CH 39

Chapter 39: As Long As You Don’t Have Any Ill Intentions, I’ll Definitely Protect You.

Qi Ci racked his brain for a long time, but in the end, he couldn’t guess. Bian Zhonghua waited for a while, but then he said: “At the bottom of the lake where the young Crown Prince drowned. It was the end of winter, and they were frozen alive at the bottom of that lake. When Spring arrived, the thick layer of ice on the lake melted, allowing the bodies to float on the surface, where they were found.”

Qi Ci suddenly felt an abominable chill and a numbing sensation on his scalp.

Bian Zhonghua took Qi Ci’s reaction into his eyes, thought ‘It’s quite fun to tease him’, and continued: “That same year, the late Emperor set up the Secret Servant division to exorcise evil spirits and keep demons away. That year, Empress Dowager Xianyi became pregnant with her third son, the current Crown Prince. The Crown Prince grew up safely and healthy until he turned 3. Then, something happened.”

Qi Ci: “Another accident?”

Bian Zhonghua nodded: “The day the accident happened was on the Crown Prince’s third birthday. Before the dinner, the Emperor played with the Crown Prince. After a while, the Crown Prince felt hungry, and because the Emperor was quite fond of his son, he picked up the flat peach that was originally served to him and fed it to the Crown Prince. Unexpectedly, the peach was poisoned! After some emergency treatment, the life of the Crown Prince was saved, but he became a waste man who couldn’t live without medicine.”

Qi Ci: “That was the peach served to the Emperor! How could it be poisoned?”

Bian Zhonghua laughed: “The only ones who could do something like this were the Emperor’s relatives. More importantly, that person should have an important part of the power in their hands, and may also be able to communicate with demons and ghosts.”

Qi Ci suddenly thought of something and almost shouted out loud: “Could it be…”

Bian Zhonghua gently shushed him, raised the corners of his mouth, and said: “Don’t blindly guess. But there’s one thing I do have to tell you. That same year, Qi Rulan, who was the personal maid of Empress Dowager Xianyi, and also your mother, became pregnant before the Crown Prince’s birthday. After the incident, she ran away from the Capital.”

Qi Ci’s eyes flashed, and the hand on his side slowly clenched into a fist.

Bian Zhonghua hadn’t finished speaking and continued to say in a low voice: “Later, the late Emperor wanted to abolish the Crown Prince because of his sickness. He tried several times to establish other Princes as the Crown Prince, but for various reasons, he never succeeded. Finally, the late Emperor suddenly caught an incurable disease. Surprisingly enough, Empress Dowager Xianyi was the one to take care of the late Emperor on his sickbed, leaving a good public image for her. Alright, I’m done with this story.”

Qi Ci grinned: “You tried to make me feel less nervous with this story, but now that you’ve finished, I’m feeling even more nervous than before.”

Bian Zhonghua laughed: “Don’t be nervous. Right now, there’s a knife reaching out for your head, but that knife is also withdrawing every time. As long as you don’t have any ill intentions, I’ll definitely protect you.”

“Mm-hmm.” Qi Ci nodded. He was so nervous that he kept taking deep breaths trying to calm down, so concentrated that he didn’t notice the tenderness in Bian Zhonghua’s tone.

After crossing the imposing white marble arch bridge, he arrived at the Inner City in the twinkle of an eye. Qi Ci got off the carriage and took a sedan chair into the Palace, with Bian Zhonghua following close behind. 

He was taken all the way to the Imperial Garden.

As soon as Qi Ci got out of the sedan chair, a palace maid came to greet him, gave Qi Ci a gift, and informed that no one other than Bian Zhonghua could follow him. Finally, she guided Qi Ci into the Imperial Garden.

Inside the garden, the fragrance of the Spring was present. Of the dew and the flowers under the sun. In front of a pond, there was a gorgeous woman with her hands folded in front of her, looking down at the fish fighting for food in the pond.

When she heard the sound of footsteps, she raised her head to look over. The glittering golden hairpin entwined on her silk-like hair shook a little with the sudden motion. Although she was graceful, the coldness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

The people around knelt down in unison, while Qi Ci stood frozen in place.

He had seen this woman before.

In that painting painted by his mother…

At that time, when Qi Ci was still young, he pointed at the painting and asked his mother: “Who’s this?”

His mother stared into the distance for a long time before she kindly smiled at Qi Ci, replying: “This is my Meimei1~”

However, because of her age, the woman in the painting looked younger than the Empress in front of him. Qi Ci was stunned at first, while a trace of uncertainty filled up his heart.

Suddenly, a light cough came from the side, and Qi Ci realized that he was the only one who hadn’t knelt down. In a panic, he knelt down, but someone came to stop him. When Qi Ci raised his head, he saw that Empress Dowager Xianyi was already in front of him.

“There’s no need,” Empress Dowager Xianyi said indifferently. “Raise your head and let me see your face.”

Qi Ci raised his head as soon as he heard her words.

After taking a closer look, Empress Dowager Xianyi said in a soft voice: “You look nothing like your mother.”

There was a trace of disappointment in the tone of her voice.

Qi Ci didn’t know what she meant by that but he didn’t dare to say any words.

Then, Empress Dowager Xianyi turned around and walked back to the pond. Her steps were very gentle, as if she were walking on thin ice.

The palace maid beside Qi Ci pushed him gently, winking an eye at him. Qi Ci reacted all of a sudden and walked to Empress Dowager Xianyi, standing by her side.

The cool breeze was blowing in the high mountain, gently flowing through the pavilion. Then, Empress Dowager Xianyi asked: “The kid who pretended to be you said to me that your mother died 7 years ago. Is that true?”

Qi Ci replied: “Yes, it’s true.”

Qi Ci’s reply was met with a moment of silence. After a long moment of silence, Qi Ci felt at a loss at what to say, but no one dared to speak in the pavilion, making the pavilion turn dead silent.

Finally, Empress Dowager Xianyi made a move. She picked up a tray with fish food from the hands of a maid and poured all the fish food into the pond.

The fish in the pond immediately gathered to compete for the food, while the white and red flowers intertwined between them, raising the sound of the water waves into the silence of the pavilion. Empress Dowager Xianyi was watching quietly at the fish, as if she was overlooking the noise, waiting for it to calm down.

As soon as the fish began to disperse, Empress Dowager Xianyi raised her head to ask Qi Ci: “If Rulan had been dead for such a long time, have you married yet?”

Overwhelmed by such a question, Qi Ci remained stunned for a whole second before he could reply: “No.”

Empress Dowager Xianyi asked again: “Then what’s your type? What kind of temperament do you like?”

“I, I don’t–” Since Qi Rulan died early, Qi Ci had never been asked about marriage. Qi Ci was caught off guard by Empress Dowager Xianyi’s unexpected question. Because he didn’t know how to reply, he ended up stammering an incomplete sentence.

Qi Ci didn’t know where to look for a while, but he subconsciously ended up peeking at Bian Zhonghua.

However, Qi Ci didn’t expect that Bian Zhonghua would also be looking at him.

When their eyes suddenly collided into each other, Bian Zhonghua abruptly averted his gaze, inclining his head to stare at the pond.

However, that momentary glance was enough to make Qi Ci’s mind go blank. By the time he came back to his senses, he heard Empress Dowager Xianyi ask: “Do you agree?”

‘Agree?’

‘Agree in what?’

‘What do I have to agree on?’

‘Agree on what!?’

Qi Ci’s mind was already a mess, and since his nervousness and confusion piled up in his heart, he couldn’t breathe right. He just wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible, so he simply blurted out: “Alright.”

There was a moment of silence in the pavilion again.

Empress Dowager Xianyi’s expression was slightly surprised, but she quickly relaxed and put on a smile. Then she proceeded to nod and say: “Alright then, it just so happens that the County Princess is also in the Palace today. Let Yunxiang take you to meet her. Yunxiang.”

A palace maid saluted and walked over. Then she bent down and saluted Qi Ci: “Your Majesty, follow me.”

“Alright.” Qi Ci nodded in a daze, bowed to Empress Dowager Xianyi, and followed behind the palace maid for a few steps. But he soon found that Bian Zhonghua wasn’t following him and quickly said to the palace maid: “My bodyguard isn’t following us.”

The palace maid covered her lips and smiled: “Your Majesty, at a time like this, it’s better for the bodyguard to not come.”

Sensing that something was wrong, Qi Ci stopped walking and asked tentatively: “Who is this County Princess, and why does Empress Dowager Xianyi want me to meet her?”

The palace maid laughed and said: “She’s the daughter of the current King of Bei’an County. Just now, didn’t Empress Dowager say that she could give you the County Princess’ hand in marriage? And you agreed to it too. Your Majesty, don’t worry, with the help of Empress Dowager, this matter will be settled in no time!”

QI CI YOU DUMB BISH ((((;゜Д゜))

Stop daydreaming about your crush and pay attention to your surroundings 

BZH must be shocked lmao