“Thank you for your trouble.” He dismissed the eunuch first, then closed the door.
“Master,” Luo Jiaoyang spoke again, “How can we accept a beast carriage from Chaoyang City? They’re all beasts trained by Shan Er.”
Not only would it easily expose their whereabouts, but using such a carriage would also make it impossible for them to take Ji Bozai away under Shan Er’s nose.
They didn’t even know where their beast carriages were being held.
Qin Shangwu looked at Chu He. “I remember you have some talent for beast-taming.”
Chu He scratched his head awkwardly. “It’s very superficial. I haven’t studied it carefully.”
“Try to see if you can use your Yuan Power to find the beasts from our carriages.”
“Alright.”
With this option, Qin Shangwu suddenly understood Mingyi’s intention.
Noble Consort Yan wanted Mingyi to disappear from Chaoyang City. If she couldn’t kill her, sending her away was also good. Using her beast carriage meant that they could monitor when they left and who they took with them just by watching that flying beast carriage.
It was a good plan, but others didn’t know Chu He could tame beasts. Mingyi, however, knew. She understood the specialties of everyone on the team. It was she who had brought up Chu He’s beast-taming abilities, which was how Qin Shangwu learned about it.
It would be difficult for him to tame beasts already trained by experts, but he should be able to locate their beasts.
However, after finding the location of their beast carriages, what then? Who would handle the rest?
…
Ji Bozai was practicing in Fanghua Residence. With a wave of his hand, the Xuan Dragon emerged from his body, its roar echoing throughout the inner court.
The commotion was so great that no one could ignore it. Noble Consort Meng, sitting in her palace, was so angry her teeth itched.
“How did I give birth to such a useless child?” She glared at Prince Yong. “If you had even half of Ji Bozai’s strength, the position of heir would have been yours long ago. Now that slut Yan has a chance to turn the tables!”
Prince Yong shrank back, helpless and fearful. “I… it’s my fault for not being competent enough.”
“Watching such a formidable person come to ruin our years of scheming, and you can still sit idle!” Noble Consort Meng berated him, then turned to glare at Shan Er. “How was someone like him in Mu Xing City only discovered in the past two years?”
Shan Er frowned. “He only entered officialdom and showed his talents in these two years. Before that, he never did anything remarkable and grew up in a slave camp, so… But this servant has inquired and found that he seems to have some connection with Meng Xian’er.”
Meng Xian’er was Noble Consort Meng’s niece, sent to Mu Xing City for a political marriage early on. Later, she made mistakes and was executed, even tarnishing the Meng clan’s reputation. Noble Consort Meng had no good feelings towards her, but hearing about her connection to Ji Bozai, she became interested. “What kind of connection?”
“This servant stayed in Mu Xing City for a while and observed. It seems Meng Xian’er had done Ji Bozai some favor. Although I’m not clear on the details, Prince Ping’s sudden death and the misfortunes that befell those who had slighted Meng Xian’er before all seem to have some connection to Ji Bozai.”
Noble Consort Meng became intrigued. “In that case, shouldn’t he be grateful to our Meng clan?”
“Indeed, but that man’s thoughts are deep and unfathomable. Recently, he’s been constantly displaying his Yuan Power before the Grand Secretariat and showing great respect to the Yan clan.”
Noble Consort Meng also found it suspicious. She summoned a eunuch and inquired, “They didn’t eat the food we sent?”
The eunuch bowed and answered, “They didn’t notice anything unusual, but there was some kind of argument in the room. The food was spilled and not consumed.”
“Ordinary methods certainly won’t be able to take his life.” Noble Consort Meng pondered for a moment, then stood up. “Let’s prepare a generous gift for that slut Yan and go congratulate her on her birthday.”
“Your Highness,” Shan Er bowed and advised, “Ji Bozai’s Yuan Power is formidable. You shouldn’t risk yourself personally.”
“I am his elder and a Noble Consort of the inner court. Surely he wouldn’t dare to harm me,” Noble Consort Meng said disdainfully. “If Yan couldn’t succeed all these years, how could a novice like him harm me?”
She had guards with extremely strong Yuan Power around her and always kept a physician nearby, making her virtually immune to poisons and invulnerable to weapons. Thus, she felt quite safe going to Yan’s palace to offer birthday congratulations.
If it were the Empress, the birthday celebration would naturally be grand. But now that Yan had been demoted, her birthday could only be celebrated simply in Qingyu Palace. Fortunately, with Ji Bozai present, Ming Li personally went to pay respects, rewarded Yan with some gifts, and sat for a while before leaving.
Yan looked at the food before her absent-mindedly and asked softly to those around her, “Still no movement from Noble Consort Meng’s side?”
Just as she finished speaking, an announcement came from outside: “Noble Consort Meng has arrived—”
Rising reluctantly to greet her, Yan gave her a perfunctory bow and said, “What wind has blown you here?”
Noble Consort Meng maintained her air of superiority and said haughtily, “After all, you’ve given birth to a remarkable son. For a big event like your birthday, I should come to express my sentiments.”
Ji Bozai stepped forward and bowed to her. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“No need. My Meng clan has always been kind-hearted and accommodating,” she said, sitting down with repeated snorts.
Yan watched angrily. In the past, when she was the Empress, how could she have tolerated such an attitude? She would have had her dragged out. It was only because of her current decline that she had to endure such disrespect.
Ji Bozai, however, remained calm and even continued her words: “The Meng clan is indeed kind-hearted. Back in Mu Xing City, if it weren’t for the Meng clan’s help, I would have died in the slave camp long ago.”
Surprised that he brought this up voluntarily, Noble Consort Meng said, “Oh?”
“Meng Xian’er was the Empress of Mu Xing City, a kind person who once saved me when I was still a commoner. Unfortunately, she was later sentenced to death, and I never had the chance to repay her kindness.”
Noble Consort Meng listened with some confusion. Meng Xian’er, kind? That niece of hers was the most vain and cunning, only willing to associate with those of high status and power. When had she ever saved a commoner?
However, since Ji Bozai said so, she went along with it: “I see there was such a matter.”
“Yes, so today I must offer a toast to Your Highness.” He raised his sleeve.
Noble Consort Meng didn’t even look, just taking the wine cup handed to her by someone behind her. “Please.”
Yan frowned as she watched, displeased. “If Your Highness is so guarded, why bother coming to my place?”
“The scorpion’s sting is in its tail. How can I not be cautious around you?” Noble Consort Meng smiled faintly. “After all, you’ve never been able to tolerate me.”
A cool breeze blew by, and her guards suddenly all placed their hands on their sword hilts.
Noble Consort Meng glanced sideways and sneered, “See what I mean? Still the same old tricks. You don’t think those hidden guards of yours can defeat these four purple Yuan Power fighters by my side, do you?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a pure white Yuan Power wrapped around a divine weapon came whistling through the air, piercing through one guard’s shield in the blink of an eye and lodging in his throat.
Blood splattered, falling into Noble Consort Meng’s wine cup, dissolving in wisps.