Mingyi felt puzzled. “I merely started speaking, and everyone rushed to interject upon seeing Lord Ji’s face. What does this have to do with me? Did I explicitly state that Lord Ji was related to Consort Yan?”
“Then you…”
“When I left Chaoyang City years ago, someone told me I wasn’t Consort Yan’s biological child,” Mingyi said calmly. “They also told me to find Ji Bozai, saying he could save me and even help me return to Chaoyang City.”
“Putting these two statements together, it was hard not to conclude, especially after seeing Lord Ji’s face. That notion became even stronger,” Mingyi chuckled lightly. “But at the time, it was just speculation. Even today, I was merely waiting for Consort Yan’s explanation.”
“What explanation can I give? I was kept in the dark too!” Consort Yan said angrily. “I don’t know where the child I gave birth to was sent…”
“How dare the Consort claim ignorance?” Someone entered through a side door, speaking with a smile.
Everyone looked over to see Mingan, covered in wounds, clutching his arm and limping into the great hall.
“Greetings, Sire,” he knelt and slowly bowed.
Mingyi’s pupils constricted slightly, and she instinctively stepped forward, asking softly, “Were you tortured?”
Mingan gave a pained laugh. “Falling into the Consort’s hands, how could I emerge unscathed? Minor injuries, don’t worry about it.”
He looked towards the Sire, respectfully cupping his hands. “Nineteen years ago, when the Consort was eight months pregnant, she was searching for a red-veined infant. By chance, my late wife had just given birth to a red-veined child. When the clan elders learned of this, they immediately sent her to Consort Yan’s chambers.”
“This humble servant informed the clan leader that it was a girl. But the clan leader said that innate red veins were rare, and while a girl child had little prospects, if she had the chance to become Consort Yan’s son, she could live a life of glory.” Mingan sighed. “My late wife loved her maternal clan dearly and handed over the child without a second thought, even telling me not to speak up or acknowledge this child.”
“Subsequently, the Consort went into premature labor. The child she bore had no red veins. She only glanced at that child’s wrist once before thrusting him into this servant’s hands, ordering me to dispose of him cleanly.”
The crowd gasped. Consort Yan angrily retorted, “You’re talking nonsense! That was my flesh and blood, how could I possibly have you dispose of…”
“When this servant was taking that child out of the inner court, someone discovered my movements. The Consort, with her iron-fisted rule, immediately ordered me to destroy the body and leave no trace for anyone to investigate,” Mingan ignored her and continued. “It was this servant’s compassion that led me to take the infant to Star City during the welcoming banquet.”
He looked at Ji Bozai, paused, and slowly lowered his head. “You were innocent, but Consort Yan’s methods were cruel. For so many years, she didn’t show my daughter even the slightest kindness and even ordered me to find the ‘Heaven of Parting Sorrows’ poison to control her when she was nine. I harbored deep resentment but was powerless to do anything. I could only give money to the overseer of the slave camp where you were and have him test the poison on you.”
The slave camp was the best place to test poisons. Consort Yan could never have imagined that the poison she sought was tested on her biological child.
This was true retribution, but not by heaven’s will – it was man-made.
Mingyi shuddered and frowned at Mingan. “You’ve known about Ji Bozai’s situation all along?”
Mingan lowered his eyes. “I deliberately placed him in the slave camp. That place is cruel and dark, not unlike your situation on Consort Yan’s side. I’ve often inquired about how he’s grown up all these years, what kind of person he’s become.”
“You, you black-hearted villain!” Consort Yan pointed at him, snarling viciously. “You never told me Mingxian was your daughter!”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have entrusted so many tasks to Mingan!
“If I had told you, would I still be alive?” Mingan coughed lightly, glaring at her coldly. “Having been by your side for so many years, how could I not know your thoughts? Anyone who might threaten you, no matter who they are, you’d want to kill them all. Even the clan leader who helped you find a child back then – now the grass on his grave is taller than a person.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? The previous clan leader died of natural causes, it was inevitable!”
“Yes, and if I had told you Mingxian was my child, my death would have been just as inevitable,” Mingan sneered. “So I didn’t say anything. Not only did I not say anything, but every evil thing you did to Mingxian over the years, I had people do to your son as well.”
The crowd gasped again. Consort Yan, as if gone mad, rushed at Mingan and began hitting him. “You beast! How could the child be at fault? He knew nothing!”
“And what about Mingxian? What was her fault?!” Mingan shoved her away, roaring. “She was the child you insisted on taking in, yet from the age of three, you forced her to cultivate fighting techniques far beyond her years, leaving her battered and uncertain of survival from day to day! You scolded her, humiliated her, all to make her completely subservient to you, to make you her whole world!”
“You’re a mother too! Why is your child a child, but someone else’s child isn’t?!”
Mingyi’s fingers trembled as she lowered her eyes.
She sensed Ji Bozai looking at her, but she didn’t want to see what was mixed in his gaze. She could guess – anger and resentment, no doubt. Not only had she taken his identity, but her birth father had inflicted so much suffering on him.
So she thought, how could there possibly be a good outcome between them?
The wind swept into the great hall, chilling everyone to the core. Mingyi came to her senses and looked towards the throne. “The situation is now clear. I believe I owe Chaoyang City nothing after all these years. I just want to ask the Grand Sire to spare one life. Is that too much?”
“You want to save Mingan?” The Grand Sire said angrily. “But he has committed an unforgivable crime.”
Since Ji Bozai was his offspring, Mingli naturally wanted to reclaim him. If he wanted to reclaim him, then the person who had harmed Ji Bozai absolutely could not be let off easily.
“Today’s farce has truly disgraced my Chaoyang,” he said. “Old grudges from nineteen years ago have been dragged out to this day. It’s time to put an end to this.”
“Mingxian,” he said, “In light of your years of meritorious service, I can overlook your identity and crimes. But Mingan must stay and face the consequences of his actions.”
“Ji Bozai,” he turned his head, his eyes filled with joy, “Although you grew up in a slave camp, testimonies, and witnesses state that you are of Chaoyang bloodline. That being the case, I will hold a ceremony to acknowledge your ancestry and welcome you back to the clan.”
In this way, Chaoyang City’s loss of Mingxian would be offset by gaining Ji Bozai, not counting as much of a loss at all.
He looked at Ji Bozai with great joy, waiting for him to happily express his gratitude.
However, Ji Bozai stood beside Qin Shangwu, maintaining an indifferent demeanor throughout, his eyes colder than the wind blowing in from outside.
“As expected of Chaoyang City, accustomed to making arbitrary decisions,” he raised an eyebrow slightly. “All this fuss is just because Mingxian is poisoned and no longer useful, so you’ve set your sights on me.”
“Child, how can you speak like this!” Consort Yan hastily interjected. “What do you mean by useful or not? You are my flesh and blood!”