“I made arrangements before I left. They still send reports on crucial city matters, but routine issues are handled by the six departments. Situ Ling oversees the city, and Zhou Zihong assists,” Mingyi remarked. “I’m quite fortunate; they’re both talented in city governance.”
Was it truly luck, or had she targeted their virtues from the start?
She Tianlun suddenly realized that when she initially sought to marry those men, though most were from humble backgrounds, they were all renowned scholars. Especially Zhou Zihong, a direct disciple of the Confucian Academy, who couldn’t enter officialdom due to a grudge against the former Yan clan.
After the Yan clan fell, some elder statesmen had invited him, but he had lost interest in officialdom and refused to get involved.
Mingyi, however, was clever. She brought him into the inner court, gave him an official position, and entrusted him with the city, leaving him no choice but to help manage affairs.
“Child, you have grand schemes. I worried for nothing,” She Tianlun sighed in relief, then glanced at the high palace walls. “So what are your plans now?”
Mingyi smiled, “To live a bit more freely.”
How could she live freely when Ji Bozai had confined her to the main palace?
She Tianlun was very puzzled, but seeing his disciple’s confident demeanor, he decided not to interfere.
Before leaving, he asked one more question: “What’s the deal with Twenty-seven? He asked me to tell you, ‘Everything is prepared and ready for use anytime’—what’s that about?”
Mingyi’s eyes curved in a smile: “It’s something good.”
When they conquered Cangxue, Twenty-seven had come to find her.
He had said: “Aren’t you curious why I didn’t tell you the truth back then, my lady?”
When Ji Bozai got married, Twenty-seven knew about it. He had even come to see her but didn’t say a word.
It was at that moment that Mingyi suddenly calmed down.
Twenty-seven was the person least likely to betray her in this world, so for him to keep quiet, Ji Bozai must have paid a price.
But she hadn’t expected that Ji Bozai’s price would be the command of 130,000 troops.
“Ji Bozai swore to me that if he ever betrayed you or made you unhappy, this military power would be handed over to you after the unification of the six cities,” he said. “I’ve calculated. With 130,000 troops, you could counterattack his palace and surround him.”
Mingyi’s mouth twitched: “Where did he get the confidence to keep this from me?”
Twenty-seven shook his head: “Perhaps he never intended to hide it from you, but thought that as long as he gave you the position of Empress, you wouldn’t hold it against him.”
“He’s dreaming,” she scoffed.
“So he lost, and now these 130,000 troops belong entirely to you, my lady.”
Mingyi found it absurd. Any emperor with a brain wouldn’t hand over such significant military power. Yet here he was, having just conquered Cangxue, giving her control of the troops. Wasn’t he afraid she might usurp the throne?
Or perhaps, his unification of these six cities was always intended for her?
Mingyi couldn’t help but recall when he asked her about her wishes before the expedition and then said he had no more wishes, so he’d go fulfill hers.
Before, she had thought Ji Bozai was full of schemes and deeply calculating. She didn’t dare open her heart to him again, fearing she’d become a tool in his hands once more.
But at that moment, Mingyi suddenly realized he seemed to want nothing else.
Nothing else, except her.
Seeing that she didn’t rebel, his first reaction was to forcibly bring her back to the main palace. Sleepless day and night, he was living each day as if it were his last.
It was then that Mingyi’s heart softened a bit.
However, she didn’t intend to tell Ji Bozai that she had forgiven him. After all their entanglements, she hadn’t properly experienced the feeling of being cherished.
She wanted to stay and savor that feeling.
Seeing that it was about time, Mingyi sent She Tianlun out, then returned to the main palace and sat back down by Ji Bozai’s bedside.
Ji Bozai slept deeply and peacefully due to the medicine. When he woke again, it was already the evening of the next day.
He opened his eyes in confusion, his first reaction to immediately sit up and look to the side.
But his movement was too sudden, and he bumped into Mingyi, who was just bending down to check on him.
“Ouch,” Mingyi cried out in pain, covering her forehead.
Seeing she was still there, Ji Bozai felt relief wash over him, then hurriedly moved to uncover her hand and examine her forehead: “Are you hurt?”
A red mark appeared on her forehead, very noticeable against her fair skin.
He pressed his lips together and quickly started to rub it for her, but the rubbing made it hurt more. Mingyi glared at him: “Let go.”
His fingertips retracted, and he slowly withdrew his hand, looking at her somewhat helplessly.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed in annoyance, Mingyi said, “See? You’ve woken up. Did I run away?”
Joy welled up in his eyes as he looked outside and said softly, “The Yuan Power network is very strong.”
So it was the strong network that kept her from running, not that she was reluctant to leave him.
Mingyi looked up at the ceiling beams in exasperation: “Yes, it’s quite strong. I couldn’t break it.”
Noticing it was dinner time but there was nothing on the table, Ji Bozai frowned and called out coldly, “Buxiu.”
Why was he so gentle with Lady Mingyi but so harsh with him?
Buxiu entered pitifully and bowed: “This servant is here.”
“Where’s dinner?”
“Lady Mingyi said to wait until you woke up to eat together. It’s still simmering in the kitchen.”
She waited to eat with him.
Ji Bozai’s eyes brightened. He turned to look at Mingyi, only to see her already seated at the pear-wood round table, her back elegantly straight, her head slightly turned, gesturing with her chin to the empty seat beside her.
He immediately got up, washed his face and rinsed his mouth, put on his outer robe, and sat down next to her.
Having slept for so long, his head was still a bit foggy. Yanxiao had originally instructed that he should be fed, but before Buxiu could extend his hand, his master had already picked up his chopsticks and was picking up food for Mingyi, frowning as he did so: “Why is the food so plain?”
Mingyi ate indifferently and replied, “I’ve been preferring lighter flavors lately.”
Ji Bozai frowned: “Are you ill?”
She choked a little and looked at him with a complex expression: “Your Majesty, you know very well which one of us is ill, don’t you?”
So, she was accommodating him?
Ji Bozai realized, and his eyes instantly lit up like stars.
He had just woken up and didn’t have much appetite, especially with the bland food. But with Mingyi watching him, he managed to eat two bowls of clear porridge along with half a table of side dishes.
As he ate, he kept his eyes fixed on her, not moving them away.
Mingyi felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze and said helplessly, “Is there something on my face?”
This is what they call ‘feasting one’s eyes’.
Ji Bozai wanted to blurt this out, but remembering he had said such glib things to others before, he swallowed the words and just nodded, finishing the porridge in his bowl.
Seeing his good appetite, Mingyi’s expression softened. She stood up to continue reading the reports, pointing to the bed: “You keep resting.”
Ji Bozai wanted to say something but held back, obediently going to lie down.
As far as he could see, Mingyi picked up Chaoyang City’s report from behind the candlestick and continued reading. Her profile was as smooth as jade, her eyelashes long and delicate, her lips full and cherry-like.