Suddenly, a crisp sound came from next door, like something had been shattered, followed by Yuge’er’s cries.
Ji Yan closed the lid of the brocade box and strode towards the neighboring room.
Sun Yinlan was gently rocking Yuge’er, trying to soothe him.
“What happened?” Ji Yan glanced at the broken bowl and asked.
“I’m not sure how it got broken…” Sun Yinlan softly patted Yuge’er. Yuge’er was a very well-behaved child, not usually noisy unless startled awake from sleep. After a while, Sun Yinlan managed to calm him, and he went back to sleep.
Ji Yan sat by the bed and carefully touched Yuge’er’s small, curled-up hand. He looked at Yuge’er’s expression and released his hand after just one touch, worried about waking him up. Ji Yan’s gaze was tender as he watched Yuge’er.
Sun Yinlan placed Yuge’er further inside the bed and carefully tucked him in. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Your Highness, is everything planned for tomorrow?”
Ji Yan nodded. “Rest assured. With the support of the Right Chancellor, Prince Linsi, and Prince Guangxian, success is almost certain.”
Sun Yinlan frowned and hesitantly asked, “Are the Right Chancellor and the two princes sincerely helping Your Highness? Is there any possibility of betrayal?”
“Don’t worry.”
Sun Yinlan slowly shook her head. She raised her hand, clutching Ji Yan’s sleeve, her gaze filled with worry.
“My heart has been racing these past few days, I’m always worried…” Sun Yinlan hesitated. She felt that talking about her ominous dreams might annoy Ji Yan and dampen his spirits, so she chose not to say more.
Ji Yan patted her hand and said, “The carriage is already prepared. Tomorrow morning, you will take Yuge’er and leave Anjing first.”
Sun Yinlan felt even more anxious after hearing this.
“It’s just a precaution. Wait for me to come and get you and our son.” Ji Yan placed Sun Yinlan’s hand in his own and gently patted it. After a moment of contemplation, he added, “Yinlan, our meeting was unusual, and the reasons binding us together are awkward. But over this past year, through thick and thin, we’ve been through a lot together, and you’ve endured much hardship with me. If we fail this time, it’s just that our fate as a couple is shallow. I won’t ask you to wait for me, just take care of yourself. If we succeed, I will never abandon you, and I will make sure you never have to endure hardship again.”
Sun Yinlan’s eyes reddened. She smiled and said, “With Your Highness’s words, I don’t feel any hardship. I wish Your Highness success, and Yuge’er and I will wait for you to come for us.”
Although Sun Yinlan had no feelings for Ji Yan, they had been through a lot together. At that moment, Sun Yinlan decided that once the matter was settled, she would try to put her heart into being with Ji Yan and attempt to be a true couple with him.
As Ji Yan got up to leave, Sun Yinlan suddenly grabbed his hand.
Ji Yan stood by the bed and turned to look at her.
Suppressing her unease, Sun Yinlan smiled at him and said, “No matter what happens tomorrow, Your Highness must first ensure your safety and come back intact. Even if there are mishaps, the world can be fought for again, but life is only once. Yuge’er and I…”
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine tomorrow.” Ji Yan interrupted her. “You stay with Yuge’er and rest. I’m going to have a drink with Xuanke.”
Sun Yinlan reluctantly nodded, knowing he didn’t want to hear more.
It was New Year’s Eve, yet Ji Xuanke had not gone home. He sat alone in the side hall, drinking. He had already consumed several pots of wine. Holding the wine cup, he stared at it in a daze.
“Xuanke, are you really not going home to spend New Year’s Eve with your family?” Ji Yan sat down at the table.
Ji Xuanke gathered his thoughts, set down the wine cup, and pressed his fingers against his temple, looking tired. “No, I’m not going back.”
Ji Yan poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp.
“Xuanke, it’s not like there’s a deep-seated hatred. You don’t need to be like this. At that time, your family was simply following the imperial decree. Though your family is part of the royal lineage, after several generations, they are not in a good position and couldn’t dare to disobey orders. I know you blame them for promising to help you maneuver but instead, they sent you away. They just didn’t want you caught in the middle.”
Ji Xuanke sighed and said, “I was indeed angry when I first found out. But after what I’ve been through this past year, I understand that I can’t blame anyone else. It’s my own lack of power and capability that prevented me from protecting her.”
He smiled, his eyes slightly moist.
Ji Yan patted his shoulder and said, “Go home and take a look. Come back early tomorrow morning. After tomorrow, you will no longer be powerless, and you will be able to protect the woman you love.”
Ji Xuanke gave a bitter smile.
What good is power now? The woman he loved had long gone, no longer needing his protection. He drank another cup of strong wine, but it couldn’t wash away the bitterness in his heart.
Following Ji Yan’s advice, Ji Xuanke went home. The entire Ji household was overjoyed, and his mother’s eyes were wet with tears of both joy and sorrow.
Amid the midnight firecrackers, Ji Xuanke stood alone under a tree, away from the crowd, repeatedly rubbing a jade clasp between his fingers, recalling their meeting under the willow tree.
The jade clasp suddenly slipped from his fingers, falling onto the stone path and shattering.
Ji Xuanke froze in place, slowly squatting down after a long moment. He reached out, his fingers trembling, not daring to pick it up.
Early the next morning, Ji Pinglian got up and stood in the veranda of Ji Jie’s courtyard, waiting.
“Pinglian!” Ji Jie came out of the room, striding toward Ji Pinglian. “It’s freezing cold, why are you standing here so early?”
Ji Pinglian curtsied, her eyes smiling, and said, “I’m here to congratulate my brother and wish you smooth sailing today.”
Ji Jie looked Pinglian up and down, smiling. “Let me congratulate you too.”
“What joy is there for me? Brother, you must be joking!”
Ji Jie lowered his voice. “My dear sister is of marriageable age. With our father’s great merit, after today’s success, you will be highly regarded. You can choose any good man you like! At the state banquet, take a look around and pick whoever catches your eye.”
Pinglian blushed and scolded, “Brother, what nonsense are you talking about!”
Ji Jie laughed heartily. Under Pinglian’s reproachful gaze, he became more serious and said, “I’m not joking. A grown daughter can’t stay home forever; it’s time for you to marry.”
“I’m not listening to your nonsense!” Pinglian, both shy and annoyed, gave her brother a push and ran off, lifting her skirt. Back in her room, she couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s making you so happy, sister?” asked Pingjuan.
Pinglian didn’t explain, but with a face full of joy, she said, “Dear sister, help me pick out a palace gown for today’s banquet.”
Although the banquet was in the evening, the palace had been bustling since early morning. After noon, civil and military officials, along with members of the royal family and nobility, started arriving and taking their seats.
Ji Lan stood on high ground, overlooking the entire palace. He had received a message brought by a fast horse from the post station, informing him that Batur was heading to the Western Territories with Gu Jingyuan. The implications were clear. The attempt to hunt down Xiangxi Gong’s group had failed, and they hadn’t been able to eliminate Wen Jingshan and her son. Ji Yan was hiding in the shadows, unsure of how many malicious individuals were mixed in with the lively crowd of officials today.
Ji Lan patted the railing, a gentle smile on his face.
Now that the day had finally arrived, he felt unexpectedly calm. After all, he had gone through many struggles to reach this point and had nothing left to fear.
“Your Majesty, Prince Linsi and Prince Guangxian have arrived,” a young eunuch quietly reported.
Ji Lan collected his thoughts and turned to walk down.
Ji Yan, disguised and ready, planned to blend into the palace as a servant of the Right Chancellor Long Qiming.
He was riding a soft sedan chair, taking a secluded path towards the Right Chancellor’s residence. When he passed through an empty alley, the sedan chair was stopped.
“What’s happening?” Ji Yan warily lifted the curtain, but his face immediately broke into a smile upon seeing Ji Wujing. He stepped out of the sedan chair and hurried to Ji Wujing.
“Ji Wujing! You actually made it! That’s wonderful. Ji Lan ordered the Imperial Guards to search the mountains for your whereabouts. I’ve been worried for a long time, but I truly couldn’t help you. Seeing you safe and sound now, my heart is greatly relieved!”
Ji Wujing chuckled. “Just lucky.”
Ji Yan then noticed that Ji Wujing seemed like a different person. The afternoon sunlight scattered across his face, giving his features a translucent quality. He was still the same person, but something was different.
Ji Wujing turned his head slightly, pressing his right hand, clenched into a loose fist, against his lips and coughing lightly.
Ji Yan snapped back to reality and asked, “Why did the Emperor suddenly turn against you? Is it to seize your wife or did he find out about our plan?”
Ji Wujing feigned ignorance. “It happened so suddenly, I’m not entirely sure.”
Ji Yan frowned. “Ji Lan is not someone who acts on impulse. Although he has feelings for your wife, it doesn’t seem like he would kidnap her at such a critical time. It must be that he found out you chose to help me.”
“That’s likely it.” Ji Wujing’s tone was hesitant. “Maybe Ji Jingyi discovered something and informed Ji Lan, prompting him to take drastic action.”
“Let’s not dwell on that now. It’s good that you’re safe! Come, let’s head to the Right Chancellor’s residence together. With the help of Xuanjing Sect today, we can’t fail! By the way, you mentioned before that Chen He can testify about Ji Lan’s alteration of the imperial edict…”
Ji Wujing responded, “He can testify, but it’s useless to speak to others. Once we sneak into the palace, I will personally go to the Western Depot.”
Hearing this, Ji Yan felt elated. However, he glanced at Ji Wujing, his eyes lingering for a moment on Ji Wujing’s height. A question arose in his mind. Could someone as tall as Ji Wujing really disguise himself as a guard without being noticed?
“We should get going,” Ji Wujing reminded him.
Ji Yan snapped out of his thoughts, surprised by his own ridiculous idea, and invited Ji Wujing into the sedan chair as they headed to the Right Chancellor’s residence. His mood was clearer now, as if he were already the ruler of a prosperous land.
Ji Yan said, “The poison in your body has accumulated for a long time, and you’ve caught a cold in the snowy mountains. Doctor Luo is known for studying poisons, not antidotes. It’s unfortunate that he created this deadly poison, the Heart-Eating Powder, without an antidote. But I’ve already asked him to research a cure. I believe it won’t be long before he finds one.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness,” Ji Wujing replied. A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Who says that the antidote can only be developed by the person who created the poison? Someone skilled in making poison may not necessarily be skilled in the art of healing. Ji Wujing never intended to get the antidote from Poison Doctor Luo.
Borrowing Poison Doctor Luo from Ji Yan back then and using the pretext of putting on a show for Ji Jingyi, the fake spy, was merely to gain Ji Yan’s trust.