Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 66

Volume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place

Threat

Before the others could react, Ji Qingchi strode forward several steps, kicked the woman in the knee, forcing her to kneel, and then struck her acupoints to prevent her escape.

Cui Luo jumped in fright, unsure how her daughter had offended the Ninth Imperial Daughter. She quickly knelt down to plead for her daughter, “Your Highness, I don’t know how my young daughter has offended Your Highness. This official​¹ is willing to atone for her sins. My daughter is still young and insensible. I beg Your Highness to spare her.”

            

Ji Qingchi smiled. “I can see Minister Cui’s deep love for her daughter. However, is Minister Cui usually so busy with official duties that she has no time to discipline her own daughter?”

Cui Luo, as the Minister of Revenue, was considered quite competent. She often remained at her post in the court during holidays and family reunion days. It was because of the many laws she promulgated that the merchants, artisans, and craftsmen were living relatively well, significantly enriching the treasury of Yanxue Kingdom.

Cui Luo said shamefully, “This official is indeed usually busy with official duties and hasn’t personally raised my daughter. ‘If a child is untaught, it is the mother’s fault.’​² If this has led my young daughter to offend Your Highness, please punish this old bag of bones instead.”

            

Ji Qingchi shook her head. “That is not what This Palace meant.”

Considering the highly confidential nature of what she was about to discuss, aside from Cui Jinliu, she had the superfluous people withdraw. She had her own Shadow Guards secure the surroundings to prevent outsiders from intruding.

Ji Qingchi pushed the unrecognizable Cui Jinli in front of her. “Minister Cui, first take a look and see if she seems somewhat familiar.”

            

Her daughter was still kneeling on the ground, and Cui Luo’s heart was burning with anxiety. But since Her Highness showed no intention of releasing her, she had no choice but to do as Su Yi said, rising to her feet and stepping forward to carefully examine the woman pushed before her.

When Cui Jinli saw her, her eyes stared straight at her, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Cui Luo had initially intended to just glance casually to satisfy Her Highness and get her daughter released, but this careful look was startling. She staggered back several steps in shock.

Cui Jinliu quickly stepped forward to support her, the very picture of a considerate ‘little padded jacket’.​³ “Mother, be careful.”

            

“You… your face…” Cui Luo pointed at Cui Jinli, speaking somewhat incoherently. “Why…”

Although Cui Jinli’s face was ruined, she had, after all, come from Cui Luo’s womb.

As the saying goes, mother and daughter’s hearts are linked. The moment she saw Cui Jinli, she felt a sense of familiarity, even feeling that, compared to the daughter kneeling, this person before her seemed more like her own daughter.

            

Su Yi spoke from the side, “Minister Cui, who does she resemble?”

“Somewhat… somewhat like my daughter, but, but…”

“Is Minister Cui thinking that her daughter is still kneeling on the ground?” Ji Qingchi smiled and ordered someone to bring a bucket of oil, splashing it directly onto the kneeling woman’s face. The human-skin mask couldn’t withstand it; wrinkles quickly appeared on her face, and then the entire mask peeled off like a snake shedding its skin, revealing a completely unfamiliar face.

            

“This!” Cui Luo was stunned.

She looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, then at the unrecognizable Cui Jinli. Slowly, her eyes reddened. Trembling, she reached out to grasp Cui Jinli’s hand. “Daughter… Daughter… Mother was wrong, Mother is usually too busy… letting you suffer…”

Recognized by her own mother, Cui Jinli finally broke down, sobbing loudly and hugging Cui Luo, her tears soaking her mother’s clothes.

            

Ji Qingchi sighed and explained the whole story. “This substitution​⁴ wasn’t particularly clever, but because Minister Cui was busy with official duties and had no time to look after Miss Cui, they succeeded.”

Cui Luo felt both ashamed and heartbroken. Holding her daughter, she said remorsefully, “This old official willingly accepts punishment.”

“This has nothing to do with Minister Cui.” Ji Qingchi reassured her. “However, Minister Cui does indeed need some time to rest. This Palace will submit a memorial to Mother Emperor, asking her to extend Minister Cui’s leave days for a period.”

            

Cui Luo quickly bowed in thanks. Ji Qingchi shook her head and smiled. “In the future, I will still need Minister Cui’s help investigating the strange occurrences in this Jingdu. Minister Cui must rest well.”

Cui Luo hated the person who harmed her daughter to the bone. She hurriedly said, “This old official will certainly give her all​⁵.”

“Mm.” Having finished discussing her daughter, it was time to talk about her son.

            

Worried that Su Yi’s health was poor and she couldn’t stand for long, Ji Qingchi had someone bring a stool. Only after Su Yi was seated did she slowly turn her gaze to Cui Jinliu. “I hear Young Master Cui has opened a cloth shop on the street.”

The moment Cui Jinliu saw Su Yi arrive with the Ninth Imperial Daughter, he knew things were bad. He was so apprehensive he didn’t even dare lift his head. Now, hearing Ji Qingchi call him out, his heart jumped. He leaned slightly towards his mother and forced a smile. “Yes…”

Cui Luo was somewhat surprised, then felt ashamed. When had her son opened a shop? When had her daughter gone missing? She knew none of it. She truly wasn’t a competent mother.

            

“My son actually opened a shop, how capable. Where is the shop? When Mother has time, I’ll go take a look.”

Cui Jinliu found it hard to say. Su Yi answered for him, “It’s right on East Street. It’s quite large, bustling with people coming and going every day. Very lively.”

“East Street…” Cui Luo thought about the shops on East Street, and her expression slowly soured. She turned to look at her son. “As far as I know, there’s only one large cloth shop on East Street… Don’t tell me, that’s the shop you opened?”

            

The cloth shop’s business practices truly violated the principles of commerce. People in her Ministry of Revenue knew about it too. However, the taxes the shop submitted each month were exceptionally high, almost rivaling the taxes from restaurants. It also genuinely sold cheap goods to the common people, who praised it highly. Furthermore, it was indeed law-abiding and, up to now, hadn’t committed any wicked acts​⁶. So, they had turned a blind eye, pretending not to know. However, Cui Luo had never seen anyone conduct business like that and remained wary, sending someone to check on it regularly each month.

“Minister Cui is truly sharp, guessing correctly on the first try.” Ji Qingchi smiled, but there wasn’t much mirth in her eyes. “According to the shopkeeper in charge, it is indeed your esteemed son’s property.”

Su Yi, smiling at the side, explained the cloth shop’s operations and the kind of crisis Yanxue Kingdom would face in the future because of it.

            

Hearing this, Cui Luo’s heart went cold. She quickly interrogated her son, “Wicked son! Hurry up and confess the truth!”

Cui Jinliu repeatedly cried injustice. “This wasn’t my idea! It was all Xiao Zhengyun! He told me to do it!”

Hearing him implicate the Chancellor’s​⁷ son, Cui Luo became even more alarmed. “What did the Chancellor’s son tell you to do?”

            

Cui Jinliu was still very afraid of his mother. Glared at like this, he quickly recounted everything Xiao Zhengyun had told him, down to the last detail​⁸. According to him, Xiao Zhengyun had initially come to persuade him, saying that the Second Imperial Daughter was generous and willing to spend money. She was currently lacking a Principal Consort, and if Cui Jinliu wanted her to marry him, a substantial dowry would be indispensable. After all, the Second Imperial Daughter’s father had only been able to become the Emperor’s Noble Consort by bringing the wealth of his mother, who was the wealthiest in the region.

Cui Jinliu considered that his mother didn’t covet wealth or accept gifts, so their residence didn’t have much money. Relying on his mother, he definitely couldn’t marry the Second Imperial Daughter. Thus, he became tempted. As Xiao Zhengyun suggested, he took his private savings, set up the shop, and subsequently targeted Su Yi at every turn according to Xiao Zhengyun’s instructions.

He had initially only been jealous of Su Yi gaining the Second Imperial Daughter’s favor and earning a lot, without intending to drive Su Yi to her death.

            

He laid bare every single incident, one by one, but it did not include the matter of violent action against Su Yi’s shop.

Su Yi asked Cui Jinliu if he knew about this matter. Cui Jinliu looked completely bewildered. “I never ordered that.”

Ji Qingchi had someone bring the cloth shop’s shopkeeper forward. Pointing at the trussed-up shopkeeper, she said, “She personally identified you.”

            

The shopkeeper looked extremely guilty, not daring to look at Cui Jinliu at all. “It was indeed the Young Master who ordered it.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Cui Jinliu was stunned. Although he was a dandy and resented Su Yi, he wasn’t very brave. He absolutely didn’t dare send people over to directly commit violent action against it.

He knelt and pulled at Cui Luo’s sleeve, crying, “Mother, I really didn’t do it!”

            

Seeing the two confront each other, Ji Qingchi knew who was lying. She didn’t say much more, just had people tie the shopkeeper up again and take her away. She smiled, “Perhaps this matter truly has nothing to do with your esteemed son.”

Cui Luo felt utterly humiliated. In front of them, she had her guards give Cui Jinliu a beating. Looking at the barely conscious Cui Jinliu, she felt both heartbroken and angry at his lack of promise. “Your Highness, rest assured, this official will definitely continue to discipline this wicked son.”

Ji Qingchi smiled. “This Palace trusts Minister Cui’s family principles. It’s getting late, we won’t disturb Minister Cui any longer. It’s time for us to take our leave.”

            

Cui Luo quickly pulled her daughter along to bow. “Respectfully seeing Your Highness off.”

Ji Qingchi ordered her people to take the woman who had impersonated Cui Jinli. When a Shadow Guard went to grab her, they felt her icy body temperature, suddenly stepped back, and exclaimed in shock, “Your Highness, she’s already dead.”

“Dead?” Ji Qingchi narrowed her eyes. To die so silently in such a short time, she must have taken poison. “Even if she’s dead, the body must be taken away. This Palace wants to see exactly how she died.”

            

Su Yi listened from the side, silently pulling her cloak tighter around herself. Ji Qingchi was indeed formidable; her mental fortitude was truly impressive.

The Shadow Guard acknowledged the order. The group returned to the Su residence with the corpse. Feng Ruoqing had already finished researching the threatening drug Su Yi mentioned and was waiting eagerly at the entrance of Su Yi’s courtyard to tell her the news. But after finally waiting for people to arrive, two came, and upon meeting, Ji Qingchi immediately asked her to examine a corpse.

Feng Ruoqing: “…”

            

Is this something a human should be doing?

She wanted to curse, but she couldn’t defeat Ji Qingchi. She had no choice but to squat down, circle the dead woman, examine her, and then her expression turned serious. “She was poisoned by Changsheng Valley.”

“Changsheng Valley?” Su Yi paused. She remembered Changsheng Valley as a place that could heal the dead and restore flesh to white bones, a sacred place for saving people. How could they use poison to harm someone?

            

“I heard that Changsheng Valley has been getting very close to Xuanji Tower lately.” Ji Qingchi relayed the information her Shadow Guards had gathered. “This woman has calluses on her palms, clearly from wielding a sword. She also has old external injuries. Using the art of disguise to infiltrate the Cui residence, she is obviously an assassin from Xuanji Tower. Presumably, Xuanji Tower purchased poison from Changsheng Valley and fed it to these assassins, making them take poison to commit suicide the moment their mission failed.”

“Changsheng Valley wasn’t like this before…” Feng Ruoqing sighed.

Before she fled, only her master in the valley researched poisons, but that was also for saving people. Her fellow disciples, brothers and sisters, all thought about how to save people and never had the intention of harming others with poison.

            

Su Yi glanced at her. She didn’t know Feng Ruoqing’s background yet. Hearing her say this now, her eyes widened instantly. “Miss Feng, you are from Changsheng Valley?!”

Being addressed like this, Feng Ruoqing remembered she had never told Su Yi about this and couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. “Ahem… Indeed… But I can’t go back now, so I don’t count as one anymore. Didn’t Miss ask me to develop a threatening drug? I’ve already developed it.”

Feng Ruoqing, afraid of being dealt with later​⁹, quickly took out some pills, intending to atone for her oversight with meritorious service. “Miss, please look. These pills have bizarre shapes. The outer layer is made from Coptis​¹⁰, and the inside is ground from incredibly foul-smelling medicinal ingredients. Bitter and stinky, I believe they will be very intimidating.”

            

Recalling that Feng Ruoqing had been pursued by assassins before, Su Yi wasn’t surprised she hadn’t revealed her origins. She considerately didn’t ask further, took the bottle from her hand, and opened it. The refreshing scent nearly sent her off.

“Cough… Cough cough…”

Su Yi choked until tears streamed down her face, coughing with her eyes shut. Ji Qingchi quickly stepped forward, stoppered the bottle for her, hugged her, and retreated several steps away from the stinking area. She used a handkerchief to wipe away Su Yi’s tears, then brought the fragrant sachet from her own waist to Su Yi’s nose to help her feel better.

            

After doing all this, seeing Su Yi’s disheveled state, she couldn’t resist teasing, “Miss Su should be careful. Don’t end up fumigating yourself to death before you scare anyone.”

This dog Ji Qingchi, truly a person with a venomous mouth like a dog’s.​¹¹

Once Su Yi could open her eyes, she followed Ji Qingchi’s exposed hand up to a tiny bit of soft flesh on her arm and pinched it hard.

            

Ji Qingchi’s smile instantly twisted slightly. “That was This Palace joking. Miss Su, please raise your noble hand…”

Su Yi slanted her eyes at her. “Hasn’t Your Highness practiced martial arts? Why are you afraid of this little bit of pain?”

Ji Qingchi said seriously, “This Palace practices martial arts, but This Palace hasn’t become an immortal yet. It still hurts.”

            

“I thought Your Highness had already become an immortal.” Su Yi pinched enough and released her hand.

Ji Qingchi rubbed the pinched spot. Actually, it didn’t hurt that much.

Though the flesh hurt, she’d dare again next time.

            

After enough fooling around, Ji Qingchi got down to business. “This Palace thinks Miss Feng’s creation is very useful. Why don’t we each take some and keep it safe? It will definitely be useful later.”

“No need to talk about later, there’s actually a perfect candidate right now.” Su Yi held the bottle, already thinking about who could test the medicine. “We can use her to test the effects. If it doesn’t work, we can have Miss Feng improve it.”

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Although Shui Qing​¹² was locked in the woodshed, it had to be said she was actually living quite well.

            

On one hand, she no longer had to be anxious​¹³ about her identity being exposed. On the other hand, the food Su Yi ordered for her was all top-grade, things she, a former flower artisan, could never have eaten before, hundreds of times better than what she ate as an assassin.

If not for her dignity as an assassin, she might have actually wanted to confess everything to Su Yi.

After finishing another serving of cold-tossed duck kidneys, Shui Qing licked her lips, wanting more. She asked the guard at the door, “Good sister, I’m hungry again. Could you ask the sister beside Miss Su to give me another serving?”

            

“You’ve already eaten eight servings today!” The guard rolled her eyes, having little goodwill towards this prisoner with a huge appetite. Standing guard at the door, she was dying of craving herself. Not only did she get nothing to eat, but she also had to watch the prisoner eat so heartily. It was infuriating. “The things in our residence don’t just blow in with the wind! You’re a prisoner, how dare you demand so much?!”

“But…”

Shui Qing wanted to struggle a bit more, but before she could finish speaking, the guard at the door suddenly stood straight. “Miss, greetings.”

            

Then the door opened, and Su Yi, wrapped in a fox-fur cloak and holding a hand warmer, walked in.

Shui Qing quickly clamped her mouth shut, watching Su Yi warily.

As she watched, she became a bit dazed, thinking, This woman is truly beautiful. Probably all the women in Xuanji Tower and Yiyun Tower combined aren’t as good-looking as her.

            

“Miss Bei.” Su Yi spoke. “I want to ask Miss Bei for a favor.”

Su Yi’s opening words instantly snapped Shui Qing back to reality, a fire rushing straight to the top of her head​¹⁴. “I have a name! My name is Shui Qing!”

“Is that so?” Su Yi blinked innocently. “But I feel the name Miss Bei is simple, easy to understand, and easier to remember.”

            

“You—” Shui Qing wanted to curse her for having no aesthetic sense. What kind of rotten name was that? How could she even think of it?

However, the words died on her lips because she saw Ji Qingchi and Feng Ruoqing also enter. Remembering the smooth, uninterrupted manner Ji Qingchi had beaten her, she instantly swallowed her words back down.

“You what?” Su Yi deliberately provoked her further, walking several steps closer and asking with a smile.

            

Shui Qing turned her head away, not wanting to look at her. Then, she watched in horror as Ji Qingchi smilingly walked up to her, wasted no words, directly pinched her jaw open, stuffed the medicine into her throat, and then used True Qi to pat her body, helping her swallow it down.

A ‘refreshing’ smell shot straight up her nose. Shui Qing instantly wanted to cut these people before her into eight pieces. “You… you cough cough… what did you… cough… give me?”

“A poison that will make your intestines pierce and your stomach rot.”

            

Feng Ruoqing squatted down and patted her face. “So you’d better be obedient.”

Tears streamed down Shui Qing’s face. “You are so vicious.”

“We’re not vicious at all,” Su Yi said with a smile. “As long as you help us with one favor, we’ll give you the antidote immediately.”

            

“Re… really?”

“Of course. We keep our word.”

Shui Qing endured the pungent smell assaulting her nose, lying prone on the ground for a good while before licking her lips and saying with a blush, “Then… then I have conditions too. After I help you, I want ten servings of marinated chicken feet, ten servings of roasted meat, ten servings of cold-tossed duck kidneys, ten servings of soy-fragrant duck necks, and ten servings of roasted whole lamb. If… if you promise me, I’ll help.”

            

The threatening trio: “…”

Damn it! If they had known earlier that they could have won her over directly with delicious food, why did they waste all the effort locking her up here?!

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