C9

Ji Yunkai had quite a few clothes, and she did not lack for jewelry either. Madam Ji, as the legitimate daughter of the richest man in the South, did not lack money and would not treat her in such a way that outsiders could see her being harshly dealt with.

Although Ji Yunkai was not good with dressing herself up, she still had the some idea of what to do. She picked out a dress that she felt was appropriate and changed into it. She then braided her long hair into two long braids and tied it up with a hairpin.

Truthfully, the black spots on her face were indeed very disgusting. One could see that it clearly grew from within her skin, and it made her face look like it had a large piece of snakeskin attached to it. It was not surprising at all that the Emperor nearly vomited when he first saw her face.

Ji Yunkai continued to rummage through the boxes, and took out an exquisite orchid mask from the bottom of one of the boxes. This mask was given to her by the original owner's master when she was fifteen years old. It was also the first birthday present the original owner had received in so many years.

The original owner was cherished it deeply, and was very reluctant to mess with it. She would only take it out occasionally to look it. However, this Ji Yunkai was different. Although she cherished this gift, she cared more about its practicality than its sentimentality.

This orchid mask was made of pure silver and was specially made for females. It was not used to hide their appearances, but to make them look even better. The mask was shaped like a blooming orchid. It did not conceal her entire face; it could only cover half of her face.

Not only that, the mask was also very thin, so the mask did not affect her face much at all. She did not have to worry about any discomfort.

The size was just right for Ji Yunkai. After adjusting the mask's string and looking in the mirror, she was satisfied.

After wearing the mask, her whole body lit up. The swelling on her left cheek was not as obvious as it was previously. She appeared much more beautiful than before.

The title of Revelation's number one beauty was not just for show. After covering the black spots on her face, the original owner was so beautiful that no one dared to look at her directly.

It was a pity that the black spots on her face were only covered up and could not be erased.

"I hope this trip goes well." Ji Yunkai muttered to herself in the mirror. She then turned and walked out of the room.

Her steps were firm, her spine was straight, and she did not hesitate in the slightest.

The door opened with a creak. Eunuch Li and the young eunuch who were guarding outside looked up when they heard the noise and were stunned.

Is... is this still the same Ji Yunkai with a ruined face? Why was she even more beautiful than before?

"We can go!" Ignoring the shock of the young eunuch, she only nodded indifferently.

Eunuch Li quickly reacted and said with a fake smile, "Miss Yunkai, why are you wearing a mask?" With this, the Emperor's plan to humiliate Ji Yunkai would probably not work.

"Covering the ugliness". Ji Yunkai said without hiding anything: "It's fine to be ugly, but it's not good to come out and scare people, you know." She cared about her appearance, but she also accepted her reality. If she could not accept the black spots on her face, who else would?

"In fact, Miss Yunkai doesn't need it. Miss Yunkai was the number one beauty of Revelation, how could she be ugly?" Eunuch Li laughed dryly, he wanted to step forward and remove the mask on Ji Yunkai's face; but he could not, and he dared not.

"Heh." Ji Yunkai laughed, her lower jaw slightly raised, and with a haughty expression she said: "Isn't the Emperor waiting for me in the palace? Let's go." Regardless of what she really felt in her heart, she put on a confident look on the surface.

"Miss Yunkai, please...." Eunuch Li's face twisted as if he had swallowed a fly.

Ji Yunkai did not look at him as she walked past him.

As soon as they walked out of the courtyard, they met the servants of the Ji Family. This time, they did not ignore her, and instead bowed to her along the way.

In the past, the original owner would always be angry at the indifferent attitude of the servants of the Ji Family. She would not give them any face in front of others and would be so arrogant toward them that she disregarded them, using this to vent the discontent in her heart. In the eyes of the people, these actions were that of an arrogant and conceited young miss of the Ji Family. One who had an eccentric temper, and whose fate was so good that the late emperor took a fancy to her and bestowed upon her a marriage to the then crown prince.

Now?

Even though Ji Yunkai knew that Madam Ji was deliberately tarnishing the original owner's reputation, she had no intention to compromise.

In any case, she, Ji Yunkai, was arrogant and conceited; what could those rumors do to her? She did not need to marry into another's household, and there was no need for those people to set up a matchmaker for her either.

As before, she did not bother with acknowledging the respect shown to her by the servants. Ji Yunkai arrogantly walked out of the Ji Manor and sat down in the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor did not make things difficult for Ji Yunkai; at least, on the surface, he did not make things difficult for her.

"Miss Yunkai, please wait a moment. The Emperor is currently accompanying the Grand Imperial Concubine, so he won't be able to come until later." The young eunuch politely served Ji Yunkai a cup of tea, then left her alone in the side hall.

It was easy to be nervous if one was alone and in a strange environment; Ji Yunkai was no exception.

However, her mentality was very strong. She calmed down very quickly and became completely immune to the quietness that surrounded her.

Time passed, second by second. Ji Yunkai did not know how long she had waited, but she only knew that she was drowsy. The Emperor had still yet to arrive.

During the middle of summer, it was really easy for her to get sleepy. Ji Yunkai thought about it once, and then decisively lied down on the table and slept.

Without enough sleep and energy, how could she have the wherewithal to deal with the emperor?

Unfortunately, she did not sleep for too long before she heard a sound coming from outside of the door. Ji Yunkai was instantly woken up and was now completely awake.

But, she did not want anyone to know she was so alert.

Before long, the sound of footsteps coming closer could be heard. In the next second, a stern voice suddenly shouted, "Audacious! You actually dare to sleep in front of His Majesty?!"

"Your Majesty?" Ji Yunkai pretended to be surprised and stood up, and then kneeled down and bowed to the Emperor.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" The Emperor did not ask Ji Yunkai to rise up, but instead walked past her and sat on the master's seat.

"This minister's daughter is afraid of scaring the Emperor." Ji Yunkai had no choice but to keep kneeling.

The Emperor was in his early twenties and has been on the throne for three years. He had great skills and was extremely capable in handling political affairs. However, he was young, so it was hard for him not to feel proud and arrogant.

Of course, there was no need to talk about his selfishness. Not only was he cold towards her, his savior, he was also merciless towards Prince Yanbei, who had risked their very life for him.

Both the black spots on her face and the unconscious state Prince Yanbei were all related to the Emperor.