Chapter 89

Qixue was very good at putting hats on people. Ji Yuheng had merely been standing alone by the lake playing the flute, yet Qixue made it sound like he was indulging in pleasure and had greatly wronged Helan Ji. It was somewhat unreasonable and nitpicking.

But facing Qixue’s unreasonable accusations, Ji Yuheng did not defend himself at all. He simply bowed his upper body even lower and calmly admitted his fault. “It was this son’s fault toward Father Emperor. This son is guilty.”

For some reason, Qixue grew even angrier. For a fleeting moment, he really wanted to stomp his foot down hard and crush Ji Yuheng’s fingers, but he couldn’t bear to treat Ji Yuheng that way. He could only stew in his own silent frustration.

Helan Ji wrapped his arm around Qixue’s waist and explained on Ji Yuheng’s behalf. “Yuan Yuan, don’t be angry. It’s not Yun Qi’s fault. I issued a decree forbidding Yun Qi from handling state affairs today.”

“During the time I was ill, Yun Qi presided over the court. He rose early and retired late, worrying day and night. It’s not that he didn’t share my burdens; rather, I didn’t want him to fall ill like me, so I ordered him to rest for a few days.”

Everyone in the palace knew that Qixue had disliked Ji Yuheng intensely from the very first time they met, and they still held that impression, thinking their relationship was poor—even Helan Ji was no exception.

Qixue and Ji Yuheng’s private interactions were all very secretive, with only a scant few in the know. Qixue’s personal attendant, Dong Yuan, had long since smoothed things over with everyone above and below to cover for their affair.

Helan Ji believed Qixue was troubling Ji Yuheng out of dislike, but the truth was vastly different from what he imagined.

He spoke up to explain for Ji Yuheng in hopes of reconciling the two, but unexpectedly, Qixue grew even more annoyed. He was angry that Ji Yuheng clearly had plenty of free time, so why hadn’t he come to see him? Could it be that Ji Yuheng was already planning to abandon him after toying with his affections?

“It’s good that Crown Prince Your Highness is willing to share His Majesty’s burdens.”

Qixue forcibly suppressed his anger, forced a smile, bent down to lift Ji Yuheng’s chin, and compelled him to meet his gaze. “My throat is parched. I wonder if the Crown Prince is willing to share Mother Concubine’s burdens as well and fetch some tea for Mother Concubine?”

Ji Yuheng’s face was lifted, but he still kept his eyes downcast, avoiding Qixue’s gaze filled with fury. “This son is willing to serve Mother Concubine.”

“Then go quickly. Mother Concubine is waiting for you.”

Qixue patted his face, deliberately scratching a few red marks on his handsome features with his nails to make it sting.

“Yes.”

Ji Yuheng’s body trembled slightly. Seeing the rims of his eyes redden, Qixue thought he had been bullied into feeling aggrieved. He let out a soft, cold chuckle, thinking to himself that this was nothing yet—Ji Yuheng had more suffering to endure.

Ji Yuheng left the pavilion but soon returned, personally carrying a tray with a teapot and teacups. Two young palace maids followed behind, each holding an exquisite food box filled with fruits and pastries.

Qixue sat down beside Helan Ji and said coldly to Ji Yuheng, “Kneel and serve Mother Concubine tea.”

Ji Yuheng knelt obediently before the two of them and raised the teacup over his head to offer it. “Father Emperor, please have tea. Mother Concubine, please have tea.”

Helan Ji took the teacup, but Qixue did not. He let Ji Yuheng hold it aloft while he nestled into Helan Ji’s embrace and said sweetly to him, “A’Man gege, I want to drink the one in your hand.”

“Alright.”

Helan Ji uncovered the cup, gently blew on the tea to cool it, and fed it to Qixue’s lips. At the same time, he said to Ji Yuheng, “You may rise first.”

“Don’t let him up yet. I haven’t seen the Crown Prince Your Highness’s filial piety toward me.”

Qixue took a sip of tea and coquettishly placed her hand on Helan Ji’s chest. “Your Majesty might consider this: I’ve been back in the palace for several days, yet the Crown Prince hasn’t once come to pay respects to me. Tell me, does he still have this Mother Concubine in his heart?”

At these words, Ji Yuheng’s back instantly stiffened, because only they knew that Qixue’s question went beyond just the identities of Noble Consort and Crown Prince—it was a lover’s interrogation of Ji Yuheng.

“This son…”

Ji Yuheng’s normally gentle voice now sounded exceptionally strained. “This son has always respected and loved Mother Concubine, but this son feels guilty inside and thus dares not face Mother Concubine.”

He only said he respected and loved her, but not that Qixue was in his heart. Qixue froze, suddenly at a loss. He didn’t understand what Ji Yuheng truly meant.

He stared at Ji Yuheng, growing more aggrieved the more he thought about it. Helan Ji noticed his poor mood and immediately pulled him into his arms, kissing his forehead.

“On the day you went missing, Yun Qi was also at the temple. He deeply blamed himself for failing to protect you and begged me to punish him, even willing to atone with his life. Of course he respects and loves you as well.”

“So Your Majesty’s meaning is that the Crown Prince hasn’t come to see me out of guilt toward me?”

Qixue sniffled, his nose stinging with grievance as he stared at Ji Yuheng. “Say it yourself—is that the reason?”

Ji Yuheng was silent for a moment before softly saying, “Yes. How could this son dare not respect and love Mother Concubine.”

“What…”

Qixue had been on the verge of tears but ended up laughing from anger at Ji Yuheng again, though his heart felt a bit sweet. “What does my disappearance have to do with you? Could you have stopped that dragon? Yet you take all the blame onto yourself… Even if the sky fell, you’d think it was your responsibility?”

Seeing him laugh, the rims of Ji Yuheng’s eyes reddened further. “But this son… this son cannot forgive himself.”

“Alright, alright, get up already.”

Qixue stood, personally helping Ji Yuheng to his feet and casually wiping the redness from his eyes. “What do you mean cannot forgive yourself? You’re not allowed to think that way anymore. I don’t need you blaming or feeling guilty because of me.”

Though he was scolding Ji Yuheng, his words and actions brimmed with natural intimacy, his tone soft and sweet. Helan Ji’s gaze paused as it swept over the two of them, a faint, imperceptible frown creasing his brow.

Qixue’s mood instantly improved. He just thought Ji Yuheng was too foolish—this matter from start to finish had nothing to do with him. On the contrary, it was he who had implicated Ji Yuheng, causing him to be knocked out by Xie Shu’s spell. Ji Yuheng was also a victim.

Oh well, in a few days, he’d tell Yun Qi the truth and make him turn against Xie Shu, completely severing any chance of those two being together.

Qixue was reveling in these thoughts when Helan Ji suddenly pulled him back—not to his original seat, but onto his lap.

“Your Majesty?” Qixue looked at Helan Ji in confusion, struggling slightly to rise. “I can’t sit on your lap; you’ll get tired…”

“I won’t.”

Helan Ji held him even tighter. “Just sit like this and keep me company properly.”

Qixue thought for a moment, then simply transformed into Rabbit Tuan and crawled into Helan Ji’s robes, his little paws clutching the collar as only his small head poked out.

Helan Ji looked at Ji Yuheng and saw no surprise on his face. A dark glint flashed in his pitch-black phoenix eyes, but he said nothing.

He merely tapped Rabbit Tuan’s little head. “Yuan Yuan, aren’t you hot?”

“Hot…”

Rabbit Tuan was covered in rabbit fur to begin with, and with Helan Ji’s body being yin-cold and frail, dressed in thick layers, he was immediately stifled and sweating. “But if Your Majesty wants to be close to me, of course I want to stick to Your Majesty too. This is the closest way…”

“You don’t want to turn back into human form and sit on my lap?” Helan Ji asked.

“That would press on Your Majesty; I’d feel so heartbroken.” Rabbit Tuan hugged Helan Ji’s neck, rubbing his little head against him.

Helan Ji sighed softly, lifted him out from the collar, and wiped the sweat from his rabbit fur with a handkerchief. “How could I not feel heartbroken for you?”

Rabbit Tuan sprawled open his bunny belly, obediently letting Helan Ji groom him. A faint milky fragrance wafted from the fur on his belly. Though his rabbit milk had decreased a lot, touching his belly still made some seep out, wetting a patch on the handkerchief.

Helan Ji gently stroked Rabbit Tuan’s belly. “The child is still small in months; your belly feels empty to the touch.”

Rabbit Tuan stiffened his soft, fluffy body for a moment, then hugged Helan Ji’s finger, echoing his words. “Yeah, it’ll show later…”

Ji Yuheng stood to the side, gazing at Rabbit Tuan on Helan Ji’s lap. His heart was filled with both envy and sourness, for he knew he would never have the day to stand openly by Qixue’s side.

As for having Qixue bear his child, he had never even dared to dream of it.

The current Ji Yuheng didn’t even dare show any desire to get close to Qixue. He felt he had no right; until he redeemed his sins, even glancing at Qixue once was an extravagant luxury.

He stood quietly beside them. Seeing Rabbit Tuan overheated to the point of sticking out his pink little tongue, he felt heartbroken too and suddenly said, “This son wishes to play a cooling tune for Mother Concubine. This melody can dispel heat and summer swelter, relieving Mother Concubine’s stuffiness.”

Rabbit Tuan wiggled his tail tip. “Play it quick!”

Helan Ji nodded in approval of Ji Yuheng’s request. Ji Yuheng raised the flute, and clear, lively flute notes rang out melodiously along the lakeshore.

The flute sounded like a gentle breeze and fine rain, crisp and refreshing. Remarkably, even the wind blowing into the pavilion seemed to cool down, drying the damp rabbit fur.

The lake’s brocade carp flicked their vibrant tails and gathered around the pavilion. Rabbit Tuan jumped down from Helan Ji’s knee, wanting to greet them, when a string of bubbles suddenly rose from the water bottom, scaring the carp away. Then, a pair of yellow, glowing large eyes emerged.

Rabbit Tuan startled. A massive creature from the water depths burst out with a splash—it was an enormous old turtle.

The old turtle was very ancient, a demonic beast with spiritual intelligence. It lived year-round in the lake, had a mild and amiable temperament, ate only vegetables, and was well-liked by the lake’s fish, shrimp, and crabs.

The old turtle rested its head on the edge of the pavilion and bumped noses with Rabbit Tuan in greeting.

Its body was far larger than Rabbit Tuan’s; just one eye was bigger than him. When Rabbit Tuan lightly touched its nose tip, if the old turtle hadn’t deliberately held back its breath, Rabbit Tuan would surely have been blown away.

The old turtle retracted its head into its shell. Moments later, it flung out a pile of lotus pods from inside. A large patch of lotuses grew in the lake, and these pods were the ones Ji Yuheng had asked it to pick for Rabbit Tuan.

After delivering the lotus pods, the old turtle patted its front limbs, splashing up water that turned into fine mist sprinkling over Rabbit Tuan’s fur, giving him a refreshing little rain.

Ji Yuheng picked up the lotus pods. His clean, slender hands deftly shelled out fresh lotus seeds, which he held in his palm and offered to Rabbit Tuan. “The lotus seeds are fresh and sweet, clearing heat and relieving summer heat. Mother Concubine, why not try some?”

His tone was exceedingly gentle, hardly like speaking to a “mother consort”—more like coaxing the tip of his heart, coaxing a lover he had spoiled into a child.

From the melody to the old turtle to the freshly shelled lotus seeds, Rabbit Tuan was coaxed into a daze, all resentment gone. He obediently hopped into Ji Yuheng’s palm, licked the lotus seeds, then licked his fingers.