Do you need to buy a coffin

Chapter 13

Given Ji Yu's deep cunning, the letter Mu Yan delivered on her behalf could not possibly be so simple.

By tipping them off, dampening Ji Li's momentum, and putting their own forces in a difficult situation, they could then seize the opportune moment to lead the charge, turn the tide, and regain control. Wouldn't that make defeating Ji Li a breeze?

Ji Yu's ambition is greater than anyone else's, and his wishful thinking is better than anyone else's.

Whoever falls into his hands is simply a matter of circumstance.

Mu Yan was no exception.

Even the case of Master Ji is a historical inevitability.

"I know...you won't abandon me..."

Listening to Mu Yan's dazed murmurs, who had been in a coma since the torture, Ji Yu's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.

That smile, however, froze on her face when her gaze fell upon Mu Yan's slender fingers.

Before he arrived, he had already asked the doctor about Mu Yan's injuries. The old doctor sighed and shook his head, saying it was a pity that such good skin would be scarred. As for the injuries to his ten fingers, they would not heal in less than three months. At that time, the army did not have enough medicine to waste on someone suspected of being a traitor, so even bandaging was waived. He only prescribed some common medicines that could prolong life.

But……

Ji Yu's brows furrowed with increasing doubt. He reached out and untied Mu Yan's blood-stained clothes, which she still hadn't changed out of. What he saw was not the skin torn and bleeding from being whipped, but rather a patch of delicate, fair skin, so smooth and delicate it seemed like it could be broken with a touch.

Despite enduring such severe torture, not a single red mark was left?

Lost in thought, Ji Yu didn't notice Mu Yan gradually waking up. Upon realizing his exposed chest, the latter blushed crimson to the roots of his ears. Clutching his clothes innocently, he sat up and leaned further into the bed.

When Ji Yu noticed his actions, she was both amused and exasperated, but a new idea popped into her mind.

"Does it hurt?" Ji Yu asked, pretending to be completely unaware of what she had just witnessed.

Mu Yan shook her head and pursed her lips.

"My father personally supervised the operation. Even if you're one of my people, they won't go easy on you out of consideration for me. How could it not hurt?"

Mu Yan desperately wanted to tell him that it had really hurt at the time, but now, apart from a slight ache in his finger, the rest of his body had healed. But how could Mu Yan possibly confess to the person in front of him that he was a monster—someone capable of self-repair?

No.

Mu Yan absolutely refuses.

"It must have hurt a lot. It was all twisted up when I fell asleep." Ji Yu gently smoothed Mu Yan's furrowed brows. "Why didn't you betray me? That way you wouldn't have suffered."

Regardless of whether what the other party said was true or false, Mu Yan was willing to fall head over heels for that gentle tone and soft movements.

"Since you chose to believe me, I will believe you too."

"Silly boy." Ji Yu gently smoothed Mu Yan's disheveled hair and lifted his chin. "You really are silly, so silly that I can't bear to let you go."

So, I had no choice but to lie to you.

As mentioned earlier, for most of history, what a country needs is simply a monarch who can adapt to the trends of history.

Ji Li is short-tempered and cannot hide his thoughts on his face; Master Ji is too arrogant and has ambitions that are higher than the sky.

One is hot-tempered, the other is arrogant. For Ji Yu, who is shrewd and calculating, everything will be within her grasp once the time is right.

Moreover, there was a clear indication from a celestial book.

He is the only one fit to be the king of this country.

The regime established after conquering the capital in just three months dared not easily hand it over to outsiders. The far-sighted Master Ji had initially focused on training both civil and military personnel in his mercenary army.

Just as everything was settling down, news came that Ji Li had secretly set up an army in an attempt to force his father to abdicate.

Regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, Lord Ji, who will ascend the throne in ten days, will not allow any mistakes to occur at this time.

Ji Li, who was forcibly placed under house arrest on trumped-up charges, was completely isolated in the deep courtyards of the palace.

Three days later, Master Ji bathed and changed his clothes, and began the purification ritual that preceded the registration, which lasted for seven days.

On the seventh night, Ji Yu came to Mu Yan's room.

"Tomorrow, Father will fulfill his long-cherished wish," Ji Yu said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Are you unhappy?" For some reason, Mu Yan sensed that the person in front of her wasn't in a good mood.

"How could I? He's my father, of course I'm happy." Ji Yu unexpectedly pushed Mu Yan down onto the bed, her eyes filled with a hazy, gentle light. "Can you do me a favor tomorrow?"

The hot, humid air brushed against his face, and Mu Yan was clearly unable to resist such close contact, not daring to look the other person in the eye. "If, if there's anything, just say it. No, you don't need to get so close."

"I want you to give this embroidery to Seventh Sister for me tomorrow night. She asked me to select it for her when I passed through Suzhou. You know my father's temper; he's very suspicious and doesn't like me and my elder brother getting too close to his concubine, who is his new favorite. Besides, my father will be the emperor tomorrow, and the emperor's dignity cannot be offended. So, could you help me give this to her?"

"Okay... fine..."

"Also, although I never intended to compete with my older brother for anything, he might not be willing to let me off the hook. Do you understand what I mean?"

"kindness."

"This matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. I don't want a third person to know, as it would cause unnecessary trouble."

"I understand."

"You used to always look me in the eye when you answered, why don't you dare look me in the eye today?" As she spoke, Ji Yu gently pinched Mu Yan's chin, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. "Or are you hiding something from me?"

"No." Mu Yan almost shouted this, but realizing his loss of composure, he immediately fell silent.

"That's good."

"Yu, what you just said, you really don't want to compete with your elder brother? You really don't want to sit in that position?" Mu Yan asked doubtfully. "In the past three months, you have charged into battle, striking straight at the heart of the enemy. Among the entire Ji family army, you have been the most hardworking and dedicated. Whether it is the morale of the army or the people, you have the highest support. It can be said that this country was won by you for your father. Are you really willing to hand it over?"

Have you ever heard the phrase "merits that overshadow the master"?

"You mean your dad can... but you're his son..."

"When it comes to the throne, even family ties are irrelevant."

Mu Yan met Ji Yu's gaze with unease; her deep eyes made it impossible for him to guess what Ji Yu was thinking.

After a long silence, Ji Yu lowered her head and brought her face close to Mu Yan's. The ticklish breath patted her cheeks, and the tingling sensation instantly refreshed her. Her slightly narrowed peach blossom eyes revealed a seductive charm that could bewitch people's minds, and Mu Yan involuntarily closed her eyes.

At that moment, he thought he was going to kiss him.

"You are the only person I trust, and I hope you won't let me down."

After saying that, Ji Yu brushed the stray hairs from Mu Yan's forehead, got up and left.

On the day the new emperor ascended the throne, a general amnesty was granted, and Ji Li finally gained the right to travel freely, but suddenly received a letter.

The messenger was acting mysteriously, and Ji Li's expression immediately changed upon opening the letter.

That night, the sky was high and the air was crisp, the lanterns were lit, and there was singing and dancing. The imperial city was filled with joy, and the palace was filled with music and dance.

In a secluded corner of the palace, a war without gunpowder is raging.

"Where are the things?" The woman dressed in plain clothes under the moonlight was none other than the seventh concubine whom Master Ji had recently married. She had just been conferred the title of Consort Ru at the court this morning.

Mu Yan was puzzled. Ji Yu told him that she had chosen such a small corner to give him the embroidery in order to avoid attracting attention, but why was this person glaring at him angrily?

Consort Ru snatched the embroidery that Mu Yan handed her.

If Mu Yan had seen what the embroidery said before, he might have understood why Ji Li was there and wanted to kill him.

But Mu Yan wouldn't go to see it, nor did he ever intend to. Furthermore, he never doubted Ji Yu's instructions.

The same thing happened with Lu Liangshan's previous letter delivery; it will happen again this time.

Before Ji Li could make a move, a large number of imperial guards surrounded them, and emerging from the crowd was Master Ji, dressed in imperial robes.

With witnesses and physical evidence, it's like catching them in the act.

The embroidery features the nicknames of Ji Li and Consort Ru, and their attempt to kill Mu Yan reveals their true purpose: to silence him.

Mu Yan naturally had no idea how Ji Li and Consort Ru had their affair.

But as long as Jiyu knows it, that's fine.

It has been said before that the emperor's dignity is inviolable. Ji Li was secretly executed, and Ji Yu very "kindly" went to see his elder brother one last time, only to coldly leave behind a single sentence.

"Brother, lust is a double-edged sword. You've lost."

Ji Li has offended the emperor and his crime is unforgivable; but Mu Yan is inevitably implicated in the crime of 'knowing but not reporting'.

Mu Yan was wronged. He knew that this was likely a play directed by Ji Yu, but he was determined not to betray Ji Yu.

Because Ji Yu had said that he had no interest in the throne.

But if he really had no interest, why did he go to such lengths to get rid of his elder brother?

"I had no choice," Ji Yu explained to Mu Yan, who was imprisoned in the dungeon. "My elder brother secretly sent people to kill me. It was either him or me. I've said it before, and you should understand."

Do you understand? Mu Yan is confused. Is there really no other solution besides death?

"By the way, Father wants to see you."

They're going to ask about that incident again. Mu Yan followed them out of the prison, her tone suddenly firm, "Don't worry, I won't tell."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yu, who was walking in front, paused, turned around, and gave an ambiguous smile.

Along the way, Mu Yan was puzzled. Wasn't he supposed to be asking questions? Why had he ended up in the inner palace? And why did he have to bathe and change clothes?

"Sweetheart, just do whatever they tell you to do." Ji Yu noticed Mu Yan's confusion, ruffled his hair, and indicated that he didn't need to worry too much.

An hour later, Mu Yan emerged wearing a gorgeous pale yellow gauze dress, sneezing incessantly.

"What's wrong? Did you catch a cold because the water wasn't warm enough?" Ji Yu gently brushed the stray hairs from his forehead to one side.

"No, it's because those petals smelled so good, I... Achoo..." Mu Yan rubbed her nose hard. "I told them I didn't want them, but they still insisted on adding them."

Ji Yu's expression changed, and she glanced at the eunuchs and maids who were already kneeling on the ground in fear. "Can't you understand human language? Don't you know what 'appropriate amount' means?"

Seeing Ji Yu, who rarely gets angry, get angry for his sake, Mu Yan felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Little did they know, all of this was a prelude to what was to come.

Master Ji had long coveted Mu Yan's beauty, but at that time he was busy with his business ventures, so such troublesome matters naturally came after everything had stabilized.

Mu Yan didn't understand. Ji Yu was right in front of him, so how could he ignore her and ask to leave?

Isn't the man on top of him making his actions obvious enough to suggest he's having sex?

The moment Ji Yu turned to leave, Mu Yan didn't even have the courage to call out to him.

Because Ji Yu's posture was so fluid, so clean and efficient, and so without the slightest hesitation.

Hearing the door slowly close, Mu Yan couldn't believe it was real.

"It seems my foolish son has an extraordinary capacity for patience," came the weathered voice of Master Ji. "Even when I pinned you down in front of him, he didn't utter a single 'stop.' Or is it that you're simply not important to him?"