The Qingyun Realm was originally a unified nation. After the royal power weakened, the cities gradually became independent. The Six Cities system had existed for over a hundred years, with each city harboring ambitions to reunify Qingyun. However, they always lacked someone with the ambition, strategy, and ability to do so.
Ming Yi felt that Ji Bozai was such a person.
He could make his army of over a hundred thousand soldiers appear like hundreds of thousands, and he was skilled in forming alliances and political maneuvering. As long as he was on the frontlines, the soldiers were always in high spirits, as if they could never lose a battle.
Indeed, this proved true. Over a year of warfare, Ji Bozai’s forces never suffered a single defeat. Those who originally only obeyed Muxing City’s military command gradually became his most loyal supporters.
When Ji Bozai wasn’t in Muxing City, Duke Gong and others had thoughts of usurping power, but were discovered and suppressed by the Grand Master. The Grand Master felt he was still young and not ready to abdicate. Since Ji Bozai had conquered the other five cities for him, he surely wanted to be emperor himself.
However, after signing the agreement with the last city, Cangxue, Ji Bozai didn’t return to Muxing City.
He led his forces in a grand procession to Chaoyang City, ignoring all the orders from Muxing’s Grand Master to return and report.
After a year of weathering the elements, Ji Bozai showed no signs of weariness. Instead, he exuded an air of reliability. With eyebrows like painted blades and a nose like a mountain ridge, he swept back his sky-blue rain cloak, causing girls along the road to squeal, “Lord Ji!”
“Welcome back victorious, Lord Ji!”
Ming Yi stood behind him as they entered the inner court.
As they approached the entrance, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
Over the past year, she had both served as Chaoyang City’s Grand Master and occasionally led troops to reinforce him. They had a natural chemistry, working together flawlessly. Half the credit for establishing this empire belonged to her.
But that wasn’t what made him happy. He was happy because from now on, he no longer had to worry about anything and could finally be with her without reservations.
He smiled and extended his hand, saying, “If you’re tired, I’ll carry you.”
Ming Yi placed her hand in his, smiling and shaking her head. “In front of everyone? How improper.”
“I’m above all others now. Who dares say I’m improper? Only you never listen to me.” He feigned a sigh but still bent down to lift her into his arms, striding through the vermilion gates of the inner court.
Ming Yi wrapped her arms around his neck, watching as he climbed the high steps before them.
Behind him, Qin Shangwu, Shen Tianlin, Luo Jiaoyang, Fan Yao, Chu He, and others lined up in two rows, following his footsteps toward the pinnacle of power.
The Six Cities were thus united, with a unified currency and standardized measurements. Ji Bozai declared Chaoyang as the capital and announced his ascension to the throne.
Naturally, Muxing City, or rather the Grand Master of Muxing, was the first to be dissatisfied.
Looking at his unanswered edict, he angrily summoned Situ Ling: “It’s time to use the poison in his body.”
Situ Ling looked up at the figure on the throne and smiled slightly. “Your subject has been neglected by the Grand Master for over a year and has lost contact with Sister Ming. Using the poison suddenly now might not be possible.”
Their Grand Master was suspicious and jealous. While he felt that Ji Bozai’s conquest of the other five cities benefited Muxing, he also feared Ji Bozai’s growing power and suspected him of having ulterior motives. As such, anyone close to Ji Bozai and Ming Yi had been cold-shouldered over the past year, including Situ Ling.
The Grand Master narrowed his eyes at him. “I’ll give you a flying beast carriage and authorize you as an envoy to find Ming Yi. Use whatever means necessary to bring her back to Muxing.”
“Your subject obeys,” Situ Ling readily agreed.
Then he packed his belongings and Fu Yue and boarded the carriage to Chaoyang City.
After more than a year apart, he had only heard rumors that Ji Bozai greatly favored Sister Ming and that they had faced life and death together, conquering Zuyue City side by side. There were even rumors that Ming Yi would surely be the new empress.
Situ Ling looked at the rolling clouds outside and shook his head repeatedly.
Emperors never truly loved anyone. His Sister Ming still didn’t know the truth.
Ji Bozai was applying medicine to the wound on Ming Yi’s shoulder when he suddenly felt uneasy.
He finished bandaging her wound and gently pulled her entire body into his embrace.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, puzzled.
“Nothing. I just feel lucky to have you by my side.” He pressed his lips together. “On this path to becoming emperor, I’ve had to use many methods out of necessity. But I will never scheme against you again. So no matter what happens in the future, can you always give me another chance?”
His words made it sound as if he had committed some terrible sin before.
Ming Yi raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Even the mighty emperor has moments of nervousness?”
“Yes,” he said, looking at her intently.
Muxing City had yet to send a congratulatory message for his ascension to the throne. He still had to face that city and the unfinished business there.
Ji Bozai felt very uneasy and tightened his grip on her hand.
Ming Yi didn’t pay much attention to it.
She had grown accustomed to Ji Bozai’s daily ramblings about this and that, all aimed at making her feel loved.
He did indeed love her. No matter how urgent the war situation, he never lost his temper in front of her. The first thing he did after things settled down was to have her private treasury filled with gold. Every night he held her as they slept, and if she moved even slightly, he would immediately tighten his arms and drowsily ask where she was going.
Ming Yi had rarely experienced such intense emotions. She felt quite content.
But on this day, Bu Xiu came over and whispered something to Ji Bozai. A flash of irritation crossed Ji Bozai’s face, but he turned to her with soft eyes and said, “Can we go to town another day? There’s something I need to handle with Muxing City.”
“Alright,” she nodded, watching him hurry towards the front hall. When his shadow disappeared around the corner, she lifted her skirts and excitedly said to Governess Xun, “Let’s go to town ourselves.”
Governess Xun was startled and quickly tried to stop her. “How can that be appropriate? You are now…”
She trailed off.
What was Ming Yi now? The ruler of Chaoyang City? Ji Bozai had been emperor for half a month but showed no intention of naming an empress. While Ming Yi’s treatment in the palace was no different from an empress, she still lacked the official title.
Noticing her awkwardness, Ming Yi smiled. “I don’t need an entourage to go out. I can leave whenever I want, which is very convenient. Besides, no one in this city can harm me. What is there for you to worry about, Governess?”
Governess Xun lowered her head and wiped her cheek, reluctantly saying, “Then let this old servant find a few more maids to accompany you.”
“Good, I’ll wait for you at the gate,” Ming Yi said, gently clapping her hands as she watched Governess Xun walk away, looking back every few steps to find some maids.
Then she turned and ran towards the main gate, her bamboo-colored skirts tracing an excited arc in the wind as she disappeared beyond the vermilion doors in the blink of an eye.