Chapter 135: He is the Chancellor, Not a Matchmaker

Chapter 135: He is the Chancellor, Not a Matchmaker

Chu Li angrily pulled out a whip from her waist, cracking it sharply. Her outburst reignited the farce that had just ended.

The Crown Prince was already furious: "What are you doing, Miss Chu?"

Chu Li, undeterred by his intimidation, walked towards the pavilion while venting her anger: "The feng shui of the Crown Prince’s palace is truly terrible. Even the maids and servants are acting improperly, always trying to seduce outsiders."

The Crown Prince, enraged, retorted: "You..."

Chu Li turned her head back provocatively: "If Ji Lingchuan really does something improper today, I will definitely go to the Emperor for justice."

"If I recall correctly, Miss Chu, you had already requested an imperial decree to annul the marriage contract in front of His Majesty when you returned from Lu City, right?" The Crown Prince took a deep breath: "You are both unmarried, so what exactly are you up to, Miss Chu?"

"What am I trying to pull?" Chu Li continued walking without stopping, loudly replying: "I don’t have the same composure as my sister-in-law. If Ji Lingchuan really does something wrong, no matter who the woman is, I will end her life."

After Chu Li's outburst, the Crown Prince started to suspect that perhaps the Crown Prince's consort's plan had gone awry, mistakenly targeting Ji Lingchuan.

If this really succeeded...

With the Ji family controlling the military, it would be a great advantage for him.

He didn’t believe Chu Li would actually dare to kill someone in the Crown Prince’s palace.

**

The pavilion and bamboo house of the Crown Prince’s palace were situated in the eastern garden. In early spring, a chilly breeze swept across the lake, creating ripples.

The pavilion was right in front of her, but Chu Li stopped in her tracks.

Just moments ago, she had been eager to rush in and pull someone out, but now she hesitated. A strange tension gripped her. What if...

What if Ji Lingchuan actually did something outrageous? What would she do?

Even if he was set up, Chu Li couldn’t accept it.

A group of officials followed the Crown Prince to this location. These officials were no fools; one scandal after another had failed to come to fruition, clearly indicating that the Crown Prince's schemes had not succeeded.

Looking at his current grim and sullen expression, his unwavering gaze fixed on the pavilion like a predator eyeing its prey, hoping to gain something from it.

As for General Ji... he was known for his impulsive and fiery temper. Apart from his engagement to the Chu family, he had never been involved with any other women.

Could it be that his lifelong reputation would be tarnished today in the Crown Prince’s palace?

Inside the pavilion, Ji Lingchuan was drinking tea. He had heard the footsteps outside but had no intention of going out.

Beside him, two men dressed as women were tightly tied up, their mouths gagged with cloth, unable to speak. Even the faint sounds they made were lost in the breeze and the rippling water.

"Ji Lingchuan, come out!" Chu Li swung her whip, and a corner of the bamboo house's roof was knocked off.

The Crown Prince's consort frowned and signaled to her maid.

The maid stepped forward to stop Chu Li, who was about to swing her whip again: "Young miss, don’t be hasty. This servant will go and check."

"Who needs you? Step aside." Chu Li, now irritated by anyone from the Crown Prince’s palace, pushed the maid aside and swung her whip again.

This time, she knocked off half of the bamboo house's window.

Unfortunately, this window only offered a view of a corner. After several more lashes, the once-intact bamboo house was damaged in several places, and the door was also opened.

The surrounding whispers grew louder.

"Oh my, what a scandal! Miss Chu chasing her lover all the way to the Crown Prince’s palace—how scandalous would that be if it got out?"

"What do you know? It's been quite some time now. If there really is someone inside and they haven't come out for so long, something must be up."

"Could it be that General Ji is really involved with a palace maid...?"

The Crown Prince didn't intervene because he was counting on it. If Ji Lingchuan really did something like this, it would inevitably create a rift between him and the Crown Prince, making it easy to manipulate him later.

After a while, there was finally some movement inside the bamboo house, and everyone gasped in unison.

The remaining half of the window opened, giving a glimpse of the situation inside. At this sight, everyone was stunned—there were indeed two women inside.

Their eyes turned to Chu Li, who was seething with anger, her fierce aura affecting everyone, causing them to step back a couple of paces.

"Ji Lingchuan, you've really outdone yourself, haven't you?"

Ji Lingchuan suppressed a laugh and stepped out the door: "Miss Chu, what do you mean by that?"

The Crown Prince’s consort looked disappointed. She hadn't expected Ji Lingchuan to do such a thing—having two women in his room was simply outrageous.

Ruan Qinghuan observed carefully, feeling that something was off but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

After a while, one of the maids moved slightly, and the sunlight outside shone on her profile, revealing the protruding Adam's apple on her neck.

Relieved, she exhaled silently and subtly pinched He An's arm.

He An winced in pain but had to endure it.

As clever as the lady was, she had seen through it so quickly.

Ruan Qinghuan approached the Crown Prince’s consort, knowing she was worried about Chu Li, and whispered a few words in her ear.

The consort was slightly surprised and looked again at the women inside the window. Upon closer inspection, there really was an Adam's apple. She thought to herself, what kind of taste does Ji Lingchuan have to like such burly women?

Men dressed as women?

What is the Crown Prince up to now?

The consort wanted to tell Chu Li about this, but Ruan Qinghuan stopped her: "Consort, don't rush. Let's see how Chu Li handles this."

The consort: "..."

Indeed, ever since returning from Lu City, Li'er's feelings had changed. She clearly had feelings for Ji Lingchuan but didn't dare to take a step forward.

Not far away, the two stood facing each other, and Chu Li was left speechless by his question.

Yes, what right did she have to ask such a question? It was she who had proposed to cancel the engagement, it was she who had said she would let go...

But why did her heart ache so much now, every breath feeling like a painful tug?

When she couldn't find him, it was anger that kept her going. Now that she had found him, that anger dissipated. The usually domineering young miss of the Duke's household couldn't help but shed tears at this moment: "Yes, this isn't a question I should be asking."

With that, her whip fell to the ground, and Chu Li suddenly turned around: "Gentlemen, please bear witness today. What I said earlier was out of anger. I dare not harm anyone from the Crown Prince’s palace, nor dare I hurt General Ji's beloved. Let's end this farce here."

The consort stepped forward, heartbroken: "You, are you feeling bad?"

Chu Li was almost at her limit but still put on a stubborn face: "I'm not, cousin. I'm tired, I'm going home."

Ji Lingchuan only wanted to test her feelings and didn't expect her to be so heartbroken. He immediately felt a pang of guilt and stepped forward to stop her: "Li'er, it's not what you think. Let me explain."

Chu Li didn't want to hear anything now: "Move aside."

Ji Lingchuan knew the act couldn't go on any longer and cast a pleading glance at He An.

He An was at a loss for words; after all, he was the Prime Minister, not a matchmaker.

His plan was so poorly conceived that it was nearly impossible to salvage, and now he had to drag himself and his wife into it.

He An glanced at the smug Crown Prince, ready to speak, but his wife cut in first: "Strange, how could a woman have an Adam's apple? That's usually a man's trait."