Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Judge by Heart, Not by Deed? The Melting of Jade Snow

The delicate kisses made her fingers curl uncontrollably.

Ji Qingwu’s palms had started to sweat. It was a wonder he didn’t seem to mind, but she couldn’t stand it. She shyly pulled her hand away.

Emperor Wu Su’s gaze shifted to the incense burner, smoke curling from its top. He had no qualms about revealing the details of major court affairs to her.

"Yan Zongrang was targeted because he found the list of officials involved in the disaster relief embezzlement case. Ah Wu, why don’t you guess who on that list was the most corrupt?"

Ji Qingwu’s mind worked fast. She lowered her eyes for a moment, and when she looked up again, she had the answer.

"It’s Mr. Tao."

Tao Wanxin’s father.

She had heard that the Emperor had demoted more than twenty local officials in connection with the corruption case involving the flood relief silver taels. But they were all just small fry at the bottom of the food chain. The big fish truly muddying the waters had yet to be reeled in.

Who would have thought that this "big fish" was a high-ranking minister of the court, right under the Emperor’s nose?

But to move against an old minister with such deep roots, one needed ironclad evidence. Knowing Emperor Wu Su’s personality—that he wouldn’t strike unless he could pull everything out by the roots—she was sure the Tao family would be utterly destroyed soon.

Although Tao Wanxin was already married, she was unfavored in the Prince’s Mansion and had no children. She would likely be implicated as well. Becoming pregnant with a child of the Imperial Family was the best way to protect her. Prince Yong had certainly gone to great lengths.

Ji Qingwu asked, "Since Prince Yong knew the Tao family was doomed, why would he risk defying Your Majesty by doing something so irrational?"

’So many things don’t add up,’ she thought. ’Prince Yong ordered Ji Changyan to assassinate Imperial Censor Yan, which was like walking right into a trap. And he insisted on taking the medicine I prescribed, even though he knew it was dangerous.’

Emperor Wu Su chuckled. "Ah Wu, you understand everything so clearly, but when it comes to matters of the heart, you are terribly slow."

He sighed softly, as if speaking from experience. "When love takes hold, anyone can fall into its trap. Even the most clever and astute person can be mesmerized by it, lose all reason, and do the most foolish things."

Hearing him call her slow, Ji Qingwu just stared at him, speechless.

But she couldn’t accept it, not when it came to Prince Yong.

She mumbled, "Prince Yong, in love? That’s more than love; it’s practically promiscuity." The Prince Yong’s Mansion was nearly overflowing with concubines, and every courtesan in the brothels and pleasure houses knew Prince Yong’s name.

Emperor Wu Su recalled some old memories and said slowly, "Sometimes, you can’t just look at the surface. Before he was married, Ming Hong wasn’t so indulgent. You could even say he was devoted. Mrs. Tao is two years older than him. The Tao family had intended to marry their second daughter, who was closer to his age, to him. It was he who knelt before me and personally begged for this marriage."

’Prince Yong begged for this marriage? But he doesn’t seem to cherish it at all...’

Ji Qingwu still remembered the first time she saw Tao Wanxin. Her face was pale, and it was obvious at a glance that her life in the Prince’s Mansion was difficult.

But for the Emperor to describe him as "devoted," it must have been true once. Yet, whenever Ji Qingwu recalled Prince Yong’s wicked gaze, she felt a sense of unease. She simply couldn’t imagine him as an innocent, lovesick youth.

’I wonder what happened between them to create such a situation.’

Ji Qingwu thought for a moment, then said, "They say a gentleman is judged by his actions, not his heart. With Prince Yong, it’s the other way around." ’Even if a man has someone in his heart, it doesn’t stop him from indulging in debauchery.’

Seeing the unconcealed indignation on her face, he noted that even though Mrs. Tao had falsely accused her before the Empress Dowager, she still felt a sense of injustice on the woman’s behalf.

Emperor Wu Su nodded and smiled. "A good summary."

Now that Ji Qingwu understood the whole story, her heart began to pound uncontrollably as she met his intense gaze.

She sat up straight, trying to pull away from him and restore a safe distance. However, he sensed her intention. His arm pressed forcefully against her back like an iron clamp, holding her firmly in his embrace.

"Trying to run away after you’ve used me? How opportunistic," he teased.

’Used him for what...’

Ji Qingwu felt her face flush.

Emperor Wu Su said, "I have answered your questions. Now it’s time for Ah Wu to answer mine."

Ji Qingwu muttered in confusion, "Is there anything about me that Your Majesty doesn’t know?"

Emperor Wu Su’s eyes roamed over her from head to toe, finally settling on her delicate, well-defined collarbone.

"There is much I don’t know. For example, what is the relationship between you and Li Shuming? Do you want to marry him? What’s so good about him?"

’Li who? Who’s that?’

After a moment of confusion, Ji Qingwu realized who the Emperor was talking about.

She hastily explained, "I have no relationship with him."

Emperor Wu Su lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes casting shadows that concealed the true emotion in his eyes.

"When did he take an interest in you?"

Ji Qingwu cried ’injustice!’ in her heart. She explained, "I only found out a few days ago myself. We’ve never even met. There are absolutely no private feelings between us."

Emperor Wu Su’s hand slid to her waist. It was impossible to tell if he had heard a word she said.

Ji Qingwu’s eyes darted around. ’Maybe I can use this opportunity to have the Emperor cancel the engagement. It would save me from Old Madam Ji’s constant pressure.’

So she said in a small voice, "Your Majesty, this is just my grandmother’s wish. I don’t want to marry him."

Seeing no reaction from him, she added a hint of grievance to her voice.

"That day, I even had a fight with my grandmother. I want to refuse this marriage, but she only thinks about finding a backer for the Ji Family. She doesn’t care about my feelings at all. Even Your Majesty..."

As Ji Qingwu spoke, she suddenly trailed off.

He asked, "Even I what?"

’Even Your Majesty has never forced me...’

The words swirled in her throat but wouldn’t come out.

It was precisely because the Emperor, the man who stood above all others and held absolute power, had never coerced her in matters of marriage. That was why she had the confidence to so firmly reject the engagement Old Madam Ji had arranged for her.

Ji Qingwu looked up at the man before her. His brilliant eyes reflected her own stunned expression.

She said softly, "Even Your Majesty... you once promised I was free to marry whomever I please."

In truth, she meant to say that the Emperor had always indulged her when it came to marriage. But to his ears, it still sounded like a rejection.

When Emperor Wu Su heard "free to marry whomever I please," his smile froze. Those words were becoming his personal demon.

He suddenly lowered his head.

Ji Qingwu hissed in pain.

He bit her collarbone. It hurt at first, but the pain quickly turned into a tingling numbness. On the green branch embroidered on her inner tunic, a true red plum blossom appeared.

But this was not a single blossom braving the winter cold; it was a cluster, blooming hotly and passionately.

Until, finally, they merged into a continuous field.

The blossoms gradually spread, reaching between the cliffs, to the precipice of a steep peak.

The beautiful sight captivated the heart of the one admiring the snowy scene.

But the admirer was not content to gaze from the foot of the mountain. He grasped and kneaded the cliffs, rushing toward his desired destination.

Ji Qingwu glanced down. The crimson dots were a startling sight. She squirmed uneasily a few times, but after feeling something strange, she dared not move again.

A cool breeze rose outside and drifted into Handan Hall. But when the wind touched Ji Qingwu’s skin, it still felt hot. She was beginning to melt from the inside out.

The light in her eyes faded, replaced by a rising tide of moisture.

Ji Qingwu’s outer robes had been mostly removed, hanging loosely at her waist. Her honey-colored inner tunic was also on the verge of slipping off.

Suddenly, voices came from the doorway.

Someone was demanding to see the Emperor, and Eunuch Li was at the door, trying his best to dissuade them.