Elder Crown Princess Consort

ECPC Chapter 3: For the Brotherhood

Three days later, the Crown Prince of Xihuai County, who had just married his legal wife, once again hung up the big red wedding banner. Although there was no need to make a big fuss about taking a concubine, Qin Fuyu was the daughter of the prime minister.

People in the capital sighed, thinking that Ji Weiming was a decent gentleman, but he was just an ordinary man who falls under the charm of a woman like many others. He took a concubine right after getting married. If he didn't like his legal wife, why did he marry her? It was said that the wife he married was a powerless and an ordinary civilian woman, which only made people more curious.

While the people at home were busy preparing, Ruan Tangling was alone in Qiao Mu Pavillion feeling bored. Dazhuang hadn't come for three days, and she didn't know if his father had sent over the flour.

Tap, tap, tap.

Three sounds on the roof, it was Dazhuang.

"Tangling, the boss asked me to come and ask if you're doing okay?"

"What do you think?" Ruan Tangling rolled her eyes. "Why didn’t Ji Weiming marry Qin Fuyu in the first place? Even if I don't like him, wearing a green hat doesn't make sense!" (green hat= as in being cheated on)

"Tangling, wearing a green hat doesn't mean that," Ruan Dazhuang on the roof snorted and chatted with Ruan Tangling on the ground. "I told you to read more books, but you didn't. You can't even tell what color the hat is."

"You mind your own business!" Ruan Tangling tossed the orange peel so high it almost landed on the roof. "Let Father figure out a way to get me out of here."

"What's wrong with having people here to serve you delicious food and drinks?" Ruan Dazhuang replied, lounging with his legs crossed.

Ruan Tangling immediately felt wronged: "As the saying goes, the doors of the wealthy are like the depths of the ocean. From now on, Father is just a passerby."

"Oh, have you become even more poetic after just two days?" Ruan Dazhuang knows Ruan Tangling very well. "Ruan Tangling, the aging poetic young woman, your dad asked me to pass a message to you."

"Spit it out if you have something to say, otherwise, forget it!" Ruan Tangling looked at the mirror on the dressing table. The face reflected in the mirror was also delicate and pretty. Even if she didn't say she was twenty-four, no one would believe it.

Ruan Dazhuang sighed, "The boss asked you to protect Ji Weiming."

Ren Tangling suddenly jumped up from her chair, "Did Father go crazy?"

"You know what it means when the emperor gave Qin Fuyu to Ji Weiming. If Ji Weiming successfully returns to his fiefdom next year after leaving the capital, Qin Fuyu will have to follow him. The three provinces and fifteen cities will be exposed under the emperor’s watchful eyes. Even if Ji Zhou is able to handle the capital, will we still have a foothold? The boss is thinking about the brotherhood."

"Thinking about the brotherhood by selling his daughter?" Ruan Tangling was angry.

Ruan Dazhuang looked up at the sky and sighed, "Even if the boss doesn't want to sell to you and wants to sell to me, he still needs someone like Ji Weiming to be willing to take over! I don't have that interest, so I can't even get involved!"

Ruan Tangling thought about the scene of Ji Weiming and Ruan Dazhuang walking hand in hand. One was a noble young man standing tall and straight, and the other was wearing rough clothes. The scene was too beautiful for her to look at.

She immediately lowered his head: "What else did Father say?"

"Ji Zhou's physical strength has been declining in recent years. The King of XiHuai's only family is Ji Weiming as the sole heir. Ji Weiming will return to his fiefdom next year. Before that, he needs to understand the situation of the three provinces and fifteen cities and the Black Desert, including the distribution of troops under the King of XiHuai. Qin Fuyu will definitely look for things related to these matters." Ruan Dazhuang relayed Ruan Su's words, "The boss said not only to protect Ji Weiming, but also to prevent Qin Fuyu from succeeding. Although Ji Weiming will also be on guard, you are still in the dark after all."

"Why didn't Father say that Qin Fuyu would take me out first!" Ruan Tangling was unhappy.

Ruan Dazhuang thought for a moment and realized that Ruan Su did not say that: "Because the boss thinks that even if you look like a coward who will last forever, if you can't maintain it until the end of time, then it's really a waste in the eyes of the almighty!"

Just as Ruan Dazhuang finished speaking, an orange flew towards him from the roof and hit him squarely in the forehead, shouting "Ruan! Da! Zhuang!"

In a flash, Ruan Dazhuang jumped up and disappeared over the rooftops of the residence.

……

At the front hall, Ji Weiming faintly heard Ruan Tangling shouting a man's name, but the drums were deafening around him. He scratched his ear, feeling like he couldn't stand this kind of life anymore. He had married two women he didn't even know or like as his wives, and now he was actually thinking of Ruan Tangling, who was in Qiao Mu Pavillion at this moment. It must be a hallucination!

"Crown Prince, the wedding sedan has arrived," Ji Dong reminded the absent-minded Ji Weiming.

Changle Street is not like Luming Lane. As long as there is any red and white happy occasion, it can attract a group of onlookers. The people living on Changle Street are all officials and their families, naturally they all have wedding invitations.

Ji Weiming raised a standard smile, which was like the spring breeze carrying dew and the warm sun rising in the east. Having lived in the capital for so many years, he had long been accustomed to disguise. It seemed that no one could see his angry and resentful heart at the moment.

It would have been better to snatch Ruan Tangling three days ago. He didn't need to take action personally, as long as he showed some evidence to the authorities. Who would have thought that the Emperor would not give up and insisted on expanding his harem? Thinking that everyone had the same desire as an Emperor. Without some tonics, it’s only a matter of time before he die of exhaustion.

The Crown Prince's Mansion was bustling with activity. Officials of all ranks sent their congratulations, and the gift list was full. It took a lot of time from the worship ceremony to the banquet. Ruan Tangling couldn't stand the loneliness and ran to the flower garden behind the Crown Prince's Mansion while listening to the excitement in front.

As the hour has passed, the sky is turning dark, with few stars shining bright. The flowers in the courtyard are blooming perfectly, and the artificial hills and waters add more charm to the place, without the ostentation of the front hall, but with a sense of tranquility. The evening breeze brings a light fragrance of lotus from the pond. Ruan Tangling is not familiar with the structure of the Crown Prince's Mansion, and she wanders around alone for a while.

There is a cave in the rockery that leads straight to the mountaintop. From there, you can see the entire yard. However, as night falls, besides the mottled shadows of the trees and the ripples on the pond under the moonlight, it's unclear whether you can still count the stars or sing to the moon. It's the fifteenth day today, and hopefully, no one mistakes her for a werewolf.

Ruan Tangling climbed up the uneven rocky path and just as she popped her head out, she saw someone dressed in gorgeous red clothes meditating with crossed legs. It was Ji Weiming!

Shouldn't he be drinking with the guests in the entrance hall?

Ruan Tangling walked over, and there was a faint smell of alcohol on Ji Weiming's body. With her eyes closed, she seemed to be alert to the surroundings. She sat down and patted Ji Weiming's shoulder: "Are you absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on the night of the fifteenth month's full moon?"

Ji Weiming saw Ruan Tangling early in the morning and was not too surprised by her pat on the back. "Are you here to absorb the essence of all things?"

"No, I'm here to count the stars." Ruan Tangling looked up at the sky. The moonlight was so transparent that there were no stars around. "Shouldn’t you be drinking at the entrance hall, what are you doing here?”

Before Ruan Tangling could say a word, she was silenced by Ji Weiming's hand over her mouth. She was about to resist when Ji Weiming dragged her into a stone cave and whispered, "Don't speak, someone's here."

Ruan Tangling widened her eyes and nodded while covering her mouth, anxiously gazing at the moonlight shining through the rocky cave, illuminating the uneven stone patterns on the ground. There were faint footsteps in the wind, which Ruan Tangling wouldn't have been able to detect if she hadn't trained in martial arts with Ruan Su since childhood.

However, looking at the person next to her, Ji Weiming, she realized that she not only had to hide her skills, but also had to hide her intelligence.

"The way to Bi Huai Pavillion is through the front hall," Ji Weiming frowned and lowered his head. Bi Huai Pavillion was where Qin Fuyu lived.

"Are they going to kill Qin Fuyu?" Ruan Tangling knew it might be one of Qin Fuyu's subordinates, but pretended to be ignorant and naive, "tut tut, she must have such poor character."

Ji Weiming glanced inexplicably at Ruan Tangling and thought to himself that although this girl's acting skills were not great, she really was lacking in intelligence. Most people would be extremely frightened upon discovering that someone had entered the Crown Prince's Mansion and committed murder while the residence's owner was still present. Shouldn't they be screaming in terror?

Unless she knows Qin Fuyu's identity and knows that the person is not there to kill Qin Fuyu.

This is even more strange. If Ruan Su has his own motive, wouldn't he be worried about getting exposed by placing his daughter, Ruan Tangling, who is not very good at acting, in the Crown Prince's Mansion?

Compared to Qin Fuyu, who knows her purpose, this seemingly confused and ordinary Ruan Tangling is more threatening.

Ji Weiming pulled Ruan Tangling out of the artificial cave and said, "Come, let's take a look."

Ruan Tangling was dragged out of the cave by force, trying hard to remove Ji Weiming's hand from her arm, but Ji Weiming remained motionless. "Wife, you were too lively tonight."

Ruan Tangling almost stumbled. "Ji Weiming, let me tell you, don't act like a hooligan. If there are assassins there, I won't go. If you want to die, die alone. Don't drag me with you."

"If I die, you have to stay widowed." Ji Weiming didn't care at all, "Strictly speaking, Qin Fuyu still has to call you sister."

Ruan Tangling deeply felt that Ji Weiming might be a more shameless person than her. But it's understandable. By next year, when he returns to his fiefdom, the shameless deeds in the capital will become a thing of the past, and there will always be someone who will spare no effort to clean up his black history. But she is different, this is the difference between the popular people in the capital and the common folks.

"I'm going back to sleep..." Ruan Tangling forcefully shook off Ji Weiming's hand. "I haven't settled the score with you for abducting people yet. Now you won't even let me sleep!"

Ji Weiming stopped at the fork in the road between Qiao Mu Pavilion and Bi Huai Pavilion and let go gently. "You go back first, I'll go alone."

Ruan Tangling hurriedly ran back to Qiao Mu Pavilion.

Bi Huai Pavillion, brightly lit with lanterns.

Qin Fuyu sat inside the red silk canopy, elegant and dignified. The evening breeze blew in through the crack in the door, lifting the corner of the red veil to reveal her fair skin and crimson lips, curved like a new moon. She heard the sound of the door being pushed open.

"Weiming, you're here."

Ji Weiming looked around and there was no sign of anyone else coming in. He didn't want to talk to Qin Fuyu, so he casually answered and was about to step out of the door when Qin Fuyu suddenly stood up and asked, "Weiming, where are you going?"

Ji Weiming pondered on how to deal with the woman who was placed beside him by the emperor, and then a sharp cry for help came from afar, it was Ruan Tangling!

Could it be--

Qiao Mu Pavillion and Bi Huai Pavillion were facing each other, and the footsteps just now went towards Qiao Mu Pavillion!

Ji Weiming immediately rushed out, "Help rescue!"