Ji Wanxin entered with tiny steps and bowed in greeting to her two older brothers. “I heard that Eldest Brother had gone to Prince Yi’s estate and thought that you must have seen Elder Sister as well. So I came over to enquire how Elder Sister is doing.”
So it was just her. Ji Li replied, “She’s doing well. There’s no need to worry.”
“That’s good then.” A smile spread over her face.
Ji Li and Ji Huan didn’t think much more about it, and assumed that she really was here only to ask about Ji Muqing.
After she left the room, Ji Wanxin looked back contemplatively. Actually, she had heard everything the two of them said when she was by the door. “Prince Rong is returning to the capital?” She murmured softly to herself.
He’s resisting an imperial decree! And Prince Yi wants to send people to block them outside the city? Ji Wanxin clenched her hands, looking like she was deep in thought.
……
On the Official highway.
It had already been several days since they had left Bingjing and they were about to reach Jinjiang. For the last few days, Ji Yunshu had been considering whether they should go fetch Wei Yi when they reached Jinjiang.
This problem had occupied her for a long while before she finally made a decision. She told Jing Rong, who was sitting opposite her, “When we reach Jinjiang, let’s stop for a while. I’d like to go visit Wei Yi.”
Jing Rong had not told her that Wei Yi had been abducted and brought to the capital, so when Ji Yunshu said that, he froze for a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“I said that I would like to go visit Wei Yi.”
Jing Rong nodded, but tried to persuade her otherwise. “If you went to visit him, you would naturally want to bring him along.”
“So, what do you think?” Ji Yunshu threw the question back at him.
Jing Rong pondered for a moment. “When we first left him in Jinjiang we had already been prepared that the situation would escalate. Now that it has come to this, do you still hope that Wei Yi can still be with us as before? This prince suggests that we return directly to the capital instead.”
She didn’t reply. She gazed past the swaying curtains to look at the scenery outside, her heart a tangled mess of emotions. She suddenly insisted again, “I just want to go take a look at him.”
Jing Rong was startled, and his eyes became gloomy as he quickly replied, “You’d better not go. This prince is worried that you’ll lose your resolve.”
“I won’t. I’m just a little worried about him. I promised him that I would fetch him when we returned to the capital and I don’t want to break my word.”
“Yunshu…” He called her name solemnly.
Eh? Ji Yunshu looked at him and seemed to glean a clue from his expression. She quickly asked, “Did something happen to Wei Yi?” A woman’s intuition was just that sharp.
Jing Rong’s eyes darted around nervously. “Wei Yi isn’t in Jinjiang right now.”
Eh? “What does that mean? Why is he not in Jinjiang?”
He finally took out Uncle Fu’s letter and passed it to Ji Yunshu and explained, “This is a letter Uncle Fu sent to Yufu. At that time, we had already left and Zuo Yao had someone forward it to us at top riding speed.” That letter was a little crumpled by the tight hold Jing Rong had on it.
Ji Yunshu took the letter and smoothed it out, then read through its contents.