Ji Youran looked at the Emperor and the National Master’s gossiping gazes, feeling bitter.
He wanted to tell the truth, but Xiaosuisui was so young; he didn’t know if this would be a blessing or a curse for her.
If he didn’t tell the truth, he needed a good reason for being bandaged up like this, right?
As he pondered, he heard the Emperor speak.
"Youzhi has told me all about you being short of nine lives."
Ji Youran exclaimed, "How did he explain it? That damn kid! He must have told you all my embarrassing secrets!"
"Well, he didn’t say much, only that you’re short of nine lives. Whatever you do, it takes a Herculean effort to succeed. But for some reason, your marriage is exceptionally good. Ah! You succeeded on your first try."
If this man weren’t the current Emperor, I’d definitely give him a good beating! Ji Youran thought.
"AHEM... Your Majesty, don’t forget the matter at hand!" Ji Youran said, trying to steer the conversation.
The National Master looked on. Even though he couldn’t see Ji Youran’s face, wrapped as it was in white cloth strips, he could imagine how chagrined Ji Youran must be.
"Oh! Right! Let’s discuss the important matter." The Emperor continued, "Youzhi sent me an 800-li express message. I ask you, is what he said in his memorandum true?"
Upon hearing this question, Ji Youran thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, forgive me for being blunt, but if I recall correctly, my seventh younger brother has only been home for three days. He probably wrote the 800-li express message just yesterday, right? How did you manage to get here so quickly?"
The Emperor was taken aback and turned to look at the National Master.
The National Master tilted his head to look at the sky, feigning ignorance.
"AHEM! Actually... let me tell you the truth!" The Emperor confessed, "I actually left the Imperial Palace on the same day Youzhi left the capital and also headed south. I just didn’t expect that the place I came to would be the Ji Family’s reclusive home. It just so happened that I saw Youzhi at the post station, so I intercepted his memorandum."
The Emperor lied without batting an eye. Ji Youran, not possessing Ji Youyuan’s cunning, took the young Emperor’s words at face value and believed him.
"I see!" Ji Youran said, enlightened. "So... what Youzhi said in the memorandum..."
"I don’t know!" Ji Youran was quite honest. "What did he tell you in the memorandum?"
How familiar they seemed! It was as if he and the Emperor were actual brothers.
The National Master, unable to watch any longer, coughed again. "AHEM... Your Majesty, since Lord God Hunter is not here, why don’t you get a room and wait? You can discuss matters when he returns."
Ji Youran quickly agreed. "Right, you should go get a room first. Let’s wait for them to come back!"
The young Emperor and the National Master thus stayed there.
Wang Dongxue informed Old Lady Ji that the National Master had arrived, accompanied by a young man. Old Lady Ji didn’t think much of it; it was normal for the National Master to have an attendant.
"Keep a close eye on the little girl for the next few days. Don’t let the National Master see her." Thinking about the thunder from that morning—the kind that even changed direction—Old Lady Ji felt her frail heart couldn’t take it.
"Yes, Mother, I understand," Wang Dongxue responded. Glancing at the chessboard, she saw the little girl had secretly added an extra white piece. She swiftly removed it and then casually left.
The little girl’s face instantly turned red, feeling as if she’d been caught red-handed.
Old Lady Ji asked, "Do you know why your Aunt took it away?"
The little girl shook her head. "I don’t know!"
"There’s a saying: one’s conduct in chess reflects one’s character. If you can’t bear to lose a single game of chess, how much do you think you can achieve in life?"
The little girl furrowed her brow at this and asked in confusion, "But when I play with my Third Aunt, she does the same thing!"
That third daughter-in-law! Old Lady Ji fumed internally. Right now, I really want to be a harsh mother-in-law!
「Meanwhile」
Zhu Xiuxiu, who was marching with the Grand General and his troops, sneezed forcefully, feeling puzzled. I’ve always been in good health. Why would I suddenly sneeze?