Chu Yi and Chu Qi turned back to return to Hidden Dragon Palace once the show was over. As for Ji Linghui’s condition, they were not bothered with it at all.
Lu Tingchen caught up to them and asked, “Has His Majesty gone to bed?”
Chu Qi glanced at him and replied nonchalantly, “Yup.”
Lu Tingchen had long been used to his attitude and did not take it to heart. However, he was a little puzzled. “His Majesty seems to be going to bed earlier than usual recently.”
Chu Yi placed a hand on Lu Tingchen’s shoulder. “That is because His Majesty is about to be married. He has been taking particular care about his health and has even stopped going through Palace Memorials.”
He sounded a little envious when he said this, wondering when he would have the chance to marry a beautiful wife for himself.
Lu Tingchen’s lips twitched at Chu Yi’s envious tone. “Do you really want to have a wife that much?”
Chu Yi rubbed his chin and bumped his shoulder against Lu Tingchen’s, giving a slightly obscene smile. “Well, don’t you?”
Lu Tingchen grunted coolly. “What’s so great about marrying a wife?”
Chu Yi replied seriously, “Just take a look at His Majesty and you will understand how great it is to have a wife. His Majesty also used to reject that thought, but now…”
Lu Tingchen brushed off the arm Chu Yi had placed on his shoulders. “Chu Yi, how dare you slander His Majesty behind his back?”
Chu Yi gave a jump and was momentarily stunned. “What’s the matter? Are you planning to tattletale?”
Lu Tingchen could not be bothered with Chu Yi and turned to ask Chu Qi instead, “Prudence Consort was nearly abducted. Should we report this to His Majesty?”
Chu Qi was distant as usual. “Master has always been a light sleeper. Do you think you need to disturb him with such a minor issue?”
Lu Tingchen nodded and gave him a fist and palm salute. “Thank you for the advice.”
It was indeed a small matter for His Majesty. His Majesty had never cared if Prudence Consort was alive or dead, and if it was not for Lu Tingchen being on duty tonight, he would not have bothered to stop the woman in black.
Once Weiwei married into the Palace, all those women in the imperial harem would be Weiwei’s enemy. One less person would make one less enemy.
Unfortunately, he was on duty tonight and it was not a good idea to let a crook abduct someone under his watch.
At the thought of this, he could not help but feel disgruntled. That woman in black did not know how to pick a good timing. She should have waited until he was not on night duty to conduct the abduction.
Moreover, why did she decide to abduct Prudence Consort? She could have just killed Prudence Consort. That would have been direct and more convenient.
The three of them did not discuss Prudence Consort any longer and were all in agreement to not disturb Long Yang.
…
Ji Lingxiu entered the Palace to visit her older sister when she heard Ji Linghui was unwell.
Her heart tightened at the sight of her frail and sick-looking sister lying on the bed.
As their mother had died young, her older sister had taken up the role of mother when they were little. Ji Linghui treated both her and Ji Xiu very nicely and her sister was very important to her.
Her heart ached greatly when she saw her sister’s face covered in bruises. She took the bowl of medicine from Xiao Xia’s hands and sat at the side of the bed, personally feeding Ji Linghui her medicine.
“Big Sis, drink this medicine to get well faster,” she gently cajoled.
Ji Linghui had a deadened aura about her. It was not just the physical pain, it was caused mostly by psychological scarring.
She had been abducted by an assassin and received such grievous injuries, yet His Majesty did not say a word. This caused her to be extremely disappointed and heartbroken.
Why? Why did His Majesty’s gaze always refuse to fall on her?
She had been wounded to such an extent…
Ji Lingxiu fed the medicine to her sister’s mouth, who swallowed it without much notice.
Ji Lingxiu was angry and frustrated when she saw this. After she was done feeding Ji Linghui the medicine, she said furiously, “Who would be so bold as to barge into the Palace at night to abduct Big Sis? Are all the palace guards here dead?”
Xiao Xia said in a quiet voice at the side, “Heir Presumptive Lu was on duty last night. Prudence Consort was saved by him.”
Ji Lingxiu paused when she heard this, but she continued on stubbornly, “They were the ones who were being incompetent. Otherwise, Big Sis wouldn’t have suffered such pain.”