Elder Crown Princess Consort

ECPC Chapter 11: I’m The Most Romantic

There is more than one mansion on Changle Street, where several princes also reside. However, Lu Xunfeng immediately thought of Ji Weiming.

Lu Xunfeng looked at Qin Fuyu from left to right and asked, "Is this Miss Qin?"

Qin Fuyu's reputation precedes her, and as a writer who enjoys penning gossip columns, Lu Xunfeng naturally guessed it. Thus, the seemingly unremarkable woman next to him was easily identified as Ruan Tangling.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Lu Xunfeng greeted with a fist, "Why don't the two ladies go back first, and I will come back later and draw a complete version of "Late Night Discussion on History" to send to the mansion."

"Thank you." Qin Fuyu nodded and left the Bamboo Scroll Studio by waving her sleeve.

As Ruan Tangling thought to herself, this Lu Xunfeng didn't look like a poor scholar at all. When he heard that she was from the Xihuai Crown Prince's Mansion, he didn't continue to be handsy and was willing to continue painting the book. He should be considered a good person. Why does Qin Fuyu insist on looking so noble?

She caught up and asked, "What's wrong with this person?"

Qin Fuyu is someone who made it in the official circles of the capital city. She knows a lot of wealthy young men in the capital, and the more aloof and cold they are, the more people are willing to worship them as goddesses. It's also difficult to face a person with a thousand-year-old cold expression and a group of admirers, but Ji Weiming remained indifferent. Ruan Tangling privately thinks that if others don't suspect that Ruan Tangling has any hidden illnesses, it must be because they are wary of his identity.

"He was the top scorer in the literary examination three years ago," Qin Fuyu replied. "This person seems peaceful and elegant, but in fact, he has a wild and unrestrained character. He offended many people in the officialdom and was finally squeezed out of the officialdom and reduced to selling books for a living."

Ruan Tangling seemed to be lost in thought. "What do you mean by 'wild and unrestrained'?"

Some people are promiscuous in character, while others are promiscuous in behavior.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Fuyu replied, "Both."

In fact, when Lu Xunfeng first came in, Ruan Tangling had a good impression of him. He was gentle like water and light as a cloud. Before he used his folding fan to stop Qin Fuyu, she could not have imagined that he was a reckless and unrestrained person.

Even if they were to visit the Bamboo Scroll Studio, they couldn't find a complete version of the Great Ji History, and it's even rarer in other stores. Since Lu Xunfeng said that someone would deliver it in a few days, Ruan Tangling was satisfied and returned home.

Upon returning home, Ji Weiming had already sent Ruan Su away and was surprised to see Ruan Tangling together with Qin Fuyu.

"Tang Tang, are you okay?" Ji Weiming looked around and touched her forehead, feeling that she wasn't running a fever, wasn't under a curse, and wasn't in a trance. Walking with Qin Fuyu was simply unscientific!

Ruan Tangling pulled his hand away and rolled her eyes: "Other than the people in the Ji Mansion, there's no one else to talk to. I ran into Qin Fuyu in the study today, so I took her to the book market."

“Book market?” Ji Weiming sat down and opened his folding fan, leisurely waving it as he disdainfully said, “With your fragile stomach, creaking neck, and teary eyes in the wind, you want to read books?”

Ruan Tangling was unhappy upon hearing this and kicked out, saying, “Wasn't it you who told me to go to the study and read? How did I become as fragile as gluten?”

"The texture of the gluten is called toughness," Ji Weiming said, squinting his eyes and assessing while fanning himself. "What you're doing is overestimating your abilities!"

When Ruan Tangling faced Qin Fuyu, neither of them knew their own strength!

Ruan Tangling sat in the chair next to him, looking unconvinced. The tea was just brewed and still steaming under the lid. Ji Weiming held a book in his hands, not glancing up. Ruan Tangling was bored and picked up another book that Ji Weiming had left lying around, which reminded her of Lu Xunfeng.

"Ji Weiming, I met someone at the book market."

"Hmm?" Ji Weiming didn't raise his eyes. He and Ruan Tangling had a working relationship, at most, they had a few days of mutual disdain for each other. He asked casually, "Who?"

"I'm not very familiar with him, Qin Fuyu said his name is Lu Xunfeng."

Ji Weiming suddenly closed the book, and as the pages flipped over, the corners fluttered slightly. Ruan Tangling was taken aback, and then she saw Ji Weiming's lips curl up into a subtle smile on his handsome face as he asked, "Him?"

The nonchalant attitude of Qin Fuyu and Ji Weiming towards this person left Ruan Tangling a bit puzzled. After some thought, she figured that Ji Weiming probably still harbored suspicions about her. Instead of persistently asking Ji Weiming, she decided to find Ruan Dazhuang to ask Ruan Su.

As soon as Ruan Tangling left, Ji Weiming put down the book in his hand, "Ji Dong."

"Here!"

"Have you found anything?"

"The people from the Xiang Mansion have left the Luming Lane and a group of people are now watching the Peach Blossom Troupe."

Ji Weiming was immediately stunned: "Remove the people who were monitoring Ruan Su and have them monitor the Peach Blossom Troupe instead?"

At first, when Wang Ruyan invited him to listen to the opera, he thought it was someone from the Ji Xiao faction sent to test him. This morning he met Ji Xiao at Chong Er Theatre. If it was Ji Xiao, why would he bother going to Chong Er Theatre and showing up there?

The reason is that he is also unclear about the origins of this Peach Blossom Troupe. If the person is not arranged by Ji Xiao, then who else could it be?

After a moment of thought, Ji Weiming immediately thought of Ruan Su!

But this doesn't add up. The members of the Peach Blossom Troupe were secretly singing about Black Desert. If it was arranged by Ruan Su, did he intend to shift everyone's attention to Black Desert or to Dongyu?

It's hard to say. Ji Weiming suddenly felt that, in his over 20 years in the capital, he wasn't the only one disguising himself as a dandy and being careful with his words and actions. Ruan Su, who disguised himself as a poor person saving on food and clothing in Luming Lane, is truly a capable person.

"Don't mind the Peach Blossom Troupe, remove the person arranged next to Ruan Su, and there is no need to monitor Ruan Tangling anymore." After thinking for a moment, Ji Weiming gave the order.

Ji Dong was puzzled: "Why?"

"The old father-in-law's background is not simple. I estimate that he will bring Ruan Tangling here not to harm me, but to help me." Ji Weiming smiled slightly, "Help me return to Xihuai."

He is very aware of his current situation. Many pairs of eyes are watching him day and night, trying to find any flaws and come up with a suitable reason to force him to stay. A few days ago, a letter from Xihuai arrived saying that Ji Zhou's health was deteriorating and that no problems can occur in any way during this year.

……

When Ruan Tangling returned to Qiao Mu Pavilion, the lights of Bi Huai Pavilion were still on, and several shadows could be seen coming in and out across the long corridor, presumably Qin Fuyu's subordinates.

Ruan Dazhuang had been waiting on the roof for a long time. When he saw Ruan Tangling return, he immediately flipped over and lightly tapped the tiles.

"Tangling."

"How is it?" Ruan Tangling lowered her voice, afraid of disturbing the person across from her.

"After you and Qin Fuyu left this afternoon, someone entered the study and seemed to be looking for something. It may be looking for a letter from Xihuai." After Ruan Tangling and Qin Fuyu left, Qin Fuyu's subordinates took action first. Ruan Dazhuang hid on the roof and quietly watched. He couldn't see the face from the roof, but he could tell it was a woman dressed up as a maid.

"It couldn't be a letter." Ruan Tangling thought to herself. The calligraphy on the desk in the study had been there for several days, indicating that Ji Weiming hadn't been to the study in the past few days. Ji Dong and the others had not gone there either. The servants didn't dare to touch Ji Weiming's things when cleaning, so it was impossible for Ji Weiming's recent letters to be in the study.

As for the previous letters, at most, they were just family letters reporting their safety. If there was any special content, Ji Weiming would have burned them after reading.

After a moment of contemplation, Ruan Tangling wondered, "Could it be a register, like a list of officials in Xihuai or a tax record, or even something related to Black Desert or Dongyu?"

Ruan Dazhuang pondered for a moment and replied, "Tangling, are you with Ji Weiming, which is why your brain has become smarter?"

As the saying goes, "Those who are close to vermilion will be reddened, and those who are close to ink will be blackened." If anyone were to say that they were infected by being with Ji Weiming, then they must be sick! Crazy!

However, upon closer inspection, would Ji Weiming really put such an important thing in a study that he rarely visits?

Based on Ruan Tangling's current understanding of Ji Weiming, he appears casual, but every move he makes is carefully calculated. He is like Ruan Su, who seems unreliable and untrustworthy, but Ruan Tangling knows that Ruan Su is not like that at all.

So what else is worth Qin Fuyu's search in the study? She can't even get close to Ji Weiming.

"It seems we don't need to focus on the study," Ruan Tangling said. "There must be nothing in there that Qin Fuyu is looking for. We just need to keep an eye on her."

"You went to the book market with Qin Fuyu today. You're always good at judging people, do you think Qin Fuyu is reliable in serving the emperor?" Ruan Dazhuang lay on the rooftop, enjoying the cool night breeze while gazing at the stars and the moon. He could also see the occasional shadow of Bi Huai Pavilion.

There was no one watching Ruan Tangling near Qiao Mu Pavilion tonight, probably because Ji Weiming withdrew them. "

"These days, even working for the emperor isn't reliable, so how could working for my father be any better?" Ruan Tangling thought for a moment. Although Qin Fuyu was beautiful, she was a rather aloof person. Ji Xiao must have sent her here because he saw something in her that he liked, but a woman who couldn't act cute or please a man was no different from Ruan Tangling herself. Even if she had exceptional skills and intelligence, what good would it do?

"Dazhuang, I think there is some unknown secret on Qin Fuyu's body." Ruan Tangling lowered her head and spoke softly, the secret must be related to Ji Weiming.

"It's like a tangled mess." Ruan Dazhuang scratched his head in confusion. "Tangling, do you mean we should focus on Qin Fuyu's actions or dig up her secrets? Do you think the emperor knows?"

"Both go hand in hand." Ruan Tangling was not very sure. "Dazhuang, you go ask Dad what kind of person Lu Xunfeng is."

Ruan Dazhuang responded with a "good" and then flew over the Crown Prince's Mansion, disappearing under the moonlight as he flew over the roof.

Ruan Su was watching the wind in the yard when a tile suddenly fell. Ruan Su reached out and caught the tile, lightly throwing it back toward the sky, and the tile landed back in its original position.

"Boss has great skills!" Ruan Dazhuang crouched on the roof beam, looking down at Ruan Su below. "The Miss asked, who is Lu Xunfeng?"

"Tangling met Lu Xunfeng?" Ruan Su's voice suddenly lowered, "If it's just a surface meeting, Lu Xunfeng is just an ordinary scholar, but people in this world, who will be as simple as they seem on the surface? I haven't fought with Lu Xunfeng, but I've heard some rumors when I went to the book market to look for books."

After a pause, Ruan Su continued: "A book costs a few dozen copper coins, and he provides for himself with three meals a day. I saw him once at the book market, and there was nothing special about him except..."

"Boss, please get to the point!"

Ruan Su stroked his beard and said slowly: "His fan."

Ruan Su didn't say anything more. Ji Xiao was still keeping an eye out on him while focusing on the Peach Blossom Troupe. The most he could do was not to attract anyone's attention.

He let out a long sigh and sang: "Composing poems at midnight, writing lyrics with the sounds of deer in Luming Lane, it’s just a meaningless life and just waiting for death…”

……

It's been three days since Ruan Tangling received a letter from Ruan Dazhuang. Ruan Dazhuang has his own things to do, so he can't fly back and forth like a messenger pigeon every day.

Ruan Tangling is still pondering over Ruan Su's meaning when someone comes to report at the door, saying that Lu Xunfeng is waiting outside the Ji Mansion gate, wanting to deliver a book to the Crown Prince's wife.

The book arrived quickly, and Ji Weiming was still at home. He was happy to hear it. Their family wanted the full version of the "Wild History of the Great Ji" with illustrations. He felt that he could also take the opportunity to read it carefully.

"Please come in." Ji Weiming laughed inwardly. Just then, Ruan Tangling walked in, cast a sideways glance at him, and angrily asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm saying, Tang Tang, why spend money to hire someone else when there are such good resources at home that can be used?"

“What resources?” Ruan Tangling looked at Ji Weiming suspiciously. “The four Ji Dong, Nan, Xi, Be?”

“Don't forget about me,” Ji Weiming proudly tossed his head. He saw that Lu Xunfeng had already stood at the door, holding his folding fan and scrutinizing Ji Weiming.

Written boldly on the fan were four words: I’m the most romantic!”