Ji Bozai glanced at Mingyi. Compared to before, she was even more composed in front of Zhao Sijian, lying without batting an eye and subtly guiding him in the direction she wanted. He would never purchase a color like Mulan Green from an ordinary fabric shop, so Zhao Sijian could search endlessly without finding any connection to him or her. By suggesting this, she led Zhao Sijian to a dead end, ensuring he wouldn’t return under the guise of personal interest.
Without personal interest, Zhao Sijian would need a direct order from the Grand Minister to investigate him, and the Grand Minister wouldn’t risk a confrontation with him before the next Six Cities Conference. This meant Zhao Sijian wouldn’t bother him again.
She truly was a relief.
After Zhao and Meng took their leave, Mingyi escorted them to the second gate before returning.
“Come here,” Ji Bozai beckoned.
Mingyi blinked and, following his lead, sat in his wide armchair, leaning softly against him.
He looked down and gently pinched her nose. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll find something?”
“If you were that careless, you wouldn’t be the one I admire,” she pouted, humming playfully. “The man I admire is unparalleled in wisdom and never makes such mistakes.”
As she spoke, she tilted her chin up at him, a few strands of hair curling slightly, her eyes sparkling with a bright smile.
Ji Bozai felt a slight stir in his chest.
He lowered his eyes, hiding a smile. “Do you think I’m omnipotent?”
“You are my sky, and the sky is omnipotent,” she nodded matter-of-factly, her eyes full of admiration and reliance.
Ji Bozai was rarely relied upon, not for lack of ability, but because those familiar with him knew he was unpredictable and could abandon anyone at any moment.
Yet Mingyi, smart as she was, seemed to understand this but still dared to lean on him, trusting him with a gambler’s resolve.
How could someone be so clever yet so foolish?
“My lord,” she hooked his hand, “I’m still unfamiliar with this mansion. If you have no other matters today, would you accompany me for a walk?”
He hesitated slightly.
Walking with a woman often meant listening to trivial matters or discussing who wore what or did what, which he found uninteresting.
However, considering she had just helped him solve a problem, Ji Bozai stood up.
Mingyi’s eyes lit up, and she happily took his arm. “I only know this ‘Liu Zhaojun’ courtyard, but I saw that this mansion is quite large.”
“Of course, it’s large,” he said, looking at the courtyard ahead. “The Grand Minister built it for a meritorious official, but that person had a short life, so I got it cheaply.”
A mansion built by the Grand Minister meant a three-entry, three-exit house with twelve courtyards and countless pavilions and towers, easy to get lost in.
Mingyi tried hard to remember the paths they took, curiously pointing at the courtyards they passed. “What’s in there?”
“A storeroom.”
“And that one?”
“A guest courtyard.”
“Wow, it’s so big. What about that area?” She pointed to a courtyard with gray tiles.
Ji Bozai suddenly fell silent.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and asked softly, “Will you join me for dinner tonight?”
Mingyi blinked, unsure why he changed the subject, but seeing the look in his eyes, she wisely held her tongue. “Of course, I will.”
“Then let’s go choose the dishes,” he pointed in another direction. “The kitchen is over there.”
“Okay,” she agreed with a smile.
They walked together, each lost in thought, yet their silhouettes seemed well-matched.
***
Zhangtai was settled in a small guest courtyard. Using her as an excuse, Mingyi could walk around the mansion, but her range was limited. She still hadn’t figured out where the study was, let alone the purpose of the gray-tiled courtyard, so her map-making efforts were stalled.
When she visited Zhangtai, Zhangtai was excited. “The man you’re with is amazing, giving you such a big mansion to live in!”
Mingyi smiled wryly, thinking that if the mansion were smaller, she wouldn’t be dreaming of finding her way and drawing maps. “He’s not the man I’m with; this is just a temporary place for me.”
Zhangtai was puzzled. “Lord Ji seems to favor you. Why do you think that?”
“He favors everyone,” Mingyi said, lying back on the soft couch beside Zhangtai, hands behind her head. “Anyone who pleases him gets this treatment.”
Ji Bozai’s reputation as a philanderer was well-known, and there were even bets on when he would change partners next.
Zhangtai looked sympathetic, touching her belly, and offered advice. “Why don’t you have a child with him? Like me, then he might marry you.”
A child could elevate a mother’s status, and with a child, a formal position was inevitable. Like Steward Xu, who was willing to defy his mother to marry her.
Thinking of Steward Xu brought a sweet feeling to Zhangtai’s heart.
Mingyi watched her expression but said nothing.
Zhangtai was pregnant, yet Xu Lan dared to let her stay in someone else’s mansion, showing he didn’t care much for her. But since she was happy, Mingyi wouldn’t spoil it by pointing this out, avoiding unnecessary resentment.
When Zhangtai realized something was wrong, Mingyi would help her find a way out.
So Mingyi changed the subject. “Has the Judicial Office been looking for you lately?”
“Funny you should ask,” Zhangtai sighed. “I thought I could bluff my way through, but a new young official at the Judicial Office is convinced I’m lying. They just sent a message for me to visit the office in two days.”
Mingyi’s heart skipped a beat. “Which young official?”
“Something like Sima… I can’t remember, but they say he’s been outstanding since childhood, reciting ten thousand words at five and solving a cattle theft case at nine. Now, at fifteen, he’s a coroner and inspector, helping Zhao Sijian with cases,” Zhangtai said nervously. “Do you think he’ll find anything?”
Mingyi frowned, then shook her head. “As long as you don’t slip up, he won’t find anything.”
“I won’t,” Zhangtai hugged her belly. “Not only do I not want to betray you, but I’m also tied to you. If they find out I skipped the clan banquet, I’m in big trouble too.”
This was why Mingyi trusted her. Emotions might be unreliable, but shared interests could bind them.
“Rest well,” Mingyi said, feeling a bit more energetic as she stood up. “If you need anything, just ask the servants. They can get it for you.”
“Okay,” Zhangtai nodded.
After closing the door, Mingyi stood in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky, feeling uneasy but unable to pinpoint why.
Shaking her head, she returned to Liu Zhaojun to change clothes and waited at the gate for Ji Bozai’s return.