Part 1 - Yu Nu Jiao / Jade Slave / Enslaved By Love

Chapter 040 Youngest Imperial Academy Scholar

Xie Yun bit her tongue hard and raised her hand to pick up the third cup. Xiao Baobao was about to tremble again when someone held the cup steadily.

She looked over angrily, but saw that the owner of the hand was Yin Ji.

She subconsciously acted like a spoiled child: "Brother Ji..."

"Drink tea."

Yin Ji spoke lightly. Although his tone was not fierce, Xiao Baobao still felt inexplicably nervous. She didn't dare to act like a demon again. She lowered her head and drank obediently, but she cried out "Ah" because of the burn. 

She covered her mouth and complained with tears in her eyes: "Brother Ji, she made such hot tea on purpose."

Yin Ji's eyes fell on Xie Yun, and she saw that she pursed her lips tightly, and there was a faint trace of blood seeping out between her lips and teeth, but she didn't say a word.

Cai Tianxi couldn't stand it and glared at the servant who served the tea: "You bastard, don't you know that this is for Concubine Yue? Why is it so hot?"

He bent down and apologized to Xiao Baobao: "I picked the wrong person. I will send her back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for retraining."

Xiao Baobao was anxious. It was not easy to find a maid who suited her heart. How could she be driven away like this? Besides, she asked the maid to make the hot tea. She just wanted to scald Xie Yun, but she didn't expect to scald herself.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter."

She was thinking about what else she wanted to do, but Xie Yun bowed and said to Yin Ji: "I have done what I should do. I'm leaving."

Yin Ji glanced at her hand, but he couldn't see anything. He touched the round medicine bottle in his sleeve. As soon as his lips moved, Xie Yun turned and walked away. The speed was getting faster and faster, and soon he disappeared.

Xiao Baobao was very dissatisfied: "How can she admit her mistake? She is still so arrogant."

She complained several times but got no response. She approached Yin Ji with dissatisfaction: "Brother Ji, what are you doing?"

Yin Ji still did not answer, but stood up: "I still have some government affairs to attend to. I will go back first."

He did not wait for Xiao Baobao to say anything else, and walked away.

He was tall and had long legs. He walked out of Zhaoyang Palace in a few steps. Xiao Baobao chased him out and shouted from a distance that he had not had breakfast yet.

Yin Ji turned a deaf ear to her and his figure quickly disappeared in front of her, he walked so fast but the person who walked ahead of him still could not see his shadow.

"I will go to pay my respects to the Queen Mother. You go to the Hanlin Academy and ask Qi Yan to see me in the Imperial Study."

Cai Tianxi hurriedly responded and left. Yin Ji then raised his foot, but he went in another direction.

Xie Yun went to the remote palace again. She was afraid of losing her composure in front of people, so she could only avoid people as much as possible. When she got there, she took her hands out of her sleeves. The wounds were very painful, and the burns overlapped with frostbite, which was shocking to see.

She blinked her eyes and buried her face in her arms and rubbed it gently.

The New Year is coming soon. After the New Year, there will be only four years left.

She took deep breaths one by one, and the sourness in her chest continued to surge up, causing her nose to ache and her eyes to heat up.

But she couldn't cry.

She bit her scarred lips again, tasting the blood in her mouth, and bit her lips tighter.

Suddenly, her hands were gently held by someone. She trembled all over and pulled back suddenly. When she raised her eyes, a face full of pity appeared in front of her.

Xie Yun put her hands behind her back and said, "Lord Qi."

Qi Yan's hand was still suspended in mid-air. Seeing her avoiding him like this, his eyes darkened slightly, but the next moment he reached out his hand irresistibly, grabbed Xie Yun's arm and pulled her hand out.

"This injury is very serious. If you don't apply medicine, it will be more serious. Your body and hair are given by your parents. You should take better care of them."

Perhaps it was because she had been treated coldly in the palace for too long, or perhaps Qi Yan's mention of his parents touched Xie Yun's heart. She couldn't refuse for a moment, and let Qi Yan take out the ointment and carefully apply it on the back of her hand.

Qi Yan didn't interact with others much when he was studying at the Xie family, but his homework was the best. Xie Yun heard her father and brother mention him many times, and they were full of praise.

But she had very few interactions with him. Occasionally, when they met in public, he didn't say much, and he was quite aloof and cold.

Xie Yun had always thought that he looked down on aristocratic families and disdained to associate with their children, but since the last time they met, she realized that he was still grateful to the Xie family.

"Thank you."

Qi Yan paused, then his movements became more gentle, and he tore his inner shirt to carefully wrap her wound.

"Miss Xie, if you have any difficulties in the palace, just go to King Jin to find me."

Xie Yun knew that she would never implicate him, but she couldn't bear to refuse such kindness, so she nodded.

Qi Yan held her hand tightly and didn't let go: "You are so badly injured, who did it?"

Xie Yun felt a prick in the heart, but she just lowered her eyes: "I was just careless, it's none of other people's business."

Qi Yan seemed to see that she was carefully maintaining her pitiful self-esteem, and considerately didn't ask any more questions: "Take this ointment, apply it twice a day, don't forget." 

Xie Yun thanked him again, Qi Yan stood up and took a step back: "I still have to go to King Jin to teach, so I'll leave first."

Seeing Xie Yun was about to get up, he shook his head: "It's very quiet here, you can stay a little longer."

Xie Yun seemed to be poked in the heart again, and her body froze for a long time without moving.

Qi Yan sighed and walked out, thinking of Xie Yun's horrible hands just now, and a cold expression appeared on his indifferent face. Since Xie Yun refused to say, he would check it himself. There would be no secrets in this palace.

He walked forward quickly with a gloomy face, and suddenly a bright yellow flashed around the corner. He was slightly startled and raised his foot to meet it.

"Your servant Qi Yan, pay my respects to the emperor."

Yin Ji was a little surprised: "Why are you..."

Before he finished speaking, he remembered that the queen mother ordered him to be the teacher of King Jin, and walking on this remote palace road was probably to avoid the women in the palace.

"I'm looking for you for something. I want you to be the chief examiner for the next spring exam. What do you think?"

Qi Yan was neither surprised nor happy, and bowed calmly: "I will do my best to select talents for the emperor."

Yin Ji seemed to be worried and nodded casually: "That's great, you go ahead. I'm not satisfied with the exam questions proposed by the Ministry of Personnel this year. You can also draft a few from the Hanlin Academy."

Qi Yan bowed and agreed. Just as he was about to leave, Yin Ji suddenly said: "Did you see anyone when you came here just now?"

Qi Yan's eyes flashed slightly, and then he shook his head calmly: "I didn't see anyone. Is the emperor looking for someone?"

Yin Ji had his back to Qi Yan, so Qi Yan couldn't see his expression. He only felt that he waved his hand after a long while, but didn't say a word.

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