Chapter 194: Chapter 194: A Sweet Dream, and Who Was in It
’Wei Ting told me my father would be fine. Was his real intention to reassure me?’
’Or did he just not want me to get involved?’
Ji Qingwu mulled it over and over, but her conclusion was the same: ’Wei Ting is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s definitely up to no good!’
But she trusted the Emperor’s message. Her father would be fine.
After her bath, Ji Qingwu lay down on the fragrant, soft bed.
Even though she was still within the palace walls, she could feel a difference.
She had slept in a bed in Zhaoyang Hall and in the attic of Handan Hall, but here in Cining Palace, she couldn’t sleep soundly. She tossed and turned, unable to drift off.
She was furious. ’It must be because Wei Ting’s sudden appearance gave me such a fright.’
After thoroughly cursing Wei Ting out in her mind, she did, in fact, feel much better.
Just as she had finally managed to fall asleep, she drowsily felt someone pinching her cheek.
She opened her eyes a crack. The man before her began to merge with the man from her dreams.
Ji Qingwu felt as if she couldn’t distinguish dream from reality. She reached out, wrapping her arms around the man’s shoulders.
He leaned down to accommodate her, his expression gentle and completely devoid of its usual coldness.
Ji Qingwu immediately nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, letting out a soft, needy whimper.
It wasn’t hard to discern the uncertainty, hurt, and longing in the sound.
The court session on Emperor Wu Su’s side had just concluded. The meeting Wei Ting had attended earlier was long over, but then Prime Minister Su and others had arrived to request an audience.
He wasn’t free until midnight, at which point he had rushed straight here.
’Tomorrow’s morning court session is going to be quite a show.’
His hand touched her cheek, and she immediately leaned into his palm, chasing the contact. The feel of her skin was exquisitely soft and smooth.
He rarely saw her so relaxed and trusting; it was a side of her she only showed when half-awake and lost in dreams.
Emperor Wu Su’s fingers drifted to her earlobe as he whispered, "The message Fanghua brought you..."
Her breathing beside his ear was light and even.
His hand stilled. He turned his head to look and, just as he’d suspected, the Ji Qingwu leaning against him was already sound asleep.
Her long lashes were curled and her expression was serene—far more peaceful than when he had first arrived. The corners of her lips were even turned up in a slight smile, lost in some sweet dream.
’I wonder who is in that dream.’
「The next day」
Ji Qingwu woke up with a clear head. Though she had tossed and turned for the first half of the night, she had slept surprisingly well during the second.
She stretched lazily, and the blanket slipped down, a sudden chill washing over her.
Ji Qingwu stiffened and looked down. She was clad only in her undergarments.
’But last night, I was practically fully dressed for battle,’ she thought. ’I had an outer robe on over my inner clothes, and I’d tied the sash extra tight.’
Taking a closer look, her hand trembled slightly as she touched the skin of her chest. There were suspicious-looking red marks.
She immediately tried to recall the previous night. ’After Wei Ting left, who came to see me?’
She thought she had dreamed of the Emperor, but she couldn’t be certain if it had really been him.
’But if it was Wei Ting... he was bold enough to show up while I was bathing. If he wanted to do something, he would have done it then. He wouldn’t resort to a sneak attack while I was asleep.’
’And if it was Emperor Wu Su, why didn’t he wake me?’
Ji Qingwu pulled the blanket up to her chin, her eyes flashing. She wondered if she could find an opportunity today to confirm her suspicions.
She had woken up rather late. After hastily getting ready, Palace Attendants led her to the main hall, but the Empress Dowager had not yet arrived.
Neither Old Madam Ji nor Mrs. Qiao had slept well that night, and both had dark circles under their eyes.
Ji Qingwu walked over and took Mrs. Qiao’s hand, noticing how cold it was. She handed her the cup of hot tea from the nearby table.
She comforted her gently, "Mother, Father will be fine. He would be even more heartbroken if he saw you looking so haggard."
Just as she would have at home, she began to massage Mrs. Qiao’s pressure points to help her relax.
With someone there to comfort her, Mrs. Qiao felt a little more settled. "They should be discussing your father’s case at the morning court session today," she said. "I just don’t know what the outcome will be."
Hearing this, Ji Qingwu put on a mysterious air. "Mother, I performed a divination last night. The reading showed that Father will absolutely get through this unscathed."
Mrs. Qiao looked at her in surprise.
She had no idea when Xiao Wu had learned such a skill, but right now, she had no choice but to believe her. Hearing Xiao Wu’s words gave Mrs. Qiao a much-needed sense of assurance.
This was the only way Ji Qingwu could think of to convey the news and put her mother’s mind at ease.
She paused, rubbing her fingertips together, and said firmly, "He will be released from prison within three days."
Hope flickered in Mrs. Qiao’s eyes. "I hope so."
Sitting off to the side, Old Madam Ji felt a pang of displeasure as she watched the mother and daughter’s intimate display.
Her old face was stern as she said, "Qingwu, do not speak such nonsense. This is a major matter for the court, to be decided by His Majesty alone. How could the outcome possibly be determined by some casual divination of yours?"
Ji Qingwu, however, simply smiled. "If you don’t believe me, Grandmother, then we’ll just have to wait and see."
The Empress Dowager entered, dressed in a deep purple phoenix robe. The court beads on her phoenix crown glittered magnificently.
Because she had stayed the night, this was Ji Qingwu’s first time witnessing the palace concubines gathering for their morning audience.
With no Empress to serve as the proper mistress of the palace, the concubines had to come to the Empress Dowager’s palace every day to pay their respects.
Of all the consorts from Phoenix Palace, she had only met Princess Consort Wei before.
More than twenty of them filed in, filling all the seats in the main hall as Palace Attendants moved about in an orderly fashion, serving tea and pastries.
Shixi whispered, "The lady of Ningxue Hall has reported ill, saying she has unbearable stomach pains. And the lady of Anhua Hall is the same as always, refusing to leave her residence."
The Empress Dowager nodded. "I am aware."
Princess Consort Wei, seated in the place of honor to the left, was not surprised to see members of the Ji Family present. She had clearly already heard that Ji Bo Lian was in trouble.
She smiled. "Empress Dowager, I haven’t seen Fifth Miss Ji in a long time. Seeing her today, I find she has grown even more beautiful."
The Empress Dowager took a moment to study Ji Qingwu. There was indeed something different about her. The Empress Dowager couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ’What a shame,’ she thought. ’For a woman like this to be unable to enter the palace... it’s the Ji Family’s loss.’
Ji Qingwu rose, offered a polite curtsy, and sat back down without a word. She had no desire to speak further.
Wei Liru looked as though she wanted to say more, but the Empress Dowager cut her off.
"Princess Consort Wei, have you heard about the recent happenings?"
Princess Consort Wei’s expression faltered for a moment before she asked in confusion, "To what matter does the Empress Dowager refer?"
’So much has happened recently,’ she thought. ’But it’s all been major business of the court—matters that women of the inner palace are forbidden to discuss freely.’
The Empress Dowager said, "To think that Princess Consort Wei doesn’t even concern herself with His Majesty’s affairs. Are you not being derelict in your duties?"
Wei Liru replied, "His Majesty is preoccupied with state affairs and the war in the Northern Land. Your servant is of humble ability and cannot be of much help, so I can only prepare some nourishing soups to send to him. It is my small way of contributing."
The Empress Dowager added, "I recall His Majesty has not visited your palace for quite some time. It’s not surprising you are unaware of recent events."
Wei Liru stroked the gold bracelet on her wrist. "The Empress Dowager must be joking. Just a few days ago, when my brother returned to court, His Majesty personally visited Guanju Palace and drank with us siblings."
The Empress Dowager had forgotten about that, and her expression soured.
In a forgotten corner, where no one was paying her any mind, Ji Qingwu silently picked up a golden crab-roe pastry and began to nibble on it.
