Chapter 104 (1/2)

Chapter 104: Wary

Wan'er jerked back and shook her head, her face flushed. She couldn't think of anything to say, so instead, she darted her eyes away without a word. The smell of ink lingered in the air even after Zhang Yuan had stepped away.

Silence followed. Looking around, Zhang Yuan didn't see Jun Huang or the other. Perhaps they have left to attend to something important, he thought. He turned back to Wan'er and cleared his throat. ”If the lady isn't going anywhere else, may this gentleman accompany you on a walk in the back garden? Earlier I heard that the peach trees in the temple have bloomed. If you are free, maybe we can enjoy the view together.”

Zhang Yuan's words were polite, and his tone was gentle. It made it easy for her to accept his offer.

Wan'er nodded and lowered her eyes. ”If the gentleman is willing, this woman is glad to oblige.”

They walked along the quaint path. Pink peach blossoms falling down from the sky. It felt as if they were walking into the land of the celestials.

Wan'er rarely left the palace. She didn't know that at the back of the temple was a hidden scene of beauty that could rival the scenery in the palace. She watched with her mouth agape.

Zhang Yuan tilted his head to look at Wan'er. There was a small smile on his face. He s.h.i.+elded her from the pa.s.sing visitors as they followed along the path.

A few petals landed on her head. They complimented her beautiful face like plum blossoms on white snow. A mellow fragrance filled the air. Zhang Yuan reached out to take the petals off her hair. Wan'er flinched reflexively and turned around, her eyes meeting Zhang Yuan's. Zhang Yuan was the one who turned away first.

He seems like an honorable gentleman, Wan'er thought. Not as stunningly handsome as Feng Baiyu is, but still good looking enough to leave a strong impression. If Feng Baiyu truly will never fall for me, perhaps this man would be a better choice.

Jun Huang and Nan Xun saw Qi Yun back to the Court of Judicial Review. Afterwards, they left for Qi Chen's manor under the setting sun.

To fill the silence, Jun Huang asked, ”Do you know what happened to the prefect of Yangzhou?”

Nan Xun guided her to walk on the inside of the street. It had been pouring the night before. There were puddles everywhere on the ground. He didn't want Jun Huang's robe to get dirty if a coach pa.s.sed by and brought up a splash of water. ”What else could his fate be? He is a criminal who cannot be redeemed. It's said that birds of a feather flock together. None of his family members are innocent, either. They were exiled to the border along with the prefect. However, the woman he forcibly married has commited suicide. The reason is still unknown.”

Jun Huang turned to Nan Xun. He stopped to look back at her. ”The emperor was the one who was in charge,” he said with a sigh. ”Even though I was helping the Court of Judicial Review investigate, some decisions were out of my hands. You don't have to look at me like that.”

Jun Huang cleared her throat and looked away. A ray of sunlight shone through from the horizon before the sun vanished, covering the entire city in a warm orange glow. After winter came the spring, but the weather could still turn chilly from time to time. Even though it was April, Jun Huang still felt a little cold. She hugged her arms before her chest.

After a moment of silence, Nan Xun said, ”I'm afraid you will have to do some work with Qi Chen to maintain his trust.”

It didn't take long for Jun Huang to catch his drift. They had taken out quite a lot of Qi Chen's people the past couple of days. Qi Chen was now hypervigilant. It was a good thing that Jun Huang had ordered people to feed Qi Chen information that would mislead him. Otherwise a man as mistrustful as Qi Chen would have guessed she was the one who had been undermining him in no time.

She put away her foldable fan. They were getting close to Prince Chen Manor. Jun Huang turned to Nan Xun. ”Let us part way here. I will go talk to Qi Chen. You and Qi Yun must be careful in the imperial court as well. Don't let Qi Chen grow suspicious of you.”

”Of course. There's no need for you to worry.”

Jun Huang nodded. Without another word, she walked towards the manor. Nan Xun watched her go until she disappeared from his sight. He turned away and returned to his manor.

The pageboy watching the door went up to Jun Huang with a sickly smile. ”What has the gentleman come here for?”

”It's a simple visit,” said Jun Huang. Inside, she was scoffing. These greedy men acted friendly to her only because she was favored by Qi Chen. Otherwise, what came out of their mouths would have been harsh insults rather than pleasant greetings.

With privileges granted by Qi Chen, Jun Huang was allowed to enter the manor without asking for permission. She didn't want to waste her time on the pageboy, so she walked straight inside. Her robe brought up some dust from the ground. The foldable fan in her hand emitted the smell of sandalwood.

Upon Jun Huang's arrival, one of the servants had gone to notify Qi Chen. Qi Chen had been sitting in the pavilion feeding koi fish in boredom. Hearing about Jun Huang's arrival, he ordered someone to walk her in. He sat with his back straight and dropped the remaining fish feed into the pond. The koi fish fought for the pellets with gusto.

Jun Huang followed the servant to the pavilion, her lips curved into a faint smile. She cupped her hands respectfully at Qi Chen. ”This gentleman is pleased to meet Your Royal Highness.”

Qi Chen gestured for Jun Huang to take the seat next to him. He pointed at the koi fish. ”Can you see what's special about them?”