Chapter 296: Overwhelmed by Favor, Going to See Dad
"Your Majesty, please come inside to talk."
Mrs. Qiao led Emperor Wu Su through the small parlor by the entrance and into the main room.
Ji Qingwu had been waiting for Mrs. Qiao to return and "educate" her.
The look on her little face was the very picture of obedience and meekness. But then she looked up and saw the Emperor striding in.
Every hair on her body stood on end.
Ji Qingwu pointed at him, the unshed tears in her eyes trembling.
"Zhao... You... Why is Your Majesty here?!"
Mrs. Qiao’s heart was still pounding, but she first approached the Emperor and curtsied.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor."
Zhao Mingyan extended a hand to help her up. "Madam, there is no need for such formalities."
Mrs. Qiao stared, overwhelmed by the favor, at the broad palm beneath her elbow. Not even the Empress Dowager in the palace had ever been personally helped up by the Emperor.
"Qingwu, why are you being so rude? Come and pay your respects," Mrs. Qiao called her daughter to her side.
Ji Qingwu didn’t dare move a muscle.
Because while Emperor Wu Su appeared to be looking at her with a normal expression, she could clearly see the dark glint in his eyes, a look that felt as if it could pierce right through her skin.
Ji Qingwu had snuck out of Zhaoyang Hall.
Everyone thought she was lying in bed, barely able to move. Emperor Wu Su had gone to a side hall to handle some confidential memorials, only to return and find her gone.
Zhao Mingyan’s gaze fell to the floor, to the delicate tops of her shoes visible beneath the round table.
Mrs. Qiao urged, "Xiao Wu, hurry and pay your respects."
Ji Qingwu reluctantly stepped forward. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
As she curtsied, her slender waist bent gracefully, her soft skirts swaying lightly. She showed no signs of any physical discomfort.
Zhao Mingyan’s eyes swept over her entire body before he walked to the seat of honor and sat down. "Let’s all sit and talk."
Mrs. Qiao pulled her daughter, who was still standing frozen in place, to sit beside her.
The room fell silent for a moment. No one spoke.
Seeing Emperor Wu Su’s gaze fixed on Ji Qingwu, Mrs. Qiao spoke up. "I wonder if Your Majesty has come here on some important business?"
Zhao Mingyan said lightly, "I have no great matter to attend to. I am merely visiting relatives."
As soon as he said this, the room fell silent once more.
Ji Qingwu glanced at the Emperor, then quickly looked away.
’What relatives does he have to visit? He could have at least come up with a better excuse.’
Seeing that no one was responding, Zhao Mingyan cleared his throat. "Today should be Qingwu’s homecoming visit."
Ji Qingwu didn’t know why Emperor Wu Su was bringing this up and looked at him strangely.
But Mrs. Qiao was a clever woman. Hearing the Emperor say this, she understood.
’Xiao Wu is making her post-nuptial homecoming visit, and the Emperor, who has recently regained his senses, chooses this exact moment to "visit relatives."’
This was as good as an open declaration that he was accompanying Ji Qingwu on her homecoming visit.
’The one who was said to have bullied Xiao Wu was the Emperor himself. But after Xiao Wu entered the palace, why were there rumors that the Emperor detested her...?’
A storm raged in Mrs. Qiao’s heart, and a hint of worry crossed her face, but her every move remained poised and graceful.
"Your Majesty, my daughter is young and impetuous, and still quite willful. If she has offended you in any way, I ask for your magnanimity. Please do not hold it against her. I will discipline Qingwu better in the future so that she no longer disturbs your peace."
Zhao Mingyan’s gaze shifted slightly. He said in a low voice, "Madam, you are too modest. With your daughter present, the room itself seems to brighten."
"It would be even better if my palace could have more of such a bright and beautiful presence."
Mrs. Qiao glanced at Xiao Wu out of the corner of her eye and saw her frowning at the Emperor, her eyes full of a coquettish annoyance.
She continued, "Your Majesty, there is only one Qingwu, and she is already married. There are plenty of other eye-catching beauties in the world. You could easily—"
Zhao Mingyan raised a hand, stopping her from saying more.
"Madam, you have raised your daughter exceptionally well. As for other matters, you need not concern yourself."
Mrs. Qiao hesitantly closed her mouth.
’When it comes to this man, it’s not a question of whether Xiao Wu can stand her ground. She can only submit. Who would dare lay down rules for the Emperor?’
Seeing Mrs. Qiao’s nervousness, Zhao Mingyan’s expression softened, and he offered a piece of good news.
"In a little while, Mr. Ji will return to the capital to report on his duties. I intend to keep him in Lin’an, so he will no longer need to go to the south."
After a few rounds of verbal sparring with Emperor Wu Su, Mrs. Qiao was ultimately the one to back down.
The Emperor had relented, allowing Ji Bo Lian to return and promising he would not be posted elsewhere again. The temptation for Mrs. Qiao was too great.
As for why the Emperor would say this, and what the unspoken condition of this exchange was...
Mrs. Qiao looked at Xiao Wu, who was sitting beside her, fiddling with her fingers.
She had known before that the Emperor wanted Ji Qingwu to enter the palace. Because Xiao Wu had wanted to give it a try, she had let her go.
But now Ji Qingwu was married to Wei Ting, making the situation far more complicated. Yet, from the Emperor’s tone, it was clear he didn’t want her to interfere. He would be responsible for resolving the matter and dealing with the aftermath.
Mrs. Qiao sank into deep thought, and Zhao Mingyan gave her time to consider.
Ji Qingwu paid no mind to the veiled remarks the other two were exchanging. Her eyes lit up instantly at the news Emperor Wu Su had just delivered.
She was going to see her father.
A joyful look on her face, Ji Qingwu asked, "Your Majesty, when is my father coming back? ’In a little while’ is too vague. Can’t you give me a specific date?"
Mrs. Qiao sucked in a breath.
’Who would dare to bargain with the Emperor? And Xiao Wu said it so smoothly, it was obvious this wasn’t the first time she’d done so.’
She saw that Emperor Wu Su’s reaction was normal. There was even a hint of a smile in his eyes, not the slightest sign of offense or annoyance.
He pondered for a moment. "By the end of the month at the latest. Are you satisfied with that?"
Ji Qingwu’s eyes curved as she smiled.
Mrs. Qiao’s heart, which had been in her throat, temporarily settled back into her chest.
’Whether it’s favor or love, at the very least, the Emperor holds Xiao Wu in extremely high regard right now.’
After discussing this, seeing that Emperor Wu Su wasn’t about to settle scores with her and that his expression had softened considerably, Ji Qingwu began to relax.
The room once again fell silent.
"What were you two talking about in here before I arrived?" the Emperor started a new topic.
Mrs. Qiao and Ji Qingwu glanced at each other, both looking guilty.
Ji Qingwu replied, "Nothing much. Mother and I were just talking about some private matters."
Zhao Mingyan’s fingers tapped on the tabletop. "But why did I hear words like ’beast,’ ’money,’ and ’schemes’?"
Mrs. Qiao’s face froze, and a light sweat broke out on her forehead. Such words, which could be taken as an offense to His Majesty, had all been personally overheard by the Emperor.
Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes. ’The Emperor really didn’t miss a thing. He extracted all the keywords.’
She lifted her gaze. "Your Majesty, it’s a misunderstanding."
Zhao Mingyan’s voice was cold and deep. "A misunderstanding?"
Seeing that Mrs. Qiao was frightened by the Emperor’s stern expression, Ji Qingwu said, "Yes. I had a dream last night that a beast bit me, and my whole body ached. Mother was asking if we should spend some money to have a ritual performed."
She winked at Mrs. Qiao. "Right, Mother? Didn’t you say you were going to help me find a Buddha statue to ward off evil spirits?"
Mrs. Qiao paused for a moment. "Yes, that’s right. Xiao Wu, would you like to go with me?"
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze locked onto Ji Qingwu, his expression clearly conveying that if she agreed, there would be unknown consequences.