Chapter 328 – Have the Capital
A long moment later, she suddenly asked, “Where is Aunty Xie? How is she?”
“Rest a.s.sured, I have already treated her. Although she suffered a dozen paddles, her situation isn’t as dire as yours. You only took six hits and these almost claimed your life! Jing Rong is truly a tenacious one.” He put down the wine cup slowly and watched her. “You two are identical, both so headstrong. You help other people regardless of anything, causing him to be angry and hit you so ruthlessly. He ended up regretting his actions sorely. If you had died from it, the next one to die would be me.”
This is absolutely ridiculous! Who made them best childhood friends?
Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes. “How can I watch her be beaten to death in front of me?”
Mo Ruo had a sudden realization. He picked up the cup of wine and took a sip, but he didn’t respond.
Ji Yunshu continued, “I didn’t think you could ask for an appeal by drumming the royal drums. Jing Rong didn’t inform me of this method.”
“What if he did tell you? Would you still go?”
She couldn’t come up with an answer. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
She couldn’t figure out what she might do then.
She continued, perplexed. “I wonder how Aunty Xie knew the Supreme Court had rejected her appeal and learned of sounding the royal drums to get the appeal accepted?”
Mo Ruo’s heart was clear. He turned around the cup in his hand and chuckled lightly. “So… this is why Jing Rong went to find Prince Yi.”
“He went to Prince Yi?” She was astonished. “You mean that Aunty Xie hitting the royal drums is related to Prince Yi?”
“Mm?” Was Prince Yi related to that? How on earth did she get involved in a palace fight once again for no reason? She felt stifled as she was suddenly hit by a realization. “What is going on in the end?” She frowned.
“You heard about the missing disaster aid money of Yufu county?” Mo Ruo asked.
She shook her head.
“A few days ago, the Emperor had planned to send either Prince Yi or Jing Rong there to investigate. Although the case happened several years ago, the investigation made no progress. In addition, all the officials sent there to investigate were met with death on their way back to the capital. Hence, this time, the Emperor has decided to send one of his sons to close the case. However, it is obvious that he just wants to fragment the influence and power of one of them in the capital. In other words, this is an exile.”
Ji Yunshu held her silence.
“The Supreme Court Chancellor is Prince Yi’s people. The rejection of the case you want to investigate had the shadow of his hand. He was the one who leaked the information to Aunty Xie. He knew you would go there to save the woman and receive the flogging in her place. His purpose was to force Jing Rong to willingly accept to go to Yufu to investigate the missing disaster relief money. The condition is, of course, to re-investigate the Spring House case. Everything is Jing Yi’s ploy. This is why Jing Rong didn’t want to tell you about the royal drums.”
Ji Yunshu finally reacted, getting out of bed the next instant. She wobbled to the door but was stopped by Mo Ruo.
“Even if you go now, it’s too late.”
“Let go!”
She pushed Mo Ruo away and walked out of the door quivering. As soon as she reached the entrance, her body went limp suddenly and she keeled over. As she fell, she hit a st.u.r.dy chest and was wrapped into a firm embrace.
Jing Rong caught her weak body and carried her back to her room. Then, he put her in bed carefully. Next, he turned to Mo Ruo and said, “Leave this room first.”
Mo Ruo nodded and retreated out of the room.
Ji Yunshu sat in her bed. Her nose scrunched showing a forlorn expression. The rims of her eyes were wet as she looked at the tranquil man in front of her. She bit on her pale lips.
Jing Rong inquired, “Does it still hurt?”
She shook her head.
“This should teach you a lesson. Otherwise, you will never learn from your mistakes.”
Hearing his reprimands, she teared up in regret.
He reached out for her face and wiped off her tears. Then, he cupped her delicate face and spoke to her with tenderness. “Take care of your body. When you’re healed, we will leave for Yufu. I heard the landscape there is beautiful, lined with kilometers of peach trees. We should go enjoy the view there before getting to our destination.”
Ji Yunshu burst in tears harder. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“This is my decision. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Then… Are you really willing to leave the capital?”
He lowered his deep eyes. “Since Jing Yi has carefully set up everything, even without this matter, he would find another way to force me to leave the capital. Rather than watching that mother being beaten to death for her appeal, I might as well just agree to his condition. Besides, don’t you want to find out more about your mother’s amulet? Either way, everything came to fruition perfectly well, this Prince only profits from such good set up.”
He didn’t take to heart this “exile” and he didn’t come out with just loss from the deal with his brother.
He continued, “In fact, leaving the capital is not necessarily a bad thing. There are some things that could not be done under the Emperor’s watchful eyes. Believe me. There will be a day when we will return to the capital.”
She nodded at him with tears in her eyes. Her eyes stung and were red from crying too much. Then, she pounced into his arms. “Thank you.”
He didn’t dare to hug her too tightly, afraid his actions would aggravate the wounds on her back. However, this doesn’t stop his lips from curling into a smile. He lowered and spoke into her ear. “Yunshu, you better remember that regardless of what happens, you have me.”
Outside.
Mo Ruo was sitting on a stone bench, carefree and relaxed. He was enjoying the view of the withered peach blossoms when Ji Wanxin arrived. She brought with her some tonics.
Mo Ruo broke a branch and used it to stop her from proceeding further. “Second Miss Ji, how about we chat for a bit.”
Ji Wanxin’s gaze switched from the bedroom door to Mo Ruo. She knew exactly what he meant, therefore, she placed the tonics down on the stone table. With a slight smile, she asked, “What would Gentleman Mo want to talk to me about?”
Mo Ruo arched one of his brows pensively. “I heard that Second Miss Ji is betrothed to the young master of the Shen family.”
As expected, he was someone up to date with the capital happenings. Although he was usually wasted from drinking too much, his ears, nevertheless, had a very wide reach.
Her brows lowered, almost like she was scowling. An awkward expression flit through her eyes. She still nodded in a gentle manner. “Father and Grandmother made the arrangement.”
“Then, have you met with Young Master Shen?”
She shook her head.
“So to say, Second Miss Ji came to the capital, but the Shen family didn’t bother meeting with their future daughter-in-law.”
“Gentleman Mo is laughing at me.” She smiled politely.
A beauty’s shyness was like a bright moon, touching people’s hearts. That kind of allure had a great charm. However, Mo Ruo was completely immune to her charm. They continued to chat about random topics until Jing Rong came out.
Ji Wanxin got up immediately to greet him. She handed him the tonics. “This is something I brought for Yunshu to help her injuries heal better.”
“Thank you very much.” However, he didn’t take the tonics. He pa.s.sed around her and went to Mo Ruo. “Go back to Yuhua Pavilion. Wei Yi is still there, so Ji Yunshu cannot relax.”
“What? You’re not even sending me out?” Mo Ruo was displeased by his friend’s att.i.tude.
“You want money?”
“A thousand two, not a single tael less.”
“I have a thousand coffins”
“Cheapskate!” Mo Ruo glared at him. He waved his hand and flung back his head. “Fine, I’d rather go back and accompany my little Wei Yi.” He deliberately dragged the last few words.
Jing Rong turned to Ji Wanxin and said, “Yunshu is resting. This Prince will order people to send you back.”
Jing Rong left, not waiting for her to speak. She could only watch his back. She bit her lips and smashed the tonics on the stone table.
Cras.h.!.+ The sound resounded clearly in the courtyard.
At that moment, her gentleness had vanished, replaced by viciousness. She was unresigned, utterly unable to accept such indifferent treatment.