His words were very direct, causing the Celestial Official standing behind him to anxiously signal with his eyes. Someone like Ji Bozai wasn’t desperate for Chaoyang City at the moment, so how could they speak to him like this? The Grand Minister was too accustomed to being high and mighty. What if he turned and left…
Unexpectedly, the man in the hall didn’t show any anger but merely chuckled lightly. “Prince Yong is mediocre, yet he aspires to replace Ming Xian’s position. It will be difficult for Chaoyang City to win.”
It was the truth, but harsh to hear. Ming Li’s face darkened. “Prince Yong is my son.”
Ji Bozai nodded. “Then let him inherit the city’s legacy. Why must Your Excellency block my path?”
Originally, they were supposed to leave Chaoyang City after the competition, needing to pack their belongings and prepare for the journey. But the people of Chaoyang City had seized their flying beast carriages without a word, showing no intention of returning them even now. They planned to force him and Ming Yi to stay.
In Chaoyang City’s territory, there was no way to use force. So he stood there, watching Ming Li’s face alternate between pale and flushed. Finally, Ming Li said stiffly, “You are also my son.”
Ji Bozai laughed. “I have neither your clan’s name tablet nor proper midwife certification of my birth. How can I bear the weight of Your Excellency’s words?”
The requirements for clan bloodlines were strict; one couldn’t simply claim kinship at will. Ming Li knew this, but he had no other options. Chaoyang City couldn’t afford to lose. If they fell out of the top three cities, the entire city’s population would have nothing to rely on.
“You came here today, so you must have something you want to discuss with me?” Ming Li calmed down. “What do you want?”
“Prince Yong and Lord Shan have a mortal feud with me. Ming An has inflicted torturous hatred upon me. If you can hand these three people over to me for punishment, Chaoyang City might win tomorrow’s competition.”
Ming Li shook his head without hesitation. “Ming An is one thing, but Prince Yong and Shan Er are of noble status. They cannot possibly be handed over to you.”
“Then we have nothing more to discuss.” Ji Bozai smiled faintly. “Even Ming Xian, with his great merits, was treated this way by you. How could I dare to set foot in your Ming family of Chaoyang again?”
With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait!” Ming Li frowned and called out to him. “You still have my and Yan Yin’s blood flowing in your veins. Can you bear to leave just like this?”
The man at the door paused, sighing very dejectedly. Then he turned his head, his eyes seeming to show reluctance. “After all these years, you never looked for me. If not for my strong Yuan Power, you might not even be willing to acknowledge me today. With such cold-heartedness, what am I to do?”
He seemed to want to stay, but after glancing at the cold-hearted Grand Minister, he still slowly stepped across the threshold of the great hall, filled with unwillingness and a chilled heart.
A child lost for many years craves love the most. Not only had they not given him love, but they were also protecting his enemies and trying to use his Yuan Power. This city was truly as cold as ice. He felt so helpless, so lost, so heartbroken… That was more or less the message.
This emotional performance deeply shocked Ming Li. Sitting on his high throne, he began to wonder if he had truly been too heartless. Fame and fortune couldn’t move Ji Bozai; perhaps only sincerity still had a chance.
Watching this, the Celestial Official couldn’t help but speak up. “Of the three people he wants, aside from Prince Yong, the other two could be negotiable.”
“Shan Er is not someone who can be easily moved,” Ming Li sighed. “The Noble Consort’s clan is powerful, and he is her relative. If we touch him, the Meng family won’t let it go.”
He had originally intended to use these great clans to consolidate his throne, but now the imperial in-laws were interfering in politics, creating an irreversible situation. Even if he wanted to make some decisions, he no longer had the power to do so.
“If he’s willing to return, it won’t be difficult for Your Excellency to deal with the Meng family in the future,” the Celestial Official pondered. “Why not show him some goodwill first? At least let him know that Your Excellency values this blood relation.”
Ji Bozai didn’t care for gold, silver, or jewels. The only way to show him goodwill was through Ming An.
After much deliberation, the Grand Minister finally issued a secret decree.
“The slave camp?” Ming Yi stood up from her dressing table, looking at Ji Bozai in surprise.
He held the copied secret decree in his hand and placed it before her. “That slave camp is now my territory. If Ming An goes there, I can ensure he won’t die.”
Compared to being exiled elsewhere, the slave camp in Muxing City was indeed a better choice. Ming Yi looked up at him with a complex expression, and after a while, she said, “Thank you.”
“You’re not happy?” He raised an eyebrow.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy; after all, Ming An’s life would be spared. But to say she was happy… Ming Yi frowned slightly.
Ji Bozai’s expression remained natural. “Debts must always be repaid. If I let him go easily, there would be more of a barrier between us. It’s better to let him repay his debt to me. Just one year, and I’ll set him free — I’ve told him this, and he agreed.”
Ming An hadn’t expected to have a chance to live. When he suddenly saw Ji Bozai, he thought he had come for revenge. But Ji Bozai stood outside the prison cell and only said, “The grudges of your generation have nothing to do with us, and I don’t want them to affect our future. Give me one year of hard labor, and I’ll set you free.”
The hard labor in the slave camp wasn’t easy, and with Ji Bozai’s special attention, his days would certainly be very painful. But to clear the grudge in just one year, Ming An thought it was worth it. After all, he hated the Yan clan, but he didn’t have a deep, true hatred for Ji Bozai.
So he agreed without hesitation, and after agreeing, he even smiled and said, “Thank Ming Yi for me.”
Others might not know why he would spare him, but Ming An understood clearly.
The father was clever, but the daughter was quite slow. This man sat in the room, and she still looked at him in bewilderment, asking, “Why go to all this trouble? What are you after?”
“To accumulate virtue and do good deeds, so I can ascend to the Western Paradise after death,” he snorted with a laugh.
The corner of Ming Yi’s mouth twitched.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” He leaned in close to her. “Then here’s another reason — I don’t want to cut off our future together.”
Her heart clenched, and she quickly averted her gaze. “That reason is even more absurd than the last one.”
“You can tell what’s true and what’s false. I don’t want to argue with you anymore.” He straightened up. “Don’t go to tomorrow’s competition.”
Feeling uncomfortable, Ming Yi asked in a muffled voice, “Why not?”
“If we win this competition, you’ll never be able to leave Chaoyang City. Is that what you want?”
Of course, she didn’t want that, but given the current situation, even if they didn’t win, the Ming family wouldn’t let them leave.
Seeing her concern, Ji Bozai placed his hand on her furrowed brow and said softly, “I know you’re capable, but occasionally you can trust me too. I’m not weaker than you.”
When it came to manipulating hearts and minds, he had always been an old hand.
Chaoyang City was now desperately grasping at straws, determined to keep him to bring glory to the city. After the matter with Ming An, Ji Bozai had shown a more conciliatory attitude, even visiting the Qingyu Palace once.