Elder Crown Princess Consort

ECPC Chapter 4: Unknown Identity

Ji Weiming rushed out at the fastest speed, leaving Qin Fuyu alone in Bi Huai Pavillion.

"Miss." As soon as Ji Weiming left, someone came out from behind the screen, "You shouldn't be so reckless and send someone to kill Ruan Tangling now."

Qin Fuyu lifted the quilt cover and leaned against the bed edge, holding her head with one hand and looking at the big red armor piece, answering faintly, "It's not my arrangement."

"What?" The person was suddenly shocked, "I'll go check it out!"

It's only a few steps from Bi Huai Pavillion to Qiao Mu Pavillion, but Ruan Tangling was choked and couldn’t breathe. She thought to herself that the Crown Prince's Mansion is really not a place where people can stay. Qin Fuyu just entered the door and started to target her, the legal wife. If she doesn't show her true colors, she'll really think that Ruan Tangling is easy to bully!

"Who are you?" Ruan Tangling took a deep breath and asked.

There was no intention to kill Ruan Tangling immediately as the other party did not respond, but instead pulled her a few steps towards the door. The moonlight was just right, and there was still noise ahead, so it was not difficult to move her out of there.

While walking, Ruan Tangling intentionally tripped over the threshold. A huge force made her suddenly push the other person, and as they both fell to the side of the door, a gust of wind swept in accompanied by a ghostly figure in red. The black-clothed person reacted quickly, it was Ji Weiming!

At the moment when Ruan Tangling fell down, she was already held by Ji Weiming with one hand. The person who came out of Bi Huai Pavillion hid in a corner of Qiao Mu Pavillion's wall and saw Ji Weiming busy helping Ruan Tangling. He let the black-clothed person go and was about to give chase when he heard Ruan Tangling's sobbing.

"Ji Weiming, how dare you deceive me like this? My neck is about to break!" Ruan Tangling tried to break free from Ji Weiming's embrace, but he held onto her tightly.

Ruan Tangling could only be held by him, complaining with a slightly tearful voice. The person hiding in the corner listened to her slightly coquettish complaints and felt a lump in their chest. They glanced in the direction of the departing black-clothed person and then returned to Bi Huai Pavillion.

"Are you okay, wife?" Ji Weiming smiled and touched her forehead. "Did you hurt your neck or your brain?"

Ruan Tangling pushed Ji Weiming away angrily and glared at him before turning and walking back into the room.

Ji Weiming followed her in and before closing the door, Ji Dong leaned against the door frame.

Ji Weiming nodded in understanding, and Ji Dong disappeared into the night once again. Ruan Tangling tilted her head slightly, pretending not to have seen anything.

She moved her neck a bit and poured a glass of water before sitting down to watch Ji Weiming pacing in her room, her gaze following his movements.

"What are you looking at?" Ji Weiming felt embarrassed under her gaze.

"I'm looking at you." Ruan Tangling replied honestly.

"I know I'm good-looking, but you don't have to stare at me like that. It makes me feel embarrassed."

"Even someone as shameless as you can feel embarrassed?" Ruan Tangling mocked, "Are you planning to avoid Qin Fuyu like this?"

Ji Weiming was suddenly taken aback, looking at Ruan Tangling with an incredulous expression.

His relationship with Ruan Tangling is very strange. Ji Weiming wants to know what Ruan Tangling's identity is. As for Ruan Tangling, she was ordered by her father to protect Ji Weiming.

So the two of them tacitly understood each other's situation, not talking about their feelings, and each doing what they wanted to do and had to do.

"How do you know?" Ji Weiming leaned over and surrounded Ruan Tangling with his hands on the table on both sides of the chair.

Ruan Tangling stared at him without any fear. If it was really Qin Fuyu or someone from Qin Fuyu's side who sent someone to kill her, he could have easily killed her in the short time it took to drink half a cup of tea. The reason she didn't resist was because she didn't sense any murderous intent from him. It was more like he was trying to buy time, as Qiao Mu Pavillion and Bi Huai Pavillion were too close and any movement or sound could be heard next door.

With Ji Weiming's skills, he had the chance to catch the man in black who attacked Ruan Tangling, but he let him go, proving that he was sent by Ji Weiming.

On their wedding night, Ji Weiming didn't want to stay in Qin Fuyu's room and had to come up with an excuse, such as comforting his first wife who was frightened.

"Mmm..." Ji Weiming propped up his chin and squinted, "My dear wife, I plan to spend tonight here with you."

Ruan Tangling kicked angrily, "Hooligan!"

"We are a legally married couple." Ji Weiming joked as he looked at Ruan Tangling, trying to find her tolerance threshold.

"Qin Fuyu is also your legally married partner. Bi Huai Pavillion is so close by. I'll just shout and she'll hear us!" Ruan Tangling was indignant. She had preserved her chastity for over twenty years and didn't want to lose it to this hooligan!

Ji Weiming looked at her indifferently, teasingly saying, "Qin Fuyu is not a fool. She knows I won't touch her, so she won't come out and make trouble. It's you who..."

Ruan Tangling looked up at Ji Weiming, who was half-leaning on the table and felt a cold and eerie gaze upon herself.

Perhaps if Father didn't intend for me to come and protect Ji Weiming, I wouldn't have been ambushed on my way to buy flour. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Sitting upright, I ask, "What do you want to say?"

"Where is your hometown?"

Ruan Tangling knew that Ji Weiming was suspecting her identity, "Fengzhou Gushan City."

Fengzhou is one of the three provinces and fifteen cities of the Xihuai within the fiefdom. Ji Weiming was stunned. Ruan Tangling came from his own fiefdom? Ruan Tangling's meaning was very clear. The subjects of the fiefdom are all under the jurisdiction of the Prince. Although she left Fengzhou and came to the capital, she would never harm Ji Weiming.

It is obvious that Ji Weiming suspects Ruan Tangling's identity. Despite trying to appear muddled, Ruan Tangling's thoughts are very clear. However, the one thing she didn't guess was that on the first day, when Ji Weiming used a pile of antique artifacts to test her, that bracelet had already betrayed her.

"You seem familiar with Xihuai fiefdom?" Ji Weiming asked again.

"I left there sixteen years ago when I was only eight years old. If I were to go back now, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to find my way around," said Ruan Tangling, pouting and tilting her head. "When you were investigating me, you didn't even find out that I'm from Fengzhou?"

Ji Weiming suddenly felt contempt from Ruan Tangling. It was no wonder his father wanted him to protect himself, the investigation was so incomplete.

"Ahem." Ji Weiming cleared his throat and stood up straight. From Ruan Tangling's room, he could see the candlelight still burning in Qin Fuyu's room. Qin Fuyu's willingness to marry Ji Weiming for the sake of an edict order was also very clear.

Perhaps there was still some expectation... that Ji Weiming would go over there?

Ruan Tangling stood up and stretched lazily, "I'm going to sleep, what about you?"

Without a word, Ji Weiming pushed Ruan Tangling onto the bed.

"Hey!" Her mouth was also covered by his hand.

Ruan Tangling reached out and wrestled with Ji Weiming. From the outside, it looked like the curtains were swaying and the bed was shaking, giving the impression of a warm spring in a fragrant boudoir.

A figure flashed by and Ruan Tangling caught a glimpse of it through the window. She turned to Ji Weiming and asked, "Is someone watching you?"

"The accompanying maids brought by Qin Fuyu are all highly skilled, and they may be a group of trained assassins like her," said Ji Weiming as he used his fingers to poke open the gap in the bed curtains. "They're gone."

Hearing that there was no one outside, Ruan Tangling kicked him off the bed with one foot. Ji Weiming wasn't paying attention and fell to the ground, taking a few steps forward.

This woman didn't need to be so fierce!

Turning back, he gave her a stern glare but found that Ruan Tangling had already pulled down the curtains and was preparing to sleep. Before going to bed, she calmly said, "If you don't want to be found out, you can sleep on the chair or the table..."

Ji Weiming's hand, which had been raised fiercely, fell back down. From the bed came the steady sound of Ruan Tangling's breathing - she had already fallen asleep.

Of course, he couldn't sleep on the table. He opened the door and looked outside. The light was still on in the Bi Huai Pavillion across the way. The woman standing by the bed, sighing at the full moon, was elongated by the moonlight, slender and delicate. It seemed that there were also low murmurs and the sound of a flute under the moon, pulling his thoughts far away into a dreamlike state.

Ruan Tangling turned over and heard the desolate sound of the flute, not the clear and long sound, but with a bit of desolation and sadness, not the sound of a jade flute flying in the dark, but rather a wandering and iron hoof trampling in the wilderness.

She opened her eyes and saw Ji Weiming standing motionless by the window, seemingly listening to the flute. His graceful figure was like a beautiful and long-lasting poem. If he was not trapped in the capital, he would probably be an eagle spreading its wings in his fiefdom. He must have been looking forward to returning to his fiefdom and avoiding the worldly troubles of the capital.

However, at the thought of Ruan Su asking her to protect Ji Weiming, Ruan Tangling looked down on him slightly. She didn't know what Ruan Su was thinking. Sixteen years ago, he was banished from Fengzhou and was said to be enemies with Ji Zhou. Why would he want to protect the son of his enemy now? If Ruan Su's intention was to kill Ji Weiming, Ruan Tangling wouldn't be surprised at all.

After about an hour of burning incense, Ruan Tangling finally fell asleep. After dreaming, she didn't know where Ji Weiming had gone. When she woke up, the sun was already shining high in the sky.

As soon as she got out of bed, a maid rushed in from outside. She didn't want to disturb the princess's beauty sleep, but this Princess Consort had never received any discipline since she was young and slept until daylight.

"What are you rushing around for?" Ruan Tangling rinsed her mouth and washed her face. She looked at the maid standing beside her, who was hesitant to urge her. "Madam Yu is waiting for the tea in the main hall," the maid replied softly.

Ruan Tangling slapped her forehead. There were many rules in a big household, and she had forgotten about this!"

Qin Fuyu's identity was originally higher than hers. Let her wait there awkwardly, there might be some good fruits to eat soon!

But Ruan Su also said that Qin Fuyu was Ji Weiming's opponent. In any case, Ji Weiming would defend Ruan Tangling. Anyway, whether she spoke humbly or politely, there would inevitably be smoke and fire. She was not in a hurry and simply finished her breakfast slowly before strolling to the lobby with unsteady steps.

Ji Weiming sat on the side with a rather masterful look. When he saw Ruan Tangling coming, he smiled slightly at her. However, Qin Fuyu sat expressionless in the corner, not even catching a glimpse of her.

Ruan Tangling sat down confidently, swinging her sleeves with great poise, and glanced sideways at Qin Fuyu with a proud expression as if saying "Shall I offer you some tea?".

Qin Fuyu also had no choice but to serve as a maid. She stood up and poured a cup of tea, then brought it to Ruan Tangling: "Little sister serves tea for elder sister." Though she was unwilling, Ruan Tangling's noble lady-like appearance made her want to pour the tea on her face and wash off that thick layer of rouge.

Ruan Tangling took the tea and sniffed it under her nose. The tea was good, but there was a unique fragrance mixed in it, which made people feel dizzy.

Ji Dong saw that Guo Tangling's face was not right. He thought that Ji Weiming had said that Qin Fuyu's methods of dealing with her must be simple and ruthless, so he thought that there was poison mixed in this tea. He was about to stop it, but Ruan Tangling had already handed the whole cup of tea back to Qin Fuyu, with a smile on her face: "The tea is all cold. Are you trying to make me leave with cold tea?" The tone sounded kind, but her eyes suddenly became fierce like a storm, making Qin Fuyu unconsciously take a step back.

Who is she?