Chapter 53: Shock! A strange hobby appears in the court (1 / 2)

The old emperor watched helplessly as his beloved ministers descended into chaos.

Ji’an Marquis! What’s wrong with you? Haven’t exercised since you stopped going to war, have you?! Getting dragged by your hair like this!

[Well, he’s over fifty, didn’t sleep a wink last night, and clearly pushed himself too hard. It’s normal for him to run out of strength.]

The old emperor: “…”

[Unlike his wife, who’s clearly much smarter…]

The emperor clicked his tongue, annoyed. Why stop now? Say more!

[Oh, and about Ji’an Marquis’s older brother…]

What about him?

The civil and military officials turned their confused gazes to the man. This was His Majesty’s true trusted general—a blade-wielding warrior who could take on eight opponents at once!

[Ugh, he’s pretending to work hard but actually tripping up Ji’an Marquis on purpose!]

Ji’an Marquis’s pupils trembled as he turned to look at his brother, disbelief etched across his face. “Brother, you—!”@@novelbin@@

[Ohhh, makes sense now. Turns out he knows Ji’an Marquis once tried to seduce his wife but failed!]

The civil and military officials: “!!!”

Now this has our full attention! Details, please!!!

Everyone crowded closer to the scene.

Outside the circle, Ji Sui stood awkwardly. “…?”

Noticing his unease, the crown prince, ever the enthusiast, grabbed him and dragged him forward. “Come! Come with me!”

Ji Sui: “Wait, no—”

Not now! This is not the time for your kindness!!!

“Aiya, Zainian, don’t be so reserved! Let me tell you, when it comes to enjoying the spectacle, the front row is where it’s at! You’ve never tried it? Once you do, you’ll understand how exciting it is!”

The crown prince pulled him forward relentlessly.

Ji Sui desperately tried to resist. “Your Highness! I don’t—”

“Relax, you’re just not used to our current atmosphere yet! Come, come, this prince will personally introduce you to the fun—”

“Hold on, Your Highness!” Ji Sui protested, unwilling to experience this so-called fun. Why is the crown prince so adept at this sort of thing? Could it be…

Ji Sui squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.

Xu Yanmiao!!!

As a prince who’d been taken to the battlefield at the age of twelve by his father, the crown prince had an insurmountable physical advantage over Ji Sui. Ji Sui, being a scholar who despised sweating, excelled only in the six arts of a gentleman related to propriety, music, calligraphy, and arithmetic—not in physical contests.

So, when Ji Sui was forcibly dragged from the back of the crowd to the front row to enjoy the commotion, he was already drenched in sweat and his elegant robes crumpled like wilted greens.

Despair overtook him.

…It’s over.

Sure enough, Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts filled the air with tension the next moment.

[The Princess of Qinghe… is a regular visitor to this Yulong Temple?! Hiss—How could this be! Wasn’t she supposed to be devoted to Ji Sui in a one-on-one love story?! But yesterday, she specifically requested an act to be performed at the temple!!!]

Ji Sui: Haha.

Must you spell it out this clearly?

The crown prince, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation, nearly choked on this latest gossip. “…!”

He wanted to comfort Ji Sui, but his shock and curiosity over this information got the better of him. The conflicted mix of disbelief and sympathy on his face, combined with a touch of admiration for Qinghe Princess’s audacity, made his expression look twisted beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, the old emperor’s expression was pure devastation.

Qinghe?!

How could it be Qinghe?!

His face was flushed with rage at the thought of anyone daring to defame his daughter’s reputation. Qinghe was his only virtuous, well-mannered legitimate daughter!!!

Fortunately, Xu Yanmiao was standing far enough away not to hear the emperor’s outburst.

“This must be a misunderstanding…” The old emperor refused to accept the reality. His daughter had always been gentle and sensible—

[Let me see, let me see. She played the role of an arrogant noblewoman opposite the prime minister! A prime minister wielding immense power!]

[And they even added a frail top scholar son as a prop! The prime minister’s beloved treasure!]

[Oh! And this line! This one’s a classic: ‘Lord Prime Minister, you wouldn’t want your son to find out about this, would you?’]

Although the prime minister in question was nearing eighty and hardly wielding immense power, Prime Minister Dou still felt his face turning green. He looked at Ji Sui and whispered, “Ji Gong, listen to me, there’s absolutely nothing between me and the princess!”

The newly appointed top scholar, who’d been mentioned as a prop in the drama: “…”

He glanced down at himself and sighed in relief. At least he wasn’t frail. Hopefully, Ji Gong wouldn’t take out his anger on him…right?

[And she also said: ‘Ha, Lord Prime Minister, did you think of this day when you publicly humiliated me as unfit for marriage?’]

The old emperor’s vision darkened. Ji Sui raised a trembling hand to his forehead and swayed unsteadily.

Officials agreed—whether or not the top scholar was frail remained unclear, but Ji Sui’s swaying just now certainly gave off that impression.

As for Prime Minister Dou, his face hadn’t stopped turning greener.

Suddenly, the Minister of Justice noticed something alarming: Prime Minister Dou’s face was turning an even darker shade of green!

Seeing that Xu Yanmiao was about to drop yet another bombshell, Ji Sui immediately stepped forward to intervene. “Xu Yanmiao! You…”

The old emperor felt gratified.

He gazed at Ji Sui’s back as though beholding a priceless treasure.

Who would’ve thought Ji Sui held such deep feelings for his daughter! Everyone knew about Ji Sui’s cleanliness obsession. Even though his daughter had been unfaithful and had something going on with a monk, Ji Sui wasn’t angry. Instead, he interrupted Xu Yanmiao to protect her reputation!

By stepping in, Ji Sui was surely risking becoming Xu Yanmiao’s next target! The old emperor’s eyes filled with tears. “Good! Good!” He hadn’t chosen the wrong son-in-law.

As for his daughter’s affair, he would make sure she ended it with the monk and returned to live harmoniously with Ji Sui! Such an outstanding man was not to be wasted…

[Wait! I just realized something!] Xu Yanmiao’s eyes glowed with excitement, completely ignoring Ji Sui standing in front of him. His cheeks were flushed with exhilaration. [Ji Gong and Qinghe Princess! They’ve never shared a bed—not since the first night of their marriage!]

Xu Yanmiao repeated with dramatic emphasis: [Never. Shared. A. Bed. Before!]

Ji Sui could feel the stares on his back go from fiery to icy, with a murderous chill creeping in.

Ji Sui: “…”

He knew it. Xu Yanmiao was a menace. Not only to his literary works but also to his very existence.

Meanwhile, the old emperor’s glare was nothing short of deadly.

How dare you, Ji Sui! Marry my daughter only to force her into a life of celibacy! I knew it! My shy, gentle, quiet, and reserved daughter would never seek out a monk! You drove her to this!

Grinding his teeth in fury, the emperor could barely restrain himself from drawing his blade.

The ministers, on the other hand, kept their heads down, determined to avoid eye contact with the enraged monarch. No one dared to make a sound.

Yet secretly…

Many officials gave Ji Sui silent thumbs-ups in their hearts.

Ji Gong truly lived up to his name! To treat a princess like this—what a role model! Even more shocking than the last guy who wanted to have the princess flogged!

Ji Sui remained calm.

Turning to face the emperor, he quickly formulated a flawless excuse.

He’d say that he and the princess were deeply in love but, due to a tragic accident, had conceived a daughter out of wedlock before their marriage. After their wedding, they lost their child, leaving the princess heartbroken and reckless. Both of them were too grieved to want more children, so they agreed to sleep in separate rooms until they found their lost daughter.

Who would’ve guessed the search would take over thirty years!

This explanation was bulletproof, Ji Sui decided.

He stepped forward, putting on a solemn expression. “Your Majesty, I…”

[Oh! No wonder they never shared a bed! Turns out it’s a contract marriage!]

The words caught in Ji Sui’s throat, and he nearly spat blood in frustration.