Chapter 298: The Twins, My Children with the Emperor
Besides, Wei Ting was a rare military talent. She couldn’t gamble on whether this would truly drive a wedge between him and the Emperor.
Ji Qingwu’s thoughts twisted and turned, finally landing on a solution that wasn’t really a solution at all.
She reached out, gently wrapping her arms around his lean waist. Tilting her head back to look up at him, her gaze was focused and ardent, her chin resting just below his shoulder.
From this angle, her eyes curved like crescent moons, their long, upward-slanting shape captivating and alluring.
Ji Qingwu said in a coquettish voice, "Your Majesty, don’t you find this... uniquely thrilling?"
Zhao Mingyan’s brows twitched slightly, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
Ji Qingwu’s sweet scent wafted against his neck as she said, "It will be much harder for Your Majesty to experience this kind of feeling in the future."
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze was intimidating. He suddenly lifted her by the waist, forcing Ji Qingwu onto her tiptoes, with most of her weight leaning against him.
"Are you inviting me?"
"Lady Wei."
A tremor ran through Ji Qingwu’s heart.
’It’s true that all men have a vicious streak, and the Emperor is no exception.’
Whether he was moved by Ji Qingwu’s proposal or for some other reason, Emperor Wu Su no longer forcefully demanded that she remain with the Ji Family.
However, Ji Qingwu still paid a small price. She tilted back her pale neck, his hair tickling her ear, and let out a small gasp.
She couldn’t see it, but she could feel him bite down hard on her collarbone. He then kissed the spot over and over, the pain turning into a spreading numbness.
Zhao Mingyan had noticed that the marks he’d left on her body before had all faded, somehow.
He whispered against her reddened earlobe, "I know you have an ointment to remove marks. You’re forbidden from using it again. If this mark disappears, our agreement is off."
Ji Qingwu’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz. "...But marks eventually have to fade."
’What will happen when the mark is gone?’
Fearing he would bite her again, Ji Qingwu tried to pull her collar closed.
Zhao Mingyan raised a hand to stop her, his eyes fixed on the red patch on her fair skin.
His own lips were a deeper red from the force he’d just used, and he smiled with a hint of wickedness.
Zhao Mingyan’s fingers traced lightly over the patch of skin. "Ah Wu, you are to come find me before this mark disappears."
"Otherwise, things won’t be up to you anymore."
A chill ran through Ji Qingwu at his words.
Zhao Mingyan’s eyes were dark and deep as he said, "Didn’t I agree to your request? Are you still not satisfied?"
Ji Qingwu nodded quickly. "I’m satisfied, very satisfied."
「By the lunch hour,」 Mrs. Qiao had the meal ready.
But since the Emperor had come in secret, it was inconvenient for him to stay long. After pulling Ji Qingwu into his arms for another thorough embrace, he left the Ji Family estate.
When Mrs. Qiao entered the main room, she found Ji Qingwu with a slightly unfocused gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She let out a long sigh.
"Xiao Wu."
Ji Qingwu blinked. "Mother, you’re here."
Mrs. Qiao said, "When did His Majesty leave?"
As if afraid Mrs. Qiao would discover something, Ji Qingwu guiltily adjusted her collar.
"He... probably just left."
Mrs. Qiao walked over and sat down beside her. "Did His Majesty tell you what the plan is now?"
Ji Qingwu replied, "For now, we’ll leave things as they are. I’ll stay with the Wei Family, and we’ll discuss the divorce after Wei Ting returns from the Northern Border."
"And His Majesty agreed to that?"
Mrs. Qiao didn’t fully understand Emperor Wu Su’s temperament, but she knew that no man in the world could accept his own woman being another’s wife.
Ji Qingwu bit her lip. "He agreed."
Mrs. Qiao paused before saying, "Is it because His Majesty is worried about the war on the border..."
Ji Qingwu took a divorce agreement from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
Mrs. Qiao saw at a glance that it was written in the Imperial Brush and stamped with the Emperor’s Golden Seal. A hint of joy appeared in her eyes, but her brows quickly furrowed.
It was the first time she had ever spoken so harshly.
"You’re the one who doesn’t agree to the divorce, not the Emperor."
The golden hairpin in Mrs. Qiao’s chignon trembled, her usual steady composure gone.
Why wouldn’t Ji Qingwu agree to a divorce? What was there about the Wei Family worth holding onto?
A mother knows her daughter best, and Mrs. Qiao knew what a soft-hearted child her youngest daughter was.
"Oh, you... What am I supposed to say to you? War is the business of those men. Thinking so much will only bring you suffering."
Ji Qingwu lowered her head and said, "Mother, Xijin is too cunning. I was at the Northern Border for several years and saw too many dead—dead in battle, dead from illness. Some didn’t even have a complete corpse left. At this critical juncture, for me to divorce Wei Ting and immediately enter the palace..."
"I’m scared..."
She wasn’t afraid of being scorned; she was afraid that her actions would cause a series of irreversible, terrible consequences.
A lump formed in Mrs. Qiao’s throat. She had never seen the misery of the borderlands, but she could see the bitterness in Ji Qingwu’s expression.
Mrs. Qiao took a deep breath. "I don’t understand matters of state and country. All I know is that I can’t let my daughter continue to suffer."
Ji Qingwu said softly, "Mother, I’m the same as you."
Mrs. Qiao didn’t understand. Thinking she was worried about Jiu Jiu’s safety, she promised, "Jiu Jiu will always be with us. I’ll help you protect her."
Ji Qingwu looked up, her lashes fluttering, and met Mrs. Qiao’s earnest gaze.
"Mother... Yuan Heng... is my son."
Mrs. Qiao thought she was hearing things. She watched Xiao Wu’s lips move, her ears ringing with a temporary deafness.
She stammered, "Xiao Wu, have you truly gone mad? Young Master Yuan Heng is the Emperor’s only son, raised in the palace. How could he possibly be..."
Ji Qingwu had always thought admitting all this would be difficult, but now that the words were on her lips, she found they weren’t so hard to say after all.
Her expression grew much firmer, her tone calm.
"Mother, Yuan Heng and Jiu Jiu were originally twins. They were both born to me and the Emperor."
Mrs. Qiao felt her breath catch in several short gasps. She clutched her chest, unable to breathe.
Ji Qingwu stepped forward, taking her arm and rubbing her chest. "Mother, are you all right? Relax, keep your breathing steady."
It took a long while for Mrs. Qiao to catch her breath, but she didn’t even look at Ji Qingwu.
She gasped, "Get out!" It was clear she didn’t want to see her again.
Ji Qingwu tried to take Mrs. Qiao’s hand, but it was flung away.
Mrs. Qiao said, "Keeping everyone in the dark, watching your family worry sick about you—you must be very proud of yourself, aren’t you?"
Ji Qingwu stubbornly reached out again to take Mrs. Qiao’s hand. After a few attempts, Mrs. Qiao’s wide sleeve swung and struck her across the face.
The sleeve, embroidered with gold thread, unexpectedly slapped against her cheek. Ji Qingwu’s right cheek instantly turned red.
Ji Qingwu had delicate skin that marked easily, let alone from a slap. A distinct red welt was especially noticeable.
Mrs. Qiao, fuming, had turned away and didn’t see that she had hurt her daughter’s face.
Ji Qingwu lingered in the room for another moment before biting her lip and leaving.
Wearing a veil, she led Jiu Jiu back to the Wei Family estate, only to be stopped at the gate by the family guards.