Chapter 53

Ji Weiqiu: Damn!

How did it circle back to this again!

But he was the one who said it; he couldn't just go back on his word right after it left his mouth. What would that make him? You don't slap your own face so readily!

Even so, Ji Weiqiu couldn't help but ask, "Imperial Elder Brother, do I really have to go?"

Ji Su's expression was impassive, his eyes inexplicably calm. Ji Weiqiu sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll go, alright? But this time, I want reliable Qingxuan Guards, and give me a few more Shadow Guards. This little body of mine is very delicate... We're not taking a boat this time, are we?"

"As you wish," Ji Su said.

Ji Weiqiu was flustered with anger. As he wished, right? Fine. He'd take all the men with him later. His brother was in the imperial palace anyway, he wouldn't need them! He was no longer in the mood to soak. "Then I'll head back to rest first... Your younger brother takes his leave!"

Ji Su gestured for him to go. Just as Ji Weiqiu stood up from the water, he thought of something else and lowered his head to look at Ji Su. "Doesn't Imperial Elder Brother have anything else to instruct?"

Ji Su said calmly, "Weren't you going to rest?"

The implication was, he originally did.

Ji Weiqiu had no choice but to sit back down. For a moment, he didn't pay attention to the distance and sat down brushing against Ji Su. His hand inadvertently landed on Ji Su's leg. He didn't notice, even pushing off it for leverage. He waited attentively for Ji Su to speak. Ji Su said, "Be careful."

Ji Weiqiu thought, 'What kind of nonsense is that,' but couldn't help but smile. "I know. What else?"

"You are an imperial envoy, enforcing the law with sword in hand. If you encounter a crisis, you may execute first and report later." Ji Su said the most shocking words with the calmest expression. Ji Weiqiu's pupils shrank. It took him a long while to digest this. He said timidly, "Imperial Elder Brother, are you being serious or just trying to scare me? Because I'm going to take it seriously."

"It's true." Ji Su glanced at him, as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.

Ji Weiqiu said, "Then is there some kind of token? Like bestowing me an imperial sword of authority?"

Ji Su retorted, "To execute a fatuous ruler above and treacherous ministers below?"

"That's not what I meant!" If Ji Su didn't recognize the gesture, Ji Weiqiu would have thrown his hands up in surrender. Ji Su continued, "Our own prince, what need is there for a token?"

The implication was, kill first and ask questions later. Any issues could be discussed upon his return.

Perhaps it was from seeing too many scheming minds in the Wenyuan Pavilion recently, but Ji Weiqiu suddenly understood Ji Su's meaning—if he took a token, it would of course be good, but taking a token like an imperial sword of authority would make it official business. Ji Su would be the ruler, and he would be on tour as a minister. If he wrongly killed someone and couldn't produce evidence upon his return, he would have to be dealt with according to the laws of the state.

Those with ulterior motives would latch onto this and not let go, spreading it around with rumors like, 'Today he dares to kill a high official with the imperial sword, tomorrow he will dare to march on Taihe Hall and plot rebellion with it.' An imperial sword of authority was, after all, different.

But if he didn't take a token, whoever provoked him, he could just kill them. Even if there was no evidence afterward, the worst they could do was charge him with offending a prince. Everyone knew this charge was just a pretense, but so what? As the only imperial prince, he was a prince, the other was a minister. Would they really make him pay with his life? A few meaningless punishments and it would be over.

But not taking a token had its downsides. If he didn't take a token, and Ji Su later decided to convict him of publicly harming a court official and charge him with treason, it would be effortless.

Whether it was offending the Prince of Rui or the Prince of Rui plotting treason depended solely on Ji Su's attitude.

Ji Weiqiu stared at Ji Su, trying to find some minute detail of emotion in his eyes—what did he want to do? Was he testing him? Or did he truly think this way?

But Ji Su was too calm. Ji Weiqiu had never been able to discern anything from Ji Su in the past, and he couldn't now either. He slowly exhaled, a little uneasy in his heart, but mostly calm. He lowered his head and said, "Alright, I will listen to Imperial Elder Brother."

The fair, slender nape of his neck was thus exposed before Ji Su, submissive and gentle. Ji Su's heart stirred. He suddenly placed his hand on it, gripping the back of his neck and forcing him to raise his head. His lips moved slightly, and in the end, he only said two words, "...Be good."

"Mm." Ji Weiqiu instinctively shivered. It was probably because he had just gotten out of the water; the parts of his body exposed to the air were slightly chilled, making Ji Su's palm feel all the more scorching. He could clearly picture the position of each of his fingers in his mind, and couldn't help but tremble slightly.

It wasn't him, but that his neck was naturally sensitive. He couldn't control the instinctual reaction. Ji Weiqiu suspected that Ji Su was the cause of this. From childhood, every time he provoked Ji Su, he would get his neck pinched. Over time, it had become an instinctive reaction.

Ji Su, perhaps unaware, unconsciously caressed the back of his neck with his fingertips. Ji Weiqiu felt his entire spine tingle and couldn't help but shrink away, breaking free from Ji Su's hand. He mumbled, "It tickles."

Ji Su withdrew his hand, elegantly crossing his legs and watching Ji Weiqiu.

Seeing Ji Su still looking at him, Ji Weiqiu added, "I... I will be good."

I'll try not to make any mistakes and come back safely.

Only then did Ji Su withdraw his gaze.

Now that this was said, pretty much everything that needed to be said had been said. Ji Weiqiu took his leave and returned to the side hall. He had originally planned to while away an hour or two in Ganquan Hall, but now he was really not in the mood. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his heart complicated—what a thankless task!

He just hadn't been firm enough. He should have stood up to Ji Su and refused this matter.

He lay on the bed, intending to sleep, but he just couldn't. Yet if he didn't sleep now, tomorrow would be another painful day, so he still wanted to struggle a bit.

Ji Weiqiu closed his eyes and forced himself to lie there for a good quarter of an hour, but to no avail. He just couldn't fall asleep. He turned over and sat up, rummaged in the cabinet by the bed, and sure enough, found the Biyun Brew he had hidden there—he figured it was late today, so the palace servants would be too embarrassed to come and confiscate it. They would probably wait until tomorrow?

When the time came, he'd just say he'd drunk it all. Could the palace servants really force him to hand over an empty gourd? He'd just tell them to find one themselves to report back with.

Getting drunk twice in one day, even without Ji Su scolding him, he himself felt it was excessive. Therefore, he only took a small sip before stopping. The liquor, like a raging fire, slid slowly down his throat into his stomach under his deliberate control, causing a burning sensation. He exhaled, forcibly resisting the urge to take another sip, and tossed the wine gourd back into the cabinet, kicking the door shut.

Hearing the noise, Eunuch Xiao Zhuo, who was on duty outside, asked in a low voice, "Your Highness?"

"It's nothing, no need to come in," Ji Weiqiu said.

"Yes." After the response from outside, there was no further sound. Ji Weiqiu leaned against the head of the bed, looking at Xiao Zhuo's shadow cast on the door through the layers of gauze curtains and screens. He let the alcoholic fumes rush to his brain. In just a few breaths, the fierce, blade-like heat slowly subsided, but some places felt exceptionally hot.

Ji Weiqiu turned over, hugging a pillow and lying face down on the bed. He reached up to rub his neck, muttering inwardly whether Ji Su had been too rough. Why did his neck feel both hot and itchy? Rubbing it several times didn't soothe it; instead, the sensation intensified.

Ji Weiqiu was extremely uncomfortable. He thought about calling Xiao Zhuo over to rub it for him, but on second thought, wasn't that just asking for trouble? He could only knead it forcefully himself, trying to push back that strange feeling.

It was already late autumn, and the weather was getting colder. The bamboo jade mat had been put away long ago, but Ji Weiqiu was starting to regret it—if he had known, he wouldn't have put it away. It was still so hot.

He should probably bring the bamboo jade mat on the inspection tour, just in case. After all, Huainan was in the south, so it might be much hotter than Yanjing... As he thought this, he untied his sash. With his clothes open, he indeed felt much better. Ji Weiqiu rested his head on the pillow and lay there drowsily for a while, but the heat dispersed his sleepiness again. He turned over again, feeling that something was not right.

Could it be that his brother wouldn't let him drink Biyun Brew because it had side effects? Or was the alcohol content of Biyun Brew off the charts, so it could only be drunk on rare occasions?

Should he call for an imperial physician? He didn't like having people around when he slept. If something really happened in a while, he wouldn't even be able to call out. It would be a terrible injustice to die like this.

Ji Weiqiu got up, just about to call for Xiao Zhuo, when the quilt suddenly brushed against something. He casually touched it and suddenly realized what was happening.

It was not a big deal, just youthful vigor. He had probably recovered well during this period, and after having a little wine, his body just needed an outlet.

Ji Weiqiu breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't exactly a man of ascetic desires, so this wasn't unfamiliar—that's not quite right either. After all, at his age, and without practicing any celibate internal arts, these things were bound to happen, beyond his control.

Usually, he would just wait for it to calm down on its own. If it really wouldn't, he'd use his hand. His hands weren't so precious that they couldn't be used for such things.

Ji Weiqiu buried himself in the quilt, reached a hand inside, and without thinking about anything, just focused on finishing the task. A barely visible flush appeared on his neck, and he couldn't resist rubbing the back of it again.

Really, he couldn't let his brother pinch his neck anymore in the future. It was really uncomfortable. Even now, Ji Weiqiu still had the feeling of being grabbed by the back of the neck by Ji Su, as if that hand were still there, casually caressing him.

Suddenly, the image of Ji Su's hand as he drew his bow appeared in Ji Weiqiu's mind. The hand that usually held a brush and dipped it in ink, so noble and seemingly untouchable, in that instant, rested on the bowstring. Due to the exertion, the veins on his arm bulged slightly. At the moment of maximum tension, it was suddenly released. The glint of the arrowhead exploded in his mind like a firework, leaving him dizzy and breathless.

Ji Weiqiu abruptly sat up, looking down at his own palm, his mind filled with: Pah, pah, pah!

What was he thinking?! Ji Su was his own brother... not by blood... but still his own brother!

How could he think of such a thing?! Was he sick?! Huh?!

Was he trying to get himself killed?!

Ji Weiqiu's mind was in turmoil. He grabbed a clean handkerchief from the side and wiped his hand, thinking awkwardly that it must be because Ji Su had been too rough. He must have pinched his neck so hard it caused an internal injury! That's why he kept feeling strange! And that's why he accidentally thought of that scene!

An accident! It must have been an accident!

He wasn't an animal!

He was definitely not an animal!

How could he possibly think about his brother! It must have been an accident!

Ji Weiqiu, almost trembling, found an empty brush washer, and with the candlelight, set fire to the soiled handkerchief. The cloth burned very slowly, almost extinguishing several times. Ji Weiqiu lit it again and again. As the flames danced, he was almost drowned by a heavy sense of guilt. Even if it was an accident, it didn't change the fact.

How could he be so disgusting? How could he associate his elder brother with desire?