

He remembered how fascinated he had been when he first discovered this mole. He had toyed with it, rubbing it between his fingers until the surrounding skin turned a faint pink.

At that time, Pei Xu was only sixteen, and they had only recently confessed their feelings to each other. Although they were in private, the gesture was still a bit too intimate. Pei Xu had raised his hand to cover his ear and reminded him, “Your Highness, this is not according to decorum…”

Ji Yuanhui didn’t care for decorum. Instead, he caught Pei Xu’s hand and kissed it twice, his voice full of laughter. “Didn’t you agree to be my lover? What, do you regret it now?”

Hearing this, as if to prove his heart, Pei Xu relaxed his resistance. “No… I don’t…”

His slow, submissive manner was both endearing and made one want to tease him. Ji Yuanhui pressed his advantage, leaning closer to kiss his earlobe before giving it a light bite.

Pei Xu seemed a bit frightened. He trembled slightly, his breathing grew ragged, and he instinctively tilted his chin up, yet he endured it all with near-gentle docility.

“Aren’t you raised by a great family? What about the etiquette and the rules?” Ji Yuanhui teased him with a bit of wicked humor, whispering scandalous things in his ear. “How can you let someone kiss you after just a few sweet words?”

“It’s not just a few sweet words…” Pei Xu wanted to protest, but since he was indeed indulging Ji Yuanhui’s transgressions, his ears turned red, and he found himself speechless.

Ji Yuanhui pressed further. “If it’s not just sweet words, then what is it?”

“It is mutual affection.” Pei Xu’s voice grew smaller and smaller. “Your Highness said you liked me.”

Ji Yuanhui couldn’t help himself; he held the other’s chin and showered his cheeks and neck with kisses.

Pei Xu was kissed into a mess—his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were misted with water—yet his pupils remained focused on Ji Yuanhui, as if looking at his morning star. He tilted his head up and, with that innocent, pure expression that only those drowned in love possess, asked Ji Yuanhui:

“Your Highness said you liked me. Your Highness will marry me, right?”

Ji Yuanhui found the expression incredibly lovely. He cupped the man’s face and looked at him. “What do you think?”

Not receiving a definitive answer, Pei Xu’s tone grew inadvertently urgent. He looked into Ji Yuanhui’s eyes to confirm once more: “Your Highness will marry me, right?”

Ji Yuanhui looked into his eyes and smiled. He stroked Pei Xu’s hair. “Isn’t that something we settled long ago?”

“I will keep my promise.”