TFSRITA Chapter 87

Ji Yechen lazily sat on the dragon throne, watching Jiang Wende handle everything. All he needed to do was lazily announce the judgment at the end.

“Just follow the law,” Ji Yechen said, a cold gleam flashing in his peach-blossom eyes. He then picked up his wine cup and slowly sipped his drink.

That one light remark sealed the fate of the Xu family and their nine generations.

However, it wasn’t immediate. The officials who conspired with them hadn’t yet shown themselves, so the trial needed to be postponed for further investigation.

As time passed, everyone became more settled. Eventually, Prime Minister Yan could no longer hold back. He called Yan Qing out, immediately concerned about the matter. He feared she might not be aware of the happenings in the palace and gave her a list of instructions. Finally, he asked, “Your throat hasn’t recovered yet? Is it due to a lack of proper herbs? What kind of illness is it?”

Yan Qing had just been answering when she suddenly fell silent, muttering, “I don’t know. The Imperial Physician is still trying to figure it out. Don’t worry.”

Prime Minister Yan frowned. “How can I not worry? If your throat doesn’t heal, you’ll be uncomfortable, too. Sigh, I’ll go ask the Imperial Physician again tomorrow.”

Yan Qing hesitated, looking at his retreating. Fortunately, Ji Yechen must have warned him.

After this interruption, the banquet proceeded smoothly.

Eventually, when it was about time, Ji Yechen, not wanting to stay any longer, left his seat early. The others followed suit, getting up one after another.

Yan Qing, who could no longer hold herself back, lifted her skirt and hurried after Ji Yechen.

…

The first time Yan Qing called out to him, Ji Yechen, who had been slightly drunk, immediately sobered up. With his hands behind his back, he cleared his throat, raised his chin slightly, and asked, in a deep voice, “Do you need something?”

Yan Qing nodded and took two steps forward. Her exquisite face met his. In the light, her sparkling eyes met Ji Yechen’s peach blossom eyes. She habitually instructed, “Forget about the extermination of the Xu family’s nine generations. A person should bear their responsibility. Even if her family is implicated, they shouldn’t have to die.”

Ji Yechen understood that she didn’t want to involve the innocent. If it were about something else, he would have agreed, but since they wanted to kill Yan Qing, it had to be punished severely. If it were truly about a person bearing their punishment, then in the future, killing someone wouldn’t have to worry about implicating their family. Yan Qing, who had already been a thorn in the eyes of many, would likely face more assassination attempts. Sometimes, making an example out of someone was necessary. Moreover, Ji Yechen was already angry upon learning of the plot, so he said directly, “No.”

Yan Qing frowned. “Why not?”

Ji Yechen shared his reasoning, but as he spoke, his injured mouth tore open again, causing him to wince. His facial expressions were so intense that they aggravated the other wounds on his face.

It was hard for him to get the words out, and he broke into a sweat.

“…What you’re saying is right,” Yan Qing understood, but as a modern person, she still couldn’t accept it. She said, “Anyway, I’m in the palace, and no one can lay a hand on me. If I hadn’t attended the banquet, they wouldn’t have had the chance.”

Seeing that his face still looked bad, Yan Qing’s voice grew more forceful. “If you don’t agree, then don’t see me again! I won’t go to your Tai Chi Hall either!”

Ji Yechen felt a stab of frustration as he was met with her cold gaze and her threat. It felt like his good intentions had been thrown to the dogs. He growled lowly, “I’m doing this for your good!”

Yan Qing was about to nod when she saw the disappointment and anger in his peach-blossom eyes. Her gaze flashed, and the words she had been about to say changed. She scoffed, “For my good? It’s all your fault! If it weren’t for all the women in your harem, none of this would have happened. If it weren’t for you not letting me leave the palace, how would anyone have conspired with her to poison me? It’s all because of you! For my good? Ridiculous!”

Ji Yechen’s face turned pale from her sharp words. His chest tightened with discomfort, and all he could see was her aggressive expression. He gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his anger rising as he coldly said, “You never see what I do for you! Who told you to only care about Song Yu? Am I right?”

“Yes!” Yan Qing nodded without hesitation, her stubborn little face expressing her disdain. “I’ve always liked him! Didn’t you know? No, you did know. If I wasn’t someone he liked, you wouldn’t have let me into the palace, right?”

Ji Yechen’s throat tightened, and she pushed him back with her harsh words.

His original intentions were not pure, but later, he immediately changed his plans, no longer seeing her as a pawn.

His heart was full of bitterness, and his large hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging, as he stared at her face, wishing he could strangle her like he had intended in the beginning, so she would never say such repulsive things again.

But he couldn’t do that anymore. Anything that would harm her, his instincts stopped him from doing.

Yan Qing had intended to continue, but when she saw the expression on Ji Yechen’s face, her eyes softened. His once heroic and handsome face was now bruised, and his beautiful peach blossom eyes no longer held any allure. His usually cold eyes seemed to have a layer of moisture in them, his thin lips pressed tight. Despite looking down at her, he exuded a fragile feeling, as if with a single push, he would shatter like glass.

She couldn’t bear to criticize him any longer. With a cold snort, she said, “Don’t compare yourself if you can’t.”

Yan Qing turned and left.

Behind her, Ji Yechen’s momentary vulnerability slowly transformed into a sinister smile. He muttered, “Is that so? I don’t believe it!”

With the last word, Ji Yechen closed his eyes, his expression disappearing, and turned around with a chilling aura.

Jiang Wende, whose heart had been racing, finally calmed down. His nose felt a little sour as he thought, The emperor is so pitiful. Despite doing so much for the empress, he never says a word about it.

The empress can calmly review the memorials and issue various decrees because of the emperor!

There were so many things…

Jiang Wende felt like he couldn’t count them all.

Just then, a scream of sheer panic and horror echoed, the raspy voice freezing Ji Yechen’s steps. The next moment, he turned toward Yan Qing’s direction.