Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Who Was Seducing Him, Acting Cute to Make Mischief
The delicate hand in Emperor Wu Su’s palm was smooth and cool. Feeling that her skin was even colder than usual, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip.
His voice deepened. "Your hands are so cold. You can’t even take care of yourself, yet all you can think about is caring for others."
’He must have overheard the Prince Consort shouting outside the tent. He knows Princess Hua Chang asked me to treat General Wei Chi’s injuries. That’s why he said that.’
Ji Qingwu didn’t want to discuss her affairs with Princess Hua Chang with a third party—not even the Emperor.
Her eyes darted about as she said, "I’m not doing it for nothing. I’m just curious about how ferocious that beast was. It even managed to injure a man as valiant as General Wei Chi. Even if I don’t know what happened, I can get a good idea just by looking at the wound."
Emperor Wu Su said, "Curious? Why not come and ask me?"
’How could I possibly ask about that?’
’After all, I remember him giving Princess Hua Chang the cold shoulder when she brought it up.’
Ji Qingwu was, in fact, curious. She could clearly sense there was more to this incident. ’Was the black bear lured here by accident, or was it a deliberate attempt to harm someone...?’
Her guess was that the targets were the women in the hunting party, but she wasn’t sure who specifically was being targeted.
Ji Qingwu pushed her suspicions aside. She understood that sometimes, knowing too much was not a good thing, especially when it came to court secrets.
Emperor Wu Su saw her lower her gaze and fall silent. She was deliberately avoiding the subject.
’It seems she’s not oblivious to the strangeness of it all,’ he thought. ’She just doesn’t want to get involved.’ He didn’t press her further.
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze fell to where she had bundled herself up in layer after layer. "If you’re so cold, why not add another blanket?"
Ji Qingwu explained, "You may not know this, Your Majesty, but the soldiers at this camp don’t use quilts in the summer. They only managed to scrounge up one quilt and a thin blanket."
’It’s normal, really. In a place full of men, they wouldn’t have expected any women to show up, so it’s no surprise they didn’t prepare enough bedding.’
Emperor Wu Su frowned. "If this happens again, go find Li Yuzong."
’Li Yuzong is the Chief of the Internal Affairs Office and reports directly to the Emperor. Even the Empress Dowager has to show him some deference, so how could I possibly order him around? Besides, Eunuch Li is always by the Emperor’s side. Asking him for help is no different from asking the Emperor himself.’
Ji Qingwu said, "You make it sound so easy, Your Majesty. How could I possibly command someone like Eunuch Li?"
Emperor Wu Su never hid his affairs from Li Yuzong.
The eunuch had been by his side since childhood. Though he could be a bit chatty, he was unfailingly loyal. ’He’s probably already figured out the place Ji Qingwu holds in my heart.’
’By now, even a gruff man like Wei Chi Lianping has noticed.’
’And yet the woman right in front of me remains completely oblivious.’
Ji Qingwu didn’t realize that her voice had taken on a nasal quality, making her sound adorably petulant, almost like she was pouting.
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll find Eunuch Li and ask him to help me get into mischief, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Wu Su teased her, "Ah Wu knows how to cause trouble now?"
’The way he said that, you’d think I was some clueless kitten or puppy, incapable of a single mischievous thought.’
Ji Qingwu sniffled and declared boldly, "If you’d told me that sooner, Your Majesty, I would have had Eunuch Li bring all of your quilts over and pile them on top of me."
’So that’s her idea of causing trouble—just stealing my quilts.’
Hearing this, Emperor Wu Su couldn’t help but shake his head.
He suddenly reached out and covered her slightly cool lips with his hand.
Unable to speak, Ji Qingwu suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her nose felt stuffy.
She tried to sniffle a few times, her lips moving in the process, brushing softly against his palm.
Emperor Wu Su’s voice dropped. "You’ve caught a cold, and you’re still trying to entice me?"
’What did I do to entice him...?’
’And who says I’ve caught a cold?’
Her eyes glistening and the tip of her nose turning red, she said in astonishment, "A cold? Impossible. I haven’t been sick in years."
It was only after hearing her speak a few more sentences that he noticed the stuffy sound at the end of her words and realized she’d caught a chill.
With a slight pressure from his palm, Emperor Wu Su pushed Ji Qingwu down onto the couch.
He placed his hand on her forehead. It was also a little cool; she didn’t have a fever.
"You can’t even tell when you’re not feeling well. What kind of physician are you?"
Though his words were accusatory, Emperor Wu Su’s expression was gentle. He clearly had more patience for someone who was ill.
Ji Qingwu lay on her back, gazing up at the Emperor’s handsome face. ’Could it be? Am I really sick?’
She did feel cold all over. No matter how tightly she bundled up, she felt a constant draft.
At first, she’d suspected a sudden drop in temperature on the plains at night. Then, she suspected the thick tent was drafty.
But she never once suspected that she had caught a cold.
Her constitution had been carefully conditioned. On top of that, because her childbirth system allowed her to acquire self-defense skills, she was stronger and had more vitality than the average woman. She hadn’t been sick a single time since she’d gone to Nanchu Country.
However, today had been harrowing. She’d fallen from her horse off a cliff and had been forced to ride to her absolute limit. It had been a dual ordeal for both her mind and body.
When she returned, she only had time for a quick rinse in hot water and had come out before her hair was dry. Then, because of what the Prince Consort said, she’d been left standing in the wind for a while.
Even a body made of iron couldn’t have withstood all that.
The sneeze during the meal had been a warning, but she’d assumed she was just chilled by the icy auras of Emperor Wu Su and the Eldest Princess.
Ji Qingwu took his hand from her forehead and gave it a little shake. "Your Majesty, I’m just a little cold. Nothing else is wrong. I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep."
"You’re going to sleep just like this?"
Emperor Wu Su hooked a finger under the thin blanket and lifted it.
She snatched the blanket back from him, wrapping it tightly around herself. "This blanket provides some warmth, too."
"Didn’t you say there was another quilt? Why didn’t you take it?"
Her voice was muffled as she mumbled, "How could I fight Princess Hua Chang for the quilt?"
Seeing how she was so delicate and sensitive to the cold, yet forcing herself to act generous, Emperor Wu Su gave her cheek a pinch.
He said, "Do you think the Eldest Princess is going to get cold? She’s much warmer than you are, huddling alone with just a blanket."
’The difference between a quilt and a blanket isn’t that big, is it...?’
It took Ji Qingwu a moment to realize what he meant.
Princess Hua Chang was sharing a bed with the Prince Consort. Even if it got cold at night, she had a warm man beside her, like a personal furnace.
At this thought, Ji Qingwu’s spirits sank. It seemed she was the one who had it worse.
She sniffled, saying regretfully, "I should have fought for the quilt."
Emperor Wu Su looked at her. "I’ll give you another chance to choose. What do you want?"
Ji Qingwu studied his expression. He didn’t seem to be joking. She ventured boldly, "Should I go ask the Eldest Princess for the quilt now?"
Emperor Wu Su shook his head. "It’s just an ordinary quilt."
’Then I’ll go for an unordinary quilt.’
Her eyes sparkled. "Should I go find Eunuch Li and steal Your Majesty’s quilt?"
’The bedding prepared for the Emperor must be fragrant, soft, and fluffy.’
Emperor Wu Su shook his head in amusement. "Is that the extent of your ambition?"
Ji Qingwu blinked. "Then what else is there to choose?"
