Empress with no Virtue Chapter 42

“Niang-niang, I heard yesterday night the emperor left Kun Ning Palace in the middle of the night, and returned to Gan Qing Palace” Qiu Feng said in the morning while helping Xian Concubine prepare.

“I see”, Xian Concubine said while slowly wiping her hands with a smile on her face “Perhaps the empress did something wrong, that angered the emperor”

“Then according to you, what could the empress have done to anger the emperor?”

Xian Concubine gave the handkerchief to another servant, sat in front of the mirror to wait for Qiu Feng to help her comb her hair and said “Su Jie Yu died coincidently”

“It is indeed” Qiu Feng held on to Xian Concubine’s hair and combed slowly, and added “previously whenever there were cases that involves human lives, the empress will definitely lead the investigation, but this time it seems like there are no news”

Obviously Xian Concubine will know what Qiu Feng was implying, she herself also thought that the death of Su Jie Yu is related to Ye Zhen Zhen, because “it seems, few days ago when that incident happen, the empress was there as well, but she only stood there and saw Su Jie Yu block for the emperor and gained favour, so she was jealous and was holding a grudge”

Qiu Feng thought that this possibility was very high, so she asked ,”then should we use this matter to add oil to the fire?”

“No rush, first we see how the emperor reacts. The a.s.sa.s.sin was a guard, the emperor would most probably use this chance to implicate Lu and Ye Family as well, just not sure to which extend. The empress in the end would not be able to get anything good of it anyway. Furthermore, even if the emperor let her off, there is still the empress dowager. As for us, we should just have to sit at the peak to look at the tigers fight.

“I will not just sit here and wait, when it is the right time, I will naturally act”

Inside Wu Ying Hall, the person in charge of this case, Xie Chang Qing was being questioned by Ji Wu Jiu. Kang Cheng Lu’s interrogation process is not very smooth, no matter how much they tortured or asked him, he only kept saying that he did not like Ji Wu Jiu, and that he thought that he was a bad emperor, kills others easily, and that there was no mastermind behind him. These type of words.. even a fool would not believe.

Ji Wu Jiu pondered for a while and asked “That person, few days before the a.s.sa.s.sination, was his actions suspicious? “

“Replying to your majesty, after asking around the people that were closed to him, we did not manage to find anything suspicious about his previous actions. Just that… this person does not like woman, but a few days ago, it seems like he visited a brothel to drink. “

“To drink?” Ji Wu Jiu scoffed, “Brothels surely does not lack gossips, which one did he go?”

“Replying to your majesty, the one that he went to is Cui Fang Lou”

“Cui Fang Lou?” Ji Wu Jiu closed his eyes and murmured to himself “Great, I also need to drop by”

Xie Chang Qing thought that he has found out a very big secret, so he hardened his face, at a side trying to reduce his existence.

Ji Wu Jiu asked, “The person who falsified the edict, did you find out the culprit already?”

“Replying to your majesty, a constable found a dead body at Xiang River, after we got it up, and after thorough investigation, it has been confirmed he is the person who falsified your edict, to meet with Kang Cheng Lu”

“What is the deceased’s background?”

Xie Chang Qing did not answer, but instead looked up and glanced at Feng You De.

Feng You De replied “Your Majesty, the deceased is called Ren Er Xi, an eunuch from Zhong Gu Section”

Ji Wu Jiu could roughly guess in his heart, “Continue the investigation, find out who he is close with or which palace’s eunuchs that he is friends with, or if he is involved with any ministers.”

“Yes”

After that Ji Wu Jiu brought Feng You De along to Cui Fang Lou. Although he has only been here twice, but the madam there has a very strong impression about him. The moment she saw him, she quickly rushed forward, and greeted him  “Gentlemen Ji, it has been a while since we saw you, our Lady Hong Yun has been guarding an empty room by herself, don’t you feel bad!”

Ji Wu Jiu is not used to the heavy perfume smell in the main hall, he did not reply the madam’s accusations but asked her to open a room for him, and after made her stay so he can ask her some things.

After asking Feng You De to guard the doors outside, JI Wu Jiu took out a drawing and asked the madam “this person, have you seen him before?”

The madam took a look and said “Gentlemen Ji, you coming here, is it to enjoy or here to revenge on someone. If you are looking for enjoyment, I can make sure you will be satisfied.. but if for others…”

Ji Wu Jiu quickly took out some money, and said “this person is a wanted person by the court, if you don’t say, I am only afraid this Cui Fang Lou will bring upon bad luck”

Partially threatening and partially bribing, even if she doesn’t want to say, she can’t help it. Furthermore who will turn their backs against money. The madam took the money and kept it properly before saying “Indeed I have seen this person before, few days ago he came here once”

Ji Wu Jiu looked at her suspiciously, “there is so many people going in and out from here, he only came once, how can you remember so well?”

“Gentlemen Ji, this you wouldn’t know, he is rather poor but he still wanted to get our most popular lady to serve him,  that is why he made an impression”

“O? Then what did he do here at the end?”

“Right, it was rather weird too, the moment our Lady Liu Yue saw him, she invited him to her room, I also don’t know what they did inside the room, but after a while he came out already”

Ji Wu Jiu asked “who is Liu Yue?”

“Gentlemen, have you forgotten already? The first lady that you chose when you first came here, that is Liu Yue, our most popular girl.”

Ji Wu Jiu tried to recall, and remembered that truly there was a woman that dragged him into the room without reason. He nodded, and took out another stack of money, placed it on the table and said “our conversation today, don’t you dare to leak out a single work, if not….”

The madam took the money from him before he can finish his sentence, nodded and said “don’t you worry! If I tell anyone I will be a stone for the remaining lifetimes”

“Right, you can leave now, call Hong Yun over”

“Yes, yes, yes, It is time for business” The madam laughed and went out.

Knowing that Gentlemen Ji is here, she knew that it is time for her to make money again, so she was happy. The moment the madam told her to go to him, she immediately left what ever she was doing and headed to his room.

JI Wu Jiu wasn’t sure of how to tell her about it yet.

Hong Yun has been in this business for a long time, so she understands the heart of a man very clearly, seeing that he is having trouble to speak out, she asks instead “Sir, don’t tell me you use force on her?”

“….. can be considered so..”

“Ai yo. What do you want to me say ah.. Earlier on I asked you to be gentle and caring, in order for you to…. Great.. now all your efforts are wasted.”

Every sentence she said made Ji Wu Jiu’s face turn one shade darker, after she stopped, his face was already at it’s worst.

Hong Yun then asked, “then… her husband.. does he know about it?”

“Know or don’t know? You have to tell me something”

“I am her husband”

Hong Yun looked at Ji Wu Jiu for a period of time not saying anything. She has met countless man, it seems that she is still too young, this was such a unique scenario, why would anyone be afraid of touching their own wife? Also who is this wife, how can she treat her husband, who not to mention is not only good looking but rich too, this way. Don’t tell me she will be happy only if she can marry the emperor!

Hong Yun has so many things that she wants to say, but was afraid that if she were to say them, she will anger him, but in the end she only sighed and said “Sir, towards your wife you really have fallen deep in love with her, so sweet, yet so pitiful.”

Ji Wu Jiu on the other hand got shocked by her words “Fallen deep in love?”

Hong Yun finally can understand him a little more … this person, his brain is not too bright. She nodded and said “Yes, as the saying goes “No treasures can be compared with a good man”, Sir your feelings towards your wife, really makes me touched. Then again, don’t tell me.. you don’t know that you have fallen in love with her?”

Ji Wu Jiu’s expression was of realization.

It is indeed so, Hong Yue said “it is true that when you are involved you would be the last to know, the relations.h.i.+p between man and woman, has always been hard to understand, for you to not know is understandable. But, it was fortunate that you met me.. “Hong Yun looked up to take a peek at Ji Wu Jiu, and saw that he seems to be in a daze, not sure where his thoughts went.

“Gentleman? Gentleman?”

Ji Wu Jiu suddenly stood up, and turned to leave.

Hong Yun chased from the back and said “Sir, you haven’t pay up!”

Ji Wu Jiu took out a stack of money, and without looking stuffed them into her hands. Hong Yun then holding on to the stack of money starts to laugh, not bothered with him anymore.

On their way back, Ji Wu Jiu seems to be lost in thoughts, Feng You De looked at him, a face full of understanding and worry.

When they reached Gan Qing Palace, Ji Wu Jiu made everyone leave and alone, was in deeper thoughts.

All this while, the way he treats woman, was the same as how he treats food or objects. When there is a need, then he will use them, and which one is not bad, he will award them.

He has never thought of what a relations.h.i.+p between man and woman could be. All his intelligence was used on planning for the court, towards love and relations.h.i.+p it was not clear…

Now he finally understood that “love” can appear without trace, and cannot be removed making people miss one another so badly.

Ji Wu Jiu has never lacked any woman in his life, and he has never have any feelings of obsession towards any woman.

Until he met Ye Zhen Zhen.

Ji Wu Jiu found out, he has all the way been thinking about this matter the other way round. The reason why he wants her so badly, was because he likes her.

He walked out of Gan Qing Palace, pa.s.sed through Jiao Tai Hall, and stood infront of Kun Ning Palace. He wanted to go in, to talk to her, to tell her, he likes her.

However, standing in front of Jiao Tai Hall, he never took a step forward.

Opposite him, the windows suddenly opened. Ye Zhen Zhen was sitting infront of the window, and saw him.  She felt that it was very stuffy inside, and ignoring Su Yue’s advice she opened the window to let some air in, the cold air blew in. She really feel much refreshed.

Ye Zhen Zhen looked at Ji Wu Jiu, Ji Wu Jiu was also looking at Ye Zhen Zhen. Both of them looking at each other from a far like a pair of lovers separated by a bridge.

JI Wu Jiu suddenly turned around, and walked into Jiao Tai Hall.

Ye Zhen Zhen, who was looking at his back figure suddenly said to Su Yue “Su Yue, I think I am in the wrong”

“Niang Niang, you telling me these words is useless, the emperor would not be able to hear it” Su Yue said.