I'm Competing With The Male Lead For A Woman - Chapter 6

Xiao Jin’s voice echoed outside the hall, lingering for a long time.

The call had a grandiose quality, not at all like something a person on the verge of death could produce.

Inside the Imperial Study, the eunuch’s smile froze instantly upon hearing the voice. The hand holding his fly-whisk trembled involuntarily.

It wasn’t just the eunuch. Due to the sudden change, the last note from the pipa player’s string was inevitably out of tune.

This scared them so much that their hands and feet trembled. They quickly put down their pipas and knelt on the ground in a panic with the eunuch.

“May Your Majesty’s wrath subside!”

At that moment, the Fourth Prince, who was sitting in another chair, slowly stood up.

His relationship with the Qi Emperor was very close, so he calmly knelt down and said with a smile, “Third Brother has always had this kind of straightforward nature. I hope Imperial Father’s anger will subside.”

After all, he had already pleaded for Xiao Jin. As for whether the Qi Emperor’s anger subsided or not, it had nothing to do with him.

A scroll of calligraphy hung on the wall of the Imperial Study.

It looked powerful and vigorous, but beneath it, the emperor seated on his throne had an extremely ugly expression.

Xiao Ye had been emperor for many years, and he had always felt stifled.

Before he ascended the throne, the late emperor favored Princess Zhaoyang. After he became emperor, the people of the Qi Kingdom praised the Crown Prince but had many criticisms about his own rule.

If that were all, it would be fine. But now even Xiao Jin dared to publicly challenge him in front of everyone.

What kind of conduct was this?

The Qi Emperor’s face immediately darkened. He ordered his personal eunuch, “Go and invite the Prince of Yan to enter!”

The eunuch agreed obediently and ran out quickly.

The Fourth Prince, Xiao Yi, knelt on the carpet, thinking to himself that Xiao Jin was really good at picking her timing.

He was still trying to figure out how to heavily punish Xiao Jin, but the other woman had delivered herself right to his doorstep.

The two pipa players knelt to the side, their foreheads pressed against the ground, not daring to make a sound. After a while, they heard the sound of wheels rolling over the carpet.

After the wheels stopped, someone seemed to have coughed twice.

The pipa players knew that this person was most likely the famous Prince of Yan. So they cautiously glanced out of the corner of their eyes.

As soon as they saw that person’s face, they dared not look anymore.

But in their hearts, they thought that His Highness the Prince of Yan was indeed good-looking. By her appearance alone, she didn’t seem like a man. Her skin was fair, and her brows and eyes were cold and distant.

However, according to rumors, the Prince of Yan was naturally violent and often acted in a tyrannical and presumptuous manner. Despite her great military achievements, she was not popular in Great Qi.

However, at this very moment, Xiao Jin, who was the focus of everyone’s attention, was not flustered at all.

She didn’t care at all if the people present were happy or not. She had yelled at the top of her lungs, and she felt great.

Xiao Jin sat leisurely in her wheelchair and bowed to the Qi Emperor with Chu Shao. “Your son, Xiao Jin, and my Princess Consort, Chu Shao, pay respects to Imperial Father.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the Imperial Study fell into a deadly silence again.

Whether it was the real Xiao Jin or the fake Xiao Jin, they both seemed to have a talent for creating an awkward atmosphere. The scope of its effect was so great that no one was spared, from the Son of Heaven down to the common people.

The Qi Emperor was actually quite angry.

He had five sons, some of whom were good-for-nothings, and some who were too capable. Looking at Xiao Jin, the Qi Emperor really didn’t know which category to put this person in.

If he were to say that Xiao Jin was capable, she was indeed very capable.

At a young age, she was titled the Prince of Yan and appointed as a Second-Rank General who Guards the State, having made many contributions to the Qi Kingdom.

If he were to say that Xiao Jin was a good-for-nothing, she was indeed quite so.

After all, this person often did shocking things. She declared she would fight the Yao Kingdom, and she went to war. She wanted to snatch the bride, and she really did.

Just now, outside the Imperial Study, she even deliberately shouted loudly to make things difficult for him. This made it difficult for him to suppress the anger in his heart.

The Qi Emperor’s face was grim, and he was about to reprimand Xiao Jin.

But when he saw Xiao Jin sitting in her wheelchair, frowning and coughing, he suddenly felt a little bit of pity.

Not to mention, the black fur cloak made her face look even paler.

When he thought about his son being sick and on the verge of death, the anger in the Qi Emperor’s heart subsided a little. He suppressed his anger and was about to say, “You may rise.”

But the Fourth Prince, who was kneeling on the carpet, suddenly stood up and bowed to Xiao Jin with a smile. “Congratulations, Third Brother.”

Xiao Jin didn’t respond. She just took out a handkerchief and began to cough.

The white handkerchief couldn’t contain the thick color. After coughing up blood, the jade ring on her hand was stained with crimson.

After wiping the jade ring on her finger clean, Xiao Jin slowly asked the Fourth Prince, “Fourth Brother, what is this joyous occasion?”

Her voice was very soft, just enough to play the victim to the Qi Emperor.

The Fourth Prince cupped his hands and bowed, smiling. “There are two joyous occasions. First, I am thinking that since Third Brother’s voice was as loud as a bell just now, your health must be completely restored.”

“And the second joy is naturally to congratulate Third Brother on your new marriage, and on being happy and proud.”

Xiao Jin almost laughed out loud.

Salty. He was so salty.

So she also cupped her hands and bowed, saying in a faint voice, “Fourth Brother, you’re too kind. We are brothers, so your joy is my joy.”

One person’s face was pale, and the other’s head was green. It was indeed a great joyous occasion.

The Fourth Prince’s smile immediately faded.

He had wanted to taunt Xiao Jin a little so that she would lose her temper in front of the Qi Emperor. But Xiao Jin not only didn’t lose her temper, she also used his own words to taunt him back.

How could such a shameless person exist in this world? She not only stole his wife but also dared to say, “We are brothers”?

Xiao Jin’s audacity and thick skin were completely unexpected to him.

Although it didn’t have the desired effect, it was because of the Fourth Prince’s words that the Qi Emperor realized something was wrong.

A moment later, the Qi Emperor’s face suddenly turned grim.

This unfilial son wasn’t dying! How could a person who was about to die have shouted so loudly just now?

His imperial face was filled with rage, and he cursed, “Xiao Jin, you unfilial son! You even stole your brother’s Princess Consort, you—”

Before he could finish, the Qi Emperor stopped cursing because he saw Chu Shao kneeling beside Xiao Jin.

He had to admit, when he saw Chu Shao’s face, he seemed to understand why Xiao Jin had gone to snatch the bride.

It was often said that the Emperor of the Yao Kingdom had a pearl that shone brightly and illuminated the entire room in the dead of the night.

But now it seemed that even that pearl was not as dazzling as this woman.

Chu Shao knelt on the carpet and did not notice the Qi Emperor’s burning gaze because she was focused on one thing.

As early as when she pushed Xiao Jin into the Imperial Study, she had noticed that there were two pipa players inside.

At this moment, Chu Shao began to guess with great interest: were these two women summoned by the Qi Emperor himself, or were they presented by the Fourth Prince?

In fact, Chu Shao’s guess leaned towards the latter, but if that were the case, it was a bit comical.

She really didn’t understand. The Fourth Prince was the son of a noble consort, yet he was busy filling the Qi Emperor’s harem. What was the logic behind that?

On the other side, Xiao Jin had already thought of how she would retort, but the Qi Emperor suddenly stopped cursing.

She looked up and saw that the other man was staring intently at Chu Shao.

Xiao Jin suddenly couldn’t understand.

The Qi Emperor was just a foolish ruler in a dog-blood novel. Was he really acting like General Cao Cao? Staring at someone else’s wife, with his eyes glued to her, was that appropriate?

She immediately coughed violently twice, pulling the Qi Emperor’s wandering mind back.

After coughing, Xiao Jin put down the bloody handkerchief that had covered her mouth.

She looked directly into the Qi Emperor’s eyes, and her voice became cold. “Your Majesty, it’s freezing outside. My Princess Consort has been kneeling on the ground for so long. Could you please grant her permission to rise?”

At this moment, Xiao Jin called the Qi Emperor “Your Majesty” and referred to herself as “your subject,” showing that she was really planning to be cold and emotionless.

After hearing Xiao Jin’s words, the Fourth Prince and the Qi Emperor, who were feeling the warmth in the Imperial Study, were both silent.

Because the artisans had built an underground passage under the Imperial Study, all they had to do was light charcoal in the heating channels, and the warmth would spread everywhere.

Therefore, the room was as warm as spring, with no hint of cold.

Even the pipa players were worried for Xiao Jin. How could a prince talk such nonsense with a straight face?

Xiao Jin was a ruthless person.

When everyone was silent, she could still maintain her composure alone. She whispered to Chu Shao, “Imperial Father has always been merciful. His silence now is an implicit approval. Princess Consort, please rise and give thanks.”

The Qi Emperor: “…”

In the Imperial Study, only Chu Shao had been smiling the entire time.

Chu Shao felt that it was reasonable for the Qi Emperor not to let her rise. After all, the Great Yao had fallen, and she was just an insignificant prisoner now.

However, it was also reasonable for Xiao Jin to tell her to rise.

Because she and Xiao Jin were accomplices. Prisoners who shared life and death naturally had to cover for each other’s crimes.

Chu Shao could understand that Xiao Jin’s action was for her own good.

So she stood up calmly and said to the Qi Emperor with a smile, “I thank Your Majesty for your grace.”

Xiao Jin was very satisfied. It seemed that Chu Shao also had a talent for getting on people’s nerves.

The Qi Emperor, however, was so angry that a vein popped on his forehead.

This was rebellion. This was true rebellion.

His good son, who had only been titled a prince, was already trying to boss him around.

If Xiao Jin hadn’t been terminally ill and if he hadn’t owed her something, he would have already removed this son from the imperial family registry.

This was a bridge too far.

The Qi Emperor’s anger surpassed the limit of his patience. He grabbed a memorial and was about to throw it on the ground.

But before he could throw it with all his might, a young eunuch scurried into the Imperial Study, trembling.

The little eunuch was pale, and his legs were shaking.

He knew the Qi Emperor was furious, but he also couldn’t afford to offend the person outside the hall. So he fell to his knees with a thud and said in a trembling voice, “May Your Majesty’s wrath subside!”

The Qi Emperor’s hand froze in midair. He could barely catch his breath.

At this moment, it was bad to throw it, and even worse not to.

He simply threw the memorial at the eunuch and shouted in a rage, “What are you doing here without my permission? Guards, take him away and beat him to death!”

The eunuch was so weak in the knees from the memorial hitting him that his vision blurred. He knew he was in big trouble.

To save his life, he shrieked, “Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is requesting an audience!”

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Jin narrowed her eyes.

Why is the male lead here too?