The dark night enveloped everything like an enormous black cloth, wrapping the entire capital within it, slowly devouring. Because it was early summer, the stuffiness was even more suffocating. But tonight, it seemed someone had forcefully torn open this cloth, resulting in torrential rain and rolling thunder, washing over and over the long-stagnant sweltering atmosphere in the capital. Yet those dense raindrops also stirred an inexplicable sense of urgency in people’s hearts.

“Rumble, rumble…”

On the rain-drenched street, horse hooves pounded urgently. A luxurious carriage raced toward the direction of the imperial palace.

Thunder cracked suddenly!

The carriage wheels rolled over the cobblestone streets, causing rainwater to splash on both sides.

Occasionally, pedestrians passing by were splashed all over with water.

“What the hell? Rushing to be reincarnated?” The people on the road cursed loudly.

At this time, sitting inside the carriage, Jingrong gripped his knees with both hands, sitting upright and proper. His face was dark and cold, his sword-like brows resembling two great sabers positioned above his eyes that were like cold, abyssal pools.

Not saying a word!

Such a man was frightening even when just sitting there silently.

Lang Bo swallowed hard. His gaze had been fixed on his prince ever since boarding the carriage. Several times he opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he forcibly swallowed the words back down.

Suddenly, that cold stone of a man asked without looking sideways, “What, does this prince have flowers on his face?”

Uh!

Lang Bo felt somewhat embarrassed by this question. His eyeballs rolled in a circle, and he shook his head. “No flowers.”

This earned him a cold glare from Jingrong. “Since there are no flowers, why are you staring at this prince so intently?”

Because I like you!

Lang Bo smiled with the corners of his mouth. “Actually, Your Highness, you don’t need to be in such a rush to enter the palace. With such heavy rain and it being nighttime, Miss Ji might already be resting. If you go, won’t you be disturbing her? Or perhaps…” His voice grew smaller and smaller until it faded away completely.

With this said, Jingrong’s face grew even darker, like a black coal ball.

He glared fiercely at Lang Bo.

The glare made his subordinate’s whole body tremble with fear.

“Your Highness, what this subordinate meant was…”

“If you don’t speak, no one will take you for a mute.”

“…”

What did he mean by “already resting”? And what was this about “disturbing her”?

Based on just these two sentences alone, Jingrong could slaughter him. But his master had always been kind-hearted and understanding—otherwise, Lang Bo would have died many times over at his hands.

The carriage rushed onward without stopping for a moment, finally arriving at the imperial palace.

The palace gates were not yet closed. The guards outside looked puzzled when they saw it was Prince Rong’s carriage.

But they still stopped it.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Jingrong and Lang Bo successively dismounted, each holding an umbrella.

“This prince has business entering the palace to meet with His Majesty. All of you, stand aside.”

“Yes.”

The guards dared not block him and let him pass!

He instructed Lang Bo, “Wait outside the palace.”

After giving orders, he strode through the palace gates and hurried to Zhi’an Palace.

However, the palace doors were tightly shut!

The two eunuchs outside said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has already retired for the evening.”

Retired!

These three words truly set Jingrong’s heart ablaze!

He stared at the door before him, his eyes seemingly carrying an invisible sword, as if to split it wide open.

“His Majesty and Master Ji… are both inside?” He squeezed out these words through clenched teeth.

The eunuch replied, “Yes.”

Still?

He clenched his fists, making every effort to restrain that impulse in his heart. He straightened his body, took a deep breath, and said loudly, “Go inform His Majesty that this prince has come to escort Master Ji back to the manor.”

“This…”

“What? This prince has come to bring his own person back—is that not permitted?” His gaze was sharp.

Right now, who in the entire court and countryside dared provoke Jingrong?

The two young eunuchs looked at each other.

They said respectfully, “Yes, this slave will go inside immediately to inform His Majesty.”

They pushed open the door and entered!

Jingrong was after all a subject. Though his heart burned like fire, he still obediently stood outside the door.

After the young eunuch went in, he waited outside the inner chamber. “Your Majesty, Prince Rong has arrived.”

There was no movement inside!

“Your Majesty?”

After a short while, the door opened.

Wei Yi came out from inside, his warm and profound gaze looking outside once.

The eunuch said, “His Highness says he’s come to escort Master Ji back to the manor.”

Actually, he had anticipated this.

He just hadn’t expected it would happen so quickly.

“Please invite Prince Rong inside.”

“Yes.”

When Jingrong entered—

Your friend “Dark-Faced Deity” is now online!

The two men’s gazes met, both invisibly carrying a trace of underlying tension.

Wei Yi dismissed the two eunuchs and explained the situation to Jingrong. “Shu’er got caught in the rain and fell ill. The imperial physician came to examine her and said there’s nothing serious. She took medicine and will rest for the night. By tomorrow she’ll be well, and then I’ll escort her out of the palace.”

“Caught in the rain?”

“It’s all my fault.” Wei Yi took responsibility upon himself.

Jingrong’s heart tightened. With a stern face, he entered the inner chamber.

Ji Yunshu was currently lying on the dragon bed. Her complexion had improved quite a bit. He strode over and was about to lift the quilt to carry her up.

But his hand had just grasped a corner of the quilt when Wei Yi stopped him.

That underlying fire flared even more intensely between them.

Jingrong frowned, looking at him coldly.

Wei Yi said, “Let her stay here.”

It wasn’t a plea, but the commanding tone of an emperor.

At the same time, the hand gripping Jingrong’s wrist also applied more force.

But—

Jingrong told him word by word, “I must take her back now.”

Those eyes, that tone—clearly asserting his own authority.

And because of this statement, Wei Yi’s hand gripping his wrist gradually loosened bit by bit.

The next moment, Jingrong pulled back the quilt, lifted the unconscious Ji Yunshu into his arms, then pulled down the cloak hanging on a nearby clothing rack and covered her with it.

Then he said seriously to Wei Yi, “As emperor, the emperor’s precepts dictate that every word and action must be prudent. If Yunshu stays here tonight, what will happen when the civil and military officials’ tongues wag? How would you have Yunshu face them? How would you have me face them?”

Ah!

A woman sleeping in the emperor’s inner chamber!

And she was Prince Rong’s beloved, no less.

When that time came, the court ministers would each have something to say, and it would likely stir up a storm. What’s more, Wei Yi was the son of the traitorous Duke Yuguo. When he first ascended the throne, there were already many opposing forces in the court. If this matter were to become known now, how could his imperial dignity be maintained?

Only then did Wei Yi suddenly realize. He stood frozen in place.

Jingrong prepared to leave carrying Ji Yunshu.

“Jingrong,” Wei Yi called out to him.

Jingrong had his back to him and stopped his steps.

Waiting for him to say something!

After a long while, Wei Yi said, “Shu’er and I are family. You and I are both teacher and friend. I will naturally not overstep any bounds. Today’s matter was my carelessness. From now on, it will naturally not happen again.”

Admitting his mistake!

Jingrong said in a low voice, “I’ll take her back first, but you must seal this matter tightly.”

“Understood.”

After Jingrong left, Wei Yi stood in place for a long time. His eyes carried loneliness and disappointment. The light filtering in from outside the inner chamber fell upon his handsome face.

Growing colder and colder, heavier and heavier…

At this moment, the hand inside his sleeve gripped his garment tightly, his fingertips nearly turning white.

In his mind, the scene of Jingrong killing his father flashed countless times.