TFSRITA Chapter 51

With a sharp whoosh, the sound of wind slicing through the air echoed.

The woman before him suddenly narrowed her eyes, and her long right leg shot up unexpectedly, delivering a powerful kick toward him.

Ji Yechen bent down to dodge, reaching out to grab her arms.

Yan Qing did not dodge or evade; instead, she relaxed her weak and limp arms.

“Are you crazy?!” Ji Yechen exclaimed softly, treating her arms like hot potatoes. She wanted to shake them off but hesitated to do so, afraid to grip them tightly. His body stiffened in place.

At that moment, Yan Qing’s legs struck again.

“Ugh!” Ji Yechen was kicked in the chest and staggered back two steps while letting out a muffled groan, his grip loosening.

He ignored the obvious footprint on his chest and quickly glanced at Yan Qing. Seeing her expression was normal, he felt relieved. But then he realized what she had done and gritted his teeth, growling, “Woman, do you really want to disable these hands?!”

Yan Qing pursed her lips and stepped forward two paces.

The elegant palace dress she wore did not hinder her movements; without her arms, she still had her legs. With even greater force, she delivered a sidekick, her skirt blooming like petals, beautiful yet unnoticed by anyone. Though her movements lacked intent to kill, they were still merciless. Zhu Ying and Granny Qian were taken aback, especially Granny Qian, who nearly rushed in to intervene but was held back by Zhu Ying.

Ji Yechen, mindful of her physical condition, could only keep dodging. However, while trying to evade, he ended up getting hit several times. Finally, he crouched to dodge another strike, maneuvered behind her, and struck a pressure point on her leg. As Yan Qing’s body softened, he automatically stepped in to catch her, but as she fell, he flipped her over and pinned her down firmly.

“Are you done making a scene?!” he shouted, his frustration evident, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.

Ji Yechen’s martial arts skills far surpassed Yan Qing’s; she was merely a beginner. Had he not been concerned about her wellbeing, he would have subdued her long ago.

Having gained the upper hand, Yan Qing ceased her ruckus and looked at the footprint on his face, recalling the scene when she first arrived in this world. Though some things had changed, she instinctively smiled, her face slightly flushed from exertion. That smile was like a blooming peach blossom, capturing the hearts of those who beheld it.

Unbeknownst to her, after that smile, she stubbornly declared, “I want to leave the palace.”

Her smile was like the bloom of peach flowers, and before Ji Yechen could immerse himself in the moment, her hoarse voice snapped him back to reality. A pang of sadness struck him, and much of his anger dissipated. Grinding his teeth, he retorted, “You think I won’t do anything to you because you know I can’t? That’s why you’re acting out!”

It wasn’t just Yan Qing who had lingering shadows over that matter; Ji Yechen felt the same, especially when she spoke. In comparison to the pleasant memories of her voice, hearing her now made his heart ache, forcing him to calm down quickly.

Yan Qing blinked, a glimmer of pride flashing across her doll-sized face—this was one of her more animated expressions lately. Yes, once she realized the system had deemed her task impossible, she understood that no matter how much she stirred trouble, Ji Yechen would not kill her. With that in mind, she decided to escalate her antics!

The more ruckus she created, the better, hoping to make Ji Yechen disdain her, expel her from the palace, or at least allow her the freedom to do as she pleased. That way, she could conspire with Song Yu to usurp his throne.

Seeing the playful expression on her face, Ji Yechen’s remaining anger faded, and he prepared to rise.

When Yan Qing noticed his concession, she assumed he had compromised and felt a hint of joy in her eyes.

But the next moment, Ji Yechen suddenly bowed his head again.

Feeling a pain in her neck, she immediately kicked out.

“Ugh!” Ji Yechen groaned again, his body trembling slightly, yet he refused to let go.

Yan Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief, pushing harder with her legs, but he remained unyielding.

Only when he was satisfied did he quickly rise, stepping back slightly with a wicked smile, his voice low and raspy: “Your request is approved.”

“Bang—” A shoe flew toward him.

Ji Yechen caught it effortlessly and tossed it back but didn’t say anything more, swiftly turning to leave while Yan Qing hadn’t even gotten back up from the ground.

The farce between the two concluded, and with the emperor’s departure, Granny Qian and the stunned Zhu Ying helped Yan Qing up.

Now it was Yan Qing’s turn to have a dark expression.

Although she had kicked him several times, causing him some pain, she was still furious.

She raised her hand to cover her neck, where it throbbed painfully from the bite. Yet, as time passed, she felt a coolness spreading.

Yan Qing’s face burned, and as she walked out, she dared not release her grip.

It was only when Zhu Ying produced a handkerchief to tie around her neck that she felt some relief.

Meanwhile, Ji Yechen, who had left early, returned after they had gone, gritting his teeth and holding his waist.

That damned woman!

Did she intend to ruin his waist?!

If something happened to his waist, wouldn’t he be stuck in a loveless marriage in the future?

“Your Majesty,” Jiang Wende immediately noticed something was off and quickly called for the imperial physician.

With someone else present, Ji Yechen quickly composed himself, but the haze in his eyes remained.

The old physician arrived, squinting as he assessed the situation. Despite Ji Yechen sitting up straight, his gaze revealed something different. He softly said, “Your Majesty, I need to take off your outer garments to examine you properly.”

Ji Yechen’s expression tightened. Even though his waist genuinely hurt, he showed no signs of it. With Jiang Wende’s help, he undid his outer garments.

Once they were off, a pale waist was revealed, marked with several purple bruises, all concentrated in roughly the same area. Due to the varying intensity of the impact, they looked suspiciously like shoe prints.

Jiang Wende was taken aback, secretly astonished. Who would dare to hit the emperor like this without a single word of protest?

He observed closely, realizing it wasn’t silence but rather the emperor’s expression that revealed he seemed to have enjoyed it.