When Wang Zhi saw that the Empress Dowager had gone back on her word and made such a request, he felt a surge of anger in his heart and thought it wasn’t worth it for Ji Zeyu.

He had known all along that the Marquis of Qingyang was worthless mud that couldn’t be helped up the wall, yet the Empress Dowager insisted on keeping all power firmly in the hands of her maternal family. This approach not only hurt Ji Zeyu, but also made other meritorious officials feel the sorrow of the rabbit dying and the fox grieving.

This was exactly why court politics couldn’t be managed by such ignorant women. If this continued, chaos would come sooner or later.

Wang Zhi suppressed his inner dissatisfaction and said helplessly: “The Empress Dowager is wise, this minister follows your decree. However, Prince Consort Ji has a stubborn nature and may not necessarily agree to it.”

The Empress Dowager glared and said, “How dare he! Does he want to rebel?”

Wang Zhi remained silent, lowering his head without speaking.

What kind of temperament Ji Zeyu had didn’t need to be explained in detail – everyone understood. After the Empress Dowager had vented her anger, thinking about how Ji Zeyu showed no courtesy even to the current Princess Imperial, and didn’t even know to come and curry favor with such a noble mother-in-law as herself, she inevitably felt a splitting headache.

Why did such a stubborn stone have to be her son-in-law!

“You just go. If he has half a word of objection, tell him to come find me!”

Wang Zhi said solemnly: “Yes.” And helplessly went to Chong Mountain.

However, just as Wang Zhi had predicted, after Ji Zeyu heard Wang Zhi’s words, he only lightly brushed the dust off his face and said: “Please trouble Minister Wang to tell the Empress Dowager that I won’t take the position.”

He turned around, picked up a shovel, and continued digging.

Wang Zhi looked at the crowd digging enthusiastically on the mountain and discovered that among these people, there seemed to be no more soldiers from the Capital Guard Office. Looking at their clothing, they were all Ji Zeyu’s own people, and his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.

Suppressing the unusual expression on his face, Wang Zhi had no choice but to approach Ji Zeyu and earnestly plead with Ji Zeyu who was wielding the shovel:

“Prince Consort Ji, for the sake of the country and for the people’s welfare, you cannot just abandon everything! The Huben Army’s hundred thousand troops are now without a leader. The Longxiang Army has retreated to defend Tianmen Pass and is urgently waiting for reinforcements!”

Without pausing in his movements, Ji Zeyu said: “I’m no longer the commander of the Huben Army. Isn’t the Marquis of Qingyang the current commander of the Huben Army? The Empress Dowager should order the Marquis of Qingyang to go.”

“The Marquis of Qingyang has fallen seriously ill and cannot go on campaign.”

“Is that so?” Ji Zeyu said lightly and dug out another shovelful of earth.

Wang Zhi understood Ji Zeyu’s anger and said somewhat helplessly: “I understand Prince Consort Ji’s indignation, but…”

“Minister Wang is joking. I have no indignation in my heart. Right now I only want to rescue His Majesty, I don’t want to think about anything else. I’ve heard the Empress Dowager’s verbal decree once. Now I’m no longer an official, just a small marquis, an insignificant prince consort. As for the position of Huben Army commander, I know my talents are shallow and I really cannot shoulder such responsibility.”

“You’re the one joking. If your talents cannot handle being Huben Army commander, then who can?”

“The Marquis of Qingyang can.”

Ji Zeyu thrust his shovel into the ground with a “ka” sound and turned around, saying: “I understand Minister Wang’s meaning, but I truly have no interest in this matter. Please ask Minister Wang to report back to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager’s family has many brave people. If the Marquis of Qingyang won’t do, aren’t there others?”

Even a clay figure has three parts earthen nature, let alone Ji Zeyu?

Although he was usually silent and aloof, seeming not to care about anything, the Empress Dowager’s actions were truly too hurtful. If Ji Zeyu were to reach out and accept when he saw power being offered to him at this moment, it would be different from his usual way of doing things. Moreover, he hadn’t given up on rescuing His Majesty, loyally holding onto the last hope. Even though only his own household troops remained, he continued digging.

Wang Zhi felt respect for such a loyal person.

So Wang Zhi no longer continued persuading. He just exchanged pleasantries with Ji Zeyu, said a few words of thanks for his hard work, then went back to report to the Empress Dowager.

Ji Zeyu also continued to cast aside other matters and tirelessly lead his people in digging with all their might.

So many days had passed. The people buried underground, who knew if they were still…

But as long as there was a thread of hope, he couldn’t give up.

He needed to see them alive or see their bodies if dead.

If even he gave up, relying only on Qin Yining, a mere woman, would make it even more impossible to organize people for rescue. Wouldn’t that completely abandon the people underground to fend for themselves?

When the Empress Dowager learned that Ji Zeyu still refused to take the position of Huben Army commander, she was so angry that she smashed her teacup on the spot. Just then Li Helan entered the palace, and the Empress Dowager, having anger with nowhere to vent, grabbed Li Helan and severely scolded her. First she said Li Helan couldn’t win over her husband’s heart, then she reproached Li Helan for acting absurdly, which had thoroughly hurt Ji Zeyu.

Li Helan was scolded until her face turned red, and in embarrassed anger she retorted: “Mother only knows how to scold me, but how beautifully have you done things? The Huben Army commander position was granted to husband by Imperial Brother. You said to take it away and took it away, giving it to someone incompetent like my little uncle. It would be strange if husband wasn’t angry! You won’t admit your own impropriety, but instead come to scold me – this is simply absurd!”

After throwing down these words, Li Helan ran away wiping her tears.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that her chest heaved violently. Even overturning the tea table in front of her didn’t relieve her anger.

In the end, it was all because her family members wouldn’t bring her honor, causing her to be looked down upon by others.

The Empress Dowager, burning with anger, ordered the palace servants again: “Go to the Marquis of Qingyang’s mansion. Tell the Marquis of Qingyang that reinforcements are urgently needed, tell him to immediately get himself to Tianmen Pass!”

Naturally, Qin Yining knew nothing of this entanglement.

She rested at home for two days, then began bringing a group of guards back and forth between Chong Mountain and the capital every day in grand procession.

Often she would get up before dawn, sit silently on Chong Mountain all day, and only return to the mansion when the sun set, escorted by the Elite Tiger Guards and Jingzhe and others.

Qin Yining did this for the child in her womb, otherwise she truly wished she could stay close by like Ji Zeyu, not leaving even a step.

However, as time passed, both Qin Yining and Ji Zeyu became increasingly anxious.

At Prince Li’s place, he had already withdrawn most of the Capital Guard Office soldiers on the grounds of “missing the optimal time,” and the small portion left only came during the day to go through the motions for show.

People had been buried in the underground palace for so long that according to Prince Li’s meaning, they were no longer conducting a rescue but searching for corpses. Since it was searching for corpses, there was no rush.

But Qin Yining was anxious, and Ji Zeyu was anxious too.

With Ji Zeyu’s people protecting the prince’s mansion, Qin Yining simply mobilized all the Elite Tiger Guards to the mountain to follow Ji Zeyu’s arrangements.

Thus by September 29th, twenty days had passed since the incident occurred.

In the evening, the setting sun was blood-red.

Qin Yining’s dry eyes were tinged with despair, yet she couldn’t even cry.

Ji Zeyu still had people escort her down the mountain back to the prince’s mansion.

Who would have thought that just as Qin Yining entered the mansion gates and hadn’t yet gotten down from the carriage, a fast horse came galloping over.

The rider on horseback was covered in dust. Qin Yining recognized him as one of Pang Xiao’s Elite Tiger Guards.

“Princess!” The Elite Tiger Guard’s eyes were bright as he excitedly lowered his voice: “There’s movement on the mountain!”

“What! Is this true?”

Qin Yining was so excited she nearly cried out.

The Elite Tiger Guard nodded repeatedly: “Prince Consort Ji said he heard sounds of people responding, but they’re blocked by a large stone. I’m afraid it can’t be dug out in a short time. Princess, do you want to return to the mountain?”

“Yes, quickly, quickly!” Qin Yining urged the driver and, bringing her guards, set off again, racing wildly straight toward Chong Mountain.